Denali2003

Thank you for your updates.  We will be boarding the Island when you return.  We are doing the 15 day Panama Canal - coast to coast - May 11th - 26th.  This will be our first time on the Island and first time doing the Panama Canal.

Did they have any Arts & Crafts on the sea days?

I have been noticing that the Good Spirits bar & the Horizon Court coffee areas are not open until 5:30-6am.  I know a lot of people who are up at 4am and walk around the ship.  Is it possible to get coffee that early in the morning?  What about hot tea?  Is that open / available to help yourself 24/7?  Thank you 🙂

I see that the Patisserie is still listed on the above link for the Island Princess.  Some people have posted that it is no longer there.  What do they have instead of that?  Can you get ice cream on the Island Princess?

What time does the buffet open in the morning?  Is there Anytime dining or is it only Traditional?  I saw a post that someone went to the "mobile cafe" to get something to eat at 6:30am, but it was empty.  What time do they serve food there?  What kind?  Pastries?  Sandwiches?  Do you have a photo of it?  Thank you 🙂

On 6/13/2022 at 6:38 AM, AF-1 said:

yea, I will be going to Ireland in July.  Great to know my family and I will not have to test prior to coming home.  Thanks

You could always bring the home tests with you and test in your hotel room before flying.  Just so you know if you have to take extra precautions before getting on a plane with 150+ other people.  DH & I tested positive when we came home from our cruise last month.  God knows how many hundreds of people we infected on the ship, in the ports, airport, and airplane.  We didn't know we had Covid.  We wish we had brought the home tests with us.  Granted, there was nothing we could do about it on the plane (social distance) but definitely on the ship and in the airport.

On 5/26/2022 at 7:09 AM, AF-1 said:

I totally understand.  I wear a mask everywhere, I am immune compromised.  I was hoping the United States would drop negative covid test to return from overseas.  But I live with the rules

I believe the CDC will be dropping the negative Covid test for entering the US.  

My husband just read that a Carnival ship that just did the Panama Canal (FL - CA) is ORANGE status with Covid Cases.  @KenTheCruiser have you heard of any cases on board or people being quarantined?  I am curious about the testing between the B2B cruises.  I personally hope they do test.  As we are on the May 14th & 21st sailings.  We will be wearing our masks both on & off the ship.

@KenTheCruiser You mentioned that you go to the dining room when they open for dinner.  Do you know what the "crowd" is like around 7:30pm?  We would also like a table for 2 away from other passengers (you mentioned asking for an empty table next to you).  We will be on the May 14th sailing and it is 90% capacity.

My husband & I were on the Regal Princess in Dec 2021.  The ship holds 3,600 passengers and there was only 1,200 on board.  I personally liked that there was not a lot of passengers.  The crew was amazing!  We had great service everywhere!  At the end of the cruise we gave tips to several crew members in different areas.  Everyone was very friendly.

Formal night:  I wear a dress, semi-formal and my husband wears a Tux.

We are booked on the Caribbean Princess for the May 14th & 21st sailings.  We will be wearing a mask at all times, except for eating & drinking.  Both on & off the ship.

KEN:  WOW, you have a lot of cruising days.  Have you done world cruises?

I emailed my Princess travel agent, he said that the May 14th sailing is fully booked.  He couldn't give me a percentage or total number of passengers, but I could ask Passenger Services once on board.

Could it be that the May 14th sailing is fully booked?

Hello!  My husband & I will be stopping in San Juan during our May 2022 cruise.  We have been to San Juan 3 times.  We are looking for something different to do. The last time we were there, we did a 90 minute drive with a very nice driver (along with other people who were already on the van)  It was a nice drive.  We do not want to go to the forts (been there done that).  However, the local drivers that are at the port seem to all go to the same places (including the forts).  Is there a private tour we can do that goes somewhere "off the beaten path"?  We are looking for a tour that's maybe 3-4 hours long.  Thank you for your help!  🙂

At the Aqua Zone -- is there a place to change clothes (clothes to bathing suit) and is there a place to put your personal items?  Locker?  

We are also on the Dec 9th 4 day cruise on the Regal.  I'm really hoping we can walk around on our own without a ship excursion.  The PediCab sounds like fun.  Has anyone ever done one?  

I also read that cruises used to go to Amber Cove up until 1995, then not again until 2015.  Does anyone know why no cruise ships went there for 20 years?

On 8/11/2021 at 4:48 PM, DuncanBlizzard said:

Copying what I wrote in the live thread:

In both the buffet and the International Cafe, I got foods that were not what they were labeled.  In one case, the salad had pine nuts and not pistachios like it said (and I can have both so no problems for me).  In other cases, they just labeled things wrong -- listed cabbage when it was lettuce, omitted various significant ingredients, etc.  I mostly got the little salads in a cup or on a plate in those places for breakfast the next day and was disappointed at how bad they were at labeling things.  Again, it wasn't a big issue for me but I can tell I ate some of the wrong things most likely from these types of things I ate outside the dining room. 

 

I can also attest to the fact that perhaps because so many of the crew are from different countries that they struggled when I said a not-so-common word.  For example I got pecans at the buffet often to snack on, and many didn't know which nuts were pecans and I couldn't point well given the glass barriers between me and the food.

Wow, you would think foods would be labeled better, because of people with food allergies.  I will make sure I talk to the head buffet chef.

I don't have an issue with Gluten (because I can eat wheat breads & pastas), I have an issue with eating white breads & pastas, high sugar foods and high sodium foods.  Don't know why.  But I can eat a sugar free pastry that's made with white flour and I'm ok.  Weird, I know.  I'm a walking medical mystery 😅.  I have been tested and I do not have Diabetes or Celiac.  I do have Neuropathy and certain foods make the pain more intense.  

I have been following the thread of the Majestic Princess that is currently sailing Alaska.  Some people have posted photos of the menus.  I did see Carrot cake on one of them.  I've never had carrot cake before.  If you have, on Princess, how is it?  I'm hoping it will be an option when I cruise in Dec 2021.

Curious. . . . when the Head Buffet Chef walks you around the buffet, does he have to do that every day for every person who asks?  Does he ever get tired of doing it?  For me personally, I will ask for assistance once or twice, but to do it every time I go to the buffet, I feel I would be disturbing him and taking him away from his cooking duties. 

12 hours ago, ChangeOrder said:

Yes those are accurate. I’ll add that when you are sitting in a chair you can’t see anything below unless you lean forward. No one can see up to you either. The view from the Seaview walk above is only to the railing, and you are protected overhead. Plenty of privacy. 
 

Here was our schedule today in Glacier Bay. The Rangers set up shop in the Conservatory and sell a few things, along with the talks and question answering. I highly recommend the stuffed grizzly - he’s very soft!

These are cool!!  If you don't mind me asking, how much was the bear adoption?

I've been following the current Majestic Princess sailing in Alaska.  A few people have posted pictures of the menus.  Surprisingly there are quite a few things I can eat.  I was very happy to see them.  I did email the Dietary Specialist inquiring if those items would be available on our Caribbean cruise in Dec.  I hope they are.  I know the menus change depending on which ship and where they are.

Someone mentioned the Wine Dinner Table.  What is that?  Thank you 

What is a Sharp Box?

Did Princess do any rapid Covid testing of passengers prior to boarding?  Will they be doing any random testing?

What do you do for lunch on Embarkation day?

Thankfully I can eat Oatmeal.  I can eat whole wheat items.  I figured GF would be an easier option on the ship.  I had no idea I could get GF pancakes in the buffet.  Yay! 😀  Do they have to special make them?  I've been cruising since 2003 and never knew any of these wonderful things.  Probably because I never had these special dietary needs until now.  WOW, GF pastries at I.C.  Double Yay!!! 😍  Does the I.C. also have sugar free pastries?  Does the buffet or IC have dairy free yogurt?  I've only talked to the Head Chef in the buffet once.  It was in 2018 on our Hawaiian cruise.  There was only 1 or 2 Vegetarian options on the buffet.  I asked to speak to the Head Chef.  He came out and talked to me.  He said he was a Vegetarian also and was disappointed in the selections.  He then showed me the buffet menu for the whole cruise.  There was only 1 or 2 Vegetarian "entrees" .  After that every day when I went to the buffet, he would see me, come out and show me around and let me know what my options were.  One day they had spaghetti wrapped in Eggplant.  YUM!!!  That was delicious.  I told him.  He said "I made that!"  with a big smile on his face.  

I'm really hoping that with all the walking I will be doing on the cruise will also help me with my Neuropathy.  

Thank you all so very much!!!  I feel better knowing that I do have options.  Glad to hear that the ships carry GF food.  I'm also a Vegetarian, so I'm sure my meals will be very different from most people's.   Do you know if I can get GF pancakes for breakfast in the dining room?