XBGuy

I've never heard of "Dream Cruises." I do get a kick out of "Mighty Cruise Ships" even though I am pretty sure I've seen every one of their episodes more than once.

It is not unknown for cruise ship terminals to "look more like an empty warehouse." This is a fairly common experience at port stops where the port facilities were built to accommodate commercial shipping and not cruising tourists. Somebody has to decide that the investment in building an "enticing" cruise terminal will be rewarded. A government (e.g., municipality or port authority) might make this investment to attract cruise ships with the hope that cruise tourists would provide economic benefit to the community (fairly common), or a cruise line itself might make such an investment (less common). I have embarked from "warehouse terminals" more than once. I agree that it is not particularly pleasant, but it is usually over soon enough and, once I get on board the ship, my attitude improves significantly.

I would say that my favorite Mexico port is Loreto. It is on the Baja Peninsula on the Sea of Cortez. It is not on the "typical" Mexican Riviera" itinerary. Princess and HAL offer "Sea of Cortez" itineraries, It just like a nice quiet town. I am not going to make any foolish comments like it is "authentic." It does appear that a number of U.S. ex-pats do live there. I just like the vibe.

I have previously commented here that I think Spanish wines, in general, are remarkably good values. Spanish "Riserva" (and, especially, "Gran Riserva") wines have some age on them before they ever hit the store shelves. I am a big fan of the Marques de Riscal Riservas. I used to be able to get them at my local Costco for $13-$14. I was a regular buyer, but, sadly, I haven't seen it for about a year. Don't forget, also, that I am the big California wine bigot. So, my vouching for a non-California wine is a big deal. For those inclined to traveling the continent, give thought to visiting Marques de Riscal. They have built a world class hotel. The architect was Frank Gehry. His style is immediately recognizable. It looks like this is a Marriott property. So, if anybody has a lot of Marriott points, maybe you can cash them in for a stay here.

Ooh. Ooh. I know, I know. Enough to subsidize my passage fare. 😁

I am going to address this part of your post. Food photography is very difficult. In her previous life, Mrs; XBGuy worked as a chef for a company that offered commercial food service and retail consumer products. Part of her responsibilities was to assist in the photography sessions in which pictures were taken for labels and other marketing collateral. These sessions were in fully equipped professional studios. So, you know that they were using top-level equipment, and they lacked for nothing, A food stylist was also engaged to add additional artistic expertise. In an eight-hour day, their goal was to get two usable pictures. Compare this to somebody sitting in a restaurant with, at best, iffy lighting who pulls out their cell phone, aims and shoots. I agree with you that, as much as I enjoy them, many of the food pictures that are posted on Cruise Critic are not very good. My wife told me that "white things" were the most difficult dishes for them to photograph. That comment comes to mind every time somebody posts a picture of the Fettucine Alfredo they enjoyed in the dining room. I try to imagine that the actual plate looked much more appetizing than the picture showed. I then click the "Like" button.

I would like to amend the "Today in History" portion to add this. 1824 -- Premier performance of Symphony #9 by Ludwig van Beethoven. I'll bet that most Dailyites--even those who are not "into" Western Civilization art music--have some familiarity with parts of this monumental symphony. Two themes, in particular, made their way into popular culture. For U.S. based Boomers, in the 1960s when your parents turned on the "Huntley-Brinkley Report, you heard the opening theme from the second movement. The "Ode to Joy" theme from the fourth movement has been used in numerous movies. The first one that I recall was "A Clockwork Orange." Non-musical, but appropriate, on December 16, 1970 (200th anniversary of Beethoven's birth) in the "Peanuts" comic strip, Snoopy quoted Beethoven's words from the "Ode to Joy" recitative: Nicht diese Töne.

@Candycane10, the info I provided is probably bad. I did not realize that you were departing from Vancouver. I thought the Discovery Princess was departing out of Los Angeles these days. Please accept my apology.

Yes. Presumably, you are being transported by shuttle/taxi/Uber/Lyft from the Day's Inn to the cruise terminal. There will be porters outside the terminal building who will take your checked luggage. You can't miss them. They are the ones pushing around some pretty big carts. You will then enter the terminal building to check in and, subsequently, board the ship. Your luggage will be delivered to your cabin.

I am not familiar with the title "Reserve Manager?" Is he the manager of the Reserve Collection Dining Room or is he something else?

One of the Alaska cruise highlights for the XBGuys has become fish tacos at Deckhand Dave's in Juneau. Neither of us normally eat lunch. So, when we stop in Juneau we always have a light dinner. The French Fries are darned good, too. Fish Tacos and French Fries. Would that be fusion cuisine?

Thank you for posting the menu and the pictures. I very much look forward to visiting this venue some day.

I am a card carrying wine snob. The Princess policy for carrying on your own wine is excellent. A poster here on Cruise Critic once reported that he brought three cases on board. I don't know if that is any kind of record, but it is the most I have ever heard about. People have different reasons for bringing their own wine. All are good reasons. I agree that the wines currently offered on Princess are uninspired. There are a couple that I am happy to order, but bringing your own wine is a great way to supplement the Princess list. I agree with the above reports that a standard pour for a glass of wine is five ounces--five glasses per bottle. I am very surprised to read a report that Princess is stretching six glasses from a bottle. I understand why Princess is reluctant to let people walk off with the stems from Vines. I'm not sure that I understand why people might steal them. Wouldn't that be a pain to pack? However, I do understand that they might be concerned about breakage--they are fairly delicate. I can see a glass being knocked over by somebody having an animated conversation. OK, I can see this because I have done it. 😮

In 2018 the the first port stop on the roundtrip Los Angeles-Alaska cruise was Vancouver, BC. Since the next port (Ketchikan?) was in the U.S. we went through U.S. immigration prior to reboarding the ship in Vancouver. A few days later we were in Skagway, and during breakfast I met a lady who had what might be considered a sad but educational story. At the immigration check in Vancouver, her passport was confiscated. It seems that sometime prior to the cruise she had lost her passport. She, of course, reported that it was lost, but, then, she found it. Well, she thought her problem was solved. Wrong. Of course, her passport was flagged, and, when she tried to re-enter the U.S., the CBP officer had no option. He confiscated it, but he made copy that she could use on our return to Los Angeles. Yes, we did get checked again in Los Angeles even though we had not visited any other foreign ports after Vancouver. Here is the sad part. Since she no longer had a passport, she could not accompany her friends on the Skagway train trip.

The official policy really specifies only the embarkation port. However, there have been numerous reports here on Cruise Critic that there has been no problem a person to bring on a single bottle of wine when returning to the ship after a port stop. I, personally, have done so after stops in Alaska, California and Hawaii. (Tip: Be very careful of Decoy Merlot being sold in an ABC Store in Honolulu. I won't make that mistake again.) I have read numerous reports of people doing so in Europe. That being said, since the official Princess policy specifies only the embarkation port, it might very well be that ship's policy or the port's policy may not allow it. I would advise that you go ahead and purchase your wine. The worst thing that could happen is that it would be confiscated at the security station, but it would be returned to you at the end of the cruise.