Princess Cruise "Secrets" 2022

[barbpretz]

Another year has come and gone, so it's time for another Princess Cruise "Secrets" thread.  Now that people have started cruising again, it seems appropriate  for veteran cruisers to share their favorite secrets so that people who are new to Princess (or those who don't read older threads) won't miss out. Please post anything that you wish you had known before you cruised (or, honestly, anything you'd like to share).

 

My favorite "secret" still remains Refer-A-Friend (which thankfully still exists!).  Details can be found on the main Princess page at the bottom in small print under "Cruise Deals".  If you've never cruised Princess before, look into this before you book your cruise to get $25 on-board credit for yourself and whoever refers you. If you haven't been referred by anyone, consider giving the credit to a friend or to someone on Cruise Critic who has posted reviews you have found helpful.   If you have cruised Princess before and have friends or family members who are cruising Princess for the first time, consider looking into referring them before they book.  It is fun to have a little extra on-board credit to spend while on a cruise!

Here's hoping this will be a great year for cruising!

[Bogof1]

My favourites are…main dining room on embarkation day, ….buying future cruise credits on board to gain on board credit for future cruises…if not used they are returned win win!…..if I think of any more I will be back!!! 🤔

[cr8tiv1]

14 minutes ago, Bogof1 said:

My favourites are…main dining room on embarkation day, ….buying future cruise credits on board to gain on board credit for future cruises…if not used they are returned win win!…..if I think of any more I will be back!!! 🤔

 

I've read that main dining room on embarkation is not happening on the West Coast (specifically the Grand Princess).  It is a great tip, if we can get Princess to start it up again.  

 

It was happening.  Stopped....future?

[cjpj]

Shareholders benifits and crusing during Covid = No Crowds.  

[cjpj]

2 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I've read that main dining room on embarkation is not happening on the West Coast (specifically the Grand Princess).  It is a great tip, if we can get Princess to start it up again.  

 

It was happening.  Stopped....future?

Was open during our Nov Regal TA from Southhampton to FLL. 

[QuilterGirl]

Main dining room lunch on embarkation day did not happen on either of the January 19 or 29 sailings on the Enchanted Princess.  But back last summer, it was available on the Majestic Princess doing the Alaska run.

[srice]

46 minutes ago, QuilterGirl said:

Main dining room lunch on embarkation day did not happen on either of the January 19 or 29 sailings on the Enchanted Princess.  But back last summer, it was available on the Majestic Princess doing the Alaska run.

MDR lunch was available on the 20 Nov 2021 sailing of the Enchanted Princess.  I hope this is not another Princess take-away.  

[sirclean]

After you find the cruise that interests you, search again using the SHIP filter to see where the ship is coming from  or going to next.  You may be able to catch the ship at a better port if it is transitioning or hang on for a better departure.

For instance, I was interested in sailing this May on a cruise to Alaska. It left May 2 out of Vancouver.  However, the ship was transitioning from an Australia run and I could pick it up in LA on April 28 and get  4 extra days of cruising for just a little more money and it was a lot easier to fly to LA than Vancouver!

 

(Unfortunately, because Australia cancelled so much, that ship never went, so it did not have to transition back!  The April trip was cancelled and the May 2 ship was changed to another vessel.  Then I had to cancel because of some other issues).

 

BUT THE POINT IS!  Use the Ship Filter when searching to see if you might want to come early or stay after!  (As long as you dont Start in the US and then end the final leg in the US it will work!!)

[candy4040]

There are no additional charges to eat in Alfredos.  It took a couple of times cruising for me to realize that it was included in the cost of the cruise.

[RSS from SF]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I've read that main dining room on embarkation is not happening on the West Coast (specifically the Grand Princess).

---

On my four Grand Princess cruises in 2021 (10/23, 10/27, 11/1, 12/30) the Da Vinci Dining Room, Deck 6 Midship, was open for lunch on embarkation day from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm.

---

[floridababa]

31 minutes ago, candy4040 said:

There are no additional charges to eat in Alfredos.  It took a couple of times cruising for me to realize that it was included in the cost of the cruise.

What ship is Alffedos?

[Mud_Shark]

this one is a bit strange, but I have found it to be true for several cruises since we discovered it.  Don't know if it is always true, but it was certainly true on both the Sky and the Emerald.  If you like to hit the Hot tubs later in the evening (when they are quiet) and want the water hot, look for the hot tubs near the sanctuary (they get the least use during the evenings).  If the jets are not on, the hot tub is usually hotter - so DON'T TURN THE JETS ON.  It seems like once you turn them on, it shoots out cold water for a minute or two and cools the tub down several degrees.

 

So when we see a hot tub with someone in it and the jets on, I usually test the water with my hands and move on.  When we find one that is not in use, invariably, the water temp is hotter.

 

Don

[Steelers36]

I don't think there are any new secrets than the last list discussed. 

[Mike45LC]

48 minutes ago, Mud_Shark said:

If you like to hit the Hot tubs later in the evening (when they are quiet) and want the water hot, look for the hot tubs near the sanctuary (they get the least use during the evenings).  If the jets are not on, the hot tub is usually hotter - so DON'T TURN THE JETS ON.  It seems like once you turn them on, it shoots out cold water for a minute or two and cools the tub down several degrees.

Don

Great tip.    I rarely get to use the hot tubs at night (too much else to do, including the casino), but I'll remember this just in case.

 

[rj59]

--If you don't have Plus, sometimes the International Cafe won't charge you for espresso drinks if they're busy. On the Majestic in October I didn't get charged at all, with lower occupancy last week they wrote down the cost of large lattes, but didn't charge for small Americanos.

--Hang your mask on the door handle as soon as you get in your cabin, so you don't leave without one.

--A lot of the soups and desserts are duplicated in the buffet and MDR in the evening, so I sample the cold and hot soups and perhaps a dessert I'm curious about, and try other things in the MDR. 

--On the Majestic, the aft bar past the buffet is a nice place to dine when the weather is nice, and they have a coffee machine that's often not attended, so I can drink in peace and get nice views. The other secluded area is the aft port side outside area on deck 7, which has recliners and great views. It was also a perfect spot for a magnificent mass dolphin wake jumping show in the morning sail into Cabo, and I also saw a whale breach 3 times by the ship.

--If you don't want to be seated close to another table, just tell them you want a socially distanced one.

--If you want to see what some of the crew look like under their masks, make some passes through the buffet--on the Majestic they ate on the port side, and so I was able to see what the masked dancers and some of the people in the shops look like. I wish they'd wear 'smile' buttons with a photo, as on RC.

--Take a home covid test with you, so if you have a scratchy throat or other possible symptoms, you can rest easy and not worry about infecting others or having to quarantine and dealing with the stress. It was great for peace of mind for me, and would be a valuable form of health insurance if you're at risk.

 

[cr8tiv1]

45 minutes ago, rj59 said:

 

--Hang your mask on the door handle as soon as you get in your cabin, so you don't leave without one.

 

I would go to Harbor Freight and buy some magnetic hooks to place on the inside of the door.  Not sure I'd want to place my clean/soiled mask on a door handle (yes, I am a germaphobic).  

[Astro Flyer]

5 hours ago, floridababa said:

What ship is Alffedos?

Grand & Sapphire pizza only; other ships multi course.
 

Edited February 8, 2022 by Astro Flyer

[jondfk]

10 hours ago, RSS from SF said:

---

On my four Grand Princess cruises in 2021 (10/23, 10/27, 11/1, 12/30) the Da Vinci Dining Room, Deck 6 Midship, was open for lunch on embarkation day from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm.

---

But is was not on the January 19 or the current February 3 cruise.  Various reasons cited, the only thing I can say for sure is it currently is NOT happening on Grand.

 

[Bogof1]

12 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I've read that main dining room on embarkation is not happening on the West Coast (specifically the Grand Princess).  It is a great tip, if we can get Princess to start it up again.  

 

It was happening.  Stopped....future?

I’ve not cruised out of USA but have never heard of it not being offered. They keep it fairly quiet and there is only one dining room open and only for a limited time. They were certainly doing it out of Southampton on all the first cruises after covid. Hope they do for you too, far more civilised than the buffet.

[gardenbunny]

15 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I would go to Harbor Freight and buy some magnetic hooks to place on the inside of the door.  Not sure I'd want to place my clean/soiled mask on a door handle (yes, I am a germaphobic).  

OMG yes!. Magnetic hooks are mandatory…so many uses.  We also bring Command hooks.  They will stick on slick services such as mirrors.  In an OV cabin they can hang inside the window, and if any sun, makes a great way to dry clothes.

[Techwizardress]

20 hours ago, QuilterGirl said:

Main dining room lunch on embarkation day did not happen on either of the January 19 or 29 sailings on the Enchanted Princess.  But back last summer, it was available on the Majestic Princess doing the Alaska run.

We were on the Majestic January 15, 2022 and the dining room was open for lunch on embarkation day.  That is my first stop once onboard.

[floridababa]

13 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Grand & Sapphire pizza only; other ships multi course.
 

Thank you I just know it as the pizza place 🙂

[heathriel]

Just found this out on our current sailing, but there’s a secret Indian menu you can order in the MDR with 24 hours notice.

 

I was going to take pictures when it arrived but everything smelled so good we started eating before I remembered!

 

This is a whole different caliber than what they serve at the buffets/lunch menu.

[hllwdcruiser]

2 hours ago, heathriel said:

Just found this out on our current sailing, but there’s a secret Indian menu you can order in the MDR with 24 hours notice.

 

I was going to take pictures when it arrived but everything smelled so good we started eating before I remembered!

 

This is a whole different caliber than what they serve at the buffets/lunch menu.

Wait what?!? That looks amazing. What ship are you on? Can you ask if they do it across the fleet?

[heathriel]

3 minutes ago, hllwdcruiser said:

Wait what?!? That looks amazing. What ship are you on? Can you ask if they do it across the fleet?

We’re currently on the Grand. They said Indian meals are available fleet-wide.

Edited February 9, 2022 by heathriel