Island Princess casual dining?

[memoak]

21 minutes ago, Gramgle said:

On the Island Princess, Sabitini’s is Alfredo’s at lunch (Noon till 1:30) … casual dining and a $15 charge.  My complaint is that I booked the Plus Package before there was Casual Dining.  Alfredo was included dining.  In the Summer of 2023 Princess created Casual Dining.  If you booked the Plus Package after its creation, it included  2 Casual Dinings per cruise.  I think that my early booking of the Plus Package should not have excluded the 2 Casual Dining options. It’s not about money.  It about Princess not going the extra distance.  In reality what would it have cost them to include early bookings?  3 months before Alfredo’s was free anyhow.  Just more of the nickel & dime approach.  As Elite… we use to get WiFi… now we pay for it.  In the dining room, a sirloin steak was part of the Princess Favorites.  Now if you want a steak it’s $19.   Everyone use to get a Blue Princess bag for port shopping. Not any more.  The sauna & steamrooms use to be included.  Not any more.  The new business model is to advertise a very inexpensive inside cabin price, then charge extra for every thing else.   

WiFi was always limited to a small amount of minutes which we always went way over. The blue bags just target you as a tourist when you are in port just like the lanyards people seem to want to wear Times change and prices do also. 

[Gramgle]

If you think that the Blue bags pegged you as a tourist, you’re correct.  But if you leave the Blue bag on board the ship, Locals still know you’re a tourist.  Easy as pie.  I live in a tourist town (Key West). I can spot a tourist from 100 feet away. And none carry a blue bag. 

[SargassoPirate]

On 12/18/2023 at 12:31 PM, Gramgle said:

On the Island Princess, Sabitini’s is Alfredo’s at lunch (Noon till 1:30) … casual dining and a $15 charge.  My complaint is that I booked the Plus Package before there was Casual Dining.  Alfredo was included dining.  In the Summer of 2023 Princess created Casual Dining.  If you booked the Plus Package after its creation, it included  2 Casual Dinings per cruise.  I think that my early booking of the Plus Package should not have excluded the 2 Casual Dining options. It’s not about money.  It about Princess not going the extra distance.  In reality what would it have cost them to include early bookings?  3 months before Alfredo’s was free anyhow.  Just more of the nickel & dime approach.  As Elite… we use to get WiFi… now we pay for it.  In the dining room, a sirloin steak was part of the Princess Favorites.  Now if you want a steak it’s $19.   Everyone use to get a Blue Princess bag for port shopping. Not any more.  The sauna & steamrooms use to be included.  Not any more.  The new business model is to advertise a very inexpensive inside cabin price, then charge extra for every thing else.   

There's a pushback or a workaround for every new nickel and dime change that the bean counters and suits come up with, but as long as people will line up to pay, there's no incentive for the company to change.

 

I'm a very frugal cruiser and will take advantage of the things included, but as those disappear I can find other ways to enjoy being at sea. 

 

 

[MacMadame]

I have to say, I'm glad the blue bags are gone. Just what I need... another free bag! LOL (Seriously, I have *so many* of them as I seem to do a lot of things that result in a free bag.)

 

But for the rest, I do think people who booked the $50/day Plus should get everything they had at booking. So that would include the 2 casual dining options that we $60/day people get but not the other stuff that wasn't free at the time.

[Teechur]

In September, we went to England, Ireland, Iceland and Scotland on the Island Princess.

When we booked they were offering $600 in OBC per cabin and no single supplement. We realized that it if we each booked a balcony cabin, we would each get $600, instead of sharing that amount. Between that, and $200 each for Carnival stock we had $800 per person to spend on board. I actually walked away with $75 unspent. no room for more stuff in my suitcase, and no chance to convert it in the casino.

They had Pub Lunches in the MDR a couple of times and popup Alfredo's held in Sabatinis.

[Therese S.]

On 12/3/2023 at 10:50 AM, Nebr.cruiser said:

The main thing I don't like about the Island is no International Cafe, one of our favorite included venues on most Princess ships.  Although on our last cruise there were no longer any salad type dishes there.

I agree, the IC is one of my favorite venues provided by Princess.  Seems like they could find an area to add one.  We’re thinking about booking the 54 day Hawaii/South Pacific/New Zealand/Austrailia cruise in April 2026.  Was so disappointed to see its on the Island.  We’ve been on her twice, once before remodeling and once after.  Not only did they add all the cabins where the theater/lounge was they took out the sanctuary pool.  They added all those cabins but no international cafe, bad decision!    Where do people get coffee without having to go to the buffet?

[Nebr.cruiser]

3 hours ago, Therese S. said:

I agree, the IC is one of my favorite venues provided by Princess.  Seems like they could find an area to add one.  We’re thinking about booking the 54 day Hawaii/South Pacific/New Zealand/Austrailia cruise in April 2026.  Was so disappointed to see its on the Island.  We’ve been on her twice, once before remodeling and once after.  Not only did they add all the cabins where the theater/lounge was they took out the sanctuary pool.  They added all those cabins but no international cafe, bad decision!    Where do people get coffee without having to go to the buffet?

I also find it to be more crowded feeling with the added cabins.  I hate the trend of less outdoor space and more cabins and/or venues that cost to use.  I also really dislike ships without a true promenade deck.

Edited December 21, 2023 by Nebr.cruiser

[beg3yrs]

13 hours ago, Therese S. said:

I agree, the IC is one of my favorite venues provided by Princess.  Seems like they could find an area to add one.  We’re thinking about booking the 54 day Hawaii/South Pacific/New Zealand/Austrailia cruise in April 2026.  Was so disappointed to see its on the Island.  We’ve been on her twice, once before remodeling and once after.  Not only did they add all the cabins where the theater/lounge was they took out the sanctuary pool.  They added all those cabins but no international cafe, bad decision!    Where do people get coffee without having to go to the buffet?

IIRC when we were on the IP in 2022, we got our morning specialty coffees at the Good Spirits Bar.

 

BTW, in 2022 we were on the IP for almost a month. Yes she's a little quirky in her layout but we definitely enjoyed the ship. And, we just booked that 54-day trip to the South Pacific.

[Therese S.]

10 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

IIRC when we were on the IP in 2022, we got our morning specialty coffees at the Good Spirits Bar.

 

BTW, in 2022 we were on the IP for almost a month. Yes she's a little quirky in her layout but we definitely enjoyed the ship. And, we just booked that 54-day trip to the South Pacific.

Thank you for this information.  I was wondering where the folks who purchase the plus and premier plans were getting their morning  coffee.  The international cafe is so popular with Princess cruisers I’m surprised they haven’t found a location to establish a full IC.  I don’t purchase either plan, but do enjoy a coupe of lattes per day.  Does this location also serve morning donuts and afternoon soups and sandwiches?  

[beg3yrs]

45 minutes ago, Therese S. said:

...  Does this location also serve morning donuts and afternoon soups and sandwiches?  

There's usually a small tray of goodies in the by the window. Nothing like the selection of the IC though. Morning pastries but definitely not soups in the afternoon, maybe tiny sandwiches.

[Bluewake]

We are new to Princess and are looking at a cruise on the Island Princess. We are trying to decide whether to go with the standard option or the plus option which would give us two “casual meals” during our cruise. This brings up the question of what are the casual dining venues aboard the Island Princess?  And are the casual dining venues the same thing as “pop ups” or are those two entirely different things?  Advice is much appreciated.

[MaineCruiser243]

On 12/21/2023 at 8:49 PM, Therese S. said:

Thank you for this information.  I was wondering where the folks who purchase the plus and premier plans were getting their morning  coffee.  The international cafe is so popular with Princess cruisers I’m surprised they haven’t found a location to establish a full IC.  I don’t purchase either plan, but do enjoy a coupe of lattes per day.  Does this location also serve morning donuts and afternoon soups and sandwiches?  

I was also curious about what there was on Island P to replace the International Cafe. The website lists something called the "Patissierie" that seems to have pastries, coffee etc. but I can't find it anywhere on the IP deck plan. Anyone who has been on the IP know where this is?

[phabric]

I was on the Island in Nov.  One of the specialty restaurants Bayou Cafe and Steakhouse was used for the causal dining - one day the Salty Dog Pub and the other day Alfredo on a sea day. No reservations needed.  Check the activity paper on the back under dining for the times and place.

 

Coffee was at Good Spirits deck 5 and Explorers Lounge deck 6.  Good Spirits had a trolley with breakfast items - muffins, doughnuts, croissant and later small sandwiches..

[Therese S.]

I just don't get why Princess has not added an International Cafe to the same location where its located on Coral Princess, Deck 6 near the Photo Gallery.  Other than IP losing the Universal lounge with the addition of more cabins, aren't these two sister ships?  Back in 2016 on a Panama Canal cruise on the Island, we were told at the Captains party that they hoped to add one, but that was 7 years ago!  With the push towards packages, maybe one will be added in the next refurbishment.  One thing I do remember is not buying one coffee during the 19 days onboard because I didn't know where to purchase my morning Latte.  If the Island  had a mini international cafe set up,  it was not easily noticeable.  

 

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, MaineCruiser243 said:

I was also curious about what there was on Island P to replace the International Cafe. The website lists something called the "Patissierie" that seems to have pastries, coffee etc. but I can't find it anywhere on the IP deck plan. Anyone who has been on the IP know where this is?

La Patisserie is at Good Spirits..