Lines and crowds

[pmlx3]

Hello all! I finally convinced my husband to try a cruise, and we've booked our family of 5 on the Sapphire Princess Feb. 18. Right after I booked, my husband came home with coworkers telling tales of long lines, not being able to get into the activities they wanted, or not being able to do activities at times that were good. These were on 2 different cruise lines; I'm wondering what the Princess experience will be like, especially during a big holiday week. Or is Presidents' Day week not as big a deal on the West Coast as it is in New England?

Thanks for any help--I've learned so much through this forum!

[Baxter]

We have only experienced lines in two cases: the embarkation buffet (if the dining room is open when you embark, go there!) and lines to clear customs. Other than that, no problems.

[Daggio]

Having recently returned from a full cruise on the Voyager of the Seas, I can tell you that, even though the boat was full, it never felt like it. We were able to do everything we wanted, including ice skating and rock climbing, without waiting in lines. The buffet at lunch time got a little crowded, but we never had to wait in long lines for anything.

 

My family has booked a Crown Princess cruise next year which will be our first Princess cruise. I'm not sure what to expect for crowds, but I imagine it will be like the other cruises we've had. Expect some crowding for the pools and buffet on sea days, but that won't ruin your cruise.

[SPI_Rick]

pmlx3, the Sapphire Princess is a Grand Class ship which carries up to 2600 passengers. So, you will encounter lines on occasion.

 

Your major problem with lines will probably come at embarkation and disembarkation. On those occasions not only is everyone getting on or off the ship, but you have the added strain of registering people and taking security photos during embarkation and the strain of people locating their luggage and moving it to their transportation during disembarkation. People try different strategies to minimize the wait during these times.....some people show up very early to embarkation so they are first in line, others show up late so that the line has already gone down. Both methods have some merit. But expect the first hour after the scheduled boarding time to be busy. Be prepared for some minor inconvenience and you should be fine.

 

You should book your shore excursions in advance....you can do so on-line at the Princess website....because lines at the tour desk can be long and some popular excursions may be sold-out quickly.

 

You should plan to be seated for shows at least 15 minutes (and 30 minutes is better) before the show starts. Last minute walk-ins may not be able to find a seat. I haven't had a problem with long lines for other on-board activities. But perhaps I've just been lucky.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[sashas_mom]

We've sailed with Princess 3 times and I haven't had any problems with being stuck in lines (with the exception of embarkation day, and even that moves quickly). We've always been able to do whatever we wanted without any problems. The only time I can see there might be a problem with activities at night is with the assigned dinner arrangement. If you have late seating, you might have trouble seeing the shows, or having the energy to do much more after eating. But again, Princess is wonderful because you can choose Anytime Dining and not be locked into a dinner time and plan your evening accordingly. You will receive a newsletter (the Princess Patter) at your room every day with all the activities for the day.

 

You'll enjoy Princess cruises, we always do.

sasha'smom

[Pam in CA]

I've been on both the Grand Princess and Caribbean Princess over holidays when the ships were very full, and based on my experience, the feeling of being crowded or dealing with crowds varies with the people onboard. We felt very crowded on the Grand Princess, experiencing very long lines for everything from Anytime dining to tender tickets; yet we didn't feel crowds or experience lines on the Caribbean Princess which has more people in essentially the same space.

 

If you do everything at peak times, you're going to experience crowds. If you plan accordingly and either have Traditional seating for dinner or make a reservation for the same time every night in the Anytime dining room (where you can still experience waits, even with reservations); book Princess tours where you get priority on the tenders leaving the ship; etc., you won't have as much crowding or be in line as much.

 

Also, attitude and setting your expectations can make it easier for you. You're on a ship with 2,600 other people so there are bound to be lots of people who want to do the same thing you do at the same time. A little patience can go a long way. Explore the ship, find the little corners that people don't know about or don't congregate in, check the Patter the night before and plan what you want to do when and you'll have a great time.

[HELENROSE]

We were on the Sapphire in April, There were always lines when people had to be inside because of weather. We have been on 17 Princess cruises, this was the only one that we did not like the Horizon court. There was no order there. We usually go for Lunch and sometimes breakfast there, but on this 19 day cruise, we went twice and never returned. We don't plan on going on that size ship again. Too many people. It is a beautiful ship, but not for us. Give us the smaller ships.

[mummsie]

We were on the Sapphire a few months ago in peak season here in OZ. The only time we found big crowds was at breakfast and lunch in the Horizon bar. In the end we found it much nicer to go to one of the dining rooms for breakfast and get our food freshly made and be served. For lunch we usually just ate at the pizza bar or hamburger bar. Gayle

[Kissara22]

I've cruised on RCCL, Carnival, and Princess ....the only lines I can recall are the lines for debarkation. Maybe some waiting for tender boats. I don't recall any activity missed because of a long line. Please don't worry and have a blast :D

[bearette]

It is like being anywhere. Sometimes there are lines and sometimes there aren't any. You just never know since it depends on what you want to do and wheter anyone else is interested in the same things. A cruise won't make people go away. It's similiar to being at a hotel, except this one floats.

 

As for embrkation and disembarkation lines, that isn't the cruise lines fault. That is cutsoms and there is no avoiding that. (Even on embarkation since they make sure you have the documentation to get back in.)

[Steven_&_Daniel]

...Or is Presidents' Day week not as big a deal on the West Coast as it is in New England?

 

 

Since you've received plenty of great answers and no one has mentioned this, I just have to ask... Presidents' Day a big deal? I've lived in the midwest my entire life and don't know anyone who "celebrates" Presidents' Day. It's a date on the calendar, if you're lucky you get off school or work for a day. That's about it.

 

I'm not saying it shouldn't be celebrated, just that I've never known anyone who does. I didn't realize it was a big deal someplace. New England, huh? See the things you learn on this board!

[Lillykat]

Well we were on the CB and on a sold out sailing. We found that Princess was very efficient in handling the crowds so that things ran smoothly and so we didn't experience lines or crowds.

 

We are used to Celebrity and their ships sail with much fewer people so this was a concern. The last thing we want to do on a vacation is wait in line. We never had any lines (except some short ones for photos but I have seen that on celebrity and we never waited long). In fact if you just go early to the shows (15-30 mins) you will have NO problems finding seats. The only other time that the boat seems full was the captains party on the first formal night when many people crowded around in the atrium.

[sunluva7]

We were on the same CB sailing as Lillikat and found that if you plan accordingly, you can work around the crowds. We avoided the dinner crowd by eating at 6:00, the lunch crowd by grabbing something before 11:00 or after 2:00. The theatres and lounges are crowded. Arrive at the event you want to attend at least 30 minutes before and you won't have a problem finding a seat. Another crowded area was the last minute rush for photos Friday night. Grab your photos during the week and have them put into a folder with your name so you can avoid the mobs of people trying to find their photos. The other big crowd is at disembarkation, waiting to be called. Leave your cabin early and get a comfortable seat in one of the lounges - you won't be sorry.

[Times Prince]

We've sailed on 3 different classes/sizes of Princess ships and because of the way they organize things and build the ships the general feeling matches that of a small ship.

 

Embarkation - If you call 3 people a line, then, OK, there have been lines. Mostly we are able to walk up to the registration desk with little to no delay. Going through security is like an airport, but more efficient.

 

Buffets - Again, mostly we are able to go in without a line or delay. Small line at the grill, no line at the on deck pizza. Avoid traditional 12 Noon times.

 

Lunch - If you have the time, try the dining room rather than the buffet. We have found that a morning tour, followed by relaxing lunch in the dining room makes for a really nice cruise experience.

 

Dinner - with Personal Choice anytime seating we found that as long as we didn't arrive at the same time the earlier theater shows got out, there was no issue. If you attend the early show, and expect instant dining seating, then expect a line. No lines to speak of for Traditional seating except for the first 3 minutes when they open the doors.

 

Tours - It is normal for the tour to meet in a location like the theater, then leave in groups from there. Is it a line if you are seated on nice cushioned seats? Book tours in advance, or use the drop box for new bookings. They are efficient in processing the drop box signups.

 

Deck 7 / Promenade Deck is the only log jam. If you are on a higher deck and need to go the length of the ship to get to the lounge (aft) or theater (forward) consider traversing another deck and go to deck 7 at the end nearest the venue. The photo gallery is usually on this deck, and that can create some queuing.

 

Disembarkation - Unfortunately there is a wait here. Find a nice lounge area somewhere where you can hear the PA system. You don't have to crowd at the exit. We have a nice leisurely breakfast in the dining room while waiting for our color tag to be called.

 

President's day isn't even a holiday in the business segment I work for. It used to be a floating holiday, but not any more...:( George and Abe deserve better.

[Dani24]

In my experience, living in California, President's Day isn't a huge deal, though many companies do still allow their employees that day off -- but not all. It's more of a big deal for the "President's Day Sales" offered at stores.