First Timers SF to Hawaii March 2016 Grand Princess ....HELP!!

[maccafan54]

Please can I have some advice on the following :-

 

1. Formal Evenings. Does this mean a tux for my husband ? I have seen on other posts that a smart shirt & tie without a jacket is OK for the formal evenings. TBH this is what he wears when we go out to ( posh ) restaurants at home.

 

2. Have I got this right ? We can take a bottle of wine each on the ship when we arrive. Anything else we pay $15 per bottle & we must not bring any other alcohol on board if we go out on trips as it will be confiscated ?

 

3. Is it worth getting the full drinks package for both of us? I am on medication & would never abuse that with over indulging. Would it be worth my husband having the full drinks package & me having the soda & coffee one

 

Sure I will have loads more questions crop up over the next few months.

 

Thanks

[CeeCee59]

Answers in "Red"

 

Please can I have some advice on the following :-

 

1. Formal Evenings. Does this mean a tux for my husband ? I have seen on other posts that a smart shirt & tie without a jacket is OK for the formal evenings. TBH this is what he wears when we go out to ( posh ) restaurants at home. For formal nights a jacket is recommended - but it seems to really depend on which ship and itinerary that this is actually enforced.

 

2. Have I got this right ? We can take a bottle of wine each on the ship when we arrive. Anything else we pay $15 per bottle & we must not bring any other alcohol on board if we go out on trips as it will be confiscated ? Yes - you've got it right

 

3. Is it worth getting the full drinks package for both of us? I am on medication & would never abuse that with over indulging. Would it be worth my husband having the full drinks package & me having the soda & coffee one. Really depends on how much hubby plans to drink - the nice thing is that you don't both have to have the same drink package.

 

Sure I will have loads more questions crop up over the next few months.

 

Thanks

[Host Walt]

Please can I have some advice on the following :-

 

1. Formal Evenings. Does this mean a tux for my husband ? I have seen on other posts that a smart shirt & tie without a jacket is OK for the formal evenings. TBH this is what he wears when we go out to ( posh ) restaurants at home.

 

2. Have I got this right ? We can take a bottle of wine each on the ship when we arrive. Anything else we pay $15 per bottle & we must not bring any other alcohol on board if we go out on trips as it will be confiscated ?

 

3. Is it worth getting the full drinks package for both of us? I am on medication & would never abuse that with over indulging. Would it be worth my husband having the full drinks package & me having the soda & coffee one

 

Sure I will have loads more questions crop up over the next few months.

 

Thanks

First, welcome to Cruise Critic. I see you've already joined the roll call thread for your cruise.

 

1. A tux if he wants to but now days a nice business suit and tie will be fine. Beyond that it depends on how much your husband worries about what others wear. Because you're coming all the way from the UK, think about whether you want to use valuable packing space for a tuxedo for those few nights he'll be wearing it. (BTW, you said "posh" restaurants. Did you know that's a term that began in the US with grand ocean voyages. Port out, starboard home. That means your cabin would be on the shady side of the ship and be much more comfortable - no air conditioning back then.)

 

2. Correct. 1 bottle of wine or champagne per person for cabin consumption. If you bring it into the dining room you'll be charged the corkage. Extra bottles carried on are OK but with a $15 corkage fee assessed when you board. Other alcoholic beverages (including beer) are not permitted. If you buy any alcoholic beverages whil on shore you can bring it aboard but it will be taken from you and stored until you disembark.

 

3. Check directly with Princess. Their policy is "evolving." Check also to see if you can start the package later in the voyage so you only pay for the days it will be used. Keep in mind the price. Typically the package "breaks even" at about 5-7 drinks per day.

 

These are great questions that you'll get more complete answers for in the roll call.

 

Congratulations on your 40th anniversary. What a great way to celebrate; a great cruise on a great cruise ship from San Francisco to Hawaii.

Edited September 19, 2015 by Host Walt

[Host Walt]

I just noticed that CeeCee59 replied while I was composing my reply. Looks like we're pretty much in synch.

[Dayenu]

Please can I have some advice on the following :-

 

1. Formal Evenings. Does this mean a tux for my husband ? I have seen on other posts that a smart shirt & tie without a jacket is OK for the formal evenings. TBH this is what he wears when we go out to ( posh ) restaurants at home.

 

You will see anything from tuxedos to just a shirt and a tie.

 

2. Have I got this right ? We can take a bottle of wine each on the ship when we arrive. Anything else we pay $15 per bottle & we must not bring any other alcohol on board if we go out on trips as it will be confiscated ?

 

Not confiscated, taken away and held till the last day of the cruise. You can buy alcohol to be delivered to your cabin, it's on the website. You can also order a bottle of wine for dinner, and if not finished they will hold it for you till next dinner.

 

3. Is it worth getting the full drinks package for both of us? I am on medication & would never abuse that with over indulging. Would it be worth my husband having the full drinks package & me having the soda & coffee one

 

(this I don't know how it works)

 

Sure I will have loads more questions crop up over the next few months.

 

Thanks

 

We are just off Grand Princess to Mexican Riviera, so my observations are based on that.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We've done this cruise three times, but out of Los Angeles. It's a great cruise (not really a first timer's one, though, IMO).

 

I don't know if you can access the US version of the Princess website, but there's a Cruise Answer Place (FAQs) that will help you out. Maybe there's a UK version with the same info.

 

You'll have three formal nights, but if you want to skip one or more of them, there are other dining venues that are smart casual (the specialty restaurants are that every night, but many people who are celebrating a special occasion there may dress fancy) and casual (the Horizon Court buffet, poolside pizzeria and grill).

 

On our last cruise (we had traditional as we prefer that over anytime), on each of the formal nights, my hubby wore a suit and tie (but not a dark suit as he doesn't have one). One man, a few tables away, wore a solid colored long sleeved shirt (like mustard one time:eek:) with no jacket or tie, on those nights. It depends on your maitre'd whether you can get away with that or not. I usually wore cocktail length dresses (and our teen dressed in her own style:rolleyes:). Hubby only brought two dress shirts and washed the first one (we used the self-service laundry room) to wear again for the third night.

 

The last cruise (December 2012) Hubby packed a box o' wine in with our supply of soda but made sure it was under the limit. We didn't have to go through any special table, but maybe that's changed since then. We didn't buy any drink packages (he may buy a glass or two of wine, I stuck with the Mountain Dew I brought and somehow got some freebie drinks during the cruise so I didn't buy any of those, and my girl bought a few sodas when she didn't return to get a drink from our fridge).

 

I think the coffee card is a punch card (so many drinks included). The soda one is based on so many days x a specific amount plus tax...and no prorating , so you have to figure out if it's worth it to you.

[fishywood]

Above comments to your first two questions are spot on, other than that box wine is technically against the rules. One 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne per adult may be carried on (not in your checked luggage) at embarkation; bottles beyond that, or any brought on at ports of call is subject to the corkage fee up front. Hard spirits brought on in ports will be "held for your safekeeping" until disembarkation.

 

The unlimited beverage package is pretty straightforward: one person may buy it just for themselves and the other(s) in the cabin can elect either the soda package or no package at all. But it must be bought the entire length of the cruise; if you wait until the morning after embarkation to buy it you will still be charged for the previous day. But as your cruise starts with five sea days I imagine your husband will want to get started straightaway.

 

What is "evolving" (to use our friendly host's term) is the availability of the soda packages. If you only want the basic soda package of unlimited 'gun sodas' from the bars you should pre-purchase it in your cruise personalizer. There have been many recent reports that only the unlimited soda-and-more package is offered for purchase onboard. That package includes unlimited sodas, mixers, fruit juices, non-alcoholic cocktails and milkshakes--but not premium coffees or bottled water.

Edited September 28, 2015 by fishywood

[Underwatr]

Don't ask me how I know but boxed wines seem less likely to catch the screeners' attention if they're on the lookout for bottles. :)

[Rebel54]

When we went on our cruise to Alaska, we rented a tux for DH through the ship. It was there on arrival and we didn't have to worry about packing it or paying for a long term rental. When we were done they simply took it and returned it.