Just got on Enchanted Princess for 7 day cruise September 2, 2023

[lindkn2]

Thank you.   Also,  I will be very interested in details on disembarking times?  Also we are staying in an Airbnb when we get off,  and we can't drop off luggage until 1pm or so.  Wondering what I can do with our bags if we want to leave ship in morning to explore,  then return to pick up in early afternoon.   

 

[trvlwrld]

Once you leave the ship on disembark day, you cannot come back-they will be embarking other passengers and dealing with your luggage becomes your problem once you leave

[jwattle]

12 hours ago, dickinson said:

Just called room service.  They started talking about breakfast and using the door knocker for no charge.  Had to say no, I'm talking about ordering lunch or dinner and that is a "perk" for being in a suite.  She said that is a perk of a suite but the delivery isn't free so it would be $5 charge.  You will have to check again on your cruise in case she is wrong.  Sorry.  

The $5 room charge for suites, even for the included MDR menus lines up with what I was told...in writing.

Edited September 3, 2023 by jwattle

[DJ Cruisers]

Do you call room service to have the elite bar setup swapped out or does the room attendant do it?  Thanks for the info.  Seem to recall for awhile they were saying the room attendant did it.

[travellingnana]

We are getting on Sept 9th. Could you please ask all the coughers to disembark in Barcelona. 😁

 

[dickinson]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

is 'sharing' available for the $14.99 cover charge?

If not, what about sharing if just paying for a starter and a main - $15.00?

It doesn’t say on the menu. We are not eating there but will eat at Gigi and want to share a pizza tomorrow. I’ll see what they say. 

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, dickinson said:

@dides, @Steelers36. I went back to O’Malleys. Here is the menu. 

Thanks.  Pricing seems about what I would expect and reasonable in the circumstances.

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, voljeep said:

is 'sharing' available for the $14.99 cover charge?

If not, what about sharing if just paying for a starter and a main - $15.00?

I think it has been well-established that a la carte or any "normal" food ordering on the ship is no problem for sharing.  The application of policy for a prix fixe $15 - now called a cover charge - is uncertain you might say.  IDK what they can really do if partner doesn't order food and just has a drink, say.  What if the person ordering asks for box take half their pizza away and just eats the other half plus and appetizer? 

 

At O'Malley's, I notice it states Pub Fries are free.  So, Guest 1 orders the prix fixe option for $15.  Guest 2 orders the fries and a beer.  What do they do if Guest 2 eats the dessert? Charge $5?  Come and take it away?  Tell Guest 2 only Guest 1 can have the dessert?  It would seem wasteful to order a second dessert and throw the included one away.  I suppose the scenarios are nearly infinite.  I am not trying to game the system here - just wondering how the restaurant staff are going to handle the awkward situations.

 

PS - I do NOT expect @dickinson to engage with a restaurant manager on their vacation and have a lengthy discussion about sharing food and what guests will be charged.  I imagine over the course of time, various CC Members will be on ships and attend the for-fee casual dining spots and post on this Forum what their situation was and what happened.  I think only then will we begin to have a picture of what is going to happen.  And, I also suspect it will change with time as staff adjusts.

 

ETA:  Perhaps PCL will use the KISS method.  If one guest at a table elects prix fixe via the cover charge, then everyone else must do the same.  Otherwise, it's a la carte for all.  I know that isn't practical if a couple on Plus is dining with a couple on Standard and the couple on Standard just wants to share a pizza.  So, modified KISS:  Everyone at a table from the same cabin must either elect Prix Fixe option or A La Carte option.  No one can occupy a seat without ordering something.

Edited September 3, 2023 by Steelers36

[Micahs Grandad]

Thanks for the info, we are on the Enchanted in Nov for 26 days and looking forward to it.

 

How long for elite laundry turnaround?

[dickinson]

4 hours ago, DJ Cruisers said:

Do you call room service to have the elite bar setup swapped out or does the room attendant do it?  Thanks for the info.  Seem to recall for awhile they were saying the room attendant did it.

You call room service.  No charge to swap out.  We got bottles of water.

[dickinson]

4 hours ago, lindkn2 said:

Thank you.   Also,  I will be very interested in details on disembarking times?  Also we are staying in an Airbnb when we get off,  and we can't drop off luggage until 1pm or so.  Wondering what I can do with our bags if we want to leave ship in morning to explore,  then return to pick up in early afternoon.   

 

 

[dickinson]

1 hour ago, Micahs Grandad said:

Thanks for the info, we are on the Enchanted in Nov for 26 days and looking forward to it.

 

How long for elite laundry turnaround?

We don't use the elite laundry but do our own. 

[dickinson]

Tonight we spent time in Crooners (did so yesterday too).  In 2013 on the Caribbean Princess we met AJ Clark in Crooners and really liked him.  We have not had him on a cruise since then til this one.  He is fantastic. We also went to the Princess Theater for the production show Spotlight Bar.  It was just ok.  Not something I would want to see again.

 

We have a special anniversary coming up a few days after our cruise.  Apparently tonight was the night I said we were celebrating.  Well, nothing at all happened.  While waiting for the show in the theater DH went to guest services to find out what was going on.  They apologized.  They don't door signs nor balloons any more.  In the dining room we should have received a small cake.  We did not.  He changed our celebration to September 5.  At least now we know to ask for it!

[cr8tiv1]

Happy early Anniversary.  So sorry you received the disembarkation sign just days after getting on.  Always makes me sad.

[dickinson]

Today is a sea day and formal night.  We also will be turning clocks back by one hour!  Yay!  I can use the sleep ;).  We watched in the Piazza passengers against cruise officers a game of Jenga.  We then went to Alfredo's, or should say Gigi's.  We paid the $8.50 and split one pizza and then went to the dining room  for some gelato for dessert.  I never had chocolate chip cookie gelato.  It was delicious.

 

While in Gigi's I spoke with the assistant restaurant manager (she was clearing our plates).  She told me that if you purchase a la carte then you can share.  If you purchase prix fix menu then no you can't.  If it is part of your package, still no to sharing.  She also said it was all per voyage so if you are on a b2b that would be two voyages.  She knew nothing about long cruises such as the r/t from LA to South Pacific which is a long cruise.  

[JGmf]

18 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Perhaps PCL will use the KISS method.  If one guest at a table elects prix fixe via the cover charge, then everyone else must do the same.  Otherwise, it's a la carte for all.  I know that isn't practical if a couple on Plus is dining with a couple on Standard and the couple on Standard just wants to share a pizza.  So, modified KISS:  Everyone at a table from the same cabin must either elect Prix Fixe option or A La Carte option.  No one can occupy a seat without ordering something.

 

Yes, for operational reasons -- and for keeping the peace -- PCL needs to keep it simple for the staff and be rather unbending in enforcement. 

 

That said, I don't like it.  As you said, it may be wasteful of food; and as a matter of principle, if you use your prix fixe, you bought the food; and who/if you want to share it with, should be your own decision. 

 

Ughh.

[NavyVeteran]

15 minutes ago, JGmf said:

 

Yes, for operational reasons -- and for keeping the peace -- PCL needs to keep it simple for the staff and be rather unbending in enforcement. 

 

That said, I don't like it.  As you said, it may be wasteful of food; and as a matter of principle, if you use your prix fixe, you bought the food; and who/if you want to share it with, should be your own decision. 

 

Ughh.

I disagree. If I use my package to purchase a drink, should I also be able to share it with anyone? If I can share by prix fixe food with someone else, then why should any of my friends buy the package? I can order as many meals as I want (if I have Premier) and share them with everyone on the ship.

[JGmf]

10 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

I disagree. If I use my package to purchase a drink, should I also be able to share it with anyone? If I can share by prix fixe food with someone else, then why should any of my friends buy the package? I can order as many meals as I want (if I have Premier) and share them with everyone on the ship.

 

I suppose you're correct.  Need to defend against that kind of abuse.  I was thinking small: sharing prix fixe pizza with spouse when both of us have the Plus package anyway.

[NavyVeteran]

12 minutes ago, JGmf said:

 

I suppose you're correct.  Need to defend against that kind of abuse.  I was thinking small: sharing prix fixe pizza with spouse when both of us have the Plus package anyway.

The problem is some people abuse the system, and then the rules to prevent the abuse also affect the rest of us. One example is the 15-drink limit for alcoholic beverages. Princess didn't make that rule because some people were drinking more than 15. There wouldn't be enough people doing that to affect the bottom line. They made the rule because some people were sharing their drinks.

[lindkn2]

You will have to excuse my ignorance.  I have only been on 2 cruises.   Both had multiple casual food places,  around the pool,  in the marketplace cafeteria style and dining room and we never paid for food.  Only when we went into the specialty dining restaurant.  We have the drink package,  but I don't know anything about 'food' packages or buying food à la carte.   

[dickinson]

5 hours ago, lindkn2 said:

You will have to excuse my ignorance.  I have only been on 2 cruises.   Both had multiple casual food places,  around the pool,  in the marketplace cafeteria style and dining room and we never paid for food.  Only when we went into the specialty dining restaurant.  We have the drink package,  but I don't know anything about 'food' packages or buying food à la carte.   

Depends on what ship you are on.  Not all ships have the casual restaurants.  More so the newer Royal class ships with some exceptions on some Grand class ships.

[dickinson]

Tonight was formal night.  We have a table for two against a wall with no other tables.  I have a good view of people walking in.  I noticed many men wearing all sorts of things.  From what I observed, It was about 40% men in sport coats and 60% in either dress shirt with tie (or no tie), polo short and a few in shorts.  Shorts were not in abundance but rather a few were worn.  

 

After dinner we saw a great performance in the Princess Theater.  It was called Just Paul and John.  They were two brothers who were dressed liked Beatles and did cover songs of theirs.  They were fantastic.

Next we went to Vista Lounge where they had something called Jim Henson Silliness.  It was some of his early works.  It was just ok.  Maybe kids would like it but I'm not sure.  Next we went to Crooners because AJ Clarke was going to sing songs of the Rat Pack.  He was great as always.  Next was running to Princess Live to catch the end of Karaoke.  It was the first time in ages that I saw the place filled.  My dh wanted to sing a song which he got to do.  

 

Tonight we set the clocks back an hour for our upcoming stops. Tomorrow is Kotor, Montenegro. 

[LWhit]

We had a formal night last night on the sea day, where we had a little rain in the afternoon and it was windy.   

 

People adhered very well to the dress code and looked fabulous.  

 

We ate in Crown Grill at 8.30pm and the meal was as good as ever.  

 

Today, we're in Kotor and the weather is great - again with some wind.  0700-1500 so a short port day.  

 

This evening is the Capt Circle loyalty drinks and white and gold night.  

 

Only 1 formal on this trip, despite 2 being mentioned, unless I've missed something and there is another formal that I can't see on the app.

Edited September 5, 2023 by LWhit

[dickinson]

Just announced: no Kotor.  We are in the bay but it is not safe for us to get closer due to wind and something else.  They are picking up some people who missed the ship in Athens, couldn't get to Santorini, but made it to Kotor. Also taking off one person who is not feeling well.  Tomorrow we will get to Messina much earlier (in the morning instead of around 12:00) so will have a full day there.  Luckily we have been to Kotor although we were looking forward to walking around.  

[wallyj]

50 minutes ago, LWhit said:

 

Only 1 formal on this trip, despite 2 being mentioned, unless I've missed something and there is another formal that I can't see on the app.

I try to keep a copy of the Day1 patter/event listing as it will show the itinerary and what days there will be any time changes AND the dress code/suggestion for that evening.

 

Guest services should be able to confirm if there was only one formal evening scheduled or the dining room managers as the dinner menus would be coordinated.
 

Normally Lobster is served for the second formal night. On my 16 day Hawaii sailing, in August on the Emerald, we had Lobster on the menu for the 2nd and 3rd formal nights.