redrobin

7 hours ago, Kay S said:

Sounds like Traditional Dining:  no reservations, no wait to be seated, and personal service. 😛  From occasional past experience (seated on the other side of the glass divider between the regular dining room and club class) I have seen some of those tableside preparations.  I remember several pasta dishes and maybe a dessert.  I once leaned over the divider to ask someone in CC what the dish was.  Funny thing is, a subsequent night in the traditional dining room, the HW (and helpers) prepared that same pasta dish for the whole dining room.  The one dish I remember most was a spicy pasta with a tomato sauce.  Very good.

Traditional Dining is not my cup of tea. I much prefer the flexible dining time of Club Class, or Anytime Dining when not in CC. I also like to eat at a table for 2 over a shared table. I understand Princess has frustrated many loyal cruisers, who are fans of TD, with the botched rollout of DMW, that has gutted TD as it existed. 

9 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I was under the impression that as of now, only those with compromised immune systems are authorized to get a booster shot.  Did something change to include any underlying conditions?

Regarding booster shots, this is correct! Pending approval, most people, including seniors and those with chronic health conditions, only become eligible for the booster shot starting next month.

Straight from the CDC website:

People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised make up about 3% of the adult population and are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are more at risk of serious, prolonged illness.

Currently, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose. This includes people who have:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

When can I get a COVID-19 vaccine booster?

Not immediately. The goal is for people to start receiving a COVID-19 booster shot beginning in the fall, with individuals being eligible starting 8 months after they received their second dose of an mRNA vaccine (either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna). This is subject to authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and recommendation by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). FDA is conducting an independent evaluation to determine the safety and effectiveness of a booster dose of the mRNA vaccines. ACIP will decide whether to issue a booster dose recommendation based on a thorough review of the evidence.

Who will be the first people to get a booster dose?

If FDA authorizes and ACIP recommends a booster dose, the goal is for the first people eligible for a booster dose to be those who were the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccination (those who are most at risk). This includes healthcare providers, residents of long-term care facilities, and other older adults.

On 8/14/2021 at 6:42 PM, dave_k58 said:

What are the "extra menu items" on the Mini-Suite Club MDR menu?  We have never sailed Club Class before.  Thanks

As others mentioned, 'surf and turf' and lobster thermidor are two extra entrees you may find. In the past I've enjoyed the tableside preparations, and hope they return when protocols change. I'm a CC fan, no reservations, no wait to be seated, and personal service. Most of the two tops in CC are close enough that you can chit chat with any neighbors, if desired. 

Favorite Princess food - desserts!!! Here are a few I just enjoyed in the MDR on Majestic Princess - apple pie, lemon meringue cheesecake, chocolate pecan pie, carrot cake, chocolate journeys pistachio dome, and orange souffle.

@srpilo Onboard there were 'mask required' signs around the ship - elevators, retail shops, casino, entertainment venues like the Vista Lounge, Princess Live... In practice, masks were worn by some, but not others, walking around the ship, at bars, in the Piazza, and of course when sitting down to eat or drink anywhere, or smoking in the casino.

Thanks to @azbirdmom for starting this live thread and @PescadoAmarillofor blogging about it!!

A few final thoughts on the cruise. I received roses from Princess as a goodwill gesture, in part, because my room safe wasn't working. Just another 'issue' of the pause, safe batteries were left to corrode and now many require replacement or repair. It is just hard to imagine the difficulties in restarting an entire industry, with circumstances still changing! Despite any challenges they're encountering, crew onboard the Majestic Princess were always friendly, helpful, and accommodating!! 

Don't know if it's been posted already, but at the Captain's Circle party, we were told that there were 484 Platinum onboard, and over 200 Elite (sorry, I didn't write down that number). The top three passengers had 1,408 days/122 cruises, 2,023 days/135 cruises, and 2,777 days/310 cruises, the most in the entire Princess family!! 

As for the Medallion app, now that I've cruised, I see it can have some benefits; however, I am not yet a fan. I think Princess was too ambitious in what they wanted to accomplish, and should have started the app with a much narrower focus, and expanded its capabilities over time. 

30 minutes ago, CalLuvsCrusingToo said:

Any pics of the casino?  Curious how thats going now..... with Masking in there,

is smoking now just outside?  (hope so) 😉

I only took two quick pics in the casino. Unfortunately, as a nonsmoker, smoking was allowed in the casino, despite the mask policy. Table games and slots on the right were 'nonsmoking'. Slots on the port side were smoking. Two nights, I think the two formal nights, the casino was smoke free. 

Here are pics of the space next to the casino. It contains a seating area with a piano and wall of TV's. In one corner there are two baccarat tables. The bar, called Double Down, is open in the evenings. It never seemed too crowded, so a good spot to grab a drink before heading into the casino or to watch a show.

2 hours ago, CruzinNoony said:

That is disappointing.  We are sailing on Sept. 5 and I was looking forward to seeing him again.  Who is taking over?  

Sorry, I didn't find that out. 

5 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

 

 

@redrobin  I have seen this problem on numerous internet boards--not just Cruise Critic.  It seems to happen intermittently when the original picture was taken with an Apple iOS device.  I really don't know what the cause is, but my guess is that iOS uses a setting in the image file header that is not used the same way by the board hosts system.  I have been able to consistently get the correct orientation by transferring the image file to my Windows PC, adjusting the orientation with some software on my PC, and, then, uploading to the internet board from my PC.  I know that is a bit tedious, but it works.

 

I am intrigued by @Sea Hag's workaround.  That sound a lot easier.  I may try that the next time.

Thanks for the replies. Yes, the issue is specific to my iphone. I tried rotating the pictures with the edit function, but they still showed up sideways when posted from my phone. 

Breakfast in Harmony, one of my favorite suite perks. I don't believe the menu has changed from before the pause. 

1 minute ago, CruzeQueen2 said:

Fun! Who is allowed to use it? How is the VIP status determined? LOL

I know full suites do. Not sure if anyone else has access. 

Sorry, is there a trick to uploading pics so they aren’t sideways? 
VIP Lounge on deck 14. You enter it using a ‘cruise card’ found in your stateroom, not the Medallion. 

Don’t know if it’s been posted elsewhere, but after this sailing Captain Dino will be on vacation until November. 

5 minutes ago, CruzeQueen2 said:

Thank you! Would you dine there again?

Yes, I would. Good food and service. I’ve eaten at Crown Grill a lot. Bistro Sur Mer is definitely at a busier location. 


 

Salmon fishing was good today in Ketchikan! 

Harmony dinner. Sorry, don’t know why some pics post sideways.

22 hours ago, Purple Galinule said:

Were there a lot of birds in Glacier Bay?

Mostly I just saw the seagulls flying around the ship. 

Margerie Glacier

Left Skagway, just cruised past Haines. After Covid fatigue, you forget how wonderful it is to cruise and travel!!
 

16 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

I had wondered about that but didn't do the math.  Is this for real?  I would have thought Princess would show the base price to make each drink look more inexpensive.  Also, they didn't do it that way pre-Covid.  Just asking even though the answer has 6 Likes.  

 
Update: Still no charge on my folio. But, you can see past orders on the app. For a short time tonight that order showed a charge of 89 cents, .75 + .14, as you expected. Now it’s gone, app is wonky on land and sea! 

1 hour ago, wondertwinsmom said:

Thank you so much for all of this detailed information. We have been considering that excursion but haven’t booked anything for Skagway as of yet. It’s disheartening but understandable to hear of the lack of businesses being open. I definitely want to try to contribute a bit while we’re there.

Please let us know which port ends up being the best one to do souvenir shopping in. I have lots of people to bring Alaska goodies back for!

Juneau 

Skagway

2 hours ago, TinaLee said:

Thanks for checking - Quantum of Solace was Absolute Citron, chambord and grapefruit juice. Hopefully I can find a bartender who remembers the recipe. How about a French martini? 🙂 

French martini is on the list. 🍸 

2 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

I’d like to have your impression of the new Americanized menu for Harmony.

I liked Harmony a lot. Glad I picked it over the other two specialty restaurants. Quiet location. Have pics but having trouble posting. For dessert I recommend the mango sago soup. 

Do not see Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Quantum of Solace,  unless they are called something else on the app?