Princess secrets...

[jadek]

In addition to free sundaes on CB at 3:30, warm chocolate chip cookies are also served....yummmie!

[Northender]

 

I think the price went up, but not by much. The Steak House on the Crown seems much bigger than the grand class ships. Also, don't forget that the price does not include your drinks. Still a heck of a meal for about $20-25pp. Especially the dessert:D

[Ms. Alpha]

Thanks for this thread. I think 3:30 - 4:30 became DH's favorite time on our cruise!

On the Royal the cookie trolley went out by the pool, but the cookies were also available in the Buffet by the ice cream. They weren't always chocolate chip but rotated several flavours over the course of the trip. Sometimes there was a choice if you happened to hit the end of one batch and the beginning of another.

[Country-Bumpkin]

I couldn't find the answer to my question so I hope someone can help me out.

 

I was told to order a specail room service breakfast for the balcony on the day that we sail through the panama canal. Does anyone know about this and how to go about it???

 

Thanks, Joy ;)

[timespliters]

I couldn't find the answer to my question so I hope someone can help me out.

 

I was told to order a specail room service breakfast for the balcony on the day that we sail through the panama canal. Does anyone know about this and how to go about it???

 

Thanks, Joy ;)

 

 

Order it just like any other day put your card out the night before. You might like lunch as well as it is an all day thing.

 

Have a look at http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html and see who is going through now.

[Northender]

Maybe they were talking about the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast???

[sultan_sfo]

You will receive a "form" in your cabin for the special Panama Canal Breakfast. Just use that. The breakfast is similar to the Champagne Breakfast.

[tcrny]

For coffee lovers, it is worth it to get the coffee card - but they don't advertise it. When you get onboard you will see tables set up to purchase soda cards - they have the coffee cards too, so just ask them. Brewed coffee is available on deck 5 international cafe. The rest of the coffee in restaurants and buffet is the syrup stuff.

 

Soda cards cost $4.50 (I think) per day. But if your kids like to drink smoothies, they sell the ultimate kids package for $9 per day that includes all the soda, smoothies, virgin pina coladas/daquiries, and ice cream. Worth it especially if your kids like to order the mocktails in the dining room which would be over $5 for one if you didn't have the card. My girls were ordering smoothies any time of day at the pool in the hot sun.

 

For anytime diners, the Palm dining room seems to be less crowded than the Coral (as it is trickier to get to). The Palm is on deck 6 very aft of ship and only way to get there is to take deck 7 to the aft and down the stairs. The Coral is right next to the atrium and more crowded. If you dine at the Palm, Richard and Hendrik are the best waiters! We requested them most every night we could.

 

The bathrooms are rather small and we took an over the door shoe holder (the one with clear plastic pockets). Very organized way to hold everything and see where it is.

 

If you are celebrating special occasions, you list it online in your cruise personalizer. We celebrated our 20th anniversary onboard and had balloons on our door when we woke up, and we were given a card to present to the Maitre D' when we went to dinner that night where our waiters sang to us and brought us a yummy dessert!

 

You can order fresh fruit for your cabin each day upon request and no extra charge. There is a card to hang on your doorknob and they will deliver it to you.

 

The mattresses were a bit hard for us. You can pre-order egg crate foam toppers by faxing to customer relations at 661-284-4885. Include your name, reservation #, ship name, voyage #, cabin # and sail date. However with egg crate my DH still found too hard for his back, and our steward also covered the mattress with another duvet cover on top of egg crate and this was helpful.

 

St. Thomas/Crown Bay - this is where all Princess ships dock now which is farther from shopping area. We did not have any ship excursions planned however there were very organized system of taxi's available set up for where you want to go (Magens Bay, Island tour, etc). But because it is further away, it cost more. We paid $9pp one way to Magens Bay, same back to the ship but stopped in town for an hour of shopping. Even if you stay longer there is no shortage of locals to taxi you back to the ship.

 

Don't forget to bring a lanyard for your cruise card however Princess sells them 3 for $12 onboard.

 

Be aware of the lounge chair savers ... they are plentiful and are out saving chairs very early especially around the 2 main pools and very protective of their territory. We saw some people get into arguments over this, which is a shame. Even though it is posted in the patters that lounge chair saving is not permitted, it isn't enforced by the staff.

 

All I can think of for the moment that hasn't been mentioned ... hope it helps. Happy Cruising! We had a blast on the CB we sailed 7/28 - she is an amazing and beautiful ship!

[sunsurf]

I couldn't find the answer to my question so I hope someone can help me out.

 

I was told to order a specail room service breakfast for the balcony on the day that we sail through the panama canal. Does anyone know about this and how to go about it???

 

Thanks, Joy ;)

 

 

Ultimate Balcony Breakfast. Call the dining line once you board the ship. Pick which date you want it served on and you're good to go.

 

Hope you enjoy!

[Country-Bumpkin]

Thanks for the information. Do you know if it is just the same as free room service or is their a charge like the specialty dining rooms?

 

Joy

 

 

Ultimate Balcony Breakfast. Call the dining line once you board the ship. Pick which date you want it served on and you're good to go.

 

Hope you enjoy!

[rin1]

There is a charge for the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast, I believe.

 

Tip re: free ice cream...

 

Only basic flavors are offered. The premium stuff is still, well, premium. ;)

[caribill]

I couldn't find the answer to my question so I hope someone can help me out.

 

I was told to order a specail room service breakfast for the balcony on the day that we sail through the panama canal. Does anyone know about this and how to go about it???

 

Thanks, Joy ;)

 

From the Princess website. I do not know if the price has changed since this press release. Call DINE onboard to schedule.

 

For those who want start the day with a romantic meal, the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast includes specialty pastries, fresh fruits, quiche, smoked salmon and other special treats served with a half bottle of French champagne, all for $25 per couple.

[SandG]

If you dine at the Palm, Richard and Hendrik are the best waiters! We requested them most every night we could.

We were on the 7/19 sailing on CB and ate in their section twice and also thought they were wonderful. We had decided to try eating in different loations, but in retrospect, I wished we'd requested their table every night.

 

Sue

[HomieZ]

For coffee lovers, it is worth it to get the coffee card - but they don't advertise it. When you get onboard you will see tables set up to purchase soda cards - they have the coffee cards too, so just ask them. Brewed coffee is available on deck 5 international cafe. The rest of the coffee in restaurants and buffet is the syrup stuff.

 

This one come up right in time for our cruise next week! That would be my first priority on embarkment day! I'm totally into coffees, blue mountain and all sorts of espressos...are latte's included?

 

I also saw soda card and coffee cards both selling for $24 (unlimited) earlier in the thread. Is this just a myth?

[nabby]

This one come up right in time for our cruise next week! That would be my first priority on embarkment day! I'm totally into coffees, blue mountain and all sorts of espressos...are latte's included?

 

I also saw soda card and coffee cards both selling for $24 (unlimited) earlier in the thread. Is this just a myth?

 

On the Crown Princess, I did purchase the coffee card - well worth it in my book! In the morning, we would eat breakfast in the buffet, and afterward I always went to the bar by the main pool to get my cappuccino - they gave it to me in a portable cup (with lid).

 

Lattes are included, but strangely hot chocolate is not. You can get a mocha though. And our wonderful assistant waiter Tseniya managed to sweet-talk someone into making mochaccinos for me at dinner time. BTW the coffee card is not unlimited for specialty coffees. I think you get 15 per card? Can't remember exactly.

[cruzzers]

This "secret" isn't new (and not exclusive to any cruise line), but many folks don't think about it until it's too late. We always pack two travel mugs "with handles." That way you can go to the buffet in the morning, and bring back to the balcony, two mugs of coffee (or whatever) holding them both with one hand. That leaves a hand free for a plate of fruits, muffins, etc. Plus, it doesn't spill and it stays hot a lot longer.

 

 

We love to bring on our own mugs and fill them throughout the day with water to make our own tea from the tea bags.

 

Another tip is to take a little night light to put in the bathroom at night. It is always so dark in the rooms. We also pack a suction cup soap holder to stick to the shower wall to hold your extras in the shower.;)

[CZEE]

It comes as a shock to us in the UK to hear from colonial cousins that Princess won't serve alcohol to miners. This seems a strange and rather arbitrary form of discrimination to me, but there you go.

 

Newsflash--we're not the colonies any more. Something about crazy King George III.

 

They'll serve alcohol to miners, just not to minors. Quaint or discriminatory, that's the way it is.

[TwoCruisers]

When we sailed on the Coral Princess for a Panama Canal cruise we found that while entering the locks people were crowded into the forward open areas. No one would move to allow anyone else to get a picture. We found that the aft areas of the ship were very vacant and actually a much better place for pictures.

[monakayk]

Isn't this the reason that cruise lines have tightened the rules regarding bringing liquor on board? I think it's quite tacky to bring drinks from your cabin to the public areas-especially the dining room and lounges.

 

 

Not to start an argument...but when we cruise we bring our own bottles of wine on the ship. Mainly because we like the wine we bring better than the wines offered on board. In fact we have bought wine by bottle and glass on various ships and DO NOT like their selection at all. Therefore, we opt to keep our own bottles of wine in our cabin, so we can have a cocktail before dinner and not have to keep an entire bottle of wine at the dining room (which we could never drink during one meal). It gives us more freedom to keep our wine in our cabin to have our own special wine to drink WHEN WE WANT IT. There have been a few times when we were running late or would rather have our glass of wine with dinner. Therefore we have filled a wine glass (which we requested from room service and tipped for) with our own wine in the cabin and have taken them inside the dining room. If any of our table mates thought it was "tacky" then that is their option. It is so easy to judge others with what you think they should do, but IMHO...that is "tacky" too. All we want to do is enjoy our cruise with the type of wine we like...where we like to enjoy it...even with dinner and not be judged for it.

 

BTW...we buy drinks (other than wine) from the bars...so they get plenty of our money for drinks.

 

One last thing...how do you know if a person who carries in a glass of wine did not buy it from a bar outside the dining room? I have had friends who have cruised with us do this and walked into the dining room with their unfinished glass of wine as we walked into the dining room with our (purchased) cocktail. If you think we are "tacky" then you have mistakenly thought we filled our glasses in our cabins.

[sultan_sfo]

Yes -- we think it is tacky.

On Princess, the waiter will save the unfinished bottle for the next evening too! If you bring your own bottle to the DR, corkage will be charged. The wording of your post indicates your own uneasiness -- you are simply trying to rationalize that you want to avoid paying corkage!

 

Not to start an argument...

 

Therefore, we opt to keep our own bottles of wine in our cabin, so we can have a cocktail before dinner and not have to keep an entire bottle of wine at the dining room (which we could never drink during one meal).

...

Therefore we have filled a wine glass (which we requested from room service and tipped for) with our own wine in the cabin and have taken them inside the dining room. If any of our table mates thought it was "tacky" then that is their option.

...

[marne001]

I enjoy a glass of wine before dinner, either at the lobby bar or in my suite. If it is not finished when the dinner xylophone rings, I will take it to dinner. I am not trying to avoid corkage fees, just chose to open that bottle in my cabin. I prefer to refrigerate my wines to slow down its oxidation and do not want to bother the sommelier with such a request. Many think refrigeration of a red wine is a bad thing. I have received looks, or should I say my wine glass has, that may have implied it was tacky. I prefer momentary tacky to enjoy a bottle or Napa Valley Hall Cabernet Savignon or Stag's Leap, which is simply not offered on any resort mass market cruise ship. If that caliber of wine was offered on a Princess ship, I would gladly not tote them with me.

 

Lanyards-day one: go to the casino and request a free one. The purser can punch a hole in your cruise card--they know where so as to not hit the mag stripe or your passenger folio number in the lower right.

[Solara]

Not to start an argument...but when we cruise we bring our own bottles of wine on the ship. Mainly because we like the wine we bring better than the wines offered on board. In fact we have bought wine by bottle and glass on various ships and DO NOT like their selection at all. Therefore, we opt to keep our own bottles of wine in our cabin, so we can have a cocktail before dinner and not have to keep an entire bottle of wine at the dining room (which we could never drink during one meal). It gives us more freedom to keep our wine in our cabin to have our own special wine to drink WHEN WE WANT IT. There have been a few times when we were running late or would rather have our glass of wine with dinner. Therefore we have filled a wine glass (which we requested from room service and tipped for) with our own wine in the cabin and have taken them inside the dining room. If any of our table mates thought it was "tacky" then that is their option. It is so easy to judge others with what you think they should do, but IMHO...that is "tacky" too. All we want to do is enjoy our cruise with the type of wine we like...where we like to enjoy it...even with dinner and not be judged for it.

 

One last thing...how do you know if a person who carries in a glass of wine did not buy it from a bar outside the dining room? I have had friends who have cruised with us do this and walked into the dining room with their unfinished glass of wine as we walked into the dining room with our (purchased) cocktail. If you think we are "tacky" then you have mistakenly thought we filled our glasses in our cabins.

We have done both, either filled the wine glass for dinner with wine from our room, or stopped for a glass in one of the bars on the ship and brought what was left into the dining room. I never thought it was tacky at all, how does anyone know where I got the wine?

[sultan_sfo]

What a waste of "good" wine not to finish the bottle the same day. We drink wine in our cabin and also take an unopened bottle of "good" wine to the DR and enjoy being pampered as the wine is poured and imbibed in small quantities allowing us to "swirl" and enjoy the bouquet and drink it with the excellent dinner we usually find in the DR.

 

...

I prefer momentary tacky to enjoy a bottle or Napa Valley Hall Cabernet Savignon or Stag's Leap, which is simply not offered on any resort mass market cruise ship. If that caliber of wine was offered on a Princess ship, I would gladly not tote them with me.

...

[FunForUs]

Newsflash--we're not the colonies any more. Something about crazy King George III.

 

They'll serve alcohol to miners, just not to minors. Quaint or discriminatory, that's the way it is.

 

Thanks for such an appropriate, well worded response. Shirley

[monakayk]

Yes -- we think it is tacky.

On Princess, the waiter will save the unfinished bottle for the next evening too! If you bring your own bottle to the DR, corkage will be charged. The wording of your post indicates your own uneasiness -- you are simply trying to rationalize that you want to avoid paying corkage!

Not that I feel I have to respond to your insulting remark, but I will...we HAVE paid corkage

fees before. However as I clearly stated, we DO NOT wish to leave a bottle of wine that we have not been able to finish in the dining room because we want to drink it at times in our cabin before dinner. Therefore, a bottle in the dining room does not make sense. One other reason, (as if I have to state the obvious) we eat in the buffet also during dinner. So there would be a night in which we would be UNABLE to access an already opened bottle of wine left in the dining room. Wine's taste diminishes after it is open if not drunk within a day or two. If you were a 'wine drinker' you would know this.

 

Why is it that some folks have to be so judgmental...I guess it makes them feel powerful over others. JMHO