SargassoPirate

I clean my phone frequently not to protect just myself, but also to keep others safe as well. 😂😆

I've never been bothered by noise when I book a cabin with cabins above, below, and across the corridor. I have, however, in my early days of cruising, been bothered in cabins under the Melanoma Deck when I was "upgraded", been bothered in a cabin above a nightclub, been bothered in a cabin with a steward scullery across the corridor. I don't risk it anymore, and I don't accept upgrades since there's a reason that cabin is available and the cruise line's idea of an upgrade is not necessarily an upgrade for me.

Evidently. I can't recall the exact wording of the "gala/formal" night dress code wording on our last Cunard cruise, but a jacket was stated for men. I didn't notice any enforcement, but I was in a suit Since I saw that a black jacket and T shirt with matching pocket square was acceptable on Cunard, I have started using that approach myself and found that packing for a longer trip is easier since the T shirts do double duty and the only real addition to my load is the black sport coat. Does anyone think the guy pictured would be turned away on formal night in any cruise line?

Don't worry about it. Despite the changes, Princess is still an option for us, as is Cunard, HAL, RCL, Celebrity, and Viking. We choose by the itinerary and cost of the cruise. They all have their plusses and minuses. After wasting time with the app on a couple of cruises after the restart, I returned to cruising the old school way. I show up at the pier with my paperwork and get the medallion. Thereafter, I use the medallion to open my cabin door and to charge purchases. I don't use the app onboard either. When I want a beverage, I order from a human being. (I cannot comment on reserving a dining time for the evening MDR since I don't eat much in the evening)

As a standard cruiser, soon to be rebranded as "steerage", I stick to what's included with the basic fare and Princess can choke on their nickel and dime approach. I usually hit the HC or MDR for breakfast, the HC or MDR for lunch, and the nibbles in the PE lounge for a light dinner in the evening. I stay away from heavy meals with desserts in the evening anyway. I see no reason to pay for the alcohol fueled Plus/Premier packages when I only have a wee dram or two in the evening and SWMBO is a teetotaler. Economics 101 - charge what the traffic will bear. As long as people will line up and pay for a product, there is no incentive for the business to reduce prices.

How about a Scot with his sporran?

Although I most often avoid the MDR for dinner, I haven't had any problem getting seated fairly quickly when I do just show up. I eat a lot of breakfasts and lunches in the MDR and the staff get to recognize me when I do show up for dinner and they can usually find me a spot

Saw this combination on Cunard and the fellow said it's easy to pack lightly. The sport coat weighs 19 ounces. Add a few colored T-shirts with matching pocket squares, black jeans that can be worn anytime and weight or space packing "formal wear" for the cruise is not a valid excuse for not dressing up.

Ouch shoulda been HC for Horizon Court. 😉

And once on board, Princess can tell exactly who simply uses the medallion as a door key and who uses the app and what for. There's the data that they'll pay attention to. For example. There's a guest entertainer who as it turns out is not worth wasting 45 minutes of cruise time on and people start to leave. They can tell.

If every thread that strayed from the original post got cancelled it would be a ghost town here.

Sure is. Wonder what happened?

But Princess doesn't enforce it. They have demonstrated by non-enforcement that they don't really care about it. Or you could say they enforce the suggested dress for any night about as rigorous as they enforce no reserving of loungers on the Melanoma Deck, saving seats in the theater, or hogging a table in the WC for card playing.

How could you tell the folks in slacks and polo shirts "felt pretty uncomfortable"?

Somewhere between having to visit a travel agent and having to deal with uncooperative technology is the sweet spot. Set the wayback machine to around 15 years ago.

Gladly, for the OceanNow delivery fee unless you have Plus/Premier.

We rebelled against the British in the late 1700s and we still don't like being told what to do. There's nothing to keep anyone from dressing up as much as they want.

Good point. I'd do the same thing if I was driving to the port the day of the cruise. In that event, I'd be one of the first ones in line.

Your last line says it all. I like to avoid crowds and I maintain a shipboard routine that allows me to do so. I guess I should applaud those who try to be first on and first off the ship - it gets them out of my way. 😉

Spot on. Take the old school approach, ditch the app, and just show up. The app seems to only complicate what should be an easy process all in the name of whiz bang technology. I have an upcoming cruise on Viking and then a Princess cruise a few weeks after that one. No wonky app for Viking. Just show up with my paperwork. They even sent me sturdy luggage tags.

The wonky app has only served to complicate the booking and cruising process, if one buys into it as a necessity or convenience. I'm getting frightfully close to being an octogenarian, and I'm fairly tech savvy but I have little patience for tech that requires too much work for the "convenience". For my next cruise I'm going full Luddite and just showing up at the pier when I feel like it with my paperwork and passport in hand.

On my past few post-pandemic cruises out of Fort L I have taken the unhurried and relaxed approach. I don't understand people's need to be first on the ship on boarding day and first off on disembarkation day. If the cruise sails at 4:00, try to get there around 2:00. The herd has already fought their way on board and is occupying the buffet like it's their last meal. At 2:00, my Luxury Inside Suite is ready and I can drop my bag and go check in at my muster station. From that point on, I'm on cruise mode. Relaxed and avoiding the herd.

On the very few times that SWMBO has wanted to try a specialty restaurant, we just swung by and checked with the waiter standing outside with a menu. They always seem to fit us in. Much less stressful than trying to make a reservation on a wonky app weeks ahead.

The Medallion and the wonky app seem to have only complicated booking and taking a cruise with Princess. I've tried to work with the app, but I have little patience for having to enter information multiple times because it disappears the next time I open it. And I do not like trying to decide what time and where I want to eat weeks, even months ahead. For my next Princess cruise, I'm going old school. I'll print my booking information and show up at the pier. If I want a drink, I'll flag down a server. If I want something to eat, I'll check my watch and the Patter and see what's available. Just weeks before that cruise, I have a cruise on Viking and there is no comparison to the pre-cruise rigmarole. No wonky app and I just show up with my booking information. They even mailed me sturdy tags for my luggage. It'll be an interesting comparison. My idea of a cruise is to relax and enjoy being at sea. Don't complicate it.

Remember when cruising with Princess wasn't so much work? "Come Feel The Love"