sherryf

On 7/25/2019 at 5:59 AM, GolfMommy17 said:

we are going on our cruise next week and found these online.  i figure if we are sitting outside or on a whale watch, its a good option as it its very easy to carry around and pack up.  i plan to dispose after the trip. they are 14$ amazon prime.  the sole has some tread as well.  there are also silicone shoe covers you can purchase - prettier than but like the old fashioned rubbers that we used to put on our shoes oh so many years ago....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CPCWMPM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

You really don't need these.  They will take up valuable luggage space.  In 10 trips to Alaska and over 25 years living in the Seattle area, I have NEVER seen anyone wear these. 

15 minutes ago, K D cruiser said:

I seem to remember reading that the right side was the most scenic on the way up and the left side on the way down.

You have it backwards.  The left side is best when going up. (Left while facing the front of the train.) Since the train doesn't turn around, the same side is still best going down, but as others have said, they make you switch sides at the turnaround point on the round trip.

On 7/25/2019 at 2:46 PM, INeedAMaiTai said:

For the last 12 years I have traveled with little ones and always take baggies to fill with snacks from the buffet.  Not necessarily big pieces of fruit, but I will usually make sandwiches, bring cheese, the dried fruit from the mornings; things like that for them to eat between meal times.  I have never been stopped, though I have not yet cruised in Europe.  I get the trash thing though, that makes total sense!

While they may not check, it is usually printed in the Patter for the day and there is also usually a sign where you disembark.  If you take those things off the ship, you are breaking the rules, even if you do not get caught.  Those rules exist for a reason, and they pertain to everyone.  If you need snacks for your kids, bring pre-packaged granola bars and such, or grab the packaged cereal from the buffet.

We did the Orcas Cove kayaking trip with Southeast Seas kayaking: https://kayakketchikan.com/guidedtrips

We had a group of 5, so it was just us with 2 guides.  We met them on the pier, and we walked to where their boat is.  They outfitted us with waterproof jackets and life jackets.  Then they took us by boat out to Orcas Cove where they had kayaks already set up to go. We happened to be there during a very low tide, so got to see a lot of sea life (urchins, sea stars, etc.) on the rocks.  I loved that we were away from town and saw no other people while we were out there.  The guide was great and "figured out" my quirky kids early on, so geared his chatter to suit them.  We had a fantastic time and will always remember this trip! 

I live in the Seattle area where I do 2+ hours of recess duty every day.  I am getting ready to start packing for my 12th trip to Alaska. I do not even own rain pants and have never felt the need for them in Alaska.  I do own waterproof hiking shoes due to my job, but before I had them, I just took sneakers.  I've never had my shoes get so wet that I couldn't wear them the next day.

My recommendation is to not spend a lot of money on things you may not need and may never use again.  I good rain jacket is worth the investment.  Rain pants and shoes are not, IMO.

2 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

 

So, why do you continue to cruise on Princess if you are so disappointed in their Horizon Court breakfast offerings?

Royal’s  buffet is not much better then what you have experienced .  You wii probably be disappointed if you are a shameless breakfast Gourmand.    Most of the offerings are mediocre IMO.   Especially the eggs.

Have you considered having breakfast in the MDR?

Good luck .  Enjoy your cruise and breakfast.

Breakfast does not make or break a cruise.  I like most things about Princess, but I think they could do a better job with breakfast.  

I am not a "shameless breakfast gourmand" by any means.  I love going to little local diners for breakfast, and have even been known to enjoy an Egg McMuffin.

I've been to breakfast in the MDR and I haven't found the quality to be any better.  It just wastes more of my time.  Even the eggs benedict in the MDR is not good, and they won't even make it every day.  I've had them tell me No when I have asked for it sometimes.  

Honestly, I'd be content in the buffet if they would have tortillas, shredded cheese (not slices of Muenster) and salsa!  I could make my own burrito, even if I had to use slimy eggs.

9 hours ago, pjrockman said:

Specifically, yes: a Benedict, a scramble, and a burrito du jour each day, in addition to the fried eggs (runny or hard) and cooked to order eggs and omelette station.  Additionally, there’s about a 100 other selections....  

 

Hooray!  I'm not necessarily looking for exceptional quality, just items that I like.  I've never gotten a eggs benedict on Princess (buffet or MDR) that comes even close to any that I've had on land, but I'd rather have mediocre eggs benedict than gross, gooey scrambled eggs. And if they have anything resembling a breakfast burrito, I will be thrilled!

8 hours ago, pjrockman said:

I’m sure I’ll get reasons....

 

But, the coffee one does confuse me.  DW has been told in Europe and Caribbean to discard before disembarking.  I get the fresh fruit one, because of disease and bugs, but brewed coffee?

 

I think it is partially because it is easier to have a blanket rule - only prepackaged foods may be taken off - and not have a bunch of exceptions.  If they allow coffee, do they allow tea?  What about a tea/juice mix? A smoothie?  Now you are getting into the realm of fruit.  The person at the pier doesn't know exactly what's in your to go cup.  It's not prepackaged, therefore it is not allowed. 🤷‍♀️

We will be on the Royal Princess in Alaska in a few weeks. (I know, not the ideal choice, but it's what worked for us this time.)  I have heard that the Horizon Court buffet on the Royal is far superior to that on previous ships. One area that I have always found lacking about the Horizon Court is breakfast.  I love a good breakfast when I'm on vacation, like eggs benedict or huevos rancheros, or even just a good egg burrito.  The one time we went on Holland America, I was thrilled that I could have fresh, made to order eggs benedict every single day... and I did!  But that's not enough reason to switch cruise lines.  I continue to cruise Princess and to be disappointed with their breakfasts.

So, my question is, does the Royal Princess Horizon Court have a better breakfast selection than the Grand class ships that I've been on, or is it still the same old slimy eggs, artificial tasting pancakes, and potatoes reheated from the previous night's dinner? 🙄

56 minutes ago, suekel said:

What about in Alaska?

Only sealed, prepackaged food (granola bars, boxes of cereal, etc.) allowed off the ship in Alaskan ports.  I have seen them tell someone to stand aside and finish their coffee or throw it away.

I've heard Matt is great, so looking forward to being on the Royal next month.  Can you tell me who the Naturalist is?

We have done this tour.  Our guide was very interesting and fun.  We enjoyed the gold panning here much more than the other place we have panned for gold. (Skagway gold dredge)  Here they give you a seeded pan, but you can also keep panning in the sand at the bottom when you are done with your pan. They also give you a little glass bottle for your gold, so you can actually see it.  The other place gave you a black, opaque container (like a film canister) and then tried to sell you jewelry and stuff to display your gold.

We've done the Yakutania Point and Smuggler's Cove trail.  It's quite easy to find and follow.

I find that the temperature inside the ship tends to be about "room temperature".  Of course, like anywhere on land (restaurants, theaters, shops, etc.) that can vary a bit, and what one person thinks is comfortable, another might feel is chilly or too warm.  I wear long and short sleeves during the day, depending on the outdoor weather, and I am generally comfortable either way.  I tend to wear short sleeves in the evenings and don't feel that I need a sweater. I do wear shorts (and I'm female! 🙄) if it is over about 65 F, but I'm from the Seattle area where it is generally cool in the summer.  I also use the pools and hot tubs and I'm never tacky enough to use bath robes on deck. A lightweight pool cover up is enough for me.

We usually go the last week of July, and almost never see salmon then.  The times we've gone in early August there have been lots of salmon.

Bring a reusable water bottle and fill it from the tap.  Cheaper and no plastic waste.

9 hours ago, HS2BS said:

Thanks for the weekly menus!

 

We are one the Coral southbound on the 7/17/19 cruise with our 13 year old grandson. While he is not a picky eater, is there a children's menu to choose from?

 

Grendpa Hal

While there is a children's menu, if he's not picky, he should take advantage of being able to order whatever he wants, as much as he wants, from the adult menu.  It's a great opportunity to try new things.

On 5/21/2019 at 8:14 PM, snplw said:

We are on the Jewel, tentatively, Sept 2020.  We had thought about winter boots, from the northeast.  So we would be good with just some decent insulated hiking boots?  Even out on deck and balcony?  That would save on considerable weight.

You don't need boots at all, unless you are doing very serious hiking.  Hiking/trail shoes are adequate if you are doing light hiking, or sneakers if you are just doing casual touring and shopping.

I second the recommendation for Ashmo's!

It sounds like things may have changed at Pier 91 in Seattle, but 5 years ago the answer was NO.  We were newly Platinum, but sailing with my 3 teen/adult children who were only Gold.  My sons were 18 and 21, but my daughter was only 15.  They were allowed to check in at the Priority counter with us, since we were all booked together and I was putting my credit card on their accounts. When we were done checking in, we asked if they could go to the Priority waiting area with us, and we were told a very definitive NO. I pointed out that my daughter was a minor, and that I would prefer to keep her with us.  They said it would be fine for her to wait in the regular line with her adult brothers, or we could choose to join all of them in the regular line.  That's what we chose to do, since I would rather stay with my family than board alone without them.

On 5/2/2019 at 3:58 PM, Budget Queen said:

As clarified,   the Yukon Suspension Bridge is NOT in the Yukon.   Take a look at a map.  

Thanks for confirming this.  People never seem to believe me when I say that it's not actually in the Yukon.  I've driven (or been driven on a bus) past it enough times to know where it is. 🙄

There are definitely levels of picky. I've always considered my sons to be picky, especially my oldest. He's 26 now, but as a child, he would not eat dairy (except ice cream), potatoes, legumes, eggs, and most "mixed" food, but he would eat any meat, fish, sushi, most vegetables, especially broccoli. He would not eat a lot of things, and sometimes it was challenging, but he ate a wide variety of food and would always find something to eat.  On his first cruise, at age 8, he ate off the adult menu all week.  He ate adult portions of prime rib, steak, etc. He often asked for no sauce, and didn't ever touch the potatoes, but he was very happy and tried lots of new things. 

On the other hand, during that same cruise, my nieces would only eat chicken strips from the kid's menu.  They got tired of them after 2-3 days.  I told their mom to just order them something from the adult menu, but she insisted that they wouldn't eat it.  Grandma started feeding the 3 year old from her own plate, and she ate it just fine.  Their mom finally gave up and their family ate at the buffet the rest of the week.  Such a shame, especially since it was supposed to be a family cruise and dinner was the one time of day we tried to spend together.

The children's menu is very limited, and if your kid only likes one thing on it, they are going to get bored quickly.  I think it's much better to find "real food" from the adult menu that they will eat, even if it means ordering with no sauce, substituting sides, etc.

It depends somewhat on what activities you are planning.  Most excursions and walking around town only require sneakers or comfortable walking shoes.  I take waterproof hiking shoes if I plan to hike at all, but boots are totally overkill unless you are doing really serious hiking. I do take sandals for dinner and flip flops for the pool.  Yes, I do use the pool sometimes, and the hot tub multiple times on every trip.

On 4/14/2019 at 2:23 PM, Coral said:

What a cool job you have!

Thanks!  A lot of people think I'm crazy, but I do enjoy it.  I spend most of the rest of my day working in the resource center working with special ed students.  I like the balance in my day.  Some days the weather can be miserable, but other days are gorgeous and I get to spend time in the sunshine.  Overall, it's a very rewarding job!

I live in rainy Seattle and I spend 2+ hours per workday on the playground.  I have been to Alaska 11 times.  I do not own rain pants and have never felt the need for them.  I do own a good waterproof rain jacket with a hood, quick-dry hiking pants, and waterproof hiking shoes (not boots). My theory is that you should not spend a lot of money on things that you may not need and likely will never use again.