clojacks

5 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

They have been the same for many years.  OBC.  This is added to whatever promo is in effect.

Any idea how much? Is it dependent on category and cruise length that you are booking?

I'm looking at cabins on the Dolphin Deck (deck 9) on the Emerald Princess. I see it is right above the Emerald Deck, which is where the lifeboats are stored. Do the lifeboats obstruct the Mini-Suite views on the Dolphin deck?

I am looking to book a cruise with Princess for next summer. I have 1 scheduled this fall and am wondering what, if any, their current onboard booking offers are and if it is worth waiting to book as the sailing is pretty open?

FYI….we have barely had wifi for 2 days on the Marina. IT claims there isn’t enough bandwidth for the people on wifi. It’s 2024, isn’t it? I realize Starlink is coming to Marina over the next year, but this is unacceptable for a premium line.

On the Marina now during the heat wave in Brazil and we have had engineering to our room twice to see if it can be made tolerable. The first time, our room was at 85 with AC at its lowest setting. It came down a little, but still not even remotely comfortable. Anyone else experience extreme heat on Marina and not have it able to handle it? Ironically, the main area on 5 near guest relations is like a cooler.

8 hours ago, daydreamer62 said:

You can use any messenging app between android and iPhone if both are on wifi. Whether it's Facebook Messenger, what's app or any other of the multitude of apps for that purpose on land also work at sea on wifi

You’re correct, to a point. You need a messaging app, like What’s App. Using an Androids native texting icon does not allow you to text between android and iPhone if on wifi only.

39 minutes ago, bradpole said:

That's generally not an issue, for us anyway, on Oceania.  That is one benefit of a small ship (especially our beloved R class) compared to the other ships out there.  There really isn't a whole lot going on onboard, and to us that's what we're looking for!  Generally speaking after reading Currents the first day we have the schedule (for the events we care about) memorized for the trip.  Once we learn the time and location of the morning and afternoon Big O events (Baggo, put put, shuffleboard, etc..) there's really not a need to ever refer back to Currents.  Even the evening entertainment hardly ever changes.  Piano in Martini's before dinner, Quartet after dinner, and if we've managed to stay up "late" show at 9:30 in the lounge.  

 

Also, now that O provides a wifi login for each person we can use our regular messaging services to communicate with each other in the highly unlikely event we can't find each other on the smaller ships. 

 

Our last cruise a couple of years ago on RCL the app was a nice to have...when it worked.  

You can each “regular messaging” if you both have an iPhone, but if not, you can’t. However my Android communicates with Apple if the ship has a hat feature on their app…

The 7 day we booked on the Discovery just this past week for this coming fall is up only $160 total, or about 5%.

31 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

I just tell my CVP that we want L101 or 102 and she overrides the booking system and grabs it for us.  Of course if I try it, only the guarantee choice is available.  Thank goodness for Princess CVPs!

Doesn't it seem like a waste of time to involve a CVP to do what you can do on every other cruise lines website by yourself? This really seems like a dumb system by Princess in my opinion and one I hope they change.

5 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

Over-riding seems to be possible, but many have no luck with a PVP or TA who either knows, or is willing, to be able to do that.  Count your luck!!!

 

To this original poster...  Yes, one can find that they are GTY only when you put in for two guests..

Try putting in 3 guests, like you are going to make a booking and see what shows up.

People used to be able to request and get the available Deluxe Balcony they wanted, but that seems to be no more.  Maybe up to luck.

One work-around might be to book for three guest.. and then go back and cancel that so-called third guest.

 

Yes, these are the only regular balcony cabins with a love-seat...  ONLY one chair in the small 'regular' balcony cabins.  (This is known on Princess, and they are finally correcting this situation on the two new ships coming out!!!)

 

Look on deck 9, Dolphin Deck, for Deluxe Balconies that have a deeper/larger balcony.

The AFT, wake view Deluxe balconies also can have larger balconies on some decks.

Also, you might look at Obstructed Deluxe Balconies, mid-ship, that can. have larger balconies with no real obstruction, just the main deck area just below.  (listed under the 'INSIDE' category.

I know Deck 9 is not listed as obstructed, but for me, looking directly down at the top of a lifeboat  is as obstructed as it gets...

1 hour ago, Senga said:

We've never had a problem booking a DB for 2 of us.

Not sure if this is a US problem or if you haven’t booked in a while, but it is a huge problem right now, at least in my experience, to book a specific DB cabin. All Princess Deluxe Balcony cabins I have researched lately show them to be only available to book as a GTY, unless you either 1) change the booking to 3 people in the cabin instead of 2, or 2) book it ONLY through a Princess CVP. Because 2 of the decks with the most Deluxe Balcony DB sub category cabins are the deck above lifeboats, and the deck below the pool, I want nothing to do with a Deluxe Balcony guarantee.

2 hours ago, clojacks said:

This little pet peeve of mine has led me to some interesting info regarding how Princess handles certain cabin class bookings.. I went through the particular cruise I just booked for this fall and calculated the number of cabins available in my preferred categories as if I was booking for 2 and as if I was booking for 3. I also totaled up how many of each category there are on the Discovery, which is the ship I just booked. We prefer either the Deluxe Balcony or the Mini-Suite since we like to have a sofa or seating area to relax on, instead of sitting at a desk chair or on the bed. On our simple little 7 day cruise down the Mexican coast and back, all Deluxe Balcony cabins are available only as a GTY booking if you are booking for 2. However, if you are booking for 3, every single Deluxe Balcony cabin is available to book. I prefer a DB category, because it is either located mid-forward or mid-aft. There are 83 of that category on the Discovery. Currently, I could have booked any one of 67 different DB category cabins out of 83, if I was booking for 3, but if booking for 2, I can only book a GTY, even though, as I said, there are 67 out of 83 DB still unoccupied. Ironically, 40 of those available DB cabins sit a deck above the life boats, so, while not technically obstructed, my chances of getting one with a view that I would say is obstructed as a GTY, are unfortunately pretty good. I am just going to call my CVP, and I'll see what they say...

Got through to my CVP, and after being "scolded" about how she isn't supposed to do this because I booked with a TA (I didn't, I booked with Princess, but transferred it to my TA), she sharply said, "give me a cabin number", and I did and she changed it from my GTY, but emphasized it with a "this is why you book with a CVP" to which I replied again, that I DID! This is really a bad system for experienced cruisers who do their research and know where they want to be on a ship. I hope this system gets changed....

14 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

I have been given a cabin number ( at the back of the ship).

Is this unusual?

In what category, how far out from sailing and was it originally booked as a Guarantee?

This little pet peeve of mine has led me to some interesting info regarding how Princess handles certain cabin class bookings.. I went through the particular cruise I just booked for this fall and calculated the number of cabins available in my preferred categories as if I was booking for 2 and as if I was booking for 3. I also totaled up how many of each category there are on the Discovery, which is the ship I just booked. We prefer either the Deluxe Balcony or the Mini-Suite since we like to have a sofa or seating area to relax on, instead of sitting at a desk chair or on the bed. On our simple little 7 day cruise down the Mexican coast and back, all Deluxe Balcony cabins are available only as a GTY booking if you are booking for 2. However, if you are booking for 3, every single Deluxe Balcony cabin is available to book. I prefer a DB category, because it is either located mid-forward or mid-aft. There are 83 of that category on the Discovery. Currently, I could have booked any one of 67 different DB category cabins out of 83, if I was booking for 3, but if booking for 2, I can only book a GTY, even though, as I said, there are 67 out of 83 DB still unoccupied. Ironically, 40 of those available DB cabins sit a deck above the life boats, so, while not technically obstructed, my chances of getting one with a view that I would say is obstructed as a GTY, are unfortunately pretty good. I am just going to call my CVP, and I'll see what they say...

Taking some of the suggestions in mind, has anyone had any luck calling Princess with a cabin # that shows as available to book as a triple and ask to book it as a double? Has anyone booked a room for 3 with the intent of getting a specific cabin or location and tried to change it to a 2 person cabin? I know somebody is going to say, "you're going on a cruise, enjoy it wherever you are on a ship" but that's not the point. I know of no other cruise line blocking a double booking like this when there are cabins available for 2. I'm just really really curious why Princess started doing this?

12 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

They are trying so save cabins that sleep 3 or 4 for people actually booking 3 or 4 people into them. But people booking 2 to room are being forced into guarantees (at least when.boolimg online) because there's apparently no mechanism to release those cabins to people booking 2 to a cabin once all the 2-person cabins are full.

But don’t all the Deluxe Balcony cabins sleep 3 or 4 because of the sofa bed? Why would all the Deluxe Balcony be listed as GTY then? I’m not sure your “guess” is correct..

On 2/20/2024 at 10:27 AM, M&L-Colorado said:

Do mock booking for 3 and see 2 or 3 cabins that you would want and call in. They may say not available but insist and have them step it up the chain if you have to, to get it. Did that couple of months ago for a July 7-day. Deluxe balcony on Enchanted.

I'm wondering if anyone can help me understand what kind of crap Princess is using for cabin releasing. I decided to look at a cruise in NZ for January 2026. I checked on my TA's website for cabin availability for 2 in Balcony, Deluxe Balcony, and Mini Suite sub-categories. For plain balcony categories BF thru BA, my TA showed 19 available in every category. When I counted in the Deluxe Balcony categories, EVERY ONE...DF thru DA , were listed as Guaranty. When I checked Mini-Suites for 2 it was back to 19 available in ME thru MA. Then I decided to check Princesses own website. The first couple of sub-categories in Deluxe Balcony's for 2 showed GUARANTY only again. So, I decided to change the criteria to 3 in a cabin, and checked just Deluxe Balcony category DB, and over 80 cabins appeared as available? What possible logic or reasoning could be at play here?  

On 2/18/2024 at 6:05 PM, Steelers36 said:

Yahbut... all the Deluxes and Minis can sleep at least 3, correct?

Some of the explanations, or "opinions" in here seem way less than plausible. I contacted my TA, he said the Balcony, and Deluxe Balcony, and Mini-Suite cabins on the 2 Mexican cruises we are looking at...on the Discovery or Majestic in early/mid November, were all listed as GTY as well. I don't get how having people call reservations to inquire about cabin availability can be more cost effective than having a TA handle reservations.

We are looking at a couple of Mexican Riviera cruises in November and all the sub-catagories in Balcony, Deluxe Balcony, and Mini-Suite only show GTY available to book? Is this a new way of booking cabins with Princess? Are you unable to select specific locations? Sides? etc.... I find it hard to believe they have sold all the allotted specific cabins for cruises in next November already... 

35 minutes ago, cayman09 said:

What is the cost of the culinary class?

I believe they are all $89, or at least on our Amazon Marina cruise, that is what is listed, but it looks like ours are completely sold out a month before we sail!

Just now, ORV said:

Not art because they are free, but Culinary classes usually can be. Keep an eye on your account. 

Is there a specific place to sign up for anything onboard Orv?

We are sailing on the Marina soon. Can we sign up for "enrichment" classes, ie Art classes, etc, before sailing? I can't seem to find them on the website for our cruise? Does that mean they are only available once on board?

On 1/28/2024 at 5:25 PM, ORV said:

So we ate in Red Ginger again and they knocked it out of the park. We had completely different choices than the first time and it was great. Teresa had Carmelized Tiger Shrimp & Watermelon Duck Salad. I had Vegetable Tempura and Potato Rolls for app. Mains were Twice Baked Chicken for me and Bulgogi steak for her. It was as good as we’ve ever had in Red Ginger. We have one more next week and I don’t know how they will top this. 
 

To top it all off for dessert the Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl……again. Amazing how our small city Midwest team can keep doing this. 

Would I be correct in assuming you booked the extra nights in Red Ginger once you got onboard?

On 1/28/2024 at 9:20 AM, bbwex said:

Can you describe this "European" plug a bit more so I know what type of adapter to bring

I believe it is a Type C plug, which also works in Brazils Type N outlets.

Can anyone confirm if a Type-C 2 prong adapter is compatible with a Type -N 3 prong socket?