charliedalrymple

Same here!

I've read about a casino comped cruise but don't know what this is. Could someone explain?

We did a Viking river cruise (Danube) and consider it one of our best cruising experience. We love the small size of the ship and relaxed pace, as well as a generally well-traveled and open-minded group of passengers. I believe we were the only gay people on board, but we met a group of four women traveling together who have become longtime friends. They actually joined us for an Alaska cruise on my 60th birthday.

We've the Queen Mary II from Southampton to New York and loved it. However, I'm not sure it would be much fun for a child. It's a rather sedate ship with more educational offerings than flashy game shows and such (which we really appreciated). It more formal than most other lines (again, a plus for us), and the clientele seems to skew older. I think it's the only cruise on which we were part of the young and slim set. (I should note that in the real world we are neither.)

I could not love this thread more. Thanks for sharing such a heart-warming story! I wonder if there is someone from Cruise Critic who will be on the same cruise who could buy mom and dad a drink? 🙂

Hank, you sound like my kind of people!

I never like the selfies I take, which seem to accentuate all my worst features. (I look like the "before" photo on a plastic surgeon's website.). Much better if you have someone else take it!

Australia no longer has a testing requirement to enter the country (except for anyone coming from China). You will be fine.

Couldn't we theoretically do a RAT test at check-in if they require a test? Perhaps we should bring a few just in case.

Thanks to both of you! We won't be able to board much before 2:00 p.m. due to transportation schedules (unfortunately), but this sounds quite doable.

Several messages I've read here sound like the muster drill is now virtual and that there is no longer an in-person gathering (which sounds wonderful). Can someone please explain how this works?

This sounds very appealing! However, I've read in other threads that it can take a very long time for drinks in general to be delivered when ordered on the app. How long did it take to get a morning coffee delivered to your cabin?

Great tips, Queen--thanks so much!

We've been on Princess a number of times without a beverage package, but this time we are getting Plus (on Majestic). I love the idea of a barista coffee (or two) first thing in the morning before breakfast, but I don't love the idea of fighting crowds to get one. Is the International Cafe a mob scene in the morning now that so many people can get coffee with the Plus Package?

John, the bridge climb is awesome! Just be advised that they give you a breathalyzer test when you check in (for safety reasons)--so no day drinking beforehand!

Thanks--that's great news!

On one of our cruises, they came on the loudspeakers at about 2:30 a.m. and woke everyone up because a 14-year-old girl was missing. It turns out she had hooked up with a 17-year-old boy that evening. They had stolen some liquor from one of the bars and were together in his cabin (which his parents had purchased for him alone). I would imagine that the rest of the cruise was not much fun for either set of parents.

First, let me echo everyone's comments about what a wonderful surprise this will be for them. How far in advance do you plan to spring it on them? Part of the fun of a cruise (and vacationing in general) is the excitement leading up to it! I agree with what most people have said here: Give it to them in on-board credit and let them decide how to spend it. Good luck!

For whatever it's worth, I couldn't make a number things work on the website when I used Chrome, but there were no issues when I switched to Safari.

Thanks for that information, robncruise. Does the Double Down get smoky because of the casino?

This is extremely helpful. Thanks for such a clear and comprehensive response!

I'm so relieved to read the answers to this question! We will be sailing for the first time with the medallion in December, and the whole concept is causing me stress. (Yes, I'm a tech dinosaur.). I would prefer to just pretend I don't have it and go about my business on board just like I did pre-COVID. Based on other threads here, I think it makes a lot of sense to just order drinks at the bar instead of using the app, since it seems they can take forever (or not show up at all). That's really my main concern. I don't mind going directly to the MDR to reserve a table every day.

We had previously booked about ten cruises on the cruiseline sites (mostly Princess). We just used a TA for the first time for a Princess cruise later this year because I was confused about some of the post-COVID changes, such as the medallion and dine my way. Turns out we love doing with a TA and will always do it after this. He is extremely knowledgeable and got us some things I didn't know about (such as OBC because I'm a military veteran). He also waits forever on the phone with Princess so I don't have to.

We did the same, but primarily because I was finding it difficult to navigate the Princess website and got tired of holding for 30 to 60 minutes every time I had a question. We've never used a TA to book our cruises before, but we've decided this is probably the way to go in the future.

We are on Majestic to New Zealand this December. I understand that there is no Crooners and that The Catch occupies that space. I'm looking forward to The Catch, but I'm disappointed that Crooners is gone--it's typically our favorite place for a drink on Princess. I've also read that bar seating on Majestic is very limited due to the absence of Crooners. Has anyone noticed that?