FredZiffle

Absolutely bring your own pods and dryer sheets.  They take up no space in luggage, and you avoid the ridiculous $3 price.  Also, the washers are smaller than what I'm used to at home, so plan accordingly in terms of how many loads you'll need to wash.

To answer your question regarding usage of a balcony, we had a southern route with reasonable temperatures and still did not use the balcony much, if any.  A little too breezy to be completely comfortable and nothing but empty ocean to look at.

27 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Interesting but wonder what the total pax is for Group A and the ship in general.

Admittedly, we're a small sample here on CC and FB, but it does seem strange that they are still filling Group A three weeks after it first opened up.  A contributing factor might be that most passengers are still unaware the arrival times are open for booking, or they don't realize that arrival times will actually be enforced.

9 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

 

 

 

  I very much think the developers had no concept of this and were focused on 2021 needs to stagger passengers and spread out the crowd for check-in.  

 

And yet they are clearly not staggering arrivals since every single one of us on the 8/22 sailing has been given Arrival Group A (except for one person who requested a late arrival and got Group H).  

I was able to select our arrival group back at the end of June for an Aug. 22nd sailing of the Majestic.  But then, there appears to have been no rush in doing so since every single person who has wanted it has gotten Group A.

The loyalty benefits on Princess were weak before the changes.  NCL has much better benefits for mid tier levels like Platinum, but then, we enjoy cruising with Princess more than with NCL even with poorer loyalty benefits.

1 hour ago, TRauppius said:

The forward part of the Majestic Conservatory/Hollywood space offers a unique complete wraparound/unobstructed indoor view that is ideal for the Alaskan glacier viewing as it is warm, has plenty of seating, and the crew often bring in finger snacks on tables setup on the interior wall of this space. It is a nice break from outside viewing as the Alaska glacier transit involves hours of transit and viewing maneuvers... it gets cold out there folks.

Have you experienced viewing the glaciers on a ship with a Conservatory before?  I just remember sailing the glaciers on a ship with a more traditional lounge up front with significantly more seating that was right up against the windows.  Any space by the windows that didn't have seating was clogged with people standing because, as you say, it gets cold out there.  With Conservatory seating a few feet away from the windows, I'm afraid that any views may be blocked unless you stand up and move closer.

I echo the suggestions to stay outside OSJ to save big bucks.  In fact, we stayed at the Embassy Suites in Isla Verde, which is almost to the airport.  Lots of restaurants within walking distance, as well as several car rental agencies.  Short taxi ride from the airport and only about 15 minutes or so from the hotel to the port.  The day we explored OSJ, we caught a local bus there and back

Keep in mind that those of you who are cruising to Alaska this summer, you are not leaving the US, so your regular medical insurance should cover you.

For other cruises outside the US, a good site for comparing coverages is www.squaremouth.com.  I have no interest in what I call disappointment insurance (coverage for trip cancellation, etc.), but I can find basic medical that covers evacs and up to $15,000 in medical coverage for less than $50 for two seniors.

The pictures I found online must be dated.  I guess Princess found a way to monetize the space with cabana rentals.  What a monumental waste of prime real estate, especially for an Alaska cruise where an indoor space with great views is sorely needed.

18 hours ago, TRauppius said:

Hope to clear away some "conservatory" misunderstandings.

 

The Hollywood Conservatory is actually a very nice "adults only" covered pool... and although the glass roof can be opened I have never seen it so. It also has a number of outboard facing cabanas on both sides of the conservatory. On my last Majestic sailing the cabanas hardly got any use and the crew often allowed first-come-first-served to use them for free. 

So, under normal circumstances, Princess actually rents these cabanas out?

Sent a pdf in two days ago.  Already credited.

June 23rd for an Aug. 22nd cruise.

31 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I agree, I do not see members of the crew wanting to get into confrontational situations.

The crew may not want to confront unvaccinated passengers, but I will bet there there will be enough vaccinated passengers like me who will point out people breaking the rules, and they will have no alternative.  I will not compromise my safety just to appease an ignorant minority.

On 6/20/2021 at 10:53 AM, skynight said:

Check in and boarding probably is an issue in the covid era. Smaller groups, maybe testing and other protocols. In the past there was never really a boarding issue even though Princess tried to have staggered boarding using the poorly thought out system of by your deck. People arrived and boarding went fairly quickly. People that did not enjoy sitting around for a short time or crowds just delayed arriving until after 1pm. Is Princess fixing something that wasn't really broken just so they can use the app? 

To me, the old system of boarding by decks was very much broken.  I want to start my cruise as early as possible, and I seemed to always get a 3:00 or later boarding time.  I literally would select my cabin by boarding time if I knew in advance what the order of deck boarding was.  Yes, I was always able to talk my way into the terminal early, but I never understood why they didn't just let people register for arrival times so that everyone got what they wanted.  Same result of staggering the number of passengers, but you have happy campers instead of disgruntled passengers like me.

Another tip if you don't get any returns from your initial search is to try similar cabins.  For example, there may be an identical cabin next to yours or on the opposite side of the ship.

2 hours ago, station10fd said:

  Something new showed up......A QR code to show at the blue lane and maybe straight on the ship at 11:30

Got the same thing.  Guess we won't know what it actually means until people start sailing.

54 minutes ago, Hooked Already said:

I'm not sure why the CSO would be tied to the Alaska cruises. I thought the main issue was Canada not allowing any cruise ships into their waters, which shouldn't have anything to do with the CDC.

Unfortunately, the legislation suspending the PVSA was tied to the existence of the CSO.  It was to remain in effect only as long as the CSO was still in place.  If the lawsuit by DeSantis results in the CSO being eliminated, the PVSA suspension will also go away.

53 minutes ago, sm3ds said:

The whole picture is they have no idea how long protection is from the so called “vaccine”. In a few months they are going to tell you you need another shot and then yearly. 

True.  They are already saying that we'll need a booster.  Doesn't bother me.  Whatever it takes to conquer this virus.

Am I correct in assuming I can obtain a RRFP (Regional Reduced Fare Permit) by mail ahead of time and then purchase a $1 ticket at the light rail station at the airport as well as at the station downtown for a return?  In reading up on ORCA cards, they require a $5 minimum load which is more than we would need.

I can post for months without anyone recognizing my user name.  You people are too damn old!  🙂

Okay, this is annoying as hell.  The Medallion App will only install on one of our devices.  Even on that iPad, when I open it, it stays open for about 10 seconds, then closes itself.  So, I'm unable to complete anything.  What's the solution?

On 5/22/2021 at 11:49 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

It's nothing like the Sanctuary. It's an inside area with windows overlooking the bow. It was used for a meet and greet on our Majestic cruise but mostly people just wandered in an out. There was some seating and pods. It got a bit noisy during the day but probably would not have been audible from cabins below, it was just chatter, people banging the xylophones that were in there for some strange reason, and a couple of tables of mahjong players (there was a Chinese tour group onboard). I don't recall any evening events there but I think I still have the Patters from that cruise so could check if you like. 

From your description, this area sounds a lot like an Observatory Lounge or Sky Lounge or Windjammers on other ships.  Is that an accurate comparison?  If so, it sounds like a perfect indoor location for sitting around and viewing the scenery as we cruise.

The last Princess cruise I was on, the coffee in the buffet was undrinkable.  Someone told me this was true across the fleet. 

After day 1, I started buying coffee in the International Cafe.  I'm assuming those plain coffees I bought will be covered under the beverage plan.

1 hour ago, DenaInWyo said:

I highly recommend an app call City Mapper for navigating public transportation. 

 

I'll give it a try next time out.  Thanks.