Haven't cruised Princess in 12 years...

[docandbird]

...but we are now booked on a November 16-day trans-Atlantic. and have some questions. (We did 25 Celebrity cruised in those 12 years0

 - I see Princess still has formal nights. How "formal" are they? Tuxes, suits, coat no tie - what is anyone's recent experience?

 - We have some OBC listed as shore excursion credit - can it only be used for shore excursions, is it just applied to our account balance whatever we buy?

 - Used to be the buffet had a first-night seafood extravaganza [on our last Caribbean cruise]. Do they still do that? If so, fleet-wide or just the Caribbean?

 

Thanks for your inputs.

 

David

[Itchy&Scratchy]

7 minutes ago, docandbird said:

- I see Princess still has formal nights. How "formal" are they?

not all that formal at all. DH wears pants and a button down shirt. I wear pants and a blouse.

7 minutes ago, docandbird said:

Used to be the buffet had a first-night seafood extravaganza

never seen one.

 

[Wishing on a star]

You will see a decrease in things like lobster, the seafood on embarkation, etc...  (went from crab legs to crab knuckles to really no crab at all.

Still great!  But like everything else, just isn't the way it used to be.

Same with the level of Formal attire and ambiance.  I think especially so on some Caribbean cruises.

 

If you are one of the newer Royal Class ships, you will see how they are bigger and grander, huge buffet, the Piazza, etc.

 

 

 

[Kay S]

I suspect you will be asking yourself if this is Princess at all because just about everything is inferior to what it was 12 years ago.

[antsp]

That's completely unfair, you must have a skewed memory 

[Kay S]

3 minutes ago, antsp said:

That's completely unfair, you must have a skewed memory 

De gustibus non disputandum est.

[waltd]

Just now, Kay S said:

I suspect you will be asking yourself if this is Princess at all because just about everything is inferior to what it was 12 years ago.

Sorry but I don't agree with you.   Things change over time but Princess is not inferior.   LOL

[waltd]

OP the formal night is what you make of it.    There is a little bit of everything.   

[Kay S]

1 minute ago, waltd said:

Sorry but I don't agree with you.   Things change over time but Princess is not inferior.   LOL

We can agree to disagree.

[NownZen]

2 hours ago, Kay S said:

I suspect you will be asking yourself if this is Princess at all because just about everything is inferior to what it was 12 years ago.

You are unhappy with Princess and want to spread your anger. That is sad. Princess is fine and we are happy with it and the other lines we cruise. Different is not inferior. I am happy that the formal nights are disappearing. DMW was fine for us when we tried it. Hard to get out of it to release a table when we decided we much preferred the buffet.  We cruise to enjoy ourselves, not to look for something to be mad about.

[Guest ldtr]

3 hours ago, Kay S said:

I suspect you will be asking yourself if this is Princess at all because just about everything is inferior to what it was 12 years ago.

There are certainly changes, just as there are on every other cruise lines. Per passenger, per day costs are about the same as 12 years ago. Just as most of the other mass market cruise lines (Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Royal, CCL, NCL) have maintained similar price competitive positions. All of the lines have made changes, some positive changes, some negative changes, but have changed.

 

In many cases the same people that complain about changes made that enable the mass market lines to maintain price competitive positions are also the same ones that complain when the prices start to edge up.

 

Hotels are different than 12 years ago, airlines are different that 12 years ago, just as cruise lines and the rest of the travel industry.

[Guest ldtr]

18 minutes ago, NownZen said:

You are unhappy with Princess and want to spread your anger. That is sad. Princess is fine and we are happy with it and the other lines we cruise. Different is not inferior. I am happy that the formal nights are disappearing. DMW was fine for us when we tried it. Hard to get out of it to release a table when we decided we much preferred the buffet.  We cruise to enjoy ourselves, not to look for something to be mad about.

You can just go into App and cancel the reservation for a given day anytime you want to make a change. Or call the reservations line and they can cancel them as well.

[Coral]

Even before COVID, there had been quite a few changes. Since COVID - more changes. 

 

Shore excursion credit - most have indicated that it can be used for anything onboard. I don't think their computer systems are sophisticated enough to separate it.

 

The seafood extravaganza probably went away 12 years ago or so. It has been a long time. The buffet is no longer 24 hours. International Cafe should be open 23+ hours a day and you have room service. On my last sailing, the buffet was limited. By no means will you starve but there definitely have been cut backs in reference to food.

 

Formal nights - I think you will see those who like to dress up and those who do not. 

[NownZen]

54 minutes ago, ldtr said:

You can just go into App and cancel the reservation for a given day anytime you want to make a change. Or call the reservations line and they can cancel them as well.

The difference was that it was a shared table with 6 other people. The Maitre'D could not delete it because there were other people on the reservation and I could not delete it for the same reason. Finally the CSD called someone and got it fixed. I did not want to use up a table and leave the others without our group and certainly not to have them wait for us.

[CineGraphic]

Lower our expectations so you won't be disappointed.

[Guest ldtr]

54 minutes ago, NownZen said:

The difference was that it was a shared table with 6 other people. The Maitre'D could not delete it because there were other people on the reservation and I could not delete it for the same reason. Finally the CSD called someone and got it fixed. I did not want to use up a table and leave the others without our group and certainly not to have them wait for us.

Did you make the initial reservation or were you added by someone else to a reservation they made? Surprised he could not delete it and then make a new reservation for the others. Or was it a case that all of the parties had to delete it or authorize it to be deleted. We have had people added and removed for various nights. Which ship? 

[NownZen]

4 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Did you make the initial reservation or were you added by someone else to a reservation they made? Surprised he could not delete it and then make a new reservation for the others. Or was it a case that all of the parties had to delete it or authorize it to be deleted. We have had people added and removed for various nights. Which ship? 

The first night we met a group and the eight asked to have the same table for the rest of the cruise. It was not done through the app. They did not want to delete the reservation for the others so they would not delete anyone. My guess is that the unofficial table assignments were in effect so it was probably not an issue for the others but we did not see them again. We decided the time did not work for us. This was on the Island and we decided that the buffet and its wonderful forward view was much better for us.

[c-boy]

1 hour ago, CineGraphic said:

Lower our expectations so you won't be disappointed.

 

all righty then

[Guest ldtr]

56 minutes ago, NownZen said:

The first night we met a group and the eight asked to have the same table for the rest of the cruise. It was not done through the app. They did not want to delete the reservation for the others so they would not delete anyone. My guess is that the unofficial table assignments were in effect so it was probably not an issue for the others but we did not see them again. We decided the time did not work for us. This was on the Island and we decided that the buffet and its wonderful forward view was much better for us.

thanks. Was just trying to figure out why you ran into a problem, when it has worked for me. The Island is one ship that I have not been on since it was modified and have no plans to ever go on. Though I love the unmodified Coral.