How I decided to go on my first cruise ever
In January 2019, my husband made the decision that he and our son Alex were going to do a week long camping and fishing trip on the frozen tundra in Northern Alaska. That left me and Alex’s twin, Nina, with nothing to do. Feeling jealous (since I had never been to Alaska and Renato had been three previous times before we were married), I decided that it was time to take the plunge into traveling without Renato, with a kid, and on A BOAT!
We had two cruise lines to chose from (based on the dates of Renato and Alex’s trip). I picked the Royal Princess because I read that it was a bit more refined and quiet than the other option. I booked an obstructed balcony stateroom with two twin beds on the 7 day Alaska Gulf Northbound from Vancouver, BC to Whittier, Alaska. Happily, my friend Jen decided to join us, and she got the room right next door! Here is what we did on the first day on Royal Princess Alaska:
Boarding – first day on Royal Princess Alaska
With our luggage tags secured (I used these), we headed to the pier (across the street from our hotel). We got there really early, and the process was seamless. A series of helpful employees directed us through the Vancouver Convention Center medallion holder’s line (those without medallions had a longer wait). After going through security and passport control, we sat and waited until we could board in a very orderly fashion .
What we did first
Our rooms were not yet ready (I highly recommend carry-ons with 4-way wheels so that you can easily get around the ship when you board!), so we went directly to guest services to take care of some issues we had. We also visited the excursions desk to change a reservation. There was no wait what-so-ever! After, we booked spa appointments (there were discount packages available) and explored the main lobby of the ship. It was amazing!
Lunch
We were hungry so we decided to check out the buffet. Read about what we found there on my review of the food on the ship (coming soon!).
Royal Princess Stateroom E437
first day on Royal Princess Alaska
Walking through the impossibly dull, long, narrow hallways to our room, I finally felt like I was on a boat. Our room was tiny and basic, shabby and dingy. Although the room had obviously been cleaned, the carpet was worn and there were stains all over it. The rooms on this ship SERIOUSLY need to be renovated!
Our balcony was awesome! The “obstructed view” was hardly obstructed, and we were super happy about that!
The tiny, triangular bathroom felt like a restroom on a bus.
first day on Royal Princess Alaska
There was little space to move around in our room. For me, the beds felt small and hard. The pillows were okay, but the comforter was nice and fluffy (although it was too small for the bed and also too small for the duvet, so if the duvet wasn’t tucked in, my blanket did not cover me completely (and I’m only about 5 foot 4)). Sadly, my comforter was stained, and Nina’s sheets were so old and full of pills that they were too uncomfortable to sleep on. We had to call housekeeping four times, and wait more than two hours to get replacements; it was 10:30PM.
Unpacking – first day on Royal Princess Alaska
first day on Royal Princess Alaska
Our room had a long, open closet and a cabinet with five square shelves. I brought an old shoe organizer to help set up odds and ends like swim suits, and kept our socks and underwear in packing cubes (which, P.S. I LOVE!).
Electronics
I am so glad I read that I should bring an extension cord…and I really love this one! I found just one outlet in the room and one in the bathroom. The hairdryer was already plugged into the desk drawer and could not be moved. Here was my set up:
first day on Royal Princess Alaska
Muster Drill – first day on Royal Princess Alaska
This is a safety briefing that is mandatory. You must present your medallion to be scanned to prove that you attended. It takes about 20 minutes and they provide two sessions.
Door decorating
Although its hokey, it was fun for my daughter to decorate our doors, and it really made finding our room much easier!
If you are planning an Alaska trip and want to know more from my perspective, please read these posts:
- Anchorage Alaska With Kids
- Road Trips From Anchorage – Wasilla, Seward, Palmer and Denali
- Food Aboard The Royal Princess Alaska – My review of the food that we ate during my first cruise
- Onboard Cruise Activities – What I found to do on the ship
- Ketchikan Alaska Excursions – including The Alaska Raptor Center
- Juneau Alaska Excursions – including dog sledding on Mendenhall Glacier and evening whale watch
- Skagway Alaska Excursions – including glass blowing and panning for gold