A Few Questions - Island Princess

[palmsandpines]

How much is the drink of the day on the Island Princess? Special deal if you buy their cup?

Do the bars serve IPA beers?

Any benefits of getting on board early on Embarkation Day?

Best place to be on Embarkation Day?

We have only sailed Royal Caribbean. Will Princess compare?

Are the beds comfortable on the Island Princess? Can I order and extra foam topper if needed?

Do they have a lobster night?

Any place for 70s music or even disco?

Should we bring our own water on board?

 

Thanks for answering what you can. Going on the Panama cruise from LA. 

Thank you so much!

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, palmsandpines said:

How much is the drink of the day on the Island Princess? Special deal if you buy their cup?

There is no special DOD any longer - generally.  Also, no Happy Hour.  If a passenger is Platinum or Elite or booked in a Suite, then there is a late afternoon cocktail-and-nibbles hour where there is a featured drink at a nominal discount.

 

Do the bars serve IPA beers? 

I have had Pale Ales on board.  Generally, the ships have the same beer brands.  Best to ask at the bars on board.

 

Any benefits of getting on board early on Embarkation Day? 

You can get settled in and enjoy the afternoon on the ship.  Have lunch, etc.  Some like to have the lunch in the Dining Room and that is only available up to 1:30pm max.  Check the Princess Patter after boarding, or check the mid-ship DR's.  Boarding passengers tend to be directed to the Buffet on Lido.

 

Best place to be on Embarkation Day?

NO real answer to this.  After muster, many like to go topside to observe the sailaway.  Ask 20 cruisers and you get 20 answers.

 

We have only sailed Royal Caribbean. Will Princess compare?

Too complex a matter to get into.  Generally, Princess is more refined in the sense that it doesn't have water slides, rock walls and the like.  People say Princess has a great kids program, but it's not the fun family atmosphere that RCCL projects.  We don't sail RCCL, so that is about all I will say - just impressions from reading and such.

 

Are the beds comfortable on the Island Princess? Can I order and extra foam topper if needed?

You should not need a topper, etc.  Island has the new Princess Luxury Bed.  Check it out on their website.

 

Do they have a lobster night? 

Lobster is an item you can select on the second formal night.  It is also available on specialty restaurant menus.

 

Any place for 70s music or even disco? 

Not specifically.  The house band will play at various venues and often there is a theme to various performances.  Check the Patter.

 

Should we bring our own water on board?

You can bring water on, NP.  I have done so in the past, but the pre-cruise order you can do in Cruise Personalizer is not a bad price and saves lugging it.  We refill bottles from ship's water which is good.  And free.

 

Thanks for answering what you can. Going on the Panama cruise from LA. 

Thank you so much!

Welcome to Princess on Cruise Critic.  Please see comments above.  Also, most of your answers are the same for any of the ships.  If any of the above were real important, you should research before booking.  Since you are booked, I assume just looking to be better informed.

 

[geoherb]

I was on back-to-back cruises on the Island Princess to Alaska this summer. There were some drinks of the day listed in the Patter, but the prices did not seem that special.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Princess is one cruise line which actually has a reasonably priced water package.  I just bought 12 bottles for a little over $7 for our cruise in December.  We will refill from there.  Half liter bottles; I don't want full liter bottles because they are so big to haul around.

[#love2cruise]

1 hour ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

)Princess is one cruise line which actually has a reasonably priced water package.  I just bought 12 bottles for a little over $7 for our cruise in December.  We will refill from there.  Half liter bottles; I don't want full liter bottles because they are so big to haul around.

I have to have my bottled spring water (16oz).  We buy from Sam's Club or BJ's as a #40 per case, tape a luggage ticket on it.  Of course, we live in Florida and drive to Fort Lauderdale and park at Park & Go on Eller Dr.  We pull in there and their guys take over with our luggage and bottled water. We will not touch our luggage/water again until it is delivered to our Cabin.  And, then the fun begins!!!

[jgrahamiii]

New Island question...  I have read that there are "secret" open decks on the front of the ship.  Can someone confirm which decks?  Also do you have to go through an "emergency only" door to access them? Are any of these covered from rain at all? 

 

I think the two rear decks I had read about are now gone after they added rooms, right? Thank. - John