conifercruiser

It was just luck for us that our cabin on the Emerald is on the starboard side (odd-numbered staterooms) where we could see the eclipse from our balcony. Since the ship has to hold her position with the bow into the wind, and the Mediterranean or North Atlantic are different than the Pacific, YMMV.

We're also currently on Emerald Princess, first time with a Plus package. It is SO MUCH FUN. We only get about 4 alcoholic drinks per day, but we love the bartender/server Joe in Crooners and sit in there for a while trying a few different drinks before dinner. Ask for a martini and Joe can carry a completely full one without spilling a drop. We never hung out in any bar before but feel free to do so now. We also get a few cappuccinos every morning, bottles of water (sparkling or still), and wine if we eat in the dining room. Just a whole different cruise vibe for us. We're having a ball!Of course, the high from seeing a fantastic eclipse at sea hasn't worn off yet 🙂

MissiCruzs, you're not the only one waiting for a M&G request for the Emerald! I sent a request on Jan 30 to set one up for my April 5, 2024 cruise and haven't heard back yet. I'm glad it's not just me! There's an old thread on page one of the Princess boards with names of people for the specific ships but the operative word is "old". I figure I'll give them to the end of the week and then try again and send to both the grouponboardservices email, the names listed here, and the old name for the Emerald contact from the old thread. If these folks are based in California, they've had some wild weather so not sure if that, or layoffs, or cutbacks, or whatever might be the reason.

Wow, HAL’s revised world cruise is at least making it interesting - Maldives, Seychelles, Zanzibar, etc: Looks like Princess is just trying to get it over with. Sad for the passengers!

Another workaround (mentioned on the longer thread about the app) that I used was to put in a Visa gift card (mine said only available for use in the United States) of any amount (someone had one with $5 on it). App will accept it and you're in the green lane. Seems like a ridiculous game but it works!

Whew! Thanks for the reassurance!

Just checking if this is still true in 2024 for Princess Plus WiFi with one device. I have both an Android phone and an iPad that I use for different things, and DH has similar and we have Princess Plus. I'll never use the phone and iPad at the same time, so want to be sure I can switch between them with the "one device" plan. Thanks!

I bought a $100 Visa gift card, says "only valid for use in the United States", put it in the shoreside area and now we're in the green lane. Seems like a simple solution.

Do they still post the day’s menus (lunch and dinner) outside the MDR’s in the late morning every day so you can decide if it’s worth it that day?

We always stay at the Premier Inn West Quay. Cheaper than the Holiday Inn, breakfast is good, they have a phone dedicated to calling a cab for transport to the cruise terminal (or did precovid, haven’t been there since), and close to lots of good restaurants and a short walk to the train station.

Ah, good to know. Thanks!

Thanks for the info! Now I just need to figure out how to pop that Magic Band piece out - those things are really tight in there 🤔!

Sorry for the confusion - Captain’s Circle benefits are still around (laundry etc). Since world cruises are so long, I seem to recall in the past those fares always included crew appreciation, Wi-Fi, and some OBC for excursions and now that Princess Plus is a thing you have to pay extra. But I was mistaken in saying there was no OBC, as others have stated, I do see we have $1000 OBC for LA - FLL, it just wasn’t stated anywhere during the booking process. My bad! I really like the itinerary and we’re looking forward to the cruise!

I think the days of getting “perks” are over - you have to pay for them now. You’re given the choice of a basic package with no perks; Princess Plus (Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, drinks package, a few other things); and the top of the line Princess package (forget the name, price, and additional perks since I’m not interested sorry!). The price difference on a balcony between basic and plus for the 101 day LA - FLL was close to $7000 per person, not cheap!! Unlike the 2024 cruise (which I cancelled and booked 2025 instead), they were not offering a $1000 per cabin shipboard credit for excursions. Nothing has changed for the better - except the itinerary.

And yet, not many cabins available. very sad!