ncstatefan

9 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

You might want to check out Tom's Port Guides. I've always had good luck with his offerings and I find he does quite a good job, VERY detailed and comprehensive. He has at least some of the ones you need:

 

https://www.tomsportguides.com/

This was such a helpful piece of information.  Gave me everything I needed.  Thank you.

I agree with more regional dishes.  If we are on Princess tours, they sometimes last all day and we don't always have an opportunity to sample local food.  I would imagine it might be more difficult for the chefs to obtain these foods at arrival ports rather than stocking up at departure ports, but that would be the top of my wish list.

Thanks so much.  One of the biggest reasons I always check with CC daily many weeks before a cruise is that if I have a legitimate question, there are always fellow cruise enthusiasts who will provide an answer

Will be traveling to several European countries in October aboard Island.  We are planning to use mostly credit cards but will take some Euros with us as I know that there will be some need for local restaurants, tips, rest rooms, etc.  I cannot remember whether ships provide currency conversion at the passenger service desk or not - anyone know?

The twice-baked goat cheese soufflé - out of this world.  We check MDR menus every day before we make dining plans so that we do not miss it.  Also like the escargot

I don't fly first class, and I struggled with paying the extra money, but for me the Luxury car was well  worth it.  I had done the regular cars on a previous Alaska trip and that was a good experience; however, my husband had not been to Alaska before.  He has a little problem with hearing and I wanted him to really enjoy the scenic trip so I decided to splurge.  There were maybe 12 passengers and while  we did really enjoy the comfy chairs and drinks and food, the greatest benefit was in having our own guide.  She was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained with history and stories about the railroad, gold rush, etc.  We learned a lot of facts I had not heard before. There is a commentator for the regular cars, but when I was on that trip the car was very crowded with a lot of noise and I was unable to hear everything that was said.   My husband told me later that it was his favorite excursion.   If we do another Alaska cruise, I will book the Luxury car again.

Thank you all for taking the time to help me make my choice.  The Star it is - reservations have been made!   I love that people on the Princess board are always willing to help.  

Have cruised on several Princess ships - Coral is by far my favorite.  However, my choices for Hawaii are the Grand, Star, and Emerald, and I have never been on either.  Have been told by friends that all are nice but the Grand can get a little crowded at times.    This is certainly a subjective question but I was hoping some of you who have sailed these ships might offer some information that would help me decide.  Itineraries and departure ports are almost identical for all.   We are a "mature" couple who enjoys a pre-dinner cocktail, maybe a dance or two at the Wheelhouse, dinner, and perhaps a show or movie, so the absence (or presence) of high-drama entertainment would not be a factor.  

Micah's Grandad, you don't happen to remember whether it was offered on one of the formal nights or not, do you? We don't eat in the MDR every night, but I want to be sure to be there for that. May even order two.

Thanks so much. Very helpful to know that I won't have to rush in from an all-day tour to dress for formal nights.

Looking forward to that goat cheese souffle

We are leaving Oct 2 on the Crown from Barcelona and I am one of "those people" who enjoys planning every detail, even down to what we will wear each day. Since this is an 11-night trip and from previous cruises, I am assuming the two formal nights will be the second night out and the next-to-last night. Is this correct? Would help me decide which nights to book specialty dining. Also, does anyone remember when the goat cheese soufflé was being offered in the MDR (I'm really hoping it is still on the menu!!)

We just returned from this itinerary. My comments are in a thread near this one.

I believe other posters have answered all the questions you had. If you are a coffee drinker the one tip I can give you is to be sure to pack a couple of insulated mugs. While at Glacier Bay, you will not be served in any type of plastic or paper cups. At IC you could only get coffee in china cups on that day, and if you take it to your room, not only is it not enough coffee but also is getting cold. We were able to enjoy our hot coffee and chocolate on our balcony all day because of our Yetis. Or, if you prefer you can buy insulated mugs in the ship gift shop and have them as souvenirs.

Delta Dear,

Not sure if On the Bayou is performed on all Princess ships but it was one of the featured shows on the Coral. We enjoyed the show.

This is not really a detailed day-by-day report, but the reviews I read on CC before our trip were so helpful to me that I wanted to make a few observations and perhaps answer some of the questions I saw on other posts.

Embarkation

We spent one night pre-cruise at Vancouver Pan Pacific, which is a little pricey but was worth it to us to leave our bags with the hotel bellman, take the elevator down to the dock, and walk on the ship. Embarkation was a breeze. Princess had notified us by email to arrive either between 10 and 12 or between 1 and 3 to avoid long lines. We started the process around 11 and had to wait in the Princess holding area for a little while, but were in our cabin just after noon. It was fun walking around for a couple of hours feeling almost like we were on a private yacht.

Cabin

We were in C727, which is one of the far aft mini-suites. Love this cabin and the fact that you get a side and back view and had no problem with it not being covered. When it does rain there is usually wind, so the rain blows in on the covered balconies anyway. We are not light sleepers so maybe that was a factor, but we did not notice a lot of motion or noise. Our cabin was starboard, which was docked next to town in Ketchikan and Skagway, but both starboard and port had wonderful views of the glaciers. Had a great steward who provided robes and blankets for us. More than adequate space for storage

Food

I think we tried everything except the Crab Shack. We usually ate around 7:00 and never had to wait for a table for two in the anytime dining room. Food is certainly not what it was 10 or 15 years ago, but we enjoyed all of our meals and service was good. Nothing in particular stands out in my mind to recommend to you, except do not miss the GOAT CHEESE SOUFFLE. On our trip it was served the night we left Skagway. I also enjoyed the escargot and when I asked our waiter if I could have it the next night, he brought the head waiter to our table and arranged it for me, so I would advise you to ask for anything you want and if they can accommodate you, they will.

We splurged with both the balcony breakfast and balcony dinner. Were not able to have either on our balcony due to weather, but enjoyed both very much, especially the balcony dinner which we will definitely do again

Dinner at both Bayou and Sabatini's was excellent - at Bayou we had the best fillet we've had in a long time.

We tried pizza for lunch at Alfredo's (in Sabatini's) but in our opinion it could not hold a candle to that served in the Pizzeria, which became our favorite lunch. Food at the Grill was quick and good, and they usually have a special of some type which is not advertised in the Patter. We always got coffee (and sometimes a snack) at the International Café and never had to wait in line very long. TIP: Be sure to pack a couple of insulated mugs. While at Glacier Bay, you will not be served in any type of plastic or paper cups. At IC you could only get coffee in china cups on that day, and if you take it to your room, not only is it not enough coffee but also is getting cold. We were able to enjoy our hot coffee and chocolate on our balcony all day because of our Yetis.

Our least favorite food venue was Horizon Court. While they did have a wide variety of food and you could always find something there you would like, at main dining hours it becomes quite crowded and difficult to find a table. We both are always busy at work, so on vacation we prefer a more relaxed dining style.

Spa

My husband was reluctant to participate in a couples massage (I think he had the idea that only women go to a spa), but he couldn't stop talking about how good it was. He enjoyed it so much that I even persuaded him to go with me to the thermal suite several times for the steam rooms and stone loungers. I did a package and went every day (sometimes twice), so I felt it was a good value for me. We did not do the sanctuary because we did not feel we would spend enough time there, but it looked like a great place to relax.

Entertainment

Encore and Motor City which were not broadway quality by any stretch of the imagination, but they were certainly better than watching tv. Try to get to the theater a little early - the early seating fills quickly. Didn’t get to go Movies under the Stars because of our schedule and/or weather but movies scheduled were Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Going in Style, Hidden Figures, Kong: Skull Island, The Lego Batman Movie, and Ghost in the Shell. Enjoyed the dance music in Wheelhouse.

Tours

Since tours are a very personal choice and there are so many, I will not go into detail. We did the Rainforest and Crab Fest in Ketchikan, the dog sled summer camp in Juneau, the luxury White Mountain train in Skagway, and the Turnagain Arm and Wildlife Conservation Center in Whittier, and will be glad to answer any questions you might have about those. If you do the Whittier excursion, get a seat on the left side (facing forward) of the bus, as you will have water views. We had no problem walking from the ship into all three ports for shopping and sightseeing.

General

I have short hair and had no problem with the dryer, but you might want to bring your own if your hair is thick. I brought my own shampoo and soap because of comments posted but could have saved the space as I did not find the shampoo and soap provided objectionable. We did receive the blue bags some of you asked about. We were lucky to have good weather. There was light rain during three days, but sunshine in Skagway and Glacier Bay. A fleece hoodie and rain jacket were all I needed, but you should still plan to pack all those extra layers - you never know what you will need. Don’t worry about the formal nights - just enjoy them. You will have fun dressing to the nines if you like but you will also be fine with a jacket and tie for the gentlemen and a pair of dressy pants and blouse for ladies.

I am regretfully back at work and don’t have time to scan the Patters, but if you have any specific questions, I will be glad to try to look them up.

Can anyone tell me the cost of a pass for the thermal suite on the Coral (we are not in a suite). I have searched the threads but didn't find an answer. Also, I understand there are a limited number of passes issued. Is there any way to reserve one other than heading up to the spa as soon as I board? I think it would be a great stress reliever but if anyone has used it and felt it was not a good value--too crowded, not convenient, etc.--I would love to hear your opinion.