Tips

[first-time-with-kids]

Just lots of good tips please...

[calikak]

You might need to be a little more specific to get many responses. Are you already booked, or still trying to decide on a particular sailing/cabin type/etc.?

[first-time-with-kids]

You might need to be a little more specific to get many responses. Are you already booked, or still trying to decide on a particular sailing/cabin type/etc.?

 

Hi

 

Booked, off in 10 weeks, 2 kids, no idea what to do to make sure we make the most of anything. Thought people would have their own ideas of what they always do to beat the crowd?

[calikak]

Ice cream in the buffet in the afternoon (check the patter for the time) would be a big tip to people with kids, since it's free there but you have to pay for it at the ice cream stand by the pool. Then again, I like to eat. :)

 

There's an ongoing debate about whether it's best to show up at the pier early and be the first one on the ship (and first at the buffet, the bar, the dining room to make reservations if you have personal choice dining, etc.) or to wait until later to avoid the crowds. I prefer getting on early, because it means my vacation can start earlier, and because then I get my choice of spa appointment times, but that's just me.

[first-time-with-kids]

Thanks.

 

We are staying overnight in Southampton and they say boarding starts at 12 so we might as well be there. Would you say be there before then?

 

We have booked fixed dining as we thought, well, we can always change that and the kids might not always eat with us anyway.

 

What about shows? Do they get over-booked, ought we to make a bee-line for the bookings early on to get some dates in or doesn't it work like that?

 

Are drinks very expensive? This is a once in a lifetime for us and we have stretched to do this so if they are ott we will be on the kids' cards!

 

Cheers bud.

 

Nick

[fllcruiser]

The shows are free just check your daily Princess Patters for time and place.

[first-time-with-kids]

Do you need to book them though, or just turn up?

[calikak]

We're sailing out of Southampton on May 22 (are you on our sailing?) and we're planning to get there around 11 or 11:30 (depending on traffic from London) so we can be on the ship bright and early and stuffing our faces at the buffet. :D Usually they open the ship for boarding as soon as it's cleaned from its last sailing (folks will be getting off the ship from the previous sailing that morning, so they do a quick turn-around and then let on the next set of passengers) so it might be open before 12, or it might open right at 12.

 

Often the stage shows fill up so it's good to get there early to get a seat, but they don't do like a ticket/prereservation thing for the stage shows. For Movies Under the Stars (outdoor movie theater available on a couple of ships and rumored to be added to the Golden Princess for the Europe season), I hear you have to get tickets to see the movies at night, but I'm not all that familiar with the system.

 

The Princess Patter (a daily newsletter that appears at your cabin door every evening) will list the times of everything happening on the ship. It's a good idea to sit down with it and the family and decide what looks like fun, then you can schedule your day.

 

Alcoholic drinks are about the same as they would be on land. Coke is more than it is in the US (I think it's $2 a can on the ship, usually less on land). You can bring aboard as much wine and soda as you want and store it in your room if you're looking to save money, we often do this. Regular coffee & tea are free all day, and juice is free in the buffet at breakfast. The soda card that they sell (pay one fee up front for all the drinks you can drink) is usually a good deal especially if you have kids or a soda-loving husband like I do.

 

Traditional dining will be easy for you, you'll just show up at your dining room at the same night each night, no need for appointments. Hopefully you'll come to adore your table's waiter by the end of the cruise, and probably he/she will come to know exactly what you like for dinner. I am a big fan of traditional dining. :D

 

Be sure to be outside on deck when the ship sails away, it's a really magical feeling, even if it's not your first cruise!

 

If you haven't already, go over to the Roll Call section of this board and see if there's one for your sailing, and you might find other Cruise Critic folks setting up independent tours or swapping suggestions or just making friends. We've booked three different tours that way and are saving ourselves a bundle of money over the Princess-organized tours. And there are some really nice people on our roll call that I can hardly wait to meet in person! :)

[Kaye from Chicagoland]

No - you don't book the shows, but show up about 20 min. early if you want good seats (together). Children are not allowed to sit in the first three rows for safety reasons.

[first-time-with-kids]

Thanks both of you, that's really helpful.

 

We are on Sea Princess to Western Med on 4 June. You sound American, we are British from Manchester.

 

I was surprised what you said about taking booze on board, I thought it was taboo and monitored and at ports you are even checked when you come onboard.

 

You blinking got me excited now!!!

[calikak]

Well, you're not supposed to bring hard alcohol on board, just wine, but you'll read many threads on this board about how to smuggle booze on board. The other tip is to call room service and order a bottle of your favorite hard alcohol and they will deliver it to your room, so you can mix your own drinks. It's usualy about $20 for a litre of Absolut, so you can save money that way. Just don't forget to bring your favorite mixers onboard with you! Also, there's usually a drink of the day that is less expensive than other drinks, so that's another way to cut your costs.

 

Sea Princess is supposed to have Movies Under the Stars when you're on it, I'm sure your kids will love it.

 

Yes, I'm American, you can tell from my blatant disregard for proper punctuation and frequent use of smiley faces. :) We are from the Seattle area, and yes, I am drinking a beverage from Starbucks as we speak. :D

[first-time-with-kids]

What on earth is Absolut?

 

Do you think there will be many Americans on the Sea Princess out of Southampton in June. Hope so, just love those checked trousers but not so the apparently obligatory beige shorts. Have a few Yank mates so should be fun.

 

Found the roll call but can;t see how to post on it, will have another look.

 

What's your name?

 

Nick

[Kaye from Chicagoland]

Absolut is a pretty good vodka. I usually order it ahead of time from the Princess website as a gift to myself so it is waiting in the room when we arrive. There is an abundance of choices for hard liquor to order at a reasonable enough price, if you don't want to smuggle.

[first-time-with-kids]

Smuggling sounds fun.

 

Bed now - take care!

[calikak]

Don't they have Absolut in the UK?

 

Yes, beige shorts are obligatory, particularly in American suburbs. I actually own three pair, plus a pair of olive shorts. :) Unfortunately, most of us have given up checkered pants, except for the few people still wearing Zubaz trousers (http://www.bestforminc.com/baggy-pants.cfm). There will probably be tons of Yanks on the ship with you, I think Americans usually make up about 1/2 the passengers on Princess' European sailings.

 

You should be able to post on your roll call the same as you would here.

[merela]

Do check the family cruising board for information about cruising with kids. Not sure what your kids' ages are, but sign them up for kids' club the first day you board. Check the Princess patters in your room. They may even have the Kids' patters in your room already.

 

You and your family will have lots of fun on this ship.

[first-time-with-kids]

Thanks for the help all.

[chefajax]

Hello,

Brought my kids for the first time awhile back. After the second day, they prefered to stay in the kid's program then spend the time with us.So no worries there.

Adding to the poster's above. Try ordering your alcohol ahead of time online. Saves you alittle for other stuff. Afternoon Tea (3:30) and Trivial Pursuit, the British version (around 11:30 am) is fun.....Dennis

[first-time-with-kids]

Cheers.

 

Afternoon tea, what's all that about? I know I'm English but who does that???

 

Whilst you Yanks can do stuff online it's not available to us in the UK. Strange, but true.

 

Nick

[busybusybusy]

Don't be surprised if your kids don't want to spend any time with you. My 11 year old son met several kids (mostly British!) last summer on our Caribbean cruise and, other than the excursions, I never saw him. He would eat with us and dash. We had the later seating, and I was sorry because his new friends all had the early. On 2 nights the kids ate together, which was heavenly. My kids are good, don't get me wrong, but it was nice not to have to worry about anyone else. Also, one of the nights they painted their faces in the kids club. The black and red paint was a bear to get off of his face, not to mention his hair and the tub! (The steward certainly earned his tip the next morning :o ). Have a great time - I am jealous!

[first-time-with-kids]

Thanks person from NJ. Tink we will switch to early sitting and take it from there, good advice.

 

PS I did 3 years summer camps in Milford NJ when I was a student!

[Princess Di]

Please do not forget to tip for the children also. $10 per day, per person, is added to your shipboard account for tips to the Dining Rooms and Cabin Steward personnel. :D

You will see how hard the crew works to make us happy. I Always give extra tips, as well. :cool:

[first-time-with-kids]

Please do not forget to tip for the children also. $10 per day, per person, is added to your shipboard account for tips to the Dining Rooms and Cabin Steward personnel. :D

You will see how hard the crew works to make us happy. I Always give extra tips, as well. :cool:

 

We have to tip for the kids too? OMG...

[calikak]

Once you see how the waiters in the dining room pamper your kids, you'll feel like the tips are worth it. :) But, if the unthinkable happens and you have a bad waiter, you can always take them off your bill, just go to the purser's desk and ask to have them taken off. We've always felt like the tips were warranted, but then, Americans tip a lot more than Europeans do.

 

I haven't had tea onboard yet, but since we have late dinner on our next cruise, we might do tea instead of lunch, so we're not so hungry waiting for that late dinner.

[first-time-with-kids]

Once you see how the waiters in the dining room pamper your kids, you'll feel like the tips are worth it. :) But, if the unthinkable happens and you have a bad waiter, you can always take them off your bill, just go to the purser's desk and ask to have them taken off. We've always felt like the tips were warranted, but then, Americans tip a lot more than Europeans do.

 

I haven't had tea onboard yet, but since we have late dinner on our next cruise, we might do tea instead of lunch, so we're not so hungry waiting for that late dinner.

 

I think you tip more as your system is set up for that - low pay and tips - ours is low pay and no tips but I think not as low maybe. We'll see eh.