New Princess "Secrets"??

[Bob++]

My 1st cruise EVER is in Nov so I'm obsessed with this site! I read everything I can, I come on here at least once a day to see if I missed anything....It's kinda sad, I know ;)

 

Me too jessica:o

[better at sea]

My 1st cruise EVER is in Nov so I'm obsessed with this site! I read everything I can, I come on here at least once a day to see if I missed anything....It's kinda sad, I know ;)

 

Jessica this is my 8th cruise, 3rd on Princess and I am doing the samething.

[robgvic]

Sounds like this thread is doing teh same thing and getting no where. No new if any information here.

[IDRATHERBCRUISN]

You can purchase a used deck in the casino for $1, makes a fun souvenir.

 

 

Used to be free. I think they charge for them now.

[TravelRocker]

Wow, that's some list, thank you very much for putting it all in one place. You know, I didn't even know, (or knew and forgot) about the Happy Hour drink prices after 8:00. Especially when you are new to cruising there is so very much to do and remember. I am a seasoned traveler but took my 1st cruise last February. Everything was different than land traveling. I don't take door decorations, seasick pills, duck tape or pack wine when I travel to Europe. It was a lot of fun to "cruise" these boards and make our lists. I've already started planning the next one for Feb. 2012.

[silkismom]

Has anyone mentioned a small night light for the bathroom?? Although after you trip over the sill several times, you'll remember that its there.

[Skipbinner]

I totally agree that the other thread got wayyyy off topic! There where many many non-secrets there that I had to filter though. Here are some tips I found (BTW it took me 8 solid hours of reading 48 pages and 951 posts) These are the things that caught my eye and I made note of:

 

• Complementary plate of assorted stuffed olives at the martini bar.

• Pre purchase internet minutes before you leave you’ll get free minutes based on the package you pick.

• Escargot!!!

• Insulated travel coffee mug

• One of the dining rooms will be open for lunch on embarkation day.

• Volcano dessert, available on children's menu basically a huge banana split.

• When you open the little door under the TV for the plug, well, there are extra outlets not being used. But not if it’s a flat screen

• Ask for Egg crates, top sheet, robe, slippers, bed topper, and upgraded pillows.

• Always ask if there is a charge.

• Under your bed is more bedding.

• Cocktails for $2.99 in all the bars after 8.00pm.

• Request that the steward remove the soft drinks and bottled water from inside and on top of the fridge to make room for our own drinks.

• Request extra hangers.

• Passenger Service Desk (also called the Hotel Manager) will make a hole in our card which we hang on lanyards. They will also do that for you in the casino and give you a lanyard.

• There is another electrical point under the bed.

• Bring a roll of quarters and laundry supplies.

• If you decide to eat in a specialty restaurant you may want to make the reservation for the last night

• Sabatini’s reservation for the night that they are serving Italian food in the main dining room.

• Reservations for the steak house ask to sit at the counter overlooking the kitchen area, fun to watch the staff put it altogether and see the teamwork involved.

• The Fettuccine Alfredo!!! Plus it’s served in a Parmesan bowl, a crispy melted cheese bowl.

• Bring along a small electric alarm clock.

• On the first day, we simply ask to see the week’s menus and look over what’s happing for the week. Then make plans for the week there and then. The MD or any head waiter can show them to you.

• Can go up to the Spa to shower.

• Take 3 or 4 of those black metal binder clips or plastic clothes pens and hang them on the bottom edge of the shower curtain.

• Computer station in the Future Cruise booking area or Internet Cafe, free e-postcard, 300 character limit but you could send more than one message to the same email address if you need to get a longer message out.

• Befriending the maitre'd, the head waiter, and everyone who takes care of you.

• Appetizers and sushi are free in the Vines wine bar but not the cheese.

• When you get off of the elevator to go to your room, one side of the ship on every passenger deck the hallways have blue carpeting. The other side has blue carpeting but there is some red in that side.

• Duck liver pâté appetizer.

• Various lamb entrees.

• Last night of the cruise, head up to the Horizon Court (or the International Café) for some pre-travel treats. Cookies are always available. We put a couple cookies in our zip loc bag(s) for our travel home the next day.

• Ask for anchovies on your caesar salad at dinner.

• Take a pop-up mesh hamper for your dirty clothes.

• Empty luggage? The Steward will stow it for you.

• Find out when/where the Muster drill is and go get your life jacket. Take it with you a little ahead of time and "beat the crowd".

• Highlighters for Princess Patters and highlight times/ places/ activities, etc for the next day

• Sticky notes for when spouse sleeps in to leave a note on the MIRROR or DOOR

• Magnet to put it on the door.

• Water bottles for on shore.

• Clothes line in the bathroom for swimming clothes

• On disembarkation day if you are trying to get on an elevator to get down to the disembarkation decks, push the up button, ride up and then down as the up elevators are not full.

• We take our empty water bottles up to the buffet and fill them from the water spigots there (late at night just before we go to bed) oh and we might pick up some desserts to eat too lol!!!

• twice-baked goat cheese soufflé,

• Lobster and Scampie Dinner with a side of Alfredo.

• Purex 3-in-1 strips

• air freshner

• waterproof case, that will go around your neck and will hold your ID, cruise card, credit card etc. while swimming/snorkeling in port.

• empty beach bag a place to put all your purchases

 

 

I hoped this helped and I really hope this thread stays on topic instead of fighting with each other like the last one :)

Good tips - We take 2 tall garbage bags with ties for laundry, keeps the odor down & is easy to pack. Another tip for balcony cruisers is to take some battery operated lights & "Sticky" tape to keep them on the rail - real pretty @ night.

Edited April 15, 2011 by Skipbinner

[cruiseron36]

Has anyone mentioned a small night light for the bathroom?? Although after you trip over the sill several times, you'll remember that its there.

 

A night light in the bathroom will not do much good if the door is closed!! We plug in a night light behind the TV.

[bjkTX]

One thing I never saw mentioned on that other thread (and maybe it was just lost in all the other OT stuff) was to get a bottle of wine and have the bartender keep it for you. We really enjoyed going to the wine bar each night for a glass of wine or champagne and some (free) tapas/appetizers before dinner. I don't drink a lot, so they would cork the bottle and keep it for me until the next night...then bring it back out again when they saw us coming. It became a nightly event!

 

You had leftover wine???? Does not compute :-)

[cruzisme]

We plan to put up our own Canadian flag and use duct tape to put

on our balcony railing on Port days. Have had balconies before & never

done this but friends told us, so we are going to try it.

[Maraprince]

A small inexpensive battery travel clock is better than an electric one. If you have to do time changes during the sailing or you want to set your own wake up calls without using the phone to do so. With the battery clock, you can place it anywhere in the cabin. Comes in handy if you cannot see well without glasses or contact lenses and need to have the clock near by on the night table. Otherwise, you are using up an outlet and are limited to where the outlet is placed.

 

Also consider bringing a 6 or 9 ft. extension cord and a multi outlet power surge protector to use to charge your phone, camera, etc.

 

MARAPRINCE

[New York Nana]

Also consider bringing a 6 or 9 ft. extension cord and a multi outlet power surge protector to use to charge your phone, camera, etc.

 

Thanks Maraprince regarding the extention cord/power outlet idea. Both DH and I need CPAP machines. We're booked on the Island in a mini-suite and I was wondering how many outlets would be available. It might help alleviate some issues if I brought my own ext. cord.

[truckmaker]

We take along a battery powered alarm clock for those early morning tours and also put one of our watches in the bathroom when we retire. I always seem to want to know what time it is when I get up to go to the bathroom during the night.

 

The only other suggestion I would add is that some have suggested a nite lite. That's a good idea but I would add that it should be the plug in kind with a battery. I have never seen much of anything balcker than an interior cabin during a power failure. It does happen. The battery backup now gives us a sense of security. Ours doubles as a flash light and we use it looking for those things that travel under the bed somehow.

[AAAAmerican]

 

Having more..lets call it Plug-ability, is always great ..

 

Also on your cruise go meet the Doctors and his nursing Staff aboard. Seeing the facilities will be for mutual benefits..:D

 

 

 

Also consider bringing a 6 or 9 ft. extension cord and a multi outlet power surge protector to use to charge your phone, camera, etc.

 

Thanks Maraprince regarding the extention cord/power outlet idea. Both DH and I need CPAP machines. We're booked on the Island in a mini-suite and I was wondering how many outlets would be available. It might help alleviate some issues if I brought my own ext. cord.

[srice]

A night light in the bathroom will not do much good if the door is closed!! We plug in a night light behind the TV.

We use a night light in the bathroom that only works when the lights are off. At night, we leave the bathroom door open so the light acts as a soft green beacon and provides adequate light when the door is closed. You could plug in another one in behind the TV if you wanted a soft night light in the cabin.

 

The cost was $2 at Big Lots.

[sjde]

We didn't have a bathroom outlet on the Emerald, except for European voltage I think.

 

The $2.99 cocktails are from 4:00-7:00, and include Pina Colada, Long Island Iced tea, Singapore Sling and a few beers.

 

I asked our cabin steward if he could get me the menus and he said that was for suite people only!

 

He also told us he could bring us an extension cord if it was for medical reasons.

[stroza]

Man, you've REALLY paid attention! You only forgot to mention to look for the secret door to the bow!

 

What secret door to the bow???

How do you get there??

[ILgirl]

I did get this suggestion from an earlier post and it worked great on our last cruise. We bought a $1.00 battery operated candle from the Dollar Store and used it on our balcony table for atmosphere in the evening. Much better than the bright cabin lights.

[Whitnee1]

Did not have the time to search all the way through but one thing that has really helped us in the small stall showers. Go to your local bait shop and you can get a weight that has an alligator type clip on the other end. They are called sounding weights. Put 3 or 4 on the bottom of the shower curtain and it prevents the "attack of the shower curtain" while keeping it inside the stall. Some use clothes pins but the weight is better. Don't forget the air freshner spray. :D:D

[AAAAmerican]

You have not found those secret door(s)..yet..

 

:eek:

 

That's they call them secret on CC here ..

 

 

Usually on ships you have access doors to obtain entry to an area going forward near the bow of the ships.

 

When in the Port of Call they are usually unlocked to allow passengers access there. Once underway they are normally locked.

 

It is a nice area to view the Port of Call from near the Bow and forward areas.

 

Look below the Crows Nests / Pilots Bridges for it a few decks below.:cool:

 

 

What secret door to the bow???

How do you get there??

[Sunmist]

• Appetizers and sushi are free in the Vines wine bar but not the cheese.

 

Is the sushi really free now? Last time I was on the crown (4 years ago) we had to pay for the sushi. That would be amazing if they are free now!

[6pack]

Is the sushi really free now? Last time I was on the crown (4 years ago) we had to pay for the sushi. That would be amazing if they are free now!

 

Vines provides the best Sushi and Tapas as long as you're enjoying a glass or bottle of wine! You can absolutely have a meal of it. My opinion,"some of the best service you will find on board!" :)

 

Dave

[bambam775]

My 1st cruise EVER is in Nov so I'm obsessed with this site! I read everything I can, I come on here at least once a day to see if I missed anything....It's kinda sad, I know ;)

 

Our 2nd cruise is in Dec. I have just discovered this site thanks to a friend who has cruised several times. Bcs of him, I have spent the last 4 hours here! I feel ya, Jessica! ;)

 

BTW...this is the best thread I have read yet! Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

Edited April 19, 2011 by bambam775

[traveler525]

We take a highlighter to mark things of interest in the Patter. :)

[TravelRocker]

Hi, I'm sure this was mentioned in that long, wonderful list but I have to tell you that because of this Website I purchased the over-the-door clear shoe holder at Walmart and it was a brilliant idea! We put it on the outside of the bathroom and put all those little bottles, tubes and odds and ends that clutter up the counters and drawers. Because the pockets are clear it takes just a second to find everything.

Also, another tip I read here, I tossed all the "paper" items in the top desk drawer, and there was a lot of it! Coupon books, shopping flyers, land trip info., maps, ticket stubs and "scrapbook" stuff etc. that I collected during the cruise. It was all in one spot when I wanted to find something in a hurry.

The last new tip I just read about are "clips" of some sort, (fishing lures!!!) to put on the bottom of that "clingy" shower curtain, would never have thought of that! Thank you.