Thanks for watching! What are your tips and recommendations to make your planning and embarkation day easier? We've covered the basics, but give us your comments with your secrets! Please be sure to like and subscribe to the channel, it really does help us grow!
Booked on the SUN PRINCESS!! For next year. My suggestion is book early as possible. My travel agent Diana got us a fantastic deal with the premier package. CANT WAIT!!
Excellent! I think that's great advice for anyone planning a cruise on any ship. The days of last minute deals and planning on the better itineraries are over, ships are selling out quickly now. Thanks for watching!
Princess has changed dining room arrangements. Now one dining room will have two fixed dining times - with same table and servers every night. The other dining rooms will have more flexible arrangements. But if you are doing “anytime “ dining and plan to go to the early evening show in the theater, go REALLY early to dinner or you might not make the start of the show.
Yes, for a lot of people it's a really welcome change. I did a video about this when it was announced. ua-cam.com/video/ZCvaiqM1lVE/v-deo.html Thanks for watching!
#3... My first ever cruise was with Princess way back in 2007 - a 7 night Eastern Caribbean. We flew to Fort Lauderdale, and upon collecting our one medium bag each at baggage claim, observed a couple collecting their 7 pieces of matched luggage: four large suitcases, two smaller bags, and a garment bag. Then get in line for the same cruise transfer as we did 😂
This can be an internal struggle between spouses even! I'm a bit more of a minimalist, I don't mind doing a couple loads of laundry or buying something in port. My wife is focuses on having extras, alternates and everything we need, especially travelling with the kids. Although we do have excellent packing lists! Thanks for watching!
New cruiser here,bought the standard plan on princess,now with not as much included as years past,how do I know what’s going to charg my credit card and what doesn’t hope I don’t have to ask all cruise long would be kinda embarrassing.
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!
Everyone says to fly in the day before and get a hotel, I agree, But I'm going on my first cruise in 15 years. And my husband's work would not let him off another day for us to do that. So, I booked the first flight out from my hometown of saint louis, a non stop to Seattle. I know you have to be at on the cruise ship by three. My flight is supposed to arrive at nine thirty a m, So I have a couple hours to play with, but that's it. I am so scared of missing my cruise. I'm beyond myself with anxiety. I will never do this again without being able to come in the night before. I just pray, That we make our cruise!!
It's not the best feeling I know, but at least you are flying in the summer, so the risk of severe, prolonged weather delays are lower... no blizzards to contend with! I'm sure it will go smoothly, have a wonderful trip and thanks for watching!
Were always Royal Caribbean but we decided to try princess for an 11 day Alaskan cruise in 30 days on the crown princess. Were getting tired of all the kids on Royal.
Enjoy the cruise! 11 Days is a really nice way to do things and while you'll still have some kids onboard Princess, it's not like Royal. My kids love Princess but then again, they know there is a time to have fun and a time to act properly.
Do they still assign boarding times? I heard that they got rid of specified times and everyone could choose when to arrive. Also, I bought some magnetic hooks from Amazon but they are useless! They claim they hold 25 lbs but they won’t old anything other than a very small set of keys!
Last time I cruised, you were assigned an arrival time when you did the online check-in. Personally I like to arrive later anyway, so it's usually not an issue for me. The magnets can be hit or miss, it also depends on the cabin walls. I found on Island Princess I could stick my medallion (which seems to be slightly magnetic) to the wall and it would stay there all night.
Everybody tells you to fly to the port a day early. Our cruise to Alaska, we did not do that. We landed *day of* and took our chances. OK, everything went fine, we got on the cruise, all good and happy. *But the grief from my worry-wart wife!* Ay-yi-yi! Well worth an extra day's hotel stay to avoid *that!*
I'm doing a solo trip onboard the Silver Nova from Vancouver in August and struggling not to contradict my own advice on this! I think I'll stick with the plan and go a day early, if the global IT outage taught us anything, it's better to be early! Thanks for watching.
Hey we have booked this cruise for seven days. I have booked in my name but two more people are coming with me and I cannot add them on travel document. I did mine with passport but how do I add more persons on princess personaliser. Please reply soon. Where do I go from the website ?
If you had them on the initial booking, you should be able to do it in personalizer. If you didn't put them on there when you booked, you need to call your Travel Agent or Princess and see if they can modify the booking. Note that many rooms don't accommodate 3 or 4 in a room. Sorry if that's not much help!
Yes, on August 15th, 2024 there was a price change on the Princess Premier package from $80 to $90 when they included unlimited drinks and unlimited specialty dining. We've done a specific video about that change here: ua-cam.com/video/gf6J9atoJrc/v-deo.html Princess Plus stayed the same at $60. This isn't to be confused with the Plus Beverage Package and Premier Beverage Package, I don't know who buys those because they are more expensive that Princess Plus and Princess Premier and thanks Princess for the confusing names. We'll likely put out a 2025 edition in a month or so, just waiting to see what else changes. Andrew
I'd love to know more about that. When you saw the price difference was that after the final payment date? What I'm wondering is if the price dropped after final payment or if AAA had a group onboard which happened to be a higher rate. Same category? Did you have Princess Plus with one and not the other?
I agree 100%. My GF and I wanted to cruise on Ruby Princess from SF to Alaska and she was a AAA member. I'd looked at Vacations-to-Go website and got an idea what the cruise would cost. AAA charged $2,500 more than that. I convinced her to cancel and we booked it ourselves. We were able to cancel with AAA without penalty thank gawd.
If you dont drink alcohol and are a diabetic (fruit juice is generally a no no due to sugar) neither of the drink packages is worth it...even with the perks it does pay for. This aspect of Princess offerings is disappointing and we havent even sailed yet.
A couple of things pop out to me here. I think first is the misconception that it's a drinks package, it includes drinks but with the wifi and the gratuities included, it lowers the bar (so to speak) of where the value starts for those who don't drink alcohol and perhaps will just use it for bottled water, coffee and other beverages (sugar or not). The other thing is that I'm not sure how something that isn't mandatory is a disappointment given that you aren't forced to take the package in the first place. If something doesn't have a value to you, then don't take it and just pay a-la-carte for what you do want. I'd highly recommend that you watch our breakdown of the packages here: ua-cam.com/video/pDTv7TjIxSw/v-deo.html Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching! What are your tips and recommendations to make your planning and embarkation day easier? We've covered the basics, but give us your comments with your secrets! Please be sure to like and subscribe to the channel, it really does help us grow!
I live o n dissabiility in sweden so I will never be able to afford a cruise so I live vicuriously through cruisetube.
Most excellent tips. Every tip is packed with important information and cautions. Thank You!
Glad it was helpful!
Bring a small extension cord WITHOUT surge suppressor plus a multi-port charger because older ships have fewer outlets.
Yes! I bought three of these for our fall trip and they are outstanding!
Power Bar with USB Charging (5') Approved for Cruise use - amzn.to/3IoCmZC
Booked on the SUN PRINCESS!! For next year. My suggestion is book early as possible. My travel agent Diana got us a fantastic deal with the premier package. CANT WAIT!!
Excellent! I think that's great advice for anyone planning a cruise on any ship. The days of last minute deals and planning on the better itineraries are over, ships are selling out quickly now. Thanks for watching!
Booked on Nov 2024 cruise on Sun Princess ❤
Best video! This video was very helpful. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Princess has changed dining room arrangements. Now one dining room will have two fixed dining times - with same table and servers every night. The other dining rooms will have more flexible arrangements. But if you are doing “anytime “ dining and plan to go to the early evening show in the theater, go REALLY early to dinner or you might not make the start of the show.
Yes, for a lot of people it's a really welcome change. I did a video about this when it was announced. ua-cam.com/video/ZCvaiqM1lVE/v-deo.html
Thanks for watching!
#3... My first ever cruise was with Princess way back in 2007 - a 7 night Eastern Caribbean. We flew to Fort Lauderdale, and upon collecting our one medium bag each at baggage claim, observed a couple collecting their 7 pieces of matched luggage: four large suitcases, two smaller bags, and a garment bag. Then get in line for the same cruise transfer as we did 😂
This can be an internal struggle between spouses even! I'm a bit more of a minimalist, I don't mind doing a couple loads of laundry or buying something in port. My wife is focuses on having extras, alternates and everything we need, especially travelling with the kids. Although we do have excellent packing lists! Thanks for watching!
Great info
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
New cruiser here,bought the standard plan on princess,now with not as much included as years past,how do I know what’s going to charg my credit card and what doesn’t hope I don’t have to ask all cruise long would be kinda embarrassing.
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!
Everyone says to fly in the day before and get a hotel, I agree, But I'm going on my first cruise in 15 years. And my husband's work would not let him off another day for us to do that. So, I booked the first flight out from my hometown of saint louis, a non stop to Seattle. I know you have to be at on the cruise ship by three. My flight is supposed to arrive at nine thirty a m, So I have a couple hours to play with, but that's it. I am so scared of missing my cruise. I'm beyond myself with anxiety. I will never do this again without being able to come in the night before. I just pray, That we make our cruise!!
It's not the best feeling I know, but at least you are flying in the summer, so the risk of severe, prolonged weather delays are lower... no blizzards to contend with! I'm sure it will go smoothly, have a wonderful trip and thanks for watching!
I leave in mid September..Hopefully no weather issues then.
How did it go?
Were always Royal Caribbean but we decided to try princess for an 11 day Alaskan cruise in 30 days on the crown princess. Were getting tired of all the kids on Royal.
Enjoy the cruise! 11 Days is a really nice way to do things and while you'll still have some kids onboard Princess, it's not like Royal. My kids love Princess but then again, they know there is a time to have fun and a time to act properly.
Do they still assign boarding times? I heard that they got rid of specified times and everyone could choose when to arrive. Also, I bought some magnetic hooks from Amazon but they are useless! They claim they hold 25 lbs but they won’t old anything other than a very small set of keys!
Last time I cruised, you were assigned an arrival time when you did the online check-in. Personally I like to arrive later anyway, so it's usually not an issue for me. The magnets can be hit or miss, it also depends on the cabin walls. I found on Island Princess I could stick my medallion (which seems to be slightly magnetic) to the wall and it would stay there all night.
Hi. I got my magnetic hooks at dollar tree = FANTASTIC! I had to re- glue one of them, but it works well.
Everybody tells you to fly to the port a day early. Our cruise to Alaska, we did not do that. We landed *day of* and took our chances.
OK, everything went fine, we got on the cruise, all good and happy. *But the grief from my worry-wart wife!* Ay-yi-yi! Well worth an extra day's hotel stay to avoid *that!*
I'm doing a solo trip onboard the Silver Nova from Vancouver in August and struggling not to contradict my own advice on this! I think I'll stick with the plan and go a day early, if the global IT outage taught us anything, it's better to be early! Thanks for watching.
Hey we have booked this cruise for seven days. I have booked in my name but two more people are coming with me and I cannot add them on travel document. I did mine with passport but how do I add more persons on princess personaliser. Please reply soon. Where do I go from the website ?
If you had them on the initial booking, you should be able to do it in personalizer. If you didn't put them on there when you booked, you need to call your Travel Agent or Princess and see if they can modify the booking. Note that many rooms don't accommodate 3 or 4 in a room. Sorry if that's not much help!
Prices have changed on the drink packages , this video has old information 🤦♀️
Yes, on August 15th, 2024 there was a price change on the Princess Premier package from $80 to $90 when they included unlimited drinks and unlimited specialty dining. We've done a specific video about that change here: ua-cam.com/video/gf6J9atoJrc/v-deo.html
Princess Plus stayed the same at $60.
This isn't to be confused with the Plus Beverage Package and Premier Beverage Package, I don't know who buys those because they are more expensive that Princess Plus and Princess Premier and thanks Princess for the confusing names.
We'll likely put out a 2025 edition in a month or so, just waiting to see what else changes.
Andrew
We booked a PCL cruise through AAA and found out the cruise cost more than $2,000 over what it would have if we booked it ourselves.
I'd love to know more about that. When you saw the price difference was that after the final payment date? What I'm wondering is if the price dropped after final payment or if AAA had a group onboard which happened to be a higher rate. Same category? Did you have Princess Plus with one and not the other?
I agree 100%. My GF and I wanted to cruise on Ruby Princess from SF to Alaska and she was a AAA member. I'd looked at Vacations-to-Go website and got an idea what the cruise would cost. AAA charged $2,500 more than that. I convinced her to cancel and we booked it ourselves. We were able to cancel with AAA without penalty thank gawd.
If you dont drink alcohol and are a diabetic (fruit juice is generally a no no due to sugar) neither of the drink packages is worth it...even with the perks it does pay for. This aspect of Princess offerings is disappointing and we havent even sailed yet.
A couple of things pop out to me here. I think first is the misconception that it's a drinks package, it includes drinks but with the wifi and the gratuities included, it lowers the bar (so to speak) of where the value starts for those who don't drink alcohol and perhaps will just use it for bottled water, coffee and other beverages (sugar or not). The other thing is that I'm not sure how something that isn't mandatory is a disappointment given that you aren't forced to take the package in the first place. If something doesn't have a value to you, then don't take it and just pay a-la-carte for what you do want. I'd highly recommend that you watch our breakdown of the packages here: ua-cam.com/video/pDTv7TjIxSw/v-deo.html
Thanks for watching!