rheathslc

Yes. Haha! But we brought a ton of extra things that we normally would not as this is a special trip and a lot of it will not be going back with us. We did not get an escort because after check in we had to clear customs but I usually hand all my luggage off to the porters and walk on with only my tote bag so it was fine. 🙂

It took me a couple tries to get into the first book but then I was hooked. I found the first several chapters of the first book uninteresting and gave up twice. But my mom raved about the books and really wantsd me to read them with her. The third time I stuck to it and once I got to chapter 5 or 6 I think it finally grabbed me. So don't give up. And on subsequent re-reads I realized that the first several chapters end up being very significant.

Day 1: Evening We had dinner at the Crown Grill and the important parts were great. The lobster cake appetizer was delicious. The Grill Salad however was unappealing and I left it mostly uneaten. The filet was scrumptious as usual but the baked potato was truly puny. It was alright as I really didn’t NEED more food but it was sort of sad looking on the plate. The asparagus was perfect! Preston managed to convince them NOT to sing but they did bring me the birthday dessert. It’s just really not my style. I ordered the key lime pie bar but it was disappointing. I took advantage of having access to Club Class dining to get my all-time favorite dessert - soufflé!

Day 1 - Late Afternoon Boarding: Once we cleared customs we walked on right at 3pm. We went straight to the spa to reserve the Thermal Suite and then to the Sanctuary to reserve loungers. They would only let us reserve for Glacier Bay. I asked about reserving for the whole cruise but they said the weather is too unpredictable and that each day IF the weather is nice they would open around 10 am and at that point you could reserve a lounger for a half day. This is a stark difference from my experience on the Crown in May. I reserved for the whole cruise and even though it was cold and there were a few times it rained a little bit, I used the Sanctuary every day and LOVED it. It was also open from 8am-5pm each day. To be fair I was the only one there most of the time so I understand not opening if there is only going to be a single guest. After that we went to check out our suite and see if the luggage had arrived. The Suite (R730) is beautiful! The balcony is huge. The weather has been so beautiful so we’ve gotten a lot of use out of it already in just the first two days. I will post pictures and a full review of the cabin later. Four of the five suitcases were at the door when we first arrived. The missing one had ALL of my clothes but I wasn’t worried. I WAS a bit anxious to get it though because while it was cool and rainy when we landed in Seattle, it was clear and in the 70s when we got to Vancouver and I was dressed much too warmly and wanted to change for sailaway. While we waited we ordered cheeseburgers with fries via Dine My Way on our stateroom TV and devoured them. We realized we had breakfast at 5am and nothing else after that other than a bag of pretzels I got from the vending machine before we caught the shuttle. By the time we finished eating there was still no 5th suitcase. I got a little nervous when the captain made the announcement at a little after 4pm that we would be sailing at 5pm and I still didn’t have that suitcase. But it did eventually arrive around 4:30. All was well. Sailaway: The weather was gorgeous and we spent the sailaway in the Retreat. All of the top deck spaces were packed with people. The is by far the fullest FEELING sailing I've been on since the restart. At the Captain's Circle event they said 2200ish passengers - I can't remember the exact number - which seems low for how busy all the public spaces seem. I guess I just got spoiled in the last year with all the less than half full sailings.

We're in Ketchikan today so I finally have cell signal and can post! I was writing up all my thoughts last night and Preston asked me if I was finished writing my dissertation yet. Haha! So brace yourselves for the forthcoming missives. Day 1 - Late Morning - Afternoon Shuttle transfer to Vancouver: Thank goodness we got on shuttle A from SeaTac to Vancouver. We pulled out of the shuttle bay at 9:30am and made it to within a quarter mile of the border crossing by 11:15. We ended up having a 40 minute wait at the border because a long line of cars were blocking the truck/bus lane. Some of the truckers and our bus driver decided to take matters into their own hands and went off-roading on the unpaved shoulder to get around the cars. After that we made quick progress to the crossing and it only took about 15 minutes to clear customs. Then it was a quick ride into Vancouver. We were dropped off at Canada Place at 1:15pm. Just under 4 hours total from SeaTac to the pier. Not bad even with the border traffic. Shuttle B was scheduled to leave SeaTac no later than 10:30. With the Labor Day traffic at the border I don’t know how they could possibly have made it to Vancouver in time but I really hope they did. Check-in: Check in was a dream! Everything was well labeled and orderly and there were tons of helpful staff pointing us where to go. As Suite passengers we got to bypass the main line and checked in with no wait at all. And thank goodness for that because even though the check in process was quick and painless the line we had to get in after that (which for some reason I was completely unprepared for) to clear U.S. customs was HORRENDOUS! Customs: At this point I REALLY wish we had paid the money to fly in the night before and stay at a hotel close by the pier. If we had been among the first in line like we normally are, we likely would have had a much smoother experience. As it was, it took us almost two hours to wind slowly through the serpentine labyrinth that was the line to clear customs. I have NEVER experienced anything quite like it. And the line behind us just kept getting longer and longer. I honestly don’t know how or indeed even IF the people behind us in line made it onboard in time. We finally stepped on board at about 3pm. An hour and 45 minutes after arriving at Canada Place. All told between the wait at the border to cross INTO Canada and then the wait to clear U.S. customs to LEAVE Canada we spent almost 3 hours of our day waiting in line to cross into Canada then almost immediately leave again. Upon reflection I realized that most of my cruises have been round trip and thus avoided the border crossing situation we encountered in leaving from Vancouver. Now that I know what is involved I think I will most likely NOT cruise one-way from Vancouver ever again if I can help it. 🙂

From late last night: Tried posting this earlier but doesn't seem to have posted. An issue I know has been common while posting from onboard. Today was... hectic. I've now been awake for 21 hours after sleeping only 5 last night (and only 3 the night before that). And the internet has been sloooow. I'll write up a full review of embarkation, sailaway, and our gorgeous aft suite tomorrow after some much needed sleep and our first Suite Breakfast at Sabatini's. I'm gonna be dreaming about poached eggs.

Glad you found a good replacement as well. Enjoy!

We made it to SeaTac! And we made the first bus so we're going to make it to the ship a bit earlier than we planned. Hooray! The long-suffering Preston can't wait to hand my excessive luggage over to Princess. Haha!

Day 1 - 6:00am MST Well the too many suitcases proved to be our downfall. Literally. Before we ascended the 2 floors from the airport shuttle drop off to check in I thought too myself "we should take the elevator - this is a lot of luggage" but I ignored my better judgment. The first escalator ride was awkaward but fine. One the second I unwisely positioned the largest bag in front (upslope) of me. One of the wheels slipped from the stair and two adults and five suitcases of varying sizes performed a slow motion tumble down several escalator stairs. Mind you, it's 4:30am and the airport is deserted so there was no one around to help or even hit the emergency stop button for what seemed like full minutes. My ankle is a bit banged up and my shiny new shoes got smeared with thick black grease from the stair riser. Lesson learned - when it doubt, take the elevator.

We're all packed! In terms of clothes I did very well. Everything fit in one - albeit large - suitcase. The shoes and toiletries are another story. I have large feet (size 12 womens/10.5 mens) and my hiking shoes alone took up a 1/4 of the medium case. And I'm taking a bunch bath accoutrement and plan on making good use of the nice tub in our suite. But we're bringing ducks to hide, a few of our favorite small footprint "boardgames" and a bunch of stuff to decorate for my birthday so we have more cases than I would like. Oh well. We'll have a blast! Now for 5 hours of sleep before we catch our flight! Woohoo!

Thank you! Me too! It's why we opted for the FCC instead of the official replacement options. I didn't want to wait until November. And thanks for the tip about the suite robes. I know the suite benefits flyer SAYS upgraded robes but I wasn't sure what that would mean exactly. On my last cruise I asked if they sold those nice spa robes. They don't. Too bad. But one of our local spas has very similar robes and DOES sell them.

Tests were both negative! Time to pack! I am a habitual over-packer (I'll see if I can dig up the pic of the luggage I took on my first solo cruise - which just so happened to be for my 30th b-day 10 years ago - it was comical - and getting through customs in Montreal was miserable) so for my last Alaska cruise in May this year I really tried to be mindful of what I packed. I ended up wearing everything I took but did NOT read the big, heavy, real books I took. I used my Kindle exclusively so I think I'll be able to save a few pounds this time by admitting now that I will NOT read that new non-fiction tome and will instead consume nothing but Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series for the 17th time (probably NOT an exaggeration). But here's what I wish I HAD packed last time and am adding this time: Sun hat - I don't go ANYWHERE without serious sun protection because I burn in approximately 3 seconds. I figured I wouldn't need it on a late May trip to southeast Alaska. Boy was I wrong. We had GORGEOUS weather the whole time and I bought a ball cap with a sequined Sea Witch logo but it did NOT do the job. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Binoculars - none of the many lists I read prior to my last cruise mentioned this one. Several people used them during our day in Glacier Bay and on the train ride in Skagway. I wished I had some. So I'm bringing the little compact pair I got, funnily enough, as a reward for being complimented by guests during my four summer seasons working at the McKinley Princess Lodge on the border of Denali STATE park (which has the best view of Denali btw) a hundred year ago (okay, maybe only 17). 3 swimsuits - Hear me out - the pools and hot tubs were deserted on my last Alaska trip but were delightful if you're okay braving the discomfort when you hop out and have to run for cover. So I used the pools, hot tubs, and thermal suite multiple times a day. It was too cool and humid for my suits to dry between uses. Putting on a clammy suit is the WORST! SO I got a third suit for this trip. Cozy robe - The robes they provide in the cabins are okay for covering up after a shower but leave a lot to be desired in terms of comfort and warmth. Both important on an Alaska cruise - especially one on which we have a nice big wraparound aft balcony. I'm going to use our ziploc space bags to pack some of the bulky items like my robe and down coat.

We leave from Vancouver but since the cruise ends in the U.S. we should be okay if we test positive onboard. We have family in Anchorage with whom we can stay if we did need to isolate for any reason. My understanding is that only if the cruise ended in Canada before we completed a 10-day isolation would we be required to isolate after disembarkation and before heading home. But your question is a good reminder to review all the rules. 🙂

T-Minus 1 Day until Embarkation After our two 5-day B2B cruises on the Diamond for Sept 1st and 6th were cancelled a few weeks ago we scrambled to find something for a similar date range and were able to book an aft Penthouse Suite on the Royal at short notice leaving just two days later. So here we are! This is my 4th (and partner's 2nd) cruise since the restart and I found all the "Live From" threads last summer and fall so valuable that I figured I could attempt to repay the favor by starting one for this trip. We booked the original cruises to celebrate my 40th b-day which is actually today, Sept 2nd. We were supposed to already be onboard for my actual b-day but instead today I'm celebrating at home by doing the Abbott BinaxNow proctored test (since cruise leaves prior to the Sept 6th testing rules change) and packing. 🙂 We really wanted to fly directly to Vancouver the night before but with how late these changes happened, flights and hotels were already way too limited and expensive. So, we're risking it a bit by flying in tomorrow morning. If everything goes according to plan, we'll leave from Salt Lake City at 7:00am and land at SeaTac at 8:10am and catch the estimated 4-hour Princess transfer from SeaTac to the pier in Vancouver. I tried every possible combination of travel methods I could think of but nothing else would have gotten us there earlier without having to pay BIG bucks to stay overnight in a hotel (around $500). Since this is a splurge trip for us for my big b-day I decided I'd rather spend that money at the spa onboard. We're also trying out the new Princess Premier package on this one and I will report back about that as well. As I start packing I'll document what we're taking with us. I did a 7-day "Inside Passage" cruise rt out of Seattle on the beleaguered Crown in May and learned a lot about what I want to pack for Alaska this time. Hope someone finds this useful and/or entertaining. 🙂

We've gotten them on all three cruises since the restart on Majestic (Oct), Ruby (Nov), and Crown (May).

Same. I have to take my own products everywhere. I'm super sensitive to artificial scent and even some natural fragrances as well. I get instant headaches with certain scents. I'm just glad Princess doesn't use scented laundry products.

Trader Joe's has so many delicious and dangerous treats!

I really prefer dark chocolate with caramel but that's harder to find sometimes.

You'd be guessing right. 🙂 And there is usually (or there was in the past anyway) an extra charge for the actual Panama Canal day and that won't be included automatically if you book for the whole cruise. With Platinum status I have been getting on board early enough to book for the full cruise since the restart but those were all on sailings that were around half full and the Sanctuary was deserted every day other than me. Hope you can book the lounger you want!

I ordered the silver bracelet and the sport clip (do NOT recommend the recycled ones - more on that later) and one of the wristbands (again do NOT recommend the recycled ones) through the app. Each item was about $7 cheaper than buying on board but only had to pay one $6 shipping charge so overall I saved money by purchasing in advance through the app. If you're only wanting one item it might be easier to wait until you're on board. I wanted to love the bracelet but it's an odd shape. It's not big enough for me to really consider it a bangle (even the large) but it isn't the right shape for a close fitting bracelet. It's very round whereas most wrists are oval. So even the large squeezed the sides of my wrist and gaped at the top and bottom.It's not comfortable on my wrist. If it were REAL silver it would be somewhat easy to reshape it but it's just silver-toned and seems like a brittle metal that would break if I tried to bend it. I also find that the clasp on mine is NOT very secure. It pops open frequently. That might be related to the fact that it doesn't fit me well but I would NOT use it for anything active. I still use it for dinner but that's really all. I love the sport clip and use it almost exclusively. It's easy to use and has a pretty sleek profile. I find the medallion is very secure in it and it works perfectly clipped to my collar, coat pocket, swim suit strap, etc. I really don't like having stuff around my neck so the lanyard is something I basically only use for embarkation and disembarkation. My partner has one of the rubber wristbands and likes it. I found it bulky so I'm glad I didn't get one for myself. The recycled clip and wristband are very low quality IMO. Brittle cheap plastic and the band is too rigid. I also really disliked that the medallion is secured in place with two plastic pieces that snap and twist together, not a magnet like the other bands and clips. It is a hassle to switch out the medallion. So unless you were just going to use the recycled band or clip for all day, everyday use you'll be having to take off and disassemble the pieces to switch out your medallion. Which was also my complaint about the original lanyard holders. The new lanyard clip style is a HUGE improvement. To confirm what @cre8tiv1 said above, they DID allow me to return the awful recycled sport band on board that I had purchased in advance through the app.

Thank you! I hope we can someday! We'll for sure be on the Discovery on Feb 11th 2023 for a 5-day Cabo cruise and April 2024 for the 10-Day Mexican Riviera Eclipse cruise. We MIGHT get one in between those but not certain yet.

I plan on it when I've got a bit of time to spare waiting on hold forever.

I do 🙂 And we were in a suite for both of the 5-day cruises on the Diamond but replaced them with a single 7-day so only 2 credits and not 4 like we would have gotten. I guess I'll just have to reach elite the hard way like most other people. Haha!

I have a Princess CVP who I have worked with for years and he's amazing. He can't always get back to me right away. They are all swamped and working long hours right now, especially since the Diamond cancellations. But he usually gets back to me within a day. On the 8th when the cancellations were announced I called him right away and even though it was after his normal hours he called back within 30 minutes and got everything taken care of super quickly. I owe him a nice bottle of scotch or something for all the times I ask to change cabins after something I read on here or a review video, add or remove pax, move deposits to new cruises etc. Haha!

Update: Princess will NOT give us the OBC for the 2nd cancelled cruise on our ONE replacement. They allowed us to apply both sets of FCC to one new cruise but I guess there is a limit on OBC. Maybe I just didn't read the TNCs closely enough. I'm going to go back over everything with a fine tooth comb. So for now we have to pick a different cruise to apply that OBC to. I'm a little annoyed and might see if I can take this up the chain and find someone to allow an exception or something.