nwnittany

Thanks (I always kick myself when I don't go back and read the previous posts). Given these options, I'm guessing my family will probably try one of the fancy ones from the photo (just for the novelty) and then get gelato concoctions. Maybe not what Princess intended, but not so awful, either, imho.

Has anyone tried asking for a customized dessert (using one of the Premium Dessert chits)....something like a nice sundae in one of those fancy glasses ? Or is the only option to get something from the canned menu ?

Here's some of my comments from a similar inquiry: ------ My family (DW and two sons - 20 and 21) have done Alaska and Caribbean in the last year(ish). We are lucky that they don't mind hanging with Mom and Dad, but still spent some time on their own. From what I could tell, the biggest challenge for the kids is meeting the other kids. Once they have met some others, there are lots of things they can do together (shows, pool/hot tub, trivia/games, karaoke, movies, sports, dancing, and the ever-popular 'teenagers walking around in a group to see and bee seen'. My youngest is fairly athletic and met alot of kids of similar age on the sport court, ping pong, and walking track. From what I could tell, this area was conducive to both shy and extroverted kids. The friends he met there would often seek each other out when the stumbled across each other later on the ship. Another place they met friends was on the excursions (smaller groups), which then carried over to the ship. We did mainly active excursions (hiking, snorkeling, etc). Unfortunately, both seemed to have inherited dance genes from their dad (me) so they were never seen anywhere near the dance floor (resulting in much rejoicing from all...most wanting to avoid an Elaine from Seinfeld moment). But, I noticed a bunch of young women dancing on the floor and they appeared to have a bonding experience since most everyone else around them dancing was alot older. I guess the last few places I saw kids meet were the hot tub (they just need to find a way to bust into the group) and the karaoke and trivia events (although it was tough to tell if they actually met at these or if they met up there once they were comfortable). Interestingly, I didn't see anyone really meet anyone at the gym...everyone kind of kept to themselves. Princess won't be full-time party...from what I've read/watched, it's more chill. I think it really depends on the kids and what they are looking for.

My family (DW and two sons - 20 and 21) have done Alaska and Caribbean in the last year(ish). We are lucky that they don't mind hanging with Mom and Dad, but still spent some time on their own. From what I could tell, the biggest challenge for the kids is meeting the other kids. Once they know each other, there are lots of things they can do together (shows, pool/hot tub, trivia/games, karaoke, movies, sports, dancing, and the ever-popular 'teenagers walking around in a group to see and bee seen'. My youngest is fairly athletic and met alot of kids of similar age on the sport court, ping pong, and walking track. From what I could tell, this area was conducive to both shy and extroverted kids. The friends he met there would often seek each other out when the stumbled across each other later on the ship. Another place they met friends was on the excursions (smaller groups), which then carried over to the ship. We did mainly active excursions (hiking, snorkeling, etc). Unfortunately, both seemed to have inherited dance genes from their dad (me) so they were never seen anywhere near the dance floor (resulting in much rejoicing from all...most wanting to avoid an Elaine from Seinfeld moment). But, I noticed a bunch of young women dancing on the floor and they appeared to have a bonding experience since most everyone else around them dancing was alot older. I guess the last few places I saw kids meet were the hot tub (they just need to find a way to bust into the group) and the karaoke and trivia events (although it was tough to tell if they actually met at these or if they met up there once they were comfortable). Interestingly, I didn't see anyone really meet anyone at the gym...everyone kind of kept to themselves.

You're probably right. My plan all along was to try a few times until I got the "right" rep. My main curiosity was just for sport....ie, wondering why it wasn't a simple thing since (I think) this is something Princess actually WANTS...lol. Happy cruising !

For those following, problem solved with a phone call to Princess. Was actually timely and pleasant. I guess my question still applies, though....I just wonder why Princess makes it so hard...the two preferred methods (from the Princess viewpoint) of web site, and chat, don't work. Ah well, first world problems ! Looking forward to another great cruise. Hope to see some of you there and also hope to finally try the suite breakfast (I'm 0 for 2 on this one).

Like MsSoCalCruiser said, I don't think the site will allow you to do this..normally have to contact Princess. But, I guess my question would still apply - why not make it easy for passengers 3 and 4 ? Or, is it just a small bug ?

Got the itch and booked a Dec 2023 cruise that qualified for 'Best Sale Ever', which I guess gives a good price and some OBC. I booked a suite for DW, 2 kids, and myself. When booking online, I was only able to add Princess Plus to passengers 1 and 2. I've had this happen before, and in that case, a quick chat session with a Princess rep was able to solve it. But this time I was told that I couldn't add Plus to passengers 3 and 4 since I booked using the 'Best Sale Ever' fare, and the only way to add this was to change the booking to a Standard fare (and forfeiting the OBC and I'm not sure what else). I'll keep trying and maybe I'll eventually get someone who will use a 'manager override' (I just made up - no idea if it will be possible) or something like that. My question is - why would Princess want to prohibit buying Plus (or Premiere, for that matter) for passengers 3 and 4? It would seem like this is something they would want purchased. Is it intentional, or just some unintended consequence of the way they structured the fares/booking system ?

I was on the Sky in December and they typically have 'open pickellball' sessions about once per day (doing this from memory, so I could be off). Picketball shares the court with basketball and ad-hoc soccer and from what I noticed, it isn't heavily moderated (inmates running the asylum). But, the good news is the pickellball nets are movable...people move them to the sides when the court is used for basketball, and then move them back on the court when it's free and folks want to play pickellball. So, if the court's open, I think you can just move the nets and pickel away. There were plenty of balls and paddles/racquets....they might not be the best quality, but for casual play, I think they are fine.

Royal Princess, Alaska, 6/25, not sure about occupancy. Awesome cruise and land tour! Sky Princess - Southern Caribbean, 12/17. 2500 passengers. Awesome cruise! and, ..well, I guess that's it, lol. Hoping to up my cruise game once I retire.

What is the current Atrium entertainment (e.g., the music groups, or, dancers) ? Do they typical change/rotate with every stop, or do they book for a 'season' ? For context, I'm on the Sky on 12/17 and am just curious what we'll get to see !

I booked directly on the web site and had the same thing happen to me. I couldn't find a way to add this on the site, so I ended up using the on-line chat feature to have this added for my 3rd and 4th parties.

One thing we really enjoyed was the concierge lounge. In addition to the good snacks, drinks, and quiet space, there's..well, a concierge. Might not sound like much, but from my experience, the concierge's are just fantastic and willing to help with anything you need. No need to ever set foot in a guest services line, if you're in a suite.

In general, have you been in shorts and T-shirt every day ? We are on the same itinerary on Dec 17. and not sure how much cooler weather wear to bring.... Just a sweatshirt/jacket ?

Fun fact: we were lucky enough to have Aguilar on our Alaska cruise this past summer and he was outstanding. Really had a big positive impact on our cruise. Glad to see he's made it bigtime on CC !

My wife and two college-age sons were in Royal C101 this past summer and just loved the room. Like XBGuy said, the balcony is to the side (not front facing) and there are big windows in the master bedroom area that look out over the bow. Really cool. One thing to keep in mind is that these are (by definition) at the far end of the ship, so if proximity to elevators or stairs are a priority, then this location would be a drawback. On the bright side, if you're a step-counting type of soul, then these are all 'free' steps!

Thanks to everyone for the great info...much appreciated. Interestingly, my family and I are having interesting discussions about how much to plan our excursions.....one faction wants to make sure we take advantage of every stop and don't get "shut out" of the best excursions, and, the other wants just wing it and see how the mood takes us. (I'm sure there is some political commentary in there somewhere...lol). In any case, all the responses are appreciated. We are new to cruising, but really had a great time on our Summer 2002 Alaskan cruise and hope to repeat it in December!

Given your plans, I guess I'd treat it as a way to get away from the crowds, but also not be in your room. Maybe if the weather isn't ideal, and you want to meet a few friends for a quiet chat, or just change up the scenery. I wouldn't treat it as a 'main event' but more of a 'crack filler'. I found the coffee quite good and a bit more convenient than the IC.

Are these things that we can just arrange the day of the excursion? ie, get off the ship and find a local vendor ?

Hi all - my family (wife, two college-age sons) are booked on a late December Southern Caribbean cruise. Will be the first Caribbean cruise for all of us. We have stops in Cays, St. Thomas, Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire, and Curacao. 1. Is it important to pre-book the 'equipment excursions' (e.g., paddle board, kayak, snorkel gear, etc), or can we just wing it and purchase at the beach on the day of ? I'm not talking about where a boat takes you out to sea, but just looks like you can rent the equipment and DIY. 2. Any recommended excursions ? I've started looking at the youtube's, but thought there might be some good recommendations here. We're generally fairly active (enjoying hiking and kayaking, for example). The biggest rub is that I'm generally lazy and don't like having to set an alarm when on vacation...lol... TIA

It's on the 14th deck, towards the aft, next to the wedding chapel (https://www.cruisemapper.com/deckplans/Sky-Princess-2154/deck14-5600 ). I was on the Royal a few months ago (similar ship) and (from memory) the Lounge has several large TV's, maybe 5 small tables, a human concierge, and food/drink area. Overall, I guess it could hold 15 people (ish), but the most I saw in there was maybe 5. There's always a selection of snacks, coffee, and soft drinks. I think they have a designated time when there are more drinks (beer/wine) available (something like a happy hour). I think the lounge itself is open 24/7. The in-person concierge can be really helpful...ie, I don't think you'll need to go to the regular guest services desk for anything. Here's a picture of what I remember it looking like: https://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/royal-princess-400/concierge-lounge-229699/concierge-lounge--v11309471/

I recently sailed in C101 on Royal (front facing windows, side balcony) on an Alaska cruise. Since Royal-class ships can't follow the full inside passage route, there was a day on the 'open seas' (I guess). In any case, I typically get seasick as soon as I step on the dock and didn't have any problems at all in this room. The room itself is very nice. The forward-facing windows are also kinda cool. On the other hand, the balcony is nothing special (not bad, but nothing like the aft-facing suites with the wrap-around). FWIW, we booked C102 on a Southern Caribbean in December.

My family recently did an 11-day cruisetour on the Royal. I'd definitely splurge for the balcony...one of the highlights of the inside passage cruise is all the amazing sights "just when sailing". It also gives you a place to chill after an afternoon on deck viewing the glaciers. The one difference we noticed on the land portion was the level of luxury significantly falls off (maybe the way to look at it is that you get spoiled on the cruise portion). I'm a "lazy traveler" and hate packing/unpacking and moving from hotel to hotel. So, if you are similar, maybe book an itinerary to stay in one place longer, rather than hopping each night. The weather can be erratic. I think the best chance for good weather is end of June/early July. But, to be honest, it's a bit of a crap shoot. I thought the medallion was fine and convenient. Perfect? well, no. But we used the heck out of it and found it helpful. I guess one question that's commonly debated for cruisetours is "land first, or, sea first"? Another positive about the Alaskan cruise is that there is a wide range of activities and excursions, ranging from athletic/adventurous to, well, "enrichment" (lol). There will be many folks in your age range and many folks who are also "doing it once", so you'll have alot of company. In any case, I think you will really enjoy it and hope you do it and have a great time.

I've found that for some unknown reason (maybe an ad blocker add-on) I can't see the 'live chat' icon when using firefox, and I have to switch to another browser (e.g., chrome).

I was in a suite on the Royal at the end of June and used the 'card on the door' several times and it worked well. The only thing I noticed is that the selection seemed to be a bit 'standard' as opposed to 'anything on the MDR menu'. Then again, I never had breakfast in the MDR. Perhaps you need to call to get access to the full MDR menu ?