PescadoAmarillo

Last winter on the Ruby, US Customs and Immigration came right on the ship, eliminating the need to do a walk off. It’s nice when that happens, but it is not guaranteed.

I’ve had the marshmallows. Absolutely no support. My mattress on our recent Sapphire Princess cruise was amazing. After my first night of sleep at home afterward, I realized it was even better than mine. All Princess mattresses are definitely not created equally. Or maybe they were created equally, but have been broken down over time.

Alcohol and paper towels? Not pocket sized but effective. I would suggest Everclear, but that would probably get confiscated.

I tested positive at around 9:45pm the evening before disembarkation after testing negative the four prior nights. We brought 5 kits (10 tests) from home and had used them all, including in the hotel room the morning of embarkation. I immediately phoned Guest Services to see how they wanted to handle my disembarkation. I never for a moment believed they were going to move me anywhere at that point. My luggage was already gone. I received a call back about 45 minutes later. I was told to mask up and disembark as planned. I had worn an N95 on my flight to Vancouver and had another one for my flight home, so that wasn’t an issue. I was also asymptomatic except for some congestion and fatigue. The next morning I asked our cabin steward if he had been notified that I was positive. He said he had not. But I made him aware of it in case he wanted to see about someone else cleaning our cabin. We went to breakfast in Sabatini’s where we were the only ones in there. We had the food served to the next table and then picked it up and brought it to our table. I told the waitstaff I had tested positive. They seemed fairly unconcerned about themselves, more about me. I think you always have to tell. And maybe it was the timing of my positive test result and the fact that I was getting off the ship less than 12 hours later, but I didn’t see any concern at all on the part of ship personnel. It’s obvious they realize that COVID is everywhere and that there are far more people who are unaware that they even have it than those who have tested positive. And as someone who does have higher medical risks, I also believe that, if you cruise, you have to assume you’re going to get it. All the preventive measures in the world may still not keep you safe. I always masked (KN95) in the Princess Theater, we never went to the shows the last five nights or so and we always ate alone. I really thought on a ship as uncrowded as the Sapphire that I stood a reasonable chance of going unscathed, but I didn’t. Saying that, I traveled with Paxlovid, started taking it immediately and already tested negative yesterday morning.

My doctor readily prescribed it preemptively given my history and the fact that I was going on a cruise ship again. Thanks for all the good wishes! I slept 13 hours last night; fatigue is definitely the worst part. Fatigue and the side effects of the Paxlovid (no fun). I was much sicker last year after the Ruby. Nothing can compare to that (I hope). My stress levels were off the charts while on the Sapphire due to mom issues and serious parachute jump mishaps (which McGee witnessed but was not part of). All I can say is thank God the WiFi on the Sapphire was fantastic, because I was burning it up with phone calls and texts. It was wonderful to be treated as well as I was while I was going through all that!

Thank you! I tested positive for COVID the last night on the ship. Have started Paxlovid. Need to fly back to Mom ASAP but can’t with COVID. It’s a bit of a mess. But the cruise was great!

We just got home last night. I will get caught up today. Internet was a bit sporadic the last night of the cruise, probably because everyone was checking in for flights.

Here you go @Thrak. There are four of them on the aft decks on the Sapphire Princess. I loved the adjustable backrest.

I will before we disembark. The rain finally found us today in Ketchikan so I’m hoping to get a pic when the cushions are on the loungers and they’re not wet with rain. When 2000 of fewer than 2500 guests are first time Princess cruisers, 159 days IS most traveled!

You know, I’m not very familiar with Alfredo’s on the Royal Class ships and not at all familiar with Gigis. I thought $8:50 for the pizza wasn’t awful and, if paying, would definitely opt for just pizza instead the entire meal. In fact, we would probably split a pizza, as we seldom finish more than half each. But I am a firm fan of Princess Plus for short cruises. I love the simplicity it and might even lean toward the Premium program just because I want to cruise with no limits. I really like the all inclusive concept. Actually, Princess has done exactly what I was hoping for, which is offer a higher priced mainstream cruise line product with more inclusive offerings, and stopping the fare race to the bottom, which was not in their long term best interest at all. Of course, easy for me to say. We’ve done our ten years and are now cruising more selectively.

Thank you! I’m deeply sorry for your loss, and not fair to have health issues on top of it! I wish you a wonderful and peaceful Christmas cruise. We’ve done several and I’ve really enjoyed them. My email is pescadoamarillo(at)gmail.com

I finally have the answer for you. Crab Shack is offered twice, on each of the two sea days of the Alaska cruises (the first and last full days) in the Savoy Dining Room from noon to 1:30pm. The cost is $29.

I’m shocked, with all the assistance you’ve generously offered with the Medallion app and MedallionNet, that you haven’t a shortcut of your own. 😆 Tip-wit-a is a frequent and familiar phrase in our house, at this point more to convey resignation than disapproval.

I just phoned Room Service to trade in two mini bars worth of alcohol for gins to take home, and all the sodas for Perriers. We have the Plus program and haven’t touched the minibar for two cruises. I guess if I could have one wish it would be for a discounted Plus or Premium package for Elites. Between the mini bar and the half priced WiFi, you’d think they’d knock $5 or $10 a day off the price.

I would take our gold bags (we’d have 10 or 15 of them after several cruises) on shore to Princess Cays and give them to the ladies who run the stalls outside the gates. They were so sweet and would want to reciprocate by giving me a bauble of some sort. Good memories there.

This is Princess we’re talking about. Used with some frequency when we’re trying to figure out why Princess does what it does…or doesn’t do what it should do.

An Opposite Day for us. Totally laid back, we’re in shorts and T’s on the Terrace Deck. Dinner is Parmesan shards, red grapes and a glass of merlot with a phenomenal view. Feels like home.

Both Australia Anna New Zealand are years ahead of us in using Apple Wallet. We always took a credit card is the ship but rarely used it. Just remember that Australia charges a surcharge on all credit card purchases of 1-1.5% on MC and Visa (higher on AMEX).

I can give you my opinion based on doing exactly what you’ll be doing in 2019-2020. If you can, without wasting OBC, I would close out your first cruise (the transpacific cruise in USD). If you have a balance due at that time, it will be charged to your credit card in USD. Start the AUD portion of your cruises fresh. I am not a fan of gift cards though I know many who swear by them, but I can almost promise you that you’ll get a rotten rate of exchange on the ship. Once you’re in Sydney, go to any of the many ATMs around Circular Quay and the Overseas Passenger Terminal and use an ATM card or debit card (we don’t use those either) to get local currency. From that point, we give extra tips on the ship in whichever currency we have the most of or are trying to use up. It makes no difference to the crew. We also got NZD for excursions there in the same way. So, by the end of the season, we were tipping crew in USD, AUD and NZD. In Asia we were juggling at least six currencies for tips.

Hmmmm… did you find that unasked question in a mayonnaise jar on Funk and Wagnall’s porch after noon today??

I will try. My husband booked my reservation for it. I have no idea how he did it, but I’ll try to find out.

Are some of the cruises in USD and others in AUD? Because B2B cruises with OBC that move from one currency to another are tricky. Really tricky. And the Princess translation, though ultimately correct, is not easy to follow, neither for me (an accountant) or our traveling companion (a math teacher). Save copies of everything and don’t leave this ship either owing or being owed money.

Is this what you are referring to? We did sign up for this. There us no cost but a Princess transfer in required.

Thank you very much. I prefer the Sapphire for Alaska. Check out the aft viewing decks pic I put on my blog. Then there are the forward decks on Deck 8 and 15, over the Bridge, and the covered Peomwnade Deck.

Currently on the Sapphire Princess at Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park. This speed is just enough to stream a Prime Video