Majestic Princess / June 17 2023 / Semi-Live Trip Report w/ Pre-Cruise AK Adventure … Let’s Go!

[Fishbone]

PRE RAMBLE – Part 1

 

Greetings Cruise Critic strangers! I’m a longtime lurker on these boards (18+ years!), but finally have enough spunk to post my first ever Cruise Critic trip report!

 

Some of my preliminary research was done via TripAdvisor, so my first few lines below are essentially a re-post of what I originally posted there in anticipation of this trip. It’ll give you a nice summary of our initial preparations. Our travel officially kicks-off next week, as we’ve included an 8-night road trip through Alaska in advance of our cruise.

 

I thought I was writing my trip reports for my son (who turned 13 just a few days ago), but I suppose they’re really for me. He’s growing up so fast & time seems to be slipping away. Sigh.

 

I’m also writing them for my super old German mom. She often cruised w/ us while my dad stayed home & watched the house/pets, but he had a stroke a few years ago & I think we’re all afraid to leave him home alone now (should something similar happen). We all miss her traveling w/ us, but we definitely don’t miss her snoring (which sounds like a yodeling donkey)! This report will be über-detailed to ensure that meine allerliebste Mama feels like she’s right here w/ us! Wunderbar!

 

A little history: we’re a family of three from Florida who are headed on our very first trip to Alaska! We’d originally planned to cruise to Alaska three years ago, but our voyage was cancelled due to the onset of the pandemic. Sigh.

 

Subsequently, I decided to further post-pone our trip to the last frontier in favor of … one … two … three … totally epic back-to-back-to-back trips to my beloved Oahu, Hawai’i (one of my childhood homes for three years in the late 70s/early 80s). FORTY years after saying goodbye to my tropical paradise, I was welcomed “home” w/ open arms & our trips were nothing short of spectacular.

 

Now that we’re all filled w/ Aloha, we’re ready for an Alaskan Adventure!

 

In case anyone’s interested, I posted three very long “novels” about those trips over on TripAdvisor (Palenaka74). They’re a good preview to what you can expect in this report!

 

To be continued …

[Kay S]

Have fun!

[Pluto_fan]

I'm excited to follow along!  Have a wonderful trip!

[AJSkarbo]

I will be following along! I will be on the Majestic in July!

[Cali Viajera]

Looking forward to following along! We sailed on the Majestic to Alaska after the land tour.🛳

[disneyochem]

See you on board! 

[world_traveler_et]

Looking forward to following your thread.  This will be a Southbound one way sailing from Whittier to Vancouver.  I will be doing the same route as your ship sailing on June, 20th, 2023 aboard the Sapphire Princess.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[no1racefan1]

Following!

 

[Stealthdog]

I’ll be posting a live review of the June 10th sailing, followed by 5 day Denali add on.  If you want me to check something out before you board, let me know!

 

I’ll try my best not to break the ship on my sailing, but no promises!  😂

[Fishbone]

PRE RAMBLE – Part 2

 

First things first. Who are “we”? Easy! We are happy-go-lucky dad (53), high-strung mom (49), & sassafras (13) from Florida. In case it’s not already totally obvious, this trip report is being written by the high-strung mom. Yep, that’s me, totally OCD! Sigh.

My husband & son Colt are very fit, sports-loving fanatics! They’re like Energizer bunnies! They keep going & going & going. Me? Umm. I’m not so fit. But I do like sports! Or at least I like to watch them from the sidelines w/ a salted pretzel & an ice cold Dr Pepper in hand. 🙂

 

We’re also a homeschooling family & like to expose Colt to as much as possible - people, places, & things!

 

We’re not looking for a “super extravagant”, “once in a lifetime”, “mission impossible”, “break the bank” style trip. Zip lines, fly-in quests, helicopter tours, chartered outings, fine dining … not really “us”. We’re seeking a fast-paced, yet simple adventure filled w/ multiple interesting stops along the way that are cost-effective & somewhat authentic. 

 

The “guys” love active pursuits, especially fishing & kayaking. Not “hundreds of dollars per person on a chartered vessel” fishing … shore fishing; tide pools; catch & release. My husband also really loves to hike (sometimes, I want to tell him to go take one)! Smirk.
 

He likes to take the dogs on a 5-mile “walk” on a daily basis. Me? I like to walk from the couch to the back door to let the dogs out. 

 

All jokes aside, I enjoy scenic drives; museums; architecture; bridges; historical sites; flowers & trees (botanical gardens / conservatories / arboretums); short hikes / nature trails on flat / even terrain (3 miles max); photography; & bakeries. I really love bakeries! 

 

The guys “just want to have fun”. That essentially entails active pursuits that tire them out, get them dirty, & make them stinky. Then they seem to be content. …

[Fishbone]

PRE RAMBLE – Part 3

 

The cruise that did not happen in 2020 was scheduled to encompass a 10-day sail aboard the Carnival Miracle, round-trip from San Francisco w/ pre & post cruise adventures in California.

 

I intended to re-book something similar until a very nice poster on the TripAdvisor Hawai’i forum (after reading my exhaustive trip reports) privately messaged me about my intent to do so, suggesting that our travel style sounded more suited to a land-based vacation in Alaska. She kindly sent me the reports from her own trips to Alaska & I was immediately intrigued!

 

Although we’re seasoned cruisers, having cruised many times aboard various lines (Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival), I read her reports w/ intrigue & wonder. Perhaps a cruise to Alaska was no longer the most appropriate mechanism to tour the 49th state. We’ve taken an incredible amount of road trips all across the USA, but never considered a land-based vacation in Alaska.

 

Subsequently, I delved into the Alaska forums on both TripAdvisor & Cruise Critic & found myself reading & reading & reading into the wee hours of the morning - reminiscent of days gone by when, on a school night, I’d read Apple paperbacks under the covers by the light of my dad’s Army flashlight that was affixed w/ a red lens (so as not to alert my parents that I was awake way past my bedtime).

 

Recently, I discovered a setting on my iPhone that mimics the old flashlight of my youth. Thus, I’m often up until 3AM contemplating the thoughtful recommendations, detailed responses, & excellent advice by the refreshingly kind posters on both forums (TripAdvisor & Cruise Critic)!

 

Ok, so that’s not entirely true. I especially enjoy reading the posts that bring out the popcorn. I would never personally engage in slingin’ pizza with complete strangers, but it sure is fun to read. Just sayin’! 🤪

[mlgb]

Haha, your post is already entertaining and the trip hasn't started yet.

 

I was on a Majestic cruise to the Mexican Riviera. It's an interesting ship, I wonder how the enclosed Conservatory area in the front will work in Alaska.

 

I was told that their International Cafe is bigger than normal.

[Fishbone]

PRE RAMBLE – Part 4

 

After great thought & much contemplation, I finalized almost all aspects of our trip in February … I streamlined the itinerary; applied for new passports; booked flights; pre-paid for our checked luggage; reserved rental cars; downloaded road logs; booked accommodations; bought a fishing license; printed harvest record cards; booked a cruise; booked excursions; scheduled a transfer; ordered a case of water, pre-purchased an internet package; pre-paid for luggage storage; downloaded a bunch of apps; etc. So much to do, so little time.

 

Our first trip to Alaska will encompass a short 8-night land-based vacation (which includes 1 travel day); to be immediately followed by a short cruise (7 night “Voyage of the Glaciers” via Princess’ “Majestic Princess” – southbound from Whittier, Alaska, to Vancouver, British Columbia/Canada).

 

We had hoped to include a few days in Vancouver, but it didn’t work out. Our final two days will be spent attempting to make our way diagonally back home – from one corner of the USA to the other! Sounds simple … proved complicated, especially considering that Delta has changed our return trip no less than 12 times now. Pre-pandemic I would have been livid. Post-pandemic? I don’t care. Life is too short to stress out about things that I can’t control.

 

Our passports were all set to expire at the end of the year, so we all applied for new ones on January 20. My husband & I renewed the old-fashioned way (by mail). Since Colt is under 16, he had to apply in person again, which he did at the University of Florida’s awesome passport office. They reviewed our renewals for accuracy & processed his application w/ ease. My husband & I received our new passports on February 20 - exactly 4 weeks later. Colt’s arrived just a few days later. Super smooth. Plus, the staff at the UF Passport Office was super friendly.

 

As usual, our spring has been exceptionally busy. Colt just wrapped up (hallelujah) playing on two baseball teams; two soccer teams; & a tennis team - all of which had overlapping schedules & took place at different locations. My husband is the coach for one of the soccer teams & thus, according to him, they “can’t be late or miss a single game because it would set a bad example”. Uh huh.

 

Instead of lazy days, we were running three-a-days (& an occasional quadruple)! I literally had a spreadsheet w/ all practices/games/matches color-coded to ensure the guys got to wherever it was that they needed to get to & that they got there on time. Not that it helped me much … at one of the final baseball games, I was so delusional that I yelled “Let’s go Hawks” over & over again, although on that night … he was playing for the “Tigers”. Sigh. Hawks, Tigers, Falcons, Spartans … this mama needs a vacation!

 

In between all of that, I work a full-time job, we homeschool Colt, & we all engage in far too many miscellaneous activities (kayaking, fishing, sports-events, field trips, etc). Although the first part of our trip is fast & furious, once we board the ship, I’m especially looking forward to a lot of much needed rest & relaxation! Let me repeat: rest & relaxation!

[gottagoacruzn]

On 6/1/2023 at 2:48 AM, Stealthdog said:

I’ll be posting a live review of the June 10th sailing, followed by 5 day Denali add on.  If you want me to check something out before you board, let me know!

 

I’ll try my best not to break the ship on my sailing, but no promises!  😂

Hi, have you started packin yet? Will be waitin to read your posts & see your pictures. Will be on the Crown in Sept, an am gettin ansy to go, haven't been in 6 yrs. Oh, do try an find something unusual on the ship or in port to take pictures of, within reason of course. Oh better clarify that in case somebody gets the wrong idea,😶 

[Stealthdog]

8 minutes ago, gottagoacruzn said:

Hi, have you started packin yet? Will be waitin to read your posts & see your pictures. Will be on the Crown in Sept, an am gettin ansy to go, haven't been in 6 yrs. Oh, do try an find something unusual on the ship or in port to take pictures of, within reason of course. Oh better clarify that in case somebody gets the wrong idea,😶 

 

Starting today.  Hope to be done tomorrow.  Will create my thread tomorrow - don't want to take away from Fishbone and her experiences and review.  

[Fishbone]

2 hours ago, Stealthdog said:

 

Starting today.  Hope to be done tomorrow.  Will create my thread tomorrow - don't want to take away from Fishbone and her experiences and review.  

 

@Stealthdog I'm anxiously awaiting your post! And since you offered ... I'd love to know what movies are playing on the big screen & if hot chocolate is available for free on lido!  

[Stealthdog]

26 minutes ago, Fishbone said:

 

@Stealthdog I'm anxiously awaiting your post! And since you offered ... I'd love to know what movies are playing on the big screen & if hot chocolate is available for free on lido!  

 

I'm on it!  Gators need to stick together - Eric went to UF.  😀

[Fishbone]

21 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

 

I'm on it!  Gators need to stick together - Eric went to UF.  😀

 

@Stealthdog Then we're practically family! Gator Nation for the win! It's great to be a Florida Gator! I'm also curious to know how cold it feels on the inside of the ship throughout the day & in the evenings! That's especially important considering that all we own down here in the swamp are lightweight hoodies! We have nothing to "layer" except a bunch of t-shirts! 😀

[Purple Gallinule]

We will be waiting for you on the 17th. We sail on the 10th and stay on for the trip south. Almost finished packing. Can't wait.

[Fishbone]

Can't wait to meet you @Purple Gallinule! Have a wonderful first leg to your trip! Really looking forward to this cruise! 

[Stealthdog]

18 hours ago, Fishbone said:

 

@Stealthdog Then we're practically family! Gator Nation for the win! It's great to be a Florida Gator! I'm also curious to know how cold it feels on the inside of the ship throughout the day & in the evenings! That's especially important considering that all we own down here in the swamp are lightweight hoodies! We have nothing to "layer" except a bunch of t-shirts! 😀

 

I'll let you know after the first couple of days so you can adjust your final packing if needed.  Just remembered you were doing the pre-AK portion.  What day do you fly out?

Edited June 4, 2023 by Stealthdog

[Fishbone]

6 hours ago, Stealthdog said:

 

I'll let you know after the first couple of days so you can adjust your final packing if needed.  Just remembered you were doing the pre-AK portion.  What day do you fly out?

@Stealthdog We're flying out on Thursday! So very excited! 

[Fishbone]

PRELUDE – Part 1

 

We began packing at the beginning of May. Too early for most, but just enough time for me to streamline 2 bags, 2 backpacks, 1 tote bag, & a small cross-body.

 

Except it didn’t all fit ‘cause the guys have to bring fishing reels & a small tackle box! So I added on an additional small bag that we will also check ‘cause I’m not luggin’ another bag around! 

 

We’re now fully packed & ready to go! 

 

Last week, we focused on thoroughly cleaning the house & landscaping the yard to ensure that our homecoming is stress-free. There’s nothing better than coming home all exhausted & stinky to an immaculate house. Not that it lasts more than a day, but for that one day … it’s sheer bliss! 

This past weekend, we pulled ourselves together – haircuts, hair color (the greys are coming in with a vengeance!), nails (OPI “Gelato On My Mind”; “Is That a Spear In Your Pocket”; & “Tinsel Tinsel Little Star”), etc. I do my own nails, but don’t know why I bother since my mani/pedi never lasts very long. At least my fingers & toes will look cute for a few days. 

 

The only thing left to do is give the dogs a bubble bath & then deliver them to their Oma & Opa, who will be less than amused. 
 

My husband asked my old German mom if she would brush our dog’s teeth while we are away. I don’t think that went over very well. He said she started laughing hysterically & said a bunch of German words that he didn’t understand. Sigh.

[clutchcurrier]

I also had grandparents named Oma and Opa.  I never learned much german, but learned alot of good swear words.  😂

 

Following along on your journey.

[Stealthdog]

16 hours ago, Fishbone said:

@Stealthdog We're flying out on Thursday! So very excited! 

 

In that case, I won't be able to tip you off before you leave, but can at least give you some expectation management. 😉