deultgen

I would suggest many sugar free desert options both on the menus and at the International Cafe.

First, I think the Original Post is fine and fair. I will give my own thoughts (in red below) as someone who has a done many both Princess and Celebrity cruises. We are Elite status so obviously love Princess but this was by far our worst cruise experience. We sailed 2/20 for a 10 day Panama Canal cruise on the Caribbean Princess. We are Platinum on Princess and the same (loyalty level) on Celebrity. Onboard we met a first time Princess couple who are Celebrity cruise regulars and after our experience on this cruise we committed to May cruise on Celebrity. I will post that review once we return. So why was this bad cruise bad? 1) This ship looks and feels old. Our balcony & cabin furniture were all beaten up in L256. The room smelled very musty and just needed to be refreshed. In many ways, I agree. We were on Ruby last year and it felt VERY OLD. We have enjoyed our Celebrity cruises but would certainly recommend a refurbished S class ship or one of the new Edge Class ships. 2) Dinner waiting times were a joke. If you had a 6pm in the main dining room you stood in a line of 30 people for a minimum of 20 minutes. Here is the kicker if you didnt have reservations you could go to the line on the right and be seated immediately? Why make reservations??? We has a similar experience last month on Discovery, yet the line moved fast and it was not really a problem for us. We had half of our dinners in the specialty restaurants. We find the food better on Celebrity but that usually comes with a higher cruise cost. We typically sail Aqua Class on Celebrity and Princess does not really have anything similiar. 3) The medallion app is a joke. It says you can order a drink and have it delivered anywhere in the ship. No not true! We tried it at the spa outdoor pool, we tried it on deck 7 walking area, we tried it on the putting green we tried it in club fusion. It doesnt work and not only that but it self cancels??? We find the technology (in its many forms) to be better on Princess. 4) Do not get a massage on a Princess cruise. Not only are they overpriced but the masseuse spent the entire 75 minutes trying to upsell my wife on every salon service? She paid for a relaxing massage not a sales pitch. Sorry Princess but I am sharing this scheme with everyone all the time! We have found the exact same hard upsell on Celebity in the Spa (Canyon Ranch). 5) Absolutely terrible steak quality in the Crown Grill not only did I hate my steak but the couple next to me said it was bad then the table across from me also hated their steaks? What is with the quality? I loved going to the Crown Grill in the past no more. We like the specialty restaurants on both lines, but Specialty Restaurants on Celebrity are about double the price per person. If you like Bistro Sur La Mer or if you used to like "Share" on Princess, you would likely like the extra restaurants on Celebrity. So you may be reading this and saying no problem for me and that is fine but for a 17 time Princess cruiser this was a disappointment. Yes we will go on another Princess cruise in the future but definitely a different ship. For now Celebrity and MSC will get our business for our next 2 cruises. If Princess wants us back they need to step it up if not we just move on. I filled out the survey and would welcome a conversation but that doesnt seem to happen. I wish all of you fantastic cruises this year and beyond. Hope you have a nice Celebtity cruise. We would likely cruise Celebrity more but often fine the price makes it outside our budget.

We prefer to sail Celebrity. We have 4 times, all on S Class ships, all in Aqua Class We also sail Princess. Since Covid we have sailed Princess 3 times, each time in a regular balcony stateroom, with the Sanctuary reserved every afternoon of the cruise, and dined in a specialty restaurant every night. These past 3 times on Princess, it has been FAR less expensive than the comparable Celebrity cruise.

If having few children on a cruise was important to me, I would not book a short (5 day) cruise over a school holiday weekend. Same goes for a cruise over Easter, summertime in the Caribbean, or spring break. For goodness sake, what did you expect?

I think Princess and every other cruise company runs promotions regularly in different countries. Sometimes people in other countries benefit. Sometimes people in the USA benefit from promotions.

A couple of quick thoughts: 1. I think the overall MDR food quality has gone down on all major market cruise lines since we first started cruising in 2010 (Celebrity Solstice Aqua Class). At the same time, I think cruise buffets have gotten better, larger, and offer more variety than when we first started cruising. 2. As others of said, MDR food has always seemed to me to be similar to a nice catered meal. 3. I think something overlooked, is the cost of food in general compared to the cost of a cruise. The cost of food has risen quite a bit over the past 13 years while in general we find the cost of a standard balcony room has not increased in many cases. Our two 2023 cruises actually cost less for a standard balcony room on a 7 night cruise than in 2013. 4. Finally, since the OP mentioned Celebrity, we just completed a Mexican Riviera 7 night on Princess Discovery where there was a Celebrity cruise leaving the same day on the exact same itinerary. We booked a standard balcony room on Discovery with a specialty restaurant EVERY night for FAR FAR less than the Celebrity standard balcony alone. 5. I would suggest to the OP that they look into booking a specialty restaurant every other night for their upcoming cruise and enjoy.

Certainly, if price is the most important thing and you have some flexibility, last minute deals can be a good thing. We have had pretty good luck when we have booked last minute deals. I do think its always important when traveling to recognize that when you look at the 10 cruise cabins to your left and 10 to the right, each of them paid a different amount for their cruise with different packages, OBC, etc.

IF the ship arrives back to Ft Lauderdale on time IF the ship clears customs without a problem IF you are walking off with all your luggage and are among the first to walk off the ship IF you and your party go through customs without a problem IF you take a taxi to the airport IF you are TSA preapproved or there is a short line for security Then, yes, I think you can make it

So, yes, we were able to buy them on board 3 weeks ago. At the same time, Princess sells a lot of passes to the Enclave. While we did not have a sign-up sheet 3 weeks ago, there were regularly a lot of people in the Enclave and a shortage of beds. As I remember there were about 12-14 of the heated, tiled, beds which were usually being used. Other people just came in and set whatever stuff they had down someplace and used the steam rooms, and "pool" while waiting for a bed to become available.

We find we use the balcony more on Alaskan cruises as opposed to warm weather cruises. If it is cool, rainy and windy, it can be helpful to be on your balcony for 15 minutes then inside for a while to warm up, then back outside.

First, thank you for asking a question like "Is Princess for me?" then telling us something about yourself and what you value when traveling. It is amazing how many people ask questions without giving any information. First, a bit about us. We are in our mid 50's, enjoy good food and drinks. We regularly sail both Celebrity and Princess. When on Celebrity we have always sailed Aqua Class. We are not the "formal" type but generally wear pants and a collard shirt to dinner. I think Princess and Celebrity are similar. I think Princess does a good job at small venue entertainment and their enrichment programs especially on an Alaska cruise. They also have better itineraries in Alaska. Celebrity does a good job with food and large entertainment. Remember an Alaskan cruise is different than your standard Caribbean or warm weather cruise. While Alaska can have warm, sunny days many are cloudy, windy and cool/cold. We find we spend more time on our balcony looking at scenery, wildlife, etc for 15 minutes then warming up in the room for a few minutes. Same for other indoor spaces and the decks of the ship. I think Alaskan cruises are less formal overall than warm weather cruises. I think you will fit in fine. If you book a suite, I would consider the suite dining room for breakfast or a main dining room instead of the buffet. They tend to be more casual in the morning. Later if you are not in port or on an excursion, a lunch/snack from the International cafe on your balcony with a nice drink is a good option. Remember to bring good binoculars with you. I think you will fit in fine.

In my opinion, IF............... 1. Your ship arrives to San Pedro on time 2. Your ship clears US Customs 3. You "walk off" the ship on your own and are among the first to disembark 4. You and your party easily clear Customs 5. You get a Cab immediately and go to LAX 6. You and your party have TSA pre-pass and do not have to wait for LAX security Even if all this was in your favor, I don't think you would make a 10:15am flight which boards at 9:45am

If some kind of reservation system existed: you could offer elites or suite guests the opportunity to book early similar to specialty dining. Sometime after final payment 1. 61 days prior to sailing reservations available for suites or elites who book full day every day of the Sanctuary with full payment collected in advance, non refundable 2. 60 days reservations available for those who book full day every day of the Sanctuary with full payment collected in advance, non refundable 3. 51 days prior to sailing reservations available for suites or elites who book half day, every day of the Sanctuary with full payment collected in advance, non refundable 4. 50 days prior to sailing, reservations available for those who book half day. every day of the Sanctuary with full payment collected in advance, non refundable Then reservations for everyone else for single day, single half day etc

Personally, I like having coffee in the morning while looking out at birds, other ships, or whatever. At the same time on many warm weather trips I find we rarely use the balcony other than early in the morning. The chairs and table are nice to have coffee but I find them uncomfortable to sit in for more than 15 minutes. Sometimes I wonder if we really need a balcony.

They are nice cabins if you use the balcony!!

I think this thread is full of thoughtful responses, thank you, In my own opinion, this is 2023, surely we can figure out a reservation system with map and a "shade scale". I also think if the window for reservations were only open in the beginning to those who wanted full day Sanctuary for the full week, without cancellations or refunds, then opened only for half day full week, etc, Princess would see some benefit both from collecting $$ upfront and selling and being paid for the most full days. Even on cruises when the Sanctuary is "sold out" there are still plenty of space available for most mornings. Its mostly the afternoons which are sold out.

For us, it was in the 60's to begin with in Los Angeles, then cool in the ocean on the first day to Cabo, then warmer as we got closer to Cabo and maybe 78 degrees in Cabo.

I agree with the other post, the chances are very low.

Thanks to all who have thoughtfully answered. Personally, I would like to see something like: 1. Past final payment date 2. Something like 75 days prior to sailing opening up reservations for the Sanctuary only for those who want to book lounges for the ENTIRE DAY for the ENTIRE cruise, prepaid, non refundable 3. Something like 60 days prior to cruise, opening reservations for the Sanctuary for those who want to book lounges for HALF DAY for the ENTIRE cruise, prepaid, non refundable 4. Something like 50 days prior to sailing opening reservations for single reservations, prepaid, non refundable. If we ever had the experience of lx200gps (above), I would not cruise Princess again. The Sanctuary is that important to us and our cruise experience. Finally, I agree with others above that this may be being somewhat dealt with in the planning for Sun Princess with "Cabana Rooms" "Cabana Suites", staterooms with a private "Cabana deck", rooms with the Sanctuary included, etc. But that is another topic and another discussion.

My own additions. I agree with the note above that the drinking age on this cruise will be 18 . "Premier Beverage Package Package is valid only for guests who are of legal drinking age. When sailing from North America, the legal drinking age on Princess Cruises is 21. However, when sailing from Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand, the legal drinking age is 18." If they are looking for more people their age on the ship, either before hand in someplace like a roll call or FB page for their cruise, they can link themselves with friends on the app for texting, communicating, and locating each other on the ship.

Well, it depends when you arrive. Last week on Discovery, rooms were ready and open by 1:00pm

ok, so its 2023 and with my app, website and Medallion, I can reserve just about anything on the ship prior to sailing. Surely the technology exists to be able to reserve a couple of beds in the Sanctuary for a the entire cruise, full day, half day, individual days etc. Why do we still need to "run" to the top of the ship after boarding to make sure we can pay for a space in the Sanctuary? Certainly Princess would prefer to have the $$ in advance and be able to charge a person's credit card in advance. I know the Sanctuary is a limited space but there is limited space in specialty restaurants, or many excursions which can both be reserved in advance. There must be a reason ?

my own thoughts on Sun: 1. We go on vacation to relax. It is common for us to do something on the ship or port in the morning then relax in the afternoon. 2. I like having a balcony, its nice to have morning coffee or stand outside for a while watching the ocean, whales, birds, whatever. What I don't find myself doing is sitting in the balcony chairs/foot rests for longer than 5 minutes. They aren't really comfortable and not particularly relaxing to sit in. I admit there are times when I am not sure I really need a balcony. 3. Those things being said, we enjoy the Sanctuary on Princess Ships. Its a relaxing beautiful place with comfortable lounges, quiet, and with great service. Generally, we like the other people who are renting the Sanctuary during most of the cruise. Its a great place to look out to the ocean too. BUT if you have ever been on just about any warm weather Princess cruise, you know you need to go IMMEDIATLY to the Sanctuary to get a reservation. If I knew I could reserve space in the Sanctuary ahead of time, I am not sure I would have a balcony room. 4. It appears to me, Princess is trying to capitalize on the Sanctuary's popularity with Sun. The "new" rooms with their own cabanas (Reserve Collection Cabana rooms and Cabana Mini Suite) or a room with a set of rooms with their own "Sanctuary" like the Cabana rooms with the Cabana deck could appeal to me if the Cabana outside your balcony was covered, had comfortable lounges (like in the Sanctuary). 5. Finally, there are a LOT of these Cabana rooms on Sun (about 100?), I am not sure how many they can really sell, especially if the rooms are going to come at a super premium price.

I am not sure, we were only interested in a half day