thanosmano

Years ago we would get off the ship ASAP and hail a taxi van. We would wait for the driver to fill up the seats (to make it worth their trip). Then the entire van would agree on a time so we can all go back with the same driver. I wanted to ask if this was still the case in 2024? Any changes?

Interesting! There was one sailing (granted the only one where I have paid attention) on the Ruby during June 2023 where I waited until I got on board embarkation day to purchase Wi-Fi. It was significantly cheaper almost $75 off if I remember correctly. I wonder if the system was wonky that day and somehow calculated that it wasn't embarkation day but further into the voyage

Thank you so much Jerome! I appreciate the thoroughness and detail you went in to answer my questions, especially clarifying the sitting fares and hours. These are all great news that I will share with my family, it's their first time cruising ever and I'm a single cruiser myself so I have never researched the operations of Camp Discovery. Thank you!

Hi Suzy, thank you for sharing your family's experience! I'm researching for my nephew who will be sailing with us next year in March (he will be 3.5 then). I have been running all kinds of keywords and I just came seem to find concrete answers to these basic questions about Camp Discovery (specifically Tree House). 1) In order to use the facilities and participate in the activities (supervised by parents or not) you have to sign up right? Is there a capacity cut-off is that why? 2) Are parents allowed to accompany their 3+ toddlers the entire time? I know the fine print says parents must accompany children 2 and under but unsure of what happens if you want to hang out with your 3+ year old. 3) I see a fee schedule for how much it costs by the hour, is this the same as dropping your child off at Camp Discovery or is it a whole separate babysitting service that runs alongside it? Let me know, thank you!

Hi Don, please refer my first paragraph prefacing that I was trying to make a 2024 thread because often times the cruise lines and the associated travel agencies change their benefits. I also did compile this list by reviewing what was previously known between serial cruisers and this thread was meant to add to what has never been discussed before. I personally have a TA and I just thought an updated thread would be a useful resource for future cruisers or for cruisers to compare what benefits other TAs offer that their current TA does not.

Very insightful! So, for example, today's 35% passenger 3+4 free promo, your TA would apply that and also provide an even cheaper fare on top of it? With my TA, if I booked that promo today I would also get the courtesy OBC on top of it

Just thought I would make an updated thread to discuss the pros (and cons) of using a travel agent to book your cruise. Of course, I am not here for you to do the work for me, I have done my due diligence so I will list the pros I found and hopefully other members can help contribute to points I am missing. The longer the list the better right?! PROS No-cost for their services. TAs are rewarded by cruise lines, you do not pay out of pocket for their services. No direct contact with Princess, no waiting on hold, no escalating your case, no waiting for someone to get back to you, no contracted Phoenix based (no offense Arizonians) call centers. Your TA will be responsible for tracking down any refunds, post-cruise folio discrepancies, pre-cruise changes, etc. Courtesy OBC (On-Board Credit), I believe this is given to most cruisers as gesture from their TA, non-escorted trips of course. TAs are well-versed with the latest promotions and can sometimes mix and match which has more value (the promo currently on the front page or the one that has removed from the front page but is still active) Price adjustments; a responsible TA will keep track of your cruise fare to make sure they adjust prices if your fare ever goes down. CONS Not all TAs are created equal, there has been nightmare stories of unresponsive TAs. On a tangent you also have Princess Cruise Vacation Planners (In-house Princess employees) BUT be wary of "Princess Promotions" (a third-party agency that sells cruises, often borderline deceptive because they are not obligated to identify themselves as such if they are not asked) 🙂 That is all I have gathered so far, please feel free to add to the list! (I made this post because I recently boasted to my neighbors how great cruising is and how they should seek a travel agent to book their first one. They asked how come and off the top of my head this is all I could think of)

Thank you guys! Unfortunately I didn't peep much but I can say that the Caribe hallway lighting and panels were older than Aloha, the carpets of the cabins I walked by during cleaning were the same pattern as ours. So I can't say they were also as drab as our particular cabin (C502) but it does confirm that the entire deck was consistent cosmetically. Which makes sense because they would just refresh the entire deck (whenever the dry dock happens) not just random cabins that need it. I did see the Grand dry dock in 2022 and I am excited to see how it looks in person. I sailed on the Ruby summer of 2023 before its 3-week dry dock. From what I read, still no USB lamps and still has the annoying motion sensor trim lights so it looks like cabins didn't get much love during those 3 weeks. The casino however did get revamped and I'm sure they spent a little more TLC on that patch where they hit the pier during this time. I also forgot to mention that I have come across many reviews for the Grand that specifically point out that it's in much better condition than the Ruby. Seems like the Ruby gets compared often.

TLDR; Does the Grand have cabins on certain decks that seem "newer" and more "refreshed" compared to other decks? I'm 90% certain I'm going to book a Caribe deck cabin on the Grand to take advantage of the extended balcony. My 10% uncertainty stems from my recent experience with the Caribe deck on the Ruby (another Grand class, as you all already know). Maybe it was just luck of the, unfortunate, draw but our stateroom was really dingy, all light bulbs were dim, carpets were heavily stained, bathroom floors looked like a car shop floor, the list goes on. I want to clarify that this has NOTHING to do with the exceptional service of our steward, he even warned us as we approached the cabin for the first time that he apologizes the cabin looks dreary but he assures us that anything that seemed dirty is just stained and battered. Maybe it's because it's a 4-person cabin and gets a lot more wear than other cabins? On the second leg of this B2B on the Ruby we moved up to Aloha and it was a night & day difference. It was like I was on a new Royal class ship. Brand new carpet, bathroom fixtures, everything was pristine not only in that stateroom but even out to the hallways (wallpaper, hand rails). Is this the same case on the Grand? I can assure you I do not spend my vacation fixated on if my stateroom looks new vs old. What I did notice though was that it elevated my experience a bit more when I came back to my cabin for the night and everything felt nice and shiny. Lighting plays a big role and it was nice not having to question if I can lay my toothbrush on the brownish sink counter ha! Just a little comfort feature is all. Anyways, let me know if this is the same case on the Grand or if you have any idea what may have happened on the Ruby. Perhaps some decks were prioritized in the dry docks more than others?