SargassoPirate

No Santa, I'm not changing my story at all. I merely asked to consider that scenario. I only have two or three drinks an evening and really have no idea how the crew charges them to my plus package. If they pour a double, I guess I could check, but why? I order my usual drink and after a couple of nights it looks like there's a little more in the glass and the Scotch has heavier notes of peat. Why does that bother you so much that it makes you claim that I'm engaging in bribery and theft? What about the drink allotment that I leave on the table every day? Should I go down to guest services and get a refund? After all, I've paid for a drink package and if I don't use it up, the cruise line is essentially picking my pocket. Smooth and happy sailing to you. I'll still tip extra and be a happy cruiser.

Travel is stressful enough without cutting things too close. I fly in a few days ahead of the cruise and fly home the day after I disembark. I understand that not everyone has the luxury of time, but after I retired many years ago - after traveling a lot for work - I swore I'd take the kore leisurely approach to getting there and back.

I find the PES lounge to be a pleasant experience and since I avoid the MDR for dinners I can usually find enough to eat there that I'm free for the rest of the evening.

When I sail solo, I sail in an inside so the promenade is my own sanctuary. I use it to walks laps in the morning and afternoon and I love to sit and read on whatever is the shady side - upwind on the Nicotine Alley side. A full promenade is almost a deal breaker for me unless She Who Must Be Obeyed wants to do a cruise for a particular itinerary and it's on one of the ships without a wrap around promenade - but then together we book balconies as her private sanctuary.

Consider this - I have a drink package. It's evening in the Elite Lounge. I tip extra. I get a better pour and a better quality Scotch. I may have two or three over the course of the evening. I come nowhere near close to using my daily allotment of booze and the crew recognizes my pattern. If they charge my account for the better pours as two drinks or a double, is it bribery and stealing? Explain.

One thing I was wondering about is how one defines "rich". By my way of thinking, I'm the richest guy in the world. In my 70s I have my health and am not on any prescription medications. I have a wonderful wife who "lets" me do whatever I want to do with old cars and new motorcycles. We've saved and invested to where now we can do whatever we want and whenever we want. We keep crossing things off and adding more to our bucket lists (his, hers, and joint) The kids are grown and have always been independent financially once we got them through college. Being of sound mind and body, we are spending their inheritance and with continued good fortune we'll slide in late for our own funerals and that last check will bounce. Yes, I'm the richest guy in the world and looking forward to more bucket list items.

That's some really good service, Don. My experience with the big box has been booking and the perks. I carry an annual travel insurance policy with a section to call for travel-related problems. Had some problems getting stuck in Australia when covid started shutting down everything, but I solved them myself so I didn't need any help with alternative travel - but the insurance paid all of the out-of-pocket unexpected expenses and Princess refunded my money for the cancelled cruise that was supposed to be my ride back to the US from OZ. If everything goes smoothly you don't have adventures and good stories to share over a wee dram.

She probably reserves her lounger on the Melanoma Deck with a towel and a magazine as well - she paid for it!

I've just got to ask. How does one get to D+ and not understand that you need to be aware of what is below , above, and across the corridor when selecting a cabin?

Ditto, and I'll add that I use pool towels as the wringing out method. They are free on the Melanoma Deck, and they come with some free reading material. Just ask around and others will tell you which "reserved" loungers to choose from.

Definitely if you are a member of the big box warehouse club. Their travel agency will give you a gift card at the end of your cruise based on what the cruise line pays the TAs by way of commission. Other perks are available depending on the sailing. I usually book with the cruise line first since their search engine is easier to use, get the perfect cabin booked, and then transfer the booking to big box and garner their rewards. Then to double down, I use my big box credit card to pay for the cruise and get some cash back rewards there too. It's a win win win.

I see tip jars just about anywhere anymore. I ignore them. The person behind the counter is making at least minimum wage. At bars and restaurants - in the US at least wowzz - I tip. In other countries, I try to follow local customs. In Japan, for example, it is considered rude and insulting to tip.

When cruising, my evening attire is black slacks, black sport coat, and a variety of colored T-shirts with matching pocket squares. I pack light and usually combine land travel with a cruise, so everything does double duty. Never been turned away on a formal night on any cruise and there always seems to be some guy in shorts and wearing his ballcap backwards that serves as a diversion.

I fold them, place them in a 2 1/2-gallon zip lock bag, and sit on the bag to let the air out. Keeps everything dry in case the bag sits out on the tarmac during a rainstorm - been there, done that, clothes stayed dry even though the bag was wet inside. I even manage to fit my sports coat inside the zip lock bag.

You can do that without a tip.😊 Top off those shorts with a wife beater, flip flops, and wear your ballcap backwards and I can almost guarantee you that the staff won't say a thing. They are afraid to confront anyone for fear of getting a bad review.

Most likely because a promenade doesn't produce much, if any revenue, per square foot like extra cabins, shops, or restaurants do. At least on the Island Princess they left most of the promenade intact. Bigger ships with no promenade keep people inside and the money flowing.

Why don't you explain why you think it's stealing if, as I stated, I don't ask the server and bartender to do anything extra? If I tip a little extra and receive what I perceive is a better pour and a better Scotch should I jump up and dial 911 on the house phone and report a crime in progress? Better yet, what would you do if you receive a little something extra that you didn't ask for?

Boxers or briefs? 🤣

Maybe so, Don. But I'm a happy cruiser and it works for me. I don't see it as stealing and I don't ask the server and bartender to do anything extra - it's their choice. A ready smile and a bit if chit chat helps - especially with some of the rude to and/or entitled people they have to deal witb.

See my post above wowzz.

Oooo, that was a good one. Arrrgh. What difference does it make? It's not "bribery" or "stealing" as some were quick claim. I almost always have the Plus package on Princess and on RCI I use the Diamond+ vouchers. I never, ever get close to reaching my drink limit on Princess or using all of my daily vouchers on RCI. In addition to a coffee drink or two in the daytime, I enjoy a few drams of Scotch in the evenings and my extra tips have produced better pours and better Scotches as I have stated. So, how did I pirate anything away and how is there any wrongdoing on the part of the servers and bartenders?

Please refresh my memory wowzz and show me where I said I tip $5 extra.

Maybe my better pour is coming out of wowzz's drink and it all evens out. 😅 And maybe some people can't tell a well Scotch from a top shelf brand. All I can do is share my experience and you can share yours.

Here's how it works for me. I order a Scotch - no specific brand - and I tip a little extra to the server. After I sip on that one and the server comes back by I'll make a positive comment about the flavor, etc etc. When the next wee dram arrives, I often notice it's a little better pour and perhaps a little better flavor, maybe a little more peaty. On a recent cruise, on the third or fourth night the server asked if I had tried a particular brand noted for it's peatiness. I said no and he went to another venue and retrieved a bottle of it and had the bartender pour me a sample. It was good and I complimented the server and the bartender on their recommendation and ordered one. From that point forward that was my pour and at the end of the cruise I also tipped the bartender and thanked him again for his recommendation. That's been my experience.

I was merely sharing what my tipping experience has been. The fact that my experience doesn't match your paradigm and that you think it "is an attempt to say look at me and how cool/much money/what level/fill in the blank...I am" speaks volumes. All I can say it a little extra tip goes a long way and serves me well. Enjoy your drinks from the well and I'll enjoy mine from the shelf.