Tips, tricks, & inside info.

[1bigballer]

I'll start. I've found that if you tip your room steward $20 immediately upon meeting him it goes a LONG way. The main perk is that they will get you any color tag to disembark. We always ask for whatever color is first off the ship so we don't have to wait around forever. Every time we have done this we have been off the ship with all of those that have flights early the same day. That alone is worth the $20 for us. Anybody else have any tips/trick/info?

[SayeretUS]

Good idea........I like that.......

[joanne1]

photo idea - instead of trying to hide all of your photos in one place (hoping that they don't get moved) and then choosing at the end or buying day to day, you can ask the photo desk to start an envelope with your cabin # on it. Then all of the pictures you like you can put in there through out the cruise and choose everything at the end without having to worry that they will get misplaced.

[SayeretUS]

........another good one.....

[Deloresgardella]

I did that with my photos this year when I cruised the Panama Canal. :) It worked out great.:D Also if you are on a budget you can just select a few pictures that are the best.

[cruisegirl25]

We did the photo thing on the Grand and Caribbean and it worked great. We tried to do the same on the Sapphire and they refused. I guess it depends on what ship.

[negc]

I'll start. I've found that if you tip your room steward $20 immediately upon meeting him it goes a LONG way. The main perk is that they will get you any color tag to disembark. We always ask for whatever color is first off the ship so we don't have to wait around forever. Every time we have done this we have been off the ship with all of those that have flights early the same day. That alone is worth the $20 for us. Anybody else have any tips/trick/info?[/quote

 

If you don't tip him in advance, the chances are you will get the same great service and the same tags that you request. :) Most room stewards we have encountered have gone out of their way to accommodate you without the necessity of giving them an advance tip. In fact, I don't know how the service could have been any better. I know that many people are convinced that an upfront tip is responsible for the quality of the service they receive, but how can they be sure that it wouldn't have been just as good if they didn't tip in advance? The answer is, they can't.:)

[Logie]

I used to tip in advance too, but no longer do not. It did not ensure I was getting the extra ice the requested each day.

 

Now I tip extra at the end for gracious and freindly service.

[DonahCBrown]

Princess has notoriously bad coffee, but you can get actual brewed coffee at the bars. On the Grand class ships, one of the atrium bars is usually set up for morning coffee, and you can get a cup on your way to the dining room or buffet.

 

Donna

[1bigballer]

The thread topic is pretty clear. Tips & tricks & inside information regarding cruising. Some good ideas have been posted.

 

As for the "what ifs" - what if everybody knew about www.seatguru.com, the airlines wold never be able to fill the "bad" seats on planes. What if everybody knew of all the hotels near airports that you can pay $45 for one night and then leave your vehicle there your entire trip instead of paying $10-20 per day at the airport, they would have 1000's of cars in the lots. What if everone took advantage of the airlines frequent flier programs and used them to thier full advantage, the airlines would cancel all programs or go broke.

 

I'm not really big on "what ifs", I tend to live in reality. If anyone else has good tips, tricks, or info. please post away. I never thought of the photo idea and I will try it in about a month on the sapphire. Thanks.

[Nitemare]

Yo Bigballer, do you see a difference between the photo "trick" and the getting the early disembarkation because I gave the guy a $20 bill "

trick?

 

I don't think anyone's complaining about the photo trick. Or the parking trick. Or even getting better seats on planes.

[Coolmama_1]

photo idea - instead of trying to hide all of your photos in one place (hoping that they don't get moved) and then choosing at the end or buying day to day, you can ask the photo desk to start an envelope with your cabin # on it. Then all of the pictures you like you can put in there through out the cruise and choose everything at the end without having to worry that they will get misplaced.

 

Great idea! I will have to do that next month on the Star!:)

[Baxter]

...and, if everyone did that, then...........what?

 

You won't like this one then. Regardless of tag colour, we simply walk off when we're ready to go. No one has ever checked the tag colour -- and it is a heckuva lot easier finding the luggage when you're not jammed in a small area with a lot of other people.

[1bigballer]

Yes, on Carnival we have found that no matter what color tag you have you can walk off the ship whenever you want and nobody says a word. Not so with a few other cruise lines.

[coiran]

Try this! Book a late airflight, or better yet, stay overnight - be the last one off the ship and you will have no trouble finding your luggage or a cab - and - if you stay overnight you get to mis the hassle at the airport - FLL is a veritable zoo on Saturdays and Sundays.

Ron

[HELENROSE]

JD10367, I applaud your response. Some people just think rules are not for them but for everyone else. If every one got off when they wanted to, it would be mass confussion. But we do have to understand that the people who think they can get off when they want to are the same ones who are CHAIR HOGS around the pool. Don't believe in standing in lines. After all the rest of us have to understand that these people are on VACATION. I don't know what they think we are on, but I feel sorry for them. THEY think they are better than any one else, but we know better.

 

Just don't follow bad examples. In Jan. will be our 38th cruise, and I am proud to say, we WAIT OUR TURN. That is the best tip of all.

[Dreamer333]

I may get flamed myself here... but whats with the flaming towards 1bigballer?? He/She isn't saying that they are "sneaking" off... or stealing someone else's color ticket... They aren't lying to get an early color!!!

 

1bigballer simply asked for an early color, and received it!!!

 

This is NOT the same as chair hogging, which is clearly against Princess policies.

 

Please lighten up, people!!!

[Druke I]

Yes Helenrose

 

Some people are terribly self-centered, and think everything revolves them.

 

I consider them just plain rude.

[1bigballer]

Let's call a truce and get back to my original post. Does anyone have any tips, tricks, information, or ideas that make our cruise journeys better/easier? I'm sorry if my suggestion isn't liked by some. I still stand by it though. I assure you that my wife and I will be considerate, respecful, fun, and generally well liked (I think) on our journeys. My next cruise is in my signature & I can't wait.

 

P.S. - Thanks Dreamer!

[Baxter]

But we do have to understand that the people who think they can get off when they want to are the same ones who are CHAIR HOGS around the pool. Don't believe in standing in lines. After all the rest of us have to understand that these people are on VACATION.

 

Kindly don't make assumptions about people. I am anything but a chair hog. I stand in line for tender tickets while others cut in line. I line up for entry to the restaurant even though the line continually gets wider up ahead of us. I do book my flight for the day after disembarkation. But that doesn't mean I should automatically get a colour after everyone else. We all have places to go and people to see. Simply because one books a 9:30am flight doesn't give them the right to act as though the world revolves around them. I have no sympathy. If you're cutting it that close, maybe it's not the right time to cruise.

[HELENROSE]

Baxter, thank you for your comments, I am sorry if I offended anyone. We always book our flights after 1 PM just so we don't miss them. But I believe 98% of the passengers, do as the cruise line requests. I have just voiced my opinion about the other 2%. What is the big hurry ending the cruise, Enjoy the last couple minutes. Enough said.

 

Wonderful idea about the pictures, it would save time at the end of the cruise to choose the pictures you want.

[tmthorn0927]

We did the photo thing on the Grand and Caribbean

and it worked great. We tried to do the same on the Sapphire and they refused. I guess it depends on what ship.

 

 

We took our 1st cruise on 9/24/05 Caribbean Princess. We found out on the last day that the pictures were buy 1, get 3 free! We had already bought $70 worth of pics:( Also, shops have sales on the last day too!

 

Next cruise - 9/30/06 - Caribbean Princess again!

[tmthorn0927]

We did the photo thing on the Grand and Caribbean

and it worked great. We tried to do the same on the Sapphire and they refused. I guess it depends on what ship.

 

 

We took our 1st cruise on 9/24/05 Caribbean Princess. We found out on the last day that the pictures were buy 1, get 3 free! We had already bought $70 worth of pics:( Also, shops have sales on the last day too!

 

Next cruise - 9/30/06 - Caribbean Princess again!

[Dreamer333]

We took our 1st cruise on 9/24/05 Caribbean Princess. We found out on the last day that the pictures were buy 1, get 3 free!

 

I don't think thats the norm!!! I've NEVER seen a last day sale like this of photos, and I've been on the CC twice. (Although, I'd love to see a sale like that!!!)

[Druke I]

Don't believe I have ever seen a last day sale of photos either.

 

Wouldn't make much difference to me - I would prefer that those they take of me go right to the shredder - they always catch me at the "wrong moment". Perhaps I really do look like that - gawd forbid!