kamelia

SO glad to see Troy's still an entertainer on Princess Cruises! Thanks for posting that picture!

I absolutely understand the point you're making and agree that it's yet another Princess-ism that confuses everyone. (Maybe someone should start a thread of Princess speak to help others understand the difference between FCD and FCC, and include other things like "Reserve Class Dining" is not for passengers with dining reservations, MedallionClass App is not the same as MedallionNet, etc.) I was just trying to help @PastryPal - and by extension, the dad who inadvertently got caught up in the Princess Promotions obfuscation - understand how it might have happened. Most importantly, I'd like to reassure both OP and "dad" that he wasn't the victim of a scam, and it was NOT the result of poor decision-making on his part! Princess Promotions is a legitimate program, and I have no doubt that there are people who might benefit from it. We got snookered into it ourselves last fall, so I know how convincing the sales pitch can sound. Hindsight being 20/20, we never would have signed up for it, but now six months later, I am somewhat mollified knowing that although we may not come out money ahead - certainly NOTHING like the potential savings we were led to expect (travel-related discounts with AAA, AARP and Costco are greater than those offered by O.N.E., for instance) - at least we are nearing a breakeven with our initial "investment." All that said, I'm sorry for Princess that we are among a growing number of people who resent being made to feel that we were hoodwinked by Princess employees/ representatives/ contractors associated with Princess Promotions. It cannot help Princess Cruises' reputation in the long run, and I certainly hope that someone in Corporate is keenly aware of the perils and cares enough to be concerned.

Late September is likely to be rather chilly, so I definitely recommend packing in layers with an emphasis on woollies. It may get warmer during the day, especially if you're on an excursion with vigorous activity, so you may want to shed some layers for a while but keep them handy for later in the day. Whales will be sparse by then as the majority of humpbacks will have started their migration to mating/birthing grounds, but you could still see the elusive orcas. This may also be better timing for an opportunity to see Northern Lights, and you can do a search for University of Alaska Fairbanks aurora forecast that should lead you to a link with more information about the expected activity whilst you're there. Bookmark it so you can check the KP Index when you're actually in Alaska. With regards to ship facilities, a lot will depend upon which ship you're on. Check the ship deck maps to see which might have covered pool areas if that's what you're interested in. As far as whether to choose Princess or NCL, for your first time in Alaska, either one will do a good job of introducing you to The Great Land. My personal preference is for Princess because they do a good job of not only taking you to Alaska, but also bringing Alaska onboard to share with you. By that I mean that there will be an onboard naturalist giving lectures and telling you what to expect along the way, as well as Alaska-themed food and activities, and local Alaskans who'll share their stories and experiences with you. NCL isn't quite as immersive, but we're booked on NCL later this summer, so I wouldn't rule them out either. One aspect that you might take into consideration is an itinerary that includes a day of scenic cruising in Glacier Bay. The ship will pick up a team of National Park Rangers as you sail into the bay who provide educational programs and commentary over the public address system, and it gives you a glimpse at not only some spectacular scenery but also geological and natural history. Again, not a deal breaker if it's not included, but I would consider it a tie-breaker if you've got two itineraries you're considering and one goes to Glacier Bay but the other doesn't. HTH!

It's not a scam per se, but definitely very shady and questionable business practices, for sure! Based on our experience, I would suggest that your dad look at the cruise reservation they made to see if the Future Cruise Credit that would have part of the Princess Promotions package has been applied to the cruise they booked (substantially more than the $100 per person Future Cruise Deposit). If so, it will likely have to be removed before the credit card company can process the cancellation. If push comes to shove with Princess, your dad has every right to stand firm on having purchased Future Cruise Deposits to be used for the cruise, and NOT Future Cruise Credits from the Princess Promotions package. ONE employees are very savvy about playing loosey-goosey with those two terms, so I hope this clarity will help your dad in making his case that he did NOT authorize the Princess Promotions transaction! Best of luck!

@suzyed Checked the Living Wine Labels app out earlier today and the mechanics are a bit different, but it does still work. 😊

@suzyed, I tried using the app a couple of years ago and got a response something along the lines of the interactive aspect no longer being available, so I haven't used it since. If I think of it, I'll try again the next time I see 19 Crimes in my local store.

Princess actually had 19 Crimes available in the dining room at one point. I introduced the Living Wine Labels app to the wait staff so they could hear the prisoner's story. That may tell you how long ago it was, though, as that function of the app no longer exists.

Also, make sure you are in Airplane Mode before turning WiFi service on.

Balcony cabins do have some advantages for Alaskan itineraries, but you don't risk missing that much if you choose an interior stateroom. The park rangers will be giving presentations in Princess Theatre (which will be scheduled outside of prime glacier-viewing time), so everyone who wants to attend will be inside at that time. As the ship gets closer to the glaciers, you'll want to be outside, and the park ranger commentary will be broadcast on the outside decks. To be honest, it's often easier to hear when you're in the public areas outside rather than being on your own balcony trying to listen to it on your stateroom television. It's also a lot easier to move if you're on the port side of the ship and the ranger announces, "orcas on the starboard side of the ship." 😉 Even when we've booked a balcony, I still prefer viewing from the public decks on Glacier Bay day!

This is from the Tongass National Park "Welcome to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center" website: "Visitors are required to purchase a pass from May 1–Sept. 30 to enter the Visitor Center. Passes can be purchased at the automated machines available in the Mendenhall Glacier parking lots or inside the visitor center at the Discovery Southeast bookstore. Day use passes sell for $5 per person and collectible season passes will be for sale for $15 for the card holder and one guest the entire season. Those age 15 and younger are free. The passes also allow access to the Pavilion, Photo Point and Steep Creek Trails. Fees are not necessary for accessing the parking areas, or hiking Nugget Falls Trail, East Glacier Trail, Powerline Trail, Moraine Ecology Trail, the Trail of Time, and all the Dredge Lakes and West Glacier Trails. Federal lands passes such as the “America the Beautiful” pass, Senior Pass, or Military Pass are also accepted."

There has always been a facility with flush toilets just before you get to the Visitor's Center, and when we were there last summer there the park service had added a trailer with additional stalls on the other side of the Visitor's Center just before you reach the trails.

It may be worth noting that there IS a restroom facility available that does NOT require a pass to access.

It's under Packages: The beverage count only included alcohol drinks redeemed, not specialty coffees. HTH!

Or my corrupt data in the POLAR system rears its ugly head yet again! 🥴

Good thought! I just went back in to check, and yes, DH and I are both shown within the 31 profile pictures that are currently associated with the reservation, although I don't recognize anyone else. But, taking it to that next step did reveal that I "have been added to a Dining reservation by GroupZ_group5!" No clue as to what group that might be, however, a private table for 52 people... maybe we've been comped Spellbound! for the entirety of our cruise? 🙄

"App"-solutely!

Actually, it has led to a fun exercise this afternoon - thinking about who would be those 50 other tablemates I could choose from the folks I’ve observed and interfaced with here on Cruise Critic…. no doubt, it would make for a very interesting dining experience 😊

So, I thought I would try out the new app after the most recent update to make my dining reservations only to find out someone else has already made them for me. ⁉️

Here are two screen shots from NASA's Where & When website that I thought might be of some use to you tomorrow as you're trying to figure out when the partial solar eclipse might be visible from Sapphire Princess. Hopefully you will be able to figure out the timing based on more accurate information as to the ship's actual position. Fingers crossed for good weather conditions for you! Using zip code from San Pedro Pier, Los Angeles Using zip code from Hilo, Hawaii

😢

So, the Future Cruise Department is another victim of decisions to outsource what used to be a well-run operation?

Yes, and yes. We went to book a future cruise onboard a Princess ship last year and the person there outlined this great new program being offered that could save us a significant amount of money on the cruise we were looking at booking. Long story short, $1,000.00 of the promotion price was applied to the future cruise fare, and this new program entitled us to discounts on hotel stays as well as a certificate for a free 5-night stay at a Premium location. Six months later, I can tell you that the discounted rates on hotels are less than the discounted rates we get with either AAA or AARP, and the certificate will entitle us to 50% off a Premium location that we would want to stay at. In hindsight, knowing what we know now, we would not have signed up for the promotion. It IS associated with Princess, it IS O.N.E., and there may be a benefit to someone who does not have access to other discount programs. YMMV.

NCL doesn't seem to publish the schedule for Glacier Bay, but we did a northbound Alaska trip on Jewel in 2022, so I checked that Freestyle Daily to see if arrival and departure times were shown there, but they're not. It did list the Ranger Presentation at 7:00a, so they were already onboard by then, leading me to believe the ship probably picked them up between 6 and 6:30. Hope that gives you some idea of what to expect.

There's no definitive answer as to what you might be sacrificing as there are opportunities to see a variety of things throughout the day in Glacier Bay. I can tell you that the ship traverses the same route going out as going in to Glacier Bay, so you may see some of the same creatures leaving in the afternoon that were visible earlier in the morning, and definitely the landscape viewing will be the same. Regardless of what you do and when, I have every confidence that it will be a special experience!

Will it help to know that at least the sun will be up by then? 😉