Cruisemeister2002

Just accessed Princess App and assuming correct for fixed dining have booked a shared table for 19.30 in the Soleil restaurant every night with the exception of nights where excursions or other dining arrangements apply. It appears that shared aren't available after 19.30. I was under the impression that 19.50 was the set 2nd sitting for fixed time dining but it appears not although up until 19.30 20 minute intervals are available. I'm confused.

Wouldn't it be great if everything was that easy. Pigs ear comes to mind. We have neither been informed of which restaurant is which or been able to book the times we wish or the number of people we wish to share with. Surely it cannot be that difficult for Princess to send emails to passengers stating which restaurant on which ship has what type of dining available and then make these time available on their App. The whole thing is a fudge, a complete hash up. Who runs their computer systems Fisher Price ?

I can book dining on Soleil and Cielo except that both state 20 minute interval times. Estrella on the other hand has nothing available so maybe this will be the anytime or walk in. Who know's. My wife say's phone Princess, but I am more inclined to wait a while as we don't sail until September so about two and a half months away. Am really looking forward to this cruise as a new ship to us and changed allegiance from P&O after a really poor 35 nighter last year onboard Ventura.

Just got the phone and on my App it gives all times available on Sleil and Cielo, but nothing as you say for Estrella. Si in essence still can't get what I need. Frustrating to say the least.

Super, thank you. Will check it out when the wife get's off the phone, so maybe next week with luck ?

Any idea as to which is which on Sky Princess ?

Maybe I am totally wrong and you are correct. But I would have thought Estrella was the fixed dining ? We want fixed second sitting for a table of six. The other four at the table would be new acquaintances to us (new friends, hopefully) but I would have thought that common sense from Princess would prevail and that they would make people aware of what restaurant delivers which type of service and not just make two available to book at any time. Where's the ability to book fixed times, fixed restaurant throughout the cruise. That's what Princess promised, isn't it ?

To be honest I'm not surprised. In my humble opinion Princess instead of stating 1st July should have staggered the need to book dining options for each ship depending on when the cruise started. Stating which dining rooms were available on each ship for Set dining (Early of late), Individual dates and times as per passenger requirements and walk in anytime. Currently App does not even say which restaurant is available for what type of dining.

I tend to disagree with regards to cancelling and re booking not being viable. Keep a regular eye on prices. Note what the cost is now for an Sea View or balcony and then regularly visit the P&O website for price updates.Not that many moons ago I had an inside cabin booked and whilst I appreciate you want something better I saw that the price had reduced significantly. So I contacted P&O and was told I would have to cancel, lose my deposit and re book and that there was a chance that whilst on the phone the cabin I had originally booked might be sold. However it wasn't so I got the same cabin, lost my deposit and still saved £800.

One reason I believe cruise line shouldn't alienate their senior passengers. It's all very well have all mod cons on ships appealing to those that they are trying to get them away from Package Holidays (vacations) over to cruising, but cruise lines are totally different to vacations where all inclusive is taken by sun seekers during summer breaks. If it wasn't for the older generation who prefer cooler times of the year with much fewer children running about cruise ships would be redundant for many months of the year.

My dear old Mum used to she she was looking through the local newspaper for the "Hatched, Matched and Dispatched" section. Or Born, Wed or Died.

The problem with the world we live in is that whilst places like India and China are seen as sweat shops, paying low wages and making their people downtrodden how much better are we as wealthy country's ? Maybe we don't slave for many hours a week to get our pay cheque. But there's still a heck of a difference between what boardrooms deem decent pay and what they pay their employees. Here in the UK while house prices have risen 300% in 20 years pay has only increased 25%. Yes in the main we are better off than those who serve us on our cruises. I myself have never been highly paid. My best years I probably earned £30,000, but that would have been one wage plus two pensions. I respect crew members as I started out in the catering business as a junior waiter. I do see examples of passengers looking down on these people, which is disgraceful. I understand the reasons why cruise lines are currently trying to make money on whatever they can, but also they need to respect their staff and certainly not alienate passengers by giving them a lesser service but expecting them to pay more.

Hi all, my next cruise aboard Sky Princess will only be my second Princess cruise. My first was back in 2003. In between we have done around 16 other cruises on P&O, but due to a less than satisfactory cruise last year on Ventura we decided to change allegiance and try Princess again in the hope it is hugely better than our last P&O experience. We have taken out the Plus Package which is a first for us as we are not big drinkers so we may or may not regret taking that option. We do however like specialist coffee's and a bit of cake and I look forward to the desserts but maybe not two a day ? The feedback on Princess food like most cruise lines is mixed. Some good, some bad and some in between. With the Plus Package you get two Casual Dining times and I have booked one time on the Speciality Restaurant. May book more subject to what the food is like in the MDR. If it's o.k. I don't see the point in paying more out.

I access Princess website most days and over the last six months I have lost count of the number of times the prices of excursions have changed. In the main upwards.

Hence why I have only booked four excursions on an 11 ports stop. As like yourselves we have done most. Must admit I draw the line at doing an excursion on our own if the place we wish to go is a long way away from the cruise port, except if it is a two day stay over.

Just for something to do I went on to Princess website. Put a tick against our names so as to compare the offer against what I had already paid. Answer $20 p.p. more and that's supposed to be one full price and one half price excursion. Someone has either got their sums extremely wrong or they are blatantly screwing people by advertising something that is not true. Are they alone ? absolutely not.

The last couple of days Princess website has been advertising Buy One Excursion and get a second 50% off. Surprise, surprise, on entering myself and wife's tick boxes the price was $20 more than I have already paid and the prices on all the excursions have increased. Some lady commented recently about a $5 increase on excursions. Having visited Princess website prior to this so called discount it would have cost me $280 more to book the same four excursions that I have already booked and had I taken up on this new offer the cost would have gone up even more.

Last year on Ventura a couple we were meeting for the evening dinner in the MDR found knickers in one of there drawers and another passenger had a full wardrobe of clothes still in his cabin. The pubes on the balcony was just someone fannying about I'd say ?

Hi all, have received from Princess a link to bid for an upgrade. What I am a bit confused about is that if I had purchased an inside cabin now and decided to upgrade to a sea view the difference is £500 but the cheapest upgrade on the sliders from an inside to a sea view is £700 and more depending on what I am prepared to bid. I was interested in a balcony but the cheapest is £1300 p.p. although having gone through the availability of these cabins there are a lot available. It seems that those booking this cruise are either going for inside or the better grade balcony cabins. A further question, we have when booking opted in to being upgraded and although I notice that there are different grade inside cabins they all appear to be the same price. Therefore if I receive an upgrade will it just be a higher grade inside ( personally, never noticed the difference between one inside grade and another) or would we get a sea view or better ?

In the main have usually booked a cabin close to stairs and lifts (elevators). I find it much more convenient as you don't have to walk half the length of the ship to get to another deck and noise wise have never noticed it being noisy.

Yes you are correct. See my comment. I booked four excursions on our September cruise. Total now = $280 more.

You are spot on. We have a cruise later in the year and I have booked 4 excursions, but that's out of 12 ports of call. A few years ago we visited New York. Took a cab to the Hudson river where we got a water taxi, went to the Statue of Liberty and then Ellis Island. Water taxi back to Battery Park and cab to Macy's apartment store. A bit of shopping then back to ship. All for about 50% less than the cruise line were charging. We also weren't restricted time wise.

I booked my excursions for a September cruise some months ago on Sky Princess the increases on the four excursions booked vary between $25 and $55 per person. I calculated the total extra amount if I booked now and it is $280 or around £220.

Just been informed Princess have delayed the roll out of the three dining options until the 1st July due to problems.