“Mini” Mini Bar

[polmcs]

I’m looking at a Vancouver to LA 3 day sailing and as I’m currently at 13 cruises, by booking a suite, I’ll get 2x cruise credits and will end up as an elite on my Thanksgiving Cruise later in the year. Does a 3 day cruise in a suite still qualify for a mini bar set up and if so, do they still set up the default mini bar, or is it at a reduced volume seeing as its only 3 days?

 

TIA

[Thrak]

If you are Elite you will still get a mini-bar for being Elite and another one for being in a full suite. Otherwise, you will get the single mini-bar for the suite. Even a one day cruise will get the perk. Enjoy. 🙂

Edited January 31, 2019 by Thrak

[satxdiver]

OP is not elite yet but will be at the end of the current cruise.  Never having been able to have a suite, my guess is that there will be the traditional minibar setup for only 3 days.  Enjoy your good fortune. 

[chamima]

You will be Elite for your Thanksgiving cruise but not for the 3 day one.

You become Elite after your 15th cruise.

 

But had you already been Elite - yes, you would have gotten 2 min-bar set-ups for the 3 day cruise in a suite.

It has happened to us.

[bondgirl007]

What is in the mini bar?  Thanks.

[cruisingrob21]

26 minutes ago, bondgirl007 said:

What is in the mini bar?  Thanks.

typically....

2 beers

2 waters

2 tonics

2 sprites

2 cokes

2 gin shooters

2 couvasier shooters

2 whiskey shootsers

2 vodka shooters

 

Mini bar setups are also done for 1 night cruises if you can believe it.

[neverbeenhere]

I think there is one more 2. 2 Perrier?

[polmcs]

Thank for the replies. Yes, the plan is to make sure that we end up as Elite for the longer Thanksgiving Cruise. I’m glad to hear that they stock a full mini bar, even on a 3 day cruise. With the mini bar, the mimosas at the suite breakfast, an extra bucket of beer for the cabin, coupled with  the 2 carry on bottles of wine, we can add the odd cocktail in the evening and forgo the PBP this particular cruise! 😉

 

 

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes.

[OR_Cowboy_1952]

We have booked a 1 night cruise from Seattle to Vancouver on the Star Princess, and then continuing on a 15 night cruise to Hawaii from Vancouver, both are in the same S4 suite.  We spoke with Princess and our TA and they can not be booked as a signe cruise, so they are a back-to-back.  We will not get any special perks on the 1-night, it’s the only exception to the standard perks.  I suspect they will offer something just because we are in a suite and will be surprised.  We really don’t care as we’ll get 2 cruise credits for the 1 night.  

[NavyVeteran]

34 minutes ago, OR_Cowboy_1952 said:

We have booked a 1 night cruise from Seattle to Vancouver on the Star Princess, and then continuing on a 15 night cruise to Hawaii from Vancouver, both are in the same S4 suite.  We spoke with Princess and our TA and they can not be booked as a signe cruise, so they are a back-to-back.  We will not get any special perks on the 1-night, it’s the only exception to the standard perks.  I suspect they will offer something just because we are in a suite and will be surprised.  We really don’t care as we’ll get 2 cruise credits for the 1 night.  

You cannot book that combination as a B2B because of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. It would be a cruise from one US port (Seattle) to another US port (Hawaii) without a stop in a distant foreign port. If you have already booked both cruises, Princess will cancel one or both of them. If your TA booked these two cruises as a back-to-back, then your TA doesn't know what he or she is doing and you may want to consider getting a new TA.

 

The Passenger Vessel Services Act is the only reason Princess has one day cruises from Seattle to Vancouver. They could not sail from Seattle to Hawaii. 

Edited February 1, 2019 by NavyVeteran

[Ombud]

Seattle to Vancouver 

Vancouver to Hawaii 

 

Not Seattle to Hawaii 

[Jersey42]

10 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

You cannot book that combination as a B2B because of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. It would be a cruise from one US port (Seattle) to another US port (Hawaii) without a stop in a distant foreign port. If you have already booked both cruises, Princess will cancel one or both of them. If your TA booked these two cruises as a back-to-back, then your TA doesn't know what he or she is doing and you may want to consider getting a new TA.

Help me understand what is wrong with this itinerary. They are boarding in Seattle and debarking in Vancouver with port visits in Hawaii. Even though it is a B2B, they begin in the US and end in Canada.  

[OR_Cowboy_1952]

10 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

You cannot book that combination as a B2B because of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. It would be a cruise from one US port (Seattle) to another US port (Hawaii) without a stop in a distant foreign port. If you have already booked both cruises, Princess will cancel one or both of them. If your TA booked these two cruises as a back-to-back, then your TA doesn't know what he or she is doing and you may want to consider getting a new TA.

 

The Passenger Vessel Services Act is the only reason Princess has one day cruises from Seattle to Vancouver. They could not sail from Seattle to Hawaii. 

Sure they could sail Seattle to Hawaii, just like they do LA to Hawaii and San Francisco to Hawaii.  You just have to through 1 international port in there.  LA and San Francisco go to Ensenada on the way back.  They could do the same.  Why do you think so many cruises include Victoria?  The ships sail out of Seattle to Alaska and return with the 4 hour stop in Victoria.  Princess admitted they could do som but they are specifically offering the cruise from Vancouver.  And that’s fine.  

[Shmoo here]

1 hour ago, OR_Cowboy_1952 said:

We have booked a 1 night cruise from Seattle to Vancouver on the Star Princess, and then continuing on a 15 night cruise to Hawaii from Vancouver, both are in the same S4 suite.  We spoke with Princess and our TA and they can not be booked as a signe cruise, so they are a back-to-back.  We will not get any special perks on the 1-night, it’s the only exception to the standard perks.  I suspect they will offer something just because we are in a suite and will be surprised.  We really don’t care as we’ll get 2 cruise credits for the 1 night.  

 

22 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Seattle to Vancouver 

Vancouver to Hawaii 

 

Not Seattle to Hawaii 

 

17 minutes ago, Jersey42 said:

Help me understand what is wrong with this itinerary. They are boarding in Seattle and debarking in Vancouver with port visits in Hawaii. Even though it is a B2B, they begin in the US and end in Canada.  

 

16 minutes ago, OR_Cowboy_1952 said:

Sure they could sail Seattle to Hawaii, just like they do LA to Hawaii and San Francisco to Hawaii.  You just have to through 1 international port in there.  LA and San Francisco go to Ensenada on the way back.  They could do the same.  Why do you think so many cruises include Victoria?  The ships sail out of Seattle to Alaska and return with the 4 hour stop in Victoria.  Princess admitted they could do som but they are specifically offering the cruise from Vancouver.  And that’s fine.  

No.

 

According to the Passenger Vessel Services Act, a foreign flagged ship cannot transport a passenger from one US port to a different US port (Seattle to Hawaii, for example) without a stop in a DISTANT foreign port.   A distant foreign port is any port NOT "in North America, Central America, the Bermuda Islands, or the West Indies (including the Bahama Islands, but not including the Leeward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, i.e., Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao)."

 

It matters not that the cruise was booked a two separate cruises, Seattle to Vancouver, followed by Vancouver to Hawaii.   The PVSA only looks at where a passenger got on a specific ship and where that same passenger got off that ship.

 

Now, if the B2B cruises were, say a Seattle/Vancouver followed by a round trip Vancouver cruise that stops in Hawaii - that's legal.

 

But a Seattle/Vancouver followed by a Vancouver/Hawaii on the same ship - not legal.

 

There are not LA to Hawaii or SF to Hawaii cruises, only round trip OUT of LA or SF stopping in Hawaii.

Edited February 2, 2019 by Shmoo here

[Jersey42]

1 minute ago, Shmoo here said:

Now, it the B2B cruises were, say a Seattle/Vancouver followed by a round trip Vancouver cruise that stops in Hawaii - that's legal.

I believe that what this is.  RT Vancouver with stops in Hawaii.

[OR_Cowboy_1952]

I realize that I have caused confusion.  The trip to Hawaii is a round trip out of Vancouver.  No one will disembark in Hawaii and stay in Hawaii (at least not intentionally).  

[Shmoo here]

2 minutes ago, Jersey42 said:

I believe that what this is.  RT Vancouver with stops in Hawaii.

In which case the Princess rep was wrong.  A 1 night Seattle to Vancouver followed by a Vancouver round trip cruise could legally be booked as one cruise.  But not all B2B cruises are set up to either be separate cruises or single cruises.

 

That's a Princess decision, not a PVSA decision.

[Thrak]

The Mini Bar setup consists of two of each of the following:

 

Courvoisier VS
Beefeater Gin
Skyy Vodka
Dewar's Scotch Whisky
Dos Equis Beer

Coke
Sprite
Tonic Water
Perrier
Bottled Water

The liquor is 50 ml bottles. Any alcohol can be traded for any other alcohol or non-alcoholic beverage...

Edited February 2, 2019 by Thrak