First Timer with LOTS of questions

We just got off the Crown last Saturday. We were on the Baja deck Port side aft, we didn’t smell any cigarette smoke. The only time I smelled cigarette smoke was when we walked by the smoker area on Deck 7 the Promenade. When we board the ship in Seattle we take a 12 pack of soda with us on the ship in our carryon bag, I give whatever’s left to the room steward. You can also bring 24 pack of bottled water if you want, put a luggage tag on it when you check your bags and it’ll be delivered to your room, we just refill our bottles from tap, it’s good water. Another tip, when you board at Pier 91 try to be there as early as you can, like around 10:30 -10:45. You want to get on the ship at around Noon and head to the Da Vinci Dining Room deck 6 midship. It’ll be the only dining room open for lunch, it’s open from about noon to 1:15 they close the door, trust me on this you don’t want to go up to the Horizon court buffet on the first day, it’s an absolute zoo. They tell everyone they have to go to the Horizon court. We don’t go to the buffet for breakfast so a couple of morning we had room service for breakfast and it was pretty good. The price of the specialty restaurants just went up recently to $29, like others have said it covers the food but not the drinks. Last year on our last day we had dinner with some folks from Idaho and I asked for a glass of milk and they couldn’t believe that it was free, they each had 2 glasses of milk. If you don’t see it on the menu just ask, they might have it.

Cruising friends, this SO helpful! Thank you so much for the answers and advice given so far!

 

Here's another question:

One of the biggest reasons we chose Princess is their smoking policy. I have asthma and am very sensitive to cigarette smoke, beyond just thinking it smells terrible. Our cabin is on the Aloha deck. There's no way smoke from smoking areas could infiltrate the hallways and our room, is there? I looked on the Crown deck maps, and found the casino and cigar lounge, but it doesn't show where the other smoking areas on the ship are found - and I'm really hoping there isn't one near our cabin.

The only way you'll smell smoke in or near your cabin is if someone is breaking the rules and smoking in their cabin or on their balcony.

There is a smoking area on the Promenade deck (starboard side?) near the front of the ship.

Another on on Lido deck near the pools. Once you know where it is, just go to the other side of the ship when going through that area.

I think there is also a smoking area near the aft pool, but it is on one side, not the whole deck.

There is smoking in the casino. There is a non-smoking section, but not always smoke/smell free (depends on that particular ship's ventilation effectiveness). There are "smoke free" nights, usually formal night. Mostly, we stay out of the casino. The doors to the cigar lounge are almost always closed thus keeping the smell contained.

It's easy to avoid the smokers and their smells.

The only way you'll smell smoke in or near your cabin is if someone is breaking the rules and smoking in their cabin or on their balcony.

 

There is a smoking area on the Promenade deck (starboard side?) near the front of the ship.

Another on on Lido deck near the pools. Once you know where it is, just go to the other side of the ship when going through that area.

I think there is also a smoking area near the aft pool, but it is on one side, not the whole deck.

 

There is smoking in the casino. There is a non-smoking section, but not always smoke/smell free (depends on that particular ship's ventilation effectiveness). There are "smoke free" nights, usually formal night. Mostly, we stay out of the casino. The doors to the cigar lounge are almost always closed thus keeping the smell contained.

 

It's easy to avoid the smokers and their smells.

We once had a cabin steward who was obviously a heavy smoker. His clothes really smelt. We spoke to the floor supervisor on the first day and our steward was changed.

There is one dining room (usually on deck 6 aft) set aside as a full-time traditional dining room for early and late seatings. One other dining room (usually deck 5 midship) has an early traditional dining set around 5:30pm and then it turns into an anytime dining room. It all depends on how many people choose traditional vs anytime.

And there is a third dining room (usually deck 6 midship) that is anytime from when it opens about 5:30pm until it closes.

You can eat in either of the anytime dining rooms. It's up to you each evening.

One thing. The anytime dining rooms are like a restaurant on land in that you will have to wait to be seated if they are full when you get there. Most of the time, people have reported less of a wait problem if they show up after 8 PM. Before that time, you may have to wait (with a beeper) until you can be seated.

Also, when you do go to the dining room, you will be asked if you are willing to sit with others or just want a table for yourselves. If you are willing to share, you will likely be seated faster if there is a wait.

Now I'm wondering about "traditional" dining. Are you actually seated at the select time, or is there a bit of waiting?

With traditional dining you go directly to your assigned table as soon as the doors open. Which is almost always exactly on time. Your assigned dining room, time and table number will be printed on your cruise card.

All drinks are covered by this offer at 2 for $1 dollar, ie first drink full price second drink one dollar, has to be same drink. Many folks use this a time to "stock up" on beers or sodas or bottles of water or glasses of wine or whatnot to take back to the room with them also. Works well for soda and beer especially, the bartenders will not open them if you don't want them to.

The champagne waterfall evening has free "champagne" and a few other mostly juice cocktails available in the atrium during the event along with small appetizers such as cake pops and small popovers, etc. The "champagne" is rough, but drinkable, barely. Waiters are circulating with trays, just have one, or two.

Thank you. I've also appreciated your expert guidance on all things St Lucia over the years!

WHile people have helpfully quoted a can of sode at $2 (total $2.30 with automatic gratuity)' date=' canned soda is NOT part of the package. The package includes only fountain serve coke products and cans of root beer (as well as the mocktails, hot chocolate, etc). Only the All Inclusive Beverage Package includes cans of soda. Our experience--the Mocktails on the menu are very small. If you go "off menu" and order something like a virgin Pina, you get a much larger serving. Guess it doesn't matter because you can get many of them if you like something, but I found it curious.

 

If something has an extra cost, you'll have to sign a charge slip for it. Yes, it is easy to tell.[/quote']

 

Good observation...regardinf the size they r also not put in "pretty" glasses or garnished as nicely as a "full" paying customer.

Just to note a couple things in the last two responses:

There was a post here recently from one ship that at the BOGO hour the servers were saying they were not supposed to give out unopened cans of beer. But would still do so if you asked nicely and kept it on the QT.

And I can't vouch for whether the mocktails are served in smaller glasses to those with the Soda and More package. But ordering a milkshake at the ice cream stand on Emerald a few months ago, when the fountain guy saw we did not have the package and were paying for it he went ahead and poured the remainder from the metal blender can into a second glass for us--which I did not see him do for anyone else the various times I was in line for ice cream or pizza.

Thank you. I've also appreciated your expert guidance on all things St Lucia over the years!

Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated. Happy sails.

JThere was a post here recently from one ship that at the BOGO hour the servers were saying they were not supposed to give out unopened cans of beer. But would still do so if you asked nicely and kept it on the QT.

Correct. Some of it depends on whether the supervisor is around.

Couple of other points:

1. Larger Princess ships have three dining rooms, aft one is fixed seating, deck 6 is often half fixed/half anytime through first seating, deck 5 is anytime only. So if you are in anytime and line is long check the other dining room. Regal/Royal have two entrances to each dining room and the line always seems to be longer to the right (facing aft this is port side). Smaller ships like Island only have two dining rooms.

Anytime Dining rooms tend to fill around 45 minutes after they open, so may not have room until people are done eating. Same as onshore - if tables are full you will get a pager. Come early or late. Most ships don't let you make reservations unless you are a large party, and often only for that day. We are usually there when the dining room opens and virtually always get the same table and wait staff.

2. The buffet has many of the same selections that the dining rooms have in the evening. So if you want an extra dessert later you can head up there.

3. We still sometimes see smokers on the balconies, although if the heat sensors or fire watch see them they can get kicked off the ship.

Also, there may be a bottle of "fancy" water in your cabin that will have a tag on it showing the cost.

 

However, if you're tired and thirsty when you get on board (not to mention excited and looking at everything and nothing all at the same time!!) you could miss the tag and open the bottle.

 

Cabin steward accounts for any/all "tagged" beverages in the cabin so they can get charged to you.

The bottle is larger maybe 32 ounces and last time I checked it was $3.00

We're taking our first cruise (Princess Crown) this summer, and I've been spending many happy hours reading all over these threads! However, I still have a few questions that I haven't been able to find the answers to. Please help if you can!

 

We chose "any time" dining, rather than traditional. It was a hard choice, but ultimately we thought we'd prefer the flexibility. Hoping we aren't missing out on anything too fabulous! The menus are the same for both, right? And formal night will be equally observed by both, right?

 

I'm contemplating the ultimate soda package, which is about $55 for the 7-day cruise. I don't drink anything with alcohol, but I love virgin margaritas, pina coladas, etc. I'm also a little picky about water. We have great tap water at home, but the water at most hotels tastes awful to me. Is the water good on a cruise? And how much do bottled water and virgin drinks cost? I'm trying to figure out if I'll really spend $8/day on these drinks, making the package a good deal for me.

 

Is it easy to tell what is free/included on the cruise, and what is going to be an extra charge? I mean, are there signs to indicate?

 

Final question (for now!) - On a Princess cruise, is the cover charge at a specialty restaurant the total cost of the food and admission? In other words, if Sabatini's has a cover charge of $25, is that just to get in or is it the total cost, including the price of your meal? Do specialty restaurants need tips, or are they included in the gratuity paid on the whole cruise?

 

THANK YOU for any answers & advice! I'm so excited, but also a little nervous that there seems to be a lot to figure out, and I'd like to make as few mis-steps as possible. :)

Here is a fun spread sheet fill in the information and it will estimate your costs for what you think you may drink, I use the can of soda option the costs are similar to the soda, which you can request a large instead of the small cup they bring to you.

cruise drink.xls

The bottle is larger maybe 32 ounces and last time I checked it was $3.00

Ok. So if I am reading this thread correctly; on emerald there are three dining rooms. One is traditional seating, one is anytime, and the third is half and half. Do princes ships have electronic boards telling you if a certain place is full or half full? Thanks.

Ok. So if I am reading this thread correctly; on emerald there are three dining rooms. One is traditional seating, one is anytime, and the third is half and half. Do princes ships have electronic boards telling you if a certain place is full or half full? Thanks.

Nope, no boards, electronic or otherwise, that tell you capacity of dining room at any particular time. No need really. If there's a wait, it's usually only 10-15 minutes, and on most ships you'll get a beeper like land based restaurant that lights up and vibrates when it's your turn. We rarely had waits when we fid anytime as we eat later., around 8/8:30. The second anytime dining room becomes all anytime dining around 7pm, and is anytime till closing after that. Just go by the door and check the line - if it's long, go to the other, their only one flight apart. Not a problem.

Happy sails

No electronic boards telling you how full various thing are.

Does anyone know if balcony cabins on Crown Princess have DVD players?

Also, are binoculars considered essential on an Alaska cruise?

Does anyone know if balcony cabins on Crown Princess have DVD players?

Also, are binoculars considered essential on an Alaska cruise?

Only Suites (other than on Regal/Royal) have DVD players and the ship has a DVD library for them. (Regal/Royal have Video on demand). If you bring a player device of some kind, there is an off chance (and it is really random as far as I can tell) that you could use the HDMI port on the TV.

We don't go on any cruise without binoculars, but definitely required in Alaska for whales, glaciers calving, zooming in on local tour boats looking tiny next to the glaciers.

thank you to those who posted info about the dining rooms and the difference between tradtional and anytime.

Cruising friends, this SO helpful! Thank you so much for the answers and advice given so far!

 

Here's another question:

One of the biggest reasons we chose Princess is their smoking policy. I have asthma and am very sensitive to cigarette smoke, beyond just thinking it smells terrible. Our cabin is on the Aloha deck. There's no way smoke from smoking areas could infiltrate the hallways and our room, is there? I looked on the Crown deck maps, and found the casino and cigar lounge, but it doesn't show where the other smoking areas on the ship are found - and I'm really hoping there isn't one near our cabin.

I, too, have asthma and am very sensitive to smoke. On one cruise we were far forward on Riviera Deck and had the Casino as our muster station. When I entered the casino for the muster drill, I started to have an asthma attack. I was finally allowed to stay in the hallway where I could see and hear the drill. You might want to make sure that your cabin is not assigned to the casino, not because of the drill, but in case there is an emergency and you would need to be there for a prolonged period.

My DH get the soda and more package.

He loves having a milkshake in the afternoon which is included in the package. He gets it from the Ice Cream Bar.