Torfamm

I’d have to be convinced that any cabin in that category would be an upgrade. For example, moving from an inside cabin to any suite would probably be a risk most would take at the right price

I’ve been on 4 cruises since the restart and on all but one it was easy to get the same private table every night if we booked the same time each night. There’s a good chance it will work for you. I think what’s difficult for modern ships to accommodate is shared tables of strangers who will commit to eating in the MDR at the same time each night. It was much easier in the days before dinner was offered in the buffet, poolside stands or in specialty restaurants leaving empty seats in traditional dining. I’d be curious to know what percentage of today’s passengers eat all of their dinners in the MDR and how that affects the design of new ships.

Yes, but probably exposed too recently to test positive. Tours involving daily bus and train travel are pretty high risk for exposure.

That would also require never allowing them to test you - no cruise tours, no cruises that stop at ports requiring testing, many back to back cruises. It’s limiting but doable not being tested as a contact of someone who is ill would be unavoidable

We got off the Grand Wednesday. The train was running in Skagway. Not sure what shows you knew in the past, but there were production shows and comedy when we were aboard

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have reservations about spending their cruise in quarantine

We didn’t have that experience at all. It worked like any restaurant on land - one line to check in then those without reservations have names and stepped aside to wait, those with reservations were seated pretty much right away

The problem is that getting COVID can be horribly disruptive to travel plans even if you don’t get sick. I don’t want to be unable to travel or end up in quarantine.

I would want the deeper balcony for the extra shade on a cruise with weather as hot as the Panama Canal can be.

I can’t say enough good things about Jayleen’s. Our experience was amazing. The personal touch you get with them sets them apart from any other tour.

I like Savoy best. It’s always my first choice. I especially like the location near Vines where we usually are right before dinner

They all work perfectly on the Grand Princess

We booked our land tour with Princess lodges separately from our cruise. It was a 6 night Southbound Explorer starting in Fairbanks and ending in Anchorage. We stayed an extra night on our own in Anchorage for some sightseeing there then booked a private transfer with tour to get from there to board a cruise in Whittier. I don’t know how the cruise tours work beyond what is on the website It was the 3TS tour but there are other options. They haven’t released information for upcoming seasons yet but you can ask to be added to a mailing list. We removed an included activity and the transfers to the airport so I know that it is possible. If you are interested, each lodge does offer excursions just as Princess does in cruise ports and you can see them on Princess.com under excursions for Alaskan destinations. You of course can also plan your own. We really enjoyed it. Having train tickets and hotels booked as well as just leaving bags outside our door to meet us I. The room at our next lodge was great as it left us free to do as we wanted before we had to get on a train on days we moved from one place to another. Being greeted on arrival and just handed you room key without having to check in was also a timesaver. Hope those details help! https://www.princesslodges.com/alaska-rail-tours/rail-tours/ https://www.princesslodges.com/alaska-rail-tours/explorer-tours/?tourType=explorer https://www.princess.com/ports-excursions/haines-alaska-excursions/

I would agree that what you describe sounds awful. The land tour I did with Princess Lodges was nothing like that. Lodging was pre-booked, as well as reserved seats for train travel from place to place in cars with large glass domes that allowed both of us to enjoy the scenery. We never had any idea if the other train passengers or hotel guests were on our tour, a different tour, or were traveling independently. The only coaches involved were transfers from train stations to hotels. We simply were given a packet at each destination with our room key and itinerary details for that destination. There were no included meals, excursions, or shopping stops. It was probably the best of both worlds. We did what we wanted, ate where and when we wanted, but had a planned itinerary. I did find it convenient to skip the check-in process at each location though. Those rail tours can be booked independently of a cruise too. It was much different than what you experienced

They are more alike than different in my opinion. On the positive side Princess has savory food as well as pastries at the International Cafe, their equivalent to Cafe Al Bacio and they offer self service laundry which is fantastic on long trips. They also still have formal nights. The biggest negative for me is that Princess allows smoking in the casino on most itineraries while Celebrity has no indoor smoking at all on any ship, any where. Celebrity also has better food in the MDR

I first saw her in January, 2022. I believe bingo is hosted by that character on all Princess ships now. The same actress plays the part of the female pirate who hosts poker games in the casino https://www.princesscruisesentertainment.com/invitedcall-140-80

Another option if they don’t want to wait is to make reservations for the times they are likely to eat. If plans change, reservations can be changed or cancelled.

You might want to consider that you may find that other lines equally frustrating. Waits for non-reserved dining and hogging of sun beds are pretty universal complaints about cruise lines comparable to Princess. That said, you might as well try a few to see if you are happier.

The times can change from cruise but they are scheduled for 7:30 and 9:30 for the August 24th sailing of the Grand. When is your cruise?

You can see them in the Journey View Activities Timeline in the app. If your cruise is this season they are probably there already

That is true. It is a huge problem not to have a passport if you need to fly back to the US due to an emergency at home, medical issues, or if you miss the ship. It makes a bad situation much worse

You might be able to connect to wi-fi and do it at the airport if you get there in time. Good luck

Will you be in a port within 72 hours of arriving in Canada? Maybe you can connect to wi-fi that way?

Since tuxedo rental is no longer available on cruise ships, you won’t see too many in formal wear but there are always enough that you won’t stand out in tuxedos. My guess is that fewer than half will follow the dress code of tuxedo or dark suit. You can see which nights are scheduled as formal nights in the Journey View activities timeline in the app. Every evening will show either “casual” or “formal” portraits. I’ve seen it populate as much as a couple of months before a cruise

Yes, you complete ArriveCAN within 72 hours before embarking on a ship outside Canada (e.g. Alaska, Seattle, SanFrancisco) that will be going to Canada. If you are boarding in Canada you complete it within 72 hours before arriving in Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/services/arrivecan.html