PACD_JG Posted August 29, 2021 #1 Share Posted August 29, 2021 I booked my family's first cruise to Alaska on Princess in June 2022. I literally used to make fun of cruisers as it's not my vacation style at all. However, I'm OCD about travel so I've done a lot of research, and I'm now literally addicted to Tips for Travellers, La Lido Loca, and CruiseTips TV. Honorable mention to Emma Cruises, Cruise with Ben and David, Don's Family Vacations, Chad Cruisers, Cruise Tips by the Jelly Beans, and EatSleepCruise. Not sure why I posted, but it's Saturday night and I'm bored, and my family has banned me from YouTube. 6 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john watson Posted August 29, 2021 #2 Share Posted August 29, 2021 This will likely turn out expensive when you keep re-booking. The great thing about Princess is that they more or less cover the entire world. Regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted August 29, 2021 #3 Share Posted August 29, 2021 16 hours ago, PACD_JG said: I booked my family's first cruise to Alaska on Princess in June 2022 16 hours ago, PACD_JG said: I'm now literally addicted to ...... Hello fellow Centerville neighbor! I recommend that you become addicted to Cruise Critic as well. As the time for your cruise comes closer, you are likely to have questions that the You Tube sites are not going to be able to answer. There's much experience available by many who post on CC. On which Princess ship will you sail? Princess offers an excellent Alaska cruise product. I think you chose well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipgeeks Posted August 29, 2021 #4 Share Posted August 29, 2021 I second much of the post above. I hope your watching of so many sites has made you realize that they are often quite biased! You might see one that says it was the worst cruise ever, and someone else on the same cruise will say it was the best. The recommendation to read Cruise Critic in the months to come is a good one. However, again, my personal warning is to not believe everything you read in the Reviews, if you do read those. But these pages, including First Time Cruisers (where we are now), as well as the Princess forum, the Alaska forum, and the Roll Call for your cruise can all be helpful. And don't hesitate to post questions! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACD_JG Posted August 30, 2021 Author #5 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Hey neighbor. 61 cruises! I'm on the Sapphire Princess. I have been on Cruise Critic, and before I booked I asked a question here about which ship to choose, and it seemed most liked the smaller ship despite it being older. I do check cruisecritic about every day, but as of right now everything's booked (not paid for) and there's just so much speculation that I don't see it necessary to ask many questions yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoz Posted August 30, 2021 #6 Share Posted August 30, 2021 23 hours ago, PACD_JG said: I booked my family's first cruise to Alaska on Princess in June 2022. I literally used to make fun of cruisers as it's not my vacation style at all. However, I'm OCD about travel so I've done a lot of research, and I'm now literally addicted to Tips for Travellers, La Lido Loca, and CruiseTips TV. Honorable mention to Emma Cruises, Cruise with Ben and David, Don's Family Vacations, Chad Cruisers, Cruise Tips by the Jelly Beans, and EatSleepCruise. Not sure why I posted, but it's Saturday night and I'm bored, and my family has banned me from YouTube. Same! 1st cruise not until July 2022 (also Alaska) but am overdosing on this board and youtube videos. Do you not like the Lifewellcruised ones? I like finding the what to pack or "what I wore on my Alaskan cruise" ones as well. 😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACD_JG Posted August 30, 2021 Author #7 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Dgoz, I have watched some of her videos, and it always seems like the mic has issues. Just because there are so many choices on YouTube, if I have to turn the volume up on the TV to hear it I usually just go on to another video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyjr88 Posted August 30, 2021 #8 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Welcome to the club! I've been on 7 cruises and I'm *still* addicted to YouTube. I've been scouring the interwebs for everything Carnival Breeze even though I've sailed on her before. 🙈 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted August 30, 2021 #9 Share Posted August 30, 2021 19 hours ago, PACD_JG said: Hey neighbor. 61 cruises! I'm on the Sapphire Princess. I have been on Cruise Critic, and before I booked I asked a question here about which ship to choose, and it seemed most liked the smaller ship despite it being older. I do check cruisecritic about every day, but as of right now everything's booked (not paid for) and there's just so much speculation that I don't see it necessary to ask many questions yet. Sapphire Princess is a newer and larger ship than is Coral Princess which is smaller and older. I have not sailed on Sapphire (have sailed on Coral), but the comments that I have read about her have been positive. I know an Australian couple with whom I have cruised that enjoyed a cruise from Southampton to Singapore in 2017 or 2018. John and his Hayati (his wife) had nothing negative to say about their cruise. Your reason for not asking many questions as of yet is valid. So much about travel is changing. As shipgeeks recommended, checking the Alaska Message Board may provide you with tour/sightseeing information that may help you plan for your time ashore. If a Roll Call for your cruise has begun, I encourage you to join it even at this early date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACD_JG Posted September 1, 2021 Author #10 Share Posted September 1, 2021 And just like that, I've been moved to the Royal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted September 1, 2021 #11 Share Posted September 1, 2021 7 hours ago, PACD_JG said: And just like that, I've been moved to the Royal... ......what? I don't understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACD_JG Posted September 1, 2021 Author #12 Share Posted September 1, 2021 Received an email: "Please be advised that due to deployment changes, your voyage will now sail on Royal Princess rather than Sapphire Princess." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john watson Posted September 1, 2021 #13 Share Posted September 1, 2021 10 hours ago, PACD_JG said: And just like that, I've been moved to the Royal... Have you been given a cabin number on the Royal? If so it is worth studying the deck plan and considering if this is a good replacement cabin. If you think it's 50/50 you can still phone in and see if you can get it changed free of charge to a better position or cabin type. When they cancelled cruises initially the refund as a new booking was 125% then later cancellations reduced to 110% refund as credit. I think you should be able to lever the cruise line a little bit if you phone and discuss things with a deck plan in front of you. Regards John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopkat Posted September 2, 2021 #14 Share Posted September 2, 2021 Our first cruise is booked for March 2022 (hopefully cruises in Australia would resume by then) and I am also addicted to the CC forum and YouTube! Tips for Travellers is my top favourite channel followed by Emma Cruises and Cruise with Ben & David. I could count on one hand the number of times I have used YouTube prior to booking my first cruise and now it's something I look at on a daily basis 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted September 2, 2021 #15 Share Posted September 2, 2021 20 hours ago, PACD_JG said: Received an email: "Please be advised that due to deployment changes, your voyage will now sail on Royal Princess rather than Sapphire Princess." I have sailed on Royal Princess in the Caribbean. She is a nice ship, but she is large! john watson's suggestion to you is a good one. Check out the cabin location and be certain that it is acceptable to you. If not, contact Princess ASAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETJAYZED Posted September 2, 2021 #16 Share Posted September 2, 2021 Yes!! I am driving my husband crazy - 463 days to Panama Canal on the Eurodam. Second cruise - we did Alaska in 2016 for our 10 year Anniversary. I am currently watching Emma Cruises... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farsight Posted September 8, 2021 #17 Share Posted September 8, 2021 You could add 'EECC Travels' to your YouTube list as well. We vlogger addicts have to enable each other. 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Denise T Posted September 9, 2021 #18 Share Posted September 9, 2021 My first cruise is booked 10/2022. I will be on the Norwegian Pearl heading to Canada/New England. I too have been watching YouTube especially videos about the Pearl. I currently watch ScottSingerCruises and have watched Ben and David. I check Cruise Critic daily. I have found that the cruising community is awesome and so helpful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted September 9, 2021 #19 Share Posted September 9, 2021 5 hours ago, Denise T said: I check Cruise Critic daily. I have found that the cruising community is awesome and so helpful. Welcome to Cruise Critic! There is much expertise available which is all based on our own cruise experiences flavored, at times, by our own opinions. Questions are welcomed! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Kat Posted September 9, 2021 #20 Share Posted September 9, 2021 7 hours ago, Denise T said: My first cruise is booked 10/2022. I will be on the Norwegian Pearl heading to Canada/New England. I too have been watching YouTube especially videos about the Pearl. I currently watch ScottSingerCruises and have watched Ben and David. I check Cruise Critic daily. I have found that the cruising community is awesome and so helpful. Howdy @Denise T and welcome to the Cruise Critic message boards! Cruise Critic is a great resource for new as well as experienced cruisers and we are so glad you found us! Please feel free to browse the Cruise Critic Community Categories list. Read a few threads in the different forums to get a feel for what each forum is about. Make sure you read any pinned threads (aka Stickies) on the top of the first page of threads in a forum. You will find very important instructions or information there. Please remember the following stated in the Guidelines we all agreed to follow when registering for our free Cruise Critic memberships: Browse Before You Post Browse a topic first to see if your question has already been asked or answered by someone else. Also, many of the major cruise lines forums have a FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) topic that has been created by our members. Give that a try first. Browsing is your #1 best resource! Please post your messages in an appropriate topic so that you'll receive the best possible response. It is very time consuming to move misplaced messages that are in the wrong topics. Anytime you need to start a new thread/topic on a forum, first make sure you are in the correct forum for your topic. Word your new thread title in a way to help the members know exactly the information you seek. This greatly helps the members browsing through the thread titles and if they know the information they will reply to you. It is best to limit each inquiry to only one topic or concerning only one cruise line, one ship, one port of call, etc. and of course, on the correct forum. You will get more replies that way. Be sure to mention your cruise line, ship, port or sail date in your inquiry as that sort of information will help your fellow Cruise Critic members help you. Wanted to let you know the Cruise Critic Roll Call thread for your line, ship and sail date will be the place for you to get to know the other Cruise Critic members sailing with you before the cruise. Your fellow Roll Call thread members may have important information posted in your Roll Call thread. Especially those that have sailed your line, ship or itinerary before. Also, the Roll Call thread for your cruise is the only place on Cruise Critic where you and your fellow Roll Call thread members are allowed to post personal ads about sharing private tours, excursions, transportation etc. with each other to 💲ave money. That is ... if COVID-19 protocol allows by then. There is a "captive audience" since you are all sailing together! You will receive a much better response to your share request if you take some time to read the entire Roll Call thread, post an introductory post about yourself, and continue on with more posts back and forth to get to know the other thread members and allow them to get to know you first before you post your share request. That is the spirit of our Roll Calls. To explain our Roll Calls and finding the Roll Call thread for your line, ship and sail date, please read What is a Roll Call? Everything you Need to Know and How To: Create A New Roll Call if one has not been started for your cruise. For more information about our famous Roll Calls, please read the Roll Calls and Our Policy Regarding Facebook and Roll Calls sections in the Guidelines. And don't forget, after your cruise be sure to submit your review for publication. Many cruisers will benefit from your experience! See How To: Submit a Member Review. So sorry this is so long, but I sincerely hope this information will be helpful to someone new to posting on our message boards. So glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! Happy sails, Host Kat 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted September 10, 2021 #21 Share Posted September 10, 2021 I smiled when I read the OP's post about OCD and cruising. I have been cruising (all over the world) for over 45 years and still love cruising as much as in the early days. I never thought of it in terms of OCD but have sometimes admitted here on CC that DW and I are addicted to cruising :). So my warning to the OP is that if you already are thinking in terms of OCD and cruising just give it time and it will become much worse (although many of us would call that a good thing). We recently took our first cruise (Greek Islands) in about 19 months. It occurred to me that this had been my longest stretch without a cruise in over 45 years! Walking up the gang plank (they truly had a gang plank for our ship in Pireaus) had that wonderful feeling of "I am home." What was different about this first (for me) post COVID cruise was that everyone we met onboard (including the crew) admitted to having similar feelings. If this is an example of OCD then I am happy to have OCD :). Chatting with some crew members (the crew on Seabourn are very sociable Hank 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don9992 Posted September 19, 2021 #22 Share Posted September 19, 2021 On 8/28/2021 at 10:16 PM, PACD_JG said: I booked my family's first cruise to Alaska on Princess in June 2022. I literally used to make fun of cruisers as it's not my vacation style at all. However, I'm OCD about travel so I've done a lot of research, and I'm now literally addicted to Tips for Travellers, La Lido Loca, and CruiseTips TV. Honorable mention to Emma Cruises, Cruise with Ben and David, Don's Family Vacations, Chad Cruisers, Cruise Tips by the Jelly Beans, and EatSleepCruise. Not sure why I posted, but it's Saturday night and I'm bored, and my family has banned me from YouTube. I could have written this post except for the last sentence and that our cruise is in July. We're doinq the Northbound route one-way from Vancouver. Our Ship was switched from the Sapphire to the Royal Princess but, having never been on any cruise ship before, I'll withold judgement and just enjoy the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACD_JG Posted September 19, 2021 Author #23 Share Posted September 19, 2021 3 hours ago, Don9992 said: We're doinq the Northbound route one-way from Vancouver. Our Ship was switched from the Sapphire to the Royal Princess but, having never been on any cruise ship before, I'll withold judgement and just enjoy the ride. But it's like paying for Ruth's Chris and then getting Outback. Sure, I'll still eat all my steak and enjoy it, but it's not what I paid for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted September 19, 2021 #24 Share Posted September 19, 2021 4 hours ago, PACD_JG said: But it's like paying for Ruth's Chris and then getting Outback. Sure, I'll still eat all my steak and enjoy it, but it's not what I paid for. I am not sure that I can agree with you. I have not sailed on Sapphire Princess, but have sailed on Royal Princess. My opinion is that Royal Princess ought not to be deployed in Alaska. Sapphire Princess may be too large of a vessel for an Alaskan deployment as well. Coral Princess is the appropriate size for a Princess ship to sail Alaskan itineraries in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john watson Posted September 20, 2021 #25 Share Posted September 20, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, rkacruiser said: I am not sure that I can agree with you. I have not sailed on Sapphire Princess, but have sailed on Royal Princess. My opinion is that Royal Princess ought not to be deployed in Alaska. Sapphire Princess may be too large of a vessel for an Alaskan deployment as well. Coral Princess is the appropriate size for a Princess ship to sail Alaskan itineraries in my opinion. Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess were specifically designed for Alaska cruises. It is not entirely obvious but Grand Class ships are 118 feet wide however the aforementioned ships are 123 feet wide. The reason for this is allegedly to have wider promenade decks such that full length loungers can be used on the promenade decks which are good under cover viewing areas. Coral Princess and Island Princess I believe were specifically built as Panamax ships having said that we are now in the Post-Panamax era. Regards John Edited September 20, 2021 by john watson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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