Live from the Majestic Princess at last! August 1 2021 to Alaska

[Jeter02]

15 minutes ago, trbarton said:

If you went to the Chef’s dinner what was the charge? 
 

Thanks!

 

Tom😀

$115 per person

Edited August 10, 2021 by Jeter02

[trbarton]

2 hours ago, Jeter02 said:

$115 per person

Thank you very much. 
 

Tom😀

[RSS from SF]

6 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Seems like the Medallion will be best situated inside one of those RFID blocker things unless taking it out to pay for your own drink.  I have read more than one poster doing something like that.

• 

I used an RFID sleeve successfully for my previous 4 Medallion-class cruises (Nov 2019 - Feb 2020, all on Royal Princess); I did not have a single wayward charge to my account on any of these cruises.

 

---

Edited August 10, 2021 by RSS from SF

[MsSoCalCruiser]

3 hours ago, Ombud said:

I have an unusual allergy + a souvenir from having cancer 6 times. I'm perfectly healthy now just waiting to test Thursday for Sunday's cruise. I do not repeat my meals unless I want to. (Love veggie stuffed baked potato with bechemel or cheese sauce for my main course)

 

In the past 8 cruises (not for the 1st few dozens) I have met with the head waiter in my dining room and explained it: vegetarian with an allergy who can no longer tolerate spicy food. I have been accommodated.  

 

I strongly encourage you to ask to meet with the HW who will come to your table & have you pre-order for the following day

Ombud, I have a rare severe dairy allergy called FPIES so I have to be extremely careful. I also always meet with the head waiter in the dining room nightly. Can you tell me how it works for you when you are ordering off of the medallion app to have food delivered to you wherever you may be?  I’m really curious about everything ordered to be delivered to your cabin or wherever you may be… Food from the MDR, snacks, burgers/sandwiches, and also the specialty dining.  Like I’ve said before I’m excited but nervous to try the DMW Technology. Thank you so much!  

[Ombud]

Will definitely do so. I've only had 2 bad experience onboard but it was scary. Just 1 waiter who didn't understand.  But I plan on fully enjoying my balcony so I will be using room service

[DuncanBlizzard]

43 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Ombud, I have a rare severe dairy allergy called FPIES so I have to be extremely careful. I also always meet with the head waiter in the dining room nightly. Can you tell me how it works for you when you are ordering off of the medallion app to have food delivered to you wherever you may be?  I’m really curious about everything ordered to be delivered to your cabin or wherever you may be… Food from the MDR, snacks, burgers/sandwiches, and also the specialty dining.  Like I’ve said before I’m excited but nervous to try the DMW Technology. Thank you so much!  

 

I am not Ombud and didn't have anything delivered to me through the app.  I just got off the ship Sunday, though, and was a bit scared for people with severe allergies.  Luckily some contamination doesn't hurt me significantly so I didn't have to worry about that with my food restrictions.

 

In both the buffet and the International Cafe, I got foods that were not what they were labeled.  In one case, the salad had pine nuts and not pistachios like it said (and I can have both so no problems for me).  In other cases, they just labeled things wrong -- listed cabbage when it was lettuce, omitted various significant ingredients, etc.  I mostly got the little salads in a cup or on a plate in those places for breakfast the next day and was disappointed at how bad they were at labeling things.  Again, it wasn't a big issue for me but I can tell I ate some of the wrong things most likely from these types of things I ate outside the dining room. 

 

I can also attest to the fact that perhaps because so many of the crew are from different countries that they struggled when I said a not-so-common word.  For example I got pecans at the buffet often to snack on, and many didn't know which nuts were pecans and I couldn't point well given the glass barriers between me and the food.

 

Hopefully all goes well for you.  I feel for those that have to be more careful than I do.

[tarheelz1995]

1 hour ago, RSS from SF said:

• 

I used an RFID sleeve successfully for my previous 4 Medallion-class cruises (Nov 2019 - Feb 2020, all on Royal Princess); I did not have a single wayward charge to my account on any of these cruises.

 

---

 

Ah, but then you miss out on the bartenders being able to call to you by name like it's an old episode of Cheers.  I liked it!

[Jeter02]

6 minutes ago, tarheelz1995 said:

 

Ah, but then you miss out on the bartenders being able to call to you by name like it's an old episode of Cheers.  I liked it!

Sometimes you just want to go, where everybody knows your name 😉

[PacnGoNow]

23 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

Sometimes you just want to go, where everybody knows your name 😉

Oh, Happy Days are back again!  😂 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

2 hours ago, Ombud said:

Will definitely do so. I've only had 2 bad experience onboard but it was scary. Just 1 waiter who didn't understand.  But I plan on fully enjoying my balcony so I will be using room service

How horrible and I’m sure it was scary for you. Thank goodness that you are OK.   Thank you for keeping me posted.  Enjoy your balcony!

 

I had a really severe reaction a few years ago on Celebrity and my friend that was with me is still traumatized.  It was after that that they finally found a diagnosis for me…. Of course, I have something that is listed on the “Rare Disease” database (if you knew me you would understand 😂). Now if I can just win the lottery, ha ha.

 

[Ombud]

2 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

How horrible and I’m sure it was scary for you. Thank goodness that you are OK.   Thank you for keeping me posted.  Enjoy your balcony!

 

I had a really severe reaction a few years ago on Celebrity and my friend that was with me is still traumatized.  It was after that that they finally found a diagnosis for me…. Of course, I have something that is listed on the “Rare Disease” database (if you knew me you would understand 😂). Now if I can just win the lottery, ha ha.

 

I have a capsaicin allergy. Makes it hard to breathe. Lips swell up, throat gets tight. Scared the s××t out of the waiter who didn't believe me. HW came running from the other side of the area. No one doubted it after that. Its weird 

 

I will be ordering deconstructed room service. Fine with that. At least it's not peanuts, dairy, or legumes 

 

My sister can't have onions --- chemo souvenir. We feel sorry for whatever wait staff gets us.  LOL

 

And yes, handing out $s after each meal as I'm never sure who I'll get (just know who my HW is)

[MsSoCalCruiser]

2 hours ago, DuncanBlizzard said:

 

I am not Ombud and didn't have anything delivered to me through the app.  I just got off the ship Sunday, though, and was a bit scared for people with severe allergies.  Luckily some contamination doesn't hurt me significantly so I didn't have to worry about that with my food restrictions.

 

In both the buffet and the International Cafe, I got foods that were not what they were labeled.  In one case, the salad had pine nuts and not pistachios like it said (and I can have both so no problems for me).  In other cases, they just labeled things wrong -- listed cabbage when it was lettuce, omitted various significant ingredients, etc.  I mostly got the little salads in a cup or on a plate in those places for breakfast the next day and was disappointed at how bad they were at labeling things.  Again, it wasn't a big issue for me but I can tell I ate some of the wrong things most likely from these types of things I ate outside the dining room. 

 

I can also attest to the fact that perhaps because so many of the crew are from different countries that they struggled when I said a not-so-common word.  For example I got pecans at the buffet often to snack on, and many didn't know which nuts were pecans and I couldn't point well given the glass barriers between me and the food.

 

Hopefully all goes well for you.  I feel for those that have to be more careful than I do.

Oh dear, that’s not good. Those little mistakes could kill someone and I hope you took the time to report it. Thank goodness you are OK.  Was this your first cruise with Princess?
 

Normally everything is fine for me when I am on a Princess Cruise. They take wonderful care of me.  I have only had one time on a Princess Cruise that they thought they had given me something that I am allergic to and you talk about panic; everyone was freaking out.  My allergist tells me to always ask for a manager when I am at a restaurant and not to just report it to my server.

 

One bite of the wrong food and I have a severe reaction. My reactions occur anywhere from 2 to 8 hours after consumption which is why it is so hard to diagnose the condition that I have.  

[MsSoCalCruiser]

19 minutes ago, Ombud said:

I have a capsaicin allergy. Makes it hard to breathe. Lips swell up, throat gets tight. Scared the s××t out of the waiter who didn't believe me. HW came running from the other side of the area. No one doubted it after that. Its weird 

 

I will be ordering deconstructed room service. Fine with that. At least it's not peanuts, dairy, or legumes 

 

My sister can't have onions --- chemo souvenir. We feel sorry for whatever wait staff gets us.  LOL

 

And yes, handing out $s after each meal as I'm never sure who I'll get (just know who my HW is)

What is Capsaicin?  Does an EpiPen help you?  How scary for you and your sister.  I have severe adult onset FPIES (dairy).  It is so rare that it took over 20 years for someone to diagnose me.  Imagine the poor staff if we all sat together, lol.  Sometimes my friends just say “I’ll take what she’s having” so there are no errors.

 

That’s a great idea for room service orders. I don’t know why I never thought of that.  

Edited August 11, 2021 by MsSoCalCruiser

[Ombud]

Pepper. Now you know why my food is deconstructed without seasonings. I never liked it ... actually my father never cooked with salt or pepper. Just green herbs (oregano, parsley, basil)

 

Epipen👍

Edited August 11, 2021 by Ombud

[MsSoCalCruiser]

28 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Pepper. Now you know why my food is deconstructed without seasonings. I never liked it ... actually my father never cooked with salt or pepper. Just green herbs (oregano, parsley, basil)

 

Epipen👍

That’s a hard allergy, ugh.

[Thrak]

5 hours ago, Ombud said:

Pepper. Now you know why my food is deconstructed without seasonings. I never liked it ... actually my father never cooked with salt or pepper. Just green herbs (oregano, parsley, basil)

 

Epipen👍

 

You must be allergic to chili peppers then. Capsaicin is found in hot peppers such as chilies.It's not found in anything else. Of course even mild peppers such as Bell Peppers contain minute amounts of Capsaicin.

 

Black pepper contains Piperine.  Do you also react to black pepper? I can certainly see why you need to be careful with your diet.

 

I would hate to be allergic to capsaicin. I eat a fair amount of chilies. Oddly, I don't use much black pepper when I cook.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Thrak

[Ombud]

2 hours ago, Thrak said:

 Do you also react to black pepper?

I avoid all pepper. It's actually easier than you think. But what I consider highly flavorable, others consider bland or lacking seasoning. 

[greenie082756]

Because of possible allergic reactions, I always carry Benadryl with me.

I take it with me in my cruises as well.

 

I do not have any food allergies (yet) but have had reactions to medications.

I have met many with severe food allergies and I honestly do not know how they do it on a cruise other than to go over the menu with the manager of the restaurant. 

 

[Cabunit]

For anyone who was also waiting, we received our statement from the cruise Wednesday morning.  And it is totally accurate.

[Chai8]

2 hours ago, Cabunit said:

For anyone who was also waiting, we received our statement from the cruise Wednesday morning.  And it is totally accurate.

A follow up to this: Did Princess owe you a refund for anything? How long did that take, if so? 
 

One of our excursions was canceled at the last second. No apologies offered, no accommodations made, nothing that even vaguely resembled customer service. When we booked a replacement excursion, we were charged AGAIN instead of using the existing balance. So now we have nearly $500 in OBC and Guest Services says they have no ability to refund my credit card until after the cruise ends. I’ve asked repeatedly. And, to add to this screw up, they also refuse to provide a direct number to someone in finance, insisting that 1-800-Princess is the only recourse available. To say that I’m angry is an understatement. 

[MamaFej]

5 minutes ago, Chai8 said:

A follow up to this: Did Princess owe you a refund for anything? How long did that take, if so? 
 

One of our excursions was canceled at the last second. No apologies offered, no accommodations made, nothing that even vaguely resembled customer service. When we booked a replacement excursion, we were charged AGAIN instead of using the existing balance. So now we have nearly $500 in OBC and Guest Services says they have no ability to refund my credit card until after the cruise ends. I’ve asked repeatedly. And, to add to this screw up, they also refuse to provide a direct number to someone in finance, insisting that 1-800-Princess is the only recourse available. To say that I’m angry is an understatement. 

That is ridiculous and infuriating. I hope you can get it fixed soon. If you booked through a TA, they might be able to help you. They can call numbers that you can't, and have their own contacts with the lines. 

[Chai8]

Just now, MamaFej said:

That is ridiculous and infuriating. I hope you can get it fixed soon. If you booked through a TA, they might be able to help you. They can call numbers that you can't, and have their own contacts with the lines. 

We didn’t use a TA, unfortunately. And yes, infuriating is but one of the many words I’ve been using. The others are less acceptable in a forum such as this. 
 

When I went to guest services last night after reaching out to them multiple times via crew chat, I felt distinctly like I do at a car dealership. There’s someone “in charge in the back” who refuses to appear and the agent keeps running back and forth. It felt like a scene out of the Wizard of Oz. I was extremely civil, calm, and extremely clear on the issue and why it was a problem. They absolutely didn’t care. If I have to sit on hold for 90 minutes post cruise straightening this out, I’m going to blast it all over social media, TripAdvisor and the like. Princess had a golden opportunity to cultivate a new customer and they completely torpedoed it for me and my husband. 

[Kay S]

14 minutes ago, Chai8 said:

I’m going to blast it all over social media, TripAdvisor and the like. Princess had a golden opportunity to cultivate a new customer and they completely torpedoed it for me and my husband. 

Maybe that will get Jan Swartz and Co.'s attention.

[MamaFej]

10 minutes ago, Chai8 said:

If I have to sit on hold for 90 minutes post cruise straightening this out, I’m going to blast it all over social media, TripAdvisor and the like. Princess had a golden opportunity to cultivate a new customer and they completely torpedoed it for me and my husband. 

Have you considered disputing the charge with your credit card company? Screen shots of your Crew Chat may help. 

 

When we had a pretty serious issue with a retailer, I emailed, saying, "I know that many people would blast this sort of problem over social media, but I'd definitely prefer to just have the issues fixed." I got a phone call in about 15 minutes, and the problems almost all fixed in that call. 

 

Best of luck to you!

[Chai8]

Just now, MamaFej said:

Have you considered disputing the charge with your credit card company? Screen shots of your Crew Chat may help. 

 

When we had a pretty serious issue with a retailer, I emailed, saying, "I know that many people would blast this sort of problem over social media, but I'd definitely prefer to just have the issues fixed." I got a phone call in about 15 minutes, and the problems almost all fixed in that call. 

 

Best of luck to you!

Thanks. I’ll screenshot the chats for reference. I did document the conversation with the particular crew member and the date it as it was a face to face conversation. I’ll definitely take it up with my credit card company. I’m just super annoyed that I even have to do this. It’s a total lack of professionalism and respect on Princess’s part.