BarneyCat

Thank you so much for letting us share some of your holiday. We’re back on Ventura next spring after what will be a six year gap. Hoping to live vicariously through your reports over the next few days!

Thanks @candy4040  yes, both the offered upgrades to bid on can take four - both being bigger than the Vista Suite we’ve currently got booked. 

Hello!

First Princess cruise booked for July, and while we’ve been on more than a dozen with other lines, it was all pre-Covid. 
 

So we’ve had the email this morning offering the upgrade bid. We’re currently in a suite, and the offers are the Grand Suite or the Owner’s Suite. 
 

1) Does this mean there are spaces at those levels? And whoever bids highest may be moved? Or is it a just-in-case thing?

2) Am I  right to assume that if someone booked and paid for one of those larger suites today, that we could offer a bid (as well as other passengers) and it would go to the new booking as they’re paying full fare?

3) Does everyone with a booking have access to bid for those upgrades? 
4) I’ve seen mention of only paying for two people max - we will be a cabin of four people. Does this mean we need to bid the amount and pay it twice instead of four times?

Many thanks for any help - it’s a curve ball we weren’t expecting. 

I was in C102 last week. The balcony has a patio door through to the lounge and then a solid wall along the other half. There is a large angled window in the bedroom that faces the ocean in front of you. 

Any questions please ask. I had spent hours trying to get information in advance of our cruise. 

On 5/25/2019 at 11:28 AM, clarkttopcat said:

No potato smiles on their last week. Dont know what menu you had in MDR but chicken nuggets or sausage and mash was never more appealing than the main menu.

Pleased to confirm that potato smilies are on there as of last week (1st-8th June). Although my three year old got served alphabites instead to his dismay. 

Casual throw away comment guys - no need to read anything into it. But everyone likes a beige freezer tapas meal from time to time!

They even have potato smilies on there (or did in 2016). Some nights the kid’s menu is more appealing than the grown ups one...

We’re due in June on Britannia. Fingers crossed. 

Just over a year year ago we couldn’t get docked in Ibiza and turned away for an extra day at sea. Disappointing but not a big problem. We enjoy being on the ship as much as anything. 

We took DS1 at 9 months old and just booked DS2’s first cruise when he’ll be 12 months old. I take a babygro for each night, a vest for each day, and three tops for every two days which seems to be about right. We’ve been on P&O and Cunard so been able to put DS1 in night nursery and have adult only dinners, but when we have taken him for dinner we’ve had him in a tuxedo for formal night (pictures!)

37 minutes ago, cruiselove87 said:

Thank you. Do you know which maclaren specifically that you used?

 

Which ports have you been to? Any tips?

We have a Quest, but mostly as it was reduced on an Amazon Prime deal!

We’ve done two cruises with it mosty in spain and Portugal. If you end up in Marrakesh don’t take the buggy off the ship - much easier with a sling instead. Other than that our usual hangout is the acquarium in most ports. We loved the one in lisbon. Barcelona was a bit disappointing. 

We used a Maclaren. And will be using a double maclaren in June. 

If it helps, P&O and Cunard usually only charge a small sum for children. We’ve had our toddler go free and for £99 in suites both times. You still can’t see it online but you find a cruise and price you like then give them a call to see if there are still children spaces on board and if so what the cost is for then in your cabin. With two little ones we can’t justify Celebrity, RCI etc who want to charge as much for then as for me. 

Thank you! That’s exactly the kind of reassurance we were hoping for! We’ve got C102 and a google search bought up a couple of great videos on you tube. I’m really excited now. We’ve been all over ships - and it really doesn’t matter to us. We like aft for quietness and the views (lst cruise we had the penthouse on Ventura right at the back) but fwd looks amazing too and like you we don’t sunbathe on a balcony. 

Something to look forward to! Hooray!

59 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

 

Yes I wouldn’t want to go to the same place twice unless I liked the place. Definitely not the same place in the space of four months

Ok. I would - for me it’s the cruise rather than the location. 

I’d wait til nearer the dates and pick up a bargain myself. Especially if you’re happy with an inside cabin. Would it be so bad to go to the canaries twice if on one of those you were in a balcony or paying half the price you originally were? 

We’ve gone for the B5. Videos of them on YouTube look amazing. 

We’re looking to book a cruise on Brittania and have the choice of B1 or B5 class suites. We aren’t usually fussed about positioning on the ship - so being mid ship hold no special value for us. The extra cabin space in B5 makes it appealing. Are we missing anything, or is the B1 just more expensive because it’s in a (widely considered) better position?

thanks for any advice/thoughts. 

Pricing for young children depends on the cruise. We went Cunard last winter and paid nothing for our then 10 month old. We are booked on P&O this winter and he's costing £99 for 12 nights.

Celebrity and Royal Caribbean charge several hundred pounds for a child of his age which is bonkers.

When we went last year, we took a travel cot (although available on board) and his sleepyhead and he slept pretty well.

Don't forget the night nursery - subject to availability, you can drop children up to two off from 7pm and collect by 11pm and they can sleep there while you have dinner and drinks. Free of charge.

Toys are the challenge - we just took a carrier bag of stuff last time but not sure how to keep him amused now he's older for that long!

The menu did indeed change part way through our 10 night cruise...

Yup, if you want to use areas outside the lido or winter garden you need to follow the dress code.

We've boarded QV today and I thought the a la carte menu for Queens Grill might be useful...

Q732 on 25/10/2017 £2999 but we booked on first day of sale of new brochure in April and paid £2700.

Ah, 2017. We're looking for this year.

We have booked a Queens Grill suite Q6 on QE next October for 12 nts for £2700pp including over $500 OBC which I think is excellent value for money.

Which sailing is this? I can only find 7 nighters under £3k.

Thanks to everyone for your input.

Yes, I imagine Cunard takes some beating - once you go Queens Grill it's difficult to do anything less - but as suggested I just wanted to understand what was available. I expected it to be less given pricing - c.£2k on P&O vs c.£5k on Cunard.

I really appreciate the help and information I've been given. Time to discuss with the husband!

My husband and I have cruised on a few lines - Celebrity, Royal Carribbean, Cunard for example - and usually book a suite. P&O have some attractive pricing for this year for suites, but we've only been on board in balcony rooms before.

What benefits do P&O cruises give to suite passengers, if any, above the bigger room?

For example, do you get a free speciality restaurant meal like on Celebrity? A specific bar for drinks before dinner like Cunard? Reserved seating at the pool, like Royal Caribbean(most cringe inducing part of that holiday!)

If it's nothing then fair enough, I'm just trying to find out what we'd be paying for.

Thanks in advance!