LIVE FROM - Royal Princess - Sept 3-10 2022, Vancouver BC to Anchorage Alaska

[Cali Viajera]

Enjoy! We did Alaska this summer and loved it. I admire how fast you were able another cruise!

 

[cr8tiv1]

7 hours ago, rheathslc said:

We made it to SeaTac! And we made the first bus so we're going to make it to the ship a bit earlier than we planned. Hooray!

 

The long-suffering Preston can't wait to hand my excessive luggage over to Princess. Haha!

 

Is all of that for a 7 day cruise?  I am sorry to hear of such a strained/sprained start to your birthday cruise.  Nothing that a little Club Class embarkation can not fix.  Hope you will get an escort to your suite.  It's nice to have those extra hands.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

Happy birthday and Bon voyage!  I’m really looking forward to your review. I have 19 days on the Royal this month into October and have never sailed her before. I would be really grateful for any photos and reviews of the suite breakfast. Also if you can let us know if your mini bar items are back to normal or if they are still having supply chain issues. 
 

I just got the first four books in the Outlander series to read on my upcoming 26 days of sailing. I’m even more excited to dig into them given how many times you’ve reread them. 
 

While I’m pretty sure the proper robe should be in your suite, if you don’t get a big comfy thick shawl robe speak to the suite manger. They will bring you a robe from the spa. 
 

I noticed you mentioned you tested as you are sailing prior to the 6th. Actually any cruiser going to Canada is required to test even after the 6th. Well at least according to the Canada govt and Princess website. 
 

I hope your sailing is great and you get some nice weather. 

[Outerdog]

Following. On Royal in December.

[ceilidh1]

@rheathslc - hoping you made the ship and have just been too busy enjoying your premiere package to post!

[_rusty_shackleford]

Hi all. My wife and I are on this sailing as well doing the 14 day round trip. I've been on Carnival 14 times and this is our first time on Princess. Some notes and observations for the review and amusement of the community:

 

- Embarkation (Vancouver) went fairly smoothly. No one cared about or checked arrival times and best I could tell there was no 'green line' and 'blue line'. We all went through the same line. I'm guessing we arrived around peak time (11am) and were on the ship by 12:15 or so. Had we waited another half hour I bet we would have just walked on. Vancouver is a lovely city. We stayed at the Loden Hotel (thanks Amex Credit!) and ate dinner at the restaurant attached to it, Tableau. Probably the most complete meal I've ever had from presentation to flavor to execution. Well worth it. We'd love to come back and spend more time in VAN in the future.

 

- Decent weather so far. Rained overnight but clear skies today. Seas are about 6 ft or so and were around 8 ft overnight and early this morning. You can feel motion but it's not at all unpleasant. Crossing the Gulf to Whittier and back might be a different story- we shall see. 

 

- This ship is without question a step above the Carnival ships I've been on. It's difficult to put a finger on what makes that so but a lot of the finishes and refinements are just a step above. Carnival's decor is very, err, "festive". To borrow my FIL's favorite description, Princess is 'plush, but not overly ostentatious'. She's in really good shape. Crew seem to be in good spirits as well.

 

- I'd guess the average passenger age is around mid-50s and definitely skews towards the higher end of that range, fairly unsurprising given school is in session and Alaska in general leans older. My wife (32) and I (33) are definitely some of the younger people on the ship. According to the crew running the kids clubs they have 18 kids under 17 TOTAL on the ship for this leg. Their peak times in the Caribbean they said are usually around 600 before Covid. We're definitely not at capacity, probably somewhere between 50-75%. I'll update if I get a better number from the crew.

 

- Mask mandate is in effect. A surprising number of people to me are complying, probably at least 50%. Passenger:crew ratio is much better than my Carnival Spirit sailing out of Seattle in June.

 

- We ate at the Crown Grill last night. Honestly this was a bit of a disappointment. The appetizers were outstanding (lobster cake, crab cake, and beef tartare) but our entrees (beef rib chop, veal chop) left some to be desired. I don't think my rib chop was seasoned before it was grilled but both were cooked the way we ordered it. Sides were good but nothing to write home about. Service was outstanding. I'd give Carnival's steakhouse the edge in entree quality but Princess service and appetizers are clearly better.

 

- We opted for the Plus package and have zero regrets about that. Well worth it. We got nicer glasses of wine with dinner last night and paid the cost difference. Not enough to convince me Premier is worth it personally. I'm mainly a bourbon and scotch drinker and I'm very happy with the selection. Maker's, Knob Creek, Woodford, Talisker, Glenfiddich 12, Glenmorangie, and Dalwhinnie are all included with Plus to name a few.

[rheathslc]

From late last night:

 

Tried posting this earlier but doesn't seem to have posted. An issue I know has been common while posting from onboard.

 

Today was... hectic. I've now been awake for 21 hours after sleeping only 5  last night (and only 3 the night before that). And the internet has been sloooow. I'll write up a full review of embarkation, sailaway, and our gorgeous aft suite tomorrow after some much needed sleep and our first Suite Breakfast at Sabatini's. I'm gonna be dreaming about poached eggs.

[FoxKitchen]

53 minutes ago, _rusty_shackleford said:

Hi all. My wife and I are on this sailing as well doing the 14 day round trip. I've been on Carnival 14 times and this is our first time on Princess. Some notes and observations for the review and amusement of the community:

 

- Embarkation (Vancouver) went fairly smoothly. No one cared about or checked arrival times and best I could tell there was no 'green line' and 'blue line'. We all went through the same line. I'm guessing we arrived around peak time (11am) and were on the ship by 12:15 or so. Had we waited another half hour I bet we would have just walked on. Vancouver is a lovely city. We stayed at the Loden Hotel (thanks Amex Credit!) and ate dinner at the restaurant attached to it, Tableau. Probably the most complete meal I've ever had from presentation to flavor to execution. Well worth it. We'd love to come back and spend more time in VAN in the future.

 

- Decent weather so far. Rained overnight but clear skies today. Seas are about 6 ft or so and were around 8 ft overnight and early this morning. You can feel motion but it's not at all unpleasant. Crossing the Gulf to Whittier and back might be a different story- we shall see. 

 

- This ship is without question a step above the Carnival ships I've been on. It's difficult to put a finger on what makes that so but a lot of the finishes and refinements are just a step above. Carnival's decor is very, err, "festive". To borrow my FIL's favorite description, Princess is 'plush, but not overly ostentatious'. She's in really good shape. Crew seem to be in good spirits as well.

 

- I'd guess the average passenger age is around mid-50s and definitely skews towards the higher end of that range, fairly unsurprising given school is in session and Alaska in general leans older. My wife (32) and I (33) are definitely some of the younger people on the ship. According to the crew running the kids clubs they have 18 kids under 17 TOTAL on the ship for this leg. Their peak times in the Caribbean they said are usually around 600 before Covid. We're definitely not at capacity, probably somewhere between 50-75%. I'll update if I get a better number from the crew.

 

- Mask mandate is in effect. A surprising number of people to me are complying, probably at least 50%. Passenger:crew ratio is much better than my Carnival Spirit sailing out of Seattle in June.

 

- We ate at the Crown Grill last night. Honestly this was a bit of a disappointment. The appetizers were outstanding (lobster cake, crab cake, and beef tartare) but our entrees (beef rib chop, veal chop) left some to be desired. I don't think my rib chop was seasoned before it was grilled but both were cooked the way we ordered it. Sides were good but nothing to write home about. Service was outstanding. I'd give Carnival's steakhouse the edge in entree quality but Princess service and appetizers are clearly better.

 

- We opted for the Plus package and have zero regrets about that. Well worth it. We got nicer glasses of wine with dinner last night and paid the cost difference. Not enough to convince me Premier is worth it personally. I'm mainly a bourbon and scotch drinker and I'm very happy with the selection. Maker's, Knob Creek, Woodford, Talisker, Glenfiddich 12, Glenmorangie, and Dalwhinnie are all included with Plus to name a few.

@_rusty_shackleford thanks for your detailed onboard review!
 

We’re sailing on the Royal in a few weeks … September 17th; Alaska round trip out of Vancouver. I appreciate you taking the time to satisfy our curiosity about how things are going in this new (after the pause) season of cruising. You hit almost all of the points I’ve been wondering/feeling anxious about. The current mask mandate (I’ll make sure to pack some), and whether the ship is operating at full capacity. I’m glad she’s not because crowds still freak me out a bit.

 

Vancouver is our home port. We’ve sailed out of there often and have had both good and not so good experiences with embarkation. Glad to hear things went smoothly for you. We are trying the Princess Plus package for the first time, and have a reservation at the Crown Grill as well.

 

I’m curious about the entertainment and daily activities, as there’s not much listed in the Medallion App yet. Mostly I get messages to check back closer to the cruise date. I’m looking forward to more ‘Live From’ reviews from you, @ rheathslc and others who are currently sailing on the Royal Princess. 

 

Enjoy your Cruise!

[tml1230]

14 minutes ago, rheathslc said:

From late last night:

 

Tried posting this earlier but doesn't seem to have posted. An issue I know has been common while posting from onboard.

 

Today was... hectic. I've now been awake for 21 hours after sleeping only 5  last night (and only 3 the night before that). And the internet has been sloooow. I'll write up a full review of embarkation, sailaway, and our gorgeous aft suite tomorrow after some much needed sleep and our first Suite Breakfast at Sabatini's. I'm gonna be dreaming about poached eggs.

Delayed happy birthday! we are very much looking forward to your reports!...they are GREAT so far!

Preston IS THE MAN!...the look on his face reminds me of me...... when I got IRS audit letter!...

enjoy the cruise and stay well!

 

[memoak]

17 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Is all of that for a 7 day cruise?  I am sorry to hear of such a strained/sprained start to your birthday cruise.  Nothing that a little Club Class embarkation can not fix.  Hope you will get an escort to your suite.  It's nice to have those extra hands.

On the Royal you do not get an escort to your suite but you will get an escort to  the covid ward on dolphin should you get sick. Although you will have to pack all you stuff up yourself 

 

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, _rusty_shackleford said:

- We ate at the Crown Grill last night. Honestly this was a bit of a disappointment. The appetizers were outstanding (lobster cake, crab cake, and beef tartare) but our entrees (beef rib chop, veal chop) left some to be desired. I don't think my rib chop was seasoned before it was grilled but both were cooked the way we ordered it. Sides were good but nothing to write home about. Service was outstanding. I'd give Carnival's steakhouse the edge in entree quality but Princess service and appetizers are clearly better.

 

Thank you for your first timer review of Princess.  Always nice to get a fresh perspective.  

 

I have given up on the steaks at the Crown Grill.  Others have raved about the Filet.  I personally have found my favorite, Lamb Chops.  Also heard the Chilean Sea Bass was something to try.  I do not "season" my foods, but believe the Crown Grill may have less seasoning because they offer you 3 different salts to flavor your meat.  

 

If you are in a suite (deduction:  first night at the Crown Grill), it is a "must" to have breakfast at Sabatini's.  

 

I am not a Royal Class fan, although I have not been on a ship.  It was good to hear that you are liking what you are experiencing.  Have a wonderful cruise.  This is a good time to be in Alaska.  Hopefully, no mosquitos, no crowds, and lots of end of season sales.  

[cr8tiv1]

2 minutes ago, memoak said:

On the Royal you do not get an escort to your suite but you will get an escort to  the covid ward on dolphin should you get sick. Although you will have to pack all you stuff up yourself 

 

Thanks for that information.  I have only been escorted on the ship...once (1).  That was a fun experience.  I do hope I never need nor meet a COVID escort.  Seems as though you had this "service" more than once.  I hope you are on the mend.  

 

My hope is that those on this Royal voyage will be able to avoid Whittier boarding covid passengers since it is a round trip from Vancouver.  

[_rusty_shackleford]

12 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Thanks for that information.  I have only been escorted on the ship...once (1).  That was a fun experience.  I do hope I never need nor meet a COVID escort.  Seems as though you had this "service" more than once.  I hope you are on the mend.  

 

My hope is that those on this Royal voyage will be able to avoid Whittier boarding covid passengers since it is a round trip from Vancouver.  

Not in a suite actually. We got lucky and got one of the "obstructed" cabins on Emerald forward that has a balcony that looks twice as big as the standard ones (yes yes, I know, shhhh). Very much recommend. We picked the steakhouse and Sabatini's on nights where the MDR didn't have options we really wanted so I'm hoping Sabatini's is better. We'll probably give the steakhouse another chance and I appreciate the lamb recommendation!

 

I'll admit I have mixed feelings about the ship. It's very nice but also very large. Even though they're older my favorite ships by far are the Spirit class on Carnival. Plenty of space and don't feel crowded even at capacity. We're hoping for seasonal weather this trip, even if that means rain. When we came in June this year it was like 80 degrees. I prefer it much cooler personally so 50s-60s would be ideal. It's a little late in the season for salmon runs but maybe we'll get lucky.

 

Edit: somehow quoted the wrong poster, sorry about that! I'm going to blame MedallionNet because it makes me feel better about not proofreading 😄

Edited September 4, 2022 by _rusty_shackleford
Wrong quote

[memoak]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Thank you for your first timer review of Princess.  Always nice to get a fresh perspective.  

 

I have given up on the steaks at the Crown Grill.  Others have raved about the Filet.  I personally have found my favorite, Lamb Chops.  Also heard the Chilean Sea Bass was something to try.  I do not "season" my foods, but believe the Crown Grill may have less seasoning because they offer you 3 different salts to flavor your meat.  

 

If you are in a suite (deduction:  first night at the Crown Grill), it is a "must" to have breakfast at Sabatini's.  

 

I am not a Royal Class fan, although I have not been on a ship.  It was good to hear that you are liking what you are experiencing.  Have a wonderful cruise.  This is a good time to be in Alaska.  Hopefully, no mosquitos, no crowds, and lots of end of season sales.  

The Crown Grill on the Royal does not currently have Lamb Chops

[cr8tiv1]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

The Crown Grill on the Royal does not currently have Lamb Chops

 

The Grand does.  More reasons not to sail on the Royal (or Royal Class Ships).

[_rusty_shackleford]

5 minutes ago, memoak said:

The Crown Grill on the Royal does not currently have Lamb Chops

It's on the menu but since we didn't order it I don't know for certain if they have it or not. They didn't mention being out of it when we were seated but may also wait to see if someone orders it. No clue.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Thanks for that information.  I have only been escorted on the ship...once (1).  That was a fun experience.  I do hope I never need nor meet a COVID escort.  Seems as though you had this "service" more than once.  I hope you are on the mend.  

 

My hope is that those on this Royal voyage will be able to avoid Whittier boarding covid passengers since it is a round trip from Vancouver.  

On our round trip from Vancouver cases skyrocketing as soon as we left Whittier. We our group tested positive on days 3 and 4. Hundreds were with us. It looked like most of Dolphin deck was full. Took over 2 hours to get us off the ship
 

[cr8tiv1]

38 minutes ago, memoak said:

On our round trip from Vancouver cases skyrocketing as soon as we left Whittier. We our group tested positive on days 3 and 4. Hundreds were with us. It looked like most of Dolphin deck was full. Took over 2 hours to get us off the ship
 

 

What I meant was a round trip from Vancouver that didn't pick up Land Tours.  There are several beginning/end of the season voyages that do a round trip from Vancouver without being a b2b (as in your situation).  I am concerned that Princess has not been able to successfully screen out infected passengers who were first doing the Denali land portion.  This is very unfortunate for you and everyone else on your cruise.  I am so sorry that you had to experience this problem.

 

It looks like this thread is a one way Vancouver to Whittier...pick up land passengers...return to Vancouver.  They will probably take on multiple cases of covid passengers.  

 

The Grand Princess is doing a 12 day round trip from Vancouver to Vancouver without stopping to pick up Land Tour passengers.  The Royal did one early in the season; not sure if they will do one late in the season.  

 

 

[ceilidh1]

25 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

What I meant was a round trip from Vancouver that didn't pick up Land Tours.  There are several beginning/end of the season voyages that do a round trip from Vancouver without being a b2b (as in your situation).  I am concerned that Princess has not been able to successfully screen out infected passengers who were first doing the Denali land portion.  This is very unfortunate for you and everyone else on your cruise.  I am so sorry that you had to experience this problem.

 

It looks like this thread is a one way Vancouver to Whittier...pick up land passengers...return to Vancouver.  They will probably take on multiple cases of covid passengers.  

 

The Grand Princess is doing a 12 day round trip from Vancouver to Vancouver without stopping to pick up Land Tour passengers.  The Royal did one early in the season; not sure if they will do one late in the season.  

 

 

Royal is doing a 7 day roundtrip on September 17th. I'm on it and hoping we don't experience too many Covid cases..

[memoak]

2 hours ago, _rusty_shackleford said:

It's on the menu but since we didn't order it I don't know for certain if they have it or not. They didn't mention being out of it when we were seated but may also wait to see if someone orders it. No clue.

Is this the actual menu from the ship ? On our cruise the lamb chops were missing and the head of Crown told me due to supply chain issues they did not expect to get it back till January

[_rusty_shackleford]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

Is this the actual menu from the ship ? On our cruise the lamb chops were missing and the head of Crown told me due to supply chain issues they did not expect to get it back till January

Yes, screenshot from the app. I'm on the ship at the moment. I definitely remember seeing a lamb dish on the physical menus they hand you as well last night. 95% sure it was chops but might also have been leg of lamb or something like that.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, _rusty_shackleford said:

Yes, screenshot from the app. I'm on the ship at the moment. I definitely remember seeing a lamb dish on the physical menus they hand you as well last night. 95% sure it was chops but might also have been leg of lamb or something like that.

Don’t trust the app half the stuff they show is not available.  My 3 favorite bourbons were gone 5 days into the 14 day cruise but were still up on the app. Go to the Crown and ask to see an actual menu

[catgirl411]

On 9/3/2022 at 5:18 PM, LSGDRG said:

Thanks for posting about the Royal.  I have an upcoming cruise booked on the Royal in an aft suite.  I am looking forward to hear what you think about the cabin/ship.  I was in an aft suite on the Majestic back in 2019.  I hope the Royal Princess is as nice an experience.

 

On 9/3/2022 at 5:27 PM, ceilidh1 said:

I imagine you're in Vancouver by now...sun is out (it was kind of gray and cold this morning) so should have a great sailaway! Hope Canada Place isn't too much of a zoo (spolier - it usually is).

 

Bon Voyage

We were in the Torino aft suite  R731 on the August 20th sailing.  Loved it. Make sure (weather permitting of course) to have your breakfast served on your amazing balcony. For us it was an unforgettable experience.  Maribeth, the Concierge is so sweet and helpful and be sure to avail yourself of the pre-dinner drinks and snacks in the Concierge Lounge between 5 and 7. Enjoy your cruise! 

[twprincessfirsties]

We are on the Royal for the return trip from Whittier on the 10th and am following this closely. We are worried, of course about COVID, especially since on previous cruises from Whittier it looks like there was a significant breakout.

 

Anyway, hope all on the boat is having lots of fun! 

[Cruise Raider]

Happy birthday and hope your ankle isn’t too much trouble.