25 lessons after 6 recent Princess cruises
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- Опубликовано: 22 май 2024
- After sailing 50 days on 5 Princess ships over the last year, I’ve learned 25 valuable lessons about the Princess cruising experience. From navigating their ships to getting the most of their food and drink options, these are lessons that can save you a lot of time, money and grief throughout your cruising journey. If you’re planning a Princess cruise or will be sailing on a Princess ship soon, you’re not going to want to miss this.
#princesscruises #cruisetips
For food and drink menus and daily programs, check out thechillcruiser.blog
🗺️ CRUISE PLANNING AND INSURANCE LESSONS LEARNED
Travel planning lessons: • 12 planning lessons le...
Travel insurance lessons: • 13 costly travel insur...
🛳️ PRINCESS SHIP REVIEWS
Majestic Princess: • Not so Majestic cruise...
Caribbean Princess: • Caribbean Princess off...
Sky Princess: • Sky Princess: Great sh...
📘 CHAPTERS
00:00 Start
01:27 Medallion
02:15 Princess Plus/Premier
03:03 Princess Prizes
03:17 Inconsistent experiences
03:55 Flight guidance
04:33 Challenging ports
05:19 Confusing layout
06:12 Royal class vibe
07:08 Cabins and deck plans
07:49 Mini-suites
08:07 On-demand entertainment
08:22 Room service/OceanNOW
09:18 International Cafe
09:40 Main dining rooms
10:20 Ordering drinks
10:40 "Off book" wines
11:00 Checking drink count
11:22 The Sanctuary
12:04 Grand Class amenities
12:22 Removing sacred venues
13:01 Indoor pools
13:18 Production shows
14:04 Nightlife
14:37 Casino
15:09 Internet service
Thank you to several viewers who corrected or clarified some key points. The drink packages limit drinks with alcohol to 15 but all other drinks like coffees and soft drinks are unlimited. Gratuities aren't included in the Plus and Premier packages for Australia itineraries.There are four Princess ships (in addition to Majestic) that feature an indoor pool: Grand, Coral, Island and Diamond. Princess has released a new app with a refreshed interface that is not featured in this video because I haven't been able to login properly (even though my credentials work on the older app and on the Princess website).
Mini Suite Bath ; Can't recommend if your tall or have hip or leg medical issues. Climbing in or out can be a problem, The bath is set a Step higher than the deck level (Allowance for drainage) which leaves little head room for taller Guests.
Sapphire has an indoor pool also
Gratuities don't seem to be included in Plus and Premier packages for Asian cruises either - just booked a cruise from Tokyo to Singapore and Gratutities are in addition to the packages. Gratutities for Australian cruises are included in your cruise fare, so doesn't get added to your onboard account.
Hello,first I want to thank for your video,it's very well done. My first cruise of my life will be this July/2023. We are 2, I don't drink at all, my husband a bit more, but I heard we have to buy the drink package for both because we are in the same cabin? And also do we have to pay for sanctuary? Thank you
@@trikynguyen3680Thank you for the feedback! Yes I think you’re required to purchase the Plus package for at least 2 people in a cabin if you’re not traveling solo. I’ve heard that you can buy the plus package for just one person when you’re onboard but don’t know that for sure. Yes there is a fee for the Sanctuary: Lounger is $40 for a full day, $20 half day, $300 for the week. Cabanas are $220 for a full day, $140 half day. I hope you enjoy your first cruise!
The smoking in casino is a bummer!
No smoking on any cruises out of Australia. . It’s so great!
Love the medallions!
We sailed on the Regal Princess in February. My husband ate at the international Cafe so many times that he was on a first name basis with two workers by the second day!!!
That’s funny! It’s a great spot.
Funny but agree it is a great spot. We often have a light lunch there, and sometimes a breakfast sandwich. Of course always accompanied by an espresso based coffee
Nice info regarding Enchanted Princess, which is the next one I'll be trying. Thanks.
I love princess and this is probably the most comprehensive and accurate breakdown!!!!!
Wow - thank you!
I enjoy your videos as you are informative and easy to listen to. You get to the point with no drama and click bait. Keep it up. We will be going on our second Princess transatlantic this week. So much has changed since last year. I hope I love it as much as I did the last one.
Thank you for that feedback! I really appreciate it - especially the part about avoiding click bait and drama. I hope you enjoy the TA - please do report back on your experience if you get a chance.
Love this content, subscribed!
I'm glad you like it! Thank you for watching and subscribing!
Very informative video. And some great tips on the changes that were unknown since our last cruise with Princess.
Thank you - I’m glad it was helpful!
First time viewer. This video was very informative, thank you!
Thank you! Very glad to hear.
Going on my first Princess cruise out of Southampton in May, side by side with Norway Fjords cruise on Royal. Thanks for a super helpful video! 😎
Thank you for watching and for the feedback. I'm glad you found the video helpful. I hope you enjoy both cruises!
Just booked an Alaskan Princess cruise this summer.
Wow......you must love cruises, this is my first cruise and I cant wait!!
Great video.
Thank you for the feedback. Hope you enjoy Alaska (and cruising)!
Us too so excited
Same here! We are going in August on the Princess Ruby for our 25th wedding anniversary.
Hello, it's Michelle from just down the road in Kingston. I'm so excited that my husband and I are having our first holiday in 11 year, taking the Sun Princess 7 day Mediterranean cruise in Sept. I'm watching so many videos for feedback. This was great advice.
Hi Michelle! Thank you for watching, I'm glad it was helpful. I'm excited for your cruise! I've only heard amazing things about cruising the Mediterranean and what an added perk to be doing it on a brand new ship that's the first of its class! And September is a perfect time to go. I hope you have an amazing time!
Hey Andrew! It was nice to meet you on the Enchanted Princess.
Hey Steven! Great to meet you as well! Those were fun times at Crooners! How was the rest of your cruise? I’m at andrew@thechillcruiser.blog if you’d prefer to email! 😁
We have been on 9 Princess cruises and never had a bad cruise.
Just booked our first cruise! Itll be for early this summer aboard the Discovery Princess. We got the Princess Plus Package. Your video was very enlightening, thank you!!
I'm glad the video was helpful. I hope you have a wonderful cruise!
We are also booked on princess discovery this summer to Alaska!
We've been on the Regal and are returning to it next month and doing a repositioning cruise on the Majestic. Your observations are quite helpful.
Thank you for the feedback! Regal is a great ship - hope you enjoy your cruises!
Love Princess
We haven't been on Princess since 2018 but are Platinum, so we did quite a few before! These tips are useful, thanks.
Thank you Evelyn! I love your profile pic at the Celebrity martini bar. One of my favourite places!
Great informative video
Thank you!
You got it right on most things. Now everything is about money. But unfortunately you do have many people who still smoke, myself included, but you’re right about Enchanted Ship casino and fog of smoke lingering to the non smoking areas. It’s gets very smoky in there. My suggestion would be keep small area / section with proper smoke filtering system.
Agree, and they now I hear they have turned Churchill's into an Arcade. I am going on Enchanted for the first time. I have looked and nowhere does it say on deck plans where the designated areas are, if you could tell me it would be much appreciate. Loved Churchill's on Diamond.
Thanks for a great video. I find your take to be very accurate and I learn something new each time . After our Xmas cruise on the Caribbean Princess, we are doing a repeat for this year’s holiday on enchanted... the passengers on Princess are so very kind, easy to talk to, and albeit “more experience”, far more interesting!
Thank you for watching and sharing your feedback! Really appreciate it! If you enjoyed Caribbean I think you’ll love Enchanted. It’s now one of my favorite Princess ships.
@@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex - I am excited for the wakeview pool!
@ralphg2436 yes it is! I’ve posted 2 videos about it. Full review: Caribbean Princess offers the best of older and newer ships
ruclips.net/video/sBpW0T4k6V8/видео.html . And update: Is the trash talk about Caribbean Princess true? I went back to find out
ruclips.net/video/3FCpBJ3lclA/видео.html
Thank you for a great video! I wish you had touched on Princess's enrichment programs, and your thoughts on them. I love enrichment and it's a key reason I enjoy Princess in Alaska.
Thank you for the feedback. Princess was not at their best when I sailed to Alaska on Majestic last spring - a lot when wrong and there wasn't much enrichment to speak of so there wasn't much I could say on that topic unfortunately.
An excellent list. I just returned from Caribbean Princess and had a fantastic time. The casino experience was excellent. Luckily the craps table is on the nonsmoking side. I wish they would but slot machines in Churchill’s and make the main casino non smoking
I’m glad you enjoyed your cruise on Caribbean! That’s a great idea for Churchill’s! Much better use of the space than an arcade.
Thank you
Great video
Thank you!
Just got off the Crown Princess to Mexico, will be taking her again in September to Alaska. We dined in the Botecelli dining room which is aft. The line can get long and twisted as there isn't much wait room. We did get waved through each evening to the same dining table which helped. Crooner's Bar is the best place to hang out, although the Wheelhouse has better IPA beer. Service in the Crown Grill is spotty, one evening extremely fast, the next really slow. We've experienced this on other Princess ships as well. Best thing, Elite and Platinum members have priority disembarkation. Thank you for the video.
Thank you for watching and for sharing your experience!
No priority disembarkation for platinum and elite.
We usually cruise Celebrity but are booked on the new Sun Princess and we are super excited….cant wait!
I'm a big fan of Celebrity too. Hope you enjoy your cruise on the Sun!
We have 32 Princes cruises under our belt and have enjoyed the excellent incremental changes to the ships we did not notice besides your excellent tips. Nexk time we book Princess we will check if Crooners is still there. 😢
Just did a cruise on the Regal out of Galveston last week and Crooners is still there but only a bar and some seats. I did notice a piano but never heard anyone playing it.
I appreciate your straight forward presentation. Thank you!
Thank you Denise for watching and sharing your feedback!
great video :) ive just subscribed to your channel :) its its deb from tasmania australia :) weve just booked our first princess cruise on the crown princess for a 2 night cruise in may 2026 :) im really looking forward to it as i also have booked us both the premier plus package :) im hoping that the entertainment and the night time vibe onboard will be great :)
Hey Deb! Thank you for watching and for the feedback! I’ve heard amazing things about the Crown and you can’t go wrong when you have almost unlimited access to premium booze! 😉
thats what i thought hehe we never buy an alcohol beverage package, we occasionally get a refreshment package, but im totally excited about the perks included :) @@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex
Just came back from 13 day New Zealand/Australia cruise. It was HORRIBLE.
-Princess changed our 2 balcony rooms to the other side of the ship and put a cabin between us 2 weeks before our departure date.
(They said SORRY YOU DIDNT CATCH THIS EARLIER SO WE COULD FIX IT. I reminded them WE did nothing wrong.)
Gave us $25 on board credit and a bottle of wine. Refused to do more. It changed the whole dynamic of our trip. We chose that side of the ship so we could see the New Zealand coastline instead of open water and we couldn’t open the balcony divider and have a large balcony to share. UGH…
-Daughter’s NEW room smelt like poop (came twice to fix her toilet), sink stopper stuck and couldn’t use the sink, shower dripped, poor seal around balcony door that let in smoke stack smoke into her room, balcony divider outside banged open in the middle of the night and needed to be fixed.
-My room…blood/lipstick on blanket at end of my bed when I first went into the room and the fridge was broken.
I wonder how the two families in our original rooms faired.
-Room attendant got Covid mid trip and had to isolate. We got sick soon after and my daughter had to go on antibiotics.
-Ship ran out of Diet Coke cans and bottled water.
-Food was sub par. We lost weight cuz food so bad.
-Shows on board equivalent to high school performances. We actually got up and left one show.
-One ply toilet paper.
They gave my daughter flowers after her toilet exploded on her and into her shower and gave us $50 towards a spa treatment which was an empty gesture. You could only use it when we were in port (we went on excursions then) and you still had to make up the difference of a treatment which was at least $150. So the $50 gift would cost us $100 to use. Thank you?
So bad. Princess only cruise line that has EVER changed our rooms randomly. We booked these rooms a year in advance.
NEVER again with Princess.
I’m so sorry to hear - that’s a horrible experience and it doesn’t sound like Princess handled it well at all.
Oyster bay sauv Blanc. Fabulous
I prefer a river over an ocean. I made 52 days on 5 ships last year which included many fantastic shore excursions. I've booked another 55 days for this year.
Thank you for evaluation, my husband and I are cruising in March on the Sky princess. I had hoped the casino would be less smoky than our last cruise on Royal. It sounds like it won’t be.
Thank you for watching and for your feedback. Unfortunately Sky is a lot smokier than the early Royal class ships where the smoking side was on the smaller bank of machines on the starboard side of the tables. On the newer ships, it's the reverse. That bank is now the non-smoking side with the larger port side all smoking. The good news is that not everyone is smoking since the smoking side is usually where all the good machines are located! I hope you still get to enjoy your cruise!
Medallions are currently only shipped to USA and some Canadian locations. I am on a cruise next week and this is what the Princess app says very clearly in the check-in section Europe and the rest of the world as well as some places in Canada will get there soon, but not yet.
Great job. I like the Mini-suites but many have exposed balconies.
Thank you for your info.
I have a problem with Princess that caused me to cancel a 55 night half world cruise. .
It’s a lot to do with the charges now put on things that used to be included in the usual fare.
Example . Entry to casual dining like Alfredos pizza, room service etc.
So I recently did a 3 night cruise on Majestic princess. I had booked the Plus package ( accidentally I might add , but that was ok)
We enjoyed the inclusions but found we only had a couple of drinks … and when I went to order wine , I was shown a small card with about 5 wines only that was available to me on this package. I had assumed I could look at the wine list and choose one I wanted ( under $15 of course per glass). The stuff they had on the card was disgusting…
We went to Alfredo’s because we got two visits to the casual dining. All great as usual, despite having to line up for about 45 minutes to get in.
We had a look at the ice cream Sundaes that were on offer.. honest to goodness ,anybody with any respect for their health would not be having two of these every day so I’m pretty sure princess had added these on as a filler as such. In other words it makes the package look like you’re getting a real lot of stuff, but most people probably wouldn’t use it that much. The same with the gym class, I’m on holidays. I have no intention of going to a gym other than walking through it to have a spa treatment -so there is another useless thing for us and probably a lot of other people as well. Our three day cruise was good. We were happy with the inclusions and we only paid about $300 for the couple extra -from the standard fare.
So now we get to the world Cruise that I had booked. We’re looking at about 20 odd, thousand dollars. And I looked at the plus package and it was an extra 7 1/2 thousand dollars for my husband and myself to get this added to our fare . so because it was such a long cruise, I was curious as to how many visits we could have to the casual dining. I asked the question online and everybody said 2 🤷♀️ I thought this couldn’t possibly be true. How could you give two on a three day cruise and for a 55 night Cruise still only get two visits to a casual dining venue. I contacted Princess and they said no you only get two. Then I found out that the world Cruise is four cruises back to back. so since we had paid for all four cruises, at least we should have got was eight visits to a casual dining. I won’t go on and on about this because there were other things that annoyed me -one being the size of their cabins in comparison to say a royal Caribbean Cabin of the same category.
So I cancelled. And I’ve booked another Cruise with Holland America. I’ve never sailed with this company before, but they offered a thing called the HAVE IT ALL package. This was $75 Australian, so only $10 more than majestic. But what did it offer ??
Wi-Fi? Yes
Drinks yes
THREE visits to their specialty restaurants!
$300 US to spend on their excursions.
These inclusions are much more useful than the stupid ice cream Sundaes , gym, classes, and two lousy visits to a casual dining that used to be included anyway.
I will Cruise princess again, but I won’t take the package and waste my money. And I won’t cruise with them for quite some time because I’m really really annoyed with what they’re doing. And yes I’m sure they could not care less.
First world problems, buddy. A lot of people would LOVE to afford a cruise or even a vacation yet here you are griping about little issues. 🙄
@@fluffytail6355 not our problem! I don’t blame him for being mad! When I spend top dollar I want top dollar amenities ! Some delicious coffee , good creamer, no watered down liquor!!!
The full World Cruise on Coral 2026, comes with Comped Premier Package and Airfare.
@@fluffytail6355 Wow, lets talk Third World Calcutta, pooping in the street. Oh, that's San Francisco, who knew?
Just returned from a Princess cruise. Good info here, but there are a couple updates. There are areas on the ship that you can't use the app to order drinks. Deck 16 would not allow us to order drinks almost the entire cruise. Also, ordering drinks 2 years ago using your Medallion worked better than our last cruise. This past week we ordered drinks and at least 33% of the time, we never received our drinks, even after that app said they were "delivered." It was a hassle using the Chat option to find the issue, and get a refund if there was a delivery charge, etc. Opening our cabin door was slow at times as well (maintenance was finally called when the cabin steward and we were unable to enter our room). Entertainment was lacking as you stated, and the comedy shows were "hit & miss," which is one of the things we usually enjoy. Thanks for the review/inputs!
Thank you for the feedback and for sharing your experience. It does seem like their ordering system has a few bugs since they released the new app.
Nightmare!
The entertainment was weak ! Every night when they had the DJ it was the same playlist repetitively ! We never once got one buzz off of a drink at all! Loved the wine at every dinner! Also they had the worse tasting coffee ever! Bring instant coffee and your creamer or you’ll be needing coffee!!!!!
FYI…I’ve been on 35 cruises on Princess & like yourself have been on a variety of ships. Interesting about Alaska ports. Maybe I’ve been lucky but I’ve never experienced an extremely long line either getting on or off the ship. One tip with the room service card put out for breakfast. I wrote on the card things not listed like French Toast which was delivered. I would also just circle 7 am on the card & with in a short time the food was delivered. When I book a balcony I prefer the Caribe Deck 10 as the balcony is larger & partially covered & uncovered especially if you don’t want to be in the sun. I’ve also learned that if I want to sit at the same table every night I mention that the first night. When I've done that I was genuinely able to walk in directly to my table each night. A tip for the Sanctuary is to make a bee line there when you 1st board the ship to get the day & time you want but for me more importantly where my lounger was located. I agree the service there was excellent. Thanks for sharing your experiences & tips.
Thank you for sharing your own tips and experience - all very helpful! I'm going to try the French Toast trick on my next cruise!
Lots of what you talked about sounds like some of those east coast ships/experiences differ slightly from the Ruby, Discovery, Crown and Grand Princess ships which sail out of the west coast. I've been cruising since the 90's, on NCL, Royal, Carnival and Princess and I enjoy Princess.
Just got back from a 9 day cruise on the Explorer of the Seas. Great time
Explorer of the Seas-?! Do you mean Discovery Princess?
@@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex No Explorer of the Seas. I was on it from the port of Miami on March 22- 31st.
We were on the Sky for 14 days and I can tell you that the average age of the passengers was about 68 years old! There were people sitting in the Piazza napping in the afternoon! 😴
That's funny. The average age on Princess seems to be 60+ on a 7 day cruise and it seems to get older the longer the itinerary.
It’s easier to let your travel advisor find the type of cabin you want. You never pay more with an agent and you often get extra perks.
As an agent, I concur. A lot of people assume it costs money for a travel agent, but it costs nothing extra (like you said) and not only can we make sure you’re on the right ship for your preferences but also get you perks that the cruiseline alone won’t give you (just like you said)
Thanks for your video. Doing my 2nd Pricess cruise in July. I have a slight problem with the Packages. Because I dont drink except for a cappachino here and there I cant wrap my mind around the fact that I am the only person who thinks they ought to have another level for non-drinkers. BTW double deserts is also a no go for me. End of my unpopular opinion. Thanks again for your work.
Thank you for your feedback and perspective. You are one of MANY who has mentioned to me they are frustrated there isn’t a package option without alcohol!
Even though you may not drink alcohol, I suggest to people to just pencil it out. Hubby does not drink alcohol either, however, his hot cocoa drinks and bottled water to take onshore make the math workout. Agreed, those special desserts also look disgusting to us.
The Grand class ships have indoor pools, as do the Coral and the Island ships.
Embarkation day number 2 coming up! Can't wait! I sub now. Thank you.
Thank you! By embarkation day number 2 do you mean you're on a back to back or going on your second Princess cruise-?
@@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex This will be our second cruise. We sail on the Enchanted Princess.
@@wisdomSP Fantastic! Enchanted is a great ship! Hope you have a great time! If you ever find yourself at Crooners bar, say hello to Ozzy for me - he's the best bartender on the ship!
I think you’re mistaken, I’ve been on Princess 100+ days and I am a platinum member. First of all never ever buy the Princess packages, why? Number one you always get on board credit if you’re dealing with a reputable travel agency. In my case, I got a total of $850 on board credit for two people on a 16 night cruise coming up this summer up board Caribbean princess, it doesn’t make sense to buy the onboard packages number three the onboard packages presumed you’re going to drink six drinks a day to break even. While you may party and whoop it up the first couple of days I don’t think unless you’re alcoholic you’re gonna be drinking six alcoholic drinks every day. And while this also includes other drinks like coffee, drinks, and sodas, it’s still doesn’t work out as a financial benefit if you do a cost benefit analysis. Lastly, I don’t understand why anybody goes to a specialty restaurant unless you enjoy spending extra money. The main dining room offers at least three or four options for main course and three or four entrées and three or four desserts, all of which have always been delicious. And if you don’t like what you get, you can always change it for something else without any kickback from the staff.
So, after being on eight cruises with Princess and 125 days, never ever buy the premium plus package, you’ll never get your moneys worth out of it unless you’re an alcoholic in my opinion. Remember, even if you love to drink and your spouse doesn’t touch alcohol they’re going to charge you $60 per day per passenger, not for cabin! So if your wife or loved one, spouse doesn’t drink, it doesn’t matter. They are going to be charged $60 a day for soda and coffee drinks. Also, as far as restaurant, access and main decks, the same thing occurs on Holland America having been on two cruises with them, two different ships. Some dining rooms are only accessible through the aft stairwell.
I don’t think you can make a blanket statement to say never ever by the Princess packages. For some it definitely isn’t worth it and they probably shouldn’t. But others it can be worth it.
We prefer to get it for one simple but important reason for us. At the end of the cruise, there is no surprise bar tab. Peace of mind is priceless!
We also enjoy the Crown Grill, and even though it’s an additional charge, it’s still cheaper than a land based steak house and offers a different option to the MDR, which is nice on a longer cruise.
I’ve never cruised with less than $400 OBC which I could use for drinks and specialty restaurants but that is always my “casino” money, which I turn into cruise offers if I’m lucky 😂.
Thank you @@katjar4881 for chiming in here. You read my mind!
I'll be cruising on Princess with 2 kids for the first time in a few weeks. Initially I wasn't going to buy any package but the other parties we are going with all bought either a plus or a premium package so I caved. I'm kind of peeved by having to purchase packages for two instead of one since none of my kids are drinking age.
@@shuhanchen You only have to purchase the drink package for every guest of drinking age in the same stateroom. If it's just you and your kids in the cabin, then you should only be required to purchase 1 package.
@@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex The Princess customer service person that spoke me on the phone insisted I can only buy 2…. 🤦♀️
You may not have experienced difficulties with other cruise lines in challenging ports however can say that Norwegian is notorious for it so just for a bit of balance not sure that can be pegged entirely on Princess.
RIU oops nice, but appears to be limited in its offerings in the dining venues and lacking top shelf liquors in the lounges, so I wouldn’t really consider this as a premium offering. I’ve heard the same for their 2 locations in Aruba for both day package guests and regular overnight guests.
One more thing. Each ship can be a different experience, and that is typically based on the ship’s Captain. A well run ship is obvious, as is a lackluster run ship.
Please be aware that if you book your trip in Australia princess plus and premier do not include gratuities. Therefore it is not worth having, especially if you do not drink alcohol
Thank you for clarifying! I wasn't aware of this.
Cruises that depart or arrive in Australia must incude gratutities in the cruise fare - so they don't get added to your onboard account. The Plus Package is $65 AUD without gratutities or $60 USD ($92 AUD approx) when it includes gratuities.
Princess interior or ocean view cabins that are coded on the deck plans (by color) to accommodate up to 4 people, by default have the pull down bunks--notice cabin capacity to know about bunks
I’m confused - deck plans on princess.com are color coded by cabin category not capacity. The only way I’ve figured out how to determine capacity is by filtering # of guests. What am I missing? Or are you referring to plans from a 3rd party?
We recently just got off the sky princess, this was my 17 cruise. Without a doubt the most crowded ship I have ever been on. The food quality has definitely went down and this is coming from a food service professional and an executive chef. Entertainment was lacking. Mini suite and steward was excellent
Being an elite princess cruiser I am going to look at other options since cutting corners seems to have went a little far. We are still quests and customers and not $$$
Thank you for your objective review of Princess. Regrettably, while I am a platinum member I have a lot of reservations about Princess travel in the future. They keep cutting back and cutting back and Nickel and diming, and making it more of a revenue based experience rather than a relaxing experience.I wrote a letter to the president of Princess, expressing my concerns, showing that I’ve been on 8 princess cruises across the world from South America to Russia to all over the Caribbean and the Mediterranean to Asia hoping they’ll begin to see some reason. There’s a lot of things princess could do to make the experience far more enjoyable. Princess, according to two websites that I read made $4.2 billion in 2023. It’s not like they’re hurting after Covid anymore. That’s long since died, cruising has rebounded with a fury. Unfortunately, this cruise line has chosen the opportunity to further cutback the benefits and make it a more of a hassle-based experience.
So sad.
Did they reply?
I enjoy watching the videos BUT my Aldi never has any of the items you show, nor is it that organizes.
Great video, keep them coming!! This may sound petty, but the delivery for the medallion device is not free if you are not Elite. Otherwise there is a charge for home delivery, I just pick mine up at the beginning of the cruise. That way I have more money to spend onboard!! Thanks again for the info!
Thank you for watching and for the feedback! I really appreciate it. Very good point about medallion shipping charges if you don’t have Plus or Premier package - I didn’t know it’s included with Elite. Cheers!
Elite don't get free medallion mailing.
Last year from Singapore start
Diamond princess to Thailand and Vietnam. The terminal arrangements
Is a very poor to get on ship.
And the food is limited.....
Princess does not mail the medallion to Canadian addresses. Good info, even though I have had 22 cruises with them. So agree about flying in the day before. The brochure deck plans always used to show by a symbol on each cabin whether it had a 3 rd or 4 th berth, but you are right now that we have to check online for deck plans. I hate that as it is so difficult to judge what is over or under a cabin. I much preferred when brochures were readily available. Thx a lot, well done. From Chris in Vancouver.
Thank you for watching and for the feedback! Really appreciate it! Princess announced recently that they will now mail medallions to Canada as well as the US. My friend tested it on a January cruise and it worked well so that’s good news!
Yes it does, since 2024. Update your notes, sir.
@@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex ok, good to know. We will expect ours then for our June cruise. We fly to UK June 2, but cruise is June 14, so hope we get before we leave.
What about the Sun Princess? As far as entertainment would you put it in the same category as the other new ships you mentioned?
I haven’t been on Sun yet but it looks like the main production shows (and theater design) are very different along with more entertainment options in the dome in the evenings. I hope to be able to answer your question based on first-hand experiences this summer 😉
You mentioned in your video that the casino comps have changed over the last few years, could you explain in more detail. We used to get comps for balcony rooms and mini suites, now for some reason our offers are for interior rooms.
Since I've only been part of the program for just over a year, the only big change I'm aware of is the one I mentioned (eliminating Princess Plus from interior and balcony CBS offers). But I keep hearing from long-time players that they've been steadily reducing comps over the past few years since demand is so high and ships are almost always selling out.
This will be my 1st Princess cruise in Nov on Ruby, hopefully there is a Night life. I am having difficulty using Princess website, not finding alot there like the Gratuties had to ask my TA how much they were.. How much are drinks if you don't buy the Plus or Premier package?? Like other cruises 13-15 a drink?
Yes drinks are around $10-12. You can check out bar menus on my website: thechillcruiser.blog/2023/11/15/bar-menus-on-caribbean-princess/ . Princess calls tips “crew appreciation” so that’s why you might have had a hard time getting info. It’s $16 daily (if you don’t have the Plus or Premier package, which includes tips). See here: www.princess.com/html/global/disclaimers/crew-appreciation/
We're sailing on the Echanted Princes next month. First time Princess cruisers. Thank you for this informative video. I have several questions. is there an extra charge for the international Cafe? I read that the Princess plus package gives you access to an unlimited juice bar. Does this include juices such as fresh squeezed vegetable juices (carrot, celery, etc. ) or are we talking just fruit juices like orange or grapefruit juice? Royal Oasis class ships have juice bars within their spa area (Vitality Cafe) that offer fresh juices and smoothies. How far out from the sailing can we expect to get our Medallions in the mail? Thank you for your help.
The food at the International Cafe (IC) is complimentary - the coffee drinks are a la carte pricing unless you have one of the drinks packages. I have never been able to find the juice bar but I know the buffet and the IC offer different juices and smoothies in the morning. I'm sorry I can't offer more detail about the types and quality of juices - hopefully someone else can address that. Your medallions are mailed a week or 2 after you complete check in using the app. If you don't receive them in time, or if you lose them, they can issue you new ones at the port. I hope you have a great cruise!
Check to see that Princess didn’t change your room number ahead of your trip.
We booked New Zealand/Australia a year ago and we just got back.
They changed our cabins without telling us. Our rooms were originally booked side by side balcony rooms and they put us on the other side of the ship and a room between us. They couldn’t explain why this happened and said we caught it too late for them to change it. We did nothing wrong. Rude Princess manager called Ram on the phone gave us $25 on board credit and a screw top bottle of wine.
Keep checking and make sure they don’t randomly move you guys too.
First and last time on Princess, Regal Princess. We only do the included food choices and the main ding room choices were very limited and honestly not that good, first time both my wife and I lost weight after 8 nights.
Sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy the food! Princess can be very inconsistent - great food on one ship and not-so-great on another just a few months later. It's a shame you had this experience because Regal is usually a great ship.
Is princess making the changes to the dancing space and casino bar on all smaller ships such as taking the "night club" out on deck 6 on coral princess?
Sorry I've never been on Coral so can't comment but hopefully someone else can answer. I have heard they're removing amenities like the sauna and steam room when Grand class ships go into dry dock. Caribbean still has the casino bar and night club - someone on the ship told me that the night club would be removed on its next update but I can't confirm whether that's actually the case. Princess is not very transparent about its ship updates (or anything really). Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
@@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex thank u for the reply and thnx for all your informative videos about princess.
Greetings. Very Informative video. Being freshly retired and a newbie at Cruises I am curious as to what you mean by ''Older Grand Class of ships''. I am looking at some cruises in Europe and I want to make sure I don't embark on some ready to sink POS. Go Sens Go!
Go Sens Go! Princess has a fairly large fleet and most of the ships that aren’t Royal class are Grand class meaning they’re a decade or 2 old. I sailed on the 20 year old Caribbean Princess in October and loved it. Each class has its pros and cons - what the older ships lack in modern style they make up for with more amenities like a wraparound promenade, a proper night club and observation lounge along with all the tech from the newer ships.
The ships have all been refurbished. Consult a good travel agent for advice .
Thanks for the very thorough overview...it reminded me why I stopped cruising on Princess...I recently fell victim to nostalgia and went online to checkout the Sun Princess...I thought maybe I'll give them another try. I found a 5 day cruise leaving on Oct 15th from Ft Lauderdale...after trying numerous times to book a cabin and not finding anything available, I called Princess directly...I asked the young representative who took my call if that sailing was sold out...she said let me look...she asked me what type cabin are you looking for? I told her the signature suite. She said I have 1 left...I asked her to describe the cabin...separate sitting area from bedroom, walkin closet..etc, etc...and only 2000 each...I asked if the 200 per person deposit was refundable...she told me only to the 29th of February...but if i bought insurance i could cancel for any reason and get my money back...I went ahead and booked...later on when I was reading my reservation documents, I saw I was booked for an S9 cabin...I went online to look at the location and room layout...to my dismay I discovered that the cabin she described to me was an S4 cabin and the cabin she sold me was basically a minisuite with suite amenities...I was extremely disappointed and called Princess back and cancelled.. I havent checked but I'm thinking i wont be refunded the trip insurance...never again 😢
You aren't missing anything. Phone customer service remains quite poor (unless you use a PVP). I won't travel on the new Sun Princess because of further cutbacks. For example, the Sun departs from the Royal Class ships where the Eatery (new name for the Lido / Horizon buffet) serves the SAME identical food every day for the entire week (lunch menu and dinner menu)). Too cheap to change the buffet selections now?? The cost cutting is ridiculous!! Time to move on to other cruise lines with this type of management mentality.
Too bad. You should have used an experienced travel agent. 🤷♀️. Live and learn.
The Island Princess has an INDOOR POOL
So does Grand Princess
Thank you for sharing this. I've added a pinned update in the comments with a summary of the Princess ships with an indoor pool.
That's disappointing to hear about no Crooner on the Majestic, we're on that ship in October, and that was our group regular meeting spot, we've sat for hours enjoying the entertainment. Also, while I agree with the odd way they have their decks , and it's sometime confusing to get to a certain location, we've always looked at it as part of the experience and just enjoyed the cruise. Life's too short to worry about those things, we've learned that the hard way. But others, I'm sure feel different and that's absolutely fine.
They did have a pianist performing by crown grill on Majestic but it seemed he was told to perform very low key elevator music. The leadership on the ship at the time was horrible - I hope it’s a much better situation when you’re onboard because Majestic is a beautiful ship overall.
The free steam/sauna rooms are being removed from the mens/womens locker rooms when the ships go into dry dock. The Emerald and Ruby have already had theirs taken out. The paid steam/sauna rooms on these ships are terrible.
Oh, this makes me sad. . . One of my favorite things to do when on board!
That's unfortunate. Thank you for sharing!
Cruise ships in general (per usual), are offering *less for more $. Quite sad.
We booked with the Ruby just a few weeks ago to Alaska. Never been on a cruise, so really looking forward to it. This is a big drag about the saunas, was really looking forward to this feature.😢 Thanks for your explanation of features etc, we are trying to learn a lot ahead of time. Any suggestions for flights from Toronto to Vancouver, prices are getting up there thanks to Mr T
Some countries - you pick your medallion at check in
This used to be true for Canada but now the medallions are being mailed to passengers
Be aware all Alaska trips are cold and no one goes in pool and mostly hot tub and on some cruises the spa you never see the sun
Not always true. We have cruised Alaska multiple times. At least once the weather was very hot! Take layers.
@@elizabethdurham1657 yes it can be occasionally hot. I think 3 yrs ago a couple of weeks before I went it was 90s for a good week - so check the weather
👏👏🙏
Do you have to pay extra to eat via "Dine My Way". Just booked a Princess cruise and was confused how it works. On Carnival yoj can eat a njce dinner in the dining room with your group every night and its included...
Hi there - Princess is the same. Meals in the main dining rooms are included in your cruise fare.
Just back from a cruse on sky to Norway. I have only crused with celebrity before and found princess frustrating. The madalian worked like 70 percent of the time. The queus where insane often 30mins plus for drinks. On board activities where lacking, the few there where in a venue that was 2 small. Found the ship boring and the layout was awful. Full of dead-ends. The corridors act like room over flows with people standing around with no where to go. The Deck 7 corridor was the only way to navigate decks 5, 6 and 7 from the aft. Went to 2 shows both where good but lower budget. Theater had no tabel or holder for drinks. Save for a hand full of staff, the staff where rude and disinterested, service was lacking. On drinks, great selection of alcahol and cocktails tending towards premium better then celebrity and better priced too. I will try princess again just not sky. Norway was amazing will go back with another crues line.
Thank you for sharing your experience - that’s too bad that the ship still has service issues.
Does anyone have any information on kids in the kid’s club? Did they enjoy their time there? We are heading to Mexican Rivera on Discovery in a week. We are traveling with our family and grandchildren children ages 5-12. Last year was the grandchildren’s first cruise. We were on Royal Caribbean lines. I had to book Princess because of the timing of the children’s spring break. I’m looking forward to it but I want the kids to have a great time on board.
My friend was on Sky with her 10 year old son in January and he really enjoyed it. He tried it out (hesitantly) on day one and loved it right away.
Anyone else going on sky princess on the 2nd of august this year?
We are cruising for the first time with sapphire princess. I have not been able to find any information specific to this ship.
Hi Debbie - what kind of information are you looking for? After a quick search, I noticed there's a Cruise Critic review of the ship as well as a tour video on the Princess site.
Lesson 24 - or cruise out of Australia - no smoking in casinos out of there.
Good to know - thanks for sharing! Australia seems to have a lot of rules that force cruise lines to change things up (fares need to include gratuities, casino offers can’t include free cruises etc)
Ty for this vlog! Question for you and your lovely commentators. I wish to tip the crew appropriately, probably maybe a bit extra. How can I know how, how much of pre-paid tips go directly to the underpaid staff? “Included” is one thing, but how real is that? So, how much is appropriate to tip on top of the “included” portion? Srsly want to know, been asking on lots of vlogs, no answers so far.
Tipping in the US is such a weird thing…
Thank you for watching. Regarding tips, this article from Cruise Critic offers a good overview: www.cruisecritic.com/articles/an-insiders-guide-to-tipping-on-a-cruise
@@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex Ty so much, very helpful. Weird this is all so secretive. Tipping ought to be normalized, or done away with. What a weird gray area we’re in.
Tbh the suggestions here seem v low. Love to know what the shared out tips really come out to. Will do more digging.
Meantime this is v useful, so thx!
@@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex, thank you for the link 😊
While I love the extra space in a mini-suite but, both my husband and I have balance issues and stepping in and out of a tub can be treacherous. So when we have one, I take my showers in the ladies gym!.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm sorry to hear about your experience with the tub!
What if the medallion doesn't arrive or is lost before you embark on your journey?
It's not a problem at all! They can provide a new medallion at the embarkation port. You will just have to go to the blue lane instead of the green lane.
The Number of Passengers in Wheelchairs,Mobility Scooters Walkers and Sticks was the Norm over The Easter Cruise on Sky Princess 25th March/8th April...and some of these people thought they had the Right of Access to Elevators...Right of Way..leave Them outside Restrooms and walkways in Restaurants and Buffets
Come on 75% of the casino?! In this day and age there should be no smoking in interior spaces anywhere on the ship! Or at minimum they need to drastically increase the ventilation in the casino to remove the smoke!
Agree!
We didn’t get a buzz off of any drinks at all
Lobster js now limited
Why fly on your own?? Princess 'Easy Air' is generally much less than self booked flights (I know, some folks have points to use so go a day early) and any problems with your flight are then covered by Princess and they take the reins to get you on your ship.
The trouble with the mini-suite is who wants a tub unless you are traveling with kids and WHY TRAVEL WITH KIDS?!?! We much prefer 'Deluxe Balcony', where available. You have a love seat instead of a couch but you get a shower stall.
I believe some of the bars next to the casinos were being outfitted as a closed off no-smoking area.
That does not compete with Souhwest. Way cheaper.
@@robzilla69 My problem, because I worked in law enforcement at an airport, is I will NEVER fly Southwest.
My daughter granddaughter and I were on the majestic 2 years I'm very disappointed in the shows and also nightlife. I just booked a 6-day on the Caribbean Princess for my two friends and me in December and after reading how old it was I'm starting to get worried.
I really enjoyed my cruise on Caribbean Princess last October. What it lacks in modern design in some places it more than makes up for it in other areas. I did a video review if you’d like an overview.
CardioDrumming
Is: "Crew appreciation" tips?
What does: "fitness class" include? Can l use the Sauna?
Their list is ambiguous.
Yes, crew appreciation means tips although Princess defines it a big differently ("All of the Crew Appreciation and Service Charge payments made by all guests on all ships in our fleet are pooled, net of credit card transaction fees. The pooled funds are distributed throughout the year in the form of compensation, including bonuses, to crewmembers fleetwide who interact directly with guests and/or behind the scenes throughout every cruise, including those in the Bar, Dining, Entertainment, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Galley and Onboard Revenue areas.")
There are a few types of fitness classes available each day that vary by ship (e.g. yoga, spinning). You can get an idea by reviewing the daily programs on my website - below is a link to the programs from my cruise on the Sky in November 2023. thechillcruiser.blog/2024/02/17/daily-programs-on-sky-princess/ .
Saunas in the spa change rooms on Grand class ships are available to everyone. Sauna and steam rooms in the thermal suite or Enclave have a charge.
I hope that helps!
Oh if you are in a "casino program" you are definitely paying for your cruise one way or another.
I think of my casino comps as a discount program-not free!
@@slowmads Agreed! It's kind of like putting a deposit down on your next cruise - except sometimes you can get three or more cruises from that deposit!
I hear now they charge for a medallion to be shipped to some people
No gratuities in Australia
Thank you for pointing this out! I've added a pinned note to the comments to clarify this (and some other points).
You said premier but described plus. Then you talked about premier.
I’m curious as to how the Sanctuary could be sold out by 11am. Didn’t think you could be on the ship that early to run up there and book it. I’ve stayed away from Princess because of their cabins with shower curtains/ tub enclosure and tiny balconies. I have now booked the Sun Princess for 2 voyages. Bathrooms updated and balconies are somewhat larger.
Thank you for watching and sharing your perspective. I asked the same question about the Sanctuary and they said that there was a lineup of people the moment the cruise began. I'm assuming it's because of back-to-back cruisers as there were many folks on the cruise who had been on the previous sailing. They were the first on the ship and I'm guessing they were likely able to reserve before the previous cruise ended. I checked in with the attendants at 11:45am and they already had a waiting list a page long. My friend who embarked on another Princess ship the day before had the same experience.
@@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex Wow. Well I’ve booked a Signature Collection suite for one of the cruises. The other is Reserved collection. Won’t need the Sanctuary with the Signature.
The entire Sun Princess is larger. Duh, maybe that’s why the rooms are larger too?
$60 per day plus includes up to 15 drinks a day not for the entire cruise
From their site What’s included in the Plus Beverage Package?
The Plus Beverage Package includes beer, spirits, wine by the glass and cocktails up to $15 USD / $22 AUD, all non-alcoholic beverages including bottled water (500ml only), fountain sodas, the new Juice Bar, plus fresh juices (if available), specialty coffees and teas, frappes at Coffee & Cones, milkshakes (if available) and Red Bull energy drinks. Bar service charges are included in this package. The package includes the additional benefit of a 25% discount on the following excluded items: all bottles of wine, one-liter bottles of water and bottled juices. The package has a daily limit on alcoholic beverages of 15 beverages over a 24-hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.).
Horrible experience came 1 day late to sydney had to pay 3000 dollars to reschedule flights
I tried one Princess cruise and hated it. Too many people. Food was overrated. Ship was always humid or hot. It was just one big virus hotel. The only plus side was the wonderful staff. Going on a European longship river cruise later in the year. Only about 100 onboard and no rough seas. No more Walmart cruises for me!!
Princess is by far the least crowded major line so definitely stick with those little river boats if that is a problem for you.
Totally different experience. You’re trying to compare a motorcycle with a pedal bike like they are even comparable. The only thing your cruises and my bike analogy have in common is that cruises need water like bikes need 2 wheel. Not the same experience at all, buddy. 🙄
is the prizes only for those who have a package what about the standard?
Princess Prizes is only offered with the Premier package.
your darn lucky if you have been on 40 cruises and not had to wait to get onto the ship on other lines. Certainly not my experience.
I didn't say that I haven't had to wait to embark - I said I haven't had to wait 3+ hours as I did in Vancouver because the ship arrived 5 hours late and Princess didn't adjust boarding times to compensate or communicate any updates.