This was our 3rd time cruising in Alaska, second time with Princess. We love it up there. Can't wait to go again.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Was a rainy day in Whittier but we were only exposed for a few moments after getting off the train. The walkways down to the terminal were well covered. Inside, there were two lines, but not Blue and Green as expected. One line was for those who already had a medallion, and the other those who did not, which included us. The line moved quickly and we were onboard at 12:30, maybe 30 minutes after disembarking the train.
Once on board Grand Princess, we asked if the rooms were ready. We were told no, but we could drop our bags, so we headed up to them. Ours were actually ready, but we only stayed long enough to check them out before heading out to grab lunch. By the time we sat down with our food at Horizon Court, they announced the rooms were ready, about an hour ahead of schedule.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Buffet was hit or miss. Biscuits, for example, were nice and fluffy, but the gravy was cold. Bacon was crispy, by sausage links hard as a rock.
Main dining was mostly quite good. I did have a New York strip on the first night I was less than impressed with, but everything else was quite good. The beef tenderloin and prime rib were melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Pizza at both Alfredo's and Prego's was excellent. Crispy thin crust, just the way we like it. Hot dogs from the Salty Dog were quite tasty, especially with chili and cheese. Dad did not care for the burgers there, and he loves a good burger.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The women in our group all had fun with line dancing lessons one afternoon. The guys all took a nap. Lol. One of our group joined the guest choir and performed in the piazza on the last sea day.
We did the trivia type games several times. It's one of our favorite activities while relaxing on board. We also spent time exploring the ship. I don't think we found everything, but it's always fun.
There's always something going on. If you can't find something to do, you aren't trying.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Had a great time at all of the production shows featuring the ship entertainment staff. Talented group of people.
The magician they booked was mildly entertaining, but nothing really special. I believe his name was Joel Meyers. Performed two nights. We did not go the second night.
The comedian, Greg Schwem, I believe, was not particularly funny, but we did have a few laughs. He also did two nights. We skipped the second.
Remaining act we saw was a singer named Ric Steel. He was entertaining and can definitely sing, but we still skipped his encore performance.
There were other musical acts we did not see.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone we encountered and interacted with was warm and friendly. Dining staff and room stewards did excellent jobs. Cruise director and his staff all seemed energetic and to enjoy what they're doing. No complaints.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship is clean and well maintained. The handle on our balcony door was loose. Mentioned it to the steward, and an hour later a guy from maintenance was there to fix it. He replaced the handle and fixed whatever was making it not slide smoothly.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Very nice and roomy mini-suite.
Type A USB ports in the lamps by both besides, and by the pullout sofa. Also some more in the desk.
Two US style power outlets at the desk. Now that the TVs are on the wall, there are two more at the center console. A single UK style power outlet also at the desk. No European outlets.
Ship tip
Aft elevators have two sets of call buttons. One for the two inner elevators, and one for the two other elevators. The inner button does not call the outer elevators, and vice versa. There are signs, but a lot of people don't seem to get it.
Similar situation with the midship elevators. The call button for the main elevators doors not call the two panoramic elevators and vice versa. I don't think there's signage for this, and again confuses a lot of people.
A longshoremen strike on 7/1 caused a few problems at the terminal, but ship staff did their best to keep things going as smoothly as possible. Our flight out of Vancouver was before 4 pm, so we were offered to participate in their direct to bus program. We submitted our Canadian customs form earlier in the week, so we went straight to the bus from our departure lounge. Our luggage was waiting for us at the airport. Much faster finding it there than at the terminal.
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