MaryBethV

When comparing itineraries - are there any stops/sights that you wouldn't want to miss? This may be our one and only trip to Alaska.

4 hours ago, RMMariner said:

We went last year on a B2B on the Golden in late August and first part of September. Our children were missing the first week of school. There were not many children on the ship. The Kids' Club was mostly empty, but apparently the cruise before had been full of kids. This year we are going up again, but we leave on August 10. The ship will be full of kids (good for our kids, maybe not as good for adults). 

 

The internet was slow and at times unavailable for much of the trip. I think that is common once you get past Ketchikan.

 

 

3 hours ago, Dani24 said:

 

They do still offer it! We're going on the Grand out of SF in July. It'll be our second time taking the 10 day Alaska out of SF, and I agree it's an awesome cruise.

For the OP - cruises during the school year (pretty much mid-August until mid-June) is going to be really light on kids (except maybe the under 5 set). If you're planning to go during the summer, your teens should have a lot more peers onboard. Whether or not they go to the youth club will depend on the particular group of kids on that sailing. But they may have luck finding other teens by the pool or other common areas as well.

 

Thank you both! I'm leaning towards the end of June or the first week of July - so hopefully there will be some kids since everyone should be on summer break then.

2 hours ago, Cruiserkenn said:

OK, maybe true for ship's Internet, but I have had no problem getting Internet via my iPad and iPhone, both using AT&T.  So, if all you need to do is check/send email or text messages, or check voicemail, you can do it in Skagway😌  Go to the side of the ship where you can see the town, if you are docked over by the rocks.

 

i have been on 14 Alaska cruises⛴🐻🐬🛳🌈🐋😉🐳

 

50 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

As CruiserKenn indicates, since Alaska is in the USA, there is no penalty for using your cellular communication devices in any of the AK ports--cell phones, SmartPhones, IPads.  My wife has never had a problem going on line via cellular (both AT&T and Verizon) in any AK port.

 

Another poster mentioned MedallionNet.  This is a new facility that is being rolled out to Princess ships, and the initial reports that I have read is that it is very fast.  If internet speed is important, and you are interested in sailing on Princess, check out this description at the Princess web site that also tells which ships have it:

 

https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/ocean-medallion/medallionnet/

 

Also, as others have indicated, there will be more school-age children cruising with their families during the school summer vacation weeks.  I would suggest July.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Very helpful - thank you! It does look like Royal and Ruby have the Medallion Net like Regal (which we were just on) has. We also have Sprint cellular and a Verison hotspot. 

Does Royal have the Medallion Net? Do you think that would be better for internet access?

I could really use some help. The only Princess ship we've been on is the Regal (earlier this month-still working on that trip report!) and I'm already trying to plan an Alaskan cruise for June 2020. We would consider a round-trip cruise - or a B2B since it is easier for us to fly in and out of the same location.

 

We will have our two teenagers with us - 15 and 17. They are pretty quiet/laid back kids, but do like to have the teen lounge and meet other kids. On the Regal a few weeks ago there were only 11 other teenagers on the ship and our two were often the only kids in the teen lounge - at least until the last couple of days.

 

Wish List:

• 2 inside rooms (so easy access to outside areas on the ship) or 1 inside room/1 balcony room close to one another
• reliable internet (for DH's job-can't do without it)
• teen lounge with at least a decent number of teens (hoping for 20ish or more teens on board since it will be summer break) 
• good food (main dining room, International Cafe)

 

Thank you so much!

 

 

Friday, February 8th | Sea Day

 

Didn't really sleep in as planned, but didn't catch the sunrise either. We are really liking this itinerary - ending the cruise with two relaxing sea days is about as perfect as it gets.

 

Just another lovely Caribbean day...

 

Since the kids probably wouldn't be up for a few hours yet... DH and I headed to Concerto for breakfast. This was our first breakfast visit to a main dining room. Edwin and Eugeniu were our servers.

 

 

2nd Sea Day Breakfast Menu -

 

 

The pastry server came around and we each selected a croissant. Then we looked at our table 'neighbors' and saw these yummy  coffee cake type pastries and had pastry envy. So, we flagged down the next pastry server and - score! - he had a few left on his tray.

 

Y.U.M.

 

Fresh Pineapple Boat - This is a case of someone making the menu sound MUCH more impressive than what is actually served. Paper thin slices of pineapple do not a pineapple boat make. 😂 It was pretty though and something healthy made us feel a little less guilty between pastries and our main entree. 

 

Frittata (today's special entree) - We both ordered this and it was fine - it just It looked and tasted a bit heavy. If I was serving it, I probably would plate it differently and sprinkle a little fresh chopped parsley on top or something to add some color. But hey - remember - we had fruit! 😉 

 

Time to walk of some of those pastries and that frittata!

 

The balloons were up - ready for the balloon drop later.

 

And a little fresh air -

 

 

Sports Court

 

Walking/Running Track

 

Aft view from the putting green -

 

Putting Green

 

Golf Cage (or whatever you call it)

 

On our way back down I snapped a photo of the Trident Grill (by the main pool) menu - we never did eat here.

 

Now - what do you do on a sea day after a big breakfast and a walk? Why, crawl back into bed and take a nap of course! It's vacation! 🙂 

 

DS and DD went to the buffet for dinner and then to the teen lounge - so DH and I were on our own. We headed to the Wheelhouse bar for a drink and to listen to Olena play the piano.

 

 

 

 

Beverly Hills Iced Tea (DH really liked it) and a glass of their Sauvignon Blanc 

 

A room in the adjoining Crown Grill - 

 

Time for dinner - table for 2 please! 🙂 

 

Night 5 Dinner Menu: Symphony Dining room

 

 

 

 

Potato Gnocchi (appetizer portion) - good. They know how to make a flavorful red sauce and could put it on just about anything and I'd be happy.

 

Goat Cheese Soufflé' - this is as good as everyone says it is. Mmm.

 

Strawberry Sorbet - a very nice palate cleanser after those rich appetizers!

 

Seared Diver Scallops, Apple Ginger Chutney (crispy pork belly, green bean & potato hash, pea puree) - I am always intrigued by dishes that feature flavor profiles I wouldn't think of putting together myself. When you order an "interesting" dish sometimes you get a dish that is your new favorite and sometimes you get a dud. Tonight's was a dud - not in execution necessarily, but more-so in concept (in my OPINION). Pork & applesauce (which is exactly what their "apple ginger chutney" was) are a classic combination. However, they plated the naturally sweet scallops on the very sweet applesauce. Not yummy. The pork belly was cooked more than I'm used to, but the description did say crispy. The hash was eh. The pea puree had me double checking the menu description because it tasted minty. Just all around a really odd, disjointed dish. 

 

Lemon-Rosemary Cornish Game Hen - DH seemed to enjoy it. 🙂 

 

 

Chocolate Lovers Delight - the benefit of not liking the main entree is that you are actually hungry enough to properly enjoy dessert! 😉 This was delicious.

 

NY Cheesecake - tried and true & perfect 🙂 

 

After dinner, we headed back to our room and sat on the balcony for a while until the kids got back from the teen lounge. The smoke from the smokestack was coming over the side of the ship and spiraling down. It was kind-of mesmerizing - though I wouldn't want to be in an aft/port-side cabin right then. 

 

Day 5 Princess Patter -

 

 

 

 

After quick showers, there was no consensus on where to have lunch. DS wanted the buffet and DD wanted Alfredos. So I went to the buffet with DS - who ended up just eating a few cookies. He said he wasn't feeling well and went back to the room. 😞 I, on the other hand, enjoyed the view and made myself a steak fajita and a chicken fajita with all the toppings. The steak was just put out and was really well-seasoned. The chicken was good, but not as flavorful as the steak. YUM!

 

 

DH texted me from Alfredos that he ordered the Pizza Regal Princess (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, parma ham & shaved parmesan). Best pizza yet, he said. And he texted me a photo - he knows how this works. 😉 I'm sure DD had her favorite - Pizza Hawaiiana!

 

We spent some time relaxing on our balcony before sail away at 5:30. A little rain in the distance...

 

 

And then we were treated to a beautiful rainbow! We have now seen one spectacular rainbow on each of our three cruises. God's beautiful promise - love it!

 

 

Time to sail away! The sun was setting and the ship was literally sailing straight into the sunset. I was hoping we would turn a bit North in time to see it.

 

 

 

 

I think the island in the distance is called The Bottom. Look it up on Google images - WOW. We would love to visit it someday!

 

And we turned North at the perfect moment... 😍

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, bmc alabama said:

If you would have headed down the right side of Front Street, you would have come to the Guavaberry Emporium, where they make awesome Guavaberry coladas.  I think that the same lady in there has been there for 15-20 years. 

 

My other not-as-well known tip:  If you want a fantastic Caribbean beach day, head to Ilet Pinel (Pinel Island) over on the French side.  The planes at Maho beach are always fun too...

 

How did the island seem to be recovering from the hurricane?

 

That Guavaberry Colada looks delicious!

Thanks for the tips on the beaches. I had heard of Maho, but not Pinel Island. We went very low-key on the plans this cruise, but will venture further if we visit again.

 

There was still very visible damage, though it looks as though things are slowly coming back. I heard the Dutch side was further along in the recovery than the French side. I talked with a couple on our cruise that have a time share on the Dutch side and occasionally visit to "check on it". It still isn't close to being finished as progress is slow, they said.

55 minutes ago, Crown Cruiser said:

You can order the Princess Cookbook on Amazon.  The title is Courses.  (If you don't want to wait until your next cruise!)

 

Thanks! VERY tempting! I'm considering doing the chef's table with DH next time though - so I might make myself wait.

1 hour ago, bmc alabama said:

Hope you had time for a Guavaberry Colada on Front Street!

 

I hadn't even heard of that... am adding it to my "next time" notes right now. :) Thanks!

1 hour ago, Jemcdonough85 said:

What kind of case did you use to bring your phone into the water? I got one of those bag type ones and have an iPhone XR so it should be fine but I’m still paranoid!

 

I used this simple waterproof case. I've used it a number of times and have never had a problem. I also switch out the lanyard for this floatable wrist strap, which made it much easier to swim with and take photos.

 

However, before our next trip, I will probably purchase a case without a solid border - maybe like this one. I found with some photos and with my video of the stingray that the camera lens on my phone had gotten partially behind the black border and it obscured part of the photo/video.

 

If you are nervous about using a case because you fear it will not be waterproof, just test it in your sink at home before you go.

We stepped off the water taxi and decided to head to the left beach area. Instead of just walking down the beach to find chairs, we walked along the street of shops for a few "blocks", then turned down an alleyway back to the beach.

 

 

 

Cute little church with a brand new facade. Later in the day there was a funeral here - a reminder that while we may just visit what we consider a paradise for a few hours - real life goes on wherever you live.

 

It is always 6:30 in Philipsburg. 😉

 

 

There were many areas where you could see evidence of hurricane damage. 

 

We purchased 4 chairs with 2 umbrellas for $40 in front of Burger Madness (look for the red wall behind the umbrella). We didn't purchase any food while we were here - but their 2/$10 Pina Coladas were good. (Photo is actually of chairs behind us.)

 

Since we didn't get off the ship first thing, the beach was already quite busy, but because we walked down a ways we were able to get chairs/umbrellas in the 2nd row. You just pulled your chair into the "isle" for some sun and pulled it back under the umbrella for shade. You do have many, many vendors come to offer you foot massages, hair braiding, jewelry, bags, towels, etc. which we expected. A "No thank you" was enough to get them to move on if you weren't interested. (We did end up buying a few necklaces from a sweet older lady later in the day - just fun trinket reminders of our beach day.) 

 

DS parked himself under the umbrella, DD pulled her chair into the sun to play rotisserie chicken, and DH and I went for a short walk on the gorgeous beach. No need for water shoes here!

 

 

 

 

OK - time to stop looking at the water and go for a swim! FYI - entrance into the water is not very gradual and gets deep within a few feet.

 

 

 

 

To dry off, DH and I went for a little walk in town. More hurricane damage - metal sheeting embedded in a tree. 😞

 

Everyone was hungry, so we headed back to the ship for a late lunch...

 

Beautiful - thank you for sharing. 😊 49 days - wow! 

It was a short walk off the ship to the cruise port/shopping area.

 

More of our neighbors. Has anyone ever been on RC Anthem of the Seas? I was watching to see if they would raise the North Star while in port - but if they did, I missed it.

 

The port/shopping area wasn't very large and we soon found the line for the water taxi. A ticket is $7.00 for a full-day pass (though we only used it for one round trip).

 

 

 

You head down to the water between two buildings.

 

As you can see - the beach isn't far. 

 

This is the ferry boat we took. I snagged a seat on the side (so I could get some photos!) next to a nice man from Great Britain who was visiting the Caribbean for the first time. 

 

The views from the ferry did not disappoint!

 

When you get off the ferry, you are let off on a dock/pier that is right in the middle of the beach. The area in the photo below is if you get off the ferry and go to the left (which is the way we went).

 

Looking back at all the ships. The Regal is the last one in the lineup.

 

 

This area would be to the right of the landing dock/pier.

 

 

 

Next up on the to-do list: find some beach chairs and an umbrella or two. 🙂 

Thursday, February 7th | St. Maarten

 

Wide awake at 6:30am again.  I could tell we weren't moving, so I peeked out and we were already docked next to a ship yard. I quietly slipped out onto the balcony to watch the sunrise over the hills. Beautiful. The industrial view was mixed with the sounds of roosters crowing and goats (perched on the cliff across from us) bleating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Maarten info - 

 

 

 

 

We woke the kids up and headed to the buffet for breakfast. Another delicious breakfast that I didn't have to cook or wash dishes after... and a great view from our favorite breakfast spot on the Horizon Terrace.

 

Checking out our neighbors for the day. I think there were 5 ships in port all together.

 

Our plans were to take the water taxi over to the main beach. See that dock with the orange roof in the middle of the photo (just above the yacht with the helicopter on it's aft)? That is the dock for the water taxi.

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, JF - retired RRT said:

They peddle the cook book after the cooking demonstration, probably available in one of the shops and it is a "gift" if you attend the Chef's Table.

I got one from the Chef's Table & found all of the recipes to be either something I wouldn't eat, way to complicated or very time consuming.

I gave it away.

 

I didn't see it after the cooking demonstration - but we followed the line of people out of the theater and walked through the kitchen, so I might have missed it. Even if cookbooks aren't what I would call practical, I still love them. I will read cookbooks like other people read novels. I know... I'm odd. 😂

4 hours ago, FluteGrammy said:

I am on the Regal in a week and a half on the same itenerary and this is making me so excited to sail. You are doing a fantastic job of reviewing your cruise.   I have a really silly question about the temperature on the ship. Were you comfortable in short sleeves or did you need a sweater? Trying to figure out what to take. Long pants or capris? Thank you.

 

I tend to be on the warmer side and I was comfortable with an off-the-shoulder top & capris in the Piazza and main dining room (lunch) during the day. In the evening, I often wore a light sweater or bolero jacket with my sleeveless dresses. My daughter (who is always cold) walked around in the evening (after dinner) in a sweatshirt and jeans because she thought it was cold in the Piazza and teen lounge. All that to say - I'd bring a light shawl or sweater just in case you need it. 🙂 

 

Have an amazing time on your cruise!!!

14 hours ago, jedokids said:

This Looks Fabulous! I'm so glad you could figure out the recipe! We bought the Princess Cookbook a few years back - kind of an expensive splurge - but we were on vacation! We love the cookbook! When my husband showed me the picture - I thought it was from the cruise!

 

I am going to have to look for the cookbook next time! Can you purchase it in the gift shop?

Back on the ship, we made a quick stop for snacks at the IC and for a Pina Colada mocktail at the bar - and took it with us to our room to enjoy on the balcony. Both salads (Greek and shrimp) were delicious. 

 

It wasn't long until the sun started to set. What a spectacular view. Looking at these, I really don't think I could do an inside cabin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for dinner! Tonight our server was Eleonora (along with her assistant, Alexander) - she was our favorite server of the week, hands down. She explained the items on the menu (without us asking!), offered recommendations, and even saved us from ordering what she knew we probably wouldn't like (more on that later). I should have made reservations to have her as our server for the rest of the week. All our servers throughout the week were very good - she just stood out. 😍

 

Night 4 Dinner Menu: Symphony Dining Room

 

 

 

Braised Oxtail Pasta (appetizer portion) - This was absolutely delicious. It had a real depth of flavor - like it had been simmering on the stovetop for hours and hours. Mmm...

 

Chilled apple "soup" - refreshing and creamy.

 

Sesame-coated Chicken Nuggets with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce - DS ordered this for his appetizer and loved it so much he ordered another one for his main dish. Eleonora made sure that he had a meal portion for his main dish though - it had to have been 4x the appetizer amount! Not a single nugget went uneaten. 😉 

 

Bahamian Pea Soup - DH ordered this. I know what you're thinking... "That does not look like pea soup!" - but this was so much better in my opinion. It was so good he insisted I try a spoonful. The flavors were well-developed and it had a really nice consistency as well.

 

Surf & Turf - DH and I both ordered this. Eleonora took the prawns out of their shells for us. The filet was a bit thin and was slightly over the medium that I ordered - but tasted very good. DH's filet was a perfect medium. Prawns were excellent. I'd take them over lobster any day. The sauces, again, were very well done and added a lot of flavor to the dish.

 

Grilled Seafood Skewer - DH and I ordered this to share and we both felt that it was kind-of blah. Even the mango salsa (which was good) wasn't enough to make up for the overall lack of flavor.

 

Dessert Menu:

 

I was really full and nothing on the dessert menu was overly tempting... so just DH and DS ordered dessert. DS tried to order the Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse Cake - which Eleonora explained that unless he really liked sugar free desserts, he wasn't going to like it. LOVE HER. So he ordered either the Love Boat Dream or the Cheesecake. I didn't take a photo of his dessert, so I don't remember. See why I take so many photos!

 

Burned Rhubarb Napoleon - DH liked it. I tried a small bite and was not a fan - I'm not a rhubarb fan in general though.

 

We wanted to go look through the shops after dinner. DS had bought a hoodie the day before and DD wanted to pick out a souvenir - but the shops were all closed! Are they not allowed to be open when in port?

 

Walking through the Piazza on the way back to our room there was a lady showcasing a few absolutely gorgeous birds. I love the unique entertainment Princess has - always something different.

 

The kids were off to the teen lounge and DH and I decided a glass of wine on our balcony while enjoying the night view of the harbor was the perfect way to end the day.

 

A Carnival ship headed out first.

 

Sail away at 10:00 was beautiful (even though these photos are not great - sorry).

 

 

Time for bed. St. Maarten in the morning!

 

Day 4 Princess Patter -

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Dawniepoo said:

I'm loving your review and pictures. One thing though, could you hurry and post! 😀  We've only got a month left until we leave on the Regal for the 8th time, so I'm in full-on cruise mode!

 

😂 Working on it... will post a little before heading to work. I'm totally jealous of your *8th time* on the Regal and wish we could join you in a month. Have a great cruise!

8 hours ago, Cruisecrazy25 said:

I am loving your review so far! I have been on the Regal a few times but it is getting me excited for my cruise in 4 weeks! What did you use to take your pictures? Also, the artist in the atrium must have hopped off and gone to Disney world because we just saw him yesterday at Epcot’s Art Festival!! 

 

All photos were taken on an iPhone this trip. I did miss having my 'real' camera with various lenses - especially for shots at night in St. Thomas (coming up). The iPhone is just so much easier to travel with, but it does have limitations.

 

How fun that you saw the artist at Disney! When he was introduced, he did seem like a very busy man - plus, we didn't see him on the ship after that so I wouldn't be surprised if he hopped off to go to his next event.

11 hours ago, mthomp5 said:

Wow!  That looks fantastic!  You would be stiff competition to the chefs onboard!

 

You're sweet. However, I think taking an hour and a half to make a meal for only five people wouldn't fly with the head chef! Can you imagine the lines at the dining room entrance?!?? 😄😄😄

11 hours ago, Senga said:

MaryBethV:  Have SO much enjoyed your review and fantastic photos.  We are going on Regal Princess March 24.  Our daughter was in hospital October 9-January 16, part of it on life support.  I was at the hospital every day (and some nights) while my husband of 50 years looked after the house and Jennifer's little pug Paxton.  We are SO in need of a relaxing time with someone else looking after us and the only decision we need to make is where/what to eat!  We are doing the Western Caribbean and hadn't even planned on getting off the ship but your pictures from Princess Cays are so pretty we'll venture over after the initial rush for a short visit.  Did you get a soda package for your kids?  We don't drink alcohol but enjoy sodas and mocktails.  I'm just wondering if you only get a tiny little glass of soda each time.

 

I hope you have the most relaxing cruise ever! 🙂

 

We purchased the "soda and more" package for all four of us. They give you a tumbler (16 oz. I think). You can take the tumbler to any bar and they will fill it up with pop or a mocktail - we did that a couple of times. Otherwise, they will give you a cup or glass that is probably around 8 oz. We had many many pina colada mocktails - they are yummy! They also have a list of other mocktails you can order at the back of the bar menu (at least at the bars by the pools). Hope that helps!

My husband had it on embarkation night a week ago on the Regal Princess.