Live From the Grand Princess, 22-Day Alaska B2B, Apr 30 - May 22

[milogurd]

@Ken the cruiser For Glacier Bay, I use Gustavus, AK for weather forecasts. Gustavus is right at the entrance to the bay (closer than Hoonah).

 

[Ken the cruiser]

16 minutes ago, milogurd said:

@Ken the cruiser For Glacier Bay, I use Gustavus, AK for weather forecasts. Gustavus is right at the entrance to the bay (closer than Hoonah).

 

Thanks! It looks like it’s going to be even chillier! 😂

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Our morning trek was to visit the Margerie Glacier, also known at the Great Pacific Glacier. Along the way we saw a humpback whale (no picture), some seals off in the distance, mostly swimming around, and a bunch of various gulls and a few Arctic terns! While we were having breakfast, we passed this glacier which I took a picture of.

 

 

Then for the rest of the morning I hung out on our balcony taking photos while my DW was in the cabin listing to the narration from the bridge by the ranger. It will be interesting to what the scenery will look like, hopefully without the clouds, on our next two visits. 😁

 

 

 
As we started getting closer to the Margerie Glacier, we started seeing a lot more gulls flying around! 

 

 

 

 

 

 
A sea lion is on the little iceberg with a couple more swimming around on the left side of the photo.

 

 

 

 

 

Then when the ship stopped at the glacier to make a slow 180 degree about face, most of the gulls took a break.

 

 

 

 

 
Then off we went back the way we came.

 

 

 
Next stop, the John Hopkins Glacier! 😁

 

Edited May 5 by Ken the cruiser

[Ken the cruiser]

Here are some photos as we cruised over to the John Hopkins Glacier.

  

 
Turning from the Tarr Inlet onto the John Hopkins Inlet.

 

 

If you look real close and see two white specks in the middle of the photo, those are Bald Eagles watching us cruise by. 😁

 

 

 

Lamplugh Glacier

 

 

 

 

 

 

We weren’t allowed to go into the bay in front of the John Hopkins Glacier because it’s the time of the year when the harbor seals are having their pups, and apparently they prefer this bay to have them in.

 

 

Edited May 5 by Ken the cruiser

[Ken the cruiser]

Then it was time to head on back out of Glacier Bay, which took about 3 hours. I took various photos on the way out while imagining at the same time how pretty it would be on a clear day!

 

 

 

 

That’s the HAL Zaandam following us out of the park.

 

 

 

 
I believe this is a sea lion just looking for something to eat.

 

 

 

 

 
OTOH I think these are two sea otters because there was a lot of sea weed in the area where I took this picture.

 

 

 

 
The park ranger had their boat come over to take him back to the Bartlett Cove Seaplane Base.

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

This afternoon we went to the “Voyage to the Stars” Planetarium in the Princess theater and had a good time and was worth the effort if you haven’t been to one of these before.
 

 

 

As it is “by reservation only” you just need to remember to sign up for it the day before the event. As you can see it’s just a single line item in the Patter.

 

 
Speaking of the potential for Northern Lights, tonight is looking great IF the clouds go away that is. 😂

 

Edited May 6 by Ken the cruiser

[TM]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Then it was time to head on back out of Glacier Bay, which took about 3 hours. I took various photos on the way out while imagining at the same time how pretty it would be on a clear day!

 

 

 

 

That’s the HAL Zaandam following us out of the park.

 

 

 

 
I believe this is a sea lion just looking for something to eat.

 

 

 

 

 
OTOH I think these are two sea otters because there was a lot of sea weed in the area where I took this picture.

 

 

 

 
The park ranger had their boat come over to take him back to the Bartlett Cove Seaplane Base.

 

 

 

 

Hopefully you will get clear weather on one of your next 2 visits.  It is absolutely amazingly different and spectacular to see Glacier Bay bathed in sunshine.  One of my most memorable days in Alaska was a visit to College Fjord in the early evening in full sunshine.  I always thought my Yosemite was the most beautiful place in the world until I saw College Fjords in the sunshine.  It literally took my breath away when I saw it.  Good luck and thanks for allowing us to travel along with you.

[Blue Eyes]

Loving reading your thoughtful commentary on your voyage….

[Paula_MacFan]

37 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

This afternoon we went to the “Voyage to the Stars” Planetarium in the Princess theater and had a good time and was worth the effort if you haven’t been to one of these before.
 

 

 

As it is “by reservation only” you just need to remember to sign up for it the day before the event. As you can see it’s just a single line item in the Patter.

 

 

Thanks for the feedback.  Just to clarify -- the Patter looks like it's a 45 minute program, but the picture you posted says 'Step inside....for our 10 minute voyage'.  So you have to sign up the day before and it's a very short program?  

 

Thanks!

Edited May 6 by Paula_MacFan

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Paula_MacFan said:

Thanks for the feedback.  Just to clarify -- the Patter looks like it's a 45 minute program, but the picture you posted says 'Step inside....for our 10 minute voyage'.  So you have to sign up the day before and it's a very short program?  

 

Thanks!

Correct. The 45 minute timespan listed in the Patter is referencing the sign-up window for booking a slot for the planetarium show the next day. BTW get there early, as it is a popular show with limited reservation slots as there isn’t a lot of space inside that dome on the stage, especially when you have to lay on the floor to watch the Northern Lights show on the ceiling.
 

The actual show runs about 15 minutes with an additional 15 minutes before the show for explaining what’s going to happen. 

[Ken the cruiser]

After a very tasty Surf and Turf dinner at the Reserve Dining Room on Formal Night, we headed to watch Comedy Magician Kyle Marlett.

 

 

Then we were off to the Vista Lounge to watch the very funny Marriage Match Game! 😂

 

 
Then when we got back to the cabin and looked out over the balcony, we saw that the sky was clearing to the north of us as we continue to cruise south! 😁
 

 

 

 
Then add in the increased potential for the Northern Lights tonight

 

 
Well, let’s just say are fingers are crossed the sky will continue to clear up! 😂

 

Edited May 6 by Ken the cruiser

[Ken the cruiser]

Day 7 - May 6 - Ketchikan, Alaska

 

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Here’s the excursion we will be going on in Ketchikan, which the weather right now looks like it’s going to be a little wet and chilly, but hopefully a lot of fun looking for wildlife! 😁

 

 

Edited May 6 by Ken the cruiser

[vickykay]

Ken, what time are the shows on Princess?  Thanks.

[Port Power]

2 hours ago, vickykay said:

Ken, what time are the shows on Princess?  Thanks.

 

See post #212 above, and post #188 on the previous page.  Ken has posted the daily program several times.

[Ken the cruiser]

9 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

After a very tasty Surf and Turf dinner at the Reserve Dining Room on Formal Night, we headed to watch Comedy Magician Kyle Marlett.

 

 

Then we were off to the Vista Lounge to watch the very funny Marriage Match Game! 😂

 

 
Then when we got back to the cabin and looked out over the balcony, we saw that the sky was clearing to the north of us as we continue to cruise south! 😁
 

 

 

 
Then add in the increased potential for the Northern Lights tonight

 

 
Well, let’s just say are fingers are crossed the sky will continue to clear up! 😂

 

No luck, due to the clouds coming back. But it was fun hoping! 😁

[Ken the cruiser]

3 hours ago, vickykay said:

Ken, what time are the shows on Princess?  Thanks.

7:30 and 9:30 pm, except for embarkation day when there is only one 9 pm show.

[Ken the cruiser]

We have arrived in Ketchikan, Alaska! It was a pretty cruise into port. But the closer we got, the darker the clouds and the chillier it got reconfirming that we will definitely be wearing our cold-weather clothes on our 2-hour wildlife cruise this morning! 🥶

 

 

 

But on the bright side, we did see a humpback whale right next to the downtown shoreline while eating breakfast at Sabatini’s! 😁

 

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Had a good time on our 2-hour excursion. We wouldn’t say it was loaded with wildlife viewing options like the one in Sitka, especially since it was pouring down rain a lot of the time. But we still saw a good variety of wildlife for this area.

 

  

 

 
A couple of Glaucous-winged Gulls hanging out watching the world go by.

 

 

 
Bald Eagle nest

 

 

 
Bald Eagle flying overhead

 

 

 
There were a few Dall’s Porpoises having lunch in the area.

 
Along with is Humpback Whale.

 

 
Black-legged Kittiwake

 

 

 
Bonaparte’s Gull

 

 
Then it was time to head back to the ship. It appears the Zaandam has docked behind us, which you might notice is a tad smaller than the Grand! 😂

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Here’s a “Heads Up” we just encountered when trying to purchase FCDs for family members that are not on our cruise. We had originally read on a Cruise Critic thread a while back that we could purchase FCDs for other friends/family that are not on our cruise as long as we had their Captains Circle number.

 

Basically, the Future Cruise person we talked with onboard today said Princess was phasing that “option” out and was reluctant to proceed with purchasing them for us. When we finally insisted she at least see if the “computer” rejects the FCD requests for the family members in question, she successfully processed all 6 of them and our credit card was subsequently charged for each one. But now we have to wait to hear from those family members to make sure an FCD was actually posted to each of their accounts, or at least got the notification email that should have been issued with the purchase.

 

For us we’ll just use the Princess App to purchase our FCDs before we get off the ship to make sure the 1 year expiration date is as far out as possible.

 

Edited May 7 by Ken the cruiser

[cr8tiv1]

The Future Cruise Person is able to print out the "order" that was submitted.  I did that on my summer cruise for the sister you met (who wasn't with me until October).  

 

She doesn't check emails....So I wanted a hard copy.  My TA also received notification since same sister doesn't go into her Princess account either).

 

Glad you were able to buy FCDs for everyone else.  I think Princess did this since everyone's FCDs expired during the Pandemic.  Still, with only a year expiration date, I think (aka Sheldon Cooper) they should allow this nice perk.  What's the harm?  They will get more bookings.

 

Crossing my fingers that you will see the Northern Lights sometime during your remaining cruise days.  Unfortunately, every day will stay lighter and lighter from here forward.

[Ken the cruiser]

2 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

The Future Cruise Person is able to print out the "order" that was submitted.  I did that on my summer cruise for the sister you met (who wasn't with me until October).  

 

She doesn't check emails....So I wanted a hard copy.  My TA also received notification since same sister doesn't go into her Princess account either).

 

Glad you were able to buy FCDs for everyone else.  I think Princess did this since everyone's FCDs expired during the Pandemic.  Still, with only a year expiration date, I think (aka Sheldon Cooper) they should allow this nice perk.  What's the harm?  They will get more bookings.

 

Crossing my fingers that you will see the Northern Lights sometime during your remaining cruise days.  Unfortunately, every day will stay lighter and lighter from here forward.

When we asked the FC rep if she could print out the orders, she just shrugged her shoulders and said she couldn’t.

 

As far as the Northern Lights go, you’re probably right in that the nights will continue to get shorter the farther north we cruise from here on out. But at least now we know there is a “just in case we get lucky” signup sheet at Guest Relations! 😁

[cr8tiv1]

4 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

When we asked the FC rep if she could print out the orders, she just shrugged her shoulders and said she couldn’t.

😁

 

There is a manager/supervisor.  S/He wears the suit (and on the staff board).  You will be on this cruise long enough to get to know him/her.  There's always a paper trail.  That's just blowing smoke.

[Ken the cruiser]

And we’re off. Next stop is Vancouver BC day after tomorrow after we continue to cruise south through the Inside Passage.

 

 
This is the first “sunset”, if you want to call it that, that I have been able to take a photo of so far this entire cruise! 😂

 

 

 
After another tasty dinner in the Reserve DR, we headed to the Vista Lounge to listen to a hilarious comedian, Lamont Ferguson, at 6:30:pm.

 

  
Then we headed to the theater to watch another new production show called Born to Dance, which was fun to watch! 😁

 

 
Tonight’s game show in the Explorers Lounge was Majority Rules.
 

Edited May 7 by Ken the cruiser

[Ken the cruiser]

Day 8 - May 7 - Sea Day cruising through the Inside Passage