cruzysuzy

I am a huge fan of the convenience of the International Café.  The Island Princess does not have one so it's a no go for me.

I would really like to take the plunge and move from Princess to Holland America.  Most of what I've read is right down my alley.  But one thing is giving me pause.  On another forum a poster stated that HAL has eliminated a number of their enrichment programs from what they used to be.

Enrichment programs are a real source of enjoyment to me. I don't do 'deck toys' and am a moderate drinker.  Yes, music is nice but I need to keep my brain going.  What is everyone's current experience on this issue?

On 12/1/2022 at 12:02 PM, Tedferg said:

Just curious, what do you use internet for on a cruise? I use it a lot at home but on a cruise, apart from occasional check of email. I see no purpose. I can always check email in port.

DH and I use it to keep in touch with my MIL's nursing home and the cat sitter.

3 hours ago, Wishing on a star said:

We were on the Regal Dec. 2019.  Food was good!  Not outstanding, but good.

The time before that, on the Regal, with a different person in charge of all food and dining, was NOT good.

 

It's been my theory that the head chef of each ship is meddling too much with the dishes.  If I were running Princess I would have a master chef at Princess headquarters determining which and how dishes are to be prepared with leeway to tweak them if it is determined they are not being well received by cruisers.  Then the head chef of each ship must be rigorously trained in duplicating what the master chef has determined and be responsible for training the staff to do the same.

As a customer I prefer quality control over some individual's sense of 'artistry'.

17 hours ago, SiliconCruiser said:

But it was one of their 'regulars' in the everyday menu.

 

True, it used to be every night. 

They did have creme brulee occasionally but in other flavors that didn't appeal to me.  The original vanilla was great.

Creme brulee was my favorite until Princess, in their infinite wisdom, stripped it from the menu.  In fact my cruise on the Grand Princess in June of this year had the worst food of all of my thirteen Princess cruises.   My previous cruise on the Regal in December of 2019 had great food and plenty of creme brulee.

Word on the street is that Princess knows this and it will be interesting if they may a course correction.

I hadn't sailed on Princess since 2019 (Regal).  I sailed on the Grand in early June of this year.  In addition to the menus changing, I could not believe how the quality of the food had gone downhill.  Food was consistently good on my previous 13 voyages so this was a big disappointment.

Thanks for the tips!

DH and I will be heading to Alaska at the end of May for a Connoisseur Cruise Tour from Anchorage to McKinley, Denali and Copper River, followed by a cruise from Whittier to Vancouver.

Does anyone have any hints/tips for the cruise tour portion?  This is the first time we've gone inland in Alaska.

Thanks for responding.  We've done a one-way car rental in the past but am not sure if car rentals are going to be as easily available as they once were.  I went to the Quickshuttle site but am not thrilled by the departure times and the limitation to one bag per person.

I want to look into what Princess is offering but don't know where to look on its website.  Any clues?

I saw a response on a YouTube channel that Princess offered a shuttle between Seattle and Vancouver and the reverse.  Does anyone know about this?  Cost?  How to sign up?  I am looking to get off the boat in Vancouver (from a cruise tour starting in Anchorage) and flying home out of Seattle.

I did my own reservation for that one extra day so I guess I will contact Princess.

Thanks!

I received paperwork that we would be picked up and taken to the Hotel Captain Cook from the airport the day before the train leaves for Denali.  Our plan is to arrive in Anchorage a day earlier and stay an extra night at the Captain Cook.  Does anyone know if we can still be picked up at the airport if it is a day earlier and we will be staying at the same hotel?

Our plans are to fly from Seattle to Anchorage for a cruise tour and then cruise to Vancouver and drive a rental back to Seattle in early June.  Will we be required to take a covid test before docking in Vancouver and would there be a problem in renting an auto to cross the border?  I'm not even sure if Princess will stop in Vancouver as it may sail on to Seattle saving us one headache.

1 hour ago, Shelly97060 said:

To the OP - when you say you rescheduled your original trip was that using a FCC from a voyage Princess cancelled or a cruise you cancelled and later rebooked?   If no FCC is involved, and you haven’t made final payment yet, then you would be in the cash refund zone ( minus any non- refundable deposit if yours was non-refundable).  
 

Your booking confirmation should provide information regarding when final payment is due and the penalty dates and percent of fare for cancellation. Your TA or Princess can also review your booking and let you know any penalties you will have relative to cancelling. 

 

Your cruise sails after the Book with Confidence period ends (April 30, 2022), so if you decide to cancel after final payment then standard penalties would apply unless Princess extends Book with Confidence. If you have Princess Vacation Protection that coverage provides “cancel for any reason” ( platinum level is 100% as a FCC).  Here is a link to Princess cancellation policy and FAQ.
 

https://www.princess.com/plan/standard-cancellation-refund-policy/

Thank you for a very clear answer!

DH and I missed celebrating our 30th anniversary last year on a dream cruisetour in Alaska.  We are rescheduled for late May-June of this year but I'm getting cold feet about cruising.  Because of missed cruises we upgraded to a full suite on the sea portion and still have to finish paying the difference off three months prior.  

I've watched some videos and read some post about quarantine.  The idea of investing a lot of money in a once in a lifetime cruise and getting stuck in an inferior (and interior room as I am claustrophobic) is not palatable.  I've have never tested positive for covid but that does not mean that I may have had it and was asymptomatic.  I am vaxxed (and concerned about the number of vaxxed still getting covid) but that does not mean that I cannot test positive at any point and get thrown into quarantine.  If Princess still requires testing in May, I could get caught up in this.

My question is about the refund.  Will they refund the full amount invested or try to force 'future cruise credit'?  As long as variants keep spinning out, the future of cruising looks iffy.

Doesn't anyone remember the ship security camera's film in which he sticks his head out the window first and then grabs and dangles his step granddaughter out the window?  This civil lawsuit is sheer extortion.  His lies are to appease the family, giving them a windfall in return for his actions.

RCI had better not back down on this one or it will never end.  I'm sure the parents saw the film, too, and they deserve nothing but scorn for blaming it on the cruise line.

I have an Alaska Cruisetour that starts before May 14, 2021 but the cruise portion starts after May 14.  Any idea how this will be handled?

Booked for January 2021 on a 4 day to Princess Cay.  I retired from medical lab testing and was exposed to all sorts of bad bugs which may have built up my immunity.  So far, not a sign of c-virus.  Of course, I could get unlucky...

Just got off the phone with Princess.  Onboard Credit (OBC) cannot be used for any land portion of a cruise.  It cannot be used for any pre-boarding excursion but can be use used for 'disembarkation' excursions.

Future Cruise Credits (FCC) can either be used against the initial payment/deposit on a future cruise or to lower the amount of the final payment on an already booked cruise.  Consult your travel agent (or Princess, if applicable) when making a final payment to notify them to use the FCC to lower the amount.

I have booked an Alaskan cruise tour for next year (fingers crossed) and have accrued a lot of cruise credits.  I just want to make sure those credits are good for the Alaska land portion excursions sold by Princess.  TIA.

Don't mind the traffic.  Some of the dishes seemed interesting and I'm a sucker for French/French inspired food.

I knew about the additional charge for an entree at other venues but find it hard to believe that Princess would break tradition and charge for sides.  Who knows? 🙄

Fingers crossed we will be on a short cruise on the Sky next year.  I was looking at the menu of the Bistro and wonder if I am missing something.  The dinner menu seems to indicate that it is only a three course meal - appetizer or soup or salad/entree/dessert.  Is this correct?  I usually get an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert (at least I have at Sabatini's and Crown Grill).  But the menu has 'choose one' in parenthesis above the choices.

Thanks for the replies.  Right now, we're thinking either rafting or something to do with the Wrangell St. Elias National Park.

Finally, DH and I booked our dream Alaska Cruisetour for late May 2021- Anchorage (1 day), McKinley (1 day), Denali (2 days), Copper River (2 days) and then onto the ship.  I've done my CruiseCritic searches but can can't seem to find many opinions on the excursions available at Copper River.  Can anyone suggest good ones or point out ones that are not as worthy?