Cruisencatlady

Great review and thanks for the 360 tips!  I'll never have a suite as a solo cruiser, but I do spend a chunk of vacation in the casino.   Do you have any pictures of your patters please?  I am scheduled to sail on the Discovery for the Mexican Riveira and Total Solar Eclipse cruise next April.

Thanks!

Great review Steelers!  I'll be boarding the Majestic in August for the inside passage north.  Thank you for the tips about restaurants in Anchorage.  Do you mind posting the Patters?  I'm interested in activity times to be able to plan ahead.

Susan

If you see an "adult" woman running around the ship with light up "disco" sneakers, please say Hi to my "older", not-necessarily more mature, sister Linda from Florida.  She is traveling with her best friend and husband on the Royal with you.

Hope the weather improves and you have a wonderful anniversary celebration and cruise!

Last October, I saved up all my vacation(and a big chunk of $$$) and flew Air NZ into Sydney from Texas, then the next day took a Virgin flight to Uluru, for a 2 night stay at the Desert Garden with hikes and tours of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, which was wonderful.  It never occured to me to climb Uluru, just hike the base, since it would be similar to climbing St Peter's.  The next day I took the bus to Kings Canyon for a vigorous, 7 mile day hike up and through the canyon, with a bus trip finishing up in Alice Springs to wrap up the Red Center of my trip. The central desert in Australia is vast and bus travel made it very easy and economical to get from site to site.  From Alice Springs, I flew back on Qantas(not my favorite since they charged me for a carry-on that was 16lbs) to Sydney.  Experiencing the desert and hiking the Red Center at different types of natural sites, really makes me want to visit again to see the opal mines and do more desert hiking.

My second week of vacation was in and around Sydney.  Did the normal touristy things, Blue Mountains, climb the Bridge, visit the zoo and hug an echidna.  Finally, was able to board the Majestic Princess for a 10 day cruise up the east coast of NZ for a Hobbit, vineyard, hiking, animal sanctuary filled portion of my work break.  Scenery was awesome and the locals were very friendly and welcoming.  Best 4 week vacation ever!

Love your review! Coral is also my favorite Princess ship, having been a passenger for Alaska and the Panama Canal before.  We're all getting a bit older, and Coral is well maintained to do her job well.

20 hours ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

Is it real Thai massage? On a mat (either on the floor or on a slightly elevated frame)? Where you wear loose clothing?

I had it on the table, in the buff.  They used two big mortar shaped, herbal poultices to massage areas, besides the deep tissue areas I needed addressed.  Very aromatice and wonderful feeling.

I really like the Thai Herbal massage.  You can take the herbal poultices home/back to your cabin too for a great smelling room the entire cruise.  The Seaweed wrap is a bit slimy/messy, probably will not do that one again.  The regular Swedish massage is good and your therapist will apply as much pressure as you are comfortable with.  Yes, it is much more than the treatments at home, but I don't mind to splurge a bit on vacation, especially with on-board credit.

I always decline the product sales since I simply will not use them and they are really overpriced.

Hope you have a great cruise,

On 7/16/2019 at 6:51 PM, cruisenfreak said:

What is “progressive water color painting”?

In the piazza, about 8 easels with water colors are set up by the cruise fun staff.  Teams of about 4-5 people volunteer from the crowd.  A topic, such as the Jungle, is set by the cruise staff, and them 1 person per tam has about 1 minute to start painting.  Then the teams rotate to the next easel, and another person starts to paint on the different canvas, keeping with the theme.  The teams keep rotating to the next easel, in about 1 minute intervals, until back to their original easel.   It's interesting to see the painting evolve and the final results.  It really is fun too.

Free/nominal fee cruise activities I’ve also done:

progressive watercolor painting

MUTS

mini golf 

board games in the library 

afternoon tea

karaoke

line dancing

Zumba

the Voice at Sea or choir group

yes no game

majority rules

newlywed/he said-she said game 

ice carving(just watching, no chainsaw skills needed) 

cooking demonstration with tour of kitchens after

cruise critic meet & greet

elevator roulette

photography classes

ring toss

Dice horse racing

slot tournament(about $25 buy in)

free mini massages(they will ask you to sign up, but just “think about it” if you don’t want to)

and best of all NAPS!

Lou,

Thank you so much for posting the 2019 Patters!  How would you best describe the cruise director and staff?

I'm on Coral SB the end of August.  Can't wait to get back on my favorite Princess ship.

Safe and frequent travels,

Susan

On 6/21/2019 at 11:31 AM, comet87 said:

We are trying to decide between the Coral and Royal for our AK cruise. Do you feel the Coral spends enough time in Glacier Bay? Also, do you recommend a Deck for our cabin? The only things pulling me to the Royal is my husband may actually need internet to do some work (I've read the Coral's internet service is very poor) and we will have two 22 year olds with us. Thank you!

Coral was my first Princess ship I sailed and still my favorite, even after 2 more sailings on her and 6 other Princess ships all over the world.  Unfortunately,  I've also had to work while on vacation and just work offline and then post when we hit land.  Most of the cruise terminals have free wi-fi(ask when you get to the local info desk upon landing and the crew know where the best spots are too).  Posting from sea is possible, but can be slow.  I would recommend the unlimited data plan and just leave the post running while out and about the ship if he has to work during a sea day.  Note:  I do not recommend finding a notary in Ketchikan and post a Fed-x prior to an excursion.  It can be really crazy, just saying. 

As for the time in Glacier Bay, yes, the captain gets as close as allowed and turns the ship slowly so people with balconies on both sides of the ship can see.  Coral also has the promenade all the way around for covered viewing(not too crowded since most people are on the Lido oe Sun decks, or you can stake out a spot on one of several "secret" deck spots Coral has.

The basketball court, a little putt-putt course, pizza on deck, Crooners, and Sabatini's are a few of the other things that might keep the 22-yr olds as happy as they do for this much older cruiser.  Plenty of late night options too if they are night owls.

Hope you have a great cruise,

Susan

Thanks for taking questions!  Are you south or north bound?  I'll be south bound in Aug and am wondering what the morning exercise classes may be.  Can you please post pictures of the patters?  It will be most helpful for me extending my vacation planning fun.  Can't hardly wait to be back in Alaska!

Thanks everyone for the insight.  Yes my train is:

RAIL: DENALI TO WHITTIER 

Direct to the Wilderness Rail: Denali National Park to Whittier Your travel time to Whittier is approximately 9 1/4 hours (295 miles) with the train scheduled to depart Denali National Park at 8:15 a.m. and arrive in Whittier at 5:30 p.m. Please have your cruise documents and passport in your possession and ready for your arrival in Whittier. Also, please note that luggage storage on the train is limited to the area immediately beneath your feet.   Breakfast and lunch are available for purchase while on the train.   Smoking is prohibited in the train cars and the outdoor viewing platforms.

I'm doing the Fairbanks/Denali land tour for the first time this August and was just wondering how long does it take from getting off the train from Denali/Fairbanks to Whittier to be processed with a cruise card and board the ship?   I know our luggage gets sent ahead from the land tour.  Processing is such a nightmare in Vancouver and hope that it is more streamline in Whittier. 

Thanks for any advise on the train trip and processing onboard info.

On 3/13/2019 at 7:15 PM, bemis12 said:

Thanks!

I've always opted for Anytime Dining since I am a solo cruiser and love the flexibility it offers.  Based on my daily schedule, I call the dining line before I get off the ship to get a reservation, or just show up and wait(with a cocktail) until a seat is available. 

If you don't mind sitting with others, tell the maitre d "first available" seating.  Your wait will be shorter, and you will have the opportunity to meet more than just those tablemates you have been assigned to with Traditional Dining. 

Another benefit with Anytime Dining is, if your schedule changes(late excursion, longer afternoon nap, want to see the early and late show too...), you don't have to call the MDR and say "don't wait for us".  Nobody likes having to wait dinner for stragglers.

Does anybody have a picture of the bow with the new sea witch livery on the Coral Princess?  I'm making up a poster for an upcoming M&M, but don't want to use an outdated picture.

Thanks,

Susan

just sailed on Majestic on Oct 10-23, 2018.  Everything onboard is in AU dollars.  You need to get AU dollars from an ATM when you get there or buy some casino credits to get AU cash from the casino teller.

ccrain,

Thanks for the great review. Looking for the other port visits since I'll be visiting AU and NZ for the first time in October.

Safe travels,

It's never been an issue to get an extension cord from the steward. I just politely ask for an extension cord when I meet him/her when checking into my cabin. It is an industrial 12' cord that I just run along the baseboard from the desk plug to the night stand. It's great since I add a 3-outlet travel bar to the end to plug in my CPAP, phone, and camera charger within easy reach of the bed.

I was there. We were on that cruise which was the worst time I have ever had on a Princess cruise.

 

They made a final determination and we got the phone call last night that they would not do anything for the 3500 people that got there vacations ruined. No reimbursement, nothing. They gave everyone a $150 credit to be used against your shipboard account. Period.

Do you really think Princess wanted to be stuck in port and loose $1,000's in revenue and crime publicity? The FBI and Alaska authorities were actively investigating a crime scene and running the show. Along with everyone else onboard, Princess is a victim too in this matter. The $150 OBC from Princess is very generous for something outside their control.

In my experience, sailaway on the Coral is most lively on Deck 14 - Lido Bar and around the Lido Pool including a live band, but I really prefer Deck 15 - around the Bar & Grill since it is typically less crowded but still you can see all the activities below on the Lido Deck.

Hope you have a great time on the Coral. I love that they still have a complete loop on the Promenade deck for those early morning or late evening strolls.

Pretty sure the chicken tenders(aka "CHICK-CHICK-CHICKEN FINGERS - A hands-down favorite at Princess Cruises dipped in BBQ sauce or ranch dressing") are still on the MDR kids menu, along with several other kid(and adult) friendly items. Some nights, I just order the kid's spaghetti and meatballs as my entrée, with a salad and dessert off the adult menu. The waiter has never skipped a beat when I do so. Even if you are over 12, you can order off the kids menu without any problem.

If you like banana splits, ask for the Volcano one night in the MDR. You will be the envy of the entire table.

Little surprises(pilot whales at dawn, calving glaciers, easy trivia questions...) and the memories for story telling when back home.

Although my cruising experience has been limited exclusively to Princess, I have not gotten the memo that creativity, friendship, and lightheartedness was not allowed when cruising.

Every Princess cruise so far, I've either done a single theme for the entire trip or change door decorations several times, depending on the holiday or port. Decorating my cabin door is fun, and makes me, fellow passengers, and the crew smile, plain and simple. The link below is to some of my past cruise door decoration examples:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=49176361#post49176361

A few Princess Door Decorating Tips:

1. Cabin perimeter walls and front door are magnetic. Bathroom walls are not.

2. Magnets work better than poster tack to mount things in the drafty corridors.

3. Try to avoid using tape. Yes, it can be scrubbed off, and the stewards use it to mount the Princess "Happy Birthday" signs, but sometimes you see the old tape marks from previous cruises. Yuck.

4. Gel clings should be avoided since the dye can bleed and permanently stain the wall surfaces.

5. Don't decorate with anything you would be heartbroken if it walked off. I've never had anything stolen, but it's always a possibility with public access.

Hope you have fun with your upcoming Princess trip,