All Aboard The Crown Princess to Alaska

Jan and Michael live very close to Pier 91, in fact you can see the ships in port and today there is a Holland America ship beside the Crown. In fact we will be with this ship all week as we have the exact same itinerary.

We head to the pier around 11:30 and we drop the bags off. 

We enter the port building where agents are numerous and very helpful.  There appears to be a lot of new cruisers and therefore a lot of questions.  The staff at the pier are busy and so patient and friendly, and what I really love is they are excited for all the passengers as they head out on their cruise. 

While filling out the health form we heard a man who was trying to figure out what he could do with his pocket knife.  Security won’t let him board with it (note no knives, guns, or any possible weapon are allowed on). 

Up the escalator to a large area for check in.  I remember when this port was first opened.  I think we were like the third cruise to leave from it and it was all new.  Well all these years later it still looks great and it flows very well.  I wish Fort Lauderdale’s piers were like this. 

We head thru the security and because we are bringing on a bottle of champagne we go to the table located just past security where two crew members are and they make note of the one bottle and we continue on.

Because of our elite status we can go in the Preferred line, and today this does help.  We later find out there are around 2000 first time cruisers on board!  With cruise cards in hand we head to board the ship.  

We take note that they are handing out cards with boarding groups and at 11:30 they had group 10, but we are directed to go right on.  What I really like is we are directed to a different door to head to the gangway and therefore no line at all for security pictures.  

However note the line for non preferred was long it was still quite reasonable.

Once on board it is that immediate “ahhhh we are home” and yes getting on board Princess feels like coming home.

Our cabin is A710 a balcony cabin near the aft on the port side, and we drop off our bags.  The rooms are not completely ready so dropping off the bags to give the room attendant the space to do his job.  We head out to explore and grab a coffee/tea. 

Right away we run into crew we have sailed with.  It is so nice to see so many familiar faces.  The last time we were on this ship was at the end of April and many are still on board, but there are a few crew that we have met on other ships that are on this ship now.  Including Nelson Da Silva the Customer Services Director and Michael Glass the Food and Beverage Director. 

We see Alexandra and Michael Smith who work in the shops, and who just got married!  We sailed with them many years ago and then were with them again when they got engaged two years ago and now they are married.  

We see Claudio Mazzoni the Hotel General Manager who is a dear friend and he is so busy, but is on with his family for a few more weeks. 

Mark our favorite waiter is now serving in the Crown Grill at night so that means we need to make some reservations for there to see him.  He is up in Sabatinis right now taking care of the reservation line and he looks great.  We make reservations for tonight, Skagway night and the last night in Crown Grill.  So here is a tip, if you want a reservation for a specialty restaurant just head up to Sabatinis that first day while exploring and make a reservation for either restaurant.

Wandering around some more and the make of passengers is probably the most different we have ever seen.  Lots of families, many kids, grandparents, and parents.  It is lovely to see so many people being introduced to cruising. 

The All Inclusive Drink Package is very popular and they are selling a lot of them.  And it seems every kid has the soda sticker on their card. 

Bernie gets his suitcase right away so he unpacks but mine takes over five hours to arrive.  Weird since they were put on the same cart.  Unfortunately when mine arrives it has obviously been in the sun for a long time and many of the chocolate bar treats we have brought for the crew have melted and lost their shape – but still taste great. 

We head down for Muster Drill and once that is over we head up on deck for sailaway.  It is so hot out, I would say it is around 27 and thankfully being on the water there is a nice breeze.

In Seattle they are not allowed to have the band/music play until we clear the point because of noise bylaws.  But as soon as we do clear the point the band starts up and many people are up dancing and having a great time.  The pool is packed with kids enjoying the great weather. Sadly I saw a parent with a child in a diaper in the pool, which is not allowed. 

Back to the cabin to unpack and get settle before the evening festivities.

Tuesday Evening

The Most Traveled Cocktail Party is this evening in Skywalkers at 7:30.  We arrive just after and there is quite a line up at the bottom of the walking sidewalk.  Someone is checking names from a master list and also calling out names.  This is quite odd, not sure why they don’t just take our invite and cross off the names one at a time then send us up the ramp to meet the Captain.  I know they need to make sure there is no bottle neck at the top but they could always wait before sending up the next couple.

I am not sure what number were are on the list but I know we are not near the top.  The third highest is around 900 days with the top being around 1300 days.  We are just over 300 days but we are definetly the youngest in the crowd.  Many people have been on for the last Baltic cruise then did the crossing and are doing the first Canada New England.  The couple we sit with from Adelaide Australia did exactly this.  A very nice couple to sit with and we enjoyed our time with them.

We did get a picture with the Captain.  It was nice to see Captain Pomata again, and he is now sporting a beard.  He looks very good with this beard.  

I like the cocktail parties personally.  We can order any type of drink we wish and we do and the wait staff come around with lovely tapas and there is a food station set up as well with other items.  But we didn’t indulge too much because we are dining at the Crown Grill tonight.  We meet Adam Gorst the Hotel General Manager and we are so wowed as he comes around serving crepes for everyone and I must say they are great too and a nice treat.  He even wanted to clear our plates but I wouldn’t let him.  He is much too high an officer to do that.  I actually told him I wasn’t finished and then when a bar staff came by I gave the plate to them.

We finally got to meet Michael Glass the Food and Beverage Manager who Douw had been telling us about and invited him to join us for a drink in the Crown Grill later.  We also met Dana I the Customer Services Director and we really like her.  Her smile and her caring manner really shine thru.  She knows Johan and we giggle about our experiences with him.

Overall the party was very nice and the views spectacular something we have never experienced at other parties.  The officers get a chance to wander around and chat with many different people instead of sitting with just one officer at a luncheon.  The food is good too and I like the drinks more than just wine.  But a luncheon is nice too but my preference is the cocktail party.

We meet up in the Crown Grill for dinner at 9 and we are sat in a very nice booth at the end and enjoy a lovely bottle of Jack London, and after that a lovely bottle of wine that we got in port from South Africa. 

I ordered the Black and Blue Onion soup and it was good, not as hot as we are use to and not as flavourful as we are use to but still good.  In fact I didn’t even finish it because of this and to save room for the steak.  I ordered the filet mignon medium and it arrived perfectly cooked and so wonderfully seasoned on the outside.  I was able to also get a side of Bernaisse sauce too.  For our sides we got a variety of items, garlic fries, mashed potatoes, asparagus, spinach and also mushrooms.  They no longer offer scalloped potatoes or creamed corn.  The entrée was fabulous and I managed to eat most of my steak.  But had to save room for dessert.

Of course many of you already know me well enough to know I got the molten chocolate cake and we sprinkled some pink salt on it to bring out the flavours of the chocolate.  Yummy.  I am writing this a few days later and my mouth is watering just thinking of it.

Dining in the Crown Grill is an experience, a nice treat, great way to celebrate and trust me you don’t need a special occasion to dine here, just being on vacation is a good enough reason.