Cruise Raider

To see their usage on the app, you will need to set up a log in for each of them and switch back and forth. It may be awkward to do so, though. If you just want their folio, you can just have them check it at the kiosk near guest services. It is helpful for them to bring their phones, if they have one, though. You don’t need them to have WiFi to use the app.

I’m getting better every day .. just needed to get that off my chest! now, I can let it go! Thank you!

@Thrak .. we were onboard recently with friends that weren’t yet elite. It appears, at least on the Royal Princess, that elites didn’t grab a tender ticket but were sent to meet in the Take 5 bar to be taken to the next waiting tender as a group. Our platinum friends were not allowed to join us .. we asked. We just had to meet up with them once onshore. I am almost sure that exceptions are made but that is our recent experience.

It was impossible to book any dining as we were on the Royal and transferred over to the Majestic for a B2B, It showed as one cruise in the app for all three sailings. I don’t think the app has been able to handle B2Bs, much less Side2Sidea very well since its inception.

Hmmm? Good question! Honestly, I think it is that it was given (or at least those optics) and then taken away. Plus, it wasn’t really targeted as my friend that books a lot of cruises as well got the promotion but it wasn’t pulled from her. My bookings were corrected in the long run on the two sailings I had booked under the promotion, thanks to my CVP. I am really trying to move past this, which is why I posted once I had calmed down a bit. But actually, I feel penalized just because we’ve booked a lot of future cruises with Princess. Why punish us for that? It makes no sense to me. And, as I’ve mentioned, I’m not looking to cancel everything I have booked with Princess but will also be looking at other options to spend my travel dollars.

We have done this recently, but up in Vancouver. You will have what looks like one cruise on your app but you will get two different medallions. It is awkward to make reservations in the medallion app but otherwise, everything will just go as expected.

Looks like it starts at $75 for a manicure .. and discounted if you are elite.

I am so dismayed by this. It really makes me feel like looking into other ways to spend my discretionary dollars. We have almost 100 cruises under our belts and over half of those with Princess. My CVP has been so wonderful to us but I am just so disappointed in this latest scenario. My DH is urging me to send this concern, not a complaint, to corporate.

Yes, you said it loud and clear! I don’t need a parade or even recognition but JP is no Jan Schwartz! Just respect for all your guests.

I think it’s just that we shouldn’t be penalized for having a number of bookings with Princess. We shouldn’t be rewarded for that? I know it’s marketing but really? That is what has got my goat!

That was exactly the explanation that was given to me but as noted, it wasn’t what I see to be true. I get that some cruises didn’t offer the OBC .. I say, that is ok! But to tell me it isn’t for those that that have not travelled in over a year wasn’t a true statement. And the fact that I had it but then it was pulled, further irritated me. Believe me, I am so much more calm about it now than I was over the weekend. The whole scenario has questioned my loyalty. I do love the staff so much on Princess … that’s the thing I struggle with the most.

Yes, I was.

My CVP did honor it after all, as I sent back the original invoice I had received.

I totally understand the casino deals are a completely different animal.

I do agree with luring new customers, too .. but that wasn’t the case. It was given to my friend that told me about it who cruised with them just a couple of months ago. So, that wasn’t a valid explanation. I think maybe that’s what bothered me the most is that I was lied to. Plus, I had it and it was yanked from my account. Perhaps I was given that by mistake .. so then, say so.

You can just try a mock booking and go almost all the way through and check what is included in your fare. That’s what I did.

While I am pretty much a positive person, especially when it comes to cruising, there are things I get irritated with but don’t rant on and on about them. However, there is a problem that occurred last week and it still bothers me. I waited to write this post until I am calmer about the whole situation. My friend, that travels quite frequently, told me about a promo that was being offered for extra onboard credit. I checked all my future bookings I had the promo showing on half of the cruises I checked under my log in. I am perfectly ok with that! Some booking increased in price so, the extra OBC was awash. I sent what I wanted done to my CVP on 2 bookings and the bookings were adjusted and the new invoices reflected the additional OBC. However, when I looked into my cruise personalizer, half the OBC disappeared under these bookings the next day. Then, Princess sent me new invoices later that day and all the additional OBC also disappeared. I wrote to my CVP and she told me there was no evidence I ever had that promo, which doesn’t expire until the end of the month. I again checked the Princess website and I was locked out from looking up any cruises under my log in the remainder of the day. I checked the following day and bingo, the promo was no longer showing up under mine or my DH’s login. In further inquiry, my CVP told me that they are targeting people that haven’t traveled with Princess in over a year with the promo and that’s why I didn’t receive it. Well, that’s certainly not true as my friend that told me about it travels as frequently as I do. Plus, I had the promotion but it was then pulled! So, WTH? Isn’t my money as green as anybody else’s? Why would Princess want to tick off their frequent passengers? It was explained this comes down from corporate and that’s the way they want to grow their business with new guests. But, when I recommend a vacation to my friends and family, do they really think Princess would now be my #1 recommendation after they’ve decided they aren’t so ‘humbled by my loyalty’ after all?? I just have such a bad taste in my mouth about this whole situation, even though they would have been on very thin ice trying to deny me the additional OBC with the original invoice showing it. While I’m thankful my CVP was able to retrieve it for me on those two bookings, I’m still very disappointed they decided to take the promotion away from us and then only offer it to their new target demographic and then some others of their choosing. Isn’t someone that cruises an average of once a month, always buys the package, doesn’t complain about much, is not demanding while onboard and is both kind and generous to their staff exactly the type of demographic they would want at the end of the day? If Princess has decided they can easily do without this type of passenger, I may have to reevaluate my relationship with them. Just of note, I am not saying I will never travel with them again .. I just may look elsewhere, too.

I don’t eat pork or beef which is why I don’t care for their new menu. They used to make a delicious filet of sole with a lemon sauce. They changed over to branzini (sp?) and it’s just not good, IMO. I also loved their fondue soup and think that has gone by the wayside, as well. I am going to try the chicken scaloppini next month, though. I’ve heard it’s quite good. I will report back!

Actually, if they did, there would be so very many elite status passengers that there would be nothing special about it anymore. Even if you travel on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, they have reciprocal benefits on each other but only up to their Diamond and Elite statuses, not the top of the line status. Also, they don’t add your cruises on each individual line together, they just bump you up to that status of elite or diamond but it’s not reflected in the points you’ve earned on each line.

That’s why I had to laugh at myself .. as they were right behind me.

The location will be perfect for very little motion. It does appear to be directly above the kitchen for Sabatini’s so, there might be some late night clean up noise from below. Although, there does seem to be some additional soundproofing on the Royal class ship. Also, the tender davits are right beside your room so, when they drop them into the water, that is sometimes noisy.

There is a thread by someone that just used the Park by the Ports and they were so happy they did. It was a Review of the Ruby earlier this month.

What a great review .. balanced and very informative. So sorry you got CoVid. I hope your symptoms aren’t severe. I have to confess, I have definitely been one of those passengers that haven’t gone to dinner even though I have reservations. I used to go to tell them if I won’t be making it. I am going to go in my app and cancel these reservations for my future cruises now. Thank you for the reminder on how it impacts others.

We also have had many great cruise on the Ruby! Of note, we’ve sometimes found future menus available on the app over the last couple of years and then sometimes not. We’ve also seen menus but then when we go, the selections are sometimes different. It may have to do a with supply and demand and what is on hand. We’ve also experienced where a lecturer hasn’t shown up on the talks later in the cruise but found they’ve been filled in with some other great event. There was a great naturalist on one of our cruises on the Ruby and was looking forward to her next lecture but found out she was traveling with her mother, who got sick and they had to disembark. The new lecture was scheduled and given by the entertainment director about life in England in the 1800’s. It was really quite fascinating, even though we only went because there was nothing else on our schedule. Anyway, entertainers do get sick and are asked to be confined to their cabins or have emergencies at home. It happens. I’ve noticed the paper napkins disappear over the last couple of year and Princess is definitely working on reusables and recyclables only. They are really making an effort in getting rid of the single use products. I still see the paper napkins available for cocktails and I always tell them, you can reuse my same napkin, as I don’t need a new one. I know that when in Glacier Bay, nothing that is not reusable is given out. Not even paper cups for coffee. I actually wish the coffee was only served in porcelain cups. I know they can break but I much prefer it than drinking my coffee out of a paper cup. Of note, we know they have to separate the trash and found it interesting that those little straw picks (for olive spears in your cocktail) have clogged up the machines that grind the food so are being eliminated. We always try to separate our recyclables from non recyclables for our room steward ahead of time. I’ve seen trash bins up at the pool area that are separated into bottles and cans and trash. I honestly can’t remember if I’ve seen them recently. Same goes for the drop boxes .. I just can’t remember if I’ve seen them lately. It made me laugh at myself when I mentioned there were no longer kiosks where I could print out my folio. As my dad used to say, “good thing that wasn’t a rattlesnake” as it was right behind me. 😆 I fully support the reduced waste, though as I can just look it up in my app and save on paper waste. Yea, the Crown Grill always seems to be booked more fully than Sabatini’s. If you cruise on a Royal class ship, it will probably be The Catch that is the restaurant that is booked up! I prefer it over the Crown Grill. I used to love Sabatini’s but since they’ve changed their menu about a year ago, I no longer have a favorite dish there. Oh well!

I’ve seen those disappear about a year ago.