Debrief: Star Princess 2 (or so) day Vancouver to SF Repo, 5/14/15 to 5/16/15

[oskidunker]

The ship may not have full thus they may have decided everyone could eat breakfast in the buffet. Not sure if these short cruises sell out

[Papa Yoda]

I think I know what you mean, but say it slowly - more detailed - so I really get what to do. :-)

 

Sit down at a slot machine and put your cruise card in.

 

Follow the little screen prompts to charge Casino Cash to your account. I think it has a minimum of $100.

 

Once you've got the casino cash as Credits on the machine then Cash Out. (Or play a little since you never know!)

 

Take your cruise card to the Casino Cashier and they will hand you the cash.

[Vexorg]

It seems to me that certain types of promotional OBC do not allow you to use them in the casino. Not sure whether or not that was the case here though. I might have actually been inclined to play a bit of craps if I could use the credit for that, but for some reason the craps table was packed every time I walked through the casino. Not sure why, none of the other casino tables seemed particularly busy, and it seems that on most cruises you rarely see more than 3 or 4 people on the craps table at any given time.

Edited May 18, 2015 by Vexorg

[bdjam]

Thank you for the review! Way to go saving yourselves for marriage; God will bless you in your marriage!!

:rolleyes: TMI. Besides he didn't say they are saving themselves for marriage...just that they aren't sharing a bed. With all the other things He's got to worry about, I don't think God cares either way. Edited May 18, 2015 by bdjam

[Colo Cruiser]

It seems to me that certain types of promotional OBC do not allow you to use them in the casino. Not sure whether or not that was the case here though.

 

 

Princess has put that label on several OBC's that say they are for excursions only etc, but most are just placed on the passengers account and any charges are deducted from the credit balance.

[snoodqueen]

What is my friends all shop at Omar the Tentmaker?

 

you mean they like to shop and bring home souvenirs? :):)

 

We use a similar expression and say people shop at Jones Tent and Awning. Translated it means his friends are 'plus sized'.;)

[undercat]

Thank you for your review! We were on this cruise too. After booking the cruise and then reading various threads on CC about short cruises, I was worried it would be a rowdy booze cruise (we don't drink so this wasn't a feature we were seeking) but thankfully it wasn't. It wasn't a snoozefest either; it struck a good balance between fun and relaxing. The bear group on board seemed to be having a good time and we enjoyed the acrobats in the Piazza - very talented!

 

This is only our second cruise, first cruise on Princess and first time on a red alert post-noro ride. Admittedly it was nice being served in the buffet on embarkation day. But by Day 2 I was ready to be able to get my own water, iced tea and so forth, although I understood the reasons for the strictness. Even the salt and pepper packets were being served. DH and I remarked that since the buffet was staff-served, the portions being doled out were probably smaller than the portions people would normally scoop up for themselves and the amount of food waste was minimal. The red alert was lifted for disembarkation breakfast and I admittedly filled my plate and ate my fill and returned an empty plate to the waiter. We did notice a lot more food waste overall after that breakfast. In general, I think "the eyes are bigger than the stomach" when confronted with a buffet and holding a large empty plate :)

 

Thanks to Cruise Critic I knew about the noro outbreak before Princess sent the embarkation delay email, and I already had wipes and hand sanitizer spray on the way from Amazon. I don't think I've washed and sanitized my hands more frequently in my life, and I wiped down every hard surface in the cabin bathroom except the mirror with Monk wipes, along with the door handles, light switches, desk tops, and so forth. It's over 48h since debarkation and no symptoms for DH nor me.

 

We enjoyed Shari the naturist's lecture about the Songs of the Sea. I wanted to attend her Saturday morning lecture but the view while sailing through the Strait was just too beautiful to leave behind for a seat in the theater.

 

I thought it was odd that the UKP wasn't being sold. DH is a Diet Coke fanatic so we would've saved money with the UKP, and didn't plan well enough in advance to purchase and bring some soda on board. I bought a coffee card knowing that I wouldn't consume 15 espresso drinks in three days (I can consume the rest on a future Princess cruise), but I made a bit of a dent in it and consumed drip coffee as well.

 

The bed in our mini-suite was super-comfy. I think it was a newer pillow top mattress.

 

We spent the extra two hours embarkation delay on a San Francisco bus tour and enjoyed it thoroughly. We also enjoyed getting into Vancouver a few hours later so that we could see that gorgeous view in daylight.

 

Disembarkation seemed to be a bit of a stress point, so we spent the time between 11am and 3pm in Skywalker's watching the view. It was so peaceful and relaxing up there, especially compared to the cacophony on the Lido deck.

 

All in all, a great little getaway! We can't wait to sail Princess again!

Edited May 19, 2015 by undercat

[Iowa Traveler]

We were on this cruise & breakfast was served in the dining room on the final morning. I can't recall which dining room was open, but it was located midship. Deck 6 I think

[oskidunker]

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