bucky0926

My DH and I loved Sapphire beach on St Thomas.  Coral to the left and lots of turtles in the grass areas.  Watched one for about 20 minutes.

15 hours ago, arizonaperson said:

@bucky0926 I found this menu ( lobster roll) in the dining room on the Enchanted . Yes it’s an upgrade , 1 cent cheaper than the burger/lobster grill on Majestic.

Not sure if all the ships are offering this at lunchtime in the main dining room ,but here’s the menu.

If you are  on a seven day cruise, I don’t remember what you had said in your previous post ,but usually lobster is served complementary on the second formal night in the dining room. It’s really small……

 

Yeah I kind of figured that the lobster roll wasn't free.  What has yet to be determined is if it has enough lobster in it.  Hubbie will decide rather quickly. LOL

2 hours ago, paddingtonbear said:

Is the package what you are referring to as "the system"? 

 

Your drinks are recorded on your medallion everytime you order one.

It is recorded but not charged if you have a package and the gratuity is included. 

 

If you don't have a drinks package you pay for the price of the drink plus 18% gratuity automatically which goes on your bill via the medallion. No need for a tip as it is included. But you can double tip if you want to. 

 

OK I get it now.  On royal your drink is not recorded so the serer/bartender gets nothing.  But since its recorded the gratuity basically goes where it's supposed to go.  People on royal walk around with dollar bills so the servers don't get screwed.

47 minutes ago, arizonaperson said:

@bucky0926 no the lobster rolls are not complimentary. Here’s the menu.$15 or  more. Not sure if this is a current menu or not price wise.It’s the only thing on the menu that contains lobster and the other items are complimentary .

Yeah I suspected as much.  Oh well....

OK I see on the lido deck there is an eatery called the lobster grill.  Is this free or one of the "casual" eateries that you pay for?  Someone mentioned that all places to eat on the Lido deck are free but I can't believe that have lobster rolls for no charge.  If that is true I think my husband will be in love with Princess.  LOL

2 hours ago, arizonaperson said:

If you’re not planning on getting the drink package  or the plus or premier cruise package and doing standard cruise fare ( which is absolutely a good choice. If you don’t think you’re going to use many of the package items ) and paying for drinks as you go along, each drink will incur an 18% automatic gratuity .

People that have the alcohol/drink package the 18% is bundled into their package, so the 18% is already there, if that makes any sense .

No extra tips are expected (so no you do not need to carry dollar bills everywhere with you )when you order a drink, if you want to you may ,but it’s pretty much a cashless system on most cruise ships. I’m not going to get into the tipping thing on this thread. To each his own ,if they want to give extra or not give extra.

I know they get the 18% if I do not opt for a package.  Just wondering if they get a tip on a drink I order but doesn't "go through the system."  If nothing is rung up then how do they get their tip since nothing went through the system.  They can't collect 18% if the drink was never purchased right?  In this instance should I tip?

22 hours ago, skynight said:

I haven't opted for a package yet but what are casual meals?  I'm not a big drinker maybe one or two per day so not really sure I want to spend the money for the plus package.  After gratuities are paid, it is $43.00 more/person/day.  Thinking about it.

For a mini suite the daily grat. is $17/pp/day. I don't know where you saw $43. Casual Meals are three course meals. Each ship has different venues. The cost is $15 without the package. On the Majestic it's basically Alfredo's personal pizza which is very good. There may be another casual meal, but I'm not certain of what it is. 

What I meant is that after I pay the gratuities of $17.00/day that leaves 43.00 left spread out of the wifi, beverage package etc.  Not being a big drinker and not really needing wifi I don't know if it is worth it.

2 hours ago, skynight said:

All purchased alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages are menu priced plus an 18% service charge. Example, you will be charged $11.80 for a $10 menu priced beverage. Plus and premier packages include the service charge. Nothing is charged to your accounts for drinks within the dollar limits. 

So does this mean they really don't get a tip?  should I carry dollar bills with me for these cases?

18 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

Generally speaking, people arrive early.  Boarding late in the day usually means no waiting. What port do you sail from?

 

Fort Lauderdale

48 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

There are three options for dining, but you can only see the two  options for reservations when you look at the app. Traditional or making reservations one night at a time. Walk in seating is available in another dining room onboard for those who don’t have a reservation.

 

The Plus package includes wi-fi as well as gratuities which total $41 per day. That leaves $19 for beverages, about $16 per day when you factor in the 18% service charge on beverages. A glass of wine will be at least $10 and up with $15 being pretty typical. Coffee about $5, soft drinks $3, beer about $8.  If you get water, cappuccino, soft drinks or a second glass of wine, you would be ahead. The waived charge for shipping of medallions, Ocean Now delivery, desserts, exercise classes and casual dining twice are hard to value. I believe Majestic has casual dining at Vines and Alfredo’s.

 

You can bring 1 bottle of wine per person with no corkage fee if they are drunk in your cabin (or a glass poured in your cabin to drink elsewhere). The corkage fee for additional bottles is $20 US/$30 AUD.

 

There are 3 formal nights on a true 14 day itinerary. If it is also sold as two separate 7 day itineraries, there will be 4, two for each. Lobster is usually served once per cruise. Formal nights are never on the first or last night and most often on sea days. You can see which nights are scheduled as formal nights in the ship’s schedule under “Journey” in the app. Every evening will show either “casual” or “formal” portraits. I’ve seen it populate as much as a couple of months before a cruise.

 

Captain’s Circle info is here

https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/membershipBenefits.page

 

Check in is done in the app and hours for the port are shown there pre-cruise. There are no assigned boarding times on Princess. 

 

 

I guess since I don't really need wifi (but nice to have) I didn't consider the cost of that plus tips leaves 19.00/day for drinks.  We don't drink coffee or soda but bottled water is nice.  I'm hoping TA can do something about the price like she did on Celebrity.  This is a true 14 day circle cruise without going back to the home port (which I find crazy) so I guess 3 formal nights. Since there are no assigned times on Princess to board, how do you avoid the lines?  I'm assuming that everyone is getting to the port early to start their vacations?  Thanks

I am Bonnie and my DH is Ira.  We are snowbirds in Delray Beach for half the year and the other half we live in Queens, NY.  We are fist time cruisers on Princess (usually Royal Caribbean) and I have questions.  We are cruising on the Majestic.

Someone earlier stated you can choose your dining in the following 3 ways, traditional (same time, table, etc), my time, or pick a reservation time each day.  I just downloaded the app and all I see are traditional and pick a time.  I do not see my time dining.  Is it because they don't have any more slots for that type of dining or am I doing something wrong?

I haven't opted for a package yet but what are casual meals?  I'm not a big drinker maybe one or two per day so not really sure I want to spend the money for the plus package.  After gratuities are paid, it is $43.00 more/person/day.  Thinking about it.

What evenings are the more dressy evenings and how many are there on a 14 day cruise?  Do they serve lobster once or twice on the cruise (hubby question)? How does the loyalty program work for Princess and where can I find the grid?  How can I find out how much the drinks are that we usually get (as this will help determine if we get the plus package or not)? When do we check in to get port arrival times and where do we do it? Are we allowed to bring on bottles of wine and if so how many? Are there any on board activities that I should be made aware of that need to be reserved before we board the ship? Is there a pool that has a cover and is usually a little more sedate? Do I get more loyalty points for a mini suite?  How can I get accrue more points? 

Will probably have more questions (sorry) but I have no idea how Princess works.  Closest I've ever come to Princess was in Alaska when my Holland cruise tour was over booked and they had us stay at the Princess property in Denali (which was gorgeous)...

5 minutes ago, doghog said:

No issues getting our medallions ordered and delivered in plenty of time. Nice option. We didn't use lanyards or wristband holders. Kept mine in my pocket and my wife kept hers in her purse. 

I use a purse while cruising in the evening only.  During the day I use my beach bag and I slip my lanyard and his card (mediallion) into our vacation vault which is secured to both of our chairs.  Can't help it-New Yorker here-permanently paranoid .  LOL

41 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

Yes, you can get a "plain" one. Your first cruise color will be blue. There is no charge for it.

It comes standard with a lanyard whIch has remarkably soft non-irritating material. We both just use that. Some men say they put it in their pockets, some women's clothes don't have so many pockets, (the Mrs. tells me.) She prefers the lanyard anyway.

Suggest picking it up at the port. You'll read here the problems people have with delivery. So, why sweat it?

They are magnetic and stick on your cabin wall at night, so you don't lose them.

At Dollar Tree they have AirTag holders for like a buck-and-a-half if you prefer. They fit the Medallion.

You seem to be concerned how you will appear. When I see someone purchasing everything offered, photos, bling, logo merchandise... it's then I think newbie.  But it's not a bad thing. Most people, if they see you are new, with a blue Medallion, will be helpful. You may run into the odd stuffed shirt, but it's Princess so very few of those. Enjoy!

I have no problem with a lanyard-have used them for all my other cruises.  Concerned DH will lose his as I heard its about the size of a quarter.  Might want to get something for him as he will not use a lanyard.  Didn't know delivery was/is such a problem.  Is it a pain to pick it up at the port?  Are the lines long?  Just think I will be adding to the embarkation process which I want as easy as possible....

OK What are these things?  I understand that they open your cabin and you put your cruise ship charges through them but what is with all the designs?  Can I just get a plain one or I have to pay for a design? And now I see you really should purchase a way to hold the medallion so as not to lose it and make it easy to carry.  Can I ask how everyone does theirs?  What do women do as opposed to men?  I don't want to order something that says-Newbie to Princess just by what I have ordered.  I guess I don't need my lanyard for my room card.  LOL

3 hours ago, bucky0926 said:

DH and I are thinking of an ABC cruise in April 2026.  Have never cruised with Princess and need to know the ins and outs of this line before I plunk down my money.  What are the most important things I need to know and what am I going to find shocking.  Thinking of the Princess Majestic, if that makes a difference.  Thanks to you experienced Princess cruisers out there....

I just realized from the responses I have received thus far that I did not paint a very good picture.  I am 65, hubbbie is 66.  We always choose our cruises based upon ports and never on the ship.  I do enjoy the hustle and bustle of the bigger royal ships but I do not enjoy the lines and waiting and crowds that are associated with them.  We have been going on the smaller ships as we like the longer cruises (10,11 days) and the bigger ships are shorter to attract more families and because they can go into less ports due to their large size.  One of the reasons I am looking outside of royal is because they do not have an ABC itinerary at all from any Florida port in the first 4 months of 26.  Not happy because we will finally be diamond and won't be able to take advantage of it.  Someone mentioned that princess tends to be less expensive but the one thing is this ship (majestic) doesn't have any ocean views cabins and I can't do interior so I am back to a balcony.  We tend to do ABC itineraries because we are big snorkelers.  We like to hang out in the indoor pool area because they are more quiet and no kids (being on longer cruises tends to also lessen the amount of kids traveling).  Hope that gives you some insight into us to help guide your answer.  Thanks again for all your insights.

DH and I are thinking of an ABC cruise in April 2026.  Have never cruised with Princess and need to know the ins and outs of this line before I plunk down my money.  What are the most important things I need to know and what am I going to find shocking.  Thinking of the Princess Majestic, if that makes a difference.  Thanks to you experienced Princess cruisers out there....

Looking for a beach that has snorkeling from shore and also amenities like chairs, umbrellas (or tree shade), drinks.  The bad part is that we are second ship into the port and I don't want to go somewhere and then realize there are no more chairs or umbrellas.  Anyone have any good suggestions?

Don't dive go snorkeling with the manatees in crystal river.  Truly a life changing event.

On 12/16/2023 at 9:22 AM, bookbabe said:

DH says Cheeseburger reef by Burger King is better than the one by Cemetery Beach, so that’s maybe an option if you end up DIYing.

Is there an actual beach there where we could rent chairs and an umbrella?

Looking for a beach with amenities (chairs, umbrellas or shade, bathrooms, food and drink).  Also must have snorkeling from the beach. Reef can be far out I'm a strong swimmer but would prefer no currents.  Something like Blue Bay Beach on Curacao or resort like Chogogo Dive and Beach Resort on Bonaire.  Been to both and they were fantastic.  Does Aruba have something in the same vein?  Thanks in advance for your advice.  

16 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Are they really going to give people 4 or more of these on the WC?

OK I'm showing my ignorance again, what does WC stand for?

OK a one time credit of 10% on wine/beer/soda and 2 coupons for 50% discount on wine/beer/soda.  Is that correct?

45 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

It's a one time discount.  Not for every drink.  If you somehow got them to honor it for all rinks you lucked out.

 

3 A one-time discount per sailing will be applied toward the purchase of any glass of wine, beer, or soda. Gold, Platinum, and Emerald members receive a 10% discount. Diamond members receive a 20% discount. Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club members receive a 25% discount.

Yeah its good for 2 wine/beer per cruise but they weren't honoring it for any.  Then its supposed to be 10% off wine/beer for the rest of the cruise.  For some reason their POS system can't keep track and even if you tell them it doesn't always happen as it should.

As you can see I did not get the color one, just an etched one.  It is a different font than the first one posted.  I guess I got the number two where they are all in caps.  I guess some people cherish them and others do not.  That, my friends, is what makes the world go round.