SiliconCruiser

On the second formal night we were greeted in the MDR (immediately after being seated) that there would be a $19 upcharge if you ordered more than one helping of the beef tenderloin and lobster (they didn't even call it "surf & turf".  The waitress was very kind and accommodating (20 year veteran of Princess) and thought it best to give us fair warning.  We do not fault the wait staff, only new Princess penny pinchers.

"The Alaska Cruise Companion: A Naturalist's Guide to Alaska's Inside Passage" by Rachel Cartwright is owned by Princess.  It is being sold on the Princess ships in Alaska for $25 plus change, they often have it posted for $22.99, but they'll still ring it up at the $25 price unless you challenge them on the posted price.

Say away, far far away.

2 hours ago, XBGuy said:

 

First observed on Emerald Princess May 2019, and then on Royal Princess September 2019 when we tried it.

Wow!  The last time we saw crab (of any kind) on the menu was on an Alaskan cruise on the Grand in 2016.  I think we had about 11 orders for our table of 6 (I had the beef offering and only one order of King crab.)

3 minutes ago, trbarton said:

There are 2 piers in Seattle. Pier 91 is for a Princess cruise ship departing from Seattle. Pier 66 is used for a visiting Princess ship, like the Royal that I’ll be on. Thus my question about 66. 
 

Tom😀

Just occurred to me that we'll be on that cruise as well.

12 hours ago, trbarton said:

I’m arriving on a cruise & meeting someone at pier 66 in Seattle.  Can we meet inside the terminal?

 

Thanks!

 

Tom🤔

[What ship are you on?  I thought Princess normally docked at Pier 91. Need to confirm as we will also have friends meeting us at the port.]
Please disregard.  Just found out that Pier 66 is used for port calls (makes sense, they dump the tourist near the downtown area.)  They use Pier 91 for ships that are ported in Seattle.

3 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

Actually you can order entrees from Crown Grill in MDR these days. Of course there is an additional charge to do so.

Yup, often there is beef tenderloin on the MDR menu, along with the surcharged 6oz Filet Mignon ... go figure!

19 minutes ago, EDVM96 said:

Nope, it's Beef Filet Wellington. 🧐

That's just one of the beef tenderloin presentations and it's usually on a Formal night (used to be on Lobster night.)  It is also usually on the menu for lunch in the MDR on turnaround days

On 4/11/2023 at 9:46 AM, caribill said:

 

Witness all the people who book specialty dining even though they have already paid for dinner in the main dining room.

 But in the Crown Grill, you can get filet mignon.  All you get in the MDR is beef tenderloin ... 🤣

5 hours ago, Tedferg said:

Oct 23, Transpacific, pick-up cruise in Honolulu, she overnights there. So, we will fly in on first day arriving around Noon and sail next day.

 

Princess offers Transfer airport to ship for $24 pp, looks like a deal but I wonder how much time is spent waiting for coach, obviously Pax will come in at various times throughout the day.

 

Do they wait until the coach is full?

Is luggage transferred from coach to cabin automatically?

#20 bus goes from HNL to Pier 2, $3.  Like all public transit, the buses are equipped with ADA ramps, and you can roll your luggage on board.  Since it is an airport bus, it may also be equipped with luggage racks.

2 hours ago, Katnisslove said:

Hi!  My boyfriend and I are sailing 6/6 on the Ruby Princess in a caribe deck balcony and I have a question about under the bed storage.  I have looked up, and there was an actual Youtube video, of our cabin which was very, very nice.  I sleep on the left side of the bed with my c-pap.  I saw there is a plug on the right side nightstand and was wondering if I can run my 4ft extension cord (cruise approved, non surge protected) under the bed?  Is it hollow under the bed or did they put the mattress on a block nullifying the under bed?  Also, if it is hollow can you store your unpacked suitcases also?  Trying to maximize space!  Thank you in advance.

The mattress is a foam mattress, without a box spring.  The bed frames are constructed to accommodate 2 pullman suitcases under each bed (the queen is actually two singles pushed together with a strip to mask the separation of the two mattresses.)  This applies to all of the Princess ships.

If everyone shows a disinterest in the China produced Stanley Bears, they'll probably show up as clearance items.  I don't really know, just spent a few years in corporate marketing, and this is something at the retail level.

In response to the title of the thread No response from Princess C/S or senior management
Were you actually expecting a response?  I think it is commonplace logic these days to expect that companies are grasping  at survival threads, rather than being sensitive to existing customers.  I know that it isn't the way that established businesses operated in the 20th  Century, but there appears to be a new breed in town who thinks that screwing the customer will get brand acceptance.  (I think it is from the school of business from the University of Beijing.)

6 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

One pair of long lightweight pants is too heavy?

But packing my tuxedo, the appropriate accompaniments, along with the shoes and jewelry ... just so that I can stand out like the proverbial sore thumb made think twice.

I plan on using the laundromats on turnaround days or the last/first days since we're on a B2B2B and another B2B later.  If they're free, or if they'll give us tokens at the guest dis-service desk so much the better.  I'm a little leary of the free laundry service, biggest fear is that they'll toss a suit or tux into hot water.

34 minutes ago, trbarton said:

FYI…I believe John Padgett has left Princess for another cruise line. If so their might be a new person in that position. 
 

Tom😀

Where did you hear of this?  Granted I think he's done a bit of damage to the brand, but any idiot in the business world knows you shouldn't hire a politician where they can make decisions that will influence actual operations.  You put them in powerless positions and pay them for political favors ...

7 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Thank you. I feel so much better. I really want to use the larger case. I can only lift 30lbs comfortably and I tend to overpack that one

I usually pack a 27" to under 50#. It just ends up that way.  But you should have no problems getting on a public transit bus with it.  We took a 20" and a 27" on Muni to CalTrain a couple of months ago (experiment to see if we had any issue with using public transit.)

On 4/1/2023 at 2:18 PM, hikerbiker said:

Yes, was pleasantly surprised that my email request was completed within hours along with an updated travel document.  Great job Princess cruises!

My experience is that they issue the credit quickly (within hours), but I've never received any kind of acknowledgement that the credit had been issued.

On 4/9/2023 at 6:14 PM, Ombud said:

No issue getting on the Bart & walking to the pier .... not sure about jumping on a bus bridge with my suitcase. 

 

Shouldn't be a problem, all public transit has to be ADA accessible (for federal funding).  The bus should have an ADA ramp for wheelchairs and other mobility issues.  You can just ask them to deploy the ramp (anyone can make that request).

On 4/9/2023 at 8:42 PM, FrankieJayIII said:

What time does the terminal open?

Probably before 7AM for disembarking passengers.  For embarkation, usually around 10:30 unless they have a problem with the zero count.

On 4/10/2023 at 8:45 AM, 808cruisers said:

Do I need to carry US passport with me to all of the stops? When can I lock it up and forget about it? 

 As others have stated, on an Alaskan cruise, you'll only need it if you take the Skagway to Whitehorse train excursion (book off the ship, it will be much cheaper.)  US CBP will want to see the passport when you cross back into the U.S.  You won't need the passport when the ship ports for the PVSA port, as the ship will transmit all that information to CBSA prior to docking.  The next time you'll need it is after you disembark and go back into the U.S.  If you're flying out of YVR, US CBP will be at the airport, your flight will be treated as a domestic flight when it arrives at your destination.

34 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

We are supposed to write "Big Box" with a wink and a nod.  😎

It's okay to me, the company was originally founded on ethical business practices and has a reputation for treating their employees fairly while providing a living wage, something that cannot be attributed to most retailers.  But I do have concerns with their new management and the path that they are pursuing, since I've seen it before with so many membership stores over the past 50+ years (none of those stores are around anymore.)

 
More recently Costco Travel has gone to bat for me twice in trying to get a refund for a transfer that I had cancelled.  They tried twice to get it refunded and it sounded like they were getting a run-around.  I finally just disputed the amount with the credit card company and it was suddenly resolved quickly.  There was also another transfer that I canceled and realized they had charged me an additionally $25, but they did actually refund the inflated amount (took 24 hours with that one.)  

9 hours ago, Torfamm said:

. On cruises in Europe it could be 75%

It is indeed more common on the European cruises, but bear in mind that there are also a lot of non-Europeans on those cruises as well.  That said, a Baltic cruise was the last time I packed a tuxedo.

13 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

So, another good reason to book with a TA that gives cash discount off the cruise fare instead of OBC after-the-fact.

I suspect that is one of the reasons why Costco now gives Cash cards directly to the client rather than fooling around with OBC.  Besides, it means that the amount would have to be spent at Costco rather than on board the ship 😉.  That said though, Princess' own OBC seems to be posted correctly pre-cruise.

1 hour ago, goldengatecruisers said:

Is a passport required for an Alaska cruise with a stop in Canada?  I am asking for a friend.  No, seriously, I am asking for a friend 🙂

 

I thought you would need one but my friend has been told that it is not a requirement.  I thought I would put the question to the Cruise Critic community.  I have tried doing online searches and it appears you do need one.  However, my friend has been told from several sources that he does not and I am just trying to help until such times as he can reach his TA.  The cruise is a Seattle roundtrip Alaska itinerary.

 

Thank you.

A natural born U.S. citizen can travel on a closed loop cruise with a photo ID and an certified copy of their birth certificate, though it could become an issue if they had to stay at a PVSA port due to an illness or other emergency.  Those credentials cannot be used to return to the U.S. by a conveyance other than a cruise ship.  Also, please note (again) that this is only applicable to natural born U.S. citizens and is not applicable to naturalized citizens that immigrated from another country.