Live From - 5/22 and 6/1/15 Golden Alaska

[ccrain]

The Elite Lounge is still being held in Skywalkers. I have not heard, nor seen a new Elite Lounge, but I will ask around. They did put in the new platinum studio and they did some major renovations to the HC, but the only noticeable change, besides new carpet, tile and furniture, in the HC was to add the exterior dessert station to the outside of the HC area. During lunch they also have the aforementioned noodle station as well.

 

There are new carpets throughout, and since it was a drydock and not a wetdock, I assume they recoated the hull.

 

But nothing really new like the first major Grand drydock...

[Colo Cruiser]

The Elite Lounge is still being held in Skywalkers. I have not heard, nor seen a new Elite Lounge, but I will ask around

 

 

Thanks, I thought it was a strange idea anyway. Glad its staying put. :)

[RNGALNG]

You said that the carpets were all changed. Did they go to the same color on both sides of the hallways in the stateroom area or to the Royal and Regal colors? I've always liked that I could look at the carpet and know what side of the hall my room was located when I would get turned around!

[bhopal21]

Thanks, I thought it was a strange idea anyway. Glad its staying put. :)

 

Likewise;)

 

Skywalker's is so under utilized it would be silly to build an additional venue for the Platinum/Elite/Suite Lounge.

 

Mike:)

[ccrain]

You said that the carpets were all changed. Did they go to the same color on both sides of the hallways in the stateroom area or to the Royal and Regal colors? I've always liked that I could look at the carpet and know what side of the hall my room was located when I would get turned around!

 

The deck 7 public areas and the HC were the most changed, as were the stair carpets to an earthtone brown, lights and darks.

[IECalCruiser]

The Elite Lounge is still being held in Skywalkers. I have not heard, nor seen a new Elite Lounge, but I will ask around. They did put in the new platinum studio and they did some major renovations to the HC, but the only noticeable change, besides new carpet, tile and furniture, in the HC was to add the exterior dessert station to the outside of the HC area. During lunch they also have the aforementioned noodle station as well.

 

 

 

There are new carpets throughout, and since it was a drydock and not a wetdock, I assume they recoated the hull.

 

 

 

But nothing really new like the first major Grand drydock...

Is the Platinum Studio on the Sun Deck? If so, it's been there since at least 2012.

[Nancyquilts]

The deck 7 public areas and the HC were the most changed, as were the stair carpets to an earthtone brown, lights and darks.

 

No red stripes on the port side near the cabins?

[ccrain]

No red stripes on the port side near the cabins?

 

The stateroom hallway carpets are still blue with the orange/red trim on the port side (even) cabins.

[ccrain]

Will update in detail tomorrow morning. Its turnaround day, and the 1st of the month, so bill paying, catching up on emails and other stuff has priority.

 

Its raining here in SFO right now, so we might not be getting off the ship. We have to meet in Crown Grill at 1030 to walk through customs and zero the ship.

 

Later...

[Belle]

Always go thru inside passage when

1st stop is Ketchikan. Now your

1st stop is Juneau..will you please

tell us how you travel and what you see

along the way. If you have any scenery

the 2nd sea day.

 

Thank You very much for your trouble

in doing this blog.

[Nancyquilts]

The stateroom hallway carpets are still blue with the orange/red trim on the port side (even) cabins.

 

We always appreciate the help.:D

[ccrain]

Full moon setting over a glassy sea with the sun about to peek over the horizon, as I sip my morning latte and gaze out the IC windows. It’s quiet, just a few people up. You can hear the background music with none of the normal morning hustle and bustle of the Piazza. Lights are still off, but dawn is breaking. Judy and Ally are still sleeping and I can get some writing done in peace and quiet.

 

So yesterday was turn around day in San Francisco. It started out rainy, wet, cold, but turned into a sunny day after all – enough to notice I got some sun when I looked in the mirror this morning. We were supposed to meet in Crown Grill at 1030 to do turnaround, but we left a bit earlier and went out to see the sights. Our cards didn’t change. Ally’s card did, and it’s still blue. She’s not a Gold card until after her 18th birthday. Go Figure…

 

The new cruise terminal is a bit more of a walk to fisherman’s wharf, but not bad. We had three goals in mind for the day. Candy, water and lunch at a unique and interesting place. We found all three. There is a great candy store at the end of the wharf with every candy known to mankind. We had bought some taffy in Ketchikan that Ally has been handing out to the crew – and they love it. So we bought about 10# more of the stuff. There had to be several dozen different flavors of taffy, with barrels of different hard candies as well. We even found some scorpions and tequila worms in lollypops. Something unique and sweet always makes them smile.

 

For lunch we went to Mango’s Mexican restaurant. There were several fish and Italian style restaurants, and they are good, but we wanted something different and Mango’s was really, really good. Fresh ingredients into elevated Mexican cuisine. We had their nachos platter and their queso. But the real highlight was their fresh and unique margaritas. I had their Cucumber and Jalapeno margarita, actually two which made it very difficult to walk back to the ship, while Judy had their watermelon and jalapeno margarita – and not with watermelon flavor, but whole chunks of fresh watermelon. The nachos were great, as was the two fresh salsas, the fresh guacamole and the finely diced steak and asiago cheese. The real highlight was the queso. Not really a dip of orange cheese sauce, which I cannot stand. Fresh cheese and peppers baked in a shallow cast iron skillet, until it crusts on the top and the bottom. You had to fork it over onto the chips, scraping it off the cast iron, but it was good soft and crunchy cheesey goodness. Wow, it was good!

 

After lunch we went to the local safeway, which is about 5 blocks from the ship, stocked up on water and wandered back. We got back to the ship around 1345, but the lines were still backed up, so we sat for a while, checking email until about 1400. Then, except for security, we just breezed through. Had we waited another 30 minutes we would have had no lines whatsoever.

 

They did attempt to have a sailaway party on deck, but it was a bust. Nothing like a Ft Lauderdale party. I think besides the cruise staff there was only 3 or 4 other people dancing with us. Oh, and we met Sam’s parents. They’ve never sailed before. And, in accordance with Jamie’s wishes, we hit them right away with “congratulations – oh, Sam hasn’t told you?”. Mom picked it up right away. Not sure if Dad ever did. Then we just blamed it all on Jamie, but we did get a good laugh after Mom realized we were just putting her on.

 

After that lunch, dinner was munchies in the Elite lounge where Ally could have her fill of shrimp cocktail. Then some pre-show dancing in Explorer’s followed by the welcome aboard show. Billy is back and looks rested. Matais is back doing deputy stuff, but not dressed as a lumberjack. I thought it would be a repeat of last cruises’ Rollin Jay Moore comedy, but instead, it was a real treat with the clown, volleyball and adagio of Alexander and Evginea (I know that’s not right.) It was great to not see a repeat show and the volleyball was a blast.

 

After the show we had to sit through a trivia. Ally just loves trivia and wants to see the cruise staff in action. I think we’re going to kick her loose to find trivia partners on her own – just not our cup of tea.

 

We did make it to Skywalker’s later for their BOGO specials. But they’ve changed bartenders – my caprihania, or something like that, wasn’t nearly as good as last week. Not sweet enough. And because of the number of kids on this cruise, they are carding at the door, so Ally can’t technically get in, except with ‘mom and dad’. (What a hoot!) So we’re going to have to discuss this one. I would prefer she not get ‘sneaked in’ and get someone in trouble. We’ll take her in with us when we go, and they let her, but we don’t frequent Skywalker’s that often.

 

She may get a bit bored on this cruise. She never made it to the teen center. Their most advertised activity last cruise was video games and in Ally’s words, she could have stayed home and watched her little brother play video games. They might have more on this cruise. We’ll let her decide.

 

A couple of new additions to the cruise entertainment from last cruise. We have Hawley Magic, Ric Steel and David Klinkenberg, but pretty much the same production shows, comedians and movies. Same game shows and theme nights as well.

 

Today is ZUMBA at 0900. And then lots of lectures, port and shopping talks, line dance, ballroom dance class, tap dance class, sales events (Zultanite – a new gemstone you must own! Very similar to cheapanite and distant relative to expensanite), bingo and the art auction. Donald Hellstern is still the naturalist on board and is giving a glaciology lecture this morning.

 

Tonight is Motor City, so that’s where we will be for sure. Can’t wait to see that one again. Did you know they got rid of the Jackson 5 puppet sequence? (Probably Kayak trademarked it.) but I have heard rumors that it was considered non-PC. Shame. It’s one of the best Kayak commercials. There is the blank match game show, Michael Wilson is in the Princess theater. Lots of fun is in Explorer’s, and Jamie is hosting an ABBA hour in skywalkers. (About as high on his list of things to do as the Madonna power hour!)

 

So that should pretty much catch us up. Off to Zumba!

[ar1950]

Be sure to catch at least one of David Klinkenberg's shows. Very talented and entertaining.

[Belle]

See David he's Fantastic!

[caribill]

A couple of new additions to the cruise entertainment from last cruise. We have Hawley Magic, Ric Steel and David Klinkenberg, but pretty much the same production shows, comedians and movies. Same game shows and theme nights as well.

 

Don't miss. Not your usual ship magic show.

[LARGIN]

Can you provide a list of theme nights in the MDR in order of the cruise? Day 1, Sailaway, 2, Italian, 3, Chefs 4, etc. Thanks

[caribill]

Can you provide a list of theme nights in the MDR in order of the cruise? Day 1, Sailaway, 2, Italian, 3, Chefs 4, etc. Thanks

 

Nights other than 1st, last and formal are now labeled "Princess Dinner" even though the menu changes.

[LARGIN]

Nights other than 1st, last and formal are now labeled "Princess Dinner" even though the menu changes.

Thanks.. I wanted to figure out best night for the Crown Grill. I know one of the nights is the 50th Anniversary menu. I wanted to skip that one.

[ccrain]

Much more cloudy this morning, but no significant wind or swells. Sea state seemed a bit rougher last night, as was the wind, but nothing beyond noticeable. Both Judy and Ally have caught their cruise colds. Dayquil during the day and a Nyquil at night. Since we typically bring a pharmacopeia with us, we have plenty. On one cruise we ran out and so did the on-board shop.

 

Typical day at sea, starting with coffee Zumba. Much smaller class this time around. It usually gets bigger as the cruise goes on. We had our Cruise Critic meet and greet in Skywalker’s as well. Martin May, the Hotel General Manager showed up along with his deputy, and the band leader Stan showed up as well. They previewed cruise activities and highlights, then answered some questions. It was a good session.

 

Lunch was the grill and pizza, having missed it during turn around day. They have 50th anniversary pizza, a pear, prosciutto and gouda type arrangement, as well. Lots more kids on this cruise. Like about 400. But not too noticeable yet.

 

And then of course, I checked my work email. Big mistake. So now it turns out that Judy and I have cancelled our other cruises this year for no reason. Things have changed and our reason for not going to Norway in mid-June is no longer applicable. Boy, that ticks me off. One of the big problems with cruising. You have to plan so far in advance. On the other hand, we were able to take Ally on this cruise.

 

The Elite lounge was sushi, and there was real tuna nigiri available. They also had various rolls available. But the rice was not quite right. It was soggy and slightly overcooked, so it had a pasty texture. Good thing they had the usual cheeses and vegetable sticks as well. Ally went to the buffet, as she is not a sushi person. We wanted to make the 1900 Motor City show and we didn’t want to rush through dinner.

 

The elite lounge is not crowded at all during this cruise. Kind of nice. We’ve had hundreds of elites on previous cruises, so this is a nice change. Melissa, the Captain’s Circle lady, stops by every night. Poor girl. She immediately bore the brunt of criticism over the company’s upgrade protocols by a couple of passengers. Anyone who reads CC ought to know that the CC person has nothing to do with upgrades. And upgrades on a sold out ship, which this one was, are very rare. We used to get upgraded regularly, but within the same category and on a guaranteed booking. Like BE to BB or BA. Never between a balcony and a suite. In 37 cruises we’ve only had the legendary upgrade once – mini to full suite – on the Grand on our 30th anniversary cruise. But that was before upsells were common. But face it, free upgrades are at the bottom of the pile. Upsell offers, like on the last cruise, are more likely.

 

Anyway, we had to leave before I screwed myself into the ceiling. It’s just not appropriate to take out frustrations on a person whom has nothing to do with your issue. And especially one who is as sweet and nice as Melissa. We’ve had CC hosts in the past that were not as personable as she is. Her family has a game farm in South Africa, near the border with Botswana. She literally grew up with zebras, giraffes, monkey, various members of the African deer family, etc. How cool is that!

 

I am going to see her this morning to get the stats on this cruise. Oh and we did get invited to the most traveled party as well. It will be a luncheon as well. But as I told her before, if we get invited, great, if we fall below the cut line, no problem. The rules is the rules!

 

As predicted, Crown Grill and Sabbatini’s are almost full for all days, early seating. The vouchers given out by travel agents are filling the places up pretty fast, but I think its time for Princess to change out Sabbatini’s. It was great for its time, but I think it’s time has past. I personally think they should go to a Gastropub concept, or an Asian Fusion concept. In our Vegas trip in April, Guy Fieri’s place at the Flamingo and RMoonen’s seafood place at the Mirage stood out as fantastic food. Guy’s is a gastropub, where else can you find brisket nachos, and lots of different gourmet burgers. Rick Moonens is primarily seafood, but has a substantial number of Asian dishes with a western twist. Both were memorable foodie joints.

 

We did make it to the 1900 Motor City show, and this time we sat on the other side of the lounge to get a different perspective. And yes, ‘heard it through the grapevine’ is still the hottest number on the show. The dancing was incredible. These girls just killed it. If you make one show, this is it. And sit down front. You need to experience this up close and personal.

 

Some dancing with Lots of Fun, who are lots of fun, with a very good mix of dance music, country, 50’s and 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, with plenty of opportunity for Swing, Cha Cha, Rumba, Line, Foxtrot and Waltz. A great set to burn off some of those calories we’ve been accumulating.

 

We actually won the blank game show. Since we have to match the panelists’ answers, it’s not exactly cheating since we’ve seen it before, and in all honesty, we weren’t trying to win, we were trying to make the funniest, most suggestive answers we could think of…and apparently matched the dirty minds of the panelist in the doing…

 

We did not stay for karaoke. Ally still hasn’t recovered from her last foray into it, and Jamie was playing an hour of ABBA in Skywalker’s, so the girls decided to Nyquil themselves up and go to bed early.

 

Today we have Zumba at 0900. A Ketchikan and Victoria port talk by Billy. The great egg drop challenge sign up. The chocolate journeys pastry demo, a spelling bee, gold nugget bracelet making, the pub lunch, bingo, the shopping show, the lightning art auction, a Tlingit culture lecture, penny whistle class, line and ballroom dance class, and Alaskan wildlife lecture, the matre de’s wine club, trivia and a bunch of different game shows.

 

Tonight is the first formal night. Stardust is on in the Princess theater, Michael Wilson is on in Vista, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is on at MUTS, Majority rules game show, and dancing with Phoenix Rising in the wheelhouse and Lots of fun in Explorer’s.

 

We are going to the MDR for dinner. Tonight is that 50th anniversary dinner menu that is really, really good. Going to call at 0800 this morning and see if we can’t get Bernardo and Menando again.

 

Oh and I should mention, unlike my original planning, we have cancelled all of our shore excursions for this cruise and are going to DIY it. After Platinum Studio, I had to balance the budget somehow, and Ally just didn’t seem that enthused over the excursions. She seemed to enjoy wandering around town and shopping more than watching whales, or running up rivers. So the plan for Juneau depends on the weather, but a trip to Nugget falls for sure and a trip up the tram if the weather is clear. Skagway will probably be a wander around town and then a picnic out on the point across the river. Ketchikan will be a shopping trip and whatever else we can dig up. I will keep my eyes open for some dockside offers as well.

 

That’s all for the day…later…

[ccrain]

Thanks.. I wanted to figure out best night for the Crown Grill. I know one of the nights is the 50th Anniversary menu. I wanted to skip that one.

 

First formal night is 50th dinner.

 

Carbill is correct. They have renamed all the menus to Princess Dinner, but the themes are the same. There is Italian night, French-Continental (the one with escargot), sailaway, landfall, Chef's menu (the second formal night).

 

Oh and the Alaskan dinner has Halibut back on the menu.

 

They have restricted the menus as well with the 50th anniversary theme, as well as the Alaskan itinerary theme with recommended wines and drinks. The always available has changed - the tournedos of beef are now tri-tip. Salmon is available as well.

 

Something Martin highlighted yesterday is that in addition to the smokehouse BBQ theme at the trident grill, they will have select items during the cruise for grilling like tonight is Tracy's King Crab Shack with mini-crab cakes at the Trident Grill.

 

We have to try this at least once during this cruise...

[Colo Cruiser]

Charles would you mind listing the Officers/crew listed on the front page of the embarkation day patter?

 

 

Thanks

[meh56]

I have enjoyed your live post. We are doing this cruise next month. We have been to Juneau before and are planning on doing the tram but have never tendered. Can you tell me how to get to the tram from where the tender comes into Juneau. Also where does the tender come into Ketchikan. Thank you.

[RickEk]

I have enjoyed your live post. We are doing this cruise next month. We have been to Juneau before and are planning on doing the tram but have never tendered. Can you tell me how to get to the tram from where the tender comes into Juneau. Also where does the tender come into Ketchikan. Thank you.

 

The tender dock is right in the center of town in Ketchikan.

[trbarton]

Much more cloudy this morning, but no significant wind or swells. Sea state seemed a bit rougher last night, as was the wind, but nothing beyond noticeable. Both Judy and Ally have caught their cruise colds. Dayquil during the day and a Nyquil at night. Since we typically bring a pharmacopeia with us, we have plenty. On one cruise we ran out and so did the on-board shop.

 

Typical day at sea, starting with coffee Zumba. Much smaller class this time around. It usually gets bigger as the cruise goes on. We had our Cruise Critic meet and greet in Skywalker’s as well. Martin May, the Hotel General Manager showed up along with his deputy, and the band leader Stan showed up as well. They previewed cruise activities and highlights, then answered some questions. It was a good session.

 

Lunch was the grill and pizza, having missed it during turn around day. They have 50th anniversary pizza, a pear, prosciutto and gouda type arrangement, as well. Lots more kids on this cruise. Like about 400. But not too noticeable yet.

 

And then of course, I checked my work email. Big mistake. So now it turns out that Judy and I have cancelled our other cruises this year for no reason. Things have changed and our reason for not going to Norway in mid-June is no longer applicable. Boy, that ticks me off. One of the big problems with cruising. You have to plan so far in advance. On the other hand, we were able to take Ally on this cruise.

 

The Elite lounge was sushi, and there was real tuna nigiri available. They also had various rolls available. But the rice was not quite right. It was soggy and slightly overcooked, so it had a pasty texture. Good thing they had the usual cheeses and vegetable sticks as well. Ally went to the buffet, as she is not a sushi person. We wanted to make the 1900 Motor City show and we didn’t want to rush through dinner.

 

The elite lounge is not crowded at all during this cruise. Kind of nice. We’ve had hundreds of elites on previous cruises, so this is a nice change. Melissa, the Captain’s Circle lady, stops by every night. Poor girl. She immediately bore the brunt of criticism over the company’s upgrade protocols by a couple of passengers. Anyone who reads CC ought to know that the CC person has nothing to do with upgrades. And upgrades on a sold out ship, which this one was, are very rare. We used to get upgraded regularly, but within the same category and on a guaranteed booking. Like BE to BB or BA. Never between a balcony and a suite. In 37 cruises we’ve only had the legendary upgrade once – mini to full suite – on the Grand on our 30th anniversary cruise. But that was before upsells were common. But face it, free upgrades are at the bottom of the pile. Upsell offers, like on the last cruise, are more likely.

 

Anyway, we had to leave before I screwed myself into the ceiling. It’s just not appropriate to take out frustrations on a person whom has nothing to do with your issue. And especially one who is as sweet and nice as Melissa. We’ve had CC hosts in the past that were not as personable as she is. Her family has a game farm in South Africa, near the border with Botswana. She literally grew up with zebras, giraffes, monkey, various members of the African deer family, etc. How cool is that!

 

I am going to see her this morning to get the stats on this cruise. Oh and we did get invited to the most traveled party as well. It will be a luncheon as well. But as I told her before, if we get invited, great, if we fall below the cut line, no problem. The rules is the rules!

 

As predicted, Crown Grill and Sabbatini’s are almost full for all days, early seating. The vouchers given out by travel agents are filling the places up pretty fast, but I think its time for Princess to change out Sabbatini’s. It was great for its time, but I think it’s time has past. I personally think they should go to a Gastropub concept, or an Asian Fusion concept. In our Vegas trip in April, Guy Fieri’s place at the Flamingo and RMoonen’s seafood place at the Mirage stood out as fantastic food. Guy’s is a gastropub, where else can you find brisket nachos, and lots of different gourmet burgers. Rick Moonens is primarily seafood, but has a substantial number of Asian dishes with a western twist. Both were memorable foodie joints.

 

We did make it to the 1900 Motor City show, and this time we sat on the other side of the lounge to get a different perspective. And yes, ‘heard it through the grapevine’ is still the hottest number on the show. The dancing was incredible. These girls just killed it. If you make one show, this is it. And sit down front. You need to experience this up close and personal.

 

Some dancing with Lots of Fun, who are lots of fun, with a very good mix of dance music, country, 50’s and 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, with plenty of opportunity for Swing, Cha Cha, Rumba, Line, Foxtrot and Waltz. A great set to burn off some of those calories we’ve been accumulating.

 

We actually won the blank game show. Since we have to match the panelists’ answers, it’s not exactly cheating since we’ve seen it before, and in all honesty, we weren’t trying to win, we were trying to make the funniest, most suggestive answers we could think of…and apparently matched the dirty minds of the panelist in the doing…

 

We did not stay for karaoke. Ally still hasn’t recovered from her last foray into it, and Jamie was playing an hour of ABBA in Skywalker’s, so the girls decided to Nyquil themselves up and go to bed early.

 

Today we have Zumba at 0900. A Ketchikan and Victoria port talk by Billy. The great egg drop challenge sign up. The chocolate journeys pastry demo, a spelling bee, gold nugget bracelet making, the pub lunch, bingo, the shopping show, the lightning art auction, a Tlingit culture lecture, penny whistle class, line and ballroom dance class, and Alaskan wildlife lecture, the matre de’s wine club, trivia and a bunch of different game shows.

 

Tonight is the first formal night. Stardust is on in the Princess theater, Michael Wilson is on in Vista, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is on at MUTS, Majority rules game show, and dancing with Phoenix Rising in the wheelhouse and Lots of fun in Explorer’s.

 

We are going to the MDR for dinner. Tonight is that 50th anniversary dinner menu that is really, really good. Going to call at 0800 this morning and see if we can’t get Bernardo and Menando again.

 

Oh and I should mention, unlike my original planning, we have cancelled all of our shore excursions for this cruise and are going to DIY it. After Platinum Studio, I had to balance the budget somehow, and Ally just didn’t seem that enthused over the excursions. She seemed to enjoy wandering around town and shopping more than watching whales, or running up rivers. So the plan for Juneau depends on the weather, but a trip to Nugget falls for sure and a trip up the tram if the weather is clear. Skagway will probably be a wander around town and then a picnic out on the point across the river. Ketchikan will be a shopping trip and whatever else we can dig up. I will keep my eyes open for some dockside offers as well.

 

That’s all for the day…later…

 

Interesting that your M & G was in Skywalkers. I'm doing one on the August 30th cruise and we are assigned to the Wheel House Bar.

 

Thanks for posting every day.

 

Tom😎

[bhopal21]

Interesting that your M & G was in Skywalkers. I'm doing one on the August 30th cruise and we are assigned to the Wheel House Bar.

 

Thanks for posting every day.

 

Tom😎

 

You can hold a M&G anywhere. We are having ours on the August 10th cruise in Skywalkers as well.

 

You don't need to let them select a place for your M&G.

 

Mike:)