sirclean

" I'm a current NEXUS/SENTRI member; how do I use Global Entry? If you are a U.S. citizen/lawful permanent resident and you provided provided your passport information and your fingerprints were collected at the enrollment interview, you will automatically be eligible for Global Entry benefits. If you do not have passport information or fingerprint information on file, you will need to visit a Trusted Traveler Enrollment Center in order for CBP to capture this information. " https://ttp.cbp.dhs.gov/faq?lang=en

As a Nexus Card Holder, I can assure you that my global entry and TSA precheck came with my Nexus approval. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus/card " Entering the United States All NEXUS members can enjoy the benefits of Global Entry at no additional cost through using the Global Entry kiosks for entry at participating airports." " Why You Should Join Membership in the NEXUS program allows you to reduce your wait times at designated ports of entry by: using dedicated processing lanes at land border crossings, using NEXUS kiosks when entering Canada, using Global Entry kiosk when entering the United States, and calling a marine telephone reporting center to report your arrival into the United States and Canada " As for TSA Pre-Check " Are You Eligible? U.S. citizens and U.S. lawful permanent residents enrolled in Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI are eligible to participate in TSA PreCheck®, as well as Canadian citizens who are members of NEXUS." https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/tsa-precheck

"Nexus only gets you in and out of Canada. Splurge and get Global Entry ($15 more than TSA pre-check). " NEXUS includes Global Entry as well as TSA Pre-Check. It is $50 for 5 years.

My suggestion is to avoid the Sanctuary for much of Glacier Bay. I believe that the Sanctuary view will be through glass, which will distort the true colors of the glaciers. Also, you wont be able to hear the creaking of the glacier or the splashes of the calving. Being on the balcony is good. IF you get cold, run back into the room for a few minutes. You can turn the TV to the bridge cam page and hear the commentary provided by the park rangers. Enjoy the Cruise!

My favorite trip is to cruise in Alaska. I saw the lines I had to wait in to get Into Canada, and then another trip I saw the lines to get out! Then I found out that NEXIS is $50 for 5 years which includes global entry and TSA precheck. The lines were so long, I was thinking, "I would pay $50 to not stand in THIS line just now!" In addition, there was a port (I dont remember if it was Seattle or Vancouver), but you could use the Global Entry line to speed the process to get on the ship as well! As others have said, the lines for normal entry are DEEP and LONG, but the Global Entry or NEXIS have plenty of machines and I ve never had a wait! Add to that Precheck, not only lets you keep your electronics in a bag, but I now also have a CPAP machine, so it is much easier to get through security on any flight! IF you Fly out of some especially busy airports (like Orlando!) even the TSA PreCheck lines are long, so you may want to consider the Clear Me Lines. They go even faster for domestic flights!

Is this the plan that is now about $18 a day (per person)

What internet speed are you seeing on board now? (we were on the Ruby a few weeks ago, and the speed was often as low as .1 or .3 MPS. Has it improved?)

I think that you can book online in the princess webpage in the Services section. As for Speed, you will not find any commitment! It is most likely SLOW. It is often unusable slow. There are threads with it listed (like this one : where the speed is as low as .1 or .3 MPS Take a look at it and see the experiences of others.

I tend to make the reservations for 5 so that there is time to get seats for the first show. However, if that is too early, or you are able or willing to see the second show then 630 may still get you to the (second) show in time. Dinner can take 2 hours. It can be faster if you skip desert or if you have a table for 2. If you have others with you, then the time can be longer if the table mates are later or dawdle.

Glacier Bay is THE reason I keep going back to Alaska! And even then, I prefer the smaller (older) ships that have the largest open areas to spend outside on that day.

They had it on the Ruby in March, but I dont know the age limits. So it was at least recently there, but I can not answer the other part of your question.

The instructions are in your Itinerary. " IAH Airport - Terminal C baggage claim HOU Airport - Baggage claim lower level Meeting times: 10:00 AM In case of flight delays, please call the Princess En-route Number at 800-545-0008 Unused transfers are non-refundable"

I like to ask the Blue Medallion wearers "how are you enjoying your first Princess Cruise?" (It often surprises them that I KNOW that this is their first trip). I also like to ask any young ones on the elevators to press the button for the 13th deck. It is the little things that bring me oversized joy on these trips!

"LOL! Who would care about getting respect from strangers? " Maybe because they wont get respect from the people that DO know them!!

Call Princess and talk to the techies. It is one of the phone hell options. They may be able to help you with the issue.

These days, women getting married for a second time can wear white too. Perhaps these ships are a. Renewed like on Logans Run b. Sin Free for the post Easter trip c. celebrating their maiden voyage's (for the second time) (like celebrating the 44th anniversary of your 'sweet 16' birthday, rather than your 60th birthday!).

"is the "pub lunch" better than the standard burger princess normally offers. or is it like fish n chips? " the pub lunch is not one thing. There are several items available. There is the Fish and Chips, but also a kidney pie, and plowman's lunch of sandwich things, bangers and mash, bread and butter pudding, scotch eggs, to name a few. I dont remember the full details, but it has its own menu and an assortment of choices, not just one thing like fish and chips. Im sure someone else will remember the other items on the menu and the details fo what sides each selection includes. Maybe someone will even have pictures of the menu!

I know it is not an option, but it is not "$50 a day" or even "$60 a day" that is the real issue for me. It is that it is Every Day! I can deal with $60 a day, but as with everything else, it adds up. My next 2 cruises are at least 14 days long. To pay $60 a day for (on average) 15 days for 2 people costs $1800. Granted that some of that I would have paid anyway, but if the liqueur portion alone is over $950, then I have to pass. I would not otherwise buy that much in liqueur in a year, so I could not justify that for the cruise. Likewise, just the soft drink package these days is over $18 a day (Every Day!). I would not pay that much in a week! They have me trapped, but they do have tea bags and hot water, so I can find substitutes. As I dont need the sugar or the caffeine, that package is not cost effective For ME! It is for others, though! Another poster mentioned Buttered Pecan I think.... That tempts me, but not to the tune of $950! I agree that on short trips, it would be easier, and at $40 it made a lot more sense, even if/when/though the internet service is unreliable. At $60 a day, Each, and Every Day, the liqueur portion isnt something I can do. I can not do the exercises that would be required to burn those additional, hollow calories off, and I already have too much Bulk Tonnage to add more! BUT, that is what is best for ME! You do YOU! There are very sound reasons others have given that clearly make the package worthwhile for many others! That is the beauty of it! It is an option that is available, and it is a bargain for some, but not for others! Fortunately, you have the first 2 days of the cruise to add it, so you can see what you think your on board desires may be!

The OP asked about Stateroom coffee. I have not found coffee in any of my rooms, though I ve not stayed in any suites. Does Princess have in room coffee available?

In November on Discovery, I discovered it on ONE of the buffets (after I had already eaten lunch from another station). No notice in the platter. In the staterooms, you can see the menus of each dining room on the TV. However, you can not see the for the future, on ly the current day. So check ALL of the Buffet lines Each Day Is My advice!! And be sure to check the lunch and dinner menus each day too! ON the AP, the menus are available ahead of time, but my next trip is 11 days away and they are not yet loading (not yet available).

"I imagine they’ll be packed, but I guess we will find out. " it always depends! Port days will be less crowded while in port, and depending on the Movie under the Stars, it may be busier. If there are 2 people you dont yet know, wade on in! (I dont know how many people is the limit for capacity or comfort in a hot tub! You can test that too!)

When you say "and might average 2 drinks each day for each of us ", remember that what YOU think is a Drink and Princes Thinks is a drink may not be the same! I hardly drink at all, usually. However, I do have a taste for Bailey's Irish Cream. Ask for Baileys on the rocks and they fill a short glass with ice and measure One Ounce of Baileys, dump it over the ice (which is less than about 1/4 of the glass height. ) Ask for a double, and they measure 2 one ounce shots and it the glass is about 1/2 full, but THAT is 2 drinks! As there is a 15 drink a day limit (a fact, not a challenge!), if you want to try something new or different, then go ahead! You may find an activity on board that explains different kinds of martini drinks that are available (from chocolate, to lemon drop, to the full gamut). IF you would like to sample one, better to have the package. My Bride discovered a drink on the dinner menu that is available everyday. It is a Chocolate Almond. It is essentially hot chocolate with a shot of amaretto. You owe it to yourself to try a Dirty Banana! SO if it is a matter of being close in price, I think that I would go the extra mile and get it. On the other hand! I am leaving on a 16 day cruise in 2 weeks. We opted Not to do the Plus package. IT is $60 a day for the plus package, so that is quite a bit for 16 days! Also, while I really LIKE Baileys, I dont need the calories for 2 (or more) Double Baileys for SIXTEEN DAYS! I have sufficient cabin credit to pay the tips for the trip, dont need the wifi package for both of us, so the break even was more than 3 drinks a day, and as I said, my Bulk Tonnage will definitely increase if I drink enough to make it worth while! Anyway, for THIS trip we dont have it. For the one week trip we recently took, we did have it and enjoyed the options to explore new Adult Beverages!

I dont know about the pool, but there are hot tubs available on the decks.

I was told that the new ship passengers for the first year get white medallions (but I probably was told that here in Cruise Critic!) We were on Discovery over Thanksgiving week 2022 and got white medallions.

" have no idea what that person is on about glass obstructing you. I assume they just picked a lousy spot and stayed there. Even on higher decks, such as the area near the Outrigger Bar, there are no obstructions, just more people. We had a balcony and found we were moving between deck 7 and our cabin quite frequently. Photo of deck 7 location and view from there. (What obstruction?)" Well, you found a space a missed! I walked all over Deck 7 and there were no chairs anywhere on the deck. Where did you find it? On Discovery, In many places deck 7 was not wide enough for 2 people to walk side by side. And even then all of the view was blocked by the life boats. Perhaps I was looking for something that isnt on Discovery, a place like the Grand where there is a large open deck above the Bridge. But clearly, you found a place that had a good view and was uncrowded. When you traveled, where were most of the passengers during the Glacier Bay portion of the trip?