Semi-Live-- Grand Princess June 1, 2022 Southbound Whittier to Vancouver

[erber]

49 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

 

Oops....I am guessing "my" Liz and "your" Liz is one and the same.  She is from South Africa???  Please let her know that Mac Nut passenger sends her aloha.  I was a teacher and always had trouble putting faces (on the board) to names.  Mahalo

She introduced herself as Liz. When I see her again, I'll give her your regards! 

[erber]

A few more photos from today in Glacier Bay! 

[DougH]

9 hours ago, erber said:

I chatted with Liz Pentz,  the manager at the Loyalty desk. I think she said the cut off for this cruise is 245 days, so we almost made it. We have 236 days at sea. The luncheon is the final sea day, June 7th. We have made the cut off on several Alaska trips in the past. 

Thanks for the info. I am pretty sure I would make the cutoff as early in the cruise I go over 600 days. Glad to hear it is a lunch, I much prefer that over a cocktail party.

[DougH]

Sure hope the weather holds for next week, you photos are great. I've done Alaska almost 30 times but never get tired of the vies

Edited June 4, 2022 by DougH

[erber]

This letter ( sorry it is sideways) was on our bed when we returned from dinner. Masks are now required to be worn indoors except when eating or drinking or when in your own stateroom. 

[Coral]

Here you go in the correct position.

[Coral]

9 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

 

Oops....I am guessing "my" Liz and "your" Liz is one and the same.  She is from South Africa???  Please let her know that Mac Nut passenger sends her aloha.  I was a teacher and always had trouble putting faces (on the board) to names.  Mahalo

I thought she was on the ship at the end of December but could be wrong.

[Buckeye10640]

9 hours ago, erber said:

This letter ( sorry it is sideways) was on our bed when we returned from dinner. Masks are now required to be worn indoors except when eating or drinking or when in your own stateroom. 

It has seemingly been reinstated for all cruises between Whittier and Vancouver.  Seems interesting it is not impacting Seattle RT which visit basically the same ports.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Buckeye10640

[CynCyn]

6 minutes ago, Buckeye10640 said:

It has seemingly been reinstated for all cruises between Whittier and Vancouver.  Seems interesting it is not impacting Seattle RT which visit basically the same ports.

I hate to be a cynic but this route requires testing for those returning to US from Vancouver and the Seattle RTs do not.  I wish I felt confident in stating that Princess’s first concern is passenger safety…….

[Roberto256]

9 hours ago, erber said:

This letter ( sorry it is sideways) was on our bed when we returned from dinner. Masks are now required to be worn indoors except when eating or drinking or when in your own stateroom. 

 

 

Wow, require.  Not even respectfully request...

 

As I recently learned here, one can have a religious excuse for not being vaccinated.

 

Can I have a religious excuse for not wearing a mask?

 

I once saw a gent at the passenger services' desk arguing that he had a medical reason

to not wear pants. (and, I assume wear shorts into the dining room...)

 

Now that he can simply get away with not wearing pants, I wonder what new thing he

has found to argue about...

 

[memoak]

2 hours ago, CynCyn said:

I hate to be a cynic but this route requires testing for those returning to US from Vancouver and the Seattle RTs do not.  I wish I felt confident in stating that Princess’s first concern is passenger safety…….

Only for flying back. Driving or on a motor coach no test required

[Buckeye10640]

3 hours ago, CynCyn said:

I hate to be a cynic but this route requires testing for those returning to US from Vancouver and the Seattle RTs do not.  I wish I felt confident in stating that Princess’s first concern is passenger safety…….

True, if flying from YVR to US.  But it also applies to northbound passengers disembarking in Whittier who will not be required to test to fly back to the US.  If the rules were for 'passengers safety' they would apply to all cruises or at least all cruises going to Alaska 

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Buckeye10640

[nini]

13 hours ago, erber said:

This letter ( sorry it is sideways) was on our bed when we returned from dinner. Masks are now required to be worn indoors except when eating or drinking or when in your own stateroom. 

 

Darn! This means that the Covid numbers are up for passengers and crew. We were recently on the Emerald British Isles itinerary from May 9-21. Upon boarding, standing at any bar or coffee bar was NOT permitted for ordering- you had to sit down (with mask off- LOL!) to order from a crew member.

 

Then, on May 15, the bars and coffee bar were open and I asked why the change? One of the bartenders told me it was due to our covid numbers looking very good for passengers and crew!

[CynCyn]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

Only for flying back. Driving or on a motor coach no test required

I get that.  What I was trying to say is that Princess only enacts safety measures for routes that have more possibilities for required testing.  I feel like it is a see no evil approach instead of an approach that considers passenger and crew safety.  In other words, they are only enacting measures where they might get ‘caught’.

[Coral]

I wonder if they are trying to lower their costs in paying for hotel rooms for those who test positive.

[cr8tiv1]

8 hours ago, Coral said:

I thought she was on the ship at the end of December but could be wrong.

 

Liz's first cruise was in January/February.

[nini]

3 hours ago, CynCyn said:

I get that.  What I was trying to say is that Princess only enacts safety measures for routes that have more possibilities for required testing.  I feel like it is a see no evil approach instead of an approach that considers passenger and crew safety.  In other words, they are only enacting measures where they might get ‘caught’.

Personally, I do not believe that to be true. As far as I can tell, Princess is just re-establishing itineraries that they did pre- covid.

[memoak]

5 hours ago, Buckeye10640 said:

True, if flying from YVR to US.  But it also applies to northbound passengers disembarking in Whittier who will not be required to test to fly back to the US.  If the rules were for 'passengers safety' they would apply to all cruises or at least all cruises going to Alaska 

 

Flying from Alaska is a domestic flight not International. These are federal rules not Princess rules

[memoak]

18 hours ago, erber said:

This letter ( sorry it is sideways) was on our bed when we returned from dinner. Masks are now required to be worn indoors except when eating or drinking or when in your own stateroom. 

Did people do what was required by the letter and if not was there enforcement ?  Hoping that most go by the rules and if not there is enforcement

[CynCyn]

1 hour ago, nini said:

Personally, I do not believe that to be true. As far as I can tell, Princess is just re-establishing itineraries that they did pre- covid.

I’m not talking about itineraries.  I am talking about strengthening COVID safety protocols only in places where they will potentially have more cases discovered due to testing rules to fly back to us from YVR and expensive accommodations in both Anchorage and Vancouver.  If they were worried about the increase in cases in Alaska, the Seattle RT itineraries would have the same protocol.  

[Buckeye10640]

3 hours ago, memoak said:

Flying from Alaska is a domestic flight not International. These are federal rules not Princess rules

Agreed, testing req for flying YVR to the US  is a US req and  not Princess. In my comment I was referring to the Princess 'rule ' requiring masks only on the sailings between Whittier and Vancouver but not other Alaska sailings. 

[erber]

Today was a beautiful day in Skagway...and it actually was very warm during the day in the mid to high 70°s. We had a lovely day..however we had No wifi when we were on board the ship until dinnertime. We were told it was due to our location. The wifi returned much stronger after sailaway.  Sailaway was windy and cold. The temperature dropped and the clouds came in as we departed. 

[memoak]

13 hours ago, Buckeye10640 said:

Agreed, testing req for flying YVR to the US  is a US req and  not Princess. In my comment I was referring to the Princess 'rule ' requiring masks only on the sailings between Whittier and Vancouver but not other Alaska sailings. 

The other sailings don’t have people boarding in Whittier after a land tour. That is one of the differences I can see. Also on the Northbound sailings there may be many who have to be quarantined in Northern Alaska 

[erber]

[nini]

BTW- is anyone in an aft cabin? I would like to know if the staff smoking area is still aft on the promenade deck? We recently got off of the Emerald and they still have one and the cigarette smoke just floated on up to our corner aft cabin. Dang!