lstone19

I did because I was providing information about why a picture might be missing. I didn’t connect your latest back to that because, well, it’s been two days and I didn’t remember the context for my reply.

Your reply has nothing to do with my post that you quoted. You appear to be on Caribbean Princess while I was referring to our cruise on Royal Princess in April.

On our cruise in April, it was the ED whose picture was missing (she was new to the ship that cruise). It later appeared. I was told that they do not display the officer until the have a Platinum Studio photo of the officer.

Ruby Princess from our cruise last week (table has already been updated):

We are booked on the new Sun Princess in April 2024. I am Elite and my wife is Platinum. Since booking in March 2023, Dine My Way on the app always says "Sorry - Dine My Way is not available right now. We are currently making updates to available reservations. Please try again later." I have not been able to determine if this is because it's a new ship and they don't have information loaded yet or if it's something about my reservation that is messing it up. Has anyone been able to make DMW reservations for Sun Princess?

HGM is Shane Mansfield.

Well, that seemed odd. I was up for our passing under the Golden Gate Bridge. After we did, a pilot boat came up alongside. Why would a pilot boat be approaching after we were already under the bridge and in the bay? The pilot should have boarded well out to sea and certainly long before we passed under the bridge.

The dealer blackjack was not suited which also won her a cruise in an interior cabin. If suited, an oceanview cabin, and if hearts (I think), a balcony cabin. But no progressive.

Regular (which to me means 3:2 pay for blackjacks) is $25 minimum. Ripoff BJ (6:5 pay for blackjacks) is $10 minimum. Fun 21 is a $6 minimum. The only ones I consider playable are regular with the $25 minimum and Fun 21. From the sources I've read, when you play perfect basic strategy (no counting), regular BJ has a house edge of about 0.5%, Fun 21 about 0.6%, and Ripoff BJ about 2.0%. The Wizard of Odds website has a good analysis of Fun 21 and a strategy chart. I have no doubt the casino makes a ton off Fun 21 due to people playing regular BJ basic strategy. With the Kings removed, both player and dealer are less likely to bust and as a result, correct strategy is to hit all 12s, hit 13s except against 6, and hit 14 against except against 4 to 6 (there are exceptions for drawing a fifth or more card due to the 3:2 payout for 21 with five or more cards). Unfortunately, many players don't get the difference and the other night I had a player getting really angry with me for my correct draw of a 14 against a 3 that unfortunately would have resulted in a dealer bust had I stood (of course, he was unaware of how many times his incorrect play saved the table - it largely evens out on the table as a whole). I was surprised that the casino did not mind me having my strategy chart in hand as I played.

Included, not free. You paid for it in your cruise fare.

If you’re a U.S. citizen, it’s taxable. Whether Princess has to report it is a separate matter. We were in Canadian waters at the time either still being in or just passed through the Hecate Strait. Another cruise line’s website seems to say it’s only reported to the IRS when near (for some definition of near) the US.

2nd night. This itinerary lends itself to the classic second and next to last nights formal schedule.

She didn't ask but it sounded like it would be a check from Princess later. Which if it were me might well have had me ask for cash. Oh to have to make that choice. She talked about merely transiting San Francisco so I assume she's from another country. But she will need to legally enter the U.S. and declare it and then enter her country and probably declare it again.

Speaking of which, I heard the casino manager offer her a choice of check or cash (or a mix) and she opted for all cash. I was near her and immediately told her to make damn sure she declares the cash to US CBP. Trying to bring more than $10,000 cash into the U.S. without declaring it is major violation and can get the cash confiscated (almost all countries have a limit and to my knowledge, they're all somewhere in the vicinity of USD 10,000 (e.g. Canada CAD 10,000, EU 10,000 Euros)). It's not illegal to bring more the $10,000 in cash, it just need to be declared.

Until 7:00pm (we've been closing it most nights). Personally, I don't think it's as good as it used to be with scaled down choice and some items pre-portioned items in their own dishes. Not that there's any lack of dining options on the ship.

Quite a bit of excitement in the casino very early this morning when a woman playing blackjack with the Lucky Ladies side bet won $25,000 plus a cruise. She had the maximum $25 on the Lucky Ladies side bet, received two Queens of Heart, and then lost to a dealer blackjack to trigger the 1,000 to 1 payout. If you're wondering, things came to a halt at the table. The casino manager needed to be called, then a chip fill since the table didn't have that amount on it (surprise, surprise - they do have larger chips than the $100 black chips that were the largest seen on the floor until then - the $25,000 was paid in $500 chips). Note that Lucky Ladies has a huge house advantage (more than 25%) so it's a good way to donate to the casino. I do not advise anyone make that bet.

A refund of the port charges for Juneau as we did not go to Juneau due to the medical diversion.

Following up on this, last night (8/20) had the production show originally planned for 8/22. The CD said all the entertainers that were to join in Juneau will join in Ketchikan and tonight's show is an entertainer originally scheduled for one of the nights between Juneau and Ketchikan. Beyond that, I don't know other than the final production show is, or at least was originally, scheduled for the final night (8/24).

We had Corinne on a three-night cruise on Royal Princess in April. I found her better than average. That said, I'm finding that since the ED/CD split, CDs tend to be more pure entertainer types since management skills are no longer essential to the position. Unfortunately, it means the ED is less visible and frankly, when I have feedback about the entertainment, I'd rather talk to the ED than the CD.

No difference. All about the same size. Botticelli is at the rear so more susceptible to motion when at sea. Best to think of them as three separate entrances to "the main dining room" as it's the same menu and service style in all. Note that normally, only Da Vinci (deck 6 mid) is open for breakfast and on sea days, lunch and tea.

We are in berth 3 (of 4). Hardly the furthest. Sapphire Princess and Volendam are ahead of us and Majestic Princess behind us. But Seven Seas Explorer is also in town but is anchored in a bay a few miles north of town. For them, it is not walkable to town.

Princess has no ship with Enchantment in the name. Did you mean Enchanted Princess? Or a different cruise line that has a ship with Enchantment in the name (I believe RCCL has such a ship)?

Fun21 is hand shuffled.

The Patter has a movie in the Princess Theater tonight. So no big live show tonight. It's an 8:15 All Aboard tonight.

Making lemonade out of lemons, we’re now enjoying our rare daylight passage of the Clarence Strait and soon Sumner and Chatham Straits. I believe all our previous cruises had had us here after dark northbound and middle of the night southbound.