limoncello07

OBC can be a tricky thing when it comes to the cruise personalizer. Not all OBC appears and at times it is reflected in a partial amount, particularly if the OBC is TA related. I have also found that loyalty credit for x# of cruises does not appear.

Along those lines, we got a $200 OBC at the time of booking that I have not seen in my Cruise Personalizer. When I called the TA she indicated that because the OBC is considered a "gift" from the agency rather than coming directly from Princess it will not show up in the CP but we will receive it upon boarding. That sounded reasonable to me, but we'll see -- cruise leaves this weekend! I'll come armed with my email documentation just in case though. My sympathies to the OP!

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Now, I always take a soda to the room with me when I turn in for the night.

I'm curious, do you mean you take a glass of soda to your room? Or purchase a can?

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After I received my assignment, I got 2 upsell offers. Both would move me from an obstructed view to a balcony for our 7 Alaskan cruise. First was $250 pp, The second was $200. We declined both.

 

Then we got moved from the Obstructed view on the Emerald deck (E505) to an obstructed view min-suite on Caribe deck (C202). It is the front cabin on that deck.

If I'm following the thread correctly, you first booked a guaranty obstructed view in November, and in June you were actually assigned a specific cabin in that category. Shortly after that assignment, Princess tried twice to get you to purchase a paid upgrade. When you declined, you were then magically upgraded to a much more expensive room, without any additional payment at all.

Call me cynical ;) but it sounds to me like Princess is playing the same kind of games that some airlines and rental car companies have been known to do, of trying to get you to pay for something that they were otherwise prepared to give you for free. (E.g. the airline that offers you an immediate paid upgrade when you are on the waiting list to upgrade with frequent flyer miles). Put another way, they were trying to get back some of the discount they had given you earlier via the guarantee rate.

You played your cards right and and got a great deal in the end, especially given that you were already satisfied with the regular OV room that you had booked -- congrats! It's also great that you posted your story here so others can take note -- I'm betting you won't be the only person offered an upsell in this situation. Enjoy your cruise!

In case it helps with your morning planning, our ship did go to Endicott Arm instead of Tracy Arm, and the port side had a full view into the fjord from about 6:20-6:30am. The captain then did a 180 with the ship so that the starboard side had a full view. By 7am or so, the ship was turning to retrace its path out and towards Juneau. View from a port-side balcony cabin in Endicott Arm.

Beautiful photo, and a very helpful explanation of what to expect -- thanks steenie!

I'm in the process of planning my first cruise, and have spent a lot of time on both the Princess website and this forum. While it is true that certain questions can easily be looked up on the website, I've also found that an astonishing amount of information on the Princess website is missing, incomplete, outdated, misleading, self-contradicting, and/or just plain wrong.

The Princess@sea app is a good example. Is it available on some ships, as suggested here? Or on all ships, as suggested at the bottom of this page? In addition, until quite recently, the latter page was instructing passengers to download the Princess@Sea app from iTunes or GooglePlay, long after Princess had stopped making the app available in that fashion in favor of a new system. Many confused passengers getting ready for their cruise who could not download the app posted here, and learned from other passengers -- not Princess -- about the change.

Oh and apart from problems with the Princess website, we are indeed all OCD to a certain degree. :D

p.s. Related editorial comment: I don't know how Princess compares to other cruise lines in this regard, but I find the lack of consistent and accurate information on their website to be pretty bad in comparison to the airline and hotel websites I'm used to dealing with these days. Regular posters on this forum should be earning a commission from Princess for the amount of customer care they provide to fellow passengers!

Thanks to all for the clarifications and suggestions -- very helpful! Decisions, decisions . . . :) At least this one won't break the bank either way.

Hi all: I've seen the (immensely helpful) beverage package evaluator and read many posts here describing what's included in the Soda & More package. For the other three people in my party, getting the package is a no-brainer based on their drinking habits. For me, I'm probably on the cusp of breaking even; however, I'm wondering whether there is a convenience factor to having the package sticker vs ordering individual drinks that might justify (to me) a small additional expense. Does my card get swiped in both cases? Or is individual ordering process likely to be more time consuming? (I saw at least one reference to "signing" for individual drinks . . . ). Many thanks in advance for your assistance!

I don't yet have a trip report of my one -- leaving shortly -- but thought I would add links to a couple I've been reading over on the Princess forum.

Ruby Princess 5/8 - 5/15 by New York Nana

Includes lots of lively detail regarding the ship and onboard facilities. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2356647&highlight=nana The Patters from her trip (posted by a different user) can be found here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2359387&highlight=ruby

Ruby Princess 5/22 - 5/29 by LHARTWICK

Includes Ketchikan (Misty Fjords Floatplane), Tracy Arm Fjord (small boat excursion), Juneau (town), Skagway (sled dog camp) and Victoria (waterfront) http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2363585&highlight=ruby

Ruby Princess 6/5 - 6/12 by carnyman

Second time to Alaska, first time on Princess; includes info on ship and Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm excursion http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2365356&highlight=ruby

Are power strips allowed on the ship? I know some lines confiscate them from luggage, is Princess one of these?

Wow, thank you for raising this, I had no idea surge protection was prohibited.

I purchased a Monster Power Outlet like in this thumbnail photo from Amazon for $5.99...two USB & three AC sockets which worked great on our cruises.

Thank you so much for the specific recommendation for something that is permissible; everything seems to have surge protection these days, not sure I would have found this on my own.

People would ignore "signs, messages, etc." The same groups of people hit the Lido an hour before lunch and claim all the window seats. They'll even grab the large tables. It's difficult to police the entitlement mentality and I'm not so sure Princess wants to go down that road and I don't blame them.

I agree it's not something that Princess would likely want to "enforce," but am wondering more about setting a tone or expectation. I agree some people will always act that way no matter what messages are posted (and not only on cruise ships). At the same time, I also think there is a bit of a "contagion" effect behind this phenomenon, where one person sees someone else doing it, assumes it is the norm and does it themselves, etc.

I was thinking back to a time I stayed in a beach community on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I was walking down the beach one evening and saw that people had set up and left large sun tents on the beach for the next day, presumably both to "reserve" some space, and avoid the hassle of carrying and erecting the tent each day. I had never seen this before and assumed it was some kind of local custom. I even started to wonder whether I should check out the local hardware store and do the same for our family. Later that evening, I was looking online for restaurant recommendations and learned that this was absolutely NOT a homegrown custom -- the locals in fact hated it, and some were seeking a ban on the practice. In addition to creating visual pollution during the late evening or early morning hours that the beach would normally be empty, the tents were disrupting the habits of local sea turtles. There were also instances of the tents blowing away in gusts of wind and causing damage to people and property. All of these things made perfect sense (and horrified me) once I read them; but hours earlier, when I was standing on the beach as a vacationer, it had seemed like a widely accepted practice, and a pretty clever idea to boot. Live and learn (or in this case, read and learn) :)

Yes. You can walk up to any bar and get a glass of ice water. They usually have a pitcher of ice water at Vines or the bar by the IC. That's the first place we head to after a walk on the Promenade deck.

Thank you for the clarification, that's good to hear! (All of the discussion of the stateroom bottled water package was leaving me to wonder . . . .).

Water (from the tap in the HC is really quite good!).

Basic question: Is tap water readily available in other areas of the ship (other than individual staterooms)? Will a waiter or bartender get it for you?

We were there the same time 5-9, and arrived in Juneau right on schedule.

Thanks very much for reporting back -- good to know!

Personally I'm a fan of the less-visited Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier.

While reading this thread, I've been wondering why the cruise ships don't simply change their itinerary to Endicott Arm if Tracy Arm is so elusive. From the pictures I've seen, the scenery in both looks similar, but maybe someone like BudgetQueen who has seen both in person can weigh in . . . .

Many of the debates on this thread about coffee drinkers vs card players, visible vs invisible disabilities, etc., seem to veer into discussion of individual "entitlements" -- i.e., I paid x, I'm therefore entitled to y, or "my entitlement is equal to your entitlement." I think this misses a more fundamental point: namely, that public spaces on the ship are by definition shared resources, to be used by all passengers. If you spoke to the ship architects, I would venture to guess that the spaces are designed (in terms of how much space is allocated to various venues, etc.) on the assumption that they will be used in a manner similar to a time-share condo (ie.,where people occupy a space for a week or month at a time, rather than a whole year) and that there will be a natural ebb-and-flow of people in and out of various parts of the ship throughout the day. However, it seems that certain passengers instead approach the public spaces more like the California or Yukon gold rush, where resources are not so much shared as they are divided, into individual plots that are claimed on a first-come, first-serve basis. This system may be perceived as "fair" in terms of equal opportunity, but I think it's fundamentally at odds with the design of the ship. (Otherwise, the space on the ship would be 100% allocated to individual cabins and deck space allotments).

I think it's hard to come up with hard-and-fast rules for sharing, either for Princess to enforce or even for everyone to agree on here. However, I wonder whether Princess (or other lines) might consider more general "messaging" to promote the sharing ethos onboard -- e.g. "Our public spaces are designed for the collective use of all passengers -- please be considerate and share!" People will inevitably still disagree about what constitutes appropriate "sharing" in different circumstances but perhaps reinforcing a norm of "sharing" (through small table signs? the Patters?) might at least make people think twice about whether they are affecting the enjoyment of fellow passengers, and work against the "land grab" mentality that seems to affect numerous areas of the ship.

Too idealistic?

We are just pulling into Juneau on the Ruby Princess. We didn't do Tracy Arm, and did Endicott instead. Saw a bear, Moose, Seal in Endicott, and a Killer Whale after leaving Endicott on the way to Juneau. Endicott was beautiful. Will post pictures later when we get back.

Many thank for the live report -- glad to hear the detour was a good one! I'll be going on the Ruby in a couple of weeks and am curious -- were the "scenic viewing" hours for Endicott Arm the same as those scheduled for Tracy Arm (i.e, 5-9 am)? And did you arrive in Juneau early or as scheduled?

We will have a similarly short stay in Seattle -- thanks to everyone for the great tips and to the OP for posting the question!

The quote function seems to be failing me at the moment

Lol, thanks for this comment -- I had the same problem yesterday but assumed it was due to user error!

Ok, peety3 is correct. Da Vinci had Traditional Enhanced Dining at 5:30pm, followed by Anytime Dining from 7:30-9:30pm. Except for Wed and Sat, which were Open Sitting from 5:30-9:00pm on Wed and 5:30-9:30pm on Sat.

 

Botticelli was either 5:30pm or 8:00pm, except for Open Sitting on Wed (5:30-9:00pm) and Sat (5:30-8:00pm).

 

Michelangelo was Anytime Dining daily from 5:30-9:30pm, except for Wed (6:30-9:30pm) and Sat (5:30-7:30pm).

Thanks for all of the clarifications Steenie -- very helpful!

Thanks so much for posting -- I'm heading out on the Ruby in just a couple of weeks, so the timing of your review is great!

Re: dining, can you explain a bit more about this comment: Dining, MDR: Only 2 traditional seating times, 5:30pm and 8:00pm, both in Botticelli. Wed and Sat are ALL open seating. By "all open seating" do you mean no pre-reserved seating times? no pre-reserved tables? no assigned dining room? all three? :) (We have Anytime Dining, btw, so I'm curious whether we could/should check out the Botticelli one of those evenings).

Re: Victoria -- A walk to Fisherman's Wharf was in our plans too, so I'm disappointed to hear it was closed (but appreciate the heads up). Was this shortly after the ship arrived in port, or did you head there later in the evening? I had been eyeing Barb's Fish 'n Chips for dinner and thought it was open until dark.

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

This may be a long shot but have you checked your airport destination? Maybe it is sitting in their stack of late luggage?

Or with the port and airport lost and found in Seattle? I would hope Princess would have already done that, but it might not hurt to check independently. Based on the photo you posted of your wife's EZ check tag, the only airport code listed on the tag is Seattle. And while it lists an AA flight number, I notice that it does not list a flight date (at least not one easily discernible to a lay person). I'm trying to think what might have happened to the bag if if the AA tag was never put on and it just had the EZ check tag. I'm assuming the bar code and number are internal to Princess, and that even if someone brought the bag to AA, it might not be so easy for them to match it to a passenger without the flight date. (And is there anything on the other side of the tag that would indicate this came from a Princess cruise?)

I can only imagine how frustrating this is, but am heartened by the reports of people who have eventually gotten reunited with their lost bags. Good luck!

The reference to "Evening Bistro" is only on the Ruby. On the Ruby's sisters, the Crown and Emerald, there is a reference to "Horizon Court Buffet and Bistro" so I would assume that is the evening "experience" in the Horizon Court or a copywriters flight of fancy [emoji15]

I assume this may be how Princess brands its dining-room-esque setup in the evenings inside of the Horizon Court buffet. We saw no specialty or stand alone venue on the Ruby named "Evening Bistro" on our Alaska cruise last week.

Thanks for your best guesses! "Buffet" and "Bistro" are terms I would normally describe as mutually exclusive; perhaps that's why the branding attempt has seemingly not caught on beyond the website . . . .

The link below lists dining options for all Princess ships. Just look for the Ruby.

 

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/food-and-dining/dining-options.pdf

 

.....

 

It doesn't make sense to generate a separate list for each ship.

While I'm not sure the job should be left up to other Cruise Critic posters, I actually think it would be extremely useful (at least to Princess newbies) if Princess itself were to generate such a ship-specific list. The list above is organized by restaurant type, and you have to read through all of them one-by-one and look at the small type to figure out whether a particular restaurant is actually on your ship. (And it's not so much fun to read about all the things I'm missing!) Or you could look at this list of restaurants on the Ruby, but without descriptions and if you haven't previously sailed Princess, it's not immediately clear exactly what's meant by names like "Horizon Court," "Cafe Caribe," or "Evening Bistro." (Unless you've spent a lot of time on Cruise Critic, of course. :D) Either way, you're either doing a lot circling or cross-referencing between two lists -- not impossible, but having both the names and descriptions of restaurants on your ship compiled on one list would certainly be easier if you're trying to figure out what your dining options will be onboard.

p.s. I'm also going to be on the Ruby later this summer and despite spending too much time on CC, have yet to figure out what or where the "Evening Bistro" is. Welcome any clarification . . .

Thanks all. I'm not actually stressed about this, just seeking information so we can be best prepared to enjoy the day, in the same way we're planning to bring appropriate footwear, raingear, etc. We're going ziplining in the morning, followed by several hours of hiking, with the small break in between the two activities. While I agree we're unlikely to starve to death between 7:30 and 2:00, I want to make sure we are appropriately fueled for a very active day. I researched and posted the regulation because I was curious about the basis for the "no food" rule that everyone mentions, and thought others might be as well. I can't get the quote feature to work here (now THAT's stressful, lol), but I am aware this is a foreign-flagged vessel. While that fact has other legal effects it does not appear to be the basis for this particular agricultural prohibition, which turns instead on whether the ship has recently been outside the United States, and if so whether it has since been adequately disinfected and certified in the presence of an inspector.

This remains a very useful thread; I could not find the answer elsewhere.

I get irritated (not so much with this problem) but with a small minority of the public making everyone else conform to their demands when the solution is so simple.

I am confused -- what are the demands and who is trying to get anyone to conform to them? The OP noted that Princess recently decided to reinstate name tags after an experimental absence. (No reason for the that absence specified, and no suggestion that they were removed due to complaints. On the contrary, complaints resulted in the return of the name tags.) A subsequent poster commented that they liked the tags. A third poster commented that they didn't like the tags. Someone then asked people to explain their reasoning. Personal opinions and preferences were expressed: some people like them, some don't and remove them, some are indifferent. I see no one having identified the practice as problem or demanding a "solution," just merely exchanging ideas and expressing personal views.

Thanks all for the information. I'm aware that food of any type will be restricted at various sites on shore; I'm just focused on the question of whether food from the ship can be taken off the ship while in Alaska.

Thank you VennDiagram for pointing me toward the USDA as the source of the rule. For others who may be interested, I think I found the applicable applicable rule and specific regulation, and they are complicated! This is my understanding in a nutshell:

-- both fresh food prepared on the ship and food waste are considered "garbage" (!);

-- in principle, garbage from the United States and Canada can be brought into the United States

-- one exception is that if your cruise ship has been in a foreign location other than Canada anytime during the past two years (which applies to my ship and probably many others), garbage (i.e., food) prepared on the ship is considered to be "regulated garbage," and subject to similar rules as would apply to garbage from other foreign countries

-- there is an exception to the exception: if an inspector certifies that your ship has been cleared of foreign garbage, and that it has been appropriately disinfected once in the United States, and your itinerary does not include any other foreign port stops (apart from Canada), its garbage is no longer "regulated garbage" and could be brought off the ship.

This is speculation on my part, but I am guessing that most major cruiselines (1) don't want to go through the hassle of the additional inspection and certification described above; and even if they do (2) it's logistically easier for them to apply one rule to all of their cruises -- ie. don't take food off the ship -- than to differentiate between foreign itineraries where this rule applies and US/Canadian itineraries where it may not. I will double-check my contract to see what if anything Princess actually says though.

In any event, for our own personal situation, I'm now thinking that since Ketchikan is our first port stop, and unless I find a better option near the pier, I will stock up on some packaged fresh food from Seattle (e.g. sandwiches in plastic wrap with a couple of days's shelf life), store them in our stateroom refrigerator, and bring them off the ship in Ketchikan -- along with a receipt showing they were purchased in Seattle, on the off chance anyone from the cruise ship inspects our bags and asks. If that happens, I'll report back how it goes!