clairebearinaus

That would be lovely Esilef!

Thanks so much to everyone who replied. I'm so glad I asked, it felt like such a silly question but it turned out all my assumptions were wrong! Didn't expect such a short window of time to get into the MDR or the expectations around letting them know if we change our plans.

I can't remember where I read it - might have been the fine print in the Cruise Personaliser - but it said Driver's License for adult and Medicare card for child is sufficient.

I'm an overthinker, though, and will be bringing our passports!

Thanks ozscot.

I think on the ship we're on, the fixed and anytime dining rooms are separate, so I don't think we run the risk of losing the table, but there's a possibility we'd affect the second sitting if late. I'm just not sure how late is late.

The reason I ask is that I'm travelling with a 10yo who can be a bit hard to get off whatever activity he's doing and into 'get yourself ready for dinner' mode. It's usually quite stressful, and stress is something I'm very much hoping to avoid on this cruise. We'll butt heads less and my blood pressure will remain healthy if I know I have a bit time of up my sleeve, or I can go "stuff it, we're going to the buffet" if it all gets too much. I think the little toerag actually enjoys it when he senses my tension levels are rising, and drags his feet even more.

Thanks

Claire

Two weeks till my first cruise! And while I should be working, my mind is wandering and thinking about how all this cruise business will work.

My DS and I have a fixed dinner reservation for 6pm, a table just for the two of us. Well, that's what I've asked for.

I'm assuming I should treat it as I would a normal restaurant booking - aim to get there on time or a bit early, not stress about being a bit late (15-20 mins tops?).

Is that a fair assumption, or do things work differently on board? What do I do if we're really running late or change our minds and decide to go somewhere else?

Many thanks

Claire

Does he like the kids' club, Esilef? I'm wondering if it's worth checking out on such a short cruise... I wouldn't mind a massage or just a couple of quiet hours to myself!

And I actually over quoted the price - it was $271 pp and is still available now for a guarantee balcony.

 

*fingers in ears* lalalalala I can't hear you!

From what I can see from the deck plans, one of the two main pools is undercover. And you can't take more than 20 paces without hitting a bar.

My subscription to this thread dropped off and I didn't realise there'd been so many more helpful replies. Thank you!

We've decided on the ship's excursion to Batu Caves. It's a full day and includes some other stops of less interest, but as a cruising and KL novice I'm sticking with the security of the ship's tour rather than a private one.

There are mixed reviews about the caves, especially the condition they're kept in, so it was really reassuring to read here that they're worthwhile seeing.

Thanks again

Claire

I'm on the same cruise, so can't help you with suggestions, but will be watching this thread! I'm going to take a deep breath and pretend I didn't read how much you paid... ;)

Since this is the Golden's first time in Australia, you might receive more replies in the general Princess boards? One thing that does look like a must-do is sunset drinkies in Skywalkers. Otherwise, since I'm cruising with my 10yo, must-dos will probably involve ice cream and swimming pools regardless of weather.

Have a great cruise!

Thanks for your replies.

It's all a bit of a mystery to me still. I guess I'll find out soon enough!

I had my eye on a very similar cruise, just opposite direction, earlier in the year but it was sold out a long time before departure so I booked this one oodles in advance, and would have been able to afford a higher cabin category if I'd waited. Oh well, we'll still have a ball!

Hi, I'm very much looking forward to my little cruise on the Golden Princess later this month, and just generally curious about how the cruise lines work to fill up their ships in the final weeks.

There are still lots of cabins available, plenty of choice in everything but the Oceanview category (which is what I have). The cheaper cabins have been on sale for quite awhile, do you think there'll be a big price drop between now and sale date?

At what point might Princess start contacting people with upgrade offers? Should I be hopeful?

Thanks for the kind wishes :)

Oh this thread has brought me such excitement... I might have let out an involuntary little 'squeeeee!' and alarmed my stuffy old coworkers.

My first ever cruise is on the Golden Princess next month, followed by a longer stint on the Sun next autumn. Cannot wait!

Thanks for posting and making it all seem a little more real.

Can anyone tell me if the packages can be bought for part of the cruise?

I wouldn't mind seeing how I go with pay-as-you-go and switching to a package after a few days, if it looks like it'd be better value.

Even better would be the ability to only have the package for sea days.

My first cruise on Sun Princess is early next year.

If I understand correctly, Share, which is a specialty restaurant with a surcharge, will replace the pizzeria, which is not?

I'm kind of disappointed that my complimentary dining options are being reduced in favour of a third specialty restaurant. Also miffed at the loss of pizza as a quick and easy meal option, especially for my children on the nights we'll want to feed them quickly and send them back to kids' club so we can have some grown up time.

Thanks, GUT. Too easy.

Unfortunately it doesn't stop me wanting to go to other places all the time!

Hi there,

Both husband and I are considering buying the all inclusive beverage package for our first Princess cruise.

How does this work if one of us wants to, say, grab a couple of coffees from IC, or cocktails in the evening, and bring them back to the cabin? I assume Princess has something in place to stop people with the package ordering free drinks for others, would we have to take both room cards with us?

Many thanks in advance

When is the cruise?

June - September would be unpleasant bordering on dangerous for any outdoor activity in the Middle East, as a past UAE resident I can assure you that all forms of entertainment are held in airconditioned comfort at that time of the year!

Would anyone like to play Guess the Demographic for my first Princess cruise?

It's a 12 nighter around South East Asia. Leaving from Australia and most of it is over school holidays.

We're a middle aged couple with tweenaged children, do you think there'll be many similarly aged people or as a slightly longer cruise, is it more likely to be full of retirees?

Hi all,

I know I'm overthinking this, but I'm trying to get the shoe balance right for my very first cruise. That is, the balance between packing light, and not having enough variety!

This is a hot weather cruise, 12 nights with Princess, and we've decided we won't go to MDR on formal nights.

I'm taking my red espadrille-style wedges, thinking they're perfect for a ship because they're rubber soled and not too delicate so safe on decks, they have a nice nautical vibe to them, and they'll go with all my dinner clothes.

I do worry though, that I'll get awfully bored and maybe a bit self-conscious about wearing the same shoes night in night out, especially as they're quite distinctive.

So my questions to you more experienced cruising fashionistas are:

- should I even care about this?

- can I get by in the MDR with flat leather sandals like Saltwaters as an alternative, or is that too beachy/casual?

- if I were to bring a second pair of heels, would sparkly/strappy little numbers look out of place (that's all I have) and be dangerous on a moving ship?

Thank you for your advice :)

Dizzy, you're a mathematical genius :)

Hi,

Our first cruise will include a day visit to KL and even though we've never been before, we're struggling to find any attractions that interest us enough to leave the ship, which will be a considerable distance from the city.

We're a middle aged couple who've travelled a lot in Asia and the Middle East, and not really inspired by the big cities. We're much more looking forward to Penang and Langkawi on this voyage.

We also have 2 sons 10-12yo who think things like bird and butterfly parks are 'lame'. :)

Not interested in designer shopping, markets, or skyscrapers, Blue Mosque sounds vaguely interesting but I've seen a lot of mosques, is it alone worth the trip? We have already chosen tours at other locations which will include caves, temples, forests, monkeys so reluctant to double up on that kind of thing... Oh and we're going at the hottest time of the year.

I sound very negative don't I? Really, we love travelling and experiencing new places but a port day on the ship sounds lovely too, I might even get myself a sunlounge! Get the laundry done! It does seem a waste to go all that way and not see the place though.

What do others recommend?

That's great to know, thanks everyone!

Hi there, I've booked a short cruise on the Golden Princess for myself and my (then) 10yo son for his birthday.

The Skywalkers bar jutting out from the back of the ship looks amazing, and would have wonderful views.

I understand it's a nightclub, but is it accessible and appropriate for children during the day? I'd love to check it out with my little one.

Many thanks

Claire

Ooops, I forgot to come back to this thread (it was a big weekend!) and say thank you, that's very useful information to know, even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear! Guess I'll be dragging Mr Grumpypants out of his bed early that day.