drwbrt

This sounds right up my alley. I drink Woodford almost exclusively at home.

We recognize there are other steakhouse options that are less...pedestrian...available to us. We are not afraid to spend money for good value. Ultimately, we took the birthday boy to Outback Steakhouse because it offered the perfect blend of location, convenience, a hot meal for a steak-loving crew, and unbeatable value through gift card savings and pre-purchase. Similar to the cruise, we figured out a way to soften the blow of a vacation week without four consecutive visits to In-N-Out, not that there's anything wrong with that (in fact, we might be there later tonight).

@New2cruise2022 got to do a little intro. I thought I'd give some flavor and talk about how we landed on the stateroom we did...even though we got upgraded to something else in the end. Our Approach to Cruising We're Super Value Bros, we're two brothers with large families, navigating vacations to maximize value for a diverse group. While family vacations are about being the best dads/husbands and enjoying simple pleasures like morning bagel runs, our solo adventures are different. Together, we seek to make every moment count, from early mornings to late nights, exploring new foods and places with the enthusiasm of seasoned but polite consumers. This ethos extends to our cruising style. For our seven-day voyage, we aim to maximize every one of the 164 hours aboard, seeking value in every experience rather than adhering to a strict schedule. Why Inside Staterooms on Deck 15? Our research, heavily supported by CruiseDeckPlans.com, led us to two unique inside staterooms on deck 15. Positioned near the panoramic lift lobby, these rooms provide unparalleled access to the ship's amenities. The layout of these staterooms, with the bed parallel to the hallway, offers a larger desk/vanity area and a more functional space for non-couples, with the closet serving as a private changing area. More photos and video of this once we are on board. The strategic location was a key factor. Being on deck 15 puts us just a flight of stairs away from the action on deck 16, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the cruise life effortlessly. Our choice ensures we're not just passengers but active participants in our voyage. The cutaway below shows we're right below the heart of Lido. Maximizing Value Beyond the Stateroom Our decision reflects a broader approach to cruising: it's not merely about the luxury of your room but how it facilitates your adventure. By prioritizing strategic location and efficient room design, we're set to make the most of our time on the Discovery Princess. This mindset also influenced our package choice, opting for enhancements that offer more meaningful experiences over a fancier room. For those traveling with larger parties, consider the economics and added comfort of dual occupancy versus grouping together in a single stateroom. In our case, the additional cost for separate rooms was marginal ($300) compared to the value of privacy, extra bathroom space, and overall convenience.

I come from the land (not originally, but longest in years) of White Lily Flour and cathead biscuits IFYKYK. When I say this biscuit delivered, it really did. I agree, I would have liked 20 more degrees Fahrenheit and about 3X the gravy, but a very good biscuit. Cross section shows some very nice rise and what looks and tasted like a pocket of buttery goodness. Just hotter next time, please.

There’s been a lot of investment in the last few years for sure. Even in the last year since the last cruise several things have popped up.

We’ve already overpacked. I have enough shirts to go to each of the MDRs each night in a different fit, but childhood nostalgia drives me to an outlet mall. We went to Citadell Outlets in Commerce, CA. It’s clean, great variety of stores, the weather is fantastic, it’s been a great place to walk around but the prices are a total loser. Last chance clearance t-shirts at $34 are a loser. Members Mark / Kirkland / RDFL / TJ for life.

We got you!🍻🍹🍸🥃 We’ll be posting menus, pics, and ratings/reviews. The reviews of the first five drinks of the day will be more detailed than the last 10 🥴. If you have a specific drink you want reviewed, I’ll get it early. We’ll post a lot here, as you can see, but there will be more pics on IG, just search the SVB from the profile pic.

I understand "take your chances with weather" on land. Do we think Princess will make great efforts to sail for the best viewing—location and weather? @MEacret what was "promised" (I use that term very lightly) in the booking?

Mexico is #3 for dental tourism. We haven't planned any extract—err excursions, yet.

There was room on the door. It was that necklace that was ruining the buoyancy.

Thanks! We're just getting it started; but we're filling it with latest menus, patters, etc. We'll preview everything here, but some details/attachments may be best posted there.

We are premiered. Plus was a lock, we think there will be enough value in the specialty and the casual dining to justify the add-on. I'm interested to see what drink options I would have missed out on—top shelf old fashioned sounds great.

In my tiny airport? Six gates. 16 minutes curb to gate even with additional screening from TSA and a $9 beer with a volunteered 20% gratuity. Worth it, but only one.

This is a great reason to book it. I am just excited to be able to Jack Dawson every morning at the front of the ship.

Excellent, I'll take it with an orange next time.

Start the drink count. Blue Moon at the airport. I tried to tap my medallion but there must be something wrong with our premier package. Headed to guest services.

The counter was accepted, we scored a forward facing Deluxe "Obstructed" Balcony. The obstruction here is the bow of the ship, some lights and some antennas. Balcony is at least 2x the size of a normal balcony. We're pretty pleased with the outcome. Can't wait to review the stateroom.

Sailing on Discovery on Saturday (3 days) in an interior. I only bid on Premium Oceanview, but there are only 6 of those staterooms on the ship. Countered for a Deluxe Obstructed Balcony for $150pp. There are 70 of these staterooms, most on Deck 8. I count about 18 of the 70 that are not "actually" obstructed, some with much larger balconies. I accepted the counter offer for a 25% chance at an interesting stateroom and a 100% chance of a window if accepted. We'll see what happens.

I'm a sucker for creamed spinach....7 days until my Crown reservation on Discovery. That's a great cook on the filet.

I saw some figures that recent sailing are around 109% (of double occupancy) sold at the time of sailing. Cruises are adopting the airline mentality and dealing with the fallout if they end up not being able to accommodate. Normally, they can shuffle enough staterooms to swap a couple out of a room fit for three passengers for a family that needs the third berth. As I have checked availability I have seen more and more guarantee sales closer to the sale date. It becomes increasingly difficult to book a numbered stateroom within the last 90 days, even though Princess is willing to reserve a guaranteed deck. As the sailing get's closer and they start slotting the guaranteed rooms, then they have a better idea of what they can actually accommodate from the bidding system. I'd love to watch this process take place.

Thanks for explaining. Makes perfect sense.

This is where we ultimately landed. We call this value "King for the cruise". Not that we are above any other cruiser but that we refuse ourselves nothing. I never do that on land.

I haven't. Intentionally. I will get the value on drinks alone in the form of coffee, Pellegrino, and bourbon. This was initially an exercise to demonstrate the value is there EVEN for someone very casual on beverages.

New to this concept. Buying onboard generates a "cash-back offer" as OBC? Is this associated to loyalty or for all passengers? Does this only work on Plus/Premier or for all purchases? Does this take place at guest services or can I do so onboard through the app?

I don't disagree, but can I have some clarity here? I get to exceptional value on Plus very quickly. Because so many of the inclusions on Premier are also included in Plus it makes it harder to recover the additional $20/day. See the below based on a 7-day. I'd love your thoughts. A couple notes: I have prioritized these inclusions based on my preference (gratuities and wifi are automatic for me, I don't really care about the premium ice cream sundaes). I can and will consume more beverages that listed, but I was very conservative and used the non-drinker in my party as the example. Casual dining was figured as daily lunch (2x for plus, 5 additional for premier) I valued the photo package based on the prints included, this could be worth a lot more Prizes is a calculated value (expected return) Assumed daily fitness class usage I valued Reserved Seating as what I would cash tip in order to get a reserved seat If you're so inclined I'd love your thoughts. I think Plus is a no-brainer for me, I think Premier is still a value-winner for me, but Plus-->Premier isn't as compelling as Standard-->Plus.