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Someone above (Torfamm?) mentioned the vitello tonnato at Sabatini's, which is my number one -- love it! I also love almost every seafood appetizer on the dinner menu. Of the mains, I'm very fond of the beef stroganoff and of the veal marsala, as well as any preparation of halibut. My fave dessert is the once-yearly, Christmas-Dinner-only Gingerbread Souffle. I'm not saying I cruise over Christmas just to get that dessert -- that would be crazy. Crazy like a gingerbread-obsessed fox . . .

So far, I have always been able to get a lower price by booking after final payment. However, I wouldn't say "right after": the past couple of years, it's been a few weeks up to a month after the final payment date before prices dropped significantly. The waiting can be nerve-wracking, but if it's not the only cruise you're looking at and if you're not super picky about cabin location (for me, it's almost easier if I have a limited choice; otherwise I can agonize for days over B734 versus B735!), it's worth waiting and watching. I scored my Christmas cruise this year five weeks after final payment date and paid a daily rate that made me very happy -- and I was able to select a specific cabin, too.

What a fantastic cruise! I was looking at the Antarctica cruise over Christmas this year, but ended up booking something different as my brother and friend wanted to join me and they can't be gone that long. I'm eagerly following along with you and also holding good thoughts for the penguins of Bluff Cove! Also, I wouldn't mind hearing your reading list. Always looking for good recommendations and I have a Kindle to load up for next month's voyage! P.S. Enquiring minds need to know: have you successfully acquired your banana mocktail yet?

I'd like to treat my friend to a shore excursion we're both thinking about taking. Is there a way for me to pay for a shore excursion for someone who is not on the same reservation -- we're in separate cabins/separate booking numbers?

Hi, Norris. Happy belated anniversary to you and Carol! As always, I'm thoroughly enjoying your narrative. Newport is lovely; one of my favorite places. Still regret not getting that teaching job at the Naval War College years ago -- although every passing year, I congratulate myself on evading New England winters. Looking forward to more port, foliage, and food porn. Hope you're feeling better soon. Say hi to Carol for me.

How can you order a double pour of wine? Those wine glasses are so small, a single pour barely fits into them.

Thank you. That makes sense (although it might be nice of Princess to spell that out!). And fortunately is not applicable to me as I don't have cabin mates. Appreciate the help!

What's the difference between "cruise packages" and "beverage packages"?? I'm confused. The Princess website lists $60/day as the price for Plus "cruise package," without making any distinction between purchasing as part of the booking process or adding it later to the booking. So under what circumstances would someone have to pay the higher price of $64.99 for the "beverage package"? I want to make sure I understand this, as I'm about to book final payment, and I'll add the package now if I must, to avoid paying the higher rate on embarkation day. I was going to wait to use OBC and to avoid having to insure that part of the cruise cost.

Unless you're in a Reserve Collection minisuite, I believe the only perk is the glass of welcome "champagne." There are many who will rush in to tell you that it's battery acid in a champagne glass, but it doesn't taste that bad; some people just have to complain about everything. Of course, last year, it did arrive in a wine glass instead of a proper flute . . . that was more troubling than the quality. And of course, you get more floor space, a sofa, a bathtub, so a larger bathroom, and depending upon the ship, a larger balcony than a regular balcony cabin has. If you're in a Reserve Collection minisuite, you get to dine in the Reserve Collection area of one of the main dining rooms. Usually it's the dining room on Deck 6, starboard-side entrance, but your ship may vary. I really enjoyed this perk last year. In Reserve, you also get a complimentary bottle of wine and maybe canapes, although I don't recall if that was due to my being Elite or being in Reserve. I may have missed out on a perk or two, so hopefully someone else will be quick to jump in and add missing info.

The spa is definitely open on embarkation day, so I presume the salon is, too. I book mani/pedis on embarkation day on every cruise using the website; it's always been super easy and worked perfectly in terms of me showing up and them having my appointment on the books and I have definitely seen available times that early. So if you see there's a blowout appointment on the website/app available at 12.30pm, then clearly they're open and ready, with blow dryers poised. Everything I've ever booked has been 100% as advertised, so despite no personal experience with blowouts, I feel it's safe to say that the three-blowout deal is legit.

I wouldn't be pleased to find a bone in my chicken parmesan but I'd probably be okay. However, I think I'd become very concerned were I to find a bone in my eggplant parmesan. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

It's like this was the writer's first encounter with a buffet or banquet cooking (has she never been to a wedding??). I can understand not being impressed by the food; I can't understand her disingenuous "surprise" at how food not made a la minute wasn't up to her standards. She lost me when a calzone (a calzone?!) is her pinnacle of excellent dining aboard. Honey, next time, just stay home and heat up a Hot Pocket -- it'll save you a lot of money and aggravation.

I have had mixed luck with dropping carry-ons off in the cabin. A couple of times, the fire doors were open and I was able to access the cabin, but both times, it was evident that the final touches of getting the cabin ready were not completed. I tucked the bag away in a corner of the closet and slipped back out, feeling guilty.... The other times, the fire doors in the elevator lobby have been closed, so access wasn't possible. It was no big deal to roll my carry-on along with me to lunch or wherever. Next cruise, I probably won't even bother to check and will just wait for the announcement.

My first Cunard cruise was a QE2 crossing in 1998 and I didn't sail with Cunard again until the QM2 in 2017. When my TA booked that 2017 crossing, she was able to access my past passenger status/WC number and I received a Silver cruise card and my cruise history online reflected the old QE2 voyage. So I guess in reality, they allow for 20 years in between voyages! That said, I'm trying for a shorter interval this time: I have #3 coming in a few weeks -- super excited to be on Queen Victoria!

My first Princess cruise was on the original Love Boat ship from the television series. It was old and outdated by then (1994) but I fell in love. You always retain a soft spot for your first love . . . 1. Itineraries 2. Staff 3. Ships whose interiors allow the ocean in, rather than feeling like indoor shopping malls 4. The crazy bumbling of their Keystone Kops IT department -- entertainment like that is priceless. 5. Having just evaluated Cunard's drink package for my upcoming Queen Victoria cruise, I value Princes for their reasonable package prices and reasonable per drink prices!

It had to be said.

She always had a fitness center, but it was relocated when she was mangled, er, I mean extensively renovated several years ago. It was aft on Lido, with windows, where now there are cabins.

Love cabins right near the laundry room, and I've had a cabin directly across from it, too. No noise to speak of at night, which is the only time it would have bothered me. You can get door-slammers right next door no matter where your cabin is, so I wouldn't worry about it. And most of the laundry rooms have double doors, so noise from inside doesn't really penetrate into the passageway and certainly not through your cabin door across the hall (I mean, unless a machine blows up or something, but that hardly ever happens).

My bad; I just assumed because when I was last on Regal, that was where it was. I wonder why they'd change it around; seems inefficient.

It's not a separate dining room but the starboard side of the Concerto Dining Room on Deck 6 is set aside for Reserve Class. You'll enter from the starboard set of doors, not the portside doors. And yes, breakfast in Sabatini's is for full suite guests. Enjoy.

There was a duck sitting in the Christmas tree at Crooner's on the Ruby this past December. You had to have been sitting at the table in the corner by the tree to even see it. I left it there -- I think it was there for two nights before it disappeared. He made a fine drinking companion -- quiet, bought his own drinks, didn't bug me to dance -- so I was sorry he flew the coop. That was the only duck I've ever run across.

Suggestions From a High-Maintenance Traveler: Shampoo/Conditioner: I buy 5-oz tubes of Nexxus Therappe Shampoo/Humectress Conditioner (available at Target). That has lasted me for trips up to 4 weeks. It's not my preferred brand (I'm an Aveda girl) but it treats my hair well with the ship's soft water. Styling: I use Aveda Invati Thickening Foam and have to take it with me; there's no comparison to anything else! Hairspray: Buy in port city My preferred hair spray, Ellnet, is readily available in Europe, along with plenty of high-end stying products. I wouldn't hesitate to just leave them out and purchase them upon arrival. Plus, I purchase sunscreen and hand lotion also upon arrival. Moisturizer: Lancome (or your preferred brand) free gifts! They almost always include moisturizer in a perfect size for travel, sometimes eye cream, too. The secret is buy something and get the free gift every time the promo is offered; that way, I have a stock of little pots of cream ready to go. Foundation: I ask at the make-up counter (when I'm buying the aforementioned free-gift eligible purchase) for a couple of the tiny little plastic bottles they put foundation samples in. I fill 'em up at home and take 2-3 with me, depending upon the length of the trip. Toothpaste: This is a problem I have. I run out on every trip, and have a lovely collection of toothpaste containers from random ports around the world. So my advice here is don't be like me: bring more than you think you need! But I never have any trouble finding Crest or its equivalent in some far-flung region.

Total Solar Eclipse. I'm guessing, but reasonably certain I'm right.

I was in Crooner's most nights. The piano man was Paul Holmes, and he was pretty good. One thing I enjoyed about him was his repertoire was quite large. So many of them seem to repeat the same songs every night but for the most part, he didn't. That said, if I heard Sweet Caroline one more time, I would have jumped overboard and swum for home. The drinks were very good -- the bartender was excellent. My go-to is the London Lemonade, which he made perfectly, and the Chairman of the Boards I had were also excellent. In short, Crooner's was an A+ experience this cruise.

I sailed on her pre-pandemic (so I can't comment on covid likelihood) a 13-day New England/Canada cruise. We had perfect weather, so indoor crowding wasn't a thing I noticed since I was out sunning every sea day. Enjoyed the itinerary immensely and, although I expected a crowded ship, didn't really think it was that bad. I will admit the food was not the best, but that's down more to whomever is the executive chef onboard than a ship-specific thing. I didn't starve, and my tablemates and I just enjoyed making fun of some of the weirder offerings. The one downside to her, in my opinion, is that the aft pool is in shade due to Skywalker's. But there are three other pools. I'd sail on her again without hesitation if it were an itinerary I wanted to do.