Because our past cruises were in the far past, we were astonished by the
number of activities. Many of them are
educational and fascinating. Many of
them are just plain fun! There are so
many activities onboard that one cannot participate in everything.
Darn. Thus, cruising on Princess today is more “What will I miss today?” Rather than, “What is available to do today?” What follows is what I chose out of the endless possibilities.
Note: Follow CDC and Princess guidelines when visiting. Always follow face mask rules when in public.
Zumba!
I hear the lyrics “Zumba Changed My Life”
in my head...all...the...time. I suppose
it is because our Zumba instructor was the very best I have had thus far. Mark Cornish, an assistant cruise
director/entertainer, enthusiastically guided my Zumba sisters, brothers, and me
through 45 minutes of exhilarating dance.
My Fitbit was very happy, displaying that I burned roughly 400 calories
per session. Zumba really changed my life.
Princess Fine Art Program
Besides teaching, which I love, I LOVE
learning! Princess gave me an
opportunity to revisit my long-lost memories of an art history class I took in
college. It was one of my very
favs. As opposed to taking an art
history class, I didn’t have to worry about studying for an exam.
I just found a comfortable seat from which I
could sit with my specialty coffee and listen to a fascinating, educational
lecture while watching pictures fly by on a screen. Other lectures were about specific artists,
which were enlightening. Some were in the
evening, offering me a chance to swap out the cappuccino for a glass of champagne. Cannot do that in college.
Hint: At the end of each class and
action, you’ll receive a piece of art. Attend
all the classes and you’ll receive an additional piece of art.
The Klondike Festival
Our Klondike
Festival adventure began with a lecture provided by Captain Derrick Ray of The
Aleutian Ballad, which is one of the ships profiled on the Discovery Channel
program "Deadliest Catch”.
I cannot
say that it was the most enlightening lecture of my life. However, I did enjoy
learning a bit more about where we were sailing as opposed to where his crew fishes
for crab. Plus, the behind the scene’s
video of the show was interesting as well.
For the most part, it seemed as if his was a pitch for an excursion he
is hosting.
Champion Musher Libby Riddles
Having heard so many positives about Libby Riddles’ lectures, my hubby
and I jumped at the chance to listen to her Iditarod racing story. For those of you who came in late, Libby is
the first woman to win the 1,100-mile sled dog race, in a blizzard at the age
of 29. During her presentation, we
learned about her extraordinary life and the dangerous race that propelled her
into history. Her reputation is
definitely accurate. (Please watch the video by DB Kintz)
Puppies in the Piazza
What is better than a cute little
puppy? A bunch of cute little pups who
are also future sled dogs. A group of
wiggly puppies are brought on board to be cuddled, kissed, and petted by a group
of strangers. I was one of those
strangers who didn’t want to return my little one. She was so sweet. I will always cherish the doggie kiss I
received on my chin. One day I really
should wash it.
Note: Watch my video about all the events on this cruise.
Our Onboard Naturalist Seminars—try saying that five times fast
Wow!
Did you know that Princess has real-life professors onboard who instruct
and answer questions about what we are seeing and experiencing as we
travel? Yep. It is true and it is fantastic.
Our naturalist was Greg Wheeler, Ph.D. an
Emeritus Professor of metallic ore deposits—an expert in most things on earth
and knowledgeable about our skies. His
entertaining and educational lectures covered the history of how Alaska became
what it is today, the wildlife of Alaska (not including fellow passengers), and
the indigenous peoples of Alaska.
His
contribution didn’t stop at his lectures.
He was available most all days as he roamed around the ship. I was with him one day when an excited
photographer—in full regalia—approached him excitedly. Apparently, he followed Greg’s advice on photographing bears on shore while we are on the ship. His pictures are wonderful.
Now onto what I really wish I could have
to folded into those short 10 days onboard the Grand Princess as she cruised
our Pacific waters.
“What national park borders Yellowstone National Park to the south?”
Trivia!
Darn! Although trivia is one of
my absolute favs while on board, I was simply too busy to attend any of
them. I did hear that my favorite person
on the ship—Mark, my Zumba instructor—was hosting them, which makes missing them
even worse.
Dance and Flash Mob Classes
Darn and double darn! When I hear music I turning into someone
entirely different who cannot help but move and cannot help wondering why
everyone else is standing still. Music
moves me. I feel it building from the
top of my head, down to my tippy toes. Thus,
I usually dance in grocery store isles.
I am thankful that my hubby just smiles and doesn’t disappear as if he
doesn’t know me. That would be my
daughter. Love embarrassing her.
Our ship offered dance and flash mob
dance lessons. Awesome! I walked into a dance class as it was ending
and was amazed in the degree of proficiency of the dancers by day 4. And the flash mob dancers?? O.M.Goddess! My Zumba sister Elizabeth and her mother-in-law took the class. Check out their moves in this video.
Keeping in Touch
Where are you? ... was our biggest issue my husband and I had while on the
ship. I went one way and he went the
other. “Where to meet up and when?” was
the biggest question on the first day of our cruise. Not to worry.
Princess Cruises solved that problem in a nifty manner. Since using the Internet/cellphone incurs
extra fees once at sea, Princess offers a free mobile site that offers
messaging and a schedule of events. This
is directly from the Princess Cruises website:
“Princess@Sea
- Our complimentary onboard web service offering quick and convenient access to
valuable information directly on your mobile device. Plan your day's events and
activities, review the ship's itinerary and port guides, browse restaurant
menus, even access your stateroom account! Plus, on select ships Princess@Sea
Messenger allows you to send text messages to other guests onboard!”
What are your
experiences with Princess Cruises?
Please
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