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SCX22

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Everything posted by SCX22

  1. Just wait for the the Plus pricing to be added...not a big deal, mistakes happen with technology. Not quite sure of what "appreciation" you are looking for. Princess' technology/IT problems are well documented; you just have to roll with them.
  2. Let's just say it was different, but I won't be taking any cruises out of Southampton for a while.
  3. Was on the 1 April 2023 Sky Princess sailing with you and was totally surprised how seriously the Brits take their tea. Was also surprised how even the buffet tableware/mugs and mugs provided in the cabins were real porcelain. I'm used to seeing plastic melamine. I even learned from one of the Brits to first warm the mug with sacrificial hot water to keep the tea hot longer. I've spent quite a bit of time traveling the UK, but living in such close quarters with Brits for 2 weeks was an eye opener.
  4. Two sides to the same coin... You could also look at it as Princess discounting guaranteed fares with non-refundable deposits. As someone who always books a guaranteed cabin using Drop & Go rates, I'm happy to see this change. The non-refundable deposit part doesn't bother me because I'm past the point of no return anyway. Not sure when my lucky streak will end, but have had full category upgrades on the two cruises I have booked using this new pricing scheme.
  5. Excursion Price Match is no longer offered. The only thing that Princess price matches now is the price of duty free alcohol.
  6. Princess specifically uses the "I Love This BOAT" slogan in their new commercials for this ad campaign. The "boat" part uses a font that is akin to the font used in The Love Boat TV show of yesteryear. See the YouTube video below from the official Princess YouTube page around the 25 second mark.
  7. Probably in reference to the TV show, The Love Boat, which is sort of Princess' claim to fame. Personally I hate how Princess cannot move on from the show. I'm from a younger generation and the show doesn't really resonate to me; I find the show very corny after having watched it on demand on Princess ships. Princess recently tried to make a dating show The Real Love Boat, which was such a flop CBS dropped the show on national TV a few episodes in. Princess really needs to move on from The Love Boat.
  8. Norovirus has been onboard the Caribbean Princess since January of this year. The problem has yet to be eradicated. See thread below. Post #9 states that said thread was about the Caribbean Princess.
  9. If you have a DW with an extended balcony, I would advise against re-faring into a guarantee reservation. Those cabins go fast and there are some TAs who are on top of looking for these cabins for their clients and snatch them up at the soonest opportunity. Also remember, there is no differentiation between locations in the DW category. All locations of this category are categorized as DW--aft, mid-ship, forward, and anything in between are lumped into one.
  10. Are you trying to printed list like is given at the Shore Excursions Desk while on board? If this is the case, this is not possible prior to embarkation. It's a lot of wasted paper and ink, which is why Princess doesn't even like giving these papers away onboard anymore.
  11. When you book a guarantee, there is no way to ensure location. Booking a guarantee in a "A" location will not guarantee an upgrade to a higher category in an "A" location. No way to mark an guarantee reservation with "No Upgrade" because Princess' algorithm will be assigning you what is available/leftover. It's a gamble, but yields great results at a savings in some instances--"some instances" being the optimal word. Case in point...I booked an IA mid-ship on the Sky Princess and was upgraded to a BC mid-forward.
  12. Currently on the Sky Princess...The token dispensers for the washers and dryers are either out of tokens or out of service. Guest Services are giving token for both washer/dryers and soap/fabric softener for free upon inquiry. Have to admit, this made the guest laundromats quite busy during this cruise.
  13. Currently on the Sky Princess and have noticed the same thing. Ordering cans of sodas don't incur extra charges with the the Princess Plus/Premier Packages.
  14. SCX22

    Mexico

    Mazatlan's main beach in the Golden Zone. Lots of trash on the beach and smelled of decaying fish/seafood despite being on far from the fishermen. Beaches in Cabo and PV were so much cleaner and welcoming. Mazatlan lacks the upkeep of a tourist destination. I've always had this feeling about Mazatlan, even pre-COVID. Having said that that nothing beats the beaches on the Caribbean side of Mexico (Cancun, Cozumel, etc.).
  15. SCX22

    Mexico

    I did a Mexican Riviera cruise in December '23. I felt safe in Cabo and PV. Mazatlan felt really sketchy and dirty. There were police with semi automatics riding around in the beds of police trucks. The beach was awfully dirty and smelly. I walked the Blue Line to from the port to downtown and had an uneasy feeling.
  16. If you are using an Apple device to use the Medallion App, your App Store will auto update it at some point whether you like it or not, due to the Medallion App version being out of date. Your data on the App shouldn't be affected, but it might prompt you to login again using your credentials.
  17. Not to sound ungracious, but the scroll is slow on the new version of Journey View. Developers need to speed up the scroll or put in a menu where you can set parameters for the times you want to view. If it's AM and you want to look at PM activities, it's too much finger swiping. Not sure if it will automatically open beginning with AM, regardless of the time of day, or if it will knockoff activities that have already passed as the day progresses. Admittedly, the new format is vastly preferred over the old left to right, up and down version.
  18. For me, I give gifts to people that I am close to--family, co-workers, friends--people I'm close to. I don't give gift to strangers, which is what I consider ship crew. For example, to people living in the U.S., would you leave a gift AND a cash tip to settle your restaurant check?
  19. The crew that passengers interact with on a daily basis and can tip (room stewards, waiters, bartenders) come from countries where there is little economic opportunity or job prospects. What other reason would they take on a job where they had to work 12 hour plus days on a bare minimum salary? They are working so they can support their families that they left. If they are tipped in cash, it's more money they can send home. Instead of spending $10 on chocolate, just hand the crew the $10 in cash that you would be spending on chocolate. When you are working on such low wages every penny counts. Not sure if I agree with the credit card branded gift cards. It's under the assumption that the crew has free time to spend in port. The cabin stewards, for example, have very little free time in port and many times choose to spend that time resting on the ship. Also they have to spend the gift card while under contract. While these gift cards can be spent internationally they incur a foreign transaction fee and some foreign merchants won't accept them. Also, if you're tipping with gifts instead of cash make YOU feel better instead of the crew, don't tip. It's self-serving from this perspective. There is a universal appreciation for cash by everyone.
  20. Gevalia got bought out by Kraft and Peets. Anytime a company gets bought out by a conglomerate, the quality takes a dive. Look at Cadbury in the U.S....used to come direct from England, now it's made by Hershey's and tastes gross. Also, I think you are confusing espresso with brewed coffee. The original Lavazza roast is for making espresso shots with naturally forming crema on the top, not for brewed coffee.
  21. Rhetorical question for those not giving cash bonus tips: Don't you think that thew crew is just being polite? It's their job to be nice to you so of course they would gracious. They wouldn't turn down the non-cash gift; it would be as awkward for them as it would be for you. Money talks! In fact, it speaks volumes.
  22. Probably asking to gauge how much explaining they have to do. Sometimes a TA will arrange for a bottle of champagne/wine or chocolate covered strawberries to be delivered to your room. But your TA will initiate this, if you have one. Some ships will throw a “Blue Party.” The party gets its name from the blue colored Medallions that first time Princess cruisers are issued. It’s kind of a meet and greet for first time cruisers and goes over what Princess as a company has to offer, what the ship has to offer, how to use the Medallion App. If there’s no Blue Party, it might be a good idea to attend the Medallion Class Presentation done on the afternoon of embarkation day. This is for first timers and those with loyalty status, but first time on a Medallion Class ship. This presentation explains how to use the Medallion App and Medallion Net.
  23. Ruby Princess has partial transit Panama Canal cruises from mid-November 2023 to end of February 2024. See below for partial listing.
  24. Ruby Princess will be based in Fort Lauderdale doing partial transit Panama Canal cruises during this time. Crown Princess will take over the Ruby Princess as the ship Princess homeports in San Francisco from mid-October 2023 into Summer 2024.
  25. Probably in the minority, but I would rather get better quality/tasting coffee than be able to purchase it in a coffee package. I never bothered with the coffee card because the espresso shots are so foul tasting. The brewed coffee in the buffets are equally as bad. Now if Princess would properly train the baristas to properly form a puck with enough grounds, but that's asking for too much.
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