Wrldviewer

3.5 hours seems to be the magic amount of time on hold. Once I reached the agent she was able to book an upgraded stateroom - offered a balcony for $315 more and a mini for $595. I needed to pay for the cabin and taxes immediately although the cruise is not until May 1, 2021. I questioned paying in full, and she said she needed to collect it, although the documentation I received shows the current cancellation schedule. It does show a balance due, but as Crudon said in a previous post, I think this rolls off once the casino department contacts the billing department. I received a separate document showing the OBC, wifi, drinks and gratuities so look for 2 emails once you book. 

I was on hold for 2 hours this morning before having to drop off the phone. I am trying again this afternoon. It's a shame that only the casino department can book this. Good to know that you can upgrade from the interior room offered!  We already booked a "free veranda" on Celebrity for November, but it didn't include the drinks, wifi and tips so I'm excited to get this Princess offer also. 

I’m currently on the Regal. The shows are: Sweet Soul Music, Fiera!, Bravo, comic Troy Thirdgill, Magician Michael Misko and a folkloric show in Cozumel.

Sorry for your experience. We did  a tubing excursion on the Rios Bueno and had a great time. The driver even picked us up early knowing I was anxious about completing the excursion with plenty of time to get back to the ship. 

I have flights booked on AA through EZair. When I check manage flights and look at the new pricing, the price has increased yet it shows my balance due as a $300 credit! I am afraid to click “continue” and lock in the new flight info in case Princess tells me it was just a glitch in the system and I actually owe an additional $106 based on the price of the new air fare. Has anyone seen this happen? The flight price increased yet the payment due shows a credit? BTW - I called Princess and they were unable to say what would happen if I clicked continue. I may get a refund or I may owe more money...

I went on this excursion last year and was the only person on the tour. The guide still would not speed it up! I asked if we could at least do the loop twice and that was not allowed either.  🙁🙁 

I booked a “naked” fare during SNS and then moved it to 3 for free. The math didn’t work on paying the higher fare cuz we don’t drink that much (no special coffees, take our own bottled water, soda, and bottle of wine). Very happy to have tips and OBC instead. As it has been said - do the math and figure what works for you. Happy sailing to all - regardless of your coffee and alcohol intake!

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I’m concerned also. It doesn’t show up on my cruise docs either and I was told I would receive OBC on 1/25.

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E441

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We had the same experience as Geoherb - booked after it was changed to “preview” and used a travel agent. I called princess once last month and once this month and each time they were willing to throw some OBC my way. Not enough to make a difference but still a nice PR gesture.

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Welcome to Princess! I’m not sure if there is a “number of points” or average table bet, but my experience has been that if you are spending a few hours a day in the casino and are friendly with the dealers and pit bosses, they will pick up the costs of your drinks while in the casino. They don’t have a special card, they just comp the drink each time. This even worked for my non-playing spouse. Of course keeping the partner happy goes a long way to keeping the player at the table. I have no idea how, or if, slot players have drinks comped.

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I know you said you prefer table service, but you have the option for great Texas BBQ. Lockhart BBQ is our favorite at the airport. They even have egg and brisket tacos in the morning.

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Shhhh. Don’t let anyone else know the MDR is the best spot for lunch on embarkation day. [emoji57]

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You have calmed my nerves with your wonderful review of the Regal. I just booked her for a week in February but was nervous about the size of the ship - it is larger than any of our previous cruises. It doesn’t seem that the high passenger count caused delays in service or over-crowded activities. I do not like vacations where you have to stress about getting to dinner or activities extremely early, the hurry up and wait mindset!

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Thanks for the reviews. I jumped onboard when you departed. I agree about the condition of the state room. I really hate to be left glasses to drink from with another guests lipstick still on them! I was also surprised that they did not enforce the dress code and let a guy with cargo shorts into the MDR at dinner. The DR staff is completely overwhelmed and will tell you that they tried to page you when your pager never when off and you remained in the immediate area. Of course you just have to smile and shrug it of and realize life is good if that’s your biggest problem. I was trying Celebrity for the first time and will probably return to Princess or HAL for my next cruises.

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When Princess sailed from Houston we booked a cruise less than a week before it sailed. Although I enjoy the time looking forward to a cruise and doing port research, a bargain price to a familiar destination is still a chance to be on a ship! Now we have to fly to the departure port so it cuts down on the spontaneous trips. [emoji853]

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My favorite coffee sweetener is a stevia product. It's probably the only sweetener not provided so I just bring my own.

I use the Hopper app on my smart phone. It has a feature that tells you if it is a good price based on historical data or if you should wait. You can even set up to track the price and get notified when they suggest you book. Unfortunately it does not track Delta but tracks every other airline. If prices seem good, I then check the Delta website directly to compare.

Count me in the "yuk, double yuk, and triple yuk" opinion for the hull art. I'm serious that if it rolls out fleet wide I may stick with HAL instead. I have a deposit on my first Celebrity cruise so I'll see what I think of them. Of course, life is good if the design on the ship is my biggest problem.

It's a wonderful app. It helps keep track of all your travel details and allows you to check alternative flights, weather, etc. Completed trips are listed on your travel history so you can easily check what hotel you stayed at near the cruise port or other details. I tend to forget over time and appreciate the chance to check one site and have all my info.

The one thing you can expect with these summer sailings are lots of kids, that many Celebrity cruisers aren't used to seeing.

Which is why I booked a fall cruise after school starts :). I have been a loyal Princess cruiser but the special was too good to pass up. I'm looking forward to my first Celebrity cruise.

My husband and I each received notices in our statement at the end of our cruise in February with two different casino cash amounts listed. The same rules: book within 30 days and a list of eligible locations.

The surprise was calling Princess and finding out we also received a reduced rate for the stateroom on our next cruise. I had initially contacted our TA but decided to call Princess directly as well. The agent talked me through the process to receive the reduced rate which I then shared with the TA. I was able to combine the rate with the current OBC offer!

How can so many of you be wrong! [emoji3].

The best drink is the toasted almond martini!

I was given OBC even when I sent in the documents 5 days before the cruise. This week I sent it in for a September cruise and received an email telling me to resubmit it 90 days before the cruise. I guess it doesn't pay to be too early!

We are driving in this morning from Dallas! Thanks for the heads up. It seems that I-45 traffic should be okay according to Waze.