XBGuy

The one time I was in a similar situation, the headwaiter was able to move us to another table. I agree that the best action to take is to summon the room manager and advise him. I understand that the answer might very well be, "There is nothing I can do." However, if incidences like these are consistently reported, it may trickle up. I disagree with the opinion that a Face Time conversation is the same as an in-person conversation. I have observed that even when an ordinary telephone conversation is put on "speaker," not only is the volume of the speaker set to a higher level than normal conversation--especially, in a busy dining room--but when somebody puts their phone on speaker, they tend to talk louder. Perfectly understandable. When holding the phone to the ear, but microphone is quite close to the mouth. The person holding the phone is subconsciously aware that there is no need to raise his/her voice. When switching the audio to speaker, the user tends to hold the instrument away from his/her mouth and talks louder in order for the now distant microphone to pick up his/her wisdom. I see (and hear) this regularly on my morning visits to the local coffee shop. I loved the idea that somebody suggested using a jammer to foil the signal in the dining areas. Since, as another poster has mentioned, we are talking about a wi-fi signal rather than a cellular signal, such a jammer would not work. I am not an expert in these things, but I am going to wonder out loud. It seems to me that wi-fi reception relies on some strategic placement of devices (routers? repeaters?) throughout the ship in order to provide shipwide coverage. What if they did not deploy those devices in the dining areas? I have no sympathy for people who feel they must check their email during dinner.

October 30, 1976 — NCL Southward — Honeymoon

Bon voyage. You're going to have a great time. I am envious.

@ldubs, in hindsight my comment was quite condescending. I apologize to the Cruise Critic community.

Would that make it an atoll?

In California some years ago a ballot initiative proposed that indoor smoking be banned in all restaurants and bars. Bar owners, in particular, did not like this idea citing a loss of future business. The argument made by those in favor of the initiative was that the employees of these establishments were being subjected to a health risk. The initiative passed convincingly, and smoking was banned in bars and restaurants. Of course, the complaints about loss of business only grew louder. However, one year after the law went into effect, health tests on bar employees showed an marked improvement when compared similar tests performed prior to the banning of smoking. The conclusion was unescapable. Workers in a smoke-free environment were healthier. There has been no effort to change the law since the announcement of that study. I am pretty sure that Princess (or whoever runs the shipboard casinos) do not particularly care about the health of their indentured servants. So, the only thing that will create change would be if casino revenues fall because enough people like @Lady Arwen and @tonit964 boycott the casino. I can assure you that the XBGuys are doing their part.

I think that @mtnesterz has a pretty good grasp of the goals that Princess and Magic Castle have for this venue. Regarding the men's dress code. if you go back and look at Post #69, the picture that @azbirdmom posted indicates that a blazer. dress slacks, collared shirt and tie are acceptable dress. I do not own a blazer, but a year and a half ago, I enjoyed a terrific evening at the Magic Castle in Hollywood wearing a sport coat. Yes, I wore slacks with a collared shirt and tie. I would be quite surprised if somebody wearing slacks, collared shirt and tie and a sport jacket would be denied entrance to Spellbound. When we start packing for a cruise, I always ask Mrs. XBGuy if she wants to go formal this time, or not. If she opts for formal, I wear slacks and a sport coat on embarkation day. At least two collared shirs will be packed in our luggage and, maybe, a second pair of slacks. It is pretty easy to find space in our luggage for one or two ties. I think the Spellbound menu is good. Nothing adventurous, at all, That is right in the wheelhouse of the Princess passenger demographic. I'm pretty sure the menu is brief because the goal is to have the guests finish their meal somewhat quickly so that they can get to the show. It is not clear to me if the dining and the show are in the same or different rooms. I eagerly await reports from people who actually get in and report on how it works.

The menu looks good--not over the top, but some good sounding dishes that shouldn't intimidate most people. Thank you, @azbirdmom, for posting,

@mamafun, I hope I am not being supercilious by telling you something you already know, but "Super Tuscan" is an informal term describing wines from the Italian region of Tuscany that do not conform to the traditional winemaking regulations of that region. Typically, grapes that are not included in the regional laws are used for these wines. As often as not, these "extra" grapes are ones that are common in the French region of Bordeaux--e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot--and are blended with Tuscany's most famous red grape--Sangiovese. The best Super Tuscans are world class wines. Princess regularly offers Luce della Vite and Tignanello Super Tuscans on the Sabatini's wine list, and they are both excellent, albeit, not inexpensive. I would hope that at least one, if not both, of these would be served at a Super Tuscan Lunch.

Spanish wines are SO good--and so reasonably priced. Also, because of Spanish labeling laws, the words "Reserva" and "Gran Reserva" are legally defined. So, the consumer confidently knows that wines so labeled already have some age on them. Today in History: 1721 Johann Sebastian Bach dedicates his Brandenburg Concertos to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwed Bach sent six concertos to the Margrave of Brandenburg in the hope of landing a job. These six concertos are superb and are still regularly performed to this day. Being a smart job applicant, Bach included a cover letter along with his gift of the six scores. To say that his letter showed his humility is, possibly, the understatement of all time. Take a look: “My Lord, As I had the honor of playing before Your Royal Highness… and as I observed that You took some pleasure in the small talent that heaven has given me for music, and [as] You honoured me with a command to send You some pieces of my composition, I now…take the liberty of presenting [you] with the present concertos… humbly praying You not to judge their imperfections by the severity of the fine and delicate taste that every one knows You to have for music …” Not only did Bach not get the job, it is believed that the Margrave stuffed the scores away and forgot about them.

Attention SoCal backyard farmers. The "Tomatozania" event is on at the Cal Poly Pomona Farm Store. The other day Mrs. XBGuy picked up a half-dozen, or so, various plants for her backyard farm.

Heads up to the OP, it appears that door decorations are not allowed on Princess.

WOW!!!! @Cruise Raider's storm was very exciting. Much more serious than anything we have encountered. I will tell my own somewhat humorous story. I should have mentioned to the OP, @larrybritt, that one of the possible negatives of early season Alaska cruising is that you might beat the migrating whales up there. In 2018 we took a Los Angeles-Alaska cruise that embarked the last week of April. Mrs. XBGuy who is always on the alert for wildlife was disappointed that we did not see many whales. Just to reassure readers who might be contemplating and early season Alaska cruise, we did, in fact, see whales from our balcony. In fact there was an awesome exuberant breach just off our balcony as we were leaving Ketchikan. In 2019 we booked the same Los Angeles-Alaska itinerary that left a few days earlier than the 2018 cruise. In the weeks just prior to the cruise, Mrs. XBGuy expressed concern that we might beat the whales up there. One of our regular embarkation day routines is to sip sparkling wine on our balcony as we leave the port. So, there we were happily sipping our wine and, of course, were excited about our cruise, From the dock the ship proceeded through a channel to a somewhat open area. This area is still not open ocean, because there is a breakwater that protects the harbor. We were in this open area between the channel and the breakwater when we both spotted a disturbance no more than 50 yards off our balcony. Whaddaya know? It was a grey whale. Grey's spend the winter in Mexico and summers in Alaska. I assume that this guy was somewhat behind schedule. Technically, we hadn't even left the harbor and we had already seen our first whale.

We have taken multiple AK cruises in late April/early May and have been the second or third ship to arrive that season in several of the ports. We have found a few businesses (a candy store and two restaurants) in Skagway that had not yet opened. That is understandable because Skagway is much more dependent on cruise tourism than, say Ketchikan or Juneau. We have also taken multiple September cruises. Some have complained, here on Cruise Critic, that store inventories are low late in the cruise season, but, on the other hand, many storers are trying to reduce their inventory and, so, offer attractive sale pricing. I can say that that the "depleted inventory" problem hit me once. One of our regular stops is the fudge store in Skagway. We were once there the last week of the cruise season, and they had no mint fudge (my favorite.) Happily, they did have plenty of Mrs. XBGuy's favorite--Peanut Butter/Chocolate. Regarding the weather, I can't say there is much difference. It will be cool--especially, on sea days and scenic cruising days. So, bring a jacket. I have to laugh at the macho guys who insist that they have to wear short every day, but they can't last more that a minute, or so, on the promenade deck. We've encountered fog or light rains on both early- and late-season cruises. Then there was one guy who complained that it was cold when he left the hot tub. (Well, duh.) Yes, there is noticeably more snow in the spring. I have no opinion about the ship. We have no experience with either of the ships you are considering. However, we have taken five different ships on six AK cruises, and not once has the ship affected our experience. Bon voyage. I am envious.

@Lobella, let me add my welcome to Cruise Critic. I am going to repeat what some of the previous posters have said, but I will, of course, put my own spin on it. Let me start with the suggestion that you engage a travel agent. When we started cruising that was the only option for booking a cruise. We found the experience to be easy, and we were able to book our first cruise in less than an hour. That being said, gathering as much information as you can—like you’re doing here on Cruise Critic—will help provide some guidance to your selected travel agent. We have taken six Alaska cruises. The worst one was wonderful. I feel that the itinerary for any AK cruise is not that important. (Many will disagree with that sentiment.) AK cruises are all about seeing wildlife an natural beauty, Mission accomplished on all our cruises. You seem to have your heart set on visiting Glacier Bay. That is good. The more you have decided early in your quest, the easier it is to learn about and make decisions about other options. Cruising out of Seattle makes a lot of sense for logistical reasons. I think that most cruises out of Seattle are round trips. That should make airline arrangements to and from the port a bit easier. Other than that, I don't see much difference between Seattle or any other port. Somebody has mentioned that July/August are peak times for families because kids are on summer vacation. I agree that Alaska is a great cruise itinerary for families. If you cruise early or late in the season while schools are mostly in session, you will minimize the number of families on your ship. There have been some opinions expressed, here, on cabin selection. Mrs. XBGuy will no longer cruise in a cabin that does not have a balcony. So, five of our six AK cruises have been in cabins with balconies. The weather does not deter her. She bundles up and can spend hours on the balcony during sea days or "scenic cruising" days such as Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm Fjord or College Bay. If she does get too cold, she steps back into the cabin and warms up, but she is usually, then, still parked next to the slider watching outside. I am the kind of person who wanders all over the ship. So, pick the cabin you want. In your second post you seem to allude to the Emerald Princess. We have, in fact, cruised on the Emerald Princess to Alaska--cabin A201. If you spend some more time here on Cruise Critic, you will learn that the common wisdom is that people who are sensitive to the motion of the ship should book cabins as close as possible to the waterline and as close to the center of the ship as possible. Cabin A201 is on Deck 12 (relatively high) and is the most forward cabin on the deck. Mrs. XBGuy loves feeling the motion of the sea, and, so, we usually book as far forward or as far aft as possible. That may or may not work for you. I might also mention that the balconies on the C Deck of the Emerald Princess are noticeably larger that those on the A or B decks. I have to say, the extra "real estate" on those larger balconies is pretty nice. You did not ask, but, regarding the weather, it does rain in Alaska. In fact, Ketchikan is in a rain forest. However, rain has never caused us any disappointment. OK, that is a lie. On our very first AK cruise I learned about the De Havilland Beaver. One one of our subsequent cruises I booked a flightseeing excursion on a De Haviland Beaver in Ketchikan. There were very low clouds and a light misty rain that day and all float plane tours were cancelled. However, a year later I was able get my trip on a Beaver. So, I guess my life is now complete. 😉 I have seen posters insist that there is a "less wet" season in Alaska. That may or may not be true. Most of our cruises have been early (April/May) or late (September), using the family cruisers avoidance strategy. Mrs. XBGuy (the person who loves the motion) keeps hoping for big storms, but, generally all we have hit have been fog and light rains. The biggest storm we ever hit was our very first one which was in the first week of August--a one-way southbound cruise. We hit a monster in the Gulf of Alaska. At about 2:00 am I found myself rolling out of the bed. The only reason I didn't was I was able to stick my arm out, and, when my hand touched the floor, I was able to stop. Mrs. XBGuy was smashed up against me. It was great. By contrast a friend once took an Alaska cruise the first week of July, and, afterward, she complained that it was "too hot." I guess you pays or money, and you takes your chances. I see that a previous poster mentions a wraparound promenade deck on the Holland America ships. I can advise that the Emerald Princess also has such a wraparound promenade. Being a walker, I've put many miles on that promenade. and I have seen some terrific sights from there. I'll close with this. Do not be overtaken by FOMO--fear of missing out. You cannot see everything on one cruise. Every cruise is a compromise. I have stated that I don't think itinerary is that important. Any itinerary will give you an excellent, memorable experience. If you didn't get to see Hubbard Bay, you did get to see Glacier Bay. If you didn't get to see Icy Strait Point, you did get to see Skagway. If you didn't get to see bears, you did get to see whales (probably, lots of them) and otters and eagles. Don't listen to anybody who implies that if you don't do what they liked, then your cruise is incomplete. You're going to have a great cruise @Lobella. Please feel free to come back with more questions. We love to show off.

I am a walker and love to just take laps around the promenade deck. It is a good way to see wildlife. Some years ago we took the Grand Princess on a 10-day AK cruise out of San Francisco, On the first sea day while on my promenade walk I found some birders at the very bow of the ship. There were probably a dozen, or so, with their equipment mounted on tri-pods. They were there every day, and some of those days were quite cold--September cruise. In Skagway, there are hiking trails that are free that are quite close to the docks. Free is good and no appointment is necessary, I have circled the trailheads that are closest to the docks on this map. The trail at the bottom of the map is fairly steep. This septuagenarian was huffing and puffing on that one. However, I just stopped occasionally to catch my breath and was able to make it up to the lake. The trail at the top of the map (across the Skagway River) is much easier. Wishing you a happy anniversary. We also cruised on our 40th anniversary. Give some thought to ordering the Ultimate Balcony Dinner for your anniversary evening. I am sure that regular readers tire of me saying this repeatedly, but the UBD is the finest dining experience on Princess. The meal is excellent, but the thing I love is the service level. Two servers are dedicated to you. That may sound intimidating, but they are professionals and know how to disappear when they are not needed.

They can push tables together? I am surprised that they can do that on a ship. I would have thought that the tables would be fixed to the decks. On the other hand, I guess that many of the chairs are not fixed. Learn something every day.

We did this once. It was on the Royal Princess, and the Suite Concierge was able to accommodate our request to move our complimentary specialty dinner to Day 2.

I'll be darned. Thanks.

Yeah, that is one thing on which @CanadianBurger has not reported in his very comprehensive "Live from" thread on the Sun Princess. That being said, I have never been in a cabin on any cruise ship that did not have one of these retractable lines in the shower. Maybe they exist, and I haven't encountered them.

As somebody has already suggested you can probably get bet ter Viking specific information over on the Viking board. Some years ago on an AK cruise on the Grand Princess we tendered at Juneau. We were anchored very close to the tender pier. I would say that it was the shortest tender trip (if that is the correct terminology) that I have ever taken. The total travel time between the ship and the pier could not have been more than about 10 minutes.

Daniel's warning to passengers with pacemakers is prudent. Don't wear the medallion on a lanyard (or a decorative chain) around your neck if you have a pacemaker. On the positive side, there have been multiple reports, here on Cruise Critic, from passengers with pacemakers, and they have encountered not problems associated with the medallion device.

@Ajg601, welcome to Cruise Critic. Let me start by saying that you are going to have a great cruise. We have taken six Alaska cruises on five different ships. Every cruise was wonderful, and we never thought that one ship was better than any other. There are ship differences, but we think that is a good thing. One of our AK cruises was on the Royal Princess. It was wonderful. While we have sailed on the Sapphire Princess, it was not to Alaska. On two occasions we have sailed on the Grand Princess, which is pretty similar to the Sapphire Princess, to Alaska. Both those cruises were wonderful. Personally, I don't see much difference between the Aug. 31 and the Sep. 7 departure dates. At this point nobody can predict that the weather in the first or second week of September. Then again, what kind of weather are you looking for? When was go on a cruise, Mrs. XBGuy is always hoping for storms. 😗 Oh, and I guarantee that you will see wildlife. Bon voyage. I am envious.

Mrs. XBGuy loaded a picture of Zorro the Cat.

'74 Martha's. VERY impressive. I notice that there is no sticker on that one. Did you drink it in your cabin? That would be excellent with the UBD. Alternatively, it would turn a Roast Beef Sandwich from Room Service into a special meal. 😁