First time cruising questions.

[kentona]

We are off on our first cruise in just over two weeks and now are starting to worry that we won’t make the most of the experience or fully understand the “Cruising Etiquette”

Tipping.

We thought that a small charge per person was added to our account per day and it gets paid at the end of the cruise along with all the other charges occurred.

It has been mentioned to me that on top of this you need to tip the waiter at the table as we are dining at a set time and also the cabin steward. Is this true? If it is do I need to get dollars in cash to do this?

Main Restaurant Menu.

Do you get to see the menu for the main restaurant in advance? If it is something that my wife or I don’t like, can we go to one of the other restaurants to eat our main meal? Do we need to tell anyone if we decide to eat at one of the other restaurants?

Arriving at Port.

Is there any announcement made before arriving at port so you can see the approach or is up to yourself to plan this through the itinerary?

Programmes.

Do you get a list/programme of all the activities, shows, carnivals etc. that are on whilst on board?

On board Info.

Is there a map and/or a list of places where you can and cannot eat, get ice-creams or what drinks are included in what is already paid for?

Thanking you in anticipation

[paul929207]

Tipping - If you leave the autotip, you do not need to tip the waiter or cabin steward any additional, unless you have received extra service.

Menu - Usually posted outside the MDR and buffet.

No announcement as you approach the port.

You will get a Princess Patter every day with program

[-Lew-]

Hello kentone and welcome to Cruise Critic. If you haven't already done so, you should join the Roll Call for your cruise where you'll meet others who are cruising with you.

 

Tipping: No obligation to tip in excess of the auto tip that will be added to your account daily. This will go to all who have provided direct and indirect service throughout your cruise. If you are so inclined to tip an additional amount in cash, you may certainly do so. US dollars is the currency used onboard; however, if you're cruising in Europe, Euros will be appreciated.

 

Main Restaurant Menu: The menu will be posted outside the dining rooms in advance. On some ships the dining room menus are also on display in Horizon Court.

 

Arriving in Port: Set your alarm since no announcement will be made as you're approaching port.

 

Programs: The Princess Patter, outlining events for the following day, will be delivered by your cabin steward the evening prior.

 

Onboard info: You be given a map of the ship at check-in...they're also available at the Purser's Desk. I believe the Cruise Answer Book, available on the Princess site, outlines included food items.

 

Enjoy your cruise...

 

Lew

[Pia1913]

 

 

 

 

 

Main Restaurant Menu.

 

 

Do you get to see the menu for the main restaurant in advance? If it is something that my wife or I don’t like, can we go to one of the other restaurants to eat our main meal? Do we need to tell anyone if we decide to eat at one of the other restaurants?

You can see the next day's menu by asking the headwaiter at the door. Or even your waiter. All restaurants will have the exact same menu, unless you go to those where you need to pay a surcharge; i.e. Sabitini's or Crown Grill. Of course you can always go to the buffet. If you decide to eat elsewhere and you are dining with others, whenever possible it would be nice to tell them in advance so that they don't wait for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On board Info.

 

 

Is there a map and/or a list of places where you can and cannot eat, get ice-creams or what drinks are included in what is already paid for?

 

 

 

 

There is really no place you cannot eat and those that have surcharges will be listed. No alcoholic beverages or sodas are included at any time, nor are specialty coffees or teas. Just read everything in your cabin; including the big black book. Everything you want to know will be completely spelled out for you.

[luvtravel88]

Also, If there is anything you need for your room, let you cabin steward know. We have always had wonderful stewards and they don't mind helping out.

Many feel the beds on Princess are hard. There are egg crates available for the top of the bed if you need one....ask your steward.

[soccerref]

The menus in the main dining rooms contain several choices for each course. There is also a permanent menu of plain cooked food like chicken breast and steak medallions from which you can make your choice. One of the many beauties of cruising is, if you don't like something, you tell your server and they will replace it with something else. You can also order more than 1 plate of items you like or add things together such as a dessert and icecream or a steak and vegetarian dish. Cruising is a fabulous oportunity to try different or unusual dishes without the pressure of knowing that you must pay for each item individually.

 

Have a great time and I don't think you will go hungry.

[Pam in CA]

You can always ask to look at the next night's dining room menu at dinner so you can see whether there's something you don't want to miss or decide you'd rather go to a specialty restaurant or the buffet instead.

 

If you are seated at a table with others and you decide not to eat in the dining room for dinner, you might want to let them or your waitstaff know ahead of time. While it's not required, they will wait 15-20 minutes for you until they're sure you're not coming before taking dinner orders.

 

The only announcement of the ship's arrival will be made when the ship is cleared by the local authorities for disembarkation. There are few announcements during the day except for the morning's activities summary by the CD, the Noon report by the Captain, and the afternoon's activities summary by the CD. There are occasionally special announcements such as crew drills or even emergencies but generally, passengers aren't blasted umpteen times during the day.

[tennisobo]

Try not to stress yourself about all the things you want to know ahead of time and remember when you get on the ship. Your first cruise is truly a voyage of discovery. You can't do it all or see it all. So, learn what you can here on C.C. and on your cruise remember to relax and have a good time.

 

Read the patter for dining options. Don't forget the International Cafe. This has been a great addition to Princess' ships.

 

Happy sailings!

[kentona]

Many thanks for all of your replies. It has been a great help and certainly set our minds at ease.

[Darcy15]

Hello

 

I have just returned from a cruise on Crown Princess. I travelled alone, and was really worried about all the 'etiquette' too. I thought I had made a really big mistake.

 

Well, let me assure you there is no need to worry at all!

 

I had a great time. The ship was just beautiful, the itinerary great, the organisation of everything faultless, and I just cannot praise the crew enough.

 

My cabin steward was incredibly sweet. He knew I was travelling solo and went out of his way to check I was ok - but in such a quiet, gentle and unobtrusive way.

 

You will not go hungry! The choice of food is amazing in my opinion. I had room service breakfast, which was very nice. There are all sorts of places to eat onboard, and as someone has said there is a book in your cabin explaining lots of things about the ship as well as eating options. The daily newsletter is delivered to you each evening and lists all the activities going on.

 

You might enjoy the pub lunch, which happens most days. The afternoon tea is also lovely.

 

I really enjoyed sitting in the piazza area listening to music and drinking coffee! If you like lattes and such, the purchase of a 'coffee card' is a good idea.

 

If you have any other specific questions, please ask!

 

You will have a great time:):)

[flashdog_1]

Hello

 

You might enjoy the pub lunch, which happens most days. The afternoon tea is also lovely.

 

I really enjoyed sitting in the piazza area listening to music and drinking coffee! If you like lattes and such, the purchase of a 'coffee card' is a good idea.

 

If you have any other specific questions, please ask!

 

You will have a great time:):)

 

Thanks for your comments/suggestions. Although the upcoming cruise is not our first, it IS our first on Princess and you've covered some of our questions already.

 

Where is the pub lunch offered? Thanks

[skid71]

Thanks for your comments/suggestions. Although the upcoming cruise is not our first, it IS our first on Princess and you've covered some of our questions already.

 

Where is the pub lunch offered? Thanks

 

Phyllis,

I believe it is served at the Wheelhouse.

[Darcy15]

On the Crown, the pub lunch was in the Wheelhouse Bar. I believe the location varies from ship to ship - but this is listed each day in the newsletter.

 

As a Brit I did have to smile at some of the 'British pub fare' on offer :). Chicken curry and mashed potato is a new one to me!!! One afternoon tea I think they must have run out of jam as marmalade was served with the scones - I thought that was just so funny:D Beautifully served though, and a lovely cup of tea.

[kentona]

Actually the comment about purchasing a "coffee card" has made me think of another question.

 

I have seen this mentioned on other topics and have come to the conclusion that this is for "speciality coffees" I'm not sure if that is correct.

Whilst my wife drinks latte's. So could be an advantage getting one for her I only drink Tea.

Would I need to purchase a card to get Tea during the cruise?

Or if I did need a card for the Tea could we use the same coffee card, providing we ordered at different times.

[flashdog_1]

On the Crown, the pub lunch was in the Wheelhouse Bar. I believe the location varies from ship to ship - but this is listed each day in the newsletter.

 

As a Brit I did have to smile at some of the 'British pub fare' on offer :). Chicken curry and mashed potato is a new one to me!!! One afternoon tea I think they must have run out of jam as marmalade was served with the scones - I thought that was just so funny:D Beautifully served though, and a lovely cup of tea.

 

 

Thanks. So no steak and kidney pie I presume. Fish n chips? ha

[FawnRiver]

Actually the comment about purchasing a "coffee card" has made me think of another question.

 

I have seen this mentioned on other topics and have come to the conclusion that this is for "speciality coffees" I'm not sure if that is correct.

Whilst my wife drinks latte's. So could be an advantage getting one for her I only drink Tea.

Would I need to purchase a card to get Tea during the cruise?

Or if I did need a card for the Tea could we use the same coffee card, providing we ordered at different times.

The coffee card is good for specialty coffees - DH uses his for cappucinos after dinner in the MDR and for brewed coffee at the International Cafe. The card gets punched for specialty coffees and specialty teas, but not for the brewed coffee, it just needs to still have punches available on it. The regular coffee is free, but its syrup based, which DH hates. I'm a tea drinker too, so it doesn't affect me. If there is a 2 for 1 sale on the card, I'd highly recommend buying it. DH bought his on our first cruise and just started the second card before we disembarked on the second cruise. The cards are good on all Princess ships. You don't need to have separate cards since its a punch card, unlike the soda card.

[Pia1913]

Actually the comment about purchasing a "coffee card" has made me think of another question.

 

I have seen this mentioned on other topics and have come to the conclusion that this is for "speciality coffees" I'm not sure if that is correct.

 

Whilst my wife drinks latte's. So could be an advantage getting one for her I only drink Tea.

 

Would I need to purchase a card to get Tea during the cruise?

 

Or if I did need a card for the Tea could we use the same coffee card, providing we ordered at different times.

 

Tea is free; everywhere. Lipton's, Bigelow, etc. For Revolution tea, that is also unlimited if you have a card. No punch at all. If you both use the same card and she gets a punchable drink, you may or may not get your tea gratis. Depends of who is behind the counter. We each have our own cards so never run into that problem.

[caribill]

We are off on our first cruise in just over two weeks and now are starting to worry that we won’t make the most of the experience or fully understand the “Cruising Etiquette”

 

 

 

Tipping.

 

 

We thought that a small charge per person was added to our account per day and it gets paid at the end of the cruise along with all the other charges occurred. A charge of 11.50/day/person will be added to your onboard account ($12.00 if in a mini-suite or suite). This covers tips for your cabin steward, restaurant waitstaff, servers in the buffet, room service personnel, etc. If does not cover beverage purchases which will have 15% added automatically to them.

 

 

 

It has been mentioned to me that on top of this you need to tip the waiter at the table as we are dining at a set time and also the cabin steward. Is this true? If it is do I need to get dollars in cash to do this? If you receive service that you believe is extra special, you may want to tip the restaurant waitstaff or your cabin steward extra. However, you do not need to do this. If you are cruising in the western hemisphere, US $$ would be good to use. If you are cruising in Europe, the Euro would be a good choice as the staff can use it better than US $$ there.

 

 

 

Main Restaurant Menu.

 

 

Do you get to see the menu for the main restaurant in advance? If it is something that my wife or I don’t like, can we go to one of the other restaurants to eat our main meal? Do we need to tell anyone if we decide to eat at one of the other restaurants? The dinner menu for the traditional (fixed seating times) and anytime dining rooms is posted outside each dining room, usually starting late the previous evening (same menu and dress code in all of these). As others have posted, it may also be displayed near the buffet area. You can choose to eat elsewhere any eveningt you wish. If you have been assigned to traditional fixed time dining, it is good to let either people at your table or the waitstaff know if you will not be there so they will not wait for you. Note: if you are assigned to traditional dining, then you should not eat in one of the anytime dining rooms.

 

 

 

Arriving at Port.

 

 

Is there any announcement made before arriving at port so you can see the approach or is up to yourself to plan this through the itinerary? The port arrival times will be listed in the daily newsletter called the Patter. This is delivered to your cabin each eveving. No verbal announcement is made that this is occuring.

 

 

 

Programmes.

 

 

Do you get a list/programme of all the activities, shows, carnivals etc. that are on whilst on board? The daily newsletter is called the Patter. There will be one for embarkation day in your cabin when you first get there. Each evening, usually around 9 PM, the next day's Patter will be delivered to your cabin. The Patter lists the daily schedule of activities, entertainment, special meal themes (example: German buffet at lunch time), and offers from the shops on board.

 

 

 

On board Info.

 

 

Is there a map and/or a list of places where you can and cannot eat, get ice-creams or what drinks are included in what is already paid for? You will be given a schematic of the ship when you check in. This will show in general where things are located (deck and forward, center, aft). It does not indicate what foods and drinks are included or not. All food in the main restaurants, the buffet, and the International Cafe is with no extra charge. Also, softserve ice cream, Pizza, hambergers, etc. on the pool deck is also at no charge. No charge for the Pub Lunch and the Afternoon Tea. Room service food is also at no charge except for party platters and a $3 charge for a delivery. Milk, tea, coffee (made from syrup, not fresh brewed) is at no charge. No charge for juice at breakfast time, but a charge at other times. There is a charge for bottled weater. soda, alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees, fresh-brewed coffee. There is a charge for the specialty restaurants (Sabatini's and the steak house), the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast, and the Chef's Table.

 

 

 

Thanking you in anticipation

 

Hope the above helps.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We are off on our first cruise in just over two weeks and now are starting to worry that we won’t make the most of the experience or fully understand the “Cruising Etiquette”

Tipping.

We thought that a small charge per person was added to our account per day and it gets paid at the end of the cruise along with all the other charges occurred.

It has been mentioned to me that on top of this you need to tip the waiter at the table as we are dining at a set time and also the cabin steward. Is this true? If it is do I need to get dollars in cash to do this?

Main Restaurant Menu.

Do you get to see the menu for the main restaurant in advance? If it is something that my wife or I don’t like, can we go to one of the other restaurants to eat our main meal? Do we need to tell anyone if we decide to eat at one of the other restaurants?

Arriving at Port.

Is there any announcement made before arriving at port so you can see the approach or is up to yourself to plan this through the itinerary?

Programmes.

Do you get a list/programme of all the activities, shows, carnivals etc. that are on whilst on board?

On board Info.

Is there a map and/or a list of places where you can and cannot eat, get ice-creams or what drinks are included in what is already paid for?

Thanking you in anticipation

 

Actually the comment about purchasing a "coffee card" has made me think of another question.

 

I have seen this mentioned on other topics and have come to the conclusion that this is for "speciality coffees" I'm not sure if that is correct.

 

Whilst my wife drinks latte's. So could be an advantage getting one for her I only drink Tea.

 

Would I need to purchase a card to get Tea during the cruise?

 

Or if I did need a card for the Tea could we use the same coffee card, providing we ordered at different times.

 

Don't know if anyone has mentioned, but in the afternoon, there will be tea served in one of the dining rooms. Just check the Patters -- it's usually around 3:30 or 4.

 

Sometimes you will be handed a tiny little map of the ship when you first board. There's also diagrams by each bank of elevators.

 

In your cabin, there will be a little binder that should have info about the different dining options and other helpful info. But some first day Patters will also have a run down of this info as well as a summary of the entertainment (the shows, etc.). The first day Patters will be in your cabin when you first board, and as others have said, each night another one will be left on your bed during the turndown service or put in the little inbox that's outside your cabin door. You'll want to check the afternoon schedule as there will be a mandatory muster drill the first afternoon, usually right before sailaway. Princess holds these in the indoor muster stations -- yours will be listed on the diagram that will be on the back side of your cabin door.

 

We keep on the autotips and then decide on the last day if we're giving extra tips (usually to the cabin steward, waitstaff if they do a great job, as well as the kids' group counselors). You can also note down the name of any crew members that have done something for you and get a "Made a Difference" card at the passenger services desk. All you need is the employee's name, their work station (ie. Wheelhouse Bar), and their country -- you can get this info from their name tag. These will go into the employee's personnel file and could help them at promotion or raise consideration time.

 

The next day's menus for lunch and dinner in the dining rooms will be placed in a display outside the dining rooms. Usually just one of the dining rooms is open for lunch (open seating), along with the Horizon Court (the buffet), the pool side grill and pizzeria. Also, many of the ships now have the International Cafe in the Piazza. It's not a sit down restaurant, but a display with sandwiches, desserts, coffees. You get your plates and then find a place to sit nearby (if you can find an available chair) or you can take the food elsewhere such as your cabin or outside by the pools. The only charge(s) at the IC are for coffee and gelato (only some of them have this -- I know the Golden didn't). I think my teen found this to be her favorite thing about our December cruise.

 

These are also the options for December in addition to whatever your dining assignment per your cabin card. We had anytime dining for the first time in December and didn't care for it, but some others prefer it. Usually a couple of dining rooms have this. If you have traditional, you'll be assigned to early or late seating and given a table number. But if you decide to skip the regular seating, you can always go to the Horizon or one of the other options (just not anytime dining room as that wouldn't be fair to those waiting for a table). If you can, just let the head waiter know you won't be making the seating. In additon, you can eat for a cover charge at one of the specialty restaurants. so lots of choices. The menus each night are the same for traditional or anytime dining rooms (there will be a different menu every night, though). Sabinitini's have the same menu all the time as far as I know.

 

Ice cream is available in the main dining rooms at lunch and dinner (all sorts of interesting flavors), and basic flavors are at the outdoors ice cream stand (I think there are sundaes for a cost there).

 

On the first day, you can purchase any coffee cards, soda cards (for fountain drinks such as Coke), an ultimate drink card (for smoothies and fancier non-alcoholic drinks). I bring on my own supply of Mountain Dew and Sobe drinks as I prefer these to Coke products. Since every cabin has a mini-fridge, we can count on having cold drinks.

 

You probably won't hear any announcement about arrival in ports aside from the PA that will be sounded -- but only heard outside your cabin. The only time we heard an announcement about a port inside our cabin was a couple of cruises ago when the Captain decided it wasn't safe to tender in to the port. But you can put on the Navigation channel on the in-cabin TV and see how close you are to each port (also weather conditions, etc.). The bridge cam channel will also give you a view of ports upon arrival.

 

The daily Patters for port days will have important info about what time to be back onboard -- always double check your watch against ship's time and keep the Patters with you in port to make sure you're back in time. This is usually a half hour before sailaway.

 

Oh, don't expect any "carnivals" upon Princess. There will be production shows in the Princess Theater and other venues, trivia matches galore, game shows (such as the Newlywed game), talent shows. If someone is bored on a Princess ship, they are extremely hard to please.

[KruzPrincess]

I think everyone has covered your questions well. I may have missed it when I read over the answers, but I wanted to mention that many people bring cash along to tip the room service waiters extra. They are certainly covered by the auto-tip, but I usually bring a bunch of dollars along to trip room service. It's up to you if you'd like to do that. I usually leave extra for my cabin steward and or dining room staff at the end of the cruise if they've provided really good service.

[mcduck]

We are considering booking our first Princess cruise after 4 cruises on HAL's nursing homes (we are only in our mid 50's) and also have a couple of questions that we were wondering about.

 

1. Does Princess supply housecoats? They do not seem to be mentioned in the brochure, and HAL always supplies them, which saves suitcase room.

 

2. Are the shows in the Princess Theatre repeated each night? The shows on HAL were at 8 PM and 10 PM each night, so you could decide when to go based on your assigned dinner time.

 

3. Are the MUTS screened more than once an evening, and are you forced to choose between MUTS and the Princess Theatre rather than being able to do both?

 

3. We will most likely try any time dining for the first time as Princess seems to have invented the concept. We usually eat early and prefer a table for 2 - is it hard to get a table of two around 6 PM?

 

4. From what we have read on this board, it seems that on disembarkation day that Princess requires passengers to vacate their cabins on the last day and then wait in the common areas rather than being able to stay in their cabins until thier colour/number is called. Is this correct? HAL lets you stay in your cabin.

 

5. The reviews for the Emerald do not seem to be that positive - should we be concerned?

 

Thanks for your help. This board has been very informative.

 

McDuck

[caribill]

We are considering booking our first Princess cruise after 4 cruises on HAL's nursing homes (we are only in our mid 50's) and also have a couple of questions that we were wondering about.

 

1. Does Princess supply housecoats? They do not seem to be mentioned in the brochure, and HAL always supplies them, which saves suitcase room. If you mean bathrobes, the answer is yes. Just ask your cabin steward for them.

 

2. Are the shows in the Princess Theatre repeated each night? The shows on HAL were at 8 PM and 10 PM each night, so you could decide when to go based on your assigned dinner time. Yes and sometimes a third showing the next evening.

 

3. Are the MUTS screened more than once an evening, and are you forced to choose between MUTS and the Princess Theatre rather than being able to do both? The evening movie on MUTS will usually be shown two or three times, depending on the length of the movie. If a concert is being shown, it may only be shown one time that evening.

 

3. We will most likely try any time dining for the first time as Princess seems to have invented the concept. We usually eat early and prefer a table for 2 - is it hard to get a table of two around 6 PM? This can vary on each cruise by what passengers like to do. You may have a short wait some evenings.

 

4. From what we have read on this board, it seems that on disembarkation day that Princess requires passengers to vacate their cabins on the last day and then wait in the common areas rather than being able to stay in their cabins until thier colour/number is called. Is this correct? HAL lets you stay in your cabin. One benefit of Princess is that your cabin will be ready when you board on embarkation day so you can immediately drop off your carryons. Princess can do this because they ask you to vacate your cabin on disembarkation day by around 8 AM. I suspect on HAL your cabin may not be ready if you board close to when boarding starts.

 

5. The reviews for the Emerald do not seem to be that positive - should we be concerned? No

 

Thanks for your help. This board has been very informative.

 

McDuck

 

see above

[mcduck]

Thanks Caribill - much appreciated.

 

We have learned a lot from the Princess board, and there seems to be much less flaming of posters than on HAL. Looking forward to boarding the Emerald in January.

 

McDuck