Live From Majestic Princess - The Sept. 26th Last Alaska cruise of 2021 Season

[dog]

How are things going on-board the Majestic Saturday?

[dog]

Haven’t seen any updates here since Friday. Possibly internet problems?  Stay safe 

[trey420]

We aren't doing much but floating around.  About to leave soon.

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

Is there still Nobody in the casino? 😉😆

[Sea Emerald]

We are in the ferry terminal and should be home by 11:30.  We had an amazing cruise.  Great service and met some fabulous people!!!  Would love to be on a cruise with them again!!  Will post more later, but a huge shout out to @geoherbfor suggesting trivia.  We spent a ton of time in Princess Live doing trivia and game shows.  We are lousy at them, but had the best time!  The cruise staff on the Majestic is fabulous!!!  

[twangster]

Internet was pretty slow on the trip home.  We had rain for much of it and foggy at times.  Both of which are known to impede satellite internet so it was hard to post very much.

 

Despite some cool looking waves at times (looking out from deck 5 windows and seeing the water near the window then disappear sort of thing) the ship handled it well and it was pretty smooth.  

 

We gained some relief by taking a different way South compared to our Northbound route.

 

Hot tubs were hot, drink were cold.  Food was good.  

 

 

For some reason Princess didn't process my Port Valet request.  From a FB group I'm not the only one.  Had to drag my own bags to the airport and fortunately Delta took them early in the day ignoring the 4 hour rule some airlines enforce.   

[KamAZ]

The Port Valet was a mixed success for us. The suitcase we put out before dinner didn't make it on our flight, but the one we put out after dinner did. So, not sure if I'd use it again. At least the airline is delivering it later. 

 

Does anyone else feel a bit like you're still on a moving boat? 

[vernonrjones]

We self disembarked, grabbed an Uber to our Hotel.  Chilling at the Airport Marriott waiting on the only non stop flight to Wichita tomorrow morning on Alaska Airlines.  We had a great time and looking forward to our next adventure.  St Marteen in November then a 7 day on the Caribbean Princess Feb 13.   
safe Travels everyone 

[hpeabody]

1 hour ago, KamAZ said:

The Port Valet was a mixed success for us. The suitcase we put out before dinner didn't make it on our flight, but the one we put out after dinner did. So, not sure if I'd use it again. At least the airline is delivering it later. 

 

Does anyone else feel a bit like you're still on a moving boat? 

Look up Mal de debarkment syndrome.  Could have a mild case.

[farsight]

Welcome to my "Almost Live From" portion of this thread.

 

First, I would like to apologize for my lack of posts during this cruise. I planned to do better by all of you. I'm sure we have lost some of our audience now that disembarkation for this sailing has reached its inevitably poignant conclusion. However, there will be the diehards we know (or not) and love, along with others who are still hungry for recent cruise exploits and perspective. 

 

Fair warning, I am unabashedly pro Princess and even more-so after this cruise. There are some things that I would like improved, but even those are tempered by my bias.

[left the dog at home]

46 minutes ago, farsight said:

Welcome to my "Almost Live From" portion of this thread.

 

First, I would like to apologize for my lack of posts during this cruise. I planned to do better by all of you. I'm sure we have lost some of our audience now that disembarkation for this sailing has reached its inevitably poignant conclusion. However, there will be the diehards we know (or not) and love, along with others who are still hungry for recent cruise exploits and perspective. 

 

Fair warning, I am unabashedly pro Princess and even more-so after this cruise. There are some things that I would like improved, but even those are tempered by my bias.

Thank you to all who were able to post.  You know I’ll keep following!  I’m determined to get Hubby on Princess. 

[trey420]

I can't say I had the best time on this cruise.  I give the food a C average across the board.  That includes both specialty restaurants crown and mer, buffet, restaurants.  The room was cool with the upgrade and all.  If I was into just sitting playing games all day the cruise would have been better for me.  But I'm more in it for the ports.  Obviously you can't blame princess for the weather.  However the experience of so many sea days really was not fun or entertaining for me.  It is what it is, oh well.  I'm not sure I would sail them again unless I can find a reasonable cruise to use my 35% on.  I had a much better time the 3 days I spent in Seattle than this entire cruise. 

[left the dog at home]

2 minutes ago, trey420 said:

I can't say I had the best time on this cruise.  I give the food a C average across the board.  That includes both specialty restaurants crown and mer, buffet, restaurants.  The room was cool with the upgrade and all.  If I was into just sitting playing games all day the cruise would have been better for me.  But I'm more in it for the ports.  Obviously you can't blame princess for the weather.  However the experience of so many sea days really was not fun or entertaining for me.  It is what it is, oh well.  I'm not sure I would sail them again unless I can find a reasonable cruise to use my 35% on.  I had a much better time the 3 days I spent in Seattle than this entire cruise. 

For the ports, maybe try one of their trips from the LA area.  I think both Mexican Riviera and CA Coastal have returned. 

[Tedferg]

On 9/30/2021 at 7:12 AM, Alaskanb said:

Do you know if they use MSG in the food at the Harmony restaurant? Thanks

 

BTW the bad reports about MSG are wrong. It was a prank by one doctor betting another doctor. I forget the details - perhaps Google can expand on this.

[Sea Emerald]

This was our sixth cruise to Alaska so the fact we missed ports wasn't  a big deal for us.  Didn't get seasick.  We love sea days. Heck Princess could anchor in Puget Sound or just cruise around and stop nowhere and we would be happy.  Seattle is a super easy port for us so leaving from there is great.  We usually do a bit of dancing and thought Ocean Boulevard was really good.  Had some great meals in the MDR.  I had lots of fish dishes.  Lobster night was probably my least favorite food, although good, and we had great dinner companions.  We spent some of our OBC to have dinner in Harmony since The Crown Grill was booked.  We thought it was really good and the room is pretty and relaxing.  Excellent service.  Had Lemon chicken, easily the best I have ever had.  With a great green bean side.  @farsighthad a shrimp dish and bok choy side.  Both really good.  Green tea cheesecake.  OK, but kind of grainy.  Mango dessert with tapioca pearls and pistachio ice cream.  Yum!  Ate won ton soup twice from the noodle bar.  So good!!  Herin, a barista in the IC, was amazing.  One of our favorite crew members.  Great service and charisma.  Our room steward, Damodar, was great. He made sure we had everything we needed and a couple of cabin repairs were immediately  fixed.  Like I have previously said we did a bunch of trivia and games which we have never done.  Had a blast!  The cruise staff is the best.  Kevin Tugwell is great and has a great team.  Most notably Lauren and Christiaan.  We had a fabulous cruise.  Can't wait to go back.  

[Alaskanb]

1 hour ago, Tedferg said:

BTW the bad reports about MSG are wrong. It was a prank by one doctor betting another doctor. I forget the details - perhaps Google can expand on this.

Interesting reads.Thanks. Basically it is regarded as a safe additive but some people may have a mild sensitivity. 

[farsight]

@geoherb In your live thread, your frequent posts about attending the trivia games peaked our interest! Without your posts, we may not have experienced the most fun we had on the cruise! DW and I can't thank you enough. We had a flipping blast. (For me, second place goes to mother nature who provided an unforgettable performance of "September Storm Surge." The Majestic Princess was the perfect venue from which to experience this performance).

 

I would like to say that we both totally suck at trivia.  However, I am at least an order of magnitude worse than Sea Emerald (DW). I could surely peg any meter that measures one's lack of trivia knowledge (the meter might even need re-calibration afterwards). Did I say that we had a flipping blast? If you missed it, YES, WE DID!

 

We learned many worthless and entertaining pieces of information. And, we experienced the considerable talent of the entertainment staff thoroughly. Not only were they talented, but their chemistry almost screamed at you. We especially fell in love with Lauren's dry wit, Christiaan's antics, and Kevin Tugwell's humor and management of a stellar staff.

 

Christiaan surprised us the day after his 30th birthday when DW and I were walking forward out of the Princess Shops. He happened to turn around when I was a few feet behind him. He made direct eye contact with me and said, "Well there's trouble." (I might have brought attention to myself once or twice.) He obviously wanted to engage and I was thrilled. We wished him a happy belated birthday, and complimented his part in the games and shows. We discussed some of our favorites. He was in absolutely no hurry to be on his way. (Damn, I didn't think to get a picture!) At the end of our conversation we ascended the stairs to deck 8 behind him until we hit the starboard hall. DW was a bit uncomfortable and assured Christiaan him that we weren't stalking him (jokingly?). He chuckled, turned forward and we went aft. (A 66 year old male and I get almost star struck? Sometimes, I wonder about myself. Wow!)

 

@geoherb We also have you to thank/blame you for making us aware of these trivia events. On day 3, we went to " Rock The Room Challenge Trivia." It was hosted by Christiaan, who deserves the lion's share of the blame. We sang and yelled, that included the men displaying their "manly" prowess by singing our part of, "Who Let The Dogs Out," ("Woof, woof, woof, woof woof") at the top of our lungs in a, Princess Live, left side/right side competition). I came away from the trivia with my voice revisiting 1967 puberty the rest of the day and into the next afternoon. It was the worst part of puberty, but it notably didn't include any of the embarrassing stuff (nuff said). I was not impressed with the staying power of DW's mirth at my predicament expense.

 

One more thing @geoherb. Now back at home, when we listen to Pandora in the car, we are trying to guess the artist and the name of the song. When we listen to something that has the date of release we'll be guessing that too. It is, and will provide, an enrichment to our lives for a long time to come. We will probably think of you every time we enjoy this new activity. It may become more fleeting over time but will never fade completely. Oh yeah, we are singing along to hopefully get better at voice. An added benefit should be to keep my voice in the twenty first century. Rest assured, you will live on in infamy/ high acclaim.😇

[farsight]

On 9/28/2021 at 12:06 PM, nini said:

 

I think that maybe my family and I may be related to you! We also love the rock 'n roll of the ocean, regardless where we are on the ship. Keep us posted when the next storm hits. Yikes!

@nini Sorry not to have gotten back to you until now. The Monday night storm proved to be the most intense. I think it was due to more heave and pitch of the ship. That being said, during the storm following the Glacier Bay scenic cruising there was more sway with the ship rocking from side to side. It was smoother and less "bumpy". When walking down a long and wide walkway like the longitudinal one in the World Marketplace and by the time I had walked the entire length, my feet had visited the entire width multiple times. They weren't cooperating with the plan and there was zero alcohol involved.

[farsight]

On 9/28/2021 at 12:11 PM, nini said:

Yup! This is what happens when you are on the last Alaska cruise of the season. We love it. And get ready for some great sales in Ketchikan.

Believe it or not there were no sales of any kind that looked different from normal pricing in the stores we visited in Juneau. Had Ketchikan survived the final itinerary we might have been in luck.

 

[farsight]

We arrived at Pier 91 at about 10:40. The green lane check-in was very speedy and probably only took about 10 minutes. However, unlike most of the Alaska restart sailings we sat in the terminal for at least a half hour as boarding was inexplicably delayed. I now know from watching Cruise Vlogger Don Terris (I think that's the right spelling) on the Don's Family Vacation's YouTube Channel why we had a lengthy wait. Don is from Canada and needed a rapid PCR test to fly home. He was waiting with the other passengers with the same requirement. Princess does perform those tests. I''m not certain what area of the ship they were limited to, but one of the passengers who had been very actively wondering around in the area tested positive. Consequently, the Princess protocols dictated a very thorough disinfection portions of the ship where this passenger had been. I don't know how far back they traced his movements, but try to imagine how much they needed to do by Princess and CDC guidelines.

 

This is why I try to flow with the unexpected obstruction of my plans. In many instances I/we just don't have enough information to see the bigger picture. Princess is in a damned if you do/damned if you don't quandary. Personally, I would have liked to know more. However, it would have probably created more anxiety in others that far outweighed the minimalist approach taken. In the end, I see it as just one more example of how Princess is working to keep us safe.

 

Sunday night spent at Pier 91 didn't feel right. That very subtle vibration that is ever present on a cruise ship underway was missing. (Maybe we could work some Joni Mitchell song title trivia in here (first right answer has a Majestic Princess coaster waiting for them in Brmerton, WA). Other than that and being able to enjoy the Seattle City lights from our starboard balcony, it was normal at sea ship life. Life was good; we were finally on a cruise ship. For some inexplicable reason, I woke up right when the ship was perpendicular to the pier and maybe underway at about 2 knots. I can attest that a 6:30AM sail-away in my stateroom could use a more active imagination than I have at that time in the morning with fresh bed head. It was pretty uneventful but at the same time exhilarating to be underway. We did have much better weather Monday morning to enjoy Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca than if we had departed Seattle per our original schedule.

[telecheck]

1 hour ago, farsight said:

Believe it or not there were no sales of any kind that looked different from normal pricing in the stores we visited in Juneau. Had Ketchikan survived the final itinerary we might have been in luck.

 

 

Some items were 50% off in Skagway and Ketchikan, but they were so ugly that nobody wanted to buy. No sales of any kind in Juneau also. As I recall, the Shop of Princess on the ship was giving you 75% off for Alaska items. I was on the cruise right before yours but only got 50% off.

[nini]

8 hours ago, trey420 said:

I can't say I had the best time on this cruise.  I give the food a C average across the board.  That includes both specialty restaurants crown and mer, buffet, restaurants.  The room was cool with the upgrade and all.  If I was into just sitting playing games all day the cruise would have been better for me.  But I'm more in it for the ports.  Obviously you can't blame princess for the weather.  However the experience of so many sea days really was not fun or entertaining for me.  It is what it is, oh well.  I'm not sure I would sail them again unless I can find a reasonable cruise to use my 35% on.  I had a much better time the 3 days I spent in Seattle than this entire cruise. 

It is sad that you are allowing the weather and Mother Nature to convince you that Princess is not worthy. I think my palate is very poor and then again... maybe the maybe the food was really just really way off base! Just like we how we feel about Celebrity!

[farsight]

7 hours ago, telecheck said:

 

Some items were 50% off in Skagway and Ketchikan, but they were so ugly that nobody wanted to buy. No sales of any kind in Juneau also. As I recall, the Shop of Princess on the ship was giving you 75% off for Alaska items. I was on the cruise right before yours but only got 50% off.

Yes, we purchased  several Alaska items at 75% off and wish we had bought a couple more tall mugs as well as a couple more fleece jackets for presents. However, we had already thrown caution and common sense to the wind when originally packing for the cruise, and our luggage was strained to the max from the start. Upon disembarkation, we had to walk to the taxi, then walk from the taxi through Seattle waterfront construction to the Seattle Ferry entrance. We then had to navigate, on foot, the "charming" construction of the ferry terminal to board the Bremerton Ferry. In Bremerton, we had to walk a couple of blocks to our ride home. Those extra purchases would have made our return home much more unwieldy, and I'm certain they would have made for some creatively colorful language.

[farsight]

This theater is really nice. We enjoyed a few good shows here.

 

[farsight]

The Hollywood conservatory pool was quite active Tuesday morning:

 

 

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by farsight