Live on Majestic Princess 09/05/2021`

[farsight]

Just now, mina said:

Yes, the Turkish hamamm area was between 110 and 120 per the sign and I can only stay in about 10 mins. Stone seats were quite hot.  Not blistering, but pretty hot.  Stone loungers were just barely warm though.  Like them a little hotter.

@minaThanks for your response.

 

At one of our local Navy installations, the gym had a steam room that I would have to really push myself to stay in 10 minutes. Around 6 minutes, I would start wondering whether I was going to make it. Loved it! I was an absolute limp noodle when I was done. I could do an extremely hard workout and be tired but, oh boy, if I went in the steam room I felt like I had done five times the workout afterwards. As a side note, the steam room on the Ruby Princess was excellent.

[XBGuy]

2 hours ago, mina said:

Tried some different things in crown grill tonight. The mussels had a strong fish taste, more than usual for mussels, maybe they were old as have never seen anyone order them before.  Garlic bread in the wine sauce was fantastic. Would not order again though.  Also shrimp bisque, spiney lobster cake, and triple chocolate decadence with the apple and rhubarb cobbler. 

 

 

That is certainly disappointing.  The Mussel Pot is Mrs. XBGuy's favorite.  She has it at least once, and often more than once, every cruise.  However, we do realize that there are inconsistencies in the galley staff and the purveyors from cruise to cruise.

 

Mrs. XBGuy's other Crown Grill favorite is the Garlic Fries which she orders as her appetizer.  She often gets a double take from the server when she does so, but they quickly recover, and her fries arrive along with whatever appetizer I might order.  The really cool thing is that she can't eat all the fries, and, so, I get to reach over had have some myself.  😄

[geoherb]

The variety of food in the buffet is less than usual due to the fewer number of passengers on these cruises. Normally there are a lot more choices. I only ate a few snacks and desserts when I was on the ship last month and a taste of a curried shrimp dish the day we were in Glacier Bay. I ate at Alfredo's twice for lunch when the dining room was closed due to the ship being in port (Skagway and Ketchikan). It was open for lunch the day we arrived in Juneau in the afternoon and also the day we were in Glacier Bay.

[azbirdmom]

17 minutes ago, geoherb said:

The variety of food in the buffet is less than usual due to the fewer number of passengers on these cruises. Normally there are a lot more choices. I only ate a few snacks and desserts when I was on the ship last month and a taste of a curried shrimp dish the day we were in Glacier Bay. I ate at Alfredo's twice for lunch when the dining room was closed due to the ship being in port (Skagway and Ketchikan). It was open for lunch the day we arrived in Juneau in the afternoon and also the day we were in Glacier Bay.

 

I was thinking the buffet variety was also due to the fact that they had to have staff serving every passenger.  On Royal Class ships we usually had a lot of our dinners and many breakfasts in the buffet.  On our Alaska Majestic cruise, we only went there for one lunch and one dinner there.  I do think it's just a sign of the times and not something that will last forever.  At least I hope it isn't.  I missed the theme nights!

Edited September 8, 2021 by azbirdmom

[Italy52]

18 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

 

I was thinking the buffet variety was also due to the fact that they had to have staff serving every passenger.  On Royal Class ships we usually had a lot of our dinners and many breakfasts in the buffet.  On our Alaska Majestic cruise, we only went there for one lunch and one dinner there.  I do think it's just a sign of the times and not something that will last forever.  At least I hope it isn't.  I missed the theme nights!

We eat light so we usually do the buffet.  We were on the 8/22 cruise and also missed the theme nights.  Selections were definitely scaled back and I do think these times will pass.  As for the desserts, I was really disappointed with the selections.  We will be on the Majestic next June and hope that things return to normal.

[mina]

3 hours ago, XBGuy said:

 

That is certainly disappointing.  The Mussel Pot is Mrs. XBGuy's favorite.  She has it at least once, and often more than once, every cruise.  However, we do realize that there are inconsistencies in the galley staff and the purveyors from cruise to cruise.

 

Mrs. XBGuy's other Crown Grill favorite is the Garlic Fries which she orders as her appetizer.  She often gets a double take from the server when she does so, but they quickly recover, and her fries arrive along with whatever appetizer I might order.  The really cool thing is that she can't eat all the fries, and, so, I get to reach over had have some myself.  😄

The mussels were still okay they just had a strong taste to me so probably not as fresh as I like.  The wine sauces was excellent!  So maybe I just got a not as good batch. They were expertly cooked. My hubby also loves the garlic fries.  Always a bonus for me too. 

[mina]

We went to the buffet for lunch today and agree not as many options as in the past. However, the food was excellent. Pork spare ribs were better than any I have had in princess before tender and not as fatty as usual. OMG the chicken tikka masala was out of this world, and I consider myself a good judge of masala!  

[Purple Gallinule]

Can you please tell us if there is a shuttle from downtown Skagway to the ship. We are on an excursion and would like to get off in the downtown area at the end of the tour, but I fear the walk back to the ship may be a little far for my old legs. Thanks.

[mjceditor]

Yes there is, $2.00 pp oneway. Just look for the blue signs that say Shuttle Pickup.

[Purple Gallinule]

2 minutes ago, mjceditor said:

Yes there is, $2.00 pp oneway. Just look for the blue signs that say Shuttle Pickup.

Thanks a lot!!

[coastcat]

Oh my… first announcement from the bridge at about 12:25am: man overboard. Second announcement just now: they’re re-assessing the situation as it might be a false alarm. They’re turning the ship around. For now, stay put, but we may be asked to go to our muster station (presumably for head count).

Edited September 9, 2021 by coastcat

[travelers07]

Captain says doing a crew head count. There is a searchlight out and a small boat. They started to put down a tender boat but stopped and it is off the side but not in the water. Lots of people on their balconies.

 

Hoping for the best now.

[coastcat]

And now we’ve been directed to our muster stations. Lots of sleepy folks in the dining room with me, standing by for further directions. 

[coastcat]

Wonderful news - all passengers and crew are now known to be safe. Turning back around to head to Glacier Bay. 

[travelers07]

All good- lots of grumbling but the crew did a good job. All part of cruising I guess but wide awake at 2:30 in the morning. So glad everyone is safe!

 

[Reina del Mar]

On 9/6/2021 at 6:24 PM, KLM3164 said:

PHOTOGRAPHS

They weren’t on last week’s cruise. I miss the embarkation and photos they take when you get off at the ports. We didn’t take any photos last week because they were only the staged ones around the ship. Saved some money by not having any photos to buy. I did not miss the photographers in the dining room! 

 

We would be very happy not having queues to have photographs taken on embarkation and especially getting off the ship in ports.

 

We usually just say “No Thank you or Excuse us’ and walk behind the queues. Not usually an issue but in these COVID days glad social distancing can be maintained.

 

Sorry it’s not directly linked to ‘Live from’ thread. 

[Steelers36]

On 9/7/2021 at 11:05 AM, TinaLee said:

They were discussing specifically the gym, and there have been reports that there is a sign outside the gym saying masks are required. Not saying anything about other locations on the ship. 

 

On 9/7/2021 at 11:21 AM, mina said:

Correct sign outside the gym that says masks required.  Can get a pic if needed. However I have been the only one wearing one.  Not a lot of people In there when I go and everyone keeps their distance so not really an issue. 

Protocol around here is masks are not required when actually using equipment and doing exercise, but mask to walk around and such.  I imagine it is similar elsewhere and guests are likely expecting that to be the situation.

[CapeAliso]

2 hours ago, travelers07 said:

All good- lots of grumbling but the crew did a good job. All part of cruising I guess but wide awake at 2:30 in the morning. So glad everyone is safe!

3 hours ago, coastcat said:

Wonderful news - all passengers and crew are now known to be safe. Turning back around to head to Glacier Bay. 

What a night! I am glad everyone is safe and you are on your way!

[Sea Hag]

18 hours ago, mina said:

We went to the buffet for lunch today and agree not as many options as in the past. However, the food was excellent. Pork spare ribs were better than any I have had in princess before tender and not as fatty as usual. OMG the chicken tikka masala was out of this world, and I consider myself a good judge of masala!  

The ribs and chicken tikka masala were my favorites on our 8/29 cruise. Yummy.

[Musky Ike]

6 hours ago, travelers07 said:

All good- lots of grumbling but the crew did a good job. All part of cruising I guess but wide awake at 2:30 in the morning. So glad everyone is safe!

 

A good training exercise. I enjoyed the pajama show but forgot our masks. They had disposables to hand out.

[mina]

Today was glacier bay. Very foggy but still beautiful.  We had the ultimate balcony breakfast today.  It was a gift from princess for the mess they made of our dining reservations. All I can say is glad it was free.  We have had it before and it was wonderful.  This time, food was stone cold and poor.  The amount of food was about half of what they used to serve. Which would have been ok if it tasted good and hot stuff was at least warm. 
  The pastries and salmon brioche buns we’re child sized like big petit fours.  Only two slices of very cold bacon per person. Coffee was Luke warm.  Quiche was tiny and did not taste good and was also cold. Instead of a carafe of orange juice to go with the champagne as we got before, got two small juice glasses only.  Could not make a decent mimosa from that. Fruit plate was thin shavings of about two regular slices of cantaloupe instead of a half cantaloupe and only one plate, I thought last time we got two.    Oh well, we did not pay for it or I would have returned it and gotten $$ back. Will mention this in survey as they should not be charging for this level quality.  Must say only bad food we have had so far. 

Edited September 9, 2021 by mina

[PrincessLuver]

12 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

 

Protocol around here is masks are not required when actually using equipment and doing exercise, but mask to walk around and such.  I imagine it is similar elsewhere and guests are likely expecting that to be the situation.

Not where we live......masks on at all times in the gym except when in the pool.......does not make sense to me otherwise........

[starboardcruiser]

Thank you, @Musky Ikefor starting this thread. I'm also onboard and am happy to share my experiences.

 

Embarkation: Our group took the Amtrak Cascades from Portland to Seattle Sunday morning. The train arrived around noon. Quality Town Car was waiting for us and we were at the port in relatively quick order despite the Seattle traffic. Once we arrived at Pier 91, someone arrived nearly immediately to retrieve our luggage. It was a short walk to the terminal. There were two lines (green lane and yellow lane). No one checked our assigned boarding time, though we arrived within it. The line moved relatively quickly, though I did not time it. They arranged the check-in by cabin, which seems efficient. Having all of your documents (passport, medallion, vaccination proof, and test results) out makes the process move so quickly. I used the Abbott BinaxNow observed home test and she accepted the results right away. I was nervous, so I was prepared with plenty of backup documentation, but I mention this in case the home test is the best option for other people without much testing (like my area). We received a card that we were ready to board and walked pretty much straight onboard after checking our documents. The alternative would have been stopping to get the medallions and those lines were short as we walked by. There were no embarkation photos, but we took some time to take our own before entering the gangplank. The crew gave us a wonderful welcome onboard.

 

Dining: Unfortunately, our timing did not allow us to make it to embarkation lunch in the dining room. We went to our cabin and met our steward before heading to Alfredo’s for lunch. There were some other diners, but it was not too busy. We made our way to Club Class dining for dinner. I connected our booking numbers with our PVP and in the app, so I was surprised that they were not expecting a party our size (7). The team put together a table quickly and indicated they would be prepared for us going forward. We have eaten most meals in the dining room since and the waitstaff has been fantastic. We ate in the Crown Grill for the first formal night and it was delicious. Breakfast in Harmony has been wonderful. Tonight is the second formal night and we'll be spending it in Club Class dining.

 

Activities: We have done some Princess excursions and gone to some of the trivia and game shows. The ship does not feel crowded. I have heard conflicting reports of passenger counts (just over 2000 reported at the meet & greet and 2500 reported elsewhere). I enjoyed the meet and greet and it was well attended by the ship staff. Even traveling between my cabin and muster station (per the report by@coastcat) was fairly quick. I am enjoying the reduced capacity in port and multiple shops and tour operators have expressed sincere gratitude that we are there for this abbreviated season. The most disappointing part of the trip so far has been Lotus Spa. I scheduled a day pass for the Enclave and did not feel the same level of customer service from the staff as I have elsewhere on the ship. I visited only once to use the facility (the other two times were to make the appointment and turn in the keys), but I felt as though I was inconveniencing the staff by being there each time. The variety of shops on board is nice. We had a nice day in Glacier Bay today and the Park Rangers were great.

 

Shore excursions: In Juneau, we participated in the Mendenhall Glacier trek again and it’s remarkable the difference from our last visit (14 years ago). I did not realize it was operated by a different company than in the past and would have worn a raincoat if I’d known (we received outerwear last time and I wore a fleece instead of a jacket this time due to that). I stayed warm enough and ours ended up being the last tour of the day due to degrading weather conditions. In Skagway, we took the abbreviated White Pass Scenic Railway trip. I enjoyed the trip and look forward to taking the longer trip at some point.

App/MedallionNet/Medallion: I have had a decent amount of trouble with the app and with my phone connecting to MedallionNet. I have tried not to worry about it when I’m not able to connect. Luckily, most of what I need is in the paper patter. I have noticed that the app and my connection often works better in my cabin (I also noticed that there is an access point outside my door, which probably explains why). I have used the app to order a couple of times and it has worked out fine. I like the medallion. The battery died in the medallion of one of my cabin mates, but I was able to obtain a new one in a few minutes.

 

 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

When and where are masks required?  We are on the Ruby in March RT SF to HI and don't relish the thought of 15 days wearing a mask in the public areas.  I know things can change before March.  But just trying to keep track before final payment in December.  

 

[1emerald1]

16 minutes ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

When and where are masks required?  We are on the Ruby in March RT SF to HI and don't relish the thought of 15 days wearing a mask in the public areas.  I know things can change before March.  But just trying to keep track before final payment in December.  

 

Haha my dyslexia kicked in when I saw your user name, I read it as My Steamy Life!!  Was very interested in what you had to say!