CruzeQueen2

12 minutes ago, jwattle said:

 

 

Ready for boarding day brekkie!  

 

Love seeing these smiles for embarkation day. 💖 Priceless!

@jwattle and @c-boy Bon voyage to you - today is your boarding day! I look forward to hearing all about your "ship" encounters and experiences. Here's to smooth sailings ahead for you. Enjoy the "suite" ride...and the concierge lounge and those wonderful breakfasts at Harmony AND The Catch! Aaahhh - great times await you! Can those smiles get any wider? I know exactly how you feel as you embark on this sailing. I also grin from ear to ear when I "run away to sea"! Thank you for taking us along.

@Ken the cruiser Thanks for this wonderful thread! Good observation on the listed inclusions for the PLUS and PREMIER packages. I look forward to hearing from you about the Casual Dining updates, if any! 

Also missing - listing of the OceanNow delivery and Room Service delivery...that was included with the recent changes. Still showing up on my future sailings as included. 

Waiting to hear from you...not holding my breath though! 

Thank you for sharing the information with us. I appreciate all the time that you spend to keep us "in the loop." 

@CU64 Is there a concierge lounge on your sailing? The dedicated lounge really provides you with a lot of extras. That space is such a wonderful respite from the crowds. If your sailing is on a ship without the lounge, then you are mostly getting a larger room, larger bathroom facilities AND a preferential dining area for lunch and dinner, and a specialty restaurant for breakfast. Again, away from the crowds.

If you want to be out with the masses, then keep your mini-suite. If you like the idea of having dedicated dining and not lineups, go with Reserve Collection dining as suggested above.

Depends on what your priorities are. Booking a suite on a ship that has a concierge lounge really gives you as much personal service and space as one could ever want. That is what I found from my recent experience. 

That's enough from me, for now. I can't wait to hear about your experiences coming up. Wishing you safe travels and smooth sailings ahead. I anticipate your upcoming joys as well!

@jwattle @c-boy There were five different martinis on offer at the event. Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time in the lounge for trying all the varieties. On my sailing, the happy hour started at 4:30 and went to 6:30. Fabulous appies also served.

@jwattle Yes, Darko and his team exceeded our expectations at every turn. He offered his attentive and professional service to us throughout. I am spoiled for anything that comes after, .enjoy!  Be sure to attend all of the special events that are offered there. Martini night, themed happy hours, etc!

Enjoy every minute, every morsel. Thank you for taking us along. I do believe your concierge is THE BEST in show, IMHO. Your fondness for the beautiful Majestic is shared here, by moi, The Catch and all.

Kevin Brando who was playing the late night sets at Crown Grill bar in Sept/Oct is also a star. He is scheduled to be onboard till early December I believe.

I look forward to your thread.

26 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

No Salty Dog Gastropub on Regal.

Vines, Ocean Terrace Seafood and Alfredos for casual dining.

 

And, the first day Patter/Events listing wouldn't have anywhere for coffees before 11 - as it's the embarkation day Patter.

 

See day 2's Patter for earlier listings. 

Yes, the Horizon Court Pastry section, IC, Princess Live, and of course - Ocean Now delivery or room service all do specialty coffees.. 

@reedprincessThank you. Makes sense. Princess live has the coffees available from 7:00am onward, day 2. Perfect.

@Radio Thanks for sharing the reports of your experiences on Regal. I will be on this ship in the new year and am contemplating some of my options. 

Is there a Salty Dog Gastropub on this ship? I don't see it on the deck plans on-line. 

I notice from the Patters/ Events listings- that there is only one location for getting specialty coffees before 11:00am. IC, of course, but not at Princess Live? Perhaps the Bakery section on Deck 16 will also have early options; that would be as expected.  Thanks for looking into this for me. My cabin is closer to the deck 7 location!

Please keep the photos and first-hand reports coming. The food from Sabatini looks great! I am enjoying the anticipation for this trip - following along with you! 💖

Currently on Majestic. The space beyond the Princess Theatre heading aft is indeed a small area called the Arcade, with a few machines. Beyond that, in the space on the port side is a quiet spaces called VIP Double Down Bar. I'm pretty sure that is where Take 5 would be on other Royal class ships. 

It is set up like a sports bar with multiple large screen tv screens. In May, there were some intimate style game activities scheduled here during the day. Last night a new piano player played some very nice music. She told us that this was her first contract and that she was a classically trained pianist. She may have a chance to perform in the main theatre at some point. Many servers circulate through this space and drinks can be obtained easily from the bar here.

That's what I see ...

It is! The infamous Chicken Korma. Usually served on the second day of the cruise,  on a sea day at luncheon in the MDR. The complement of condiments was offered, but sadly, no raita. Oh well, loved it nonetheless! Yummy.

Totally Majestic. Finally made it into the pool at the Hollywood Conservatory. Wow. Used my bathing suit for the first time this cruise. Will be using it more now that I've embraced it full on - diving in!

Dinner will be at The Catch tonight. Love it there, from the very first bite on the very first night in May. I anticipate another lovely meal. The bonus will be that we are sailing away from LA today so it should be an even lovelier meal while sea, as opposed to eating there while docked at Canada Place. That has been my previous experience. New views for me! YAY!

Being on the Majestic this time, for so many days, is truly wonderful. I have finally discovered for myself all the nooks and crannies that are available on this majesty of the Royal class ships. The staff here are great. I am in excellent hands. 

That's it for now. Embarkation lunch beckons.

19 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

Sometimes yes, sometimes no has been my experience. They aren’t calling it Greek yogourt, but here on the Majestic it is definitely strained and thick. It’s really good! On the Crown back in July, they had it for the first few days then it was just plain yogourt.

I'm here on Majestic as well. Great thick plain yogurt.

All other matters - wonderful as well. No complaints. 

Guess the name of my lunch dish, yesterday. Yummy!

@Shaver John Will check on the diet coke for you, if I remember. The little fridge is down low and the door is very hard to open! 

The concierge lounge on Majestic, had the special event last night and yes, it was lovely. Great appies. Pianist provided nice music. It is a very nice place to hang-out, indeed. The concierge is very helpful.

@cruisinsince75 I have the Good Morning menu here in a suite on Majestic, September 27, today.

Omelettes are listed as available. This room service menu for this suite is the same page of offerings that you see in the regular dining room. 

I don't see Eggs Benedict listed, sorry. But you could ask.

@startedwithamouse Concierge Host today on Majestic is Darko Lescan. 

36 minutes ago, talkorpi said:

I’m not sure how active I’ll be, but I guess I can keep it going for the few hours that we three day people have left on board!

 

So this was my first time in Vancouver, and even any part of Canada, so I really wanted to take it as much as possible. However, with the not-so-great weather, I was only out for about six hours. Ended up doing a hop on/hop off bus, and walked around Granville Island, Gastown, and Stanley Park for a while. The walk back to Canada Place from Stanley Park is beautiful and I bet it is even better when the sky is blue and there’s no rain. 
 

I think I bought too many souvenirs - having a hard time closing my suitcase…

 

I have a late flight tomorrow so I’ll be checking my luggage downtown and killing time at Pike Place Market tomorrow afternoon. The weather in Seattle tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same of what we had today in Vancouver, so no point in paying for the space needle if visibility is poor. I’ll be back for an Alaska cruise in the future anyways, so I can wait a little longer 😉

@talkorpi You covered a lot of ground on this rainy day! I'm impressed. You saw quite a few sights in six hours. Glad to see that you enjoyed my city, even if it was a dark, wet day. 

We sometimes tell people that you get used to this weather; that it's like this for many days of the year...but when the sun shines and it's a blue sky day - it's all worth it.  I've lived here for my whole life and I  wouldn't choose to live anywhere else. 

Cruising to other destinations? That's another story.

Glad you made the most of the day. I stayed home and finished packing. Yes, Seattle will most likely have the same weather tomorrow. I am thinking I will follow T's lead, @ceilidh1 and see how many new drinks i can try out in 7 days. Seven days cruising up and down the Wet Coast in the fall. What was I thinking?

I finally see the logic of people heading south, for cruising in sunnier climes. Oh well, at least I don't have to board a plane to fly anywhere. I should be on the ship within two hours of locking my front door and arriving back home in about the same time on the day we disembark. C'est la vie! This summer has been a good one to board a few ships in Vancouver. 

Bon Voyage to us all!

@ceilidh1 I see that you have not yet docked yet. I checked on your bridge cam. Such a gloomy sky this morning. We are being advised to batten down the hatches in town.

Good luck with walking off and to your office ASAP after the ship ties up. 

Thanks for taking us along with you. I'm going to ask about the Jam Donut for sure.

Cheers!

1 hour ago, JustStarted said:

Any idea how early can drop off bags at canada place for this cruise?  My friend and i landed from ottawa last night and his bag didn't show up. So we may be doing some shopping this morning but I dont want to lug my bag around with me.

@JustStarted Not usually a problem, just make sure you have your luggage tag on it and you clearly state the name of your ship. You should be able do a bag drop any time today. 

I had delayed luggage in Houston one year. The mall was NOT close to my hotel. At least you have lots of shopping choices right in the vicinity of the port. Good luck- happy shopping.

35 minutes ago, Ellipooh said:

Not trying to hijack, but I’m still new to solo travel.
What is “the single traveler rate page”?

@Ellipooh  While onboard, go to the Future Cruise Consultant desk or sometimes called Future Cruise Sales desk.  Ask if they have any "specials" that can be booked while on board the ship. These special prices are only offered to us when we are on board. The title on the page they printed out for me says : Special Single Traveller Rates. They also had a sheet with 50% off prices. I booked one from each page of specials. Felt like a win to me.

Go for it, while you are on board. Good Luck.

Go in the morning to the desk; it's usually less busy. Don't wait for the last day of your cruise.

There, my work here is done.

BTW - I am not a TA, but like @ceilidh1, I am elite and rarely, if ever, get the same deals that are offered to others. Was upgraded for free ONCE, when I sailed with a new cabin mate. Used to wait and watch for upsells. Upsells where I put out more money to upgrade to bigger nicer cabins. E.g., from an obstructed view/balcony to a regular balcony, or deluxe balcony or a mini-suite. And ONCE I took the upsell to a suite for myself and my two sisters. It was for a milestone birthday. Not saying which one!

Hard to go back to the smaller cabins. However, I do have a few favourite categories and locations. As long as I get on the ship...I can usually make it work for me. I do what I like to do. Ship staff has always been great. Love their service in so many areas.

Bon voyage to everyone!

Sorry, @ceilidh1, you metioned you couldn't get the time off from work. So sorry!

D

3 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

I was eyeing that one originally but couldn’t get the weekend off work…

 

I’ve been trying to get into future cruise sales to see if there are any deals booking onboard but there’s always a line! Last cruise they had a list of sailings at 50% off but none of the dates worked.

@ceilidh1 I got lucky while on the Crown in August. Two great guys at the FC desk. I found two great bookings. One at 50% off and one as a solo. I hit the desk first thing in the morning...too late, I know. Fingers crossed, hope you find something! 

I found Norway in June on CB. 

Regal sailing out of Galveston in Feb. 

Look up these if they interest you...maybe mock up a booking and see if they show up.

The sailing on Tuesday, Majestic WAS on the single traveler rate page. But I had already had a booking with OBC. 

Good luck!

1 hour ago, ceilidh1 said:

I don’t typically travel solo but never get any love from princess in terms of promos or upgrades. I mentioned at the beginning of this review that I almost booked the 4 day in crown leaving the day after we disembark this one. After all the little lately I opted not to!

Jump onto the Majestic and go up and down the coast with me. Sailing on Tuesday. Not going solo this time though. 

28 minutes ago, Canuckjammer said:

Thanks for sharing!  Monday night leaving Vancouver is in the height of the storm.  Should be interesting!

@Canuckjammer Thank you. Looks pretty bleak! Still nice in Vancouver today, but clouds are coming. No longer have blue skies.

I sail out on Tuesday....fingers crossed!!!