skynight

It's walk in dining with prompt seating anytime the DRs are open. The service is greatly improved. The menu is the same as the other DRs plus there is one addition main at dinner. Note: DRs are open for breakfast and dinner each day and lunch on sea days. The DR is also open for lunch on boarding day.

Thanks, I guess I missed that.

My attraction to these cruises is being on the ship, not really the specific ports of call. I'm booked on four sailings b2b this January/February/March. It's Mexico, Hawaii, Mexico, Hawaii. Total 48 days, 34 of which are sea days. For me, shore excursions are in the past. Now it's just a little walking around at some ports, sometimes to restock supplies. This past winter I sailed 24 days b2b in the Caribbean with lots of port days. The ship was kind of empty on those days, very comfortable to be on board.

The Terrace Pool, deck 14 aft is not specifically an adult pool, but few youth use it. Downside, really no shade. Youth tend to use Neptune's and Calypso Reef pools.

I'm closing in on 600 days. I don't select cruises based on the possibility of being in the top 40. Some cruises I'm in some not.

You will not even know the stairs are there. Not really used very much. Crew use the crew elevators mostly. Your deck is two decks above the small outside smoking area on deck 7 located where the promenade narrows to go around the aft of the ship.

Tender. It should state this in your itinerary similar to this: Thu, Sep 5Thursday, September 5th 2024 Holyhead, WalesView excursions in Holyhead, Wales on Thursday, September 5th 2024 ( Water Shuttle Required, Wheelchair Access Limited )

BRAVO. For sure. It's a great show with great songs and an enhanced orchestra.

Yes. There will be some noshes and you can order any drink you wish. For those with the standard fare there is a charge for drinks. On the Grand, lounges like Crooner's on deck 7 are also busy during happy hour. Crooner's is close to the DR which for full suite passengers on deck 6, mid ship.

From what I have seen the traffic back up through the luggage drop off area can be very heavy at 9am/9:30am. Personally I think it makes more sense to just take the rental car shuttle with your luggage, one trip. The luggage & passenger drop off are right next to each other on pier 2. Other piers are similar.

With the plus & premier all day is happy hour. There are no real discounts at any specific hour.

First of all there are thousands and thousands of postings regarding on board tipping. Basically with the standard fare each person will be charged $16, $17 or $18 per day depending on your cabin category. This amount is posted each day to your folios and nets against any credit (OBC) or debit balance. The funds are placed into a fleet wide account and are distributed to most crew members, those you see and have daily contact with, such as cabin stewards, and those you seldom or never see. With the standard fare you do have the option to remove the daily gratuity at passenger services. This is up to you. It's easy to tip the cabin steward. Just provide him/her with a cash amount at the end of the cruise. Specialty dining? Just give the waiter cash. Same with DR waiters. Bartenders and bar waiters you can provide them cash each time you order a drink. I really have never noticed anyone tip the slice pizza, burger grill, International Cafe, buffet waiters and so on. I don't believe this is a wide spread practice. These are the crew that are described as those you never see or have very little personal contact. Regarding your question of charging specific tips to your onboard folio to net against any credit (OBC) balance. This isn't possible. If you ask passenger services to charge say $100 for gratuities to your on board folio that amount will go into the fleet wide pool and not to a specific crew member. I'm not going to get into the whole tipping thing. There are wide spread opinions. I will say that for me it's just easier to leave the auto gratuity in place and provide extra cash to the few, such as the cabin steward, that provide you personal; service throughout the voyage. I don't try to analyze it any further.

If they don't like your photo at embarkation then they will take another one. It's very quick.

Yes. Single medallion. OBC for each leg is posted to your folio(s) at the start of each leg. Folio balances carry over. If that balance is a credit (OBC) then it will carry over. It's a simple debit/credit system. There is one folio on your final disembarkation date. Note that if you are on a long b2b the battery in your medallion may pose power. You can get a new medallion at passenger services if this happens.

I sail back to back cruises all the time with Princess. Here is how I handle the booking. First - I use a TA. TAs usually have a few additional benefits like a little extra OBC. I would not try to do this alone on line. You can use a Princess Personal Cruise Planner which is basically like using a TA. Second - I almost always book as separate cruises. There is really very little downside and it provides more flexibility. Example, the fare for one of the legs may go down. I have four cruises booked B2B for this coming winter. Third - Before I contact the TA I do my homework. I search the Princess site for each cruise. I look for cabins that I want and write down the cabin numbers. I make a list of the cabin numbers that match. Then when I contact the TA I mention that I wish to have the same cabin for each leg, and provide a list of acceptable cabins. Once on board you will have a single folio for the entire time you are on board. It will feel like a single cruise. You did not mention where you plan to sail. No matter where it is, any turn around day requirements would be the same regardless if booked as a single booking number or separate booking numbers. In all cases your luggage remains in your cabin, and there is no disembark/re-embark process. There is an immigration requirement at US ports (Whitter excepted). In Europe and other countries it's basically just like any other port day.

What is described is kind of what I would expect on a one week July/August cruise from a U.S. port. In the past Princess would remove their ships from the Caribbean in the summer months. But, I guess there is just too much revenue there.

You will not require any QR code. Just show up with your passports. If you have your medallions then just show them. If not you can easily pick them up at the pier. Suggest you carry a copy of you Travel Summary for back up.

The cruises should be linked together. EZ Air should know your embark date and your ultimate disembark date. It always has when I booked b2bs. Check it out 330 days prior to your disembark date, probably sometime during October 2025.

I don't think this is happening. If it is even being talked about you would have to be a true insider to have any idea of the ideas that may be discussed. If it happens it happens. If it doesn't it doesn't. Don't plan your cruises based on loyalty levels.

Just for information. Booking as one 14 day or two 7 day provides the same cruise credits, 2, 1 for each leg. Cruise credits are counted by the ship's voyage number, not passenger booking number.

Your parents need to do what? You can find all the legal requirement for minors in the passage contract, paragraph 5. https://www.princess.com/en-us/legal/passage-contract/plc

As mentioned, you have to book a mini suite or full suite on the Ruby to have three lower beds. Balcony, Ocean View and Insides have upper berths. When you book a mini suite you might consider the Reserve Collection minis. The cabin itself is the same as other mini suite cabins, but being in and paying for the Reserve Collection provides you with improved walk in dining with upgraded service.

USPS issues. If you do not have the medallion you can pick it up at the pier. I have no experience in Southampton, but in Ft. Lauderdale the detour was around 5 minutes.

Agree with post #3. It is a nice option. Many different pre-cruise tours available.

If you have the time I would recommend the 14 day RT Vancouver. This eliminates all the logistics of flying to Anchorage and getting to the port of Whitter.