karatemom2

Not exactly apples to apples, but we generally book through the casino department which requires full payment at reservation. We also qualify for the Shareholder OBC benefit, but have never been successful in applying it to the payment of our cruise fare. We are only are able to add it once the cruise is booked as an OBC and in the past it has only been able to be added within about 90 days of the cruise as they want a current stock statement, although recently it appears they are relaxing that as we have already been able to add it for our June cruise. But unfortunately we have never been able to apply it to our cruise fare payment.

Alaska is a great destination to find independent excursions or just explore on your own. Consider renting a car for some of your ports. Some of our best days in Alaska have just involved venturing out in our own vehicle and enjoying the natural beauty and spotting wildlife.

Yes we are definitely finding the prices steep in general. We are fortunate that several people on our roll call have set up private van tours and people have been keen to join. I organized a van transfer for a group of us for our day in Bruges. Thank goodness for Cruise Critic. I feel sorry for cruisers navigating on their own or thinking ship tours are the only option.

Yes, I noticed this as well for our Norway cruise this June. The prices went up significantly about two weeks ago. I had been monitoring capacity on an excursion we were interested in, but hadn’t decided on. Thankfully we have a great roll call with numerous private tour options but there are a couple of ports where I’m still considering Princess excursions. I went ahead and booked the one we really want but I was kicking myself for not doing it sooner before the price increase.

Try completing your check in process. Once you are in the green lane it should provide you the option to have your medallion shipped. The app can be a little tricky to navigate - we ended up just picking our medallion up at port for our New Year’s cruise as it was just not wanting to give us the option to ship. However, for our cruise this summer we have already completed check in, are in the green lane and have the medallions ordered with shipping paid. Hopefully it will work for you once you are fully checked in.

You had me at the title of the thread! 😂 That was a great read and very nice to see your comparison. We have friends who love Virgin cruises and have been encouraging us to give it a try so we are considering it now that we can travel kid free. We already are frequent flyers with them so might as well jump onboard. Thanks for the review!

We have disembarked in Southampton the last two years. First year we did a transfer to Heathrow through the cruise ship. Even though we were on a tour and not disembarking with our luggage, we still had to collect our bags from the designated zone before proceeding to the bus. This last year we had a private transfer with a tour to Hampton Court Palace. We walked off with our luggage and in doing so had to proceed right past the zones where people were collecting their luggage that had been offloaded by the ship. So really, you end up picking your luggage up before departing the terminal no matter what. There are porters and carts to help if needed. The only difference with walk off is that you have to be able to maneuver your luggage off the ship. We just had one rolling bag each with a carryon so it wasn’t that difficult and it allows you to leave the ship quite early which provides more time for a tour.

I’ve noticed Princess has really hiked the prices on shore excursions. It’s always in general been more expensive to book excursions through the ship than independently, but lately the excursion prices seem downright exorbitant. I guess any opportunity for a discount of any level is nice to see, especially if there is an excursion someone really wants or needs to do through Princess. The prices on excursions for our Norway trip this summer are ridiculously high, and just went up across the board recently. I’m grateful we have a great roll call with lots of choices for independent tours. But for those wanting Princess excursions, I guess the message is to take advantage of special offers like this and book early before they raise the prices.

I’m not familiar with the activities RCI offers but my guess is you may find Princess may have a bit less to offer in terms of onboard entertainment in the evenings. There are production shows, comedians, usually a good piano bar, live music and some dancing that may or may not draw a big crowd depending on the demographic of your sailing. There is karaoke and usually some theme parties during the cruise - 70s, 80s, country as examples. They will have some game shows like Marriage Match, Yes/No, etc. and movies on the outdoor screen. It’s not necessarily a big party atmosphere but there are fun things to do. And of course the casino.

This whole scenario has been quite eye opening. We got a great casino offer on the inaugural cruise scheduled for February 8 and seriously considered booking it, but just couldn't manage the time away from work at this time of year. I'm so glad we passed and I feel just terrible for the people affected by these cancellations. For those saying people should know that it is risky to book a new ship, I honestly would never have thought about it being a risk. I guess I would have assumed that Princess would schedule these initial cruises with a buffer for getting the ship operational and tested out with some executive or industry cruises before bringing on the first group of paying passengers. I just always thought that is how it worked with launching new ships. It sounds like that is how RCI approached the launch of Icon of the Seas. It does make me wonder why Princess would not build in that extra time as it would just make sense that things can get delayed. We were looking at booking one of the early cruises on Star Princess next August, but are having serious second thoughts. I love the idea of trying out a new ship and being one of the first to experience something new and innovative, but this debacle with the launch of Sun Princess has made me think twice. I wonder if they will be better prepared and planned with the launch of the second ship in this series?

Please join our roll call if you do decide to book it. We have a great group and for a lot of us, like you, this is a bucket list cruise, especially with the impending changes in a couple of years with large ships being allowed in the fjords. I can tell you that there is still a lot of availability with Princess tours and some really great private tours that you can access should you book it.

Thank you, I do enjoy my cruises. We don't do inside cabins anymore, although we did for many years when our children were younger and that was what we could afford. And they were wonderful - some of the best memories ever and I would never, ever disparage anyone for choosing to cruise inside, outside or upside down. I do enjoy a balcony nowadays, but if cruising in an inside was the option that best suited my budget, I would certainly not complain. I consider myself and DH very fortunate indeed and am so very grateful for all the opportunities we have to enjoy wonderful vacations over many, many years that have provided me with such joy. Not sure where the $85.50 figure arises, but I did forget that for our 14 day cruise I ordered two packs of water to start with - still worked out to a $1 per day which is what I was estimating in my model of a typical sea day expense for us. Perhaps you find our approach to cruising rather sad by your standards, but like some others here have expressed we just don't drink very much. I do enjoy an occasional glass of wine with my dinner, and I'm certainly no connoisseur, however the $10 to $12 dollar per glass wine on the menu suits me fine. And I'm a particular fan of the Deep Sea cocktail I enjoy in the Platinum, Elite lounge pre dinner. More than that I do not need or want. Would give me a terrible headache, not to mention the distress to my waistline. : ) Perhaps I am in the minority, but I think there are more like me than you might imagine who prefer to prioritize other expenses, particularly in the ports we visit. And while you may think Princess does not appreciate me, I would say that they are in fact quite lucky to have me and other loyal, long time cruisers, whether we opt to invest in a package or not. It hardly means I am not spending money on board, or supporting their product with two to three cruises per year. And I'm quite certain the casino department appreciates my husband! One of the reasons I feel so strongly about the way packages are often promoted to new or starting cruisers as a "must have" is because I understand what it is to travel on a budget. I feel for those families, like mine once upon a time, who are probably investing as much as they can afford just to cruise and seeing the added expense might be a tipping point when they don't realize that they can make it work without buying into that extra - especially paying upfront and far in advance of even receiving the benefit. So, I offer a counterpoint to that and it appears to really hit a nerve with many people, which I really do not understand. I have said time and again that if you find the package suits your needs and budget, and it offers a good value, that is a great thing. But it isn't a necessity for many people and it doesn't always offer the "savings" that some might imagine that it does if you end up finding you really don't use it to the extent you might have imagined. I find it odd that some people seem to take it as a personal affront when someone has a different point of view - like it is a criticism of their choice when in fact it is just pointing out that we all have options. I'm not sure why that raises so much consternation and why I'm subjected to these somewhat judgmental posts, but be that as it may, I will continue to provide an alternate opinion for those that would like to cruise without purchasing a package and are happy and comfortable with that choice.

Yes, the deposit transitioning to onboard credit is only a benefit if you can use it up and it is a really smart decision to wait and apply it to your package purchase since once you have that, your onboard expenses will likely be very minimal. If you paid for the package in advance, you might have a hard time using up your credit onboard, especially if your host provides you with some additional perks which I'm betting they will. Of course, you can always cash it in and gamble it! Maybe turn it into even bigger bucks! (Spoken as the wife of a dedicated gambler who very much enjoys the cruising perks it offers!)

No definitely not always, especially along the coast even in the middle of summer. But you can pretty much count on no rain in May so it will generally be pleasant even it it's a little cool in the mornings and evenings, and the ports you are visiting are beautiful and have a lot to offer. Enjoy!!

It depends on the cruise and types of excursions, but at this point you should still find capacity on all but perhaps the most in demand excursions for your particular cruise. We have a Land of the Midnight Sun in Norway booked for June of this year, and a few excursions are filled, but most still have availability. Additionally, if you are open to independent tours there are usually lots of options from which to choose. On our roll call for our cruise, we have a number of private excursions that different groups are taking so that is another avenue you might want to explore by taking a look at the roll call for the cruise you are considering. Princess shore excursions tend to be highly overpriced, so if you can find similar options you like through an independent tour you are usually better off and sometimes get a better experience in a smaller group. We usually reserve booking through Princess shore excursions for those tours we absolutely can't get on our own for some reason, or for tours that might be pressing the edge of our time in port. At least with Princess, we know if it's a late tour they won't leave without us.

All aboard for a 1:15 p.m. departure will be 12:45 p.m. so you would want to be in line for the bus back by no later than 11:45 a.m. so you allow yourself time to get back. The lines can be pretty long for people returning from town, so it's smart to give yourself an hour window.

The souffles on Princess used to be our absolute favorite desserts. But I must say on our cruises since COVID they have generally been a bit disappointing - tending to be overcooked and dry. The last one I got on our New Year's cruise was literally a hollow shell. If it weren't for the delicious sauce they pour in them, I think I would give up altogether, but I will keep hoping for improvement!

We have always received notification when they are sent along with a tracking number. If you ordered them, you should receive them before your cruise, but if something happened and for some reason you didn't get them, Princess could always replace them for you. That is very unlikely to be necessary though as if you ordered them I'm sure you will receive them without a problem.

Obviously I can't speak to the Sun, but I'm sure it will be amazing. I can say the Enchanted Princess is a beautiful ship and you would definitely not be disappointed. In terms of purchasing in advance, the only things we have noted get more expensive if you wait are shore excursions. The other prices for things like WiFi or packages are the same whether you purchase in advance or wait until you are onboard, assuming there is no overall price increase between now and when you sail which seems unlikely given they just raised the WiFi prices so doubtful they will do it again any time soon. Who knows on the packages? It seems the prices have remained consistent. But, there isn't a penalty you pay for waiting to purchase once you are onboard.

Your mileage may vary on free drinks in the casino. It really depends on the host so there is almost no way of predicting. My DH does get free drinks, but he is a heavy duty Craps player and also makes a point to ask the host for them and has yet to be told no. You don't have to buy the Plus package in advance - you can even wait and purchase it onboard which is smart if you have onboard casino credit. That might give you the opportunity to assess whether you will get free drinks in the casino. Be sure and get to know your host right away. He or she can really add to the quality of the cruise if you are a player, which I'm guessing you are given that you got this offer. Often the host can arrange one or more free meals at one of the specialty restaurants for you during your cruise, as well as other perks like champagne, chocolates, chocolate covered strawberries, etc. delivered to your cabin. Enjoy!!

Is the Fall cruise you are referencing October 8? If so, it’s likely more expensive because it’s a special wine and food cruise. See link: https://www.princess.com/news/news_releases/2023/09/sip-and-sail-with-two-specially-themed-pacific-coast-wine-and-food-experience-cruises-onboard-discovery-princess-and-sapphire-princess.html If the May date works for you and is a better deal it’s a lovely time of year to cruise the coast.

My favorite part of afternoon tea - especially when the scones are warm.

Not misinformation - I state emphatically that my scenario applies to an Elite cruiser. How is that me giving misinformation? People can figure out for themselves what is cost effective for them. But maybe even some new cruisers don’t drink much, maybe they don’t like coffee, maybe they prefer to pay as they go because as a new cruiser they don’t know yet how much they will consume. Is it not ok for me to point that out? Is it not ok for me to say to a new cruiser - maybe you don’t need the package? That’s not misinformation - that’s what we might call a second opinion. Maybe it’s ok for me to say to a new cruiser who is overwhelmed by the cost of these packages on top of their cruise investment that it’s perfectly fine to enjoy your cruise without a package and you can still have a very wonderful vacation. I think I have that right without being told I’m providing misinformation.

Actually many, many Princess cruisers have the Shareholder benefit - it is discussed here all the time. This as well as numerous other OBC benefits through future cruise deposits, casino, and travel agents. We generally have significant OBC for our cruises.

Did you read my post??? I said right at the beginning of my post it applied to 2 Elite cruisers. Contrary to popular belief there are actually thousands of us - and everyone is allowed to make their own assessment despite the constant cheerleading here that actually potentially scares off new cruisers who truly believe they “have” to buy a package or their cruise will be some sort of dismal failure. Hence the entire reason for this particular thread.