TNTLAMB

On 11/15/2019 at 5:40 AM, SargassoPirate said:

How does the length of time to download the correct app and get everything loaded at home compare to just printing out your cruise documents and showing up at the pier?

 

How does the check in time at the pier with a medallion compare to checking in with a paper document?

 

If there is a time savings with a medallion or paper document, what percentage of the total cruise length is saved?

 

What is the rush to get on board?  Food?  Alcohol?  

No need for the phone ever unless you use the apps (we loved ordering drinks etc) check in was very simple walked in scanned the medallion, showed our passport walked on board, walked into our cabin. My wife never used her phone the entire cruise.The only time I ever took the medallion out of my pocket was leaving and reboarding the ship on shore days. We were traveling with family and found the app for locating shipmates very helpful... Not sure I'd ever want to cruise another way. It was a bit freaky to be walking down a hall and have a staff member greet my by name the first few times.....

Dress on Alaska cruises is generally pretty low key due to late returning excursions. As said by others though shorts generally won't fit it, though my boys have gotten by due to late returns

24 minutes ago, voljeep said:

???? 🙈

Correct. Some cruise lines issue them and will charge you if not returned. The only "tracking" we have experienced on PC are the extra heavy deck blankets when checked out a day early for Alaska scenic cruising.

More than enough room bit then I travel with a carryon.... Beds are more than suffice. 3 should be no problem. We spend little time in the cabin. We have a much larger master suite at home if we want to spend time in our room. The only issue for us is keeping the desk cleared for room service breakfast/morning coffee.....

Uber fare from terminal to LAX last week was $18.50.....I can not honesty remember the last time we used cruise line transfers.....

What ever the final itinerary, it will be Great. Just came off that cruise. The big issue is the Carnival Panorama. How 4500 pax ship can have no tendering set up is beyond me. How it can schedule a a tender only port is  bigger question. We literally raced the Panorama to Cabo so as to use both the ship tenders and local tenders. It worked beautifully. By the time the Panorama was anchored, it was open rendering. Watching the contact tenders race to the Panorama from the other ships was most entertaining.... The switch up will be great for everyone. 

20 hours ago, bubbapuck said:

@CruzinNoony and @donaldsc I agree with you. I would love to do the Voyage of Voyages also. My actual plan is to present both trips to my wife and let her decide. The LA trip is slightly less expensive an closer to our actual budget. We are worried the stress of flying and new places (she has a phobia of these things) plus it being more expensive may cause her to choose LA. My daughter and I will sit with her to discuss all the options and let her decide. My actual hope is she loves the trip and will want to go again!!! 🙂

 

EDIT: Also, the city that intrigues her the most (besides Skagway) is Sitka. The Vancouver cruise doesnt go there. Again, hoping she loves it and will want to do a shorter 7 day cruise in the future to hit Glacier Bay.

You will still see glaciers. As far as Glacier Bay goes, chances in early June of actually cruising the area without having to abort early due to ice are between slim and none. Listen to your wife and daughter. I have have been the only Male in my house for the last 45 years (am raising two grandaughters now due to an accident) in any event when you have two with an opinion, you have none. I did have a Male cat  too commiserate with. The daughters and wife had him neutered for singing.... As I said before there is no wrong decision for a cruise to alaska. They are all amazing.  As long as everyone has an opinion,  mine is simple 2days on a cruise ship or a day of flying? There is no decision to be made lol.....(especially if it involves LAX)

One other thing to keep in mind in Alaska in June is The sun is up by 4:30 AM and doesn't set till 11:30 PM.  Can make it really hard on some folks to sleep if they need a "really" dark room to sleep.

One thing we have in common is sitka.... Especially snorkeling...

I'm not sure I can add anything except IF this is your first trip to Alaska, then the itinerary doesn't mean a lot. They are all amazing and you will not be disappointed in any of them. Go by price and convenience.  WHAT does make a difference is what you have in you budget for shore excursions. The ports themselves are Diamonds International with wooden fronts. FWIW we have cruise Alaska many times and while many would disagree there are a couple of things we have learned. Book the cheapest mid ship cabin on the biggest ship you can get.(the seas can be very rough) Use the savings on some amazing shore excursions. We have enjoyed scenic cruising from the upper decks far more than the balcony for all kinds of reasons. primary is you see far less from a balcony and on on a round trip, one direction or the other you see water and not much else. Nothing better than the special blankets and a pot coffee on the upper decks not to metnion the freedom to move around and see the frequent sea life, as well as hear the naturalist as you go. After your first trip THEN is the time to vary the itinerary. Someone mentioned Montana. I live there. I have NEVER been more disappointed in anything than the Denali/lodges/train. Stunted trees an a big mountain. FOR far less $$$ you can see better, more, avaoid combat tourism in the lower 48. Even the national parks as crowded as they are give a better wilderness experience. The best of Alaska Is the inside passage and up to Whittier. There is where the breataking scenery, the glaciers etc are found. Oh and to the OP Happy anniversary.

4 hours ago, Bgwest said:

Uber vs. Lyft 

Opinions please. 

I have an account with both so check both. It varies from day to day or even hour to hour. IF you have Lyft, they are running a 10X points promotion and discountall of this month. IF you don't have an account with both, you usually get a nice discount for your first few rides with a new account. Lyft has been more consistent than UBER out of LAX of late. FWIW the better driver (those that make their living at it) are usually both

Don't underestimate blues, there is any number of folks who are blues once they get on the ship. Princess Cruise staff, corporate affiliates etc..... Heck I even saw a Senior VP as a blue. Nobody cares,  they really don't though, there are a few pax who hope someone  cares.

8 hours ago, Globehoppers said:

 

 

I would suggest to both of you that cruising may not be something you really want to do because of your health.  I don't ride roller coasters because of a cracked vertebrae in my neck.  A jolt the wrong way could paralyze me.  Be true to yourself and courteous to others.  Especially if you have a medical condition that could require a specific emergency response which is generally not available onboard any cruise ship.

Sorry about the double post. I thought better of my first response. SO you know what about anyone's health condition beyond tha I said my granddaughter  had a service dog for her epilepsy. So according to you she can't cruise? She'd like to cruise but between being a Division 1scholarship athlete and an accelerated medical student 2 years from residency. She simply doesn't have time. Likely she will do research. Perhaps she will find a connection between ignorance and cracked vertebrae. Yeah I'm snarky. We raised her after her parents were killed in an accident and have put up with enough ignorance over her condition resulting from that accident that I just don't have the energy to educate the ignorant anymore.

3 hours ago, Globehoppers said:

 

Illogical.  A true service dog is trained to sense "events" before they occur and provide warning.  "Hubby" service person cannot do that.  Agree the dogs deserve "time off" but that its a human consideration.  Most dogs, service or otherwise, prefer the company of their humans over everything else, except maybe eating. 

That's not true. For example,  my Grandaughters service animal is trained to react to a seizure in a number of ways. But she does not "see them coming " My granddaughter now 20 however knows when one is coming and simply moves a sash she is wearing from one side to the other and the dog is on alert.

He will react irregardless if she seizes. The dog incidentally cost 6000dollars fully covered by insurance. In addition the testing also cost her nothing as the independent testing organization can not take payment from either the trainer or the owners.  That is not the case with ESA animals. The testing was quite an experience.  In the resteraunt portion as Sheeba was laying under the table a series of treats were laid one inch from her nose.  The expectation was she would not react in any way. Quite the test. That dog when off duty would do back flips for a French fry. As far as aggressive that's another thing when my granddaughter is siezes Sheba's first job is to clear the area and she will as well as keep it clear.

I over simplified the qr code is embedded as an rfid chip (UPC doesn't work) for those who dislike self checkout the next phase will really raise some ire theoretically very similar to the ocean medallion one will be able to walk into a store with  their rfid debit card pick up what they want and walk out. There are variations already. 

okay if you want to join the tinfoil hat gang keep in mind that a certain mega box mart retailers uses qr chips for inventory control......  Theoretically if you bought say underpants (one of the items they do track) at this store a an employee could literally drive down the street and find out how many their customers are in a competitive box store. there is a sub code on qr inventory chips that can be tied to individual identities at check out. Like I say the technology exists and I have seen it demonstrated but can not testify as to its uses. I do know there are any number of colleges/universities that use qr chip technology for taking attendence....

14 minutes ago, Coral said:

Service dogs are allowed in public places in the US and that means inside. Not outside only. 

 

https://www.fastcasual.com/articles/treatment-of-service-dogs-at-restaurants-and-the-law/ 

 

Fear of dogs, allergies, cultural differences or personal discomfort is not grounds for refusing service of a patron and service dog team. Nor may a restaurant place the team in a separate area or in outside seating (unless requested by the handler). The handler must be treated as any other patron customer.

 

Your information is not accurate.

 

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Obviously I have far more experience than anyone else on this thread in reference to Service dogs (over 20 years of having one in my household and traveling extensively with one). I have shared my experiences on the ship and that is what this thread is about. I am not going to respond anymore. It is not worth my time disagreeing with those who do not understand the law.

It's not about bonafide service animals. It's about some lady who lied her poorly trained dog on to a cruise. This same lady was called on her dogs behavior by very elderly gentleman.  The lady either bat chit crazy, drunk  or both threatened to sic the dog on the 90 year old man. The OP who wasn't  there wanted know if she should send screen shots of the event to the cruise line assuming the cruise staff and several hundred cruisers who there (it was the captains circle party) had no clue what happened. Other versions said the dog was also drunk having been served champagne. Apparently  service dogs and/or ESA s are not allowed to drink while on duty. BTW the law only applies to Bonafide Service animals who can go anywhere the owner can. I am as director of a very large international patient advocacy agency very  very familiar with the law as is coral. I must admit I do not know how much champagne an on duty dog can consume though it appears the owner should have cut him off as well as herself as clearly both are mean drunks.

23 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

No. How would they? They don't know if I ate in the buffet, pizza/burger grill, MDR or International Cafe.

MDR, they would know  but unless quiznos, Pizza hut, or Burger king was interested what would it matter and the medallion wouldn't tell them if you at at any of those places or just walked through anyway - good grief....

5 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

"If you wanted to keep your uniform sharp and straight then you would attach braces to the base of the shirt which would then hook on to pulled up socks under your trousers keeping the shirt pulled down and sharp."

 

I keep a set of braces for this very purpose in the storage box with my cummerbunds, bow ties and shirt studs.  Braces are very effective at keeping the shirt looking good.

 

But where do you keep the storage box with your cummerbunds, bow ties and shirt studs. I have the same inventory (braces included) but darned if I know where it is.... HOPEFULLY not at goodwill with my tie dye. It will all come back into style SOMEDAY lol. 

3 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

 

No one said anything to the contrary.  But you seem to think that a dog that is trained to detect a diabetic incident is "real" and a dog that is trained to detect an anxiety incident is not.  I assure you that both are "real", and neither of them is a yuppie Yorkie that is along for the ride.  Please stop thinking that anxiety isn't a real issue or that there is no such thing as a dog that is trained to address the issue.  Nobody here is suggesting that "any old dog" counts.  Go back and see what I actually posted. ("The issue here is how does the cruise line differentiate between an actual emotional support dog that provides a real, tangible service, and a pet who gets on board because the person lies?)   I am talking about dogs that are specifically trained to deal with anxiety.  If you suffered from a social disorder that could be addressed either by a trained dog or pills 4 times a day, which would you select? 

Jimmy is correct here a psychiatric service dog is NOT the same as an "emotional support" animal. These dogs are trained in a number of very specific tasks:

• detecting signs of an anxiety attack before it happens
• fetching medication or water during an anxiety attack
• bringing someone to help the person in distress
• preventing strangers from approaching the person in distress
• calming a person down during an anxiety attack through distraction, such as licking their face or providing a paw
• providing deep pressure therapy to soothe their owner
• retrieving a phone during an anxiety attack
• reminding a person to take their medication at certain times of the day
• performing safety checks of rooms or turning the lights on for people with PTSD

An emotional support animal does none of those things and is not "protected" by the ADA.  (not that the ADA carries much weight on a foreign flagged Princess ship) As another poster said there is no doubt as to the difference between a service animal and a pet/emotional support animal. But what I would suggest of a person is suffering from anxiety enough that they require an emotional support animal, perhaps they should choose another vacation style than a cruise. The law considers ESAs as pets.  ESAs do not have the same legal protections that service animals do. However, they do have some protections, such as an exemption from no-pet housing rules. The close quarters small cabins, high density population etc etc on a cruise is likely not good for folks who benefit from an ESA with or without their pet. Before the flame start flowing I DO GET IT. We had to take a break from cruising for a few years with a coupla foster kiddos we had, who did great at  home and many circumstances, but a cruise? No way.  Same thing with myself I used to go backpacking every summer. With cane okay, but the a mobility device. not so okay. Sometimes we have to make choices. If you can't travel without your pet, then maybe you shouldn't. 

5 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

No Tom, they will NOT know where I ate, unless I go to a specialty restaurant. They won't know what I bought because the only things I buy on shipboard are things I pay cash for; no crummy art or over-priced jewelry.

Not to be oppositional, but if you don't eat in speciality restaurant, they will still know where you ate (unless you didn't eat at all). How do you pay cash for shipboard purchases. Serious question as I have actually never been into a shipboard store store or stopped at the bazaar tables that seen to appear on a regular basis I thought it was cashless? I do buy a bottle (or two) of hootch pre-cruise though as well as bring my own wine (homemade)

On 11/11/2019 at 12:31 PM, scottca075 said:

Let me repeat what I don't like. Princess is gathering data on you and intends to monetize that data. For now (maybe) it is just on shipboard, but when they find they can sell information about preferences (where you ate, what shows you went to, where you spent time on the ship, etc) they may sell the information to others; or exchange it. What are your privacy rights with respect to Medallion?

 

When I hear stories like, "I walked past an art auction and then got spam (my word) later on art sales", "I knew to call you now because I saw you were back in your room (from a crew member)", etc, it doesn't comfort me.

So without the medallion PC won't know where you ate, or what you bought? Love it!  Especially when they slip my shipboard account the under the door. the last night. What about the casino???

FWIW we bring our own. Especially helpful when doing beaches on your own.  Similar to: this one

 don't always use it but its nice to have when needed

Just an FYI cabins for the Casino are not the same cabins for the cruise. The casino is (on paper) is a separate operation owned by a different division than Princess itself (Carnival Corp as opposed to Carnival Cruise Line). When a casino offer comes along the cabins they offer are a block the casino operation has purchased.

The same thing happens regularly at some Las Vegas casinos. I frequently get free room offers for one or two even three nights. If I happen to want to stay longer I have had to change rooms from the Casino block to a room in the Hotel block. This is also different (in Las Vegas) than players club offers which are managed by the hotel not the casino.

It sounds confusing and it is but the bottom line is that the Casino has a limited number of cabins available that they purchased from Princess that once filled are"sold out" even though there may be cabins available on the actual cruise itself. Once more they really don't care about the fare class, they expect you to be in the casino and more than paying for your free cruise lol

Then there are these  Real complaints