Alaska Southbound meal options in 2016

[Planning is Half the Fun]

Our island princess southbound cruise leaves in a month and we are trying to figure out what priority we should give to meals - having the assigned waitstaff is one of our favorite things on any cruise, but it's our first Alaska Cruise and I'm looking for current information from anyone who cruised from Whittier down to Vancouver in 2016.

 

I hear some port days they go to flexible seating. Can you tell me which days that was? Also, is it true that formal days were the first Glacier Day and also Juneau day? Surely those were assigned seating, right?

 

Are menus ever posted in advance?

 

How does lunch in the dining room work?

 

Is it true that the only crab on the cruise will be in the specialty restaraunts for an upcharge? And which night was that?

 

And are there any late night buffets? My very first cruise there was a midnight chocolate buffet and I've never come across another one since.

 

We are traveling with 4 other couples and trying to come up with a general plan of when we can catch up together. Most of the information I've seen has been from previous years or else from roundtrips out of Seattle.

 

Thanks for your help

[fishywood]

I hear some port days they go to flexible seating. Can you tell me which days that was? Also, is it true that formal days were the first Glacier Day and also Juneau day? Surely those were assigned seating, right?

 

If there are any days you are in port until 7:00 or later there is a possibility that there will be no fixed seatings, only open for all. It is totally at the whim of the maitre d' and you cannot rely on what was done even on the previous sailing. You can ask your waiter or head waiter the first night if they know whether it may happen on your cruise, and if they can hold your table & time for you on those nights. A late port night will almost never be one of the Formal nights unless there are no other alternatives.

 

Are menus ever posted in advance?

 

The next night's menus are posted outside the MDRs as soon as dinner each night ends. You can ask if the entire week's menus are available either at the specialty dining reservation table on embarkation day, or from the headwaiter at first night's dinner.

 

How does lunch in the dining room work?

 

Open seating from approx. 12:00 to 1:30. MDR not open for lunch on port days.

 

Is it true that the only crab on the cruise will be in the specialty restaraunts for an upcharge? And which night was that?

 

Again, ask on embarkation day which night(s) Crab Shack will be offered in the Horizon Court by calling the Dine Line or visiting the specialty reservation table. Another case of being offered at the whim of the maitre d' so the dates on previous sailings not a reliable predictor.

 

And are there any late night buffets? My very first cruise there was a midnight chocolate buffet and I've never come across another one since.

 

Long ago discontinued on Princess. The Horizon Court will be open until 11 or midnight each night. (Note that the Island has no 24 hour International Cafe so check the closing time of the HC in the Patter each day if you like late night snacks).

 

We are traveling with 4 other couples and trying to come up with a general plan of when we can catch up together. Most of the information I've seen has been from previous years or else from roundtrips out of Seattle.

 

Have you all requested the same MDR seating time? If you want to be seated with one or more of the couples, each of you has to have your booking numbers linked to the other. But should there be a night of no fixed seating you just need to show up together to be seated together.

Thanks for your help

 

My thoughts in red above.

Edited July 16, 2016 by fishywood

[Planning is Half the Fun]

Hi.

 

Thank you - I will make time to hit that specialty dining station - sounds like I can get a lot of answers there.

 

We are using a travel agent who has assured us she linked us all together for dinner. Hopefully that's accurate.

 

I'm very grateful for your help.

[Working 2 Cruise]

One thing that Fishywood hasn't mentioned is there will be crab legs served in the MDR in Juneau. Open seating will be anytime the ship is due to leave later than usual, I.e., Juneau.

[TW6cruiser]

We did a southbound Alaska last summer. I do remember one day it was open seating at night as people were out late on excursions--I do not remember which port it was.

 

I also recall that on the day we embarked from Whittier, that when you boarded they gave you a 'ticket' with a time frame for going to dinner. We had reserved "anytime dining" for the week as we were traveling with friends who liked that. We boarded the ship about 3 hours before they did in Whittier. We had "tickets" for a certain time (on the earlier side) and they had a later time but they just walked in with us and we got seated. They did not have any difference between anytime or traditional early/late that date. I think because of the time of the muster drill. It may with with the times of the land tours, or flights, or something out of Whittier. I'd never seen that before. Just FYI.

[Planning is Half the Fun]

Were you saying that in Juneau crab is a menu choice in the main dining room? For dinner? And not the crab pot extra charge? If that's the case, we might be skipping Tracy's. I've heard other people say that had a fish barbecue that night (not sure what that looks like).

 

We leave Juneau at 4pm.

[GUT2407]

Hi.

 

Thank you - I will make time to hit that specialty dining station - sounds like I can get a lot of answers there.

 

We are using a travel agent who has assured us she linked us all together for dinner. Hopefully that's accurate.

 

I'm very grateful for your help.

 

First day maitre'd will be set up somewhere, normally MDR see him and confirm you are linked.

[go4ak]

If you like crab - somehow save up enough and don't skip Tracy's. IMO it is the sweetest crab I've ever had (the most expensive too - but would do it again in a heart beat). Crab Shack is good too - just different from Tracy's.

You may want to "google" images for both meals. Enjoy your adventure.

[caribill]

First day maitre'd will be set up somewhere, normally MDR see him and confirm you are linked.

 

Or just look at your cruise cards when you board. They should all have the same dining room, same table number, and same starting time.

[Cruiser411]

Were you saying that in Juneau crab is a menu choice in the main dining room? For dinner? And not the crab pot extra charge? If that's the case, we might be skipping Tracy's. I've heard other people say that had a fish barbecue that night (not sure what that looks like).

 

We leave Juneau at 4pm.

 

Yes, crab legs will be an entrée one evening in the MDR.