Heading to Europe soon? Expect some changes, but Americans still welcome

Aperitivo hour in L'Aquila, Italy

Heading to Europe soon? Expect a few changes, the most significant being higher prices due to the sinking value of the U.S. dollar. 

As for anti-American sentiment directed towards travelers, it's always been an overblown myth in my opinion. Nothing in the three weeks my husband and I spent recently in Malta and Southern and Central Italy changed that. 

Yes, we were questioned about "What on earth is going on the United States," but the tone was more curious than critical. Many people in many countries are not fond of their own leaders or their policies, so empathy carries the day.

So, what's new?

  *Thanks to the war in Iran and Donald Trump's economic policies, one euro is now worth $1.16, meaning when you look at the price of a 150-euro hotel room, the cost to you is $174 compared to $166 this time last year when the exchange rate was $1.11. 

Minimize your costs by using a a no-fee credit card and, NEVER allow a merchant to convert a charge to U.S. dollars on the spot, a so-called convenience which comes with a fee. 

Watch for hidden fees charged by foreign ATMs

When it comes to cash (rarely needed these days), a foreign ATM will often ask if you want to accept or decline an exchange rate.  If you accept, the ATM locks in a conversion rate on the spot that comes with hidden markups and fees, sometimes up to 15 percent.  If given a "Yes" or "No" prompt, press "No" to decline the offered exchange rate. By declining the conversion, your home bank processes the transaction at the standard, much fairer daily exchange rate.

*Prepare for delays upon entering and leaving EU countries using new electronic entry and exit systems (EES) that have replaced manual passport stamps with facial recognition and finger print scans.

Machines for finger print and facial recognition scans

If you are traveling this summer, you are in luck because the EU has temporarily authorized airports to pause both to head off long lines and technical glitches. 

When our flight from Rome to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport arrived late, we were diverted to a "short connection" exit line to catch our flight back to the U.S. All that was required was an electronic passport check.

Entering the EU via Amsterdam was a bit more of a hassle because electronic reader machines weren't working. Incoming passengers with redirected to long lines for manual checks by agents. 

Tap and pay machines on buses in Rome

*Paying for public transport in many countries has become easier. We were pleased to find that the subways and buses in Rome and the ferries in Malta have converted to the credit card or phone Tap and Pay system. This was much easier than having to buy and load and use a Navigo pass in Paris with different fares for buses and the Metro.

*Some businesses in Italy are moving away from long afternoon closures (typically 1 p.m.- 3 p.m.), but many still retain the custom, especially in the south where closing times can extend until  4 or 4 :30 p.m. Keep this in mind if you are renting a car. The Hertz rental office in Foggia closed at noon for a lunch break and didn't reopen until 3 p.m. Our rental agreement didn't mention this. We arrived by train from Bari a few minutes before noon, just in time for the agent to process our paperwork before he pulled down the metal door and left for lunch.

*Italy's customs around what and when to eat are changing as younger bar and restaurant owners bend the rules. Cafes along Bari's main pedestrian street leading to the train station cater to foreign travelers with morning offerings of avocado toast with eggs and smoked salmon while continuing to cater to Italians who prefer espresso shots and pastries.  

Limoncello spritz

If you skipped lunch and find yourself hungry before 7 p.m., the traditional opening time for Italian restaurants, adopt the local custom of stopping for an aperitivo (usually an Aperol Spritz) in the late afternoon which is almost always is accompanied by free snacks. Popular these days with foreign travelers is a Limoncello spritz, made with a high-proof sweet lemon liqueur. Aperol is low-proof (around 11 percent), the reason why most Italians prefer it as a before-dinner drink.  

*Try out some itinerary planning using ChatGPT or another A-I tool, but beware of using restaurant and hotel recommendations without first cross-checking reviews on sites such as TripAdvisor. Same goes for public transport schedules. That said, I found ChatGPT handy for a quick overview of getting from here to there in certain places along with timing considerations, suggested walking tours and the highlights of what to see or do.

*We travel independently rather than on organized tours, so I value third-party booking sites such as Get Your Guide and Viator for day trips and short excursions. They can be convenient for booking entry to historical sites or museums rather than toggling through foreign websites. Payment is by credit card and cancellation is allowed up to 24 hours in advance.

We used Airbnb to book a three-hour food tour of the capital city of Valletta in Malta and the website Freetour.com to book a morning walking tour around the city of Birgu. Some "Freetour" excursions are no longer free, but the cost is minimal - 20 euro or so per person - which replaces the normally expected tip. 

Lunch in Valletta in Malta where steps take the place of streets

Malta in the Mediterranean: Where Arabia meets Europe

 

Built from limestone, Malta's capital city of Valletta glows in the Mediterranean sun 

We're not beach people. Nor are we all that interested in military history.

So why will we be soon visiting Malta, a handful of tiny islands in the Mediterranean between Sicily in Italy and Tunisia in North Africa? It‘s a country mainly known for its summer resorts, its history as a strategic military site during World War II, and the place where Catholic crusaders defeated the Islamic Ottoman Empire in the 1500s.

Our decision started with a search for a new destination to explore with convenient connections to Bari in Southern Italy where we plan to visit friends in the town where my grandfather was born. 

A Ryanair flight to Bari from the Maltese capital of Valletta popped up on Google Flights around the same time I spotted an article titled "There's more to Malta than Beaches."

"Where Arabia Meets Europe" is how Saudi AramcoWorld Magazine described Malta in its February issue. A confluence of cultures - Greek, Roman, Arabic, Sicilian, Spanish, French and British - gifted Malta with a blend of culinary traditions, architecture and a semitic language in the same family as Arabic and Hebrew, with phrases adapted from French and Italian. 

I booked the Ryanair flight.

Malta in the middle of the Mediterranean

Getting a handle on Malta's geography is tricky. The country includes five islands, three inhabited, dominated by steep limestone cliffs indented by bays, inlets, and coves. Deciding where to base ourselves for six nights was the first challenge

The most obvious choice is Valletta, the European Union's smallest capital filled with 16th century Baroque-style buildings built by the Knights of St. John, a Catholic brotherhood, founded in Amalfi, Italy in 1048. Called the Knights Hospitaller, they originally provided a nursing hospital for sick pilgrims in Jerusalem, but later took on a military role fighting Muslim invaders during the Crusades. 

Following the reconquest of the Holy Land by Islamic forces, the Knights moved on to Greece where they were later expelled by the Ottomans. Searching for a new base, they accepted an offer from Roman Emperor Charles V to occupy isolated and sparsely-populated Malta for the price of a single Maltese falcon.

The backstreets of Birgu

The Knights settled in Birgu, a city on a peninsula stretching out across the harbor. Following the1565 Great Siege when the Knights and Maltese civilians successfully halted the Ottoman expansion in the Mediterranean, the Knights' leader, Jean de Valette, set out to build a new heavily-fortified city across the harbor from Birgu to be called Valletta. 

Built entirely of golden limestone, it developed into a center of Baroque architecture, featuring grand churches, monasteries and gardens. 

St. John's Co-Cathedral, a Baroque showpiece built by the Knights of St. John in 1573.

After looking for places to stay in Valletta and finding them either booked or expensive, we  decided to base ourselves in quieter and less-congested Birgu. Our Airbnb ($130 per night) is  an air conditioned apartment in a  renovated 300-year-old townhouse  a short ferry or bus ride across the water from Valleta. Pictured below is the exterior of the apartment with a gallarija, a traditional Maltese enclosed wooden balcony, an Arabic-inspired feature designed to offer with privacy, ventilation, and a view of the street.

Birgu also happens to be the best location to view the Malta International Fireworks Festival, usually held after Easter, to mark the start of the summer fireworks season. The country has deep pyrotechnic traditions dating to the time of the Knights who celebrated military victories and important religious events with gunpowder displays. This year's festival finale, capped by 1,000 drone show, will be happening while we are there. Tickets are already sold out for viewing areas with seating, but our Airbnb is right next door, so it looks like we will have front-row seats by default.

Airbnb in Birgu's Medieval quarter

Buildings with Arab-style enclosed balconies 

We hope to explore other areas beyond the usual guidebook recommendations with the help of a few walking tours and a 7-day bus pass good for unlimited rides on Malta's excellent transportation network. We'll use an Airbnb Experiences' three-hour street food tour to get acquainted with Maltese cuisine, and plan to visit the main food hall called-Suq Tal-Belt, Suq, taken from the Arabic word for "marketplace." .

Traditional Maltese coffee is blended with chicory, ground cloves and aniseed

Bloggers with YouTube videos point visitors to local neighborhoods within walking distance of  Valletta. One is Hamrun, a neighborhood the AramcoWorld story described as a multicultural mix of immigrants, ones who have lived here for decades and those who can trace their lineage back centuries. Here, the story said, visitors will find  "a pan-African shop of goods called Inshallah Mini market is sandwiched between a Catholic church and an Afghan restaurant. Just a few blocks down, past a diner sporting American flags and the Australian butcher, is a Syrian-owned nut shop." 

As for our Ryanair flight to Bari, there's a risk it could be cancelled due to fuel shortages caused by the U.S. war with Iran. There are other flights, so the worst that could happen is that we would have to an extra day in this surprising country. Maybe even hit the beach.

Need airport help while traveling through Seattle? Just ask Team Green

 

The team in green

The man had been waiting an hour for his mother to exit international arrivals at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Spotting me in a bright green jacket wearing a name tag that said "Carol," he asked me a few questions about when the flight might arrive and where to get a coffee. 

I answered. He wandered away, then he came back with another question, and finally another.

"Carol," he said, glancing at my name tag, "Why the hell would anyone volunteer to work at the airport?"

I smiled. "Well, sir, to help people like you."

My husband, Tom, and are part of a group of 130 volunteers assisting travelers with directions and information at key locations inside and outside security.

We normally work a three-hour shift on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. -1 p.m. helping people with everything from finding the Uber pick-up to making a phone call, finding a hotel room or locating a lost phone or passport.

One of the perks is three weeks of free parking in the airport garage, but the real reward is the appreciation we feel after offering what seems to be the slightest bit of help. People have thanked me with hugs and kisses. One called me his "guardian angel." Another treated me to a Matcha latte from Starbucks.

When you are in a hurry, tired, confused or irritated about a cancelled flight, we are a friendly face with an answer. 

If you don't speak English, we are there to help. Some volunteers speak various foreign  languages. Others use translation apps. If those fail, we will walk you to wherever you are going, or help you phone an English-speaking relative. We can't help you carry your bags, but we can help you find your gate, advise you on where to eat, the best areas to wait between connections and where to nurse your baby in private.  

Many airports have similar volunteer programs, but Seattle's program is especially important, given on-going construction and expansion projects that have disrupted traffic, baggage claim services, TSA check points and departure gates. 

If you've been frustrated navigating Sea-Tac, you're not alone. A recent survey by JD Power ranked Sea-Tac 17 lowest out of 20 nationwide "mega" airports for customer satisfaction. 

Construction is winding down, so many of the problems that led to the poor showing should be resolved by spring in time for the 2026 cruise season and the FIFA World Cup games  in June.

If you will be among the thousands traveling through Sea-Tac in the next few months, help awaits, not only from the volunteers, but from a paid staff of professional Pathfinders. In the meantime, I have some ratings of my own to hand out, along with some pro-tips.

Start by downloading the free green flySEA app. Use  it to check your gate, arrival and departure times etc. Tip: Instead of scrolling through the various categories such as "Dining" or "Ground Transportation, go "Maps" and type in what you are specifically looking for: ie: "children's play area" or  "espresso" or "ATM," and a list of locations will appear.

Sea-Tac's new Checkpoint One

Fastest TSA checkpoint: Checkpoint 1 downstairs from ticketing at the baggage claim - arrivals level. Sea-Tac has six TSA security checkpoints. All but one are on the departures-ticketing level where lines are likely to be longest.  If you have only a carry-on and don't need to check a bag with your airline, Checkpoint 1 is your best bet. Ask to be dropped at arrivals, near Door 6.

P.F. Chang's overlooks the N Concourse

Best restaurant with a view: P.F. Chang's on the mezzanine at the N Concourse. Some might argue for Salty's, upper level, Central Terminal, but P.F. Chang's is healthier, and although pricey, most of its bowls and entrees are big enough to share. 

Starbucks Not

Best places for coffee: Forget the lines for to-go orders at Starbucks, and head either to Costa Coffee, N Concourse, with its spacious seating area, or Dilettante Chocolates and Mocha Cafe in the main terminal for decadent drinks and desserts. A newly-opened 7-11 at baggage claim has the best price ($3.19) on regular drip coffee. Check out the locally-owned Neighborhood Cafe in the ticketing area of the main terminal (before security) for its bargain breakfast sandwiches ($7.45) and some unusual Filipino snacks  such as black-sesame rice krispie treats and Ube cookies.

Filipino treats at the Neighborhood Cafe 

Best restroom areas: Sea-Tac has all-gender bathrooms, family bathrooms, adult changing areas and private nursing rooms (The best is the nursing suite with comfortable chairs and sofas on the N Concourse mezzanine). Outside security, there's a new nursing room outside  Checkpoint 6, near the Alaska Airlines bag check area. Search "restrooms" on the SEA app for other locations.

Signs indicate private nursing areas

Best place to sit while waiting for a connecting flight: One of the biggest complaints about the airport is the lack of seating, other than tables and chairs inside security and seats at the gate areas.  

Lounge area in the S Concourse

The best place to relax inside security is the lounge area at the S Concourse furnished with couches and comfortable chairs. 

Outside security, options are fewer. There are chairs in the International Arrivals area, but it's often crowded and the seats look and feel like large concrete blocks.  If your layover is long,  considering taking the DoubleTree Inn's free airport shuttle to its hotel near Sea-Tac, and having lunch in its atrium lounge. 

Live music in the Central Terminal

Best entertainment: The live musicians who perform in the Central Terminal, A and N Concourses, and the SEA Pups, trained volunteer therapy dogs around for free cuddles and hugs. 

Best wheelchair service:  If you're traveling on Alaska Air, ask to try out one of their driverless wheel chairs. The little robots have a place for your carry-on, and emit a fun little  sound as they drive you to your gate. 

Self-driving wheel chairs

Best way to meet up with a friend or loved-one: Get a one-time Visitor Pass by clicking on this link. Download a QR code to your phone, then show your TSA-approved ID, and enter the gate area through Checkpoint 4.

Best way to get downtown: Link Light Rail if you don't have much luggage. Head over any skybridge on the ticketing level into the parking garage. A walkway and a free shuttle lead to the station for the $3, 40-minute ride downtown. Starting on March 28, Sound Transit will operate an overnight bus between SeaTac and downtown Seattle every 30 minutes between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m.

Taxis and Ride Shares leave from the third floor of the parking garage.  Don't assume that Uber or Lyft are cheaper than a taxi. A flat-rate taxi to downtown might cost $40-$60 while a ride share can sometimes cost $80 or more.

Need anything else?

Just ask Team Green. We're here to help.

Paris in winter: 'Tis the season for sparkling lights, puffy jackets and hot spiced wine

 

Paris 2024 Olympics fans might recognize the Point Alexandre III bridge, with its views of the Eiffel Tower, as the backdrop for the open-water swimming and cycling events.

Fast forward to November of this year. A light snow is falling, and I'm slipping and sliding across the same bridge, the view of the Eiffel Tower cut off at half-mast by the fog.

Ahead is the Grand Palais, the architectural masterpiece built during the 1900 Universal Exhibition, used for fencing and Taekwondo during the Olympics, now the site of a giant glass-roofed skating rink.

Nearby, dozens of holiday lights decorate the Champs-Élysées. Wood fires warm the first customers lining up for cups of mulled wine and baguettes slathered with melted cheese at the Tuileries Christmas Market near the Louvre. 

This is Paris in winter, a time to embrace short days and chilly evenings. Bundle up. Snag a bag of roasted chestnuts from a sidewalk vendor. People-watch over coffee at a traditional cafe with small tables and bistro chairs, or try one of the newer ones competing with each other for the best flat whites or lattes.

I was here during Thanksgiving week. I can't say there were no crowds. People were everywhere - at the museums, department stores and markets, but they were mostly French and European rather than foreign tourists.  

Follow their lead, I found, and you will have a visit to remember.

Start by scoring an off-season rate on a small hotel in a neighborhood that might be busy during tourist season, but quieter in winter.

There are many, but my favorite is the Hotel Du Levant, a century-old Latin Quarter hotel on the pedestrian-only Rue de le Harpe, a few steps away from Notre Dame and the Seine river. This area swarms with tourists most of the time, but it was strangely quiet this time of year.

Hotel Du Levant

The Du Levant has been in the same family for five-generations, and only recently raised its price on a "simple single" to 130 euros, up from 115 including a buffet breakfast.

For years, I ignored a small creperie next door, judging it to touristy. Then one night, too tired to go far, I slid into a cozy booth, ordered a buckwheat crepe filled with veggies, cheese, ham and topped with an egg for 12 euro.  I went back twice.

Neighborhood creperie

Next, adopt what seems like the official cold-weather uniform: Puffy coat, big scarf, hat, gloves and comfortable walking shoes. Dressed like this, you will be prepared to walk everywhere, but give yourself permission to take lots of indoor breaks.

A few ideas:

--Drop into a church that is not Notre Dame. The art is always amazing and the doors always open. One of my favorites is the 380-year-old Saint-Sulpice with its recently restored Chapelle de la Vierge (Chapel of the Virgin). 

Saint-Sulpice

An 18-month restoration uncovered François Lemoyne's magnificent 18th-century fresco "The Assumption of the Virgin," revealing its vibrant colors and baroque details that had been obscured for centuries. On the walk back to my hotel, I made new a new discovery. The doors were open at Saint Volodymyr’s Cathedral,  an iconic Ukrainian Orthodox church in the Latin Quarter. Its striking yellow façade and intricate religious icons attract visitors from all faiths.

--Instead of window shopping in the cold, pop into the little one-of-a-kind shops and art galleries that line back streets in neighborhoods such as Latin Quarter and Marais. On the tiny Rue de Bievre, I found Messy Nessy's "The Cabinet" after hearing a podcast interview with the American owner who bottles and sells water from the Seine River. Next door to her is craftsman who teaches students how to restore antique travel trunks, and next door to him, a sculpture gallery where passersby can see artists working on new creations.

Seine water for sale at The Cabinet

Sculptor at work 

--Stop for a coffee and people-watching in a glassed-in cafe terrace. The French government banned outdoor heaters a few years ago, but cafes found a work-around by creating covered terraces that apparently qualify as indoor spaces and can be heated.  

Coffee with a view

--Join the locals at a Christmas Market for Raclette, melted cheese and ham scraped onto a baguette, washed down with a mug of vin choud.  The Christmas markets pop up in various locations throughout the city. Popular is the big market at Tuileries, with a ferris wheel and rides for kids, and new market this year at the Parc de la Villette with seating around little wood-burning fire pits.

Tuileries Christmas market 

Raclette vendor slices melting  cheese

--Walk into just about any museum without advance tickets. Be prepared to stand in line until those with reservations pass through, but the wait will be short. The afternoon I decided to visit Notre Dame, now open and renovated after the 2019 fire, I expected a long wait since I had not made reservations.  Instead, I was inside in under 10 minutes. 

Early evening at Notre Dame 

The cathedral’s bright, cream-colored limestone walls look brand new, cleaned of dust from the fire and grime that had accumulated for centuries. Visitors can see it much as it would have appeared shortly after its last restoration nearly 200 years ago. The choir and side chapels were carefully cleaned, revealing vibrant reds, golds and blues. 

Restored stained glass and limestone walls

A Vespers service inside Notre Dame

Tip: Arrange to be inside around 5:30 for Vespers when the priest conducts a prayer service at the new ultra-modern alter.

When it comes to food, winter visitors should be prepared to replace the idea of a summer picnic with a visit to a cozy wine bar or a sidewalk stall where vendors cook huge skillets of potatoes and cheese, and serve soup from copper pots. Parisians don't usually walk and eat at the same time, but winter seems to be an exception.  

There's nothing more special than having a Parisian friend with whom to share a meal. I met up with my longtime friend, Michele Rumeau, in whose B&B I used to stay, for lunch at 5eCru, a tiny wine bar tucked into a storefront that I discovered a few years ago. I made a reservation on Instagram, and Beatrice, the manager, greeted me like an old friend when I walked in.

Beatrice at 5eCru

Walls of wine bottles surround a half-dozen or so wooden tables. When I asked about a dish of described on a chalkboard as endive au gratin, a woman sitting next to us explained that the dish is the ultimate winter comfort food.

"It's something everyone remembers their grandmother making," she said. "Children hate it, but it reminds me of home."

I ordered a glass of the just-released Beaujolais nouveau along with the endive snuggled in a casserole of melted cheese and ham. My friend ordered deer. We chatted with Beatrice, and finished with creme brûlée for dessert before heading off on a windy walk to the Institut du Monde Arabe to see exhibits on Cleopatra and Gaza. 

Just another perfect winter day in Paris.  

The Star Princess, the newest and biggest Alaska-bound ship will call in Seattle starting next May

 

An acrobatic performance on the piazza

When the 2026 Alaska cruise season launches next May, the Star Princess, the largest and newest ship to call in the 49th state, will homeport in Seattle, but don't expect to find water slides or a go-cart track on the top deck.

Think instead of viewing glaciers from inside a geodesic, glass-enclosed dome, or petting baby sled dogs as they roam around a central piazza encased in a glass sphere with panoramic views.

Oh, and did I mention the pickleball courts and Tiramisu cocktails?

Princess Cruises, one if 15 cruise lines to call out of Seattle next year, is doubling-down on Alaska by focusing on its core niche - a 50-plus crowd of active global travelers.

"Alaska really anchors our brand," said Princess Cruises president Gus Antorcha. Princess, owned by Carnival Corporation, which also operates Carnival and Holland America cruises from Seattle, dispatches half of its fleet to Alaska during the summer, Antorcha said. "We always want to make sure we take our newest ships there."

The 21-deck Star, with a passenger guest capacity of 4,300, will sail through the Inside Passage (7 days roundtrip from Seattle) from May 3 to September 6, with ports of call in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, and scenic cruising through Glacier Bay or Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier. 

Travel agents and writers had a chance to explore the new ship recently where it is home-ported for the winter in Port Everglades, Florida. 

A candlelight concert in the Dome

The takeway: This is a ship cleverly designed to experience the best of being outdoors when the weather is warm, while providing cozy, light-filled indoor spaces for cooler temperatures in Alaska.

"You need to be flexible," Antorcha said. "You could have very sunny days in Alaska or a bit of drizzle. What is great about this ship is that you can be inside and still experience what it's like to be outdoors." 

An outdoor deck with lounge chairs and hot tub

While warm-weather travelers can take advantage of  living-room like seating on outdoor decks, cooler weather will draw passengers inside the covered Dome, a multi-level, glass-enclosed venue that functions as an indoor pool area during the day, then transforms into an entertainment venue at night for shows and candlelight concerts.

Also indoors, surrounded by a sphere of glass, is a multi-deck atrium called the Piazza, a central hub for socializing, entertainment, and dining. 

The ships programming shifts for Alaska cruises with a focus on cultural and educational activities, but its configuration stays the same. With the exception of the small pool in the Dome, the other pools are outdoors. Outdoor lounge areas are not heated which means grabbing a blanket and hot toddy on chilly days and nights.

Other standout features

*Twelve low-key bars scattered throughout the ship, some specializing in their own signature cocktails such as a popular Tiramisu cocktail and the 24K Gold Margarita, made with Pantalones Organic Tequila, a brand co-founded by Matthew and Camila McConaughey, who christened the Star Princess.

The Bellini Bar's Tiramisu cocktail

*Ten specialty and casual dining restaurants (in addition to main dining rooms) including my favorite, the Makoto Ocean Japanese restaurant serving fresh sushi in an airy space with ocean views. The meat-centered Butcher's Block, created in partnership with Italian butcher Dario Cecchini, was filled the entire three days we were on the cruise, an indication that passengers interested in specialty dining should book ahead. 

Freshly prepared tuna at Makoto Ocean

Dario Cecchini carving meat aboard the Star Princess

 *The walk-up international cafe, open 24/7, with glass cases stocked with pastries, yogurt parfaits and smoked salmon sandwiches in the morning and light bites and desserts in the afternoon and evenings. 

A light bite from the International Cafe

 * Spellbound by Magic Castle, an immersive, speakeasy-style lounge with magic shows, Victorian-themed rooms and drinks. This one is worth the $45 admission price which includes cocktails and a show based on vaudeville and the Great Cardini, a card magician (Richard Pitchford) who presided over the Magician's Guild in 1945.

Inside the Spellbound speakeasy

* The Sanctuary Collection, a ship within a ship, with 80 suites,123 mini suites and 12 deluxe balconies; a top- deck retreat area with private cabanas; and a private dining room and lounge.

*The Princess Medallion, a small, round button that keeps track of where you are and allows you to unlock staterooms, order food and drinks, and shop onboard from anywhere.

Antorcha describes Princess as family-friendly rather than family-focused. Younger travelers will enjoy an underground teen lounge, a junior ranger programs and baby sled dogs brought on board during Alaska sailings.

If I had it to do over again

I would have sampled Lido Tacos and Coffee and Cones on the Lido deck. This is a new addition for Princess, and looked like fun.

Our evening meals were hosted in the speciality restaurants, but if I were on my own, I would have sampled the Indian and seafood offerings at the Eatery buffet. This is a hectic and busy area of the ship, so best suggestion is to get what you want and take it out a table on the deck, or to a quieter area in back.

Skipped both port stops - the Princess Cays, Princess' private island, and Nassau in the Bahamas - and enjoyed being on the ship when most everyone else was away.

Pricing and rooms

Guests can choose among 2,157 staterooms, including more than 1,000 balcony rooms and 51 accessible rooms. 

The best deals on all cruises come during  "wave season," a promotional period starting in January. The Princess Star website recently showed a starting price of $974 per person for an interior room on May sailings. Balcony rooms jump to $1,574. 

Worth considering are one of two add-on packages. The Plus package ($70 per day) covers one Wi-Fi device,  daily gratuities, unlimited casual dining, and a generous beverage package for alcoholic drinks, speciality coffees and mocktails costing up to $15 each (The 14K Gold Margarita is covered). 

The Premier package ($105) covers more expensive beverages (such as the Tiramisu cocktail), dining at specialty restaurants and multiple devices for Wi-Fi. 

Cruising out of Seattle 

The Port of Seattle's 2026 cruise season is scheduled from mid-May to early October, with an estimated 330 ship calls for cruises to Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii, and Asia. The season will feature 27 ships from 15 different lines, including new lines Virgin Voyages and MSC Cruises. About 2.1 million passengers are expected to sail.