Outerdog

43 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I have never been able to reserve a suite dinner via the app.  I gave up. Others have been successful. I just call the fine line when I get on board. 

Same. Just call the Dine Line. They will take care of it.

Single days are available.

You can purchase internet plans through the Princess App once onboard. Connect to the MedallionNet wifi network, log in, then follow the prompts.

I want to say it was like $25 for a single device when paying by the day. Something like that.

For those that may not know: you do not need to reserve the suite complimentary speciality dining ahead of time. Make the reso once you get on board. They hold tables for the suites. You will not have a problem getting a table at whatever restaurant you choose.

The row of two-tops is the correct answer. If you go to dinner around the same time every night, you'll usually wind up in the same table (more or less) each night and sitting amongst the same people. The folks directly next to you may change day to day from one table to another as people arrive or don't arrive at various times. It's definitely a shared experience, and toward the end of the cruise, you end up with at least a familiarity with everyone in the section, and more if folks are talkative and social.

I wouldn't choose the MDR over RC because you want to socialize. RC can be a social experience if that's your jam.

I don't have many good pics of RC dining (it's weird to take pictures of people dining), but this snap is from the Baked Alaska parade they (still) do. You can see these two tops are pretty close and make for good crosstalk between tables. The pic is taken from another row of two-tops that extends along the back wall toward the windows.

1 hour ago, WonderMan3 said:

Not sure why the ages of everyone involved keeps being emphasized here. The female passengers are adult women not girls. The crew member in question’s age is irrelevant; his behavior going to a passenger’s cabin was inappropriate regardless of age.

This is the correct answer, assuming of course that this "senior staff member" is crew subject to the same fraternization rules as all crew, and not some entertainment dude with different rules. I've heard various takes on whether or not entertainment are actually crew.

Not sure about OP's assertion of "grooming tactics". These are adults we're talking about.

32 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I remember when we were on the Regal, it was on the port side. On the Sapphire and the Diamond, and if I remember correctly on the Caribbean, it’s on deck 6 on the starboard side.

It's on the opposite side of whatever side you turn to first when coming down the stairs or exiting the elevator. Always the other way.

9 minutes ago, KarmaCruisers said:

Which one is the “reserve” dining room? Or is it like a special “section” of one of the normal dining rooms?

It's a corner section of one of the existing MDRs. Da Vinci on my last cruise. Picture one of the dining rooms which you can enter on either the port or starboard side. In the case of Reserve Class, they'll take the port side entrance and call it Reserve Class, put an extra item on the menu, assure you have no wait, and will make every effort to keep other folks from wandering into your dining area.

Hate to rain on your parade, but there aren't really any "unspoken" suite perks.

In my opinion, Princess doesn't do enough to distinguish the suite experience from the other cabin classes. Compare to NCL, for example, where you'll find, butler, concierge, exclusive sun deck, pool, lounge, restaurant, and back in the day when such a thing might have mattered, a portable ship phone (!) same as the officers carried. All of these delivered through about a half dozen different suite categories (3 bedroom Garden Villa ftw!).

Everything Princess offers for suite guests is pretty well covered. No secrets.

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I have never seen a cabin door decorated in a manner that would even remotely invoke a political theme.

And I have. People are insane.

56 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

Well if it is the Golden Princess

It is.

4 minutes ago, memoak said:

The Canadian rule is one bar per deck. So if Wheelhouse and Crooners are both on deck 7 then one will be closed while in a Canadian port. Makes for some crowded bars especially on cruises where you are in Victoria till 11:00 pm

We're both missing some of the nuances. 

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/cscp-pdnc-eng.html#a13d

While in a Canadian port, the ship is required to limit the number of bars open at a given time. I think the number is three or maybe four. Room service counts as one. IC/GS is usually one other that's open. Then I think one of the lido deck bars is open. And that's it. Might not be a big deal to some, but if your jam is hanging out on the ship during a port day and day drinking, you'll notice this.

Casino obviously closed, along with shops. Everything else pretty much open as you'd expect.

Yes

1 hour ago, NavyVeteran said:

I think it proved just the opposite.

It didn't. I've watched that number stay the same after I've booked. It's not to be trusted because two different people are having completely different experiences with it.

The motivation is the same though regardless if it is calculating correctly or not: using artificial scarcity to create demand.

26 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

 

I have booked an excursion that showed fewer than 20 available. The number was reduced immediately after I booked.

You've proved my point. Those numbers aren't to be trusted.

40 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

I've seen similar with shore excursions. I believe them. It stays red once a waiting list opens.

 

I wouldn't believe those either.

Book one. Then come back and notice the count stays the same. Then come back the next day to be sure.

14 minutes ago, artvlay said:

So although the Princess Medallion is slightly smaller than the air tag it won't fall out of watchband designed for the air tag?

The AirTag is about 1mm larger than the medallion. I would say any of the silicone or rubbery type AirTag holders will work just fine. 

Sorry to interrupt, but another question: were you able to pre-book excursions for the Lodges? For example, the ATV excursion your husband did... was that pre-booked or booked there at the lodge?

1 minute ago, alrichards4003 said:

I guess the idea is that the hotel in Anchorage is not a Princess property and if the suitcases are left out any person could grab it, whereas, the other properties are strictly for Princess. Quite honestly I would have rather brought my own luggage to the bus. We were asked to put it out quite early no matter what time we were leaving. Everything we needed had to be put in our backpacks. 

Thanks for your insights on logistics. Gotta say the luggage thing is the most mysterious part about booking the Cruse Tour so far. We're doing it in May 2025. These are the little details I'm interested in. They have that guidance document, which is helpful, but nowhere does it say someone will prowl into your room at 0600 to nip your luggage!

5 minutes ago, alrichards4003 said:

Yes, that is exactly what happens. I thought it was crazy too. They open your hotel door. In all of the other places, you place the luggage outside the door. 

Wow. Thank you. That is very, very strange. Gotta be a better way....

On 2/18/2024 at 3:00 PM, alrichards4003 said:

You put your luggage inside your front door and it is picked up around 6. Once I heard the door open, I was awake.

I'm sorry, do you mean to say that your luggage intended to be transported from the hotel to McKinley sits INSIDE your hotel room door and someone opens that door around 6AM and takes your luggage? Please clarify!

18 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

The Princess terminology is misleading and technically incorrect.

Not to de-rail the thread too far, but this isn't a Princess problem so much. The public at-large has been wrongly conflating "wifi" with "internet" forever.  Princess is simply marketing using terms people understand. It's not their job to educate people. They are selling internet access... excuse me, wifi.

Yes... anything AirTag will work for Medallions.

2 hours ago, Srbucket said:

Hi all, 

Thanks you for taking the time to help me with this question. Fairly new cruiser here, it will be my 4th. I consider the crew access doors to be where crew goes in and out for luggage, room service, room cleaning, and those types of activities. We will be sailing on the Ruby Princess room D408. Thank you again. 

Great cabin location. I wouldn't worry about the crew doors too much in terms of noise. Most of that white space is mechanical. There is probably a steward service area around there somewhere. Crew stairs and elevators are located adjacent to pax stairs/elevators, they just are not shown in the diagrams.

In my experience, noise from crew going about their business has never really been an issue. Only one time I can remember in fact... Norwegian Jewel, deck 4, all the way forward, cabin 4501. I believe there is a maintenance shop or something up forward of that cabin, sounded like Santa's Workshop until we called Guest Services. D408 on Ruby won't have issues like that.

What does the term "crew access door" mean to you? And what ship are you looking at?