Dani24

Think of your favorite restaurant. Or your favorite movie. Or your favorite whatever. Then look up reviews on it. SOMEONE (if not multiple someones) is likely going to have something negative to say about it. Some of them may totally trash it, even though you know that your experience with it was superb. People like to complain. They like to feel superior or special because they’re a “critic” of something. People who are satisfied don’t often take the time to share their feelings of satisfaction with the world — complainers do.

If cruising was so awful, nobody would cruise. There wouldn’t be repeat cruisers. Heck, if it was so awful, those complainers wouldn’t keep going back to the same cruise line again and again!

You’re going to have a fabulous time. I still remember our first Princess cruise and how pampered and indulged we felt. It was amazing, relaxing, and fun. Yes, there were some low points, but overall it was fantastic, and we have cruised several times since. 

We haven’t tried it ourselves just yet, but will be on a Princess cruise with our 7 year old daughter in 3 weeks. She’s only been on one other cruise, a Disney cruise just before she turned 5. I’ve been reading up on the kids club on Princess wondering how it might compare.

Based on everything I’ve read I’m pretty hopeful she’ll like it. It sounds like they have a lot of activities for the kids to do, like arts and crafts and educational stuff. I’ve read that the kids produce a lot of things they can take home with them. People largely seem to be pleased with Camp Discovery. 

We love meeting new people on our cruises, and there have been a few I kept in touch with for a while (i.e. through Facebook). But many of those folks have drifted away in the last decade. I’m always happy to run across a familiar face though, no matter how much time has gone by!

Our Honeymoon cruise had a really awesome roll call group. We arranged these amazing private excursions together. Those were some of the most amazing excursions, and it was with an awesome group of people. They really elevated our trip. 🙂

And our last Princess cruise was the same one we’re doing in a few weeks — the 10 day Alaska out of SF. We met a lot of people from the Bay Area on that ship, which was really fun. Probably the most memorable was doing the Chef’s Table and unknowingly sitting across from the owner (and his wife) of the bowling alley in the city we had just bought a house in. Even crazier, also at the table was the owner of the bowling alley in a neighboring city. The two guys knew each other well, but had no idea the other would be on that cruise. The six of us shared one end of the table and had a really great time. The guy who owned our city’s bowling alley got our address and sent us free passes to the bowling alley. 

We’ve made many other memorable connections on past cruises, and I look forward to making more in the future. 
 

On 6/8/2019 at 5:00 AM, rileydogg66 said:

If anyone could let me know what nights are formal so we could reserve the specialty restaurants it would be greatly appreciated. Traveling on the Grand Princess from San Fran on the10 day Tracy Arm Fjord cruise. Spending two nights in Yosemite and two nights in San Fran and don’t really want to pack formal wear. We already need to pack heavily. Thanks.

On the Grand 10 day the two formal nights should be the 3rd sea day (the night before Juneau), and the 8th day (the day you stop in Victoria).

48 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

I noticed that your list did not include the Salty Dog Gastropub.  I assume there would be one on your ship.  The cover charge is $12.

 

There is no Salty Dog Gastro Pub on the Grand (which is what I think the OP is researching). 

Just the Salty Dog Grill (former Trident's Grill, by the pool). They they just have the $8 Ernesto burger and beer.

Which ship are you researching for? It's possible that there may be different offerings per ship.

I see there's a link to info on the Grand Princess in your signature. Is that what you're researching for?

In that case, the Grand has Sabatini's Trattoria. It's a remodeled concept of Sabatini's, with a different menu, different aesthetic, etc. You can check the cruise personalizer for the pricing details (go in as if you're reserving it). In fact, several of the items on your list can be priced that way.

Specifically for the Grand:
Ultimate Balcony Dining - $100
Ultimate Balcony Breakfast - $45
Maitre d' Wine Club
Grapevine Wine Tasting
Crab Shack - $29
Sabatini's Trattoria - $25/adult, $12.50/child
Crown Grill - $29/adult, $14.50/child
Laundry Room - $2 per load (so $4 for washing and drying a load), laundry soap is $1.25
Organic Seaweed Massage -  Assuming this is the Aroma Ocean Wrap Massage, $195 for 75 min (half body), $259 for 100 min (full body)
Thermal Suite - Not Available on the Grand
Acupuncture Treatment - $150 for 50 minutes
Other Spa or Gym services - See the cruise personalizer, and click through the many options as if booking an appointment
Sanctuary - $20 for a half day, $40 for full day
Laundry Service
Bingo - $10 per card
Photography - $25 per 8x10 photo

The pricing is still there, it just takes a couple of easy clicks to get to. I haven't found it to be at all cumbersome. I can still gauge the relative pricing of one sailing compared to another with the basic info provided on the main search screen. But if I really wanted to see it with a particular category, there's a simple filter you can apply on the main search page

First, the fastest way, if you want to see one specific category:

If, instead, you want to see all the categories it's a couple of easy clicks. 

As an American with experiences at several buffets over the years, I’ve found it really depends. Certain parts of a buffet will nearly always require lining up (e.g. carving station, build your own salad bar, omelet station, or any super-popular item where people are lining up to wait for their turn at that particular trough).

But other parts of the buffet are more “quick hits”. People will still sort of follow along the path of a buffet, most particularly on their first pass. But that’s largely because they’re assessing all of the options. But I’ve never once seen it be an issue if there’s a gap and someone pops in to get something. If you want something that has people at it, then you form a line wherever the next gap is at the end of that particular string of people waiting to pass that item. 

If there’s a gap, you’re not cutting. You’re not getting in anyone’s way. And you’re not needlessly waiting and standing in front of other items you DON’T want, and thus needlessly blocking them for someone who DOES want them. 

Similar would apply to a buffet at an event, like a wedding. In that case, for the first pass everyone waits in line. After, if you’re permitted to go up for seconds, you either wait in line if there is one, or you go right up to what you want and load up if no line exists. 

1 minute ago, martinclm said:

Is this something that can be downloaded beforehand or just once you get on the ship?

You don't need to download anything. It's basically like a website you can access on using the extremely limited "free" wifi on board (meaning it only lets you get to the Princess stuff).  

I agree that a few hours in port isn't enough to really experience an area. But it's a great way to get a sample to help you decide where you might want to do a direct vacation some day.

As for cost, I think the value really varies. In our case, we are taking a 10 day round trip cruise to Alaska from San Francisco as a family of 3. We live near SF so we don't have to fly to port (that itself is a huge savings). We even splurged and booked a suite. Total cost, including taxes and gratuities is about $8800. That includes about $1300 in OBC and other perks (e.g. specialty dining). But since most of that $1300 is being spent on excursions or other optionals, I'll take that out to put the net cost at $7500.

On the flip side, if we traveled to Alaska independently, it would cost approx. $2600 for round trip flights. And the flight days would be looooong... so that's two days of our ten burned by awful travel. 

Then I took a look at hotels. I looked around at Juneau, Ketchikan and Anchorage (we're not stopping there, but if we went independently it's an area we'd consider). For lodging at a Best Western or similar, which includes a continental breakfast, we'd be looking at approx. $180/nt. So $1800 for 10 nights. Maybe with some research we could find a better deal... but that already seemed on the economical end for what was pulling up in general searches.

We'd also need to rent a car to get around. If we just stuck in one area, a 10 day car rental for a vehicle that would fit the three of us and our luggage, it would cost around $1200 for the minimum acceptable vehicle. Plus add in gas. And if we wanted to visit other areas of Alaska add in lots of gas and potentially some long days of driving. Really long days if we wanted to try to hit a few of the ports we'd otherwise do on the cruise (e.g. 7 hours just from Juneau to Skagway, and Ketchikan wouldn't be worth it at all).  All that plane and car travel isn't anywhere near as nice as a sea day!

Based on prior vacations, I'd expect we'd average around $150 a day on food for the three of us, for both lunch and dinner (and a few breakfasts, since there's only so much Best Western continental breakfast I can handle). Maybe even more with snacks, and the fact that we like to splurge on food. So at least $1500 on food for the trip.

Just for airfare, lodging, rental car and food we're already up to $7100. Compared to the $7500 for the cruise. And that didn't factor in the gas costs for the rental car, the free entertainment on the ship (v.s. possibly paying for additional adventures on land), the relaxing sea days vs. more stressful driving days (and the emotional/mental cost of that), and even the equivalent cost of taking an independent excursion out to see the glacier the ship takes us to. And recall that we have a suite -- with all the suite perks. Had we booked an inside cabin for three, the cost would have been as low as $4800 (including port fees and gratuity). WAY cheaper than a land vacation.

Did you book a Bon Voyage Experience? Since they are cancelling all of them after 6/30, I recall that they would be issuing some credits and/or refunds for them. The "X Bon Voyage" and the small amount make me think it's somehow tied to that.

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, rosebud55112 said:

I woke up to an announcement being made in the hallway.  First was "Security team to Lido deck, Neptune Pool"  foolwed shortly after by "Medical Team to Lido Deck, Neptune Pool".  A couple minutes later, those two were repeated. 

 

It's interesting that they'd make such announcements over a public address system. They don't have private communication channels (e.g. radios) for security or medical staff? 

On 6/9/2019 at 1:28 PM, pris993 said:

I live in california... state has the toughest environmental regs there are.  I have lived on the coast as well here have not seen what you are saying at all.   Spend a lot of time out around SF bay, again don't see there is a problem there either.    I was rasied to respect environment and do, when I am out and about... never ever toss plastics or other trash.  

I live in the SF Bay Area. Grew up here. And while I agree we have very expansive environmental regulations, it doesn't mean it's not a problem - here or elsewhere. I have participated in MANY nature and coastal clean ups, in the Bay Area, and can confirm without a doubt that even with all of the regulations it still collects. And it's individuals who think that their individual actions aren't the problem that collectively create the problem. If everyone took personal responsibility for their choices and actions, this wouldn't be such an issue. 

And this doesn't stop for me (or anyone) on vacation. I am just as environmentally responsible at home as while on vacation. Just like how I don't live like a slob at home, so why would I suddenly start being a slob when I'm in someone else's?

We did a Mediterranean cruise for our honeymoon (and I'm pretty sure it was on the Emerald). My husband is very prone to motion sickness and I don't recall him having any issues at all on this one. 

5 hours ago, AlanF65 said:

Are you docking in Haines or docking in Skagway and taking the ferry to Haines?

We are docking in Haines. We're doing the Kroeschel Wildlife Refuge, so we won't have time to take the ferry to Skagway. But if there's something reasonably accessible from Haines I can see if we can fit it in.

2 hours ago, Mary Ellen1 said:

Are you going to Glacier Bay National Park?  In my past experience, the Nat'l. Park Rangers board the ship, and set up a ranger station where, among other things, you can get a Junior Ranger badge while on the ship.

Unfortunately not on this sailing. We are going to Hubbard instead.

It's been 9 years since we last sailed on Princess, so I've been doing a lot of reading on what has changed. Our trip isn't until next month, so I can't yet make direct comparisons (e.g. on food quality or service levels). But from everything I've been reading I can see that it will be different than our last trips. Some things we previously enjoyed do appear to have gone away, or been negatively modified. And other things that I enjoyed before are still there for me to enjoy again. 

But I'm also seeing many other changes and additions that I am looking forward to, and that are enhancements compared to before. New programs or entertainment options, like all the Discovery at Sea stuff that didn't exist on our last cruise,

or the High Seas Heist, or the rebranded kid's club, or the Princess "app" functionality (e.g. accessing the Patters on our phones, or being able to message each other). Or new dining options and updated menus that (to me) look very appealing, like the Pub Lunch or Crab Shack, or Alfredo's Pizzeria, or Salty Dog Grill or Norman Love chocolates, or SHARE (which we won't get to try on our upcoming sailing, but I would love to try it on a future one). Or amenity enhancements such as the new beds that people seem to mostly praise (when before I always had to beg for an egg crate topper to make the bed bearable). 

Maybe for some people who cruise more often than we do those things have become stale, or are taken for granted as the "standard" when at one point they were improvements. Sure there have been cutbacks, and some of them are real bummers, but it hasn't been as one-sided as some people make it out to be.

My daughter has been collecting Junior Ranger badges from the National Parks. I'm hoping to get her a couple in Alaska as well. I am aware of the options from Juneau (but am not sure we'll make it to Mendenhall this time due to a conflicting excursion). And we are visiting Haines instead of Skagway (with an excursion in Haines) so I don't think we'll be able to get anything there (unless someone knows of something in/near Haines). That leaves Ketchikan and Hubbard Glacier.

It looks like there might be something we can request by mail for Hubbard -- has anyone done this? How did that work?

For Ketchikan it looks like there may be something for the Tongass National Forest? We don't have any excursions booked there, so this might be a good option for us to do on our own. Anyone do this or something else in Ketchikan and get a Junior Ranger badge?

I'll throw in there that while it was filled up a couple of weeks ago on our sailing, when I checked back last week I was able to book (and it's still available now). So check back if you can't get it when you first try!

Although, I ended up deciding not to go through with it after all. We're in a suite, and I'd rather have the suite breakfast and just try to find another opportunity for my daughter to meet Stanley. But if we were in our usual oceanview, I'd definitely have signed up.

For us, we are on the Grand 10 day R/T from San Francisco. The option available to book is the morning after we go to Victoria (i.e. the last full day of the cruise). 

 

Really awesome feedback! I'm taking lots of notes so I don't forget anything. Thank you, everyone! 🙂

We've done a guarantee cabin a few times. Usually we get the same as we booked (e.g. booked oceanview, and got an oceanview -- although sometimes it's one in a slightly higher category). One time we were upgraded from an obstructed Oceanview guarantee to a mid-ship Caribe Balcony -- though that was our honeymoon, so I'm not sure if that helped our odds! I wouldn't hesitate to book a guarantee again, but would definitely make sure I select the minimum category I'd be happy with since upgrades are not guaranteed. 

Also, there definitely was no notification when we received our room assignment. I just kept checking the cruise personalizer, and eventually saw it. Usually closer to the cruise. I have definitely heard of people not getting their assignment until embarkation though.

Everybody is going to have different preferences -- and neither is right OR wrong.

We've done one 10 day Alaska cruise from San Francisco, and thought it was so amazing we're doing it again next month. Personally, I love having a few sea days. We still visited 4 ports and a glacier. But Alaska is such an adventuresome place (with excursions dominated by things like hiking, fishing, kayaking, boating, etc.) that it was really nice having a few days to relax and unwind before getting back to the daily hustle at home.

Also, we live in the SF Bay Area, so there's no flights to port, and we can pack as much as we want, and get to the port early without having to wake early. We explored going out of Seattle or Vancouver this time around, but we would have swapped a 10 day cruise with no flights and 3 sea days, for a 7 day cruise where we spent those 3 extra days flying and checking in/out of hotels for a pre/post stay (i.e. not relaxing).

Now, since the OP is flying in from Australia, the choice comes down more to their preferences. Do they prefer more sea days, or time to relax/explore the ship? Then SF could be a good choice. Especially if they'd like to see SF (which is a great city to explore). Maybe they'd prefer a land tour to tack on to the cruise, or to explore Seattle or Vancouver, in which case a 7 day makes way more sense. Maybe one port is cheaper for them than another to fly to. Maybe they want to avoid the "potato patch" sailing up from SF, especially if they're prone to seasickness. 

What's right for one person isn't right for everyone. You need to consider what's important to you, and what you prefer to avoid and make a thoughtful decision accordingly.

Has anyone done the Stanley the Bear Turndown package for their kids? Could you tell me what the book is that comes with it? 

2 hours ago, skynight said:

On T.A.'s there is Trivia, 2, maybe 3 times a day, free Zumba, lectures, a place set aside for self directed cards and games, ballroom and line dancing classes, movies, afternoon tea, cooking show with the head chef, cocktail & fruit carving demonstrations, maybe horse racing,  and yes can't forget bingo. 

In addition to those things, here are some other things that may be available to do on sea days, depending on your ship:

- Puzzle/brainteaser sheets in the library

- Book club

- Casino lessons 

- High Seas Heist 

- Escape Room

- Wine tasting events

- Arts& Craft classes (jewelry making, paper quilling, cross stitch, card making, origami, box making, etc.)

- Photography lessons

- Music lessons (e.g. harmonica, ukulele)

- Egg Drop challenge

- Paper airplane challenge

- Speed sudoku

- Ping pong 

- Mini golf (some ships have a putting green, some offer putting challenges in the Piazza)

- Lifesize chessboard

- Corn hole challenge

- Bridge & Mahjong get-togethers

- Spa appointments 

- The Sanctuary

- Art auctions

- Taboo (in one of the lounges)

- Pictionary (in one of the lounges)

- Win Lose or Draw (in one of the lounges)

- Scattegories (in one of the lounges)

- Karaoke

- Ice carving demonstrations

- Cocktail mixing demonstrations

- Regional lectures and demonstrations

- Behind the scenes tours

- "Knitters Natters & Crafters" get-togethers (BYO projects)

- Bible study

- Future cruise presentations (where they talk about different destinations, what to see/do there, etc.)

Or, I don't see why you couldn't bring a portable easel, canvas and paint set and set up on your balcony or maybe even somewhere else and paint away. 🙂

3 hours ago, DisneyDorkhead said:

I didn't realize that so many of the cruise lines sailed that full. Thanks for the info to this cruising newbie. I have a few more questions. While I know Disney will sometimes (sparingly in my mind) have their Florida and military discounts and I've never seen them have promotions or sales, how common is it for the other cruise lines to offer their promotions/deals (ex Princess Cruises current 2 for 1 for Alaska? Pretty much all the time and those deals have a regular schedule they come out? Or it is just a few cruise lines that offer the deals/promotions? And just being curious, how many people would actually cruise WITHOUT the deals and promotions? I would willing do so and was planning on doing so for my upcoming cruise with my parents. But I will admit I did willingly take advantage of a promotion. 

I can’t speak for lines other than Princess. But Princess regularly has promotions, and there are certain ones that come around periodically. Like “Sip and Sail” or “Three for Free”. Many people wait for a certain promotion before booking. Though others certainly book whenever they wish, regardless of promotion — especially if you are particular about your stateroom, since the longer you wait the less choice you’ll have. Also, if you subtract the net cost of the sailings with the promotions to the sailing without the promotions the price isn’t always that different. You might get $300 OBC... but chances are the base cruise fare went up a bit to “pay” for that. They’re marketing tools more than bargains.