Live from the Majestic Princess at last! August 1 2021 to Alaska

[DuncanBlizzard]

4 hours ago, nini said:

 

I am so sorry you feel that way. However, nothing is rainbows and roses all of the time. We have also experienced a few negative incidents on and with Princess, but we still LOVE cruising and Princess is our favorite. Also, please note that they are just now getting up and running after close to a year and a half.

 

I do so much research on CC that provides us with information about cabins, special dinners, shore excursions, etc. Otherwise, I would have never known about Chef's Table, Winemaker's Dinner, or the Tuscan Dinner and many other topics.

 

I think it's unrealistic to think that many people will find Cruise Critic.  Yes, I found it.  That's because I have spent lots of time on Tripadvisor planning land-based trips.  Many people just won't know about things they would have enjoyed.  Perhaps ignorance is bliss.

 

As far as knowing about all of the dinner options, sadly they're irrelevant for me.  I have dietary restrictions and, to make it simple for the cruise, ate mostly the same handful of things in rotation for every lunch and dinner.  When I tried to find something on the menu I might be able to eat, they kept telling me there were other things in that item not listed that I couldn't eat.  It worked for me to eat repetitively for a week.  I was never hungry and lost weight -- and I can tell I ate some things I would have avoided had I known what was in them, but I'll recover from that in the next week or two.

 

Still, I'm not sure that another cruise makes sense in my future.

 

As I wrote in another thread:

Our three trips to shore went well.  We had numerous very good humpback whale sightings and had fun bear sightings in both the other ports.  We also had great bald eagle, otter, salmon, seal, sea lion, etc. sightings.  I obviously like wildlife and would have been ecstatic to see an orca -- perhaps another time or place.  The scenery was good too from White Pass to the meadows and forest around Dyea to the wild berries on the walking loop around Ward Lake.  I really liked the two national park rangers that came on for Glacier Bay and wished they had talked more.  I especially liked the Tom Franek show at night but also enjoyed the comedian and magician.

[nini]

1 hour ago, DuncanBlizzard said:

 

I think it's unrealistic to think that many people will find Cruise Critic.  Yes, I found it.  That's because I have spent lots of time on Tripadvisor planning land-based trips.  

 

Still, I'm not sure that another cruise makes sense in my future.

 

As I wrote in another thread:

Our three trips to shore went well.  We had numerous very good humpback whale sightings and had fun bear sightings in both the other ports.  We also had great bald eagle, otter, salmon, seal, sea lion, etc. sightings.  I obviously like wildlife and would have been ecstatic to see an orca -- perhaps another time or place.  The scenery was good too from White Pass to the meadows and forest around Dyea to the wild berries on the walking loop around Ward Lake.  I really liked the two national park rangers that came on for Glacier Bay and wished they had talked more.  I especially liked the Tom Franek show at night but also enjoyed the comedian and magician.

You are so correct about finding CC. I am not even sure how I did; probably just surfing the web for cruising info.

I am so glad you had some good shore excursions and wildlife viewing! We were ab!e to see Lucas on a whale watching your our of Juneau. Happy future travels.

[caribill]

2 hours ago, DuncanBlizzard said:

  I have dietary restrictions and, to make it simple for the cruise, ate mostly the same handful of things in rotation for every lunch and dinner.  When I tried to find something on the menu I might be able to eat, they kept telling me there were other things in that item not listed that I couldn't eat.

 

Next time work with your headwaiter to plan your meals in advance.

 

The headwaiter will meet with you each evening to go over the menus for the following day. A number of the items can be prepared specially for you without the ingredients you cannot have. The headwaiter will make it happen.

[DuncanBlizzard]

4 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Next time work with your headwaiter to plan your meals in advance.

 

The headwaiter will meet with you each evening to go over the menus for the following day. A number of the items can be prepared specially for you without the ingredients you cannot have. The headwaiter will make it happen.

 

That's exactly what I did to get to the menu I had.  I had a head waiter and a maitre d.  Each night, the head waiter got the maitre d who gave me the next day's lunch and dinner menus.  From those, we put together meals for the following day.  Those were put in my record to pull up the next day.

 

It was the maitre d who kept telling me that something I thought I could eat had other ingredients not listed.  He told me when they could be modified and when not.  For example, I can eat goat cheese and asked about the goat cheese soufflé.  He told me there were other cheeses in there and that they had tried multiple times for other passengers to only use the goat cheese, and it didn't work.  Same with soups although the last night they did modify the mushroom soup so I could eat it -- the only soup I had during the trip.  So we basically set up a pattern of items that I rotated -- salad followed by a few rotating grilled seafood options and rotating steamed vegetables -- with berries for dessert each lunch and dinner.  It worked and was easy for them and fine for me.

[Cabunit]

Has anyone received their end of cruise statement yet?  We have not.

[willyoo]

Duncan Blizzard that is exactly why I like Princess. You did the right thing. I am sure I am much older than you. My first Princess cruise was in June 1975. 

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, DuncanBlizzard said:

 

That's exactly what I did to get to the menu I had.  I had a head waiter and a maitre d.  Each night, the head waiter got the maitre d who gave me the next day's lunch and dinner menus.  From those, we put together meals for the following day.  Those were put in my record to pull up the next day.

 

It was the maitre d who kept telling me that something I thought I could eat had other ingredients not listed.  He told me when they could be modified and when not.  For example, I can eat goat cheese and asked about the goat cheese soufflé.  He told me there were other cheeses in there and that they had tried multiple times for other passengers to only use the goat cheese, and it didn't work.  Same with soups although the last night they did modify the mushroom soup so I could eat it -- the only soup I had during the trip.  So we basically set up a pattern of items that I rotated -- salad followed by a few rotating grilled seafood options and rotating steamed vegetables -- with berries for dessert each lunch and dinner.  It worked and was easy for them and fine for me.

Actually, you were meeting with one of the Head Waiters who supervise a section of the DR.  Your table has a Waiter and Assistant Waiter, so sometimes the Waiter may be thought of, or referred to, as the "head" waiter.  It would be rare for the MD himself to be seeing each guest with their dietary needs.

 

[caribill]

2 hours ago, Cabunit said:

Has anyone received their end of cruise statement yet?  We have not.

 

Is it no longer provided by the embarkation day morning?

[trbarton]

4 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Is it no longer provided by the embarkation day morning?

Perhaps if they still have the machines whereby you can print out a statement the night before or get one from the customer service desk. What do people know?

 

Tom😀

[DuncanBlizzard]

8 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Actually, you were meeting with one of the Head Waiters who supervise a section of the DR.  Your table has a Waiter and Assistant Waiter, so sometimes the Waiter may be thought of, or referred to, as the "head" waiter.  It would be rare for the MD himself to be seeing each guest with their dietary needs.

 

You are right.  I actually saw the overall MD himself very briefly soon after boarding the ship and he set me up with Simone who I was told was the MD for the Allegro restaurant (an assistant MD?).  Simone then set me up with who I was told was the head waiter for the restaurant, Nemesio.  Simone told us that he had previously been a head waiter, and I know he was assigned to multiple passengers with dietary restrictions.  Nevertheless, he made me feel like I was his only guest.  It was Simone who told us to go to the Culinary presentation the last day because we would see Nemesio there since he's the head waiter.

Edited August 10, 2021 by DuncanBlizzard

[DuncanBlizzard]

8 hours ago, trbarton said:

Perhaps if they still have the machines whereby you can print out a statement the night before or get one from the customer service desk. What do people know?

We got them from the customer service desk, but there was always a line in part because of the problems with the billing and the medallion (which notifies the crew who is in the vicinity and pops up their picture leading the crew to often charge the wrong passenger).

 

I know people tried to view their statement in the app the last morning and complained they were no longer visible so they didn't know what they were actually charged.

[Steelers36]

Seems like the Medallion will be best situated inside one of those RFID blocker things unless taking it out to pay for your own drink.  I have read more than one poster doing something like that.

 

[Jeter02]

12 hours ago, Cabunit said:

Has anyone received their end of cruise statement yet?  We have not.

They no longer once a copy of your end of cruise statement under your door day if disembarkation. Which is why it is key to keep uptodate with your onboard statement through Medallion App, or you ask guest services to print you a copy. For some reason I don't think I saw the statement printout machines for self service. Unless I wasn't paying attention and don't see them. 

[cruzrbachoua]

7 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

They no longer once a copy of your end of cruise statement under your door day if disembarkation. Which is why it is key to keep uptodate with your onboard statement through Medallion App, or you ask guest services to print you a copy. For some reason I don't think I saw the statement printout machines for self service. Unless I wasn't paying attention and don't see them. 

That is a real shame...it seems that more and more is being moved to the guests having to do stuff on their vacay unless hopefully it is just do to the covid protocols and less staff that they did not provide the end of cruise statement.  

[QuilterGirl]

Correct, no copy under the door the last morning of the cruise.  We were told that a final statement would be emailed to us after departure from the ship, but we still have not received one (although their email requesting feedback on the cruise arrived before we disembarked).  We tried to find a statement printout machine on board, but could not.  Statements were available in physical form only from Guest Services.  My cellphone is older and didn't do the Medallion app well, so I could not use it to look up my statement.  This is not a good situation. 

 

So, has ANYONE on the August 1 cruise received an emailed final statement?

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by QuilterGirl

[PacnGoNow]

3 minutes ago, QuilterGirl said:

Correct, no copy under the door the last morning of the cruise.  We were told that a final statement would be emailed to us after departure from the ship, but we still have not received one (although their email requesting feedback on the cruise arrived before we disembarked).  We tried to find a statement printout machine on board, but could not.  Statements were available in physical form only from Guest Services.  My cellphone is older and didn't do the Medallion app well, so I could not use it to look up my statement.  This is not a good situation. 

 

So, has ANYONE on the August 1 cruise received an emailed final statement?

 

Wasn’t it available on your TV?

 

[Jeter02]

25 minutes ago, QuilterGirl said:

Correct, no copy under the door the last morning of the cruise.  We were told that a final statement would be emailed to us after departure from the ship, but we still have not received one (although their email requesting feedback on the cruise arrived before we disembarked).  We tried to find a statement printout machine on board, but could not.  Statements were available in physical form only from Guest Services.  My cellphone is older and didn't do the Medallion app well, so I could not use it to look up my statement.  This is not a good situation. 

 

So, has ANYONE on the August 1 cruise received an emailed final statement?

 

No, no statement via email. .... Yes the reason for no statement under the door is so that less paper is being passed around (covid protocals). As they always mention on the disembarkation paperwork, please review your onboard account and take care of any issues prior the disembarkation day. 

[Jeter02]

23 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Wasn’t it available on your TV?

 

Yes, you can view your onboard stateroom account via both the MC app and through your tv. 

[Ombud]

18 hours ago, DuncanBlizzard said:

...  I have dietary restrictions and, to make it simple for the cruise, ate mostly the same handful of things in rotation for every lunch and dinner. ....

I have an unusual allergy + a souvenir from having cancer 6 times. I'm perfectly healthy now just waiting to test Thursday for Sunday's cruise. I do not repeat my meals unless I want to. (Love veggie stuffed baked potato with bechemel or cheese sauce for my main course)

 

In the past 8 cruises (not for the 1st few dozens) I have met with the head waiter in my dining room and explained it: vegetarian with an allergy who can no longer tolerate spicy food. I have been accommodated.  

 

I strongly encourage you to ask to meet with the HW who will come to your table & have you pre-order for the following day

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, Jeter02 said:

No, no statement via email. .... Yes the reason for no statement under the door is so that less paper is being passed around (covid protocals). As they always mention on the disembarkation paperwork, please review your onboard account and take care of any issues prior the disembarkation day. 

I do support emailing the final statement like hotels do - albeit in a more timely fashion should be the case.  Problem is, you can always call the hotel about a mistake, but you cannot call the Purser's desk once you head home.  Have to deal with HQ.

 

Fine to try and cutdown on paper, but Princess and others are not current science as Covid-19 is not transmitted via paper. 

 

[Jeter02]

1 minute ago, Steelers36 said:

I do support emailing the final statement like hotels do - albeit in a more timely fashion should be the case.  Problem is, you can always call the hotel about a mistake, but you cannot call the Purser's desk once you head home.  Have to deal with HQ.

 

Fine to try and cutdown on paper, but Princess and others are not current science as Covid-19 is not transmitted via paper. 

 

Completely agree. Email a statement would be lovely, and your are 💯 correct about the virus not being transmitted via paper.... I think people are too comfortable using that as an exuse for everything everything like a crutch. 

[tarheelz1995]

A couple of minor contributions:

 

1) The freestanding machine still exists next to the Guest Services line.  Just one machine and the print was cut off on one side when I used it last week.

2) When working (it was hit/miss), the "folio" or "statement" (both terms used interchangeably best I could tell) could be accessed via the App.

3) The MedallionClass TV Interface has a screen for the statement but it now directs you to the App.

[trbarton]

If you went to the Chef’s dinner what was the charge? 
 

Thanks!

 

Tom😀

[DuncanBlizzard]

49 minutes ago, Ombud said:

I have an unusual allergy + a souvenir from having cancer 6 times. I'm perfectly healthy now just waiting to test Thursday for Sunday's cruise. I do not repeat my meals unless I want to. (Love veggie stuffed baked potato with bechemel or cheese sauce for my main course)

 

In the past 8 cruises (not for the 1st few dozens) I have met with the head waiter in my dining room and explained it: vegetarian with an allergy who can no longer tolerate spicy food. I have been accommodated.  

 

I strongly encourage you to ask to meet with the HW who will come to your table & have you pre-order for the following day

My head waiter deferred to my MD (asst MD?), and the headwaiter told us he'd been with Princess 17 years and a competitor for 16 years.  He was experienced unlike some of the younger ones I had at lunch.  Every night when we sat at our assigned window table, the headwaiter said they'd start my meal but that Simone would come by to confirm it -- and he did plus set up the next day's menus.

 

After the first day when I struggled to get any idea of what was in their food and walked out of the dining room in frustration, I was fine with this arrangement.  I ate whole foods that were steamed and grilled and I could see exactly what was in them.  It worked and relieved the stress.  Now that I'm home, I can make whatever I like to eat every day.

 

I wasn't there for the food.  I was there for the wildlife and scenery.  I didn't want the food to be a distraction.

[Ombud]

2 minutes ago, DuncanBlizzard said:

My head waiter deferred to my MD (asst MD?), and the headwaiter told us he'd been with Princess 17 years and a competitor for 16 years.  He was experienced unlike some of the younger ones I had at lunch.  Every night when we sat at our assigned window table, the headwaiter said they'd start my meal but that Simone would come by to confirm it -- and he did plus set up the next day's menus.

 

After the first day when I struggled to get any idea of what was in their food and walked out of the dining room in frustration, I was fine with this arrangement.  I ate whole foods that were steamed and grilled and I could see exactly what was in them.  It worked and relieved the stress.  Now that I'm home, I can make whatever I like to eat every day.

 

I wasn't there for the food.  I was there for the wildlife and scenery.  I didn't want the food to be a distraction.

👍I'm fine with deconstructed plates of steamed, grilled, raw foods, plus baked potato. Sounds like it worked for you too