Mike45LC

Trucker, I wait until I am actually on shore before I turn my phone's airplane mode off, just to avoid any controversies, and because I don't really need to make any phone calls right away. My wife turns her phone on as soon as we are "near" shore.

I have gotten a check from Princess [it comes in an envelope from a strange company (Bottomline Technologies), so you need to open all of your mail to find it!] when I did not use up all of my refundable onboard credits. And this $400 is refundable. I've used the OBC for the steakhouse, for excursions, for purchases from the shops, for drinks and for gratuities. I try not to think "it's free money" as I spend it, because it is my $400 that I paid to Princess.

August 2023, Panorama, the attendants asked me to sit down and watch a demonstration of how to don a life vest. Because the attendants at my muster station were checking in a family group of cruise virgins, it took about 10 minutes for the entire Safety At Sea experience, including the life vest demo. No sweat, no hassles - especially since I was waiting for my luggage to be delivered and I had no other pressing business (I had already eaten). So much better than the old days!

On a different cruise line, I found that most of the "closed for private events" in the library were strategy meetings by the art auction personnel.

"The blue line": In Mazatlan, there is a mandatory free shuttle from the ship to the Cruise Passenger Terminal. Once you are outside the Cruise Passenger Terminal area, across the street is an OXXO store (Mexican brand of 7-11). Right on the surface of the street itself, there is a broad painted stripe (blue paint) headed away from the Cruise Passenger Terminal. This blue stripe down the road is the so-called Blue Line. (There are also some directional signs on the sidewalks.) It leads from the Cruise Passenger Terminal to a downtown plaza, Plaza Machado, which has restaurants and shops. Plaza Machado is a couple of blocks from the Cathedral Basilica and the Mercado Pino Suarez, which are two of the "must-do" stops in Mazatlan. The Blue Line is a relatively pleasant walk. There are blue shirted volunteers who are English-speaking ex-pats who hang around the Blue Line and give advice to tourists. These are unpaid, and are not there for anything except to help tourists. They have nothing to sell. They are wonderful!

Many passengers like to go ashore and do their port-time drinking while ashore -- cheaper drink prices (for those without a drink package), different ambience at the port's drinking establishments, whatever. But I have never seen the ship's bars closed because the ship is in port. (I've never cruised to a Muslim country.) I have seen additional taxes imposed on drinks whilst in port.

The seats that I've seen reserved by the staff for the Premier packages are NOT prime seats. I like front row center, and the reserved seats have been about 10 rows back, stage right.

I like the mini-suites for the extra room, and the bathtub -- I don't need the second TV! I like the Reserve Class [formerly known as Club Class] for the "no wait" dining. The extra entree is rarely something I want, but the much better service is very welcome. I have not found that it is the same table every day, but that is not important to me. My own price-point for Club Class is about $15 pp per day over mini-suite.

Enjoy the excitement! And have an awesome cruise on the Sky!!

Beach day in Mazatlan: Search this forum for "Stone Island." Not really an island. It is a short walk to the short boat ride followed by another short walk to the beach and restaurants/bars. Free use of the restaurants' chairs and tables for a small spend. Pretty much full services -- banana boats, horses, jet skis, parasailing, ... Beach day in PV: Although Playa Del Oro is a very short walk from the ship, it isn't a great beach. I recommend taking a taxi to Playa Las Muertos. A little bit beyond the Malecon. Again, find a cafe on the beach where you want to hang out, order some lunch and drinks, and enjoy. I think the January weather will be perfect.

My thoughts exactly. My Medallions came in by mail about ten days before the cruise, and getting that package generated at least $10 worth of excitement for me.

Two weeks ago, on Celebrity Eclipse, if you had no excursion through the ship, no status (suite or frequent cruiser status), it took us two hours to get ashore. We went for tender tickets at 1:45 p.m. [the ship began tendering at 1:15], and it took almost 1 1/2 hours before our group was called to get into the line to go to the tender. Then it took 1/2 hour to get ashore -- our tender stood off the pier for about ten minutes while we sat waiting our turn to dock and off-load the passengers. So 2 hours from when we got our tender tickets until we were ashore. We overnighted in Cabo, so this was not as horrible as it could have been.

My very first cruise (Caribbean), I had a brand new passport and wanted to collect stamps on it. I tracked down an official at the first port, who told me he didn't have a stamp. My success rate at getting passport stamps at the various ports was well under 50%!

Steeler, I've never noticed Customs or Immigration at the port in Puerto Vallarta. Maybe that is the guy in uniform who wants to see the Medallion as we approach the screening area?

I found it on the “app”, under Payment Methods and Packages. It says Plus Beverage Package with Juice Bar -60, which I think is the new Plus ( it includes the two Casual Dinners). Thanks for help, everyone. You guys are amazing!

Thanks, mtn, but that doesn't do it. When I follow your (wonderfully simple to follow) instructions, it shows me only the credit of my shareholder's OBC. However, the "fine print" on that page states " Please note that purchased and gifted Onboard Credits for this booking will be available onboard even though they are not visible on this list." So other OBCs don't show up here. Elsewhere I have found my onboard casino free play listed, but my specific concern is the drinks package, since I am hoping to see if I am under the old Plus or the new Plus. That will answer burning questions such as Casual Dining and yucky Premium Desserts. I guess I'll have to call Princess tomorrow.

I booked a casino offer that includes free drinks, WiFi and pre-paid gratuities. My Travel Summary shows my free play and onboard credits, but is silent as to the WiFi, Drinks and Gratuities. Can one of you geniuses give me the Idiot's Guide level instructions on where/how to find these benefits on the Princess.com website? I will call Princess tomorrow to ask how my Drinks Package interfaces with the recent changes in the Plus package, but I want to print out as much info about my perquisites as possible. Thanks, as always!

Nice tutorial, Rick! Love the graphics for us dummies.

So you think a surgeon should earn the same as a ditch digger? I don't think of that as "nice".

I've never done a five day cruise. This is based on 7 day (or longer), but the answers should be the same. 1. I don't know if the kids get a kids' rate for dining. 2. Stroller, yes bring it. I am guessing that the older kid doesn't use a stroller? If you are talking a normal sized stroller, you carry a kid onto the tender in your arms, and collapse the stroller for transportation on the tender boat. 3. I am guessing that you are doing a round-trip out of Los Angeles. The first and last days on the cruise will likely be cool. Long sleeve shirt, windbreaker. Not what I consider to be pool weather. Then, in Mexico, we are talking pool/beach weather. 4. With young children, you probably want to avoid the tequila tasting tours. 5. Cabo's main excursion in my opinion is a "glass-bottom" boat ride out to the Arch. I've never done it with kids, and maybe a parent of young children can chime in as to whether they are safe. 6. Generally, you need to be out of your cabin by 8:00 a.m. Once you are out of the cabin, you head out to breakfast before getting off the ship.

It is walkable, but given how short the OP's visit will be, I'd recommend a taxi (or a pedicab).

The $15 charge is one time per cruise if you want to order using the "app." The $5 per use is for ordering from the cabin's telephone. I don't recall if ordering through the television is part of the $15 or if it also incurs a $5 per use charge. I almost never use room service or OceanNow delivery service, so this is not based on personal experience.

1. If last lion can get an attorney who is willing to take this case, it would be on a contingency basis and not an hourly fee basis. That means the attorney will just take a piece of the action, as his fees. But even 40% of $7,000 is not enough to entice most attorneys. 2. last lion would not need to come to Los Angeles to file a small claims case. He could file “online“ and would only have to fly down to Los Angeles for the hearing date. 3. Although attorneys are generally not permitted in small claims court for either side, since Princess is a corporation, the person designated by Princess to represent it in small claims might be an attorney. This would probably not benefit Princess too much; the legal issues are not complicated, and a lay person should be able to present this case without too much trouble.

@karatemom2: in the summer, the Mex Riv is very hot and humid, oppressively so. But from October through April, it is very nice.

I am glad that the cruise lines have increased the range of people included in the tip pool, as opposed to the old days when we were given four (?) envelopes for Cabin Steward, Waiter, Bus Boy and Maitre De. Maybe Wine Steward as well? Cooks and pool-side staff and others should share, in my never-humble opinion. I know that many disagree. The Guest Services people still have envelopes for those of us who wish to tip additional cash to various people, and I almost always tip extra for the cabin steward. My wife loves to sleep late while on vacation, and she often does not vacate the cabin until noon. This interrupts the cabin steward's schedule, and we recognize this by tipping him extra. If we have the same dining room staff several nights, the service is often such that we wish to tip extra. These are tipped extra with cash in an envelope (addressed to the steward/waiter by name) and a statement "this is for you for all the wonderful care you've given us." I've always thought that that is enough for the tip to go to the individual I am tipping, and I think Jim's information is in accord. As to bartenders and cocktail servers, I tip cash as the service is rendered, and I do not know (or really care) if the tip is pooled or individual. I live in a tipping environment and would never even think of not tipping a cocktail waitress. Despite the 18% (or whatever the number is). But the skimpy uniforms that the cocktail waitresses in Vegas wear are far more likely to generate tips! Personal choice, personal philosophy. I am blessed to be able to afford to be generous. So I reward great service above and beyond the auto-gratuities.