seagunthera

On 6/17/2022 at 9:38 AM, Glaciers said:

Staying at the airport will save some money and you wouldn’t have any time for exploring coming in late.  Another option would be to stay at the Marriott Waterfront or the Edgewater Hotel that are across the street and next door to the cruise terminal Norwegian departs from. A very easy walk to the terminal the next day. That would allow you to do some quick exploring in the morning.  It’s about a 15 minute walk from that area to Pike Place Market. The flower & seafood vendors open early 6-7am and it would make for a nice stroll in the morning before embarkation. The craft vendors are open by 9am or so.

Side question:  my cruise leaves on a Sunday and I'm wondering if flower stores at Pike Place are open on that day (I'd like to grab a bouquet before embarkation)?

I'll be on the Discovery Princess but would like to know if any of the larger ships are making it up to Dawes glacier or if there's still too much ice?

Bumping this to see if any recent sailings respond.  Thanks!

For those who have seen the discount when they check out, what does it say exactly?  I did a dummy booking for the 4 day October cruise on Sapphire that another poster received the discount on and nothing showed up for me.  This is frustrating.  

Can someone please let me know which sailing this promo has worked on?  I was told by Princess that it's loaded into my account (never received an email) but after doing several dummy bookings, it's just not showing up.  To those who have had the good fortune of applying this 25% off, where did you see the deduction (i.e. by clicking on "applied promos", etc.)?

Thanks so much!

I know early May sailings weren't able to get close due to ice.  I'd love to hear if recent sailings got close(r)?

56 minutes ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

And I can confirm that they did both the Chefs Table AND Wine Makers dinner on our cruise. 
 

(The internet was HORRIBLE so I could only respond once I got home.). 
 

(And we have all the patters which we will upload tomorrow (it’s after midnight here so we are going to bed!) because again there was no way to do it on the ship)

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond.  Get some sleep!

Thank you for taking the time to write a bit.  I third the request re: the Chef's Table.  Don't go out of your way but if you happen to hear any chatter about it, please do let us know!

I know the Discovery just started her Alaskan sailings but I'm wondering how many of those sailings were able to enter Endicott Arm vs. how many were turned away due to unfavorable conditions (ice, etc.)?  I'm on the June 26th sailing and am wondering what our changes are.  Thanks!

3 hours ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

I sail on the 22nd and will check it out if no one does before that.  

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!

Was on the Majestic in February and enjoyed a fabulous Chef's Table (minus the galley tour, of course).  On that sailing there was also a WInemaker's dinner.  I'm wondering if anyone on Discovery (ideally on a recent Alaskan sailing) has attended one?  It wasn't offered early on during their Mexico runs (maybe due to staffing shortages?) and I'll be sad if I can't partake on my upcoming June sailing out of Seattle. 

Sailing on the Discovery in a month or so in one of the forward mini-suite cabins (M107).  Wondering if anyone can speak to the comfort level of the pull out couch (any mini-suite on one of the newer ships should suffice)? Thanks so much!

I don't see this promo listed on the site yet.  Any idea when it will "go live"?

The service in Club Class dining is amazing.  Totally worth it IMHO. 

1 hour ago, partybarbie said:

Just off the Grand and I only paid the difference.  A $13 glass of wine was charged as $1.18. 

Do you recall how many $13+ wine options there were (or any good reds you recall)? Looking at the MDR list someone posted, I'm feeling a little "meh" about the per glass options. 

5 hours ago, Eaglecw said:

Are you sailing on the Crown on 25th of June

 

No, not on that one, you?  Thanks for the info re: ArriveCan!

Thanks so much @HaveDogWillTravel!  There sure aren't a ton of by the glass choices for the bevvie package.  Anyone know if other bars have more options? 

3 hours ago, Eaglecw said:

Seattle is a lovely place that we choose to not visit. There are a lot beautiful plants blooming at this time of the year. My favorite is the Cytisus Scoparius.

 

I looked at the ArriveCAN web site https://arrivecan.cbsa-asfc.cloud-nuage.canada.ca/en/welcome and there’s a section that talks about arriving to Canada on a cruise ship. I believe the requirements are met by Princess boarding testing requirements. I’m glad we don’t cruise until late June, gives a little time for Port staff  to figure out what they are doing.

 

I'm also grateful we have 2 months to afford them time to iron out the port sitch  (we sail the last week of June). Here's to hoping I don't get flamed now for being a Princess-basher. Silly rabbits.

43 minutes ago, KKB said:

Yeah, me neither.

I REALLY would rather do the RCCL 80s cruise with several actual 80s bands & a plethora of 80s themed activities but BFF balked at the price so this was our compromise.

I have had ONE person say it was pretty lame...but I'll be on a cruise so I can go with the flow!

I looked at that RCCL 80's cruise as well and the prices are outrageous!  I'm with you about just being on the cruise...I may pull the trigger!

For anyone interested in looking up the port info in Ketchikan:  https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1551

14 minutes ago, wblotner66 said:

Does anyone know which night is Formal Night on the 7 day Alaskan cruise. I assume it’s the “sea day.”

Typically the "formal" nights are on both sea days. 

If anyone has the opportunity to snap a few pics of the offerings, it would be appreciated!  I realize they are currently out of many of the options but am hoping that changes by June. Fingers crossed!

2 hours ago, psuboater said:

Pioneer Square/Yesler Way is touristy, but has had its issues in the past couple of years. Again, when I was there 2 weeks ago, I felt safe, but it's an area I feel more on guard even pre-pandemic. If there's a soccer or baseball game that day, my worries are way less just because the sheer amount of people there. But they've done a ton of work to keep tents out of the square and have since cleared the encampments.  I've seen concerts at Century Link field and have walked Pioneer Square at night with friends trying to get away from the stadium to get a cheaper Uber and never had any issues. 

 

Belltown - Between 1st and 2nd are a lot of trendy bars and restaurants - but sometimes there can be issues here as well, especially on 3rd. If you've been to San Diego, the closest thing I can compare it to is  East Village. However, it wouldn't stop me from going there by any means(I took public transit to work in and out of Belltown for 3 years)-the area is very unique and Some Random Bar is worth a stop).

 

If anyone is wondering why 3rd Ave is bad - the street is a bus only corridor, and the fare enforcement is almost non-existent. So there are those who abuse the system and take the busses for free to get around the city (and then drug use/poor behavior comes with it).

 

But overall, everywhere you go in Seattle is *relatively* safe. I used to live in Philadelphia, and now when my friends here visit Philly, I draw lines around a map where tourists can go and where you definitely should NOT go. Seattle is not one of those cities. There's more so areas to be on alert of your surroundings, but nowhere of "they're going to know you're a tourist and do something bad to you" areas. 

Valuable info that is sure to help anyone reading this post- thank you!

6 hours ago, Gardyloo said:

I think it was deleted altogether, and about time.

 

Like most big cities in the US (and, indeed, worldwide) Seattle has a problem with homelessness.  Many people feel the city should be doing more to address the situation, but the reality is that under Washington state law, cities (as opposed to counties and the State itself) have few powers to intervene; the courts, health systems, jails... are run by other levels of government.  Sending homeless street people to jail doesn't work when the jails are overcrowded to begin with or when a shortage of prosecutors means only the most serious cases go to court.   King County's jail population had to be reduced drastically during the pandemic as the jails were becoming Covid "hot spots" second to none.

 

The pandemic also had a big impact on downtown Seattle, much the same as in other big cities.  Many office workers stayed home and telecommuted, with the result that many downtown businesses that depended on them went bust - cafes, shops, etc.  Seattle is starting to come back, but it's not going to be overnight.

 

But in reality, the situation isn't all that terrible.  There are a couple of streets and corners that pedestrians might want to avoid, particularly at night, but these are isolated.  There have been no reports of tourists being assaulted or harmed by street people for years; and talk of "violence" or "rioting" in Seattle is two years old.  By the time cruise season starts, trust me, the tourists will outnumber the street people by several orders of magnitude.  

 

Our city is also one of neighborhoods, many of which are delightful and worthy of exploring.  We have world-class museums, parks, places to play and eat, ferries to ride and kayaks to paddle.  You can see three national parks from downtown Seattle, walk through a nature reserve that feels like you're a million miles from the city, even though you're right in the middle of it.  

 

So come, enjoy our town, and don't overly concern yourself with imaginary safety issues.  Of course, use good judgement, particularly when crossing streets or train tracks, and do try to get out of downtown so you can see some of the reasons we choose to live here.  You won't regret it.

 

West Seattle water taxi

 

 

Fishermen's Terminal

 

 

Seattle Center, Memorial Day weekend

 

 

Museum of Flight

 

 

Alki Beach

 

Thank you for your response and gorgeous photos.  I have enjoyed Seattle's beauty during pre/post cruise visits in the past and am hoping to replicate that same experience this time around.

I am far from being alone in my concern about sailing in and out of the city and if Seattle wishes to continue on their comeback trajectory, the city would be smart to go out of its way to put at ease the mind of the average traveler.  Offering specific areas to avoid rather than glossing over the unfortunate reality would go a long way IMHO. I am a city girl, street savvy, born and raised in LA; just think how many people are not and are avoiding Seattle based on what is being reported in the news.  

If you can pinpoint any blocks/areas I should avoid, it would be much appreciated. 

2 hours ago, Glaciers said:

The video is a sad representation of what many visitors think Seattle is like.  Unless you’re seeking out these areas, most of what is seen isn’t anywhere near where a visitor would be staying or exploring. Most of the locals who live in the area know the downtown area has improved significantly in the recent past and don’t see any huge out of the ordinary safety concerns.  But, because of videos like this, some think the entire downtown area is a wasteland.

 

There is another video as someone is walking through Belltown and passing a block that is all boarded up with graffiti on the walls.  The narrative is that it is because of all the homelessness and crime. Actually, the building is being prepared to be demolished and had nothing to do with either although for someone visiting Seattle it would look pretty bad.

 

Much of what has been posted is very misleading, like this video.

 

And, Garyloo, that can’t be Seattle, there’s no homeless  people!

This is exactly why I started this post and began with: "So much is made on the news of the homeless situation and lawlessness in Seattle these days- I'm wondering what the reality is?"  The hope was that residents or past/recent cruisers might offer suggestions for places to avoid while putting travelers at ease about the remaining downtown area as a whole. The crime stats don't lie and are fairly high over the past three months (especially in QA and DT).  It's too bad the post devolved into responses from defensive folks looking to make a political/social statement and/or cause drama.  Other than 3rd Street, can you point to any other areas a person on foot might want to avoid? Thanks in advance for any insight you are able to offer.