NavyVeteran

In Reserve Dining, you will always have the same head waiter. If you want the same waiter, just ask and there should be no problem. Even if you don't always have the same one, you will have one of a small group, and you get to know all of them.

You could try switching the Guest # 2 between the two rooms. Then when Grandpa cancels, the other guest in his room would be an adult who could legally sail solo. If he cancels for a covered reason, then Princess Vacation Protection could take care of his cancellation fees and the single occupancy fees. If it is not a covered reason, he would get FCC. However, there could be a problem if they charge single occupancy, since the Princess Vacation Protection single occupancy coverage is only if cancellation is for a covered reason.

As long as you don't remove the standard Crew Appreciation, you are doing "the correct thing". Anythin extra you want to give to anyone is completely up to you.

I don't understand your distinction. Assuming you leave the standard Crew Appreciation, that is shared by all of the serving staff, including Alfredo's, specialty restaurants, and MDR. If you want to tip extra for exceptional service, that's up to you - but it is tipping extra. Personally, I would be much more likely to tip an MDR waiter who served me for the entire cruise than a specialty restaurant waiter who served me only once. There does not have to be a bill for you to sign. You don't sign a bill every time you buy a drink. They charge it to you and it shows on your onboard folio.

It is important to look at the specific details of your travel insurance. The details for Princess Vacation Protection are available on their website when logged in to your specific cruise. You have to enter your state of residence to get the exact details, since they vary by state. The sentences I quote below are in my policy description - you will need to check yours. "Princess Cancellation Fee Waiver refunds are also provided if you are charged a change in occupancy/ single supplement charge as a result of your traveling companion's cancellation due to one of the reasons cited above." This means that a second passenger in a cabin will not have to pay a single supplement if the other passenger cancels for a covered reason. "Important: Please advise your travel agent, Princess Cruises and/or Princess Tours and the Program Administrator as soon as possible in the event of cancellation. Refunds will not be provdied for additional charges incurred that would have not been charged had you notified these parties as soon as reasonably possible." They will only refund the cancellation fees that would have been charged if you cancelled as soon as reasonably possible. If the passenger gets sick during the 25% penalty period but you don't notify them until the 100% penalty period, then they would charge you 100% but you would only receive back 25% from Princess Vacation Protection. The major issue is the age of the child. The following is an extract from the Passage Contract: "For family groups booking multiple staterooms, the minimum age for at least one person in each stateroom is 16 years of age, provided they are traveling with a parent or legal guardian." If the child is 16 or older and a parent is in the other stateroom, the child could then stay in the stateroom as a solo with Princess Vacation Protection paying the cancellation fee and the single supplement fee. If the child is younger than 15, then the booking becomes illegal when the other occupant cancels, even if a parent is in the adjoining stateroom. I would definitely not recommend a "no show" as some have suggested. You run the risk of the child being refused boarding with no refund. If the parents decide not to board, they may also not receive any refund. I suspect the parents would not want to board and leave the child at the dock.

I thought you probably weren't serious, but I couldn't know for sure. Unfortunately, your post did not have a smiley - it had only "8^" where you probably meant to put a smiley.

I would really not recommend sending laundry for 19 people out from the suite. That's one of the benefits that you're not supposed to share.

I did not say that Princess would provide an adjustment. I said that people would call asking for one and would be unhappy they didn't get it. That's an advantage of lowering the price by accepting bids - they never publish the lower price, so no one is unhappy.

You don't actually know if there are balcony cabins available. They may have balcony guarantees they haven't assigned yet. If they have empty balconies, they are more likely to fill them from people from bids from people in lower categories. They may have oversold a lower category with guarantees and be waiting to upgrade some people with bids. If they change the advertised price, then people who have already booked at a higher price will be calling them and asking for an adjustment. If they provide the adjustment, then they lose money. If they don't provide the adjustment, then they make a customer unhappy. If the give someone the lower price on a bid, then they never lowered the published price, so no one is calling them asking for an adjustment. You have no idea what the availability will be if you wait. They may accept upgrade bids and fill all of the balcony cabins before you book. There is no way of knowing.

Even if no one in Crown Grill checks, that doesn't necessarily mean that it would be the end of things. They may need to submit the charge and coupon to the purser's office for accounting, and someone there may see that the coupon isn't valid for you. You won't know until you check your folio several days later.

On my cruise on Caribbean Princess next month, JourneyView shows "MedallionClass Welcome Presentation in the Explorers Lounge from 3:15 pm to 3:45 pm on the first day: "Join your Cruise Director Sophie for a 30-minute engaging presentation to help you maximize your MedallionClass vacation." However, the presentation does not appear on the schedule to be repeated the next day. Our cruise overnights in Quebec City the first day, and many passengers won't be onboard by 3:15 pm. Our train isn't scheduled to arrive in Quebec City until 4:18 pm, so we will definitely miss this presentation. I expect most people who do arrive won't see it in the patter until after it's over, and the people who see it JourneyView in advance are probably the people who don't need it.

A downgrade is always a cancel and rebook, unless Princess offers you a move-over because they've oversold. I've heard some people may have been able to transfer a non-refundable deposit to an upgrade costing more, but I haven't heard of anyone doing so with a downgrade.

If you don't have mobility issues and you can do stairs. But stairs are not an option for some people.

No, it's $5 each time -not $14.99 for the cruise. The $14.99 allows you to order using the app - not the telephone. If you use the phone, it's $5 each time. The app only has the regular room service menu - not the full MDR menu you can get in a suite. To order from the full MDR menu, you have to use the phone.

Looking at this thread, we haven't seen any examples posted of someone who left the ship at a US port and returned at a different US port. All of the examples posted have been non-US ports, so no PVSA problems. We're still waiting to hear from anyone who had this issue at a US port.

It cannot be combined if you are a single or a two-veteran couple. If you are a couple with only one veteran, then it can still be combined.

The Afredo's staff are included in the Crew Appreciation - the same as the MDR staff, so you are already tipping them. You can always tip for exceptional service if you want, but it isn't necessary. Personally, I don't carry cash. At the end of the cruise, I will give extra tips to room steward, to waiters if I use the same ones throughout the cruise, and to bartender if I go to the same bar throughout the cruise - if the service is exceptional. But this decision is up to you.

@Thrakcould obviously afford to sail in a suite for a 14-night cruise. However he would rather be on a ship for 63 days than be in a suite for 14. I couldn't afford a suite for 63 days either. I agree with him. If DW were willing, I'd rather take the less expensive cabin for more days, but she doesn't want to be away from our cat for more than a couple of weeks.

No one else can say whether or not it is worth it for you. Will you be meeting the family for every meal? Or would there be some meals that you would eat separately - in specialty breakfast or reserve dining? On port days, you may not have the same excursion schedule. On sea days, would you all always get up for breakfast together. The suite would give you room for all of you to get together and socialize in your suite. If you are in an accessible inside cabin, there wouldn't be much room for others to join you. And you may have difficulty joining them in their balcony cabin with your wheelchair. In a suite, you can order room service from the full MDR menu any time the MDR is open. You are not limited to ordering it only for the two of you in the suite. If there is room in your suite, you can order full MDR menu room service for your entire party to be delivered to your suite.

There have been many threads on this subject. Links to some of the threads that discuss this subject are below: Alfredo's a la carte menu Casual Dining - Fixed Price Menus and A La Carte Charges Another new charge complaint old plus package is now minus package Casual Dining Option Questions Alfredo's Response from Princess to email re changes

If I could afford only one, I would much rather sail in a suite than wear a suit.

That's good to hear. I haven't tried them before, but I've got Premier on my next cruise, so why not?

I agree with you on the refundable deposit. I am also picky about cabins and book early. I haven't seen you on the roll call for the Quebec to Fort Lauderdale cruise. I'll see you for breakfast at Sabatini's next month.

You can't walk into the Salty Dog Grill or Coffee & Cones. You can walk up to them on the Lido deck and order. They each have some free items and some extra charge items. You can get hamburgers or hotdogs at the Salty Dog Grill or ice cream at Coffee & Cones at no charge.

No, it does not. What about the Salty Dog Grill and Coffee & Cones?