Renmar

Old planning page is on my tablet but new one with the graphics is on my computer at home. Probably will change in the future to the new pages on all devices, JMO. Theo

I know that but if you would have read my post correctly you would have noticed that I mentioned that Cruise Critic moved the post from the Princess board to this board.This was during their website upgrading and not my choice. Thanks for the well wishing to enjoy our cruise, we sure will. Theo

We are not sailing with Celebrity but with Princess hence the question was asked on the Princess board. Princess does allow as many bottles as one want to bring as long as one pays the corkage on anything over the 2 corkage free bottles. CC moved my question here, not my choice. In the meantime we received the new list of wine available on the Princess ships and decided to go with one of their Chardonnays and purchase the Silver or Gold package. Thanks to all who gave some useful info. Theo Theo

Good question. Theo

I know it is probably NOT in the cruise contract, (although the cruise contract states that we have to follow all rules and regulations) but here is what Princess writes in "Before you go". See highlighted part in RED. We most of the time ditch the formal wear in favour of dining in either the buffet or one of the specialty restaurants. Theo PACKING FOR A PRINCESS CRUISE VACATION While planning a trip to the Caribbean or Europe with Princess Cruises, many passengers are faced with the daunting task of packing the perfect amount of clothes and travel necessities for their globe-trotting adventure. On many world cruises, passengers visit numerous continents with varying climates, whether taking a shore excursion in the cooler temperatures of Helsinki, Finland, or lounging on the beach in the Mediterranean. From bikinis to ball gowns, these packing essentials are perfect for any vacation on a Princess cruise. Before opting for vacuum-sealed bags and travel-sized toothbrushes, cruisers may want to thoroughly research their cruise destination as well as the activities available on board. Princess Cruises offers a number of formal dining nights during which ties and coats are mandatory. While some ships provide rental services, male travelers may want to add suit jackets and slacks to their packing list. Women, on the other hand, should bring along dresses made with wrinkle-free fabric, which will survive long hours stuffed in a suitcase. Passengers need not worry about having too few clothes, however, because each ship is outfitted with onboard laundry service. While embarking on an Asian cruise, female passengers will want to avoid wearing shorts and skirts above their knees due to the conservative fashions worn by many Southeast Asian locals. Additionally, many Caribbean golf courses have a strict dress code, particularly in Bermuda, so travelers thinking of hitting a few rounds should come prepared with collared shirts and clean shorts. Many European nations do not have a stigma against casual fashion, but locals often sport chic clothes. Before leaving the cruise ship for a European shore excursion, Princess passengers may want to change out of their sweatpants and flip-flops. Other than fashion concerns, vacation packers cannot forget to bring the essentials. Because cruise trips are usually at least one week long, passengers should bring extra camera batteries and memory cards as well as a power strip to charge several electronics at once. If falling asleep in moving modes of transportation is difficult, some Princess passengers may want to bring earplugs, eye masks and sleeping aides to make travel more enjoyable. Over-the-counter motion sickness pills are vital, and while on the upper decks, vacationers should have ginger snacks on-hand to soothe their stomachs. Notorious under packers do not have to worry about forgetting items because many travel essentials, including clothing, are available at ports and in the boutiques on board Princess cruise ships.

Women are rarely turned away no matter what they wear, for men it is a different story . Theo

I received this information from TTB today. It looks like we can take those 6 bottles as long as we pay the tax etcetera which is not too much if what I have read here on CC. TTB regulates.docx Theo

When did they increase the gratuity to 18% ? I thought it is 15% , at least for the bar charges. Don't know about the Spa, never used it. Theo

On the Star Princess last year the waitress in Sabatini also worked the main dining room but on the Ruby Princess a few years back in the Crown Grill it was always the same staff. It probably depends on which ship you are sailing. As for the question if the upcharge includes a gratuity; according to the Food & Beverage manager on the *******Princess (left the name of ship out on purpose as not to get the person in trouble) the upcharge includes a tip/gratuity for the servers although would not disclose the amount but said it was very reasonable. Apparently the wait staff have to EARN the privilege working in the specialty restaurants. On the many occasions we ate there we left extra $$ if the service was super and sometimes not because the service was just so so. Theo

This is what shows on our booking. We are in Canada.

Thanks for the info. Theo

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Were the prices still the same as Astro Flyer mentioned in post #5? We have a 19 day coming up and the 10 bottle package would be just fine. Looking at the 10 bottle package instead of the homemade wine we were planning on. Still bringing our 2 free of charge bottles. Thanks, Theo

Thank you sooooo much for this post. We are on the 19 day Panama Canal cruise next month and could not find much info for the ports. Your blog helps a lot. Theo

Probably the best place to ask is your Travel Agent, or Princess directly if you did not use a TA. Theo