GulfShoresCruiser

Thanks for the info but we were fine with the seats.....We did not want to pay for seats after buying a ticket so we just let BA find us seats and the seats and the flight were fine......Not picky.  The free flowing wine helped keep things in perspective.  But it was a big plane....a flying bus...airbus!

14 hours ago, ModMs said:

The agent told me HAL wasn't letting her do further bookings on the particular cruise as they were working on the itinerary and that it had to do with Trieste, etc.

I'd consider this a good thing...They are adjusting their itinerary before adding more bookings so folks will know what they are buying.....Changes with ports do certainly happen before sailing and during sailings but it's good to know they are holding off on bookings until the new itinerary is entered. 

Just got off Princess and they kept telling us our cruise would include a stop in Casablanca but we knew that was not going to happen (Covid).  They waited until after we re-boarded from the port right before Casablanca to tell us of the change and they had tours available to buy in the new port 5 minutes later!  

Also, I'll take a slow HAL website over the nightmare we endured w/Princess and their medallion app that does not work but is hyped like it's the second coming. 

HAL is worth it all, in our experience.......

2 hours ago, cltnccruisers said:

We're on vacation.  We shouldn't have to fight for anything.  

Exactly.  That's while we are "one and done" with Princess....That and a few more reason but Princess is not for us.

First time for us in a plane that large....loading from 3 different "chutes" and it was 10 across.  We were packed in and when I learned I was flying in an "airbus" I thought the name was appropriate as it felt like a flying bus!

(Hope that helps explain my comment)

Go to the roll call on the cruise before you and ask someone to ask and then post.....That's basic information these days and that's how we found out for our recent cruise.

Was on the Sky TA....Folks were complaining about the internet before we even left Port Everglades and then when we were in Spain, Gibraltar, Lisbon and hugging the coast of France it still did not work....So not understanding why it's related to being in the middle of the ocean.

Also, that medallion thing they promote was good at being my key card but that's about all.  Seems as though that did not work well either.

(Princess has problems.  We are "one and done" with them for now)

19 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

PLEASE share your experience and thoughts with Princess senior mgmt, including John Padgett and Jan Swartz.  Mario Siebaldi is Sr VP Guest Experience.   Anyone at Princess is reached via <first initial><last name>@princesscruises.com.

 

I'd love to but find it interesting that we have yet to get our customer survey.  Yes, checked spam.  Seems odd.

I'll do the survey but I've got no interest in emailing the executives.  They should already know all this and seems as though they are doing what they want....Just glad we can go back to Holland America Line and plan to do everything I can to make sure these Princess ways of doing things stay far away from Holland America Line. 

We just got back from cheating on Holland by taking a Princess cruise.

We need to ask for forgiveness and we will never do that again......

Lots of reasons why Princess does not work for us but the top are:

1). Reliance on the medallion app that does not work for pre-cruise stuff and then when you get onboard, the medallion is really only your key card and is worthless, from our experience.

2). Food.  The MDR was good and service great but they do not support same time, same waiters so we had to beg at the door each evening to please be allowed to sit at table 254.  No wine package. Ridiculous.  The lido buffet is bad.  Nothing like HAL's experience with freshly made food, etc.  The fried eggs are on a heat lamp, for instance. And their version of the dive in is no comparison.  HAL has nailed the food.  They brag about their sit down pizza restaurant but you have to go before 11:40am for lunch or it's busy...at least when we tried a few times. 

3). Cabin.  Very sparse.  No place to sit except on the desk chair.  Small shower w/a curtain. LOL.  Balcony seemed smaller but not sure about that. 

4). Lido pool area is deemed useless.  No retractable roof for rainy days.  They show movies during the day and if not movies, then loud music.  Also, they do not encourage eating out there except for the burger people. Burgers bad. 

Anyway, there were other reasons.....But we lived and learned.  Back to Holland America Line and we now know even more why we love HAL!

Just off the Sky (3/28) and this was our first and last Princess cruise....Just wanted to pass along to all of you that are fretting over the Medallion app to not worry about it...It did not seem to matter at check in whether you had it or not or what you color code was....Also, onboard, we only used the medallion to open our door (which it sometimes takes longer or sometimes seems to leave the door unlocked long before you approach).  Anytime we ordered a drink the waiter just asks for your room number.  It is useful in holding up the line to make sure you scan it and in the dining room it keeps you from going right to a pre-assigned table.  

Good luck to all of you with it but we are not interested in anything to do with Medallion and Princess for now...

On 3/31/2022 at 7:32 PM, Thrak said:

Princess Dine My Way:

 

Agree.  

Just got off the Sky TA cruise Monday (3/28)

Had reservations for 5:20 in the MDR every evening......Every night we had to wonder if we would get our same table, same waiters.  Asked the assist mgr if we could just go to table 254 every evening and she said no guarantee.  

So every evening we would queue up and beg, request, plead for table 254.  And scan that useless medallion. We got it every night and it comes with two great waiters but we have to fight for it.

What's wrong with this?  

The one major enjoyment on a cruise is dinner and I have to swim upstream to enjoy that.  

We are "one and done" with Princess.  Back to Holland America Line. 

Our primary reasons for this are:   1). The Medallion app (pre cruise is a nightmare and during cruise it does not do anything we need or does not work). 2). Dine My Way....because it is really "dine their way". 3). the food in the lido buffet is not good and getting silverware, water and tea are too challenging 4). the basic balcony stateroom is bare...there is only one straight back chair for sitting...no ice unless you ask...no wine glass unless you ask....no ink pen...LOL.  no bathrobe.....and a curtain for a shower door.....very sparse

We are heading to Asia on a Holland America Line TP cruise in September. 

On 4/1/2022 at 10:50 AM, cltnccruisers said:

One thing that has really stood out regarding the MDR that I think has a lot to do with the problems is not having the same table and staff each night. 

We were on the Sky TA (debarked 3/28) and this is one of the top 3 reasons we are leaving Princess.  We had Dine My Way (which really means, Dine Princess Way) for MDR every night.  After the bad table location for two on day 1, I scoped out a table and when we arrived on day 2, asked if we could have it.  And got it.  It was the same waiters who were great.  

We asked one of the assistant waiters if we could just come here every night at our reservation time and the answer was no but that we would try to let you have it.

Well, we begged at the door every evening and they granted us permission each night.  We felt lucky but so ridiculous that we have to wonder if we will get our same table, same waiters every night.  

The medallion wastes my time....I could not just go to the table but had to stand in line and beg and then get my table. 

Sounds like tossing mud on the wall for what sticks!

Makes sense based on our first and last Princess cruise. 

Just off the Sky.....

Saw folks dancing in two places.....the piazza and Princess Live.....We are not into dancing but there you go....

feeling left out.....

That's what I thought yet no survey.

The cruise had many "challenges" so wondering if the executives who think the medallion is a good idea decided to hit the cancel button for our cruise surveys...no news is good news. 

Anyone else who departed the Sky Monday (3/28) in Southampton get a survey or am I in a class alone!

We had shrimp in several forms and variations in the MDR on our Sky cruise that ended Monday.

Appetizers, salads, main entrees.......all courses except for dessert!

Got off the Sky Monday and want to make sure I let Princess know about the great MDR staff and "a few things" of concern from our recent cruise.  

On the other line we sail, the survey is in our inbox on debarkation day or the day after. 

Have I missed the survey or any idea when it will arrive?

12 hours ago, zgscl said:

I always leave the default gratuity and then I give some cash to any of the crew that I saw regularly depending on the level & amount of service received (cabin stewards, dining room stewards if in fixed seating,

+1

What we do. 

Timely post for us.....

We just "cheated" on Holland (we have 3 stars on our belly). 

We took our first cruise on Princess.  We now fully know why we love Holland and we are running back to the dark hulled 'dam ships and we apologize for our misstep.

I'll need to compose my thoughts and explain fully later.......but lots of reasons that center around:

• crew
• food
• ship design & capacity
• technology (Princess wastes my vacation time with their medallion technology)

Again, it's back to Holland and we now know why!  We consider ourselves grateful for being able to cruise with Holland America Line now and we have no plans to cheat again!

46 minutes ago, fbgd said:

 

Well, since you pointed out you were in centre seats some people would happily pay to avoid that...

Understood.....

But we were fine with our "center section, center seats" and glad our air fare included a seat at no charge!

We flew BA from London to Miami Monday (3/28) w/a steerage class ticket bought via Princess Air:

• we were unable to select seats for free 
• we were unable to check in 24 hours before and select seats because we still needed to complete covid stuff
• we got to the airport and completed everything and got boarding passes with seats at no charge
• her majesty and I were given seats together (center section, center seats)
• great flight with the wine flowing....tea being served and chicken pie!

No need to pay tribute for a seat (unless you freak out about that stuff)....all seats arrived at Miami at the same time safely!

Also, when looking at the seats available for pay 25 days prior, zillions of seats were available so I suspect only a few fearful souls actually pay tribute....because the plane was packed full....and I now know why they call the plane an airbus....because it is. 

7 hours ago, trbarton said:

I have an Air Tag holder. Anyone tried using one with the Medallion?

 

Tom😀

instead, just go to guest services and get a free one that is the size of a credit card.....that is what I did upon loosing mine on day 2. 

On 3/29/2022 at 11:07 PM, Thrak said:

 

Here is the previous template for making medallion inserts.

 

 

Thrak Medallion Insert courtesy of masterty - December 2019

 

No need to make or buy....When I lost my quarter sized medallion on day 2, the guest services lady gave me one like this for free.....

10 hours ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Why didn't they just locate it with the app. They did that for me.

the guest services lady did not offer that up nor did I think about that.....wonder if that was even working?    I did ask if I could have something that was bigger than a quarter so perhaps she realized I was "one of those" that needed something like a regular sized key card.