Tipping on the Star Princess

[f-mattox]

Now to the breakfast question.
I am not sure which dining room they use for breakfast. If it is Capri or Portofino all you need do is take the Panoramic lift down to either Fiesta or Plaza deck and you are right there.
If they use the Amalfi dining room, or if you wish to go to the Horizon Court buffet, you will need to walk to the aft elevators on your deck and go either down to Fiesta deck or up to Lido deck, and again you are right there. Remember, the Amalfi dining room can only be accessed from the AFT elevators--this is a constant source of confusion on the Grand class ships.

[BJS]

Isn't wonderful to have so many choices?

We prefer "anytime" dining. You will be able to meet many people with that choice. When you enter the dining room they will ask if you would like to join others. This is similar to how it is for breakfast or lunch in the diningrooms. If you find people that you would like to sit with you can arrange to meet there, if you all want to sit together each evening and like a certain table or certain waiters you can request a standing reservation. In our opinion it is the best of all worlds.

You will get to know many people just by being out and around on the ship. With anytime dining you will have the ability to get to know more than the few you are seated with in traditonal dining.

Many people feel that you can only get to know the waiters and they you with traditional dining but that is also possible if you request a standing reservation with "anytime" dining. We find that by choosing when, where, and with who we wish to dine we are assured a pleasant dining experience. Yes, if you do not care for the tables mates selected for you in traditional dining you can request a change but that is very hard for some people to do.

[blue eyes]

many thanks. have asked to change apparently I am on a "waiting list" for the early sitting so will have to wait and see! My fault for dithering! Do you know when they send out details of the tours etc? the ones on the Princess website are all for 2006.

[blue eyes]

I would prefer anytime but my mother isnt sure so as we cant change it to the otherway round, thought would try traditional and if not happy will change - confused I am!! Is it easy to change it onboard? I have been led to believe you just have to ask at the Pursors desk is this right?

[f-mattox]

To change from Traditional to Anytime dining speak to the Maitre d' in your assigned dining room; he will handle the change for you.
I received my pre-cruise packet with shore excursion brochure, Cruise Answer Book, luggage tags. etc. exactly 67 days before sailing (but who's counting days!).
The on-line shore excursions, although outdated like yours, were exactly the same as the up-to-date brochure. And when I went to reserve them on-line, they were absolutely specific, right down to date and time.

[BJS]

Originally posted by blue eyes:
I would prefer anytime but my mother isnt sure so as we cant change it to the otherway round, thought would try traditional and if not happy will change - confused I am!! Is it easy to change it onboard? I have been led to believe you just have to ask at the Pursors desk is this right?

I've never done it but would advise asking the maitre'd rather than the Pursors desk as he controls the dining rooms.

You will get your luggage tags and shore information about 60-70 days before the cruise which is long after it is posted in the Cruise Personalizer. I'd advise signing up based on the 2006 details as the excursion rarly changes from year to year. The price will most likely increase but any selections you make can be changed so you have nothing to loose. I don't remember when you said you are sailing but I don't think I've ever seen the previous year's information in the Cruise Personalizer it usually has been updated before it is placed there. We do have a situation for our Baltics cruise where there is a name, tour number, price and no description available. We just looked at the old information and selected it anyway. I'll keep checking and make changes as required.

Hope this answers the questions.

[f-mattox]

Just to piggy-back on what BJS just posted, the shore excursions become available to reserve on-line 75 days prior to sailing, same as the final payment due date, which for you would be this week. I would suggest not waiting too long to start reserving. I waited until I got the brochure in the mail, looked it over a few days, discussed it with a few people, and when I went to book, some of the more popular tours were already waitlisted. So just a word to the wise.

[BJS]

Agree with f-mattox.

We actually had our Baltics cruise on the Star Princess shore excursions become available to reserve 6 1/2 months before this September's cruise. So keep looking all of the time when you have a booked cruise as you never know what Princess might do.