islandwoman

They don't just brag about it, they guarantee it in writing on their website:

Upgraded Bathroom Amenities

Regardless of your stateroom type, your stateroom bathroom will be stocked with the upgraded amenities normally reserved only for Suite guests.

I guess Princess doesn't think they have to abide by their own rules. Recently they refused to honor their commitment to accept my onboard credit certificate for a World Cruise segment. Even though I have it in writing on the certificate itself: " For full World Cruise or any World Cruise Segments the deposit is reduced to 5% of the cruise fare and a fare discount of 3% is provided." They told my TA that they had changed their policy and will no longer accept Future Cruise Certificates for World Cruises. They also refused to extend its expiration date as the onboard Future Cruise consultant assured me they would (but that I don't have in writing).

This particular supermoon also coincides with a total lunar eclipse which will be visible in all of eastern North America. http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2015-september-28

The highest and lowest tides each month generally lag a few days behind the full moon, so it doesn't matter so much if you are not docked in Saint John right on the day.

Although I have many cruises on my signature, only one is RCCL and that was a short Caribbean cruise years ago. I'd like to book a September 2015 New England cruise. rccl.com has it online, but hasn't posted prices yet.

This is what I do when I book Princess: I book the most affordable desirable cabin as soon as booking opens. Usually it turns out to be a mid-aft balcony as close to the mid cabins as possible, on the lowest available deck (I get seasick). Then I watch prices every day and whenever I see a price drop, I contact my TA to get a reduction.

Would my system work for booking RCCL or is there a better way? Waiting for the last minute won't work since flights will be required and I'm fussy about cabin location.

Sounds like the same cheap junk they give all the passengers on Carnival ships :( I'll definitely be taking my own, even though I'll have to trek it half way around the world (from the east coast of the US to Japan) I just hope the bottles don't get crushed in my checked bag. What a mess that would make. I'd have to use my new laundry bene as soon as I got to the ship. Not such a great idea - the spilled shampoo on my clothing might cause the ship's laundry to foam all over the place :eek:

Very clear photos, IECalCruiser. Thanks for posting them.

Hmm. The little bottles of Lotus Spa shampoo, lotion, and body wash and the little soap look exactly like the ones we got last year in our balcony cabin on the Ocean Princess when we were Platinum. We also got a daily little bottle of Lotus Spa conditioner. But we didn't get the rest of the stuff.

I hope the dispenser combo shampoo/conditioner that Princess is putting on its ships isn't the same as what they have on Carnival (budget line = budget shampoo). That stuff is so useless that I might as well have washed my hair with sea water.

Good ideas Mary Ellen.

A "supermoon" is when the moon is both full and closest to Earth. That situation is supposed to create the highest/lowest tides.

Thank you for the information about St Martins and St-Andrews. I'll make an effort to get there.

I've been looking for a cruise to St John, Bay of Fundy to coincide with the supermoon on September 28, 2015. I tried Carnival, RCCL, and HAL. None of them have ships in port on the right date. Princess has yet to post its New England/Canada cruises for fall 2015. I'm starting to think that cruise ships can't get into the Bay when tides are so high/low and that I'll have to change to a land tour. Is that right?

Thank you everybody for the good information and you Pam for the photos. I'm not happy about this benefit having mostly gone away, but I know what to pack now and that's important when I'm flying half way around the world before getting on the Diamond Princess.

ggprincess2004, Please post what you discover on your upcoming cruise. Which ship will you be sailing?

I'm sorry. It's all my fault. Every time I qualify for something, it's taken away. :rolleyes:

Hope you have collected a few!

I have and I'm happy to know that they don't leak. But we'll be onboard for 27 days and both of us have long hair. That's a lot of little bottles, but a good idea nevertheless. Thank you.

That's disappointing. It sounds like the same shampoo/conditioner they have on Carnival. I don't like that at all. But at least with Carnival we sail out of local ports, so it's no problem to take along our own.

In July we will be taking our first 3 cruises as Princess Elites. Up to now we have always packed our own shampoo and conditioner because we don't like the standard Princess bathroom amenities. Our upcoming cruises are half-way around the world and I don't look forward to trying to get heavy, sloppy bottles of liquid from the US to Japan or to shopping for them in a language I can neither speak nor read.

What are the "upgraded bathroom amenities" that come with Elite status on Princess?

How good are the shampoo and conditioner?

Are the loungers on the Promenade Deck in front of the lanai cabins marked in some way to show others that they're reserved for the lanai cabin passengers?

Thank you ZSandy25 and innlady1.

Now I have the information we need to make a decision :)

Thank you, jtl513.

Does anyone definitely know the answer to

Can the sliding glass door be locked from the outside? In other words, if I were sailing in a Lanai cabin, could I go out my door, lock it, and then go walking around the ship?

and one more question: Do the Lanai cabins have refrigerators?

Never having sailed on HAL, I have a couple of questions about the Lanai cabins:

1. Can passengers on the Promenade Deck look in? Would I have to keep my drapes closed for privacy?

2. Can the sliding glass door be locked from the outside? In other words, if I were sailing in a Lanai cabin, could I go out my door, lock it, and then go walking around the ship?

We are interested in the late October cruise from Quebec to Ft Lauderdale in 2015. Wè called Princes and they said C&NE would be released late April or early May.

Thanks 5fathom, That's what I needed to know.

Had email today which stated 2015 cruises going on sale on 11 March. At least in UK.

They are the Alaska and Europe cruises.

I'm looking for a late September 2015 Canada/New England cruise, one that makes a port call in St. John NB. I see that Norwegian and Royal Caribbean have ships doing that itinerary, but so far no Princess.

Does anyone know whether Princess is pulling out of New England after 2014 or whether she's just late releasing her sailings?

I found some information about Princess' 2015 Alaska cruisetours here:

http://www.alaskacruises-2015.com/#2015_Alaska_Cruisetours_

For those of us without access to the PDF, I called Princess yesterday. The rep told me that the cruise tours for 2015 are essentially the same as for 2014 except for an addition of the Canadian Rockies. She also said they are using the same ID codes.

She confirmed that bookings will indeed open on March 11th, 8 AM PST.

Did she by any chance say which ships would be attached to which tours (since the ships and their itineraries will have changed) ?

Bizziecruzer, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! :D

Can someone please post the Pacific's May-June sailings and cruisetours? We want to sail through the Panama Canal from Ft. Lauderdale and then on to an Alaska Cruise Tour. It looks as if the Pacific might be our only choice.

Thank you goodie2shoes. I've been looking for that information.