Cruisemeister2002

I don't find myself buying clothes on cruise ships. Sometimes I have bought watches and my wife has often bought handbags. I understand Princess now sell pre-loved Chanel handbags. I'll have to tear the pages out in the Patter if they advertise.

Yes, that makes perfect sense. Just a bit frustrating from our point of view as we were hoping to get an upgrade pretty cheaply. But what will be, will be. We have had inside cabins on most of our cruises and due to the one we are on is Canada and New England in around a months time I doubt the journey across the pond will be balcony weather anyway. But maybe just nice if it was a sea view.

As others have alluded to our ship Sky Princess states sold out, but apparently bidding goes on because some may pull out due to problems therefore other cabins become available. I have a theory about this difference in prices and may be totally wrong. The theory being when we booked the cruise last year the price for our inside cabin was some £1300 cheaper than it was up until the sold out notice went on the website. So maybe the prices quoted for bidding were based on the latest prices rather than what we paid ?

Hi all. I am rather partial to Goslings Rum. Just wondering, is it cheaper to buy on a cruise ship duty free or ashore in the US. We stop off in New York, Boston and Portland Maine. Over in the UK 70 cl is around £25 to £30 so around $38 top price, Black Seal 151 is about £41 or $51 exchange rates vary a bit so excuse me if they don't quite tally up.

I think the problem is the shops as on most ships the cruise Company rent out the space and maybe the shop had a shortfall on their till and you just happened to be the person who made up the shortfall. Obviously only a theory. Mistakes do happen. We were buying a handbag for my wife, the assistance when printing the receipt quoted the price. I had to remind her that on that particular day there was a discount that needed to be applied. She obliged by tearing up the first receipt and issuing one with the discount applied.

I can't see any reason why not. If they are prepared to give you two plates or whatever. Like with the Premier Package you get I believe two Speciality dining times. So therefore if that's 2 each I cannot see why you can't use it 4 times rather than two. But then we are talking about what individual ships and individual waiting staff allow as like with the Speciality Desserts some have said that they have just asked for gelato and received it, whilst some have said they get charged or they are refused the dessert without having all the trimmings.

Have purchased the Plus Package so won't be tipping further. Know this isn't a tipping thread so I won't add much more except to say with regards to people receiving "Better service" for giving a hefty tip it wasn't myself but another person on this forum who said as much. As you say tipping over and above is up to the individually. I don't have a problem with that. But many regulars on cruise ships get to know staff and staff them so would be naive to think that if staff knew a certain passenger or passengers were more forthcoming that they wouldn't go the extra mile to accommodate them. Having once been a waiter myself you get to know who's likely to tip well and who isn't.

Have often found upgrades or so called upgrades from say one inside to another have little in the way of extras or being any better and are often in worse positions on the ship than those chosen, We did get an upgrade on Ventura last year from inside to sea view. Shame the rest of the cruise was a downgrade on any of the previous seventeen cruises.

Yes as long as it's not sea water.

A cruise we go on is all labelled "Sold Out" we were on two occasions offered the option of bidding but declined due to what I felt was an extortionate difference between inside and a balcony cabin of £1,300 or $1,600 pp more and that bid was deemed as poor.Even inside to sea view was £700 pp. I do have reservations as to whether it is right that a passenger or passenger are unable to cruise that the cruise line gets all of that money and can then offer others to bid silly prices for that cabin when if the cruise wasn't sold out the price would probably be cheaper or many would get an upgrade without having to bid. I know it's supply and demand, but is it right ?

Can it not get that if many tip staff even when taking out a Plus or Premier Package that it becomes an expectation of staff that although they are part of a pool of staff that already are paid gratuities that they get even more ? A few have commented that by giving a decent tip the service they get is better than a non tipper. Is that right ? expected maybe as who wouldn't perhaps go beyond knowing they will be looked after. When the old system applied where tips were put in envelopes and given to staff on the last night I have seen many tables in the MDR empty because some bail out of giving tips at all. So I do see the logic in including gratuities in Packages so that all staff get a slice of the cake.

I maybe wrong, but I am sure I read that boarding passes were available 11 days prior to your cruise.

Never had refundable OBC. But the system seems archaic. If they require a method of payment so if a passenger spends onboard they can charge to a credit card why can't they refund to that card. Paying by check/cheque means you have a two week or more time to receive it. Then you have to presumably go to a bank to pay it in. Although now you can pay in via a banking App.

I wrote to P&O on return and received a cheque for £700. I did consider turning it down, but accepted after some thought. We had booked a cruise for this year as well, but cancelled and booked one with Princess on Sky in September. When I hear of the nightmares some have on whatever holiday/vacation they have it's terrible as many won't be able to go again for at least another year and coming up to 74 I don't know how many more I will have. Fingers crossed it's several. By the way I wasn't the only one to moan about the cruise, we had people telling us they were keeping a diary of their problems and every day there were long queues at reception.

Being not a Princess virgin, but pretty close to it as we have only done one cruise with Princess before our forthcoming cruise coming up I won't be trying to advise you on any aspects of what to do or expect. We have taken out the Plus Package simply for piece of mind that we haven't got to worry about what we are spending onboard. We have around $350 onboard credit given to us and I have allocated further money just in case. Neither I or my wife are big drinkers. We used to have a bottle of wine on a Sunday with lunch, but even that has been sidelined as my wife will have one glass and I end up drinking the rest. We both like speciality coffee's and a piece of cake or to try the desserts. Don't see either of us eating two a day though. Taking out a Package is purely individual choice. Just remember though you both have to have the Package if you are in the same cabin.

Didn't in any way try to upset people and I know from experience that just as there are really nice people without money there are also people who are also really great who are wealthy. Over our many years on P&O I have meant some lovely people, who on the face of it seem to have a few more readies than I do. I believe I have done pretty well. Never had a working income above £30,000 and for the majority under £25,000 but still managed to have 18 cruises since 2002. Not blowing my own trumpet or anything like that. We have changed allegiance to Princess this year as last year sadly a 35 night cruise to the Caribbean, Mexico and US turned into a horror show. The day before embarkation we got a cabin upgrade, inside to sea view. Very nice. Had to change all the labels on luggage. Got to Southampton whereupon met with huge queues and piles of suitcases. Ventura had arrived six hours late. Instead of sailing at 5 p.m. it was 11.30 pm. Sailing to Bermuda told several days out we wouldn't be stopping there. So 10 days of sailing to Freeport Bahamas. Like Cozumel, but thought Roatan and Belize a waste of time. On to New Orleans where we had to go through immigration. Supposed to be two days in port, for some it turned into much less as they didn't get off the ship until 4.30 pm in the afternoon. On to Miami where due to having done most of the excursions before decided on one to a shopping mall. Great star, the coach was supposed to be suitable for wheelchairs. The lift didn't work, so not only were we late getting away, but one poor fella was left behind. Supposed to have been given vouchers for the mall and a map. Nothing. The driver and the guide didn't even know when we were meant to return to the ship. The passengers decided. The list goes on with poor food, awful entertainment except for two tribute acts and I had paid £400 for a package that included Champagne breakfast, Champagne glasses, P&O dressing gown and slippers, two speciality dining experiences, formal photo and frame and a facial or massage for myself and wife. I had contacted P&O two weeks prior to the cruise to make sure everything would be in my cabin on arrival. You guessed it, nothing, zilch. Took me 17 days to sort everything out. Basically going to reception every day. The only cruise where 10 days to go and I wished I was at home.

Sounds good, but isn't it difficult getting one of those Italian policemen in your pocket ?

I can't really comment on Cunard or in truth Princess as the last time I sailed on a Princess ship was early 2000's. Then I thought the entertainment was good and a good choice of food in the MDR much of which were items I hadn't tasted before. My wife though wasn't that exactly thrilled with the menu as there was a lot of fish. I think she had steak most nights. But then things have changed and the cruise was on Sea Princess.We have an upcoming cruise on Princess as due to a less than satisfactory cruise on Ventura last year (P&O) really put us off. As for Cunard I don't like what appears to me harking back to the Titanic's White Star Line where you had 1st class down to Steerage. Certain areas which are no go unless you have a certain grade of cabin . Whilst I don't a ship full of chavs I also don't want people looking down their noses at me either.

At 15 drinks per day x $15 who needs happy hour. I also won't be paying $8 for a drink in the Elite Lounge, although I might partake in a few canapes. Presumably you can obtain a drink in the Elite Lounge with your Plus Package or take one through with you. Not a misery guts, but when you pay for a Package and then get a mini bar in your cabin I really cannot see the point in paying extra for drinks and if the drinks available are so bad why would anyone buy a package?.

With regards to the price of excursions we have a cruise coming up soon. The prices are quite astonishing. Yes I have in the past seen where private type excursions are expensive where the group size is limited and a personal guide is provided. I have booked four excursions and since booking the prices have increased to some $90 more than we paid. It has at times been even more than that. Many of our ports of call we have either taken in the excursions before, don't particularly fancy what's available or have already decided to do something totally different from what's available. When a few years ago we were in New York we did the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island for half of what it cost the for cruise line excursion and we were not restricted time wise and were able to also do Battery Park and Macy's apartment store included in our costs.

Don't know what your circumstances are, but myself and wife both have underlying health issues. Last year I was treated for prostate cancer and my insurance was over £2,000. This year due to my treatment I am clear, but the insurance was still over £1000 for one trip. We will be 74 and 67 when the cruise sails.

Crazy really. But we cruise soon on Sky Princess and due to the mass confusion of which dining room would be used for which type of dining e.g. Traditional fixed time, anytime via the app or walk in I waited to see the outcome and finally came to the conclusion that what we require was Soleil due to that one being the fixed time I assumed. Now it seems I was correct and here comes the but. When I first booked the times it gave me twenty minute intervals and so I went for 19.30 as after that time only private tables are available and I wanted shared. This is now where, as if I wasn't already confused it became even more confusing as now only two times are available 17.30 and 19.50. But the 19.50 is still Private only but my time for my bookings at 19.30 shared still remain on the app ?

Compared to embarkation (In most cases) I find disembarkation a bit fraught and quite frankly not a pleasant experience. It's the whole thing really. The stampede to get off, the searching for luggage and then trying to keep cases from falling off the trolleys to go through customs. Added to this you seem to have to walk miles to get to the luggage hall, whereas on embarkation it seems half the distance and much easier and quicker. Maybe and hopefully easier this year as we have a courier picking up our luggage, where upon we will get a taxi to the railway station and a train home instead of the usual uncomfortable coach which goes all around the houses to get to our drop off point which is still 45 minutes from home. This is where a neighbour picks us up and takes us home.

Obviously we are talking about the US. Here in the UK we don't have such a thing. For entering the US we need an ESTA (Does not guarantee entry). Princess cruises rule that passengers must have six months remaining on their passport from the end date of their cruise. UK passports last 10 years and currently cost between £88 and £93 dependent on where purchased. I have just had to renew my wife's passport as when we next cruise her passport was two days short of having six months left on it and due to her ESTA requiring her passport number although she had another year remaining on it I had to renew that also.

i would love to upgrade , but the difference is frankly absurd. £700 pp for an upgrade inside to sea view, £1300 pp for an upgrade to deluxe balcony. What is confusing is not just the cost of an upgrade but seeing that one week there are plenty of all grade cabins available and the next virtually nothing. Do they still upgrade as a matter of course. Personally unless they give me a sea view from the inside that I currently have i don't wish for them to give me a so called upgrade to another inside as personally i don't see any difference from one grade inside to another. Last year on P&O we did get an upgrade inside to sea view which was great. Pity the cruise itself didn't live up to what was expected.