kamelia

Also, make sure you are in Airplane Mode before turning WiFi service on.

Balcony cabins do have some advantages for Alaskan itineraries, but you don't risk missing that much if you choose an interior stateroom. The park rangers will be giving presentations in Princess Theatre (which will be scheduled outside of prime glacier-viewing time), so everyone who wants to attend will be inside at that time. As the ship gets closer to the glaciers, you'll want to be outside, and the park ranger commentary will be broadcast on the outside decks. To be honest, it's often easier to hear when you're in the public areas outside rather than being on your own balcony trying to listen to it on your stateroom television. It's also a lot easier to move if you're on the port side of the ship and the ranger announces, "orcas on the starboard side of the ship." 😉 Even when we've booked a balcony, I still prefer viewing from the public decks on Glacier Bay day!

This is from the Tongass National Park "Welcome to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center" website: "Visitors are required to purchase a pass from May 1–Sept. 30 to enter the Visitor Center. Passes can be purchased at the automated machines available in the Mendenhall Glacier parking lots or inside the visitor center at the Discovery Southeast bookstore. Day use passes sell for $5 per person and collectible season passes will be for sale for $15 for the card holder and one guest the entire season. Those age 15 and younger are free. The passes also allow access to the Pavilion, Photo Point and Steep Creek Trails. Fees are not necessary for accessing the parking areas, or hiking Nugget Falls Trail, East Glacier Trail, Powerline Trail, Moraine Ecology Trail, the Trail of Time, and all the Dredge Lakes and West Glacier Trails. Federal lands passes such as the “America the Beautiful” pass, Senior Pass, or Military Pass are also accepted."

There has always been a facility with flush toilets just before you get to the Visitor's Center, and when we were there last summer there the park service had added a trailer with additional stalls on the other side of the Visitor's Center just before you reach the trails.

It may be worth noting that there IS a restroom facility available that does NOT require a pass to access.

It's under Packages: The beverage count only included alcohol drinks redeemed, not specialty coffees. HTH!

Or my corrupt data in the POLAR system rears its ugly head yet again! 🥴

Good thought! I just went back in to check, and yes, DH and I are both shown within the 31 profile pictures that are currently associated with the reservation, although I don't recognize anyone else. But, taking it to that next step did reveal that I "have been added to a Dining reservation by GroupZ_group5!" No clue as to what group that might be, however, a private table for 52 people... maybe we've been comped Spellbound! for the entirety of our cruise? 🙄

"App"-solutely!

Actually, it has led to a fun exercise this afternoon - thinking about who would be those 50 other tablemates I could choose from the folks I’ve observed and interfaced with here on Cruise Critic…. no doubt, it would make for a very interesting dining experience 😊

So, I thought I would try out the new app after the most recent update to make my dining reservations only to find out someone else has already made them for me. ⁉️

Here are two screen shots from NASA's Where & When website that I thought might be of some use to you tomorrow as you're trying to figure out when the partial solar eclipse might be visible from Sapphire Princess. Hopefully you will be able to figure out the timing based on more accurate information as to the ship's actual position. Fingers crossed for good weather conditions for you! Using zip code from San Pedro Pier, Los Angeles Using zip code from Hilo, Hawaii

😢

So, the Future Cruise Department is another victim of decisions to outsource what used to be a well-run operation?

Yes, and yes. We went to book a future cruise onboard a Princess ship last year and the person there outlined this great new program being offered that could save us a significant amount of money on the cruise we were looking at booking. Long story short, $1,000.00 of the promotion price was applied to the future cruise fare, and this new program entitled us to discounts on hotel stays as well as a certificate for a free 5-night stay at a Premium location. Six months later, I can tell you that the discounted rates on hotels are less than the discounted rates we get with either AAA or AARP, and the certificate will entitle us to 50% off a Premium location that we would want to stay at. In hindsight, knowing what we know now, we would not have signed up for the promotion. It IS associated with Princess, it IS O.N.E., and there may be a benefit to someone who does not have access to other discount programs. YMMV.