Kruzin Karen

We recently sailed on the Golden Princess, a 3 day Ensenada get away with some friends who are newbies to cruising. At the VERY last minute, our guests realized they had left some important travel documents at home. In a state of total panic and hysteria, we rushed the poor staff at check in, some of us yelling, some of us crying. We were sure half our group wouldn't be allowed to sail. These kind, wonderful women calmed us down, assured us that Princess also wanted us to make our cruise, then bent over backwards to make it happen. I only wish I had thought to get names, but I was too busy panicking. We've been on 20+ cruises, and this was one of the best ever. Maybe it was the staff's kindness, maybe it was sailing with people to whom cruising was shiny and new, or maybe it was the fact that it was our first time in a suite! We also had misunderstood one of the suite privileges, and Princess graciously offered it to us, anyway. I now have 3 upcoming B2Bs on the Crown next month. I have a new favorite cruise line!

Thanks for the input. Let me answer a few questions. We find flying to be very affordable as we have two amazing credit cards with the same company (not sure I'm allowed to say which one). We put all our monthly expenses on these cards, then pay them off in full. With all those miles and 2 companion tickets (BOGO) we usually fly for 1/2 price, or free. We also live in WA state, where it's easier, quicker, and cheaper to get to the west coast ports than the east coast ones. We're also retired, so we have a lot of flexibility.

Our offer was for a complimentary inside cabin on any west coast getaway during the month of January. We chose the 4 day, including San Diego, and paid $10/pp per day to upgrade to a balcony (not a 3 day in an outside). The price listed for a category BB balcony on my 4 day cruise is $1008, not the $1100 I originally stated. When traveling, I always round up when calculating! Sorry. We each paid $75 taxes and fees, and $40 each for the balcony upgrade. $230 dollars total, no onboard credit.

We have also sailed 2 of these getaways already in the last year, once in a minisuite, and once in a suite. Maybe that got their attention, but the only reason we got the suite was a very nice visit from the upgrade fairy! Also, I find Carnival and Princess short cruises to be competitive (About $129 for an inside cabin for the 3 day Ensenada cruise). Don't understand why anyone would go Carnival if they could go Princess...

All this makes sense, but why do you suppose they're having so much trouble selling them? Carnival has been successfully selling similar itineraries for years, and now Princess prices are less then Carnival for the same cruise! I love these short Getaways; they're fun, inexpensive, and a great "intro to cruising" for those who've never sailed before. Santa Barbara, San Diego and Catalina are wonderful ports, and I've found a Brazilian steakhouse in Ensenada that makes me look forward to this port every time we're there. Another friend had an amazing zipline experience in Ensenada. What am I not getting?? Why is this such a tough sell? Mind you, I'm not a sun or hot weather enthusiast...

I've been on 20+ cruises, but only 2 were with Princess; both short "Getaway" cruises out of Los Angeles. On the first cruise we were in a mini suite, on the second they offered to upgrade our mini suite to a full suite for a small amount of money; of course we agreed! We've only been home a week, and amongst the usual battery of offers from cruise lines on our e mail was an offer for a complimentary inside cabin on any West Coast Getaway during the month of January from the Casino department. Having been fooled before, I laughed and ignored it for a few days; one of those obviously too good to be true kind of things. I'm not laughing anymore; I'm booked! We paid the taxes and fees ($75 each), and we paid $10/day to upgrade from an inside to a balcony, category BB. It cost us $230 total to book a $1,100 cruise.

I'm certainly not complaining, but I don't get it. I spent about 15 minutes in the casino on the last trip, and not much more on the 1st trip. The West Coast Getaways have been VERY reasonably priced, so I assume they're not selling well, but wow!! Can anyone tell me how this might have happened? We're platinum with Norwegian and they've never offered us anything!

Thanks! My friends have a sixteen year old who doesn't drive yet. Does he need a government issued ID as well as his birth certificate? I'm sorry there's no Chefs Table; there was one on our 4 day getaway, but they never notified us. Sad to miss it again!

Taking some friends on their first cruise ever, and we're doing the 3 day out of LA. Can my friends still get on board with their certified copies of their birth certificates, or do they need to get passports? Will the 3 day have a formal night or Chef's Table? Thanks for the help!

Not only did you folks give needed and valuable advice, your kindness and encouragement brought a tear to my eye. You people made my week!

My DH has quit smoking (hooray!), but the resulting slow but steady weight gain has required we go out and buy him a whole new wardrobe for every cruise, and we cruise a lot. We are going on a 4 day "getaway" cruise next month on the Sapphire, and we are new to Princess. Since there is no formal night on 4 day cruises, what are gentleman (at a bare minimum) required to wear in the dining room to keep from annoying fellow passengers? It has been my experience that the guidelines for dress recommended by the cruise line often has very little to do with what people actually wear. Help! Do I really have to buy him another suit? Thanks in advance... I do know there are less formal options, but it would be a shame to miss the dining room!

My husband and I are on our 20+ cruise. We deliberately show up late so we can walk right onto the ship, and our cabins are ready; lunch is still available. Show up at 1:30!

Perhaps the menu has changed; no beets!

Tomatoes Our Way!

Tuna Bahn Mi

Cornish Game Hen

Bavarois (soup and salad combo)

Salmon

Wagyu Short Ribs

Chocolate 88F

My husband and I consider ourselves "foodies", and we usually sail on bigger ships to take advantage of all the upsell dining options. I never imagined the best dining experience I've ever had on board would be on the "little" Elation.

For $75 pp, we were treated to a private tour of the galley by the chef himself, complete with champagne and tidbits in the kitchen. We were then given a cooking lesson (melting cake!). Then to a private, beautifully decorated table in the library for wine (included) and a seven course dinner. Chef Govind Bahal was a charming and gracious host who stayed with us the entire evening. The dinner was fantastic; my favorites were the Cornish game hen, salmon and short ribs.

Even more amazing than the food was the service. I think we had 3 servers and 4 chefs all to ourselves (there were only 8 of us). It was an extraordinary dining experience that we will remember forever. Well done Carnival and Chef Bahal!