SargassoPirate

I prefer to order directly at the bar or with a server, although on my most recent cruise I did use the app to order Cokes from room service to restock my minibar setup.

I have yet to go hungry on a cruise and I refuse the extra upcharge items and I avoid specialty dining unless it's part of a package or a gift from my TA.

Economics 101 - If you want less of something, tax it. Works for cruise "up charges" too.

I sometimes cruise without She Who Must Be Obeyed. I enjoy doing what I want, whenever I want, and I don't get dragged to shows and events that I really don't want to do.

I was on the Caribbean Princess back in January and the smoking area was on the starboard promenade toward the aft just outside the crossover doors, and there was also a smoking area above the Melanoma Deck, but I forget which side.

The only thing I have found to be consistent at Port Everglades is inconsistency. Just stay loose and go with the flow and eventually you'll get on the ship. It always helps to be friendly toward the shore side staff too.

We are D+ with Royal and Elite with Princess, so we have obviously had experience with both. We find Princess to be a notch above Royal with regards to logistics. Some ports and excursions with Royal seem like they've never done something like that before, where Princess is more organized. We notice more upselling and marketing announcements with Royal while Princess is more subdued. We like the buffet arrangements much better with Princess. We like the cabin layout and storage much better on Princess. Also, the guest laundromats on Princess are a real plus on longer cruises. Given a similar itinerary and comparable pricing, Princess would be our first choice. I'm sure you'll gather a lot more opinions here soon.

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I are Elite. When we travel with other folks who are not, we don't expect to try to be able to extend the Elite benefits to them. We explain how the loyalty program works, and then we stick with them through the boarding process, any tendering, and with drink packages there's no need to sneak them into the Platinum/Elite lounge. We have, on occasion, encountered a server who would recognize our status and ask why we don't come to the Elite lounge in the evening. When we explain that we are traveling with other folks who are not eligible, they have invited us to bring them along. That is a rare occurrence and depends on how many Elites are on a particular cruise.

I love insides and never feel "cooped up in a dismal cabin". With inside prices, I can cruise more and once I step out of my Luxury Inside Suite and Changing Room, I'm on the same ship with the same amenities as everyone else. Fortunately, there are lots of choices for everyone.

While food quality on a ship is subjective and always up for debate, I've never gone hungry on a ship. After a couple of years of not being able to cruise, give me an open promenade, somewhere to get something to eat when I'm hungry, and a wee dram in the evening with some low volume music and I'm good. Most everything else is just sizzle.

How is schlepping your own bag onto the ship obstructing " everyone else at embarkation" if all I have is a backpack and a pullman and am able to toss them both onto the conveyor? More often than not, the ones obstructing everyone else are those who aren't prepared for the security scanners and act like it's their first time.

We do the same, but the port people will try to discourage you. The last time it happened to me at Fort L when the staff told me I would need to check the Pullman bag that had fit through just a few months before, I asked to see a supervisor. It slowed me down, but I wanted to make my point. The supervisor admitted that the Pullman would fit, but he shared that the issue was people who try to carry on a Pullman, but then get to the scanner and can't lift it onto the belt. That I can understand. If it ever happens again, I'll ask to see a supervisor again, at least until I get to the point where I can't lift a 45 pound Pullman bag onto the security conveyor.

Water under the bridge now, but I've had a problem with booking through Princess.com and then turning the booking over to my TA who will then work on my behalf. On the other hand, one reads all sorts of issues with Princess planners - who are most likely working from home while doing the laundry and watching the kids.

24 pages so far and I wonder how many times the thread was "hijacked" by sidebar but related discussions?

Personally, I like that there's such a demand for cruising "extras" because it helps subsidize my cruising.

And neither does your post, but they serve to provide information on guaranteed cabins in case the OP hadn't realized the implications. Isn't that the purpose of these forums - to share information?

Could be right above BB Kings, or right below the Melanoma Deck. There's a reason guarantee rooms are always available for assignment at the last minute - nobody else wanted them.

Princess uses coffee syrup. In January I saw a crew member refilling the coffee stations in the buffet and the containers were labelled Nescafe. Not sure if that's fleetwide, but it was better than the previous swill that I avoid.

How did you like the cabin, Randy? Toilet with a frosted glass enclosure on the right as you entered the cabin, shower on the left, face bowl on the counter in the room, and the convex couch. The Epic Mistake a one-off design, never to be repeated by NCL. Here's a quote from Cruise Critic staff's review of the Epic: The revolutionary bathrooms -- which split the toilet and shower into two separate units, and put the stand-alone wash basin in the main cabin space -- aren't particularly popular (and the line never repeated the design on any other ships). With doors that are translucent, it's a bit awkward if you're traveling with anyone who is not your partner, though couples and traveling companions of a nervous disposition can pull across a drape that effectively shuts off the bathroom area from the rest of the cabin.

So why do they supply the kettles in some markets, but not others under the guise they are dangerous fire hazards, instead of just being honest and saying it's a cost savings? No, they try to tell me that the kettle is a fire hazard in the Caribbean, but then supply one to the Brits and the Aussies on the same ship. It like most others things that are done for "your convenience" or "out of an abundance of caution" or "for your protection". Follow the money.

How about this? Take one cruise line north to Anchorage. Disembark, rent a car, and see a little of the real Alaska. Then take the other line southbound.

And I don't need a cellphone for that! Just like the olden days, the waiters seem to find me when I'm dry It's also amusing to watch them wander around with food or drink trying to locate the person who ordered it with their cellphone.

interesting replies to my question about staying connected. So what did we all do before cellphones and wifi? I'll admit, I'm old school. In the hierarchy of needs, staying connected on a cruise is way, way down there for me. Long retired. I set up automatic payments for bills when I'm traveling. Previous generation is gone thanks to cholesterol and tobacco, so no need to worry there. We've trained the next generations to get by without constant contact from the parents/grandparents. I can use the internet cafe to check in for the airline if need be, but we usually stay over at least one night and fly the day after the cruise. I order drinks when a waiter comes around, and a dollar or two extra keeps them coming around. So, in my case, I really have no NEED to be connected, and very little WANT. To each his own.

In the morning just drop off a pool towel, and old paperback, and a pair of flip flops and that should hold it for you. 🤣 Works on the Melanoma Deck, so why not elsewhere? The buffet? The theater? Atrium near the IC?

And can somebody explain the need to be connected when you are on a cruise? Not the WANT, but the NEED?