This was our first cruise, and on balance we had a wonderful time. We masked the entire cruise unless in our cabins or eating, and we were definitely in a very small minority in doing so. So far, knock wood, none of us have tested positive for COVID since returning. As the cruise went on, you could hear more and more coughing on the ship. From overheard conversations at elevator banks and in the dining room, people just weren’t reporting symptoms or getting tested and just wanted to enjoy their cruise, which was a bit disturbing to be honest, but it was also a risk we knew we were taking going into the cruise. Food was really good except for room service, and our Club Class dining experience was truly outstanding. A big thank you to Nelson, Victor, Clyde, and Serafin for making our dining experiences and our cruise so amazing. We couldn’t get to Dawe’s Glacier on our cruise due to icy waters, but Alaska was stunningly beautiful nonetheless. The Medallion technology is not ready for prime time. The app was horrible pre-cruise and during the cruise, and is as frustrating to the crew as it is to passengers. We had an otherwise great cruise, so we hope Princess will fix this soon, and we can confidently cruise with them again.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Much of the check in staff was nice, however we also encountered a couple of really impatient and rude port staff in Seattle. Embarkation felt chaotic and disorganized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We tried the Crown Grill and Sabatini’s, in addition to the Club Class Dining Room for dinner. Sabatini’s was great. Crown Grill was so-so (tough, overcooked steak). Club Class Dining was outstanding and became our favorite. We ate there for breakfast most mornings, too. Salty Dog Gastropub was a fun lunch one day. We only ate at the buffet twice for lunch - food was very good, we just aren’t really buffet fans. Gigi’s was also a favorite for lunch for us. Great pizza and other dishes! Room service breakfast was not good at all, and made the choice to get dressed and head to Club Class easy. Service was outstanding everywhere.
Gigi's Pizzeria
5 out of 5
Had lunch here three times and all were fantastic. Not just the best pizza at sea, but one of the best pizzas I’ve eaten anywhere!
Crown Grill
3 out of 5
Wonderful service. Beautiful restaurant. Average steak was over cooked.
Afternoon Tea
5 out of 5
Club Class in the Skagway dining room was outstanding, and the service was unparalleled on the ship. Became our go to.
Sabatini's Italian Trattoria
5 out of 5
Very special meal, beautiful views and restaurant, and wonderful service.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Would’ve appreciated a greater variety of lectures and enrichment and less trivia and game shows. Would also like to have had more shopping options.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We only attended Rock Opera and a few impromptu musicians in the Piazza and Take Five, but they were all wonderful.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The crew were amazing, and they’re the reason we will give Princess another try despite the new Medallion technology. The app rarely worked as it should. My medallion showed me as only in my stateroom no matter where I went on the ship for the first two days (it had to be replaced), and the requirement to make reservations for dinner using an app that rarely works is maddening. We really valued Club Class and its no reservations needed perq given this, and we would not sail Princess again if we weren’t in Club Class because of the medallion app madness. We’re in our early 40s and tech savvy - the technology just isn’t as advertised.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Gorgeous, brand new ship. Zero complaints.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This was a corner club class mini suite, and we absolutely loved it! It provided truly stunning panoramic views of Alaska. With the separate bedroom and living room it felt more like a suite. It’s high up and forward, so we had a good bit of motion, but we’d book it again in a heartbeat! Beautiful.
Ship tip
Take Five is a nice quiet place to relax during the day, and it’s also a great way to bypass walking through the smoky casino on Deck 6.
Probably the most commercial of the ports, but still beautiful. Our excursion to Mendenhall Glacier was canceled due to a “driver shortage,” which didn’t really feel accurate given all the non-Princess busses running back and forth. We ended up just taking the tram to the top of Mt. Robert’s instead.
Stunning, but too much ice on our cruise to make it all the way to Dawe’s Glacier. Next time we will be sure to book an itinerary with Glacier Bay instead.
Stunning and far and away our favorite. The sailaway from Skagway was the highlight of our cruise, and the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway was outstanding, if packed.
Also chaotic. We were traveling with my parents, and my dad had a rented scooter. He got three different stories about what to do with it at the end of the cruise, and was then hassled by the Princess agent as he disembarked about not leaving it in his room (it didn’t fit in his room, despite reserving through Princess).
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