Astro Flyer

Thanks for the clarification…I didn’t notice the small fine print at the bottom stating: *Fares include drinks, wi-fi and crew appreciation

Thanks for these Launch Fares. Taking a cursory look at the fares they’re about a third higher than recently & we’re flexible with dates & cabins so will periodically check for lower prices. Although for the same price (7-day coastal) we’ve booked an Oceania R-class ship (like the now gone Pacific Princess) in September 2023 which includes internet, all non-alcoholic drinks and at least 2 specialty dinners. 😊

When did the UBD become for “only suite guests”??? We’ve had it many times in balcony cabins but it was not available during our 3 cruises since cruising resumed nor was the Winemakers Dinner. I’ve read that guests were told the reason why it was not available was due to limiting crew’s time in cabin which has always been limited during our six UBDs…why is that okay in suites?

From Royal’s E436 cabin & should be basically the same in E432…no obstruction looking out, looking down on open Promenade deck & looking aft at lifeboats.

I looked for but never saw a Princess GC promotion for M Day and only on HAL.

By not extending the date beyond 9/30/22 that might be a consideration for those with final payment soon when deciding whether to make final payment or to cancel a cruise. The webpage was updated on 7/1/22 & would think if the Book with Confidence date would be extended it would have been done with that update. As posted the PVP cancel for any reason coverage has the same option to get FCC for cancelation fees & by not extending the date it might be an attempt to sell more PVP plans.

As I recall previous extensions were made as final payments were close to being due. However early October cruises are at final payment which might be an indication that it won’t be extended. HAL has a few things that are different such as extending this date & having a Mother’s Day 10% bonus gift card promotion in May.

It was not available on Discovery in April nor have I read about anyone having it available. The reason given has been to limit crew’s time in cabin however they never did spend a long time in cabin’s…deliver & wait in the hallway for the next course. It might be another issue due to reduced levels of staffing.

My cousin is on Sapphire’s 11/17 cruise & their scheduled day in Lahaina on Thanksgiving Day is now in Kona…no day on Maui.

When this thread began in January 2020 plastic bottles were allowed but as you wrote not now.

CCL’s current CFO David Bernstein & soon to be CEO made this statement which does not apply to me. My list of necessities is long however taking a vacation is not near the top of that list. "And remember, vacations are no longer a luxury, they're a necessity in today's world." https://stocks.apple.com/Ai-L3bz2jRGKURrfPc63cmw

That appears to be routine this year…apparently too many letters about issues resulting in their overwhelmed staff being unable to respond. Before this year any issues were quickly addressed but not now.

We received their tracking email 2 days after it was delivered by FedEx from Singapore via Honolulu. Our first & most recent Medallions came from Singapore but for other cruises in between they shipped from Florida.

And sadly while Sapphire sits in the eastern Med mostly anchored off Cyprus with crew only. Sapphire was briefly scheduled to cruise from LA this summer before they were canceled yet Princess management decided to use the unreliable Crown in Alaska.

I also recognize your CC name & could have briefly met you at a M&G but it wasn’t on the PCL 50th that ‘avalong’ mentioned. Thanks for sharing your experiences & for us the onboard experience is our primary destination & being an hour away from the Port of LA eliminates the current crazy air transportation issues. I have lots to learn about an O cruise & eagerly anticipating our 2023 cruise & maybe beyond then.

Thanks for sharing your insights & remember you from the PCL board. We’ve become too disillusioned with Princess management after being our first choice for the past 35 years. Good friends primarily sail Oceania & also PCL & have greatly enjoyed O including in April without any diminished experiences. We’re looking forward to a more upscale experience even if it results in fewer days at sea. We’re expecting an experience similar to on Sitmar in 1988 only months before merging with PCL.

We’ve sailed Princess many times but due to several reasons will cancel this year’s Fall cruises (24 days). We’ve wanted to try Celebrity for the first time & now that they’ll be sailing from LA (Fall 2022 to Spring 2023) we’ll book a cruise. We already have a September 2023 cruise (20 days) booked from Vancouver to LA (Alaska & Coastal) on Regatta & look forward to experiencing both new cruise lines.

Mahalo

Here’s a link to the roll call for your cruise to communicate with other passengers.