Adventures in Alaska- Photo Review of a Northbound Cruise on the Coral - May 17

I am sitting (well, lying) at the airport in Anchorage Alaska, exhausted after a seven day cruise on the Coral. I've been up since 6am and will hopefully walk in my front door at 4pm tomorrow. I plan to write a full review regarding the ship and excursions, including photos along the way. The photos will take a little longer as I think I have around 1200 pictures! There are a few of the Coral and even of food, but most are of scenery and excursions. I have some menus and all of the Patters. I feel like we did a lot so hopefully I can provide some information and answer questions. I'll write what I can during my travels and will continue throughout the week. It will be a good way to relive a great adventure!

Thanks! Can't wait to read and see your pics! I'll be on the Coral in July on a Southbound Voyage.

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Looking forward to your review. Going next June so I am soaking in any info on Alaska.

This is great! I was hoping someone would do a review before we board on Saturday! I will be waiting anxiously! :)

I captured some of the webcam views as the Coral was sailing away from Vancouver for your cruise a week ago...thought you might like them to add to your other photos!

I am really looking forward to your review. Another member is on the Coral now and posted a very disappointing account of the state of the ship and the food amongst other things. Please let us know your impressions - hopefully they will be more positive. :)

We are on the Coral next year - but on the Southbound leg. I can't wait to see your pictures and learn what excursions you took. Thanks so much - in advance!

This is great! I was hoping someone would do a review before we board on Saturday! I will be waiting anxiously! :)

 

I captured some of the webcam views as the Coral was sailing away from Vancouver for your cruise a week ago...thought you might like them to add to your other photos!

 

 

 

Thanks so much for these great pictures!

This is great! I was hoping someone would do a review before we board on Saturday! I will be waiting anxiously! :)

 

I captured some of the webcam views as the Coral was sailing away from Vancouver for your cruise a week ago...thought you might like them to add to your other photos!

Thanks for those pics. I have bookmarked the site, since we will be leaving in 10 days.

I made it to my layover destination, almost home! I thought I'd share a little precruise information. This is the 2nd cruise for me and my husband. I'm in my late 20's and he's in his mid 30's. Our first cruise was also with Princess for a roundtrip voyage to the Panama Canal. I didn't think another Princess cruise or a trip to Alaska was in our future, but a great sale made it hard to say no. I booked with the three for free promotion: an upgrade, obc and a complimentary dinner at a specialty restaurant. I booked the lowest possible inside cabin, hoping to be moved to a higher floor mid ship. I received our first cabin assignment, an obstructed OV. I like darkness when I sleep so I really debated the upgrade but I ultimately decided to keep it. That's when I received another upgrade notice to a OV on fiesta deck - F518. These are the rooms by the casino that I believe are newer. I have a few pictures of the cabin and location that I will be adding when I arrive home.o

I made it to my layover destination, almost home! I thought I'd share a little precruise information. This is the 2nd cruise for me and my husband. I'm in my late 20's and he's in his mid 30's. Our first cruise was also with Princess for a roundtrip voyage to the Panama Canal. I didn't think another Princess cruise or a trip to Alaska was in our future, but a great sale made it hard to say no. I booked with the three for free promotion: an upgrade, obc and a complimentary dinner at a specialty restaurant. I booked the lowest possible inside cabin, hoping to be moved to a higher floor mid ship. I received our first cabin assignment, an obstructed OV. I like darkness when I sleep so I really debated the upgrade but I ultimately decided to keep it. That's when I received another upgrade notice to a OV on fiesta deck - F518. These are the rooms by the casino that I believe are newer. I have a few pictures of the cabin and location that I will be adding when I arrive home.o

We also booked with the "Three for Free" promotion. Just curious...did you use your credit at the specialty restaurant? I would rather just get OBC instead and eat in the MDR. In fact, with the late port times in Juneau and Skagway and the late viewing at College Fjord we may end up eating in the Horizon Court multiple times. Anyway...just wondering if getting the OBC was possible.

If you did eat at a specialty restaurant, were you able to pick your time and restaurant...or was it chosen for you?

We also booked with the "Three for Free" promotion. Just curious...did you use your credit at the specialty restaurant? I would rather just get OBC instead and eat in the MDR. In fact, with the late port times in Juneau and Skagway and the late viewing at College Fjord we may end up eating in the Horizon Court multiple times. Anyway...just wondering if getting the OBC was possible.

 

If you did eat at a specialty restaurant, were you able to pick your time and restaurant...or was it chosen for you?

Initially, I too had hoped to trade in the dinner credit for OBC. A card was in our mailbox giving us credit for the specialty restaurant. We looked at the MDR menu on the first night and nothing interested us. I called the DINE line and made our reservations for that night. So, I can't help with trading for the OBC, but can say that we were able to make our own choice of when and where to eat. Sabatini's was excellent!

Sorry for so many questions...I am getting excitied!

I just saw another post from someone who is currently on the Coral this week. She mentioned that the viewing area at the bow of deck 11 was blocked off this week. Did you happen to see if it was open on your cruise?

We specifically booked cabins at the front of deck 11 to have access to this space and it will be disappointing if it isn't open. She did mention that deck 10 was open.

Back to the rooms....one hallway with 13 rooms. No getting lost here! I was a little worried about being right next to casino - would it be too noisy? Would I be able to smell the smoke? No smoke, no noise! It was a pretty good location. The International Café was steps from our door. We bought a coffee card for this reason alone. We shared because I don't drink regular coffee and my husband doesn't drink "fancy coffee". So he got the fresh brewed coffee and I used the punches on mochas and cappuccinos.

I guess it wouldn't matter on warm/good weather cruises, but the only issue with the location was getting to the Horizon Court. If you used the elevators right outside the hallway, you had to cross the outdoor pool. On the cold, rainy days, this wasn't a good choice. The other (indoor) option was to go out to the atrium, use the stairs up to floor 7, cut through the hallway by the Wheelhouse Bar and use the elevators by the Princess Theater. Also, I would not choose the first two rooms in the hallway. There is a door to get into the hallway. Rooms 502 and 504 surely heard that thing slam often. I tried to remember to gently close it, but I wouldn't count on everyone doing that.

Here's the room:

the view:

the entrance to the hallway- the partially hidden door to the right:

Sorry for so many questions...I am getting excitied!

 

I just saw another post from someone who is currently on the Coral this week. She mentioned that the viewing area at the bow of deck 11 was blocked off this week. Did you happen to see if it was open on your cruise?

 

We specifically booked cabins at the front of deck 11 to have access to this space and it will be disappointing if it isn't open. She did mention that deck 10 was open.

Ask as much as you'd like and I will answer what I can!

The front of deck 11 was only open the first day - we used it for sail away to take pictures of the Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver. The next time we tried to use it was in Glacier Bay. It was closed, yellow tape and all. The front of deck 10 was open the entire time. I hope they open deck 11 by the time you sail!

This is great! I was hoping someone would do a review before we board on Saturday! I will be waiting anxiously! :)

 

I captured some of the webcam views as the Coral was sailing away from Vancouver for your cruise a week ago...thought you might like them to add to your other photos!

 

 

 

WOW!!! Would someone please provide me with link to the Vancouver Webcams? I have never been able to find this site.

I was on the Coral before these changes, when there was no IC. I had been under the impression that the new rooms would be window suites, but I see they are not. The room still looks good. The issue for me would be that they eliminated the windows from the casino. I enjoyed those. Glad you had fun!

WOW!!! Would someone please provide me with link to the Vancouver Webcams? I have never been able to find this site.

Here it is! http://www.visioncritical.com/the-view-from-here

Here it is! http://www.visioncritical.com/the-view-from-here

Thank You so very much! :)

Where to start? The food....all of the food! (Hopefully my first post regarding food that disappeared doesn't reappear now). I will try to add in my husband's comments from throughout the cruise, as the only meats that I consume are fish/seafood so my eating was somewhat limited compared to his.

At the risk of being flamed, I will admit that we went with traditional dining when we should have probably went with anytime During our previous cruise, we went with anytime dining and there was a wait every single time. We found ourselves waking up early to make reservations so that we wouldn't have to wait. So this time we decided to go with traditional dining. With the late nights in Juneau, Skagway and Glacier Bay, we skipped traditional dining three times. Two of the nights, after making sure there were plenty of tables and no one was waiting, we went to the anytime MDR to eat. We were impressed with every dinner we had.

My husband said his filet mignon he had on formal night was the best that he has ever had. I had scrumptious fish every night. The only thing that is a mystery to me is the combinations they sometimes offer, such as grilled fish and asparagus beautifully plated with a stack of greasy french fries. Overall we were happy with the dinners offered in the MDR.

We went to Sabatini's for the first night. Our appetizers were calamari and the artichoke soufflé. Both were delicious and I craved them for the rest of the cruise. We both choose the same entrée of lobster three ways and loved it. None of the desserts interested us so we went to the IC for our sweets.

The menu on the Princess website is the menu we ordered from.

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/Onboard_Experience/SabatiniDinner-2013-Sample.pdf

After looking at all of the pictures others have posted of the International Café, I was a little disappointed that the IC on the Coral is smaller than on other ships. It still had good food and we enjoyed it on several occasions. The first case had all desserts and the second cases usually had three or four sandwiches and some salads.

We ate most breakfasts and lunches at the Horizon Court as well as one dinner. I have read the other review of the same cruise I was on, and I have to agree that Indian food was prominent and always available. Asian food also had a strong influence on what was offered. One time I could not find a fish or seafood main dish. Once the potato option for breakfast was obviously the steak fries from dinner the night before. We were denied desserts that were already individually portioned and on display but were apparently not ready to be eaten by passengers. Other desserts that were always plentiful and available on our last cruise were frequently out on this one.

However, despite the above, we were overall satisfied with the buffet. I ate plenty of shrimp, scallops, crab cakes, rockfish and even fresh salmon. This morning I woke up and wondered where my fresh fruit and chocolate chip pancakes were! My husband is grateful that the endless sausage and bacon option is gone but misses the made to order omelettes he loved.

Thank you again for taking us along!

Did you get a chance to go to any of the aft viewing decks?

Thoroughly loving the review and the pics of the Coral We are boarding on Aug 9th for a B2B and these pics and review are what we were looking for now!!! Thanks for taking the time to post.

Thoroughly loving the review and the pics of the Coral We are boarding on Aug 9th for a B2B and these pics and review are what we were looking for now!!! Thanks for taking the time to post.

I too am looking forward to this review. I especially like the ones that are photo intensive.

We sailed Coral in January and did a photo review. I know the itinerary is different but I will supply the link if the OP says it is OK.

I DON'T want to do anything that would in any way diminish the review we are all looking forward to here.

Sorry for the delay, I had problems getting on the boards last night and earlier today!

Thank you again for taking us along!

 

Did you get a chance to go to any of the aft viewing decks?

I don't think so..... the only aft viewing I did was from deck 15 by the basketball court and off of deck 7. On the last night, I heard about an aft deck on 10. I spent 10 days on the Island and now seven days on the Coral and I was still finding new places the entire cruise.