AFF Cruise #2. Rerun. Crown Princess 4 nights 25-29 January 2025

[RooFlyer]

Travelling solo on a cruise always requires payment for 2 (less taxes for the nonexistent 2nd person). Some ships have solo cabins but you have to book them quickly.

Some cruises have 'discounted' 'single supplements' - eg pay 25%# or even 0%## over a single fare of a 2 occupant cabin, and then you occupy a regular cabin.


# my recent Antarctica cruise on SilverSea
## my Arctic cruise on Ponant next year

 

[n7of9]

Also, out of personal interest what class of mini suite is it?

I just got the cheapest mini suite guarantee, it looked like it adds a small couch/sitting area.

 

[Bindibuys]

Platinum, just booked a balcony room. Bindibuys + Congewai

 

[love_the_life]

The 25th Jan Crown Princess cruise would suit me - as it leaves at the weekend and is only short, it means easy to sort work commitments (given we have some other travel coming up both in the second half of 2024 and first half of 2025. I can't really stretch the friendship too much by taking too much time.
Four nights would be fine - easy to fill in time for the sea days and a day to mooch in Hobart.

Would be very interested.

 

[straitman]

The 25th Jan Crown Princess cruise would suit me - as it leaves at the weekend and is only short, it means easy to sort work commitments (given we have some other travel coming up both in the second half of 2024 and first half of 2025. I can't really stretch the friendship too much by taking too much time.
Four nights would be fine - easy to fill in time for the sea days and a day to mooch in Hobart.

Would be very interested.

Do you need some help with booking? (Remembering that prices are like airline prices and go up as availability decreases)

 

[love_the_life]

Do you need some help with booking? (Remembering that prices are like airline prices and go up as availability decreases)

Nah - thanks all the same - have cruised with Princess many times in the past. Will just need to get my behind into gear!

 

[jswong]

I have now booked. Amazed that my one and only cruise back in 2008 had not been forgotten

 

[love_the_life]

Have a hold on a balcony - kept tossing up whether to go for a mini or suite and thought in the end as it is a solo, I can manage for 4 nights! Will pay deposit shortly when I sort out whether to cancel a Cunard one in December.
So guess that means I'm in

 

[Bazzi]

Princess cruisers - what package would you suggest? What's the price for a glass of decent wine - more than US$15/glass?

View attachment 373270

I don’t usually take a drink package as my partner no longer drinks and, as mentioned, everyone in the cabin has to have the package (I believe you can get a non alcoholic package for you or your cabin companion if one of you doesn’t drink if purchasing the package onboard) but these packages also include restaurant dining, desserts, gratuities etc.

I did a 4 day solo cruise on Royal Princess last November and decided to take the Princess Plus package as a trial. All prices on Princess ships sailing in AU are in AUD$. I kept a log of what I drank, rarely did I have to top up on red wine or any spirits/coughtails but I did pay the $8 difference for a glass of Veuve Clicquot. I don’t drink to excess and I’m not wasteful. I had a $100 OBC and I left the boat owing $7! I drank a lot of Veuve! By my calculation, I saved over $600 on drinks/dining alone by taking the package.

My partner and I are sailing out on Friday on the Royal Princess and we decided to both take the package. It worked out cheaper for my partner to take the Plus package than the basic non alcoholic package ($61) which did not include the dining privileges, gratuities etc or, after checking with Princess, zero alcohol beer! Go figure.

I’ll snap some bar menus/pricelists and post when possible.

Re Princess pricing, I sometimes find that Princess doesn’t always advertised obstructed view cabins (Oceanview or Balcony) in their categories, they are usually found in the lower category eg inside or oceanview. Depending on the cabin location, these can be great value for solo travellers especially.

So disappointed that Virgin Voyages have pulled out this year, I did a three day cruise in Feb - absolutely brilliant.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks @Bazzi . I have chosen the plus package too.

Is the "one wifi device per guest" one at a time or one only?

 

[jswong]

I have no idea or experience but was drawn to the premier package

 

[Bazzi]

Thanks @Bazzi . I have chosen the plus package too.

Is the "one wifi device per guest" one at a time or one only?

I’ll confirm that for you once onboard but my understanding it is one device per person - you have to sign into the ship’s wifi through the Princess app so I suspect it recognises which device you are using. As you will need the device to order Ocean Now delivery, your phone is going to be most likely device to use.

 

[JessicaTam]

Thanks @Bazzi . I have chosen the plus package too.

Is the "one wifi device per guest" one at a time or one only?

I asked @straitman about this earlier. It is one device at a time. So if you want to use your laptop, you need to sign out of your phone. And vice-versa.

You are not locked into one device for the trip.

 

[RooFlyer]

I asked @straitman about this earlier. It is one device at a time. So if you want to use your laptop, you need to sign out of your phone. And vice-versa.

You are not locked into one device for the trip.

Just like Silver Sea! But they also gave the option to pay US$30 to add another device (for 3 weeks).

 

[Bazzi]

I have no idea or experience but was drawn to the premier package

I think both packages are excellent value. We sailed on Celebrity Edge earlier this month and the classic drink package was AUD$140+ per day and barely a decent wine or spirit within the USD12 cap under that package. I thought the specialty restaurant costs were outrageous - AUD $242 plus 20% gratuities per person for the degustation menu in Eden, just under AUD$160 per person for the a la carte menu.

 

[straitman]

I don’t usually take a drink package as my partner no longer drinks and, as mentioned, everyone in the cabin has to have the package (I believe you can get a non alcoholic package for you or your cabin companion if one of you doesn’t drink if purchasing the package onboard) but these packages also include restaurant dining, desserts, gratuities etc.

I did a 4 day solo cruise on Royal Princess last November and decided to take the Princess Plus package as a trial. All prices on Princess ships sailing in AU are in AUD$. I kept a log of what I drank, rarely did I have to top up on red wine or any spirits/coughtails but I did pay the $8 difference for a glass of Veuve Clicquot. I don’t drink to excess and I’m not wasteful. I had a $100 OBC and I left the boat owing $7! I drank a lot of Veuve! By my calculation, I saved over $600 on drinks/dining alone by taking the package.

My partner and I are sailing out on Friday on the Royal Princess and we decided to both take the package. It worked out cheaper for my partner to take the Plus package than the basic non alcoholic package ($61) which did not include the dining privileges, gratuities etc or, after checking with Princess, zero alcohol beer! Go figure.

I’ll snap some bar menus/pricelists and post when possible.

Re Princess pricing, I sometimes find that Princess doesn’t always advertised obstructed view cabins (Oceanview or Balcony) in their categories, they are usually found in the lower category eg inside or oceanview. Depending on the cabin location, these can be great value for solo travellers especially.

So disappointed that Virgin Voyages have pulled out this year, I did a three day cruise in Feb - absolutely brilliant.

There is quite a good YouTube video talking about package values. It’s US based so slightly different but still pretty relevant.

 

[straitman]

Another YouTube video that refers to the MedallionClass and the associated app. He refers to getting the Medallion delivered. This currently only applies to the US and Canada. We have to do the 'Blue Lane' and pickup our medallions at the port.

 

[straitman]

... and there's more.

Planning & Preparing for a Princess Cruise – Tips & Ideas for 2024​

 

[Bindibuys]

We have always just picked up our medallions at check-in. Comes with lanyard, but we swap out to putting the medallions into wrist bands.

 

[love_the_life]

Thanks @Bazzi . I have chosen the plus package too.

Is the "one wifi device per guest" one at a time or one only?

Probably been answered but it is one per guest.
Yep - I read on and indeed was answered.