Princess Secrets 2014!!!

[JF - retired RRT]

If you use a CPAP machine, they will supply you with your distilled water if you ask in advance.

 

If you forget or don't want to bother... tap water is fine for a short period of time (7 day cruise). If you get a mineral deposit, just give the chamber a good vinegar soak.

Also, don't forget your power cord!! Many do.

And bring duct tape (in case the hose springs a leak) and an extra mask cushion/pillows.

Edited February 9, 2014 by JF - retired RRT

[helenb]

Need a book? Visit the library on the first day and pick up books for the entire cruise.

 

Bring a book that you read on the cruise but don't want anymore? Most of the cruise ship libraries have a 'book exchange' section where you can drop off your book and pick up one of the other ones dropped off by passengers. Now you have something new to read on the flight home!

 

And as an aside, a related story about reading materials. My husband had a subscription to MacWorld magazine, but was very busy at work and did not have time to read all of his issue. He ended up bringing 4 issues on a cruise with him, thinking that he would read them, then throw them away and not have to bring them home. He was reading one issue at a bar, then when he finished, he asked the bartender to throw it away in the trash (the bartender had a trash can behind the counter). But the bartender asked if he could keep it! He was very excited when my husband agreed, and told us that such magazines were very valued amongst the crew. (This might have been partly because this was a Celebrity cruise, which exclusively uses Apple products and has the equivalent of an Apple Store at sea.) We later discovered that our steward had been looking at my husband's pile of magazines with longing, but had only taken the one he had left in the wastecan. Once we realized that the crew enjoyed these magazine, we gave them out when my husband was finished with them. I have never seen brighter smiles, even when handing out tips!

[hotelbidder]

For OBC buy 100 shares of carnival stock.

 

At around $40 per share, that's a $4k risk. Plus you're going to pay commission on each trade. If you're regularly doing 14 day cruises, it might be worth it. But for 13 days or under, a $50 to $100 credit hardly seems worth the stock risk.

[JimAOk1945]

If you use a CPAP machine, they will supply you with your distilled water if you ask in advance.

 

This is great information!!! Thanks for posting!!!!

[Jim Avery]

At around $40 per share, that's a $4k risk. Plus you're going to pay commission on each trade. If you're regularly doing 14 day cruises, it might be worth it. But for 13 days or under, a $50 to $100 credit hardly seems worth the stock risk.

 

It is, of course, a very personal decision. For us an extra $100 2 or 3 times a year in addition to the dividend yield and the appreciation we have seen are well worth it. The commish when we bought the shares was $6. Can it go to nothing? Sure. So can every other stock or mutual fund in the portfolio. Not very likely. Stocks can go down, planes can crash, ships can sink.:eek:

[Mjtaz]

Was there a charge for distilled water for CPAP?

 

Did you get thru room steward?

 

Thanks!!!

 

No cost. I requested it on the Princess site on the Personalizer. I believe it asked if I wanted 1, 2 or 3 gallons. Plus I got an email confirming it! Hope it works out that smooth anyway!! It has on other lines, so I'm confident it will this time, too!

[jcruizer]

Thanks for the prepaid coffee card idea. I will do that this week. A 25 nighter this year and a 44 next year so great, thanks

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[UpcountryTravelers]

I was on the Ruby a few weeks ago and during an evening movie, they walked around offering popcorn, cookies, and even pizza slices.

 

They didn't do that on the Emerald last week.

[Acosmo]

I was on the Ruby a few weeks ago and during an evening movie, they walked around offering popcorn, cookies, and even pizza slices.

 

They did the same on Royal in January. First hour was popcorn, an hour later they rolled through with slices of pizza, close to the end of the movie, here came the cookies. We had the popcorn but passed on the others.

[EdmPair]

I read on another thread that I can't find something about using the computers in the cafe or library to send out a free email? Can anyone tell me how I would go about doing this? Thanks.

 

 

Last cruise on Grand Princess in 2012 allowed free emails out the Internet cafe ONLY if you sent their postcards with cliche pictures of the ship. It is from a web form and so you get no encryption and the recipient can never reply. However, I sent a few and it is worth every penny.

I hope this is still available.

[bob brown]

Be careful of this one.....I would ask anyone I would send one of those 'e-post cards' permission to send one before cruising.

Once you sent it, you've subjected your friends to additional 'mailings' from Princess, and who-knows-who else......

 

Just like any 'free' offer you might see on the internet...they are 'paying' to get your email address.;)

 

I suppose anything can happen, but I've sent emails from this a number of times - including to myself. I haven't seen spam or unwanted emails. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

Okay....I will admit to not having tried it on Princess, so you know better than me about this particular use.

But in general, I find that once you give out your email address to someone on the 'net, there's a better than even chance you will be getting more mail (spam) than you wanted.... so caveat emptor...:)

[caribill]

At around $40 per share, that's a $4k risk. Plus you're going to pay commission on each trade. If you're regularly doing 14 day cruises, it might be worth it. But for 13 days or under, a $50 to $100 credit hardly seems worth the stock risk.

 

Any purchase of any stock should only be done if you believe it will be a good investment without consideration of any extra benefits.

 

If the stock is selling at $40 (and you feel it is a good long term investment), it would cost about $4010 for 100 shares. Put that in an insured savings CD and the best you can do right now is 3% interest or $120.30/year. For most middle income families, this will be taxed at a Federal rate of 25%, netting $90.23 a yaer.

 

Put it into Princess stock and take just a single 7 day cruise a year and you will get $100 OBC and $100 stock dividend for a total of $200, a return of 4.99%. Take two 7 day cruises a year and that means $300, a return of 7.48%.

If you know of a better almost guaranteed return on investment available elsewhere, please share it with us.

 

And the OBC is not-taxed and for most people the dividend will be taxed at a Federal tax rate of 15%. For one cruise a year there would be a net of $185. For two cruises a year, a net of $285.

 

So which would you prefer, a CD netting $90.23 or CCL stock netting $185/$285?

Edited February 10, 2014 by caribill

[Dreamer333]

I'm getting some great information about suites! Thought I would share here too:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1985117

[papalance]

No cost. I requested it on the Princess site on the Personalizer. I believe it asked if I wanted 1, 2 or 3 gallons. Plus I got an email confirming it! Hope it works out that smooth anyway!! It has on other lines, so I'm confident it will this time, too!

 

If we don't use it all is it drinkable?

[paul32]

Any purchase of any stock should only be done if you believe it will be a good investment without consideration of any extra benefits.

 

If the stock is selling at $40 (and you feel it is a good long term investment), it would cost about $4010 for 100 shares. Put that in an insured savings CD and the best you can do right now is 3% interest or $120.30/year. For most middle income families, this will be taxed at a Federal rate of 25%, netting $90.23 a yaer.

 

Put it into Princess stock and take just a single 7 day cruise a year and you will get $100 OBC and $100 stock dividend for a total of $200, a return of 4.99%. Take two 7 day cruises a year and that means $300, a return of 7.48%.

If you know of a better almost guaranteed return on investment available elsewhere, please share it with us.

 

And the OBC is not-taxed and for most people the dividend will be taxed at a Federal tax rate of 15%. For one cruise a year there would be a net of $185. For two cruises a year, a net of $285.

 

So which would you prefer, a CD netting $90.23 or CCL stock netting $185/$285?

We own CCL in an IRA and in addition to not paying any taxes on the dividends, we don't pay taxes on the income from writing covered calls. Not only does selling covered calls protect our investment, it adds mightily to the overall return.

 

We have not been assigned once due to picking decent strike prices vis a vis expiration dates, but it's not a big deal if we ever are assigned since we can just buy the shares right back.

 

yes, investments are a risk -- but risks can be mitigated -- and for the price of $4k one can earn a tidy income stream from Princess and that yield increases with each and every cruise one takes

 

As always, different strokes for different folks

[Mjtaz]

Originally Posted by Mjtaz View Post

No cost. I requested it on the Princess site on the Personalizer. I believe it asked if I wanted 1, 2 or 3 gallons. Plus I got an email confirming it! Hope it works out that smooth anyway!! It has on other lines, so I'm confident it will this time, too!

If we don't use it all is it drinkable?

 

Since I don't cruise until March 6th, I can't say for certain how the water comes. I do know that on Royal Caribbean they brought it in a sealed gallon jug just like you would get at home. I don't see why it wouldn't be drinkable!

[AE_Collector]

At around $40 per share, that's a $4k risk. Plus you're going to pay commission on each trade. If you're regularly doing 14 day cruises, it might be worth it. But for 13 days or under, a $50 to $100 credit hardly seems worth the stock risk.

 

Just buy low and sell high....problem solved :)

 

I bought more than 100 shares of each of the two publicly listed cruise lines. These shares do go up and down quite a bit due to oil price increases, cruise ship problems and trouble developing in various parts of the world. I can sell all but 100 shares when they are high and then buy back in the next time they drop. RCI shares have done much better than Carnival in recent years. My carnival shares are up 35% but my RCI are up almost 110%. The shares are all in my retirement fund so I am not having to "come up with the money" and then add the regular dividends to the mix which is better with Carnival than RCI shares.

 

One of my better investments!

 

Terry

[monakayk]

At around $40 per share, that's a $4k risk. Plus you're going to pay commission on each trade. If you're regularly doing 14 day cruises, it might be worth it. But for 13 days or under, a $50 to $100 credit hardly seems worth the stock risk.

 

Have to respectfully disagree...not only have we earned money from our stocks yearly....the OBC has been great..even when we have taken less than a 14 days cruise.

[Fuzzyape]

Thanks for the stock tips. This is an old secret, but thought I would throw it on this board, because I always find it useful.

 

Confused about which side of the ship your cabin is on? Look at the carpet. There is a slight difference in the carpet on each side. I don't recall what the part of the carpet is called and which color is for which side, but if you look and compare, you will never make a wrong turn.

 

Counting down the days.

[caribill]

Confused about which side of the ship your cabin is on? Look at the carpet. There is a slight difference in the carpet on each side. I don't recall what the part of the carpet is called and which color is for which side, but if you look and compare, you will never make a wrong turn.

 

 

Unfortunately the newer ships (think Royal) and some older ones (think Star) are not doing this anymore. But for the ships that have it, the blue edge is starboard and the red edge is port.

 

Edited February 12, 2014 by caribill

[Pstcrik]

Thanks for the stock tips. This is an old secret, but thought I would throw it on this board, because I always find it useful.

 

Confused about which side of the ship your cabin is on? Look at the carpet. There is a slight difference in the carpet on each side. I don't recall what the part of the carpet is called and which color is for which side, but if you look and compare, you will never make a wrong turn.

 

Counting down the days.

 

I found this funny as I have been using this for years and then I was on the Star at least on Caribe Deck both Port and Starboard were identical. Room Steward knew about it but had no idea why they changed but maybe they had excess carpet of one design and used it up when carpet was replaced.

[bob brown]

NCL has a neat take on this....they have fish swimming towards the bow on the passageway carpet, so you can figure your direction very easily...:)

[vacationgogo]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'm literally sitting here in my kitchen in the middle of a blizzard taking notes and dreaming of my cruise! Caribill, you were so helpful about the luggage situation and now you've cleared this e-card issue up for me. There's nothing like actually seeing the screen (though I know it may vary slightly) to get the picture. Thanks again!

[OCruisers]

Unfortunately the newer ships (think Royal) and some older ones (think Star) are not doing this anymore. But for the ships that have it, the blue edge is starboard and the red edge is port.

 

Hate hearing it's being discontinued! It's very helpful!

 

LuLu

~~~

[Tedferg]

Oldie but Goldie - ask the question 'Is there any Red Port Left' Port side running lights are Red and they are on the Left as you face the Bow. So Red carpet edge is Port side.