Crown Princess Alaska May 14th

[OKCruiseMan]

Just curious, did you do the inside passage? We are on the 28th.

[Connie N Crew]

On 5/16/2022 at 11:17 AM, Mike & Zen said:

I tried to send the post below last night but due to slow connectivity with the satellite at that time at this high latitude I couldn’t.  Connectivity seems to be better this morning.
 

Thanks for starting this separate thread for 14 May Crown Princess cruise.

 

Briefly, we were on the first back to service cruise for the Crown Princess that started 7 May, and were affected by loss of vacuum in our toilet on and off for 2 days, in our cabin located on deck 8, port side aft in E702, which is in zone 7.

 

Each deck has 7 zones starting with zone 1 forward to zone 7 aft.  If your cabin number starts with a 7, you are in zone 7, starts with a 5, you are in zone 5, etc.

 

The toilet issue affected some cabins in  zone 7, 6, 5, 4, and 2 mainly on deck 8, and also zones in deck 10 and some other decks that others have already explained.

 

We had approximately 2,200 passengers and about 1,500 of those were either newbie cruisers or newbies with Princess.

 

The toilet issues were passenger generated and not ship systems related.

 

There were passengers who threw baby diapers, sanitary napkins, banana peels, apple cores, brown paper towels, etc, into the toilets, which plugged the lines that in turn caused loss of vacuum and overflow.

 

The few plumbers worked relentlessly on the cabin decks and in engine room spaces to clear the pipes and valves.  Just when you thought it was over, we lost vacuum again within an hour and at best a few hours of relief.

Unfortunately, the passengers causing the blocked lines could not be pinpointed.

 

We were moved to a cabin on deck 11, Baja, starboard aft, and remain in that cabin for this cruise.  We have not had any issues in this cabin.

 

Once the passengers disembarked 14 May, there have been no issues.  I spoke with a plumber today and he said it was a quiet night last night with the new passengers.  And I spoke with our old cabin steward tonight, and he stated the same.

 

We have over 1,321 days with Princess, sailed in all their ships with the exception of the new ones that started sailing since Covid, the Enchanted, Sky, and Discovery, which we will sail in next week for two weeks.  We’ve rarely had toilet issues in the past but never to this extent that affected almost whole deck zones and different decks at the same time for a long time.

 

Soon after, the hotel management had notes placed into our cabins that stated what not to throw into the toilets; however, problems still persisted.

That major issue is now behind us, and flushing is as per normal.

 

Now, this cruise has about 700 fewer passengers at 1,512, which I got from the passengers services desk crew chat feature in the Medallion app.

 

The ship is still making good at about 20 knots.  In addition, the engineering department is continuing with their trials sometimes slowing speed and increasing speed with the engines.  We were down to about 14 knots this morning while the engineering department changed some injectors.  As I stated last night, the ship has a good “feel” with the increased speed.  (I’m an old crusty salt from way back).

 

As others have stated, the crew is outstanding in all regards.  Yes, they are short staffed as most of the cruise ships have been..

 

Last cruise our waitstaff were slow after not serving for two years but picked up and got their rhythm after a couple of days.  This cruise we have new waitstaff that just arrived the day before sailing and joined the ship yesterday.  Our new waiter has served for 22 years, and he had found his groove in about 15 minutes.  Tonight his service was quick, attentive, and just happy to be back at work after two years.

 

Now keep in mind, over the last two years, most cruise lines have had their ships at bare minimum manning of about 150 or so crew vice the normal 1000 to 1200 or more.

 

Food is subjective, but last cruise and this cruise our choices have been very good, and tasty.

 

A quick tip if you just want to quickly eat in the Main Dining Room and exit. Read the menu on the TV and know what you want to order.  Soon as you sit down tell your waiter you want to be finished in one hour or whatever time you want to finish.  When your waiter brings you the menu, tell your waiter you are ready to order now… do not hesitate or you’ll be there complaining about how long it took to be served!  However, if you want a slower meal service, say nothing.   Normally, it’s just the two of us at supper time.  So your mileage may vary.

 

Ok, that’s it for now.  Any questions, please ask as there are a few in this cruise now that can answer.

 

Cheers,

Mike

 

On 5/16/2022 at 12:24 PM, FloatinDown said:

Thanks, Mike for the update with the plumbing problems. We are booked on a aft facing and port side aft balcony on Caribe and was wondering about the issue. Going to have to follow the next cruise as we are going to be on the 28th. 

Thanks, Mike! We have rooms in the low 300s held for us on the Caribe Deck for the June 25 cruise, and we’re wondering if you’ve noticed any issues on that deck around Zone 3?? We’re so glad to hear that much has improved since the previous trip, but we’re trying to decide whether to move forward with our booking! Thanks for any insights!

[Firepath]

On 5/17/2022 at 9:21 AM, LCinLB said:

We made it to both ports ontime!  We docked at 2:30 in Juneau and they

told everyone that it would take about 30 minutes to get the walkways up for disembarkation. They made an overhead announcement when they were ready. My group did not get off right away (about 20 min after their announcement) and we only had to wait about 5-10 minutes.   I’m the Princess Patter is notice that in Skagway, it would take them from about 6am-11am to get the ramps in place to disembark. So during that time you would have to go down stairs to disembark and if you have mobility issues you will need to wait until that later time. So something to keep

in mind if that applies to you!

 

 

 I’m not sure about meeting excursions because we used an independent operator for our whale watching — Alaska Tales and they were amazing! We got lucky and there were only 11 of us ok a boat that normally has 50 people. We got to see a bunch of whales, sea lions, and even some harbor porpoises which the captain said was rare.

 

I’m assuming we made it in time/close to on time at 7am in Skagway… I “slept in”  until 7. We are going scenic white pass excursion booked through the ship later this morning, so I can report back.

 

Overall my group has been having a blast!  We’ve been really enjoying Maria who hosts most of the trivia on the ship. The singers and dancers were really good at the stage productions 2 nights ago. And the food has been great!

Do you think the ramp problem in Skagway is a one-time thing or ongoing? I’m in a wheelchair and have an excursion early, at 8am.

Would the wheelchair have to go on steps also, and how many steps?

Edited May 19, 2022 by Firepath

[Bubbletubs]

3 hours ago, OKCruiseMan said:

Just curious, did you do the inside passage? We are on the 28th.

Unfortunately it looks like not a lot of inside passage, according to this route I’ve been watching on cruisemapper. I know they’re skipping Ketchikan, but I was still hoping for a little more inside passage before cutting out to sea. We sail June 18th. 

[LCinLB]

2 hours ago, Firepath said:

Do you think the ramp problem in Skagway is a one-time thing or ongoing? I’m in a wheelchair and have an excursion early, at 8am.

Would the wheelchair have to go on steps also, and how many steps?

I’m not sure if it is a one time thing. You could try calling Princess to see. 
 

They were not traditional stairs like the kind between each deck on the ship. It was like a stair/ramp hybrid where each step was 2-3inches in height, but there were a lot of them, and there were small gaps in between. 

[Crow9]

I had the NAAT covid test done at Safeway, results were back in 20 minutes.  Scheduled the appointment for it a month prior.

[RJAM3]

they usually have a ramp just for those who really need it.  The tide depends on how steep the ramp is but they will put a couple of people to help one on the back and one on the front. I think you will be just fine. They also have people on the pier to help get you to where the tour busses are or the city bus. Enjoy...one of the most beautiful places on the planet in my opinion but if the wind is blowing it is really really cold. 

[SmedonSeas]

Does anyone on this trip know if there is Balcony Dining? I'm hoping to book it in July.

[LCinLB]

1 hour ago, SmedonSeas said:

Does anyone on this trip know if there is Balcony Dining? I'm hoping to book it in July.

We did the ultimate balcony breakfast the day we went into glacier bay. It was cold, but so pretty and peaceful!

[Connie N Crew]

Any updates on how the cruise is going overall? (Any plumbing issues, odors, or mechanical issues, etc:?) Hope you guys are having a great trip!

 

Thanks!!

[Mike & Zen]

[donswife]

On 5/17/2022 at 8:21 AM, LCinLB said:

We made it to both ports ontime!  We docked at 2:30 in Juneau and they

told everyone that it would take about 30 minutes to get the walkways up for disembarkation. They made an overhead announcement when they were ready. My group did not get off right away (about 20 min after their announcement) and we only had to wait about 5-10 minutes.   I’m the Princess Patter is notice that in Skagway, it would take them from about 6am-11am to get the ramps in place to disembark. So during that time you would have to go down stairs to disembark and if you have mobility issues you will need to wait until that later time. So something to keep

in mind if that applies to you!

 

 

 I’m not sure about meeting excursions because we used an independent operator for our whale watching — Alaska Tales and they were amazing! We got lucky and there were only 11 of us ok a boat that normally has 50 people. We got to see a bunch of whales, sea lions, and even some harbor porpoises which the captain said was rare.

 

I’m assuming we made it in time/close to on time at 7am in Skagway… I “slept in”  until 7. We are going scenic white pass excursion booked through the ship later this morning, so I can report back.

 

Overall my group has been having a blast!  We’ve been really enjoying Maria who hosts most of the trivia on the ship. The singers and dancers were really good at the stage productions 2 nights ago. And the food has been great!

 

If you see Maria again, could you please ask her if she was on the Crown Princess in 2016 for the Alaska season?  We had CD staff member Maria who was my favorite ever.  If it is her, please tell her "Fiona" was asking about her (if she remembers that long ago...I was travelling with my mom, M-I-L, and daughter)

 

Thanks!

[Mike & Zen]

1 hour ago, Connie N Crew said:

Any updates on how the cruise is going overall? (Any plumbing issues, odors, or mechanical issues, etc:?) Hope you guys are having a great trip!

 

Thanks!!

From our perspective, overall the cruise has been going very well. Speaking with a couple of plumbers this week, there have not been any major issues like last week with people throwing things into the toilets that continuously clogged the pipes.  Small maintenance issues throughout a cruise, though, are normal.
 

With respect to any major foul odours, we have not noticed any in the areas we have walked through, certainly not like last week.

 

The technical issue with one of the diesel generators that restricted the ships speed to about 16 to 17 knots during last weeks cruise, had been repaired at the beginning of this cruise.  We continue to do about 20 knots or so in the open ocean without issue.

 

We have been on schedule for all our port visits to date and for our scheduled time slot for Glacier Bay.

 

As previously mentioned by a few people, the crew continue to be outstanding despite being short staffed in some areas.  They are all happy to be back after a 2 year pause.

 

The first cruise last week had about 2200 passengers.  This cruise has about 1500, and nexts week cruise will have approximately 1465. 

Anyone else on this cruise have any comments?

 

[Mike & Zen]

12 hours ago, Connie N Crew said:

 

Thanks, Mike! We have rooms in the low 300s held for us on the Caribe Deck for the June 25 cruise, and we’re wondering if you’ve noticed any issues on that deck around Zone 3?? We’re so glad to hear that much has improved since the previous trip, but we’re trying to decide whether to move forward with our booking! Thanks for any insights!

I’ll go there tomorrow for you and talk with the cabin stewards in that area.

[CU64]

Facebook Princess Forum. So many furious posts about Crown in Alaska this month, cancelled ports, et al. People saying Crown should not have sailed until mechanical issues fixed. …..serious downers.

Mike’s posts adding perspective, thank goodness. The plumbing issues with thoughtless, ignorant passengers would make me furious.
 

[HogTide]

Anything on passenger/crew health issues....any indications on isolation/quarantine?

Mike please share your Covid protocol other than inside mask.  Thanks to you and LCinLB for your input this week!!

[ImperialLady]

Mike & Zen once again THANK YOU for keeping us updated and for sharing your wonderful photos

[Eaglecw]

Does anyone who is currently onboard the Crown know who the Princess naturalist is onboard?

[LCinLB]

Overall my group has been really enjoying this cruise! I haven’t seen any major issues like what happened on the previous cruise.  And, it has been really pleasant only having the ship be half full.  

Last night (formal night) was probably the busiest I have seen some of the lounges and dining rooms this whole cruise. And even then, it was still easy to get a table or find a place to sit.  We made sure to use Mike’s tip of letting our server know we wanted to make the 9:30 show time, and that has helped get us out of the MDR in a timely fashion 🙂

We had a minor issues in both my cabin and my parents cabin where the electrical outlets on the exterior wall side (leading to the balcony) didn’t work. But they got the electricians up here and got the issue fixed within a few hours. Princess also gave us complementary wine +cheese and crackers to enjoy while we waited.

Edited May 20, 2022 by LCinLB

[LCinLB]

On 5/15/2022 at 6:56 PM, miagirl said:

Oh thank you!  it's my understanding that each of the specialty restaurants have a a couple of additional "North to Alaska"  menu items.  I'm really curious as to what those might be in both the Crown Grill and Sabatini's.

 

It sounds as though the ship's propulsion problems have eased off somewhat, I'm glad for that.  And thank you so much for taking the time to post about your trip. 

Here is the menu for the crown grill. I’ll try to go get a picture of sabatini’s menu

 

Edited May 20, 2022 by LCinLB
Grammer

[LCinLB]

Here is Sabatini’s menu. 

[Mike & Zen]

It was just announced by the Captain that due to technical issues our arrival into Victoria will be delayed until 2015 hrs.  We were to arrive at 1900 hrs.

 

Then the Associate Hotel General Manager announced that all shore excursions in Victoria have been cancelled.  No mention of what the technical issues are.  

 

Without knowing for sure my best guess would be a DG (diesel generator).  However, we are doing 20 knots at the moment.  If I hear anything else, I will post.

[Mike & Zen]

On 5/19/2022 at 11:17 AM, Connie N Crew said:

 

Thanks, Mike! We have rooms in the low 300s held for us on the Caribe Deck for the June 25 cruise, and we’re wondering if you’ve noticed any issues on that deck around Zone 3?? We’re so glad to hear that much has improved since the previous trip, but we’re trying to decide whether to move forward with our booking! Thanks for any insights!

I spoke with a housekeeping supervisor and two cabin stewards on port and starboard side, and the cabins were not affected with issues from last week and none this week.  However, just like anything mechanical, you can’t forecast what may happen in the future.

[Crow9]

They cancelled Icey Straight Point and bumped Juneau back 2 hours on the trip tomorrow.

[SmedonSeas]

23 hours ago, LCinLB said:

We did the ultimate balcony breakfast the day we went into glacier bay. It was cold, but so pretty and peaceful!

Was wondering if there is UBD for dinner….