Cruise Raider

We just walked by The Catch and although we already ate dinner, the smells were so appetizing.

She really is a special ship! We were on her on the first cruise after they lifted the cOVid restrictions back in July 2021. I was just so happy to be onboard, I didn’t actually appreciate what a special ship she is. I hope to meet you on the next sailing as we will be staying on until LA. I really wish we could stay even longer. I’m loving every bit of this sailing. We have to be doing some other things but will be back to continuing my review on ‘Everythng is Just Majestic’ later today.

So, moving along .. we upgraded to the premier package through one of our friends that works onboard as the sommelier. We’ve had a few problems being overcharged for wines included in premier package but taken care of pronto at the guest services desk. We then checked the menu for Harmony and it looked really appetizing so we made reservations there for the first night. We were given a beautiful window seat for a 5:30 reservation. My goodness, that food was so delish! The service was fabulous, as well. They were very accommodating with some changes to the menu. They had shrimp and snow peas and kung pao chicken and I asked for kung pao shrimp. They had no problem and even brought us an additional appetizer. We made our second specialty dining reservation for The Catch by Rudi for a couple nights later. That reservation was also for 5:30 PM but we wanted to make it to the 7:30 PM show so showed up around 5:15 instead and we’re seated immediately, again given a wonderful window seat. We noticed a solo traveler sitting in a window seat next to us and invited her over to our table. We had wonderful conversation .. so glad she joined us. Our service there was absolutely impeccable! Now, for the food .. WOW! That was quite possibly the best meal we’ve ever had while on a cruise. I asked the server what she would recommend and she was spot on! I had the seafood pasta and my DH had the filet and lobster. We had the citrus lobster calamari appetizers. Everything was just perfection! We were completely satisfied so, we were to skip dessert but our server said she’d pick out something light for us and boy, did she ever. She brought me fresh berries and my DH got the orange crepe. Both of those were so incredible. I know some people don’t love the atmosphere of the Catch but we thought everything was just perfect. We liked it better than the Crown Grill or Sabatini’s. More on the food .. Alfredo’s has been wonderful. Plus, there is no wait since the new charges have been implemented. I wouldn’t call it empty by any means, there is just no wait. We haven’t tried the sushi yet up on deck 7. We’ve heard it is only open on sea days. If it’s anything like all of the other venues onboard, I bet it will be fantastic! I think we will try it sometime today. We’ve had the charcuterie and crudités at Vines .. also wonderful! We’ve had them swap out some of the meats for extra cheeses. That has worked out so nicely. Neither of us has been a fan of the chocolates. The fresh vegetables are great! There are some decent wines on the premier package, however, there is no more Rombauer Chardonnay available, which is my favorite wine. The service at all the bars, but especially at Vines has been perfection! Eunice, Matthew and Mandal are all such wonderful staff. Goos spirits, with Chris and Erica and Good Spirits, with Jonard, Cesar and Johnson also spoil us! Lastly, we’ve gone to the buffet once for breakfast, once for a small snack and once for dinner and it is also quite good. The dinner is especially good with a stir fry station. The service there is also great. We ordered what we wanted for store fry and the server brought it to our table for us, insisting we were n vacation and we should just sit and relax and enjoy ourselves. To me, that type of service deserves kudos! The food there is really fantastic. We have ordered room service twice and everything was delivered quite timely and hot. Just of note, the specialty coffee from the International Cafe is amazing. The espresso based drinks are so very good! Sergei, that makes designs in the coffee is a true artist. I must admit, I am a sucker for coffee art! We haven’t been to the MDR or to the PES lounge as of yet. We’ve been so very happy elsewhere, so far. I will continue with other aspects of the cruise in another comment.

Being a huge fan of the Royal Princess, we booked a trip on the Majestic, mainly to meet up with some of the teammates now working this this ship. We’ve been onboard for 5 days and think this ship is just something really special. Embarkation was a breeze, even though there were two ships in port. We did not have to go through immigration in Vancouver so, that sped things up quite a bit. I got my medallion via the mail but somehow, my DH’s medallion was canceled in the app. Just in case anybody is wondering, the blue line took about an extra minute vs the green line. The security line at Canada Place was a short wait but nothing to really draw any complaints. Plus, the line is all indoors so not really a much of a hassle on a rainy day. The signage in Canada Place has really improved since we e last been there. Of course, we saw people complaining about no directions on where to go but they were just not paying attention. I call it the lost art of reading! Nevertheless, I think everyone got where they needed to be. Once through check in and security, we were allowed to board, which was shortly before 11:00 AM. They also allowed us to drop our carry on luggage off in our cabins. At that time, we met our most wonderful room steward, JeeVee! He is so hard working, kind, happy and friendly! Most of all, he is so attentive and keeps our room so clean and well stocked. We booked a midship deluxe balcony cabin and love our cabin. It is really the perfect size for two people, at least it is for these two people. The bed and pillows are so comfortable. Everything is in perfect working condition. We also booked the subsequent sailing and are in the same cabin. They set up a meeting today in Princess Live today to explain the procedures for all the In Transit passengers. That’s so great as I know that is a big source of questions for those that haven’t done B2B cruises in the past. Plus, procedures change all the time and in different ports. I think it will be very informative. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. I understand from some of the crew that we know that the culture on this ship is generally quite happy. That attitude comes from good leadership from the top! Even though this cruise is completely full, the service is impeccable and none of the staff seem stressed out! It’s just a really happy ship! Most of the passengers are from the Vancouver area, since it is a roundtrip from Vancouver. We’ve had surprisingly decent weather and calm seas despite the forecasted wind and rain. The internet / WiFi has been pretty decent but, this site is sometimes giving me problems so, instead of going too much further on this post, I will continue in another comment in this thread.

We have been on both ships to Hawaii. I would choose the Ruby over the Grand any day, unless .. and this is a big unless .. you get one of window suites, which do not exist on the Ruby. The first couple of days out and the last couple of days back can have really rough waters and it will be cool outside, as well. Choose your room carefully .. on a lower deck and as close to midship as possible. Those window seats are actually a perfect location. Fries are readily available on every Princess ship. Pizza is available as sit down on the Grand but only up top by the pool or the room service menu on the Ruby. There is currently a charge for pizza at the sit down restaurant, Alfredo’s, and if ordered via the app. The only free pizza is up by the pool but ordering a whole pizza is $8.50. We cruise at times with very picky eaters and they are very good about finding something for them! Ask for the kids menu in the restaurants. There is also a decent menu on the app for delivery anywhere on the ship. The ships seem to have entertainment, activities, games, etc in the piazza that are pretty well attended .. plenty of kids seem to enjoy these events a lot! There will be very few teenagers onboard a 2 week cruise. The demographics trend older on these longer sailings. There are also a lot of Hawaiian activities scheduled that she might enjoy, such as crafts, ukulele and hula lessons, etc. The enrichment lectures are really quite good.

I saw the forecast of heavy rain and wind on Monday .. so, we packed our larger umbrellas. Still got everything into 2 carry on pieces and two personal items (we are continuing on a /2B on the Majestic) but, no room for goodies for the crew. So happy someone will be spoiling them, at least on the Royal. Thank you for the detailed info on the boarding in Canada Place. There are two ships in port on Monday but hopefully, we won’t go through immigration there as our first port of call is Victoria. I went there once and it was a flippin’ mess. There were 3 ships in port and US CBP only had one officer show up to work. People were in lines for hours on end. In the end, we were in lines for maybe 6 hours but there were people that faintly got onboard closer to dinner time. OMG .. people were madder than hornets with their nest disturbed. The next morning, we remembered the hotel director from a previous cruise and he apologized profusely for the mess. It wasn’t his fault, after all! But yes, it can be such chaos there. Glad the check in isn’t the worst of it as we will be needing to visit the blue lane for my DH! We won’t be checking any luggage so, that’s one less step.

I just saw it in the app .. on both tomorrow night and on Sunday. That was very helpful .. thank you!

So happy to hear that. It’s not inexpensive but got a great price a few months ago. Kept checking prices at the Pan Pacific and they never really came down. It’s just a short walk from and back to the pier, so that played a major part on my decision. I am wondering if anyone knows what embarkation in Canada Place is like since the recent changes. My DH never received his medallion for our next cruise, although I got mine. So strange! So, I guess it’s the blue lane .. hope it’s not horrible.

While we ended up canceling the Panama Canal cruise on the Ruby for this October, I have no doubt you will have a great time on her. She is a great ship with a fabulous staff. Our neighbors are still going. I just had a lot unexpected expenses arise.

We always do but thank you for that reminder. That danger CoVid is still lurking!

That’s what we were hoping for when I booked it! We are probably just staying close to the hotel once we are settled in because of the weather. But, I’m sure after we’ve disembarked from the cruise, we will be looking for something yummy to eat close by. I don’t think the hotel itself has any food venues attached. We have umbrellas, though. Last time we stayed there, it was at the Pan Pacific and we weren’t even sure where to stop in for a meal. We ended up at the Cactus Club and that was so good. The service and views were quite impressive. Oh, those chicken wings were so delightful. I may be easy to please. 😂 We sure do hope to meet you onboard! Like I told @AnyMajorCruiseDude, we like to hang out in the piazza and in Vines and my DH has a big white beard (and a pony tail now, too). It was all a result of the CoVid lockdowns and cataracts … now, we both just really like it so he isn’t thinking of cutting any of it off. Anyway, I’m sure hoping the casino will be open. I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be but last time we went from Victoria to Vancouver on the Royal, it was closed the entire time. I would love to play a bit while we are onboard.

Oh wow .. we loved him, too. I sure hope he is doing well.

Wow… that was a long time ago and once we got to the Hawaiian islands, I tore up my knee something fierce. I would say that was at over 10 years ago, maybe 15??? I’ve since had surgery and the knee is all better. Yay! We may look different now .. but if you see us, stop by to say hi. My DH is the one with the big white Santa beard. We like Vines and the piazza during the day.

thank you for that! But, since we will still have no room in our luggage, we will probably wait until we are already in port on the 2nd or 3rd leg of this trip. We are packed tight and it just fits. But, I will keep that in mind for next time we travel up that way.

We are staying at the Auberge .. it looks like it is really close to Canada Place, had really good reviews and was about half the price of the Pan Pacific. We love the Pan Pacific and would have stayed there if we could find a good price .. but, that wasn’t meant to be. We packed our decent umbrellas and a rain jacket just yesterday after seeing the weather report. We don’t mind rain so much, actually wish we had more of it down this way, but probably will be hanging out close to our hotel rather than touring Vancouver this time around.

Thank you so much for those encouraging words. We rarely have problems with the beds, especially on Princess. I love their pillows so much that I’ve just stopped taking my own.

Since we are flying in and changing ships and transferring to a hotel and back to Canada Place on foot(in the rain), my DH challenged me to get everything into one carry on and one personal item each. By George, we did it! I seriously don’t think I overpacked .. people may see me wearing the same clothes but it will be spread across 3 different cruises. I will just hit up the laundry onboard if needed. No room for goodies for the crew unless we find stuff while in port.

We are also on this two day sailing. We will be disembarking in Vancouver to stay overnight at a nearby hotel and getting on the Majestic on Tuesday. The Royal is my absolute favorite Princess ship for so many reasons. Not sure who Andrew the Canadian is but we will have fun regardless. Just checked and found out Miggy Washington will be performing .. if you have never seen him, he’s so funny! We will definitely be going to see at least 2 of his four shows. He does comedy without being vulgar .. I just love that so much! Because we are going for a B2B on the Majestic the day after we disembark from the Royal, our reservations are all messed up. My DH never received his medallion for the Majestic so, even though we have the package on each leg of the sailing, we will be headed for the blue line, I guess. I got both of my medallion one for the Royal and one for the B2B on the Majestic. Also, on the app, I can’t make dinner reservations for anywhere, including the MDR. That’s ok, I think we will take advantage of our specialty dining options but just go to the casual dining options instead of trying to make reservations. Anyway, aside from not being able to make any dining reservations, I think the JourneyView may be messed up for me as well. Unless the same bands and music groups are playing on both both ships, I think there is a glitch in the app. Or .. perhaps, they will be switching ships just as we are but I think that might be unlikely. On our profile, the days we are on the Royal are attached at the end of the days on the Majestic. But, ether is definitely a day in between those two distinct sailings as they didn’t know if it was a PVSA violation to go from Seattle and ultimately to LA, even though they are different ships and different embarkation ports. Thus, the two day sailing. For those that have taken the train or QuickCoach, we’ve done both. While QuickCoach is more convenient in that you get picked up and dropped off pretty much door to door (port to airport or vice versa). While they were sorting out my possible PVSA violation, everything was fully booked on QuickCoach so, we decided it would just be easier to get a hotel in Vancouver near Canada Place for one night. Anyway, the busses are clean and pretty reliable but if there is that back up at the border, it can be a bit iffy that they are ‘always’ timely. The train on the other hand, is usually very timely .. and the ride is so gorgeous. The train station is a close walk to or from the Sky Train and then not too far from the Sky Train to or from the pier. But, if it’s raining (which it looks like it will be up in Vancouver) and you have luggage to haul, it may not be quite as convenient as the bus. They both have their pluses and minuses.

We recently cruised on both the Ruby and the Emerald and they are both in great shape for ships of that age. Plus, the crew and staff on both were just phenomenal. I do love the Royal and the even the Ruby but, since they will no longer be here in SF, I was really hoping the Crown would be a suitable replacement. The mattress comments have me a bit concerned.

I’m so disappointed to hear about this as the Crown will be home-ported in the City of San Francisco by the end of this year and we already have several cruises booked on her through the middle of next year. I wish they would have let the Royal stay here. I guess they can really count on the bookings of out SF, so we would cruise on any ship they give us. We cruised on the Crown quite some time ago, the first cruise on her almost had us never returning to that ship. We did end up cruising on her again the following year and had a great time. One of the many things I love about Princess are those excellent mattresses. It will be sad if they aren’t replaced anytime soon. Does anyone know if she has a dry dock planned in the near future?

I found it to be quite interesting. If you post the rest of your review, I promise to read it. I’m sure others will read it, as well. Anyway, too bad you didn’t have a fabulous time. I love the Discovery and we’ve always found our cruises on her to be excellent.

Wow, that’s really great! We’ve kind of stopped going to dinner as we just eat the snacks served up in one of the lounges.

I only bid if I’d be happy in any cabin within the category I bid on. We have never b had a bid accepted but were really lucky to just get a complimentary upgrade from an inside to a BB balcony. It’s probably not a location I would have chosen but am happy with the outcome, nevertheless. they’ve now offered us a really inexpensive offer for a bid to upgrade to a mini suite. We are happy with what they gave us so, think we will pass.

We always purchase the Plus or Premier package but still really enjoy the PES lounge. The nibbles are so good on most nights. I get that Celebrity and Royal Caribbean offer free drinks but during this event but just cruised on Celebrity and there were no more appetizers being passed around. I can’t speak to RCCL as we haven’t cruised with them in about 10 years. It was really great in the past, though.

I believe it’s in Skywalkers one the Emerald. I know we went to it recently and found it to be substantial enough we never went into the MDR for dinner. We were recently on the Ruby and it was so good .. again, we only made it to the MDR the night of the captain’s party as the PES event is closed that evening. They had the best food with great service and some fabulous entertainment.