blizzard44ca

Princess has very limited options for unsweetened soda. Either bring it along or be willing to drink Diet Coke instead.

I believe you can sign up any time the casino is open (via your door), however you must sign up $20/day for the remainder of the cruise. You can’t pick only sea days.

Be aware that there are (or at least were) travel websites cleverly selling eTA’s for above the cost to get them from the government. When we went in 2016 my mother accidentally bought hers from one of these sites. It was legit, just more than it would have cost to get it directly.

ArriveCan is no longer. You don’t require vaccinations to fly anymore, so it is unlikely to be required for cruise embarkation, but they could put it back. There is an option for those with flights to the US to take a secure bus directly to the airport and bypass Canadian and US customs/immigration. You effectively stay in the US. Your flight needs to be departing during a very specific time frame, but if it works for you is an easy way to get to the airport. You could probably find details on the West Coast Departures board.

Princess may or may not officially change the departure time. Last summer the cruise I was on did not change the official departure time, however we left after midnight. The port schedule will have the correct time though, so I would refer to that: https://www.portvancouver.com/cruise/cruise-schedule/

Princess tells you in their documentation to call “911” in case of Covid symptoms. It just means that someone will answer your call rather than have to leave a message if no one is available.

Prime Rib is my favourite food, so I have high standards. Unfortunately, I have been disappointed at least 50% of the times I’ve ordered it. I had stopped ordering it, but then saw that it looked good, so I ordered it , and it was good. On my most recent cruise, I specifically asked the waiter if it was good on that particular night, and she assured me it was. It was not. It was tough and gristly. It reminded me of the time we accidentally bought AA Prime Rib. It looked ok, but you could hardly cut it. Never again will I order it.

Coral has a full walk around promenade (all on one level) and several forward and aft facing public decks. It was built as a panamax, so can still use the old locks. I prefer the forward facing buffet, as the views are nicer than aft. I would not hesitate to book the Coral, particularly if there is any scenic cruising involved. Please send her back from Australia!

We didn’t have to ask on the Discovery a few weeks ago. It was standard to provide turn down. Other than chocolates, it was as I remembered from before the pause.

Two more things.. Internet - slow, but ok. Remember to back to the medallion screen to kick off one device to use the new one. Ship - still new and shiny!

Off the Discovery Princess yesterday (Vancouver to Los Angeles). This was our first cruise after the pause, so I thought I would put together some thoughts… Embarkation - Vancouver is a confusing place to get on a ship. We’ve done it before, and they have lots of people to guide you, but there’s still a lot of walking. Upstairs to check in, back down for security & pre-clear US customs/immigration. Then they crowded everyone into 3 rows of tiny seats, facing each other. The ship was half full, so they could have easily let people space out a bit. There were 3 ships departing that day, so it was a little crowded. For security, they were making the Royal Caribbean passengers wait, so the Princess and HA passengers had to pass them through the line. Further note, we are close enough to fly in on departure day, and we take the train downtown. We arrived about 10am. Departure Day - We were interested in paying for an upgrade, so went to the PSD. They said they were taking names and would phone us. Because of that, we waited to unpack and checked back frequently for a message. We finally gave up and unpacked at dinner time. The official itinerary said we were leaving at 4:30, but we had to wait for low tide, and didn’t depart until just after midnight. I did hear some grumbling about missing sailaway, and the casino not being open. I agree with others that they should let you know ahead of time. Covid - Masks were recommended (not required), and only about 10% were wearing them at any given time. I don’t believe Covid was anything significant on board, as I never or rarely heard anyone coughing, sneezing, or blowing nose/complaining/etc. One comedian act was canceled for “operational reasons”. Entertainment - Some good, some not so. It seems there are more single performers than before, but difficult to tell. The house band, The Drop, was amazing - best I’ve seen. The lead singer’s vocal range was great, making everything from Peter Gabrial to Michael Jackson, to ABBA sound great. On this cruise, we would stick around to hear the house band, whereas on prior cruises we have left. We also enjoyed piano player, Brian Johnson in Crooners. He also did one night in the theatre with an Elton John tribute that was really good. Another entertainment comment - we happened upon a circus act one day. I don’t go out of my way to see this kind of entertainment, but I’m glad Princess offers it. Unique and interesting acts can be a highlight too. Food - Some excellent, most ok, some disappointing. The best meal we had on the ship was the beef Wellington. It was so tender and delicious. The most disappointing was the prime rib. The taste was good, but the meat was incredibly tough and gristly. I am usually disappointed with the prime rib, so I think this will be the last time. Most of the food was ok. I’d prefer some different breakfast choices, as it seemed the same every day. Drinks - we had the plus package, and that seemed to work pretty well. We were charged for bottles of water a few times, so had to get those removed. Not a big deal, but a PITA still. We had no issues asking for 2 beer to take to our room. (But remember to pack an opener!) We ordered drinks twice while in the Vista Lounge (that bar wasn’t open), one they brought, and one they canceled. We gave up after that. I didn’t mind ordering wine by the variety at dinner. I just asked for malbec and I think I got the same wine (which I enjoyed) every night. One more thing on drinks - provisioning was strange. We knew that they were no longer stocking Crown Royal, but found it in 3 bars. They have Grand Marnier everywhere except the Ketchikan dining room. Stuff happens, you don’t have it the first night, but then you still don’t have it two days later? Weird. Cruise staff - all very friendly. No real complaints. I never did find out what our steward’s name was, as he never introduced himself. The Liar’s Club was the highlight of the staff entertainment, as it was hilarious. That’s about it. It was great to get back to cruising again.

Just off Discovery Princess

We have mostly cruised Princess when our kids were younger (including Alaska), but have done one Disney cruise. I think of the Disney cruise as the ship (and the private island) being the destination. There is so much to see and do, that doing an Alaskan itinerary on Disney seems to be a waste to me. Our kids loved Princess for Alaska. There were lots of other kids, and the kids clubs were staffed by teachers on summer break. We did a lot of family friendly excursions like kayaking and whale watching. Love Disney, but prefer to do it in places where you don’t need to get off the ship.

Confirm that on the current cruise it was Skagway 12:00 to 13:30.

Discovery Princess

Well, reporting back… Have to say it was a bit of a “bust”. We were in the first hundred to board the ship, and went to the PSD. I asked there about how much it would cost to upgrade, but she just said that they were taking names and cabin numbers, and would call us later. I confirmed that they would call our original cabin, and she said “yes”. We put our stuff in the cabin, but didn’t unpack, in the hope that they would contact us. We repeatedly checked back at the cabin for a phone message, but it never came. We finally unpacked before dinner, and still haven’t heard anything. If taking our name and cabin was just to get rid of us, I’d prefer that they just said “no upgrades” at the desk. Edit to add - the ship is only half full

They’ve been phoning me and leaving messages. It sounds like it’s a CVP, but maybe with a “special deal”. I say it’s a CVP, because they seem to have full access to my cruise history and current bookings. Next time they phone, I would like to answer to find out what the “deal” is.

Thanks for the help. We will be early on board, so cabins likely won’t be ready anyway. I’ll head to PSD right away and ask how much? There are many deluxe balconies still available in our section, so if lucky it might be free. Also will ask about a mini-suite. Will report back on this thread as to what the result is.

Unfortunately not for this cruise, as you pre-clear US Customs and Immigration before boarding. Edit to add: You could drop off your luggage, and then tour around a bit.

Tried to search, but everything is coming up with the new bidding system! If I am interested in paying for an upgrade on sail date (or at least seeing what they are offering) what is the process? Do I ask at check-in, or at PSD on the ship? We are leaving next week, and there are still lots of cabins available, so I’m wondering if there might be “deals” available, or if it’s a waste of time (ie. still very expensive). Looking to go from reg. balcony to a deluxe or mini-suite. Thanks!

Someone (I’m sorry, I don’t recall which eclipse thread) said that on a previous Carnival Eclipse cruise, they were also scheduled for port on eclipse day. The weather was questionable, so they ported and dropped off anyone that wanted, and then went out to sea for the eclipse, then back to port for pick ups. I’m optimistic that the Captain will have the authority to make this choice if need be. There may not be a reason to be hand-wringing yet.

lifecenters.ca is based in Calgary and you can use the government issued (free) tests. $20(CAD) for one person, $25(CAD) for two people.

Now camera says its headed back to Los Angeles.

Camera still says “alongside”, but it is not. It may just be temporary to let other ships dock, or it may be on its way somewhere.

If you (adults) would like to enjoy a long leisurely dinner, you always have the option of asking for their mains to come quickly (optionally followed immediately by dessert), and then one of you taking them to the kids club before your mains come. If you prefer to enjoy a nice dinner as a family, that’s fine too.