Questions on the Grand Princess...

[Kingofcool1947]

2 hours ago, The Mikado said:

Thank you, but there’s no wedding in the offing for us; already did that! 

 

I was inquiring as to whether or not the chapel was open a good bit of the time for prayer—not necessarily services although I would probably attend them, as well. I’m hoping the crew doesn’t regard the chapel as just another place to gather people for crafts, trivia, etc, at the expense of its original purpose. 

 

No, the chapel is not a room used for trivia, crafts, cards, etc.  It is  identified as the chapel and set aside for quiet meditation, church services,  weddings, and memorial services.  Most of the time, the chapel is usually empty.

Good luck.  Enjoy your cruise.

[The Mikado]

41 minutes ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

No, the chapel is not a room used for trivia, crafts, cards, etc.  It is  identified as the chapel and set aside for quiet meditation, church services,  weddings, and memorial services.  Most of the time, the chapel is usually empty.

Good luck.  Enjoy your cruise.

Thank you, sir.

Edited August 5, 2019 by The Mikado

[The Mikado]

Another question after reading a few posts here:

 

Do we tender on the AK itinerary? I’ve only ever tendered in Sitka years ago and always docked in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. 

[muggo11]

On 8/1/2019 at 8:19 AM, Dani24 said:

I am currently on the Grand. Formal nights are the second sea day (or third night), and the night before Victoria (which is a sea day). It's possible that the second formal night could be on Victoria night, as we had that the last time we did this itinerary, and I'm pretty sure I saw that on another set of Patters someone posted 

 

When we embarked I didn't see a wine table. I brought two bottles of wine in my carry on. Nobody said a word. My cabin steward brought me wine glasses, and I've been enjoying them in the cabin.

 

The chapel is frequently open and available. The chairs have always been set up. There are a few times the room is in use. For instance, we signed up for the Escape Room, and they used the chapel for it. There were several sessions on Ketchikan day and the sea day right after. The "Friends of Dr. Bob and Bill W Meetings" also take place in the chapel every day. And there is maybe one or two other things in there on sea days (like a "How to Boost Your Metabolism" or "Secrets to a Flatter Stomach" seminar, or the "Princess Pop Choir" rehearsal). On Friday they had a "Jewish Sabbath Service" listed in there too, but it stated a volunteer would need to lead the service. 

 

There's also an "Interdenominational Church Service" on Sundays in the Vista Lounge at 9 am. This is conducted by the Entertainment Director. On all other days there is an unhosted "Bible Study" at 8 am in the One5 Lounge. 

 

Crab Shack was only offered once on this sailing. It was the night of Hubbard Glacier (scenic cruising day). It fills up fast, so make your reservations by calling the DINE line on embarkation day. We missed it this cruise, unfortunately. 

 

As for the ship's condition, I think this depends on how fussy you are. 🙂 She is showing her age, for sure. But we've found her to be quite lovely and would not hesitate to sail her again. There are some areas that need addressing (e.g. the sofas in the Explorers Lounge badly need replacing). But I see crew constantly painting, staining, cleaning, etc. to keep her looking good. And I have been looking, but still have yet to come across one leak or blower. 

 

The crew on this ship is phenomenal. Probably the best we've had. And the food on the whole has been excellent. I'm sad to be going home in 3 days!

 

On 8/1/2019 at 8:19 AM, Dani24 said:

 

 

Fyi. We were just on the cruise with Dani!   There WAS a second Crab Shack Lunch on the second formal night. It wasn’t announced so just let the Maitre D know (we expressed disappointment at missing the one in Ketchikan so figure that is how we got the invitation).

We thought the food was terrific. AND tho we didn’t participate they had a mass “renewal of vows” in the chapel one day. 

And, don’t miss Born to Dance—an amazing production show. And we liked comic Andrew Kennedy the best of the other entertainers. Oh, and if you don’t have a balcony, reserve The Sanctuary for the day of the glacier viewing. Well worth the extra charge.  

It is a terrific cruise. Enjoy. 

[Kingofcool1947]

52 minutes ago, muggo11 said:

 

Fyi. We were just on the cruise with Dani!   There WAS a second Crab Shack Lunch on the second formal night. It wasn’t announced so just let the Maitre D know (we expressed disappointment at missing the one in Ketchikan so figure that is how we got the invitation).

We thought the food was terrific. AND tho we didn’t participate they had a mass “renewal of vows” in the chapel one day. 

And, don’t miss Born to Dance—an amazing production show. And we liked comic Andrew Kennedy the best of the other entertainers. Oh, and if you don’t have a balcony, reserve The Sanctuary for the day of the glacier viewing. Well worth the extra charge.  

It is a terrific cruise. Enjoy. 

 

Re:  Crab Shack

Is it just offered at lunch?  Dinner?

Did the seafood served at the Crab Shack have a  “frozen taste” to them?  

How do you rate the seafood preparation?

Is the Crab Shack an “all you can eat” seafood offer?  I could probably eat 10 pounds of Alaska King Crab Legs, 5 pounds of steamed clams/mussels, and 4-5  pounds of boiled/fried shrimp.  A couple pounds of boiled potato’s, and 4-5 ears of corn at one sitting.  Is that possible to order?

I do not like to eat with others.   Do I have to share a table?

Is advance reservation needed, or can one just walk in?

Is there a dress code to dine at the Crab Shack?

Thank you.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[strobellayjam]

10 minutes ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Re:  Crab Shack

Is it just offered at lunch?  Dinner?

Did the seafood served at the Crab Shack have a  “frozen taste” to them?  

How do you rate the seafood preparation?

Is the Crab Shack an “all you can eat” seafood offer?  I could probably eat 10 pounds of Alaska King Crab Legs, 5 pounds of steamed clams/mussels, and 4-5  pounds of boiled/fried shrimp.  A couple pounds of boiled potato’s, and 4-5 ears of corn at one sitting.  Is that possible to order?

I do not like to eat with others.   Do I have to share a table?

Is advance reservation needed, or can one just walk in?

Is there a dress code to dine at the Crab Shack?

Thank you.

We dined at the Crab Shack on the Royal Princess so perhaps our experience will be / was slightly different from others here.  The Crab Shack was offered at set nights for dinner only.  It was set up in a section of Horizons buffet that was roped off for the Crab Shack and thus, there was no dress code required.  You could certainly dine alone so and they do recommend reservations.

 

Food, to me, is subjective.  While we were glad we tried the Crab Shack, it's unlikely I would return again soon.  The food was okay and did have the "frozen taste" and "feel" as you referred to.  You start off with an appetizer, soup and then are offered a choice of mains.  it is not all you can eat.  Our party all ordered the king crab legs.  They were good but not terribly meaty and the shrimp had a soft / mushy texture. 

 

If you are a King Crab fan and have time in Juneau, I'd HIGHLY RECOMMEND stopping by Tracy's King Crab shack.  Those crab legs will put Crab Shack and those offered in the MDR to shame.  Seriously good eats!

[muggo11]

1 hour ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Re:  Crab Shack

Is it just offered at lunch?  Dinner?  offered at Lunch on this cruise

Did the seafood served at the Crab Shack have a  “frozen taste” to them?  no, but I thought the spice they used on the King crab overwhelmed the delicate taste of the meat

How do you rate the seafood preparation? okay, but a little too fussy for me. And the corn on the cob is way overcooked. Chef should use the 4-5 minute rule for corn, otherwise it tastes like canned corn

Is the Crab Shack an “all you can eat” seafood offer?  I could probably eat 10 pounds of Alaska King Crab Legs, 5 pounds of steamed clams/mussels, and 4-5  pounds of boiled/fried shrimp.  A couple pounds of boiled potato’s, and 4-5 ears of corn at one sitting.  Is that possible to order? i don’t think so. There are four separate menu options and each party may order 1. I wish it had more of a crabfeed feel but my guess is that would be a challenge economically!

I do not like to eat with others.   Do I have to share a table? you may have your own table

Is advance reservation needed, or can one just walk in? unsure. We saw both. 

Is there a dress code to dine at the Crab Shack? no

Thank you.

 

[XBGuy]

OP, one more thing I would like to add regarding the chapel.  It is called "Hearts & Mind."  While it is, usually, available for private meditation, it is, in fact, sometimes scheduled.  These scheduled events will be announced in the Princess Patter.  So, you can check before you head there.  Somebody has already mentioned that there have been "Friends of Dr. Bob and Bill W."  meetings.  I have also seen Jewish services during the High Holidays, and I have seen an announcement of a Catholic Rosary once.  Interestingly, I don't think I have ever seen a Sunday service scheduled at Hearts & Mind.  I have seen nondenominational Sunday services scheduled at larger venues such as the Princess Theater or the Explorers Lounge. but this is not a regular occurrence.  In fact, it might be a rare occurrence.

 

Interestingly, on our last cruise the pianist who performed in various ship venues would practice in Hearts & Mind.  It was pretty cool standing out in the hallway getting a private recital.  That was the only cruise where I have observed that.

 

Regarding tendering in Alaska, it's been too many years since our last stop at Sitka.  However, at any of the other Alaska ports, there is always a chance of tendering.  While each port has docking capacity to accommodate multiple ships, sometimes (rarely) the number ships exceeds the number of docks.  A few years ago we tendered in Juneau.  It was no big deal, the tender trip was very short.  Also, my recollection is that we were advised prior to embarkation that we would be tendering in Juneau.  My recollection, however, may be faulty because I do not recall how we received that advice.

Edited August 5, 2019 by XBGuy

[josher_m]

20 hours ago, The Mikado said:

Another question after reading a few posts here:

 

Do we tender on the AK itinerary? I’ve only ever tendered in Sitka years ago and always docked in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. 

 

We were on the June 25 sailing and supposed to tender in Sitka but did not.  They pulled up to a dock so no tender.  Not sure what/how determines that--maybe not many ships in port that day as there was only one other ship when we pulled in. 

[The Mikado]

This sailing we are on does not stop in Sitka. I was just pointing out that the other 3 ports we are visiting, I've never tendered in any of them. Sorry for the confusion.

[Yehootu]

2 hours ago, The Mikado said:

This sailing we are on does not stop in Sitka. I was just pointing out that the other 3 ports we are visiting, I've never tendered in any of them. Sorry for the confusion.

You can google each port. Put in your scheduled arrival date and you'll be able to find out what dock you are assigned. We had to tender in Ketchikan a few years back, but that was only because Century wiped out the dock attempting to dock in very high winds.

[muggo11]

With regard to tendering, we tendered in Juneau and it was a mess. Due to timing, we ended up turning in and getting a refund for our tram tickets. There were three ships moored at the dock so guess the Grand just got the short end of the stick on this voyage.  

The thing that REALLY surprised me (and that I have never seen before) was an outright ban on those with wheelchairs going on the tenders. If you couldn’t walk onto the tender, you couldn’t go to Juneau. Generally, Princess is very good at accommodating cruisers with disabilities. The text cited liability issues as the reason. 

[HappyCruiserettu]

On 7/31/2019 at 5:06 PM, Gimer said:

 

Jam? On a burger? Otherwise, sounds great.

On 7/31/2019 at 5:54 PM, The Mikado said:

 

Thank you for the info on the chapel. We are Christians and we like to visit with Him in a quiet setting more or less reserved for such things.

 

There's always a non-denominational service on Sunday AM, led by a passenger, who may be a pastor. They have a song sheet provided. Strangely, on the Princess Pacific on Christmas Day (which fell on Sunday two-three years ago) the only items furnished (song sheets, etc) were for a generic Sunday. No recognition of Christmas. I meant to call attention in my review, but somehow forgot.

[brian1]

On 8/5/2019 at 3:46 AM, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Re:  Crab Shack

Is it just offered at lunch?  Dinner?

Did the seafood served at the Crab Shack have a  “frozen taste” to them?  

How do you rate the seafood preparation?

Is the Crab Shack an “all you can eat” seafood offer?  I could probably eat 10 pounds of Alaska King Crab Legs, 5 pounds of steamed clams/mussels, and 4-5  pounds of boiled/fried shrimp.  A couple pounds of boiled potato’s, and 4-5 ears of corn at one sitting.  Is that possible to order?

I do not like to eat with others.   Do I have to share a table?

Is advance reservation needed, or can one just walk in?

Is there a dress code to dine at the Crab Shack?

Thank you.

Are you serious or on a wind up,that's 10kg of grub.Is a US pound the same as a British pound.

[riki]

What is the charge for the Crab Shack Lunch or Dinner in the MDR?

Thanks

RIKI

[Cruise Raider]

13 hours ago, muggo11 said:

With regard to tendering, we tendered in Juneau and it was a mess. Due to timing, we ended up turning in and getting a refund for our tram tickets. There were three ships moored at the dock so guess the Grand just got the short end of the stick on this voyage.  

The thing that REALLY surprised me (and that I have never seen before) was an outright ban on those with wheelchairs going on the tenders. If you couldn’t walk onto the tender, you couldn’t go to Juneau. Generally, Princess is very good at accommodating cruisers with disabilities. The text cited liability issues as the reason. 

 

We tend to sail up to Alaska on the Grand every year or two and have not docked in Juneau in the last few sailings there ... so her getting the short end of the stick is not anything new.  

Oh ... and the wheelchairs ... yes!  We've notice that as well.  I can see both sides of that issue.  I saw when four young men tried to lift this rather heavy passenger confined to a wheelchair from the ramp into the tender.  They almost all ended up in the water, including the passenger along with at least two of the employees that were injured in the process. 

There are times the cruise lines have to stop the line of those queuing for tenders due to high winds and choppy sea conditions, where even very able bodied passengers could be injured.  I know I have skipped going into ports with tenders due to a bad knee when the waters are rough.  I can only imagine that someone with notable mobility challenges would have the presence of mind to skip those ports when the sea conditions are rather treacherous but maybe, in the absence of that, one could foresee that a very broad cruise line policy might be necessary ... or at least the head honchos have thought so.  I can only guess that there is a lawsuit behind this action.