My wife and I are avid cruisers and this was our 16th cruise. We have cruised many times on Princess as well as RCCL and Celebrity. Overall there has been very little to differentiate Princess and RCCL with Celebrity beating both of them. This cruise was not one that I will remember fondly however.
We are Canadians who winter in Florida so we were able to drive to Ft. Lauderdale to board the ship. Parking is no problem, however, as we had friends travelling with us we decided to drop off our luggage close to the dock prior to parking. As we pulled into the drop area there were signs advising people that the porters were salaried and tips were not necessary, of course, there were 2-3 porters standing by the vehicle who made a cursory attempt to set off our bags and then ask for a tip. I obliged but was not happy about it but did not take the time to follow up.
When checking in we went to the Preferred check in as we are Platinum Circle members and this is customary to do. There the lady insisted I remove my Passport from the leather case so she could scan it. I said that was not necessary as the page is coded and can be simply run through the scanner.(In all the times I have crossed the border into the US not once have I been asked to remove the passport from the jacket) However she insisted so I complied. The trip is not off to a great start