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XBGuy

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Everything posted by XBGuy

  1. I think that @mtnesterz has a pretty good grasp of the goals that Princess and Magic Castle have for this venue. Regarding the men's dress code. if you go back and look at Post #69, the picture that @azbirdmom posted indicates that a blazer. dress slacks, collared shirt and tie are acceptable dress. I do not own a blazer, but a year and a half ago, I enjoyed a terrific evening at the Magic Castle in Hollywood wearing a sport coat. Yes, I wore slacks with a collared shirt and tie. I would be quite surprised if somebody wearing slacks, collared shirt and tie and a sport jacket would be denied entrance to Spellbound. When we start packing for a cruise, I always ask Mrs. XBGuy if she wants to go formal this time, or not. If she opts for formal, I wear slacks and a sport coat on embarkation day. At least two collared shirs will be packed in our luggage and, maybe, a second pair of slacks. It is pretty easy to find space in our luggage for one or two ties. I think the Spellbound menu is good. Nothing adventurous, at all, That is right in the wheelhouse of the Princess passenger demographic. I'm pretty sure the menu is brief because the goal is to have the guests finish their meal somewhat quickly so that they can get to the show. It is not clear to me if the dining and the show are in the same or different rooms. I eagerly await reports from people who actually get in and report on how it works.
  2. The menu looks good--not over the top, but some good sounding dishes that shouldn't intimidate most people. Thank you, @azbirdmom, for posting,
  3. @mamafun, I hope I am not being supercilious by telling you something you already know, but "Super Tuscan" is an informal term describing wines from the Italian region of Tuscany that do not conform to the traditional winemaking regulations of that region. Typically, grapes that are not included in the regional laws are used for these wines. As often as not, these "extra" grapes are ones that are common in the French region of Bordeaux--e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot--and are blended with Tuscany's most famous red grape--Sangiovese. The best Super Tuscans are world class wines. Princess regularly offers Luce della Vite and Tignanello Super Tuscans on the Sabatini's wine list, and they are both excellent, albeit, not inexpensive. I would hope that at least one, if not both, of these would be served at a Super Tuscan Lunch.
  4. Spanish wines are SO good--and so reasonably priced. Also, because of Spanish labeling laws, the words "Reserva" and "Gran Reserva" are legally defined. So, the consumer confidently knows that wines so labeled already have some age on them. Today in History: 1721 Johann Sebastian Bach dedicates his Brandenburg Concertos to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwed Bach sent six concertos to the Margrave of Brandenburg in the hope of landing a job. These six concertos are superb and are still regularly performed to this day. Being a smart job applicant, Bach included a cover letter along with his gift of the six scores. To say that his letter showed his humility is, possibly, the understatement of all time. Take a look: “My Lord, As I had the honor of playing before Your Royal Highness… and as I observed that You took some pleasure in the small talent that heaven has given me for music, and [as] You honoured me with a command to send You some pieces of my composition, I now…take the liberty of presenting [you] with the present concertos… humbly praying You not to judge their imperfections by the severity of the fine and delicate taste that every one knows You to have for music …” Not only did Bach not get the job, it is believed that the Margrave stuffed the scores away and forgot about them.
  5. Attention SoCal backyard farmers. The "Tomatozania" event is on at the Cal Poly Pomona Farm Store. The other day Mrs. XBGuy picked up a half-dozen, or so, various plants for her backyard farm.
  6. Heads up to the OP, it appears that door decorations are not allowed on Princess.
  7. WOW!!!! @Cruise Raider's storm was very exciting. Much more serious than anything we have encountered. I will tell my own somewhat humorous story. I should have mentioned to the OP, @larrybritt, that one of the possible negatives of early season Alaska cruising is that you might beat the migrating whales up there. In 2018 we took a Los Angeles-Alaska cruise that embarked the last week of April. Mrs. XBGuy who is always on the alert for wildlife was disappointed that we did not see many whales. Just to reassure readers who might be contemplating and early season Alaska cruise, we did, in fact, see whales from our balcony. In fact there was an awesome exuberant breach just off our balcony as we were leaving Ketchikan. In 2019 we booked the same Los Angeles-Alaska itinerary that left a few days earlier than the 2018 cruise. In the weeks just prior to the cruise, Mrs. XBGuy expressed concern that we might beat the whales up there. One of our regular embarkation day routines is to sip sparkling wine on our balcony as we leave the port. So, there we were happily sipping our wine and, of course, were excited about our cruise, From the dock the ship proceeded through a channel to a somewhat open area. This area is still not open ocean, because there is a breakwater that protects the harbor. We were in this open area between the channel and the breakwater when we both spotted a disturbance no more than 50 yards off our balcony. Whaddaya know? It was a grey whale. Grey's spend the winter in Mexico and summers in Alaska. I assume that this guy was somewhat behind schedule. Technically, we hadn't even left the harbor and we had already seen our first whale.
  8. We have taken multiple AK cruises in late April/early May and have been the second or third ship to arrive that season in several of the ports. We have found a few businesses (a candy store and two restaurants) in Skagway that had not yet opened. That is understandable because Skagway is much more dependent on cruise tourism than, say Ketchikan or Juneau. We have also taken multiple September cruises. Some have complained, here on Cruise Critic, that store inventories are low late in the cruise season, but, on the other hand, many storers are trying to reduce their inventory and, so, offer attractive sale pricing. I can say that that the "depleted inventory" problem hit me once. One of our regular stops is the fudge store in Skagway. We were once there the last week of the cruise season, and they had no mint fudge (my favorite.) Happily, they did have plenty of Mrs. XBGuy's favorite--Peanut Butter/Chocolate. Regarding the weather, I can't say there is much difference. It will be cool--especially, on sea days and scenic cruising days. So, bring a jacket. I have to laugh at the macho guys who insist that they have to wear short every day, but they can't last more that a minute, or so, on the promenade deck. We've encountered fog or light rains on both early- and late-season cruises. Then there was one guy who complained that it was cold when he left the hot tub. (Well, duh.) Yes, there is noticeably more snow in the spring. I have no opinion about the ship. We have no experience with either of the ships you are considering. However, we have taken five different ships on six AK cruises, and not once has the ship affected our experience. Bon voyage. I am envious.
  9. @Lobella, let me add my welcome to Cruise Critic. I am going to repeat what some of the previous posters have said, but I will, of course, put my own spin on it. Let me start with the suggestion that you engage a travel agent. When we started cruising that was the only option for booking a cruise. We found the experience to be easy, and we were able to book our first cruise in less than an hour. That being said, gathering as much information as you can—like you’re doing here on Cruise Critic—will help provide some guidance to your selected travel agent. We have taken six Alaska cruises. The worst one was wonderful. I feel that the itinerary for any AK cruise is not that important. (Many will disagree with that sentiment.) AK cruises are all about seeing wildlife an natural beauty, Mission accomplished on all our cruises. You seem to have your heart set on visiting Glacier Bay. That is good. The more you have decided early in your quest, the easier it is to learn about and make decisions about other options. Cruising out of Seattle makes a lot of sense for logistical reasons. I think that most cruises out of Seattle are round trips. That should make airline arrangements to and from the port a bit easier. Other than that, I don't see much difference between Seattle or any other port. Somebody has mentioned that July/August are peak times for families because kids are on summer vacation. I agree that Alaska is a great cruise itinerary for families. If you cruise early or late in the season while schools are mostly in session, you will minimize the number of families on your ship. There have been some opinions expressed, here, on cabin selection. Mrs. XBGuy will no longer cruise in a cabin that does not have a balcony. So, five of our six AK cruises have been in cabins with balconies. The weather does not deter her. She bundles up and can spend hours on the balcony during sea days or "scenic cruising" days such as Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm Fjord or College Bay. If she does get too cold, she steps back into the cabin and warms up, but she is usually, then, still parked next to the slider watching outside. I am the kind of person who wanders all over the ship. So, pick the cabin you want. In your second post you seem to allude to the Emerald Princess. We have, in fact, cruised on the Emerald Princess to Alaska--cabin A201. If you spend some more time here on Cruise Critic, you will learn that the common wisdom is that people who are sensitive to the motion of the ship should book cabins as close as possible to the waterline and as close to the center of the ship as possible. Cabin A201 is on Deck 12 (relatively high) and is the most forward cabin on the deck. Mrs. XBGuy loves feeling the motion of the sea, and, so, we usually book as far forward or as far aft as possible. That may or may not work for you. I might also mention that the balconies on the C Deck of the Emerald Princess are noticeably larger that those on the A or B decks. I have to say, the extra "real estate" on those larger balconies is pretty nice. You did not ask, but, regarding the weather, it does rain in Alaska. In fact, Ketchikan is in a rain forest. However, rain has never caused us any disappointment. OK, that is a lie. On our very first AK cruise I learned about the De Havilland Beaver. One one of our subsequent cruises I booked a flightseeing excursion on a De Haviland Beaver in Ketchikan. There were very low clouds and a light misty rain that day and all float plane tours were cancelled. However, a year later I was able get my trip on a Beaver. So, I guess my life is now complete. 😉 I have seen posters insist that there is a "less wet" season in Alaska. That may or may not be true. Most of our cruises have been early (April/May) or late (September), using the family cruisers avoidance strategy. Mrs. XBGuy (the person who loves the motion) keeps hoping for big storms, but, generally all we have hit have been fog and light rains. The biggest storm we ever hit was our very first one which was in the first week of August--a one-way southbound cruise. We hit a monster in the Gulf of Alaska. At about 2:00 am I found myself rolling out of the bed. The only reason I didn't was I was able to stick my arm out, and, when my hand touched the floor, I was able to stop. Mrs. XBGuy was smashed up against me. It was great. By contrast a friend once took an Alaska cruise the first week of July, and, afterward, she complained that it was "too hot." I guess you pays or money, and you takes your chances. I see that a previous poster mentions a wraparound promenade deck on the Holland America ships. I can advise that the Emerald Princess also has such a wraparound promenade. Being a walker, I've put many miles on that promenade. and I have seen some terrific sights from there. I'll close with this. Do not be overtaken by FOMO--fear of missing out. You cannot see everything on one cruise. Every cruise is a compromise. I have stated that I don't think itinerary is that important. Any itinerary will give you an excellent, memorable experience. If you didn't get to see Hubbard Bay, you did get to see Glacier Bay. If you didn't get to see Icy Strait Point, you did get to see Skagway. If you didn't get to see bears, you did get to see whales (probably, lots of them) and otters and eagles. Don't listen to anybody who implies that if you don't do what they liked, then your cruise is incomplete. You're going to have a great cruise @Lobella. Please feel free to come back with more questions. We love to show off.
  10. I am a walker and love to just take laps around the promenade deck. It is a good way to see wildlife. Some years ago we took the Grand Princess on a 10-day AK cruise out of San Francisco, On the first sea day while on my promenade walk I found some birders at the very bow of the ship. There were probably a dozen, or so, with their equipment mounted on tri-pods. They were there every day, and some of those days were quite cold--September cruise. In Skagway, there are hiking trails that are free that are quite close to the docks. Free is good and no appointment is necessary, I have circled the trailheads that are closest to the docks on this map. The trail at the bottom of the map is fairly steep. This septuagenarian was huffing and puffing on that one. However, I just stopped occasionally to catch my breath and was able to make it up to the lake. The trail at the top of the map (across the Skagway River) is much easier. Wishing you a happy anniversary. We also cruised on our 40th anniversary. Give some thought to ordering the Ultimate Balcony Dinner for your anniversary evening. I am sure that regular readers tire of me saying this repeatedly, but the UBD is the finest dining experience on Princess. The meal is excellent, but the thing I love is the service level. Two servers are dedicated to you. That may sound intimidating, but they are professionals and know how to disappear when they are not needed.
  11. They can push tables together? I am surprised that they can do that on a ship. I would have thought that the tables would be fixed to the decks. On the other hand, I guess that many of the chairs are not fixed. Learn something every day.
  12. We did this once. It was on the Royal Princess, and the Suite Concierge was able to accommodate our request to move our complimentary specialty dinner to Day 2.
  13. Yeah, that is one thing on which @CanadianBurger has not reported in his very comprehensive "Live from" thread on the Sun Princess. That being said, I have never been in a cabin on any cruise ship that did not have one of these retractable lines in the shower. Maybe they exist, and I haven't encountered them.
  14. As somebody has already suggested you can probably get bet ter Viking specific information over on the Viking board. Some years ago on an AK cruise on the Grand Princess we tendered at Juneau. We were anchored very close to the tender pier. I would say that it was the shortest tender trip (if that is the correct terminology) that I have ever taken. The total travel time between the ship and the pier could not have been more than about 10 minutes.
  15. Daniel's warning to passengers with pacemakers is prudent. Don't wear the medallion on a lanyard (or a decorative chain) around your neck if you have a pacemaker. On the positive side, there have been multiple reports, here on Cruise Critic, from passengers with pacemakers, and they have encountered not problems associated with the medallion device.
  16. @Ajg601, welcome to Cruise Critic. Let me start by saying that you are going to have a great cruise. We have taken six Alaska cruises on five different ships. Every cruise was wonderful, and we never thought that one ship was better than any other. There are ship differences, but we think that is a good thing. One of our AK cruises was on the Royal Princess. It was wonderful. While we have sailed on the Sapphire Princess, it was not to Alaska. On two occasions we have sailed on the Grand Princess, which is pretty similar to the Sapphire Princess, to Alaska. Both those cruises were wonderful. Personally, I don't see much difference between the Aug. 31 and the Sep. 7 departure dates. At this point nobody can predict that the weather in the first or second week of September. Then again, what kind of weather are you looking for? When was go on a cruise, Mrs. XBGuy is always hoping for storms. 😗 Oh, and I guarantee that you will see wildlife. Bon voyage. I am envious.
  17. Mrs. XBGuy loaded a picture of Zorro the Cat.
  18. '74 Martha's. VERY impressive. I notice that there is no sticker on that one. Did you drink it in your cabin? That would be excellent with the UBD. Alternatively, it would turn a Roast Beef Sandwich from Room Service into a special meal. 😁
  19. @nho9504 I have never had a problem carrying on a corkscrew similar to what you are describing past the port security personnel. It is only the TSA personnel at the airport that will disallow a bladed corkscrew in your carry-on baggage. So, you are OK since you will not be flying. Also, putting a corkscrew in you checked baggage is absolutely fine, TSA and ship's personnel are not concerned with blades in checked baggage--only in things that are being carried onto the cabin. I have never asked the room steward to provide a corkscrew, but numerous posters have commented that they have done so, I cannot say that it is a "sure thing," Sometimes people forget. I have to believe that it is quite rare, but I have to believe that it happens. Also, and this is the part that bothers me, he is going to do it on his schedule, not mine. If I want to open a bottle during sailaway, will he be back with a corkscrew in that time frame?
  20. WHOA!!! Is that Cardinale CS in the wrapper next to the Caymus? Was this on the Majestic Princess? What was the tariff for that?
  21. Our first cruise on Princess was in 2011. When I tasted the butter the very first time, I knew it was unsalted. We have always used unsalted butter in our house. Many years ago (actually, decades ago) my wife returned to college and enrolled in the Hotel & Restaurant Management program at the local university. One of her classes was "Banquet Management." The class was spit up into four-person management teams. Over the course of the class, each team would conceive and put on a banquet event. The rest of the class worked under the direction of the management team in dining room or kitchen jobs. Tickets were sold to the public, and the revenue from ticket sales was each team's budget. With that budget they had to purchase the food, pay for decorations and, possibly, pay for entertainment. The first team to put on their banquet was under a lot of pressure. Subsequent teams learned from their mistakes. The first team put on their event, My understanding is that it went well, and, afterward, the management team were congratulating themselves. That is completely understandable. If I were in their shoes, I would have considered anything less than a complete disaster to be a success. According to my wife. in the first class meeting after this event, the professor pretty much eviscerated the management team. The one criticism that I recall is that he could not believe that they put foil-wrapped butter pats on the tables. While banquet dining cannot be confused with "fine" dining, one of the goals of the program is to educate the students on fine dining. The professor explained that foil-wrapped butter pats are not fine dining. Butter should be whipped, and spritzed from a pastry bag for its presentation. Lesson learned. For every event that followed that term the butter was whipped before it was presented on the tables. I know that whatever is offered on Princess, it is not fine dining. While I always thought that the butter florets that were presented on our table were attractive, I have always been disappointed that they are so cold that they are solid--even in the specialty restaurants where the diner might expect a little extra effort and is willing to trade expediency service for that little extra.
  22. We have sailed on both ships and we have sailed from both ports, but in neither case have we taken the Hawaii itinerary. We have taken the Los Angeles-Hawaii itinerary three times on other Princess ships. Like several of the previous posters, living within easy driving distance to the port is very attractive to us. Our Grand Princess experience was on two Alaska cruises--both out of San Francisco. Our Ruby Princess experience includes two Mexico cruises, a California Coastal cruise and an Alaska cruise. All of these cruises were out of Los Angeles. I would not be uncomfortable on either of these ships on Hawaii cruise. I might have a slight preference for the Ruby Princess, but I'm not sure I could tell you why. The Skywalkers Lounge on the Ruby Princess is very nice. It provides a very attractive perspective on the sea days. We have enjoyed the Alfredo's on the Grand Princess. It's been a few years since we have been on the Grand Princess, and at the time the only offerings were pizza. The Alfredo's on other Princess ships also offer things like pasta dishes, calzones and desserts. I do not know if the Alfredo's menu on the Grand Princess has been upgraded to that level. While the passenger capacity of the Ruby Princess is 400 more than that of the Grand Princess, I can't say that I could ever see this difference. My cruising coffee shop buddy insists that he can see additional crowding on the Ruby Princess (and her sister ships Crown Princess and Emerald Princess). The Hawaiian cultural ambassadors can significantly improve your experience. The prevailing Cruise Critic opinion is that Elua (Leialoha and Tiki Dave) are the best. I will agree that Elua are excellent, they are among the hardest working people on the ship, but I do not have any first hand experience with any others. I do recall reading a "Live From" report here on Cruise Critic in which there was a different couple, and the poster continually raved about them. So, in your case, I would not be too concerned about which Hawaiian Cultural Ambassadors will be on your cruise. I am confident that they will do a great job. You mention that you are not interested in Disneyland (and I can certainly understand that), but are you interested in any pre-/post-cruise local sightseeing. If so, I would lean towards San Francisco. Los Angeles is just spread out all over the place, and public transportation is pathetic. Yes, you can do Uber/Lyft, but you have to budget for it, and you have to be ready to spend a lot of time in traffic. San Francisco, in contrast, is much more compact, and the public transportation is much better. If there is nothing compelling in the various recommendations that I and others have made, then I would suggest that you look at air schedules. Which port is the easier and less expensive for you to travel to. Bon voyage. I am envious.
  23. One's choice of a dining venue is quite personal. We have nothing negative to say about the quality of the food that is offered in the dining rooms. However, we just don't care for the production-oriented environment of the dining rooms. We prefer to take our time over our meals and proceed at our own slow pace. I am annoyed when a server sweeps away a barely finished salad plate over one shoulder while almost simultaneously over my other shoulder the next course is put in front of me. I like to sit back, take a breath, and sip some wine between courses. The casual dining venues, the specialty restaurants and, even. room service better fit our wishes. Also, many passengers like the casual dining venues for their lunch. (Again, we are the weird ones because we don't eat lunch.) Alfredo's/Gigi's is often packed on embarkation day. I have often opined here on Cruise Critic that the reason cruising is so great is because every passenger gets to customize his/her experience. If somebody prefers to have their dinner in one of the dining rooms, they can do so. If somebody does not want to attend the show in the theater, they can do so. If somebody wants to buy art on the ship, they can do so. I think the ability for passengers to choose for themselves is awesome. I hope you have a terrific cruise, @mncbabu_yahoo. Actually, I know that you will. Bon voyage.
  24. A few weeks ago NASCAR visited Los Angeles for a race. We have friends on various teams and hosted three of them for a dinner at a pretty nice Downtown Los Angeles restaurant that features seafood. My wife ordered appetizers for the table and asked if our guests were OK with oysters. There were two enthusiastic "Yes" responses and one "Pass," So, she ordered a platter--a selection from Washington and BC. They were, of course, darned good, and the one person who was abstaining grew curious. We urged him to try the last one. He liked it. His comment was, "Now I get it." Apparently, he had tried an oyster once before, in Florida, and found it to be "rubbery." So, we converted one more.
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