Near PDX

For the distance we have to travel to get to the cruise port we prefer cruising out of FLL rather than Houston. We'll pass on this sale.

We were able to see the northern lights a few years ago when we were on a land/sea cruise and spent the night in Denali but we are wondering if it is possible to see them from the ship in any port?

Here's a link to the University of Alaska's Northern Lights forecaster. You can play with the date as you get close to your cruise date. But as someone else noted, you have to be able to see the sky at night. Have a great cruise.

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast

I needed assistance walking last year and when we sailed from Seattle everyone was great in helping my DW and me. Upon getting near the entrance to the building my DW asked a Princess rep for a wheelchair for me. They then took our luggage for us and we were taken through security and check in and given priority boarding. After checking in a person from the ship came with a ship's wheel chair and took us to the head of the line to board. It was great service. I rented a scooter from Special Needs at Sea and had no problem getting it through the door of a standard balcony cabin.

From the Princess Cruise Gifts & Services page:

New! Alaska Cruise Companion Book and Map Set

A naturalist's guide to Alaska's wildlife and scenic highlights.

Item #5122 - $18.99

Our cabins seem to always include a little booklet that we tear the pages out of to use as coasters. :)

Yes it does. Thanks so much for the information. How did you like the cruise?

The Coral is our favorite Princess ship. We had also been on her in November after getting off the Regal, which is a very beautiful but way too big of a ship for us.

This was a spectacular cruise. Alaska has such beautiful scenery. This was our 8th Alaska cruise and we saw more whales, Humpbacks and Orcas, this cruise than any of the others. Service in our opinion was great, and food, though subjective, was also very good. I find the food threads on CC very entertaining. If you don't like something, just let your server know and they we work diligently to please you with something else.

We enjoy traditional dining because we get to meet and become a little better acquainted with our table mates. This cruise we were assigned a table for 4 and met a very nice couple who were both retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They were full of very interesting stories of life in rural Canada.

We have early dining on our upcoming Coral Alaska cruise. I have heard that the time is not really 5:45 pm but 5:15 pm. I know 5:45 is early enough but if it is 5:15 that is pushing it. Does anyone know for sure? Do you know what the late time is? My reservation says 5:45 pm for dinner. Thanks.

We just got off the Coral. We had first seating, traditional dining, in the Provence Dining Room at 5:15. Our Cruise Personalizer indicated it would be at 5:45. We did not find out it would be at 5:15 until we got our cruise cards. Hope that helps clarify the time for you.

We just got off the Corsal. At the lunch Sabatinis converted to Alfredo's pizza I told our server I liked my pizza spicy. She offered chili flakes and I declined saying not hot enough. She then brought out chili oil which was quite nice and very hot and very tasty. They make their own. I'm not as hung up on brand name for food if the results is what I want, and this was quite HOT and very flavorful.

Thanks. More detail on that excursion though. How exactly does the excursion boat meet back up with the ship in Juneau ? Thanks.

 

 

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The excursion boat, once it has visited both glaciers, cruises back out of Tracy Arm and to Juneau. It stays fairly close to shore. The last time we were on it there was a bear foraging right at the edge of the water and the boat was able to get quite close to it, but the skipper said that doesn't happen all the time. Once back in Juneau you get back directly onto the Ruby.

The Ruby Princess will offer an excursion in Tracy arm in which you can get off the Ruby directly onto a small excursion boat and go to the face of both the North and South Sawyer glaciers. You then take the excursion boat back to Juneau to meet back up with the Ruby, and if any wildlife or whales are spotted in transit the boat can get quite close. We have taken this excursion twice before and think the experience is far superior to Glacier Bay, which we've also done many times.

Hi Lucy,

You were one of our table mates during an Alaska cruise a few years ago. We certainly enjoyed your company. Glad to see you are still cruising, or at least dreaming about it.

Gary & Karen

We are going to be in Vancouver, BC in the first part of May, 2015, and while there decided to do the little 4 day Alaska sampler cruise on the Coral because it gives us an entire day in Ketchikan. Our Cruise Personalizer indicates 1 formal night and 3 resort casual nights for that cruise. Based on our Personalizer, it might not be accurate to make a blanket statement that there are NO formal nights on any 4 night cruise. A statement such as "usually not" might be more accurate.

We were on the Regal in November, and you just walk up. It is a great place to have lunch on embarkation day.

As will Alfredo's

Here is a link to a webpage that shows which of the Islands balconies are either covered, partially covered, or not covered.

We were just on the Coral and our near the aft balcony on the Dolphin deck was covered. The Island has minis on several decks. You might consider finding a covered one in an area you like and choose it on your booking, and then mark it to not upgrade.

http://www.islandpanama.org/meet-the-ship/covered-balcony-guide/

It was also implemented toward the end of our cruise on the Coral last week.

Kerry&LuAnn,

As you go through the locks you certainly want to see the view from those aft viewing areas. It's especially dramatic when the Coral is the lowest point in a Locke. You will also want to be on the side on the Prominade deck while lie in the lockes. You certainly also want to be on top deck too for a while so the moral to the story is to bounce around & see all the views. See you at the M&G?

Gary

My wife left her watch in the suite safe when packing. When we returned home that day we filled out the Princess lost item form and sent it to Princess. Our hope was the steward found it when cleaning the room and turned it in but Princess said no.

 

So either (a) my wife was mistaken about where she left it, (b) the steward found and kept it, or © it was found and kept by the next passengers.

 

Our bet is ©. It is also our loss...

We found a lady's' Bulova in the safe of a suite on a Caribbean cruise and turned it in to the Pursers Desk. We did not feel comfortable with the way our turning it in was handled. I asked for confirmation when the watch had been returned to its owner and gave them my business card for contact info. As I started to walk away, I turned and asked if she needed our cabin number, to which she responded "that would be helpful wouldn't it". We then watched her just push everything to the side and ask for the next person. Like I said, we never felt comfortable with our experience turning something in. Therefor, who knows what happened to your watch. We're just sorry you lost it.

We are on the Regal 11/06 sailing and have 6:00 TD times. I just checked as if I was changing our TD time and my choices were 5:30, 6:00 or 8:15.

I wish Princess would stop wasting money on technology for the geekdom and do something more useful with it, like upgrading their hairdryers.

I've lost my hair. What good is a hair dryer for me❓ Give me the technology please.

We were on the Grand during the first part of this years Alaska season and had no problem getting into Tracy Arm. But we have been there when we didn't get in very far in at all. Sorry you had to miss it. North Sawyer Glacier really is quite specular when you get to see it. I'm showing you this just to prove that it might be worth trying again like we did.

We have done the 7 day RT Seattle many times going to both Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm. For mid June to early August we prefer taking which ever ship that does the Tracy Arm run every week and then take the excursion that gets off the ship in Tracy Arm and goes to the face of both North and South Sawyer Glaciers. The reason we do Tracy Arm in mid June is that that is prime time to spot the mommy & baby seals out and about floating on the ice flows and we really like being able to see them.

We get off the Regal and then immediately get on the Coral on the 9th so we REALLY hope the Regal will be at 2 and the Coral at 4!

Kerry&LuAnn, why don't you come on over and join our Coral 11/9 roll call? There are not very many of us, but we are very friendly and talkative.

It is a crew only stairway. However, we used it once during a "mustard" drill just to see what it was like. It came out directly into Club Fusion.

Additionally, here's a link explaining shuttles and taxis while you will be in port.

http://www.whatsinport.com/Astoria-Oregon.htm