Torfamm

The only way to get the benefit is via Stockperks. They’ll know your name, that you own shares of CCL, and your booking number. If you’re truly uncomfortable with that, the shareholder benefit may not be worth it to you.

That was my experience on other cruises on that ship. It was our first cruise after the restart when they walked over to Cafe Al Baccio and got some. I think there was more flexibility in those early cruises when ships were less than half full.

That is pretty surprising. I never eat there and have always been able to just order a couple of lattes. On one sailing on the Apex, they would even let you get coffee or hot chocolate to go. I’d love to see that become an option that’s always offered.

It seemed to me that formal attire seemed much more common in Europe and Asia than any other regions. Everywhere else I’ve been has been very similar.

I have seen some that were like that but it depends on the excursion. It’s always worth checking if you find Princess really offers the same experience, e.g. not a bus tour instead of a small group. In that case, the convenience would be well worth the extra cost. More often ship excursions seem to come at a huge premium. Two that I looked at just yesterday when I first saw excursions available for a cruise next year were much less privately. $200 vs. $439 and $112 vs.$449. That’s a huge mark-up!

I didn’t find it any less common to see formal wear on our Canada/Greenland cruise than on a Caribbean cruise. That said, as long as he meets the minimum standards for smart casual dining, he’ll be fine wearing whatever he wants.

They are most often, but not always, on sea days and never on the first or last night of a cruise. You can see which nights are scheduled as formal nights in the activities timeline in the app. Every evening will show either “casual” or “formal” portraits. I’ve seen it populate as much as a couple of months before a cruise.

Where did you get the idea that the guides on ship excursions are all employees of a tour company with benefits? The providers of shore excursions are the exact same people who you might book privately. Some guides might be employees with benefits but there’s not a chance that it’s true for most

Wow, I’ve seen lots of people smoking without actively playing while the casino is open but in ten cruises since they brought back smoking in the casino, I’ve never seen anyone use it as a smoking lounge when the casino is closed.

Are you concerned about having time to visit a currency exchange while you’re in Japan? You could also do it after you’re home.

The policy is that smoking is only permitted while actively playing at slot machines.

Not that I’m aware of. If they did, I wouldn’t necessarily expect the best exchange rate anyway. I’d exchange AUD after disembarking.

I’d tip whatever you feel is appropriate based on the size of the tour group and the service you receive. The amounts suggested seem like minimum starting points. As an example, I’d tip a guide very differently for a fantastic tour for a small group that involved real effort on their part or setting up equipment (hiking, kayaking, scuba diving etc)than I would a guide who narrated a driving only city tour for a motor coach filled with people.

Your only option if you win a cash jackpot is to exchange the AUD for USD (or another currency you have a use) unless you have a way to spend them. If that happens you’ll also need to check on the rules for carrying large amounts of currency into Japan. Sometimes it’s possible to request that a check be mailed for large jackpots though.

I’m not sure they are going to be in a bus that accommodates car seats.

I’d never go anywhere without a pair of pants but it seems there are people who only pack shorts for vacations to warm weather destinations. I was shaking my head watching people out in shorts in rainy 50 degree weather on a cruise to Thailand and Vietnam. I can only imagine that they didn’t realize it would be a lot colder in Hanoi than Bangkok. 🥶

The only exception is the 200 USD deposit for casino cruises. It shows as USD in the personalizer and travel summary and is converted to AUD in OBC on board. We each got about 300 AUD

I’ve seen shorts ignored many more times than I’ve seen people turned away but I felt very sorry for one man who hadn’t packed pants for a cruise. It’s always good to be prepared.

The casino currency is AUD

I have checked it many times with no problems. There are reusable cushioned bags you can buy called Wine Diapers that will absorb any spill if the worst happens

I’ve seen the “no shorts” rule enforced several times in the last year or so.

It’s been proven over and over again that eliminating indoor smoking does not harm businesses. Celebrity is a great example. Their ships have been completely indoor smoke free for nearly 20 years and their ships are full, as are Princess ships sailing smoke-free in Australia and New Zealand.

If you know you want an excursion, I’d book it. They can sell out very early, especially in ports with limited options like Greenland or the Falklands. Excursions are easy to cancel if something new does come along.

Princess offered a free shuttle when we were there in the fall. It was offered at a fee on the website under shore excursions pre-cruise but an announcement was made that the shuttle would be free once onboard. We also enjoyed a free walking tour there with Brisbane Greeters https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/whats-on-in-brisbane/brisbane-greeter-program

This is one where it can be impossible to do it on your own. In Airlie Beach for example, the long tender ride means you can’t get to shore in time to join a dive trip. Booking with Princess meant that the dive operator picked up directly from the cruise ship. You need to look closely at your itinerary.