Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page printable cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limited time). Here are the details: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner/
Going on the Majestic for our 20th anniversary. We are taking the California coastal. Any suggestions, we have not sailed with Princess before. Any suggestions.
As a former crew member, the Princess travellers are the nicest ever (most of them). We really enjoy our time on board and we love making sure u do too! Please be always kind to ur crew member! I have a tip for you all, we do have our favourite passengers (impossible not to) and we will do everything to make sure that they have the best time ever (even freebies and specials). Just be nice and polite, that will get u far 😀 cut us some slack when it's crazy busy, we r doing our best!
That is so true. I just booked our 25th Princess Cruise (Discovery) and we always make it a point to get to know some of the crew members by name. My last cruise was in 2018 from the UK. My wife does not drink a lot of coffee but it flows through my veins, so I always get the premium coffee package for myself. Every early morning, while she was still asleep or just getting up, I would head down to the coffee bar, order my coffee and chat with any of the baristas who were on duty. I got to know them and after a few days, they knew what I wanted and didn’t bother punching my coffee card when they still had those. I still have a punch card they said to use on another cruise but I don’t know if the cruise will still except it. No worries, I have the premium package for the next cruise in October. For my cabin steward, I make it a point to hand him/her a $20 when they are going on shore to cover lunch, phone calls or incidentals. I don’t expect anything in return.
I cruised in November and December 2022 and the champagne waterfall was back, at least on the Crown Princess and the Royal Princess, on the West Coast. And, all passengers are welcome aboard, regardless of vaccination status, and no pre-boarding Covid testing. It's great to be back onboard!
My favorite perk with Princess is the laundry room. So much easier to pack light and plan on doing a load every few days. Much easier than taking another suitcase!
I’m assuming that you brought your own detergent, in what form? Individual gel packets or powder? Are the machines coin operated? Thank you in advance for your help.
Yes, March and April. I was on the Majestic last October and last week. On board, the medallion worked to unlock the door, purchase items, locating family. However, nothing else worked. So I used the phone in the cabin for room service and just went in person for food and beverages. I still had a GREAT time.
We almost always give the cabin steward a tip at the beginning of our cruise. Why? Well, my wife wants ice in the cabin all of the time and we prefer to have just a sheet and light blanket for our bed. This gives the steward the time and motivation to help us out. We also tip at the end of the cruise if they do a good job, which they usually do. They work incredibly hard for such low wages. We think it is the right thing to do.
We just took our first cruise with Princess in November 2022. We have cruised with Carnival and Royal before but wanted to try Princess. We thoroughly enjoyed it. We found the staff extremely attentive and genuinely wanted to do everything they could to provide us with a great experience. We interacted with all levels of staff throughout the cruise and found them all to have a great customer service ethic. We enjoyed everything. Even if something was a bit off, after being informed about it, they went the extra mile to make it right. We felt well taken care of and appreciated. I watched a lot of your videos before our cruise. Thank you!
Just completed a 7 night Califorinia coastline Princess cruise that started and ended in San Francisco on the Royal Princess. We experienced excellent service, a roomy cabin with smart storage, and lovely meals. We don't drink sodas or juice and we only drink 1-2 cocktails or wine per day. We drink approximately two specialty coffees per day. So, the coffee pkg was perfect for us and the barista, Sammy took great care of us. Booking a Princess Caribbean cruise for Winter.
I was shocked at the low number of bar staff...a bar that should have 3 bartenders only had one, and the person wasn't very well trained, in fact I think she doubled as waitress/bartender...
I’ve cruised six times but only on Carnival. With their drink package you can’t order two at the same time. I’ve booked my first cruise on Princess for March 27 to Hawaii, so excited.
Just returned from Princess 14day cruise/land tour. Our 1st flight was cancelled so we missed the ship - had to catch it in Ketchikan! - thank goodness for travel insurance and the travel agency escort who helped us all (about 20) make alternative travel arrangements. Surprising change - no one in our party was allowed to keep any heat creating hair appliances on the ship: curling irons, curling heated brushes or hair straighteners - they were taken from our luggage, kept by security, then returned on disembarkation day. The weather was great so we didn't need our ponchos or waterproof shoes. The heavy duty magnetic hooks for cabin walls came in handy as did the electronics cube and the phone power source. Thanks for all the helpful tips.
We don’t drink alcohol or coffee and aren’t big on soda so the drinks package is not usually something that makes sense for us. We did get it on our last cruise because it was part of a deal we got. It was fun to try mocktails but overall, we are happy with the free water or lemonade.
Since November my husband and I have gone on three cruises, each with the same itinerary, but on three different cruise lines. The initial cost of princess was the highest, but once you add in the princess plus it actually came in the least expensive. The other two cruise lines had very expensive drink packages and Wi-Fi. Also the medallion app was a game changer. Once we went on the princess cruise and were able to order drinks and food delivered directly to us we were spoiled. We were able to find every one in our party no matter where they were on the ship and were able to communicate with them easily. Love the app and the medallion!!!!
We just got off the sky princess… so wonderful. I’ve been telling everyone about the medallion. What a game changer🥳. We needed to select via the app to have nightly turndown service… took me three days to figure this out as towels weren’t picked up at night(kinda missed that). Once selected.. had the turndown and cleanup
Great tip! We spoke to our cabin attendant and let him know that we preferred a quick turn down and he was great about it. Good to know about the place on the app
Just returned from a Princess Cruise and we had a few glitches with the medallion app but the crew were awesome and very helpful getting this resolved. I absolutely love the fact that you don't have to have a card to get into your room and that the app verified your identity before granting you access.
We did our first cruise, we did the Alaska 10 day trip and it was wonderful. I wish our port time had been longer especially at Victoria, Canada the garden is spectacular 💖 we were on the Ruby Princess and had a great time. The staff was amazing and made our first time cruising wonderful. We will definitely be going again soon.
I’ve only been on one cruise, way back when dinosaurs walked the earth. 🤣 It was on the Grand Princess shortly after it launched. At that time it was the largest cruise ship. My friends don’t like to cruise but I love it. As a solo traveler the single supplements are rough but I got a great deal on a deluxe balcony cabin on the Regal Princess February 12 sailing and I’m taking myself on a cruise for Valentines Day. Your videos have been so helpful. Can’t wait!
This was nicely done and very thorough. I am currently preparing for a Princess Cruise and would like to mention that with the new medallion system it is very wise to plan your land excursions early and get them ordered a head of time. Some people in our party left that for the last two months and found that popular excursions were no longer available. The medallion is a 'work in progress' so sometimes it works and sometimes not. Reserving your dine my way months in advance is a good tip as well since the specialty dining spots were almost all taken by 6 weeks in advance. That was somewhat disappointing. The good news is that the staff is amazing and quite helpful with very few exceptions. One cool things about the one main dining room (there are 3 on Discovery) has lots of windows and the chef actually prepares a part of the meal in the center of the room. It is for the later dining only. I did not see that mentioned anywhere but when I called for help with dining reservations it was explained to me.
Wife and I cruised on Regal Princess Xmas week 2022 (8 days). It was amazing. Dinner portions are smaller and there is a smaller menu, but the quality of the food (steak/lamb/seafood) has all improved after the pandemic. We would just show up for dinner whenever we wanted and never had to wait more than 5 minutes to be seated. We did have to share tables half the time. Lotus spa services have gone up in price considerably, but I still do recommend getting the Enclave package for unlimited use of the saunas and hot stone bed. We got the plus package and loved it. To not have to worry about the cost of specialty coffee/espresso/bottled water/tips/etc. 15 alcoholic drinks/pp/day is pretty good. There is a lot of good liquor included, but the top shelf scotch, gin, bourbon will cost you extra. Solution: I made friends with a bar tender the first day, tipped him good, and the rest of the cruise I was drinking the top shelf stuff at no extra charge.
I bring magnets! The walls are metal. So, you can post your excursion tickets on the wall, notes, reminders, etc. Magnetic hooks also, to hang bathing suits, whatever. Helped me stay organized. Large Towel clips to keep towel on the chair on windy days. Also, wrinkle release spray...Downey makes on. Instead of having to have to go to the laundry room to iron....saves time. Lastly, power strip! The rooms don't have a lot of outlets.
The International Cafe is my favorite. We would go get us a treat before we retired for the night there and watched the dancers for a long time at night. Going on the Regal on Feb.12 with back to back cruises. Feel so comfortable on the ships after sailing on the Majestic in November. Honestly, they are cleaner than a lot of places we go. Stayed in a club mini suite and that was magnificent. Staying in a balcony for handicapped as I use a scooter and it has more room especially for parking the scooter. Getting really excited. One thing I would really recommend is the beautiful water show at night...well worth it. It was chilly but they do supply blankets.
Did a Fall 2022 Princess, and it was fabulous! Loved the new Medallios, Dine My Way, and everything else! One thing I really liked is that we got to choose our disembarkation time a few days before the end of the cruise. Perfect! We're heading out again for a Spring 2023 cruise in 2023, and I can't wait!!!
Princess is at the top of our list for cruising. We have cruised on many of the others through the years but have made our "go to" the Princess Ships. ❤️❤️😊
Regarding Princess Plus, I agree with you that it is a good deal for many passengers. For my wife and I it has not been and so we opt for the standard fare. It is wise to consider which services would be purchased and then compare the individual prices added together vs. the cost of Princess Plus. We never get a drinks package, only get internet for 1 device, and always pay the recommended crew incentive/appreciation/gratuity. For us, Princess Plus is much more than the value received. For those who buy a drinks package and internet for multiple devices, there is a significant cost savings. We spent most of December 2021 on the Enchanted Princess. The ship is wonderful and the crew is even better than wonderful. We were treated very well.
thanks for pointing this out. we will be going on our first princess cruise. we never get a drink pkg, rather we purchase bottled water to be delivered to the cabin on embarkation. we get standard wifi for our two phones, no streaming, etc. and we prepay our gratuities. i will look in to all this, but i am pretty sure i am in the same situation as you. thanks again.
Based on comments seem like wifi should be available separately but I can't find it in assistant program. Did you guys bought it onboard? Also, if not preparing appreciation - do the take it after the cruise or you have to tip in each and every place?
Just returned from the Mexican cruise on the Discovery a week ago. Ship is 9 months old and very beautiful. We had a balcony room on Baha deck 11. For the most part the food is not comparable to pre-pandemic cruises of Royal. I will say that was the first and last time I will ever go to Mexico; ide run to CA border too if I lived there. In the MDR Skagway, i would say Ferdinand is the best head waiter I have ever had...period! He is so organized and effiecient that our party of 12 wanted for nothing; his timing was amazing. The cabin was way better than Royal's Oasis of the seas. The Wifi was sub-par @ best. The everday prominade entainment was horrible. We met a couple that said Princess cruises are for Newly weds and nearly deads...So true! Our original cruise was set for Australia and New Zealand right when covid started canceling cruises, it withered down to having to use the credits by the end of this year so we all decided on this mexican cruise. What ever you do, dont take the bus tours they are an absolute waste of time and money, especially the one In Puerta Vallarta which turns into a walking tour that gets sketchy and ofcourse, as one of the nationals said it best "more mexican junk for you American dollars"? One shop wanted me to pay $85.00 dollars for a pullover hoodie sweatshirt. My wife negotiated $57.00 for it plus a longsleeve sun shirt. Even after paying for the items, the shop worker was pleading for more money needed for the hoodie as we walked out. All they want to do is rip you off. The contracted tours funnel you into a silver shop on the walk and intice you with a free drink and access to a bathroom. Oh, the Dirty Banana drink was basically a banana and chocolate flavored shake! The drink package was worth it but you are limited to drinks valued @ $12.00 or under so be careful when you ask middle or top shelf alcohol for instance like an old fashion comes with jack daniels so if you ask for like Makers you will be charged for the upgrade. I asked for makers in MDR and was told they dont have it. Anyways, things are changing daily with Cruise lines so be sure to do your research at least a week before sailings.
On the website it list that the drink package prices was drinks up to $15.00? You mentioned $12.00 here in your post. So did they lower them recently? We are going on the Discovery on the 25th, would love to know if they are 15 or 12 before I go. Thanks.
I mostly agree with your comments about the Medallion and the app. A couple of caveats though. If you have a pacemaker (I do) you can't use the lanyard. They didn't tell us that prior to the cruise. The app has a bad habit of crashing. It will often get into an endless loop and the only way to get out is to shut down your phone and restart it. We went on a transatlantic cruise in November. There were a couple of hiccups. The first port call was Cherbourg. At the last minute the French decided to be a pain in the butt. They changed the COVID protocols after we left Southampton and required additional documentation to get off of the ship. Princess negotiated a compromise and all was well. The port call in Bermuda was cancelled so Princess decided to stay overnight in Cherbourg. That turned out well. As far as the Norman Love deserts are concerned, yes they are excellent. One thing to keep in mind - the flourless chocolate cake is only available on the first day.
Thanks for sharing. Yes I’ve heard that the medallion should be worn on a clip if I’m not mistaken. Perhaps this is in the FAQ section about the medallion, however I agree it should be very clear if this is the case. I didn’t know about the flourless chocolate cake and when it’s offered - good to know
We just cruised on Carribbean Princess. (Jan 17-27, 2023) Some additional things we noticed.. The ordering app did not work on the top sun deck (said "not available in this area"), also we had multiple instances were the app said "delivered" and we never got what we ordered. This was in our stateroom and elsewhere on the ship. Since we had the full package and weren't charged, it wasn't a huge deal, but it was inconvenient. They are doing the champagne waterfall again. We noticed they would do pre-dinner photo shoots, but that was about it. There were no random shots and no dinner shots. And we did not get a thumb drive with all our photos, we had to download on our own and it kept crashing. After the cruise we noticed several duplicates downloaded, but some were completely missing. I'm working with Princess photo support now to get our missing photos. Overall, a wonderful cruise.
We LOVED Princess plus on our cruise in 2022. Ordered food and drinks from our phone and it was delivered wherever we were. Ordering alcoholic beverages was very convenient especially from the cigar bar. Princess plus gives us Wi-Fi gratuities and the premium alcoholic beverages for less than doing it “a la carte”. We stayed at the same table for all ten days and truly enjoyed the personal service provided. We also gave extra gratuities to our waiter and server for their efforts. Great suggestions in your video.
I have to comment about Princess's menu options. When I cruised with Mom, she had a number of dietary limitations due to meds she took and diverticulosis. Princess was always amazing in making adjustments for her. The maitre d' would show me the next days menu and if Mom chose something that was on her no-no list, he had the chef figure out how to specialize it for her. And Sabatini's was even more accommodating. When I went over her limitations with them, the chef came to our table and said not to worry, he would create items just for her. We didn't order off the menu, he just sent out his "surprises" for her. We cruised on other lines and, yes, they were accommodating when it came to her diet, but nowhere near as gracious about it as Princess was.
One of my kids has celiac disease and a Princess cruise is my favorite family vacation. They make him feel special and always make sure that he has outstanding dining options. It means a lot for me to be able to have others take such good care of him (relaxing for me! ).
I have to agree. My sister has food allergies and she was always well catered for on Princess. This didn’t happen on another cruise line which luckily was only for 3 nights. The head waiter thought he knew better and would only allow her to eat steak and steamed vegetables each night. I won’t name the cruise line, but she sent them a scathing evaluation.
I learned from a fellow Princess cruiser that you can order a baked potato at all meals even though it is not n the menu. I loved baked potatoes with the Salmon. That is a weight watchers approved meal. I love your videos.
I have been on two cruises now with the medallion and they are a good idea, but the whole concept is not complete and most things don't work. The Journey View that lists the activities for the day was pretty much impossible to access. The server on the ship just doesn't have the band with to handle so many guests trying to access various functions all day long. Many times we could completely drain our cell phones just trying to pull up something in the program. What works? The one thing that I was impressed with the the ordering of food on your phone. A couple times we tried out the system. I ordered french fries while sitting at one of the bars and I started the timer. In eight minutes, a waiter showed up with the french fries and they were hot and fresh. Another time, my partner ordered a bottle of water while playing ping pong and it took less than 5 minutes for someone to deliver the bottle. We never told anyone where we were, the medallion told the food service where we were and the waiters actually have our faces on their phone so they could find us in a crowded bar. Many times our medallion would not unlock the door to our room and we had to chase down a steward to get in. We had our medallions mailed to us before the cruise and neither of them worked from the start. There were many frustrations with the medallions, some functions NEVER worked and we were told they were for future enhancements. It is a nice idea, but it should not be forced on passengers until all the bugs are worked out!!
We’ve been platinum with Princess for quite a while. But we haven’t cruised since 2019! We will be boarding their new Discovery Princess ship in September 2022. It’s nice to see all of the available and unavailable accoutrements. Thank you for your comprehensive video. Happy sailing folks!
We have Princess Plus and absolutely love this! We're leaving in 36 days!!!! I so excited it is all I think about. The PLUS make our cruise worry free1
Just got off the Majestic Princess...had the drink, wifi and spa package. Had a great time. Ordered food & drinks everywhere and they delivered. As long as you have that medallion on, they will find you. This was my 2nd Princess cruise and I loved it, just like the 1st time. Going on another in May. The MDR food was just ok. The buffet had a lot of different food choices for the picky eater. Service was a little slow in the MDR as we we're sat in a "training" area. Not that big a deal, but a little slow.
I recommend booking your desired excursions early, because on our cruise, the better excursions sold out very quickly, and the excursions staff were always very busy. Overall, we loved our Princess cruise. Our Medallions worked great but the internet service went down sporatically.
We are cruising July 2nd on the Carrabbas Princess. We added the Premier Princess package which includes: premium drink package, gratuities, wifi, the photo package, and 2 specialty dinners per person. It was $1050 to add it, which was only a bit more than the regular drink package alone. We're sooo excited!
Just returned from an Emerald Pricess cruise this weekend. This was my very first cruise. Love the idea of the medallion. It made for a very easy way to order drinks and food. Since our weather was somewhat chilly and wet at times, we spent a lot of time in the Skywalker lounge during the day. It has a great view of the ocean. Since there are no wait staff there during the day, the medallion app came in quite handy. Once you get past the glitches, which the medallion staff was very happy to help us with, the app is wonderful.
2 tips from my last cruise in December for Christmas on the Emerald, guest services was providing tokens for the laundromat machines for the washer, drier and soap. That was pretty good with a party of 5 and a 10 day cruise I took advantage with the wash. Thanks princess as they were free. Also if you ran out of sea sickness medicine they can provide you with some also guess services, and their medication it’s pretty good. I don’t need it but my hubby does. Also I had several people asked about the Pizza as we order on the app wherever we were at as they deliver it, they charge you a $3.00 dollar service but they bring you the whole pizza, so no you are not paying for a slide of pizza, people were confused or didn’t know. Oh mama Mia the pizza it’s very delicioso!!!
We just started cruising and have been cruising on Celebrity (4 times) but we are looking at a Princess cruise in Asia. My comment is, "What! There is laundromats on Princess!?!" OMG, that's a really good reason to go with Princess. Celebrity does not have that option.
We just got off the Emerald Princess (10d Partial Panama Canal Transit 3/23 - 4/2) and the laundry tokens from Guest Services is no longer free - $3 per token charged to our shipboard account. Plan on at least 1 token for wash, 1 token for dryer... not sure if 1 more token for laundry soap - I had brought my own so didn't need to purchase.
@@daisydix3238 Just don't think it's a Holiday if you have to worry about thinking and doing laundry while your away... do you have to iron your own clothes as well?
Going on another Princess cruise later this year. Last cruised on Princess 2018 on the Regal Princess. Had two Princess cruises cancelled, COVID. Made no sense going anyway since all ports were closed. Used to travel with my late wife. The Princess Plus sounds good. Paper menus are good. Even if my late wife knew what was on the menu she still wanted to see a menu in the dining room. Alfredo's is good. We loved going there. It's best to be at the same table, same time, and same wait staff. International Cafe is open 24-hours a day seven days a week. It is good. So is Alfredo's. Not every Princess ship has an Alfredo's. The wine bar is good. I limit myself to two drinks a day. Character photos are usually on Carnival Cruise Line. They may not be doing that because of COVID.
We are due on a long Princess cruise from the UK in September - Southampton to Canada/USA and back again.We normally use a UK cruise company who include drinks and tips but their main advantage is that they have their own airline so it really is an integrated package. We have gone for Princess Plus, it just makes so much sense knowing that you dont have to worry about basic spending. Excursions, speciaility dining are optional, a pre dinner beer and wine with the meal are not! Good video,
We are sailing on the Caribbean Princess, 18 day Panama Cruise departing 26 April, travelling from Cyprus for a special anniversary. Very informative and thank you for the tips.
I'm booked on the Discovery Princess for November. This will be my 2nd Princess cruise, and I'm really excited. My first cruise with Princess was last September to Alaska. The trip was fantastic, and I thought that having the crew incentive, the wifi, and the drinks package all included in the fare made it a terrific value. My only reservation with booking with Princess again was the fact that the food on my Alaska cruise was very good. At least, it was not up to the level that RCL is in terms of quality, creativity, or preparation. Lobster night was an absolute abomination, as the lobster tails were like salty shoe leather. For me, food is a big part of cruising, so if those three components aren't there, it makes the cruise a little frustrating. But I'm willing to give Princess another shot. I've got a party I'm bringing with me this time, and we all wanted to be able to get on a ship for a really good deal, so I suggested Princess. I know Princess specializes in West Coast cruises, so we're all looking forward to our Princess cruise to Cabo!
Did princess have regular coffee and tea available for free? I assumed that would be for free. I’m a first time cruiser. I’m leaving in Nov as well go Cabo.
Hello 👋; I just booked my first Princess Cruise voyage today(PRINCESS PLUS included)😀! I will be sailing in March 2023 on a 10 night sailing to the Panama Canal and I am EXCITED 😁! This will be a WONDERFUL birthday present for myself 🎂🎉!
We have never gone with a drinks package before becuse my partner doesn't drink a lot. However when you look at Princess Plus and take off tips and WiFi costs the extra is only rhe equivalent of a couple of drinks per day. She will have that in speciality coffees alone and might now have a few cocktails or a glass of wine with dinner. Very good value.
Princess is our favorite cruise line. We were on the Alaska cruise the second week they started again this past summer. It was so nice to be back. We have a British isles cruise coming up in July. Can’t wait. Love the new way of doing the safety briefings. No more standing jammed together waiting a long time for the instructions you can’t understand because the PA system never worked well. Hopefully, by July all this Covid stuff will be over. You do a great job with your information. Downloaded your checklist. It’s going to be very valuable. Thanks.
goin' on Emerald Princess 15 day Panama Canal January 2023.. You've been a great help. our 1st cruise!! married 50 yrs. we're bringin' treats for new friends
Thanks Ilana! Fabulous review of Princess. Yes, going in 2 weeks and had a great deal when I signed up that included Princess Plus! So excited. We’ll be on Sky, have done Regal before and loved it. Keep up the good work!! Love your tips and will be doing them!!
Thanks Illona. Yet another informative video. We’re still sitting over here in Australian and eagerly awaiting our “let’s go” moment. But your tips are as always very kindly accepted. Love your sharing and look forward to more of your travels to watch and vicariously live through. Happy 2022 !!
Some of the most fun people we have met on cruises are Australians. Hoping very much your "go" moment comes soon. My wife prays for Australia every night.
We cruise in a month. Can I upgrade my cabin now? Haven’t been able to get through to Princess but will try again. I already have Princess Plus from the “best sale ever” earlier this month. But still want to upgrade from interior.
@@cw7689 we added princess plus and then found out that the rest of our party couldn't because they were past a deadline.. Had not heard there was a deadline, and that's kind of the pits.
Thanks so much for this video! Princess will be my first cruise ever and I’m so excited! Will be going in 2 weeks and these tips are going to make things so much easier.🙂
Thank you for a very informative video!! We are avid cruisers and are finally getting back to cruising. Our last cruise was a three week cruise to South America on Norwegian, we returned on March 4, 2020 right when Covid erupted. Fortunately we were able to get home just in time. We usually take Princess but decided to try a new line. We will never take Norwegian again and always stay with Princess, the BEST! We are getting ready to cruise to Cabo San Lucas from our home area of L.A. for a week. We leave on February 20 to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Great info and new updates you provided. Obviously many changes since we cruised last. Thanks again!
@@cyrene7784 The trip was nice , the Discovery Princess was a beautiful ship. It was just right on the 5 days we were gone. The weather was perfect going and coming back. Smooth sailing! A completely full ship, many families with children. Very few people wearing masks. I did not see any special cleaning by the attendants which I thought I would see. I must say, the food quality and the service have definitely gone down hill. We waited over three hours one day for room service. Attendants walking into our room while we were watching TV in another room, we had a suite. We were very disappointed overall. This was our 7th Princess cruise. We will probably try another line in the future. The medallion that you wear in place of a key card, let’s them know your exact location on the ship at all times. If you have your cell phone on you and the medallion app, you can order anything, anytime and they will bring it to your location! It even unlocks your cabin door when you get close enough. Hope that helped you. 😊
This is fantastic. We are going on Princess to Hawaii in November for our first cruise. This video is very helpful. We are getting a mini suite. So much to digest.😁
I love Princess Cruises and had cruised 16 times with them, 4 times with Royal Car, 3 times with Celebrity, once with NCL and once with Costa. And Princess was the best ( the food, the cabin, the shows, the itenaries, the crews the cleanliness etc). The worst was Costa and in NCL Restaurant you just feel like in the railway station's restaurant. Some of the cruises they have a microwave's dinner, my hobby is cooking, that's why I know if the food freshly prepared or have portionly freezed then put later in the microwave
Hi! Love your videos! Would you be able to do a video on cruising with 3 people on Princess and how that works with Princess Plus? Does everyone have to buy it, even though the 3rd person is free? What about tips for the third person if they are free. Sleeping arrangements for the 3rd person (cot versus upper) explained would also be helpful
I am a traditionalist and so i reserved the same time each night but i also had the same table every night or one away in the MDR. Yes i ordered the Fettuccini Alfredo every night i was there. The Crown Grill cannot be beat. I was in a Club Class mini suite and what a great cabin, we had 3 in the room and we were very comfortable, one point I wanted to mention is the sofa bed is exactly like the twin bed in the room….very comfortable ! Also the club class dining was great and every night was offered a meal not on the regular menu…………..thx Illana😊🚢
I LOVE princess cruise . I just finished my 10 days trip on Ruby princess cruise from San Francisco to Mexico . I really love it. Very good service, very good food. The staff and workers service very good. 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 👍👍👍❤️
Sounds crazy but I am going on my 5th Princess Cruise Since October 2021....My rooms are either balcony deluxe or mini suite. I never use the little table in front of the sofa. I had a "AH HA" moment the last time I sailed. I put the table in the closet. A it gave me a place to put my suitcase (I had it under my bed most times) and B I was able to get into my suitcase at ease during my trip. I like to place my dirty clothes back into the suitcase during trip. C it gave me more walking room in the extra deluxe area and easier access to the balcony door.
Excellent advice as always. Going on my first cruise ever with my wife on Princess to Alaska at the end of July and we can’t be more excited. Thanks for your content it’s all extremely helpful.
Just cruised on the Majestic Princess to Mexico. Love the medallion opening the door. No searching for my room key. Journey view was great as was finding the shipmates. Not only could I see where they were, but they gave you directions. We made reservations on the app beforehand but still had to stand in the dining room line each night. We had a fabulous accessible room; very large, lots of drawers. Automatic nightlights were wonderful. Missed the nightly room turndown and chocolate on the pillow. The specialty happy hour for Platinum members was a nice surprise. We are at both the Concerto and Allegro dining rooms, Alfredo’s, the International Cafe, the buffet, and the Lobster and Burger Bar. All good..
What a fabulous post - thank you! My last Princess cruise was 3 years ago and we have rebooked a couple other cruises since. Hoping that a cruise to Alaska with my cousin this coming August will really happen!
Thank you for the updates. You are making us very excited for our June Regal sailing. Good to know that paper menus are available. When on a cruise, I like to lock the phone in a safe.
Yes…my wife and I will be cruising to Alaska from Vancouver, BC in September 2022. I will continue watching your You Tube videos and learn more cruising with Princess.
Take an extra power bank for your charging of all your devices it was an amazing big help for us since we have multiple devices and not a lot of plugs. Also if your phone is a magcharge style phone. Get a three in one if you have to also charge your AirPods or a two in one if you have only your watch and phone from either apple store if you have an iPhone or apple devices. It helps to avoid all the clutter and extra chords.
First time we have booked with Princess and our first time going to Alaska. When we booked princess plus was included in the price. I noticed that promotion is gone now so I’m glad we got in just in time. Excited
My husband and I are praying we sail on sky princess in early March after being cancelled 3 rimes. We love princess. Thank you for the tips. We are excited to sail with princess again.
1st one booked for July 2022 on Sky Princess for my husbands birthday 🎂. Looking forward to it immensely. Our travel companions have only previously cruised with Princess but not for many years.
Enjoyed your video very much…sailed on Princess several times and we have always been able to have breakfast in Main dining room although just a little earlier than usual. I think they want you seated by 8:00 am or so. Sure beats fighting usual crowd up at buffet for that last cruise breakfast. During the week you can eat lunch in Main dining too. Very good food. Just wanted to add those two tips.
Thank you for you very informative and helpful video. Your info is well received, you answered all of my questions and more, without asking! Excellent information as I’ve never sailed on Princess, but am highly considering and are at top of my list. Thank you, and all the best!🙏🥰
Doing 3 b2b trips, starting next Saturday...2 x 7 days and a 14 day....on Caribbean Princess. After having 5 trips cancelled over past 2 years, we can't wait to get onboard.
I am a huge princess fan, I have been on 14 cruises with them so far and I am booked for a 10 day Caribbean cruise in December. That will be my first cruise since 2016 and I am just getting desperate to get on a ship!!
The last time I was on a Princess cruise was November 2019, so a few months before Covid, and I am going on one in July 2022. I can’t wait but thanks for all the tips! I will definitely use them 😀
Yes, Princess Plus is a great bargain! If you subtract the $15 per day for gratuities that you always pay anyway, you end up paying $25 per day for all your drinks, bottled water, great coffee, and good Wi-Fi. Plus just having your stateroom account not cluttered by all those individual charges makes things so simple. Thanks for another great video! I haven’t done it before, but this next trip I will try ordering specialty coffees to our stateroom in the morning, instead of sending my husband off to get them.
@@LifeWellCruised I have travelled several times on Princess and actually have two cruises booked one Sept 18th British Isle and Nov 29 Southern Catibean My concern is that everyone in room must take Princess Plus but my wife does not drink alcohol Princess would not just let me take the plus package on a stand alone. Very disappointing This needs to change
Thank you for all the great info. We will be taking the Pacific Northwest cruise on the Ruby Princess on April 23rd. We have the Princess plus and am glad to hear it is a good value.
I highly recommend the Princess Ruby put their ping pong tables indoor because many hard core ping pong players want to play and outdoor setting is not good for hard core players. Thanks!
Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page printable cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limited time). Here are the details: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner/
Going on the Majestic for our 20th anniversary. We are taking the California coastal. Any suggestions, we have not sailed with Princess before. Any suggestions.
Three weeks! We love this line
2 cruises booked: E Caribbean & Northern Lights Cruise (Norway). We cannot wait!!
@@wendysoulliere1305 If you love chocolate, try the flourless chocolate cake...it's like a light fudge, very rich.
Sometimes chocolate is the only thing that gets me through a day. Thank-u.
As a former crew member, the Princess travellers are the nicest ever (most of them). We really enjoy our time on board and we love making sure u do too!
Please be always kind to ur crew member! I have a tip for you all, we do have our favourite passengers (impossible not to) and we will do everything to make sure that they have the best time ever (even freebies and specials). Just be nice and polite, that will get u far 😀 cut us some slack when it's crazy busy, we r doing our best!
Thanks so much for sharing your insights and suggestions as a former crew member!! ❤️
@@LifeWellCruised ty for encouraging more people to travel!
Just have 'common sense and treat the crew with friendly dignity......and every one else, daily 😃
This is great to hear, because Princess also has the nicest crew ever!
That is so true. I just booked our 25th Princess Cruise (Discovery) and we always make it a point to get to know some of the crew members by name. My last cruise was in 2018 from the UK. My wife does not drink a lot of coffee but it flows through my veins, so I always get the premium coffee package for myself. Every early morning, while she was still asleep or just getting up, I would head down to the coffee bar, order my coffee and chat with any of the baristas who were on duty. I got to know them and after a few days, they knew what I wanted and didn’t bother punching my coffee card when they still had those. I still have a punch card they said to use on another cruise but I don’t know if the cruise will still except it. No worries, I have the premium package for the next cruise in October. For my cabin steward, I make it a point to hand him/her a $20 when they are going on shore to cover lunch, phone calls or incidentals. I don’t expect anything in return.
I cruised in November and December 2022 and the champagne waterfall was back, at least on the Crown Princess and the Royal Princess, on the West Coast. And, all passengers are welcome aboard, regardless of vaccination status, and no pre-boarding Covid testing. It's great to be back onboard!
Thanks for the info. I am cruising in 80 days and was wondering the status.
My favorite perk with Princess is the laundry room. So much easier to pack light and plan on doing a load every few days. Much easier than taking another suitcase!
Totally agree. Plus it feels even more like you live there. So fun. 🤗
I’m assuming that you brought your own detergent, in what form? Individual gel packets or powder? Are the machines coin operated? Thank you in advance for your help.
@@nancysnyder8993 Actually, Princess has laundry dispensers like you would see in a laundromat in the US. I only take dry sheets.
@@nancysnyder8993 and yes, the machines take tokens which you buy from the Ship Services or machine along with the detergent.
Will you be cruising with Princess in 2022?
Yes, Feb 2022. Ruby Princess
Yes to Alaska from Vancouver in September. So glad to hear all your tips about princess. We've traveled with them twice before covid.
Yes, Feb 2022, Emerald Princess 14 days can't wait!
Yes, March and April. I was on the Majestic last October and last week. On board, the medallion worked to unlock the door, purchase items, locating family. However, nothing else worked. So I used the phone in the cabin for room service and just went in person for food and beverages. I still had a GREAT time.
Yes - two cruises February Emerald Princess 14 days & April Enchanted Princess 11 days which was a great deal for solo travelers
We almost always give the cabin steward a tip at the beginning of our cruise. Why? Well, my wife wants ice in the cabin all of the time and we prefer to have just a sheet and light blanket for our bed. This gives the steward the time and motivation to help us out. We also tip at the end of the cruise if they do a good job, which they usually do. They work incredibly hard for such low wages. We think it is the right thing to do.
We just took our first cruise with Princess in November 2022. We have cruised with Carnival and Royal before but wanted to try Princess. We thoroughly enjoyed it. We found the staff extremely attentive and genuinely wanted to do everything they could to provide us with a great experience. We interacted with all levels of staff throughout the cruise and found them all to have a great customer service ethic. We enjoyed everything. Even if something was a bit off, after being informed about it, they went the extra mile to make it right. We felt well taken care of and appreciated. I watched a lot of your videos before our cruise. Thank you!
Just completed a 7 night Califorinia coastline Princess cruise that started and ended in San Francisco on the Royal Princess. We experienced excellent service, a roomy cabin with smart storage, and lovely meals. We don't drink sodas or juice and we only drink 1-2 cocktails or wine per day. We drink approximately two specialty coffees per day. So, the coffee pkg was perfect for us and the barista, Sammy took great care of us. Booking a Princess Caribbean cruise for Winter.
I’ve booked my first Princess cruise on Royal on March 27 to Hawaii, so excited.
Tip: If you have the drink package, order two drinks at a time. The bar service was very backed up (we just cruised in Discovery Princess last week).
I was shocked at the low number of bar staff...a bar that should have 3 bartenders only had one, and the person wasn't very well trained, in fact I think she doubled as waitress/bartender...
I’ve cruised six times but only on Carnival. With their drink package you can’t order two at the same time. I’ve booked my first cruise on Princess for March 27 to Hawaii, so excited.
Just returned from Princess 14day cruise/land tour. Our 1st flight was cancelled so we missed the ship - had to catch it in Ketchikan! - thank goodness for travel insurance and the travel agency escort who helped us all (about 20) make alternative travel arrangements.
Surprising change - no one in our party was allowed to keep any heat creating hair appliances on the ship: curling irons, curling heated brushes or hair straighteners - they were taken from our luggage, kept by security, then returned on disembarkation day.
The weather was great so we didn't need our ponchos or waterproof shoes. The heavy duty magnetic hooks for cabin walls came in handy as did the electronics cube and the phone power source. Thanks for all the helpful tips.
We don’t drink alcohol or coffee and aren’t big on soda so the drinks package is not usually something that makes sense for us. We did get it on our last cruise because it was part of a deal we got. It was fun to try mocktails but overall, we are happy with the free water or lemonade.
Since November my husband and I have gone on three cruises, each with the same itinerary, but on three different cruise lines. The initial cost of princess was the highest, but once you add in the princess plus it actually came in the least expensive. The other two cruise lines had very expensive drink packages and Wi-Fi. Also the medallion app was a game changer. Once we went on the princess cruise and were able to order drinks and food delivered directly to us we were spoiled. We were able to find every one in our party no matter where they were on the ship and were able to communicate with them easily. Love the app and the medallion!!!!
So glad to hear about your experience! Thanks for sharing
the app doesnt work for our family :(
Very informative. One activity I've really enjoyed was the Princess Pop Choir, but I'm afraid it is also a victim of Covid?
Princess Plus is a great value
We just got off the sky princess… so wonderful. I’ve been telling everyone about the medallion. What a game changer🥳.
We needed to select via the app to have nightly turndown service… took me three days to figure this out as towels weren’t picked up at night(kinda missed that). Once selected.. had the turndown and cleanup
Great tip! We spoke to our cabin attendant and let him know that we preferred a quick turn down and he was great about it. Good to know about the place on the app
Where in the app is the turndown service setting? thanks
Just returned from a Princess Cruise and we had a few glitches with the medallion app but the crew were awesome and very helpful getting this resolved. I absolutely love the fact that you don't have to have a card to get into your room and that the app verified your identity before granting you access.
I love the princess patters. I’m lost without them . The wake show on TV in the mornings is pretty good also 😎
Love the wake show too
We did our first cruise, we did the Alaska 10 day trip and it was wonderful. I wish our port time had been longer especially at Victoria, Canada the garden is spectacular 💖 we were on the Ruby Princess and had a great time. The staff was amazing and made our first time cruising wonderful. We will definitely be going again soon.
I’ve only been on one cruise, way back when dinosaurs walked the earth. 🤣 It was on the Grand Princess shortly after it launched. At that time it was the largest cruise ship. My friends don’t like to cruise but I love it. As a solo traveler the single supplements are rough but I got a great deal on a deluxe balcony cabin on the Regal Princess February 12 sailing and I’m taking myself on a cruise for Valentines Day. Your videos have been so helpful. Can’t wait!
How wonderful!! I’m so glad for you that you got that great cabin for a good price. Very nice 🥂
This was nicely done and very thorough. I am currently preparing for a Princess Cruise and would like to mention that with the new medallion system it is very wise to plan your land excursions early and get them ordered a head of time. Some people in our party left that for the last two months and found that popular excursions were no longer available. The medallion is a 'work in progress' so sometimes it works and sometimes not. Reserving your dine my way months in advance is a good tip as well since the specialty dining spots were almost all taken by 6 weeks in advance. That was somewhat disappointing. The good news is that the staff is amazing and quite helpful with very few exceptions. One cool things about the one main dining room (there are 3 on Discovery) has lots of windows and the chef actually prepares a part of the meal in the center of the room. It is for the later dining only. I did not see that mentioned anywhere but when I called for help with dining reservations it was explained to me.
O
Wife and I cruised on Regal Princess Xmas week 2022 (8 days). It was amazing. Dinner portions are smaller and there is a smaller menu, but the quality of the food (steak/lamb/seafood) has all improved after the pandemic. We would just show up for dinner whenever we wanted and never had to wait more than 5 minutes to be seated. We did have to share tables half the time. Lotus spa services have gone up in price considerably, but I still do recommend getting the Enclave package for unlimited use of the saunas and hot stone bed. We got the plus package and loved it. To not have to worry about the cost of specialty coffee/espresso/bottled water/tips/etc. 15 alcoholic drinks/pp/day is pretty good. There is a lot of good liquor included, but the top shelf scotch, gin, bourbon will cost you extra. Solution: I made friends with a bar tender the first day, tipped him good, and the rest of the cruise I was drinking the top shelf stuff at no extra charge.
I bring magnets! The walls are metal. So, you can post your excursion tickets on the wall, notes, reminders, etc. Magnetic hooks also, to hang bathing suits, whatever. Helped me stay organized. Large Towel clips to keep towel on the chair on windy days. Also, wrinkle release spray...Downey makes on. Instead of having to have to go to the laundry room to iron....saves time. Lastly, power strip! The rooms don't have a lot of outlets.
This will be my first time with Princess. I am sure that I will love it! Thank you for the tips. I know that I will watch again.
The International Cafe is my favorite. We would go get us a treat before we retired for the night there and watched the dancers for a long time at night. Going on the Regal on Feb.12 with back to back cruises. Feel so comfortable on the ships after sailing on the Majestic in November. Honestly, they are cleaner than a lot of places we go. Stayed in a club mini suite and that was magnificent. Staying in a balcony for handicapped as I use a scooter and it has more room especially for parking the scooter. Getting really excited. One thing I would really recommend is the beautiful water show at night...well worth it. It was chilly but they do supply blankets.
Thanks for sharing! I should have watched the water show
I am SO HAPPY to hear that we still get the Princess Patter!!!!
Those are my favorite “bedtime stories” to read !!! YAY!!!
Haha so true!!
Yes! Do they still let you put early morning coffee service request on the door the night before?
Did a Fall 2022 Princess, and it was fabulous! Loved the new Medallios, Dine My Way, and everything else! One thing I really liked is that we got to choose our disembarkation time a few days before the end of the cruise. Perfect! We're heading out again for a Spring 2023 cruise in 2023, and I can't wait!!!
Princess is at the top of our list for cruising. We have cruised on many of the others through the years but have made our "go to" the Princess Ships. ❤️❤️😊
Regarding Princess Plus, I agree with you that it is a good deal for many passengers. For my wife and I it has not been and so we opt for the standard fare. It is wise to consider which services would be purchased and then compare the individual prices added together vs. the cost of Princess Plus. We never get a drinks package, only get internet for 1 device, and always pay the recommended crew incentive/appreciation/gratuity. For us, Princess Plus is much more than the value received. For those who buy a drinks package and internet for multiple devices, there is a significant cost savings. We spent most of December 2021 on the Enchanted Princess. The ship is wonderful and the crew is even better than wonderful. We were treated very well.
You’re right. Always important to price out the cost vs value and what you’ll actually use. Thanks for sharing your experience
thanks for pointing this out. we will be going on our first princess cruise. we never get a drink pkg, rather we purchase bottled water to be delivered to the cabin on embarkation. we get standard wifi for our two phones, no streaming, etc. and we prepay our gratuities. i will look in to all this, but i am pretty sure i am in the same situation as you. thanks again.
Based on comments seem like wifi should be available separately but I can't find it in assistant program. Did you guys bought it onboard? Also, if not preparing appreciation - do the take it after the cruise or you have to tip in each and every place?
Just returned from the Mexican cruise on the Discovery a week ago. Ship is 9 months old and very beautiful. We had a balcony room on Baha deck 11. For the most part the food is not comparable to pre-pandemic cruises of Royal. I will say that was the first and last time I will ever go to Mexico; ide run to CA border too if I lived there. In the MDR Skagway, i would say Ferdinand is the best head waiter I have ever had...period! He is so organized and effiecient that our party of 12 wanted for nothing; his timing was amazing. The cabin was way better than Royal's Oasis of the seas. The Wifi was sub-par @ best. The everday prominade entainment was horrible. We met a couple that said Princess cruises are for Newly weds and nearly deads...So true! Our original cruise was set for Australia and New Zealand right when covid started canceling cruises, it withered down to having to use the credits by the end of this year so we all decided on this mexican cruise. What ever you do, dont take the bus tours they are an absolute waste of time and money, especially the one In Puerta Vallarta which turns into a walking tour that gets sketchy and ofcourse, as one of the nationals said it best "more mexican junk for you American dollars"? One shop wanted me to pay $85.00 dollars for a pullover hoodie sweatshirt. My wife negotiated $57.00 for it plus a longsleeve sun shirt. Even after paying for the items, the shop worker was pleading for more money needed for the hoodie as we walked out. All they want to do is rip you off. The contracted tours funnel you into a silver shop on the walk and intice you with a free drink and access to a bathroom. Oh, the Dirty Banana drink was basically a banana and chocolate flavored shake! The drink package was worth it but you are limited to drinks valued @ $12.00 or under so be careful when you ask middle or top shelf alcohol for instance like an old fashion comes with jack daniels so if you ask for like Makers you will be charged for the upgrade. I asked for makers in MDR and was told they dont have it. Anyways, things are changing daily with Cruise lines so be sure to do your research at least a week before sailings.
On the website it list that the drink package prices was drinks up to $15.00? You mentioned $12.00 here in your post. So did they lower them recently? We are going on the Discovery on the 25th, would love to know if they are 15 or 12 before I go. Thanks.
I mostly agree with your comments about the Medallion and the app. A couple of caveats though. If you have a pacemaker (I do) you can't use the lanyard. They didn't tell us that prior to the cruise. The app has a bad habit of crashing. It will often get into an endless loop and the only way to get out is to shut down your phone and restart it. We went on a transatlantic cruise in November. There were a couple of hiccups. The first port call was Cherbourg. At the last minute the French decided to be a pain in the butt. They changed the COVID protocols after we left Southampton and required additional documentation to get off of the ship. Princess negotiated a compromise and all was well. The port call in Bermuda was cancelled so Princess decided to stay overnight in Cherbourg. That turned out well. As far as the Norman Love deserts are concerned, yes they are excellent. One thing to keep in mind - the flourless chocolate cake is only available on the first day.
Thanks for sharing. Yes I’ve heard that the medallion should be worn on a clip if I’m not mistaken. Perhaps this is in the FAQ section about the medallion, however I agree it should be very clear if this is the case. I didn’t know about the flourless chocolate cake and when it’s offered - good to know
Thank you for that tip. I certainly hadn't seen about it, I have ICD installed (defib and pacemaker) myself, and hadn't seen any warning ..
We just cruised on Carribbean Princess. (Jan 17-27, 2023) Some additional things we noticed.. The ordering app did not work on the top sun deck (said "not available in this area"), also we had multiple instances were the app said "delivered" and we never got what we ordered. This was in our stateroom and elsewhere on the ship. Since we had the full package and weren't charged, it wasn't a huge deal, but it was inconvenient. They are doing the champagne waterfall again.
We noticed they would do pre-dinner photo shoots, but that was about it. There were no random shots and no dinner shots.
And we did not get a thumb drive with all our photos, we had to download on our own and it kept crashing. After the cruise we noticed several duplicates downloaded, but some were completely missing. I'm working with Princess photo support now to get our missing photos.
Overall, a wonderful cruise.
We LOVED Princess plus on our cruise in 2022. Ordered food and drinks from our phone and it was delivered wherever we were. Ordering alcoholic beverages was very convenient especially from the cigar bar. Princess plus gives us Wi-Fi gratuities and the premium alcoholic beverages for less than doing it “a la carte”.
We stayed at the same table for all ten days and truly enjoyed the personal service provided. We also gave extra gratuities to our waiter and server for their efforts.
Great suggestions in your video.
I have to comment about Princess's menu options. When I cruised with Mom, she had a number of dietary limitations due to meds she took and diverticulosis. Princess was always amazing in making adjustments for her. The maitre d' would show me the next days menu and if Mom chose something that was on her no-no list, he had the chef figure out how to specialize it for her. And Sabatini's was even more accommodating. When I went over her limitations with them, the chef came to our table and said not to worry, he would create items just for her. We didn't order off the menu, he just sent out his "surprises" for her. We cruised on other lines and, yes, they were accommodating when it came to her diet, but nowhere near as gracious about it as Princess was.
That’s really great to hear! Thanks for sharing your experience
One of my kids has celiac disease and a Princess cruise is my favorite family vacation. They make him feel special and always make sure that he has outstanding dining options. It means a lot for me to be able to have others take such good care of him (relaxing for me! ).
I have to agree. My sister has food allergies and she was always well catered for on Princess. This didn’t happen on another cruise line which luckily was only for 3 nights. The head waiter thought he knew better and would only allow her to eat steak and steamed vegetables each night. I won’t name the cruise line, but she sent them a scathing evaluation.
I learned from a fellow Princess cruiser that you can order a baked potato at all meals even though it is not n the menu. I loved baked potatoes with the Salmon. That is a weight watchers approved meal. I love your videos.
I have been on two cruises now with the medallion and they are a good idea, but the whole concept is not complete and most things don't work. The Journey View that lists the activities for the day was pretty much impossible to access. The server on the ship just doesn't have the band with to handle so many guests trying to access various functions all day long. Many times we could completely drain our cell phones just trying to pull up something in the program.
What works? The one thing that I was impressed with the the ordering of food on your phone. A couple times we tried out the system. I ordered french fries while sitting at one of the bars and I started the timer. In eight minutes, a waiter showed up with the french fries and they were hot and fresh. Another time, my partner ordered a bottle of water while playing ping pong and it took less than 5 minutes for someone to deliver the bottle. We never told anyone where we were, the medallion told the food service where we were and the waiters actually have our faces on their phone so they could find us in a crowded bar.
Many times our medallion would not unlock the door to our room and we had to chase down a steward to get in. We had our medallions mailed to us before the cruise and neither of them worked from the start. There were many frustrations with the medallions, some functions NEVER worked and we were told they were for future enhancements.
It is a nice idea, but it should not be forced on passengers until all the bugs are worked out!!
We’ve been platinum with Princess for quite a while. But we haven’t cruised since 2019! We will be boarding their new Discovery Princess ship in September 2022. It’s nice to see all of the available and unavailable accoutrements. Thank you for your comprehensive video. Happy sailing folks!
We have Princess Plus and absolutely love this! We're leaving in 36 days!!!! I so excited it is all I think about. The PLUS make our cruise worry free1
Just got off the Majestic Princess...had the drink, wifi and spa package. Had a great time. Ordered food & drinks everywhere and they delivered. As long as you have that medallion on, they will find you. This was my 2nd Princess cruise and I loved it, just like the 1st time. Going on another in May. The MDR food was just ok. The buffet had a lot of different food choices for the picky eater. Service was a little slow in the MDR as we we're sat in a "training" area. Not that big a deal, but a little slow.
I recommend booking your desired excursions early, because on our cruise, the better excursions sold out very quickly, and the excursions staff were always very busy. Overall, we loved our Princess cruise. Our Medallions worked great but the internet service went down sporatically.
We are cruising July 2nd on the Carrabbas Princess.
We added the Premier Princess package which includes: premium drink package, gratuities, wifi, the photo package, and 2 specialty dinners per person.
It was $1050 to add it, which was only a bit more than the regular drink package alone.
We're sooo excited!
Just returned from an Emerald Pricess cruise this weekend. This was my very first cruise. Love the idea of the medallion. It made for a very easy way to order drinks and food. Since our weather was somewhat chilly and wet at times, we spent a lot of time in the Skywalker lounge during the day. It has a great view of the ocean. Since there are no wait staff there during the day, the medallion app came in quite handy. Once you get past the glitches, which the medallion staff was very happy to help us with, the app is wonderful.
2 tips from my last cruise in December for Christmas on the Emerald, guest services was providing tokens for the laundromat machines for the washer, drier and soap. That was pretty good with a party of 5 and a 10 day cruise I took advantage with the wash. Thanks princess as they were free.
Also if you ran out of sea sickness medicine they can provide you with some also guess services, and their medication it’s pretty good. I don’t need it but my hubby does.
Also I had several people asked about the Pizza as we order on the app wherever we were at as they deliver it, they charge you a $3.00 dollar service but they bring you the whole pizza, so no you are not paying for a slide of pizza, people were confused or didn’t know. Oh mama Mia the pizza it’s very delicioso!!!
Wow, so good to know! Thanks for sharing some great recent info :)
We just started cruising and have been cruising on Celebrity (4 times) but we are looking at a Princess cruise in Asia. My comment is, "What! There is laundromats on Princess!?!" OMG, that's a really good reason to go with Princess. Celebrity does not have that option.
We bring Tide Pods with us for laundry.
We just got off the Emerald Princess (10d Partial Panama Canal Transit 3/23 - 4/2) and the laundry tokens from Guest Services is no longer free - $3 per token charged to our shipboard account. Plan on at least 1 token for wash, 1 token for dryer... not sure if 1 more token for laundry soap - I had brought my own so didn't need to purchase.
@@daisydix3238 Just don't think it's a Holiday if you have to worry about thinking and doing laundry while your away... do you have to iron your own clothes as well?
One of the things I like the most about your videos is that you don't do loud background music, which is distracting and hard to hear over. Thank you.
I’m glad to hear your feedback. Thank you Margaret
Going on another Princess cruise later this year. Last cruised on Princess 2018 on the Regal Princess. Had two Princess cruises cancelled, COVID. Made no sense going anyway since all ports were closed. Used to travel with my late wife. The Princess Plus sounds good. Paper menus are good. Even if my late wife knew what was on the menu she still wanted to see a menu in the dining room. Alfredo's is good. We loved going there. It's best to be at the same table, same time, and same wait staff. International Cafe is open 24-hours a day seven days a week. It is good. So is Alfredo's. Not every Princess ship has an Alfredo's. The wine bar is good. I limit myself to two drinks a day. Character photos are usually on Carnival Cruise Line. They may not be doing that because of COVID.
Booked an Alaskan cruise for April 2023. It's been a few years since I've sailed Princess and really looking forward to it - thanks to you video!
We are due on a long Princess cruise from the UK in September - Southampton to Canada/USA and back again.We normally use a UK cruise company who include drinks and tips but their main advantage is that they have their own airline so it really is an integrated package. We have gone for Princess Plus, it just makes so much sense knowing that you dont have to worry about basic spending. Excursions, speciaility dining are optional, a pre dinner beer and wine with the meal are not! Good video,
We are sailing on the Caribbean Princess, 18 day Panama Cruise departing 26 April, travelling from Cyprus for a special anniversary. Very informative and thank you for the tips.
I'm booked on the Discovery Princess for November. This will be my 2nd Princess cruise, and I'm really excited. My first cruise with Princess was last September to Alaska. The trip was fantastic, and I thought that having the crew incentive, the wifi, and the drinks package all included in the fare made it a terrific value. My only reservation with booking with Princess again was the fact that the food on my Alaska cruise was very good. At least, it was not up to the level that RCL is in terms of quality, creativity, or preparation. Lobster night was an absolute abomination, as the lobster tails were like salty shoe leather. For me, food is a big part of cruising, so if those three components aren't there, it makes the cruise a little frustrating. But I'm willing to give Princess another shot. I've got a party I'm bringing with me this time, and we all wanted to be able to get on a ship for a really good deal, so I suggested Princess. I know Princess specializes in West Coast cruises, so we're all looking forward to our Princess cruise to Cabo!
Did princess have regular coffee and tea available for free? I assumed that would be for free. I’m a first time cruiser. I’m leaving in Nov as well go Cabo.
@@miamor5999 yes princess have free regular coffee and tea provide at the buffet and at the dinning room .
I just returned from Sky on Saturday 2/11/23. The champagne pour is back as well as pool games. I found the dining room food superior to 1/2022.
Every time I passed the big screens by the elevators, there was a happy retirement full screen announcement personalized for me. It was fun!
Oh wow!! Love this ❤️🎉
Hello 👋;
I just booked my first Princess Cruise voyage today(PRINCESS PLUS included)😀! I will be sailing in March 2023 on a 10 night sailing to the Panama Canal and I am EXCITED 😁! This will be a WONDERFUL birthday present for myself 🎂🎉!
That’s amazing! Happy birthday 🎉
What date are you going as we are going I’m March also…
We have never gone with a drinks package before becuse my partner doesn't drink a lot. However when you look at Princess Plus and take off tips and WiFi costs the extra is only rhe equivalent of a couple of drinks per day. She will have that in speciality coffees alone and might now have a few cocktails or a glass of wine with dinner. Very good value.
# David Williams
Princess is our favorite cruise line. We were on the Alaska cruise the second week they started again this past summer. It was so nice to be back. We have a British isles cruise coming up in July. Can’t wait. Love the new way of doing the safety briefings. No more standing jammed together waiting a long time for the instructions you can’t understand because the PA system never worked well. Hopefully, by July all this Covid stuff will be over.
You do a great job with your information. Downloaded your checklist. It’s going to be very valuable. Thanks.
Thanks so much Sophie! I agree Princess really is doing a great job & medallion has some great aspects
We’ve cruised several times but in a couple months we’ll take our first cruise with Princess. Thanks for this video…it’s getting me ready!
The medallion also fits into fitbit zip accessories. I love the one that fits right onto your watchband since I always have my watch on even in pool.
That’s fabulous. Thanks for sharing
goin' on Emerald Princess 15 day Panama Canal January 2023.. You've been a great help. our 1st cruise!! married 50 yrs. we're bringin' treats for new friends
We just finished our Love Boat Mexican Cruise with Discovery Princess! It was our very first cruise and we had a great experience!
I’m so glad to hear it went so well! That ship looks stunning 🤩
Thanks Ilana! Fabulous review of Princess. Yes, going in 2 weeks and had a great deal when I signed up that included Princess Plus! So excited. We’ll be on Sky, have done Regal before and loved it. Keep up the good work!! Love your tips and will be doing them!!
Thanks Illona. Yet another informative video. We’re still sitting over here in Australian and eagerly awaiting our “let’s go” moment. But your tips are as always very kindly accepted. Love your sharing and look forward to more of your travels to watch and vicariously live through. Happy 2022 !!
Thanks Jeanette. I look forward to hearing that Australia is back to cruising!! I’m sure you more than me, lol, but I’ll celebrate with you 🎉
Some of the most fun people we have met on cruises are Australians. Hoping very much your "go" moment comes soon. My wife prays for Australia every night.
A definite must is the Princess Plus package! It’s the best value at sea
I upgraded my cabin from inside to ocean view and they added the Princess Plus and one specialty dining at no additional charge
That’s fabulous!!
How? They are charging now I have been on 6 cruises with Princess, and yes they were not now. So share :)
We cruise in a month. Can I upgrade my cabin now? Haven’t been able to get through to Princess but will try again. I already have Princess Plus from the “best sale ever” earlier this month. But still want to upgrade from interior.
@@wendyevans5565 I had to pay for the cabin upgrade but my travel agent told me about the added perks
@@cw7689 we added princess plus and then found out that the rest of our party couldn't because they were past a deadline.. Had not heard there was a deadline, and that's kind of the pits.
Watching all these cruise tips videos it seems like a real hazzel to go on one!
First cruise in 17 days!!!! On the Caribbean Princess. 🚢😎 So much information in your video. Thank you!!!!!
Have an amazing cruise! That’s a fun ship
Yes and we will be cruising with Princess again in 2023. Love it.
Thanks so much for this video! Princess will be my first cruise ever and I’m so excited! Will be going in 2 weeks and these tips are going to make things so much easier.🙂
Thank you for a very informative video!! We are avid cruisers and are finally getting back to cruising. Our last cruise was a three week cruise to South America on Norwegian, we returned on March 4, 2020 right when Covid erupted. Fortunately we were able to get home just in time. We usually take Princess but decided to try a new line. We will never take Norwegian again and always stay with Princess, the BEST! We are getting ready to cruise to Cabo San Lucas from our home area of L.A. for a week. We leave on February 20 to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Great info and new updates you provided. Obviously many changes since we cruised last. Thanks again!
Could you reply with an update when you return? How did you find the order anywhere feature? I hope you are enjoying your trip! 🙂
@@cyrene7784 The trip was nice , the Discovery Princess was a beautiful ship. It was just right on the 5 days we were gone. The weather was perfect going and coming back. Smooth sailing! A completely full ship, many families with children. Very few people wearing masks. I did not see any special cleaning by the attendants which I thought I would see. I must say, the food quality and the service have definitely gone down hill. We waited over three hours one day for room service. Attendants walking into our room while we were watching TV in another room, we had a suite. We were very disappointed overall. This was our 7th Princess cruise. We will probably try another line in the future. The medallion that you wear in place of a key card, let’s them know your exact location on the ship at all times. If you have your cell phone on you and the medallion app, you can order anything, anytime and they will bring it to your location! It even unlocks your cabin door when you get close enough. Hope that helped you. 😊
This is fantastic. We are going on Princess to Hawaii in November for our first cruise. This video is very helpful. We are getting a mini suite. So much to digest.😁
At the Vines wine bar they serve appetizers with wine before dinner.
Great tip!!
I love Princess Cruises and had cruised 16 times with them, 4 times with Royal Car, 3 times with Celebrity, once with NCL and once with Costa. And Princess was the best ( the food, the cabin, the shows, the itenaries, the crews the cleanliness etc). The worst was Costa and in NCL Restaurant you just feel like in the railway station's restaurant. Some of the cruises they have a microwave's dinner, my hobby is cooking, that's why I know if the food freshly prepared or have portionly freezed then put later in the microwave
Hi! Love your videos! Would you be able to do a video on cruising with 3 people on Princess and how that works with Princess Plus? Does everyone have to buy it, even though the 3rd person is free? What about tips for the third person if they are free. Sleeping arrangements for the 3rd person (cot versus upper) explained would also be helpful
I am a traditionalist and so i reserved the same time each night but i also had the same table every night or one away in the MDR. Yes i ordered the Fettuccini Alfredo every night i was there. The Crown Grill cannot be beat. I was in a Club Class mini suite and what a great cabin, we had 3 in the room and we were very comfortable, one point I wanted to mention is the sofa bed is exactly like the twin bed in the room….very comfortable ! Also the club class dining was great and every night was offered a meal not on the regular menu…………..thx Illana😊🚢
I LOVE princess cruise . I just finished my 10 days trip on Ruby princess cruise from San Francisco to Mexico . I really love it. Very good service, very good food. The staff and workers service very good. 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 👍👍👍❤️
I have never cruise with princess before, but I'm looking forward to it. Love the ocean medallion. This is all new to me.😍🤩
We are previous Princess cruisers; our last cruise was in 2016. I found the info in this video easy to follow and relevant!
Sounds crazy but I am going on my 5th Princess Cruise Since October 2021....My rooms are either balcony deluxe or mini suite. I never use the little table in front of the sofa. I had a "AH HA" moment the last time I sailed. I put the table in the closet. A it gave me a place to put my suitcase (I had it under my bed most times) and B I was able to get into my suitcase at ease during my trip. I like to place my dirty clothes back into the suitcase during trip. C it gave me more walking room in the extra deluxe area and easier access to the balcony door.
Excellent advice as always. Going on my first cruise ever with my wife on Princess to Alaska at the end of July and we can’t be more excited. Thanks for your content it’s all extremely helpful.
Wonderful cruise!!
That is awesome. I’m going on the princess cruise this year to go to Italy. I am so excited.
Just cruised on the Majestic Princess to Mexico. Love the medallion opening the door. No searching for my room key. Journey view was great as was finding the shipmates. Not only could I see where they were, but they gave you directions.
We made reservations on the app beforehand but still had to stand in the dining room line each night.
We had a fabulous accessible room; very large, lots of drawers. Automatic nightlights were wonderful.
Missed the nightly room turndown and chocolate on the pillow.
The specialty happy hour for Platinum members was a nice surprise.
We are at both the Concerto and Allegro dining rooms, Alfredo’s, the International Cafe, the buffet, and the Lobster and Burger Bar. All good..
Taking my first Princess cruise Feb '23. Very excited.
What a fabulous post - thank you! My last Princess cruise was 3 years ago and we have rebooked a couple other cruises since. Hoping that a cruise to Alaska with my cousin this coming August will really happen!
Thank you for the updates. You are making us very excited for our June Regal sailing. Good to know that paper menus are available. When on a cruise, I like to lock the phone in a safe.
So glad it was helpful. Yes on paper menus 🙌😂
Yes…my wife and I will be cruising to Alaska from Vancouver, BC in September 2022. I will continue watching your You Tube videos and learn more cruising with Princess.
Take an extra power bank for your charging of all your devices it was an amazing big help for us since we have multiple devices and not a lot of plugs. Also if your phone is a magcharge style phone. Get a three in one if you have to also charge your AirPods or a two in one if you have only your watch and phone from either apple store if you have an iPhone or apple devices. It helps to avoid all the clutter and extra chords.
First time we have booked with Princess and our first time going to Alaska. When we booked princess plus was included in the price. I noticed that promotion is gone now so I’m glad we got in just in time. Excited
My husband and I are praying we sail on sky princess in early March after being cancelled 3 rimes. We love princess. Thank you for the tips. We are excited to sail with princess again.
1st one booked for July 2022 on Sky Princess for my husbands birthday 🎂. Looking forward to it immensely. Our travel companions have only previously cruised with Princess but not for many years.
Love the Medallion service and the crew in the Royal over Christmas and New Years Dec 2022 was on spot!! We love Princess.
We have never sailed with Princess. Typically, Carnival and Royal. We booked 16 day Hawaiian cruise in August. Appreciate all the tips.
Enjoyed your video very much…sailed on Princess several times and we have always been able to have breakfast in Main dining room although just a little earlier than usual. I think they want you seated by 8:00 am or so. Sure beats fighting usual crowd up at buffet for that last cruise breakfast. During the week you can eat lunch in Main dining too. Very good food. Just wanted to add those two tips.
Alfredo’s on embarkation day has been our go to for a few years now. Good call.
Thank you for you very informative and helpful video. Your info is well received, you answered all of my questions and more, without asking! Excellent information as I’ve never sailed on Princess, but am highly considering and are at top of my list.
Thank you, and all the best!🙏🥰
Leave for the Caribbean in 30 days for our 1st cruise. Found this video to be the most hopeful. Will touch base after cruise to fill you all in
Doing 3 b2b trips, starting next Saturday...2 x 7 days and a 14 day....on Caribbean Princess. After having 5 trips cancelled over past 2 years, we can't wait to get onboard.
Have a wonderful time!!
I am a huge princess fan, I have been on 14 cruises with them so far and I am booked for a 10 day Caribbean cruise in December. That will be my first cruise since 2016 and I am just getting desperate to get on a ship!!
we are sailing on Sky Princess next month! Our first Princess cruise. We can't wait!! Thank you for all the great tips
Very exciting!! So glad the video is helpful! Enjoy your cruise 🥂
Princess Plus is now $50 pp per day; Princess Premium is $75 pp per day. Both are still an excellent value!
As of today, Princess Plus for any booking in February 2023 is extra $60 per day per person.
What is just wifi price? Can it be bought for one person only?
We are going on a Diamond Princess cruise in less than 2 weeks and this helped me prepare! Thank you! ❤
The last time I was on a Princess cruise was November 2019, so a few months before Covid, and I am going on one in July 2022. I can’t wait but thanks for all the tips! I will definitely use them 😀
Yes, Princess Plus is a great bargain! If you subtract the $15 per day for gratuities that you always pay anyway, you end up paying $25 per day for all your drinks, bottled water, great coffee, and good Wi-Fi. Plus just having your stateroom account not cluttered by all those individual charges makes things so simple. Thanks for another great video! I haven’t done it before, but this next trip I will try ordering specialty coffees to our stateroom in the morning, instead of sending my husband off to get them.
Please let me know how it goes. I agree it’s so much easier & makes things feel more all inclusive this way
@@LifeWellCruised I have travelled several times on Princess and actually have two cruises booked one Sept 18th British Isle and Nov 29 Southern Catibean My concern is that everyone in room must take Princess Plus but my wife does not drink alcohol Princess would not just let me take the plus package on a stand alone. Very disappointing This needs to change
Thanks for all the great tips! Our last Princess cruise was some 10 years ago, and we're looking forward to our next one in a few days!
Thank you for all the great info. We will be taking the Pacific Northwest cruise on the Ruby Princess on April 23rd. We have the Princess plus and am glad to hear it is a good value.
That’s awesome!! Enjoy your cruise 🛳
See you there!
I’ll see you soon 🤗
I highly recommend the Princess Ruby put their ping pong tables indoor because many hard core ping pong players want to play and outdoor setting is not good for hard core players. Thanks!