shiner6

I remember waiting for a long time when we sailed from Vancouver with HAL.  What are your recommendations for Princess? 

I joined several years ago, worth every penny in planning.

I had to call 3 times before I found someone who was able to help me, then it was easy peasy.

Thanks for the great review! We board her in early December for first time and have been wondering what to expect.

We usually allot $1,500 each for a 7 day cruise. Most times we lose about half of that or once in a while we break even or win a few hundred.  We try to use it as entertainment and do not spend more than a few hours in the Casino.  We have not received any meaningful Casino offers.

After cruising many other lines, we did our first Carnival cruise this June to Norway. I'll admit that I was apprehensive because of all of the negative things I had heard beforehand.  I shouldn't have worried! We had the cruise of a lifetime!  The other travelers were mostly fine and friendly except for a very few.  What I noticed most was the casualness of the dressing. I am very much in favor of that, but also enjoy seeing some dressed up in their finest. It was great. There were about 5 people however who seemed to be in poverty by the look of their apparel. Not only was it shockingly old, but noticeably dirty as well. I could smell urine as they passed by--sooo disgusting.......One man in particular stood out--He had a white sleeveless tshirt (filthy) with farmer jeans (also filthy). Another woman (not with him, also had similar dressing pattern and smells. I am an RN, so it takes a lot to ruin my appetite, but they sure did spoil some of the ambiance for me.  I debated whether or not I should say something, but my husband convinced me to let it go.  We got up and moved to the other side.  From that point on, I made sure we were not seated near them for the remainder of our trip and all went well.  Yes, the food is not stellar, but there are certainly plenty of choices and you will not go hungry. We ate in the specialty rstaurant and at the Chef's table--Both were spectacular and very well executed.  Carnival exceeded my expectations and I am booked on another cruise in December.

The desserts looked fabulous, but the taste did not match up. Make less, but make them taste better.

Wow! Those are some beautiful views! Good to hear your review! Thank you.

1 hour ago, PacnGoNow said:

Try signing into the website and use the website version of the App.  DMW  dine my way. 
 

If you use the downloaded App, make sure you have a credit card stored in the payment section.

 

You should be able to book SD now.  The only thing that may affect that, is if they are updating dining venues on that ship.  Then, you’d just try again later.

Thanks for your suggestions without being judgmental. I just completed updating my credit card inf.  Seems like there might be a problem with my husband's account. We are calling Princess now.ormation

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

Hmmm... you ought to be able to do that by now.  I did some on Emerald Princess about 10 months in advance.  You need to do the reservations through the Medallion App.  Are you using that?

Yes, I tried booking through the app, but it said to check back later.... hmmmm?

18 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

No, you can't get credit from a land based casino loyalty program while you are sailing on Carnival Corp ships.  As you've learned you can earn free or discounted cruises from land based casinos but that's about it.

Thank you very much! I appreciate your speedy response.

I am paid in full for my February cruise on the Sapphire. When will I be permitted to make dining reservations?  I tried searching under specialty reservations, however, many responses were not for dining. LOL! Thanks in advance.

Looks like an Indian Chicken dish.

I received an offer from Winstar for Carnival cruises. Can I use my Winstar card when I play onboard to receive credits?

Thank you for posting on this board. I would have missed all this great information if you hadn't. I learned quite a bit.

54 minutes ago, LBCABob said:

I am booked in one of the 10 Ocean View Category O5 cabins on the 10/08 Sapphire sailing and was able to use the Princess Upgrade bid process to switch from an Inside at a (for me) reasonable cost ($130 pp).  Booking it directly would have been, IMHO, very expensive - more than some Balcony categories! 

Having even a tiny balcony is, for me, better than no window at all.

I like the fact the cabins are all the way forward AND thus should have minimal traffic outside my cabin door albeit a long walk to anywhere (the more exercise, the better). Many folks do NOT want to walk, for various reasons, and thus avoid these cabins. 

A Google search provided a link to photos of these cabins but it is at a website that sells cruises so it cannot be mentioned here.

Postings here on other threads mentioned that even though the balcony door is to be locked when not in port, it was never locked in their experience.  Obviously, when the ship is in motion, the wind would be a problem.

Hope this info helps.  Bon Voyage! 

 

Thank you very much--please post again after your trip.

20 hours ago, skynight said:

After dark you are asked to keep the blackout curtains closed so that light does not effect sight from the bridge. 

Thank you. Are there any reasons why you would or would not sail in this room again?

Can someone who has sailed in one of these rooms please tell me why they are the last ones to be booked? Is therr a problem with being at the very front (Bow)?  We usually prefer aft rooms, however on our next trip to Alaska---I noted these rooms are still available at a good price. I realize that the balconies are used only when in port, but what else is there to know?

Thanks! This is exactly what I am looking for. 

52 minutes ago, bartzcrew said:

I know its at least this list, the Caribbean cocktails..

13 minutes ago, bartzcrew said:

I put a pic in my first reply. Its literally a fish bowl size drink, and the only way we start a cruise!!

What kind of drink is it? Do you get to choose, or is it pre-selected?  Is it punch. Is it Mimosa? Is it beer? Is it tea?

What is in a fishbowl?

29 minutes ago, edspec said:

I don’t remember either but as a possible solution maybe fold-up ballet flats?

Yes, closed toe shoes are required on all ships for cooking classes and Chef's table, as you go into an area where health and safety regulations are in place. I purchased fold up ballet sleippers on Amazon and they come in really handy and take up little space.

Thank you everyone. I have no intention of drinking it onboard. I was interested because we have a land tour after our cruise and I thought it would be nice to have it in our hotel room.

21 minutes ago, voljeep said:

you may be in line with a bottle that gets confiscated ... and a person 10 minutes behind you will soon be sipping on a highball from the liquor they bought in port.

Yeah, that is what I am afraid of. I do not want to violate any policies, I just wondered if there is a legitimate way to bring back spirits (not for consumption on the ship)