New to princess>Question Help

We are thinking of booking on the caribbean princess in August of 2005. Family of 5...

A Few Questions:

Can you refuse to pay the $10 a day per person for tip at the time you set up your ship act? I have heard you can have it taken off later, however I do not want to have to pay this up front to start with... dont misunderstand we will tip... just at our discression..

What kind of movies do they play at the movies under the stars? are they G or PG rated for kids?

On Formal Nights are there many children at the dinner?

Are the theater "Shows" G rated?

Where can I find Menu's and the princess patter to look at so I can have an idea of what to expect?

Last but not least:

Tell me about the cabins that sleep 4 where are the extra beds located? are the rooms small?

All it takes is faith trust and pixie dust... and a great family.

I'm not sure I can answer all your questions but I will try to answer the ones I can.

From what I have seen on the boards the "movies under the Stars" are definitely more oriented towards a "G" rating than any other. I have seen the Wizard of OZ mentioned as one that was used. Others who have cruised with this feature will probably be able to give you a better answer.

The movies they show during the day vary in ratings and some we saw would not necesarily be the best for young children, more for violence than for sex. Others were perfectly acceptable to the whole family.

We did PC dining on the Golden last year and saw just as many children on formal night as on other nights. Generally the boys either had sports coats or at least a white shirt and tie. Girls had regular dresses.

There are several web sites that have copies of menus and patters online. Here is a link to one with menus:

http://cruiseclues.com/menus.htm

That web site has a bunch of other information and may have a copy of the patter. If not here is a web site with a lot of other personal cruise web pages. One of them at least should have a copy of the patter.

http://cruiseclues.com/personalsites.htm

When we were on the Golden there was a family of four in one of the outside cabins near us. The cabin had two bunkbeds and they had two teen age boys in addition to the mother and father in the cabin. I will admit I didn't envy them. Some rooms have the extra bed in a pull out sofa. It depends on what type cabin you are getting.

Hope this helps some.

Have a GREAT next cruise.

HAL Noordam 3/97 West Carib

Hal Westerdam 12/97 East Carib

HAL Veendam 11/98 East Carib

Hal Zaandam 12/00 South Carib

HAL Veendam 10/01 Panama Canal

RCCL Enchantment 09/02 W.Carib

Costa Atlantica 12/02 E.Carib

HAL Noordam 03/03 S.Carib

Golden Princess 07/03 Med

Celebrity Zenith 12/03 W.Carib

HAL Maasdam 05/04 Canada

Next cruise

Island Princess 11/04 Hawaii

I think i need to clarify the question are the theater style shows rated G

I am talking about the shows you attend in the evening, musicals,magicians ect....

thanks for all the help...

All it takes is faith trust and pixie dust... and a great family.

Tips are paid at the end of the trip usually with a charge to your credit card.

We had tablemates from Wales who felt $10 a day per person was too much. During the cruise they visited the purser and had it reduced to $5 per person a day. I think everyone at the table thought they were cheap. But it can be done.

your post says family of 5??? i don't believe

princess has 5 passenger cabins

If you are thinking of booking 4 in one room, I'd go with a mini-suite. Generally the pricing is not that much more than a balcony cabin, and you have quite a bit more cabin space. There is a separate sitting area that has a pull-out sofa bed and there are two TV's in the cabin. And the mini-suites have full-size bathtubs instead of just showers.

caribbeanqueen3@comcast.net

As to how tips are charged to your onboard account, they are posted daily. You could visit the purser's desk every day if you wanted and have the tip removed. The total amount of your onboard account doesn't get charged to your credit card until the end of the trip.

One thing to remember is that auto tips are pooled and shared. If you remove the auto tips, any money you give the crew is still pooled and shared, so it's 6 of one, half-dozen of another. The only way to reward super service, is to tip the recommended amount (either in a tip envelope or the auto tipping), then give that crew member something above and beyond.

I'm incensed by the Welsh party that thought that $10 a day was too much to tip, and had it reduced by 50%. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If you can't afford the minimum recommended amount of tips, then you can't afford to cruise. $5 a day, what a bunch of cheapskates.

T

I think the $10.00 per person per day tip is one of the few bargains you will find on the ship. I have never had a poor waiter or steward so I am sure that colors my opinion. We have always added to the automatic not reduced it. We have done it both ways and like the automatic since it does not make us look like the "rich Americans" doling out favors. Our waiters and stewards have been genuinely helpful, humorous, and integral to our pleasure on our vacation.

I guess I need to let you all know that We WILL be tiping however we prefer to tip at OUR discretion.... I never said that $10 per person was to much..... Just wanted to know if you pay your account with cash if you have to pay it upfront before you begin your cruise....

Trevoli..... Quite frankly I do not begrudge familys that can just afford the cruise (a onece in a life time experience) but can not afford to tip, go on shore excursions, or play abord the ship.... At least they get to create great family memories....

All it takes is faith trust and pixie dust... and a great family.

Trevoli..... Quite frankly I do not begrudge familys that can just afford the cruise (a onece in a life time experience) but can not afford to tip, go on shore excursions, or play abord the ship.... At least they get to create great family memories....

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

While I'm with you on perhaps not being able to afford shore excursions, buying souvenirs/photos, drinking, gambling, etc. (all that can add up quite quickly), I WILL NOT BUDGE on stiffing the hard-working crew. No way.

The amount you pay in tips on a ship doesn't begin to cover what you'd pay in tips for the same services on land.

Do you also advocate people being able to afford a nice dinner out, but not tipping the wait staff?

It's the same thing.

T

Travoli,

Amen! I echo everything you said. I may sound harsh, but those who cannot afford the $10 per day gratuity should pick a vacation they can afford. The cabin stewards and servers work very hard for their tips and should not be short changed unless they just give horrible service.

Lynda

Welll never having sailed Princess before, I have cruised. Our neighbors cruise Princess alot. They are the ones to convince us to cruise our upcoming cruise on Princess. Having said that. I think other people shouldn't worry about others tips. I do not like them automatically added, but will go the way of the cruise world and let them be, having said that, I will at my discretion change any tip I feel needed. We cruised one year with what I would say was the best steward on earth and gave him a tip that well reflected it. The following year we had the steward from hell. From day one, we were an inconvience, we were celebrating our wedding anniversary in a suite, asked for the beds to be put together, never did he do it. We did everynight and he changed them back to twins in the am. He didn't empty trash, or clean the bathroom. Needless to say I didn't tip him. I paid for the cabin and don't expect them to clean up for me, but they should do the standard things, clean bathroom, empty trash and make beds. So would you consider me cheap or would you say I should of tipped. I definitly say tipping is up to you and you should be able to do what you want. Also, my neighbors who wanted to change some tips around on their Star Princess cruise, had to argue with the Purser as to why they wanted to change them around. All they wanted to do was give more to one person who did all the work, instead of the waiter who didnt.

kathy

Until we Celebrate Turkey Day on the Star!!!!

Voyager of the Seas 10/3/03

Ecstasy 9/01, 9/02

Holiday 9/98, 9/99, 9/00

I am certainly not suggesting that anyone tip for bad service; if I received poor service, then I would adjust my tips accordingly.

I've been lucky, I guess. On my 15 cruises, I've never had anything but exemplary service from my cabin steward and dining room wait staff. I can't say the same for the head waiter and maitre d'.

Mostly I don't get any service from them at all, and if I can help it, I don't tip them. I say 'if I can help it' because sometimes I can't: on Princess, the tips paid to the dining room staff are split up to include those two positions. Ticks me off.

I am only suggesting that if you received the kind of service on land, that you're accustomed to receiving on a cruise, it would cost you a heck of a lot more than $10 per day.

And I'll say it again, if you can't afford tips, you can't afford to cruise, and should pick a different type of vacation.

OK, everyone, let the flaming begin. I can take it....

T

No flaming from me, Trevoli! Not only do I prefer to pre-pay my tips, I also tip during the cruise, and at the end of the cruise. (I'm independently healthy, but not independently wealthy!). I enjoy giving a few bucks to the guy who's vacuuming my hallway every day, because I know it stays clean and attractive. I enjoy giving a few bucks to the guy wheeling out the food to the buffet, because I know it looks good and I will eat! I enjoy giving a few bucks to the guy mopping down the pool deck at night, because I know it will be ready for me in the morning! The few bucks I can spread around for tips are the few bucks I would lose in 30 minutes at the casino. Just my way of doing things.

I agree with imsulin... I also prepay my tips and tip at the end of the cruise. I also bring a stack of $2 bills to tip throughout the cruise. You be surprised how the normally great service you receive gets a little better. $10 per day per person is no big deal, $5 is insulting.

9/5 Coral Princess Alaska

Amen, LARGIN!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> The following year we had the steward from hell. From day one, we were an inconvience, we were celebrating our wedding anniversary in a suite, asked for the beds to be put together, never did he do it. We did everynight and he changed them back to twins in the am. He didn't empty trash, or clean the bathroom. Needless to say I didn't tip him. I paid for the cabin and don't expect them to clean up for me, but they should do the standard things, clean bathroom, empty trash and make beds. So would you consider me cheap or would you say I should of tipped. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I think you should have made a complaint to the Hotel Manager. If there is a room steward like this aboard a ship, it should be noted so the proper action can be taken. There's no excuse for this kind of service, and quite frankly I've never seen the like on a Princess ship.

-------------------------

Sun Princess, 03/2004; Pacific Princess, 07/2003; Star Princess, 05/2003; Grand Princess, 10/2002; Grand Princess, 10/2002; Sun Princess, 05/2001; Sun Princess, 04/2001; Sun Princess, 09/2000; Sun Princess, 09/2000; Regal Princess, 10/1999; Sun Princess, 08/1998; Holiday, 05/1998; Westerdam, 09/1997; Regal Princess, 11/1996; Royal Odyssey, 09/1995; Starward, 11/1993