Let's Make a Deal Princess Cruises

Princess Upgrade Program

 

One thing I love about the cruise industry is the lines love to imitate each other. If you see a new innovation, including changes in ship design, dining options, activities, or service offerings, odds are that if you wait awhile, you'll see the same or similar introduced on other ships / cruise lines. 

The latest trend is the ability to bid to upgrade your cabin. First introduced by Royal Caribbean International on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises (Royal UP), Princess Cruises becomes the latest to offer this option to passengers.

Starting next month, passengers who have paid their final payment will receive an email inviting them to bid on an upgrade to the next higher cabin category.   For example, you could purchase an Interior stateroom and bid on an Oceanview;  or an Oceanview and bid on a Balcony cabin.

Princess Cruises has not released complete details, but we would imagine they will suggest minimum bids for each of the cabin upgrades you are being offered.   The more you bid, the more likely you will actually win the upgrade.

How Does Princess Upgrade Work? 

• Check whether your cruise is eligible for bidding on an upgrade. 
• Browse through the upgrade options available and place your bid(s) to upgrade your stateroom on your upcoming cruise. Making a bid on multiple staterooms will increase your chances of being upgraded, but you’ll only pay for one. 
• Get notified via email if your request for an upgrade has been approved. If your bid is accepted, you’ll be charged for the upgrade. If not, you’ll enjoy the stateroom you already have and won’t be charged anything additional. 

Your bid is priced per person and based on two guests per stateroom for the length of your cruise. 3rd and 4th guests in a stateroom are upgraded without additional cost.

By the end of October, Princess Cruises intends to launch this new program fleetwide, but it will initially be available on five ships that sail from the U.S. Beginning September 6, guests sailing Discovery Princess, Enchanted Princess, Regal Princess, Ruby Princess, and Caribbean Princess will have first access to participate in the program.

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Welcome Aboard Avalon Artistry II

CRUISE EUROPE IN STYLE

We'd had a complete day of sightseeing on our pre-cruise excursion, and after a short walk up the gangway, we were greeted by the ship's officers, cruise director, and many of the crew members of Avalon Artistry II.   This would be our floating home for the next 12 nights.

We've already told you about the embarkation process and evening's activities in our other posts.  We'll share a few more images of the ship in this article and accompanying photo album, from our initial exploration.

But first, we'd like to tell you about the Artistry II and what makes her a great vessel for exploring Europe.


About Artistry II

Sail the legendary rivers of Europe aboard the sleek Avalon Artistry II. Two full decks of suite accommodations include wall-to-wall panoramic windows that open to create a lovely balcony for enjoying fresh breezes and enchanting scenery. Choose your pace for sightseeing tours led by friendly knowledgeable certified guides, then treat yourself to a manicure, or relax in the hot tub on the Sun Deck and watch the world go by. lndulge in a delicious four-course dinner in the spectacular dining room with panoramic views, or opt for a light dinner featuring local specialties and regional wines in the charming Panorama Bistro. Step aboard, settle into your luxurious river-view stateroom, and immerse yourself in the culture, cuisine, and breathtaking scenery of some of Europe's most picturesque river valleys.

Ship Statistics

Name: Avalon Artistry II	Ship Completed Date: 1/1/2013
Christened By: Marilen Sandejas-Yaptangco	Capacity: 128
Number of Crew, Nationality: 37, European	Length: 361 feet
Number of Passenger Decks: 4	Number of Outside Rooms: 64
Number of Restaurants: 3	Number of Elevators: 1
Voltage: 110/220	Non-Smoking Dining: Yes
Non-Smoking Ship: Yes

About Avalon Waterways

Not all cruises are created equal. When you select an Avalon Waterways River Cruise, you are making the decision to immerse yourself in the utmost indulgence in cruising. Avalon Waterways offers its signature Avalon Choice^SM to all passengers, allowing you to design the perfect European river cruise experience based solely around your personal preferences. Uniquely crafted with luxurious details at every turn, Avalon Waterways provides the small-ship feel with all the posh and decadence of a five-star resort. Contemporary décor, wall-to-wall panorama windows and elegant finishes abound to lend a captivating and comforting air.

^{Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page}

Avalon Artistry II

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

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Welcome Aboard Norwegian Epic

NORWEGIAN EPIC

FAMILY DELUXE

BALCONY STATEROOM

Cabin # 14036

Cabins are finally ready for occupancy...

Continuing our virtual tour of Norwegian Epic, it's time to checkout your stateroom.    


Your cabin assignment for the cruise is 14036, a deluxe family balcony cabin on deck 14, forward, port side.   The Mandara Spa & Salon is located on this deck also.   Some of the cabins on this deck have special spa access and amenities in their cabin.   

Even though 14036 is not one of those, there is an option to purchase use of the spa's thermal suite for $199 per couple or $119 for a single.   This provides unlimited use of the spa throughout the cruise.    So for $14 per person per day you enjoy similar benefits as a spa suite guest (just not the spa products in your cabin).    More about the spa in another post...

Opening the door of the cabin, you are greeted by the bathroom facilities.  This is not setup as in most other ships.   Instead of the usual one room bathroom, there is a shower area on one side, the commode on the other, and the sink and medicine cabinet beyond that.    The usual solid door is replaced by translucent panels.    You are pleased to see that you actually have a tub and shower in this type of cabin.  

If you've read our blog for awhile, this doesn't come as a shock to you since we wrote about the controversial configuration when Epic began its inaugural sailings.   You might be wondering what the designers had in mind when they introduced this innovation.   Their intent was to make it possible for different guests to use the facilities at the same time.  

For a couple, we'll assume that this sharing doesn't cause any issues.  However, for other occupancy combinations, such as families with children of any age, or friends sharing a cabin, the configuration will take some getting used to and / or planning.

We had our grown up son with us on this trip and to be honest, the bathroom layout didn't cause a problem.   There is a curtain that can be drawn to provide you with privacy.   You'll want to be sure to spin your dial to "do not disturb" and double lock your door to be sure you cabin steward doesn't surprise you from the other direction.    There are robes in the cabin, so that too is another way to ensure privacy when you get out of the shower.

Your luggage arrives and it's time to unpack.  You survey the storage facilities to decide how to divide the space for the three of you.  The closet nearest the entry way is ideal for hanging up everyone’s nice clothing.   The bank of cabinets above and below the counter provides plenty of storage for remaining clothes and other items.   There are four metal baskets in the lower cabinets which can be used for night clothes, swim suits, or any other items that don’t need to be hung up.

Next to the bed there is a night stand with three shelves which can be used for clothes or storage of cameras and other essential items you’ve brought with you.  There are a few hidden storage spaces also...  under the sofa bed, there are drawers that pull out and above the bed at least one of the cabinet doors opens.

Cabinets & closets (left) bed & sleeper (right).View from Balcony

Across from the night stand, next to the balcony door, there are two closets in this particular cabin. One thing that we discovered is that there are minute differences in the cabin configurations even for the same category.   For example, the sofa bed can be before or after the full size bed depending on the location of the cabin and direction of the waves.   The location of the curtain and the storage configuration may also be different. 

If you happen to be in a cabin that has adjoining doors, you will lose some of the storage space.  For example, the extra closet space is replaced by the door.   The night stand cabinet next to the bed is most likely narrower than the one in this cabin.

The extra space came at a price for us also.  To compensate for the extra space, we lost some of our balcony depth.    There still was plenty of room to relax on the balcony with the two chairs and small table providing the furnishings.  

It is possible to put your full size suit cases under the bed which is what you'll need to do due to the odd sized closets.    The wave design makes it impossible to put anything other than bags that are backpack size on the closet floor.    My advice is to put your suitcase under the bed and use it for your dirty clothes.

This cabin was sufficient for the three of us, however that was partly due to the sleeping schedules.   My husband and I were up early to have breakfast and attend the conference sessions while our son slept in after a long night.   Therefore, we weren’t all trying to take showers at the same time.

We took a tour of the ship during our conference cruise.   Watch for reviews of other cabin types complete with pictures in future posts.

Studios for Solo Travelers on Norwegian EPIC

Photos courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line

Introducing Studio Accommodations

Norwegian Cruise Line Gives Solo Travelers a Reason to Cruise on Norwegian Epic

Innovative concept focuses on Studios specifically designed and priced for the solo traveler

Norwegian Epic's Studio staterooms are the first to be designed and priced for single occupancy.

Norwegian Cruise Line announced a completely new concept to make cruising more attractive to solo travelers on their new ship, Norwegian Epic, launching this July. Norwegian Epic's Studios are the first staterooms designed and priced for single occupancy in the industry.

These specially designed and priced Studio staterooms available on all of Norwegian Epic's sailings - with no single supplement - go on sale Monday, January 18, 2010.

Studio
Lounge

The Studios on Norwegian Epic are a private key-card access complex on two decks consisting of 128 staterooms and the Studio Lounge. The Studio staterooms are approximately 100 square feet of living space. They feature a contemporary design with a full-size bed and separate areas for the bathroom, sink and shower.

Studio guests have private access to the Studio Lounge where they can have a cup of coffee in the morning, meet up with fellow cruisers and plan their day or relax with a drink in the evening. Since many of the Studio staterooms are connecting, there is also the opportunity for friends to travel together while giving each their own private space.

The Year of the Freestyle Vacation