LIVE From the Emerald - Vancouver-Seattle - 5/20/17

[CanadianBurger]

Apparently embarkation yesterday was a mess if you arrived after about 12:30. I talked to several people that waited in the terminal for 3-4 hours.

 

 

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[JF - retired RRT]

Instead of the usual disembarkation sheet with a list of times, there was only this. My response was not fit to repeat here...

So...were there different times for other "groups"? Or was everyone supposed to show up @ 0735?

[CanadianBurger]

Good Morning Seattle! A beautiful day for a change...

MDR breakfast:

 

 

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[dforeigner]

Pretty cool!

[CanadianBurger]

The casino was open last night. I took a stroll through, but to my body it was after 2am eastern, so I didn't play any blackjack. Oddly, the minimum was listed as $6.

It would seem that the casino being open or closed on a 1-day cruise is a crap shoot. (See what I did there? ;-)

 

 

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[Macadian]

It was late leaving last Saturday on our Alaskan cruise. A combination of the large crowds and the inadequate security scanning stations plus there was an operational issue along to port side that they were working on right up until we left about 7:40pm.

 

Paul

Yes, boarding last Saturday from Vancouver was little better than organised chaos! We were two and a half hours, most of it standing, and we arrived early. Three ships boarding at the same time, the bottleneck seeming to be U.S Border Agency not coping with the numbers....Three cruise ships at same time? Poor planning somewhere! Never again will I commence a cruise from Vancouver. As for the cruise, it was great and we had more than our fair share of "Weather luck".

Edited May 21, 2017 by Macadian

[Wulfwyn]

Great cruise. Was able to get on ship at noon. Had to call for mini bar. Was first told, no mini bar setup for one days. Then mini bar showed up later. Share was good.

 

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[CanadianBurger]

Another oddity: I just spoke to someone who pre-bought the unlimited soda package, but they (and the crew) found out yesterday that it was not being honoured. Really? The soda package was not offered?

Princess needs to get their act together and set policies fleet-wide. The ship to ship policy differences are getting annoying. Many differences between this and the Ruby 1-day two weeks ago.

 

 

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[Vexorg]

When all was said and done we ended up waiting almost four hours from the time we arrived to the time we boarded. It occurs to me that by the time we got there most of the passengers were there already, and by then we could have just gone and done something else for an hour or two and we would have been on the ship at almost the same time anyway. As is, we boarded in the middle of the muster drill and ended up missing it.

 

Once we did board it was nice as always, but this time I mean it when I say I'm not doing another one day cruise anytime soon.

[CanadianBurger]

[cubfan63]

You can only exchange like for like, e.g. alcohol for alcohol, so you wouldn't be able to swap the water for beer. Not sure about water to soda.

Beside the Perrier is tonic water.

This is the first time it hasn't already been in the room when I arrived. I would call room service as soon as you get to your cabin to customize.

Incidentally, I heard that some elites on board had to argue to get the minibar, after they were told they didn't get it on a 1-day cruise.

 

 

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Never been a problem getting soda and water for beer and alcohol. They just won't give you more beer and alcohol for trading in soda and water.

 

I know from personal experience you can get more soda and water, as I once traded my Elite mini-bar to get 10 cans of Diet Coke and 10 bottles of Perrier.

[CanadianBurger]

Customs was a breeze today. No wait at all when I disembarked at 10:15.

Farewell Emerald Princess. Till we meet again.

 

 

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[1emerald1]

The Patter for today:

 

 

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Thanks so much for the pics and all of the information! Question, I will be on the Emerald in October and was trying to look at the early dining time from the patter, but it was a little blurred. Is it still at 5:30? And what time was late seating at? Thanks so much, the Emerald is my favorite ship!

[CanadianBurger]

So...were there different times for other "groups"? Or was everyone supposed to show up @ 0735?

 

 

I can only assume others got different times - but people I talked to at breakfast didn't get a sheet at all. Since Club Fusion is usually the Plat/Elite disembarkation lounge, maybe they meant to say that's when it opened...

But there was also no information on breakfast MDR dining options... Michelangelo and Da Vinci were closed, so I walked back to Botticelli and found it open.

 

 

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[CanadianBurger]

Thanks so much for the pics and all of the information! Question, I will be on the Emerald in October and was trying to look at the early dining time from the patter, but it was a little blurred. Is it still at 5:30? And what time was late seating at? Thanks so much, the Emerald is my favorite ship!

 

 

 

 

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[ceilidh1]

All in all a nice little getaway for us but definitely a few gripes this time around! First off, no mini bar for elite and told it wasn't available for 1 night. Didn't even bother to argue it but was quite put out. Then no free internet. This one I did fight and the guy at the internet age fixed it in seconds, saying it was a computer glitch.

 

The pre purchased soda package made me so mad as we didn't find out it was cancelled until the kids had already ordered 4 mocktails each! I went to passenger services and was basically told too bad! I demanded to speak to a supervisor as no way would I have let the kids order what they did if I knew they needed to pay for each one. Supervisor couldn't even be bothered to speak to me so I refused to leave until I had it in writing that the drinks we had prior to finding the package was cancelled would be refunded. I had no problem paying for drinks from that point, but not the ones I didn't know about!

 

Disembark was a breeze though again I was a little put out that there didn't seem to be a separate lounge for elite, Turns out it wasn't needed as we just headed off once we were ready!

[ceilidh1]

I can only assume others got different times - but people I talked to at breakfast didn't get a sheet at all. Since Club Fusion is usually the Plat/Elite disembarkation lounge, maybe they meant to say that's when it opened...

But there was also no information on breakfast MDR dining options... Michelangelo and Da Vinci were closed, so I walked back to Botticelli and found it open.

 

 

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When I asked I was told only the buffet would be open for breakfast! Wow

[rp23g7]

Buffalo to SFO to Seattle, and drive to Vancouver for a 1 day inside cabin cruise? You must be hardcore, it must have cost more to get there than you paid for the cruise.

[JF - retired RRT]

When I asked I was told only the buffet would be open for breakfast! Wow

That's what they always say. Somewhere along the line, someone with an epaulet on his shoulder told all crew..."anytime anyone asks which dining room is open, say "go to the buffet".:cool:

[ceilidh1]

That's what they always say. Somewhere along the line, someone with an epaulet on his shoulder told all crew..."anytime anyone asks which dining room is open, say "go to the buffet".:cool:

 

You're right! The difference with this cruise was getting no notice in stateroom telling passengers dining times and options. It felt like they were just trying to get through the one nighter and get on with the Alaska season!

[Vexorg]

I was able to ask someone in the International Cafe area and get directed to the open dining room for breakfast. Certainly a nicer option than the mess that is the Horizon Court on a turnaround day. We got a disembarkation notice in our stateroom to go to Explorers Lounge at 9:20. We went to the Platinum lounge (Club Fusion) around 8:45 and were told we could just disembark right away.

[ceilidh1]

I was able to ask someone in the International Cafe area and get directed to the open dining room for breakfast. Certainly a nicer option than the mess that is the Horizon Court on a turnaround day. We got a disembarkation notice in our stateroom to go to Explorers Lounge at 9:20. We went to the Platinum lounge (Club Fusion) around 8:45 and were told we could just disembark right away.

 

I asked at the front desk and was told that no dining rooms were open for breakfast, only the buffet! The line up was crazy and they kept running out of everything...

[Elitein85days]

We too were told no minibar because it was a one night cruise. I complained, called twice, it arrived.

 

I talked about that process on the survey.

[mark18068]

I can only assume others got different times - but people I talked to at breakfast didn't get a sheet at all. Since Club Fusion is usually the Plat/Elite disembarkation lounge, maybe they meant to say that's when it opened...

But there was also no information on breakfast MDR dining options... Michelangelo and Da Vinci were closed, so I walked back to Botticelli and found it open.

 

 

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Our sheet said the Wheelhouse at 9:25. Had breakfast, went to deck 7 at 8:15, and followed a crew member assisting somebody in a wheelchair. We asked if this was for folks that needed assistance, he said 'no' and we were off.

[VibeGuy]

I was told "no minibar" by Stewart and to call room service, but it magically appeared while we were at dinner.

 

No complimentary beverage for Captain's Circle members courtesy of the Captain, contrary to what has been de rigeur on one-nights for the past several years.

 

I really hate it when they use the 6 aft dining room for disembarkation breakfast - it soaks the aft elevators by creating demand for one-floor rides from 6 to 7.