ceilidh1

Noted! It's been a while since I sailed on a full ship...

Does he have any good tips? It's been a while since I've been on Ruby - I love that it has Skywalkers, hate that it doesn't have Alfredos. I'm REALLY hoping for a good cruise team...

Only two more work days to go until I am officially on vacation until next year! I'm not going to lie, the last few months have not been fun for me as I have had a lot of personal stuff to deal with, on top of juggling two jobs. I am so ready for sun, sea, sand, and doing absolutely nothing, By this point in time, I am usually packed, organized, and ready to go. Not so much this cruise. I haven't had any time and just seem to be go, go, go right now. On top of that, I have had three work parties to attend this past week and a couple of visits from friends. It's weird how I can go months without ever going out and then all of a sudden I'm booked solid every night. If I've learned anything this past week, it's that it is so much harder to bounce back from partying when you're older! Lol. I've also discovered the difficulty in trying to pack and plan for a warm weather cruise when it's cold and snowy outside. This past month, Vancouver has been hit with the weirdest weather. We don't often get snow here on the West Coast, and certainly not this early in the year. Well, the end of November saw us getting slammed with a huge snowstorm that brought us to a standstill. We are literally the joke of Canada as we just don't know how to handle the white stuff. Roads weren't cleared, bridges closed down, public transit came to a grinding halt, even our mail delivery was cancelled. Since then, the cold snap has stuck around so it really isn't melting that much...Needless to say, I'm having a tough time picking out shorts and sun dresses while I'm shivering! My other dilemma is how to pack - initially, I hoped to get by with doing just carry ons - one for each of us. We have free laundry so it's doable. However, we then signed up for a gift exchange with our rollcall and the group on that other page, so now I'm needing to take more stuff than anticipated, so it looks like at least one checked bag is in my future. West Jet has a thing where, if you pre-pay your bag prior to check in it's $10 less. Trouble is, when I try to do that I get a message that I can't pay for my bag until check-in 24 hours before. Huh? I did try calling but the hold time was insane...again, not going to stress. Our flight from Vancouver to Calgary is at 6am, so we need to be at the airport by 4am - literally the middle of the night. It's a half hour cab ride or a 25 minutes skytrain from my house - unfortunately, the skytrain stops running just after midnight and doesn't start up again until around 5am. I looked at staying at the Fairmont right inside the airport, but at over $300 a night quickly passed that up. Now my dilemma is, do we just take the last skytrain and kill four hours at the airport, or do we get up at 3am and get a cab out? We are talking a $50 price difference for the sake of 3 hours....I wish YVR airport was more exciting - pretty much everything there shuts down at 8pm, so it would be like a ghost town in the middle of the night...

I definitely wouldn't call them "formal" - but they don't have as much "fun" going on as other lines. My kids love NCL for all the activities on the ship, and I really like the entertainment and activities on there, so that is becoming our go-to now. Hands down my number one would be Virgin Voyages, but can't take the kiddos on that one... Princess can be fun and amazing if you get a good cruise staff - for me, this makes or breaks a Princess cruise. We have had some outstanding teams that will be life-long friends, and some real duds who probably should never have gone into that career.

Add Ons: When Princess introduced their "Princess Plus" package, I was a huge fan. I like that you could "customize" it. At that time, elite members still got free wifi minutes, so I would add on the Plus package for drinks and grats and it was a great savings. We all know what happened to the free minutes, but even with the small cost of adding that into the Plus package, for $40USD a day, it was still way less than pay-as-you-go. Roll on to present times and Plus had now increased to $50 a day - I actually need to do the math each time to figure out if it's a good deal. This is primarily because one of my kids is always passenger two, and it doesn't always make sense to pay the same cost for a coffee/soda package as I pay for an alcohol package - I really wish Princess would offer a lower price for those under the drinking age! Anyways, with this particular sailing I didn't have to do any math to know that I was getting a screaming deal with Plus. My agency (I work as a TA in my other job) had group holds and the obstructed oceanview with Plus for all 3 of us (not just pax 1 and 2) was over $1000 less than booking standard through Princess. It was a no-brainer! So, we all have wifi, drinks, and grats included. I considered upgrading to the premiere, just because I like the unlimited photos - I did this on a 7 day recently and it worked out well, but for an 11 day and having to pay the upgraded price for a kid when they get nothing really out of the upgrade, it just didn't seem worth it. We were sent the invitation to bid on an upgraded room - $55 per person to move to an unobstructed oceanview, $355 per person for a balcony, and $515 per person for a premium balcony (these were the minimum bids). I dabbled with the idea of bidding on a balcony, but I could do a lot with that $700. These ports are pretty much all new to me, so I was hoping for some great excursions. Sadly, nothing really jumped out at me! I ended up booking only one ship excursion - my teen's request to go to Gumbalimba Nature preservation and Tabanya beach in Roatan. We booked a private "Montego Bay Highlights" excursion for the 8 of us in Jamaica, made a reservation for us all at Maya Chan in Costa Maya, and will likely head to one of the beaches (Paradise or Nachi Cocum) in Cozumel. No plans for Belize - it's Christmas Day, so we may just call it a sea day and we are playing it be ear for Grand Cayman.

Pre Cruise: Having never sailed from Galveston, I have little idea of what to expect. I knew that I wanted to fly in a day or two early, just becasue I can do without the stress of wondering if my flight will make it on time. Initially, I had booked direct flights from Vancouver to IAH on Air Canada, though Princess EZAir. Sadly, that flight got cancelled and we were rebooked on United, with a stopover in Dallas. This started the ball rolling of what would be many, many, many changes to flights. The direct flight on Air Canada was reinstated a week or so later, but had a hefty price increase. Our current flight is on West Jet and has us with a layover in Calgary - no issue flying down, but coming home we have only 1 hour and 15 minutes to make our connection. I know 100% that we won't make it, despite being reassured by "Kirsty" at West jet customer service that this was more than enough time. I've decided I'm not going to stress and will deal with it on the 29th! We are staying three nights in Galveston at the Homewood Suites. No real plans for our time there other than a Walmart/Target run for things I don't want to pack. There has been discussion about visiting the pier, and possibly seeing the lights at Moody Gardens, but totally playing it by ear. I'm still trying to figure out the most cost effective way to get from the airport to Galveston. There will be four of us, since our friend will be flying in around the same time as us. I have seen Uber/Lyft prices ranging anywhere from $100 up to $300, cabs even more expensive, and a few quotes for private transportation were also more than just paying the $35 each for the shuttle. I may just go ahead and do that rather than try to figure out an Uber at the airport. The App: No live from would be complete without a complaint session about the app. I still don't know what Princess was thinking when they rolled this out - three years on and there are still so many glitches and it still becomes a frustrating experience trying to complete everything required to move into the green lane. Initially, I wasn't able to order a medallion - I'm in Canada and Princess refuses to ship them to us, so we always have to pick up at the port. Well, that wasn't an option on the app for this sailing. I submitted a ticket to the medallion folks and they were able to fix it. Then the app refused to take my credit card and insisted the number was incorrect (spoiler - it wasn't). This took another email exchange with the medallion folks - who told me my card was already attached. UGH. I completely deleted the app and reinstalled and, lo and behold, my payment method was there. Green lane at last. I selected boarding group A with an arrival time of 10:30am. I like to make it my mission to be first on the ship - I'm pretty sure I could just show up whenever since we have priority boarding, but trying to do things the right way...

I wasn't sure if I would do a Live for this sailing, but since there hasn't been much word about Ruby lately and this is the first sailing out of Galveston in some time, I figured I would give it a shot! I can't promise much - it will be dependent on wifi and how much time I have. That being said, I will happily try to answer any questions you may have! Background: This sailing will be myself, DD (15) and DS (11). Joining us will be another family we met on a cruise and our friend from the US. Princess has been a long time favourite for myself and my kids, and all three of us have sailed them many times (even the 11 year has attained elite status). Sadly, as Princess continues to whittle away benefits, charge extra for packages, and reduce the onboard experiences, we are starting to love them a little less each cruise. This may well be our last Princess cruise for a while, so we are looking to have lots of fun! Cabin: For this sailing, we chose an obsctructed oceanview as the price was too good to pass up. I have sailed in everything from an inside to a full suite and am really not picky about rooms - we spend so little time in there anyways. The other family are booked in the same category as us and we have three rooms close to one another on Emerald deck. Our friend is booked in a balcony on Caribe. Itinerary: 11 Days | 6 Ports Date Port Arrive Depart Sun, Dec 18Sunday, December 18th 2022 Galveston, TexasView excursions in Galveston, Texas on Sunday, December 18th 2022 04:00 pm Mon, Dec 19Monday, December 19th 2022 At SeaView onboard experience for Monday, December 19th 2022 Tue, Dec 20Tuesday, December 20th 2022 At SeaView onboard experience for Tuesday, December 20th 2022 Wed, Dec 21Wednesday, December 21st 2022 Montego Bay, JamaicaView excursions in Montego Bay, Jamaica on Wednesday, December 21st 2022 09:00 am 06:00 pm Thu, Dec 22Thursday, December 22nd 2022 Grand Cayman, Cayman IslandsView excursions in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands on Thursday, December 22nd 2022 ( Water Shuttle Required, Wheelchair Access Limited ) 07:00 am 06:00 pm Fri, Dec 23Friday, December 23rd 2022 At SeaView onboard experience for Friday, December 23rd 2022 Sat, Dec 24Saturday, December 24th 2022 Roatan, HondurasView excursions in Roatan, Honduras on Saturday, December 24th 2022 07:00 am 06:00 pm Sun, Dec 25Sunday, December 25th 2022 Belize City, BelizeView excursions in Belize City, Belize on Sunday, December 25th 2022 ( Water Shuttle Required, Wheelchair Access Limited ) 07:00 am 06:00 pm Mon, Dec 26Monday, December 26th 2022 Costa Maya (Mahahual), MexicoView excursions in Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico on Monday, December 26th 2022 07:00 am 06:00 pm Tue, Dec 27Tuesday, December 27th 2022 Cozumel, MexicoView excursions in Cozumel, Mexico on Tuesday, December 27th 2022 07:00 am 04:00 pm Wed, Dec 28Wednesday, December 28th 2022 At SeaView onboard experience for Wednesday, December 28th 2022 Thu, Dec 29Thursday, December 29th 2022 Galveston, TexasView excursions in Galveston, Texas on Thursday, December 29th 2022 07:00 am

It could have something to do with how/when you booked. If you booked through a TA they may have had group holds that "grandfather" in the perks at the time the holds were secured. My sailing coming up had this - it was LESS expensive for me to sail with Plus than to book with Standard - and they even applied it to the third person. I just booked this one about 2 months ago but was still able to get the better, grandfathered Plus package!

I've stayed quiet on this one, but I've read every word. Definitely helped take my mind off the crap I'm dealing with right now - thank you for your hard work and for "taking one for the team". Safe travels home!

I'm not paying taxes on our prize....

A sleeper

I'm sailing next week and had the Plus package. Yesterday, on my personalizer, it changed to showing Princess Plus 50 - which I assume means that it was booked at the $50 price.

Apologies if this has been posted previously - it gives a little more detail. Mentions an increased drink price (does that mean drinks are going up again) under the packages. Also mentions that the desserts are NOT the new ice creams they have been advertising. Four juices available at a juice bar? I didn't know Princess had a juice bar. I find it confusing where it says the new prices are in effect for bookings from Dec 14th for sailings in February - not that I'm planning on doing it, but if I booked on Dec 15th for a cruise in late January, I would pay the increased price but get none of the benefits? What???? pp.docx

Yup! I can't get into it either

Let me know if you want me to make a list. I got nothing better to do at work...😅

As long as your ship isn't heading to Colombia, I'll be just fine! Lol. Loving it so far!

Late to the party but here now! Thanks for another great trip...

Out of stock I didn't request a refund - I was too busy trying to get the drink charges removed that kept appearing despite my having the package. 🙄

I always buy the Plus package and have managed to either break even or do better financially than I would without it, even with a teen as passenger two. My last 7 day cruise I upgraded to the premiere, which I justified to myself because I knew I wanted to get some nice pictures. We definitely got the moneys worth out of the pictures but the upgraded alcohol portion was a joke - they literally had nothing in stock that was at the higher pricing. I won $25 OBC in Princess Prizes, and we did use the specialty dining, which we would have paid for otherwise. There is no way I would upgrade on a longer cruise. Now that Plus is going up again, I would need to do the math to find the break-even point and would more likely just go with standard and pay-as-you-go. I wonder what the end game for Princess is here. Is it to make the Premiere look more attractive? To enitce new cruisers who don't know any better? Psychologically, if I was a newbie, faced with ONLY standard or Premiere, I would likely just buy Premiere so I got everything and worried about nothing. With Plus awkwardly jammed in there, it would make me stop and think about what I was actually getting and whether it was worth it. I would do the math and likely opt out of any of them. As a seasoned cruiser, I look at the options and think "Wow! They are charging more for what?" It feels like they are trying to be all-inclusive without being all-inclusive. Personally, I would almost prefer that they just raise the overall cruise price and have everything included...but I guess that doesn't sell cabins. I have loved Princess since day one and they have always been my go-to line. Sadly, they continue to make it harder to keep loving them. Every benefit they do away with, every decline in product or onboard experience, every attempt to nickel and dime, just makes me like them a little less. I'm not saying other lines don't do the same, but I haven't sailed on other lines enough to know the difference - and I'm sure that is what Princess is counting on from their "new" passengers....

They still offer the soda package. Just add it on the the basic fare. I buy it every cruise for my kiddo - either pre-buy in the personaliser or buy it on the ship on the first day.

I've always done Plus - even with a teen as pax 2, it worked out better than adding grats, wifi, soda package and pay as you go alcohol for me. Now it's $60? Doubtful I will do it. For that extra $10 a day (not sure what extras we got with the price hike not too long ago) I get free juice that I don't drink, free desserts (how different can they be from the current desserts? Sugar is sugar in my mind), free exercise classes that I have zero interest in, and free shipping on my medallion that can't be shipped to me in Canada. Great. Sign me up. Thanks for nothing Princess...

Voyage List.... FirstResponder_MedicalProf Voyage List.xls

Just wanted to update on my problem with progressing past the ordering a medallion stage. Being in Canada, I am unable to request it be shipped to me but it also stated that port pick up was unavailable. This meant I could not move from blue to green lane. I emailed the medallion people and, last Wednesday, got an email back saying that it was a data issue and had now been fixed. I immediately tried it out, but now all of the information that had been previously saved was gone. I logged out but then was unable to log back in and kept getting the message to link my booking. I decided to just leave alone. Next day, I was able to log in. All the saved info was back, and I was able to get the medallion ordered for pick up at the port. I am now officially in the green lane and anxiously awaiting arrival groups opening up!

The rest of my rollcall are from the US, which doesn't seem to be an issue as you can enter n address to have the medallion shipped. You can't do that if you are in Canada, so have to mark it as pick up at port, but that option isn't available. I wonder if I can just put in the address for Port of Galveston? Someone suggested having it shipped to our hotel, but that makes me a little nervous. I still have time, but I like to get these things done and off my plate!

I sent an email to the Ocean Medallion folks and got this back: I'm not sure if it's an issue because this is the first sailing out of Galveston (it's also concerning that I can't even find us listed on Port of Galveston cruise schedule) or if it is yet another glitch, but it really is just one frustration after another with this app.