Changes on Princess

[Princess Patches]

Leaving on Emerald on Nov 7 for 10-day. I always bring home Patters. Even xtra ones for scrapping. Can you walk me through how to post them? Do I have to scan them (may be a challenge!) or do I take pictures and post them?:confused:

 

Yes, great. Please do.

[billco]

I have re-read Vikie's blog and do not find any evening where there was a second featured performer. If there was a show other than in the Princess Theater, the Princess Theater had a movie that night.

 

Yes, there were the various Princess bands performing elsewhere on the ship, but no 2nd show with a featured comedian, singer, magician, or other talent.

 

I may have missed a second show in my re-read of the blog, so I would be interested if you can point me in the direction of an entry which lists a second show.

We sailed on the Star 10 day Mexico cruise. The production shows were often followed by a short 10-15 minute show featuring dancers or a juggler in the Piazza. But, I don't recall a second show in the Explorer Lounge like they use to do.

[PeteC22]

I just looked over a 14 day trip on the Star from last Nov and a 10 day from last April on the Emerald. On these ships although they still had not gone to the abbreviated shows (3 per night in the show lounge) they were shortened significantly form previous trips. There were many missing numbers in all the shows. I suspect it was a trial for what's to come this season.

On most nights there was only 1 main show per evening in the show lounge and a few times (1 or 2 per trip) there was a second show offered BUT if you caught both in the same evening there was nothing at all to see the next night, unless you call an evening with a big band entertainment. :(

I really think Princess has it all planned out to drive people to the casino or one of the bars to increase liquor sales.

[antsp]

The thinking behind the reduced entertaiment is all about revenue, speaking to a guest comedian on the crown recently, the talk is to keep passengers out of the loungers and theater and in the atrium around the revenue points. He made a comment about some shows moving out of Explorers lounge into the Atrium, few nights later Princess passenger feud was held in the Atrium. This person had come on board for 24 days and was doing only 2 of his own shows and 2 shared shows, both cut in time too. He used to do q and a in Club fusion late at night, now gone replaced with nothing. I used to have a massive loyalty to Princess but the more i sail and the more i read on cc the more i dread whats going to be ruined next. Hopefully my Golden P sailing in March will give me a boost but after the Crown in August a low point with Princess, it may be time to leave Princess or cruising for a time.

[caribill]

A few nights later Princess passenger feud was held in the Atrium.

 

I enjoy activities such as this when I can sit down and watch in a lounge. I will not stand at a railing in the atrium for 30-45 minutes to watch this or any other similar activity.

[LunaSeaRetreat]

Thanks for all the replies. We're not smokers so this is an advantage for us. Glad to see there are no major changes mentioned, didn't think there would be but you never no.

 

Have they introduced any wine packages?

 

I would like to know about the wine packages too. I've read that they were offer 2 nice packages on cruises longer than 7 nights. Is Princess still doing this or is the experiment over?

 

Thanks,

 

Cynthia

[billco]

I enjoy activities such as this when I can sit down and watch in a lounge. I will not stand at a railing in the atrium for 30-45 minutes to watch this or any other similar activity.

While I enjoy lounge entertainment, I also enjoy the move to atrium entertainment. It gives me a feeling of festivity and community.

[Boomer 123]

While I enjoy lounge entertainment, I also enjoy the move to atrium entertainment. It gives me a feeling of festivity and community.

 

It's hard to enjoy any show over 10 minutes long jockeying for a position with 500 to 800 other people in the atrium. It'll never work.

[Thrak]

I would like to know about the wine packages too. I've read that they were offer 2 nice packages on cruises longer than 7 nights. Is Princess still doing this or is the experiment over?

 

Thanks,

 

Cynthia

 

I just checked the beverage packages and don't see any type of wine package listed. They list the Unlimited Soda Package, Unlimited Soda & More Package, Canned Soda Package, Beer Package, and the Café Selects Coffee Card. I don't see a wine package at all.

 

Of course I may be looking in the wrong place... :eek:

[caribill]

I just checked the beverage packages and don't see any type of wine package listed. They list the Unlimited Soda Package, Unlimited Soda & More Package, Canned Soda Package, Beer Package, and the Café Selects Coffee Card. I don't see a wine package at all.

 

Of course I may be looking in the wrong place... :eek:

 

Try this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1565332

[ChiefBoats]

Since I'm a coffee drinker I can say that the coffee card now gives you 16 specialty coffees and all the brewed coffee you want. If you do not use all of the specialty coffee you can use it on another cruise for the unused specialty coffees. For brewed coffee you will have to purchase another card on the next cruise.

[caribill]

Since I'm a coffee drinker I can say that the coffee card now gives you 16 specialty coffees and all the brewed coffee you want. If you do not use all of the specialty coffee you can use it on another cruise for the unused specialty coffees. For brewed coffee you will have to purchase another card on the next cruise.

 

15, not 16

[John Reid]

There have been discussions of changes to balcony furniture and removal of the blue grid mats leaving bare metal deck. The general reaction I have read has been mostly negative.

 

I have only experienced the original configurations on my three Princess cruises.

[Babs02]

Since I'm a coffee drinker I can say that the coffee card now gives you 16 specialty coffees and all the brewed coffee you want. If you do not use all of the specialty coffee you can use it on another cruise for the unused specialty coffees. For brewed coffee you will have to purchase another card on the next cruise.

 

 

I read on cc that Princess have stopped you using your coffee card on future cruises, only on the cruise your on. This was a change that I had already noticed

[Babs02]

Try this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1565332

 

Thanks for the wine package info. Certainly seems a good deal hope its available on our cruise

[Babs02]

I will reserve judgment until after my Golden sailing next month.

 

Would be interested to know the entertainment on the Golden, as we sail on her in February.

 

Maybe the entertainment varies from ship to ship.

[Thrak]

I read on cc that Princess have stopped you using your coffee card on future cruises, only on the cruise your on. This was a change that I had already noticed

 

You can only use the coffee card for the one cruise for fresh brewed coffee. For specialty coffee (requires a punch) you can use the card on multiple cruises until you have used up all of the punches. If you use it on a future cruise they will punch it even for fresh brewed coffee.

[Babs02]

You can only use the coffee card for the one cruise for fresh brewed coffee. For specialty coffee (requires a punch) you can use the card on multiple cruises until you have used up all of the punches. If you use it on a future cruise they will punch it even for fresh brewed coffee.

 

Thanks for the clarification I understood that because the new cards have the ship's name on it you wouldn't be able to use it on future cruises. But old cards could still be used up because they have no ship details on them.

[NYCRUISR]

I just researched this for another thread, there is more pricing listed on the link below. I only posted the ones pertaining to soda.

 

Unlimited Soda Package:

Receive a souvenir tumbler and select from a

variety of unlimited soft drinks served by the glass

at all bars and restaurant locations throughout your

cruise. Price includes service charge.

Item #0523 – $5.18 per person/per day*

 

Unlimited Soda & More Package:

Indulge yourself with this premium Unlimited Soda &

more Package,† entitling you to the above Unlimited

Soda Package plus any mocktails, juices, shakes,

floats and complimentary hot chocolate throughout

your cruise. Price includes service charge.

Item #2312 – $8.05 per person/per day*

 

Canned Soda Package:

Choose any six canned sodas listed below in any

combination for the price of five: Coke, Diet Coke,

Sprite, Diet Sprite, orange soda, soda water, tonic

water, ginger ale.

Item #2311 – $11.75

 

††There are no milkshakes or thick shakes available for Ocean and Pacific Princess.

* Beverage package is calculated based on the total number of days of your cruise. When submitting

payment, please ensure to calculate the total number of days of the cruise by the per day rate.

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/onboar...s_Services.pdf

 

We always had a soda pkg for our son but this past June on the Crown we got one ( ultimate pkg) for myself. 12 days of soda and milkshakes and mocktails/ ( I hardly had any alcoholic drinks) I thought it was worth it.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Until someone who sails on one of these ships with no second shows actually proves it by posting their Patters or I sail on a ship with no second shows myself, I do not find it credible thus far.

Well, PP, you know that I've done just that, in part, in the past, not posting Patters but listing the full entertainment options for two evenings on the Emerald after the implementation of AE. Still there are doubters, and I have as much as been called a liar. I will not take the time to scan and post 20 Patters (before and after AE) just to make myself "credible". But I certainly had a good basis of comparison, not one ship to another months or years apart, but the same ship with the same CD from one cruise to the next. Martin Hall, VP of Entertainment and Passenger Programs for Princess, was on the ship for the first AE cruise; there was no doubt that a switch had been flipped and a change had occurred.

 

Having been on the ship for 7 cruises before AE and 3 after, I can tell you that the differences were profound. I posted here on CC that it was going to occur before the cruise actually began; I reported the facts during the first cruise and only when I witnessed it in person did I report back that I was less than impressed.

 

You will encounter it for yourself on a future cruise and then you will know.

[alreadypacked]

We have been loyal Princess cruisers since 2001....We have noticed the quality and some food offerings have changed. Have seen a trend toward

"Carnivalizing" the Princess experience. Burgers in the MDR...and passengers pushing the limit on dress code at dinner.

The addition of the Piazza and Internalional Cafe and Vines are all great things for us. But we hate MUTS (noise level too loud and hard to view during the day) by the main pool and tend to stay away opting for the quieter spots on the ship or our balcony. Shows are repeated for several years and there has been a trend away from live "itinerary" related music in the afternoons by the pools (replaced by MUTS) or prerecorded CD's :(

We don't let these changes impact us too much because our cruise is what we make of it! ;)

 

Carnivalizing...ugh! Been on 14 Carnival cruises... Not that I now hate Carnival, but it has changed. We started trying other lines to add variety--last year NCL and Celebrity. This year Princess. I've been on one Princess cruise 8 years ago and this will be DH's first, so it's basically new to me and definitely new to DH. So I hope it's not becoming a carbon copy of Carnival.:eek:

[alreadypacked]

And most of the evenings there is no longer a featured entertainer (comedian, magician, singer, etc.) in another venue such as the Explorers Lounge.

 

Also, the Champaigne Fountain is no longer a seperate event late one evening. It is now part of the first formal evening's Captain's Welcome Party in the atrium around 7 PM.

 

MUTS and the International Cafe (sans Gelato) have been added to most of the Grand Class ships.

 

On several ships the buffet area has had the dessert area (lunch and dinner) and the toast/waffle area (breakfast) moved to a new stand outside the main food area. Within the main food area on these ships, the aisles have been made wider and the same food is available from two directions (which also means a little less variety available) on most of the serving areas.

 

Is there a piano bar with a singer every night? I few months ago I read that "Crooners" is the piano bar and that it had a singer/player basically every night. We are sailing the Ruby in December.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Is there a piano bar with a singer every night? I few months ago I read that "Crooners" is the piano bar and that it had a singer/player basically every night. We are sailing the Ruby in December.

 

Yes, there is piano/ singing entertainment in Crooners generally starting about 9pm every night. These entertainers frequently get embarkation day evening off, so he may not be there the first night.

[pris993]

We are elite on Princess, elite on Celebrity, 3 Star on HAL, and have cruised recently on Cunard (Queen Victoria) and have booked NCL Jade for next spring. So we are not really loyal to any one line. We do prefer Princess over Celebrity -- went on the Eclipse one week in March, then the Ruby Princess the following week. Doing the two side by side we definitely enjoyed Princess more -- felt service, food and entertainment was more consistent on Princess. We had booked the Aqua Class on X, to try Blu felt more hype than anything. We actually enjoyed the Constellaltion, Infinity, Summit ships on X more than the new Eclipse and Equinox. MDR on the newer ships very crowded and noisy.

 

Actually prefer Princess, HAL and Cunard. Trying NCL after not being on NCL in 10 years becuase we got a very good price in the Mediterranean.

 

Cunard was excellent but more formal, not for everyone (i.e., their idea of casual is "jacket without tie" for dinner and that is only acceptable on the the first and last night of a cruise). Food, service and entertainment excellent though.

[PeteC22]

Well, PP, you know that I've done just that, in part, in the past, not posting Patters but listing the full entertainment options for two evenings on the Emerald after the implementation of AE. Still there are doubters, and I have as much as been called a liar. I will not take the time to scan and post 20 Patters (before and after AE) just to make myself "credible". But I certainly had a good basis of comparison, not one ship to another months or years apart, but the same ship with the same CD from one cruise to the next. Martin Hall, VP of Entertainment and Passenger Programs for Princess, was on the ship for the first AE cruise; there was no doubt that a switch had been flipped and a change had occurred.

 

Having been on the ship for 7 cruises before AE and 3 after, I can tell you that the differences were profound. I posted here on CC that it was going to occur before the cruise actually began; I reported the facts during the first cruise and only when I witnessed it in person did I report back that I was less than impressed.

 

You will encounter it for yourself on a future cruise and then you will know.

 

 

I can post links for the Emerald Patters still with the 2 main productions shows or guest entertainers per evening and it still has the reduced amount or entertainment. They were starting to cut back last year some time & I imagine it's even more today. :(