Paula_MacFan

1 minute ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I will be able to check that next month! 🙂

When people say "on our last few cruises" I really can't tell how much time may have lapsed. For us it's 2-3 years. 🙂

I get it -- some people go on several cruises a year and for us it's usually two. Also I can't say they NEVER have salads at IC -- we don't sit there 24/7 -- but I didn't see any on our January cruise and remember commenting to hubby about it. They used to have a shrimp salad that I haven't seem in a really long time. 

You can report back with your findings next month 🙂

13 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

 

IC had salads in Nov 2022 on Enchanted:

 

Not that I personally care about salads.... Sigh.... This is what I was there for:

 

 

 

these were heavenly:

 

and in the morning they had these small egg muffins, like broccoli cheddar, ham and cheese, and mushroom and cheese which were beyond delicious.

 

Yeah as I said we enjoyed salads in the past too but on our 2023 & 2024 cruises we haven't seen any. I don't disagree they were available back in 2022 😀

16 minutes ago, susancruzs said:

I'm a major IC fan as I don't care for buffets, haven't sailed on the Island for that reason.  I'm happy the Coral has the IC as I'll be on for 23 days April next year.  I get a pastry, yogurt or fruit for breakfast, then a small salad with a sandwich for lunch.  

The Island does unique itineraries so if you want to go to those places then that's the ship, IC or not 🙂  Also on our last few cruises we haven't seen any salads in the IC.  I used to like the salads there too but haven't seen any in awhile.  On our last cruise (January, Regal) the offerings appeared pared back from what we've seen and were primarily sandwiches and desserts.  

22 minutes ago, Guera53 said:

Ah ok was looking at the Island Princess and it doesn’t have an international cafe, thus the question!

That is correct -- the Island doesn't have an International Cafe but it has never had one to the best of my knowledge.  We sailed on that ship last fall and it was one of the few things we missed 🙂 Otherwise we really liked the ship and didn't have any problems finding food at other venues.  

1 hour ago, coldweather said:

We are looking into a cruise tour to Alaska this year (2024).  I am struggling to understand what is different with each tour.  Can you please help me understand a bit more about what is included in the Connoisseur Cruise Tour? 

We have an Alaska cruisetour booked for next month and in addition to posts here on CC (both this Princess forum and the Alaska forum) we found this Princess page helpful:  https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/cruisetours

This page compares all the different cruisetour options in chart form:

https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/cruisetour-options/cruisetour-finder/

The attached Princess Alaska PDF also has good info.  

alaska-cruisetours-overview-what-to-expect.pdf.coredownload.inline.pdf

5 minutes ago, BDevilCruiser said:

I typically search using my computer rather than phone (I can view things easier!)

 

Using Google Chrome, the option is not there on the web site. Likewise Edge and DuckDuckGo.

 

I just did a search using Google Chrome and it looked the same as usual to me.  

5 minutes ago, no1racefan1 said:

I was printing out all of our various travel confirmations and caught something interesting. When we originally booked the cruise, these two days were as follows:

 

Glacier Bay 9:15am-7:30pm

Skagway 7am-8:30pm

 

They are now listed as:

 

Glacier Bay 9:15am-6:15pm

Skagway 5:30am-8:45pm

 

I don't know when they changed as Princess never sent any kind of notification about a change in itinerary. I noticed the Skagway thing a few days ago so decided to review the rest of the itinerary. I saw somebody's post about a different Princess ship shortening their time in Glacier Bay, so maybe its just going to be a thing.

 

Not going to affect us at all, it's just interesting to see what all changes might be a surprise to people who aren't reviewing things regularly. You might remember we also didn't get a notification when shore excursion times changed.

Ours changed too with the exact same times (we're on Sapphire June 1) and we got a Booking Notice email from Princess a couple days ago on 4/17.  It didn't explicitly say 'hey here's a change in the itinerary' but I looked it over and compared it to our prior documentation and noticed the change.  

I was actually very happy to arrive earlier in Skagway as we have a Jeep rented and with 3 other ships in port arriving at the same time we were hoping to beat the crowd.  Now we should be able to with no problems.  And the Glacier Bay time change was only about an hour shorter, so that doesn't bother us too much.  Especially given that other sailings have times of 6am - 3pm or whatever -- I'd much rather have our time of 9 - 6 🙂 

1 hour ago, Editrix said:

 

This is also my experience. I booked all of my excursions through Princess for once because, although this will be my 8th cruise to Alaska, it will be my first as a solo and I wanted assurance that Princess staff would know where I was at all times.

 

I paid for my excursions last year. Since then, the prices have increased significantly.

 

. $130 more for Ketchikan excursion

. $100 more in Juneau

. $260 more in Skagway

. $40 more in Victoria

 

The four excursions I booked last year, pricey enough, would cost me a total of $530 more now. For one person!

 

 

I just looked at our excursions after your post.  We booked Hubbard Glacier for $299 and it's now $475!  

Others have increased as well, but none as much as that.  It pays to book early.  

Here's the one we got in February 2024.

We missed a port in January on the Regal.  We've had this happen before as well and have always received a credit to our onboard folio.  I would recommend double checking your final statement to verify you didn't get credit while onboard.  If at the end of your cruise you have a credit balance in your account, they will mail you a check.  If it's been 2 months you probably should have received a check by now for any credit balance you had on onboard.  

59 minutes ago, Bridget2 said:

I do hate that we don't get the statement before we leave the ship anymore.  I wonder if it's because there's less disputes if passengers don't see it for a week.  I wouldn't mind having it emailed if it was done promptly.

One of our favorite features of the app is the ability to check our folio any time, without having to go to Guest Services. We check it frequently during cruises and take a screen shot on the last day. On our last cruise we got our folio emailed very promptly as well. 

2 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

We considered using the Princess transfer from Southampton to LHR last fall, but the excursion notes said it was for passengers with international flights leaving after 4:30pm, and our flight left before that so we just took the regular Princess transfer without the Stonehenge stop.  If you can see the transfer in your Personalizer you might check the notes and see what the flight cutoff times are for your specific cruise.  When I look at the general excursions listed on the Princess website it shows a flight cutoff time of 5:45pm (see attached screen shot).

 

Since the transfer didn't work for us after the cruise, we instead used International Friends transfer with Stonehenge tour at the beginning of the cruise.  I know the OP didn't ask about pre-cruise transfers, but we would highly recommend International Friends in general for any transfer or tour.  

Edit to say I just saw your subsequent post about your flight leaving at 5:30 🙂  Sorry!

We considered using the Princess transfer from Southampton to LHR last fall, but the excursion notes said it was for passengers with international flights leaving after 4:30pm, and our flight left before that so we just took the regular Princess transfer without the Stonehenge stop.  If you can see the transfer in your Personalizer you might check the notes and see what the flight cutoff times are for your specific cruise.  When I look at the general excursions listed on the Princess website it shows a flight cutoff time of 5:45pm (see attached screen shot).

Since the transfer didn't work for us after the cruise, we instead used International Friends transfer with Stonehenge tour at the beginning of the cruise.  I know the OP didn't ask about pre-cruise transfers, but we would highly recommend International Friends in general for any transfer or tour.  

Since it's your first cruise I recommend reviewing Princess' general FAQs here 

https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq

For an overview of the Princess Plus package benefits see https://www.princess.com/en-us/cruise-deals-promotions/plus-premier-cruise-packages

For specifics see Princess Plus Terms and Conditions https://www.princess.com/en-us/cruise-deals-promotions/plus-premier-cruise-packages/terms-and-conditions

6 minutes ago, AZaTaz said:

Mine shows Crooners. which is strange as I have aft cabin 

Same here!  I just checked ours and we are aft as well and it shows Crooners.  We usually get an aft cabin and have never had muster in Crooners.  It's usually the Vista or whatever rear lounge is on the particular ship.  

5 hours ago, davy jones said:

The lingering question is "How much am I willing to pay to feel spoiled?"  Again, that comes down to personal habits and preferences. Some are willing to pay a large amount for suite accommodations with limited access areas, etc.  On the other hand, on OV cabin is fine and we will "splurge" on a balcony depending on the itinerary and cost.

 

I was going to post something similar -- that if you're going strictly off spreadsheet math, no one would ever book a balcony, mini-suite, or suite!  Cruising in general is a luxury with various options for every budget.  I don't know why so many people get their knickers in a twist over the packages and not room categories.  We don't have endless threads debating the cost/benefit analysis of inside rooms vs suites.  Everyone needs to do the math on the entire cruise and see what works for them 🙂 

For us that means balcony or better room every cruise and Plus package.  Those options fit our cruising style.  

11 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Was that recently? None came last week on Discovery but that was okay as the waiters used our iPhone to take photos.

I wondered about the photographer too because it's not listed as part of the package anymore on the Princess website.  When they raised the price of specialty dining with the additional service charge, I was comparing overall pricing for 2 specialty dinners vs getting Ultimate Balcony Dining.  I still think UBD seems to be a a good value, but would be even better if it still included the photos and other perks. 

See this lengthy thread for more information 🙂 

On 4/12/2024 at 5:07 PM, jeromep said:

 I'd add to your questions, this year I'd like to just rent a car and navigate around on my own.  Where can I rent a car that is within a short walking distance from the dock (that Majestic Princess will likely be at)?

Here is the cruise ship schedule so you can see exactly where you'll be docked.  It looks like the Majestic typically docks at the Alaska Steam Dock, but you can check your specific date.  

https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1551

Several years ago we rented a car in Juneau from Avis.  They have a seasonal office that is under a mile from the cruise docks (see Google maps for specifics).  We were happy with the car, the price, and the walk to pick it up was fine.  The only caveat I'd offer for this year is demand seems to be very high for Alaska cruises and as such, prices for everything seems to be at a premium.  I wouldn't wait long to investigate a car rental or any other excursion choices 🙂 

I agree with the advice you've gotten already -- layers and light jacket vs a heavy winter coat.  I would bring a head covering of some sort and gloves just in case -- they don't take up much room and better safe than sorry 🙂

I also wanted to chime in that temperature and comfort is such a personal issue.  We were on a Caribbean cruise in January and coming from our home where temps were in the teens, the local and ship temps felt wonderful!  But we saw people walking around the ship, even on the dance floor, in full winter/puffer coats, and some walking around wrapped up in blankets!  Meanwhile we were in shorts and t-shirts.  Since you're from a colder climate it probably won't seem that cold to you.  Our last Alaska cruise was in May and we hardly wore hat and gloves, only on Glacier Bay day.  The rest of the time we wore layers with light jackets and were quite comfortable.  

We are also going the same time frame as you this year -- our cruisetour land portion is the last week of May and the cruise portion is the first week of June.  I've already got the packing list made and can't wait to go!

The last time we were on an Alaskan cruise we spent most of the Glacier Bay NP day on our balcony and loved it.  We had an aft cabin on the lowest deck, close to the water line.  We could hear the ice popping in the water, and see birds and other animals in the water fairly closely.  We were able to pop in and out of our room for drinks, jackets, binoculars, cameras, etc as needed.  We could hear the ranger narration just fine by slightly leaving our door ajar (I realize for climate control purposes on a ship that is discouraged, but I suspect on scenic cruising days it's normal for short times).  

Once we went to the top deck because we'd heard 'you have to go to the open decks to enjoy anything'.  The open areas were packed with people, it was hard to see anything, and it was SO NOISY with people talking.  We couldn't hear any of the nature sounds up there as we had from our balcony.  We stayed up there for less than 30 minutes and retreated back to our balcony 🙂  We did visit the ranger station onboard early in the morning and picked up some printed materials.  

We have another aft balcony booked for next month and can't wait.  It's a very secluded and fully covered balcony so we shouldn't have any wind issues.  Different strokes for different folks when it comes to cabin choice and cruising style.  

15 hours ago, Zeke Eak said:

I should have mentioned we are supposed to have our bags out by 8pm. Which seems very early. 

We always do self-disembark and carry off our own luggage.  You can select that option if you don't want to put your luggage out the night before.  We only did that once on our very first cruise and then we said 'never again'.  Just in case you want another option 🙂  

45 minutes ago, dccruisin said:

It will be May 28th.  I checked the NP site and they start the tours in mid-May.   Linda

We are there the same day but on a Princess tour 🙂 

1 hour ago, Coral said:

What day will you be at Denali? The road generally is not open far in May.

 

June 1 used to be the magic day but with the road closure, it maybe sooner as they are not going as far.

We have the Tundra Wilderness Tour booked for 5/28.  The NPS website has posted these dates for 2024: 

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

driving to our homeport ... If it fits in the car, we can take it ... that's what she says ...

Same here -- when we drive to port we take lots of extras. Unfortunately we can't drive to Fairbanks so off to the airport we go 😀