rob2102

I would not expect more. The ship is a victim, too. There is no practical way for them to detect and eliminate infestations in every case. Unfortunately this means that passengers end up becoming the detection mechanism… So they may offer you something as a gesture of sympathy, or as cruzsnooze suggested, some free medical attention, but in my opinion, nothing in the way of compensation is to be expected/asked for.

 

The only ones who really owe you anything are the people who will be occupying that cabin on the next cruise. They owe you a big thank you!

 

Also, do not bring your suitcases inside the house when you get home after the cruise!

Man that's crazy, the ship is a victim? U bet they owe you something. Your not paying to get into a filthy room. sorry just saying

after talking to princess they have an express luggage service that will take your luggage from the ship to your airlines. The fee in port everglades is 20 pp. You can not pre book this service, it has to be arranged on the ship. In addition your airlines must also be participating in the service with princess. So if this sounds like a plan, you may want to check with princess for details.

This should help with walk offs or if your planning to kill some time in Ft Lauderdale because of a late flight, as in the case for us. The only thing then you have to manage is your carry on.

Cheers

I know this has been asked before, but didn't find an answer using Search.

 

We will reach Platinum during an upcoming cruise - do we get any perks ? I am wondering specifically about Internet minutes.

The changes in perks are made after not during your cruise.

Have they changed the mode for embarkation recently, We notice we have received information not to come for embarkation until 1 pm, but we don't think we ever waited until that time before. What are others' thoughts? Guess we can always ask for delayed checkout at hotel...

They always seem to list the official boarding times later than when the ship is actually " ready" to board. So much of it depends on local conditions ie weather, health issues on board, customs etc. I Always at the port between 11 am and 11:30, have to sit and wait some place. We been delayed a couple of times and were not able to board to the official times.

cheers

Emerald is about 6 years newer. They're similar, and I would be happy on either. I'm personally partial to the Emerald, though. The decor is nice IMO, and I always prefer newer when possible. We loved the Emerald!!

Both ship are great !! The golden is sister to the grand, seem to me she has a bit less crowded than the emerald. The emerald is larger a bit more modern and a fine ships as well. I always have had a weak spot for the smaller ships, sea, sun, grand, golden coral.. just me though.

Emerald is about 6 years newer. They're similar, and I would be happy on either. I'm personally partial to the Emerald, though. The decor is nice IMO, and I always prefer newer when possible. We loved the Emerald!!

Both ship are great !! The golden is sister to the grand, seem to me she has a bit less crowded than the emerald. The emerald is larger a bit more modern and a fine ships as well. I always have had a weak spot for the smaller ships, sea, sun, grand, golden coral.. just me though.

She was built for cruising in Alaska, she had a much larger observation deck forward and a covered pool. She cruises the panama canal in the winter season, and her and her sisters have a narrower beam ( width ) which enables them to navigate the panama canal.

Forward deck 14 or up on the sun decks, either one on the port (left side of the ship ). If you have a balcony, and its on the port side, we have often done our sail away their as well.

The locals who own condos on the port side of the channel often are out in full force giving each ship a send off.

If you want a video of your departure, go to the ft Lauderdale port web cam. They video every ship as it make it turn into the main channel, then out to sea.

If you let them know where you will be and how they can find you (people bring posters or banners )they will zoom in on your group. The cost of the down load last year was 9.95.

To get a sense of this, if you have the time, go to site prior to your sailing and you can watch any of the ships depart.

Hope this helps

cheers

I have never been aware of any being cancelled. Like the other poster said many last minute decisions are made on board so it would be hard fpr the operated to make that decision until the day of the excursion. safe travels,

Rob

yeah not going to happen

Thanks. The reason I ask is that we'll be on the ship in Feb & I'm keeping track of which decks had the most problems.

Any thing you can tell us about your research so far. We will be on her Feb. 20th. But we have no worries at all about her over all condition. I been on plenty of princess ships that were picked apart on this here site. But hey thanks for your efforts. You are to be commended.

Cheers

Time will tell what happens with Stone and his food. Have you had it yet? If so, let us know how you liked the foam. (That picture, BTW, is an official one taken by Powers That Be to advertise the dish. If you think it looks appetizing, then I guess that's what you'll be ordering at SHARE. If you like it, you'll have to pay another $39 to get a second helping.)[/quote

 

We will be sailing on the emerald in February. I definitely plan to dine at the SHARE. Like I said his California restaurant continues to get mostly good and excellent reviews. I think we will enjoy his food on board as well.

 

I have learned from my travels just because food doesn't always look or have familiar names it doesn't equates to being bad. Red Lobster and CS might have different looking lobster dishes but how it tastes, is the bottom line.

 

Like I said before princess must have spent their due diligence researching the CS brand and his concepts in cooking. They didn't partner up with colonel sanders , but a world renown chief. All companies protect their brands.

 

CS an d PCL have deep California roots. Gourmet food may not be for every one. But the critics need to back off a bit. I am thinking many of the CS haters didn't go to sabitinni's ( excuse the spelling) either lol. So give it some time to settle in, make adjustments if needed before slamming the door shut on the idea. Life will go on with .

Seriously' date=' how did anyone decide that this would be a good thing to serve?

 

I wonder if the dining room captains and the head waiters get ulcers, thinking about having to serve this, and then defend it. Poor guys (and gals).

 

I now know I won't order anything that has endive foam, I had no idea that it looks this bad.

 

Thanks for the picture. A picture tells a thousand words. Is this an old time truth, or what?[/quote']

 

I am not sure that cruise critics make good food critic. All of the reviews of Curtis stones restaurants in the states and over seas are excellent. Its really hard for me to believe that princess would stake its brand reputation on CS with out some serious research.

Their is definitely some disconnect between his style of gourmet cooking and some princess passengers. May be some adjustments will be made along the line, but I don't think the food or its presentation can be really that bad, certainly not as bad as a lot of poster have made it.

Sorry I am not a true believer in what is post on this site.. Many have make the emerald out to be a ship of horror and not enjoying their cruise or the ship at all. Ill approach like all other princess changes or additions. They generally work out for the better.

We were on the Emerald last year for a Christmas cruise and I love that ship!

 

1) We felt no need to book the Sanctuary. You can have privacy on your balcony. Also, we had no problem finding loungers around the pool(s).

 

2) We only went to MUTS a couple of times and were able to find seats shortly before the movie began.

 

3) We never do specialty restaurants on ships. We thought the food in the MDR on the Emerald was very good--lots of choice and well-prepared.

 

4) Can't help--haven't been there

 

5) The use of the equipment in the fitness center is free. Some classes cost extra. I found that the fitness center was fairly full in the mornings, especially at the beginning of the cruise. As the cruise progressed, the number of folks at the gym decreased.

 

6) We ate almost all of our breakfasts from the buffet. There's quiet and scenic seating on the Horizon Terrace on the aft of the Lido Deck. We have found that having room service for breakfast on the final day is a relaxing way to end the cruise. You can get a hot breakfast if that's what you want.

 

7) The Terrace Pool (aft on the Riviera Deck) is the best place to hang out. It's an adult only pool, so it's generally pretty quiet. Also, the Promenade Deck is nice for walking, but it's on 2 levels, so you have to climb some stairs to do a complete loop.

We generally book a mini or a balcony, but still find the sanctuary a good destination on some mornings. no way to compare your own balcony to the sanctuary experience.. but that's just me.

As far as the crown, another poster wisely pointed out that you can as many lobster tails as you want, the 25 bucks is worth it. And you correctly pointed out that the mdr food is good, but the crown is a good alternative destination. We are planning to go to s h a r e as well despite all the negativity about it. If you read the reviews of his own restaurant and reviews from the land down under you find his restaurants and cooking is quite good. I personally cant believe that princess would stake their own brand reputation on a bad deal. Perhaps its more contemporary for the old line cruisers on princess. You have to read some of princess cruise critic reviews about share.. I am not trying to be mean, but I cant take a dining review seriously from a guy who is a self proclaimed red neck. To each his own though.

You will also find that cruise critics here are very critical of any thing you have to pay extra for. You can see it the complaints and they are lines to line not only princess cruises.

any ways

Cheers

DH and I will be leaving in two months for our 10 yr anniversary cruise on the Emerald. It is our first Princess cruise, and as it gets closer, I had a few questions for the experts on this board. :)

1) Do you suggest booking the Sanctuary at all? We have a balcony cabin, so will be spending a lot of time out there, but wondering if the Sanctuary would be worth it for a day. We are not drinkers (unless soda counts!) so having drinks brought to us is not something that is important to us.

 

2)How early do we need to be at MUTS and the shows to get a seat? We don't need front row seats by any means, but want to make sure we can find a chair!

 

3) Is The Crown Grille really that much better than the MDR? We took a cruise on RCI 7 years ago and never ate at any of the specialty restaurants and were perfectly happy in the MDR. Is the Crown Grille a must in your opinion?

 

4) Any tips on what to plan on at Princess Cays or Grand Turk? Those are our ports, and we are wondering if they are good places to skip an excursion and just spend time on the beach. DH loves to snorkel and I love to read, and some of what Ive read sounds like you would be able to do those things and enjoy the islands on your own without any organized excursions. But if there is any not to be missed at either of those places, we are openminded about it.

 

5)DH wants to know about the fitness center. Is it free? What equipment is offered there? Is it often full?

 

6) Where do you suggest eating breakfast? If you do room service, can you get hot items like eggs and bacon, or is it more continental?

 

7)Any not to be missed areas on the ship?

 

Thanks so much for humoring me and my long list of questions! It will probably be 10 more years before we get away for another "real" vacation together, so we want to make sure we do everything we can to have a great time!

Happy for you to being taking another cruise. Here are my personal opinions,

1. I always have enjoyed the sanctuary especially on sea days. It much less crowded, nice pool great place to hang out. A couple of hours their during our cruise was great.

2. Not really sure what time to get to mutus, We just kinda of show up 10-15 minutes before the show, never have trouble finding a seat.

3. We enjoy the crown grill. Nice place for a celebration or to enjoy a good meal.

4. Think of princess cay as just another nice beach. You tender over. Their are gift shops and things to do. Princess has a lunch set up so its kinda of a nice day. Or if you decide to stay on the ship, its definitely less crowed than a normal day at sea.

5. According to princess the fitness center has all new equipment in it. It was always pretty top notch to my standards, clean, with a wide variety of machines. Yes it is free. It can get crowed I am usually up in the gym around 6 am and it slowly fills up. The fitness is u shaped, with windows facing the sea. You get a great view of the ocean or port as you do your work out.

6. Breakfast, oh my. I am old fashion so we usually go the horizon court or the mdr for breakfast. I grab coffee after my work out at the international café, their is a wide offerings of breakfast goodies if you are looking to eat lighter.

7. Places not to miss on the ship- Skywalkers during the day- great for some quiet time and your 19 floors over the ship. I try to keep a couple of port days on the ship. Every one is out doing stuff and you have the ship to your self. I go into town in the afternoons when many are returning from their morning excursions. Hey this is just me. Discovery at sea? - I really enjoyed the star gazing, I liked it a whole lot better on clear nights ( LOL ). Something I really look forward to doing again. One other thought and something I really liked and I am taking my brother with me this time I hope is the ultimate ship tour. You tour the ship stem to stern, engine room to the navigation bridge. You have the opportunity to speak with the officer in charge of each

area you tour On the bridge we had our pictures taken with the captain and toured the bridge with the third officer. Its cost 150 bucks, which seems kinda of steep, but they give you a gift from most of the areas of the ship that you tour in and some goodies to eat and drink. The very best shore excursion I ever taken.

Enough with my personal opinions, again have a great cruise how ever you spend it. Safe Travels

Cheers

Thanks for the info......I understand about the mini suite just being a little bigger than the balcony cabins. Are the mini suite balconies bigger than the ones on the balcony cabins? (I know....now I have asked an extra question.....ha.)

If you go to princess's web page and click on ships and then cabins the answer is their. Balcony rooms are approximately 283 sq ft plus a 45 sq ft balcony, where a mini suite is listed at 323 sq ft plus 57 sq balcony.

Their site is very helpful and come option free, including my own.

No preferred check in for mini's, its not really a suite and that name should not be in the title.... however......

We have found that now its best to head to the shortest line for check in. ;)

 

Headache water.

Its exactly what princess calls it and they differentia accordingly It has the added sofa and tv so its larger than their typical cabib. But not all the belles and whistles of a full suite. So it qualifies as princess correctly calls it, a smaller suite. Hence the name mini.

And as many have complained on here, not all suites are created equal. They can range in size on the new ships from 484 sq ft plus 83ft balcony to 662 sq ft plus a 348 balcony. So is the smaller suites, a truly mini suites or are you just paying for the additional amenities for a slightly larger cabin? Princess is now allowing non suite passengers to add the additional amenities such as purchasing the suite breakfast.

I have enjoyed the full suites a few times on the gem class ships, I generally stick with the minis and customize my experience with add on I will enjoy

cheers

I don't really understand why you would ask about Emerald on here if you have friends going on the ship next week who will give you information you will feel you can rely on.

But anyway IMHO Emerald is generally the same as any other Princess ship in as far as food, service, etc.

I was on Emerald straight after drydock and there were plumbing problems for some reason but this can happen on any ship, old or new, maybe more likely older though. But the crew were getting it sorted out as fast as they could.

As far as feeling special is concerned unfortunately Princess head office have been busy cutting costs and made it all feel not as special as it used to be. Princess is a mass market cruise line and you will be one of thousands on the ship, if you are spending a fair amount on a cruise and wanting special treatment then you need Crystal or another upmarket line.

Unfortunately Princess like many cruise lines spend a lot on glossy brochures depicting uncrowded decks and pools and promising the cruise of your life, well it just ain't so.

If you don't pay too much and don't expect too much then you won't be disappointed.

I love Princess and keep coming back to them after trying other lines they still are the fit for me.

Think you make a very good point. Princess ships are generally in good conditions, and service and shows good as well. Princess does hype its service in its brochure but so do other lines. Expectations seem to be out of lie with reality in many cases causing dissatisfaction.

Any body who is unsure of princess needs to go to the cruise critic Disney cruise lines page. their is a strand their that compares Disney cruise with princess. Its amazing how well princess cruises compare with Disney. DCL cruises are typically twice the cost of princess with very little value added. With the exception of better show reviews princess holds up very well in the comparison. Most commented that the buffet was big and better laid out and the piazza and atrium far superior to Disney lay outs.

Odd Disney passengers think they are not getting real value for their money. Princess passenger don't think they are getting real value. Perceptions are hard to quantify.

I know that Disney charges for that perfect Disney experience and you pay for the mouse. So for them that's part of the issue and the pricing.

Getting back to the original question. I am a seasoned princess cruiser, doesn't make me special or elite (although I have a black card ) . my advice approach the cruise with an open mind, its cool to be excited and or anxious, but I think your going to have a great time. Proofs in the pudding, why are their so many repeat cruiser if they didn't deliver a good product every time.

Not for me I only drink a few every day. The average drinking 9 bucks. You do the math.

I read the reviews mainly for a chuckle and to get a feel for the positives about the ships. Many cruise critic poster spend hours writing about how awe full of time they had, about the hidden cost, the horrible crews, the terrible shows and the uneatable food. Then they rebook another princess cruise. I giggle to my self as I eat at the horizon court, wondering where I can find a country buffet that serves such a wide variety of good food. I wander the ship trying to find the tattered furniture, rust spots and all the insensitive and grumpy crew that ignores every body, never finding much of either. I never experienced bad plumbing or poor air conditioning on any of my cruises, but I am sure others have. But I have gone to many a hotels and found similar complaints and issues. They are ships with many complicated systems and do break down and have to be repaired. We find the similar things in all our vacations spots, such is life. I go to an occasional show or magic acts. Most have been good to very good, but I didn't book the cruise to see Broadway shows, so good is enough for me. I go to the casinos, win some lose some, just like all casinos.

Some times it rains or its to windy and itineraries have to be changed Bad weather happens, even princess cant control the weather. When I am enjoying my last glass of wine at din din time, I sit back and think, "darn I didn't eat any of those every day things items with the exception of the shrimp cock tails" after all its not everyday for most of us, its vacation and a time to try new stuff ( may be even that Curtis stone foamy stuff) . If I don't like it, they will bring me some thing else, maybe even Kleenex to fight back the tears after seeing their is no salmon on the menus. Hey nothing ventured nothing gained.

I have found many great postings here, many fellow passengers giving honest opinions. Others with helpful insights. Others not so much.

I say this all with tongue in cheek. I have always enjoyed all my princess cruises or I wouldn't have re book over and over again. For the most part my fellow passengers have been great. I am sure there were things I didn't like, but they are forgotten in a blur of great things

With our cruise less than two months away we are not getting anxious, but excited, cant wait to get back on board.

We did a 3 week cruise during August/Sep this year on the Emerald and had the best time and the best crew

Our M&G had 13 officers attending and they stayed for over an hour chatting to everyone one on one After that they knew us and used our names when we met them throughout the ship

The food was good - we did not need the speciality restaurants - the buffet was clean well served and food hot and varied

The entertainment was normal for Princess we did not have any new variety shows but the comedian made me laugh out loud which is new on a cruise ship

The ship was clean and no noro I did not come across an bathrooms out of action nor her of people with air condition problems

 

So sad to hear of everything people found bad in the weeks after we got off in Rome Our cruise is up there with the best we have taken

Sounds great. Hope our cruise will be just as good, never been disappointed.

I have taken the Ultimate Ship Tour twice and have received the following gifts. Has anyone received something else?

 

Waffle Robe - both tours

Chef Jacket - tour 1

Apron - tour 2

Sanctuary towel - tour 1

Personalized pad of paper - both tours

Picture frame - tour 2

Multiple group photo - both tours[/quote

I never received a jacket or apron, may be next time. But I loved the tours all the same.

Definitely leave it in its original packing. If it becomes and issue explain it purpose to the approximate officials'. I cant see you having any problems with bring it on board.

Or you can fetch it yourself from the buffet area.

yup thinking the same thing

Hey a lot of tuff love here, but I don't think it was princess faults. And I wouldn't expect good results from a company thru cheap threats.. Stay or switch over 50 bucks, your choice.