gmcwalker

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

Hmm.. no WM Dinner?  Guess it depends on demand and number of guests who know to ask. 

 

Riu said the the Wine Dinner was not being offered on this class of ships for now.

1 hour ago, TucsonIllini said:

 

 

 

Hi All,

 

I see that a Chef's Table is on the way. Any idea how to put my name on the list?

 

--Scott - Dolphin 629

 

Call the Dining Inquiries line from your cabin phone or tell the your dining room front desk staff.

Yesterday was a fun day in Puerto Vallarta. I did the Princess Beach Resort Excursion. Unfortunately the excursion was rescheduled for later hours due to our late arrival in PV. Thus we only had 2:35 to spend at the resort instead of the 3:55 we should have had. 

We were taken to the Marival Vacation Club in Nuevo Vallarta about 10 miles away. Then a welcome drink and short orientation and off we went.

The beach had plenty of chairs with shade. The ocean was about 86F.

There were 4 pools each a little different. From a smaller kids pool with slide and waterfall, two large pools one with entertainment, both with swim-up bars and one Adults only pool. Chairs were also available at all pools with umbrellas.

Food was available at a sit down restaurant in the resort and a smaller beach side grille on the far north of the property.

We made it back to ship 15 minutes after it was supposed to depart but that was due to poor planning. 

Monday night football was shown on the big screen and I watched it from the hot tub while enjoying some snacks and drinks.

Not a bad day.

Today was a typical sea day and the first formal dinner of the cruise. 

We are currently off the coast of Oaxaca nearing Puerto Escondido. 

7 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Why not ask them about a WM Dinner?  More likely to fill a table as it costs far less and is still a nice evening.  Even if they do a CT, there is no Galley experience. 

I did ask about the Wine Dinner and was told that it might be a possibility but the senior dining management has not discussed it yet. It seems as that would be a better choice to me also. I will know more after we leave PV and head to Panama.

Still shaking and rolling this evening! It's not so bad if you wear ear plugs and pretend it's a vibrating bed. It has actually helped my sore back. I'm in a aft balcony cabin deck 14.

Hopefully things will calm down for everyone as the cruise progresses. 

Update for the CC gang on board, I spoke to Riu and two other dining room managers today and they said they can probably do the Chef's table this cruise on a yet to be determined date but they need enough people to be interested in it to do it. So call the Dine Line/ Dining Inquires button on your cabin phone and let them know you are interested and spread the word to other passengers you meet who might want to do it also. 

We are steadily heading southeast at about 19 knots. We are now on MDT.

Instead of clear blue skies we now have scatted clouds and a bit higher humidity 70%. We are about 4-5 hours from Cabo San Lucas, hopefully we will sail by close and say hello (blast the horn).

Right now it is about 75F outside with a 4-6 foot swell or so, and there are a few dolphins here and there checking us out. As we get further south we should see a lot more!

A lot to do today if you want or nothing at all too! 3 movies on the outdoor screen again also.

Time for a late breakfast.

35 minutes ago, CruiserRob said:

Will the Emerald have a Chef's Table on this cruise?

 

We spoke to Riu at our CC meet up on sail away day and he said if he gets enough people interested he will try to talk the Executive chef into doing it and if so however it will not include the galley part of the experience due to Covid protocols.

4 hours ago, Grego said:

Keep us informed as to how they are handling the buffet and casino.

Have fun and enjoy the voyage.

The casino is masks at all times and sip and cover when having a drink. As there were very few people there I don't know if there was distancing between players.

As for the buffet you have to wash your hands at new stations by all entrances or sanitize before you can get your food. It is fully staffed minimizing passenger contact from getting your table set and plates to all hot and some cold foods that are normally self served. There is a server for all stations just about. There are some items that are already plated in single serve portions that you can grab on your own though like desserts, chopped fruit, yogurt and granola. All beverages are served by the staff. 

Time to go have breakfast.

It was a great first Day. I got on board about 11:15 after a short shuttle ride from the Crowne Plaza Hotel to Berth 92 where the Emerald was waiting. Very easy to get through the check-in process. There were a lot of people to help everyone regardless of their check-in status. 

I went directly to my cabin and completed the muster video and checked in at my muster station, then had a sandwich at the International Cafe and listed to a violin duo Lado Springs, play among other songs "Tequilla". 

A bit later after wandering around I met up with our CC gang and had a couple drinks and got to know each other. 

I then went up to hot tub on Deck 17 aft and relaxed. We finally shoved off at 6:15 pm after a short port delay. As we headed out into the Catalina Channel there was over 100 container ships waiting to enter the port.

I had dinner in the Botticelli dining room, met some new folks and caught the first of several shows to come, Michael Wilson Impressionist/Comedian in the theater. it was a decent show with plenty of room due to the low passenger total. 

There is a lot going on tomorrow, Ping Pong tournament, putting tournament, and the first of the Princess Olympics events a Basketball tournament.

Movies Under the Sun are Big in the morning and Ad Astra in the afternoon with Black Panther finishing up with Movies Under the stars in the evening.

Tomorrow, I see the hot tub in my future as even though it will be clear and the air temp should be in the low 70s F, the ocean is still in the low to mid 60s making for a cool breeze off the water. 

We have Captain Martin Stenzel and Cruise Director Jody Bates in charge.

We are making about 19.5 knots heading to PV and just off the Mexican coast at about Rosarita Beach as of now.

That's all for tonight.

Good Evening to All;

Tomorrow we sail on the first post Covid Sail for the Emerald. The ship was not in port at 2pm when I drove by but I saw the Grand at Berth 92 ready to leave.

I am safely ensconced in the Crowne Plaza Hotel with their Park-Stay and Sail Package after a short trip form the San Diego area. I had a nice HH and dinner at the Green Onion a Mexican restaurant California style, right across the street.  A great value for decent food and great drinks.

We will be boarding tomorrow just after 11:00 am with Elites, then Platinum boarding first. After that we will be given a Group Boarding Pass according to our arrival time. 

I hope that others on the Cruise will share some of their experiences and try to answer any questions that those whom are interested might have. 

Until tomorrow! Aloha and Ciao!

On 10/3/2021 at 9:09 AM, lakemurraykid said:

I got on the medallion app today and when I got to the health questions the entire screen went to white.  The only way I could get out of it was to shut my phone down.  But also, I had been in the green line and have since been moved back to the blue line.  Does anybody know what that means?  I hate this app; have had nothing but problems with it.  I think I'll only use the medallion to unlock our door and for the drink package.  I've read lots of people have been trying to make dining reservations and having great difficulties with that too.

I used the app on the first cruise out of LA for Princess last week and it worked great. I could order food and drinks anywhere on the ship and it would be delivered to me, from the Library to the hot tubs on the 16th deck. I was able to change my Dinner reservation quite easily when our excursion times changed and rebook my excursion from it. Back at the end of July this was posted that might help you and others.

I found this on a thread on CC and it worked for me. I was able to get into the green line status immediately after downloading my photo and filling in the required info. Try this out to see if it helps you.

Use the newest phone/tablet you have in the house (e.g. old iPhone 6 and 7s are known to have issues w/ this app).

-- Update your phone/device's latest firmware.

-- Ensure you have the latest update to Medallion Class installed from the Play/Apple Store.

-- Open the Medallion app and just "Sign Out."

-- Now do a restart of your phone/device.

-- Upon restart, open the app but do NOT use your previous username/pw combo.  Instead login by using your cruise confirmation number and a cruiser's birthday.  (Try to use the birthday of a person who was not the primary accountholder you had previously used.)

-- Go to "Travel Checklist"

-- Scroll to the bottom and touch "Next Step" (i.e. avoid clicking specific circles to fill in missing info).

-- Fill in any missing info/docs for pages the app presents.

-- Pray.

Last Sat. before the Grand sailed I saw a pop-up Covid testing site at the LA World Cruise Center in the parking lot area in San Pedro. It is by the USS Iowa. I don't have a link to it but it should be listed in LA County Covid Testing website.

9 hours ago, srpilo said:

 Sip & Cover.... What ??

 

Even pre-vaccine, at the worst of it, through out the country once you were seated in lounge you could take you mask off... As far as I know at this point the only occasion where sip & cover is asked and enforced is on a airplane flying, or public transportation.

 

Why hasn't anyone mentioned this earlier in the thread, this certainly isn't the policy on the Alaska cruises or other cruise lines. This is contrary to the protocols Princess has posted on their web-site before we booked. 

 

I hope the cruising public hears more about this, maybe cancellations will awaken HQ that there's line where customers won't cross, specially when when they're told something different when booking or seeing on other lines

I have not seen this at all on this cruise. Every time, I sit at a bar or dining area there is no requirement to leave your mask on while eating or drinking. While being served by the staff at the buffets yes you have to use sanitizer first then a crew member gives you a table set and a plate but you need to wear a mask until you sit down. The Dining rooms the same once you sit no mask required. However I have not been to the lounges or bars on the lower decks as I prefer the outdoor upper deck pools, hot tubs, buffet and bars. Except for Dinner on Deck 6.

12 hours ago, mellon1 said:

That is so great they are serving the crew!  We usually do traditional in the main dining room at late seating.  Hoping that won't be an issue.  

 

That drink you are having sounds amazing and different.  What day is turnaround for you?  Wishing you best of luck that all is good and you are healthy for the testing.  

 

Mary

No issues whatsoever. You can reserve your Dining time for your entire cruise at the same time on the Medallion App or have choices every 20 minutes from 5pm on. I choose 7pm so I could make the late show if it suited my mood. Turn around was at noon today Tuesday.

11 hours ago, mellon1 said:

My husband would have loved the movement of the ship.  Seems most times it is very calm, only a few times it has been rocky, and he wishes for that all the time.  He is not normal!  He can carry a drink during the most roughest we have been on and not spill a drop.  Me on the other hand, I can't do it at all.  I told him it is hard to walk in heals and I have to use my flat sandals!  LOL.  

 

You are making me very anxious to go reading your detailed posts.  Love it.  Thanks for taking the time.  We appreciate it a lot.

At Cabo there was a 3-5" swell at anchor and heading north today it has increased to about 5-8' with 20 knot wind out of the NW that combined with the ship speed of 21 knots created a great wind tunnel on decks 14 -17. I was at the Oasis Hot Tub a bit sheltered but heading to the elevator on the side of the ship I had to lean into the wind for a short time. However my swimsuit dried out pretty quick.

As I'm getting ready to go to bed I will orient the bed or my position on the bed to the the swell to mimic a rocking motion that apparently my mind remembers and I sleep as they they say like a baby!

A warmer morning with increased humidity today, a nice change as we proceed further south. Perfect for enjoying my buffet breakfast outside, above the Terrace Pool.

The Captain just announced we will be ported and ready to tender in by 2pm today. As my 1/2 day sail was cancelled due to the late arrival, I booked the Sunset Sail from 5-8pm. I will let all know how it went later. Off to the hot tub now. 

11 minutes ago, gmcwalker said:

Actually, there is no mandated speed reduction off the Mexican coast as the cruise ships now cruise further out to sea to avoid the known whale migration paths.

However there is voluntary incentive program off the coast of California to cut pollution and protect gray whales.16 Shipping Lines Slow Down to Protect Blue Whales and Blue Skies (maritime-executive.com)

56 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Yes, I think this is correct. The whales are headed down to Cabo to have their babies.

Actually, there is no mandated speed reduction off the Mexican coast as the cruise ships now cruise further out to sea to avoid the known whale migration paths.

Here is the Princess press release link:

Grand Princess First Ship to Set Sail from the Port of Los Angeles - Princess Cruises

2 hours ago, dskenn said:

Thank you for this fabulous up date!  What is the Captain's name?

One passenger to one crew!

Captain Andrea Spinardi.

The Captain has just announced that we have 1,017 passengers and 1,100 crew. We will arrive in Cabo at 1:30 tomorrow perhaps earlier with an update tomorrow morning.

Tonight is Formal night with the crew in tuxes and about 40% of the people in the dining room dressed up when I checked it out earlier. 

The main entree's are Medallions of Beef, Roast Lamb, Roasted Red Snapper, Sautéed Shrimp in Coconut Sauce, Duck a l'Orange and a Spinach-Potato Flan! Sorry folks no Prime Rib or Lobster yet!

Horizon Court is featuring Medallions of Beef with a cheddar mashed potato. I did smell onions and peppers sizzling as I walked by so they might also be serving fajitas.

As for the Craft Beer update. I did find Sam Adams Lager and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Unknown beers to me were (rarely ever happens) Piraat Belguim Triple, Tiger Beer, Gulden Draak 9000 Quad. 

The Medallion app onboard has worked great every time I have used it today. No more waiting in line for food or drink while on deck, a great improvement as now I don't waste time and enjoy my cruise even more.

Time to get ready for dinner. Over and out!

1 hour ago, SwimCarrie said:

And one more question for anyone in this forum...I read somewhere that they changed the lamps over and the new ones have USB ports. Is that the case for interior cabins, as well? Is there also an additional plug?

Thanks!

I am in a balcony cabin. By the phone there are two 110 outlets. The lamps each have a USB port. The bathroom has a small 110 -220 combo plug, one I am not familiar with. I assume it is a European standard plug. For the interior I am not positive but I'm pretty sure it is the same.

Well, I made it to the World Cruise Center Parking area after dropping my luggage off with the porters at Berth 93 and parked 2 rows away from the terminal across the street. I entered about 10:50 pm.

Getting aboard was easy. We went through several checks. There were plenty of people to help out with various signs pointing people in the right direction for Green light or not, Medallion ready or not, picking up your medallion. Had to show your passport, proof of negative Covid test and proof of vaccination. At the 2nd inspection area you emptied your pockets put everything in your carry on and then received a Boarding pass and went to a Group waiting area Elite, Platinum, and then everyone else in Group numbers of about 100 each. Then groups were called in the same order starting about 11:10. You had to show your passport again and your boarding pass. I boarded about 11:35 and went directly to my cabin. I unpacked my backpack then did the muster. We had to watch a safety video on the app or on your cabin TV and then physically go to the muster station to sign in with your medallion which I did and then went and had lunch. My first test was ordering a drink through the app. It didn't recognize my location by the Neptune pool so I ordered through the waitress. 

After lunch I went to the upper deck Lotus pool relaxed took a dip and tried the app again. This time my drink was delivered in 5 minutes to me in the pool. 

Tip#1 Make sure if you have the internet, to sign into it. As for the app you need to switch your phone to airplane mode and Wi-fi, find Medallion Net under Wi-fi connections and open it, before you can use the app on board.

To Craft Beer fans: they do have Ballast Point Sculpin and Lagunitas Little Sumpin-Sumpin. I will do more research tomorrow!

All in all it was pretty painless to set out on this cruise. 

47 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

I wonder if this has something to do with the speed limitations or if the Grand is just getting up there in the years. 

 

There are two possible explanations. First of all the Port of Los Angeles is backed up with ships waiting to come in and times for all ships have to be slotted just like taking off and landing at an airport. Plus there is a limited amount of Harbor Pilots and Tugboats.

Secondly the ship will be going out at less than 50% capacity and that has cut into revenue. Slowing down will cut fuel usage and partially mitigate the loss of revenue. 

It could quite probably be a combination of both. 

The bright side is that we are cruising again!

Looks like we hit a bump in the road before we even have left. This came via email From Princess an few hours ago. Hang on folks it's going to an interesting time!

MPORTANT NOTICES ITINERARY CHANGE Please be advised that due to an operational speed reduction, Grand Princess will now arrive in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 3:00 PM on Monday, September 27, 2021, rather than 12:00 noon as previously scheduled. Additionally, our scheduled arrival to Los Angeles on Thursday, September 30 will now be at 10:00 AM, rather than 6:15 AM. We want to assure you that this speed reduction in no way affects the safe operation of the ship, which is our highest priority. As a result of this change, our disembarkation flight guideline in Los Angeles for guests with independent air arrangements has changed. The earliest flight departure time is now 4:15 PM. Guests with Princess EZair flights that depart before 4:15 PM will have their flights changed and will receive their updated flight information soon. Guests will receive updated shore excursion information onboard. Please note that the itinerary that displays below does not yet reflect this change. Thank you for your attention to this notification.