The Polite Traveler

Top Three Things About Princess’ Balcony Staterooms Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, Imagine sitting on the balcony of a cruise ship to watch the warm waters of the Pacific roll by.  Now, imagine those waters closer to the California coast.  Yep.  For most days, there was no sitting or doing anything else on the stateroom balcony of our most recent cruise to the Hawaiian Islands.  This part of the Pacific can be choppy if not downright wild.  Cold too.  Very chilly.   Nevertheless, as we rolled closer to the islands, the waters and the air warmed, allowing us to finally enjoy our upgraded room.  Watching the mountainous, green shore of Kauai grow larger as we neared was priceless.  Note : Follow CDC and Princess guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.    Storage Tips The balcony aside, these rooms are not large— roughly 274 sq. ft. including the balcony—but was ample enou...

Comfy, Rocking Room on the Grand Princess Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, What does a person really want in a cruise ship stateroom?  Well, I suppose the answer would be different with each passenger.  For my hubby and I, we wanted to be able to see the ocean and be comfortable.  Since this was a relatively chilly weather cruise, we skipped a balcony room and chose an outside cabin with a window.  Not many were available when we decided on an Alaskan cruise anyway.  Even so, I think ours was perfect.  Not too small and not too expensive.  After all, this is our second Alaskan cruise, so I did not feel it granted an extravagant suite.  We are not that type anyway. Note : Follow CDC and Princess guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.  Where’s our room? We knew our room was on the Lido deck.  Check.  Nevertheless, we couldn’t find cabin 307.  Ever...

Revised 4/2021 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, di...

“Where the river is windin' big nuggets they're findin' North to Alaska go north the rush is on North to Alaska go north the rush is on” Songwriter: Mike Phillips Revised 4/2021 Yep, we went north to Alaska and it was amazing.  My husband wanted to surprise me with a birthday cruise.  Nice gift, sweetie.  However, there were scant choices for a July cruise out of San Francisco—our nearest port.  Thus, we were Alaska bound and it was memorable.  Note : Follow CDC and Princess guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.   The Princess Cruise Line is a no-brainer choice for us, as it is the only cruise line we have tried and enjoyed every minute.  Why even consider another provider?  Silly really.  Our last two cruises were twenty-one and sixteen years ago.  Both ships were smaller and vastly less modern (obviously) than the Grand Princess, which, ironically, is considered in need of up...