Hi, im going on emerald soon. It is our first cruise. we try to find additionnal information about fees onboard. Princess web site often say extra, cover charge, complimentary but never mention amount.
someone told me we can buy 'package' (card ???) for drinks and beverage. is it possible to know how much worth cola, soda, beer ??
are cappucino, coffee, espresso included or extra ?
is there fees to use the gym ?? (read that another place)
what are cover charge for italian and grill restaurant ?
how is controlled your room account ? do you have a card or a Pin ?
a friend went on another cruise line, he said me he could bought a bottle of wine a night, and finished it the following night (they kept it). Can we do that on Princess Ship ?
Does the room service breakfast (continental) is included or extra ? (i read there is fees for pizza ! ...but not for muffin or sandwich ???)
In how much time can i expect to be out of the boat at the end ? i have a flight at noon.
First, had you booked this with a reputable agent, they would have been able to answer all your questions and provided you with detailed information on what to do, what not to do, what to expect, and all the details about your cruise. If you booked this with the cruise line, I can understand why you have alot of questions as they don't provide any worthwhile information.
But since you posted them here, we'll be happy to help you.
The "soda" package is available if you drink alot of sodas. I can't remember exactly what the price is, but if I remember right it's about $7.95 per day for the length of the cruise (you can't buy it just for a day, you have to buy it for the entire cruise). Since sodas normally run about $1.50, you have to drink alot of sodas to make it worth while to get the package.
There is no 'drink' package for beer, but Princess usually has a special whereby if you buy 4 beers, you get the 5th beer free.
Specialty coffees have a price.
The gym is free, but specialty courses (spinning, yoga, etc.) have a price.
Yes, there is a fee for Sabatini's, but in my opinion, it's well worth it!
When you check in at the pier, you'll be given a card that is your boarding pass (it logs into a computer that you on the ship or off the ship), it's also you door key for your cabin, and it's your charge card for everything you buy onboard (alcohol, gifts, pictures, etc.). This will be transferred to the credit card you give them for your onboard account prior to boarding the ship.
Yes, you can buy a bottle of wine for dinner and if you don't finish it, they will hold it for you for the next night.
All room service is free, but I would provide a gratuity to the server. If you want a fancy breakfast, there is a charge, but worth it, in my opinion.
Normally, you can get off the ship anytime between about 8:00am and 10:00am. So you are usually okay with a flight at noon, but I would talk to the Purser's Desk and let them know you need to get off the ship early to insure you make your flight.
here is another one... i read cabs is approx. 10$ between airport and terminal. When i look at different shuttle service, i see it is often avg. 15$ per person so 30$ for the ride. is there a plus-value for that ? especially for return, are cabs easy to get at debarkation ? or a shuttle is better to return to airport ??
The airport in Ft. Lauderdale is only 3 miles from the pier. Taxis run about $12 each way - not per person. There will be plenty of taxis at the airport and the pier, so it's always much quicker, easier, and cheaper to use taxis than the shuttle.
The sodas that are on the "card" are for Coke products and are for fountain drinks only. Not the cans. If you want to get the card, it will be easy to get as there'll be tables very prominently displayed. I think you get a sticker to put on your cabin card and it's for one person's use (they'll expect you to get additional stickers for the others in your party). As I'm not a Coke drinker (I bring on my Mountain Dew and Vitamin Water), I'm not sure about all the details, but I don't think you can use this card at the dinner table. But you can go to a bar on your way to dinner and get your soda there to bring to the table.
We haven't ordered room service on our Princess cruises, but unless you're in a full suite, the menu is pretty limited (like sandwiches and salads, not the full dinner). There is a card in your cabin that will list breakfast items if you want that delivered (I think continental type of items). Pizza and possibly beverages are the only items that will get a charge, plus it's nice to give a tip (like a couple of dollars) for the crew member delivering your food.
As for most charges, they will be optional. You can decide if you want to go to the specialty restaurant, buy photos, book shore excursions, buy drinks, drop money into the casino... But some people just eat in the dining rooms or the buffet, take their own photos, bring on sodas or wine (a corkage fee if you bring wine to the dining room), sightsee with just the help of a good guidebook.
The one exception to optional fees will be the autotips. As you will see from the Cruise answer book that will be sent to you (or you can view at Princess Cruises® : Official Cruise Line Website), your account will be charged on a daily basis for the autotip. This will be split among the many crew members that will be making this an excellent vacation for you: the cabin steward and his or her support staff (laundry, etc) and the waitstaff (plus their support staff in the galley). Some people will go to the passenger services desk to remove it, but IMO that is just being cheap (many of the crew members send home much of their tip $ and salary to families back home that they might not see for months). If you remove the autotip, and then give a crew member cash, that $ has to be turned into their supervisor to go into the tip pool. Better to leave on the tip, and then if you want, give extra $ to any you wish to reward.
Another point to bring up is that your TA should have asked you whether you want traditional dining (where you are assigned a table for early or late dinner) or anytime dining (where you go to the anytime dining room during the dinner hours). Personally I always want late traditional as then I don't have to think about dinner; we just go to our table and our waitstaff knows our preferences by the second or third day.
I'll just add the cover charges for you.
Sabatini's $20 per person, Crown Grill, $25 per person. The bigger lobster in the Crown Grill costs an extra $9.00. As Pete mentioned, it's well worth the extra cost.
Enjoy your cruise on Emerald Princess.
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