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Alaska and pools

angpia

By angpia,
in Princess Cruises

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angpia

angpia

Posted
Posted

This may be silly question, but going to book alaska cruise for my husband who is tired of the beautiful Caribbean sun 😞 however I am curious do they keep one of the pool roofs closed so we are still able to enjoy the pool and hot tubs in the colder climate - asking for me definitely not him 🙂

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jeromep

jeromep

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It think it is important to point out that Alaska, especially SE Alaska, during the peak of the summer, so basically July, is temperate.  It is not uncommon for a port city in Alaska on a summer day to get daytime highs in the high 70s or low 80s.  So, using the pool is very possible.  Last Alaska cruise we were on, when ported in Juneau we came back to the ship for lunch and there were families on board using the outdoor pools.  That morning it had been cool and misty, very typical for Juneau as it is almost perpetually fogged in, but by mid-day the sun was out and everyone was in shirtsleeves.  We had to drop of in our cabin all of the jackets and sweaters we were wearing that morning because we didn't need them any longer and they were just extra baggage that we were carrying around.  We had the same experience in Skegway and Ketchikan on that cruise.  Cool mornings, but incredibly comfortable days.

 

We had a very sunny day in Glacier Bay.  When our side of the ship was facing the glacier it was super cold.  The moment the ship turned and the other side of the ship could view the glacier we were in the sun and it was probably 75 degrees out.

 

This is where the advice to dress in layers comes in when visiting Alaska.  While you won't have the tropical warmth of the Caribbean and need the pool to cool off in, you'll certainly find the pool usable most days, weather permitting.

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Coral "Live from...." Rare

Coral

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On Princess ship's I have been on that have a covered pool - the cover stays on the pool in Alaska. Actually - the retractable roofs rarely open on these ships.

 

Though people do enjoy all the pools in Alaska on nice days, even the uncovered ones.

 

Not sure which ship you are on but the Sapphire and Grand both have covered pools. I don't remember the other ship's sailing to Alaska. If you state which ship you are on, we can answer.

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Senga

Senga

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We had uncommonly warm weather when we sailed on Grand Princess in May 2022.  That being said, the air, when the ship was moving, was SO cold that it was unbearable in the dining area and guests and servers were wearing jackets.

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capriccio

capriccio

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, nini said:

Shoot... We had 75 degrees one time when pulling out from Juneau! The pools and hot tubs were very busy.

We had a Seattle round trip cruise with temps like that in 2018.  It was a family cruise and the kids and spouses teased me the entire time about bringing layers that took up to much space in their suitcases. They had brought swimwear so it wasn’t a crisis.

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atobols

atobols

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Our last Alaska cruise was in June/July 2019.  It was hot!  Our day in Skagway was close to 100F.  The pools were packed.  My pictures from Glacier Bay show me sitting in a ski jacket, hat, and gloves in the morning.  By the afternoon, I was sitting on the deck in a T-shirt and shorts.  Alaska has some pretty wild temperature changes and you need to be prepared to be comfortable in all of them.

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nini

nini

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3 hours ago, fpsphil said:

This is part of the reason we chose the Sapphire for May 2024. Only ship with a Skywalkers still and an indoor pool. Majestic is nice as well because of the Hollywood pool but I'll take a ship with Skywalkers first.

 

Skywalker's is fantastic for Alaska!!! That is where we enjoyed Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm Fjord. You could be outside for viewing and then be inside for a bit to warm up.

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capriccio

capriccio

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 minutes ago, Kelownabccan said:

What about the Crown Princess.....my daughter and two small kids are on it and she wanted to be able to go to the pool....not outside in May.....lol.....anyone know????

The Crown Princess does not have a covered pool.

 

Added:  if it is any consolation May is usually cooler (possibly much more) than July (when we were traveling in 2018).

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skynight

skynight

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Posted
1 hour ago, Kelownabccan said:

What about the Crown Princess.....my daughter and two small kids are on it and she wanted to be able to go to the pool....not outside in May.....lol.....anyone know????

No covered pool on the Crown. Ships in the Princess fleet with a covered pool are, Coral & Island Princess, Sapphire and Diamond Princess, Grand Princess, Majestic Princess. Believe the new Sun has a partially covered pool indoor/outdoor pool at the dome.

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  • 2 weeks later...
cruisequeen4ever Holiday Sharing Rare

cruisequeen4ever

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If the ship you’re going on has a covered pool, the roof will definitely be closed; Princess doesn’t have roofs that open and shut. Many of the newer Princess ships don’t have covered pools, though. I’ve swam outdoors on a few AK cruises thanks to unseasonable warm sunny days in Juneau. You just never know. I hope you get to swim! 

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Coral "Live from...." Rare

Coral

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23 minutes ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

If the ship you’re going on has a covered pool, the roof will definitely be closed; Princess doesn’t have roofs that open and shut. Many of the newer Princess ships don’t have covered pools, though. I’ve swam outdoors on a few AK cruises thanks to unseasonable warm sunny days in Juneau. You just never know. I hope you get to swim! 

Technically they are retractable roofs though I have only seen them open 2x on all of my cruises on Princess. A pretty rare site!

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  • 3 weeks later...
stevenr597 Great Review Rare

stevenr597

Posted
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We were cruising Alaska last July on Discovery Princess.  The weather was mostly overcast with a good deal of showers.  When the temperature came out it was in the low 70's, but at sea, mostly in the 60's...at best.

Discovery had no enclosed pools, and it is my understanding that the pools are not heated.

But...a lot of the children were still swimming. 

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WAvoyager

WAvoyager

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June on the Crown last year - it was 80+ degrees all through Alaska.  My daughter was one of the kids swimming - until she discovered the hot tubs anyway.  The pools were definitely not heated!  They almost felt good after spending the afternoon at the sled dog camp in the sun and the 86 degree heat.
 

It’s never seemed to me that any of the pools were heated (Discovery, Majestic, Crown, or Emerald).   

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  • 9 months later...
luv2cruise810

luv2cruise810

Posted
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On 2/16/2023 at 3:39 PM, Coral said:

On Princess ship's I have been on that have a covered pool - the cover stays on the pool in Alaska. Actually - the retractable roofs rarely open on these ships.

 

Though people do enjoy all the pools in Alaska on nice days, even the uncovered ones.

 

Not sure which ship you are on but the Sapphire and Grand both have covered pools. I don't remember the other ship's sailing to Alaska. If you state which ship you are on, we can answer.

What about Carribean Princess?

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capriccio

capriccio

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, luv2cruise810 said:

What about Carribean Princess?

There is no covered pool on the Caribbean Princess.  As far as I know, the only Princess ships that may be sailing/have sailed Alaska itineraries with a covered pool are the Coral, Sapphire, Grand, and Majestic Princesses.

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