Lady Arwen

My DH doctor said a finger pinch blood test is highly inaccurate and should not be relied on since INR results can be life threatening if too high. My husband has been testing for 14 years until switching heart meds. Perhaps things are different in Canada.

INR is a blood test that requires drawing blood and submitting it to a lab. You cannot self test for this. Must be a nurse or doctor.

My husband was in the same situation. He was on Warfarin for his Afib and we were going on a longer cruise of 16 days and staying precruise in a hotel for three nights. His doctor suggested an INR test two days prior to sailing as he would have lab results in 24 hours. If the results were in the acceptable range and his two tests prior to that were also acceptable then he could go three weeks until the next test. It worked out fine, with no issues. My husband is now on Elequis which does not require INR testing and it’s such a relief to travel with no concerns. I would not want to rely on the ship’s doctor to take the test and monitor the lab results.

I hear you! We always make dining reservations as soon as we book because our loyalty level offers that as a benefit. If it’s offered to everyone, then it certainly defeats the purpose of loyalty.

Can’t remember Princess ever offering this but I do remember getting 10% discount some years back but it might have been Celebrity.

We cancelled this past August for our September 2023 cruise and received FCC. The date noted on our FCC certificate is “Sail by December 31, 2024”. My understanding is that you must SAIL by the end of the following year.

I just tried it out and it worked okay for me. I just went to settings and followed the instructions which ended up on my email and password page. Clicked on my email address and it allowed me to erase and re-enter. Sorry, I’m not much help on this one.

My DH and I are so easy to please when it comes to food. We never complain and we’ve never sent food back in thirty years of cruising. We’re not looking for haute cuisine, been there done that in our younger days. We now appreciate being served a decent meal in a nice dining room being waited on by such hard working individuals who try so hard to make our cruise memorable. Is every meal perfect? Of course not, but we still enjoy ourselves.

Exactly! We started to cruise in 1991 with Celebrity and we had to pack resort casual, semi formal and formal and the dress codes were strictly adhered to back then. Times have changed and certainly no need for tuxedos or suits or cocktail dresses or ball gowns anymore.

Perfect, sir! Exactly what a lot of men should be wearing.

Love it! Such a great attitude towards life.

Thanks….just spewed my coffee onto my iPad! lol. You two are hilarious!

Sounds like things are improving for you, thank goodness. I hope the rest of your cruise is without any major disappointment.

“Maybe asking nicely will be a thing of the past.” This world is doomed if everyone felt that way. SMH

Yes, we will tip extra with cash for special services offered during our cruise in addition to the auto grats. However, I would never try to secure a better table in the MDR by giving a bribe. I’m quite surprised that Princess would allow someone of that stature to accept it. It seems so tacky to me.

I think we’ll continue to ask politely, as it seems to work for us just fine. Bribing just isn’t our thing. Actually I don’t know anyone who does this, so you’re the first!

Of course he wouldn’t refuse it, that would be insulting to you. The reason I ask is that we always very politely make certain requests and 90% of the time we are graciously accommodated. No bribe ever offered or expected. Just great service because this is what they’re paid to do. I find the bribing thing a bit tacky and demeaning to the restaurant manager. However, you do you and whatever you’re comfortable with.

Have you tried asking for this table without the bribe? Just curious.

Sorry, but I doubt if everyone, or even a few, tip the restaurant manager either at the start or the end of the cruise. Last time we did that it was years ago in a Las Vegas showroom. We won’t be bribing or tipping the restaurant manager. It’s literally his job.

If it makes you feel better you could always print out your travel summary from your online booking. It clearly shows everything you need to know about your booking. You can use this to show anyone at the pier in lieu of a boarding pass. You probably have it already on your phone, but I always print it out just in case of, well, something. lol

Like you, we prefer later dining times 7:00+ is the earliest we book. I must admit that 50%, or more, of our dining is in the specialty restaurants, so never a wait. My DH likes to visit a different room every night and look at a different menu. I know Reserve Class dining suits you and your DW and that’s also great. One day we’ll try that out because our preference is mini suites.

This is completely unacceptable. I feel your disappointment and I doubt if I would have been as patient as you. They need to fix this situation immediately. We’re encouraged to make dining room reservations months in advance and we are entitled to have those arrangements respected. Thank you for sharing your experience.

I wouldn’t call them “privileged class” people or staterooms. They are mini suites with Reserve Dining. Yes, they are more expensive, but certainly not exorbitantly so. Now, full suites are definitely upscale and far more expensive. Neither option is for everyone and Princess needs to do a much better job with MDR reservations.

Exactly. Thank you.

“debunked”! Love it!