Camelia-

On 3/31/2024 at 4:26 AM, paf225 said:

I came across a B.B.C. article on the sinking of the Oceanos a couple years ago.  I had never previously heard of the ship or its demise but found the account quite interesting.  Here is the link to the B.B.C. article.  Regards, Paul

 

The guitarist who saved hundreds of people on a sinking cruise liner (bbc.com)

How interesting. I was on the Oceanos a few years before it sank…we cruised to Israel, Egypt, Greece and Turkey. I was so sad to hear that it had sunk… I never knew too many details except about the bravery of the guitarist and the cowardice of the captain and his officers.

Hi everyone,

Just curious - has anyone had their upgrade bid cancelled  - the reason given was that there was a change in the booking ..when there was no change in the booking? I hoped that it might mean good news but I checked the booking and confirmed that nothing has changed!

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Is that for one person or two? USD or Canadian? 

One person Canadian according to the personalizer..which is definitely not close to $60 US..even with the exchange..

8 hours ago, arxcards said:

$US120 is for 2 x people, right?

CAN vs AU or CAN vs US, it is all relative.

 

I don't think it is to her advantage to wait and pay $AU65pp after boarding. In 12 months time it is likely to be $AU75pp, and the daily grats are still extra and may also increase between now and boarding.

 

We are on the same cruise, from the UK via New York to Sydney. We have purchased the plus package with our booking. We may cancel it before final payment date, but are currently using it as a hedge against internet & bar prices going up between now and the time we board. It doesn't cost us anything until we make our final payment in around a year from now. She should be able to add it to the fare via her agent or Princess PVP, and not need to pre-purchase with a credit card via the personaliser.

8 hours ago, arxcards said:

$US120 is for 2 x people, right?

CAN vs AU or CAN vs US, it is all relative.

 

I don't think it is to her advantage to wait and pay $AU65pp after boarding. In 12 months time it is likely to be $AU75pp, and the daily grats are still extra and may also increase between now and boarding.

 

We are on the same cruise, from the UK via New York to Sydney. We have purchased the plus package with our booking. We may cancel it before final payment date, but are currently using it as a hedge against internet & bar prices going up between now and the time we board. It doesn't cost us anything until we make our final payment in around a year from now. She should be able to add it to the fare via her agent or Princess PVP, and not need to pre-purchase with a credit card via the personaliser.

I wish it were for two but nope..she would be charged $120 per person… that’s why she is debating..she is also considering the beverage package instead of the plus since she doesn’t drink alcohol and is happy with the mocktails etc…

7 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'm fairly certain that there aren't different prices for things once on board an Australian cruise. All drinks prices, speciality restaurants etc are charged as shown on drinks lists etc. So The Plus package if bought onboard should be AU$65pp per day because at that point all accounting onboard is in AUD. The only difference for passengers who booked from outside Australia/NZ is that they will still be charged the daily gratuities if they booked a Standard fare and that will probably be around AU$25-$28pp per day depending on cabin type since the Australian Plus/Premium fares don't cover gratuities as technically there aren't any on fares booked in Australia. 

 

So total cost would be around AU$90-93pp per day.

 

The Plus package bought in USD equates to AU$91.40 at today's XE rate so, in fact, it would work out about the same. 

 

It's really a case of deciding whether to gamble on the exchange rates improving or to just take the easy way and buy the package in USD or CAD. Personally I'd buy the package now as I reckon the price will go up within the next 12 months.

I asked her to look in her look in her Cruise Personalizer and she told me that if she wants to upgrade she will be charged $120 per day for the Plus Package. Obviously it’s to her advantage to wait to board and take the risk and pay the amt in AUD. Also, this is one of the few times where the Canadian dollar is slightly stronger..so that’s another plus..doesn’t happen too often!

22 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

She could view pricing by going to her Cruise Personalizer after logging in to her account on the Princess website. My cruise is around Australia & being booked from the US the cruise fare & advance payments are in USD. I’m guessing that all of her currency for those things are being paid in CAD?
 

In USD: Plus is $60/pp/day, Premier is $80/pp/day and both include tips; with Standard fare paying tips in advance is $16/pp/day for our balcony cabin.

 

OBCs are in AUD & are the same amount as in USD & thus at the current exchange rate the OBCs are reduced in value by a third.

 

Our cruise is a year from now so don’t know whether tips will be $16 AUD (same dollar amount as in the US) or if the $16 USD will be converted to the equivalent amount in AUD…currently $24.38 AUD. When inquiring about how that works I’ve received conflicting info so won’t know the true answer until a year from now.

 

That’s why it’s so confusing..she is being quoted the Canadian amt if she pre purchased but it’s hard to get a straight answer about what the charge will be in AUD when she boards, It’s hard to decide whether it’s worth booking (and paying) in advance or whether it’s better to wait until she boards. Of course there is the added possibility of price increase too…

2 hours ago, Belmont Babe said:

If she booked from Canada the price she pays for Princess Plus will be in USD ($60 per day) and the gratuities will be included as part of the package.

If she had booked as a standard fare, gratuities are payable. If she had booked in Aussie, gratuities are not payable as they are included in the standard fare, and the package would cost AUD65 per day.

Yes she booked in Canadian so she would be paying for the gratuities as well. I think she would prefer not to deal with the USD exchange!

20 hours ago, sewgood said:

I've looked up the price for the Coral which is in New York this July as part of the world cruise and the daily price to upgrade is $65 AUD per day per guest.

Princess premier is $95.

Neither of these prices include the daily gratuity as Princess includes it in the cruise fare for Australians when the ship is using Australian dollars.

Thanks so much…this will give her an idea.. she will have to add the gratuity as well to calculate the total price..

Hi everyone,

My sister (who lives in Canada) is boarding a cruise in New York ending in Sydney Australia. she’s been told that the currency on board will be in AUD. She is thinking of getting the Plus package when she boards but isn’t sure how much the daily amount in AUD would be. I know that it’s $60 USD. Would anyone who has taken the package on an Australia cruise be able to tell me how much they paid.? Come to think of it how much would she be charged for the daily gratuity I wonder?

it’s quite confusing when trying to figure things out with the exchange rate etc and of course he,s paid for the whole cruise in CAD,
 

thanks in advance!

On 1/27/2024 at 7:29 AM, JohnGc said:

Thank you for all the post. We will take enough mask to last the 7 day cruise and probably just wear them in the crowds. Probably be ok up on deck and we hope to find a table on the outside if we use the buffet. We know there is no guarantee that mask will stop covid but I guess wearing one is better than nothing. It is hard to realise that covid is still around as there seems to be no mention of it from the cruise ships any more.

Cheers John.

That is the best attitude to take really..we did the same. We wore them inside..especially in the theater and elevators but didn't bother when we were on deck. It's all about cutting down the odds and honestly there are so many people who are likely to cough without covering their mouths that it's dangerous out there.

I think everyone should do what feels right for them. The funny thing is that we would get really strange looks from people as we entered the elevators..someonce actually asked us why we were wearing them and when I told her that it was for her protection since I had a bit of the sniffles she was quite happy with that.

Recently off the Enchanted and there was a small corner of the Pastry section which was dedicated to Gluten free  bites all day.

2 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

Hope so.  Kinda tired waiting over an hour with a pager to be seated at Gigis.

I'm not sure what ship you were sailing on but a couple of months ago on the Majestic..it was ALWAYS empty and we could just walk right in! I was wondering if they were even going to keep it open because of this!

how wonderful that you will be back on a ship again! Thanks so much for letting us know..I look forward to happy reading...meanwhile enjoy Alaska...and of course..the Rockies!

32 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

Even with Lavazza, I doubt the brewed coffee in the buffet will improve on Royal Class ships.  The problem is the WMF coffee machine that is used.  It makes brewed coffee, but there is no paper filter, the coffee is more like an Americano or French Press.  It makes is easier because the buffet servers don't have to worry about replacing the paper filter and dumping the spent grounds every time coffee needs to be brewed.  Pretty harmless, one would think, but the coffee is usually pretty bad.  I'm guessing the filter is metal mesh and it's constantly clogging and causing machine malfunctions.  Sometimes not all the grounds are caught and you will see them at the bottom of your cup.  The coffee produced is sometimes so weak that it looks like tea when dispensed into a white mug.  They are also constantly broken.  I was on and off the Royal several times late last year and early this year, and one of the port side coffee machines was out of service the entire time, never fixed in the months that I saw it.

Yes I was on the Royal in May and this was my experience too…the coffee was tasteless..just coloured water really …quite disappointing.

23 hours ago, reedprincess said:

Salads

Vegetarian menus (sometimes, depends what they're cooked and seasoned with)

Indian menu

Carving stations in buffet with no gravy.

Griddled chicken at Lido grill

Fruit plates

Steamed green veggies in MDR (yes, available)

Salad bar, oil and vinegar available

Salmon

Fish dishes, no sauce or sauces in the side .

Some salads at International Cafe (although they can be heavily dressed)

Meat dishes in MDR with no sauce, or sauce in the side. 

There's sugar free desserts, although they're not low carb (made with flour and all that stuff). 

Sugar free ice cream

Vodka on the rocks

Rum on the rooms

Whiskey neat

Dirty martini

Hot dog  or burger no bun.

On Royal class ships, there's a grilled veggie and meat station in the forward section of the buffet...

And so forth... Lots of options to shave some unnecessary calories, sugar, etc out of the diet 

 

And for all those that say things like "live s little" or "just take the stairs" , lots of people have dietary needs that have nothing to do with weight or such a - and taking a few flight of stairs does not wipe out thousands of extra calories.  

 

 

I’m intrigued by the steamed green veggies..would that be spinach and broccoli? I know bout the steamed veggies option but never thought of the greens! I love your list…I always make a habit of asking for sauce on the side so that I can control how much I use…

15 minutes ago, Shelly97060 said:

You can click on the option to check if you are able to bid and it will show your pending bids 

https://upg.plusgrade.com/marketing/partner/RNo2BO4VPCL Or you can click on the cancel/ modify link in the confirmation email you received.  But all either of these will show you is that you have bids pending, 
 

After your initial confirmation email you won’t get any communication until you are notified that your bid was accepted and a new cabin has been assigned. 

Thanks very much!

On 1/27/2023 at 6:54 PM, Sprocket said:

 

On January 13th I submitted bids on 2 different cruises in April and received  email confirmations that they received them and both show as Pending.  One of my bookings shows that it is paid in full but the other does not, both are through the casino.

 

I believe it does say on the website that not all cruises are eligible for bidding, could that be the issue in your case?  Or maybe it just needs a day or so to update.

May I ask where you can check the status of your bid to see if it’s pending? I put in one bid for the first time and received the confirmation email but now I don’t know what comes next..wait for another email accepting or rejecting the bid?   Thanks!

18 minutes ago, Redwing55 said:

Limbo lower now.. how low can you go?  Just kidding.  No.  I didn't get a thing once I bid until it was accepted.  However, if you want to change your mind, you can sign back in and raise or lower your bid though.  Once it's accepted though, that's it.

I’m glad that you were successful! Did you have to wait long for an answer? I’ve heard of cases where it was accepted two days before the cruise..

Just curious…is there a way to monitor your status once you put in the bid? I know they send you an email  if you win the bid so you can pay for the new cabin but if you don’t do they let you know or are you in “limbo” until sail date?

thanks!

Thank you all so much for this information. It does look like a change of seats is in order….

Hi everyone,

A little while ago I asked on behalf of my cousin who was trying to book a flight from Toronto to Barcelona using her aeroplan miles. You gave such wonderful advice which I passed on to her and in the end she ended up booking a flight with TAP Airlines for Nov 10-2023...business class with just a 3 1/2 hour layover in Lisbon. She was super happy and she used less miles as well. 

She's managed to confuse herself (and me) when she checked out her seat. Her ticket tells her that the plane will be an Airbus A321Neo. The seat she chose was 05F.  Is this a lie flat seat? It also looks like there is a seat beside her which she thought was not going to be the case. If it IS a lie flat seat that would mean that, she would have to wake her neighbour if she wanted to use the facilities! (She has only once been in business class on Air Canada where the window seats were all singles so I guess she assumed ,,,obviously a mistake...that it would be the same.)

Unfortunately she booked over the phone and didn't have a seat map beside her when she chose the seat. But I was doing some checking there seem to be so many variations and seating plans  that we're not even sure that she's looking at the right seating plan!! Sometimes too much information from Mr. Google is not helpful and is just more confusing.

I thought this was the best place to get some clarification since you are all so helpful! IF she wanted to change seats..is there a preferred one she should look for on this model plane? 

Once again...your advice and feedback is very much appreciated!

Hi everyone,

You were all so helpful in answering my last question that I hoped you might clarify something else for me. Based on your comments my cousin has decided on two possible flights from Toronto to Barcelona. I know most of you thought that Zurich should be her first choice but she found that there was only an hour and a half layover so that seemed much too short a time.

She is considering: a) one flight connecting via Brussels with a layover of 4 hours and 45 minutes or b) flight connecting through Frankfurt with a layover of 3 hours and twenty minutes. Not really sure what is a realistic layover time frame..she doesn't want to wait longer than she has to but of course she doesn't want to have to rush especially in light of possible late arrivals.

Also..both say mixed cabins if choosing Premium Economy and I know what that means but how do you know which flight will be economy? I would expect that it would be the shorter flight but just not sure..she really wants to use her Aeroplan miles and will have to find out how many miles she will need one way for PE or Business class.

Appreciate knowing your thoughts...with thanks..

23 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Many airlines no longer have a true First Class any more. Lufthansa only has it on a couple of types of planes, but it used to include a separate lie flat bed (not like business class where your seat is your bed). The Senator Lounge at FRA is extremely nice, much better than Business class lounges.

 

Read up on Emirates First Class suites, and similar, for true experiences.

 Thanks very much for that explanation. 

On 11/21/2022 at 12:22 PM, fbgd said:

Depends on the class of travel. 

 

I'd put Frankfurt at the bottom of the list but if flying Lufthansa in FC they will meet your planeside and drive you to the First Class Terminal and then back again to your next flight. This would put it at the top of my list if you were considering FC travel. Not all airlines offer this service in FC. 

 

If you have to get between the planes yourself then ZRH and BRU are far more preferable and in that order, IMO.

May I ask what the difference is between First Class and Business Class? I assumed that they were the same but while searching I sometimes see them as two separate options so I'm a bit confused! Thanks!!!

On 11/23/2022 at 8:38 AM, waterbug123 said:

 

I was just going to say the same.  Surely your cousin is not flying in the day of the cruise, right?  Because that's just asking for trouble.  Spend the money on a hotel and fly in at least one day prior.

 

We flew to Europe for a cruise this past July, and planned to arrive a day early.  Flight had a mechanical issue so delayed, then delayed some more, and then some more.  They finally got a new plane but then another minor delay, at which point the cockpit crew timed out and the flight was canceled.  By then it was going for midnight so there was  no way to get anyone (let alone EVERYone) rebooked to fly that night.  We had built in a day of cushion so we were fine.  But many people on the flight were supposed to board a different cruise ship the following day right after arrival.  They all missed their cruise.  Talked to one couple who had to pay almost 600€ for a private van to catch up to the ship at the next port.

She is planning to arrive the day before the cruise...hopefully that will be enough buffer...I can only imagine the stress that those people suffered and how relieved you much have been to not share it...!! It's always great to remind ourselves because it's tempting to want to save on the cost  of the hotel room but definitely not worth it..besides arriving early just starts your vacation earlier and your first day on the ship won't be so exhausting!