cruzin4us

Y’all must be thinking I’m losing my mind….I am, but I seemed to have found it.  
 

I sat down to check out the meals for lunch and dinner.   I usually take pics of them in the morning while drinking my coffee, then I upload while eating along with the food pics.  Just saves me a bit of time later.   
 

So, I went to Dine My Way and it said the 12th Hilo.   Wait a second, we aren’t supposed to be in Hilo until tomorrow (ok, now it’s tonight).  Then I panicked because I have a dinner reservation at Sabatini’s on Hilo night.    But, we aren’t in Hilo!    I grabbed the patter to look at the date and it says the 11th.   Did I grab yesterday’s patter?

I check my iPhone and my watch and both say the 12th.   Holy Crap, I don’t know what day it is!   There medallion app says it’s the 12th.   I’m feeling lost and stupid at this point.    
 

I sheepishly get up and go ask a Gentleman what day of the week it is as well as the date.  He looked at me like I was off my rocker.   I kind of felt like I was at this point.  
 

He told me it’s Wednesday the 11th.   Ok, so I didn’t grab the wrong Patter.   So, why did the app and my phone both say the 12th?     Slowly, it dawned on me that I had manually changed the time on my phone and somehow I must have changed the day too.   😵‍💫

I went and manually changed the date and now the app is correct too

Seriously, I thought I’d lost it.   

Captain just announced we will be arriving in Hilo tonight instead of tomorrow morning.   We’ve been cruising way south of our normal course due to the nasty storms in the Pacific.   
 

Still haven’t decided what to do today.   Just got my coffee and now I’m going to glance at it and see what’s on the agenda.   
 

I need to get up early one day so I can go to breakfast at least once.   So far, I’ve missed them every day.  
 

Weather is getting better day by day.   I’ve worn a sweater every day since we left San Diego.    Kinda ready to ditch this thing.  
 

Packed my beach bag with every intent on getting some sun.  Got my audio book and headset, so perhaps I’ll actually make it to the Sun Deck.   
 

We lose an hour tonight, no biggie as I've been losing track of days too.

Got into the cabin, got all comfy in my favorite bed.......and, oh yes, the walls are mighty thin.   Just thought you might want to know this in case you do a lot of "oh, ah, yes, yes, yes, harder, harder, oh, oh, ooh"......lol.    Can't undo what ya hear LOL

Had an interesting conversation with my adorable Assistant Waiter (Mohammed) from Tunisia. There was kind of a lull during dinner so I asked how he was enjoying working on the cruise ship (this is his 4th day).   He was grinning and said he is enjoying it and starting to feel more comfortable.   I asked him if had gotten sea sick and he said the rocking didn't bother him.   He then opened up and said everyone has been so nice to him in the dining room (passengers).   He was so afraid of us Americans before he came on the ship because he heard we were all mean.   He said, "now I know that's not true"......"Everyone has been so kind".   There's hope for us yet.....kindness goes a long way

That's all for tonight.....

6 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

You may order coffee instead of tea.  You may also bring in your own specialty coffee for Afternoon Tea.

 

With the ship almost to capacity, are all the dining rooms open?  I have been trying to make reservations for the Deck 5 MDR (Vivaldi/Savoy) and they are not an option.  

 

Nice that you are able to let go and relax.  That's the island attitude.  

thanks for the info on the afternoon tea.  Now that I know I can take coffee, I’m in!

Sabatini’s is only open a few days and Sterling Steakhouse has been closed due to a grill issue issue

All the main dining rooms are open.  It was such a cluster on the first couple of days.   When I boarded fairly early, I beelined to the International Dining room.   It wasn’t my first choice but people we’re already lined up at the others trying to get an assigned table/time (traditional).  There was no one at the ID room except the maitre D and he happily assigned me a permanent table at 5:20.  It wasn’t my first choice of locations being as my room is next to the Bridge.    I normally book quite a bit of Specialty Dining because frankly I’ve been disappointed in the MDR food on past few cruises.   On this cruise, I’m glad I saved the money because the food has been superb

hope that helps 

Well, I was too stuffed to attempt the afternoon tea.  Always tomorrow since it’s another sea day.   For the life of me, I don’t know how people eat 3 meals per day.   For anyone concerned, if they have cut back on portion sizes, I’ve not noticed it.   Should I ever have the opportunity to do a World Cruise, I’d have to figure out how to keep from gaining 50 lbs.   I’m not giving up the bread and butter so that’s out.   Im thankful they don’t have the warm almond croissants or I’d be even worse off!

I noticed my meals are a lot less rushed on the Diamond than the Ruby.   Not painfully slow as I experienced on the Discovery, it’s just right.    
 

I’ve noticed the food isn’t bland tasting on this ship.  There are a variety of flavors which is appealing to me.  If you like bland (no seasoning) you may not like it as much as me.   I’ve been quite pleased.   Just noticed a lady complaining it was too spicy.    Guess you can’t please everyone.     
 

Menus are out of order - sorry 

Dinner:

Tapas-style Chorizo Sausage, Paprika Tomato Cream - First plate was cold, so I sent it back, way to cold.  Hate to do that but it wasn’t good cold 😢.   Plate #2 was much much hotter.    Glad I did because I really enjoyed this dish.  Spicy but not overly so and so full of flavor and the egg was poached with a runny yolk.   A+

Rustic Beef and Vegetable Hot Pot with empanada -  I ordered this because I love empanadas.   It is basically a soup with an empanada on the side.   The soup was boiling hot, the empanada was just warm but really tasty.   The clear broth soup had some veggies as well.   Kinda like a minestrone but with more of a beef broth taste.  It was good but not as good as last night’s.  

Rack of Pork with glazed Artichokes - This was definitely the star of the show tonight.   It’s a super thick rack of pork Chop which wasn’t dry and very tender.  Served over a bed of artichokes along with some mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.  Veggies were cooked on point.  The gravy/a jus was wonderful.   They did this meal to perfection. WTG Princess!

Too stuffed to even consider dessert 
 

Other stuff:   This size ship suits me much better than the larger ones.   I haven’t dreaded walking from point A to point B.   I know it’s not a big deal for the younger crowd but the older I the less trucking around I want to do.   
 

The promenade deck has some cushy lounge chairs if interested (pic)

I haven’t heard a bunch of coughing either which is a good thing, nor have I heard of people being quarantined.   Maybe 5% mask wearing.    

2.5 laps on the track promenade deck = 1 mile

weather never cleared up today buts it’s definitely warmer the closer we get to Hawaii.   
 

I think I could make this an annual cruise.   I like this much better that cruising to the Mexican Riviera which is what I usually do because when you live in SD, that’s where you usually go 😁.  I sure hope Princess has a few sailing out of SD every year.   I know wishful thinking 
 

Lunch

walked right in at 12:00.   Trying not to overstuff myself so I can hit the Afternoon Tea

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino - Very tasty but arrived lukewarm which choked me frankly since everything has been hot up until now.   The pasta has some roasted garlic pieces that were caramelized and added a nice flavor.  Ate it anyway because it was tasty.    The more I’d eat, the more I enjoyed it.  
Diamond seems to have their pastas honed in.   Every order has been nicely plated, not like when I try to do it 

Nicoise Salad -  not my favorite.  I was expecting ahi slices not canned tuna.   Should have asked so that’s on me.   The salad dressing looked like watered down French Dressing.   I ordered another order of pasta after picking at it for a while.  Was too fishy tasting.   No biggie the pasta is delicious 

Fresh Flowers at the Explorer’s Lounge 

Art Auction being set up

Oh my, I’m really losing track of time.   Tomorrow is another sea day and Hilo on the 12th.   In all of my 61 years I have never been so relaxed.  I haven’t had to worry or plan anything….so unlike me.  Usually, I’ve got everything mapped out.   Kinda liking this freedom 😁.  
Decided to just take a shower are go find my well needed coffee.   Sheesh, it’s already 11 and I should have some kind of agenda.  
I’m going to go to the Afternoon Tea at a suggestion from a fellow cruiser so I can report back.  I have never gone to this event because I’m a strong coffee person and tea seems like drinking very diluted coffee.    I drink 4 shots of espresso in a flat white so I’ve got to open up my mind to tea.  
All I can say is, I’m glad all my pants/capris are like leggings and they stretch.   

Wow, this girl slept until 10:00.......I don't think I ever, slept until 10:00.......ever!     These beds are so comfy, I roll on my side, and wake up in the same position.

Better peak my head out the window and check if it's going to another bathing suit attempt or Trivia Day.

I think we are in Hilo tomorrow, but truthfully......I've kinda lost count of how many days we've been at sea.    I'm not even sure what day of the week it is unless I look at my pill container.    I'm so relaxed, this is wonderful.   

There is a Tropical Feeling in the air now.  Much more humid. Tomorrow is a sun day for me.  I’m bound and determined to get some sun on this very pale body of mine.    The ship definitely still has movement going on.  I feel a bit drunk walking down the halls.   
 

On to dinner 

The crying toddler is back.  I’m sorry but dinner is too long to expect a 1-2 year old  child to sit quietly for 1.5 to 2 hours.   Come on mom and dad……

The dinner line was much smaller tonight.   Hopefully more people are getting assigned seats which helps

I’ve only eaten in the International Dining Room, and what I like about it is:   There is room between tables and everyone isn’t crammed in like Sardines.  There are tables and not a bunch of bench seats with people sitting on top of each other.   Reminds me of Days of Old. 
 

Orders for tonight:

Dinner roll (again).  

Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant with Sun-Dried Tomatoes - arrived on a chilled plate an all.  Quite tasty 

Tom Kah Gai - excellent.   Not sure what to expect but pleasantly surprised.  Kind of like an egg drop soup with mushrooms and a hint of ginger.   Also served hot.  Yum

Penne Al Pomorado con Calamari -  Yes, I like Parmesan Cheese 😁.  Piping hot.  The calamari is a little fishy tasting but not overly so.  Lightly spicy.   I like to order an appetizer size portion so I can try their pasta every day.     It was good + and I ate it all.  

Pan-Fried Turkey Scaloppine - Quite a large portion and another meal that arrived nice and hot.  Whatever the Diamond is doing back in their kitchen, it’s working.   Scaloppini is very goo and veggies are Al dente.  No mushy overcooked veggies.  Ate every bite.

Typically I don’t order dessert because I’m so full, but the woman next to me said hers was really good.   I’m so stuffed now, so what’s a few more bites & calories.   

Bananas Foster - wow, this was way better than last time I had it. Plate is chilled, ice cream isn’t melted and I have nice chunks of bananas.   superb sauce.   

I have been pretty critical of Princesses food late, but the Diamond has exceeded my expectations thus far.  I’m going to gain weight, no doubt about it.   The head chef needs to be commended.   Thus far I’ve only had the crab quiche (crab with a K) that was absolutely gross IMO.      The plates of food aren’t just thrown together and it shows.   You can tell the food is good because people are cleaning their plates. 
 

I’m waddling out of the dining room tonight.  Probably go watch a movie in my room.  Haven’t even turned on the TV yet.   Tonight is going to be a relaxing evening 

The food in Skywalkers.  Open to Platinum and Elite guests between 5-7 pm daily 

Forgot to include a picture of dessert.  I got the Rum Cake - it was a fail.   Plated nice but the flavor of the cake was more like a dinner roll?    Not a fan

Today is another sea day and I had higher hopes it would be warm enough to get some sun.   I donned my bathing suit and went to deck 14.   Dang, it’s still windy and too cold for this CA girl.  People wrapped up in towels all wishfully hoping for warm tropical weather.   Nope,  just windy and cold.  
 

Brought the patter with me to lunch to see what else there is to do.  Might just talk a nap since I haven’t partaken in that luxury yet.   
 

Headed to the International Dining Room.    There was a already a line winding up the stairs.  Stood there for a few minutes and then the doors opened and we moved quickly.  Had no problem getting a nice table by myself.   
 

On the menu today for me is;

Dinner Roll - Seriously addicted to them 

Chimichanga with Salsa Cruda - Super Tasty - could have been just a tad warmer.  It was between lukewarm and hot

Sedanini with Tomatoes, mushrooms and Basil -  it wasn’t bad, arrived hot.  Could have used a little pepper flakes to make it a bit more flavorful.  If you don’t care for mushrooms don’t get this dish. Just got some Parmesan Cheese and that helped the dish a lot.  I devoured it. 

Nasi Goreng - one of my favorite lunches they serve.   Arrived hot and perfectly cooked, over easy egg and all.  I was happy 

Other pics:

Club Class Dining 

MUTS

Weather

9 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I do hope you reported this to Customer Service or via Crew Chat.  It is a hazard that needs to be addressed.  Especially if your seas have been rough.  Thank you for being at the right place at the right time.  It could have been very disastrous.  

I did walk down to Guest Services and reported it.   When I came back 8 hours later, one of the scooters was gone.   The other still blocked the hallway.   Called Guest Services and said it needs to be moved.   Poked my head out of my room 1.5 hrs later and it was still there.   Almost drove it down to Guest Services myself and parked it there.    Instead I called again, this time I wasn't very pleasant.   Told them it needed to be gone in 15 min.   They've got 5 minutes more or I am driving it down there.      I had a delayed reaction to what could have happened had I not been in the right place at the right time.

Brian and Rowena!

Kai Sushi again for your viewing pleasure.    
 

Yellowtail Carpaccio (my favorite by far because it has a kick)

Salmon Carpaccio - excellent 

Sextant Sashimi - excellent as yesterday 

eel sushi (hot) - it was perfect 

Blue mackerel and octopus sashimi - didn’t care for the blue mackerel but the octopus was ok (not my favorites but I wanted to try them)

Blue Crab hand roll - it was also good but not my fav.   
Yellowtail Sashimi - why fix what isn’t broke?   Delish 

Yellowtail Roll - it’s yellowtail, of course it’s good - no, it was way beyond good

now for full disclosure:  I didn’t eat all of this by myself.  I had a couple people helping me

If you are used to ordering sushi and know the most common rolls, you can order them.  

Ok, while I understand the need for mobility scooters, those who have them need to understand that when they park in the aisles, not everyone can navigate around the.  These to scooter’s blocked a woman with her walker and had I not been behind her to catch her when she fell backwards it would/could have been disastrous.     There are other people with handicap issues besides yourselves.    

Tonight I’m going to Kai Sushi again, but here’s tonight’s dinner menu

Here’s a few more pictures from around the ship

I’m not a big fan of buffets so I didn’t snap a whole lot of photos.   It was crowded with lots of people using the tables to play games.  It’s still pretty windy/cold outside.   
 

They had the usual stuff.  Some of the sandwiches that you normally see at the IC were offered (Cuban and another one).  Not sure if they were hot or cold.  The had salads, fruit, rolls, desserts, rice, mussel dish, lamb dish, carving station (not sure what, but it looked like beef), cold cuts and cheese.   It was about 2:30 when I went thru and only one side was open.  
 

The Aft pool

Good Spirits/coffee area

The dreaded art gallery is on deck 5 and goes down the hall towards the forward elevators.  At least it’s out of the way (kind of).  When the ship is a rocking as it has been, there are hand rails and it’s hard not to run into the art work.  I’m pretty steady but many people aren’t. 
 

The movie showing in the Theater:  No Time to Die 

The NFL game is being shown on the big screen by the pool - most people wrapped up in towels.  Didn’t snap a photo it was too windy and cold 

The Library had some books and was packed with games, some still in their original shrink wrap - haven’t seen that before.  Excellent selection.   Kudos Princess   There was also the daily Sudoku 

If you are in a mobility scooter or have a difficult time navigating stairs, don’t use deck 6 to access the theater.  There is a flight of stairs to get into the theater 

to access the casino, use the starboard side, there is a ramp.   Port side has stairs 

I asked the Food and Beverage manager if there is anywhere to get warm almond croissants.   He said they have them in the buffet but they aren’t warm.   This is actually a saving grace for me because indulging for 16 days on a warm almond croissant is a beautiful thing but probably not a good thing 😁

Also, forgot to mention at the M&G someone asked if they had any plans to add an International Cafe.   He said that’s the most common question asked and the most commented item of the post cruise survey.   Princess is aware people want it added but at this time there are no plans to add it.    They have set up a couple of espresso bars so they did realize people weren’t happy without having a good coffee fix.  
 

Ordered a cappuccino off the app today at 9:00 and it was delivered steaming hot in 7 minutes.   I’m satisfied with that.

not sure if everyone knows this, but if you order the same item all the time, the app stores your past orders so you can order more easily.    Just click on the upper right corner of pic #1 (the thing that looks like a piece of paper with squiggles)

lastly, the internet has been working super.  Talked on the phone using FB messenger with no issues.  I’ve been browsing and posting as well.  Discovery needs to figure out what’s wrong with theirs.   
 

on to figure out my day….,

It’s funny how one person can see the glass 1/2 full, the other 1/2 empty.    I’m thoroughly enjoying my cruise.   Thus far, it’s been my favorite cruise of the prior 6 I went on this year (all Princess).   I like this ship, crew have been great, it’s a little worn but it’s clean and comfortable.  I’ve been able to find my specialty coffees which was my biggest concern.
 

 For those upset regarding dining:   If you drive the freeway during rush hour, there’s going to be traffic.  Same goes for dining.  2,447 people can’t all want to eat at the same time, there’s not enough room.  Find out the sweet spot (not 6-7) and you’ll get seated much quicker.  

On to bidets:   They take a bit of trial/error before you figure them out.  It’s been kind of fun trying something new.  You have to position yourself correctly to get the spray to hit the desired area.  You might have to lean forward until you get the spray to hit you right.   The heated seats are really nice, never thought about wanting that feature until I sat down.  You can adjust the temperature of the seat, water and blow dry function.   The little wand does not stick out all the time, it retracts.   It was a challenge to even get a quick picture of it.    Hopefully this answers a few of your questions.

Slept like a baby last night instead of being thrown around the bed.    The ship is still rocking but now it's the rocking that I yearn for when I'm home.   I slept til 8:30 which is unheard of for me.   I'm usually up with the roosters before dawn.  

On the agenda for today......coffee first.   I haven't even glanced at the patter, so I'm not sure what's going on all day.    The casino comped me a free dinner and I can use it for Kai Sushi so I'll be visting there tonight.  This is what happens when you play the Pig slot machine all day (no I didn't win).   For those that are interested, it seems like when you hit the 5,000 pt mark, your host will offer you a dinner.

Maybe I'll wander around today and take some more pics.   It was too bloody cold outside yesterday for much picture taking.

Man, I love Princess beds......I really don't think I even moved last night.

Later.....

1. Hawaii - Diamond - (Jan)

2. Mexican Riviera - Discovery (Mar)

3. Alaska - Ruby (May)

4. Iceland/Greenland - Island (Aug)

5. Scottish Highlands & Wales - Island (Aug/Sept)

6. So America/Antarctica - Sapphire (Jan '24)

1.  Sea of Cortez 10 day - HAL Zuiderdam

2.  Alaska 10 day - Ruby Princess

3.  CA Coastal 7 day - Discovery

4.  Mexican Riviera  7 day - Discovery

5.  CA Coastal -  7 day - Discovery

6.  Hawaii - 15 day - Ruby Princess

Nice turn out for the Meet & Greet held at Skywalkers this morning.   We were informed there are 2447 people onboard.    Had a few officers answer questions and mingle with guests.   Captain was busy avoiding the large swells 😁