last minute advice

You know the feeling, book a cruise months ago and count down the days. For us , its finally here. we board the Caribbean Princess on Sunday for our first Princess cruise.

I have amassed so much knowledge from this site and feel I am ready, but dont want to miss a thing.

Any last minute advice? Sometimes little things can mean a lot. For example I know from our Disney cruise that Mickey bars werent on the room service menu but were available. Our whole family looked forward to late night room service mickey bars and cookies.

Anything like that going on?

Thank you

Food wise - Escargot is never on the menu but usually available if you ask for it. You must ask the day before when you eat dinner for the next night. You can also ask for just about any food the day before ($5 tip doesn't hurt) and the waiter will likely accommodate you if it's at all possible.

Ship Wise - Look for the smaller events. Some of the acts in the piazza were outstanding and really unexpected. First few cruises we looked in the patter and decided not to go see someone/something because it sounded pretty dumb. Well of course some were but there have been some really outstanding acts and musicians. I mean really good and you are up close and personal.

People Wise - Remember you are on vacation and not everyone gets to be first in line. We had small children and it was a great environment to teach patience. You have cruised before so you likely have seen it first hand - there are all types of folks, from pushy gotta be first-in-line on the tender and first off. or the guy who darts in and out of traffic only to be one car ahead at the next light. All the way to the folks who are truly on vacation. Chilled out, enjoying every moment.

Hope you have a great trip on Princess.

You know the feeling, book a cruise months ago and count down the days. For us , its finally here. we board the Caribbean Princess on Sunday for our first Princess cruise.

I have amassed so much knowledge from this site and feel I am ready, but don't want to miss a thing.

Any last minute advice? Sometimes little things can mean a lot. For example I know from our Disney cruise that Mickey bars werent on the room service menu but were available. Our whole family looked forward to late night room service mickey bars and cookies.

Anything like that going on?

Thank you

*No Mickey Bars on the Caribbean Princess, and no candy bars unless you purchase them in the store, or bring them with you.

*There is 24 hour room service, and you can order anything that is on the room service menu. No charge for food items, except if you order a pizza, then there is a $3 charge. There is a charge for beverages.

*The International Cafe is open 24/7 with all kinds of sandwiches, snacks, cookies, desserts, and in the morning breakfast items. We have a light lunch there many times.There is no charge.

*You can carry on as many non-alcoholic beverages as you like. No limit.

*In the DR anyone can order off the children's menu, and if you want a BIG dessert try the volcano sundae.

*Soft ice cream, pizza by the slice, and grill items available from 11am until late evening everyday by the pool area. Again no charge.

*Like espresso, purchase the coffee card, approx $35. Includes unlimited brewed coffee and special teas for the cruise plus 15 punches for espresso drinks. Unused punches never expire and can be used on the next Princess cruise. Free coffee and tea available all day and evening in the buffet area.

*The buffet never closes between 5am and 11pm or midnight. Get food at any time.

*Carry don't wear your life vest to the muster drill. Muster drills are held indoors in the lounges on deck 7. Arrive 10 mins early if you want a seat.

*One DR is open for lunch on boarding day from noon to 1:30.

*Pools: Two main pools, Calypso Reef and Neptune's Reef. Calypso Reef has MUTS (movie screen) going all day which can be annoying. Neptune's Reef is MUTS free, and have music and some live entertainment. The Lap Pool, deck 16 forward and The Terrace Pool, deck 14 aft are adults only. The Pirate's View Pool, hot tub and splash polo on deck 17 aft is a family area, but can be very quiet when there are very few children on board. There are no services at this pool.

*Skywalker's has great views.

*No smoking in any cabin or on any balcony. Smoking area are very limited around the ship and are specific small areas, not entire sides of the ship.

* All shows are walk in.The mid evening shows, around 8pm, are the most crowded. Arrive around 30 mins. early. Later shows are not so crowded.

*There is a no charge steam and sauna by the Lap Pool

Any specific questions just ask.

We are on this cruise too. There is an informal meet and greet on Monday at 11:00am in Skywalkers Lounge. All cruisers are very welcome.

There may be some officers attending to give a little talk. Cruisers meet and maybe discuss their excursion plans.

Hope to see you there. Have a great cruise

Margie

Food wise - Escargot is never on the menu but usually available if you ask for it.

That said, you can pre-request many menu items within reason. I often ask for modifications to entrees when ordering dinner, such as no sauce or gravy, steamed vegetables instead of buttery vegetables, a baked potato instead of creamy or rich potatoes. I also ask for Béarnaise sauce on the side if I order steak. The honey mustard dressing is light and delicious; not that thick stuff you often get.

You may bring 1 750ml bottle of red wine per passenger 21 years of age or older without corkage if consumed in your cabin.

While dinner rolls are great, my DW prefers the softer ones served in the buffet. Generally your waiter can get these at dinner if you ask.

One more thing...Have a Great Cruise!!

Princess has at least one, sometimes more depending on cruise length - Pub Lunches. These are free to all cruisers.

There is a $29. charge per person for eating at either Sabatini's or Crown Grill.

In dining room and buffet coffee is made from a syrup. At International cafe it is bean coffee, but you would have to purchase a coffee card.

Enjoy your trip

Food wise - Escargot is never on the menu but usually available if you ask for it.

This has not been our experience. It has been on the menu at least once, usually the second formal night on all 12 of our Princess cruises. I have never ordered it the night before but based on the many of posts I've read over the years this seems to be easily accomplished.

Have a Great Cruise!!

Things you should think about bringing:

Extension cord or power strip, heavy duty magnet with a hook (the walls are magnetic), assortment of OTC meds so you don't have to go to the infirmary, plastic over the door shoe rack (perfect for sunscreen, phone, paperback, small purse, makeup, jewelry, etc, etc), plenty of sunscreen, lanyard for cruise card, plenty of $1 bills, shampoo bottle that suctions to the wall, tiny bottle of bubbles for kids at sail away (or for the kid in everyone), shawl or lightweight cardigan, small flashlight, nightlight, or reading light.

As you can see, I'm an over packer, but I've been cruising with my daughter since she was three, so I like to be prepared (she's 16 now and we leave on the Regal in 8 days).

Have a great cruise!

Try the cronut if they still have them in the International Cafe. They were great! We usually ate lunch in the dining room on sea days. And breakfast too.

No Mickey bars but milk and cookies are served sometimes at Movies Under the Stars or in the atrium.

Margie

our first cruise was back in l982 or 83 long before the internet... we went and enjoyed it so much we never stopped... now have well over 60 cruises on 9 different lines; 23 on Princess.

Always remember you do not need to do it all, you can come back... if you have this philosophy you will come again and again to many different ports of call. And you will enjoy yourself alot.

Enjoy your cruise.

You will love the International Café (open 24 hours) on Caribbean Princess!

Look forward to having a great cruise! :D

Crooners is a favorite hangout after 9pm. And the promenade deck is nice for walking off some of the meals you will enjoy. Safe travels:-)

Sent from my P027 using Tapatalk

Stop packing right now. Take out half the clothes. Take three times the amount of money you think you need (used to be 2x). ;)

If you are in an inside cabin you will never know if it's early morning or the middle of the night when you wake up. Tune the TV to the Bridge Cam channel. At night the TV will be dark. As the sun comes up the TV will get lighter. :)

Above all, the absolutely most important things to remember are:

(1) You are on a cruise. RELAX. Enjoy your vacation away from stress and worry.

(2) Remember that it's good to say "please" and "thank you" to your steward and the other crew members. It's surprising (and I think it's sad) how often they are surprised by those simple words. They are the people who make your cruise special and pleasant. Treating them with courtesy and respect is really the least one should do in return.

Hope you have a fantastic cruise. :D

You may bring 1 750ml bottle of red wine per passenger 21 years of age or older without corkage if consumed in your cabin.

Every adult in the cabin (21+) is allowed one 750 ml bottle of wine. So most cabins have 2 adults and therefore 2 bottles of wine. Additional bottles are allowed for a $15 corkage fee. There will be a liquor/wine table just past the scanners that will collect the fee and mark the bottles that had the corkage fee paid which will allow you to take them into the MDR etc.

I would agree that simple "please" and "thank you" to your room steward will go a long way. At the end of the cruise you can fill out a form commending anyone (e.g. room steward) for doing a great job and this helps them with their management. Please consider it if they do a good job.

Food wise - Escargot is never on the menu but usually available if you ask for it. You must ask the day before when you eat dinner for the next night. You can also ask for just about any food the day before ($5 tip doesn't hurt) and the waiter will likely accommodate you if it's at all possible.

 

Ship Wise - Look for the smaller events. Some of the acts in the piazza were outstanding and really unexpected. First few cruises we looked in the patter and decided not to go see someone/something because it sounded pretty dumb. Well of course some were but there have been some really outstanding acts and musicians. I mean really good and you are up close and personal.

 

People Wise - Remember you are on vacation and not everyone gets to be first in line. We had small children and it was a great environment to teach patience. You have cruised before so you likely have seen it first hand - there are all types of folks, from pushy gotta be first-in-line on the tender and first off. or the guy who darts in and out of traffic only to be one car ahead at the next light. All the way to the folks who are truly on vacation. Chilled out, enjoying every moment.

 

Hope you have a great trip on Princess.

That escargot tip is amazing. It's my favorite appetizer on a cruise and we do a lot of specialty dining so I usually miss it.

I will certainly ask next cruise.

Thanks,

Stop packing right now. Take out half the clothes. Take three times the amount of money you think you need (used to be 2x). ;)

Good advice about the money!!

Tony

You may bring 1 750ml bottle of red wine per passenger 21 years of age or older without corkage if consumed in your cabin.

Doesn't have to be red, you can take White if you prefer.

Doesn't have to be red, you can take White if you prefer.

Or even rose (pink).

Princess has at least one, sometimes more depending on cruise length - Pub Lunches. These are free to all cruisers.

 

There is a $29. charge per person for eating at either Sabatini's or Crown Grill.

 

In dining room and buffet coffee is made from a syrup. At International cafe it is bean coffee, but you would have to purchase a coffee card.

 

Enjoy your trip

Not, so far as I remember, on my Golden Princess cruise 11/11/2016. I did check the Patter daily, as advised by other posters, and I certainly don't remember it. Did go to the Wheelhouse Bar, found it rather dark for me-Legally Blind-and went along to another bar to get myself a drink. I was hoping to have a Pub Lunch, a friend's English, and told me about the Pub Lunch! Oh well, there's always next cruise or the 1 after! Such a lot of things to do aboard, you're spoilt for choice IMHO!

Enjoy your cruise!

I love trying new foods in the MDR, but DH - not so much. When he is not in the mood for any of the entrees, he orders spaghetti & meatballs from the kids' menu! :p

Happy Sailing!