Thunderbird19

Yes, we prefer longer cruises too. Maybe would feel different if we lived much closer to a port and could easily jump on for a shorter day cruise. But for now, a 7 day or less cruise is not enticing to us. We do prefer to pack light and one of the things i like an out Princess is that they have self service laundry on board (NCL does not) and free laundry for Elites. Regardless of length of cruise we only bring a weeks worth of clothes.

It's a supply issue. Totally possible that you asked for sugar free Vanilla syrup and they said no because they did not have any. I've only seen sugar free vanilla on some cruises in the past (and maybe once a sugar free caramel, but not sure if I am remembering correctly). Sugar free syrups sometimes cost more to purchase so that may be another reason Princess does not stock many. I think if there was an outcry from guests requesting more sugar free syrups that may gt corporates attention. Anyone want to start a petition ? hah (I'm trying to eat & drink "cleaner" so am minimizing sugar and eliminating sugar free stuff and as many additives as i can)

Hope this link works. I found this April 2024 review (even though some of the things have recently changed) of the Princess Loyalty Program interesting : https://thepointsguy.com/cruise/princess-cruises-loyalty-program/

The “benefits” provided at each of the levels are really pretty meager and not impressive. I thought I read that it is not much different with other cruise lines but don’t know how true that is. I’ve never used the Captains Circle Help Desk benefit. I don’t buy travel insurance through Princess do the insurance upgrade doesn’t help me. I haven’t found the “deluxe” Disembarkation lounge to be useful, especially since we often walk off early with our luggage. Mini bar setup is OK and free laundry is nice at Elite level. But overall, I would love to see them enhance the benefits.

This is my last post on this thread. I am involved in a food rescue organization here in metro Phoenix that picks up delicious, edible product from participating restaurants & food vendors and promptly and safely distributes it to places and individuals that need it and appreciate it. We also support the national “To Good To Go” organization to stop good from going to waste. There are guidelines to follow on things that may be “sitting” for a while but are still safe and yummy to eat.

“You really want to take uneaten food from someone’s used plate and give it to crew ?” Come on, of course not! But uneaten extra food from restaurants, Cafe, etc seems wasteful to just throw it out. Thank you yo dubs for realizing that!

If someone has paid for the package and they want to try it then why not? The cruiseline should serve smaller slices. What do you think will happen to the cake if no one orders Was hoping it might go to the crew rather than into the trash.way too much food waste on cruise ships.

We did a couple Princess cruises in 2023 and I recall the International Cafe having only sugar free Vanilla syrup. I ordered lattes with coffee and steamed milk and sometimes added a couple pumps of the SF vanilla.

If you know ahead of time you won’t finish that super huge slice of mediocre cake, why waste the food? (I hate seeing such huge amounts of food wasted on cruises and all-inclusive hotels). You can pick one or two, in my opinion much better tasting pastries or desserts, from the International Cafe. IMO, those are calories better spent!

I think 7:20 dinner would work for you. On nights where you want to see a 9:30 show ( and want to get there a bit early to get a decent seat if ship is crowded), just tell servers you’d like to be done by 8:45 so you can make the show. Servers have been accommodating in the past when we’ve asked them.

Yes, I do. Sadly, he had unfortunate family genetics and a predisposition to heart problems which is why he was interested in running. I’ll bet the man upstairs appreciates people taking good care of the body they’ve been given. 😉

We typically stay away from the any deep fried items and do dressing on the side. You can definitely eat tasty and healthy at Buffet or RMD if you choose well. Based on what my uncle (chef in a very upscale restaurant) shares with me - there are LOTS of hidden calories in upscale meals and desserts you’d find in specialty dining places ( tho I’ve never found those ship restaurants to routinely meet the standards of my local favorite fine dining spots) which is why they taste so good. 🤭

Would be interesting to have some college student do a study on the health status of frequent Princess cruisers before and after the Premium Package changes! 😂 Unless one has an incredible metabolism rate, lots of willpower, or exercises daily, the extra calories from unlimited fancier dining options and empty calories from unlimited alcohol can’t be a very healthy thing for cruisers!

With Plus, I was able to get 1 or 2 hot coffees or teas from the International Cafe, bottles of water whenever I walked by a bar (often brought back to the room to stash in fridge), a little bottle of Pelegríno at dinner, and usually a couple of cocktails or wine a day. I would typically also pay the daily customer appreciation fee and get WiFi for one device for entire cruise or at least a couple days worth, so overall Plus package worked out to be about a break even for me. Typically don’t do shorter cruises, but when I have done 7 days or less, the basic Standard package was my choice for a fun, quick cruise.

Oh, there are lots of ways to get discounts on these items without joining AARP…just saying.

Don’t blame you for not wanting to sign up for AARP. A friend who works in IT said the amount of junk e-mail one gets from being an AARP member, even if you turn on their meager privacy options, is big. No one needs even more junk mail and spam sent to their email address.😂

Princess seems to be really challenged lately when it comes to technology updates (bugs, simple dining reservation system not on time, etc) and basic customer service ( unknowledgable phone representatives, conflicting info when guests ask questions, difficulty communicating with a human, etc) .

Check the prices on any BOGO offer you receive. For our Fall cruise, I found that they have raised the prices on the vast majority of the excursions so that there is not any true savings when booking excursions for 2 people. I had printed out excursion prices about 6 weeks ago so can compare to the BOGO pricing. Shady advertising by Princess, disappointing!

Love your photos! We’re those red & black things on the ice cream cones a type of berry? Looked interesting. Also, if you get a chance can you comment a bit on the weather on land and on board if outside. Trying to figure out what clothes to pack for an upcoming trip. Thanks.

Thanks for that information! Will probably go ( no car so will use public transport) to Windsor area even though the cargoes closed do looking for things to do there (and hoping it doesn’t rain!).

Just wanted to comment to say that I read through all of this with great interest and so enjoyed the detailed posts, commentary & wonderful photos (and I hope long Covid is now long behind you and you are feeling better!). We will do doing our first Panama Canal cruise (Florida to Los Angeles) next March and the information here has been truly helpful and has me excited for the cruise! Wanted to do the old locks so on a smaller ship (Coral Princess). if anyone cares to comment, I am wondering what a good way to handle where to be during the long transit through the locks would be. Hang out mostly at the front of the ship? Hang out mostly at the back? I.e., is more interesting to see where you are going or see where you’ve been? Find a deck location that one can “see through” railing area so you could sit on the deck or use a chair ? Are any areas more preferred and tend to get crowded so showing up early to “stake a claim” is needed? Best time to leave a viewing position to grab lunch? Just want to be prepared for canal transit day to maximize the experience! Thanks, in advance, for any advice.

So true!

Regarding my post #55 above, I again found a Princess Plus fare of $67. Isn’t Princess Plus $60 per person per day or does it now vary by cruises? As part of their identity crisis are they increasing prices again?

How did you like the Moxy? Anything interesting to see or go to nearby? We will be there in September.

Update: False alarm - just redid it and it shows $60 I was just looking at a cruise for 2025 and the Princess Plus price shows at $67 per day not $60. Did Princess just raise the price or is this a system error?