Postcard service?

Has anyone used or knows if Princess offers a postcard service ,similar to what other cruise lines offer?

After discussing sending postcards with fellow cruisers this would be popular. The service entails your completion of postcard (supplied by Princess) with a message and address. Princess then posts it for you at the next port. I'd be quite happy to pay for this convenience, rather than looking for a post office while in port.

As a footnote, some years ago I purchased stamps on board, but that was rather "hit and miss" as demand was high. The free e-cards are great, but of little value to those without access to email.

I haven't bought the stamps recently, but Princess had them at the pursers desk for the various countries on the cruise so that you could buy them for the next port and mail them at the pursers desk. I'm assuming they still do.

Yes, they still have it.

The price includes the charge for money conversion.

Princess also has free access to the Princess web site while on the ship; you do not have to pay for this access. One of the features is free e-cards to your e-mail friends. I used it quite often on our Panama Canal cruise last February. The only problem is that a small percentage of the e-cards I sent never reached their intended recipients.

I've never had much luck with the e-postcards or having the ship mail postcards from a port. The e-cards rarely got delivered, and the postcards arrived months later. We experimented by mailing postcards ourselves from a port and having Princess mail one. The ones we mailed got back to the US in a little over a week. The Princess one took 2 months.

We have done both, mailed from Princess, found they seem to hold all cards to the last day, when we were in the US, even though we had earlier US ports.

Overseas, we generally mail cards from the hotels we stay at, even that has mixed results. Mailed cards on day one from Hilton in Rome, cards arrived last, had better luck with cards mail months and something later.

I still send cards, love getting them and sending them.

50/50 chance it will ever make it to its intended destination.

We have had some make it and some not.

Some could be Princess fault but most likely foreign post office/service issues.

Yes, they have it. Remember to include the country in the address, otherwise the local post office doesn't know where to send the mail. You may arrive home before the post card does. Take along e-mail addresses and send Princess e-post cards from the internet cafe on board. They are free.

We have done both, mailed from Princess, found they seem to hold all cards to the last day, when we were in the US, even though we had earlier US ports.

 

Overseas, we generally mail cards from the hotels we stay at, even that has mixed results. Mailed cards on day one from Hilton in Rome, cards arrived last, had better luck with cards mail months and something later.

 

I still send cards, love getting them and sending them.

I've sen them to myself & gotten them immediately.

There have been many posts on various threads about postcards and letters given to Princess to mail at the next port (with appropriate postage) never make it to the recipients. Where the process falls apart is not known.

Best way to help make these epistles make it is to post them yourself when in the various ports.

Thanks for your input. Seems like I'll have to rely on the front desk having stamps.

Wouldn't it be good if :

*there was a universal stamp or postcards that you could purchase in your country before departure?

or

*you could purchase stamps at the cruise terminal?

We have mailed postcards twice, with the correct postage, handed in to the front desk, that we are still waiting to get and that was a couple of years ago. It is not only Princess....we did a SA cruise in March with Celebrity and handed in a postcard to be mailed...again it had correct postage and our friend is still waiting for it. I would try and find a post office or buy the postcard and stamp on the ship and mail it when you get home. You would be amazed at how many people will not even realize it was mailed from home lol.

Wouldn't it be good if :

*there was a universal stamp or postcards that you could purchase in your country before departure?

or

*you could purchase stamps at the cruise terminal?

You probably would not want to include the US Post Office in that scenario.

They can't even afford themselves.

A couple of years ago I mailed birthday cards, with cash in them, to my twin niece and nephew from the PSD on Sapphire Princess. I had US postage on them and we were docked in Honolulu. The PSD person told me they would be mailed from Honolulu. It was a long cruise to Australia and back and by the time I got home I'd forgotten all about them. They were mailed in mid September for the kids birthdays at the end of the month. I was really surprised when the kids called me the next May to thank me for their birthday cards and cash. The cards had just arrived. They took 8 months, but they did eventually get there.

A little off topic, but useful for those who like to send postcards and travel with a smart phone, ipad etc. For the last couple of years I have been using the By Post app, with great success. Good quality postcards made from your own photo, and in most cases printed and mailed in the country they are destined for so arrive within a few days.

A couple of years ago I mailed birthday cards, with cash in them, to my twin niece and nephew from the PSD on Sapphire Princess. I had US postage on them and we were docked in Honolulu. The PSD person told me they would be mailed from Honolulu. It was a long cruise to Australia and back and by the time I got home I'd forgotten all about them. They were mailed in mid September for the kids birthdays at the end of the month. I was really surprised when the kids called me the next May to thank me for their birthday cards and cash. The cards had just arrived. They took 8 months, but they did eventually get there.

I am surprised the cash made it.