TN-Mountains

On 11/1/2023 at 11:21 AM, Amy G said:

We are on this same cruise (have you found a roll call board?).  We are going to see the folklórico show as it seems to get good reviews.  

 

Have you received an offer to bid to upgrade?  There are a lot of rooms left, but I can't seem to upgrade.

No, I have not found a roll call board. That was the first place I "tried" to look for answers.  🙂  

I don't recall getting an offer to bid to upgrade, but I see the link to bid when I log into the Cruise Personalizer.  We have two cabins so we have no plans to upgrade since we might end up in different areas of the ship.   

edited to add... I just checked and my reservation isn't eligible for an upgrade.  Not surprising since I booked this while onboard Sky Princess with one of the half-off specials.  I was even able to get Premier package for half off.  

I was wondering the same thing.  My kids are a lot older, but extremely picky eaters and usually won't even try new foods.  I'm hoping they can join us at the table without being charged especially if we going during a *slow* time.  

Thanks everyone for all the information!  Based on all I've read, Ensenada isn't really high on my to-do list, but this trip checks off a bunch of "firsts" for my kids.  It is their first time on a plane; their first time cruising; and, their first time out of the country.  We want to do just enough in Ensenada that they can say they've been to Mexico!  

On 10/26/2023 at 10:18 AM, sunviking90 said:

Yes, you’ll have a production show. Often it will be on the dressy night which will be the sea day.
We don’t usually get off the ship in Ensenada, but there is quite a large pedestrian area at the port. We were there on a holiday weekend once and there seemed to be family events going on. 

That was my first thought, but there aren't any formal nights on this cruise so I thought they might skip the production show, too.  

On 10/27/2023 at 11:20 AM, rj59 said:

Don't do the blow hole, it's a rip off and you'll get surrounded by pesky vendors. The best thing for kids is a water fountain in the park area right next to the port, as well as a playground there and some snack vendors and tables. There's free public wifi in that area too. It's easy to find--just look for the huge Mexican flagpole. The fountain might not work until later in the day, but it plays to music and local kids might be playing there. With school out, a lot of families and kids might be there too. If you walk further along the harbor there should be unusual Christmas displays. There's a little market there too for locals, with cafes, as well as fishermen and a stinky fish market. When you get to the stinky fish market (kids would find it entertainingly gross to see the various kinds of unusual fish), turn right and head into town, across busy streets with crosswalks, and you'll be at the end of the main tourist shopping street. Getting there you'll pass a nice candy store with lots of unique local options in bins, so it would be fun for kids to try different Mexican treats. Then when you get to the main shopping street there will be tons of vendors and souvenirs. There's a McDonald's with restrooms if you buy something. That street is perfectly safe, because the vendors and city depend on tourists. If you keep going several blocks past McDonalds, there are some nice little cafes and restaurants, with fewer souvenir shops. Don't go into a farmacia and buy tablets of any kind, because they have Mexican security at the port who will confiscate them. If you go back by the flagpole, there's a big plaza on the other side with some huge busts of famous people, which makes some good photo ops, as does the fountain with the ship in the background. 

Awesome info!  Thank you!!!

On 10/28/2023 at 11:18 AM, New2cruise2022 said:

I was in Ensenada with my 15 and 17 year old sons and my brother. We had a great time and felt safe the whole time. I agree @MissP22 that there is nothing to worry about while returning to the ship. If I had kids your age, I’d maybe grab a shuttle (round trip and not expensive at all) and walk the Main Street. Grab a souvenir or two. We took an Uber to local restaurants away from the tourist area. Probably wouldn’t suggest that with younger kids. My kids were offered drugs, strip clubs, beer, massages, and a trip to the back room of the souvenir shop where he had women waiting. We declined all, and my boys aren’t sheltered so it was more an experience of a different life than my kids see at home. Your kids are younger so you probably won’t experience that, but it’s there. If you are sensitive to that, you really might enjoy the ship a little less crowded. We were off the ship for the least amount of time in Ensenada and returned to relax in the ship. 

I'll never hear the end of it if my son is offered any of that stuff!  😂  

We are doing the "4-Day West Coast Getaway with San Diego" on Discovery Princess Dec 19-23.  The itinerary is:  Los Angeles--San Diego--Sea Day--Ensenada--Los Angeles.  Will there be a production show one night?  If so, will it be on the Sea Day?  I need to make dinner reservations and I want to plan around any production shows.  Also, what is the port like in Ensenada?  Is there anything kid-friendly (ages 10, 12 & 13) to do within walking distance?  We are debating the Blow Hole Express excursion, but it only has a 3.5-star rating.

Thank you all for the advice.  I finally found the link in the App that allows me to add the other booking number.  I suppose it was there all along, but sometimes you need someone to point it out!  😉  Glad to hear I don't need to plan in advance (beyond meals) for the kids' activities.  The cruise is their Christmas present; I don't want to ruin the surprise by asking for their input!!  As for shore excursions, we will be doing San Diego on our own since hubby used to live there.  I'm still researching Ensenada. 

If we are cruising Dec 19th-23rd, will there be holiday activities beyond Christmas decorations?  

My husband and I have been on 5 cruises.  The only advanced (pre-boarding) reservations we make are shore excursions via 3rd parties.  I typically make same day reservations or walk-in for dinner depending on our mood.  That has worked well for us, since we were amenable to group or private tables and times.  In December we are taking our kids (ages 13, 12 & 10) on their first cruise.  Since there will be 5 of us, I assume we will be better off making dinner reservations in advance.  If so, how do we do that if we are in 2 cabins?  If it matters, one was booked via the casino dept and the other through onboard future cruise dept.  Also, do any of the kid activities need to be (or can they be) booked in advance?  Is there anything else I need to plan in advance for the kids?

20 hours ago, TN-Mountains said:

I think this is akin to the funny pricing we sometimes see.  I have a 4-day cruise booked and when I check pricing upgrades it shows Plus as "For 2 guests $240" or $320 for premier.   

I can't edit my post, so I'm quoting myself...I decided to purchase the Premier package since that works out to $40 pp/day.  Even though my daughter is too young to drink, it is still a decent price for the internet and extra dining perks.  I assumed I would get an error message during check-out, but it went through.  It doesn't show Plus/Premier as an add-on purchase; it changed our Cruise Fare from $450 to $770.  I assume that means no cancelations of the Premier package since the cruise is paid in full.  It did NOT add anything extra to the Vacation protection, but maybe there is a minimum cost for less expensive cruises and the percentages don't come into play.  IDK.  I booked this cruise while onboard and it was Half-Price.  I'm assuming that is why the package upgrade is half-price even though we were told only standard fares were half-price.  (A lot of other things he told us turned out to be incorrect, too.)  My husband and boys are in a cabin two doors down booked through the casino department.  Their price to upgrade is showing as $510 (plus) or $684.40 (premier) for two guests.  We will wait until we are onboard to decide on them.  

I think this is akin to the funny pricing we sometimes see.  I have a 4-day cruise booked and when I check pricing upgrades it shows Plus as "For 2 guests $240" or $320 for premier.   

17 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

But were they actual, physical gift cards or electronic gift cards that were purchased online and then printed out? I feel "fairly confident" that my printed out gift cards would work well onboard but, if there is some stupid glitch, I don't want to be left holding the bag. When applying gift cards to my cruise fare even my TA had to hassle with Princess telling him a couple of my cards were "empty" even though I had just finished verifying the balance on all of them using the Princess site.

We had this issue onboard. Either the system was down or they couldn't verify the balance.  We left the info with them overnight and they had it sorted out the next day.  This is why I was trying to add gift cards pre-cruise.  I don't like the anxiety of knowing if they don't get it sorted out, I'll have to pay cash and save the gift card for a future purchase that I may not need.   

16 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Just to clarify...you're trying to pay towards your cruise fare, right? There should be a small checkbox regarding gift cards...look closer.

No, since it said you can redeem the balance through the cruise personalizer, I was hoping to purchase OBC with it.  On our last cruise we had guest services add them to our account while onboard.  It worked, but there were times when their systems were down and we had to wait a day or two to see the credit.  In the future, I was hoping to add them pre-cruise to eliminate any issues.  

8 hours ago, Tigrou said:

 

That shelf is of no use to me either, for the same reason. 😀

But what about under the bed? 

 

Our cases of water were open, so we would have had to move & store individual bottles.  I was worried they might get knocked over and roll around the floor.  I could have stored them in my luggage, but moving them seemed like more of an inconvenience than losing counter space.   My husband didn't need counter space, so we made it work.  If both cabin mates have lots of makeup/hair products, it will be more of an issue.

BTW, did you have issues with the motion sensor light in the closet?  It only worked part of the time for me.  Our running joke was that I needed to wear a clown hat with a big flower to activate it.  

3 hours ago, cheetosrevil said:

Go to the payments sections of the specific cruise you want to apply the gift cards to and select the gift card option.

Gift card payment is not an option on my screen.  I only have credit card and PayPal.

On 9/7/2023 at 12:00 AM, Thrak said:

Just bought 5 more. Saved $250 even though it's "only" an 8% discount. Immediately verified the balance of each card on the Princess site.

 

Site with link to verify balance:

https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-gifts-celebrations/overview/gift-cards/

 

 

Under Balance Inquiry it says "Redeem your gift card when booking online, through
Cruise Personalizer or by calling your travel advisor".  Does anyone know how to redeem it through the Cruise Personalizer?  I see where I can purchase OBC through the Cruise Personalizer, but the only option is to pay with a Credit Card or PayPal.  Am I missing something or is the website wrong?

27 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

What do you do with the shelf space above the closet area?  We store extra bottles up there that are not needing to be in the mini-fridge.

I’m too short to use that shelf, so it never occurred to me to store the water there.  🙂

We also pre-purchased the bottled water pre-cruise.  The only downside was that they delivered it all at once on Day 1.  I don't recall if we got 2 or 3 cases.  Regardless, it won't all fit in the mini-fridge so it took up valuable counter space.  On our next cruise, I'll just order 1 case pre-cruise and supplement with an occasional trip to a bar. 

You can order bottled water through the OceanNow app.  A 500 ml was listed at $2.50 per bottle (Sky Princess June 2023).  The canned sodas I purchased would also show as $2.50 per can, but as I proceeded to checkout the price would zero out with a "package discount".  I don't know if water would be the same or not.  I had the Premier package, but I don't think canned sodas were supposed to be included in it or the Plus package.  

Prosecco was listed under the Plus package on the menus at the MDR, Crown Grill, and Alfredo's.  The one listed at Vines was $11 per glass, so it should also be included in the Plus package.

16 hours ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

Two different drinks at the same time from your package at the same venue?   I know if the bartenders know you and know your traveling partner, they will do this but if they know that only one of you has the drink package, I wouldn't think they would give you two included cocktails. 
 

The premier and plus fares you both have to have, the drink package you do not. 

My husband ordered 2 drinks at a time on a regular basis with no questions asked.  One was always for me, but they always deducted the 2 drinks from his package and not mine. It got to the point where he exceeded his 15 drink daily allowance and they started charging him.  The bartenders are so busy I don't think they "look" that closely at what package the other cabin mate has.  I think they enter it into the system and fix the drink.  The computer either counts as 1 drink towards the package or $x towards the bill.  They never mentioned to my husband that he exceeded his limit.  We only noticed it by checking our portfolio.  I'm not suggesting anyone should abuse the honor system.  However, it was much nicer getting ready for dinner when my husband went and got us pre-dinner drinks instead of impatiently waiting for me to curl my hair!

11 hours ago, Jodieg said:

Hi,

 

Is Princess Cruises still using and selling onboard Elemis Beauty Products in the Spa?

I'm specifically looking to purchase - Pro-Collogen Marine Cream.     

Its beautiful but not available for sale in Australia.

I will be cruising with Royal Princess in October and want to stock up if its still available.

Would be great if I could find out the cost in either AUD or USD to help with budgeting.

Thanks!

 

 

They had it listed in the OCEAN NOW app on Sky Princess back in June.  $134 USD.  I'm not sure what size that was.  The price was comparable to what I could get at home, so I didn't look into the details.

2 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

Love the Aft facing balcony too. It would be higher in price, so didn’t mention that one.

 

Very true.  That room is a premium deluxe balcony so it does cost more than a regular balcony.  I think it was similar in price to a mini-suite.  For a Fjord itinerary, I think they are worth the splurge.  That said, we all have budgets we have to live within.  I'm sure the folks in the suite 2 doors down from me thought theirs was worth the splurge, too!  Unfortunately, it wasn't in my budget!    

9 hours ago, wallyj said:

If you are all in the same stateroom, it should not matter and easier for the person putting in the order, assuming you all 3 have the package.

 

 

It matters if it is causing her DH to exceed his 15 drink daily allowance.  He will get charged for every drink over 15.  This happened to my husband on our last cruise.  They counted my drinks towards him and charged him when he hit 16.

I always check prices prior to logging into their website and then log in to their system to see if it changes.  I've never seen a discount.  One time I got a message saying there was a price change due to being a previous passenger, but it was an INCREASE!  The only time I've seen discounts is when I click on links via emails from Princess or my CVP.  I suppose it might have something to do with your captain's circle level.  I've only cruised 5 times with Princess.  

30 minutes ago, bsey96 said:

 

 

 

Hello, thanks for your very helpful reply. It is a Norwegian Fjords cruise, forgot to mention it. There is no price difference I believe as we were offered rooms on the Dolphin deck as well. 

We did the Norwegian Fjords & Iceland on Sky Princess back in June.  I second the Dolphin deck for the reasons mentioned above.  I'd take it one step further and recommend one of the balconies overlooking the wake.  We had D730 and the panoramic views of the Fjords were incredible!  

1 hour ago, caribill said:

 

When we sailed, they changed it so full payment was only due if inside the final payment period.

 

They told us we only had to pay the deposit, but when they ran my card they charged a non-refundable full payment.  My CVP tried to fix it, but was told that rate had to be paid in full/non-refundable.

2 hours ago, ldtr said:

If I recall correctly those were itineraries within 60 days of the current cruise. 

On our cruise, they advertised that it was for itineraries within 60 days, but they offered some that were further out.  For instance, we were on a June 3rd sailing and we booked a Dec 19 cruise for 50% off.  The catch was 1.) we had to pay in full, and 2.) good for single or double occupancy, not triple.  We are a family of 5.  We could have gotten 3 cabins at half price, but my oldest child is 13, so we couldn't book him as a solo passenger.

@FirstTeacher, the half-off deals sold onboard are half-off the Princess website prices (standard fares) and not the brochure prices, so they are great deals if they offer an itinerary you like.  

11 hours ago, newbie202020 said:

I looked at the big box TA I think you're referring to. Surprisingly, they do not reflect the current sale (3rd and 4th guests free) and is way more expensive than Princess website even taking into account their special offerings. Am in Canada if that makes a difference. 

They used to let you choose your fare type online, but lately, online prices tend to reflect either Plus or Premier rates.  You can still book standard fare, but you need to call them for a quote. I believe a phone call is needed for 3rd/4th guests free, too.   They also tend to show rates inclusive of the taxes/fees earlier in the booking process rather than the last step.  Your best bet is to call them, but if Princess has long waits the big box will too.  We gave up trying to find connecting rooms on our Cruise in December and opted for rooms near each other. 

23 hours ago, edspec said:

The big box TA shows connecting cabins.

Good point.  They do show connecting rooms.  They just don't have a filter to only show connecting rooms.  At least I've never been able to find one.