Ken the cruiser

I guess we’ll find out once they introduce the new App, whenever that might be. All I know is that I’ll be checking every day starting December 1 to see if it’s available for download from the App Store, and I’m sure we’ll read about it here on CC! 😂

You’re right, I haven’t got a clue as I don’t work in the PCL IT department. Just guessing. But I would imagine there is no data stored in the “old” app that needs to be directly transferred to the “new” app once it’s uploaded to someone’s device once it becomes available around Dec 1st.

True. It will be interesting to see how much versatility the new app is going to offer. Personally, we only use the app during the check-in process, when necessary, and to research what’s going on regarding entertainment and excursions when we’re on the ship. Even though there are quite a few folks that order drinks and food with it while onboard, we never have. But when we’re not on a cruise, we exclusively use the Personalizer for pretty much everything we need to check on.

Actually, the data on your current Medallion app as well as mine is uploaded from a centralized PCL database. For example, the same database your PCL Personalizer logs into is the same database your Medallion app logs into, and I would imagine so will the new Princess app. There will be no “transfer” of data from the “old” app to the “new” app. Now, once onboard the app may also access data from a shipboard system or some database which maintains the data for that current cruise you’re on. But then that’s just my opinion sitting over here in the peanut gallery. 😁

Moved over? Not sure how that would work, especially if it is a new App that has to be downloaded onto an applicable device. I would think once you download the new App, you would simply logon and your applicable PCL booking data would be downloaded. For us, it would be nice if we were finally able to simply use our PCL login information rather than a booking number to log into the app, as is the case with their current app.

I have to say, we have definitely become cruiseaholics since cruising started back up. That's for sure. But part of that addiction not only includes "the joy of the hunt" looking for unique 3-5 week itineraries, but also figuring out what the rules of engagement are for each line we cruise with. We never really thought about the refundable/nonrefundable issue on our previous Princess B2Bs because we would always use it all to prebook excursions. The same is true with this B2B. Then PCL changed the rules on June 29 disallowing a guest to have both Military and Shareholder benefits, along with making the MOBC nonrefundable, on any new or refared bookings after that date. This meant when we refared the 1st leg of our Antarctica B2B in early August, we lost the $250 SOBC, as we both qualify for the MOBC. So we had to use our credit card to replace that "lost" $250 SOBC or lose a very cool penguin excursion in the Falkland Islands. Then PCL subsequently rescinded the MOBC/SOBC rule a few months later, which meant we could reapply for our SOBC. On top of that we made Elite after our last cruise which meant we now get 10% off our excursions once onboard in the form of OBC. This is why there is a significant amount of nonrefundable OBC potentially being transferred to the 2nd leg of our cruise. But since we never refared the 2nd leg of our B2B, our $500 in MOBC is still showing as refundable. Hence the reason for my above question. IF the nonrefundable OBC posted to our shipboard account is used first to pay for our 2nd leg's excursions (after we complete each one), which we hope is the case, we'll budget accordingly to hopefully get a refund check sent to us after the cruise. If not, then we may go to Guest Relations on the first day to upgrade our current $50 Plus Package to the $80 Premium Package and/or go spend it on other frivolous things while onboard for those last 14 days. Anyway, that's the reasoning behind why I asked my above question.

Thanks for mentioning this!! We have started to book our air independently and never thought we had to add the details to our booking information in the Personalizer. But now we know and that box is now checked. Thanks!

We had our TA book the 17-day Oct 2023 Canadian/NE cruise tour that included a 5-day land tour from Toronto to Quebec City before boarding the ship that subsequently cruised from Quebec City to Ft Lauderdale. We had her book us in the specific Vista Suite shown as available on the Princess web site.

Either I didn't ask the question correctly or no one knows the answer in today's cruising environment. Either way once I figure it out when we're on our second leg in early February, I'll post what we encounter here.

We have a 30-day B2B coming up where we have pre-booked excursions on both legs that we used both refundable (military) OBC and nonrefundable (shareholder and FCD) OBC to reserve. When we transition to the 2nd leg of the B2B, we will have over $600 in excess nonrefundable OBC transferring over in our account as well. On the 2nd leg we used up all of our "pre-cruise" OBC, both refundable (from military perk) and nonrefundable (shareholder benefits and FCDs), to pre-book (reserve) excursions on that leg. Here's the question. When the excess $600 nonrefundable OBC from the 1st leg is merged with the (refundable and nonrefundable) OBC originally allocated to the 2nd cruise's shipboard account, will the OBC applied onboard to actually pay for the 2nd leg's excursions be in the order of nonrefundable OBC first before the refundable OBC is applied, even though we originally "used" the refundable OBC to "reserve" the excursions months in advance?

Just curious, was there separate lines for those that had reservations and those that didn’t?

I have to say that’s a pretty “cool” transatlantic B2B going from Barcelona up to a cooler environment by way of Portugal, France, the UK, and Iceland before heading to Boston. 😁

Another reason Princess now gets the nod from us over Celebrity, besides the fact we are retired and in our 70s, is the extra attention to detail PCL puts in every year to create their longer more unique 3–5 week itineraries; probably to attract us "old folks"! 😂 For example, in Jan 2020 (before the shutdown) we went on a 25-day PCL cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Santiago, Chile by way of the Panama Canal and Easter Island! Our upcoming 30-day PCL Antarctica/South America B2B cruise RT Santiago includes 4 days cruising around the Antarctica Peninsula rather than just 2. In Alaska they offer a 14-day Voyage of the Glaciers B2B RT out of Vancouver. In Jan 2025 they have an 18-day transatlantic cruise (sort of) that goes from Argentina to Florida with 3 stops in Brazil. Then in July 2025 there is a 23-day Iberian transatlantic that goes from Barcelona to Boston by way of the UK and Iceland. We're still hoping to go on their 33-day South Pacific cruise RT out of LA. Then there is this unique 29-day Search for the Northern Lights combined with a TA cruise. Cruise Details - 29-Day Northern Lights Grand Adventure - Princess Cruises All at very affordable prices!

We're usually there when the Reserve DR first opens around 5 pm, and as one might imagine there was no wait and were usually able to sit at the same table every night. However, we did notice it got a lot busier around 6-6:30 pm as we were leaving.

Totally agree! Booking itineraries in Reserve Collection mini-suites or higher that allow us to dine in the Reserve Dining Room is definitely a big plus for us as well.

Thanks! As long as we can make specific Anytime Dining reservations and they honor them once we’re onboard, that sounds like a doable option. My DW just reminded me on our 2021 Apex cruise, she made Anytime Dining pre-cruise reservations at each MDR and worked hard to reserve specific times on each of the 16 days of our Apex B2B. Then when we boarded the Apex, those reservations were ignored and we just had to get in line with everyone else, regardless if they had previously made reservations or not (I.e., first come first serve). If there is in fact 2 lines, one for those that have reservations and the other for those that don’t, that sounds great!

Thanks! As long as we can make specific Anytime Dining reservations and they honor them once we’re onboard, that sounds like a doable option. My DW just reminded me on our 2021 Apex cruise, she made pre-cruise reservations at each MDR and worked hard to reserve specific times on each of the 16 days of our Apex B2B. Then when we boarded the Apex, those reservations were ignored and we just had to get in line with everyone else, regardless if they had previously made reservations or not (I.e., first come first serve).

On your Edge cruise in July 2023, did you make reservations for Early or Late seating and were you assigned the same table with the same servers every night?

We received ours about 3 hours after we uploaded it using the Alinea option.

Good to know. According to the current details provided on their website, it says that an Early or Late seating reservation "allows you to enjoy dinner at the same table with the same waiter every evening. You'll be assigned one of the four main dining restaurants while having the option to dine in the other three upon request." That would be really annoying (again) if they didn't actually honor that Fixed Seating reservation designated at one of the four MDRs once you are onboard, as the person on the current Celebrity thread is suggesting.

Since you both enjoy the Edge class SVs as we did when we were on the Apex back in Nov 2021, maybe you can answer this MDR reservation question. Prior to boarding the Apex back then, we had pre-booked reservations for early seating in one of the MDRs for the entire cruise. However, when we boarded the Apex and went to the MDR, our reservation magically disappeared and all of their MDRs were now designated as Anytime Dining venues where you just show up and stand in line until it's your turn to be seated. Fast forward to today. Celebrity appears to once again be offering Early and Late Seating reservations when booking a cruise on their website. However, on the Celebrity forum today, they are saying Anytime Dining is still the only option once you board an Edge class ship. If you have cruised lately in a non-Aqua/Retreat cabin on an Edge class ship, has Celebrity actually reinstituted the capability to make early and late seating reservations or did they just forget to update their website for 2 years?

Please let us know if they actually honor your pre-cruise fixed seating reservations once you board the ship and go to dinner that first night. As I mentioned earlier, our reservations magically disappeared on our Nov 2021 Apex cruise. But that was 2 years ago. Hopefully, this is a new "reenacted" policy once again allowing early and late fixed seating. 🤞

It sounds like if you want to eat early, as is our case for medical reasons as well as we like to get a good seat location at the early show, you'll need to get in line 20-30 minutes before they open (as many "older" folks like us have similar desires), much like what we have found ourselves dealing with when dining in Blu the past few years. That's too bad, as we were hoping to put the Early Fixed Seating option in the positive column for booking another Celebrity cruise.

Sorry to hear you continue to experience mediocre service in your SS rather than being wowed. That's one reason along with the Luminae menu options we switched to booking Aqua cabins the past few years. However, we are now finding the Blu menus are getting a little weak and with the increased demand for Aqua cabins causing their cabin fares to continue to rise, we are now considering booking aft-facing Sunset Verandas on Edge-class ships, like we had back in Nov 2021 when we cruised on the Apex in one. However, I'm reading today on CC that there is only Anytime Dining available in the MDRs on Edge class ships rather than also offering Early and Late Fixed seating reservations like they advertise on their website when booking a cruise. When you were in the concierge cabin on your first leg, was it your experience that there was only Anytime Dining or were guests allowed to prebook an Early Fixed Seating table for 2 at one of their MDRs for the entire cruise rather than having to stand in line every night to get a table at one of the four MDRs?

That's not good. You're saying the "official" information provided by Celebrity when booking a Beyond cruise today with regards to the Dine Early or Late options is that these options don't actually exist? When I clicked on the "Learn More About Dining On Board" option today, here is what was displayed. Main Dining (celebritycruises.com) I know when we cruised on the Apex back in Nov 2021, we had prebooked early fixed seating and when we got to our assigned MDR on the first night, they announced all the MDR reservation options had changed to Anytime Dining. We simply figured it was because the ship was on filled at 60% capacity and dealt with the long lines when their doors first opened. However, if this is truly the case, then that definitely changes things for us. For the last few years now, we would book Aqua cabins so we could be seated at Blu when we arrived early, usually at the same table every night. However, with the increasing demand for Aqua cabins and the continual rise in cruise fares along with the mediocre menus (to include desserts), we have decided to start booking aft-facing cabins on Edge-class ships with Early Fixed Seating. But if it's simply "first come first serve" Anytime Dining at all of the Edge Class MDRs, that is definitely something we appreciate knowing about.