Newbies with questions

[PacaCruiser]

Greetings all! Bit of a long post here for a first one, but it seems like the more we look into this the more questions we have.

 

Bit of background on us. We've been going on vacations for a long time, never a cruise. Recently we've spent a lot of time travelling to Las Vegas, and we've built up enough loyalty with the Venetian/Palazzo that on our last trip we were also given a Princess cruise. We've had similar offers before, and never took them up on it, but the more we've looked into it this time we thought this looks like a great time and a lot of fun!

 

We've already booked our cruise, we sail out of Ft. Lauderdale on Feb 12 aboard the Regal Princess for a 7 night cruise of the Western Caribbean. And boy are we excited! We were offered a mini-suite, but when we called in we paid to upgrade to a penthouse suite. I have since learned this was likely a mistake, as an S4 isn't really worth the upgrade vs. an S3....but live and learn, right?

 

We spend a fair amount of time looking into cruise options in our spare time, but it seems like we read a lot of inconsistent or (possibly) outdated information, so I wanted to ask some questions just to get some answers. I'm doing this partly because I think we're already made some mistakes!! (which I'll get into)

 

So that being said, on to the questions!!

 

(1) When we booked, we kind of fell for the transfer/hotel "upgrade." Looking at it now I realize we got a really bad deal there. I assume there is no way to cancel that portion of the trip (and get it as OBC or something?). My brother lives in Florida, so now we'd like to come down a few days early to visit him, but the transfer package makes it hard.

 

(2) Looking at the suite "perks", one thing I see is a one-time minibar setup. But my experience with minibars is you pay for something as soon as you take it. Am I correct in thinking this means we can use everything on the minibar once without being charged?

 

(3) We don't drink enough to benefit from the all-inclusive package, but we both do enjoy an occasional cocktail. I see in the cruise planner that I can prepurchase small bottles of liquor, for "not outrageous" prices honestly. But I have also read that any alcohol purchased (outside the two bottles of wine you can bring) will be stored on your behalf for pickup at the end of the cruise. If I purchase these bottles are they going to be available in my cabin?

 

(4) Along the lines of (3), if we purchase from Princess Cellars, are we permitted to carry alcohol on the ship? Basically what I'd be wanting to do is get the soda/juice package and then be able to have some rum in a flask or something to spike drinks by the pool. Is that permitted or not? If not, what are the consequences for having it?

 

(5) Regarding excursions, there are some we definitely want to do, but I've read several places its a good move to find your own excursions independent of the ships...is this true? It seems a major benefit of the ship excursions is making sure you catch your ship before it leaves port!

 

(6) Any suggestions for excursions in the western carib? We are looking at the Appleton Rum Estate tour in Jamaica, and Mayan ruins in Cozumel (what is best - Tulum, Coba or Chichen Itza?) Anything else we should look for?

 

(7) As Vegas nuts, obviously we're interested in the Casino. I'm wanting to pre-purchase Casino Credits just to have that expense out of the way. But my question is can they be used for anything else? If I decide to buy a few hundred casino credits in advance, and then we decide not to play in the casino that much, can I redeem it for cash or OBC or am I essentially forced to gamble that much?

 

(8) Are Casino Credits required to gamble or can you buy into a machine or table game with cash?

 

(9) Are the schedules for disembarking, etc pretty accurate? I believe our schedule shows us arriving in Ft. Lauderdale at 6 am on the 19th...how long should I plan to get to the airport? The planner says it recommends a flight no earlier than 1030 am, but that seems awfully early to me, or am I off base?

 

(10) Any other pointers/tips? We've been doing the same trip for so long we're not sure how to prepare for much else! :)

 

I'm sure I'll have a bunch more as it gets closer, but we're just trying to figure out

[JF - retired RRT]

the more we've looked into it this time we thought this looks like a great time and a lot of fun!You are correct. Cruising is a lot of fun. Caribbean is great!

 

We were offered a mini-suite, but when we called in we paid to upgrade to a penthouse suite. I have since learned this was likely a mistake, as an S4 isn't really worth the upgrade vs. an S3....but live and learn, right?Any suite is great!! As long as you didn't pay an "arm & a leg" you did good (the cruise was "free", right?)

 

 

(1) When we booked, we kind of fell for the transfer/hotel "upgrade." Looking at it now I realize we got a really bad deal there. I assume there is no way to cancel that portion of the trip (and get it as OBC or something?). My brother lives in Florida, so now we'd like to come down a few days early to visit him, but the transfer package makes it hard. Never done transfers, but I'm pretty sure you can cancel them. If the option isn't in your Personalizer, call Princess or your travel agent and ASK.

 

(2) Looking at the suite "perks", one thing I see is a one-time minibar setup. But my experience with minibars is you pay for something as soon as you take it. Am I correct in thinking this means we can use everything on the minibar once without being charged?Yes. Or you can trade it for 2 coffee cards or a bottle of wine. You can also swap out like for like, i.e. Coke for 7 UP, Vodka for Brandy.

 

(3)I see in the cruise planner that I can prepurchase small bottles of liquor, for "not outrageous" prices honestly. But I have also read that any alcohol purchased (outside the two bottles of wine you can bring) will be stored on your behalf for pickup at the end of the cruise. If I purchase these bottles are they going to be available in my cabin?Yes, for consumption in your cabin OR make a drink and carry it wherever you want.

 

(4) Along the lines of (3), if we purchase from Princess Cellars, are we permitted to carry alcohol on the ship? Basically what I'd be wanting to do is get the soda/juice package and then be able to have some rum in a flask or something to spike drinks by the pool. Is that permitted or not? If not, what are the consequences for having it?No, you can only carry on wine, soda or water.

 

(5) Regarding excursions, there are some we definitely want to do, but I've read several places its a good move to find your own excursions independent of the ships...is this true? It seems a major benefit of the ship excursions is making sure you catch your ship before it leaves port!For your first cruise, ship excursions are probably better. They cost more, but take out the worry of missing the ship.

 

(6) Any suggestions for excursions in the western carib? We are looking at the Appleton Rum Estate tour in Jamaica, and Mayan ruins in Cozumel (what is best - Tulum, Coba or Chichen Itza?) Anything else we should look for?

 

(7)If I decide to buy a few hundred casino credits in advance, and then we decide not to play in the casino that much, can I redeem it for cash or OBC or am I essentially forced to gamble that much?Casino credits purchased pre-cruise are basically a card that will be in your cabin. Take the card to the casino and turn into $$ in your casino account. If you play a little and decide to quit. You can withdraw all (maybe some, not sure) and turn it into real $$. If you don't use all the $$ in your account, you'll be instructed to cash out on the last night.

 

(8) Are Casino Credits required to gamble or can you buy into a machine or table game with cash? You can use cash.

 

(9) Are the schedules for disembarking, etc pretty accurate? I believe our schedule shows us arriving in Ft. Lauderdale at 6 am on the 19th...how long should I plan to get to the airport? The planner says it recommends a flight no earlier than 1030 am, but that seems awfully early to me, or am I off base?All kinds of things can alter disembarkation time. You may dock at 6, but the earliest you be able to get off the ship will be 8 or 8:30, usually. Always better to spend a little time at the airport than to miss your flight.

See above

and Welcome to Cruise Critic!!

 

PS: be sure to post on your roll call. For #5 above, you may find that someone is setting up a private excursion.

Edited June 28, 2016 by JF - retired RRT

[jeffbrig]

Living in FLL, I've had transfers automatically added to my booking. And I've called my TA and cancelled them without issue.

 

We made use of the pre-purchased liquor bottles last week. I agree with you, the price wasn't unreasonable, and a lot cheaper than purchasing cocktails at the bar. A voucher was present in the room at checkin. You call room service and they exchange it for a bottle. We mixed most drinks in the room, but the bottle may or may not have made an appearance at a Movies Under the Stars showing. :D Not a biggie if you're reasonably discreet about it.

 

I'm sure plenty of people try to sneak additional alcohol on board. Heck, I may or may not have even done this in the past. But I found it far easier to just purchase a bottle and have it delivered to my stateroom. Less hassle, and really not much more expensive.

[PacaCruiser]

Living in FLL, I've had transfers automatically added to my booking. And I've called my TA and cancelled them without issue.

 

We made use of the pre-purchased liquor bottles last week. I agree with you, the price wasn't unreasonable, and a lot cheaper than purchasing cocktails at the bar. A voucher was present in the room at checkin. You call room service and they exchange it for a bottle. We mixed most drinks in the room, but the bottle may or may not have made an appearance at a Movies Under the Stars showing. :D Not a biggie if you're reasonably discreet about it.

 

I'm sure plenty of people try to sneak additional alcohol on board. Heck, I may or may not have even done this in the past. But I found it far easier to just purchase a bottle and have it delivered to my stateroom. Less hassle, and really not much more expensive.

 

Thank you both for the responses, very helpful!

 

Regarding this, I will admit I looked into various tricks for how to get alcohol on-board. But when I figured the price of various "concealers" was almost the cost of a bottle of alcohol, plus the risk of losing it entirely anyway, I figure dropping a few extra bucks on some permitted bottles would be easier. Good to know we can have those in the room and make use of them. I don't anticipate doing a ton of drinking, although I can see myself imbibing a fair amount during the at-sea days, and like you, in the evenings under the stars. :)

 

Thanks again!

[bagney]

PacaCruiser - you mentioned that you upgraded to a Penthouse Suite. We were in one of the Penthouse Suites on the Royal Princess and utilized the Concierge Lounge (Riviera Deck) daily for specialty coffees and snacks/sandwiches as well as having the Concierge staff make any reservations for us, handle any issues we encountered (e.g. with our account, etc.). Our suite was directly across from the Concierge Lounge so was very handy. It was one of the best services/experiences for us and can't wait to book another cruise on the Royal/Regal. FYI - the Concierge Lounge is staffed only for a few hours in the morning and then again in the afternoon.

[Essiesmom]

As for you concern about time to get to airport...This will show you how close it is to the port:

 

EM

[Pam in CA]

When considering arrival and departure times, even in port, it's not like a car parking or a train arriving. That's the docking or anchor time. The ship must put out gangways, have the local authorities board and the ship cleared for disembarking. This can take a while. When tendering, tenders need to be lowered, sent to shore and the landing dock set up. This can take half an hour or more. The reverse is true when re-embarking. If the ship arrives in port, plan on half an hour to disembark. If the ship sails at 4pm, you should be back on board a half an hour before sailing. When tendering, add a half an hour at each end.

[donswife]

Your suite mini bar set up will include:

 

airplane size

2-Courvoisier

2-Beefeater Gin

2-Smirnoff Vodka

2-Canadian Club whiskey

 

 

2-Dos Equis Beer

2-Tonic Water

2-Coca Cola

2-Sprite

2-Bottled Water

2-Perrier

 

 

You can swap them out, ie DH prefers vodka, so he turned in the other little bottles and had them replaced with vodka, and we traded all the soda for water.

 

Enjoy!

Edited June 29, 2016 by donswife

[caribill]

(1) When we booked, we kind of fell for the transfer/hotel "upgrade." Looking at it now I realize we got a really bad deal there. I assume there is no way to cancel that portion of the trip (and get it as OBC or something?). My brother lives in Florida, so now we'd like to come down a few days early to visit him, but the transfer package makes it hard. You should be able to cancel the hotel and xfer. Just call whomever you booked with to make the change.

 

(2) Looking at the suite "perks", one thing I see is a one-time minibar setup. But my experience with minibars is you pay for something as soon as you take it. Am I correct in thinking this means we can use everything on the minibar once without being charged? Correct

 

(3) We don't drink enough to benefit from the all-inclusive package, but we both do enjoy an occasional cocktail. I see in the cruise planner that I can prepurchase small bottles of liquor, for "not outrageous" prices honestly. But I have also read that any alcohol purchased (outside the two bottles of wine you can bring) will be stored on your behalf for pickup at the end of the cruise. If I purchase these bottles are they going to be available in my cabin? These bottles will be available in your cabin, but you will need to call room service to have them delivered. Price is the same if you wait until on the ship to order them. It is bottles purchased in the onboard boutique that are held for you until the last night of the cruise.

 

(4) Along the lines of (3), if we purchase from Princess Cellars, are we permitted to carry alcohol on the ship? Basically what I'd be wanting to do is get the soda/juice package and then be able to have some rum in a flask or something to spike drinks by the pool. Is that permitted or not? If not, what are the consequences for having it? Alcohol purchased on the ship can be used on the ship, but glass containers should not be brought to the pool area.

 

(5) Regarding excursions, there are some we definitely want to do, but I've read several places its a good move to find your own excursions independent of the ships...is this true? It seems a major benefit of the ship excursions is making sure you catch your ship before it leaves port! The risk of missing the ship on an independent excursion is very low. The vendors know they need to get you back to the ship on time. People who miss the ship usually either (a) rented a car and did not anticipate the traffic they would have returning to the port or (b) shopping and lost track of time or © in a bar and really lost track of time. Since this is your first cruise and I assume you are not familiar with the ports, I suggest either booking Princess excursions or join the Cruise Critic roll call for your cruise (see "Find Your Princess Roll Call" at the top of this page) and see if there are excursions arranged by others you could join.

 

 

(7) As Vegas nuts, obviously we're interested in the Casino. I'm wanting to pre-purchase Casino Credits just to have that expense out of the way. But my question is can they be used for anything else? If I decide to buy a few hundred casino credits in advance, and then we decide not to play in the casino that much, can I redeem it for cash or OBC or am I essentially forced to gamble that much? Casino credits result in a card in your cabin that you bring to the casino cashier to exchange for cash. You do not have to use that cash in the casino if you do not want to.

 

(8) Are Casino Credits required to gamble or can you buy into a machine or table game with cash? Cash is always welcome. Winnings or remaining cash value on a machine must be loaded unto your cruise card (which you will insert into the machine) which can then either be loaded into another machine or brought to the casino cashier for cash.

 

(9) Are the schedules for disembarking, etc pretty accurate? I believe our schedule shows us arriving in Ft. Lauderdale at 6 am on the 19th...how long should I plan to get to the airport? The planner says it recommends a flight no earlier than 1030 am, but that seems awfully early to me, or am I off base? Airport is less than 15 minutes from the cruise terminal. With a 6 AM arrival, first disembarkations will be by 7 AM. I think any flight from 10 AM on will be OK. Yes, you will make a 9 AM flight 98% of the time, but a late port arrival or long security lines at the airport result in that other 2%. By the way, if you have a Princess xfer to the airport, also cancel that and take a cab. Costs less and you do not have to wait for a bus to be full.

 

(10) Any other pointers/tips? We've been doing the same trip for so long we're not sure how to prepare for much else! :)

 

o Join the Cruise Critic roll call for your cruise.

o Go to the Princess web site and download the "Cruise Answer Book."

o On board there will be a daily list of activities in the "Patter" which will be delivered to your cabin each day. Be sure to go over it carefully so you will know what you might want to do while on the ship. Don't reach the end of the cruise and think "If I had only known about that activity, I would have done it."

o Ask questions. No question is a bad one. Ask on this forum; ask on your roll call; ask when on board.

 

I'm sure I'll have a bunch more as it gets closer, but we're just trying to figure out

 

See above in red

Edited June 29, 2016 by caribill

[Pierlesscruisers]

Are the schedules for disembarking, etc pretty accurate? I believe our schedule shows us arriving in Ft. Lauderdale at 6 am on the 19th...how long should I plan to get to the airport? The planner says it recommends a flight no earlier than 1030 am, but that seems awfully early to me, or am I off base?

 

The earliest disembark times vary by port, I believe. At Seattle, for example, the first people off the boat will normally be leaving the ship sometime between 7:15 and 7:30am. This year it's been pretty consistently starting at 7:15.

 

The earliest recommended flight departure times probably also vary by ports and are based on normal drive times to the airports. For example, I believe the distance to the Ft. Lauderdale a/p is only a couple of miles, Seattle is about a half-hour drive and Houston International is an hour or so, so what might work for one may be way off for another!

 

Tom

[Cruisin' Chick]

Living in FLL, I've had transfers automatically added to my booking. And I've called my TA and cancelled them without issue.

 

.

 

I was so shocked to check out the invoice for our last cruise (booked through Princess) and discover a transfer that was added. Shocked, not just I wasn't asked when I booked, but shocked because when I was talking to the booking agent, we were joking that we live so close to the port (she knew from my zip code, we were within driving distance) and that's one big plus for us booking three straight LA to Hawaii cruises...no flights, no hotels needed.

 

Knowing my hubby, if this charge had been on our previous Princess invoices, he probably didn't notice. So glad this time the receipt was sent to my email address.

 

Even when we're not going from our home port, we want the full control over our travel to our embarkation port between method of travel and hotel, as well as making our way to the port.

 

Which brings me to my tip that I bring up to anyone asking for tips on this board:

 

When planning your trip to Florida, MAKE SURE TO ARRIVE AT LEAST A DAY AHEAD OF YOUR CRUISE. There's too many ways flights get affected, so this way you won't get stressed out trying to get from airport to the port. So do get that transfer removed and spend time pre-cruise with your brother. And remember this tip for any future cruises you plan.

[linanles]

You're right about the bottles of spirits (liquor) being reasonable. HAL also allow you to purchase bottles but on other cruise lines we've been on you can't buy bottles of spirits on cruises out of Australia. We went on a Carnival cruise out of Australia and tried to order a bottle of scotch from Room Service and were told that we couldn't purchase them even though I'd seen on their website that you could. I went to reception and the lady there said I certainly could and phoned Room Service. When she got off the phone she apologised and said the rules change when they are sailing out of Australia and she wasn't aware of it.

No wonder people on some cruise lines resort to smuggling spirits on board. Google "Rum Runners".

If you like your wine you can take as much as you like on board, you just have to pay corkage on any over the first two as you board.

Edited June 30, 2016 by linanles