trbarton

i booked an Ocean View as the balconies were about $2,000 more than an Ocean View. I made a bid for a regular balcolny & made my bid end in an odd number & a low bid. Princess tried to tell that my bid was to low to get an upgrade. I was also told that I would pick my Medallion up at the pier.

On Monday I was very surprised, as I’m on the September 2, 2024, Alaska cruise on the Crown Princess when I received a notice that they had accepted my bid & I was moved from Deck 5 Ocean View to a forward balcony on deck 14. To add to my enjoyment my Medallion arrived in my mailbox the same day. I saved around $1,000 with my upgrade. Of course I had to print out new luggage tags as I assumed my bid wouldn’t be excepted. 
 

Two very special moments on the same day. How special can that be!

Tom😀👍👏

I’m traveling solo. From others experience what chance do people think that I will have by just walking up when they are opened?

Tom😎🤞

10 hours ago, D1324tt said:

Where do you see when medallions have been shipped? Main PC website or app?

Thanks

Get the free app for the USPS that shows when any package or mail is due to arrive. It’s handy & I find that it’s a must for me to have. 
 

Do you have this app?  If so don’t worry. 
 

How about getting your Medallion & a notice from Princess that your upgrade bid was excepted on the same day. 
 

Tom😀

Thanks for everyone’s reply. Perhaps someone that’s actually been in that stateroom will have photos, as from my experience, what’s online usually doesn’t do it justice. Even the photos from Princess are what the stateroom used to look like. 

11 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

Gonna look exactly like every other standard cabin aboard.

 

Fortunately, cabins above you and not the eateries or pool deck space.  That's great.

Enjoy.

Thank you very much. I’m enjoying my surprise bid excepted. I’m on the September 2, 3024 to Alaska from San Francisco. 
 

Thanks again. 
 

Tom😀

11 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Sorry, Tom, I’m a bit confused.  You said that on occasion you have been seated in Reserve Class dining, so you must have booked a Reserve Class cabin, right?   But, you also say that Princess has never rewarded you with Reserve dining, even after 38 cruises.  
 

To my knowledge the only guests who can enjoy this dining privilege are those who actually pay a lot more for their cabin.  Am I reading this wrong?  As one who has never eaten in the Reserve section, I’m genuinely interested as to how it all works.  Thank you!

I went in the regular entrance for regular dinners & for some reason I was seated in the section for the Reserve Class even tho I wasn’t in a Reserve Class Cabin. I’m not sure why I was seated there & of course I didn’t complain. 
 

I was just saying after 38 cruises with Princess maybe there should be some kind of reward for my loyalty. I’m aware that’s not their policy Just wishful thinking on my part. 
 

Tom😀

The reserve dining area is interesting as sometimes they have seated me in that section. Congratulations to anyone that qualifies for that dinning. Too bad that after 38 cruises on Princess I’m not rewarded to eat there. 
 

Tom😎

8 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

Long-time cruise, but first time Princess cruiser.  I am checked in for my cruise for my Mom and I (departing on the 08/24 from Southampton, UK) but our documents don't specify an arrival time.  Does Princess not have arrival windows we are supposed to follow?

 

Also, I ordered our medallions months ago (and purchased accessories) but they are (per Princess) still in California in customs and I live in Houston.  Since they haven't even cleared customs yet, I don't foresee them arriving before we leave on 8/21.  Will I have to stand in a long line to get new ones the terminal? My mother is elderly and the entire reason I ordered them was to avoid a long wait.

 

The person on the Princess line was not helpful in answering my questions and just kept telling me they would arrive in time.  I informed her I had lived at my address for 16 years and never once had I received a package from California in 2 business days that was sent via regular mail. I can't even get a package delivered from Austin to Houston in 2 business days. 

I arrive at the terminal long before the terminal is opened to avoid any long lines. In San Francisco I arrive by 9:30 am & the terminal is usually opened around 10 am & onto to the ship around 11 am. 
 

I’ve never arrived late. 
 

Tom😀

On 1/8/2024 at 4:50 PM, OttawaJohn said:

TL,DR:

 

 

 

Hawaii amazing.

 

Crew mostly great.

 

Ship mostly good but old and it shows.

 

Activities boring.

 

Entertainment great.

 

Would consider the cruise again but not anytime soon.  Will return Hawaii though for sure.

 

 

 

In detail.

 

 

 

Flew into San Francisco a few days ahead and spent some time in the city.  Really enjoyed it but not a cheap city to visit.

 

 

 

Boarding went well, no hitches save traffic trying to get to the port.  From getting out of the taxi to sitting for lunch on board was probably only an hour.

 

 

 

Going to break this down into a few sections.

 

 

 

First, the ship itself.  Quick note that our last two cruises were on a newer ship, so that doubtless affected us in noticing some quality of life stuff missing.

 

 

 

The cabin was nice overall.  The bed was very comfy, we slept really well in it.  Luggage delivered by 1pm, so able to get it all put away.  We loved the ample closet space.  We did miss a couch though, we always like a nice sitting area, and on a 16-day cruise, we did notice it even more. 

 

 

 

Overall, it's an older ship and it shows.  Lights aren't very bright, AC is taxed even in cooler weather, linens frayed, rust, damages, etc. Elevators were unreliable, several times just not going anywhere.  You'd step in, hit the button and it would just sit there.  A door on Lido deck wouldn't open, and another would close very quickly.  Things like that.

 

 

 

The AC in our room was not that cool, we called down a few times about it over the cruise.  And the toilet stopped flushing multiple times as well through the cruise, once for nearly an entire day and we had to go to another deck to use the washroom.  And a light went out for three days before it was fixed.

 

 

 

There was also a lack of charging options in the room, with only two AC plugs I could find and a single USB charger, all on the one side of the room.  If you wanted to plug your phone or another device on the other nightstand, out of luck.  Also annoying, the lamps were bolted into the middle of the table, with no capacity to move them at all.  This limited the number of things you could have on the nightstand.

 

 

 

I saw some posts about the motion sensor lights in the cabin.  They didn't bother me, but I do agree an option to disable would be nice.  They can be a bit oversensitive.  My wife moves around a lot as she sleeps and moving the blanket or kicking her leg out would cause it to go on.

 

 

 

The shower was hot and great pressure but small. Only one shelf as well, so limited in how much stuff you can bring in.

 

 

 

The buffet was average but was very small it seemed to me.  Only a few stations with a few options.  Nothing world changing.  Breakfast was the worst I felt, we went twice and never enjoyed it.  And the juices were literally hot, not just room temperature but literally felt hot in the glasses.

 

 

 

Sit down dining in the MDR was good, though found breakfast very limited.  Lunch was better but still, the options didn't change that much.  I did like the lunch sized portions though.  Dinner was very tasty though with a good selection. 

 

 

 

One thing I thought was odd was why only one restaurant open for lunch and breakfast?  We eat early, so it didn't effect us but we left at 1 and saw 60+ people waiting to get in, when it closed in 30 minutes to new guests.  

 

 

 

Also, the MDR is closed for lunch on port days, which means if you don't get off, you got buffet or International Cafe only, no sit down.

 

 

 

I did love how the MDRs had two lines, one for those with reservations and one for without.  Just makes it more streamlined.

 

 

 

Crown Grill was delicious, top notch.  Sabatini’s was very tasty but way too much food for us.  Glad we only went the once.  Salty Dog Gastropub was really tasty, and we thought it a shame it's not open for lunch!

 

 

 

The casino is pretty small and has an open smoking section on one side.  I feel really bad for the Shore Excursion people who's desk is right outside the smoking part, that entire area reeks.  Interesting, at the Coffee with the Captain talk, someone asked about it and his response was basically 'It's Princess corporate, not my call.' 

 

 

 

The Piazza is a cool idea and looks nice, but I felt it was too small for everything they tried to cram in there.  Santa, dances, live music, games, there is not enough seating to really take part.  At the same time, other parts of the ship are basically ignored.  I think there was an average of two events a day in Skywalkers, one of which was an unhosted knitting hour.  Why not have a dance party there for NYE, instead of just the Piazza and upper deck?

 

 

 

Service and Crew.

 

 

 

Our room steward, Jimmy, was great.  One of the best we've had on a cruise.  Items we asked for were delivered quickly, never had to ask a second time or chase him on anything. 

 

 

 

One server in the MDR, Mia, was absolutely amazing, a machine.  On Christmas Eve, she seemed to be handling an entire section of Michelangelo’s by herself! 

 

 

 

Audrey, a Shore Excursion Officer, was above and beyond. I had an issue with a credit and she had to email the office to clarify.  As it was over Christmas, she said it may be a bit till she hears back, which I understood.  Several days later, I was walking down the corridor and she passed me by, recognized me and gave me an update.  That's service and professionalism.

 

 

 

The cruise director, Jody Miles, was great.  She was engaging and funny and everything you want one to be.  It sometimes felt like she never slept, was just everywhere at once.

 

 

 

The Captain, Christopher Lye, is funny and informative.  His lunch time announcements were always engaging and he was clear about expectations, like bad weather or other situations.

 

 

 

A few disappointing parts though as well.

 

 

 

Sometimes service in the MDR could be really slow, like 45 minutes for appetizers or 20 minutes for drinks.

 

 

 

Our travel agent setup a birthday surprise for wife but Princess forgot, so that was a shame.

 

 

 

Wait times at the Salty Dog are insane.  Even if no one else is there or has ordered, it could take 10-20 minutes to get a burger or fries.

 

 

 

A sommelier showed up at our table one night and said 'you don't look like wine people' and just left.  *****?

 

 

 

We also kept getting one bad waiter.  He'd forget items, get annoyed at us for then 'changing our order', took forever and would not clear our appetizers before giving us our mains, and getting annoyed with us about it.

 

 

 

I wish they wouldn't turn major corridors into photo shoots.  Queues of people trying to get by.

 

 

 

And sadly, the DJ was not very good.  He'd play a song most people liked, so a few would dance, then he plays stuff no one likes, and everyone leaves. He doesn't seem to care if anyone enjoys his music selections or not.  He was a good mixer, but horrible at reading the floor.

 

 

 

Entertainment/Activities.

 

 

 

We found the activities limited and a bit boring.  They just didn't wow us.  I have no doubt many enjoyed them, but it wasn't for us. 

 

 

 

The entertainment though was high end and we enjoyed most of it.  A few parts in the early bit were a bit out of our wheelhouse but most were a lot of fun and very well done.  One of the bands, Plus 2, had an amazing and really friendly lead singer, I think her name was Vodi?  She was great.

 

 

 

I would say though for both the activities and some of the entertainment, it was geared to the audience.  A lot of it was what I'd called 'nostalgic', mostly playing older music, ABBA night, two of the featured entertainers in the theater basically just told stories of being Boomers and knowing old classic stars.  Still, we typically found a few things we liked each day, and as I said, most of the entertainment was great.  Favs for the shows were Stephanie Hodgson and Todd Adamson as singers, and the Encore, Disco and Christmas show.

 

 

 

The trivia was not well done in my opinion.  We went to several and most had issues, ranging from just not being able to do one due to a USB issue to questions not matching answers or incorrect things, such as songs not from a decade showing up in the list. 

 

 

 

I did love the Enrichment stuff they did, even if I didn't go to some of it, I appreciated that they were there.  My favorite was the naturalist, Robert Raincock, he was entertaining and informative, a great mix. 

 

 

 

The Cruise.

 

 

 

Sadly, fog caused a bunkering delay, so we sailed away at 7, and couldn't see Golden Gate.  Bummer.

 

 

 

There was pretty rocky weather on trip out but the Captain was great at communicating about it.  Back wasn't as bad.  We loved it honestly; we love the rocking.  I saw some people here and on ship complain a lot though about it.  It seems a couple people disembarked in Honolulu due to not wanting to face bad weather back. 

 

 

 

An odd thing, several people said this was their first cruise.  Can't imagine 16 days for my first try!

 

 

 

We loved the app, but a few quality of life improvements would go a long way.  Some examples include:

 

*See hours of operation for places and services.

 

*Easily switch between parts without reloading the app

 

*Chat notifications outside of the app

 

*Scrolling in the Journey Timeline and more filtering options

 

 

 

Things like that.

 

 

 

Loved the medallion, worked great, no issues.

 

 

 

The water is so beautiful, such a different blue then we're used to.  And as always, I love Christmas at sea.  Love that the air, even further out, smells different.  And even with some annoyances its gorgeous here. Sipping coffee watching the sun rise in Hawaii.

 

 

 

The mix of very elderly and younger on board is very amusing when they collide, I'll admit.  An older woman was waiting for an elevator when a younger (30's) man got out.  He said something along the lines of 'I'll hold the door for you' a bit loudly perhaps and she covered her ears and ranted at him to be quiet.  So he left and she missed the elevator.

 

 

 

The number of people who have done this cruise before or are doing it back-to-back is amazing!  I love how among our friends we are veteran cruisers, but on ship, we're newbies compared to people we talk to.

 

 

 

The number of people on their phones amazing.  I Google some stuff and check in on my mom.  That's it.  But some people never seem to put theirs down.

 

 

 

For those wondering, the Christmas music stopped on the 27th I think but the decorations stayed up.  However, on the 7th when we were disembarking, I noticed boxes next to all the trees for them to go back into.  I'm sure by the time people boarded that day, there was nary a garland to be seen.

 

 

 

Some odd things as always.  I came across several people who got off the ship and went to Costco?  Even if you wanted a granola bar or something, you need a box of 40 on a cruise?

 

 

 

Elevator opened one day to a teenager sitting on the floor and reading twitter.  Just, what?

 

 

 

I saw many kids in the halls, at the tables eating, with their headphones on all the time on their phones or playing games/watching shows.  Just no socializing at all.  One girl, about 10, I saw nearly every day for some reason, just a fluke, and I never saw her without her headset on. 

 

 

 

A new section to just get it off my chest and vent about some people 🙂

 

 

 

Woman toured the dessert area on last day, lots of cakes. Then goes and brings her 5 friends back with her. Stops at each one for 30 or so seconds to talk about it. Blocks the aisle completely while doing it.  Then gives us a dirty look when we politely ask if we can get by.

 

 

 

A table with 5 young teens at dinner being pains, clicking their glasses, running fingers on the rim creating loud noises, throwing things, etc. I had to ask them to stop, while their parents just quietly sat there and did nothing.  Why?!? Couple next to us said they were even worse the night before.

 

 

 

Some people are just so rude and entitled.  Shoving, cutting in line, acting as if they are the most important.  Woman charged ahead of me and literally elbowed me away.  On the catamaran tour we did, they said food service would start after drinks service, but someone went and peeled the container open and helped themselves.

 

 

 

A band of 3-5 young hooligans took over the pool one day, throwing each other into the pool onto other people trying to enjoy the pool.  We told the deck attendant; he laughed it off. Asked bar staff for help, they shrugged. So helpful.  I know there is no lifeguard but come on.  Captain made announcement two days later about pool behavior and later we saw security at the pool making misbehaving teens leave.

 

 

 

Hawaii

 

 

 

We loved that the servers in the MDR were wearing Hawaiian shirts while in Hawaii.

 

 

 

We did a Catamaran Excursion in Kauai, ok, but nothing great.  It said it would show possibly dolphins or whales, and other cool stuff but all it did was a river tour.  Nice but felt it was misleading a bit in the listing.

 

 

 

Second Excursion there was not that great. Kilohana Plantation rail was cool but then 30 minutes to 'experience ' the area, aka shop.  Opaekaa Falls beautiful but looked to be a kilometer away. Chickens everywhere were funny though.

 

 

 

In Honolulu, we did a hop on/off which was great overall but started out annoying.  We were picked up in a large double decker bus like the pictures.  Dropped off and put into small bus with limited seats. 20 people standing room only for a 2 hour tour. Thankfully an hour or so in, many got off. Gorgeous views but tour organization not great.

 

 

 

On the next day, we went to cheeseburger in paradise for lunch then swam at Waikiki beach. 

 

 

 

In Hilo, we did an Excursion that went to the Akaka Falls, Macadamia Nut Shop & Tropical Garden Zoo.  It was a lot of fun and much better than our Kauai one.

 

 

 

Due to changes in timing, we were able to do a full day in Ensenada but we weren't planning to get off so it didn't effect us much.  Others enjoyed it a great deal though.

 

 

 

In the end, Hawaii is gorgeous and I can't say enough good things about it.  We will return.  Just maybe not on this cruise or ship.

 

 

Thanks for a great review. It’s interesting that Princess tends to take the older ships to Hawaii from SF vs the newer ships. I’m on an Alaska cruise next month & will ask that question. 
 

One thing that I do is to take a European adapter if I need it fo have an extra socket. 
 

Here’s what I just bought for my next cruise. I can plug a lot of things with just using one electrical socket. 

I hope that some of my suggestions are helpful. 
 

Tom😀
 

I was on Chat yesterday & they said to go to guest services once onboard & they will make the upgrade. I’m skeptical of waiting to do that. 
 

Tom🤔

I would also suggest doing screen shots, I do this a lot, as a backup if I ever need it. 
 

As I’ve posted getting my $ from the casino recently has worked great & I’m not waiting for a check. 
 

Tom😀

Last December I had a large amount of OBC so I loaded some of the money 2x onto my casino account. I just went to the Casino cashier & I was given the money. 
 

Next month I’m on a 11 day Alaska cruise & I may use the casino account like I did the last time. This way the money is in my pocket & I don’t have to wait for anything from Princess. 
 

I’ll post what happens on my cruise. 
 

Tom😀

i’ve made an upgrade bid from the US. My sailing is September 2, 2024. Since I’ve not heard anything from Princess is there a special number to call & check vs the main number?

Thanks!

Tom😀👍

9 hours ago, Mark O said:

My experience with refunds on board was that they gave me a refundable on board credit.  I didn't use it while on board so they promised to mail the refund.  I had to wait over two months for the refund, and it came only after I filed a formal request.

Have you thought about loading it onto your casino account & then cashing it out in the casino?  Last December I had a 14 day cruise with a lot of OBC & twice I loaded some $ onto my casino account & cashed it out with no questions asked. It was money in my pocket. 
 

Tom😁👍👏

On 8/15/2024 at 2:20 AM, FLAlaska said:

I don’t see it either. But I saw a post on FB about a change to Premier, raising it to $90/day and will include unlimited specialty . This change to begin August 31st and deployed on different dates throughout the fleet. They didn’t post a link just screenshots so I can’t verify it 

Here’s the information. 
 

On 8/13/2024 at 11:13 PM, reedprincess said:

Crown Grill 

Sabatini's 

 

https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/ships/kp-crown-princess

Any idea of the prices for the 2 restaurants?

Tom😀

Sorry….I didn’t see any posting of the charges for those 2 restaurants. Sorry if I missed anyone mentioning the costs. 
 

Tom🙁

Does anyone know what the Speciality Restaurants are on the Crown Princess & the charges?

Thanks!

Tom😀🤔

Princess has introduced a new Premier package that is now $90 per day vs the old $80 per day. . 
 

Here’s the details. 
 

What do other people think?

Tom🤔
 

7 hours ago, Trimone said:

Tom, has your bidding site reopened yet? We are on Barcelona to Southampton 14th September 

regard

Yes it has. Upon a suggestion by someone I follow on YouTube I’ve made a low bid ending in an odd number. My cruise is in 18 days & I’ve haven’t heard anything from Princess either yes we’ve excepted you bid or no on my bid from an Ocean View to a balcony. I’m aware that if they except my bid I can be placed anywhere. 
 

After 38 cruises with Princess I’m aware that anything can happened. Of course I’m willing to print out new luggage tags if necessary 
 

I’ll keep people posted. 
 

Tom😀

A BIG thanks to everyone. I always had the plus package so I’ll look into the casual dining on the Crown Princess. 
 

Tom😀👍

Thanks to everyone.  Yes it was for the tickets. I have a message about printing out my tickets. 
 

I will check ALL of my tickets to make sure that their are no mistakes. 
 

Tom😀👍

6 hours ago, arizonaperson said:

Just to add- I know not specialty.

Casual dining on Crown is Vines & Salty dog gastro pub.

Maybe some pop ups in Cafe Caribe on Lido deck ??

Thanks! I was looking for the casual dinning & I’ll check once on the ship. I assume that you make reservations for any casual dining but I don’t see if you can book online. 
 

Tom😀👍

Does Princess no longer deliver pre booked shore excursions to your stateroom?

Ton🤔