teemsum

I was there May 20 - 30.

 

It was a high of 16*C or 64*F daily & no rain.

 

Sea was like glass.

I have cruised with Carnival, Celebrity, Century, Costa, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Paul Gauguin, Princess, Regent, Royal Caribbean & Scenic.

This was our 6th cruise to Alaska.

20 May – Arrived at Canada Place at 1 pm. We were herded upstairs to a big hall where we sat for 30-40 mins before

doing ship check-in. Then we went next door to another hall where we were given group # 10 to sit for 20

mins. They were up to # 79. Then they said “I have already called # 1-79”. Ok, so now we go back

downstairs to join the line for security screening. The line goes quickly but I got dizzy walking round & round

so fast. After security screening, we go to another hall: Canadians & Americans go to the right, International

guests go to the left ( to another hall to sit for another 30 mins ). Finally, we are called to the US immigration

line. This is when I see more than 20 self-serve passport kiosks & am perplexed why they are not being

used as they only have 6 agents for each line ( CAD/USD & International ). Finally we board the ship at 3:34

pm, rush to the Terrace Cafe for a quick lunch & back to our stateroom at 4 pm to bring our life-jackets to

Muster Drill at 4:15 pm in the Regatta lounge which lasts 45 mins.

Afterwards, we head to the outside deck for sail-away & the spectacular scenery as we sail under the Lion’s Gate bridge with Stanley Park on our port side. I was disappointed that there was no Sail-away party.

Dinner starts at 6:30 pm in all venues. Since this is a 10 day cruise, I’m pacing myself with the Canyon

Ranch Spa menu. It’s tasty. For dessert, they have homemade cookies & Petit Fours on request.

Out of curiosity, I order them. The homemade cookies are too large for dessert & they taste bland. I like the

acarons but they don’t have them everyday.

The evening show is at 9:30 pm. We attend the Welcome Aboard show which includes the singers & dancers performing 4 numbers. Their singing is quite good.

If you finish dinner around 8-8:30 pm, head up to Horizons Lounge on deck 10 for the beautiful scenery every night. You may even see something in the water !

 

21May – sea day

 

Breakfast starts at 6 am in Waves Grill, 6:30 am in the Buffet, 7 am in the Dining room.

Everyday for Breafast, there is a Smoothie Special, Egg Special & a Bakery Special.

Although not advertised, they also have soy/almond milk.

Afternoon TeaTime 4-5 pm daily.

Captain’s Cocktail Celebration – 5:45 pm in the Regatta Lounge

Complimentary cocktails 6-8 pm in Horizon Lounge & Martini Lounge

John Palmisano is the Enrichment Lecturer. He speaks on the history of Alaska today.

Everyday in the Grand Dining room for Lunch, they have the Taste of the World featuring a sampler plate of

International Cuisine. Today it’s Mexico.

Every evening, they have Happy Hour in the Horizons Lounge & Waves Bar from 5-6 pm & 10:30 -11:30 pm

Buy 1, Get 1 of the same drink.

Tonight the show is Good Lovin’ ( This is a must-see if you love Motown with a Twist ).

 

22May – Ketchikan

 

Comedian Lee Bayless

Taste of the World – Scandinavia

 

23May – Juneau

 

Free wifi at the library at Berth E. Library is on the top floor of the parking garage.

$ 2.00 City bus to Mendenhall takes 45 mins. You get off & walk another 1.5 miles.

This bus is best left to the locals as it gets quite busy with seniors & young families.

Go early in the morning & allow a minimum of 6 hours to see & do everything here.

Tours only spend 45 mins here.

I think the Blue Line express takes you directly to Mendenhall Glacier for $ 30 USD roundtrip.

Taste of the World - Greece

Entertainment – singer Joey Gian sings Rat Pack & Ray Charles

Alaskan Dinner Buffet in the Terrace Cafe.

 

24May – Haines

 

Population 2500 year round.

Other than Oceania, Holland America is the only cruise line to visit this port.

There are washrooms at the end of the pier.

There’s also a golf cart shuttle if you can’t walk the length of the pier.

Free shuttle around town.

Most shops open at 11 am or 12 noon.

Bald Eagle Foundation is $ 10.00 USD.

Quite expensive to see a diorama of animals & viewing a live eagle.

Only tours will also have a live presentation of an Eurasian owl.

Look up as you’re walking around the town as they’re many bald eagles here.

Washrooms at the Visitors Center, Library & Fort Seward.

Entertainment – Gatsby’s ( pretty good )

Taste of the World – The Caribbean

 

25May – Hubbard Glacier

 

We were at the Glacier from 12 – 2 pm.

The Captain turns the port-side of the ship towards the glacier for 30 mins & then the starboard side for 30 mins.

We were so close & there was so much calving...it was breath-taking.

Disappointed there was no commentary while we were at the Glacier like other cruise lines: Disney, HAL, Princess

Entertainment – Cruise Director David Bradshawe “ With a Song in my Heart” ( a tribute to Rodgers & Hart )

Taste of the World – Italy

 

26May – Hoonah ( Icy Strait Point )

 

They have a new 400 ft dock & a golf cart shuttle if you can’t walk it.

$ 5 USD per person roundtrip to Hoonah cruiseline shuttle

Or

I think there is a Red Trolley that parks a little further from the shuttle stop that costs $ 3 USD operated by the City of Hoonah with free wifi.

We took the shuttle to Hoonah & walked down to the Community Trail where there are mudflats for bird-watching. We spotted a kingfisher.

Taste of the World - Provence

Entertainment – Tuxedo ( quite good )

 

27May – Sitka

 

Free shuttle to town.

Free wifi at the library. Also, a water bottle refill station here.

We walked to the Sitka Heritage Park, then onto the Alaska Raptor Center $ 12 USD.

Very pretty here. We loved it.

Taste of the World – Morocco

Entertainment – Lee Bayless ( this show is a hoot, must watch )

 

28May – Cruising the Outside Passage

 

Taste of the World – Asia

Entertainment – Get on the Floor & Dance ( I thought the 1st part was too much like the Good Lovin’ show )

Most activities onboard earn you O points which can be redeemed for merchandise today:

20 points – logo visor or purse hook

40 points – blue/while athletic t-shirts

45 points – baseball cap

50 points – blue/white long sleeve t-shirts

 

29May – Victoria

 

Shuttle to town $ 10 USD/$ 12 CAD per person roundtrip

Or

You can walk the scenic 1.5 mile route.

We walked along the David Foster Harbour Pathway to Fisherman’s Wharf where there are quaint floating homes & seafood to sample.

Then we walked along Heron Cove where there was a Great Blue Heron & further on, an Oystercatcher.

Then past the Empress hotel to Chinatown onto Beacon Hill Park to admire the lovely gardens & ponds.

Then back along the Ocean path back to the ship.

All this in 4.5 hours without stopping in a single shop !

Taste of the World – India

Entertainment – Joey Gian sings more Rat Pack

Luggage outside your room by 10 pm.

 

30May – Everyone out of their stateroom by 8 am & off the ship by 9 am.

 

US immigration only collects the customs form, nothing else to do.

 

FYI:

Internet - $ 27.99 per person per day for Unlimited Internet

or

$ 160 for 200 minutes

or

$ 0.99 per minute

There are 4 computers that have MS WORD for you to type documents before pasting it to your email.

Printing is free.

 

Coffee from the Coffee Bar is better than anywhere else on the ship.

24 hr beverage machine in the Terrace Cafe.

 

Daily ice-creams & sorbets are different in the Waves Grill, Terrace Cafe & Dining room

 

At the Waves Grill, try the Surf & Turf & the Kobe Burger.

I asked if they had Sweet Potato Fries.

‘No, we don’t”

They have it on Regent.

“That’s why you pay more on Regent, I know I was there.”

Might be true but I don’t think that’s an appropriate response.

Same bread basket nightly just like Regent.

Only Toscana had a different bread basket.

 

Dinner in the Polo Grill ( steak & seafood ) is really good.

Toscana is not for those with dairy allergies.

 

This is a very low key cruise.

Good for people who like to create their own amusement.

 

The dinner menus have a bit more variety in that not everything had dairy in it.

But after 5 days, the menu started to repeat.

 

Captain Meinhardt Hansen is very personable & his English is good.

He has captained the Regatta for 3 years now.

 

We enjoyed the ease of getting on & off a ship with only 648 passengers.

However, for destination immersion; Princess still does it best with Alaskan Seafood in several venues daily, bringing on local talent, Alaskan-themed onboard activities & an Alaskan Park Ranger for commentary onboard.

19Feb Thanks to our friends for the AC Lounge passes....a nice way to wait for our flight.

 

Our flight from Vancouver to LAX was uneventful.

 

However, we had a 7 hour layover & there is very limited seating in the Tom Bradley Terminal & no dining venues except for Starbucks pre-security.

 

We found a window sill along the wall & watched a movie to pass the time.

 

The TN check-in counter actually opened 3.5-4 hrs prior & there was no line-up when we went at 3 hrs prior.

 

There was a huge line to go through security...it was like being at Disneyland without the entertainment.

 

Once past security, it's gorgeous inside with designer shops & restaurants.

 

However, make sure you leave enough time to get to the gate ( which is a 5-10 min walk away ).

 

Some seating areas were very innovative ( with plugs right below the seat ).

 

The airplane is a 2 4 2 configuration, very sardine-like.

 

There is no air vent above your head; it's either too cold or too hot.

 

Unlike other airlines, they do not offer water throughout the flight; you have to go to the galley to get the water/other snacks.

 

A nice touch: when they serve the meal, they say "Enjoy your meal" ( same thing they say on PG ).

 

20Feb In PPT, they do not have jet-ways, so you have to walk down 30 steps from the plane.

 

Outside the terminal, just say you are with Paul Gauguin cruises & someone will direct to the transfer rep.

 

We were transferred to the IC Tahiti which seemed to be right around the corner from the airport.

 

We checked in & were able to go to our dayroom right away.

 

Large luggage should be outside your room by 11 am.

 

Check-out is at 1 pm.

 

Lunch was available until 2 pm ( also included dessert ).

 

We were picked up at 3 pm & transferred to the ship.

 

Upon boarding, we were advised that there was an itinerary change & that we will be going to Moorea the next day.

 

21Feb We were supposed to be in Moorea but by 8 am, we were still at sea.

 

At 10 am, the Captain assembled everyone in Le Grand Salon & showed us satellite images of a tropical cyclone in Fiji which was also affecting the Cook Islands.

 

He said that he didn't want to go all the way there just to turn around again due to poor conditions so instead he changed the itinerary to the Tuamotus.

 

22Feb Fakarava

 

23Feb Rangiroa

 

24Feb At sea

 

25Feb Bora Bora Day 1

 

26Feb Bora Bora Day 2

 

27Feb Huahine

 

28Feb Taha'a

 

29Feb Moorea - we were supposed to overnight but the Captain made an announcement at 4:30 pm that due to bad weather coming, we would leave as soon as all guests were back onboard. At 6:30 pm, we departed & he gunned it for PPT.

 

29Feb Papeete - arrived at 8:15 pm

 

They have free transfers to town.

 

We had rough seas most days & it rained on & off daily.

 

I went in with no expectations & was wowed.

 

The menu is quite varied...there is truly something for everyone & delicious to boot.

 

4 starters & appetizers, 2 soups, 3 salads, 2 pastas, 4 entrees, 4 desserts, vegetarian, gluten-free, daily Premium Ice Cream, Diet Ice Cream ( dairy & sugar free ), Daily Sorbet.

 

A different scone daily at Tea-Time.

 

A different bread basket nightly.

 

I only wish they had a 24 hour coffee station.

 

02Mar Disembarkation Day

 

Breakfast is served from 7 am - 9 am.

 

Vacate your room by 9:30 am.

 

Internet minutes must be used by 10 am.

 

Ship's bars close at 10 am.

 

Spa is open from 8 - 10 am.

 

Independent guests must disembark by 10 am.

 

Lunch is served from 11 am to 12 pm.

 

* Mid-cruise - select ship to dayroom transfer ( depart at 12 pm, check-in at 2 pm ) or 2 hour tour & transfer to dayroom ( depart at 12:30 pm )

 

02Mar Post-cruise, I had the Tahiti Pearl Beach Resort which is very far from the city.

 

This property is very dimly lit.

 

I would not recommend this for an evening stay.

 

It was raining heavily & one of my friends actually slipped & fell on the stairs.

 

The bathtub was very high & the hand rail on the wall was wobbly.

 

Also, there was no meal included like at the IC Tahiti pre-cruise.

 

Check-out time was 7 pm.

 

Luggage down by 8:30 pm which they send ahead to the airport.

 

Transfer to the airport at 9:10 pm for a 11:59 pm flight.

 

It took about 20 minutes to get to the airport.

 

Once there, we immediately checked-in & went through security.

 

There's no reason to get to the airport early as there's absolutely nothing to do.

 

There's free wifi for only 15 minutes.

 

They have one duty free store & 1 cafe to buy drinks & snacks.

 

03Mar Arrived in LAX at 10 am, got through security by 11 am.

 

They've finished renovations at Tom Bradley Arrivals & it's wonderful.

 

However, there is a very long walk from the gate to immigration.

 

Canadian citizens can join the same line as US citizens.

 

There are about 50 Automated Passport Control kiosks.

 

It's all very quick.

 

We went to AC to see if we could get on an earlier flight.

 

Yes, but there's a change fee $ 154 USD per person. !!!

 

No, thanks; we'll just wait it out.

 

We sat around & checked-in 4 hours prior.

 

After security, we had lunch & sat around for another 3 hours.

 

It was fun to fly AC Rouge...similar to Westjet

I have cruised on Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Crystal, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, Royal cruise line, Royal Caribbean & Scenic.

 

I had heard glowing reports of Regent & was excited to finally embark on my first Regent cruise.

 

We flew to Cape Town via LHR on British Airways.

The seat configuration is 3 4 3. The seats are tight & woe to you if the person in front of you decides to recline. Try to get seats with a wall in front of you to avoid this.

The crew do tell people to put their seat up at meal times.

Also, try to pre-book a special meal ( free ) in advance on their website & you'll be served 1 hour before anyone else.

Meals are served 1 hour after take-off & 1 hour before landing.

They close access to the washrooms 20 minutes before landing.

Best time to use the facilities is after the cart has passed you.

Also, there is no ventilation output above your head. You'll be warm.

At LHR, gate numbers are only displayed 1 hour prior to departure.

If you have a long layover, take the Tube to Chiswick Park; only 9 stops from LHR on the Piccadilly line. Birders & Horticulturists can easily spend 1 hour here.

 

Upon arrival into CPT, I decided to take a shuttle transfer with Sport Shuttle, only $ 230 Rand which was a good idea because we arrived at 9 am & the traffic was at a crawl. I would've gone broke taking a taxi. Apparently, morning rush hour is from 6 am to 10 am.

 

We booked the Doubletree Upper Eastside in Woodstock.

It's a fairly new hotel with condos, shops, restaurants, work/hub studios & a gym.

Each room includes a coffee/tea maker.

They offer a complimentary roundtrip shuttle to the V&A waterfront.

The front desk will tell you that they charge a commission for currency exchange but so does everyone else.

Our rate included dinner.

I had the grilled prawns. There were 12 of them & they were massive.

In addition to the menu, there will be a featured list of highlights on the table.

Our server didn't point it out to us. I noticed it after ordering & wished that I had ordered those items instead.

In the morning, they have a beautiful breakfast spread of hot & cold items.

Truly outstanding for a Doubletree.

 

We departed the hotel at 11:30 am & were at the terminal by 12 pm.

You will see a long line of porters.

They only help you transfer your luggage up the ramp into the building.

If you can manage, best to do it yourself.

There is nowhere to sit at this terminal.

You can drop your large luggage & go straight onboard.

Disembarking guests can stay onboard till 9 am so your stateroom isn't ready until 2 pm.

South African Rand is not offered onboard.

 

Our stateroom was near the aft stairs/elevators which was perfect for popping down to the Coffee Connection on deck 6 for morning coffee ( opens at 6:30 am ), to the Compass Rose on deck 5, to La Veranda on deck 11.

Our room had a shower with tiled seat ( like a window seat ).

Regular suites have Occitane toiletries.

Named suites have Hermes toiletries.

There was also a walk-in closet.

 

Our morning routine:

6:30 am Coffee Connection ( they also offer soy/almond milk, serve Illy coffee )

DH enjoyed the Caffe Vanilla, cookies were the same every day ( they offer 6 varieties )

7:30 am La Veranda ( if we needed a quick breakfast or hard-boiled eggs, items similar to a full English Breakfast ( same everyday)

8:00 am Compass Rose ( good for a leisurely breakfast, they served Minute Steak or Baby Lamb Chops ) we ate these if we were going on tour & missing a meal )

 

Our mid-day routine:

11 am to 4 pm Pool Grill different buffet daily

They also offer sweet potato fries ( yum ), ice cream/sorbets, milkshakes ( no sugar added/no dairy available )

12 noon to 2 pm La Veranda

12 noon to 1:30 pm Compass Rose menu changes daily

 

Our evening routine: All dining venues open at 6:30 pm ( You can request smaller portions)

Compass Rose lots of window tables for 2, contemporary cuisine ( comfort food )

same bread basket nightly ( Princess offers a different bread

basket nightly )

Signatures French cuisine, very few tables for 2

Prime 7 Steak & Seafood, very few tables for 2, great bread basket

Prawn cocktail ( 3 jumbo prawns )

Seafood sampler ( 1/2 lobster tail, Alaska King Crab Legs, Jumbo Scallop ) ( they also offer a 32 oz Porterhouse )

Sette Mari Italian, no reservations required

Menu changes every 3 nights

Salads & desserts are at the buffet

Appies & entrees are brought to your table

 

I am lactose-intolerant & Regent was notified of this 60 days prior.

They send the next day's menu to my room & I'm supposed to indicate what I want to eat & they will modify it for me.

On Princess, the Head Waiter brings the menu to me each evening at dinner & he consults with me what I can eat.

In the Compass Rose, every day they offer 2 soups: 1 is creamy, 1 is consomme.

I don't like consomme because it's very salty.

Other menu offerings: vegetarian ( also something containing cheese ), Canyon Ranch Spa menu ( usually something cheesy or dairy on here too ).

Most of the menu offerings have cheese or dairy.

Every few days there would be an Asian offering that I could eat.

Desserts were all creamy.

I could only eat the fruit plate.

After one week, I was hardly eating anything & wasn't enjoying the dining at all.

I was only eating Asian dishes or pasta with tomato sauce.

 

Mid-cruise comment card:

I mentioned the same bread basket in Compass Rose & the creamy soups.

A few days later, I get a call from Kelly Cochrane the Executive Chef:

we have 125 breads onboard ( you just have to find them )

The soups are regulated by Head office in Miami ( I can't change them )

How about offering a rustic carrot or tomato soup ?

I did have Minestrone once.

 

The tea served onboard is Twinings.

I would have thought that they would have a more expensive brand or more exotic offerings ( Celebrity & Princess excel in this area )

They offer freshly-squeezed fruit or veggie juices at the pool grill.

They also offer carrot juice in Compass Rose but the onboard orange juice is not freshly-squeezed...so disappointing.

 

The evening shows are only at 9:30 pm.

As we dined at 6:30 pm, we were usually asleep by 9 pm.

 

They have Afternoon Tea every day at 4 pm followed by Trivia at 4:30 pm.

Sometimes they had Themed Teas. The Crepes & Chocoholic ones were standouts.

 

The crew are very friendly & know your names by the 2nd day.

Here's a shout out to:

Daniela F&B manager

Agustina Assistant Purser

Kadek

Ronald Coffee Connection

Mark

Michel La Veranda

Tojo Compass Rose

 

I also don't drink alcohol. I read on these boards that non-alcoholic wine was available.

It was easy to get it in La Veranda, thanks to Michel.

In Compass Rose, I got a sob story: We have to go down to provisions, it'll take a while.

They offer both red & white. Stand your ground if you want white & they want you to drink red. ( the white tastes like apple juice & the red is quite sour )

Why bother ? Because if we're dining with others; we like to be sociable.

Also, if the sommelier presented a wine & we said 'we don't drink'; most of them did not offer the non-alcoholic wine.

 

Regent offers a complimentary shuttle in all ports to a mall or city centre.

If the ship overnights in a port or if you're entering a country for the 1st time; be prepared for delays due to immigration. This is where cruiseline excursions make sense. Otherwise, you'll be panicking if you made independent arrangements.

 

If you booked air with Regent, airport transfers & dayrooms at the end of the cruise are included.

If you booked hotel with Regent, hotel transfers to/from the ship are included.

Some guests were leaving the ship on Dec 08 with flights after midnight.

Regent will arrange with the local taxi company to have sufficient taxis available.

They will not pre-book taxis but they will be available.

Transfers to CPT were $ 109 per person.

Tour with airport drop off was also $ 109 per person.

 

Night before disembarkation: bags outside your door by 11 pm.

Your onboard account is closed at 6 am the day you leave the ship.

 

South Africa is very inexpensive once you get here.

 

At CPT airport, check-in counters open 4 hours prior to departure, no free wifi.

There is only 1 food establishment past security ( a cafe )

Leave room in your carry-on for last minute shopping.

 

Go upstairs to have a meal:

Mugg & Bean coffee place

Soaring Hawk Grill

Wimpy's Burgers, smoothies

Oceans Sushi/seafood

KFC fried chicken ( best bang for your buck if feeding more than 2 )

or go downstairs to the shops. There's a Woolworths here where you can also buy takeaway ( food to go )

 

Regent bills itself as

The All-inclusive Regent Experience:

The most inclusive luxury experience.

 

Personally, I didn't feel the luxury. I wasn't wowed.

Maybe if I was able to eat dairy & drink alcohol, I would've enjoyed myself more.

Also wanted to mention that on Alaska cruises, the daytime dress code is casual.

Feel free to wear sweats, yoga-wear, plaid shirts, jeans in the dining room for breakfast & lunch are ok but not at dinner.

You'll also want a toque, mittens/gloves, a scarf to wrap around your face when it's cold & windy when you're viewing the glacier.

For formal nights, there were very few tuxes.

Dark pants, dress shirt, tie & a jacket/blazer are fine for men.

Ladies: anything you would wear to a nice restaurant at home is fine.

Remember not to pack outfits but rather pack 2 pieces of each item & bring accessories to change the look.

Save room in your luggage for souvenirs.

The last time I was on Princess was over 30 yrs ago & I came back this year because of their 50th anniversary.

I wanted an itinerary where we didn't have to fly & the price was reasonable so I booked the Crown Princess roundtrip Seattle to Alaska Sep 12 – 19 in an interior guarantee. I received our stateroom assignment A320 within 1 month.

 

Pre-cruise – DH & I took the Bolt Bus from Pacific Central station to Seattle for 1 night at the Best Western Plus Pioneer Square. We paid way too much 'cause there was a Hand conference in town. But I wanted to stay in Pioneer Square 'cause it was walking distance from the Bolt Bus stop next to King Street Station. The hotel was a pleasant surprise even though it only had 1 elevator. They use eco-friendly products & offer a good breakfast spread with waffles, Kashi cereal, Greek yogurt, bottled water, juice, coffee, tea, breakfast pastries, Jimmy Dean sausage muffin, hard-boiled eggs. They also have free wifi. They don't have a shuttle to the the cruise pier. A taxi will be approx $ 20 including tips.

There are numerous shops, restaurants & bars within 1 mile of the hotel. Only Oceania & Norwegian use the Bell St pier. All other cruiselines use Pier 91 at Smith Cove. There is no public transit here.

 

Embarkation Day – We arrived at the terminal shortly after 11 am. Here you bring your luggage into the luggage drop off area & watch them load it onto a conveyor belt. This is great because there are no longshoremen threatening you for tips. Then you go through security screening. When you walk through the scanner, it's quite sensitive. You may have to remove your shoes and/or be wanded. Then you go upstairs for check-in. At check-in, you only need to present your passport & boarding passes. They don't need to see your credit card & they don't take your picture. Then you head to the seating area where you are given a boarding number. They don't make announcements over a loudspeaker. Someone will walk around holding a number so watch for your number. Boarding begins at 11:30 am. We were number 14 & were onboard by 12 noon. As you approach the gangway, they will scan your cruise card & at this time, take your picture. I thought it was all very efficient. They don't force you to take an embarkation photo. You can take one if you wish in areas around the ship. However, I thought it was odd that they didn't give us Princess Patters as we boarded. We finally asked a crew member & she gave us hers. Staterooms usually aren't ready till 1 pm but when we boarded at 12 pm, they were already ready. Our room can sleep up to 4 people & the extra berths are attached to the sides of the wall. So be careful not to hit your head as both DH& I did. I also don't like this arrangement as it will feel like you're sleeping in a coffin if the extra berths are utilized.

Better if the extra berths came out of the ceiling.

 

We had lunch in the International Cafe on deck 5 open 24 hrs. They serve paninis, soup, salads & dessert. During breakfast hours, they have donuts galore. You can also ask them to warm up the donuts. Must try – chocolate – almond donut...sooo good !

The only free drink here is water. They also have Gelato which is $ 1.50 per scoop. Much more reasonable than other cruiselines.Then we explored the ship. Muster drill is at 3 pm. You bring your life-jacket but do not wear it until instructed to do so. They scan your cruise card when you go to the Muster Drill so they will know if you attended. Afterwards, they also announce how many people didn't attend & those people are required to attend the Make-up Drill within 10 minutes.

 

We were in the Botticelli dining room for dinner at 7:45 pm, table for 2, table#54.

Prior to the cruise, I had made arrangements for lactose-free & low sodium meals. They offered lactose-free milk in the dining room for breakfast & lunch. Every evening, the Headwaiter would review the next day's menu with me. For desserts, it got a bit boring as I would either have jam cakes, sorbet or fruit cobblers. I wish they would have dairy-free desserts & ice creams.

 

We were also unimpressed with our waiter as he didn't offer any menu recommendations & just asked us 'what do you want ?'. After 2 nights of this, DH said “Why don't we just give up on the dining room ?” On the morning of day 3, I happened to see the Maitre'D Neville walk by & stopped him to share my feedback. Kudos to him for taking my comments seriously & taking immediate action. He moved us to a table in another section with an attentive waiter. He also followed up with a personal note thanking me for my constructive feedback which he will use for coaching & a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries.

 

The Captain, Justin Lawes was very personable & also kept us informed.

Yesterday we were 30 mins late leaving because he was waiting for some luggage.

He also gave us a heads up if he expected rough seas in the middle of the night.

Later in the cruise, we heard an announcement from the bridge for a First Aid Response.

Ten minutes later, he announced what the emergency was & that there was no cause for alarm.

 

This year, Princess started the North to Alaska program due to past guests who said they wanted to experience the Real Alaska.

So they have the Naturalist giving presentations, Learn to play the Penny Whistle, Musicians from Alaska playing Songs of Alaska.

They also had Libby Riddles recount her adventures.

It's a wonderful immersion experience.

 

In the various dining venues onboard, they will have special Alaska offerings, lots of seafood. In the Trident Grill, everyday for lunch; they will have something special. DH had the Halibut burger one day...sooo good. On Tracy Arm day, they had Reindeer Chili but we missed that.

They also have a Pizzeria with pizza slices twice the size of the ones you get at home.

The soft-serve ice cream station is also here but they serve you.

Also, there are 2 lunch buffet stations on deck 15. The Horizon Court buffet serves a similar menu to the dining room but Cafe Caribe serves a Themed buffet: Asian, Alaskan, Indian, Italian etc.

 

Every afternoon they serve afternoon tea 3:30 to 4:30 pm in one of the dining rooms. They only have black tea, scones ( must eat ! ), sandwiches & other pastries.

One day, I was upstairs in the buffet around 3:30 pm & they also have the scones !

Their buffet set up is a little different from other cruiselines.

There is only 1 entrance & 1 exit from the buffet.

First you sanitize your hands, then you take a turkey-sized platter & pick up your food ( including your dessert if you don't want to line up again ).

The buffet stewards will bring you water, coffee, tea, iced tea or lemonade. Or you can get it yourself from the stations.

 

Oddly, you can get hot chocolate in the dining room for free but not the buffet.

I also found the specialty restaurants to be very reasonably-priced, only $ 25 per person. You could pay that much for an entree in a fine dining restaurant on land. Much more reasonable prices than other cruiselines.

They make everything from scratch onboard. In the dining room on the 2nd to last night, they had a Sesame bread that looked like a cinnamon roll. It was a little bit spicy. It was so good. I asked the waiter to bring us more.

 

They also had a Cruise-Long scavenger hunt that was in 3 parts.

You needed the signatures of 20 different people, 26 photos of things that corresponded to letters of the alphabet & also photos of specific items ( found on or off the ship ).

I got the signatures but gave up after that.

 

As our cruise was the last of the Alaska season, on the last day; they had a 50% off sale in one of the dining rooms. They even had stuff from their Mexican & Caribbean cruises.

 

Any shows or presentations that you miss can also be viewed the next day on your stateroom tv.

They only show 1 or 2 movies each day on the stateroom tv which is re-broadcast every 2 hours.

 

Our stateroom steward kept our room tidy & refreshed. They do have pillow chocolates but we didn't get any towel animals.

 

Now onto the elevators. You cannot see the up/down arrows when you are looking straight at the elevator. You have to be looking from the side. Also, they use the same red light for up & down which was confusing as I thought green was up & red was down. Also, the voice only tells you the name of the deck: Aloha ( but not deck 12 )

 

Obviously, no one used the Sanctuary on this cruise 'cause it was so cold.

But on Tracy Arm day, they had packages:

Get cosy with a warm blanket, chowder, pastries & more ! $ 60 per person ( wonder if anyone did that ? )

 

In the internet cafe, you can also send free e-cards. Go to the computer, on the left side, choose Send Free E-cards. There are 3 cards to choose from.

 

When they have the 50th anniversary Gold Balloon drop; there is no reason to get here early to save a seat because it's a dance party for 30 mins & then the balloons drop. There is nothing in the balloons.

 

The ports: This was our 5th cruise to Alaska so we didn't take any tours.

In Alaska, you should expect rain & be pleasantly surprised if it doesn't rain.

Don't let the rain stop you from enjoying Alaska.

 

Juneau – walked up to the Capitol building which was closed for tours but you could go into the basement to get a Capitol Building Collectors stamp. There is also a Rainbow Food supermarket nearby where you can get free wifi. There was also a Starbucks in town but we couldn't catch the signal here.

DH wanted to walk the 1.5 miles uphill to the Mining tour but I nixed that idea. Next time.

 

Skagway – it's a 1/4 mile walk to town or you can take the shuttle $ 2 each way or $ 5 for an all-day pass ( plan to eat your lunch in town because most people don't leave the ship again after going back for lunch ). Here we walked around the shops. Best to go in the morning as by the afternoon, there will be 3 other ships in port with you & it's a very small town & it'll be very crowded.

 

Ketchikan – there are 4 berths here & we were in berth 4; the furthest from downtown.

I noticed they had TheBus ( wondered if they bought this bus from Honolulu ) which offered a free shuttle around downtown. Don't know the stops, the frequency or how long it took to do a loop.

This time, we walked along Creek Street & walked up to the City Park, Totem Heritage Center & back along Salmon Row.

Since we were at the end of the Alaska season, many stores had 50% sales.

If you see something you like, buy it 'cause the next port might not have it.

In Skagway, they were selling these knitted headbands for women; they were so pretty.

I looked for them in Ketchikan but they didn't have any :(

 

What to wear in Alaska ( or anywhere ):

During the spring, summer, & fall, dressing in layers is the key to being comfortable. A light shirt, short/long sleeved makes an excellent first layer. Over that, a sweatshirt, sweater or fleece pullover will provide warmth. The ideal outer layer is a light waterproof jacket. Layers should be easy to remove depending on weather changes & your activity.

( I found this to be true, not just in port but also walking across the deck to get to the buffet ).

 

There are very few announcements on the cruise aside from the Captain's Daily announcement at 12 noon followed by the Cruise Director.

 

On disembarkation day, our statement said that there was a refund of $0.40 per person in port taxes & if your credit was less than $25.00 you should go to the Front Desk to receive your refund. I also had $ 5.00 left from a shipboard credit so my refund was $ 5.40 YAY !

On Disembarkation day, the ship arrived at 7 am. Express Walk-off started at 7:20 am & all guests were called off by 10 am.

 

If you didn't make transfer arrangements, there are numerous taxis, shuttles, rental cars outside the terminal building.

 

Overall, we enjoyed our Princess cruise & are looking forward to cruising with them again.

The Crown carries 3600 passengers. The ship was full & the only time it felt crowded was in the buffet but we always found a seat & didn't have to share tables.

The daily service charge is $11.50 per person much lower than other cruise lines. Other extra charges are also lower than other cruiselines. All this should be factored into the cost of a cruise.

FYI, there's not much to see or do there.

Basically a tourist trap for you to buy souvenirs and send a postcard from 'hell'

Our friends wanted to go to a beach.

 

Taxi drivers near the pier wanted 80 Euros to take them.

 

My friends refused and walked to a nearby supermarket where they hired a taxi for 20 Euros.

 

They went to a nice beach ( don't know name or where it is ) quiet, for a few hours & the taxi returned to collect them.

 

 

Cruisingly Yours

Ship SOLSTICE

Cabin 1549

Deck Penthouse, deck 11

Side Port

Bed near Balcony

Cabin Noise from deck above, also could hear neighbors talking

View obstructed by fixed window washer, covered balcony

Wind not a problem

Soot not a problem

Location quick access to elevator & stairs

Yes, there is a small rail.

Hi

 

We are from Canada and will be arriving in Haifa on the Celebrity Equinox on Sep 07, 2009.

We would like to rent a car in Haifa and drop if off the next day in Ashdod.

 

Can this be done and do you know which car rental companies are available ?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

 

Cruisingly Yours

I was on the Feb 24 sailing.

 

We had a Cat 4 Oceanview on deck 8.

 

Our bathroom was spotless.

 

The waiter brought out the pepper grinder every time and presented the dessert tray every evening.

 

Even though I find CEL too formal for me, I thought everything about the cruise was just fine.

 

 

Cruisingly Yours