c-boy

5 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

Since we always have the same MDR servers, we leave our Cholula with them at their service station.  It is always on our table when we sit down for dinner!

 

I forgot to add, we bring the large bottles that are sold at Costco as we always end up sharing it with our servers.  They love it too! 

 

 

 

 it was hard to find good sauces on board while floating about the south pacific . That was until our head waiter appeared with seven types of bottles on a tray. ( he went down to the crew mess and brought back the good stuff)

21 hours ago, jwattle said:

I believe that the view from our Sweet A$$...oops...Sweet Aft Suite on Deck 14 will have a delectable view and amazing company 🥰💞🥂

your not gonna push me over .... are you  

45 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

18 to Alta-Kaker. It's a judgement-free vibe that might be too much for the closed-minded.

We are in our 60s, and love it. You can have a quiet cruise without feeling left-out, or join the party. There's enough space for everyone, except for the pool which doesn't bother us as the pool has never been our scene.

we're/ I'm in my 60's and were feelin' thirty 🥰 . In my 20's would be pushin' it 😆

36 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

they do run a lot of specials and discounts. We booked on one and saved 40% overall I believe. 
 

You’ll have a great time. 
 

I also have to admit I’ve never seen an owner/CEO on board any cruise ship we have been on but we saw Sir Richard on ours. Apparently he tries to come aboard each cruise in the Caribbean if he can. Super nice guy, paused and talked with and spoke with everyone that wanted to say hello. 
 

 

 🫶 this is a sign of gratitude, and sir Richard feels he is not above that.

6 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

I have 6 nearly grown kids. Love them all and the years raising them and vacationing with them … but I definitely could enjoy a cruise with NO kids. 

on these ships, it's a time for us to be kids..😃

35 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

You are most certainly tempting me to give it a try!  However, I’m sure that when perusing their cruises there will be sticker shock.  Thank you for your very thorough review.

  we have another one coming this fall, it's a blast 🎆 🎉  👍

On 2/11/2024 at 2:46 AM, billybeachboy said:

With Virgin being adult only I'd rather a nude sundeck..

uh ... well now hold on there 🤨 somethings are better off not being viewed.

2 minutes ago, dides said:

Just dropping by with a bit more ship news -  spotted this interesting reel showing a lot more of the Piazza with the crew handover celebrations

😄 they're having a party without us

28 minutes ago, arxcards said:

$AU640 is somewhere around $US420, so it isn't a stretch from one to the other to a price that includes taxes & "tips". Maybe `the 10g of Beluga was the kicker, as that stuff is really expensive here. It is either a top notch restaurant or an expensive one. $AU60 - 80 buys me a great steak.

 

We find it more expensive here than you do. At least your dollar has some buying power here.

🤙

I spent most of October and all if November visiting family in Melbourne,  Sydney  and Brisbane.   Wonderful country,  spectacular people, hella expensive compared    to the.......  U S.   now, I know where, what and I learned ....  when but, this would have been $350-$400  TOPS !  in the US.   And what's with "Sunday Surcharge" !  Paid for in Aussie dollars .... ya shoulda seen the smile(s). 

26 minutes ago, possum52 said:

Isn't that why tipping is so much part of US life, because service/wait staff are not paid a living wage by their employer and need tips to earn enough to live on. In Australia, for an adult (21 and over) the National Minimum wage paid per hour is $23.23 with penalty rates on weekends and public holidays. Casual rates are higher - for example a waiter in a cafe will earn around $28 per hour. 

ehhh, it can be complex. Where I live the minimum hourly wage is $20.00 U S dollars/hr. That's to flip hamburgers. Federal minimum wage is currently set @ $7.25 U S /hr. Each state has their own wage standards based on their economies.  I live in California and it can be expensive  to live here. The average monthly income is $29.69/hr. An single family home cost's $600,00.00 U S dollars. Across the state line I can purchase the same sq. footage home for $150 - 175 K less. The minimum wage in that state reflects that. 

  Now if your a server in a state where the cost of living is lower then the opposing state and you collect tips, your average reported income can be more than then where I live ( i e.  cocktail waitress at Bellagio's in Las Vegas vs. a server at Ihop in L A) . Discretionary income; plays a big part in the U S economy, so much so; the the state and federal government doesn't want it to go away, they want to encourage it. 

 So what it comes down to is culture. The do's and the don'ts. The  minimum wage in Australia is $15.17 /hr U S. , without tips, that's not fly in California.  On the other hand if the tip/ gratuity is included in the bill, then we're still tippin'

has to do with the comment about paying a living wage and whether I should move.

On 2/10/2024 at 8:51 PM, Bubbeh said:

That's a very good way of looking at it.  We pay our people a living wage for a reason.

what's the average income in Australia vs. U S  ?

6 hours ago, dides said:

Some selfies and footage just posted on instagram by one of the dancers:

 

 

 

 

 

oh geezus!  this guy is a behemoth !  posting for his own personal gratification 😀

53 minutes ago, KarmaCruisers said:

Look what showed up..so it’s obvious that the last day DOESN’T count in the casino.

always nice to see when you return to your cabin. 

15 hours ago, KarmaCruisers said:

This is hilarious..the people next to me are asking the waiter about meats; like they’ve literally never had a steak..”what is a ribeye? What is a New York?”

And these are old people..that’s insane to me.

HEY NOW ! being old got nothing to do with it. More likely that after the past four decades of being a vegetarian, they've decided that times runnin' short and  to live it up 😄

good to hear, Princess is offering some great values to that itinerary.

18 hours ago, luvseaside said:

The Silverado red wine blending in Vines was very nice.  (Had a few people show who thought it was the regular wine tasting held in Symphony dining room so momentarily had some confusion since there’s only spots for 8 persons.  Kinda confusing to hold those at same time.). Good nibbles with the tasting.  Thana is a great wine host.  He’s very knowledgeable.  

Dressing for dinner (formal night).  Not sure if we’ll fool with champagne waterfall (been there done that) but they’re having it from 6:30-7:15.  

 🤨  rather alarming description for the malbec. Proof reader was obviously partaking in the libations.

yep, since there's a charge now it's wide open. Kinda like a bar full of sailors and the shore patrol shows up. 

 the presentation must be part of the "country style"  description.

can't win if ya don't play, well done. 🎉 🎇 👏

1 hour ago, rideev said:

They are rewarded.  They signed a contract and are getting paid.

 

And I'm sure you are going behind the scenes and getting their name so you can give them a great rating on the survey at the end of the cruise so that they can receive their "bonus", as we have been told in an earlier post that is why we have to give them a "10" on the survey.

 

Sounds to me like those folks in the laundry aren't going to get nearly the bonus as the cabin steward as they won't have anyone give them a great survey.

 

And I don't get anything from the bar, yet the auto crew appreciation and the drink service charge are all pooled together.

 

Yes, cruise lives are just looking at ways to raise revenue.  Why else do you think they went away from the envelope system 25 or so years ago?

you're obviously are an educated individual. You/ we know full and well prior to boarding what the terms of passage are. Choosing a path less traveled and apparently not popular on this sight has led you to defend your stance. Acknowledging that there are things we/you don't have control over, such as how, where, and to whom gratuities and bonuses are paid out.  A lot a sleep, energy and emotions may get used up thinking about how princess or any other cruise line business practices work to their benefit. Sometimes life throws curve balls, ya swing for the fence or get in a fast car and drive away. 

😜 after eating that bowl of ramen, under arm deodorant will be the least of your problems, 

18 minutes ago, scubagal44 said:

Perfect sea day so far. 

your pullin' my heart strings

7 hours ago, KarmaCruisers said:

UltimateX video poker

sorry for radio silence..got dirty in the casino..

dug myself A big hole ($3000) but battled back to only $1000 down..but my machine was hot so I gave it another $500 to make sure. SO many dealt trips that could have connected to be handpays (I was playing $15 a spin).  So when the smoke cleared I’m down $1500 but earned 4000 points so far and the host gave me a comp for Catch on Monday…

lol even she asked me “I see Krista is in your room; for two right?” I said NOO she’s NOT ON THE SHIP! So only for one.

back in the room ordering some soup and salad from room service..

I also dunno if I’m going to be able to take this room location..it’s MOTION LIKE CRAZY! Like I will NEVER bid again to risk this.

 

Going to eat my soup and salad and watch equalizer 3 (been wanting to see it) and sleeeeeeep in tommorow!

there's the spirit   " dug myself A big hole ($3000) but battled back to only $1000 down..but my machine was hot so I gave it another $500 to make sure." don't go down without a fight.