Відео

You may already know this, but Princess says that you can't reserve dining, even main dining until after your cruise is paid for unless you are a Elite/Platinum Guest, Booked in a Suite or Reserve Collection Stateroom. After that, you should be able to choose from Traditional Fixed Time Dining, Reserved Dining or the Specialty Restaurants. The "Reserve Dining" is only for those who are staying in the Reserve Collection mini suites, depending on the ship, you can't pay for it. My suggestion is to call the Dine Line and talk to someone about your reservation needs. I really hope that Princess puts some of the reservation options back into the hands of travel advisors too, right now it's very difficult to help clients book dining.

If you are an Elite or Platinum guest, you can do it straight away, same if you are in a suite or reserve collection mini suite. Otherwise, you have to make your final payment towards the cruise before you can reserve. So as soon as you make that final payment, I'd be reserving!

So that clip was stock footage showing the exact kind of behavior that we see on ships. It took a while to find and I wanted to use stock footage so I'm not shaming people.... stock people sign up for that! Thanks for watching and for bringing up a pet peeve of mine.

You know what's funny is that I've brought collapsible hiking poles onboard many, many times and never had any issues either and it didn't even occur to me when making the video if they should be brought onboard or not. Someone asked earlier in the comments about a camera monopod which is similar and there is no restriction on those. I guess ski poles are specifically called out because of the length? Weird! And thanks for watching!

@TidalHorizons I've just assumed that the collapsible poles aren't allowed by airlines in carry-on luggage. When I really wanted them for Alaska I paid to check a bag even though I travel light and almost always do carry-on. Travelling home now from a 15 day cruise with a back pack and duffle but no hiking poles.

Yet people still routinely show up at TSA check points with a handgun in their bag that they forgot about. It's happened at cruise ports too!

There doesn't seem to be an issue with them, same with collapsible walking poles. Princess doesn't ban selfie sticks and I routinely take a tripod with me. You should be fine!

The Princess Plus package is a good deal if you need Wifi and want to drink coffee or alcoholic beverages other than what is offered at the buffet or dining room. Have a look at our Princess Plus video, it breaks down what the package offers and you can see if it's worth it for you. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/gf6J9atoJrc/v-deo.html

@@TidalHorizonsthanks for responding.I already know buying a package won’t make sence for us.Help has ended for us soon as I booked the cruise.Just hard to get any questions answered after you paid I noticed.

Any videos for first time cruisers that are traveling with the standard fare?

@@billjones4986my husband and I don’t drink alcohol and only have soda, juice once in a while. We bought packages of water to drink in our cabin (and to take with us whenever we went to explore at the port) from the Princess website before the trip (cheaper). During the cruise, we got coffee/ tea from the buffet (open most of the time) and brought it to where ever we wanted to hang out around the ship. We also only bought soda/special drinks only when we felt like it. We also only paid for wifi and gratuities separately. It was still cheaper for us because we did not drink alcohol regularly.

We also saw other people refilling their reusable water bottles at the buffet coffee/tea station. We will do that next time we go on a cruise again.

Ha! Like I said at the end, common sense isn't common. The sports equipment, scuba, pocket knife etc, all differs from cruise line to cruise line.

There are new first time cruisers in 2025 that may need to hear this

@pw-sz6ds agreed. I should have stated that I was referring to People who have sailed prior. I've seen people who have sailed multiple try to get sneaky with things..lol

Yes, usually the reception desk can help out, but it's not common for people to tip as they go.

I can't really give insurance advice here, I'm not licensed and needs vary. The only thing I'll say is that you should have some sort of medical insurance no matter what and you want to make sure it's not excluded.

I know what you mean, I'm having a hard time with 7 day cruises now after doing some 12, 14 and 15 day cruises.

Enchanted does a really interesting re-positioning cruise on August 9th from Fort Lauderdale through the Southern Caribbean and then back up the East Coast to New York. Reach out to me through the link in the description of the videos and we can chat about possibilities!

For sure, the Plus package really is going to work for 90% or more of the passengers.

Enjoy! That's going to be an immersive trip!

The math does math, Princess Plus was added to the calculations to show an even comparison. As to your parents and their Elite status, what benefits have been taken away from them in the past years? I too am Elite with Princess and they haven’t changed since Ruby was added about 12 years ago, give or take.

For me, it wasn't so much the quality of the food in the main dining room, it was the selection compared to how the ships used to be. If I wasn't making videos about the specialty restaurants, I'd probably only go to one each trip and perhaps the Chef's Table or Winemaker's dinner. Generally speaking, the quality is quite good in my opinion.

Yes! That would be fantastic!

It sounds like your experience was very much the same as mine. Wonderful food, the ship was incredible but the entertainment lacking. It sounds like it hasn't improved much since I was there in March. Now, I know to temper my expectations on a small ship, you shouldn't expect a full scale production show but good quality is important. I think they'll adapt to the markets they serve, it's going to take some time. I'm looking forward to trying Explora again in the future!

@ I’m going on Explora 2 end of January. Hopefully I’ll have a better experience. If not there’s always the Yacht Club. I was also surprised at the lack of choice in beer. I like lite beer and had to get off at Cozumel and buy some. Interesting. I agree we spoke with the hotel GM and he said they have to adjust to the different markets.

Enjoy! The Queens Grill will definitely have that traditional experience and it's the place I would dare to use the word luxury. You'll of course have those who compare her to Queen Mary 2 but ignore the negative and enjoy what Cunard has to offer!

I think you need to be careful with your expectations, it's not just Princess that's had a decline in service and food quality and variety. RCL, Carnival and NCL are all in the same proverbial boat as they race to shore up their bottom line and pay off the massive debts from the pandemic. Unless you are willing to upgrade into the luxury or ultra luxury lines, you'll need to decide if your brand loyalty is worth it compared to trying something new.

@@TidalHorizonsI also think it’s not consistent; had meh service and food quality on Grand Princess, but fantastic service and much better quality food on Royal Princess. I think Princess are bang-for-buck the best value cruise line, of the cruise lines sailing here in Australia

You'll find that there is a lot more to plan ahead of a cruise compared to 2011, that's not just for views. It's like going to Disney World back in 2011 compared to now. Back then you'd maybe make a dining reservation and go to a park. Now you need a computer degree to figure out the park reservations, ride reservations, dining reservations, parking etc..... Cruising is similar, lots of tech and lots to do in advance or you will be at a disadvantage onboard. That goes for Princess or any of the other brands right up into the Luxury brands.

The standard plan is the way most people have always cruised, the Plus and Premier are newer ways to cruise more all-inclusive. If you aren't a alcohol drinker and you are happy with water, juice, iced tea, coffee and such then there is no reason to panic. These are included at the buffet and at the restaurants for no extra charge. If you don't need internet access, then don't buy it. You can still use your phone for the app without charge and use your data in port. Many people are still cruising this way, they just don't have the need for those two key items. As for the cost, it's increased everywhere, not just the west coast and not just Princess.

@conniemichalik4824 wow that sucks we were on discover to Alaska in July we had great service

Hmmm, I've never had an issue with the app or wifi on my iphone. The only problem usually is if you are trying to switch back and forth. I highly recommend visiting the Guest Service desk at a quiet time and ask for some assistance. They usually have someone knowledgeable. Which package are you sailing with? I've always found the Plus package to be worth it for me, but the Premier not so much, only if I'm looking to try a lot of the Specialty Restaurants.

It all depends on your need. If you intend on paying the daily gratuity, having internet access and drinking more than a couple of drinks per day, then Plus is worth it. If you aren't going to use one of these three, then it's probably not. Watch our Princess Plus vs. Premier video, it breaks it all down and gives you an idea of the calculations you need to do. Math and nothing more!

@@TidalHorizonsthanks,being a senior and not having been on a cruise since 2011,seems pretty overwhelming.thanks for responding.

It's a good solution for some but perhaps out of reach for others! I enjoyed Explora Journeys immensely this year, same thing with everything included. Specialty restaurants are only special if they are something unique and not something I can get easily on land.

It's not so much that things have been taken away, the items in the packages were never included for the most part. You'll see people online talking about things that the cruise lines are taking away that used to be free, but I don't see much that falls into that category. Expect Drinks, Wifi and daily gratuity to show up on your credit card plus anything you spend on spa, shore excursions or shopping. There isn't too much hidden with Princess. Note that you really should do the calculations to see if Princess Plus would save you money. Check out this video for all the details: ua-cam.com/video/gf6J9atoJrc/v-deo.html Thanks for watching!

Much appreciated! I hope it helps!

The gambling is off the charts, I agree. If you've seen other videos of mine, you'll see how annoyed I get about the Bingo onboard. The Casino operator is raking it in hand over fist. I have a new video coming out in the next couple of weeks on the changes to Star Princess over Sun which will include comments about the Casino. Yes, resorts are relaxing, but for me personally, I don't generally travel to relax. It's more about either getting somewhere or exploring a few places that I want to visit, the ship is just transportation and accommodation. It all depends on what you are looking for I guess! I certainly don't find Princess passengers as annoying as some other cruise lines. Take care and thanks for watching!

I imagine I’m not your typical cruise passenger. For one I don’t gamble. I spend my time on the ship reading and gazing out at the sea. I do everything on my own time, and don’t rush to do any of the ships activities. We rarely even attend shows. It’s the combination of the scenery and the motion of the ship, I find captivating.

You should seriously give Cunard a try. I loved my crossing from Southampton to New York, it was just me and the sea!

@TidalHorizons Not onto cattle carts Horrid way too spend a week. You can hear people breathing next door. Creepy

Yes, the first night of traditional dining has always been a pain point! That's almost a topic in itself, but it's the one night that I'm not showing up right at the seating time. You'll find me either first in line of waiting at the bar for the line to die down. If cruise lines want to fix that, they need to take a page out of Disney Cruise Line's book and see how they do it with the restaurant rotation. One of the biggest problems that they face is that people don't properly join their cruise reservations together for dining. This is done using a "TWID" in the back end, make sure your Travel Agent does this!!! Thanks for watching.

It sounds like you've found a sweet spot for yourself. For sure, after about 7:30pm, it's not much of a wait for a table. I think you'll find that even though Island only has the two dining rooms, it won't be an issue. She's one of my favorite ships, I spent a month onboard her in 2023.

@TidalHorizons Going thru the Panama Canal!

Ah! The start of the world cruise onboard Island. That should be a really festive cruise! Enjoy!

The Chef's Table is something special, especially when you get a Restaurant Manager and Chef that really click with each other, it can be quite the show! Enjoy the Sun Princess, she's a really beautiful ship, I enjoyed her much more than Enchanted/Sky/Discovery. Thanks for watching!

Absolutely! Especially on longer cruises when you get a really good team that get to know what you like. I miss meeting people as well. So happy it's back! Thanks for watching.