farsight

That's a heckuva long selfie stick! 🙂

1 hour ago, LreedCA said:

I saw him chatting with a couple by the pool this morning!

Thank you. I would love to be there and get a chance to chat with him for a bit. Oh well...

Has anyone seen Don Terris on the ship? He is a cruise vlogger on YouTube and has the second most subscribers of all cruise vloggers on YouTube. Somehow we hadn't put it together until we were watching one of his v logs tonight. He has a couple of vlogs when he was on the Majestic in Alaska where he was playing the yes/no game. He has three channels. One channel is for cruise news; one is his general thoughts/experiences about various things, and one is movie reviews with his nephews.

I would say tell him hi from Farsight but I only subscribe to his channels and like everything he posts. He won't know me. He gets thousands of views and hundreds upon hundreds of comments.

3 hours ago, 4cats4me said:

This is the exact problem I’ve been experiencing for months.  

 

Kind of frustrating. I can work around it but shouldn't have to.

@PescadoAmarillo My last post was a pain!

2 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Our cabin is also on the back of the ship and we are being being shaken, not stirred, but we love the location and are staying here. We’re also planning a long nap today try make up for the sleep we’ve lost. It’s been VERY rattle-y, and we’ve shoved towels everywhere. 
 

Cruise Critic is really hit and miss for me right now, but I am posting menus, Patters, letters regarding testing protocols, etc. on my blog. With plenty of time, in a perfect world I would post them here too, but it’s a bit too frustrating to deal with the Cruise Critic issues. Too many times I’ve typed an entire post for this thread and then lost it. 
 

Yellow Fish Cruises

@PescadoAmarillo I had more problems on DW's and my Alaska sailing than I am currently having at home. However, it is still being a pain. I mostly use a laptop but have had the same problems on a Samsung tablet. Sometimes it appears that I should be able to 'like' a post but I get an error that says it was unsuccessful. Additionally, when trying to reply to a topic, it looks like it was submitted but it shows at the top of the page I am on vice the bottom. In both cases I appear to be logged in (user-id shows and 'Log Out' is selectable). What I have found is that if I log out and log in the site is functional once again.

I am probably preaching to the choir on the following: I usually copy any text that I am trying to submit in case it doesn't submit and no longer available in the "Reply to this topic" field. On really long posts I sometimes just use a word processor and copy from it.

CC just seems to be offering up more problems than a month ago and it doesn't seem to be device specific or a MedallioNet issue. However, I do wonder whether the latency inherent via satellite connections adds a bit more failure.

Sea Emerald and I mostly want to know the differences between the Ovation and the Quantum. Quantum is a couple of years older but it looks like it went through a refurb in 2019. Also, I saw a short time this spring where it looks like the Quantum is not sailing as there are no bookings advertised, but I can't find any type of planned refurb. Are there differences that are substantial?  Are there many differences in decor of common areas? Does one feel more refreshed than the other? The itineraries are not really in question right now as we would like to go to either Sitka or Icy Strait Point. The prices we are looking at don't vary by much.

I realize that our questions almost assuredly requires that someone has been on both ships in recent history, which will probably be drawing from a very small pool of members. Thanks for any help you might be able to offer.

I'm not thrilled by RCL's up-charge for deposit refund in case of cancellation on many of the bookings. We don't see many of those on Celebrity or Princess. However, I think we would be quite happy with RCL as a cruise line and their take on cruising. Looks like a fun time!

1 hour ago, DUCHESSRN said:

I also found lack of water in Enclave very frustrating ..ZERO staff seen in there . 

The massage I had was also not the usual standard either , I was below the Theatre and could hear things being moved around ..no water at all in Spa waiting area and the water I was brought at the end of the massage  was not cold and had what tasted like a squirt of Jiff Lemon in it ....all clocks have been removed from Spa area .I dont think I got my full time but was using OBC so didnt feel as upset as if I had paid . .  My previous experiences have been just wonderful .

That being said it was a great cruise.

The waiting room between the main desk and the locker rooms on the right of the hallway had two lemon infused water dispensers last week on the Alaska cruise. However the sliding door to the room was almost always closed. I was fortunate the first time I used the Enclave. I spent a long time in the Thalosotherapy pool and two 10 minute plus stints in the steam room (the HOT one with the black tile and virtual stars in the ceiling) then showered in the locker room. I was in dire NEED of re-hydration. As I exited the spa, the waiting/relaxation room door was open. I tossed down about 6 cups to re-hydrate and then asked the staff on my way out whether it was for Enclave Patron use. I was assured that it was. Every other time I got a drink I had to open the door and felt a bit weird about it. I found it very unwelcoming. The thermal spa on the Ruby had a great waiting room with water that felt comfortable and welcoming.

While the Spa staff is OK, they are not customer oriented. The whole spa enterprise needs a super high intensity customer service immersion training. Maybe the exorbitant prices they command and receive with no competition and a captive audience has jaded their perspective. I certainly found Princess crew and staff to be more accommodating, friendly and welcoming. They exuded great customer service and provided the starkest of contrasts.

However, the Enclave was a very good value for our 7 day pass and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

5 hours ago, 3kidsncats said:

Unfortunately for me, for now, the issues with the app were in the areas I most want functionality.  We already have …..4 other cruises already booked between Royal and NCL, and will be Diamond on Royal, Platinum on NCL after each next cruise, respectively.  So for now, we will stick with those lines, and wait to book Princess again until they get the app fixed.  We like the product, but we are fine mixing it up between lines.  We also want to try Celebrity once we are officially Diamond on Royal, since they status match.  I will be writing a detailed recap of my pros/cons in my Princess survey.  

 

I need to adjust my signature — we were actually on the Starward (I couldn’t remember which it was, after so many years, but recently we looked at our honeymoon pics and saw that it was Starward).  We loved that cruise, and as I mentioned, our honeymoon as well.  1993 — and we thought the ship was big until we were docked next to the Monarch of the Seas, which at the time was the largest at sea.  

 

I relayed your message to Hiren, and got a big smile.  🙂

I had a much longer response to this post but it got lost in submitting and I'm tired. However, the most important parts of the post were:

Thanks for seeing Hiren and getting back to me. I can see his smile! Also, thanks for starting this Live thread. I was wondering whether anyone would see the value in a 3 day live and elect to be the OP. You have certainly answered that question in the most positive way. DW and I have become "Live From" thread zealots for the ships we are most interested in. The Majestic and the Alaska cruise restart set us on this path thanks to @HaveDogWillTravel.

I think you will really like Celebrity. We love it. Brand loyalty is great, but trying different cruise lines is a way for us to maximize our enjoyment of cruising. We are especially interested in trying Royal Caribbean and Viking Ocean cruises.

1 hour ago, 3kidsncats said:

So we are home now, and have functioning internet (yesterday I was in a weird logged into CC but not able to post, and error messages if I tried to log out, etc.)

 

I’m going to back track slightly in my post review, to cover a bit more about what we were and weren’t able to do on the app pre cruise, and then how it went onboard.

 

So we booked 11 days before sailing.  On the app I was able to do all the check in stuff, and schedule MDR times pre-cruise.  That’s it.  The app did not show ANY info about specialty dining, not even the names of the restaurants. On the website personalizer  I was able to book water and a bottle of bourbon for our cabin, as well as the enclave.  

 

Once on board, you have to connect to the Medallion Net option for WiFi, in order for the app to function/connect to the specific ship and sailing stuff.  Once that was done, I was able to watch the muster video and have it noted as complete in the app, see my location onboard, add my “shipmate”, see his location and send him chat messages.  I could use the ship map to get directions to venues from where I was located.  MDR reservations continued to work (actually best function of the app, reservation adjustment was super easy).  I could access my onboard account until the final morning — so no way to check my bill without going to customer service. Not available on the tv, no paper copy delivered, and app indicates it didn’t get my booking number even though I was logged in and it didn’t ask for my booking number when clicking “onboard account”

 

I could NOT access specialty dining in ANY way even onboard.  I could NOT access the onboard delivery service in ANY way. (Ie, no menu of any kind, just a blank screen that crashed the app and required me to reboot it. ). The menu button for the for the MDR also just brought up a blank screen causing a crash of the app.  There were also other minor things that I clicked in my efforts to see what worked and what didnt — more didn’t than did.  It was just a really frustrating experience, and give that you can’t book dining anyway other than the app, it was a problem.  The hours were not listed that I could find on the patter.  I got chewed out by the customer service lady on the phone for calling 5 minutes after the reservation desk closed (because yes, I’m supposed to know the hours just through my amazing psychic ability)

 

For me, the app issues are enough that I would skip considering Princess until after they fix it.  I had a recent great experience with Royal’s app in August, and it really put a spot light on the frustrations for me.  

 

The medallion worked great though.  We loved the cabin door unlocking as we approached, and the bar staff and spa staff knowing who we were without asking for our names, cabin number, etc.  

Around the corner from and just aft of the guest services desk, there is a printer that is Medallion activated where you can print your onboard account purchases. Much faster than waiting at the guest service desk when there is a line. I did this several days on our cruise in Alaska.

Like your experience, there was no love in the app for specialty restaurants. I just used the old method and used the preprogrammed button on the stateroom phone for making reservations (can't remember the button name).

Before ruling out any future cruises with Princess, I strongly urge you to take advantage your new found "appreciation" of the app weaknesses and strengths, and then use the new technology for what works and revert to the old 'tried and true' for those that don't. Other threads have reports of problems with almost every cruise line's apps. Keep in mind that one of my possible faults is to give Princess more benefit of the doubt than they might deserve! 😇

Hey @3kidsncats I just looked at your full signature. I see that you were on the NCL Seaward in 1993. Sea Emerald and I went on our honeymoon on the Seaward in 1991. We thought the ship was huge. Wow, how things change. We went to the Western Caribbean at the end of October into November. We loved it! That was in the days of only Traditional Dining in the MDR, dark suits and tuxes on formal nights and sports jackets all other nights. Also, midnight buffets with many ice and fruit carvings. It was a different day.

13 minutes ago, 3kidsncats said:

The app was awful, imo.  I’m going to do a series of review posts shortly and will have some comments about my experience

When Princess sends you the sailing review be sure to rake them over the coals on the MedallionClass App; I did. I do differentiate between the Medallion itself and how it works independently of the app on the ship, and the functionality of the app both off ship and onboard. I think this is an important distinction to make. I let them know that the app and its associated hardware/server functionality is barely a beta release let alone rollout ready. It has been very frustrating; maybe almost as much for the Princess crew and staff as it is for us. Included in my review is the bad reviews they are receiving on social media.

All that being said, I do really prefer the Medallion over the old cruise card for identification, purchases and room access. The room access is a bit freaky when the lock release automatically engages 10 feet before you reach your cabin. If I were in a hotel, I would not like the door unlocking this far in advance. On the ship I'm unconcerned but still a bit surprised and a tad unnerved. I'll get used to it.

I do think Princess will get this ironed out in the relatively near future. However, I have been exposed to many 'not ready for prime time' software releases that eventually became quite satisfying experiences that ultimately  improved on older processes. And in my case, hope springs eternal. I just hope they don't get a burr up their collective buns once the app is thoroughly optimized to seek "superior technology". I've also been on that roller-coaster ride with the Department of Defense processes.

1 hour ago, joeyancho said:

I am on this cruise and I agree with the OP about the Medallion.   It is worthless and not user friendly at all.  A crew member tried to help but even he gave up.  I don't understand why they even switched over to the Medallion.  They tried to fix a problem that was not broke.   Other than the Medallion,  the cruise has been very nice.  Ship is in top condition,  crew very friendly and accommodating.  The food has been good.   Alfredo's is especially delicious.   Tonight we go to Crown Grill.  I'll report on that later. 

.

If my understanding is correct, the Medallion itself works very well as a replacement for the card. It is the Medallion App that is the bane of the new technology. They moved the three previous apps into one one app and tried to get the new app to do everything. That included marrying the functionality of the app to the location ability of the Medallion. I think they will eventually get it worked out. My guess is that there is an inverse function for their lofty goals and the resources allotted to IT. Or, expecting too much too soon with too little. Unfortunately, we are on the receiving end of this, and those with devices that have slower processors or less than 3gb ram suffer the most.

It's really nice that you are appreciating and enjoying the other aspects of your cruise. I know we did on the last sailing to Alaska.

31 minutes ago, farsight said:

Princess doesn't advertise covid cases, understandably so. They do contact tracing with the Medallion and not those who may have been exposed. Unless the information gets out from someone who has been exposed and tested or actually gotten covid you would be hard pressed to hear about it. At orange status there are very few cases  that might be avenues of reporting. This being said, Princess and all cruise lines are required to report accurate numbers to the CDC. My understanding is that they do this regularly and fairly often.

"and notify those" vice "and not those"

1 hour ago, joeyancho said:

I am also on this cruise.   We haven't heard anything about a case of covid.  The ship is mostly empty.   Most of the buffet is closed due to a lack of passengers.   

Princess doesn't advertise covid cases, understandably so. They do contact tracing with the Medallion and not those who may have been exposed. Unless the information gets out from someone who has been exposed and tested or actually gotten covid you would be hard pressed to hear about it. At orange status there are very few cases  that might be avenues of reporting. This being said, Princess and all cruise lines are required to report accurate numbers to the CDC. My understanding is that they do this regularly and fairly often.

@3kidsncats I was the "Live From" OP for the Majestic Sept 26th Alaska sailing almost immediately preceding your current sailing. While onboard we (me, Leon, and DW, Dawn,) had many interactions with Hiren (pronounced heer-en) who worked the coffee bar at the International Cafe. He knew our names and greeted us by them from about early morning on day 3. He also knew our most usual orders (Large Chamomile tea with 2 splendas for me and Large Ginger tea with 2 splendas for DW). He didn't have to look at the screen , and sometimes was out and about, to address by name. He was absolutely the most welcoming and cheerful member of the crew that we had the pleasure of interacting with (the crew and staff were all great but he stood out head and shoulders above all others!) If Princess could clone him,  they would skyrocket to having the best crew/staff of all Cruise lines at sea. In case you can't tell we were impressed.

These folks meet so many passengers and may only retain new ones in memory for a very short time. He made us feel special but I am under no illusions that he will remember us. However, if you or one the other current cruisers would tell him that Leon and Dawn from the last sailing say, "hi and take care", it would be much appreciated. (You might even see if he remembers our orders without prompting 😁, again, no illusions) Provided he is assigned to the same duties, he is at the IC coffee bar between 10:AM and 1:00AM the next day.

Additionally, if you had the chance to have him serve you several times, you would come to realize that he is quite deserving of an extra individual gratuity. For the record, we did not know him from before our cruise and he never gave us anything other that fantastic service!

18 minutes ago, milogurd said:

I think that roll call has come and gone. 🙂 

@milogurdYeah, DW caught my mistake. She's got a knack for that. I might add that I keep her gainfully employed so she doesn't fall out of practice. 😁

For the record, I found no roll call (for the correct year) and started one a short while ago.

Your "Location" took me back to the early 70s. Loved FT. Memories are a bit fuzzy, but...

4 hours ago, farsight said:

We are now booked to take advantage of one of the future cruise credits we purchased onboard and the 35% "Bad Weather Rebate" 😁 Princess gave for only visiting one port vice three. We were also able to take advantage of the "Fall Flavors" promotion that ends today. And, the adrenaline just keeps on flowing. We are booked on the May 15, 2022 Discovery Princess to Alaska. Now to find the roll call.

@left the dog at home Are you listening? If your other plans don't pan out...  And, I started the roll call today. 🙃😇 If you wouldn't mind, send me an email @ newk2b@yahoo.com. I have a couple of questions for you.

29 minutes ago, Sea Emerald said:

 

Oops, you are too excited.  We booked for May 15, 2022.  😆  I am hoping some of our new cruise friends can go too!  😃

Excited? Me? Say it isn't so!

We are now booked to take advantage of one of the future cruise credits we purchased onboard and the 35% "Bad Weather Rebate" 😁 Princess gave for only visiting one port vice three. We were also able to take advantage of the "Fall Flavors" promotion that ends today. And, the adrenaline just keeps on flowing. We are booked on the May 15, 2021 Discovery Princess to Alaska. Now to find the roll call.

7 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I was just curious. We were on the Celebrity Edge in August in the Caribbean on a B3B and passengers were pretty much limited at most ports to Celebrity sponsored tours, with some ports only allowing you to leave the ship if you were on one of those tours. But, if a port authority did allow folks to leave the ship without going on a controlled tour, they were required to wear a mask the entire time once you left the ship. BUT, at the same time no one was required to wear a mask while we were onboard the Edge for our 3 week cruise.

 

No big deal. Just different pandemic cruise line management styles. Thanks!

@Ken the cruiserWe really like Celebrity and have sailed the Infinity and the Solstice. I liked Celebrity's approach to the restart. We didn't want to fly yet, and Florida has an approach completely opposite of WA state (nuff said). We want to sail on the Edge so bad we can taste it! I was especially impressed with their capacity limit. Eventually, we'll have our chance when our requirements for travel are met in the future.

8 hours ago, CalLuvsCrusingToo said:

We have some Fam in Juneau.  Gotta find out if they know about Captains Smores?

Man I'm drooling! 😛

As I said, Pavlov's bell. And, I'm drooling again just quoting you. 🙃

5 hours ago, telecheck said:

 

I am happy that at least you had a great time in Glacier Bay.

 

 

Don't take any of my wording wrong. We had a fantastic time in spite of the weather! Actually, the weather added a special and enjoyable twist to our previous Alaska cruises. It was just really nice to have good visibility in Glacier Bay.

We have been to Alaska 6 times and will be going again. Hope to book the Discovery Princess in May. We may go on some excursions in the future. However, the ship is mostly the destination for us in Alaska. This includes scenic viewing from the ship when conditions permit.

I plan to make a post that clarifies my position. We'll see how that goes.

Just now, cruzrbachoua said:

these are the decos that you pay for right?

There are two packages that can be paid for. This is the more expensive one. It adds the beach towel and canvas bag. The bag was very nice and sturdy. The towel was thin and decidedly not luxurious. A  plush towel would have better substantiated the price.

I meant to post this earlier as the upgraded anniversary decorations including a beach towel and canvas Princess bag I purchased to surprise DW. Success!

Sunday morning at 11:00. Arriving in Bremerton, WA on ferry and about 25 minutes from home: