rpcv77

Who is the CD?

The wonderful Kelvin Joy!

Quite the opposite Colorado, I couldn't be happier. Life has treated me and my family very well. If people were all the same life wouldn't be much fun, especially aboard a ship. Perhaps some day we'll be on a cruise together. I've got a feeling we'd get along just fine :).

But...... I still find it irritating that passengers are singled out [weather they want to be or not] as being a newbie Princess cruiser or a world traveled Princess customer by the color of their cruise card. Cunard does it too but with different color lapel pins.

As stated a few post earlier, what happened to just having a picture of your ship and the cruise lines' name embossed on the front of your card. Moving along, I'm sure my late August Alaska cruise aboard the Pacific will be outstanding - blue card and all ;).

Really, as many have stated, there seems to be little notice of people's cruise cards. Some wear them on lanyards, for convenience, not to show off, but most keep them out of sight. So, unless you see them present for payment of something or opening their cabin door, you'll never know what color their card is. I am not trivializing the fact that it bothers you, it's just that I can honestly say I never even notice card color. So I have no idea about who is on their first or fiftieth cruise, unless it comes up in conversation. We got back from our Alaska cruise recently and had a great time. I know you will too!

PS: Uh oh, you're not going to like the little name tag on your cabin mailbox...

Glad things are going well, save for the shorex issue. I loved the balcony too (will have to hope the upgrade fairy visits me in the future). As for Mr. Modzewleski? Not my cup of tea, but I know many like him and he is knowledgeable about Alaska (his cabin was near ours so I saw him , often, in passing)

I have been quite a slacker, so will try to finish this review today!

Ketchikan- We planned no excursions here. This seemed like a small, walkable port and we are not given to filling every moment with organized activities. It was not cold, but overcast and a tiny bit drizzly (not even enough for my hood). Though we are not big shoppers, we always bring back little gifts for family. My dd bought an "Alaska" hoodie for herself. We also bought matching moose print pj's for my granddaughter and my older dd (her mom). More shot glasses for SIL and teriyaki salmon jerky for all. As mentioned, I bought two Ulu knife sets (bowl, knife, knife rest) in an Ace Hardware store in Skagway. They were Alaska made by the Ulu factory and the price was better than any tourist shop. Back to Ketchikan, I bough two sets of Russian made matroyshka dolls and a children's book called The Littlest Matroyshka. One doll set was for my granddaughter. The other, and the book, were for me. I am a teacher and the book will accompany the dolls, which I'll use to teach comparatives and superlatives. As with the Ulu's, lots of cheap ones from China are available, so make sure to check it's Russian made (if that's important to you). We checked out Creek St., salmon ladder (no salmon yet), some totem poles and then strolled back to the ship for a quiet lunch before departure. Oh, there is also a nice independent book store, Parnassus, if you are interested in books on Alaska. Great store with nice employees. After lunch, there was a sing along "Sound of Music" showing in the Princess theater. I went, but it was not well attended and no one sang! It was also freezing in there so I only made through to the wedding scene. Formal night that evening. The lobster was actually very good, moist and a decent size. The chocolate pistachio dome was incredible as were all the chocolate journeys desserts.

Dd and I had both been working very hard in the weeks leading up to the cruise. We lazed about the next day, packed and got ready for arrival in Victoria. We went to the MDR for an early dinner (it was open seating) and got off the ship shortly after it docked. It was sunny and very comfortable, temperature wise. We had pre-purchased tickets for the shuttle to downtown. It was $10. Round trip pp. Not any cheaper to purchase in advance, but we didn't have to wait in line to buy a ticket. We hopped on to the upper level of a double decker bus and the driver did a nice narration and dropped us off in front of the Empress Hotel (stunning). We walked around the inner harbor and Government Street. There was a small open air market at the harbor so we had some fun "window" shopping. Everything was beautifully landscaped and just watching boats in the harbor was lovely. Before we knew it, it was time to go back to the ship. I would have loved more time in Victoria. When we got back to the pier, it was dark and very windy, so a snack and hot tea from the IC hit the spot. We went back to our cabin, finished packing, set our bags out, and let out a sigh as the inevitable was upon us. Got up the next morning and had breakfast in one of the MDR's so as to avoid the mayhem in the buffet. Still,had some time before disembarkation, so hung around, caught up on emails etc. Disembarkation was fairly smooth, but it seemed we walked through half the ship before we actually exited. We stored our luggage at the pier ($6.00) and set off for the Pike's Place Market. More to come...

I have completed 3 cruises with Princess. I can't think of a single instance in which someone flaunted their status or looked down their noses at those of a lower status. Has it happened? Yes, no doubt it has, but my experience is that it is very, very far from wide spread. Reading cc can make it seem like it is an issue, but as I walk around the ship, ride the elevators, dine at any venue etc., I have no idea what anyone's status is. Banish these thoughts from your mind and don't even imagine that there will be some sort of class structure that will interfere with your enjoyment. Have a great cruise!

PS: I forgot... There is a Captain's Circle cocktail party for those above blue. They announce most traveled, have drinks and appetizers. No big deal and no one was bragging or flaunting anything. Being invited to this event did not make my cruise any more special or memorable than on my first Princess cruise, when I was not invited.

We were in Victoria on 6/19, from 7:00-11:00 pm. We took the Princess shuttle, $10.00 round trip, and it dropped us off at the Empress Hotel. We strolled around, checked out shops, the harbor, an outdoor market etc. It was a beautiful evening and we thought the town was charming. Wish we would have had more time there. I always think getting off the ship is worth it, as you never know what you might find. That's one of the great pleasures of travel.

I am not a HAL cruiser, but was on the Crown Princess, the week before this tragedy. It seemed as if we were playing a maritime game of tag with the Westerdam and it was fun, as we arrived and departed each port, to see who was first, the Crown or the Westerdam. May those who perished rest in peace and may their memories be a comfort to their loved ones.

Many thanks to those who avoid speculating about the accident or it's aftermath, until all the facts are known.

A tiny rant...

Not that this ruined my cruise in any way, but it was the first time I experienced this on a cruise; the selfie stick.

Ugh is all I can say. There were a few pax who were using these and it pretty much sends them into a universe where only they, or their party, exist. The problem, as I saw it, was that due to the length of the stick, there is an area in front, or back of the person , that takes up a lot of space and makes the user of such a stick oblivious to anyone else's need of space. There was one woman on my cruise who was using hers whenever I saw her, literally. On board, in the dining room, in port, she had the selfie stick raised in front of her, creating about an extra 2-3 feet of "personal space" just for her. I understand that these selfish sticks have been banned at Disney parks. Wish they'd be banned on ships too. Not the fault of the stick, I realize, just the fault of the user. Rant over, didn't ruin my cruise 😎

Not my cup of tea, though I have to laugh. As a former Pan Am flight attendant, people always thought I should write a book about the "saucy" life of a stewardess. I think there are more than enough of those tacky tales

Sorry for slacking off on the review. I worked a bit this week, celebrated older daughter's birthday and slipped back in to non-cruise mode.

Glacier Bay- We entered the area early in the morning. This is when I really appreciated our upgrade, as I threw a jacket over my pajamas to enjoy the scenery from my balcony. Eventually, got showered and dressed and went up on deck. I had to jockey a bit for space, but kept moving for good and varied views. The weather was mild, cool and sunny. Some people were bundled up as if the weather was sub-zero, but I had on a light shirt, lightweight fleece, wind proof shell (which I never zipped up) and a hat. I may have worn my gloves for a short time but they stayed, mostly in my pocket. Due to the clear, sunny weather, the glacier viewing was incredible, kind of like high def TV! Saw calving several times and was amazed by the thunderous sounds. Not many ice chunks floating in the water. I was hoping to see more, but Mother Nature has her own plans. The park ranger narration was good. All in all, a great day and very relaxing as well.

As I write this, I am saddened and shaken by the news of the float plane crash that took the lives of passengers from the Westerdam. These passengers would have started their cruise on the day we disembarked and the Westerdam uses Pier 91 as well. My dd and I made it a bit of a game to see who got to and departed each port first, as the Westerdam seemed to be playing tag with the Crown. May they rest in peace and condolences to their loved ones.

I loved meat or fish pies, particularly scallop pies, licorice ice cream, and their wines. Desserts were good, especially a classic Pavlova. I tried Vegemite but couldn't quite get in to it. Overall, food was fresh and delicious.

It comes down to something simple: read the Patter. Someone recently posted the Patters from the Ruby (on 7-day Alaska roundtrips from Seattle), and it CLEARLY says which dining rooms are on traditional vs. open seating at what times each night.

 

Princess probably has (or had) plenty of data that suggests that open seatings would be a ghost town if they tried to stick to that schedule. They can probably pull a report that shows >60% vacancy for early TD just based on ship-organized excursion tickets/times.

Yes, you are probably right. Reading the Patter tells you exactly what's happening with daily dining times. If you wish to stay with your traditional seating time, just show up as usual and dinner will be served!

I am just off the Crown on the same itinerary as your friend. Yes, the open seating was on nights with late port departures, when many were off the ship during regular dinner seatings. My dd has very specific dietary but always preorders the night before so no problem. This has happened to me on another trip with late port departure. Not a big deal at all.

We loved the Glacier Point a Wilderness Safari, offered by many ship's tours but can also be booked directly from Skagway Shore Excursions. Here is what I posted on the Princess forum:

Skagway- We arrive very early, perhaps 5:30am. Our balcony is shoreside and very close to the rocky hillside where various ship's crews have been painting the rocks to commemorate their arrival in Alaska. The earliest one, that I could read,,was dated 1929. These are the kind of things that fascinate me (much more so than shopping). We disembarked at 7:00 to meet our tour at 7:15. We did the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari. I booked directly with Skagway Shore Excursions, but it is the same tour that the ship offers. I had booked months in advance, so feel like I got a great price. We boarded a small boat and enjoyed a great 1 hour ride. Beautiful scenery, waterfalls everywhere and just as we approached the beach where we got out, there was a pod of orcas. There was a naturalist on board who was very knowledgeable and pointed out everything to us. Once off the boat we took an school bus over dirt roads to the area where we were outfitted with rubber boots and life jackets. There were warm jackets and rainwear if needed, as well as insect repellent. I should mention that from the time you leave the dock for the small boat trip, the only facilities are outhouses at the place you get your boots. From there it's about a 1/4 mile hike to the canoes on a clear but rocky path. Then we got in to the canoes, which also had motors. After some paddling, some motoring, we arrived at the glacier, beached the canoes and walked around. We crossed small streams created by glacial melt, checked out the rocks and just took in all of the great beauty. Each canoe had a guide (they live in a camp out there during the season). They were great and loved showing us around and were quite funny to boot. By the time we walked back to the canoes, the streams had changed course and we had a lot more water to wade through, but it made it even more fun. Paddled back to the base camp, got our shoes on and took the same bus back. Before boarding the boat, we had a picnic lunch in a nice meadow. The weather was perfect again and the setting was idyllic. Our canoe guide brought us some wild strawberries that were tiny but delicious. Another hour back to Skagway. This time the naturalist got us very close to a sea lion rookery. All together, the whole excursion was about 6.5 hours. Not super strenuous, but not for anyone with mobility issues or for those who can't bear the the thought of outhouses. We loved it and would recommend it to anyone who wants a nice outdoor experience. Back in Skagway, we waked into town. There is a shuttle, I believe, but it's a pleasant, easy walk and a good way to burn off the yummy Princess desserts. Lest you think I'm anti-shopping, I did buy a few things in town. Found good prices on Alaskan made ulu knives in a hardware store. Many of the cheaper ulus are made in China, so be sure to check and if you are flying home, pack them in your checked luggage. It sprinkled once or twice, but hardly enough to notice, Back to the ship for naps and relaxing on the balcony. We slept very well that night!

I bought two sets (medium with cutting bowl/board) at a hardware store in Skagway, that were Alaskan made. The cheaper ones are made in China. I checked the Ulu Factory's online shop, and the price was $4.00 less at the hardware store where I bought them. I had no trouble bringing it on board the ship and they even reminded me to pack it in my checked luggage before my flight. Uses? Chopping herbs, garlic or almost any veggie. I have a large shallow wooden bowl belonged to my grandmother. She used something similar to an ulu and chopped everything under the sun with it. It's similar to an Italian mezzaluna.

Skagway- We arrive very early, perhaps 5:30am. Our balcony is shoreside and very close to the rocky hillside where various ship's crews have been painting the rocks to commemorate their arrival in Alaska. The earliest one, that I could read,,was dated 1929. These are the kind of things that fascinate me (much more so than shopping). We disembarked at 7:00 to meet our tour at 7:15. We did the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari. I booked directly with Skagway Shore Excursions, but it is the same tour that the ship offers. I had booked months in advance, so feel like I got a great price. We boarded a small boat and enjoyed a great 1 hour ride. Beautiful scenery, waterfalls everywhere and just as we approached the beach where we got out, there was a pod of orcas. There was a naturalist on board who was very knowledgeable and pointed out everything to us. Once off the boat we took an school bus over dirt roads to the area where we were outfitted with rubber boots and life jackets. There were warm jackets and rainwear if needed, as well as insect repellent. I should mention that from the time you leave the dock for the small boat trip, the only facilities are outhouses at the place you get your boots. From there it's about a 1/4 mile hike to the canoes on a clear but rocky path. Then we got in to the canoes, which also had motors. After some paddling, some motoring, we arrived at the glacier, beached the canoes and walked around. We crossed small streams created by glacial melt, checked out the rocks and just took in all of the great beauty. Each canoe had a guide (they live in a camp out there during the season). They were great and loved showing us around and were quite funny to boot. By the time we walked back to the canoes, the streams had changed course and we had a lot more water to wade through, but it made it even more fun. Paddled back to the base camp, got our shoes on and took the same bus back. Before boarding the boat, we had a picnic lunch in a nice meadow. The weather was perfect again and the setting was idyllic. Our canoe guide brought us some wild strawberries that were tiny but delicious. Another hour back to Skagway. This time the naturalist got us very close to a sea lion rookery. All together, the whole excursion was about 6.5 hours. Not super strenuous, but not for anyone with mobility issues or for those who can't bear the the thought of outhouses. We loved it and would recommend it to anyone who wants a nice outdoor experience. Back in Skagway, we waked into town. There is a shuttle, I believe, but it's a pleasant, easy walk and a good way to burn off the yummy Princess desserts. Lest you think I'm anti-shopping, I did buy a few things in town. Found good prices on Alaskan made ulu knives in a hardware store. Many of the cheaper ulus are made in China, so be sure to check and if you are flying home, pack them in your checked luggage. It sprinkled once or twice, but hardly enough to notice, Back to the ship for naps and relaxing on the balcony. We slept very well that night!

I forgot to mention that Sunday, our sea day, was the first formal night. I honestly don't remember what was served but, overall, the MDR food was good. The Norman Love chocolate desserts are a chocolate lovers paradise.

On to Juneau. We arrived at 11:00 am and walked around a bit. Like the other Alaska ports, there are incredible numbers of T-shirt shops and jewelry stores, so not much interest to us. At 1:00 we met our van from Coastal Helicopters for our helicopter glacier tour. We drove out to the airport, were weighed, sorted (for balance in the copter) and fitted with our glacier boots. I had never been in a helicopter so I was very excited. I don't mean to sound ugly, but an average sized man and myself were wedged in the rear seat between two very large people. As uncomfortable as it was, it was soon forgotten by the thrill and the beauty of Alaskan scenery and glaciers. Soon it was time to land on Herbert Glacier. Wow, is all I can say. It was amazing and majestic. Walking on the glacier seemed almost other worldly. There was a large fissure in part of the glacier with water rushing through the blue ice. We filled a water bottle and drank the icy cold glacier water. Best water ever! All too soon it was time to fly back. Our pilot zig zagged through some spectacular terrain and then we landed. We were driven back to town and headed straight to Tracy's King Crab Shack. Great crab legs, bisque, crab cakes and beer. It really hit the spot as we hadn't had lunch. Then we went on the Mt. Roberts Tram. Great views of the harbor and nice hiking trails. Did I mention how hot it was in Juneau that day? Low 80's, so the glacier was the only cold spot. Rode down after a while, went back to the ship and rested up until dinner. What was on the menu? Crab legs from Tracy's. Can you ever have enough crab legs? Next stop, Skagway.

Tracy's provided crab legs for the ship :confused:

Yes! Part of the Princess Alaska dining is to include food from well known Alaska restaurants or chefs in the main dining room. So for dinner in Juneau, crab legs from Tracy's was on the menu. They were served in smaller sections, i.e. Not a whole large leg, than at Tracy's but we're just as tasty.

OP will be on the Regal. The free coffee, on the Regal and royal, is not from syrup, but is brewed (I have been told).

Just ate at Tracy's last week. The majority of dining space consists of shared picnic tables under a tent/canopy. The indoor space is much smaller and shared with their store. My dd and I shared one giant king crab leg, four mini crab cakes, crab bisque, and very tasty bread rolls. It was plenty of food, and delicious. Then we got back on our ship (Crown Princess) and had more crab legs, from Tracy's, for dinner in the MDR!. Life is good!

I'm with budget queen on this one. I just got back from my Alaska cruise yesterday. I did a helicopter glacier landing in Juneau and the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari in Skagway. Both were booked independently, well in advance, yet both vendors were the same ones that provided the ship's excursions. I watched the price go up, quite a lot, over nine months, for both independent and ship's tour booking. Knowing that they were responsible, reputable vendors was all the peace of mind needed. As for the Mt. Roberts tram, a malfunction could happen regardless of how your ticket was purchased. We just walked up and bought a ticket directly, but didn't cut it too close to departure time. I never hesitate to book independently if I have vetted the tour provider. In Alaska, being part of the US, I have even greater confidence in known, reputable, independent providers.

Now that you mention it, I do remember having read that somewhere on cruise critic. I read the Patter every night, however, and don't recall seeing any prohibitions on laundry. We did laundry in the afternoon after we left Glacier Bay without restrictions. The Crown now uses tokens for laundry, which you purchase by swiping your cruise card through a machine in the laundry room. You need tokens to purchase detergent and softener as well. We brought one Tide pod and a dryer sheet with us.

We slept in a bit. Went to the IC for my breakfast sandwich and a tall latte which I enjoyed on my balcony. Cool and sunny weather, clear as a bell. I know some prefer to be closer to the coast to view scenery, but I am always awed and humbled by the vast open ocean. I attended a lecture by the naturalist, Michael Modzewleski. I appreciate his great knowledge of Alaska, but (no flaming, just my opinion) was turned off by him. He came across, to me, as a cross between a self realization guru and smarmy sideshow huckster. Probably has something to do with his late '70's style, but I just couldn't get into him. Again, I know he is loved by many, so please realize this is just my opinion.

We went to the fitness center for a while. Another opportunity to stare at the vast ocean while on a treadmill. It was quite busy but we both managed to find the equipment we wanted. Showers, naps and soon it was dinner time. First night in MDR. We prefer ATD and had a 7:30 reservation. My dd has special dietary needs and Gabriel, the head waiter, was very nice and accommodating. He let her know what she could eat that evening and brought her the menu for the next night so she could pre-order. The meal,was good and then we changed into warm clothes to watch Cinderella on MUTS. It was pretty chilly by then and I only made it about half way through. It was a lovely, lazy day at sea.

I just had a bad experience with Eastside for Hire, and my cruise is still a week away. Due to horrible reviews on yelp, I decided to cancel my reservation with Eastside. I was looking at my email confirmation when I called, however the customer service rep said they had no record of my reservation. I asked to speak to a supervisor (didn't want to be charged)because it seemed odd. Supervisor claimed that there was no record of my ever making a reservation! This confirmed that I made the right decision by making other arrangements.

An update: in an unbelievable twist on incompetent operations, Eastside for Hire called me as I was waiting in baggage claim and said they were waiting for me! I became a bit unglued and let them have it, and hung up. Incredibly, about 10 minutes later, another one of their drivers called and also said he was waiting for me.I am beyond glad I listened to the yelp reviews and would never, ever recommend them.

Happily, Speedi Shuttle, new in Seattle since May, was great. A greeter met us in baggage claim and walked us to the shuttle which was a nice, new Mercedes van. Everyone was very pleasant and helpful. Unfortunately, a marathon had closed down streets and city bypasses that day and it took almost two hours to get to Pier 91. Our driver remained cool and patient despite the snide remarks a couple, who were bound for the Westerdam, kept making. They kept implying that there must be a quicker way to go that our driver didn't know about . Everyone heading to the pier, private cars, town cars, taxis or other shuttles were all caught up in the traffic mess. I felt very badly for the driver as I'm sure he didn't want to be in traffic either. We made sure to tip him well and thank him for his good service. As for the whiners, they just kept on and on about how they were "missing " being on board and having fun.

So, Speedi Shuttle is good, Eastside for Hire is dreadful (and we never actually used them!)

We flew to Seattle from San Jose early on the morning of departure. Yes, I know this was not ideal, but couldn't be avoided. We did choose an early flight in case of delays. There were none, however, and we landed right on time. We used EZ Air and got a great fare and had no problems at all. Since I had booked well in advance, I kept monitoring fares on my own, but was never able to do better. I originally booked Eastside for Hire to pick us up, but cancelled, or tried to before we left. They insisted they had no record of my reservation (despite having the email confirmation in front of me) so there was nothing to cancel. Then, booked with Speedi Shuttle, an outfit from Hawaii that is new to the Seattle area. They were great and use nice shiny, new Mercedes vans. Meanwhile, Eastside for Hire called me 2x to say they were waiting for me. What???? This is the company that said they had no record of my reservation when I called to cancel. I am doubly glad that I didn't use them. Speedi Shuttle was great but, there were many road closures that day due to a marathon. All traffic was forced on to side streets and moved at a crawl. It took almost 2 hours to get to Pier 91. This was not the shuttles fault, as everyone going that way was stuck in the jam. The driver was calm and patient despite many snide comments from some folks going on the Westerdam. When we did arrive, we thanked the driver, tipped him and let him know that we understood that the delay was not his fault.

Boarding was easy. Despite long lines, it moved quickly. This is when we got the happy surprise about our upgrade. I think we ran to the cabin at that point because we couldn't believe our good fortune. Once inside, we found a gift card for someone else and became convinced it was a mistake. Went to passenger service and they confirmed the room was indeed ours. Turned in the gift card and the excursion tix that had arrived for the other party. Now able to relax, we enjoyed a late lunch at the IC and then went yo Sabatini's to make reservations for that evening. Our luggage found us, we unpacked and then explored the ship. We are not nit pickers who look for every flake of rust or chipped paint. Perfection is a lofty goal and not always that interesting. The ship looked lovely, fresh and clean to us. The new MUTS screen was great and the sound was not blasting (we like MUTS). Even on embarkation day, the ship seemed no more crowded than the other Princess ships we have sailed. Of course, we avoided the HC for lunch. Sat on our balcony for sail away as it was a clear, sunny afternoon. Before we knew it it was time for dinner. Sabatini's is a beautiful dining space. The service was excellent as was the food. I had the burrata appetizer and the penne with braised short ribs. Both were delicious. My dd had grilled veggies and garlic infused shrimp with veggies. Really good as well. I can't remember what I had for dessert, but I think almost all Princess desserts are great and this was no exception. I think it was a citrus tart.

We went to the welcome aboard show, which was short but enjoyable. Kelvin Joy is a great CD and it was good to see him again. Carlos Oscar was the comedian and I liked him as well. We were quite tired by then so it was off to bed. Our mattresses were not bad, but not the elusive pillow tops I keep hearing about. They were better than previous cruises, but not great. We were too tired and slept well in any event.TBC