Experienced Alaska with the Coral Princess and it was one of our most memorable vacations. Service was top notch. Can't wait to do another Princess Cruise again.
Two other differences I would mention. First their itineraries pack a lot into a short time and are very well designed to cover a lot of ground in a short time. We do destination based cruising. Ie “the Mediterranean” or “the Nordic countries”. The itinerary is our starting point for cruising a destination, and so far Princess has always had the best or among the best for us. Secondly, it might seem like a little thing, but guest laundries are cheaper and also mean we don’t have to send our clothes off and have them damaged or lost in the main laundries. If we organise it’s no imposition on our trip to wash things then hang them to dry in our cabin.
Bathroom sinks are small, but you'd be surprised to see what I can do. I always bring some laundry soap and softener. Sometimes I bring easy items to get wet when I shower (saves water). When I'm done, they get their turn with detergent and softener. I like my swim clothes clean after a hot, sweaty day of playing in the sun.
Princess offers a relaxed vibe. It's not my favorite cruise line but they have some great touches 👌 Tea time and the Champagne Fountain are unique in this class of cruising. I'm looking forward to experincing the Medallion technology.
We were on princess sky for NYE .I was amazed how relaxing for such a large ship As senior citizens we enjoyed the fact that there were no waterslides.very few children. Really liked the medallion idea
I agree with you. Princess to Alaska is wonderful. I have been on 7 Princess cruises to Alaska. It is my favorite destination. I live in Oregon so 5 of those cruises were round trips from Seattle. I have another one booked for July 2022.
I’m booked on an Alaska cruise for this coming September, and this will be my first cruise with Princess. I’m excited. My first ever cruise was to the Caribbean with RCL on the Oasis, and several of the other passengers told me they thought the food was better on Princess. Can’t wait to see for myself!
LOVE Princess Cruises! Have been on four cruises with them and loved each experience. Alaska, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, and Panama Canal. Can’t wait for Hawaii in 2021, assuming the entire industry doesn’t collapse!
We did the 16-day Alaskan Land/Cruise package. Princess Lodges are fabulous. And our personal guide and bus driver took care of every detail, from getting our rooms keys to making our dinner reservations. What a wonderful experience!!!
The overall relaxed vibe of Princess sold me on them from my very first cruise, and I've never cruised with any other ocean line. When you talk about the range of destinations, it fascinates me that they are constantly refreshing and updating their destination lists. Even if you do "another" Alaska or Caribbean or Mediterranean cruise with Princess, you will likely experience at least some new ports of call which you haven't visited before.
Thanks for your amazing informational videos! We’ve had loads of fun on the cruises we’ve been on over the years, but i’ve always found it a bit odd when I hear people say that cruises are boring. That’s just crazy talk.
Gary, you forgot to mention that Princess Cruises feature Broadway-style shows written exclusively for them! That is partly what sets Princess Cruises apart from other lines!
Thanks for the video Gary. You might have talked me into trying Princess again. I’ve sailed with them before and usually have had issues with them, but might give it a go again if cruising ever starts. Being mobility challenged and when my wife was alive and in a wheelchair we stayed with HAL as we seemed to be looked after the best with our conditions.
We went on a Princess Cruise with Medallion Class in Nov 2019. The technology was very appealing but it is not quite ready for prime time. It had several bugs and glitches and the system would freeze regularly. I really wanted to use the location services piece so I could quickly locate family on the ship but it either didn’t work or gave completely wrong locations. It works very well for opening your cabin door and paying for drinks though. The other item that isn’t communicated well by Princess is that in order to fully use the technology, you have to download 3-4 individual apps to your phone before boarding the ship. It also isn’t clear if the apps are integrated.
GARY- Wow! I am ready to go! Have 3 cruises on the books and can’t wait. 2 are Princess and one is HAL. You really sound optimistic and I share your enthusiasm. Keep up the superb videos.
We went on the Regal Princess to new england and canada last year, it was great. We're booked for the inaugural cruise for the Discovery Princess next year, really looking forward to it. Never did an inaugural cruise before.
Tim Kline expect some mistakes and errors on any inaugural. The crew have to mesh, the ship is new to the crew, it is all a learning experience to them all.
Princess is our most travelled cruise line. It just feels like home to us. We've tried Carnival and NCL, but we always seem to go back to Princess. We love the Grand Class sized ships. They have great flow. We've been to Alaska twice on Princess for 7nt and we're booked for a 14nt back to back next year from Vancouver. We're on the Star Princess which doesn't have Medallion due to price, but we have done Medallion on the Royal and the Caribbean.
Princess Alaska Lodges are wonderful! We were last there 10 years ago. We were to fly to Fairbanks tomorrow with friends for a 17 day Alaska cruise tour on the Grand Princess. So disappointed. We have rebooked for next year on the Regal Princess.
The first cruise ship that I ever went was a Princess Cruise ship back in June 2016 on a ship that would sadly become infamous in 2020. The ship was both in English and Japanese and you would get green tea at bedtime in handleless cups that you have to hold with both hands. You could also watch movies while outside on deck. The ship went round Japan starting at Yokohama, Aomori, then stopped in Russia (in Valdivostok where you had to use tenders to vist the place) then back to Japan. The ship also catered to both Western cusine and Japanese cusine especially at breakfast where natto (fermented soy beans) could eaten or cereal/porridge could eaten instead.
Mr. Bembridge, would you please do a comparison of the food/menus of the different cruise lines? Which do you feel offer the best quality and variety? Which offer the best service? And how difficult is it to have different dietary needs met (such as gluten free, sugar free, etc.)?
Food is quite good, although I think the standard has dropped from a few years ago. They display the evening menu near the restaurants so you can see if it suits you, from memory they have vegetarian and GF options. I always found the dining room staff to be very helpful, I am sure if you spoke to them they would direct you to the chef for any concerns. My husband and I have been on 11 cruises with Princess and always enjoy them. The buffet has different options and also the cafe has quite nice salads and lunch options if you would prefer. We have also sailed with Celebrity and in my opinion the food is better with them, but Princess is fine, everyone is different with their likes and dislikes. I am sure you will have an amazing time.🌺
Leanne Neville i totally agree. Most of all these diets can be accommodated. On celebrity, i was given the menu for the next day, and they prepare my meals without garlic, and find me whatever restaurant I am in.
Princess is my favourite of the premium cruise lines. I like the 40 - 70'ish clientele, not many children, genuine and not snobbish passengers. Good price point and consistently good service and loyalty program. They also change up their itineraries because many Princess guests have sailed a lot and want new ports of call. HAL's demographics are too old for me I.e. 75 and up. Cunard is great but old clientele and activities are very sedate. Only 3 ships. Celebrity is comparable and some prefer them, but the price point is often significantly higher and some of the clientele is a bit too "look at me, I am so wonderful". Princess is like family to me.
I LOVE Medallion technology, and I am an old fart, at 74. Fabulous wifi. Be modern and embrace it. I have 79 Princess cruises and look forward reaching 100, assuming we conquer the Corona virus.
Thanks for the video. Please do a Princess vs. P&O comparison video. As an American, I would like to know how they compare? I believe the two lines use to be together.
P & O is owned by Carnival Corporatio as is Princess. P & O gets the hand me downs from Princess. For example the Golden Princess is now part of the P & O fleet.
I did the Alaska inside passage cruise, lots of shore excursions. It was wonderful. Then I did a Princess west coast cruise, not so wonderful. Food was not nearly as good, there were ceiling leaks right by the casino. Rough seas rolled us nearly out of bed. Just overall not as fun. The only thing I found difficult for me on both cruises was when you first board and are trying to find your way around the elevators are way too crowded. I have a bit of claustrophobia and had to wait several times before I could actually get on an elevator that wasn't like a sardine can.
My wife and I were also on that cruise. The Island Princess, however, was something of a disappointment. Back around 2014 the Island Princess was redesigned to add cabins in the stern half of the ship. This eliminated all the public areas in the stern, including the ship's Universe Lounge, the International Cafe (eliminating 24-hours food and beverage availability,) the Promenade Walkway around the ship, and all general access stern observation locations. The Island Princess' sister ship, the Coral Princess, was also scheduled for a similar modification, but apparently the reception by passengers to the Island Princess was so negative those plans were dropped. The Island Princess is still a pleasant enough ship, but all else being equal I would op for another Princess ship.
That particular sailing was an excellent deal financially--try to find another sailing on either Island Princess or Coral Princess for just $400 or $500 per person (balcony, no less!).
I prefer the ships that have more places to dance since we Ballroom dance. These include Ruby and Emerald. They have Wheelhouse bar with small dance floor as well as Explorer lounge and rear dance floor, Club Fusion? I was very disappointed with Royal and Regal with fewer places to dance.
Thanks for being a channel member, much appreciated. Both lines are great. If you like music then HAL is a good option, I find Princess has more choice of things like dining so if that key then that is a good option. Both have fairly similar passengers
@@tipsfortravellers Thanks have to do come research. I like Celebrity, and NCL. I have a couple booked with MSC and wanted to try another/ Celebrity is my favorite so far. I learn from and enjoy your videos and also recognize that it takes time and effort to do this and wanted to support
My wife and I are booked for a South America/'Round the Horn cruise in December 2020 (I hope) on the Coral Princess. It is going to be interesting to see how CORVID-19 precautions will effect ship services. Not well, I fear.
@@cherylkoski7184 I've resigned myself to the probability it's not going to happen. But I have until October to cancel (provided the cruise line doesn't do it for me) and things might start moving by then.
...nice to see glimpses around her ships...good job...the average traveler on Princess likely could care less about the medellian really ...but it was FASTFAST embarkation/disembarkation tho...but between times useless.overall....necessary for the company....but useless to most travelers...
P&O Australia is not the same class of cruise line as P&O UK. Down here in my opinion it’s on par with Carnival, saying that only cruised with both once. P&O Australia have ships that were retired from Princess.
Outstanding Gary, booked a cruise to Hawaii scheduled for 15 Apr 2021 with Princess on the Emerald. If you know of a better cruise for singles to Hawaii I’m open to any recommendation you may make.🙂. Do you think a balcony cabin is worthwhile for its’ view on that cruise? I noticed we’re at ports of call for 8-11 hours during the 16 day trip.
There are not loads of options on cruises to Hawaii. I think this would be a great trip. The only other option is to look at Norwegian Pride of America as they have the solo studios, but this means flying to and from Hawaii and assuming you looking for a cruise out of West Coast. Princess will be great, but no doubt you paying a large(wish) solo surcharge?
I think a balcony is worth it.its so relaxing. You can have breakfast on your balcony (extra charge) but worth it for a special occasion . It’s nice to have a space to yourself and opens up the cabin a lot so you don’t feel so confined. Quiet often they have balcony specials or upgrade sales so keep an eye out for those.😃
Unfortunately I don't see even a hint of critical analysis of the subject. What does Princess do better than other mainstream lines? What are Princess major flaws we should be aware?
No, an internet package is not required. You will need to download an app to use some of the Medallion services. For basic services (ship events page, current charges on your account, deck maps, etc.) the WiFi is provided free. However, if you wish to access the internet, send e-mails, etc. an internet package will be required. Word of warning about the internet package: when you are through with an internet session, EXPLICITLY log off your WiFi account before exiting the app. Simply closing the app or even turning off your phone will not not close the chargeable WiFi access; the WiFi access time will continue to tick off until your allotment is used up.
I tried to determine how much of the detailed Medallion data (your every move / action) is stored long-term and how it is used for Princess marketing and shared with their marketing partners. I have no doubt your Medallion will be used for Covid-19 contact tracing while on the cruise. There should be greater disclosure by Princess.
It also provides contact free interactions for most interactions , they have a cyber muster , and as u noted contact tracing in case there is a health issue on the ship
Watch all your videos; thanks. If you HAD to choose just one of the Premium cruise lines, which? Also would love to know your all-time favourite ship. Please advise...
I went on Princess Emerald coast to coast Panama cruise this past December .I was was not at all impressed with the entertainment ,specialty restaurant service was terrible and they were out of items on the menu , the cabins have no couch for relaxing unless you go mini suite and above (I had a balcony )and I guess if you were Zimmerman you would be impressed with the off the wall menu ,the buffet was same all 15 days .To me Celebrity far better and no contest when compared to Princess .It was my first and last on Princess .I have had over a dozen cruise with RCL, Celebrity and Carnival .
It probably sounds very petty, but I hate the way their Buffet is set up. One way in - one way out and it's so cramped once you do eventually get to go in as sometimes there are lines. Although, saying that, that may be the "norm" once we get back to cruising again. Do the newer ships have the same Buffet set-up? Curious to know as that is a deal breaker for me choosing them in the far distant future.
So with the Medallion class, do you have to carry your cell phone around with you on the ship? When I'm cruising, I leave the phone in the safe until a shore excursion.
Depends if you want to order drinks remotely for example. You could be lying on a sun lounge and fancy a drink. You order it via the app on the phone or tablet and wearing the medallion, the attendant knows where you are to deliver it.
Can you turn off the contactless door opening, and can you do it with one touch? If someone seems to be following me down my corridor, maybe a stalker or thief, some person who has been behaving in an intimidating manner, I do not want my door to open, just because I'm close to it! If it doesn't automatically open, i need to be able to stop and linger until that person's long gone, and open it, then. Automatic things that don't allow you to exercise judgment or discretion about what they do "for" you, are not really so good.
The average age is a big difference. I was 43 when I went on a Princess ship, and felt so out of place. I told my wife we would return to Princess in 25 years to fit in.
Me and my family enjoyed the Coral Princess so much exploring Alaska. We hated the party atmosphere with the Carnival Cruises. We are in our early 40s with 2 teenage kids.
@@jaytee6586 I enjoyed the cruise . My wife and kids also enjoyed it. It just felt very weird , we couldn't relate with the rest of the passengers. We always find people we can talk to, end up on same excursions by chance, etc. Not Princess....lol It felt like a solo cruise.
princess offers oslo, milano castello sforzesco pinacoteca ambrosiana brera, last supper, also both uffizi and accademia in florence while many ocean cruise lines offer either or, as well as cordoba mezquita, alhambra , figueres dali from palamos, mont st michel, carcasonne, giverny, windsor castle, moscow as well as st petersburg, potsdam as well as berlin.... princess i would rank as $$ rather than $$$ . $ msc carnival costa; $$ princess royal caribbean oceania; celebrity; $$$ holland america cunard ; $$$$ norwegian regent silverseas windstar. $ croisi riviera wingbuddy gate1travel; viking ama avalon $$; $$$$ emerald scenic....
Clement Ng It is an industry given, that Princess are in the Premium class along with HAL, Celebrity, RCI. But yes I would give an extra nod to Celebrity for their food. Premium in this sense does not mean Luxury, but mass market.
Princess Covoid Cruising. Welcome onboard it's FREE Only a couple of cases onboard .. well we think only a couple ! Ship Doctor " "Sorry your not covered by insurance on Cruise Ships for covoid" Your BIG credit card please !
We booked a cruise to Hawaii Last year, we got to the dock in LA and we had a mix up with our paper work. The manager at the dock said with a smile, sorry we can't bend any rules. Princess will not refund any of your money or give you an cruise line credit, it's company policy. We came all the way to LA from Utah to get screwed by Princess cruise lines. No wonder why they call it the love boat. If you still want to book a cruise with this line, you had better get insurance just in case. Nothing like paying six grand for nothing. They just took our money and cruised away. I hope the COVID 19 destroys this company.
dwill123 ...was on a Medallion Cruise...Regal Princess....you still had to actually sign for things....but walk on. ... walk off...the ship for embarkation/disembarkation..was a non stop I liked that tho...
More like a wild life electronic tag. You carry a mobile phone? Even with the phone shut off it can still be tracked. My cousin bought one with a removable battery. That's the only way not to give off an electronic signal. So privacy now is not like privacy circa 1975.
You can ask to have the traditional cruise card and not take part / be included in the medallion. I did ask about this as some people do not like the idea.
I thought Princess is rock bottom, el cheapo, load them on and pack them in? My daughter went on one with friends as it was the cheapest way of travelling to New Zealand from Australia. I told her it would be mostly 80 year olds.- said she was quite happy to converse with people her grandma's or any age. With her group of 4, they found 3 others their own age (early 20s) and had fun together in the empty night clubs late at night! She enjoyed it, my idea of a nightmare, too many people in one small artificial, unclean space. Sorry Gary. I enjoy your informative chats, but it hasn't converted me to cruising.
Looking forward to when we can. I do not think we will see cruising out of North America until into 2021. Many lines have pushed into 2021 already and we will see that across all lines during this month I am sure (unfortunately)
Appreciate the video, Gary. It’s nice to watch a normal video during these crazy times. Thanks.
Thanks 👍🏻 Agree, a bit of normality is welcome these days 👍🏻👍🏻
Experienced Alaska with the Coral Princess and it was one of our most memorable vacations. Service was top notch. Can't wait to do another Princess Cruise again.
Two other differences I would mention.
First their itineraries pack a lot into a short time and are very well designed to cover a lot of ground in a short time. We do destination based cruising. Ie “the Mediterranean” or “the Nordic countries”. The itinerary is our starting point for cruising a destination, and so far Princess has always had the best or among the best for us.
Secondly, it might seem like a little thing, but guest laundries are cheaper and also mean we don’t have to send our clothes off and have them damaged or lost in the main laundries. If we organise it’s no imposition on our trip to wash things then hang them to dry in our cabin.
Bathroom sinks are small, but you'd be surprised to see what I can do. I always bring some laundry soap and softener. Sometimes I bring easy items to get wet when I shower (saves water). When I'm done, they get their turn with detergent and softener. I like my swim clothes clean after a hot, sweaty day of playing in the sun.
Listening to you for 10 minutes and we feel like we've traveled before with this company. Amazing.
Princess offers a relaxed vibe. It's not my favorite cruise line but they have some great touches 👌 Tea time and the Champagne Fountain are unique in this class of cruising. I'm looking forward to experincing the Medallion technology.
Medallion was pretty good for the most part. We did it on the Royal Princess last November.
Love Princess Cruise can wait to travel with them again
We were on princess sky for NYE .I was amazed how relaxing for such a large ship
As senior citizens we enjoyed the fact that there were no waterslides.very few children. Really liked the medallion idea
Lots of entertainment venues and excellent quality. The production shows were spectacular and had two showrooms one on the bow and one aft.
I went on a Princess Alaska cruise, it was wonderful!
Agree that is fantastic
I'd love to try that one myself some day. Alaska is so beautiful.
I agree with you. Princess to Alaska is wonderful. I have been on 7 Princess cruises to Alaska. It is my favorite destination. I live in Oregon so 5 of those cruises were round trips from Seattle. I have another one booked for July 2022.
@@tipsfortravellers Would you recommend princess or ncl for alaska with a 15 year old?
I’m booked on an Alaska cruise for this coming September, and this will be my first cruise with Princess. I’m excited. My first ever cruise was to the Caribbean with RCL on the Oasis, and several of the other passengers told me they thought the food was better on Princess. Can’t wait to see for myself!
LOVE Princess Cruises! Have been on four cruises with them and loved each experience. Alaska, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, and Panama Canal. Can’t wait for Hawaii in 2021, assuming the entire industry doesn’t collapse!
We did the 16-day Alaskan Land/Cruise package. Princess Lodges are fabulous. And our personal guide and bus driver took care of every detail, from getting our rooms keys to making our dinner reservations. What a wonderful experience!!!
The overall relaxed vibe of Princess sold me on them from my very first cruise, and I've never cruised with any other ocean line. When you talk about the range of destinations, it fascinates me that they are constantly refreshing and updating their destination lists. Even if you do "another" Alaska or Caribbean or Mediterranean cruise with Princess, you will likely experience at least some new ports of call which you haven't visited before.
Thanks for your amazing informational videos!
We’ve had loads of fun on the cruises we’ve been on over the years, but i’ve always found it a bit odd when I hear people say that cruises are boring. That’s just crazy talk.
I could listen to your channel all day. Great information delivered with a no nonsense flow. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks 😊
I'm looking forward to cruising again when the pandemic is gone... Thank you for the uplifting video...⛴️ 🛳️🌅
Me too. Be great once it is safe to cruise again.
@@tipsfortravellers i have a nagging feeling like 8t will never end.
Gary, you forgot to mention that Princess Cruises feature Broadway-style shows written exclusively for them! That is partly what sets Princess Cruises apart from other lines!
Great point
Thanks for the video Gary. You might have talked me into trying Princess again. I’ve sailed with them before and usually have had issues with them, but might give it a go again if cruising ever starts. Being mobility challenged and when my wife was alive and in a wheelchair we stayed with HAL as we seemed to be looked after the best with our conditions.
Thanks for watching. They are worth another try. HAL is great I agree
We went on a Princess Cruise with Medallion Class in Nov 2019. The technology was very appealing but it is not quite ready for prime time. It had several bugs and glitches and the system would freeze regularly. I really wanted to use the location services piece so I could quickly locate family on the ship but it either didn’t work or gave completely wrong locations. It works very well for opening your cabin door and paying for drinks though. The other item that isn’t communicated well by Princess is that in order to fully use the technology, you have to download 3-4 individual apps to your phone before boarding the ship. It also isn’t clear if the apps are integrated.
GARY- Wow! I am ready to go! Have 3 cruises on the books and can’t wait. 2 are Princess and one is HAL. You really sound optimistic and I share your enthusiasm. Keep up the superb videos.
We went on the Regal Princess to new england and canada last year, it was great. We're booked for the inaugural cruise for the Discovery Princess next year, really looking forward to it. Never did an inaugural cruise before.
Tim Kline expect some mistakes and errors on any inaugural. The crew have to mesh, the ship is new to the crew, it is all a learning experience to them all.
Princess is our most travelled cruise line. It just feels like home to us. We've tried Carnival and NCL, but we always seem to go back to Princess. We love the Grand Class sized ships. They have great flow. We've been to Alaska twice on Princess for 7nt and we're booked for a 14nt back to back next year from Vancouver. We're on the Star Princess which doesn't have Medallion due to price, but we have done Medallion on the Royal and the Caribbean.
Princess Alaska Lodges are wonderful! We were last there 10 years ago. We were to fly to Fairbanks tomorrow with friends for a 17 day Alaska cruise tour on the Grand Princess. So disappointed. We have rebooked for next year on the Regal Princess.
The first cruise ship that I ever went was a Princess Cruise ship back in June 2016 on a ship that would sadly become infamous in 2020. The ship was both in English and Japanese and you would get green tea at bedtime in handleless cups that you have to hold with both hands. You could also watch movies while outside on deck. The ship went round Japan starting at Yokohama, Aomori, then stopped in Russia (in Valdivostok where you had to use tenders to vist the place) then back to Japan.
The ship also catered to both Western cusine and Japanese cusine especially at breakfast where natto (fermented soy beans) could eaten or cereal/porridge could eaten instead.
Mr. Bembridge, would you please do a comparison of the food/menus of the different cruise lines? Which do you feel offer the best quality and variety? Which offer the best service? And how difficult is it to have different dietary needs met (such as gluten free, sugar free, etc.)?
Margaret, thanks for the suggestion. I will look at this and see what I can do! Great idea...
I have no doubts that food will suffer when they start back cruising .it's the easiest thing to cut costs on unfortunately.
Food is quite good, although I think the standard has dropped from a few years ago. They display the evening menu near the restaurants so you can see if it suits you, from memory they have vegetarian and GF options. I always found the dining room staff to be very helpful, I am sure if you spoke to them they would direct you to the chef for any concerns. My husband and I have been on 11 cruises with Princess and always enjoy them. The buffet has different options and also the cafe has quite nice salads and lunch options if you would prefer. We have also sailed with Celebrity and in my opinion the food is better with them, but Princess is fine, everyone is different with their likes and dislikes. I am sure you will have an amazing time.🌺
@@tipsfortravellers Yes Please! As a type 2 diabetic, such a video would be very much appreciated.
Leanne Neville i totally agree. Most of all these diets can be accommodated. On celebrity, i was given the menu for the next day, and they prepare my meals without garlic, and find me whatever restaurant I am in.
Princess is my favourite of the premium cruise lines. I like the 40 - 70'ish clientele, not many children, genuine and not snobbish passengers. Good price point and consistently good service and loyalty program. They also change up their itineraries because many Princess guests have sailed a lot and want new ports of call. HAL's demographics are too old for me I.e. 75 and up. Cunard is great but old clientele and activities are very sedate. Only 3 ships. Celebrity is comparable and some prefer them, but the price point is often significantly higher and some of the clientele is a bit too "look at me, I am so wonderful". Princess is like family to me.
I LOVE Medallion technology, and I am an old fart, at 74.
Fabulous wifi.
Be modern and embrace it.
I have 79 Princess cruises and look forward reaching 100, assuming we conquer the Corona virus.
The Wi-Fi now is fantastic, I agree !
@@tipsfortravellers And.... If you are Elite...
Very cheap.
@@cruisecrazy7066 The cost of getting to elite is not cheap!
79 cruises! That's epic mate! I truly hope you can get to that magic 100 milestone.
@@Tarathathe77wookiee Me too. LOL
Thanks for the video. Please do a Princess vs. P&O comparison video. As an American, I would like to know how they compare? I believe the two lines use to be together.
Thanks for the idea! Nice idea!
P & O is owned by Carnival Corporatio as is Princess. P & O gets the hand me downs from Princess. For example the Golden Princess is now part of the P & O fleet.
I did the Alaska inside passage cruise, lots of shore excursions. It was wonderful. Then I did a Princess west coast cruise, not so wonderful. Food was not nearly as good, there were ceiling leaks right by the casino. Rough seas rolled us nearly out of bed. Just overall not as fun. The only thing I found difficult for me on both cruises was when you first board and are trying to find your way around the elevators are way too crowded. I have a bit of claustrophobia and had to wait several times before I could actually get on an elevator that wasn't like a sardine can.
Experienced the Dominican Republic with Island Princess in December 2019 and loved it!
My wife and I were also on that cruise. The Island Princess, however, was something of a disappointment. Back around 2014 the Island Princess was redesigned to add cabins in the stern half of the ship. This eliminated all the public areas in the stern, including the ship's Universe Lounge, the International Cafe (eliminating 24-hours food and beverage availability,) the Promenade Walkway around the ship, and all general access stern observation locations. The Island Princess' sister ship, the Coral Princess, was also scheduled for a similar modification, but apparently the reception by passengers to the Island Princess was so negative those plans were dropped. The Island Princess is still a pleasant enough ship, but all else being equal I would op for another Princess ship.
That particular sailing was an excellent deal financially--try to find another sailing on either Island Princess or Coral Princess for just $400 or $500 per person (balcony, no less!).
Princess also offers food and wine recommend tours they are awesome. And they have a price match on excursions
All chooclate are made in house
Thank You for this video Gary. I'm really looking forward to our first ever cruise (Sea Princess) in December and your information is very helpful.
December 2020? Not happening.
@@cherylkoski7184 Here in Western Australia it IS happening. 3 days off the coast. Yay for our state being Covid free!!
I prefer the ships that have more places to dance since we Ballroom dance. These include Ruby and Emerald. They have Wheelhouse bar with small dance floor as well as Explorer lounge and rear dance floor, Club Fusion? I was very disappointed with Royal and Regal with fewer places to dance.
A few people have said the same, they miss is more traditional dance areas across the fleet
Thanks for the video, Gary. Princess truly does Alaska well and one day I hope to experience it again. :-)
You and me both!
Thanks for this video. Good, solid information. I am trying to decide between this and Holland America to try and have been leaning to HAL
Thanks for being a channel member, much appreciated. Both lines are great. If you like music then HAL is a good option, I find Princess has more choice of things like dining so if that key then that is a good option. Both have fairly similar passengers
@@tipsfortravellers Thanks have to do come research. I like Celebrity, and NCL. I have a couple booked with MSC and wanted to try another/ Celebrity is my favorite so far. I learn from and enjoy your videos and also recognize that it takes time and effort to do this and wanted to support
I would love to take a Mediterranean cruise some day with a ton of ports of call....
We did the Med and Greece with Princess and it was flawless - cannot recommend highly enough
very few cruises visit milano msc being one of the few, and the only reasonable non luxury line which offers museums in milano.
My wife and I are booked for a South America/'Round the Horn cruise in December 2020 (I hope) on the Coral Princess. It is going to be interesting to see how CORVID-19 precautions will effect ship services. Not well, I fear.
Don't count on any cruises in 2020.
@@cherylkoski7184 I've resigned myself to the probability it's not going to happen. But I have until October to cancel (provided the cruise line doesn't do it for me) and things might start moving by then.
TYVM! I think their sister line, HAL, might be a better fit for me as a solo traveler. But the Medallion and great internet sure are appealing.
I cruise solo, and I love Princess Cruises!
Yes Princess cruises is the best actually as package services and experience's..
...nice to see glimpses around her ships...good job...the average traveler on Princess likely could care less about the medellian really ...but it was FASTFAST embarkation/disembarkation tho...but between times useless.overall....necessary for the company....but useless to most travelers...
Thanks. Agree it was great for embarking and handy to wear instead of carrying a cruise card around to do everything..
I like your videos very much and also your information
Thank you so much 😀
P&O Australia is not the same class of cruise line as P&O UK. Down here in my opinion it’s on par with Carnival, saying that only cruised with both once. P&O Australia have ships that were retired from Princess.
I went on the Grand, Diamond and the Emerald Princess. But my Sapphire Princess was cancelled :(
Outstanding Gary, booked a cruise to Hawaii scheduled for 15 Apr 2021 with Princess on the Emerald. If you know of a better cruise for singles to Hawaii I’m open to any recommendation you may make.🙂. Do you think a balcony cabin is worthwhile for its’ view on that cruise? I noticed we’re at ports of call for 8-11 hours during the 16 day trip.
There are not loads of options on cruises to Hawaii. I think this would be a great trip. The only other option is to look at Norwegian Pride of America as they have the solo studios, but this means flying to and from Hawaii and assuming you looking for a cruise out of West Coast. Princess will be great, but no doubt you paying a large(wish) solo surcharge?
Tips For Travellers $2600 for a stateroom, if I upgrade with a balcony it will be $1000 more. I’m tempted!
@@danielgaskell5490 After the whole Ro Ro thang, I'd pay the grand so I wouldn't have recirculated air 24/7.
@@danielgaskell5490 I would spend the money. It is wonderful to have a bit of your own outside space.
I think a balcony is worth it.its so relaxing. You can have breakfast on your balcony (extra charge) but worth it for a special occasion . It’s nice to have a space to yourself and opens up the cabin a lot so you don’t feel so confined. Quiet often they have balcony specials or upgrade sales so keep an eye out for those.😃
nice i like them because hand free entry its would be useful for crusing in pandemic times - they should expand hand free and use apps to order things
Andrew Johnson yes you can use the medallion to,order drinks etc.
Unfortunately I don't see even a hint of critical analysis of the subject. What does Princess do better than other mainstream lines? What are Princess major flaws we should be aware?
cruiseadmiral They so t really have any regular flaws that I know off in my 16 cruises with them.
To use the medallion app, will you have to have the on board internet package? We are from the uk.
No, an internet package is not required. You will need to download an app to use some of the Medallion services. For basic services (ship events page, current charges on your account, deck maps, etc.) the WiFi is provided free. However, if you wish to access the internet, send e-mails, etc. an internet package will be required.
Word of warning about the internet package: when you are through with an internet session, EXPLICITLY log off your WiFi account before exiting the app. Simply closing the app or even turning off your phone will not not close the chargeable WiFi access; the WiFi access time will continue to tick off until your allotment is used up.
I tried to determine how much of the detailed Medallion data (your every move / action) is stored long-term and how it is used for Princess marketing and shared with their marketing partners. I have no doubt your Medallion will be used for Covid-19 contact tracing while on the cruise. There should be greater disclosure by Princess.
yes, they will know the venues that folk visit, so this gives the. data on what is popular and what is not. They will see the flow of traffic.
It also provides contact free interactions for most interactions , they have a cyber muster , and as u noted contact tracing in case there is a health issue on the ship
Watch all your videos; thanks. If you HAD to choose just one of the Premium cruise lines, which? Also would love to know your all-time favourite ship. Please advise...
I went on Princess Emerald coast to coast Panama cruise this past December .I was was not at all impressed with the entertainment ,specialty restaurant service was terrible and they were out of items on the menu , the cabins have no couch for relaxing unless you go mini suite and above (I had a balcony )and I guess if you were Zimmerman you would be impressed with the off the wall menu ,the buffet was same all 15 days .To me Celebrity far better and no contest when compared to Princess .It was my first and last on Princess .I have had over a dozen cruise with RCL, Celebrity and Carnival .
The Medallion thing sounds like a great way to data mine and sell information about you. Do they have any sort of agreement NOT to do so?
It probably sounds very petty, but I hate the way their Buffet is set up. One way in - one way out and it's so cramped once you do eventually get to go in as sometimes there are lines. Although, saying that, that may be the "norm" once we get back to cruising again. Do the newer ships have the same Buffet set-up? Curious to know as that is a deal breaker for me choosing them in the far distant future.
The buffet on the Royal class is huge! Plenty on offer and always somewhere to sit.
U can expect all Buffets to be manned via servers going forward via all cruise lines
Alaska here we come 7/17/21😊😁
So with the Medallion class, do you have to carry your cell phone around with you on the ship? When I'm cruising, I leave the phone in the safe until a shore excursion.
No you have a medallion you wear on a lanyard.
Depends if you want to order drinks remotely for example. You could be lying on a sun lounge and fancy a drink. You order it via the app on the phone or tablet and wearing the medallion, the attendant knows where you are to deliver it.
Medallion was nice.
I agree, works great
vatican too but almost every line does offer this attraction
Can you turn off the contactless door opening, and can you do it with one touch? If someone seems to be following me down my corridor, maybe a stalker or thief, some person who has been behaving in an intimidating manner, I do not want my door to open, just because I'm close to it! If it doesn't automatically open, i need to be able to stop and linger until that person's long gone, and open it, then. Automatic things that don't allow you to exercise judgment or discretion about what they do "for" you, are not really so good.
Thank you
Am join princess curises ?
Best part is, with every cruise comes a free quarantine period, and possibly a criminal investigation.
Oh boy. You DOWNLOAD the app.
The average age is a big difference.
I was 43 when I went on a Princess ship, and felt so out of place.
I told my wife we would return to Princess in 25 years to fit in.
:-)
Yeah the average age is sixty plus on Princess. The cruise line that’s in between is Royal Caribbean average age 35 to 55 and more family friendly.
Me and my family enjoyed the Coral Princess so much exploring Alaska. We hated the party atmosphere with the Carnival Cruises. We are in our early 40s with 2 teenage kids.
@@jaytee6586
I enjoyed the cruise . My wife and kids also enjoyed it.
It just felt very weird , we couldn't relate with the rest of the passengers.
We always find people we can talk to, end up on same excursions by chance, etc.
Not Princess....lol
It felt like a solo cruise.
My 22 year old daughter and her 2 friends loved it. Something for everyone.
princess offers oslo, milano castello sforzesco pinacoteca ambrosiana brera, last supper, also both uffizi and accademia in florence while many ocean cruise lines offer either or, as well as cordoba mezquita, alhambra , figueres dali from palamos, mont st michel, carcasonne, giverny, windsor castle, moscow as well as st petersburg, potsdam as well as berlin.... princess i would rank as $$ rather than $$$ . $ msc carnival costa; $$ princess royal caribbean oceania; celebrity; $$$ holland america cunard ; $$$$ norwegian regent silverseas windstar. $ croisi riviera wingbuddy gate1travel; viking ama avalon $$; $$$$ emerald scenic....
Clement Ng It is an industry given, that Princess are in the Premium class along with HAL, Celebrity, RCI. But yes I would give an extra nod to Celebrity for their food. Premium in this sense does not mean Luxury, but mass market.
Princess Covoid Cruising.
Welcome onboard it's FREE
Only a couple of cases onboard .. well we think only a couple ! Ship Doctor " "Sorry your not covered by insurance on Cruise Ships for covoid" Your BIG credit card please !
We booked a cruise to Hawaii Last year, we got to the dock in LA and we had a mix up with our paper work. The manager at the dock said with a smile, sorry we can't bend any rules. Princess will not refund any of your money or give you an cruise line credit, it's company policy. We came all the way to LA from Utah to get screwed by Princess cruise lines. No wonder why they call it the love boat. If you still want to book a cruise with this line, you had better get insurance just in case. Nothing like paying six grand for nothing. They just took our money and cruised away. I hope the COVID 19 destroys this company.
Did he just say P&O were a luxury cruise line?
How am I meant to take anything you say seriously after that.
You are spot on about P &O. Any Aussie or Kiwi will tell you Princess is far superior.
Arrgghh no, never heard him say luxury, but classed as premium, which is another word for mass market.
I want your job!
Way too big for me.
Yes, some of the ships are really big and not everyone's cup of tea.
Not all their ships are big. Pacific Princess is a perfect example.
The Ocean Medallion aka the Electronic Leash, no thanks.I like my privacy.
dwill123 ...was on a Medallion Cruise...Regal Princess....you still had to actually sign for things....but walk on. ... walk off...the ship for embarkation/disembarkation..was a non stop I liked that tho...
More like a wild life electronic tag.
You carry a mobile phone? Even with the phone shut off it can still be tracked. My cousin bought one with a removable battery. That's the only way not to give off an electronic signal.
So privacy now is not like privacy circa 1975.
You can ask to have the traditional cruise card and not take part / be included in the medallion. I did ask about this as some people do not like the idea.
Ha, ha, the conspiracy theorists are terrified. 1984 has arrived.
Princess is a low end cruise line. Big ships, terrible food, lots of loud jerks. Avoid Princess
I thought Princess is rock bottom, el cheapo, load them on and pack them in? My daughter went on one with friends as it was the cheapest way of travelling to New Zealand from Australia.
I told her it would be mostly 80 year olds.- said she was quite happy to converse with people her grandma's or any age. With her group of 4, they found 3 others their own age (early 20s) and had fun together in the empty night clubs late at night!
She enjoyed it, my idea of a nightmare, too many people in one small artificial, unclean space. Sorry Gary. I enjoy your informative chats, but it hasn't converted me to cruising.
Load them in, El Cheapo is Carnival, not Princess. They are separate lines even though Carnival Corporation owns both.
Please start talking when we can cruise again........in this new normal.......etc.,
Looking forward to when we can. I do not think we will see cruising out of North America until into 2021. Many lines have pushed into 2021 already and we will see that across all lines during this month I am sure (unfortunately)