Star to Hawaii Vancouver return

Hello everyone.

This will be our first cruise on Star and first cruise on Princess in 15 years.

This trip is a Honeymoon gift and we are so excited.

Now for some questions....

What exactly is the soda and More drink package... can you get canned pop and water? What else is available?

I understand there is a soft ice cream stand.. is it included or extra?

I cannot find the cost of tips for each person in a standard balcony HC room...could you assist me with this?

I am going to need to rent a scooter as I use a walker every day but not sure I can manage the distances on the ship... is there a certain company to rent from?

Being disabled... we want to plan some appropriate excursions....one would be a pig roast... is there one that is more recommended... also what other easy peasy HC excursions would you recommend...

I have been to Maui before and would love to show my new hubby the aquarium and also go to Bubba Gumps for lunch... any other suggestions?

Are there any special MUST do or see things on the ship... ??

Can you tell how excited i am ...Never been on a cruise longer than 7 days.... yeah...

Congratulations on your marriage.

The Soda & More package does, I believe, include canned soda, along with mocktails and juice, too, I think? It does not, however, include bottled water. There is a bottled water package -- you must purchase it in advance (go to your online Personalizer and look under the Gifts section). It's quite reasonable and they'll deliver the bottles right to your cabin.

The soft ice cream is free.

Tips are $12.95 per person in a standard balcony room (more for a minisuite).

Re the scooter, I believe there's a section for Disabled Cruisers on CruiseCritic. I'd ask there, and it's probably a good place to ask about excursions, too. Or try the Hawaii board in the Ports section of CC.

Hints:

Don't miss the fabulous views from Skywalker's.

Be sure to visits the International Cafe (a small food area in the atrium serving salads/sandwiches/pastries): try the chicken salad, which is excellent. As are the cookies. And all free! If you like specialty coffees, that's where the espresso bar is, too. Buy a coffee card: it gives you 15 specialty coffees for about $34, which is about a 30% savings off buying the drinks individually.

You'll love the longer cruise: just so much more relaxing!

Hello everyone.

...............................................

I am going to need to rent a scooter as I use a walker every day but not sure I can manage the distances on the ship... is there a certain company to rent from?

Being disabled... we want to plan some appropriate excursions....one would be a pig roast... is there one that is more recommended... also what other easy peasy HC excursions would you recommend...

I have been to Maui before and would love to show my new hubby the aquarium and also go to Bubba Gumps for lunch... any other suggestions?

Are there any special MUST do or see things on the ship... ??

 

Can you tell how excited i am ...Never been on a cruise longer than 7 days.... yeah...

We had looked into getting a scooter for my Mom when we had thought about leaving on a cruise out of Vancouver. We ended up doing a different itinerary so no actual experience with them. Here is the link: https://www.scootaround.com/cruise-rentals/cruise-ports?ref=carevacations

You may want to join your roll call group for your sailing date. We have often found a lot of good suggestions for tours and excursions from other members.

Have a great cruise.

Hello everyone.

 

What exactly is the soda and More drink package... can you get canned pop and water? What else is available?

I understand there is a soft ice cream stand.. is it included or extra?

From Princess:

===============

Indulge yourself with this premium Unlimited Soda & More Package, entitling you to unlimited fountain soft drinks, plus mocktails, juices, and complimentary hot chocolate throughout your cruise. Price includes service charge.

===============

The highlighting is mine. The soda comes "from the gun". I don't believe it includes any canned soda.

To my mind the Soda and More package is one of the best values on the ship.

Since you're a local check out the permanent rental places rather than just the temporary one at the pier - I'd wager that pricing is better. Depending which part of town you're in, there may be a rental place close enough to go collect one and 'scoot' it back home (good idea to practise driving it before you need to navigate on a ship packed with other people!), or failing that I know that you can get them delivered for a fee.

Fire up Google maps to your own address and search for "wheelchair rental" in the 'nearby' field - there are literally dozens of companies around the lower mainland, from the Shoppers Drugmart home healthcare store at Kingsgate mall or Pharmasave on Burrard opposite St Pauls to independent specialists and small chains like Advanced Mobility, Scooter Rental Vancouver, Selfcare Home Health, the Rehab Shop, etc. etc.

Hello everyone.

This will be our first cruise on Star and first cruise on Princess in 15 years.

This trip is a Honeymoon gift and we are so excited.

Now for some questions....

What exactly is the soda and More drink package... can you get canned pop and water? What else is available?

The soda & more package is US$8.05 per day/pp. Price includes the gratuity. It includes all fountain sodas, mocktails, juices, milkshakes (when available). It does not include any canned soda or bottled water. You are allowed to bring on as much canned soda and bottled water as you wish.

I understand there is a soft ice cream stand.. is it included or extra?

No charge. Available from 11am to late evening every day Sundaes by the Lido Pool.

I cannot find the cost of tips for each person in a standard balcony HC room...could you assist me with this?

"To simplify the tipping process for our guests, a discretionary gratuity of $15.50 per guest for suites, $14.50 per guest for mini-suites and club class, and $13.50 per guest for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms. This gratuity will be shared amongst those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including all waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, and housekeeping staff across the fleet."

I am going to need to rent a scooter as I use a walker every day but not sure I can manage the distances on the ship... is there a certain company to rent from?

There is, but I can't comment. I'm certain someone else will know.

Being disabled... we want to plan some appropriate excursions....one would be a pig roast... is there one that is more recommended... also what other easy peasy HC excursions would you recommend...

I have been to Maui before and would love to show my new hubby the aquarium and also go to Bubba Gumps for lunch... any other suggestions?

Maui is a tender port. Directly next to the pier is the banyan tree park, a must see. Bubba Gump's is down to the left, not too close to the pier. You might want to take a cab over to Whaler's Village for a look around.

Are there any special MUST do or see things on the ship... ??

Try some specialty dining. Crown Grill, steak, chops and seafood, Sabatini's, Italian. Make reservations for these by calling the dine line or visiting them on boarding day. You may like the casual dining of the Crab Shack, buckets of seafood, offered some evenings in the buffet seating area. You will see tables in the buffet where you can sign up. All of the above have a surcharge of $29/pp.

 

There will be an Hawaii culture program on board which has Uke lessons and other activities. Look it up in the Princess Patter.

 

Also, be prepared for cool weather on the trip over and back to Hawaii. These sea days are normally not tropical.

 

There will be the normal cruise ship activities like trivia, twice a day, pop choir, Voice of the Ocean, Bingo, afternoon tea (no charge), and many others. Some activities are really sales pitches watch out for those.

Can you tell how excited i am ...Never been on a cruise longer than 7 days.... yeah...

See above

oh my, so much help and hints already. Thank you all so much. I was wondering what the distance was from the tender drop to the village in Maui so thanks for the heads up that a taxi will be needed.

I really am just so excited and will be spending a lot of time here looking for more tips and tricks. Our room C304 looks like a good location and i think has a large balcony. Hope to be able to enjoy meals out there so hope the table is the right height for that....

The only canned soda that is available on the Soda and More package is root beer and possibly ginger ale. It will be poured into a glass and you may or may not receive the remainder in the can. :)

sknight,

There is a company at the Vancouver cruiseship terminal.

http://www.CareVacations.com

Toll free 1-877-478-7827

They specialize in mobility devices for cruise ships.

When I was there last summer doing a ship tour, I had a nice chat with them. If you order through them your scooter will be waiting for you when you get to your cabin.

Have a great cruise

I meant kitegirl........... :) Information about scooter for you.

Hi!

I'll be on the Star next month, in much the same circumstances - Hawaii, but from/to L.A.

For scooter rental, we've used Special Needs at Sea before and have been extremely pleased with the service, and the equipment. Princess only allows rentals to be brought on board and left in your cabin from a limited number of companies - but if you rent on your own, as one person suggested, then of course you could just scoot right on board. It's cheaper to do it that way, but I'd rather pay to have it on board for me, rather than take it across the country with me.

As already mentioned, Maui is a tender port - and despite months of effort to get anyone to tell me what 'usually' happens as opposed to the official company stance - the only thing that is certain is that it will be left up to the Captain's discretion whether or not you can board a tender with a scooter. General consensus from the Disabled Cruising section on Cruise Critic, and the Hawaii boards seems to be no - I'm taking a rollator just in case.

The official Princess accessible office, unfortunately, has been less than helpful - no matter the question, they just send me the official policy regarding this or that. We had two HC accessible excursions booked through them that were canceled with no explanation - although the non-HC accessible version is still bookable. I know we can't mention travel agents here - not sure about third party vendors, but just let me say that if you do a search for Hawaii cruise excursions, you will quickly find a link to a company that has been in business for 70 years. We booked tours with them for Hilo and Honolulu where we will be on smaller vehicles with lift capacity, so we can take our scooters.

As for your experience onboard, we had a marvelous time on the Emerald last year - sure, we had to be patient waiting for elevators, and people will jump in front of you, but most people are remarkably kind, and it was no problem using the scooter in the buffet area, for example. Dining in the MDR was wonderful - we scooted to the table, and someone moved the scooters for us and brought them back after eating.

If you are interested in any of the production shows, there are areas for wheelchairs and scooters at the top back of the Princess Theater. Arrive early.

and most importantly, pack your sense of humor, your patience, and have a wonderful time!

...................

As already mentioned, Maui is a tender port - and despite months of effort to get anyone to tell me what 'usually' happens as opposed to the official company stance - the only thing that is certain is that it will be left up to the Captain's discretion whether or not you can board a tender with a scooter. General consensus from the Disabled Cruising section on Cruise Critic, and the Hawaii boards seems to be no - I'm taking a rollator just in case.

..................................

When we were in Maui last year, the only mobility impaired equipment that we saw were walkers (rollators). My mom uses one and she was able to walk without it for short distances so had no problems.

FWIW, we have never seen a scooter on a Princess tender. With the wave motion, especially at the ship, I don't see how they could safely load and unload it.

Enjoy Hawaii.

oh my, so much help and hints already. Thank you all so much. I was wondering what the distance was from the tender drop to the village in Maui so thanks for the heads up that a taxi will be needed.

I really am just so excited and will be spending a lot of time here looking for more tips and tricks. Our room C304 looks like a good location and i think has a large balcony. Hope to be able to enjoy meals out there so hope the table is the right height for that....

Yes it has a large balcony. :)

oh my, so much help and hints already. Thank you all so much. I was wondering what the distance was from the tender drop to the village in Maui so thanks for the heads up that a taxi will be needed.

I really am just so excited and will be spending a lot of time here looking for more tips and tricks. Our room C304 looks like a good location and i think has a large balcony. Hope to be able to enjoy meals out there so hope the table is the right height for that....

Regarding Maui you may wish to look at the below you tube videos. I think you have to be able to walk some to get on the tender. I have seen scooters loaded on board, but not with the person in them. I think you say you can walk some. Speak with one of the officers on board. If you see the Captain, Staff Captain, Security Officers, they are probably the best informed about the tender loading process.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1413883

I have a couple of more questions about the Star....

Is there a lift for any of the pools or shallow steps to get in and out.. or are they all ladders?

Also is the table on the balcony of a height to eat a meal at? Can you order from the main dining room menu for room service?

I have been busy looking at excursions and I am happy to see some that I could manage with my walker. If renting a scooter I would not want to risk taking it off the ship...

I have a few more questions but will post them on the disability site...

I understand there is a soft ice cream stand.. is it included or extra?

(As others have already mentioned, it is free. Vanilla, chocolate or swirl soft serve.)

Star Princess - Hawaii Cruise by Jasperdo, on Flickr

Also is the table on the balcony of a height to eat a meal at? Can you order from the main dining room menu for room service?

...

No the balcony table is not a standard dining room table height ... but, we have eaten at it many times....

Only suites can order from the MDR menu...

... and also go to Bubba Gumps for lunch...

We'd skip Bubba Gumps and go to either Kimos or Lahaina Fish Company instead.

The only canned soda that is available on the Soda and More package is root beer and possibly ginger ale. It will be poured into a glass and you may or may not receive the remainder in the can. :)

Generally canned soda is not included in the soda packages...

I was wondering what the distance was from the tender drop to the village in Maui so thanks for the heads up that a taxi will be needed.

I really am just so excited and will be spending a lot of time here looking for more tips and tricks. Our room C304 looks like a good location and i think has a large balcony. Hope to be able to enjoy meals out there so hope the table is the right height for that....

You have to be able to get on & off the tender with minimal help. Also, they usually don't allow scooters on the tenders, they're too big. Walkers are OK.

Table on the balconies are small and approx. seat height.

I have a couple of more questions about the Star....

 

Is there a lift for any of the pools or shallow steps to get in and out.. or are they all ladders? Yes. At least one pool has one. Saw one on the Star (?) that was portable.

 

 

I have been busy looking at excursions and I am happy to see some that I could manage with my walker. If renting a scooter I would not want to risk taking it off the ship... If you're doing ship excursions there will be one at almost every port that is labelled for "handicap".

 

I have a few more questions but will post them on the disability site...

See above

Sorry, to high jack your post. Our favorite island is Kauai. If I were booking excursions, number one would be the Napali Coast, second would be Waimea Canyon and third would be a trip to the north shore, specifically Hanalei and the pier. Over and out. You can now return to your post ;)

Sent from my iPad using Forums