Princess Crash Course

[Kay S]

Avoid the hamburger at the deck grill.  Get the hot dog instead. 🙂

[pppatpc2]

2 hours ago, CruisinCouple2010 said:

Two cocktails that I recommend  are Mud Slide and Dirty Banana. Both are delicious.

Enjoy your cruise. 

 

These are extremely good and quite a splurge on calories.  Every party has a party pooper...  If it is your first time on Princess, go classic and order the Isaac, named after the bartender from the show.  My go to drinks with the package:

  Bloody Mary to start a sea day, Outrigger specializes in several different types           Aperol Spritz in Crooners while reading

Chocolate Mint martini after dinner

 

Sometimes they turn Sabatini’s into Alfredo’s on sea days.  They don’t announce it but you can find it listing on the dining room hours on the “Patter”, which is their activity schedule.

 

Ocean Medallion is a love/hate thing with Princess cruisers, but works very good for ordering the specialty coffees included in your plus package, as well as other food and beverage.  Servers find you by your medallion.  We ordered guacamole and chips in Explorer’s one night. Very convenient.

 

Welcome to Princess, I hope you like it as much as we do.

  

[Hobbes67]

I love the toasted almond martini!

[billco]

First thing I would do is compare the prices. We are doing a 15 day Panama Canal cruise from LA to Miami on the NCL Joy in January. The cost was $4760. A similar booking on the Emerald in January looks like over $9000. That is for a balcony cabin with no couch and only a desk chair. 

Edited October 17, 2022 by billco

[dreams_of_travel]

8 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I will be sailing on Princess for the first time in December. A 15-day Panama Canal transit on the Emerald Princess over the Holidays. I have sailed many times on NCL and Celebrity, but I am hoping you folks can give me the scoop on what is the same. what is different, best specialty dining, best bars, best drinks to order, best activities, best areas to hang out, etc. We are in a balcony cabin on deck 15 forward and we have the Princess Plus package, which I believe includes the basic drinks and wifi.

 

Any info you think is relevant is appreciated!

I had a huge reply for you, but the site ate it.  😳  😞   I did this cruise last year on Emerald.

 

International Cafe - good for snacks, or even lunch/breakfast

Explorers Lounge - nice area for daytime reading, trivia at various times, night time live music, or comedy

Good Spirits at Sea - nice area for daytime reading, and fun drink making display, as well as cocktails

Skywalkers Lounge - nice area to read during the day

Outriggers Bar - good drinks, nice view to sit and watch wake views

Wheelhouse Bar - Pub lunch if they offer it

The Sanctuary for canal transit day. Extra cost but breakfast lunch and tea are served there. You get a reserved seat for the day. The area offers great forward views of the locks, with some shaded areas for relief from the sun.

 

I enjoy reading your travel reviews of your trips.  I look forward to this next adventure

 

[teecee60]

2 hours ago, billco said:

First thing I would do is compare the prices. We are doing a 15 day Panama Canal cruise from LA to Miami on the NCL Joy in January. The cost was $4760. A similar booking on the Emerald in January looks like over $9000. That is for a balcony cabin with no couch and only a desk chair. 

 

You should consider booking your cruises with someone else. A quick search revealed a 15 night Panama Canal cruise on Emerald Princess, January 2nd through January 17th, in a balcony cabin for $2249pp with an additional $443pp for port charges, taxes and fees.

[txjim09]

On the Ruby during transit, the area on top of the bridge was opened for viewing to everyone, staff had chairs available.  Very crowded during the first set of locks but crowds were greatly reduced shortly afterwards. Hope it's available for you!

[JamieLogical]

3 hours ago, billco said:

First thing I would do is compare the prices. We are doing a 15 day Panama Canal cruise from LA to Miami on the NCL Joy in January. The cost was $4760. A similar booking on the Emerald in January looks like over $9000. That is for a balcony cabin with no couch and only a desk chair. 

 

When I priced out Panama sailings backed when we booked this, which was sometime before October of last year, this was by far the cheapest option. The prices for this sailing have gone WAY WAY up since we booked it. But it was certainly the best deal going when we locked it in.

[jsn55]

7 hours ago, travelin.sisters said:

yes, it does include the specialty coffees (also if you are a coffee person the regular coffee there is apperently much better than in the dining rooms & buffet (brewed v. syrup?)...I don't personally know because I am not a coffee drinker)

 

my best suggestions are:

• take a bit of time & wander through the ship on embarkation day so you get an idea of what is where
• try all the different free eating venues (MDR, buffet, outdoor by pool (grill & pizza), international cafe) early in the cruise to see what you like (each Princess ship (& even each cruise on the same ship) has had some things that I really love & others that aren't as good as I have experienced on other ships...I don't drink but I would try the various bars/venues to see which place or server is your favorite (it is sad at the end of a 15 day cruise to find the perfect place/drink/dish that you then wish you had been enjoying for the whole time)...if they resume having pub lunch on some days, it is a nice experience...embarkation day lunch in the MDR is a nice way to start a cruise (IMHO, I almost never eat lunch there again because it takes so very long...afternoon tea is fun once or twice a cruise
• on our Panama they had a couple sessions of learning to play the steel drums which was fun...I always listen to the Wake Show (the CDs intro to the day) the night before to see what looks good for the next day as well as reviewing the Patter
• the enrichment lectures are usually really good, we had a lot of info about the Canal before we got there & then more as we were transiting (we did the old locks so it may be different)...now the enrichment & port lectures can be seen later on the cabin TV
• not Princess, but I felt that reading (audiobooking) the Path Between the Seas by David McCullough before hand (its a loooong book) really enhanced the experience 

ok sorry it that's way more info than you wanted...have a wonderful cruise

Oh my, YES, Path Between the Seas made a huge difference when we did the PC.  I read the whole 3" thick hard cover book before we left home ... my brother found it somewhere.   Made our whole voyage so special!!   

[travelin.sisters]

9 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Funny you mentioned that book. We are going on this cruise with another couple we met on our NCL sailing last Sept/Oct and and the wife just sent me a screenshot of her audio app on her phone where she had started listening to that book. It's 31 hours and 39 minutes long!

for me it was worth it, but I do love feeling connected with the history & the culture of the places I travel...the enrichment talks onboard will give you the highlights if all that detail is not your thing

[Nonnie1975]

On sea days go to the Main Dining Room for breakfast. One of the best thing is the Princess French toast.  Most of the time it is not on the menu but If you smile and ask very sweetly for it, they will make it .  Also if you like crisp bacon, you have to request otherwise it’s is very limp .  This is one of our favorite things for breakfast and always request it. We. Love it so much we make it at home . They have lots of other good things to eat.  It is very relaxing and quiet.  They also walk around with a huge tray of fresh rolls and danishes. Yum! 

[L11]

Another vote for Path Between the Seas. Absolutely fascinating. I read it before my second trip through the canal and it made a huge difference for me in my excitement level and enjoyment of that trip. He is an engaging writer so, even though it is a thick book, it is not boring.. It reads a little like a novel in many places. Enjoy!

 

Linda

[bella9538]

Any experience on average weather in Panama in January?  Clothing?

[Arizona Wildcat]

10 minutes ago, bella9538 said:

Any experience on average weather in Panama in January?  Clothing?

Same year round.  Very warm/humid.  In tropical climates I always wear long sleeve cotton shirts and lightweight pants or Bermuda shorts and a hat.  The sun is brutal.  High about 88-90 and lows mid 70s at 5am.  Humidity same as high temp.  Cartagena about the same or a bit warmer.

[mjmiller]

Crooners - the bacarat and Bailey raspberry martinis are the bomb. 

[JamieLogical]

6 hours ago, mjmiller said:

Crooners - the bacarat and Bailey raspberry martinis are the bomb. 

 

Ooh, that does sound amazing!

[cruisequeen4ever]

Welcome to Princess; I always enjoy your blogs and look forward to your Princess one! 
 

Crown Grill is a fantastic steak specialty restaurant. We like to celebrate Christmas and/or NYE there. 
 

Sabatinis is the Italian specialty restaurant and is good, too. 
 

I find Princess’s drinks to be much more flavorful than those on Celebrity. I recommend the 24K margarita frozen; we look forward to it on each cruise. 
 

You can get stunning views from the aft decks. 
 

Enjoy your cruise! 

[Bwana Tom]

Welcome to Princess. I'm sure you will enjoy your cruise. I'm betting you will find Princess more laidback that you have experienced in your previous cruises. Be sure you try the Dirty Banana; my wife loves it and she isn't a big drinker.

[rideev]

On 10/17/2022 at 3:32 PM, Kay S said:

Avoid the hamburger at the deck grill.  Get the hot dog instead. 🙂

I had a hot dog up there one day, it was so good I had to take my wife up there later.  Needless to say, I had to take her back a few times, they were that good.

[JamieLogical]

Do I need reservations for the MDRs? Some people are talking about reservations on my roll call and now I am worried that I won't be able to get a table at dinner?

[sparks1093]

On 10/17/2022 at 11:14 AM, Cruzinnana47 said:

Forgot to mention.  As far as specialty restaurants go, the Crown Gill (steakhouse) and Sabatini's (Italian) are good and very popular.  Also for lounges...Explorers, Crooner's and the Wheelhouse (believe all on deck 7) have their own vibe.

 

Sure you will enjoy your cruise.  We love Princess as it's more sedate, but not boring.  No bells & whistles--rock climbing walls, flowriders, water slides, etc., as they have on the newer RCI and NCL ships.  

 

If you would enjoy a fantastic dining experience, the Chef's Table is wonderful (you need to call to get on the list as soon as you board).  Not cheap, but so worth it.   Also, the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast or Ultimate Balcony Dinner are great as well--so much food!

I started reading this thread because we may be booking Princess for 2025 and I'm gathering info in the mean time. I have to admit that Ultimate Balcony Breakfast and Ultimate Balcony Dinner caught my eye!

[Cruise Raider]

On 10/17/2022 at 8:03 AM, JamieLogical said:

 

Darn! Does it have something else in its place?

Alfredo’s is an awesome sit down pizza place but they don’t have one on the Crown Class ships (I know there’s no such thing as the Crown class .. but they are different than the Grand class ships).  
Anyway, you can find a nice little spot to hang out an order a whole pizza and even salads through your app.  The pizzas are $3 each and so worth it!  The salads and many other items via the app are free of charge.  We were watching the NBA finals on the Ruby in the Vista lounge with a group and ordered pizzas in there for the game, as many others were doing.  it was perfect!  
 

We’ve also cruised on Celebrity and NCL, as well as on many cruises on Princess.  
NCL was definitely much more casual than the other two lines but Princess is not stuffy or formal by any means.  
The food has always been very good to excellent on Princess and some of their new dishes are really great.  Their portions are smaller than before, but that is something I really appreciate.  
I have not cruised on the Emerald in over a decade so not sure about their specialty restaurants but the Crown Grill seems to be on all Princess ships and is wonderful.  At $29 pp, it is much cheaper than the specialty restaurants you will find on Celebrity.  You usually have to get reservations ahead of time or as soon as you board.  No specialty dinner packages are a available on Princess.  They will have another specialty restaurant up on the aft of the top deck.  On the Ruby, it is Sabatini’s and well worth the $25 pp upcharge.  If they have a Salty Dog Pub, that also has an upcharge of $18 pp.  I think they are all worth the extra costs.  Not everyone agrees with me on the Salty Dog Pub, though.  The free venues are the three main dining rooms and I would recommend either the DaVinci or the Michelangelo.  The Botticelli is kind of a pain to get to and I feel like I’m eating in a basement when I go there. Other free venues re the International Cafe for small plates, pastries, sandwiches, salads, fruit, smoothies, soup, etc., depending on the time of day.  There are also tapas served if you buy a drink at Vines on the same deck as the IC.  Vines usually serves cocktails as well as wine.  There are complimentary food venues up on the pool deck with the Salty Dog Grill (not to be confused with the Salty Dog Pub if the Emerald even has one have one) that serves hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries and street tacos.  They might have specialty items offered as well, such as lobster rolls ($18 charge) and possibly onion rings, chicken wings, etc.  There is also Slice pizza and usually a place for soft ice cream cones.  Of course, the buffet is also available on this deck.  And as before, you can always order many items from the app, even if you are at the pool.  

The beds on Princess are the most comfortable on any cruiseline, IMO.  The cabins are more compact, though.  A regular balcony cabin will not have a couch and a small bathroom.  But, their open closet area is the best!  
Since everything is now pretty much on the app, you can bookmark the events you want to attend and pull up only those events you have marked.  It’s kind of like your daily ‘Patter’ newsletter but you can pull it up on your phone.  You wear a medallion device (or just put it in your pocket) and you will be identified at any venue.  It also unlocks your cabin door just by approaching it.  If you are totally against wearing a medallion, you can request a regular key card but, give the medallion a try first.  I’m a big fan!  The app is a little glitchy but if you are having any issues with it, log out and log back in using your stateroom number.  But, if that doesn’t help, be sure to go to Ocean Navigator.  They will fix it up for you.  Some devices don’t work as well with the app as newer ones.  

 

Princess seems to be adding new activities all the time.  There are quite a few events in the piazza during the day and music at night.  There are always plenty of places for peace and quiet if that’s what you choose.  Their Cruise Director staff games are usually very fun and scattered about throughout deck 7 and in the piazza.  Crooners is a fun piano bar for nighttime entertainment. Most of their production shows have been phenomenal.  They even have some fun arts and crafts events during the day.  You won’t be at a loss of something to do.  Or, you can go up to the sanctuary pool up front (the pool is open for no charge, while the sanctuary will cost you) and enjoy the peace and quiet.  I think it is adults only.  
MUTS is their outdoor movie screen and shows mostly concerts or some non hosted trivia during the day and movies are shown mostly at night.  During the warmer weather, they may have some Games out at the pool or on the big screen.  
The other pool is where the band plays, again, especially in warmer weather.  they’ve had some great house bands over the last couple of years.  
Princess has also brought in some enrichment speakers / naturalist and they’ve been an awesome addition.  
 

They now have most events on the app and very few papers to get tossed into the trash.  You can order your daily schedule of events, called the Patter, through your app.  
You can order drinks or specialty coffees to your room now and they are covered under your package.  You can also call room service and order a dozen bottles of water if you have the beverage package.  You can even order special services for extra pillows, etc.  You can now check the menus for the dining rooms via the app and watch the muster drill on your device and then just check in at your muster station.  They’ve made it so much easier.  Most all of these same options, if not all, are also available on your stateroom TV.  
Oh .. and your TV has on demand shows and movies.  I understand you can opt to send them to your device but I’ve not down that.  
 

 

Do as much or as little as you choose and enjoy your cruise!  The Pamana Canal is just amazing, but hot!  Keep hydrated!  
 

 

 

[deultgen]

On 10/17/2022 at 8:08 AM, JamieLogical said:

I will be sailing on Princess for the first time in December. A 15-day Panama Canal transit on the Emerald Princess over the Holidays. I have sailed many times on NCL and Celebrity, but I am hoping you folks can give me the scoop on what is the same. what is different, best specialty dining, best bars, best drinks to order, best activities, best areas to hang out, etc. We are in a balcony cabin on deck 15 forward and we have the Princess Plus package, which I believe includes the basic drinks and wifi.

 

Any info you think is relevant is appreciated!

 

Its a little difficult when there is very little information on what people like/dislike about traveling, but here goes.

 

We have sailed Celebrity many times.  Here are a couple of things we like on Princess.  You asked about specialty dining.  The cost for specialty dining on Princess is MUCH less in cost.  In general specialty dining is between $25-30 per person for dinner.  On Celebrity is would be generally $45-55 per person.  Personally, we like Sabatini's on Emerald and the bar next to it, Adagio.  In my opinion, the cost is much less, but also the creativity and specialty dining experience is less as well.  

 

Other people have mentioned Vines wine bar or the other bars around the piazza, which are very good options especially before dinner.  

 

Another thing Princess does well is the Sanctuary area of the ship as a place to hand out and relax with interesting food and great service.  A quick google search will give you plenty of pics and videos if it.

[jsn55]

1 hour ago, Cruise Raider said:

Alfredo’s is an awesome sit down pizza place but they don’t have one on the Crown Class ships (I know there’s no such thing as the Crown class .. but they are different than the Grand class ships).  
Anyway, you can find a nice little spot to hang out an order a whole pizza and even salads through your app.  The pizzas are $3 each and so worth it!  The salads and many other items via the app are free of charge.  We were watching the NBA finals on the Ruby in the Vista lounge with a group and ordered pizzas in there for the game, as many others were doing.  it was perfect!  
 

We’ve also cruised on Celebrity and NCL, as well as on many cruises on Princess.  
NCL was definitely much more casual than the other two lines but Princess is not stuffy or formal by any means.  
The food has always been very good to excellent on Princess and some of their new dishes are really great.  Their portions are smaller than before, but that is something I really appreciate.  
I have not cruised on the Emerald in over a decade so not sure about their specialty restaurants but the Crown Grill seems to be on all Princess ships and is wonderful.  At $29 pp, it is much cheaper than the specialty restaurants you will find on Celebrity.  You usually have to get reservations ahead of time or as soon as you board.  No specialty dinner packages are a available on Princess.  They will have another specialty restaurant up on the aft of the top deck.  On the Ruby, it is Sabatini’s and well worth the $25 pp upcharge.  If they have a Salty Dog Pub, that also has an upcharge of $18 pp.  I think they are all worth the extra costs.  Not everyone agrees with me on the Salty Dog Pub, though.  The free venues are the three main dining rooms and I would recommend either the DaVinci or the Michelangelo.  The Botticelli is kind of a pain to get to and I feel like I’m eating in a basement when I go there. Other free venues re the International Cafe for small plates, pastries, sandwiches, salads, fruit, smoothies, soup, etc., depending on the time of day.  There are also tapas served if you buy a drink at Vines on the same deck as the IC.  Vines usually serves cocktails as well as wine.  There are complimentary food venues up on the pool deck with the Salty Dog Grill (not to be confused with the Salty Dog Pub if the Emerald even has one have one) that serves hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries and street tacos.  They might have specialty items offered as well, such as lobster rolls ($18 charge) and possibly onion rings, chicken wings, etc.  There is also Slice pizza and usually a place for soft ice cream cones.  Of course, the buffet is also available on this deck.  And as before, you can always order many items from the app, even if you are at the pool.  

The beds on Princess are the most comfortable on any cruiseline, IMO.  The cabins are more compact, though.  A regular balcony cabin will not have a couch and a small bathroom.  But, their open closet area is the best!  
Since everything is now pretty much on the app, you can bookmark the events you want to attend and pull up only those events you have marked.  It’s kind of like your daily ‘Patter’ newsletter but you can pull it up on your phone.  You wear a medallion device (or just put it in your pocket) and you will be identified at any venue.  It also unlocks your cabin door just by approaching it.  If you are totally against wearing a medallion, you can request a regular key card but, give the medallion a try first.  I’m a big fan!  The app is a little glitchy but if you are having any issues with it, log out and log back in using your stateroom number.  But, if that doesn’t help, be sure to go to Ocean Navigator.  They will fix it up for you.  Some devices don’t work as well with the app as newer ones.  

 

Princess seems to be adding new activities all the time.  There are quite a few events in the piazza during the day and music at night.  There are always plenty of places for peace and quiet if that’s what you choose.  Their Cruise Director staff games are usually very fun and scattered about throughout deck 7 and in the piazza.  Crooners is a fun piano bar for nighttime entertainment. Most of their production shows have been phenomenal.  They even have some fun arts and crafts events during the day.  You won’t be at a loss of something to do.  Or, you can go up to the sanctuary pool up front (the pool is open for no charge, while the sanctuary will cost you) and enjoy the peace and quiet.  I think it is adults only.  
MUTS is their outdoor movie screen and shows mostly concerts or some non hosted trivia during the day and movies are shown mostly at night.  During the warmer weather, they may have some Games out at the pool or on the big screen.  
The other pool is where the band plays, again, especially in warmer weather.  they’ve had some great house bands over the last couple of years.  
Princess has also brought in some enrichment speakers / naturalist and they’ve been an awesome addition.  
 

They now have most events on the app and very few papers to get tossed into the trash.  You can order your daily schedule of events, called the Patter, through your app.  
You can order drinks or specialty coffees to your room now and they are covered under your package.  You can also call room service and order a dozen bottles of water if you have the beverage package.  You can even order special services for extra pillows, etc.  You can now check the menus for the dining rooms via the app and watch the muster drill on your device and then just check in at your muster station.  They’ve made it so much easier.  Most all of these same options, if not all, are also available on your stateroom TV.  
Oh .. and your TV has on demand shows and movies.  I understand you can opt to send them to your device but I’ve not down that.  
 

 

Do as much or as little as you choose and enjoy your cruise!  The Pamana Canal is just amazing, but hot!  Keep hydrated!  
 

 

 

We sail on Royal Princess in a few weeks.  I am so glad to read that the Medallion system worked for you.  I think it will be great fun but am curbing my enthusiasm after reading so many stories of glitchy glitchy.  Thanks for your great post; I am hopeful!

[nini]

We were on the Emerald in May 2022, for a 12 night British Isles cruise. Sadly, there is no Alfredo's.

 

** Even if you do not "drink" much, just the simple math alone makes your Princess Plus worthwhile.

I am a big Lemon Drop fan and enjoy trying different wines. Last May, there was (and I think still is) a wine supply issue on the Princess ships (we were on the Grand in September).

And remember, you may want a morning Caramel Latte with some Baileys or Kahlua.... and a decaf espresso in the evening. We also would pick up cold bottled water in the morning to take with us on our shore excursions..... so, not being a "drinker", this package is still quite cost effective.

 

** We used our WiFi from the Princess Plus package and it always worked well for us, and our cabin was on the very aft.

 

** We very much enjoyed Vines, Good Spirits and the International Cafe. The food in the Crown Grill was excellent and only $29.00 per person. Be sure to make reservations.

 

** As to weather; we were on the Coral for a full PC transit in January 2018, from LA to Fort Lauderdale. Yikes! We live on a west coast peninsula, just 46 miles from the Olympic National Forest and we are not warm weather people. So, yes, there was much heat and humidity. However, this itinerary was well worth it. Our on board commentator was fabulous and on locks day; he spoke for 10 hours non- stop. This was his 2012th transit through the locks!