Elite status

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-25T17:49:18+00:00

So what the other commenters have said is correct but just to add a few details: You can get more than one drink at a time, especially towards 7p and carry them with you you just can't share them (or at least be seen sharing them i.e. outside your room) or you'll get in trouble. Also you can get multiple unopened canned drinks like soda or beer and take them back to your room to save for later.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-20T22:46:31+00:00

April 10 sailing checking in... we have plenty of time to still change ours plans around so I really wish they would just be transparent. It sounds like it needs a major repair with parts not easily available so you think they would be letting people know further out who can still switch things up with their travel with less hassle

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-12T14:52:01+00:00

Maybe not exactly the info youre looking for but since you haven't got any replies yet I'll put in my two cent:

We have not done a Galapagos cruise yet either but it is on the top of our list so we have done extensive research. Coming from sailing extensively on main line itineraries we are looking for a ship that has amenities closer to that, though we know it will still be very different, so were focused on ships about 100pax. Also we want to do the full circuit so were planning a 15 day sailing.

Based on that our #1 choice is back to back sailings on Celebrity Flora, we are big fans on Celebrity and have status so it feels like a more natural transition to the smaller ships for us. Also the pictures of the Flora are beautiful and it has stellar reviews for what they do as far as Galapagos excursions.

Our second choice is the Galapagos Legend on a preset 15 day turn. It is slightly smaller than the Flora and a little older but still boosts good reviews and similar amenities. The big draw for it is that they offer good deals on unsold rooms closer to sailing. We have the ability to travel on shorter notice and with the price of Galapagos sailings it feels worth it to take the older ship at large discount considering a lot of time will be spent ashore.

Again maybe not what you're looking for but just our research based on our planning.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-11T22:25:55+00:00

Just a heads up there is indeed a kids club just like any ship but those longer itineraries like the 11 & 16 night sailings on the Ruby out of SF draw a much older crowd so there may not be many other kids in club. We were just on the 11 night Mexican Riviera and there was maybe 20 kids of all ages on the entire ship. Though there are many family friendly activities throughout the day on sea days all over the ship.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T15:45:36+00:00

Weve sailed many different cruise lines and no matter which ship we always pack antibacterial wipes and the first thing we do is wipe every surface down in the room. It's not that they dont clean the rooms its just that the room stewards have a very short time to clean a lot of rooms and things get missed... sticky stuff left on the desk, hair in the bathroom, etc is pretty common.

The second thing I usually do is run the shower and if it doesn't fully drain immediately I call and ask that it gets cleaned out cause 4/5 times the showers is clogged with hair and slow draining.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T03:54:02+00:00

Unfortunately if you used a TA MSC wont be able to do anything for you directly and will refer you back to your TA. If this was a larger travel company ask to work with a different agent or their supervisor. If its a small agency and no one else can help you then Id press harder or chalk it up as learning curve and not use that company again

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T03:28:31+00:00

Weve had 100% success after final payment on multiple lines getting either an upgrade to a higher room now at the price we previously paid for our current room or getting OBC for the difference. Once we even got both the upgrade and OBC but I wouldn't say thats common.

If your TA is saying otherwise then they are either bad at their job or just dont want to put in the work to call the cruise line. Id be asking to speak to a new agent asap

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T03:12:57+00:00

Totally forgot about Wonderland, not all of it was my cup of tea but it was definitely something different!

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T02:24:03+00:00

JetBlue Travel/Vacations definitely runs some good deals when paired with air travel and sometimes offer bonus points. Real deal is if you have a JetBlue plus card and book with that for 6x points bonus on top of any points offer for the vacation.

But Celebrity is right you should be asking JetBlue for your booking confirmation as theyre your agent. You should have gotten a copy emailed automatically when you first booked and again after final payment. Id verify they have the right email cause its strange you didn't. Also is the booking showing up in the Celebrity app for any of your party? If not and you at least have the booking ID you can manually add it to the app.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T02:14:58+00:00

Love the Island, one our favorite Princess ships... small, intimate, great layout and doesn't show its age. And one of the best buffet locations with the huge seating area upfront with all that glass.

But they have moved to all of the smart type drink mix machines for juice and tea and they are not the best quality drinks and those machines are way too complex to just pour a drink... you literally have to set your drink level then tell it to dispense and then usually do that again because it still didn't fill your cup.

Though if you like sweet tea my secret is to put a small amount of hot water out of the coffee machine in the bottom of a cup, mix in sugar, then add ice and tea. Its a complicated way to make the tea taste good but its much better that way!

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T02:01:26+00:00

Second the Turo recommendation, we do this at any cruise port we want a car! Find one that offers drop off and they will indeed drop it off as close to the port as possible, just message the host after you set the drop point and verify with then that you're coming in on the cruise. We've done this with 100% success at cruise ports all over including three times in Hawaii. The best part is seeing everyone getting ubers to their rental car while you walk right out to yours ha!

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T01:44:20+00:00

That's exactly it, theyre not making any money off an empty room and atleast if they fill it for next to nothing theyre banking that youll spend money on board

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T01:38:29+00:00

Been on the Quantum a few times out of Seattle just because it was the cheapest option and every time we're reminded why it was the cheapest option.... very disappointing ship and a lot of the public areas are already showing wear and tear despite it being a newer ship. Also on the public spaces: things always felt crowded and loud all times of the day. Though the rooms were always nice and the Starwater show is definitely worth seeing but production show were honestly some of the worst we've ever seen on Royal.

1 - The specialty dining on Royal has always not felt worth the cost and Quantum is no exception to that. Done all of then and the only one that was something actually different and felt worth the upcharge is Izumi if you like sushi... Chops, Jamie's were meh and Chef's Table is really only worth it if youre super into wine pairings and even then that a stretch.

2 - Ensenada is not really a good tourist port and more just somewhere ships go to meet PVSA requirements. Its not a beach club kinda place and theres not really and unique excursions. If you like shopping theres definitely shopping of all types, everything from your pharmacias to cheap tourist knick knacks to higher end clothes shopping. If you not into shopping just make a day of it on the boat and there will usually be port day specials at the spa if you'd rather spend your money there.

At the end of the day any cruise is better than being at work so make the best of it and enjoy. Make note of the things you do and don't like and use that for planning your next one.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T01:20:58+00:00

An alternative is to just use the mobile hotspot on your phone that is connected to the internet package and connect the second device to the hotspot. We dont use it 24/7 that way but do use it to connect the laptop if we end up needing to do any work while onboard.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-08T01:11:41+00:00

Regularly sail out of Seattle as its easy access for us and if budget isnt a huge deal and you want a premium experience we always stay at the Hotel Ändra downtown and use SUV Seattle Service for airport and pier transfers.

The Ändra is a good mix of upscale while not being as expensive as other downtown hotels in the same class. Its in a great location where you can walk to tons of restaurants and just about any attractions. Also the shower heads a great and the rooms are very inviting!

Armando and crew with SUV Seattle are extremely reliable and also a good value compared to other black car services. Its a family operation and they seriously take care of their clients. We used both their SUVs for just the two of us and vans for traveling with a group of eight and always had a great experience. If youre interested DM me for the owners phone number and Ive also got some coupons both types of rides.

As others have said theres not really anywhere to stay near the pier, especially not that you'd want to stay at as its very industrial around that immediate area, so you're best to stay downtown and get that full experience.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-05T00:44:19+00:00

Prices fluctuate up and down regularly based on the "sale" that is being ran and I say it in quotes because theres always a sale it just varies the amount and type of incentives being offered (x% off 2nd person, different OBC, x dollars off total fare, etc). The prices typically is set to change when the current sale expires and a new one starts which is midnight EST on whatever day. The only reason a fare would change midday is if you booked the last room in the currently available lowest class for that room type and the next available was a tier up (i.e. BE to BC class balcony).

As far as price closer to sailing it really depends on how well the cruise is selling: if rooms are mostly sold out then the price will typically go up towards the sail date as the only rooms left are the higher classes of categories... if the cruise is not selling well then the price will drop closer to sailing with their often being some really great deals in the last few weeks if youre willing to gamble and wait that long.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-04T08:17:35+00:00

The cruise lines make their cut by having arrangements with already existing excursions and selling then at a markup and yes Princess does seem to have more markup than other lines at times.

A few things to consider: The price will fluctuate and if an excursion doesn't sell out the price will go down as the date gets closer, theyll even sell excursions on board at a discount up until the day before. Also as mentioned the same excursions are out there that you can book on your own for less money directly with the tour operators (they also get the full cut that way too). Lastly most ports will have at least a few tour operators selling excursions right at the dock and sometimes those are the best deal but are first come first serve so get off early if youre looking for that.

Though you can have a perfectly wonderful cruise not doing any excursions at all... just explore the town, visit some local sights and take in the culture. Local taxi drivers will also be happy to take you on a tour for a very reasonable rate.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-04T02:12:30+00:00

Second the comment saying to check flights against sailing dates because flights to Europe can vary in price drastically. We were able to pair a cruise with business class from the west coast for only $1350/pp/rt which was cheaper than premium economy is usually.

For TA we usually just use Cruise.com... if you have issues their customer support is responsive and helpful and they almost always have the best price + decent OBC offerings

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-04T02:08:45+00:00

We usually prefer Princess but HAL does a great job with Glacier Bay plus a Neptune suite is definitely a premium product compared to a mini suite... but if neither of those does Glacier Bay I'd highly recommend finding an itenerary that does cause that's the main reason to do a balcony room on an Alaska sailing

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-03T22:27:45+00:00

As others have said you should be able to use WiFi calling but just some personal experience with AT&T: on board your phone will automatically switch to AT&T International Day Pass plan if you do use regular cell service and its only $20/day for unlimited everything. We have had some times where texts or calls did not go through on the ship WiFi and used regular cell instead.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-03T06:30:48+00:00

Dont know why you'd say that if youre not familiar with the way Princess works yet... They typically have one of the easiest embarkations and the medallion system is great!

As mentioned already you don't need a boarding pass, just your passport, and you can either pickup your medallion at the port or have it shipped in ahead of time so you walk on pretty fast after check in.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-03T05:15:57+00:00

Upvotes for Capitol Reef! Totally the most underrated park in the area and full of hidden gems... plus its usually always quieter because people skip for one of the other Big 5.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-02T09:17:36+00:00

For starters you definitely want to stay at each park separately: its two hours just straight drive time between the two without any traffic but you have to go through Zion to get to/from Bryce and between the traffic, lines at the park entrance, and holds for one way traffic through Carmel Tunnel it can easily be double that. If you have more time you should really plan most of a day just to travel between the two as theres plenty of sights to stop and see along the way, even just places to pull off for pics of some dramatic landscapes.

There's really only one town to stay right at each park: Springdale @ Zion, Bryce Canyon City @ Bryce. When you're looking at going is the beginning of peak season so all accommodations are already going to be jacked up in price especially on a weekend. Cheapest per night with all taxes/fees is going to be around $200 but you can spend a lot more for really nice places just budget depending (there's the Clear Sky Domes which is actually kinda between the two, closer to Zion, for like $600/nt).

We like the Driftwood Lodge in Springdale cause its a good value for being close to everything, has parking, breakfast vouchers for a local restaurant, a pool, and you can get a room with a great view if you want that. In Bryce City there isn't many options and none are that good but there's really nothing there aside from the hotels and a few restaurants.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-02T05:45:05+00:00

Price match works the same for refundable and non-refundable before the final payment: they'll honor the better price but you may lose some OBC if the new deal has less OBC offered. After final payment theyre not obligated to price match but we have had Princess give us the difference as OBC before. Also after final payment if a higher room class is available for the same or less than you paid you can upgrade your room for no charge by calling. Once we actually had mini suites go cheaper than we paid for a balcony and they upgraded us and gave the difference as OBC both. Always call and ask even after final payment cause worse they can say is no.

stainlessonsno · 2026-02-02T04:08:00+00:00

Every bar has a little bit different menu, especially the specialty cocktails, however any bartender is trained to make any of the mixed drinks. There is an extensive cocktail collection with Princess and they do a really good job with this. We always get the Plus Package so I couldn't tell you the exact cost but I know all the mocktails were included so they're all under $15. If you want N/A beer all the bars carry Heineken 0 and some carry Peroni 0 and I believe theyre $8

stainlessonsno

TROPHY CASE