Q & A for those cruising Princess June 16, 19, 23 & 26 out of Brisbane

[Aus Traveller]

I can recall when Princess stopped opening the dining room for lunch on port days and am trying to remember exactly which cruise. It would have been well over ten years ago. I would be happy if they reversed this decision but maybe they don't think it is worth opening the dining room when only a small number of passengers remain on board on port days.

[OzKiwiJJ]

9 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I can recall when Princess stopped opening the dining room for lunch on port days and am trying to remember exactly which cruise. It would have been well over ten years ago. I would be happy if they reversed this decision but maybe they don't think it is worth opening the dining room when only a small number of passengers remain on board on port days.

It was open for lunch on both cruises we did in 2019. Sea Princess in August and Ruby Princess in December. 

 

The only time out of nine Princess cruises that it wasn't open was on a Golden repositioning cruise to HK, which started in Melbourne but had significant embarkation numbers in Sydney. I was not happy!

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

It was open for lunch on both cruises we did in 2019. Sea Princess in August and Ruby Princess in December. 

 

The only time out of nine Princess cruises that it wasn't open was on a Golden repositioning cruise to HK, which started in Melbourne but had significant embarkation numbers in Sydney. I was not happy!

I wasn't happy with the Golden Princess one either. That was because I boarded in Melbourne, but had to get off in Sydney. It would have been nice to have stayed aboard.

[OzKiwiJJ]

8 minutes ago, arxcards said:

I wasn't happy with the Golden Princess one either. That was because I boarded in Melbourne, but had to get off in Sydney. It would have been nice to have stayed aboard.

Sorry, mate, but you had to get off so we could get on. 🤣

[arxcards]

5 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Sorry, mate, but you had to get off so we could get on. 🤣

I can't even remember my cabin number to remember if I warmed it up for you. I think it was an inside near the art gallery on deck 5, with a short walk to the International Cafe.

[OzKiwiJJ]

7 minutes ago, arxcards said:

I can't even remember my cabin number to remember if I warmed it up for you. I think it was an inside near the art gallery on deck 5, with a short walk to the International Cafe.

We had an IA cabin, on Caribe deck I think.

[Elorac123]

Another question if I may,

Is there a formal night on a 3 night cruise.

Cheers Carole

[Cbtours]

Just now, Elorac123 said:

Another question if I may,

Is there a formal night on a 3 night cruise.

Cheers Carole

Out travel summaries for each of our 4 x B2B's starting 16 June is NO formal nights on the 3 and 4 day cruises, but TWO on the 7 night one from 26 June - 3rd July

[Aus Traveller]

4 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

Out travel summaries for each of our 4 x B2B's starting 16 June is NO formal nights on the 3 and 4 day cruises, but TWO on the 7 night one from 26 June - 3rd July

OK. So Princess are keeping to their former schedule - no formal nights on three or four night cruises, but two on the seven-night cruises.

[Cbtours]

Just now, Aus Traveller said:

OK. So Princess are keeping to their former schedule - no formal nights on three or four night cruises, but two on the seven-night cruises.

There’s hadn’t ever been one on very short cruises in my experience. 7 nighters have only had one in my experience, so two on this is maybe a concession to celebrate cruising return?

[Aus Traveller]

13 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

There’s hadn’t ever been one on very short cruises in my experience. 7 nighters have only had one in my experience, so two on this is maybe a concession to celebrate cruising return?

As far as I recall, on the seven-night cruises there were always two formal nights. One was the welcome aboard cocktail party in the atrium on the second night and the other one was when two separate cocktail parties were held in a large lounge (Vista Lounge on Sea/Sun/Dawn). These were for the different loyalty levels on the Captains Circle.

[Cbtours]

Just now, Aus Traveller said:

As far as I recall, on the seven-night cruises there were always two formal nights. One was the welcome aboard cocktail party in the atrium on the second night and the other one was when two separate cocktail parties were held in a large lounge (Vista Lounge on Sea/Sun/Dawn). These were for the different loyalty levels on the Captains Circle.

Probably right. I was only counting actual official formal night, not the other events. 

[Aus Traveller]

4 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

Probably right. I was only counting actual official formal night, not the other events. 

The cocktail parties for the loyalty levels are usually held in conjunction with a formal night. Photos are taken of the most travelled passengers.

[Cbtours]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

The cocktail parties for the loyalty levels are usually held in conjunction with a formal night. Photos are taken of the most travelled passengers.

I know I’ve been to one once ! I think the most traveled had done something like 1300 cruise days !

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, Cbtours said:

I know I’ve been to one once ! I think the most traveled had done something like 1300 cruise days !

We have an extensive cruise history, but not 1300 cruise days!

[Elorac123]

33 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

Out travel summaries for each of our 4 x B2B's starting 16 June is NO formal nights on the 3 and 4 day cruises, but TWO on the 7 night one from 26 June - 3rd July

Ok,thank you

[arxcards]

1 minute ago, Cbtours said:

I know I’ve been to one once ! I think the most traveled had done something like 1300 cruise days !

I had heard recently that P&O days no longer counted for most cruised and vice versa. Ie, they still count for loyalty status, but not for the cheap bottles of bubbly and a free photo. Is that true?

[Aus Traveller]

10 minutes ago, arxcards said:

I had heard recently that P&O days no longer counted for most cruised and vice versa. Ie, they still count for loyalty status, but not for the cheap bottles of bubbly and a free photo. Is that true?

That is correct. Princess changed the way they count the 'days' for the most cruised at least a year before COVID. P&O days count towards the loyalty level, but not for the most cruised luncheon (fantastic by the way) or the three most cruised passengers who are acknowledged at the past passengers' cocktail party. We make it to the lunch but so far haven't been in the top three on Princess although a friend who was travelling solo invited us to be his guests at the party on the Sea Princess in March 2020.

 

We have often had a private joke about the competitiveness of some of the people who are always in the top three. There was enormous disappointment from some of them when Princess no longer included their P&O cruising history. Some of these very frequent cruisers thrive on the attention they get. I could go on, but maybe I shouldn't.😁

 

P&O count the 'days'  cruised on both lines. They invite the passengers in suites and a few of the most cruised to a Meet the Officers party where there is unlimited drinks and very nice food.

Edited May 16, 2022 by Aus Traveller

[arxcards]

3 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

That is correct. Princess changed the way they count the 'days' for the most cruised at least a year before COVID. P&O days count towards the loyalty level, but not for the most cruised luncheon (fantastic by the way) or the three most cruised passengers who are acknowledged at the past passengers' cocktail party. We make it to the lunch but so far haven't been in the top three on Princess. We are on P&O who count the 'days'  cruised on both lines.

 

We have often had a private joke about the competitiveness of some of the people who are always in the top three. There was enormous disappointment from some of them when Princess no longer included their P&O cruising history. Some of these very frequent cruisers thrive on the attention they get. I could go on, but maybe I shouldn't.😁

I think that is where I read it, from one of the miffed passengers. I get it, there are loyalty programs, and there is loyalty. Old P&O UK cruises used to count as well. I wonder how definitive this is though, particularly with the past Sitmar ships.

[Cbtours]

3 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

That is correct. Princess changed the way they count the 'days' for the most cruised at least a year before COVID. P&O days count towards the loyalty level, but not for the most cruised luncheon (fantastic by the way) or the three most cruised passengers who are acknowledged at the past passengers' cocktail party. We make it to the lunch but so far haven't been in the top three on Princess. We are on P&O who count the 'days'  cruised on both lines.

 

We have often had a private joke about the competitiveness of some of the people who are always in the top three. There was enormous disappointment from some of them when Princess no longer included their P&O cruising history. Some of these very frequent cruisers thrive on the attention they get. I could go on, but maybe I shouldn't.😁

I can only dream lol. Who knows if we’d have started earlier lol. 
my off topic diversion is I never went anywhere cos I was terrified to fly ( I did it rarely out of necessity not holidays). However I’ve been to South Africa 14 times in 11 years (not for the past two of course!) plus Malaysia, Indonesia twice, NZ apart from cruising 3 times - and finally went back to England 3 years ago (after 47 years)! Most of the above was accompanying my new husband on preaching trips not holidays I might add lol. Cruising started when we married and is THE BEST mot relaxing holiday we could have ever imagined.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, arxcards said:

I think that is where I read it, from one of the miffed passengers. I get it, there are loyalty programs, and there is loyalty. Old P&O UK cruises used to count as well. I wonder how definitive this is though, particularly with the past Sitmar ships.

Cruises on the Sitmar ships count towards the loyalty levels. Even nights on Sitmar ships coming to Australia as a Ten Pound Pom count. I don't think those latter ones should.

[arxcards]

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Cruises on the Sitmar ships count towards the loyalty levels. Even nights on Sitmar ships coming to Australia as a Ten Pound Pom count. I don't think those latter ones should.

They should for loyalty. For quite a few years, Princess and P&O Oz used to share a ship, hence the P&O logo on the side. If P&O Oz were to come up with a loyalty program, that would be different. But yes, the most cruised Princess should be Princess and their predecessors only.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, Cbtours said:

I can only dream lol. Who knows if we’d have started earlier lol. 
my off topic diversion is I never went anywhere cos I was terrified to fly ( I did it rarely out of necessity not holidays). However I’ve been to South Africa 14 times in 11 years (not for the past two of course!) plus Malaysia, Indonesia twice, NZ apart from cruising 3 times - and finally went back to England 3 years ago (after 47 years)! Most of the above was accompanying my new husband on preaching trips not holidays I might add lol. Cruising started when we married and is THE BEST mot relaxing holiday we could have ever imagined.

We had three young children and I was running a business. My mother told me firmly that I should organise a holiday for the family every year. We started travelling with them in 1981 when they were 2, 6 and 8, and took them overseas many times. My parents went on the Fairstar and my Mum checked out the facilities for children. She recommended it so our first cruise was in 1983. We went on eight cruises on the Fairstar. Our kids were in promotional photos for the ship - purely coincidence as the photography team were on board on one of our cruises. Naturally we kept the brochures. I was surprised a few years ago when I looked at the prices and saw how terribly expensive they were. There weren't any deals at that time. The brochure price was the amount you paid.

 

BTW, with a couple of cruises later, our daughter is now Elite on Princess, but hasn't had the chance to enjoy the status yet. Babies kept getting in the way! Our sons are a couple of cruises behind her.

[Cbtours]

3 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

We had three young children and I was running a business. My mother told me firmly that I should organise a holiday for the family every year. We started travelling with them in 1981 when they were 2, 6 and 8, and took them overseas many times. My parents went on the Fairstar and my Mum checked out the facilities for children. She recommended it so our first cruise was in 1983. We went on eight cruises on the Fairstar. Our kids were in promotional photos for the ship - purely coincidence as the photography team were on board on one of our cruises. Naturally we kept the brochures. I was surprised a few years ago when I looked at the prices and saw how terribly expensive they were. There weren't any deals at that time. The brochure price was the amount you paid.

 

BTW, with a couple of cruises later, our daughter is now Elite on Princess, but hasn't had the chance to enjoy the status yet. Babies kept getting in the way! Our sons are a couple of cruises behind her.

Thats great. My late husband and I never cruised but did plenty of road trips with the kids. Only started cruising when I married Frank (who had never cruised either), but we saw the dawn princess in Hobart when visiting there 2009 and "I'm taking my wife on a cruise" became Frank's catch cry! And we were hooked!

[CDaze71]

I thought of another question please.
What types of "DIET Fountain Sodas (softies)" are available on the Plus Drinks Package? Thanks