What will I notice that’s different & all questions consolidated?

[envy4u]

i don’t have easy access to a printer. At check in will they accept email/screenshot as proof ?

[Hlitner]

They will accept an e-mail (shown on your device).  Personally I like to also have a hard copy as backup.  Assuming you will be staying at a pre-cruise hotel/motel they would usually have a place (often called the Business Center) where you could print-out a hard copy from your phone or other device.

 

Hank

[envy4u]

No hotel. Driving to port   

[sirclean]

Im not good at it, but there is a way to take a screen shot of your email with your smart phone.  That way it will be in the pictures and not hidden in your email, making it easier to retrieve and if necessary, you can forward it from the pictures just as easily as forwarding your email.

 

So IF you email is as busy as mine taking a screenshot will make it faster to retrieve.

[PescadoAmarillo]

On 2/9/2022 at 2:26 PM, julia said:

@PescadoAmarillo

Thanks for posting your experience.... your patience is infinitely greater than mine.  The conflicting answers are very disconcerting, and it's hard to know what to believe. (I really wish the check-in WAS still part of the cruise personalizer!!)

 

Please let us know what your husband actually does in order to board?  TIA!

He is on board the Ruby Princess. He said not being Ocean Ready didn’t impact his check in noticeably at all (the app already had his passport and credit card info from a prior cruise). They were separated into groups of about 20 for the COVID swab (do it yourself), and then allowed to progress to the next step as a group.
 

The main thing that slowed some people down was not having a QR code from the Hawaii Safe Travels website. There were written insrructions to follow to complete this if it wasn’t already done, and people were in the waiting area working on that. The QR codes were not actually scanned; they were just checked to make sure each guest had one. DH recommends doing a screen capture and keeping it in your photos so it’s easy to find when the time comes. 

[envy4u]

Not a deal breaker just curious 

[envy4u]

I hate when cruise ships do this. Any recent experiences?

[highloyo]

Nickel and dime by what? Have you heard of some instances that this has occurred? 

[deliver42]

I've never been nickel or dimed. I spend extra if I want to. If I don't then there's no nickel or dime.

[cr8tiv1]

Princess is very good about NOT nickel and diming you.  If you have Princess Plus Fare, you will have no other expenses unless you want to dine at a specialty restaurant.  If you have a basic fare, then you will be charged for anything you order (drinks/specialty coffees/gratuity/etc).

[Thrak]

3 hours ago, envy4u said:

i don’t have easy access to a printer. At check in will they accept email/screenshot as proof ?

 

I think pretty much any public library will have a printer you can use.

[Astro Flyer]

34 minutes ago, envy4u said:

Not a deal breaker just curious 

Yes

[iamaqt2]

Book Princess Plus fare, and there will be zero nickel and dining.  It's literally a truly all-inclusive fare unless you purchase high end drinks or bottles of wine.

[crawford]

7 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

Yes

 

42 minutes ago, envy4u said:

Not a deal breaker just curious 

Do you mean the lower end wine tasting for free?

[envy4u]

Thanks for the info. I hate staff asking if I want to buy this or that? If I want to buy something I just buy it. Hate the up-selling. When I was on the phone this week after a 4 hour wait, not consecutive, asking about my shareholder credit the agent asks me “ so do you want to order chocolate strawberries?” I just burst out laughing.  

[cr8tiv1]

Are you new to Princess?  I decided a long time ago that I would sail with Princess because they didn't push drinks on me like some other lines.  They have done away with the flyers advertising the spa/art sales/jewelry.  I really found it a little more relaxing now that they aren't pushing so much.

[envy4u]

Not new to Princess but have not sailed with them for 3 years. . Happy to hear things achanging. 

[Mike45LC]

Tips -- for cabin stewards and dining room servers.  I think the suggested tips are too small.

 

I have always bought a Soda package, that costs me about $10 per day per person for fountain sodas for the bar's "soda guns."   I don't drink specialty coffees or booze, so no other beverage charges.  [I would usually order a can of ginger beer -- not part of the soda package -- once or twice on each seven day cruise, so there was a small additional charge.]  I could bring my own soda on board, but I much prefer the convenience of having a cocktail waitress or waiter/busboy type of person get me my soda instead of running back to my cabin to grab a can from the fridge.  And I do prefer the soda from a gun instead of from a can.  So I am "nickel and dimed" for $150 per one week cruise.  You can drink iced tea all day long, I think for free, by getting it from the buffet.

 

Photos:  I haven't bought any photos from the ship in over a decade.  

 

Specialty Dining:  Extra charge for these.  Usually I pay an extra $58 per cruise (for one couple, one dinner at Crown Grill).  Then, Princess came up with a new scheme to charge -- they will sell you an upgraded steak or other entree in the Main Dining Room.  One the one hand, this might decrease my extra charges for the Specialty Restaurants, but on the other hand, it is an admission that the quality on the Main Dining Rooms has gone down, such that I need to upgrade it.  

 

Ice Cream:  I know that I paid a few small charges on Celebrity, but I don't recall if Princess charges for "Swirls", its soft-serve ice cream place.  

 

Stores on board:  Jewelry, watches, t-shirts, resort clothing, ...  I might buy some potato chips and candy bars, some over the counter medicines (eye drops, Tums).   But there is little pressure to buy the merchandise.

 

Bingo and Horse Races:  Not my thing.  I don't recall if Princess does horse racing.

 

Art Classes:  I think there is a small surcharge for materials for these projects.  

 

Spa Treatments/Massages:  They charge for these, and I am told that they try to sell beauty products.  Not my thing.

 

Exercise Classes:  I think the gym is free, but I think that there is a small fee for some classes.  I don't know about this.  Lifting a glass (not of booze) is my major exercise.  I walk through the gym once per cruise, just so I can say I've been there.

 

Sauna/Enclave:  I think the saunas are free.  The "Enclave" is a for-pay area for lounging, for those for whom the ample free loungers by the pool and lots of other places are not good enough.   Not mu thing.

 

Gambling:  Lots of $$$$ here -- But no one is urging me to gamble.  

 

Until they discontinued it, the free minutes given to elites took care of my internet needs, so no charges on this.  Nowadays, this is an extra charge if you want it.

 

As someone else mentioned, shore excursions are not included in your fare.  It is free to get off the ship and walk around, but you might need to shuttle into town or to the beach or ...  In my upcoming cruise, the shore excursions will cost me about $350 for two people, three ports.  None of these are expensive tours.  

 

[Waynetor]

The events are for everyone, but elite get in free while others pay $12.  We have been on the Caribbean P for 5 weeks and it is held on a sea day towards the end.

 

Elites get a sheet in the cabin on embarkation day listing events with times that are for them.

[1965]

We had our 1st cruise as elites in Nov. Neither of us drinks wine but the free wine tasting was kind of a fun diversion on a sea day. The only wine I cared for was a sweet dessert wine. 😊

[cr8tiv1]

"Arts and Crafts" sponsored by the Ass't Cruise Directors are generally free.

 

Zumba is free/Yoga has a small fee.

 

There photographers all over the ship (not as intrusive as before).  Sitting fees have no charge.  Photos and maybe touch up jobs have a cost.

 

Soft Serve swirls are free.  Ice Cream sometimes can be found in the Buffet.  Gelato has a cost.

 

There are more free than charges on Princess.

[VibeGuy]

I got off forty days onboard and my only ancillary charges were casino and four alternate dining covers.  I don’t like having my picture taken, there was zero pressure on the wine tastings, they don’t flog glassware anymore and I have an art dealer on land.  Due to a technical issue, coin laundry and detergent were complimentary. 

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, envy4u said:

Thanks for the info. I hate staff asking if I want to buy this or that? If I want to buy something I just buy it. Hate the up-selling.

 

In that case avoid the spa like the plague. We don't use the spa but have read numerous posts about the staff trying to upsell various products.

[dog]

1 hour ago, iamaqt2 said:

Book Princess Plus fare, and there will be zero nickel and dining.  It's literally a truly all-inclusive fare unless you purchase high end drinks or bottles of wine.

Specialty dining has a charge

 

gelato has a charge 

[Thrak]

34 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

Ice Cream:  I know that I paid a few small charges on Celebrity, but I don't recall if Princess charges for "Swirls", its soft-serve ice cream place.  

 

Stores on board:  Jewelry, watches, t-shirts, resort clothing, ...  I might buy some potato chips and candy bars, some over the counter medicines (eye drops, Tums).   But there is little pressure to buy the merchandise.

 

Bingo and Horse Races:  Not my thing.  I don't recall if Princess does horse racing.

 

 

Ice Cream:  Swirls (soft serve) is included in your fare. On ships with actual ice cream I've been able to order a milkshake or a malt (I ask for lots and lots of malt) and it was included with the beverage package. Otherwise there was a charge.

 

Stores: Bring your own band aids, cold meds, etc. They are crazy expensive (for very small amounts) in the shops.

 

Horse Racing: Yes, Princess sometimes has horse racing. It depends on the Cruise Director and is a buck or two.