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Just chiming-in that my offers are getting more paltry too. Same play, but ratcheted-back on free play amounts. That said, I just got off Enchanted last week. Hoping I get more offers loaded to my online profile sooner than later.

Ha! I did the same for my trip on the Enchanted last week....then I ran out of the singles and fives by Wednesday....way quicker than I thought I would....and had to go to guest services for more change. The casino cashier, yes, is an option, but would only give me 5 singles at a time. I do wish Princess had the bill breaker in the casino like on NCL ships instead of that little bodega ATM they have...

When we were on the Enchanted in March, we used our Medallion to enter. Generally, it's a good spot to get a snack or soft drink if your location makes it more convenient than any other spot for such things on the ship. Having them escort you for port stops that require tendering is probably the biggest benefit. Other than that, in my opinion, it's not a hang-out place. It's small and windowless.

Obviously you can Google it and find out something more based on long-term trends, but I did a late-September cruise out of NYC to along New England to St. John's...and the weather was in the mid-60's to mid-70's depending on location.

I'm assuming they'll be bored. I was on the Enchanted a few months ago (and boarding it again tomorrow!); and there aren't any kid-focused facilities like water slides or rock-climbing walls like you'll find on other ships on other cruise lines. Plus, 14 days is a lot of days....which will deter other families. That said, if they can keep each other company -- and maybe find one or two other kids -- they can eat all the pizza, soft-serve, and buffet food they want; maybe shoot hoops on the athletic court; spend some money in the small arcade; and go to the 80's dance party and enjoy the people-watching, seeing the WAY WAY OLDER crowd wearing retro outfits. Those are kind of the teen highlights from what I witnessed (and having my own teen cruise with us...but that was with NCL).

Just repping our local company, Beekman 1802...glad it's got a lot of love.

Best of luck to you. Please report back if you are successful.

I'm assuming this question will be moved to this board: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/ I'm assuming a lot of your questions are already answered there...

@lgar88 Based on a lot of experience sailing on both NCL and Princess, your issues are just the norm when cruising and eating in a MDR on a mass market cruise line. The Medallion is great and has zero to do with it. Too few staff is the issue. Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

Reading this thread it appears we can't identify the location of our muster station until we are on board. Am I wrong? Well, I'll be on board in 6 days and my app shows exactly what @BamaVol showed....meaning it doesn't identify the location. . That, um, seems rather stupid, especially since your muster station is linked to your room assignment and the tech to link the two and show it on the app is rudimentary. It shouldn't be a mystery. (Yeah, I know I'll ask a crew member once on board. It's not the end of the world, just puzzling).

That's really odd. I've done 10+ trips out of MCT, 3 last year, all of them parking adjacent to the ship, all of them having luggage porters right there, as soon as you pull-in, to unload your luggage and take your bags. It's a smooth operation.

Sorry I can't help you with how likely your bag will be waiting for you if you try to disembark on the early side. I've always done walk-off with our bags. If your schedule is tight, then you should really eliminate those variables that may snag you, like getting your bag in a timely fashion. I've sailed out/in of NYC a lot of times. When we walk-off, from the moment we line-up on the ship, to the moment we are at street level, it's only about a half hour, maximum. Usually it's less. We have a free hand and use the escalators; and don't queue for the elevator.....which is a giant time sink. Note that a good part of the time it takes to disembark is the looooong walk from the escalator/elevator at the pier, down to your luggage and customs, and then through the ground level part of the pier to the street. Add more time crossing the west side highway to where you are likely meeting your scheduled car.

True. But for me and my February 2024 free suite-benefit 360 Experience, it was listed under the 'services' section with a zero dollar cost. Hence, I'm assuming that's their standard procedure.

Unfortunately, the phone reps are often a few 'clicks' away from being fully up-to-date and informed. Maybe they pivoted back to making it a comp benefit for suites? Doubt it, but who knows? Anyway, the ultimate arbiter is your travel summary. Go look at it online or on your app, under the "services" section. If it's listed there as zero dollars, then you're golden. If that's the case, the only way we've collectively figured out how to book it gratis, prior to boarding, is to email guest services....but if you simply go to the concierge when you board the ship, you can do the same in person.

Yeah, it's no longer free anymore for suite guests. (It should be, IMHO, since perks are relatively few given the high cost of suites). Anyway, I did it in February on the Enchanted when it was free. My review can be found via search. Short version: wouldn't do it if I had to pay.

Drinks are challenging to get, so too is a spot at a table or a machine....comes with the territory of being on a cruise with a lot of serious gamblers.

@earlbird That is indeed true.

@colesc15 Yes, you can make your flight. Shoot, I walked-off disembarked in Miami off an NCL ship (on a Sunday) and got to FLL by 8:15am. Port Everglades is way closer. Maybe take a cab instead of waiting for Uber or Lyft just to shave-off 10 minutes..

@coldinerie Good luck. I hope you get it. However, as you probably know, there are plenty of available loungers a few steps outside of the Sanctuary, even more proximate to the hot tubs on that deck and even closer to the Retreat pool and its nearby bar. You can also order food and drink through your Medallion app. Not the same, I realize, but not too shabby either.

@D_And_K_gocruising I'd offer my experience that even in the larger Vibes, you still have a smaller community feel as a subset of people would tend to hang-out in the same spots, one side or the other, with a hot tub focus, lounger focus, or bar focus.

Easter week with kids out of school sailing out of NYC = hot mess. @Wahoowa9904 Despite this, I hope the cruise has been good.

Totally agree with this synopsis. As mentioned in my earlier post, I think the Vibe on Prima is maybe the best. However, just be warned about the soot from the exhaust stack. It's not a deal-breaker. Just use a towel to sit on when you use bar stools or loungers. You'll see the stains on the upholstery. My khaki-colored shorts got smudged-up.

That sounds pretty great. Also, NCL will give you bar snack mix if you kind of beg for it (at least that's my experience). Guilty, mindless snacking at my favorite location, a bar.....I wish Princess had it too...but then again, it's probably for the best...who needs more eating while cruising?

Amen. Full stop.

Regarding the notion that passengers have become more rude over the years.... I'd say yes. Starting with the advent of social media, turbocharged with the nastiness of 2016-on politics, exacerbated by the Pandemic, and now cemented in place with high demand for cruising with more crowds and less relative space.