SargassoPirate

SWMBO and I solve a number of the MDR issues - slow eater at large table, zealots, and general idiots - by only sitting at a two top and requesting that our appetizer and main be served at the same time. On a recent cruise we were in and out in under an hour and that was with dessert and coffee.

Peak time. No wonder. Just off the Regal. Had 7:30 reserved and short line if at all.

Check the warehouse club travel site and see if they show any balconies available. If that doesn't work, call the popular web based cruise TA and see what have access to. There's a work around for most every obstacle Princess comes up with.

And now there's another cabin under the lido deck ready for an "upgrade"

Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us, only sky Imagine all the people Livin' for today Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion, too Imagine all the people Livin' life in peace

We had an adjoining room before I figured out how to read the codes on the deck plans. Never again. We could hear the neighbors talking, coughing, their TV, and their amorous interludes. Be prepared and hope for the best - or select a better location.

There's a reason cabins below or above noisy areas are available for "upgrade".

Keep in mind the app menus are not always the same as what the MDR menu shows that evening, so don't get your taste buds set for any one thing.

You're right. The Island used to have La Patisserie. I'm not sure when it was removed. From a Google search: " La Patisserie. Café Style to Go. For cappuccino, espresso and other coffee specialties, as well as fresh pastries"

MDR at peak times = civilized service. Buffet at peak times = zombie apocalypse. I enjoy the buffet for breakfast when it first opens, but more often than not choose the MDR. Lunch is mostly MDR. Dinner is nibbles at the P&E lounge. Fortunately, there are choices and ways to avoid the crowds.

I wonder who the genius was that removed the International Cafe from the Piazza on the Island? Probably the same one who came up with the motion sensors and timers on the closet lights.

And yet, people sit there and take it. Management won't notice unless the place empties out when the deafening music, shouting, and screeching starts.

And Princess.com touts the piazza as "inviting". It's an invitation to hearing loss, that's for sure.

Good for you. More people need to do that. And let them know why you are leaving.

We either leave or don't stop by at all. What I always wonder about is why people sit there and take it?

I just completed a post cruise survey and there was actually a question about the volume for shows and entertainers. I've complained on every survey for years about over amplified shows and music. On the Regal recently the P&E lounge had amplified music most evenings and it was difficult to hold a conversation with other guests - the whole point of a social gathering. The Piazza noise was so bad that we avoided it anytime there was music or anyone with a microphone. Over amplification does not overcome bad acoustics in a space like that. The only exception was a Scottish piper in full regalia a couple of evenings But, as long as people will sit there and take it, the cruise line has little incentive to lower the volume.

I'm just off the Regal and got free tokens. Don't you just love the inconsistency in large organizations? In the future, keep asking until you get the answer you want.

I had some leftover tokens from the Caribbean Princess that would not work on the Regal. I'd already dumped the clothes and soap in the washer when I found out, so I bought a couple of tokens from the machine. After several tries at guest services I was able to get some free tokens, and thereafter I just left a note for Stuart and he would leave a few in my cabin.

Keep in mind there's probably a reason certain cabins are available after the final payment date. I prefer to carefully select my cabin location as soon as I decide to cruise, and I stick with it.

No buffet laid out on the sideboard all day.

Put the pencil to it and factor in your cruising lifestyle. SWMBO doesn't drink much at all, and a couple of wee drams in the evening suits me just fine. We don't do specialty or extra charge casual dining, or anything of the other ups and extras. Recent cruise final bill was around $900, after some OBCs, and before the cruise the plus package would've cost $3000. A la carte suits us just fine, but everyone needs to make an informed decision.

Depends on your definition of expensive. Just before the pandemic SWMBO and I did four weeks of land travel in Europe before catching the QM2 for a transatlantic home. We had a bag shipped to the ship. Compared to hauling "cruise only" clothes around Europe for four weeks, it was cheap - especially when compared to the total cost of the trip. Go to their website and check their prices.

I think I would've asked her why she kept cruising if it was so awful. And then I would've asked for another table. Such negativity is toxic.

I have a buddy who owns a dealership in a rural area and he says they never "pre- qualify" anyone who comes in. They may have just sold a herd of cattle and are ready to buy two new trucks. "Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people."