Ethel5

The ship will use on board credit for charges/purchases until it runs out and then they will charge the credit card.:)

On Princess, the ship's clocks have always been set to local time.

 

Except not always!

Bob - Thank you for your level headed report! So many others would have come on here grousing and name calling etc. It's was nice reading your report of what could and did happen and how you handled it. Happy cruising from here on in! :)

On the Regal, one dining room is at 5:30 and the other is at 6:00. The 5:30 dining room becomes Anytime at 7:30.

Be careful about saying the six month rule does not apply to individuals visiting a country by cruise. Not true. Many European and Asian countries require it of cruise ship passengers visiting their ports. Passports are often collected by ships for those ports to check them. Those ships will not let a passenger board if passport is not good for at least six months past travel.

 

I agree. Most cruise lines ask that passports be valid for 6 months past travel dates.

Why do some people insist on looking for trouble?!

Of course, on that turnaround day, you MAY want to return to your car...to drop off those cheap bottles of Kahlua you bought on the first cruise...so you can bring more through at the end. Or to drop off any gifts or dirty laundry or stuff you don't want to keep with you for the duration...But, again, there is the trolley--which runs from 10:00 am on days there are ships in port...

 

 

 

I AGREE...

And, frankly, this one is just a mild irritation...really won't make much difference to me in my enjoyment of the cruise...

 

And I am not a "first-timer", so it won't have any real effect on me as to whether I book another with Princess...

 

OTOH, there are several things that I've decided--after a few with Princess--that Princess does not do well...And they are things that could easily be fixed...

Top of my list is the poor job Princess does with managing "Anytime" dining--which result in long lines and waits at the dining room. These ARE avoidable with some minor tweaks...I know because I've done anytime dining on three other cruise lines, none of which experience the same issues...

 

What Princess has going for it...for me...in this market (SoCal)...is that their only real competition most of the year is Carnival--which, in my book, does a whole lot worse...

 

But, Princess, though not overall a bad product, could do a whole lot better...Rather than listen to their biggest fans, they should pay a little attention to their critics...There IS plenty of room for improvement...

 

Sounds like you have "hit the wall" with Princess if a minor irritation is sending you into a tizzy and indicating that most passengers are so stupid they can't find the right ship. If finding that other lines suit your anytime dining needs better, then they deserve you business.

Are you also upset you get 2 cruise credits for traveling solo? Do you object to not sharing a bathroom? There are pros and cons and you must weigh what works for you and plan accordingly.

 

The double cruise credits only get you to the OBC for loyalty faster. I hardly think $25 is a big deal after spending at least 150% on each cruise.

Most of these employees have families back home that they are supporting. It is not just for them.

 

Also - I am guessing if you want to work 12-15 hours a day, 7 days a week for 9-10 months at a time, you can probably come up with an extra $900 a month. Honestly, there are not many Americans (including myself) that are willing to work their hours and being treated poorly by many (we have all witnessed this) for the wage that they get. Heck, even if I am treated well, I don't want those hours.

 

We really need a "LIKE" button!

[quote name='Hawaiidan'][quote name='Loonbeam']They also could move to the new airline model. Days(miles) plus a required level of spend on fares.[/QUOTE

THe easiest for Carnival is to adopt what the airlines will be doing in 2015
You earn points based on the amount you spend and how often you spend.

[/QUOTE]

I would be against any system that rewards only those who have the time and money to cruise more and spend more. There are many, many loyal Princess cruisers who can only take one cruise a year in an inside cabin so why punish them? maybe those with the where with all would like to go back to the old steerage system?

I haven't used locks since TSA started. Much easier to use colored zip ties. I never put anything valuable in my checked luggage, so if they want my clothes, they're welcome to them!

I just hope they don't mess with the benefits I have now.

I am down to half a pill. My husband said I was doing some strange things when I took the whole pill.

 

I've had some really strange dreams with Ambien-all related to motion! Undulating escalators, elevators moving sideways etc. I even e-mailed friends saying I had cataract surgery when I didn't! Very bizarre!

If only I lived in Florida. I could load up on all those sweet low price 3day cruise deals with OBC and be elite in no time flat.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Those came too late for me.I got Elite with days only. Although, it might be beneficial to rack up cruises before they change their minds again! :confused:

It's way to easy to get to elite on Princess, I hope they raise the threshold to 20 or 25 cruises or 175 nights. It's not hard to get a lot of points with the way the give away double points.

 

They "give away" double points because we solos pay double!!

Sorry you didn't catch up on the newest rules regarding boarding and allowed wine. Now they are having staggered boarding to avoid the long waits....not many comply and this causes a problem. Only one bottle of wine per person is allowed. If you declare more wine, there is a corkage fee. There is a dining room open for lunch until 1:30 on boarding day but is not well advertised. These rules have been in effect for some time.

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What I don't understand is many times I read posts that children which would be 3rd and 4th passenger pay full fare. We have always received a reduced rate for 3rd and 4th passengers in the room.

 

This is so true! The posters are probably trying to evoke sympathy by stating they pay full price for a child, when in reality, they pay the reduced rate of 3rd and 4th passenger. They are not paying the full adult fare.

Gratuities are always optional for everyone regardless of age.

 

Aside from personal family memories your 1 year old is going to get nothing out of the cruise.

We recently sailed with a 4 year old and though he went to the kid club for about an hour, he got virtually nothing that is allotted to others. Certainly not worth the $11.50 a day extra.

Typical picky preschooler: bowl of cereal in the am, fruit for lunch, and a slice of pizza for dinner. That's it, nothing in the MDR and some of what he ate was food we brought or bought in ports. The pools were freezing so he could not go in. The activities and shows were not appropriate for him in any way...

 

It is a silly cruise critic myth that they are working just as hard or harder to cater to a very young child. Our room steward didn't have to do anything extra at all, actually he did less considering my child shares our bath towels and doesn't leave any trash whatsoever. And the staff most certainly did not fawn over him or give him any extra attention-in fact they pretty much ignored him and looked at him like he was a disease in the MDR.

 

I am not ashamed to admit that on the last sea day I removed his auto tips.

We've been on a dozen cruises and this was the first time we've ever done this. This was also the only time we ever felt that the extra money was in no way justified.

Princess does not want children and families on their ships. This is obvious. We will not be back.

 

A totally negative view on how things really are. I have sailed with young children and they were treated especially well by the crew. We arranged their dinner to be ready as soon as we sat down in the MDR and that entertained them while the adults were having their meal. We took them to the kids club and allowed them to join the activities while we watched. It is difficult to travel with young kids and the adults don't get the restful vacatin they planned. The alternative is to leave the kid at home with Grandma or sail Disney at a much higher rate.

If the midship stairs (or lack thereof) is that much of an issue, it is literally a 2 minute walk to the forward stairs.

 

I think the unlinked and relatively small elevators are far more to blame for the congestion, combined with the fact they are feeding into the main venue of the ship.

 

(as well as a certain lack of manners)...

 

This certainly is a bigger issue! I have seen those in an elevator with plenty of room for one more not move an inch! Then there are others who jamb on the close door button so no one else can get on. Then the ones who get on any elevator just to be on one and take up room from those going in the right direction. RUDE. Not to forget those who push on in before people have a chance to exit the car.

And don't forget that some people use pillows during SEX!:rolleyes:

Are you talking about the duvet or its cover? The cover is washed; guaranteed. The duvet; those things need to be dry cleaned; they are like a heavy quilt. You cannot do that on a regular turnaround basis. Could you do that with yours at home? I think not. And the person who said their cover was not changed............UGH! That's their room steward cutting corners and I would never allow that to happen.

 

Pia, just how often are the covers/bottom sheets supposed to be changed. Years ago, it was every three days. Now it's hard to figure. Most cruises it settles in at 4-5 days. This TA on the Regal they got changed on the 5th day and then never again-12 additional days!!

Just off the Regal TA and was not cold in public areas at all.:)

Small cutbacks noticeable. For example, no more drawn butter for lobster..

 

Just got off the Regal and we had drawn butter with our lobster-twice:)

I just read on my roll call thread that one person sent out over 30 bags of laundry!

 

Princess needs to grow a pair and address the abusers instead of punishing those of us who follow the rules.

Enjoy the perk while it is in effect, but don't cry if it disappears! Elite cruisers most likely can swing a few bucks for cleaning!

 

Not Elite on any line, but laundry is really not that big of an expense in the grand scheme of things. I admit I felt very odd ironing while on vacation the one time I didn't send my tuxedo shirts out for pressing.

 

If you are Elite on a cruise line, I would think you might have status on an airline and be able to bring extra luggage at no charge.

 

You're making some sweeping assumptions here that have no basis in reality.

 

Very true and you will get it back much quicker than 3 days if you do it yourself in the laundry room. It won't be a huge loss if they eliminate this perk entirely. But I sure would miss getting my blue jeans back pressed and on a hanger though! So extravagant!

 

We have earned the gift of free laundry, so I don't feel I should have to spend my time in the laundry room. Been there, done that. It would be a huge loss for most of us to lose this loyalty perk.