SargassoPirate

3 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

"I love having CA automatically charged, and know that the crew are paid a mutually agreed upon contracted salary and not depending on people doing the right thing in compensating them."

If they are paid a "mutually agreed upon contracted salary" it sounds as if the so-called Crew Appreciation is actually the Princess Employee Salary Subsidy (PESS) and removing the mandated pre-paid daily fee would not affect their salary since it is a contracted amount.

If one removed the daily fee and directly tips those with whom one has interacted and from whom one has received excellent service, those crew are actually reaping the benefit of their exemplary service and still receiving their "mutually agreed upon contracted salary".  

On 11/7/2023 at 2:25 PM, Tedferg said:

I made my comment based on HaveDog's and other's comment that crew stated that CA is factored into fixed salaries and not distributed as a bonus. I support CA for the general crew population. 

Do you support CA going to Onboard Revenue Areas?  And what is that exactly?

"To simplify the tipping process for our guests, a discretionary crew appreciation payment will be automatically added to your shipboard account. Crew appreciation amounts will increase starting with voyages sailing on or after 2/20/23 to USD $18 Suites, $17 Mini-suites, Cabanas and Club Class, $16 for Interior, Oceanview, and Balcony Staterooms per day (including children). This crew appreciation payment will be shared amongst those staff that help provide and support your cruise experience, including those in the Bar, Dining, Entertainment, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Galley and Onboard Revenue areas."

14 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Great idea, but no room in luggage if flying.  Every piece of real estate is more valuable than earmuffs.

 

 

High quality ear buds/plugs would work for those that don't require hearing aids.  No room in ear canal for both.

 

 

You just wait until you board.  The Piazza is used for almost every event during the day/night.  Good luck finding a good place to sit and have a drink.  Maybe the only time it is quiet is when the piano player is in the area or nothing is scheduled (unlikely).

 

Let's see:

 

Sail Away Kickoff/celebration (sometimes in the Piazza/dependent on port)

Welcome to Princess Event

Egg Drop

Paper Airplanes

Martini Demonstration

Horseraces.

Bean Bag toss

Party Band, Piano, Duo, Guitarist

Jenga

Officers verses Passengers

Watercolor 

Demonstrations

Elevator Roulette

Champagne Hoopla Competition

Ring Toss

Cookie Face

60 Second Frenzy

Goofy Golf

Hole in One Golf Challenge

 

 

Most of the events listed above in the "inviting" piazza involve someone shouting into a microphone and/or over amplified music.  

I wonder if anyone can offer a rational explanation of why the volume in most venues on the ship over-amplified?  Just what is the reasoning?

2 hours ago, dog said:

 

I can see it being reasonably discussed on social media since there have been changes to the name-CA, tips, gratuities,

Just because the cat has kittens in the oven don't make 'em biscuits.

I am always watching for name changes as a way to make something more palatable.  In our town a crime ridden neighborhood was constantly in the newspapers.  Because of the stigma of living in that area,  the city leaders changed the name of the development.  Same neighborhood, same crime rate, new name. 

Don't fix the problem. Just give it a new name.

On 10/30/2023 at 12:03 PM, memoak said:

I don’t pay attention to the app at all. Just look at the patter each day

The app is pretty much worthless once on board.  Activities?  Check the patter.  MDR menu?  Check the posted menu outside the MDR or Horizon Court.  Order food/drink?  Do it in person.

It is useful to connect with Crew Chat to report mobility devices stored in the corridors and paths of exit travel.

From noise awareness.com:

"A rule of thumb: If you have to shout in order to be heard three feet away, then the noise is probably too loud and could be damaging to your hearing"

For those of you who like it loud, don't worry, you'll get used to it. 😁  Which means you've already suffered some hearing loss.

There was a thread about the 2023 world cruise on the island, and the OP had good things to say about the food and even posted some photos of the food in the MDR.

Scroll down and you'll find it.

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

The light comes on when you enter the hallway area.  It goes off shortly after you leave.  I just can't see this as a big (or even small) issue.   

In my experience the light comes on when I enter the closet area and goes off while I'm still trying to find something on the shelf or inside the safe.

So, yes, it is an issue.

39 minutes ago, memoak said:

Again all those who might bring you a blanket at MUTS or an extra towel at the pool are giving you service as well as many that you never see. Again just my opinion    Basically how do you determine which of the crew”deserve” it

What percentage of my daily PESS goes to the person who may bring me a MUTS blanket?  If I remove the PESS from my account and instead tip the people who actually provide me a direct service - such as a bartender - wouldn't they end up better compensated than the amount shared fleet wide?

BTW, knowing that the PESS is distributed to the entertainment staff incentivises me even more to remove it since most of the activities with the entertainment are over-amplified and annoying.  In fact, the entertainment staff should be compensating me for annoyance and potential hearing damage.

10 minutes ago, dog said:

Do you have proof of this? If so, please direct us to it.

 

I have personally been told by 3 crew now that HaveDog is correct.

CA does go to crew as part of their salary. Not extra as tips or gratuity.

 

And after much thought, I'm leaning toward removing the so-called CREW appreciation, since it appears to be a euphemism for Princess Employee Salary Subsidy (PESS), and tipping the CREW who actually provide me with personal service.

Somewhere in the past I recall a chart, and I'm not sure for which line, that showed what percentages of the daily tip went to which on board CREW.  Stuart, the wait staff, bartenders, etc.

Since apparently removing the PESS won't directly affect the CREW, they would greatly benefit from cash tips.

And no, removing the PESS is not an attempt to avoid tipping.  Just tipping those who deserve it.

Not sure about insulin shelf life, but on other prescriptions I have had the medical provider call the insurance company and request an extra supply.  Never had a problem.

Good luck to you.

27 minutes ago, Benpointer said:

It's not the only thing that will leave a bad taste in your mouth...  Having just been on the Island Princess for the 12 night 'Oktoberfest' cruise #2319, I can tell you that the coffee is awful. no matter where you get it from.    I was shocked how bad it is tbh.  Why don't they just franchise their cafes out to Starbucks or similar?  (Cunard used Costa last time we were onboard IIRC - very acceptable coffee).

 

I have fed back the same message to Princess via the cruise feedback.

One of my workarounds is to carry a tin or two of International Foods Cafe Mocha instant.  Depending on how bad the on board coffee is, I'll add a teaspoon or two of the instant before I head out for coffee. I can buy a whole tin of the instant for what one chi chi coffee on board costs.

I decided that I have had enough of the over- amplification of music and the almost constant racket in the "inviting" piazza so I sent and email to customerrelations@princesscruises.com to complain.  Here's what I received back by way of reply.  If more people would complain directly to corporate and vacate too-loud areas on the ship, maybe something would happen.

9 hours ago, rj59 said:

Thanks for the info, I'll be on Island in a few weeks and was expected la patisserie as a version of international cafe. That's a bummer, because I like to get up early, like 5, and hit the IC for light breakfast and coffee, but I doubt that Good Spirits would be open 24 hours, like the IC. I'll be jet lagged and probably waking up at 3 am anyway, so more of a bummer. I remember on Royal last month they had some canned Lavazza coffee that would be interesting to try, if it's included in Plus. 

I too booked a cruise on the Island, partially based on what was and what still is listed as features of the ship - such as La Pastisserie.  I'm not cancelling the cruise on just that, but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth.  However, I can usually find a work around for most anything Princess throws at us, so I'll take my travel mug and find early morning coffee somewhere on the ship.

On 10/22/2023 at 8:11 AM, BVILady said:

I will be on a World Cruise and be visiting several Muslim Countries with warm climate. I have these very comfortable sandals which I love to wear instead of sneakers when it is warm.

would I be able to wear them in Muslim countries. There will be quite a lot of them on the cruise. Even if I have to wear them with socks, anything will be better then sneakers.Any experts out there who can advise me? Thanks

Call them Jesus shoes and dare anyone to tell you that you can't wear them.  Back in the 70s we called our Birkenstocks Jesus shoes.

Very interesting read.  HaveDog's insights are thought provoking at least.

I am a standard cruiser and no matter how many times I put the pencil to it, a Plus or Premier package does not make financial sense to me.  That being said, I would never remove the basic tips.  The cruise line can call it "crew appreciation" or whatever they want, but it's still tips. Once the cruise line collects the tips, it's beyond my control on how the money is distributed.  If the crew has issues on how and where the tip money is distributed, it's their problem, not mine.

I do not tip extra at the end of the cruise since that is tipping on top of tips.  I do, however, make note of those who deliver superior service and mention them by name in the post cruise review.

I will, however, continue to tip a little extra to those excellent waiters who make sure my butt and my evening wee dram get to the table at about the same time.

19 hours ago, memoak said:

You do know that the menu including desserts is available on the app and TV. No need to take pictures. We usually see the dinner menu on our app when we wake up in the morning 

You do know that the app and the MDR printed menu don't always agree.

For example, on the app one evening it listed an asparagus appetizer with bacon bits and a fried egg on top. One of my favorites.  When we go to the MDR, the menu said nothing about a fried egg.  I had my taste buds all set for what was listed in the app.  

Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.

After the Asparagus Affair, we relied on the printed menu only.

41 minutes ago, buncosquad said:

I read so much about how every cruise line is looking for ways to save money and the gripes that come from this forum about changes in cruise line offerings.

 

Yet, there are so many threads like this where passengers look for ways to cut corners and not pay for whatever. 

 

It's a vacation. Why carry water, or wine, or champagne instead of just enjoying what is on offer on the ship? Passengers gripe at cruise lines saving money, but not when it comes to they themselves using tricks to save money.

 

The prices aren't too out of line from wine costs at a dinner from a Truluck's or STK or Alexander's. Granted, RCL shipboard restaurants aren't in the same category. 

 

Point is, you've spent to enjoy a vacation. Live a little. Splurge a little.

 

All this mental maneuvering to save a few bucks (while having to deduce advance purchase, packing and carrying, how and when and where to open a bottle) must be exhausting. 

 

Sheesh, I need a vacation just reading all the gymnastics required on "how to save three cents" threads.

 

Good thing I have a handful booked. 😅

Good points all, but I hearken back to Economics 101.  Charge what the traffic will bear.  A business is in business to make a profit.  As a consumer in a free market economy I get to decide where, when, and on what to spend my dollars.

It's the job of the business to separate me from my money.  It's my job to keep as much of my money in my pocket as I can.

51 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I just solved the problem by eating early. We arrive at 5 PM, get in line and are seated immediately. I know that a 5 PM seating isn't for most people but hearing of all the late seating problems would make me think twice of arriving at 6 or 6:30 and have to deal with what I hear about. 

Do you eat with the Seinfeld's? 😂

15 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

OK, but was that including appetizer(s), soup, salad, main course and dessert with coffee? And don't forget about ordering drinks before or during the meal.😄

Yes, we were in and out in a hour or less.  On our most recent cruise, we would order on appetizer, skip the pasta course, and order a main.  As the waiter cleared our main, we were ready with our dessert order and coffee/tea order.  

SWMBO takes photos of the menu posted outside the MDR or buffet so that we already know what dessert we want.  That saves the time it takes for the waiter to drop off the dessert menu and then circle back to take our order.

We had the same table every night  and the waiter and the assistant waiter got used to our routine.

On 11/1/2023 at 4:27 PM, Loveh2ofl said:

As mentioned in post #2 - Good times bar has coffee, fresh pastries, mini sandwiches etc.

Also as mentioned the casino bar as well as Amuletto have coffee

The description of the Island on Princess.com shows La Pastisserie as of this morning.

4 hours ago, MissP22 said:

I believe the OJ drink is made from a mix and if mixed properly can be tolerable. Sometimes they add to much water & it gets like Tang.

A little gin or vodka from the mini bar helps. 🥴

13 hours ago, We_like_to_cruise said:

I might say that DW brought too many pairs of shoes. But she insists she wore them all!

I solved that issue a long time ago.  SWMBO can bring all the shoes and suitcases as she wants.  It's up to her to wrangle her own bags.  I may be her cabin boy, but I am not her porter.

She gets what she needs into a single pullman and a small carryon.