karatemom2

While the buffet isn't always our first choice, there are times for lunch or a late dinner after a long port day where we find it our best option. Yes, it is crowded at times, but no one is wandering around with trays. Princess does not provide trays and hasn't for as long as I can remember cruising with Princess. Most people find their table first and either hold it by placing personal items there, or doing what my husband and I do, and taking turns - one sitting at the table while the other person gets food on individual plates. And while I have seen some rather unpleasant behaviors in the buffet, I have not commonly witnessed people actually putting food on their plate and then taking it off and putting it back. Although they aren't always serving they do have staff working behind the bar to monitor the dishes and refresh them, so it isn't completely the Wild West. In general, the food is basic, there are lots of choices, especially vegetables and fruit if you are trying to eat a bit healthier or maintain some control of your choices. The meat at the carving station is often better, and served hot, compared to what you get in the MDR, and you have decent options. We generally prefer the MDR or restaurants onboard, but when we do eat at the buffet we always find something we like and I appreciate even the ability to just make a nice salad along side a bowl of soup for lunch sometimes. If people would just follow common sense approaches mentioned here to maintaining hand hygiene, most issues related to droplet borne illness would be easily avoided. And a little consideration, patience, and polite behavior by all could improve the entire experience because in general, the issue isn't the buffet itself, the servers working there, or the food - it is the rude and obnoxious behavior of a small subset of passengers who fail to remember they are sharing a ship with other people and that the entire world does not revolve around them or their immediate needs and demands.

I didn’t notice any changes on our recent cruise on the Sky. The crab cake appetizers were still on the menu. My husband enjoyed them immensely!

We just did the Land of Midnight Sun cruise out of Southampton on the Sky. One thing that is helpful for those with mobility issues is that most of the ports are docked not tender. We did end up tendering in Geiranger as the Sea Walk wasn’t available that day due to weather concerns, but other than that all of our other ports were walk off. I notice, however, the itineraries seem fairly different next year, so that is something to look at in making your choice. All of the ports seemed to offer some ship tours that were less strenuous and could be handled by people with mobility issues. I think it would just be a matter of reviewing options to determine what would be comfortable for you. It’s a beautiful trip, so if you can make it work despite some physical limitations, I would encourage you to do it.

As someone pointed out, many respiratory viruses like COVID are airborne. You are at much more risk in crowded spaces like the theatre, elevator, buses, etc. Masks for those at risk are always a smart choice in these settings. However most colds and gastrointestinal viruses are droplet borne and spread on surfaces. Of course, the buffet is a big culprit there. Washing hands before you enter is great and considerate for helping to protect others from you. However, it doesn’t really protect you unless everyone complies, which we know they don’t. Personally, when we eat at the buffet, which is not a lot, I wash my hands, make sure I select everything I will be eating, including dessert and set it at my table, and then go wash my hands thoroughly again and add a spritz of hand sanitizer on top of that just for good measure. I do sometimes see people wearing gloves which is not the worst idea if you feel comfortable doing so. I’ll just stick to excessive hand washing. One other reminder, there are many other places other than the buffet where you are touching things - think pencils at trivia, slot machines and chips in the Casino, etc. it’s a good idea to wash/sanitize before and after all of these pursuits and just in general avoid touching your, mouth, face, and eyes. Can you tell I work in a hospital?

They have been doing the SF sailings for years and they are so popular they fill up quickly. A lot of people enjoy extra sea days and the convenience of not needing to fly to a port to cruise. I love sailing out of San Francisco, and LA is even closer. More sea days equals more Casino time for the DH, so he would be happy with that. A lot of people enjoy sea days and also just do not want to deal with the hassle of flying. That's why the LA to Hawaii cruises are so popular. If you enjoy cruising, most don't look at sea days as wasted time, but more time to relax and enjoy the ship and all its amenities.

Great photos! This was our favorite excursion on our recent cruise! Just well run and beautiful!

Hopefully they will add more than one cruise going out of Los Angeles - nice to see the Emerald on that particular run. I am fond of that ship. Although, now that my son lives in Anchorage, we may be more likely to look at the one way cruises and combine it with visiting him going forward.

Yes, was following someone on the NCL Board who is there today and mentioned this. For people planning the train trip or to rent a car to drive to the Yukon, it is definitely something to pay attention to. It does seem like Skagway has just been plagued with issues. We are looking forward to our next visit there in September on the Ruby and have a Jeep reserved. I sure hope it is cleared up by then.

Looks like a great tour and lovely day!

As someone who has spent my career in Marketing and PR, albeit in the health care industry, I must confess you may have a point. As a group, we tend to be creative and sometimes "Pie in the Sky" thinkers and need a good reality check from those who have to deliver the actual product or service. I'm proud of my field and the good work we do, but in this instance where you had am Executive leader with that background who was left unchecked - or likely didn't listen, he needs to be held accountable. It was a lot of spaghetti being thrown at the wall with these new ship designs, and a lot of it clearly didn't stick!

Well, maybe it has changed or maybe it was just the cruise we were on, but it seemed to skew quite a bit older. We were closing down the piano bar at 10 p.m. every night with one other couple our age and we were in the minority. Earlier in the evenings as we would walk back to our cabin to freshen up after dinner we were shocked to see all of the breakfast cards already out on the doors by 8:30 p.m. It was not what I would classify as an energetic crowd. We felt very young though, so that was nice!

We cruised one time with HAL in Alaska several years ago and were surprised to find we got the equivalent of having sailed with them once prior - or what would be Gold level with Princess. It really didn't get us anything other than an invite to their equivalent of the Captain's Circle Party. No perks to speak of, at least at that time. It was a great itinerary, but we quickly determined we hadn't yet aged into the HAL demographic, so have not taken another trip since with them. If they decided to fully match our Elite level on Princess, I might consider it, but I don't see that happening. I will say they have some great itineraries, and I love the look of their ships. But the Casino was a giant yawn for the DH - no Craps table on the Amsterdam that trip which was a big bummer in his book. Maybe that has changed, but for now we will stick with Princess and maybe sprinkle in an NCL here or there.

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments, and especially your amazing photos. I would agree - we found the food on Sky to be pretty excellent across the board compared to some of our other recent Princess sailings. We really do find it our favorite Royal class ship. Love, love, love your photos of Windsor. It makes me want to go back again. We did a tour a few years ago on our transfer to the ship, but definitely needed more time. Really great trip report - thank you so much!

The West Coast cruises are very popular with those of us living in CA, and the Southwest in general. They are a nice alternative to Mexican Riviera cruises and the ports like San Diego, Catalina, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Francisco, Astoria, etc. are pleasant places that have plenty to offer, even on multiple visits. So you will find lots of repeat cruisers. They are easy, priced well, and a fun cruise escape to nice ports.

No,no! Don’t stay on the ship. There is plenty to do in Skagway. If you have a rental car you can drive as far as the road closure, depending on where it is. Drive out to Dyea. Lots to see there - check out start of the Chilkoot Trail and the Slide Cemetery. Take a hike around Yakutat Point. The easy trail starts right in town behind the airport - beautiful views. Explore the charming town - a couple of good museums, Days of 98 show. Head out the Gold Rush Cemetery and take the short easy hike to the waterfall. You have a lot of options. Never waste a day in Skagway on the ship!

It may very well be more of an American phenomenon. I think as a culture, Americans are a bit more casual. Probably something born out of our general revolutionary spirit of going against the aristocracy. I mean, our ancestors did make leather clothes, coonskin caps, and cowboy hats, tres chic, after all. That being said, in nice establishments, I think most people do know how to dress, but in many cases the expectation, even in very upscale places is quite relaxed here - even among the very wealthy. We live somewhere between Beverly Hills and Montecito, and let me tell you, the super elite will dine at the fanciest restaurants in SoCal casual chic outfits that would definitely not pass muster on "formal night" for most people here. It is almost like someone dressing up too much is clearly trying too hard or a "pretender". They do pull out the fancy duds for the awards events - but even at those if you check out the after party photos - they often dress down quickly. Real wealth often flaunts itself in jeans and a t-shirt here, although they probably cost a fortune. And that is just the vibe. On our trips out of Southampton, I have noticed in general, those charming Brits we are traveling with do tend to dress a bit better and personally I love it. But I'm a CA girl, so I also don't mind a beach casual vibe. But please, no baseball caps in the dining room. Save it for the buffet, thank you!

I'm loving this whole thread as we are booking the same itinerary for next year, and in doing my research I was actually so surprised to find out how tiny the statue really is. But somehow that made it all the more charming to me. I would literally not be able to imagine going there and not getting that iconic photo and seeing it in person, no matter how small. It is just one of those iconic landmarks that defines certain places - like the Empire State Building in NYC, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or Big Ben in London. Just on a very much smaller scale!

I think that’s a great decision. Yes, we were very lucky to find this one itinerary on the Sky this year that included Flam, Geiranger, and Olden, as well as the Arctic Circle with Honningsvåg and the North Cape. I have been looking for friends who want a similar itinerary and haven’t been able to find anything like it next year. But your plan sounds really solid!

This is a bucket list plan for us when we can take the time. I think it’s a brilliant idea!

Both are beautiful, but yes, there is a huge difference. Geiranger is in a class of its own. Jaw droppingly beautiful - just seeing the Seven Sisters waterfalls was an amazing experience. But the cliffs and waterfalls at every turn are stunning and the scenery at and around the port is unmatched. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site for a reason. We almost chose a cruise last year that included both Iceland and Norway, but after fully researching my options we decided to choose Norway only with an itinerary that offered the most fjord ports. Fortunately for us it was a 14 day, so I get your desire for a longer cruise. Have you considered a back to back option? If you have the time maybe you could do a second full week, especially if you could find one with a slightly different itinerary. Something to consider.

Hope you have better luck than the family who was on an actual NCL tour to the lumberjack show that they left behind last week. We have been to Ward Cove twice with NCL and the shuttle situation in town as the time gets tight is pure chaos.We specifically arranged a private tour with ship return on our last visit to maximize our time. But we made a firm decision that last trip that we would not sail NCL in Alaska again. I hope you don’t run into too much hassle on your visit.

It doesn’t impact my enjoyment - but I still find it a bit tacky. But I’m a live and let live kind of person, so I’ll just smile and enjoy my meal with my nicely dressed husband and consider how fortunate I am. And I will be silently judgy though! Haha!

I am with you. We NEVER use the hot tubs. The idea kind of makes my skin crawl. As you say - one’s imagination… ick. We are fortunate to have a nice hot tub we enjoy at home so definitely don’t need to share one with thousands of fellow passengers on vacation.

Thank you! I’d be interested in hearing Ken’s opinion of the hypnotist as well. On our recent Sky cruise he was really struggling to get people under and released quite a few. And of those remaining it was clear at least a couple were faking it. I felt bad for him - it was kind of painful.

Thanks for sharing this information! I noted the passport notification - are they actively checking that people are carrying their passports on them as they get on and off the ship?