First time Princess Cruisers - Concerns

[bandp407]

DH & I are seasoned cruisers who just completed our 40th on the Celebrity Reflection. We are booked on the Enchanted in August and the Sun end of January. A few initial concerns. 
 

1) Have read that there is a window for check in and  it is not assigned in advance. Boarding is done by status , of which we have none. We are accustomed to reserving an early check in advance. Does this mean we could potentially be waiting until 1 or 2pm to board? It’s quite discouraging if this correct. I will request the Medallion in advance. 
 

2) On one of the posts there were comments that if you want a table for 2 with the same wait staff each evening, you could only go at 8:30pm. We typically like to dine around 8pm , with a decent table ( not 2” apart) and again the same wait staff. 
 

3) Told I could only make dinner reservations after final payment. Is this correct and will I get shutout? 
 

4) on the Enchanted early August, we realize there will be a large amount of children . Does the adults only pool or wake pool provide a less crowded area? Is it difficult to get lounges there? 
 

5) Are there a good number of tables outside of the buffet? We generally prefer outside dining for breakfast and dinner. 
 

6) we really enjoy dancing music before and after dinner. Is there a “favorite “ bar or area to listen to the house or party 

 

Would be greatly appreciative of any replies and suggestions. 
 

In advance, Many thanks & happy cruising! 

[reedprincess]

1). There is a boarding window for everyone, usually 3 or so hours. While those with status and suites have priority embarkation, that's only matter when embarkation begins. Once embarkation has begun and the initial line is through, it's board as you like, basically in order of arrival. So, unless you absolutely have to be among the first aboard, simply show up at port about 30 minutes after the boarding window opens and you'll essentially walk right on.   It's same as how boarding was with Celebrity prior to about 2017/2018 give or take.   The boarding window is on your Travel Summary under the itinerary.

 

2) very incorrect. Reserve your table for 2 at the time you like. Once aboard, if you like your wait staff, speak to the maitre'd and ask for same table each night. They're quite accommodating.

 

3) yes, unless you're Elite status (Platinum also?) , MDR reseervations are not available til after final payment... You could theoretically pay early and make reservations earlier.  It's not an issue, there's plenty of spots in all three MDR (3 MDR, all same menu, kitchen, service, etc). 

 

4) there may or may not be a lot of kids. Same as Celebrity at that time. Adult only pool is as crowded or uncrowded as anywhere else depending on demographics, those demographics preferences, weather, etc.  I've never ever had a problem getting a lounger around any of the pools or nearby on upper deck or slightly away from directly at the pool - but then, I'm not super particular where my chairs are in relation to the pool, as in I don't have to be pool front directly.   And, Princess rolls towels and sets them in chairs - don't mistake those for chairs that are taken. 

 

5) yes, there's a decent amount of ta kes aft of the buffet.  One thing on Princess - the buffet is open continually from 6am to 10:30/11am. It does not close down completely in between meals like Celebrity. Different sections will close as they set up for the next meal, but there's always some portion open continually - so always something to eat, snack, and tables available as the crowds are spread out over much longer times..

 

6) atrium, Take 5, Crown Grill bar, etc. you'll have to check out the options once aboard as the bands change up periodically..

 

Have a great time! 

[cr8tiv1]

The Royal Class ships (Enchanted) does not have a dedicated dance venue.  Dancing will happen in the Piazza on a not so dancer friendly tile floor.  

[Seafan22]

I have seen a number of times on here that people say the MDR resevations are not available until after final payment.  I have a trip seven months from now (9/24/24), and I made all of my MDR reservations at least a month or two ago, and have not made my final payment and don't plan to for another few months.  Was it just a quirk in my app that I was able to do this?

 

It's a 31-day trip and every day is accounted for including MDR and specialty restaurants.  And this is my very first time on Princess.

[joeyjeremiah]

I did a 20 day B2B on the enchanted over Christmas and New Years. 

 

1) Yes, unlike celebrity boarding is a general window and not specific times. Suites and Platinum/Elite have priority boarding so when the ship starts embarkation they will be the first to board. Everybody else boards in the order of arrival. Last cruise we were travelling with guests who didn't have priority so we didn't use our status to get priority boarding so we could board together and we were onboard just after 11:00 am. However our shuttle dropped us off at 9:45 am so we were in line for awhile before boarding they started processing people at 10:30.  So if you want to be one of the first onboard you can be even without status however if this isn't important I would suggest arriving at 11:30 or so where there should be less of a wait and you can still get onboard early enough. This is all assuming there aren't any immigration delays which can delay embarkation.

 

2) Reserve your table for 2 in the app for the time you want. Once you get onboard speak to the maitre d and request same table with same waiter for every night. I had 6:00 pm reserved and he told me he couldn't guarantee it for that time that I could go earlier or later if I wanted same table and waiter. However he ended up moving us after the first night to a different section and seated us at the same table with the same waiter every night of our cruise. We did let them know when we had other dinner plans though so they didn't think we just didn't show up. So you may need to be a little flexible but they are very accommodating. At 8:00 pm you shouldn't have an issue. 

 

3) Yes, you can only make dinner reservations after you are paid in full (so if you pay early you can reserve early). Specialty dining can get busy but you should still be able to book what you want, you might have to be a bit flexible with times. You will have no issue getting s dining room reservation. Once onboard you can always see about changing dining reservations but there can be waitlists for specialty dining. Crown Grill was completely booked our entire cruise so if you didn't book in advance you weren't getting in. 

 

4) There will be more kids in August but not as many as you see on RCI or NCL. As for loungers if you don't mind being away from the pool a bit (1 deck up) there are often lounge chairs available even if you arrive later in the day. The adults only pool area is smaller, pool is pretty shallow, loungers are hit and miss in this area. 

 

5) Yes there are a reasonable amount of tables outside so you should be able to find one. Keep in mind thought some of these are on the aft deck and the smoking area is deck 17 aft so depending on how many people are there and the wind the smoke can waft down. We preferred to eat inside near the window.

 

6) A lot of the musicians rotate throughout different venues on the ships. So you will need to watch the daily patter and just check out the various band and venues and see what you like best. But often we saw people dancing in the piazza, this seemed to be a favourite for the dancers.

 

I'm sure you will have a great cruise.

[Boatharbour]

6 minutes ago, Seafan22 said:

I have seen a number of times on here that people say the MDR resevations are not available until after final payment.  I have a trip seven months from now (9/24/24), and I made all of my MDR reservations at least a month or two ago, and have not made my final payment and don't plan to for another few months.  Was it just a quirk in my app that I was able to do this?

 

It's a 31-day trip and every day is accounted for including MDR and specialty restaurants.  And this is my very first time on Princess.

Same here. We don’t sail until January 2025, first time with Princess and have been able to book the MDR for each night already. 

[skynight]

Regarding the Sun Princess. I would wait a month or two and then ask for some comments. The initial sailing is February 18th, this coming Sunday. The Sun's design is totally different than previous Princess ships.

Boarding. There are green and blue lanes. If you complete all the pre-boarding information in the Princess app or on the PC web version your medallion will be mailed to you and you are ready to board. Those in the blue lane have to make a quick stop at the check in desk to pick up their medallion. Typically people begin arriving at the pier around 9:30am. Priority boarders, elites and full suite passengers, are held in one area. Others are in a different area. When boarding begins the priority boarders go first. The the others. Once it starts it goes very quickly.  Actual boarding usually begins somewhere around 10:30/11:00am. 

 

[nasa1974]

On Enchanted there is the retreat pool, deck 17 forward. It's mostly an adult area and fairly quiet. The lounges around the pool fill up quickly but on deck 18 there are a lot of places to sit.

[nasa1974]

3 minutes ago, skynight said:

Regarding the Sun Princess. I would wait a month or two and then ask for some comments. The initial sailing is February 18th, this coming Sunday. The Sun's design is totally different than previous Princess ships.

For the Sun the initial sailing was 2/8 (cancelled) the next sailing 2/18 (cancelled). I think by January all the issues will be taken care of. I'm doing a B2B on the Sun in October and I'm not worried.

[Mangrove Snapper]

1 hour ago, Boatharbour said:

Same here. We don’t sail until January 2025, first time with Princess and have been able to book the MDR for each night already. 

 

Me too.  Our trip isn't until the fall, and not fully paid, but I've already booked the MDR through the app for every night.  This is our second time with Princess. 

[bandp407]

4 hours ago, reedprincess said:

1). There is a boarding window for everyone, usually 3 or so hours. While those with status and suites have priority embarkation, that's only matter when embarkation begins. Once embarkation has begun and the initial line is through, it's board as you like, basically in order of arrival. So, unless you absolutely have to be among the first aboard, simply show up at port about 30 minutes after the boarding window opens and you'll essentially walk right on.   It's same as how boarding was with Celebrity prior to about 2017/2018 give or take.   The boarding window is on your Travel Summary under the itinerary.

 

2) very incorrect. Reserve your table for 2 at the time you like. Once aboard, if you like your wait staff, speak to the maitre'd and ask for same table each night. They're quite accommodating.

 

3) yes, unless you're Elite status (Platinum also?) , MDR reseervations are not available til after final payment... You could theoretically pay early and make reservations earlier.  It's not an issue, there's plenty of spots in all three MDR (3 MDR, all same menu, kitchen, service, etc). 

 

4) there may or may not be a lot of kids. Same as Celebrity at that time. Adult only pool is as crowded or uncrowded as anywhere else depending on demographics, those demographics preferences, weather, etc.  I've never ever had a problem getting a lounger around any of the pools or nearby on upper deck or slightly away from directly at the pool - but then, I'm not super particular where my chairs are in relation to the pool, as in I don't have to be pool front directly.   And, Princess rolls towels and sets them in chairs - don't mistake those for chairs that are taken. 

 

5) yes, there's a decent amount of ta kes aft of the buffet.  One thing on Princess - the buffet is open continually from 6am to 10:30/11am. It does not close down completely in between meals like Celebrity. Different sections will close as they set up for the next meal, but there's always some portion open continually - so always something to eat, snack, and tables available as the crowds are spread out over much longer times..

 

6) atrium, Take 5, Crown Grill bar, etc. you'll have to check out the options once aboard as the bands change up periodically..

 

Have a great time! 

Thank you so very much for taking your time to provide all of this valuable information! 

[bandp407]

3 hours ago, Seafan22 said:

I have seen a number of times on here that people say the MDR resevations are not available until after final payment.  I have a trip seven months from now (9/24/24), and I made all of my MDR reservations at least a month or two ago, and have not made my final payment and don't plan to for another few months.  Was it just a quirk in my app that I was able to do this?

 

It's a 31-day trip and every day is accounted for including MDR and specialty restaurants.  And this is my very first time on Princess.

Very interesting- I will try again! 

[bandp407]

3 hours ago, joeyjeremiah said:

I did a 20 day B2B on the enchanted over Christmas and New Years. 

 

1) Yes, unlike celebrity boarding is a general window and not specific times. Suites and Platinum/Elite have priority boarding so when the ship starts embarkation they will be the first to board. Everybody else boards in the order of arrival. Last cruise we were travelling with guests who didn't have priority so we didn't use our status to get priority boarding so we could board together and we were onboard just after 11:00 am. However our shuttle dropped us off at 9:45 am so we were in line for awhile before boarding they started processing people at 10:30.  So if you want to be one of the first onboard you can be even without status however if this isn't important I would suggest arriving at 11:30 or so where there should be less of a wait and you can still get onboard early enough. This is all assuming there aren't any immigration delays which can delay embarkation.

 

2) Reserve your table for 2 in the app for the time you want. Once you get onboard speak to the maitre d and request same table with same waiter for every night. I had 6:00 pm reserved and he told me he couldn't guarantee it for that time that I could go earlier or later if I wanted same table and waiter. However he ended up moving us after the first night to a different section and seated us at the same table with the same waiter every night of our cruise. We did let them know when we had other dinner plans though so they didn't think we just didn't show up. So you may need to be a little flexible but they are very accommodating. At 8:00 pm you shouldn't have an issue. 

 

3) Yes, you can only make dinner reservations after you are paid in full (so if you pay early you can reserve early). Specialty dining can get busy but you should still be able to book what you want, you might have to be a bit flexible with times. You will have no issue getting s dining room reservation. Once onboard you can always see about changing dining reservations but there can be waitlists for specialty dining. Crown Grill was completely booked our entire cruise so if you didn't book in advance you weren't getting in. 

 

4) There will be more kids in August but not as many as you see on RCI or NCL. As for loungers if you don't mind being away from the pool a bit (1 deck up) there are often lounge chairs available even if you arrive later in the day. The adults only pool area is smaller, pool is pretty shallow, loungers are hit and miss in this area. 

 

5) Yes there are a reasonable amount of tables outside so you should be able to find one. Keep in mind thought some of these are on the aft deck and the smoking area is deck 17 aft so depending on how many people are there and the wind the smoke can waft down. We preferred to eat inside near the window.

 

6) A lot of the musicians rotate throughout different venues on the ships. So you will need to watch the daily patter and just check out the various band and venues and see what you like best. But often we saw people dancing in the piazza, this seemed to be a favourite for the dancers.

 

I'm sure you will have a great cruise.

Thank you so very much for your time in replying and providing such valuable information! 

[bandp407]

3 hours ago, skynight said:

Regarding the Sun Princess. I would wait a month or two and then ask for some comments. The initial sailing is February 18th, this coming Sunday. The Sun's design is totally different than previous Princess ships.

Boarding. There are green and blue lanes. If you complete all the pre-boarding information in the Princess app or on the PC web version your medallion will be mailed to you and you are ready to board. Those in the blue lane have to make a quick stop at the check in desk to pick up their medallion. Typically people begin arriving at the pier around 9:30am. Priority boarders, elites and full suite passengers, are held in one area. Others are in a different area. When boarding begins the priority boarders go first. The the others. Once it starts it goes very quickly.  Actual boarding usually begins somewhere around 10:30/11:00am. 

 

Thank you. Yes I saw that the Sun has been delayed. Will wait for comments to be posted. 

[bandp407]

3 hours ago, nasa1974 said:

On Enchanted there is the retreat pool, deck 17 forward. It's mostly an adult area and fairly quiet. The lounges around the pool fill up quickly but on deck 18 there are a lot of places to sit.

We are fine if a deck above the pool- thanks much! 

[bandp407]

3 hours ago, joeyjeremiah said:

I did a 20 day B2B on the enchanted over Christmas and New Years. 

 

1) Yes, unlike celebrity boarding is a general window and not specific times. Suites and Platinum/Elite have priority boarding so when the ship starts embarkation they will be the first to board. Everybody else boards in the order of arrival. Last cruise we were travelling with guests who didn't have priority so we didn't use our status to get priority boarding so we could board together and we were onboard just after 11:00 am. However our shuttle dropped us off at 9:45 am so we were in line for awhile before boarding they started processing people at 10:30.  So if you want to be one of the first onboard you can be even without status however if this isn't important I would suggest arriving at 11:30 or so where there should be less of a wait and you can still get onboard early enough. This is all assuming there aren't any immigration delays which can delay embarkation.

 

2) Reserve your table for 2 in the app for the time you want. Once you get onboard speak to the maitre d and request same table with same waiter for every night. I had 6:00 pm reserved and he told me he couldn't guarantee it for that time that I could go earlier or later if I wanted same table and waiter. However he ended up moving us after the first night to a different section and seated us at the same table with the same waiter every night of our cruise. We did let them know when we had other dinner plans though so they didn't think we just didn't show up. So you may need to be a little flexible but they are very accommodating. At 8:00 pm you shouldn't have an issue. 

 

3) Yes, you can only make dinner reservations after you are paid in full (so if you pay early you can reserve early). Specialty dining can get busy but you should still be able to book what you want, you might have to be a bit flexible with times. You will have no issue getting s dining room reservation. Once onboard you can always see about changing dining reservations but there can be waitlists for specialty dining. Crown Grill was completely booked our entire cruise so if you didn't book in advance you weren't getting in. 

 

4) There will be more kids in August but not as many as you see on RCI or NCL. As for loungers if you don't mind being away from the pool a bit (1 deck up) there are often lounge chairs available even if you arrive later in the day. The adults only pool area is smaller, pool is pretty shallow, loungers are hit and miss in this area. 

 

5) Yes there are a reasonable amount of tables outside so you should be able to find one. Keep in mind thought some of these are on the aft deck and the smoking area is deck 17 aft so depending on how many people are there and the wind the smoke can waft down. We preferred to eat inside near the window.

 

6) A lot of the musicians rotate throughout different venues on the ships. So you will need to watch the daily patter and just check out the various band and venues and see what you like best. But often we saw people dancing in the piazza, this seemed to be a favourite for the dancers.

 

I'm sure you will have a great cruise.

Thank you so much for your time & comments! I am reassured with all of the information that has been provided! Yes, as to the dining room that is exactly what we do on Celebrity- see the Maitre’D. 

[bandp407]

1 hour ago, Mangrove Snapper said:

 

Me too.  Our trip isn't until the fall, and not fully paid, but I've already booked the MDR through the app for every night.  This is our second time with Princess. 

Very interesting- I will get back on when I have some time. Thank you!

[bandp407]

A HUGE thank you to all who have provided us with such valuable information! In many ways re the dining, chairs,  music, it sounds much like Celebrity. 
 

A friend just asked where we are going on this cruise. I said I wasn’t sure, but it doesn’t matter!  We cruise for the ship , service, quality food, entertainment, good music, and simply love being at sea! 
 

Thanks to all of you , we are excited for our upcoming Princess Cruises!  

Bon Voyage! 
 

 

[MacMadame]

 

On 2/15/2024 at 1:04 PM, Mangrove Snapper said:

 

Me too.  Our trip isn't until the fall, and not fully paid, but I've already booked the MDR through the app for every night.  This is our second time with Princess. 

Add me to the list of those who were able to book before final payment. In fact, I booked almost a year out. I used the new app if that makes a difference.