Sackat60

3 minutes ago, jon81uk said:

I assume you mean December 2021, all 2020 sailings were cancelled. We sailed August 2021 in the UK covid staycation cruises and everyone was given tongs and encouraged to remove the food from the grill ourselves. Something changed then from the move from UK to US I assume but it was not initially due to covid, we still shared the table with another couple. I’ve always assumed it was cultural and initial guest feedback.

Oh gosh yes.  Sorry....I had a moment.  My daughter and I booked their first cruise, which was to be be April 2020, rebooked several times after COVID cancellation, so yes, our first was actually December 2021.  2nd was January 2022 and third was January this year.  Thank you for the correction!  They made many tweaks during the first year, so on each cruise, I saw several modifications.  Some of the things they did during those initial UK-only cruises were modified when they came to Miami.  They definitely served us in December 2021, but honestly I enjoyed the drinking game A LOT on the 2nd Gunbae experience (it was my birthday) and while I know we didn't cook, I can't say for sure we didn't serve ourselves. At any rate, it's my least favorite restaurant onboard, but I'd still go if travel companions wanted to. 

4 minutes ago, jon81uk said:

Don’t think it’s a liability issue, we were left to take the meat off the grill ourselves back in 2021. I think it’s more certain guests didn’t understand the concept. 
 

Personally I find Gunbae fine, the marinated beef is good and the crispy fried chicken is great.

Maybe.   On my first visit (December 2020), they were pretty new to cruising and several COVID protocols were in place. We were not allowed to take the meat off the gill ourselves and since a lot was still being worked out (most of the shows broke down, there was just a lot of start up turmoil), I gave them a pass.  On the second visit there (Jan 2023 - my third cruise on Scarlet), we were still not allowed to cook our food and I don't recall being able to serve ourselves off the grill, although dishes were handed around the table.  I don't think the food was awful, just not as good as other restaurants onboard.  We have a number of very good Korean BBQ's where we're from, so I think a few of us were extra picky. This is my opinion (of course) and experiences vary depending on what you like and even on the cruise, depending on who's managing the restaurant.

Tried it on two different cruises and both times was unimpressed.  It's my least favorite of their restaurants due to high level of noise, mediocre (under seasoned and not well prepared) food and uncomfortable seating (hard to get in and out of for some).  My traveling companions on my last cruise enjoyed the sort of party nature of it, but none of the other 6 in our group was particularly excited about the food overall. It might be more fun/interesting if we could cook ourselves, but I doubt that's going to allowed due to liability, etc. I think it's worth checking out if you've cruised VV before, or are onboard for a longer time, but I wouldn't bypass trying out the other restaurants to eat there.  

I've cruised a number of other lines recently, but not very experienced with Celebrity.  Boarding in 8 days and I've been trying to get specialty dining reservations for weeks for us and the other 4 people that we're traveling with.  My little group would love Le Voyage (or something else upscale as a second choice), but I haven't seen much availability since I started looking.  So two questions.....    1).  is it worth trying to book onboard, or will that be a waste of time and and a frustrating exercise?  and 2).  is there another (more likely available) restaurant that would be worthwhile as a substitute? I keep getting emails suggesting we buy specialty dining packages and promoting Chef's table, but there's no point in getting one of those if they are all booked up.  Thanks!!

4 hours ago, iamaqt2 said:

Princess adding boarding times to try to alleviate crowding at the pier.  But those are suggested times, not set in stone. No one is going to ask you what your assigned boarding time is.  Just go straight to the terminal and wait to check in.  You should be onboard by 1130 so plenty of time to have a nice lunch with your friends.  The MDR opens at noon, or you can have pizza, pasta, salad at Alfredo’s.   There's also the bustle of the buffet if you'd like.

Thank you!  I haven't sailed Princess in a few years, and of the other cruises I've done lately, one was a real stickler about times, another didn't care, and the other two just had hours long lines so it didn't matter when you got there.  We will opt to try to board early!!

23 minutes ago, Shippy said:

There is NOTHING within walking distance from the pier except a 7/11 type store & a Marine Boat shop.

Unless you can walk a long distance....with hills !

Thank you!  I can, but probably not the others with me.

For the first time ever, we are flying in the day of the cruise and should be arriving at LGB at 9:30am for tomorrow's 15 day Crown Hawaiian cruise.  Two couples and we all have late embarkation times.  I've searched the net and this forum, but haven't found what I'm looking for.  (1).  What is there to do at the pier if we arrive 4 hours early (USS Iowa is apparently closed for a special function)?  (2).  Can we check bags early and then come back for boarding?  (3).  Is there anywhere there to buy decent wine or should we have driver stop on the way?  I couldn't afford drinks package for both non-drinking hubby and me for 15 days, so need to stock up :-)!  Thank you!!

4 minutes ago, skynight said:

Each adult passenger is permitted to bring on board 1 x 750ml bottle of wine at no charge for use in the cabin. for both of you that is 2 bottles. Additional bottles can be brought on board and are subject to a $20/bottle corkage fee. Corkage paid bottles may be used anywhere on the ship. If free bottles are brought to the DR or other public location they are subject to the corkage fee. People just pour the wine and carry the glass.

 

Thank you!  I actually did that on my last 15 day cruise, Nov 2019.  I brought two bottles onboard along with 4 that (at the time), I paid $15 corkage each.  But then I also ended up buying the wine package for 6 more bottles once onboard.  I ended up with a lot more wine than even I could drink (as I was also enjoying a nightly martini or bourbon) and was guzzling it on the last day 😆!  I'll try to strike a middle path this time!

I actually have the same question.  Going on a 15 day cruise and already have wifi and gratuities paid.  Hubby doesn't drink, but we'd have to buy both, so that would cost us $1500 ($50x15x2).  I haven't sailed Princess since 2019 and back then, I could bring a couple of bottles of wine onboard and buy a wine package once onboard, but that doesn't seem to exist anymore (that I could find).  I usually have an averages of 3 glasses of wine and 1-2 cocktails a day (less for port days).

Wow!  It will be my first time on HAL, although I've sailed Princess and Carnival.  I emailed just the first page of my brokerage statement (amounts of our investments blacked out) and the page with our stocks (account number blacked out) yesterday evening in an email, along with cruise conf number, ship, dates and my full name and I got confirmation of OBC within 4 hours!  It said it would be applied when we embark.  

Hi,

Here are some answers.  I'm also going to be on the Caribbean Princess, but in Nov, for the 14 day Circle Caribbean cruise.

1) Are the Specialty Restaurants on the Caribbean Princess worth the upcharge? -  Most people think so, but this is highly subjective.  I find the specialty restaurants to generally be a notch above the MDR's and casual dining venues. 

2) Does Princess post the specialty restaurant cost and menus on their website? -  Yes - and there are PDF's with the menus and costs.

3) We have selected anytime dining. Our last cruise with Celebrity used the second level of the main dining room for the anytime dining. Does Princess do the same? -  They generally use sections of the MDR for Anytime dining.

4) For those that have recently sailed with Celebrity, how does the Princess main dining room food compare to Celebrity?  I am a foodie and found Celebrity to be better.  That being said, most of my friends love Princess food and there are some good items, with lots of options.  The desserts are spectacular.

5) Does Princess offer any specialty restaurant multi day packages at a discount to the daily upcharge? NO

Ahh.. . ok, I did a search and learned about this. Why, oh why, had I not heard of this before? I am bummed. Our daughter lives in SF and is taking us to lunch right before our cruise. We would have dearly loved to have taken her on board, had a nice lunch, gotten a "lay of the land" so to speak AND FCD's!! All the while boarding early? WOW! But sadly, it is only 3 days before our cruise, so too late for her to book, even if spaces are available. Dang... I need to talk to my TA about cluing me in on such things!

Sorry to have to ask, but what is a BVE?

Well, I don't know about OP, but I am now more excited than ever to be sailing on the Grand this Sunday! We did Panama Canal on Island Princess last March, and I was shocked that DH (who was a very hard sale on that trip) suggested another cruise. I had heard some of the same complaints regarding Island Princess before that cruise. But that boat was just right for us. We are looking forward to our upcoming experience and being able to compare the differences. :cool:

This looks like it is mostly an Elite/Platinum discussion, but we are neither (2nd Princess sailing) and I just purchased the 120 min for $69 package for the Oct 15 sailing of the Grand. DH needs it to check into work and family daily and it keeps him happy, which keeps me happy and free to go about my carefree ways! We're both IT professionals, so we understand bandwidth issues, peak time slowdowns, etc and the maximum internet package was still well worth it during our 15 day Panama Canal cruise last March.

But I find this new development confusing. Will I get to keep the package I just bought, or be forced to trade if for something that I have to pay for every day? My account info says I can cancel the current package up to 72 hours before the trip, which I'm now tempted to do. $70 to keep DH happy for the two sea days is well worth it, but NOT being forced to pay for every day, whether we use it or not.

As for Social Media...I don't care about posting to, or reading, Facebook when onboard, however it, and Google (along with others), both have very good apps for placing voice calls. I kept up with my daughter during her 4 month worldwide adventure several years ago with her just calling through Facebook Messenger. It was totally free when she had wifi and the quality was superior to usual cellular calls - heck even from a beach bar in Thailand! So I would do the Social Media option if you could use FB Messenger or Google Hangouts for texting or to make phone calls! I wouldn't pay for it during next week's port intensive trip, but for more sea days, it might be worthwhile.

Oh wait :confused:... UBD is balcony dining? That doesn't work real well in an inside cabin, I'm assuming. Which is what got me thinking about flowers to start with...trying to brighten a room with no natural light. Or will they lend ua a balcony, so we can still experience that :D.

Ok - so UBD is off the list of flower options, but I appreciate the concept! Maybe next cruise.

Some more good ideas! I liked the idea of just ordering ahead and having them in the room when we get there, but I now realize bringing flowers on gives me more control over selection and quality (and Trader Joe's has some beautiful bouquets under $10!). I know about SF prices, especially in the touristy areas so don't think that's a great plan (if I had time and freedom, I'd go a few blocks to the TJ's.

I also love the idea of silk flowers. Done right, that could be very nice. But what is intriguing me now is the UBD!!! I am a big time foodie and love the idea that I could get multiple "fixes" at once. A good meal, drinks and my flowers :-). I need to find out more about that, so will search for threads on that subject.

Thank you all, those are some helpful ideas. My cruise is the Coastal one....7 days up and down the California coast (turning at Ensenada). I could bring flowers from Sacramento, so will beg DH for a stop at Trader Joe's on the way to the bus for a bouquet. I could also easily buy some in SF, but our "TA bus" drops us off at the terminal and "escorts" us to the embarkation lines. I love the idea of a collapsible vase. I'm not very crafty so didn't realize there was such a thing!

Hi All,

I searched the forum and couldn't find this question/answer. We are fairly new cruisers and for our upcoming Coastal Cruise on the Grand, I booked an inside cabin as the price was just too good to pass up. This will be our first inside cabin and I think we'll be fine, but without a window, I think some flowers might brighten up the space.

So I am seeking some advice on this. I'm allergic to some lilies, and really like just plain garden flowers. Are the first two bouquets very nice (the $39 and $49 ones)? The others seem to either have lilies or just roses, which I find a little boring. The exotic flowers look pretty in the pic, but I am concerned about possible lillies. I'm also curious about how long the various bouquets hold up.

Any advice on this? I did see during my search, that some people bring flowers on, but that would be a little more difficult as our TA is delivering us via bus from Sacramento to SF.

Kat

I think anyone who sails on mass cruise lines and expects to be blown away is leaving themselves wide open for a big let down. We have friends that are very happy and think food is great as long as it's hot and the portions are large and then I have a few true foodie friends who would consider just about anything served on a cruise ship to be their worst nightmare. We're somewhere in the middle and are realistic in our expectations - if it turns out to be as good as most middle of the road chain restaurants, then it works for us. We don't cruise for the food.

I think this is an interesting comment. I don't expect "blown-away", but I do expect good quality on a cruise. Some "mid-range" restaurants can be very good if their food is properly prepared and some are terrible if the management is poor. Some of my favorite restaurants have been "low end" and inexpensive ones that had passionate cooks. I was a Navy cook and can tell you that mass produced food doesn't have to be mediocre. It's all about attention to detail and good management. I was perplexed on our recent (and first) Island Princess cruise because I didn't know if the level of food and service in the MDR was standard for Princess or it just an off time/ship/cruise. I won't choose a ship based on its food alone, but with so many options, I might not choose a ship/cruiseline if the quality of food isn't important.

As for the Princess standards, I finally ordered the Fettucine Alfredo and Creme Brulee as I had heard so much about them. They were blah at best. And the Creme Brulee had a burnt topping. Yes, to previous poster...you can burn sugar and it's not tasty.

Now I will say that whoever was in charge of pastries on our cruise did a fantastic job! On both sweets and savories. The crusts for the quiches and Steak and Kidney pie were really the best parts. I made a point of ordering anything in a "pie" format. And the sweet pastries were always spot on.

So as for "mass" market ships, does that include Celebrity? That was our last cruise before this one and the food preparation and service was spot on. The execution was flawless and the choices were truly interesting.

I also noticed that quality improved as the cruise went on. So maybe there were some new cooks and it took awhile to get it together.

We have sailed on the Island (and on the Coral and Sapphire before they had an IC added). In the morning, the La Patisserie would have a tray or maybe two of self service pastries (the half sized versions served in Sabatini's) in the morning. From lunch on there would be a tray or maybe two of self service small sandwiches and pastries like those served for afternoon tea. Because the food was self service, the trays would disappear if there was a Noro outbreak.

On our recent cruise 3/15-3/30, on the Island, we found 2-3 trays of mini pastries every morning and several of mini sandwiches in the afternoon and they were always being replenished. I really enjoyed my little mini oatmeal muffin every morning with my latte after working out and before real "breakfast".

I really enjoyed my 7 bottle Gold wine card on our recent 15 cruise on the Island. Having heard about it on this board, I picked up the brochure card first day at lunch in HC. Was still debating about it, until I wanted a $40 dollar of wine at dinner in MDR, so bought the card on the spot. Knowing I could have wines up to $45 gave me some nice selections (I am a long time wino from NorCal).

Something good to know.... If you do buy the card, keep track of it and the punches. I got punched twice at one of the specialty restaurants, so made the Maitre D give me a new card. Also, know that you can transfer that bottle between the MDR, Horizons and the specialty DR's. I ended up keeping a nice bottle of Sancerre at Horizons for my lunchtime glass and a good red in the MDR. It just felt decadent!! A few times, they tried to "help" and moved a bottle or kept it somewhere other than where specified, but always retrieved it when I asked.

Uh, we just got off after 15 days and I guess it's in HC (per the pic above), but it isn't distinguished much from the rest of the buffet. Just a place in the center where the toast and pastries were in the morning and desserts where during the rest of the day. We hit it up regularly for oatmeal raisin cookies (oh and here's a tip, if your favorite cookies aren't out, ask for them. There's often some behind the counter). It seemed to be open same time as the rest of the buffet. And for us, the coffee/bar area seemed to be opened during regular lunch and dinner hours. Sometimes I did have to find someone to get me my glass of wine for lunch or dinner, so if someone wasn't there, just ask one of the wait staff.

Wow! Your pic is fantastic. Thank you for a reminder of how beautiful that Island is.

Hi again! Still wishing I were back on the boat (it will be a week tomorrow ;-(), but wanted to add some of my personal hits and misses (what I did right and what I would do differently):

HITS:

• I packed a extension cord and multiple USB charger hub! Between the two of us, we had 2 iPhones that we used the @sea app on, 2 laptops and an Apple watch (which works great even when disconnected from it's phone btw). There was only one outlet in our stateroom and one in the bathroom, so I set up a charging station every night on the little table with the USB charger connected to the 3 foot extension cord. I unplugged it during the day and stored the cords and charger in a drawer (took about 10 seconds to do each night and morning).
  
• I followed CC advice and waited for spa specials to schedule my spa time.
  
• Already mentioned previously, but I am very glad to have bought the coffee card and pack of water.
  

Misses:

• I should have listened to CC and packed a night light. I didn't need it, but DH commented several times that a little light in the bathroom would have been helpful. I'm adding that to my list.
  
• I hate to own up to this one, but I packed too many shoes (ouch!). There were two pairs of dress shoes that I didn't even wear. One was too dowdy and the other pair was pretty but too uncomfortable. My Sketchers for casual walking were good enough for the one time I needed closed toed shoes for the behind the scenes tour.
  
• I also packed too many dressy clothes and too many swimsuits and not enough shorts and tank tops. I would have been better off doing mix and match with black skirts and pants with dressy tops and wearing some of the casual dresses more than once (no one will remember in 15 days). And I brought 3 different swimsuits with matching cover-ups, but only used one once to sit in the Lotus hot tub for a bit one evening. I need to own up to how I like to spend my time (busy and running around vs laying by the pool!) and plan accordingly. I did the same for DH...too many dressier clothes and not enough shorts. I ended up doing laundry to wash shorts and tank tops twice!
  
• Same thing with the multiple books I brought (fortunately most were ebooks, but a couple were physical). I didn't read a single book. Too much else to do for me.
  
• I should have brought my bike shoes. The spin bikes did have clips and my running shoes are too big for the toe straps, so I wore the Sketchers. I would liked to have taken more spin classes, but my toes hurt after the first one.
  
• I should NOT have brought my 2 extra bottles of wine. With the 7 bottle package I bought onboard, I ended up paying close to the overall price of the extra ones I carried, and between that and BOGO hour for mixed drinks, I had plenty.
  
• Overall, I just packed too much! It was fine with the good transportation, including luggage handling, we had for embarkation, but miserable for DH and me to haul 4 suitcases, two backpacks and other bags around FLL after getting dropped off. And it was just a lot of stuff to put away in the room (which had loads of storage spaces!) and then to pack again for disembarkation.
  
• Too many ship's tours. We did three of these and while each was good, they were expensive and usually involved big buses and a lot of waiting. It was still a wonderful time (not really a "miss"), but in the future, I will do better research and do private tours or just wing it.
  

I listed these in the hopes some of the info may be useful to others. Overall, I can't say enough good things about our cruise experience. There was never a truly unpleasant moment in all 15 days!