Royal Princess May 28, 2022 Alaska Northbound live report

[dhanakorn]

Background

My first cruise was the Alaska cruise on NCL Pearl eight years ago. It was a round-trip from Seattle. It’s a wonderful trip and I like it so much that I continue to go on a cruise usually once a year. Ten cruises later and now I’m back on Alaska again. 
 

Initially I didn’t plan to do the live report from the ship because I’m not sure about internet speed. Although it’s not very fast, I think the internet speed is reasonable for web browsing and updating the post on this board. 

[dhanakorn]

Pre-cruise: Vancouver (1)
 

I flew from SFO to Vancouver on Westjet. This’s my first time flying this airline. Service is ok, similar to flying Southwest. You still need to wear a mask while onboard since it’s a Canadian airline. Mask is provided if you don’t bring one. 
 

 

 

Native artwork at Vancouver airport

 

I like to use public transportation if it’s available. Vancouver has a good train system connecting the airport to downtown area. The train is very clean with lot of space for big luggages. This train will go all the way to the Waterfront station with is next to the Cruise Terminal. 

 

 

[dhanakorn]

Pre-cruise: Vancouver (2)

 

I’ve never been to Vancouver for over 10 years so I plan to spend a couple days pre-cruise in Vancouver. I stayed at Holiday Inn on Broadway. The hotel is a little old but the location is great. Close to the train station, supermarkets, and restaurants. Very short walk to Charleson Park and False Creek. 

The view along False Creek waterfront is gorgeous. I’m so surprised at how clean the city is. Initially I expected Vancouver to be like a typical city on West coast - littered with garbage, dirty public transportation,  and homeless camps everywhere) Vancouver seems to escape from all these issues that plaque the West coast cities and put Seattle, Portland, Bay Area, LA to shame. 

 

 

 

[dhanakorn]

Pre-cruise: Vancouver (3)

 

I took the Aquabus to Granville Public Market. You could also walk there along the False Creek waterfront. 

 

 

The fare is $5 one way. You pay on the boat with cash or credit card. 

 

Before the trip, the weather was forecasted to be rainy all day long. But it turned out to be a nice sunny day. 

 

 

The market is indoor with many shops and food court inside. It’s similar to Pike Place Market in Seattle with typical overpriced products for tourists. 

 

[dhanakorn]

Pre-cruise: Vancouver (4)

Then I went to Richmond for dim sum. Richmond is famous for Chinese food since the city has many immigrants from Hong Kong. 

 

Kirin was my first choice but it’s fully booked and wouldn’t accept walk-in. So I went to another place nearby. Food was good but not impressed. I’ve very high standard for dim sum. 

 

 

Richmond Public Market. There’s a food court on the second floor. 

 

 

 

[caribill]

Thanks for doing this "live" report.

[dhanakorn]

Pre-cruise: Vancouver (5)

 

I took the train from Richmond back to explore downtown Vancouver. The public buses and trains here are so clean and convenient. Didn’t I say how clean the city is - I didn’t even see a single homeless camp in downtown area. Vancouver shows that a liberal city doesn’t have to be a dirty city. 
 

 

 

A day after tragic shooting at elementary school in Texas. 

 

Robson shopping street.

 

I walked all the way to Vancouver Harbour

[dhanakorn]

Pre-cruise: Vancouver (6)

 

The waterfront along Vancouver Harbour is very beautiful. You could walk/jog along this nice pedestrian path for miles. 

 

 

Eventually you’ll reach Canada Place and cruise terminal. No cruise ship today. 

 

You can view the Seaplane taking off and landing from the cruise terminal. It’s quite interesting. 

 

Looking back at the downtown area and the symbolic Harbour Tower. 

 

Steamed clock in Gastown. This’s probably the shadiest area of Vancouver but even that it’s pretty safe for tourists to wander around. 

[dhanakorn]

Pre-cruise: Vancouver (7)

 

I walked back to the hotel by crossing the Cambie Bridge. Very interesting building shape near the bridge. 

 

View of the False Creek from the bridge 

 

 

 

Charleson Park near the hotel

 

My last dinner at this restaurant near the hotel. This place is quite popular. I always see the line every time when I walk by. 

Very delicious tonkatsu (Japanese deep-fried breaded pork). It tasted very authentic, just like what you have in Japan. 

 

This concludes my pre-cruise part of the trip. Vancouver is a very beautiful city. If you take a cruise to or from here, it’s highly recommended that you spend an extra few days to explore the city. 

[dhanakorn]

Embarkation day (1)
The night before embarkation day, I received an email from Princess to notify that the check-in time would be delayed to 2pm. 

 

DELAYED EMBARKATION NOTIFICATION

Please be advised that embarkation for your Royal Princess cruise departing from Vancouver tomorrow, Saturday, May 28 will be delayed until 2:00 PM.

We are unable to reschedule your arrival time in the MedallionClass App but ask that you arrive 90 minutes later than your scheduled check-in time. Please do not arrive at the pier prior to your updated check-in time as you will be unable to check-in prior to this time and there will be no seating available inside the terminal. Guests who are dropped off at the pier prior to their check-in time can leave their luggage and enjoy the surrounding area. Guests with Princess hotels or transfers will have their check-in times provided at the hotel or airport. Groups arriving on shared transport will be checked in together.

 

So I spent a leisure time at the hotel in the morning. Then took an Uber to Canada Place (20min and $17). I arrived at the cruise terminal around 12:30pm and the check-in already started. So it’s not 2pm as stated in the email. 

 

The check-in hall. Princess on the right and HAL on the left. We’ve 3 ships at the terminal today. 

 

I didn’t see anyone going to yellow and blue lane. My medallion app was having an issue. It switched me back from green to yellow and the QR code disappeared. But once they key in my cabin number on the tablet, the rest of the check in process went smooth. You need passport, vaccine card, and negative Covid test result. 

 

After check-in, you come downstairs for immigration and customs. Why immigration? We’re in Vancouver, Canada right now and we’re going to Alaska which is US territory so we need to clear the US immigration and customs here. There’s a long line at immigration control. But if you’ve Global Entry, you can skip the line. 

Then we waited here. Boarding didn’t start until 1:30pm. Princess provided bottle of water while waiting. 

 

View of the gangway on deck 7. 

 

The ship was originally scheduled to depart at 4:30pm but delayed to 9:30pm. All aboard time at 8pm. You could leave the ship and explore the city but you’ll need to go through immigration and customs process again. 
 

Buffet had a long line since everyone was getting hungry from the delayed boarding. Food in the buffet was limited and only half the buffet line was open. 


 

 

[dhanakorn]

Embarkation day (2)
 

We have 1,776 passengers on this cruise so less than half of the full capacity. Around 1,300 are American and 300 are Canadian with about 11 British and 10 Australians. 
 

Captain Draper was the original Captain of Royal Princess during her first few years. 

 

The Atrium 

 

Day 1 Patter

 

[cruzin4us]

You are doing a wonderful "Live".....thank you!

[HRReader]

We're on the Royal northbound on June 11th...loving your pictures and all the fabulous info!  Have a wonderful cruise!

 

[cnd crsr]

Thanks for doing the live from...

Great photos.

Enjoy your cruise!

[disneyochem]

Yay!  Thank you for doing a live report!  I will be boarding the Royal on June 25th.

[Level six]

Great job!  

[partybarbie]

Thank you so much for posting!  Loving your spectacular photos and information. 

[Ricbr]

Love your photos.  Can’t wait to see more.  What are you using for your pics?  Cell phone or other camera?

[dhanakorn]

10 minutes ago, Ricbr said:

Love your photos.  Can’t wait to see more.  What are you using for your pics?  Cell phone or other camera?

Just the iPhone. It has limitation on the zoom but I think it’s good enough for basic photoshoot. 

[arizonaperson]

Dhanakorn- Great live from. Great details and photos. Enjoy your cruise  .

[KLM3164]

@dhanakorn So happy to see you are doing another Live thread. I’ve followed some of your other sailings and I’ve enjoyed them immensely. Love all the photos you post and the information you provide. Have a great cruise! 

[CruzeQueen2]

10 hours ago, dhanakorn said:

Pre-cruise: Vancouver (7)

 

I walked back to the hotel by crossing the Cambie Bridge. Very interesting building shape near the bridge. 

 

View of the False Creek from the bridge 

 

 

 

Charleson Park near the hotel

 

My last dinner at this restaurant near the hotel. This place is quite popular. I always see the line every time when I walk by. 

Very delicious tonkatsu (Japanese deep-fried breaded pork). It tasted very authentic, just like what you have in Japan. 

 

This concludes my pre-cruise part of the trip. Vancouver is a very beautiful city. If you take a cruise to or from here, it’s highly recommended that you spend an extra few days to explore the city. 

Wonderful pics! @dhanakornYou covered the best bites in the city. Visually satisfying, great photo journal of your time in my home town. 

[dhanakorn]

Embarkation day (3)
 

I thought mask is not required since March. I’m not sure when Princess reinstates the mask policy on the ships again. I was told to wear a mask by the crew when I enters the buffet. Sign of mask required is posted in front of every venue. It’s not strictly enforced. And I still don’t know if mask is really required or not since most passengers don’t wear one on the ship. 

 

Since we departed late at night on thus cruise, there’s no sailaway party. 

 

Retreat pool looks very nice. I prefer the outdoor space over the indoor pool on the Majestic. 

 

Sanctuary area. It’s $60 day fee on Glacier day which includes lunch and drinks. 

 

[dhanakorn]

Embarkation day (4)
 

I originally booked an interior room since I’ve to pay the single supplement. I was surprised when Princess upgraded me to a balcony room. And the room is in a great convenient location, mid-ship on deck-12 near elevator, I couldn’t ask for anything more. This’s a very generous offer from Princess. I’ve been on many cruises in the past few years to know that complimentary upgrade like this is extremely rare. Ship sailing at less than half capacity also helps my luck. 
 

Room has the same layout as the room I had on Majestic during my previous two cruises. 

 

 

 

 

[martincath]

14 hours ago, dhanakorn said:

Pre-cruise: Vancouver (2)

... I’m so surprised at how clean the city is. Initially I expected Vancouver to be like a typical city on West coast - littered with garbage, dirty public transportation,  and homeless camps everywhere) Vancouver seems to escape from all these issues that plaque the West coast cities and put Seattle, Portland, Bay Area, LA to shame. 

Great report so far - but on this point you got lucky by not visiting the current locations of any of our homeless encampments! We have the same issues as everywhere on the Left Coast - more survivable weather and liberal government does bring in extra homeless folks. Right now the biggest camp near downtown is Crab Park just along the waterfront from Canada Place, but east at the industrial end; there are always a few tents in Stanley Park off the trails too.

 

We do however keep things pretty darn clean - although it's been more difficult during the last couple of years, so by local standards the city is pretty filthy these days. However, with us being the prime filming location for many US productions we do deploy various different kinds of fake trash on the streets before filming, then take it away again afterwards, so that we look more authentically 'Big American City' ;-)