SKCruiser007

I describe Princess as sophisticated casual. Celebrity is edgy and "hip." I think the "cool kids" sail on Celebrity. Going on a Princess cruise, to me, is like going to our lake cabin - it's comfortable, I know where everything is, and I'm surrounded by people who share interests with me. I just prefer Princess, and I think the fares are a good value. We have taken the Plus or Premier package almost every time since the restart. We usually have a couple of glasses of wine with dinner and another cocktail before the show. That's enough for us to see value in the packages. We like the casual meals at Vines and Alfredo's.

I agree with all the above regarding hotels, but if flying into LAX, getting an Uber is a little tricky. You need to go to the Uber waiting lot. Don't reserve an Uber in advance as you don't really know when your plane is going to arrive and how long it will take you to get to the Uber lot. This week, I booked flights for a cruise out of San Pedro. I ended up with arrival in Long Beach; the flights were less costly than LAX and the transportation to the Crown Plaza will be much less.

Thanks for your review! I was on the same cruise and it brought back happy memories, even including being rained on so hard in N.O. that I've never been so soaked in my life. I was in a group of fourteen. Some had an OK time, several spent time in their cabins with sea sickness. Five of us bought passes for the Thermal Spa area and it seems to me that was a game changer in our level of satisfaction. It was a great place to be on those bad weather days. This cruise was ridiculously inexpensive and we certainly received our money's worth. Definitely looking forward to doing it at Mardi Gras time again.

On the Royal Class ships I've been on, the saunas are in the Enclave. My guess is they are not then available for a free visit with a spa treatment.

Agreed. Title states thermal spa and OP is referring to the Enclave. Anyway, just glad that I booked Enclave a couple of weeks ago for my 18 day cruise on Majestic Princess in December. A while back, I missed the couple's pricing for Izumi on Diamond Princess by a few weeks. I always book the Enclave early now.

Emerald Princess doesn't have an Enclave. The thermal suite there should just be heated loungers and saunas.

Thanks for your quick reply!

Did you purchase the Flow water boxes before the cruise or were they part of your beverage package?

Yes, a child will be charged the full price of Princess Plus even if just receiving the zero alcohol beverage package.

I know someone who won an upgrade to Elite status for the rest of the cruise; another friend won a shore excursion credit

When the Enclave is available on a ship, my husband and I always book it for the entire cruise and ahead of time. It's usually about $20 per day with a full cruise pass. We both love the pool and my husband enjoys the saunas. We're not Sanctuary-type people, but do splurge on the Enclave. I may miss a day on a long cruise, but my husband will rarely miss a day in the pool and saunas.

I'm very interested in this, too. How do you arrange for three people for the UBD?

Don't forget to look at your itinerary map and deck plan for the ship to schedule the dinner on a day that your cabin will be on the sunset side.

Do you have a travel agent? If yes, she can request a date for the Ultimate Balcony Dinner when she books it for you. However, you'll still want to call room service first thing when you board to confirm the details of your dinner. They will ask you several questions of your preferences. If you're not using a travel agent, I would book the dinner and then contact the Princess chat line to see if they can insert a date on the reservation.

You could ask the bartender at Vines how to find the Sommelier onboard.

Is your cruise on Sky Princess or a Royal Class ship with the Enclave? If yes, there would be no question for me where to spend a few extra hundred dollars.

The Chef's Table is either $135 or $115 per person. The Super Tuscan lunch was $100+ per person, too. (I forget.) The best thing to do, I think, is talk to the Sommelier when you board the ship and ask him the options and prices for your ship.

On the Ruby in November, we attended the Chef's Table (with the standardized menu,) Caymus Winemaker Dinner, Super Tuscan lunch, and did the Ultimate Balcony dinner. (Was doing, umm, "research.") I would rate the from best to worst: Ultimate Balcony Dinner, Super Tuscan Lunch, Chef's Table, and last was Caymus Winemaker Dinner. I did like that now the Chef's Table did not have an overwhelming amount of food. We could eat it all, and enjoy the dessert. Especially on ships that have the Lumiere, I would recommend Chef's Table, even at the higher price.

The Chef'sTable dinner on Sky Princess is in the neighborhood of $115 per person with wine, $100 without wine. It's a pretty fabulous meal and surrounded by a crystal Lumiere curtain. The first experience probably will blow you out of the water. Sign up by calling the dine line when you board. There is usually a waiting list.

I have done this twice. We have an upcoming cruise with Puerto Rico on the itinerary. If I can find a ship's tour that is available, will do it again as we are traveling with friends who have not been to Puerto Rico.

When winning a bid, you keep the same reservation number and any OBC attached to the original reservation.

If you are going to be in a B4, corner aft, you have a great balcony. Congrats!

Avoid March, which is Spring Break time, and try a 10 day cruise to help avoid children on the cruise. Enchanted Princess will be prettier and easier to navigate for your dad.

I have been booking through Shore Excursions Group since they formed the company. They are very quick to respond whenever I have a question about an excursion, and during the COVID shutdown, they issued refunds fast while their main competitor left everyone hanging.

Definitely ask your TA about the transfers.