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I just finished reading about the Costa Concordia incident, and that the Captain is in jail. My understanding is that he fell into a lifeboat and subsequently abandoned ship. On the other hand, I would find it hard to believe that in modern times the captain is expected to go down with the ship like in Titanic (please correct me if I’m wrong). So when is it appropriate for the captain to abandon ship? Some kind of middle ground?

With a U.S. presidential election this year, I've noticed more interest in politics when having dinner with family/friends. What are your thoughts on having a respectful conversation about politics in the MDR?

I'm planning to do a Pacific Coastal cruise with Princess this April, and the schedule says we're in San Fransisco from 8am to 10pm. How soon can I realistically get off the ship? I'm interested in booking a ferry to Alcatraz Island and am wondering what's the earliest ferry I could book (ferries start at 8:40am and go about every half hour). It looks to be about a ten minute walk from the cruise terminal to the ferry. Thank you kindly.

"The production standards on Princess are quite high and the performers are generally extremely talented. Calling it glorified karaoke is doing a disservice to all of those who work hard, both on and off the stage, to present quality shows." Fair point. I apologize if my question came across as disrespectful.

I love production shows like Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Mis etc. I love shows that tell a story and take you on a journey. Do Princess production shows tell a story? I'm looking for more that a song variety show that feels like glorified karaoke.....

"Because of the title I initially wondered if the OP was asking about having bought a Future Cruise Deposit onboard. If that was the case it would be automagically refunded to the original card used for payment. However, looking back at the post it does indeed seem the OP has put down a deposit on a cruise and then, somehow, forgotten about having done so. I think there must be more to the story." I placed a deposit on a cruise about a year ago (to secure a desired room). The payment due date is at the end of April 2024. Since placing my deposit, my living expenses have increased dramatically and I'm being more cautious about expenditures. E.g. my home's insurance cost increased by 20% last year. The cruise seemed a certainty a year ago; now I give it 50/50 on going ahead. Thus the question....

I made a deposit on a Princess cruise for April 2024, final payment is due at the end of January. What would happen if I took no further action? Would the deposit be refunded to me automatically? Would I lose the deposit? Would I be given an extended period of time to make my final payment? Ot something else entirely? Thank you kindly.

I love enrichment programs. I love learning about the different ports we're visiting, different cultures etc. I'd Much rather spend 45 minutes learning about astronomy than attending a pool party. My understanding is that cruise lines like Viking offer great enrichment, but they're currently out of my price range. What are some relatively affordable cruises that also offer great enrichment? Thank you very kindly.

I've done the transfer (on Princess) at the end of the cruise to the airport. It was very straight forward; I simply walked off the ship and was directed to a a bus waiting nearby, which took me directly to my terminal. But I've never done a transfer from the airport to the cruise terminal. How does this work? What happens when I get off the plane? Is there a dedicated Princess cruise bus transfer place that I walk to? For Disney World, I know there's a dedicated bus transfer area at the Orlando airport, which is easy to find. Is it similar flying to LAX and catching a Princess cruise? Is there a person at the airport holding a big sign that says 'Princess Cruises Transfer'? Thank you kindly.

When I did an Alaska cruise with Princess last year, one of the highlights was the enrichment programs. They had a naturalist on board who gave excellent presentations on Alaskan wildlife, culture etc. There was at least one enrichment program every day.

I know this may seem trivial, but I love getting my passport stamped on the rare occasions I travel to different countries. Q: When you take a cruise to a different country, do you get your passport stamped like you would when flying in? Thank you kindly.

My experience as a Vancouver local: give yourself 1.5 hours from arriving at the cruise terminal to boarding the ship.

Sale appears to be over.

If it was $50 Cdn per day, I would buy it in a heartbeat. But $60 USD/day is a different story.

Princess is offering a $150 onboard credit when booking an interior room. There is no onboard credit listed for booking a balcony. If I made a bid on a balcony and was successful, would the $150 onboard credit be carried over? Thank you.

I just got off an 8-day Alaska cruise on the Majestic Princess. I noticed quite a few people had white medallions. Does anyone know what they represent? I heard rumours they are for a ship's first cruise, but Majestic has been sailing for several years now.....

I really love enrichment programs when I cruise. I love learning about different cultures, environments etc when travel from one port to another. My understanding is that many of the smaller, higher end cruise lines like Viking have great programs on board, but these are out of my price range. Out of the mainstream lines (Carnival, RCL, Princess, HAL etc), which offer the best depth of enrichment programs? Thank you kindly.

I'm doing an Alaska cruise early May, and am thinking ahead re: mosquitoes. What time of year do they start being problematic? Are they commonplace in town centers, or only once you get out for hikes? Thank you

I'm packing for an Alaska cruise and when adding fleece tops, rain gear, layers etc, space in the suitcase will be tight. My understanding is that dress codes are often more relaxed on Alaska cruises, as people need to dress for the weather. Would jeans (for men) be acceptable attire in the main dining room? Thank you

So I'm thinking about booking a guaranteed cabin on the Majestic Princess. If I choose a guaranteed balcony cabin mid-ship, does that mean I'm guaranteed to get a balcony A) somewhere mid-ship, or B) anywhere on the ship? Thank you kindly.

September is listed as one of the historically rainiest times to visit Alaska. I live near Vancouver, Canada, and the last several years September has been fairly warm and dry. I'm wondering if Alaska has been experiencing a change in seasonal weather as well? There's some great Alaska cruise deals in September, and I'm wondering what kind of weather people have been having. Thank you kindly.

I saw a film called 'Grizzly Man' and during parts of it, Timothy Treadwell got very close to touching a few Alaska grizzly's. There was one scene where a grizzly was within two or three feet of him.

I've been to Alaska once about ten years ago. I work in healthcare and just want a very peaceful, relaxed getaway. The idea of spending time on the patio watching beautiful scenery going by, while enjoying nice food/drinks/enrichment programs sounds wonderful. I love mountain scenery (have been to Banff and Whistler many times). Living within easy driving distance of the cruise terminal makes an Alaska cruise fairly affordable & convenient as I don't have to fly anywhere. I think it's about 75% destination, 25% ship. I really like the balconies on deck 10 of the Crown Princess, look to be about triple the size of Majestic's. Thank you everyone for your feedback. I think I'm leaning towards the Crown Princess.

I'm trying to decide between Alaska cruises. Both are round trip from Vancouver, leaving May 5, 2023 (I live near Vancouver). 1) Crown Princess 7 day with a regular balcony - $1540 2) Majestic Princess 8 day with an obstructed view balcony - $1607. It looks like there's barely any obstruction with the Majestic balcony (cabin E439), but all the balconies look quite small. This is a solo trip and I'm planning to spend a lot of time on the balcony enjoying the view, reading, relaxing etc. The balcony on the Crown is much larger, but the ship is much older and reviews are mixed. I'm very much going back and forth between the two choices. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you kindly