Crown to Alaska 6/13-20, 3015

[rpcv77]

I'm on my phone at the airport, so this will be brief, until I'm home.

- Boarding was fast and easy. We were shocked, but thrilled, by an unexpected upgrade from obstructed OV to Caribe balcony. A very good start!

- Ship was clean and lovely. It never seemed crowded.

- This was our second experience with ATD. We generally ate about 7:30 and never had a wait whether we made reservations or not.

- Tried Sabatini's and enjoyed it. Lovely room and good food.

- More on ports later, but I do wish we'd had more time in Victoria BC. It seemed lovely.

 

I'm happy to answer any questions.

[Lovemyagent62]

Hi, I will be on the Crown Jun 27 round trip Seattle. We are also doing anytime dining and have 4 in our group. I didn't know you could actually make reservations for ATD. Did you try Crown grill and if so how would you compare to Sabatinis? Did you do the specialty dinner where you tour the kitchen? Were there very many children on the ship? Was it warm enough to use the pools on the ship? Did you pay to hang out in the Sanctuary, if so was it worth it? How long does it take to get off the ship in the ports? Thank you for any tips on dining, entertainment and anything else you care to share.

[Bemidji Ty]

Thanks. We're on in 3 weeks.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Thanks! We'll be embarking next Saturday! Congratulations on your upgrade! We did get an upsell offer to a Baja deck balcony and we're thrilled!

 

Can you let me know which night crab legs are offered in the MDR?

 

Thank you!

[Working 2 Cruise]

Hi, I will be on the Crown Jun 27 round trip Seattle. We are also doing anytime dining and have 4 in our group. I didn't know you could actually make reservations for ATD. Did you try Crown grill and if so how would you compare to Sabatinis? Did you do the specialty dinner where you tour the kitchen? Were there very many children on the ship? Was it warm enough to use the pools on the ship? Did you pay to hang out in the Sanctuary, if so was it worth it? How long does it take to get off the ship in the ports? Thank you for any tips on dining, entertainment and anything else you care to share.

 

I highly doubt that you'll be able to use the pools ... it'll probably be cold! I'll be on your cruise and leaving my bathing suit behind. Hot tubs maybe...

 

You're asking about the Chef's table....

 

Crown Grill is the steak and seafood restaurant. Sabatini's is the Italian restaurant... both good, but different. You can find menus on the Princess website.

Edited June 21, 2015 by Working 2 Cruise

[rpcv77]

Crab legs were served on the day we were in Juneau. We had eaten them at Tracy's Crab Shack, but had no problems with eating more. The ones served on the ship were from Tracy's, we were told.

[rpcv77]

Hi, I will be on the Crown Jun 27 round trip Seattle. We are also doing anytime dining and have 4 in our group. I didn't know you could actually make reservations for ATD. Did you try Crown grill and if so how would you compare to Sabatinis? Did you do the specialty dinner where you tour the kitchen? Were there very many children on the ship? Was it warm enough to use the pools on the ship? Did you pay to hang out in the Sanctuary, if so was it worth it? How long does it take to get off the ship in the ports? Thank you for any tips on dining, entertainment and anything else you care to share.

 

You can call the dine line, after 8:00 am, to make reservations.

We did not try the Crown Grill.

We have attended the cooking show and toured the kitchen previously, so did not do it on this cruise. We have not done the ultimate ship your.

Lots of kids on board. Now that school's out, it's a popular family vacation.

Our weather was lovely but still cool at sea. This did not prevent many from swimming and hot tubbing. The pools were well used.

Since we had a nice balcony, we didn't use the Sanctuary.

Getting off the ship went quickly, but we never had to rush off the moment we docked.

We are not huge eaters, so we liked the modest portions in the MDR (big eaters can order more). We enjoy eating light meals/baked goods from the International Cafe. We always eat there on embarkation day.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Crab legs were served on the day we were in Juneau. We had eaten them at Tracy's Crab Shack, but had no problems with eating more. The ones served on the ship were from Tracy's, we were told.

 

Thanks!

 

I'm glad you had good weather, I hope we have the same next week! I love the Crown!

[rpcv77]

Thanks! We'll be embarking next Saturday! Congratulations on your upgrade! We did get an upsell offer to a Baja deck balcony and we're thrilled!

 

Can you let me know which night crab legs are offered in the MDR?

 

Thank you!

 

We were so shocked by the upgrade, that even after we dropped our things in the cabin, we went down to passenger service to verify it!

[Working 2 Cruise]

We were so shocked by the upgrade, that even after we dropped our things in the cabin, we went down to passenger service to verify it!

 

I was almost as shocked by the upsell fairy... I had to go for it, especially for Alaska! Safe trip home. Will be looking forward to your updates!

[sherryf]

I highly doubt that you'll be able to use the pools ... it'll probably be cold! I'll be on your cruise and leaving my bathing suit behind. Hot tubs maybe...

 

Lots of people do use the pools in Alaska, and the hot tubs. A bathing suit doesn't take much space. Take one! It's been really hot in Seattle this year (well, hot for Seattle!) so it's very likely to be warm enough to swim on your embarkation day, and probably the first sea day as well. Here's the pool at sail away a few years ago:

 

 

We are on the Crown in 5 weeks and hoping for another sail away this nice!

[Working 2 Cruise]

That looks great!

[Sam.Seattle]

Lots of people do use the pools in Alaska, and the hot tubs. A bathing suit doesn't take much space. Take one! It's been really hot in Seattle this year (well, hot for Seattle!) so it's very likely to be warm enough to swim on your embarkation day, and probably the first sea day as well. Here's the pool at sail away a few years ago:

 

 

We are on the Crown in 5 weeks and hoping for another sail away this nice!

It rains and is cloudy every day in Seattle - Don't let the pictures fool you! HA!

[sherryf]

It rains and is cloudy every day in Seattle - Don't let the pictures fool you! HA!

 

Yeah, keep telling people that so they don't move here. Have you seen the forecast for next weekend?! :eek:

[Wulfwyn]

What nights are the formal nights.I have not done a Satuday cruise before. Only done the Sundays

 

Thanks

[Working 2 Cruise]

What nights are the formal nights.I have not done a Satuday cruise before. Only done the Sundays

 

Thanks

 

First day at sea (Sunday) and after Ketchikan (Thursday).

[rpcv77]

Yes, Sunday and Thursday were the formal nights, with Thursday night bring the escargot and lobster night.

 

Working 2 Cruise,

Thanks for answering so many questions. Want to finish up the review for me so I can do laundry 😉 ?

[Working 2 Cruise]

Yes, Sunday and Thursday were the formal nights, with Thursday night bring the escargot and lobster night.

 

Working 2 Cruise,

Thanks for answering so many questions. Want to finish up the review for me so I can do laundry 😉 ?

 

No, sorry, can't take you off the hook!

 

I will, however, do a live from starting Saturday!:D:D

[rpcv77]

We flew to Seattle from San Jose early on the morning of departure. Yes, I know this was not ideal, but couldn't be avoided. We did choose an early flight in case of delays. There were none, however, and we landed right on time. We used EZ Air and got a great fare and had no problems at all. Since I had booked well in advance, I kept monitoring fares on my own, but was never able to do better. I originally booked Eastside for Hire to pick us up, but cancelled, or tried to before we left. They insisted they had no record of my reservation (despite having the email confirmation in front of me) so there was nothing to cancel. Then, booked with Speedi Shuttle, an outfit from Hawaii that is new to the Seattle area. They were great and use nice shiny, new Mercedes vans. Meanwhile, Eastside for Hire called me 2x to say they were waiting for me. What???? This is the company that said they had no record of my reservation when I called to cancel. I am doubly glad that I didn't use them. Speedi Shuttle was great but, there were many road closures that day due to a marathon. All traffic was forced on to side streets and moved at a crawl. It took almost 2 hours to get to Pier 91. This was not the shuttles fault, as everyone going that way was stuck in the jam. The driver was calm and patient despite many snide comments from some folks going on the Westerdam. When we did arrive, we thanked the driver, tipped him and let him know that we understood that the delay was not his fault.

Boarding was easy. Despite long lines, it moved quickly. This is when we got the happy surprise about our upgrade. I think we ran to the cabin at that point because we couldn't believe our good fortune. Once inside, we found a gift card for someone else and became convinced it was a mistake. Went to passenger service and they confirmed the room was indeed ours. Turned in the gift card and the excursion tix that had arrived for the other party. Now able to relax, we enjoyed a late lunch at the IC and then went yo Sabatini's to make reservations for that evening. Our luggage found us, we unpacked and then explored the ship. We are not nit pickers who look for every flake of rust or chipped paint. Perfection is a lofty goal and not always that interesting. The ship looked lovely, fresh and clean to us. The new MUTS screen was great and the sound was not blasting (we like MUTS). Even on embarkation day, the ship seemed no more crowded than the other Princess ships we have sailed. Of course, we avoided the HC for lunch. Sat on our balcony for sail away as it was a clear, sunny afternoon. Before we knew it it was time for dinner. Sabatini's is a beautiful dining space. The service was excellent as was the food. I had the burrata appetizer and the penne with braised short ribs. Both were delicious. My dd had grilled veggies and garlic infused shrimp with veggies. Really good as well. I can't remember what I had for dessert, but I think almost all Princess desserts are great and this was no exception. I think it was a citrus tart.

We went to the welcome aboard show, which was short but enjoyable. Kelvin Joy is a great CD and it was good to see him again. Carlos Oscar was the comedian and I liked him as well. We were quite tired by then so it was off to bed. Our mattresses were not bad, but not the elusive pillow tops I keep hearing about. They were better than previous cruises, but not great. We were too tired and slept well in any event.TBC

Edited June 21, 2015 by rpcv77
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[rpcv77]

We slept in a bit. Went to the IC for my breakfast sandwich and a tall latte which I enjoyed on my balcony. Cool and sunny weather, clear as a bell. I know some prefer to be closer to the coast to view scenery, but I am always awed and humbled by the vast open ocean. I attended a lecture by the naturalist, Michael Modzewleski. I appreciate his great knowledge of Alaska, but (no flaming, just my opinion) was turned off by him. He came across, to me, as a cross between a self realization guru and smarmy sideshow huckster. Probably has something to do with his late '70's style, but I just couldn't get into him. Again, I know he is loved by many, so please realize this is just my opinion.

We went to the fitness center for a while. Another opportunity to stare at the vast ocean while on a treadmill. It was quite busy but we both managed to find the equipment we wanted. Showers, naps and soon it was dinner time. First night in MDR. We prefer ATD and had a 7:30 reservation. My dd has special dietary needs and Gabriel, the head waiter, was very nice and accommodating. He let her know what she could eat that evening and brought her the menu for the next night so she could pre-order. The meal,was good and then we changed into warm clothes to watch Cinderella on MUTS. It was pretty chilly by then and I only made it about half way through. It was a lovely, lazy day at sea.

[mintjulip123]

We are sailing on the Crown on July 4. One quick question, if you don't mind. I found an old Patter for Alaska on line and it said that there was no self serve laundry. It got me thinking that maybe they don't allow it in the coastal waters? Can you tell me if there is self serve laundry? Thanks

 

Karen

[rpcv77]

Now that you mention it, I do remember having read that somewhere on cruise critic. I read the Patter every night, however, and don't recall seeing any prohibitions on laundry. We did laundry in the afternoon after we left Glacier Bay without restrictions. The Crown now uses tokens for laundry, which you purchase by swiping your cruise card through a machine in the laundry room. You need tokens to purchase detergent and softener as well. We brought one Tide pod and a dryer sheet with us.

[Working 2 Cruise]

We're anxiously waiting for the rest.... pretty please?

[rpcv77]

I forgot to mention that Sunday, our sea day, was the first formal night. I honestly don't remember what was served but, overall, the MDR food was good. The Norman Love chocolate desserts are a chocolate lovers paradise.

On to Juneau. We arrived at 11:00 am and walked around a bit. Like the other Alaska ports, there are incredible numbers of T-shirt shops and jewelry stores, so not much interest to us. At 1:00 we met our van from Coastal Helicopters for our helicopter glacier tour. We drove out to the airport, were weighed, sorted (for balance in the copter) and fitted with our glacier boots. I had never been in a helicopter so I was very excited. I don't mean to sound ugly, but an average sized man and myself were wedged in the rear seat between two very large people. As uncomfortable as it was, it was soon forgotten by the thrill and the beauty of Alaskan scenery and glaciers. Soon it was time to land on Herbert Glacier. Wow, is all I can say. It was amazing and majestic. Walking on the glacier seemed almost other worldly. There was a large fissure in part of the glacier with water rushing through the blue ice. We filled a water bottle and drank the icy cold glacier water. Best water ever! All too soon it was time to fly back. Our pilot zig zagged through some spectacular terrain and then we landed. We were driven back to town and headed straight to Tracy's King Crab Shack. Great crab legs, bisque, crab cakes and beer. It really hit the spot as we hadn't had lunch. Then we went on the Mt. Roberts Tram. Great views of the harbor and nice hiking trails. Did I mention how hot it was in Juneau that day? Low 80's, so the glacier was the only cold spot. Rode down after a while, went back to the ship and rested up until dinner. What was on the menu? Crab legs from Tracy's. Can you ever have enough crab legs? Next stop, Skagway.

[laughing husky]

Love those bright yellow Coastal helicopters....