The Pause…

Long time no blog. I wonder why. Not much has happened, has there? Let’s just say it was a very loooonnnnggg 18 months. We had a back to back (B2B) cruise booked for April, 2020. In fact, we were going to be traveling with two other couples during one of the legs. Canceled.

Per Princess, they were expecting the pause to last until mid May, so we booked Alaska. Canceled. Let’s try Europe for the summer. Canceled. Another B2B for October. Canceled. The only good thing was that Princess offered 150% Future Cruise Credits (FCC) if we kept the money with them. Since we had the cruises budgeted out, we went for the FCC’s.

So not only was the industry shutdown, ships were anchoring off the coast in Long Beach. On one day, we counted 7 ships, mostly Princess. Talk about adding salt into the wound. So close, yet so far. We took weekly drives across town to see ships docked in San Pedro. Sad, but kept the dreams alive that someday, they’d be back.

Finally, with the pause ending in sight, we booked Ruby Princess for Sept. 18th and Majestic Princess for October 30th. Another cancelation… Ruby was being transferred to its new home in San Francisco.

Since I already had time off booked for the week of Sept. 18th, we looked for an alternate on Princess but none we could do in that time frame. We had exactly 14 days before becoming Elite on Princess and 14 days booked, so we really wanted to find a way to make this work. We have a 15 Day Hawaiian cruise booked for April, 2022 and wanted to board as Elite (free laundry) instead of having to wait until our next cruise.

Well, drop back and punt. The Carnival Panorama was sailing out of Long Beach on Sept 18th and going on the same itinerary, so we booked it.

Why We Use A Travel Agent

With all of the online tools available today, why go “old school” and use a Travel Agent? That was my reasoning for not using a TA ever since I knew I could book everything myself.

My “day job” is computer technical support, so I have no qualms getting online, searching for the best itinerary, shore excursions, etc. I started watching a YouTube vlog, CruiseTipsTv

Sheri and her family always use a TA for the expertise as a value-added resource. Once I found out the TA Sheri used was right around the corner from us, I decided to give CTA Travel a try. Suzi and I made an appointment with Karen Lentz and the rest is history.

Karen listened to our preferences and follows up when booking. She can apply special rates or On Board Credits granted to TA’s that us mere mortals don’t get. Except for making payments, I still have the ability to log into the Princess site and research, book excursions and do pretty much everything I used to do.

Then there are usually perks:

For example, the two cruises we’ve booked through CTA, Karen provided a really nice breakfast served on our balcony. This is something we would not do for ourselves, but found totally delightful! Included with our most recent cruise to Hawaii was a Princess coffee card, worth 15 specialty coffees along with two coffee mugs showing the Hawaiian Islands and Ports Of Call. Very nice and much better than the picture frame our first TA used to give us…

Personalized service. This past cruise was the first time we decided to rent a car. Karen helped us research rates and contact info for shuttles to and from the port to the agency. Karen also sends custom documents detailing things to do during your stops. They even have a cool app for your smartphone with your itinerary, etc.

CTA does charge a minimal maintenance fee (hey, they gotta make a living, too), but the OBC we got from CTA more than paid the fee.

Hubbard, Tracy Arm or Glacier Bay. Oh My!

If you are planning a cruise up to Alaska, chances are your itinerary will have a cruise day in any one of these three. IMHO, there is one clear winner. Tracy Arm Fjord / South Sawyer Glacier. In chronological order…

In 2009, we were on the Celebrity Mercury which went into Hubbard Glacier. It was very early in the season. May 5th was the day. It was a spectacular. There were icebergs galore. Not just a bunch of “Growlers” (less that 3 ft high and 16 ft long). Most were “Bergy Bits” (3 – 13 ft high and 15 – 46 ft long). There was even one that was a bit top-heavy and rolled over right in front of us.

We didn’t see or hear any calving, but Hubbard Glacier was something not to miss.

In 2014, we were on Star Princess towards the end of the season. September 5th, to be exact. The journey through the fjord started with us being almost completely engulfed in fog. The further we went, the clearer it got. Tracy Arm is a narrow passage with really sheer cliffs.

Part of the excitement is winding through the fjord wondering when you are going to get your first glimpse of the South Sawyer Glacier, then it happens…

You still have a ways to go, you just hope the ship can get close enough without any of these guys getting in the way.

Then you pull in at the end of the fjord and there she is. South Sawyer Glacier in all her glory.

After spending an hour doing a slow 360, we head out, back into the fog.

Just this past September, we did an itinerary that included Glacier Bay National Park. Don’t get me wrong, Glacier Bay is beautiful, but… Maybe because it was the end of the season and most of the snow had melted. Maybe Global Warming has really taken it’s toll. Maybe my expectations were out of whack… It just didn’t wow us.

Three Naturalists joined the ship, one went to the Bridge to narrate the journey. Quite informative.

If you get one chance to cruise to Alaska, I’d go for Tracy Arm Fjord, but hey, it’s Alaska!!!! You won’t be disappointed.

Embarkation Day!!!

Most of our cruises are on Princess and leave from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. San Pedro is about a 30 minute drive from our house. Whenever possible, we try to find a friend or friends to drive us to the port. We “bribe” them by offering to pay for a Bon Voyage Experience.

Princess offers BVE on quite a few itineraries. Basically, for $39 bucks per person, our friends can board the ship with us. They get a photo, an optional tour of the ship and lunch. (The package says Main Dining Room, but Horizon Court is fine.) This is all great but the best part? Early boarding!

Yes. As soon as the ship is cleared by the officials, In-Transit passengers board first, then BVE guests. For a 4:00 PM sail time, we usually board between 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM.

Whether BVE is available or not, we’ll try to arrive to the ship by about 10:00 AM (for a 4:00 sailing). We are currently at the Platinum level, so get expedited check-in.

There have been a couple of times where our room has been ready so we can drop off carry-on’s. Then… Horizon Court!

Ah yes. sail away day, or should I say SALE away day. I get that all cruise lines want to maximize sales, and as a shareholder so do I, but it is a bit much if you are a first time cruiser on a line. We have never felt pressured and usually a simple “no thanks” sends them to the next table. Many will recognize us on the next pass and move on with a smile.

Muster drill… Your cabin location designates where your Muster Station is. When we are in Lido 214, our favorite, it’s almost always in the Princess Theater. Plenty of seating. Crown Grill or the Casino, not so much. If not in Princess Theater, best to be really early if you want a seat.

Sail away time. Suzi enjoys the hubbub of the sail away party on the open decks. Me? I’ll be on the balcony watching the world start to go by and look forward to all that Princess has to offer.

As we get further and further out, or cell phone service diminishes. We set our phones on Airplane mode. You never want you phone to say “Cellular At Sea”. Unless you check with your carrier and purchase a “Cruise Plan”, watch out for a shock when you get your phone bill.

Once in Airplane Mode, connect to the Princess WiFi. Once connected, open up a browser, like Chrome and go to ship_name.princess.com, like ruby.princess.com.

After creating an account, you’re in! You will see your own personal Princess Patter.

The Main Page will show excursions booked through Princess along with anything you wish to schedule, be it Specialty Dining, Bingo, Dance class, etc. To add an event, just click the plus sign in the calendar icon.

You can get detailed information about all locations on the ship.

You can even instant message other passengers. All of this portion of the site is free. You can access the paid internet from here.

Now it’s time to unpack and begin the journey to Come Back New!

Ruby Princess Ultimate Ship Tour

During our October, 2017 sailing on Ruby Princess, the Princess Patter newsletter mentioned the Ultimate Ship Tour. Said to stop by the Purser’s desk for details.

It’s limited to 10 or 12 guests and as of this sailing cost $150.00 per person. Suzi and I talked about but thanks to Princess Visa On Board Credits, we booked it. It was for the last sea day of the cruise.

Like everything else on a ship involving staff, timing was crucial. The only negative was that we could not bring cameras. It wasn’t just because we would be going into proprietary areas of the ship, it was mostly due to timing and getting to the next station on time. We were, however, shadowed by a Security Officer and a Photographer, so there were complimentary photos available.

10 of us met in the Conference Room by the Princess Theater on Deck 6 at 10:00. Asst. Cruise Director, Jase was our guide. He whipped us up to Deck 7 and at precisely at 10:05, the door to the mooring area opened up. This is where the chains for the anchors are and all the mooring ropes. You would think the area would be full of grease. Instead, you could eat off the floor. Spotless.

Down the crew stairway to the Princess Theater’s Backstage. We got to meet the Production Manager and a few of the singers and dancers. They demonstrated the lighting, sound and set changes. We learned rthat all Production shows are developed, cast and rehearsed at the headquarters in Santa Clarita, CA. Costumes are fitted there and any alterations are the responsibility of the performer. All very interesting. The lead performers, usually two guys and two gals actually have their cabins backstage.

Next was the Galley and Food Production areas. Like many of you, we’ve probably attended a Galley Tour at some point, but this wasn’t a few hundred passengers being herded through the skirts of the galley so you would end up where the Chef and Matre D’ are hawking their cookbook. We got into the middle of the Galley where they were making soup and various breads. We were hosted by one of the Executive Chefs. During the presentation, they brought out fruit punch and chocolate covered strawberries.

When we left the Galley, we went to see the storage facilities and talked to the Inventory Manager. He discussed how they order and when. Also talked about how crazy turn around day is.

Next stop was the Engine Control Room where the Chief Technical Officer showed us exactly how the engines act as generators, then the power is distributed to the propulsion systems, sanitation and hotel.

We went to the Incinerator Room to see how all the waste is accounted for, with as little of an environmental or physical footprint.

Next stop. The Print Shop. This is where they do everything from the Princess Patter to Menus, to stationery.

Next? Photo Lab. All photos taken by the staff photographers are printed here. They are constantly busy.

Now we go down to the Medical Center. This is a state of the art facility capable of critical care, x-ray and even minor surgery. The nurse did bring up costs and HIGHLY recommends purchasing trip insurance…

Off to the Main Laundry. This is a round the clock operation. Very impressive. They have machine that will press and fold bed sheets in seconds. They even have a tailor on staff for crew and passengers.

And… The ultimate, the Bridge. We were able to meet the Captain and get a photo with him. We heard about how many hours it takes on land before an officer can begin a career on the ship. Walking out to one of the wings of the bridge give you a unique perspective looking aft. Incredible.

Once we left the Bridge, we all met up in the Adagio Bar for a Q and A session with Jase. We were met with Champagne, more chocolate covered strawberries and a selection of petit fours. Jase talked about the diversity of the crew, relationships, etc. All very informative.

When we returned to our cabin after dinner and a show, we each had a bag with our names on it. Inside, there was a Princess Robe, an Princess Apron, all the photos taken during the tour, a picture frame and a Princess Notepad.

It made that $150.00 seem like a bargain. I would highly recommend checking with the Pursers Desk to see if this tour is available.