XBGuy

@Candycane10, the info I provided is probably bad.  I did not realize that you were departing from Vancouver.  I thought the Discovery Princess was departing out of Los Angeles these days.  Please accept my apology.

Yes.

Presumably, you are being transported by shuttle/taxi/Uber/Lyft from the Day's Inn to the cruise terminal.  There will be porters outside the terminal building who will take your checked luggage.  You can't miss them.  They are the ones pushing around some pretty big carts.  You will then enter the terminal building to check in and, subsequently, board the ship.  Your luggage will be delivered to your cabin.

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Just found out the Reserve Manager is Toru. 

I am not familiar with the title "Reserve Manager?"  Is he the manager of the Reserve Collection Dining Room or is he something else?

One of the Alaska cruise highlights for the XBGuys has become fish tacos at Deckhand Dave's in Juneau.  Neither of us normally eat lunch.  So, when we stop in Juneau we always have a light dinner.

The French Fries are darned good, too. 

Fish Tacos and French Fries.  Would that be fusion cuisine?

Thank you for posting the menu and the pictures.  I very much look forward to visiting this venue some day.

I am a card carrying wine snob.

The Princess policy for carrying on your own wine is excellent.  A poster here on Cruise Critic once reported that he brought three cases on board.  I don't know if that is any kind of record, but it is the most I have ever heard about.

People have different reasons for bringing their own wine.  All are good reasons.  I agree that the wines currently offered on Princess are uninspired.  There are a couple that I am happy to order, but bringing your own wine is a great way to supplement the Princess list.

I agree with the above reports that a standard pour for a glass of wine is five ounces--five glasses per bottle.  I am very surprised to read a report that Princess is stretching six glasses from a bottle. 

I understand why Princess is reluctant to let people walk off with the stems from Vines.  I'm not sure that I understand why people might steal them.  Wouldn't that be a pain to pack?  However, I do understand that they might be concerned about breakage--they are fairly delicate.  I can see a glass being knocked over by somebody having an animated conversation.  OK, I can see this because I have done it.  😮

In 2018 the the first port stop on the roundtrip Los Angeles-Alaska cruise was Vancouver, BC.  Since the next port (Ketchikan?) was in the U.S. we went through U.S. immigration prior to reboarding the ship in Vancouver.

A few days later we were in Skagway, and during breakfast I met a lady who had what might be considered a sad but educational story.  At the immigration check in Vancouver, her passport was confiscated.  It seems that sometime prior to the cruise she had lost her passport.  She, of course, reported that it was lost, but, then, she found it.  Well, she thought her problem was solved.  Wrong.  Of course, her passport was flagged, and, when she tried to re-enter the U.S., the CBP officer had no option.  He confiscated it, but he made copy that she could use on our return to Los Angeles.  Yes, we did get checked again in Los Angeles even though we had not visited any other foreign ports after Vancouver.

Here is the sad part.  Since she no longer had a passport, she could not accompany her friends on the Skagway train trip.

37 minutes ago, CRUISEWITHH said:

Do they allow you to bring on extra bottles (other than the two for two passengers in a cabin) at each port?  How would they know if you did brings on your limit at boarding?

 

The official policy really specifies only the embarkation port.  However, there have been numerous reports here on Cruise Critic that there has been no problem a person to bring on a single bottle of wine when returning to the ship after a port stop.  I, personally, have done so after stops in Alaska, California and Hawaii.  (Tip:  Be very careful of Decoy Merlot being sold in an ABC Store in Honolulu.  I won't make that mistake again.)  I have read numerous reports of people doing so in Europe.

That being said, since the official Princess policy specifies only the embarkation port, it might very well be that ship's policy or the port's policy may not allow it.  I would advise that you go ahead and purchase your wine.  The worst thing that could happen is that it would be confiscated at the security station, but it would be returned to you at the end of the cruise.

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I do drink wine almost every night - unless a beer would be more suitable or desirable.  Bottle values vary, and it is not very easy nor really feasible for me to bring any quantity beyond a bottle or two (should I so choose) from Ontario to Fort Lauderdale - or overseas for that matter.  So, I depend on Total Wine to obtain my stash.

Your strategy is perfectly understandable.  I assume that as @suzyed reported you place an online order with Total Wine and arrange to pick it up at the Fort.  I have a similar strategy when I restock Mrs. XBGuy's stash of Chardonnay.  I will place an online order, then. when I meet my brother for our once-a-month breakfast down in his neighborhood, I drop by the Total Wine store in Brea and pick it up.

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I had never heard of the producers you mention - although would have surmised located in one or another CA wine region.  Dare I suggest these are smaller producers and won't even find their way into consumer locations that are larger scale because they cannot get the quantities needed. 

You are quite correct.  The makers that I cited are low-volume producers and are not widely distributed.  Many of the wines that I buy are Direct to Consumer (DTC).  I am on about 30 mailing lists.  I regularly buy from about a dozen of them, I occasionally buy from some of them, and I have never bought from a handful of them.  I have seen some of these labels in wine stores (including Total Wine), but that is highly unusual.  California has the most lenient laws regarding wine sales and wine shipment.  I am very aware of the advantage that I have.

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

 

Most restaurant wine lists could be called uninspiring. 

I'm inclined to agree.  Happily, BYOB is usually an option.  However, the corkage fee at most restaurants in my area is not nearly as reasonable as Princess' $20.

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I am happy for you to be able to take and enjoy the fruits of your own collection.  No idea the size.  For me, I only have a 100+ bottles around at any time and very few duplicates.  I have been in a longish period of trying a wide range of wines curated by a service here in Ontario that can obtain private sourced wines and re-package and share with members. 

That sounds interesting.

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

 

Here, we have total government control over wine (and liquor) and so to experience off-shelf wines, one needs to find other ways.  Our liquor board is one of the largest buyers of wine in the world, so again, they need to find quantities as most purchases bring in large quantities.  They do have rare wine program as well, but I digress. 

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

On a much smaller scale, I do enjoy having some of our local Niagara Region wines that do not make it to the stores which I presume is the case for many of your CA labels.  You are lucky to have so much choice there beyond the names every one knows.

 

There is a very active poster on a wine-oriented board in which I regularly participate who lives in Victoria, BC. He has made us aware of the Canadian regulations that prevent him from enjoying many of the wines that we discuss, On the other hand, we enjoy his reports on BC wines to which we have no access. I trust his palate, and, when he reports that an Okanagan Valley Syrah is excellent, I am a bit disappointed that I will probably never taste it.

I have enjoyed our conversation very much, @Steelers36.  I hope the moderators do not consider my epistles to be "thread hijacking."  Maybe someday we will meet on a Princess ship.  I will be happy to share, say, a Carlisle Zinfandel with you, and I look forward to trying a Niagara Icewine.

4 hours ago, Ombud said:

Wine skins easily protect up to 3 bottles in a 22" suitcase (yes I was prepared to pay corkage but they didn't ask)

https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-14969/Food-Bags/WineSkin

Thank you.

I have read about wine skins, here on Cruise Critic.  I have another carrier that works fine for one or two bottles when packed in a suitcase with my clothing.  When going on a cruise, I am usually taking at least seven, or so, bottles.  So, I have a separate tote that works quite well.  

I think the Princess wine policy is terrific and the corkage fee is quite reasonable.  Like you would not even consider trying to circumvent the fee.  When I put my wine tote through the security scanner,  an agent usually intercepts it and opens it up to verify that it is wine.  He/she then usually directs me to the "wine table" where I sign the chit for the corkage charge.  I have never had a case where the wine table was unattended, like some others have reported.  If that does happen, I will be happy to pay the corkage fee at the restaurant.

We do not "walk off" when disembarking.  We pack our bags and leave them outside our cabin door the last evening of the cruise.  Since we have consumed all our wine, the tote is used for packing the few items--toiletries, some clothes--that we wanted to use after our luggage was picked up.  It works well.  So, I guess, I use it in a fashion similar to your 22" Rollaboard.

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I used to bring some better wines as part of my inventory, but soon stopped when I realized the food was not quite up to the wine and now I just go for good value wine that may end up costing close to the lower prices on the menu, but is far better.

@Steelers36, I have heard the rationale that Princess shipboard meals do not merit pairing with what might be high quality wine from my collection.  Let me explain why I will continue to bring my own wine.

We drink wine, every night.  At home a few days ago we had leftover turkey sandwiches.  I opened a bottle of Quivet Cellars Syrah and Mrs. XBGuy opened a bottle of Rivers-Marie Chardonnay.  (Mrs. XBGuy is an "All Chardonnay, All the Time" person.)  We both enjoyed our wines and felt that we had a terrific dinner.  We don't eat sandwiches every night.  In fact the leftover turkey was from a breast we grilled in the back yard a few days earlier--very tasty, but, certainly nothing extravagant.  I had a Clarice Pinot Noir with that.  If my Princess meal is not particularly distinctive, then there is a good chance that a bottle of Mending Wall Cabernet Sauvignon can improve my appreciation.  (Yes, I know that I am in a California wine rut.  It's my rut, and I like it.}

The present Princess wine list is quite uninspiring.  It would not take very long to go through the handful of wines that I would like to try.  So, that seems to be another reason to bring my own.

I just celebrated my 76th birthday. and I have a pretty big inventory of wine.  The goal is to not leave wine for estate disposition.  I can't be taking off a week or two in which I am not reducing my inventory.  😂

On thing that I should add is that I live within easy driving distance of the port.  It is very easy to toss my wine tote into the car, drive to the port and drag it onto the ship.  I agree that transporting wine on a commercial airline is a royal pain.  So, I can certainly understand why having to fly to the port would discourage people from bringing their own wine.

I shake my head every time I see the question "Is <fill in the blank> worth it?"

The short answer is always, "Yes."  You will be able to experience something new.  That will benefit you.  One of the commonly stated benefits of travel is to learn from new experiences.  

To those who have offered that the whale watching excursion they took was not worth it because all they saw was whales swimming and blowing, but they did not see any whales breaching, I, again, shake my head.  By happy circumstance we humans do consider many natural habits of wildlife to be entertaining.  I will grant you that viewing a breaching whale is exciting.  However, keep in mind that whales breech when they want to.  They are not looking for a cue from the Acme Whale Watching boat that indicates that all the paying passengers have their cameras ready, and, so, now is the time.  In nature, the wildlife are doing their best to survive, not put on a show for tourists.  To those who are looking for a show, I would suggest that they visit Sea World.  You can see performing wildlife there. 

Also, as @mcrcruiser has indicated there are limits as to how close whale watching boats are not allowed to steer up to a whale.  If a whale surfaces next to a boat, that is fine.  It is also a fortunate happenstance.  You may make the argument that it is more likely that a whale will surface close to a small boat than a large boat.  That may or may not be valid.  However, my wife and I have see whales popping up right outside our cruise ship (a pretty big boat) balcony in Hawaii (a mother and a calf), Alaska and, most surprisingly, the Los Angeles Harbor.  Again, all fortunate incidents.

OK, after yesterday's Sauvignon Blanc epistle, here is another one inspired by today's New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Wine of the Day.

There used to be a neat restaurant on 6th Street in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) called Pacific Dining Car.  I would guess from the interior design and the menu, it was established in the 1950s.  In the 1980s when my office was located in the area Pacific Dining Car was known as the Power Breakfast restaurant.  Being just a worker bee, I never attended a Power Breakfast, but that was their reputation.

The neat thing about Pacific Dining Car was that it open 24 hours per day.  They had a pretty comprehensive menu, and you could order anything at any time.  Mrs. XBGuy and I had regular tickets for the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the time and would like to dine after attending a Saturday evening concert.   There is not a lot of nightlife in DTLA,  So, leaving the concert at about 10:00 pm, there are few restaurant choices.  Yes, Tommy's over on Rampart is also open 24 hours per day, but after listening to Radu Lupu perform a Brahms concerto, we want something a bit more sophisticated sitting in our car eating a very sloppy double chiliburger.  Pacific Dining car was a good choice.

One evening in the early 2000s after we settled into our table at Pacific Dining Car, I reviewed the wine list and ordered a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.   The young waiter scurried off, and, soon enough, returned with the wine in hand.  He allowed me to check the label, and I OKed it.  Then, he surprised the heck out of me.  He pulled out his waiter's corkscrew, opened up the blade, and started sawing the metal closure.  My eyes widened, and, I have to admit, a smirk appeared on my face.  He tried multiple times, but his blade would not cut through the metal.

I tried to help him out, "I think that is a screwcap."

He would not be denied.  He tried again, of course, to no avail.

After a few minutes, a much more experienced waiter, the kind you would expect in a 50 year-old restaurant, walked over, took the bottle, gave it a twist, handed the now opened bottle to our waiter, and walked away.

The rest of the meal was not as memorable, but I'm sure that it was quite good.

Australia and New Zealand have led the wine world in the use of screwcap closures.  California winemakers seem to only grudgingly use them  It is a bit of a shame.  They are really easy go remove.

Sadly, Pacific Dining Car did not survive COVID.

I would like to take a moment (or multiple moments) to pontificate about Sauvignon Blanc (SB)

@grapau27 has already posted that SB is planted in the Bordeaux region of France.  The dessert wines of Barsac and Sauternes are of world class quality and are treasured by wine afficionados.  I will add that dry wines of the Entre-Deux-Mers region are also very good and easy to enjoy.  By that I mean they are easy to drink, and, at least for the ones that make it to the U.S., are easy on the wallet.  The other thing I might add is that for most of these Bordeaux wines Sauvignon Blanc is blended with Semillon--another grape variety that does not get the respect that it deserves.

Loire Valley is the other French region that produces highly regarded Sauvignon Blanc wines, particularly, from two regions that are across the Loire River from each other--Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.  Both regions produce wines made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes.  Sancerre wines are fuller, and have more citrus flavors.  Pouilly-Fumes tend to have more stone fruit flavors and are often described as flinty or smoky.  Robert Mondavi coined the term "Fume Blanc" for a California Sauvignon Blanc wine that emulates the Pouilly-Fume style.

In the 1990s and early 2000s New Zealand emerged as a major producer of SB wines.  I drank a lot of it--mostly, because. not only did I like it, it was very affordable.  Over the years, it seemed to me that NZ SBs seemed to have more and more grapefruit flavors.  (Other tasters called out a much less pleasant sounding descriptor that I won't mention, here.  Once I heard it, though, I saw their point.)  California winemakers--often not very imaginative--noting the success of the the NZ example started making SBs that seemed to have more and more grapefruit.  I have not had any NZ SBs in many years.  Can anybody tell me if they still have serious grapefruit flavors.

Happily, California SB makers have moved away from heavy grapefruit influence.  It is produced by many makers and is widely distributed.  Mondavi continues to offer Fume Blanc (along with a "Sauvignon Blanc" bottling) as do some other makers (Dry Creek Valley winery comes to mind).  One of my favorite California winemakers is Bedrock Wine Co.  

Bedrock is highly regarded for it's red wines--in particular, Zinfandel--but I think their white wines are also outstanding. 

What causes water to taste "funny?"  My understanding is that pure water is odorless and tasteless.  My further understanding is that what we detect as the taste of water are "impurities."  Impurities would include minerals that are dissolved in the water from wherever it is sourced or chemicals such as chorine or fluorides that are added by public water providers.  My best guess is that "funny" tasting water is water that tastes different from what I am accustomed.  The reason that it tastes different is that it has different impurity content.

Personally, I regularly drink ship's water.  Yes, it tastes different from the water that comes out of the taps at home.  Being over a certain age, I take daily prescription meds with a glass of water from the basin in our cabin.  In the restaurants and dining rooms, we always ask for flat water.

Also, I might mention that the Chef's Table cannot be booked, at all, prior to boarding.  Once on board you can request a Chef's Table invitation by calling the DINE line.  If you are in a full suite, the Suite Concierge can help you.  My understanding is that the older (e.g., Grand Class) ships now have a designated Suite Concierge even though they do not have a Suite Concierge Lounge.  Others here on Cruise Critic have reported that they have engaged the assistance of the headwaiter in various dining venues to make a request for a Chef's Table invitation.

One thing that might be added to the "Pro" side is that some travel agents will monitor pricing on their clients' cruises.  If there is a fare reduction prior to final payment, they will go ahead and refare their client automatically.  Then, they will advise the client that they have just saved them $X.  (My coffee shop buddy's travel agent regularly does this for him.)  While some may be uncomfortable with a third party independently taking this action, a variation would be if the travel agent just advised a client of a drop in fare and asked if the client wanted to refare.

On the "Con" side I would insert this.  Using a travel agent adds another moving part to the mechanism.  This can add to failures where the travel agent misunderstands the client, or the travel agent misunderstands something about the terms of the cruise pricing.  There is also always the possibility that a travel agent can miss a message (voice mail or email) from a client.  Travel agents are entitled to take vacations, too, and it is entirely possible that the backup coverage arrangement can fail.  Similarly, the travel agent can agree to verbal instructions from the client, and fail to follow through.  Many of these problems are not time critical, and the cruiser can follow-up if he/she does not see action on his/her request.  However, one of the reasons to engage a travel agent is to not have to worry about the details.  Also, I have read one report here on Cruise Critic where a travel agent failed to make a final payment in time even though the poster had paid the travel agent.  Yes, the poster's cruise was cancelled.  

@cat shepard, you may or may not recall that about a year ago I posted that “Monastrell” is the Spanish name for the Rhone “Mourvedre” grape.  Well, guess what.  The Spaniards have another name for Mourvedre—Mataro.  Go figure.  I suspect, not sure, that the choice in nomenclature is regional.

An interesting question is why does an Australian wine use that name?

Actually, I am aware of a couple California wineries who call out Mataro instead of Mourvedre.  In every one of those cases, the source vineyard for the grapes is quite old.  My thought is that the original planter was a Spanish immigrant, and that was the name he used.  Maybe some day I’ll have the opportunity to ask Joel Peterson why his wine is labeled “Mataro.”

@lgonquin. you asked about the menu.  @Astro Flyer posted some terrific pictures of their UBD, and that is a great representation of the UBD.  Here is the menu that accompanied our meal on the Emerald Princess some years ago,  Over the years, the menu has not changed that much.  The main course is always a choice between Filet Mignon, Lobster Tails or Surf 'n' Turf,  In four UBDs I have seen some slight changes in the starters.  Also, though, as you might expect, sometimes supplies do not get loaded onto the ship prior to departure, and, so, adjustments might be required.

Some people have reported that they have been about to make off-menu requests.  We are very OK with the standard choices and have never made a special request.  I would think that special requests are at the discretion of the Room Service management.

You can instruct them on when to serve beverages.  We have always had the Champagne served immediately with the Canapes.  We have always requested a glass of wine for our cocktail and ask for that to be served after the canapes.  To be honest, the wine is not that great.  So, we have bottles of our own wine standing by to enjoy with our meal.  Coffee and tea are available and will be brought when you specify. 

I have posted many times here on Cruise Critic that the Ultimate Balcony Dinner is the best dining experience on Princess.

The thing that wins me over is the superior level of service.  Two servers are dedicated to your enjoyment and satisfaction.  That is so pleasant compared to reading posts about people getting indifferent service in the restaurants and the dining rooms.  Before our first UBD I was a bit concerned about having two servers hovering over us as we were trying to enjoy a somewhat intimate evening, but I had nothing to fear.  Once you have settled down to the table the servers disappear.  When you have finished one course and are ready to move on to the next, they reappear.  Used tableware is removed, and the next course is presented.

One of the above photos shows the Chocolate Mousse Raspberry dessert.  It is awesome.  On our first UBD I was quite surprised that more came after that.  After the servers pick up the dessert plates and any other table items that are not being used, they wish you a good evening, but they also leave a platter of more sweets--sometimes it is cookies and sometimes it is petit fours.  Believe me when I tell you, you have no room for those.  The good news is that you can nosh on them as you wish over the next few days.

@karatemom2, you have a specific evening in mind for your UBD.  That sounds great.  I tell people who are planning for their first UBD that if they do not have a particular date in mind, then try to schedule it early in the cruise.  That way you have a few days to enjoy the platter of sweets, and, also, you have a few days to enjoy the floral centerpiece that is on your table.

Here you go, @alwalaska.

Reading across the sheet, you can see that my methodology was to items costs for the three pricing scenarios:  Standard Pricing (with not package), Princess Plus addon pricing and Princess Premier addon pricing.

The reason, neither plan seem to work for me is that we order wine by the bottle, and the 25% discount that the plans offer on bottle purchases do not cover the cost of the packages.

While this spreadsheet demonstrates that the addon packages would cost rather than save me money, anybody can modify it to better reflect their cruising preferences, and I would not be at all surprised if it showed that the packages work out to their benefit.

I know that some of the amounts that I have entered for some of the items have to be updated.  Specifically,

• Gratuities.  I really don't recall where I found that number.
• Wi-Fi -- We are Captain's Circle Elite Level.  We also, really don't use internet access very much when we cruise.  So, a single-device plan works fine for us.  However, I know that Princess has increased the rate since I built this.  I think it doubled.
• Specialty Dining -- I know there was an increase (18%?) recently.  That would have to be added in.

The pricing that I used for the "Wines" line item in the "Standard Pricing" column was based on the final folio from a previous cruise--that was our actual consumption.  The Plus/Premier entries for that line reflect the 25% discount on bottles of wine.  You can see that I created a second version of my spreadsheet starting in row 25.  The only difference here was that I inflated the price of the wines in the "Standard" scenario figuring that Princess had increased their prices since my last cruise.

I do not expect people to cruise the same way I do.  Anybody can take these sheets and plug in the numbers that they typically spend.

• I like my coffee hot and black.  The standard hot-and-black coffee offered in the various rooms is fine for me.  Mrs.  XBGuy does not drink coffee.  If you like custom coffees, then enter a line for that.
• In addition to not drinking wines by the glass, we do not drink cocktails.  If you do, then put in a line for that.
• We do not attend fitness classes.  If you do, . . . .
• If you require multi-device connectivity, then you would would have to update the Wi-Fi line.

We have a domestic situation that precludes us from cruising in the immediate future,  When that situation is resolved, I will look at this comparison again, and see whether or not it works for me.

53 minutes ago, suzyed said:

Or you could just order from the regular wine list and just pay the difference between those wine and the allowed $15.   BTW, the "red blend" on the Plus list was not bad.

 

Are all wines on the various Princess lists are available by the glass? 

A fun thing that may or may not work out for anybody, is to walk around Vines seating area and check the bottles that they have on display on the shelves.  For the most part, these bottles are the same that appear on their printed list.  However, I have occasionally found older bottles that have fallen off the list.  One one cruise I found a Chappellet Merlot with a few years on it.  I asked the server about it, and it turned out he was happy to open it up for me.  Now, of course ordering a bottle of wine that has been standing on a shelf for, possibly, years, has some risk.  However, I was more than pleased with that Merlot.  Subsequently, on that cruise I found a single bottle of Seghesio Dry Creek Valley "Old Vines" Zinfandel.  It was equally good.

Like I say, it may or may not work out for anybody, but you can look for free.

@Drew B 58, your new approach is completely reasonable.  Go for it.

I am also an analytical guy.  Some time ago I posted a comparison spreadsheet that pretty convincingly demonstrated that neither of the package plans "pencil out" for me.  However, what works for me has nothing to do with what works for somebody else.

I agree that a cruise should be a "splurge."  Don't deny yourself.

This story does not really address the OP's question, but I love telling it. 

In the early 1980s (This was, definitely, another era.) we took our second cruise--a Western Caribbean itinerary out of Fort Lauderdale.  As we pulled away from the dock, we joined other passengers, throwing streamers off the ship--again, a different era.  As the ship was motoring  out the channel we did some exploring.  At the forward portion of the ship we found some stairs that led up.  There was nothing indicating that we could not walk up.  So, we did.  We were on a flying bridge right next to the command bridge.  As we neared the exit of the channel leading to open ocean, the door to the bridge opened and out came a white uniformed officer.  I was a bit nervous expecting to be told that passengers were not allowed.  I was wrong.

"Would madame like to blow the horn?"

Mrs, XBGuy was pretty stunned, "Me?"

He pointed to a button.

Mrs. XBGuy is not the most confident person in the world.  She hesitantly pushed the button, and the horn sounded for about a tenth of a second.  The officer,  who I subsequently learned was the captain, covered her hand with his, and together they gave the horn a proper "We're leaving port" blast.