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createmem

By createmem,
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mamkmm2

mamkmm2

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Coffeeluvr05 said:

I had only cruised RCCL prior to cruising with Princess.  I really did not love cruising until I started cruising with Princess.  Now, this is really subjective though.  I do not like noisy, crowded, activity filled places.  I can do that for a time, but I NEED to have places that I can get away from the noise and people.  Princess has that...at least for me.  Having said that, RCCL is geared toward the younger, adventure seeking.  Princess is not.  I think Princess offers an elevated experience.  

 

Princess is about the itinerary.  That's where the "adventure" comes in.  They seem to be just as eager to get people off the ship and into port as they are to get them back on the ship.  I have found that most Princess cruise line's itinerary are more port intensive with fewer sea days than other lines.  But you can still find plenty with all the sea days you can handle as well they are more about getting from point A to point B than a thing in and of themselves.

 

I am in agreement with Coffeeluvr05.  Princess does provide more "quiet spaces" than the other lines that I've experienced.  We've traveled on Oasis of the Seas and you would think a ship of that size would have plenty of quiet space.  We didn't find that to be true.  There were some interesting spaces … Central Park was divine … but with more people on the ship the public spaces were naturally more crowded and some people seem to think that everyone around them and two blocks of cabins over want to hear their conversation.

 

For others, quiet is relative.  I've seem people that can sit and read on their kindle while karaoke is going on in the bar right beside them.  LOL

 

I did note that "chair hogs" are fewer on Princess but it may be the itineraries we were on as the ship board experience was secondary to the ports.  And by and large there are fewer "over imbibers" and fewer people in the smoking sections than on other lines.  But again, that just may be a function of our own personal experience.

 

Being from Florida we've gone on two cruises in the Caribbean and one would have sufficed.  LOL  When I go on vacation I want to experience something different than what I see when I go out my front door.  LOL  So if that is your thing you'll be better off listening to other people's experience as the Caribbean is a different sort of animal for every cruise line.

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Pierlesscruisers

Pierlesscruisers

Posted
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1 hour ago, createmem said:

I did not know about the vet benefit, so I am looking into that now.  Thanks!  

 

And I am good without all the extras pools etc.  Hubby thinks he will miss it, though on our cruise this year on Allure he didn't surf once, so I think he will be fine!  I have heard the food on Princess is phenomenal and I am looking very forward to different menus!

 

Something that was not mentioned in the earlier post is that once you have registered for the Veterans' OBC, it is linked to your Captains' Circle number (the loyalty program) and you will automatically get it on every future cruse (so, if you use a TA, make sure they link your CC no. to any cruise they set up for you.  Oh, I'm also attaching the Veterans' OBC form to this message to make it easy to register.

 

Tom

Veterans Benefit Form.pdf

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mamkmm2

mamkmm2

Posted
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2 minutes ago, Pierlesscruisers said:

 

Something that was not mentioned in the earlier post is that once you have registered for the Veterans' OBC, it is linked to your Captains' Circle number (the loyalty program) and you will automatically get it on every future cruse (so, if you use a TA, make sure they link your CC no. to any cruise they set up for you.  Oh, I'm also attaching the Veterans' OBC form to this message to make it easy to register.

 

Tom

Veterans Benefit Form.pdf 124.5 kB · 0 downloads

Tom I want to say thank you also.  I printed this off for my father.  We took my parents on their first cruise just a couple of months ago to Alaska.  They loved it but their health is uncertain so I need to find another itinerary that will be kind to them and I'll be sure and get this for them.  Thanks again.

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Pierlesscruisers

Pierlesscruisers

Posted
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14 minutes ago, mamkmm2 said:

Tom I want to say thank you also.  I printed this off for my father.  We took my parents on their first cruise just a couple of months ago to Alaska.  They loved it but their health is uncertain so I need to find another itinerary that will be kind to them and I'll be sure and get this for them.  Thanks again.

 

Yep, it's always nice to get free money! Please thank your dad for his service for me and thank both of you for cruising on Princess! Hope that you enjoyed your Alaska cruise.  It's really a popular cruise. Had a lady (she was from Seattle) 2 years ago who was going on her 4th Alaskan cruise that season and have met a number of people who were going on their 10th Alaskan cruise and one gentleman who was going on his 20th!  I told him that he either really enjoyed cruising to Alaska or he had an absolutely terrible memory!

 

Tom

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createmem

createmem

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Posted
1 hour ago, XBGuy said:

OP, since you are taking a "wine country" cruise, do you, or any of your friends, enjoy wine?  If the answer is "no," then feel free to ignore the rest of this post.

 

Every adult is allowed to carry on one 750ml bottle of wine on embarkation.  I think this is similar to the Royal Caribbean policy.  This wine may be consumed in your cabin at your convenience.  Speak to your room steward about wine glasses for your room and, if necessary, a corkscrew.  You may take the bottle to one of the restaurants or dining rooms to enjoy with your dinner, but it will be subject to a $15 corkage fee at that time.

 

The above, however, does not limit you to one bottle per adult on embarkation.  You can, in fact, carry on as much wine as you care to.  Bottles in excess of the "one per adult" are subject to an immediate $15 per bottle corkage fee at the pier.  You will be asked to sign a chit for the extra corkage fees and it will be charged you your shipboard account.  Bottles for which the fee has been paid at the pier will be identified with a sticker.  Those bottles can be taken to any of the restaurants or dining rooms and no additional fee will be exacted.

 

The policy seems to be a bit fuzzy, but I have found that Princess is pretty liberal about allowing adult passengers to bring back one bottle of wine at port stops.  I have had no problem bringing wine back on board in about eight or nine West Coast port stops.  I also have to believe this liberal attitude would predominate on a "wine country" cruise.

 

The dining room wine list on Princess is quite comprehensive and fairly priced compared to land-based restaurants.  The specialty restaurants have different wine wine lists.  I have to give a shout-out to the wine list at Sabatini's--the Italian specialty restaurants.  I sailed on the Royal Princess in September and found the wine list in Sabatini's to be absolutely amazing.

 

Have a great cruise.

You could say we are wine people.  Its one of the reasons we chose this cruise.  Our friends are not, we are.  They thought this might be an easy way for them to cruise with us, and for them to learn more about wine.  We were planning a trip to Napa and Sonoma (which we will still do at some point) but this came along and we thought, lets try something different.

 

I have taken wine onto Carnival before (including 8 bottles once) and have no issue with doing that here, I don't mind the corkage fee as its reasonable.  I will look at the wine list too and see.  When I looked at the Princess wine list initially, I was excited to see somethings that haven't been at Royals Vintages wine bar, so its great to try new things!

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createmem

createmem

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Posted
1 hour ago, mamkmm2 said:

I am in agreement with Coffeeluvr05.  Princess does provide more "quiet spaces" than the other lines that I've experienced.  We've traveled on Oasis of the Seas and you would think a ship of that size would have plenty of quiet space.  We didn't find that to be true.  There were some interesting spaces … Central Park was divine … but with more people on the ship the public spaces were naturally more crowded and some people seem to think that everyone around them and two blocks of cabins over want to hear their conversation.

 

 

This part excites me.  What I didn't enjoy about Oasis and Allure was not really seeing the ocean.  The ships are lovely, but unless you have a balcony cabin you really don't see the water.  Royal keeps you a bit captive.  We live in land locked midwest, so the reason we cruise often is to be by water!

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createmem

createmem

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1 hour ago, Pierlesscruisers said:

 

Something that was not mentioned in the earlier post is that once you have registered for the Veterans' OBC, it is linked to your Captains' Circle number (the loyalty program) and you will automatically get it on every future cruse (so, if you use a TA, make sure they link your CC no. to any cruise they set up for you.  Oh, I'm also attaching the Veterans' OBC form to this message to make it easy to register.

 

Tom

Veterans Benefit Form.pdf 124.5 kB · 2 downloads

Thank you!  My TA sent it to me and I got it submitted!

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satxdiver

satxdiver

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If you buy 100 shares of Carnival Corp stock the stock holders OBC is good on all 9 Carnival Corp cruise lines.  Stock holder OBC is per cabin.  The veteran OBC is for every veteran on the cruise so if both are veterans/active duty/retired, both get the OBC.  

 

The buffet (HC or WFM) is open continually from 6 AM to 11 PM with the food offerings changing by the time of day (breakfast/lunch/afternoon snack/dinner).  The pizzeria and grill (hamburgers/hotdogs/fries) is located next to the main pool and is open from 11 AM to 11 PM generally so you don't have to go back into the buffet for food on the lido deck.  The International Cafe is open 24x7 and the food changes during the day according to the time (breakfast etc).  

 

Princess lacks the silly pool games (yeah) and constant announcements.  The afternoon tea is great.  Deposits on another cruise, $100/pax, is refundable after 2 years if not used and the OBC is combinable with other OBC.  Princess is definitely more adult oriented. 

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Bruin Steve

Bruin Steve

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Posted (edited)

First of all, I've taken well over 50 cruises...on 8 different cruise lines...I am Diamond (just short of Diamond Plus) on Royal Caribbean, Elite Plus on Celebrity ...and Platinum on Princess...I tend to book cruises for the itinerary and timing--rather than sticking to just one line...

Every cruise line does a lot of the same things...differences, for the most part, are subtle...and most people likely won't notice any large differences...But, I guess I'm a little crazy, so I really notice a lot...

 

Personally, my favorite cruise line is Celebrity--for a host of reasons...My wife really likes RCCL--for the incredible ship amenities and for the outstanding entertainment (Broadway, water acrobatics shows, ice skating shows, etc.)--which no one matches...

 

So, I'll start with the entertainment.  Princess, generally, has some excellent entertainment--but it comes with a few issues...First, compared to RCCL (and especially to Celebrity), the show venues are WAY undersized for the number of passengers...The only answer is to get to the show room VERY EARLY--often over a half an hour early...and that's to get any seat, not just a prime seat.  Princess recognizes this, so often, they will schedule entertainment in ways that will force you into making a choice--like a production show in the main showroom and a magician in a lounge with the Magic show starting around the same time the main show is just wrapping up.  They are trying to split up the crowd...So, don't plan on leaving one show, then rushing to the other venue to catch the magic show--there won't be a single seat or even standing room by the time you get there.  Personally, I think where Princess shines is in the comedians/magicians/impressionists, etc. field...so, if you have to make a choice, go with that rather than the production shows... The production shows do not match RCCL...

 

Second thing you may notice is that the standard cabins seem a bit small...They note the square footage as similar to what you find on RCCL or Celebrity, but the cabins are generally designed with more wasted space due to the orientation of the closet/bathroom...So, the standard cabins do not have a sitting area with a sofa.  On most Princess ships, you need to upgrade to a mini-suite to get that small sitting area.  On the Royal class, though, you can get a small sitting area if you book a "Deluxe" Balcony cabin...

 

Also, be aware when booking a Princess ship (other than the Royal class that have no window cabins) that when you book an obstructed view OV, those views can be way more obstructed than you'd ever want to believe--like the entire view is of the side of an orange lifeboat right up against the window--better to have an inside cabin...But there are a few that are between lifeboats--so you at least have some view.  On the Royal class, there are a few obstructed view DELUXE balconies at the very front of deck 8 where the obstruction is merely a solid, rather than plexiglass, railing...not bad if you are willing to be at the very front of the ship--larger cabin, way larger balcony, lower price--we took one of those for our upcoming Royal Princess cruise.

 

You will find that the closets in your cabin are ample--even way too big for a short cruise.  The shower curtain, OTOH, sucks--plastic, sometimes mildewy--and clings to you.  Some day Princess will learn about glass shower enclosures.

 

One really good thing on Princess is that they open the MDR for lunch on embarkation day--so you don't have to hassle with a buffet.

 

As to kids onboard...YES, like all cruise lines nowadays (except the premium ones), there can be plenty of them...but it really depends more on the timing of the cruise than the cruise line...IF your cruise is during a school vacation time, there will be kids...on Princess, RCCL or any line.

 

It won't be an issue, this being your first Princess cruise, but I am always aware of the loyalty programs.  Compared to RCCL and Celebrity, Princess' is disappointing.  They don't have the Diamond lounges RCCL has or the Elite drinking hours one finds on Celebrity--with the unlimited free drinks.  What they do have is a lounge dedicated over to Elite and Platinum members during pre-dinner hours--where they have drink specials--for only a slightly reduced price from the ordinary prices...and on a limited number of drinks...You need to get to Elite in Captain's Circle to get their better benefits--like free laundry and a small "bar setup"--a few little airline sized bottles--in your cabin.  But getting to Elite on Princess takes far more cruises than on RCCL or Celebrity.

 

One cool new thing on the Royal Princess (and a few other Princess ships as they roll it out slowly) is the new "Medallion" thing...Rather than a card, you will get a little token...and an app to load on your phone--you can use it to track down other members of your party or to order drinks in a bar...and a few other assorted uses.  Not sold on it yet, but it IS different...

Edited by Bruin Steve
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mamkmm2

mamkmm2

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4 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

No diamond or suite lounge on Princess. ☹️

 

Several ships will close down Skywalkers to all but platinums and elites during … I think it was 2 1/2 hours when they did a pre-dinner kind of thing.  Assuming the ship has a Skywalkers.  And some of the ships do have platinum/elite/suite only areas.    They aren't very noticeable.  

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neverbeenhere

neverbeenhere

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3 minutes ago, mamkmm2 said:

 

Several ships will close down Skywalkers to all but platinums and elites during … I think it was 2 1/2 hours when they did a pre-dinner kind of thing.  Assuming the ship has a Skywalkers.  And some of the ships do have platinum/elite/suite only areas.    They aren't very noticeable.  


Royal has a 24/7 committed lounge with diamond, d+... access only. 

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MissP22

MissP22

Posted
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15 hours ago, mamkmm2 said:

 

May depend on what ship/itinerary you are on and what time of year as it falls in new movie releases.  I've yet to be on a Princess cruise where there isn't at least on first-run film on the MUTS.  

 

For the OP, there are more than just movies on the MUTS.  They play pre-recorded concerts too … Santana, Michael Buble, Shania Twain, and more than I can remember.  They played Cirq de Soleil (I know I spelled that wrong) on our last cruise.  If your cruise is going to be in cool weather they may not put as much into the MUTS but it will still be playing something.  Warmer weather they'll highlight it.

We sail mostly through the fall until the ships leave the Caribbean in the spring and have never once seen a "first run movie" on a Princess ship. 

Maybe some day I'll get pleasantly surprised. 

Also all of the recorded concerts you mentioned have been running for years now on all the Princess ships. 

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skynight

skynight

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

You can order room service via your smart phone.

With the door hanger it is possible to hand write off menu notes which are generally accepted. Not sure if this is possible when ordering on a smart device. Something to consider.

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mamkmm2

mamkmm2

Posted
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5 hours ago, MissP22 said:

We sail mostly through the fall until the ships leave the Caribbean in the spring and have never once seen a "first run movie" on a Princess ship. 

Maybe some day I'll get pleasantly surprised. 

Also all of the recorded concerts you mentioned have been running for years now on all the Princess ships. 

Lol.  Three of the four cruises we took this year were Princess and none of them repeated concerts, movies, etc.  I'm sure it happens.  Not my experience with multiple Princess cruises each year but like I said, I'm sure it happens.  When you have that many ships doing that many cruises during the same year there are going to be duplications.   We've only ridden on the same ship once and there was over 5 years spread between the itineraries and it was a completely different geographic area and clientele.  

 

 

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Tatka

Tatka

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Posted

Hello!
 

We enjoy both lines a lot .

    Cruised 14 with Royal and 6 (due to logistics) with Princess.

Princess (and Celebrity) is overall our favorite line, although after getting to Diamond level with RCI it’s very tough, also Princess isn’t sailing near us often.

 

   Princess is pretty much premium massmarket while RCI closer to the standard one. I’d place it between Celebrity and Royal. 
It’s more refined in terms of food, service, PAX and offers slightly more sophisticated experience.
 

To us RCI exceeds Princess in (on average) theatre entertainment, sports and other innovations, cabin setup. 
 

After our annual Thanksgiving Cruise on Anthem of the Seas we will be on Explorer of the Seas for Christmas and Crown Princess for New Year.  
 

Royal Princess is extremely beautiful. Buffets on this class are the best in industry. If you love seafood you are in Haven. Royal has large beautiful atrium called Piazza with tons of music and dancing.

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