rowingmachine

Whoops! UK price for Premier is £65 pppd.

Very much agree. We were bumped up to Premier package from Plus on a special offer, but I think we would have chosen Premier anyway for our first time Princess cruise. I do think there's a substantial difference between your first trip on a cruise line and subesequent ones My first ever cruise was on Costa and for that one we bought a really cheap drinks packagein ignorance. We had to abandon the cruise with 3 nights to go as DW’s back seized – she couldn’t lie down. However, adding up the paper receipts afterwards we were well in credit for 7/10 of a cruise. Since then, first time on a new cruise line we have taken whatever package is available.but not always for the next one. For this first 14 day cruise, I should not like to be spending my days envying those with more or less unlimited options whist I had to count everything up and make so many decisions. I don't know how we shall spend our oceans of time, but for us the package worth comes in at: Wi Fi £12 pppd – for one device between us, but lovely to be able to take 8 devices ? Gratuities £16 pppd Two speciality restaurants £4.50 pppd Would never try them if I had to pay hard cash so n/a Casual dining £4.50 pppd. Likewise. so n/a Princess Prizes with the door. £0 Would never normally touch it. But a fun enhancement for free. Reserved seating for shows. £0 Would not normally go to a show because we always get rotten seats. Glastonbury was terrible last year. A possibly useful enhancement The much maligned Princess deserts £0– but I’m dying to try one, the full Monty. I would never pay for one though. The fitness classes. £1 pppd. I do use the gym, but baulk at joining in with others to loud music. I shall give it a go on this cruise and who knows ... a potentially life changing experience? The delivery options. £1pppd. Never ever had anything delivered when I could walk, but DW may use the Breakfast in cabin option, she is less embarrassed than I . Water bottles £7 pppd Nice coffee £5 pppd Juices etc £2 pppd Alcohol/drinks. Here's where it gets silly. I have no idea really. The fizzy bottled American or European beer bloats me up, so I dare not drink much although I do like it. Let's say 5 x £15 expensive wines. DW likes cocktail experiments. With the package £75 pppd, without the package £30 pppd. So that equals £74 pppd for us, pretty close to the £75 premier package charge. We shall see. For a Princess newbie I would recommend wholheartedly taking the premier package and seeing how it goes. You will at least have tried most things.

Absolutely right. It's a balancing act. On the one hand prepare and enjoy the anticipation, fondle your fireworks; the other leave some bits to chance and approach them unscripted. I do like a crossword where I can't access the answers.

Thanks, that's all I was concerned about really. It just seems so far off to book a night out. Actually makes the Princess booking system seem impressive. Perhaps it's good marketing; the more involved you are the less likely you are to back out when it's time to pay up. I have the Premier package, so no risk as it says nil against the card.

We have never booked a cruise so far ahead (November '24) on Sky.. We have been invited to book our 'free' speciality dinners and excursions and thus downloaded the app and booked our dinners. The excursions did not appeal. Is this not somewhat far ahead to be doing this? Is it easy to cancel or rearrange. I know I'll be on the cruise ship but really no idea how much I'll feel like a 16 oz steak at 19:10 on 4 Nov, but DW as lead passenger got the reminder email and thought we might miss out! Surely these venues are not that sought after.

Our first Princess coming up too. Promotion gave us Premier for the same price as Plus. I just can't figure out why you wouldn't opt for the more expensive fare - £47.50 x 14 comes to £1330 for the both of us and includes lots of non drinks related value and includes inescapable costs. My problem on a cruise is that so much of the day is taken up with drinks related activities. The obvious one is meals, but many of the places to sit are bars or places where waiters hover. I feel uncomfortable without a drink. My problem. I go to a pub and have a drink, that's what happens if I'm not driving. The Princess offering appears to kick the opposition from our experience into touch - Costa, NCL, Celebrity, MSC. I hope I'm not disappointed.

Phew! I'm somewhat breathless after reading all that. For most of the script I thought you were writing in real time and marvelled. Even so I still marvel. You have done me such a service. All my questions have Been answered at least tangentially. We are due to cruise in November, 14 days on Sky first time Princess and have gone through all the sums. Finished up with mini suite and Premier package. Came at the same price as Plus so no contest! Found the sums hypnotically fascinating. I think we may drink (alcohol ) a little more than than you, but the clincher for us are the bottles of water . We can easily get through 10 a day equals £40 per day. Silly prices, but DW irrationally will not drink ship's tap water Would have a struggle to hit 15 alcoholic drinks a day each, though we do drink too much. Hope to do Regal next year round UK. and shall reread your excellent description and advice.

Absolutely, but you can get it wrong. Last year we chose a last minute MSC Virtuosa 14 day cruise. A day or so after paying, we received a bid up offer; well I received, presumably as main passenger. I scanned the options in an idle moment and put in a silly low bid for a Yacht Club inside cabin. Couldn’t afford even the lowest bid for a Yacht Club Suite Didn’t tell the DW and forgot about it,. Wouldn’t you know, it won. Without reading too the email too closely, I skipped up to the DW and told her the good news. She went ballistic. Why didn’t you ask me, she spluttered sort of. I replied I thought it would be a nice surprise. I had not realised just how much she could not stomach the idea of an enclosed space for 14 days. It was only when reading the details, it appeared the auction had given us a full blown Yacht Club Suite for the silly bid. I kept quiet with MSC and didn’t really believe our good fortune until we were actually in the cabin with our welcome champagne. We had of course a fantastic experience, and I did poke my head into an inside cabin on the last morning. It was very pokey, but I think the trade off for Yacht Club perks would have more than made up for it. So I got away with it and if I am to persuade the DW to go inside I think it would be more appropriate to try a 3/5 day taster cruise if possible when the financial difference is great between balcony and inside

Thanks everybody. Nuances there I had not considered being ever overly concerned with price rather than personal value for which I am constantly castigated by DW. As with Snaxmuppet my better half would not countenance an inside or oceanview cabin; she would like a way out if it sinks. I am sure we shall enjoy immensely - we always do.

I have never been on a Princess Cruise before, but recently booked a Sky Princess 14 day cruise for November this year. I was amazed at how cheap it was compared to the cruise lines I have booked before. What especially surprised me was the closeness in price of Inside cabins to Mini Balconies. On the Cruise in question (no flight) the prices are £970 inside, £1096 cheapest balcony, £1367 cheapest mini suite. The Sky suite was admittedly a tad more at £12,500 or so. Our very first cruise in 2013 with Costa in Balcony without drinks cost £950 for 11 nights cruise hotel and flight. All prices per person We thought that was good value. Add on the Premier offer at the moment for less than £50 pppn inc everything, it does seem like a pleasant way to spend half of November

Yes, I hadn't read it properly when I posted previously and assumed it was carte blanche. Have gone for the cheap champagne as I never drink expensive champagne and so won't be disappointed.

We are due to sail on 3 June from Southampton and received the message today. Not sure whether the message needs to be replied to twice as we are a couple. . We are going to request Strega (well they are an Italian cruise line but it will test them) or Ricard Pastis or failing that a red wine. Also a small fan for DW. Not bothered about the pillows. Very impressed to receive such an email at all.

I presume that this is where I comment/view MSC posts. We haven't cruised in a while, but at the start of May I thought I'm not going to get affordable Travel Insurance soon, so booked a cruise on 3 June MSC Virtuosa without any research except taking the precaution to book a couple of seats on the coach down (the last two and it turns out there's another rail strike on the 3rd)! - and finding someone to look after the dog. Mixed messages about Virtuosa, but our favorite cruise line was the cheap and exuberant Italian line Costa, so we should cope and the itinerary is attractive. The site seems to have changed somewhat. How do you access your old posts and reviews @ 5 years plus ago? No other questions really, just trying to get our heads round what to pack for the English Channel, the Scottish Isles, Iceland, Norway and the North Sea in June. Guess I shall have to accede to DW's suggestion that we take more than 2 suitcases. Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place.