Princess Noob

[Nike4000]

My wife and I are considering booking a Princess cruise in spring 2024 and, while we've cruised on other lines quite a bit, we have not been on Princess. Well, technically I was back when I was much, much younger, but I have very little recollection of that cruise other than spending time with other kids my age doing things our parents would be ashamed to know we were doing. 🤫😜  So, as we look at our options, we thought it would be wise to ask the Cruise Critic resident experts for input and guidance! 

 

We're considering a 12-day British Isles cruise on the Regal Princess in April or May 2024. For level setting, we're in our early 50's, are reasonably physically fit, and don't drink alcohol. It would just be the two of us. Some questions:

• We're considering a Reserve Collection Mini-Suite but are intrigued by the opulence of a Premium Suite. For 12 days, are the upgraded perks of the Premium Suite worth the extra expense over the Reserve Collection Mini-Suite?
• Instead of upgrading to the Premium Suite, would it be better to upgrade to the "Best" cruise option(instead of "Better")? As mentioned, we don't drink alcohol, so wine tastings, champagne, etc., are not selling points for us. However, things like specialty meals, reserved seating at shows, and premium desserts are interesting.
• Speaking of, what are the "premium desserts" that are considered perks on the Better & Best packages?
• How are the medallions used? I saw that they do "stuff," but how, when, and where? I picture a form factor similar to an airtag, is that pretty accurate? Is it used as a room key?
• We're super interested in "The Enclave." I see that complimentary access is included in the Premium Suite. As first time Princess cruisers, are we going to be out of luck trying to get passes for the duration of the cruise if we go with a Reserve Collection Mini-Suite?
• Will we get earlier access to book excursions depending on the level of suite we book?
• What do you wish you knew about cruising with Princess before your first cruise?
• What aren't we thinking of as we consider a Princess cruise?

 

We're also considering similar-ish itineraries from Silversea and Oceania. I worry that those two options will skew much older since my dad said those are his lines of choice & he's pushing 80.

 

Thanks in advance for the feedback. We're super excited about heading over to Europe for a fun-filled cruise.

[Rick&Jeannie]

23 minutes ago, Nike4000 said:

• How are the medallions used? I saw that they do "stuff," but how, when, and where? I picture a form factor similar to an airtag, is that pretty accurate? Is it used as a room key?
•  

The medallions are used to open your cabin door as you approach from just a couple of steps away.  They are also used when you embark or disembark the ship...each person is "scanned" so they know who is on/off the ship.

All purchases are done by scanning your medallion.  It's somewhat like using a credit card...just that it is a "middleman" before the charge hits your shipboard account and then hits your credit card.

Using the medallion app on your phone/tablet from anywhere on the ship (in theory) you can purchase food/drink and they will find you by locating your medallion.  This usually works pretty well.

 

I can't help with any of the suite questions as we've never been in a suite!  (Some day!)

[Rick&Jeannie]

We did this exact itinerary several years ago...LOVED it!

[donswife]

We had a premium suite on the Discovery, which is a sister ship.  We loved it, but know that they are all the way forward, so subject to more movement.  Enclave is not included.  We received first night specialty dining and a minibar set up, which includes alcohol but can be swapped for non alcoholic beverages or a coffee package.  It is a long walk to get to the dining rooms and concierge lounge.

 

The pictures I have seen of the premium desserts definitely do not inspire me to try one.  

[memoak]

If you don’t drink then I am not sure that either the Plus or Premier packages would be worth it to you unless you like to drink a lot of coffee drinks or soft drinks. 

[JimmyVWine]

I thought that the title of this thread pertained to a character from The Mandalorian.  

[Nike4000]

45 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

We did this exact itinerary several years ago...LOVED it!

 

What did you love about it? Any tips or recommendations?

 

41 minutes ago, donswife said:

We had a premium suite on the Discovery, which is a sister ship.  We loved it, but know that they are all the way forward, so subject to more movement.  Enclave is not included.  We received first night specialty dining and a minibar set up, which includes alcohol but can be swapped for non alcoholic beverages or a coffee package.  It is a long walk to get to the dining rooms and concierge lounge.

 

The pictures I have seen of the premium desserts definitely do not inspire me to try one.  

 

I totally misread the amenities and assumed "Complimentary use of the Lotus Spa® Thermal Suite" included the Enclave. Whoops, my bad! The question stands - how hard would it be to get Enclave access as new Princess cruisers?

 

I'm not worried about movement, we used to do private charter trips on a 93' sailboat which moves a heck of a lot more than any modern cruise ship! 

 

39 minutes ago, memoak said:

If you don’t drink then I am not sure that either the Plus or Premier packages would be worth it to you unless you like to drink a lot of coffee drinks or soft drinks. 

 

How many soft drinks qualify as "a lot"?

 

38 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

I thought that the title of this thread pertained to a character from The Mandalorian.  

 

This is the way!

[Lady Arwen]

We’re doing this cruise in September and we’re very much looking forward to it.  You mentioned that you wanted to sail in either April or May.  Keep in mind that these two months will be quite cool and very rainy.  My husband is a Brit and has lived that weather in the U.K.  Friends of ours went in May  last year and wore mittens and hats in the morning.  This will certainly impact your enjoyment of your balcony.  We booked September because it has the least rainfall, but temps still warm, not hot.  Just something to keep in mind.  I would not be looking forward to a large balcony in those months.

 

Regal Princess is a lovely ship, but no covered pool.  Lots of nice indoor areas to relax.  I would choose a cabin based on how much time you intend to be there, as opposed to the size of the balcony.  Suites are lovely, but if you don’t drink alcohol or wouldn’t enjoy the other perks, then the Premier package may not be worth it.  My recommendation would be the Reserve Collection Mini Suite, which is currently Club Class, or a Premier suite without Plus or Premier package.  You know what type of cabin suits you best.  The Enclave is lovely and quite often you can get special sales when you’re onboard, especially the first day.  There is cigarette smoking allowed in the casino, if that’s an issue for you.

 

You can book excursions whenever they open up and you should book right away, as they tend to book up quickly for this itinerary.  If you join your roll call you can connect with others on your sailing who put together excursions privately.  Quite often, this is much less expensive, more comprehensive and small groups instead of large buses.  Roll calls can be quite fun to share your anticipation.

 

The Medallions act the same as your cruise card, but you can do some fancy stuff, like have food and drinks delivered to wherever you are on the ship.  It doesn’t always work perfectly, but it is what it is.

We don’t often book full suites (most always mini suites), so hopefully some members here can guide you through that part of your question.

 

[Nike4000]

4 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

We’re doing this cruise in September and we’re very much looking forward to it.  You mentioned that you wanted to sail in either April or May.  Keep in mind that these two months will be quite cool and very rainy.  My husband is a Brit and has lived that weather in the U.K.  Friends of ours went in May  last year and wore mittens and hats in the morning.  This will certainly impact your enjoyment of your balcony.  We booked September because it has the least rainfall, but temps still warm, not hot.  Just something to keep in mind.  I would not be looking forward to a large balcony in those months.

 

Regal Princess is a lovely ship, but no covered pool.  Lots of nice indoor areas to relax.  I would choose a cabin based on how much time you intend to be there, as opposed to the size of the balcony.  Suites are lovely, but if you don’t drink alcohol or wouldn’t enjoy the other perks, then the Premier package may not be worth it.  My recommendation would be the Reserve Collection Mini Suite, which is currently Club Class, or a Premier suite without Plus or Premier package.  You know what type of cabin suits you best.  The Enclave is lovely and quite often you can get special sales when you’re onboard, especially the first day.  There is cigarette smoking allowed in the casino, if that’s an issue for you.

 

You can book excursions whenever they open up and you should book right away, as they tend to book up quickly for this itinerary.  If you join your roll call you can connect with others on your sailing who put together excursions privately.  Quite often, this is much less expensive, more comprehensive and small groups instead of large buses.  Roll calls can be quite fun to share your anticipation.

 

The Medallions act the same as your cruise card, but you can do some fancy stuff, like have food and drinks delivered to wherever you are on the ship.  It doesn’t always work perfectly, but it is what it is.

We don’t often book full suites (most always mini suites), so hopefully some members here can guide you through that part of your question.

 

 

Thank you for this extremely insightful response! We will definitely take the guidance about the amenities into consideration. So helpful! 

I don't recall mentioning factoring the balcony size into my original message, we're more focused on the room site - max room size for 12 days is a good thing in our minds. However, since you did mention the balcony, I don't think the temperature will be a concern. I practically live on that thing in tropical weather or cold. On our Alaskan cruise I was out there as much as possible and will definitely come prepared for UK weather. I spent 3 years in Ireland and England back in my younger days so I'm familiar with the climate (barring massive shifts due to climate change). 

 

1 hour ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

The medallions are used to open your cabin door as you approach from just a couple of steps away.  They are also used when you embark or disembark the ship...each person is "scanned" so they know who is on/off the ship.

All purchases are done by scanning your medallion.  It's somewhat like using a credit card...just that it is a "middleman" before the charge hits your shipboard account and then hits your credit card.

Using the medallion app on your phone/tablet from anywhere on the ship (in theory) you can purchase food/drink and they will find you by locating your medallion.  This usually works pretty well.

 

I can't help with any of the suite questions as we've never been in a suite!  (Some day!)

 

Awesome, thank you for clarifying. Sounds pretty cool - I geek out over technology and this sounds like fun.

[donswife]

We didn't try to book Enclave, so I can't speak to that.  If you drink soda, bottled water, or seltzer, some is included in the suite set up and you can get more, plus coffee drinks via fancy machine, in the concierge lounge.  We liked the set up of the premium suite because it really is 2 separate rooms, although with a curtain, not a door between them.  We loved the front facing windows, and the balcony was completely covered by the wing of the bridge.  We also love the Sabatini's breakfast, but if you have a lot of early port days, it may not work with your schedule.  Reserve mini-suite also sounds like a nice option, and front of ship lovers rave about the forward options.

[Rick&Jeannie]

1 hour ago, Nike4000 said:

What did you love about it? Any tips or recommendations?

Well...it's going to be really hard to convey all we experienced...I'll give you the highlights:

We did this on the Crown in May 2019

Spent a couple of days pre-cruise in London (this was Southampton to FLL)

Did a third party transfer London to Southampton via Stonehenge (International Friends Tours...highly recommend)

Guernsey is very rich in WW2 history

Got to visit the Blarney Stone

Saw many Irish Pubs

Visited "The Dark Hedges"...a filming site for Game of Thrones

Several stops involving Titanic

Liverpool was one of the highlights (for us...group of 8, all Beatles fans!)

Visited Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields

In Scotland...Loch Ness boat trip (did NOT see Nessie...😒)

Inverary castle

Edinburgh Castle

Normandy...probably our biggest highlight! We were there the day before official 75th anniversary of DDAY ceremonies.  The place was CRAZY with people from all over Europe who had brought REAL tanks, troop carriers, howitzers...it was AMAZING...and this was not the stuff included in the local WW2 museums.

Very sobering to see the American Cemetery...if you saw Saving Private Ryan you saw this at the very end of the film.  Very moving.

 

I've just scratched the surface giving you the highlights...it's hard to give you a real feel for what you'll experience.  It was the trip of a lifetime for us...but we'll probably do it again at some point.

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by Rick&Jeannie

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, Nike4000 said:

How many soft drinks qualify as "a lot"?

if you want soft drinks, just get an $11 pp pd sodas and mocktails package instead.

If you don't drink alcohol, then neither the Plus, nor the Premier packages are worth it, imho.

[Rick&Jeannie]

Here are some pics from the Normandy area, 75th Anniversary of DDay:

 

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

31 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

if you want soft drinks, just get an $11 pp pd sodas and mocktails package instead.

If you don't drink alcohol, then neither the Plus, nor the Premier packages are worth it, imho.

oh, I see the prices went up and it is now $15 pp pd.

[bagney]

My two cents worth regarding booking a full suite (e.g. Premium Suite or any 'full suite') - you will have access to the Concierge Lounge on Riviera Deck (Deck 14) mid-aft area. There will be an 'access' card in your suite to allow access anytime of the day/night you wish. The Concierge Lounge has a fancy coffee/cappuccino type maker, snacks/sandwiches (dependent on time of day/night) and juices/soft drinks, and at set times an actual Concierge staff member to help with anything like making specialty dining reservations, handling any issues, etc. Recently they have been hosting daily 'happy hours' from like 5-7 p.m. with increased quality/type of alcohol and non-alcohol drinks, nice hors d'oeuvres and on some evenings live entertainment. On our recent Sky Princess cruise in January we spent every evening in the Concierge Lounge and met some wonderful fellow cruisers - then we went to dinner. 

[waltd]

No one has mentioned that a Mini Suite is not a Suite.   No suite benefits with a mini. Just Club Class dining with the Reserve only,  I believe.

[Nike4000]

Thanks to everyone for their very thoughtful and helpful responses. Y'all have given us significant food for thought. 

We're still doing some research, but we're heavily leaning towards going with a Premium Suite for this trip. The extra space in the room, the concierge lounge, priority specialty dining and shore excursion reservations, complimentary laundry service, and other perks are really attractive to us.

 

My wife read somewhere that Premium Suites include complimentary bottles of water, which might be the strongest selling point for her. 😁

 

 

[EDDY0827]

You get 2 small bottles of water per day.

[Nike4000]

1 hour ago, EDDY0827 said:

You get 2 small bottles of water per day.

 

Yeah, that's what we assumed, I was joking about it being the primary selling point for her.

[Sundiego]

Thanks for posting this question! We just booked a premium suite (S5) on the Regal for a Sept British Isles cruise.  We have cruised A LOT but only a handful of times on Princess.

 

Can someone who has been in one of those forward facing suites comment on the best deck? We booked Aloha (deck 12) thinking that would be the "shortest" walk to the Concierge lounge on deck 14. Thoughts on the bridge overhang or anything else we should consider?

 

Thanks!!

 

Denise

[XBGuy]

3 hours ago, Nike4000 said:

We're still doing some research, but we're heavily leaning towards going with a Premium Suite for this trip. The extra space in the room, the concierge lounge, priority specialty dining and shore excursion reservations, complimentary laundry service, and other perks are really attractive to us.

 

 

 

 

I think you have nailed many of the benefits of the Premium Suite.  A lot of people love the Suite Breakfast that is offered in one of the specialty restaurants.  Another nice benefit is the ability to order room service of the day's dining room menu.  It is not as elegant as, say, the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, because it is all delivered at once, but it is a nice option, and there is room in the suite to enjoy it.  There is a stocked mini-bar in the suite, but, since you do not drink alcoholic beverages, you can have those swapped out with soft drinks.  Your room steward can help you with that.

 

I would like to underline the benefit of the Suite Concierge Lounge.  First it is not available to Mini Suite guests.  Yes, Princess does have confusing nomenclature.  Second, my experience with the suite concierge has been outstanding.  I found that I was able to use him to make specialty restaurant reservations and, even, Chef's Table reservations.  The concierge can also help with little problems that arise.  I mentioned a problem with the toilet in our suite, and within 20 minutes an engineer was knocking at our door.

 

 

 

9 minutes ago, Sundiego said:

Thanks for posting this question! We just booked a premium suite (S5) on the Regal for a Sept British Isles cruise.  We have cruised A LOT but only a handful of times on Princess.

 

Can someone who has been in one of those forward facing suites comment on the best deck? We booked Aloha (deck 12) thinking that would be the "shortest" walk to the Concierge lounge on deck 14. Thoughts on the bridge overhang or anything else we should consider?

 

Thanks!!

 

Denise

 

We were in B101 on the Royal Princess (sister ship of the Regal Princess) for one cruise.  We LOVED it.  We were on a 14-day AK cruise and loved the fact that we could view so much of the scenery--out the front-facing windows and the starboard side balcony--and Alaska is all about the scenery.  I don't know what your concern is about the bridge.  I don't remember it being any issue at all.

 

It is a pretty fair walk to the Suite Concierge Lounge which is quite far abaft as you can see from the deck plan.  It was not a big deal, at all, for us, but I don't know if you have any physical limitations.  From our suite on Deck 11, we climbed two flights of stairs to Deck 14 and headed aft.  Since you are booked on Deck 12 (A101 by any chance), you will have to climb one flight.

 

Bon Voyage,

[donswife]

4 hours ago, EDDY0827 said:

You get 2 small bottles of water per day.

On the Royal class ships you can get more water bottles from the concierge lounge. 

[donswife]

1 hour ago, Sundiego said:

Thanks for posting this question! We just booked a premium suite (S5) on the Regal for a Sept British Isles cruise.  We have cruised A LOT but only a handful of times on Princess.

 

Can someone who has been in one of those forward facing suites comment on the best deck? We booked Aloha (deck 12) thinking that would be the "shortest" walk to the Concierge lounge on deck 14. Thoughts on the bridge overhang or anything else we should consider?

 

Thanks!!

 

Denise

We had A101.  It was fine, although the bridge wing did make it hard to take pictures of scenery from the balcony. 

[Nike4000]

Okay, my wife just saw an article about a "Chocolate Journey" on Princess. Is that still a thing that happens? I'm assuming it means that there are numerous chocolate dessert offerings on the menu and buffet. Can anyone provide some clarification? The Princess website wasn't helpful and I only saw press release type info about it without any specifics.

 

This could be a game changer.

 

Also, @donswife and @Rick&Jeannie - the photos y'all have shared are fantastic! We're ready to go!

[Sundiego]

1 hour ago, XBGuy said:

It is a pretty fair walk to the Suite Concierge Lounge which is quite far abaft as you can see from the deck plan.  It was not a big deal, at all, for us, but I don't know if you have any physical limitations.  From our suite on Deck 11, we climbed two flights of stairs to Deck 14 and headed aft.  Since you are booked on Deck 12 (A101 by any chance), you will have to climb one flight.

 

Bon Voyage,

No physical limitations. We had a similar "walk" with a Neptune suite on HAL and it's actually a good excuse to get a few extra steps in 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!

 

Denise

PS ... it's A102