IRMO12HD

Great question -- thanks for asking!  I, too, am curious, and am looking forward to responses.  I may have the same situation this fall.

5 hours ago, CallistaSkye said:

Does anyone know how to tell if you originally booked under Refundable? I just called Royal and got a price adjustment, and last time I got one, the person helping me said we had Refundable, and made sure to rebook under that. This time the person argued, told me I had never had a Refundable booking, and rebooked it all under NFD. My original invoice does not say NFD anywhere on it. So now I'm freaking out that we're going to be screwed if something happens and we need to cancel. Also, this price adjustment took off $1300 for the same room. When I did an online booking with refundable to price check, the difference only should have been about $500. Ugh. Now I'm really scared I just screwed myself over by doing this.

@CallistaSkye, I checked two of my invoices from RCL; my first one was with a refundable deposit, and it had the regular information.  I later got a lower rate with a Non-Refundable Deposit, and on that invoice, under the "Booking Charges" section, it specifically noted "The minimum deposit for this reservation is Non-Refundable. A change fee of $100 USD per guest will apply for ship or sail date changes."

I would take a picture of your original invoice, and then call them back.  Did you get the name of the person you dealt with?  It sounds like you may need to talk to a supervisor.

On 2/27/2022 at 4:54 PM, TreeCity said:

Thank you for the walking video just what I was wanting information about. And for the Green Onion recommendation.

You're welcome, @TreeCity -- that's exactly why I posted it!  Hope you have a great cruise!

4 hours ago, BazingAu said:

@IRMO12HDI am just curious why you decided to walk to the port instead of taking the Crowne Plaza shuttle? Was it too infrequent or too full?

@BazingAuI wanted to explore, and didn't want to take the shuttle.  I'm not sure what the schedule was, but doubt it was full.  Research beforehand showed that the CP was less than a mile from the cruise port.  Had the weather been inclement, I might have tried the shuttle, but as it was, I was trying to avoid crowded travel environments prior to boarding the ship.

On 2/14/2022 at 12:42 PM, cruisingator2 said:

What’s your thoughts about the hotel? I know that it’s dated but it get very mixed reviews on Yelp and TA. Thanks.

@cruisingator2I really liked the hotel!  It had a really nice lobby, a pretty fully-stocked little store, and the hallways, elevators, and public areas were well-maintained.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  I asked for a higher floor, and ended up being on the 10th floor, looking east toward the bridge; I could see Navigator making her way up to the cruiseport at o'dark thirty (well, 5:45 am!).  I know that their restaurant had been moved to an alternative location within the hotel because of the renovations, but didn't try to find it. I would definitely stay there again.

Sharing a 1-device plan with my daughter was pretty easy -- you don't even have to log out.  The person seeking to log on can go to logon.com and will be presented with the option to switch devices.  Assuming that the coordination has already been accomplished, just select "Yes, switch devices."  Doing so "bumps" the first device off, and logs on the 2nd device.

One device per person who purchases The Key.  Since everyone in the same cabin has to purchase it, each of you would have their own Surf & Stream Voom (1 device per person). Double check the description of The Key for your cruise, but I'm sure that's standard.

8 minutes ago, pistnbroke said:

Thank you for taking the time and effort to provide this information.

leaving on Majestic Princess on March 5 and staying at Crowne Plaza.

the night before.

Had to change our flight from Vancouver /Lax to SNA .but the return will be from Lax.
Will stay post cruise at an airport hotel to allow sufficient time for test results 

Any recommendations for breakfast near the Crowne Plaza ?

 

 

You're welcome!  I found the area around the hotel and waterfront quite nice to walk in.

I didn't actually eat there, but I understand the Happy Diner (right around the corner from the CP -- 617 S Centre St, San Pedro, CA 90731)  is pretty good. There is also a Hoyas Tea House directly across the street.  Perhaps some local folks could give more suggestions. 

8 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

In theory you are supposed to wait until you arrive at the LAX-it lot before ordering an Uber or Lyft since the drivers cannot wait if you are not at the assigned spot when they get there.

Thanks; that makes more sense.  The Lyft directions (I thought) said not to call until after I received my bags.  Now that I'm a little more familiar with the layout, I'll know for next time, and will make sure any future posts reflect that.

Having participated in other threads attempting to find details of what it's like to:

(a) travel from LAX to San Pedro as a solo woman traveler,

(b) walk to the World Cruise Terminal from the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and 

(c) travel from San Pedro to LAX using public transportation

I figured I would post my experiences and impressions having done so.

(a) I flew in the day before my cruise.  Because my flight into LAX was delayed, and I didn't arrive until about 4:15 pm instead of my planned 2:20 pm, I elected to use rideshare to get to San Pedro.  It was easy to catch the LAX-it shuttle after getting my bag; I did a little price shopping between Uber and Lyft to determine which I would use, before I tried to find the shuttle (I was in Terminal 6).  The signage isn't terrific IMO, but I was able to ask a Security person who pointed me in the right direction.  Lyft was the lowest at $39, so I booked that and got on the shuttle.  My pickup point was 30B, which I saw as we were coming in to the LAX-it Lot.  It's not terribly complicated -- signage directing one to the appropriate category of pickup.  My Lyft driver was there in about 1 minute after I got off the bus.  As others have noted, it's not an area where one would want to have to wait a long time -- no seating that I could see, and very little cover in the event of rain or wind.  My driver was really helpful, and loaded (and unloaded) my suitcase for me.

(b) Since I arrived at the hotel right at dusk, I didn't try to explore at all that evening -- I did  order takeout from The Green Onion, and was happy to encounter a 1/2 block, well-lit walk to go and pick it up and take it back to my room.  The next morning, I walked over to the Cruise Terminal at about 8:30 a.m. with my suitcase.  The walk took approximately 12 minutes walking at an average pace.  Even if I had had a larger suitcase, it would have been a pretty easy walk.  The roughest part would have been a short "boardwalk" section along the waterfront.  It's about 0.7 miles from the Crowne Plaza to the luggage drop off point.  Porters were standing by to take bags, and there were still people waiting for their rides to pick them up from the previous cruise.  I then walked back to the hotel, checking out the best route to the Silver Line bus stop (it's across the parking lot).  I had a quick cup of coffee (thanks to my in-room Keurig) and then headed back over to the Cruise Terminal, this time with just my "carry-on" backpack and purse.  I posted the video of my walk on YouTube HERE.

(c) I disembarked Navigator at about 9:00 a.m. on Friday, February 4th.  Checked for Uber and Lyft prices (just out of curiosity; I had already determined that I would try the Silver Line + MetroRail Green Line + Shuttle for $2.50); Uber was $42 and Lyft was $38.   Took a little longer (about 1 hour 8 minutes) than an Uber or Lyft. Walked across the World Cruise Terminal parking lot and a couple of blocks to the bus stop (Beacon and O’Farrell). The schedule showed a bus at 9:28, but it never showed, and Rome2Rio never showed it as an option.  No big deal.  There was a bus shelter and four seats under it .  I had downloaded the TAP app and loaded $2.75 on it, as I wasn't sure if I could pay cash on the bus.  As it turned out, I only needed $2.50 of it; if I had registered for the Senior Reduced Fare card in advance, my cost would have been a grand total of $0.95!  BTW, you can also pay in cash, but you need exact change (or won't get change back?) -- and I'm not sure how or if you get the transfers to the Green Line. 

Anyway, I boarded the bus at 9:58 and was in Terminal 6 (five stops before it!) by 11:07. There was no place on the bus to put a large suitcase that I could see; there was an indented area for wheelchair seating in back of the driver and to the right side, but those areas also had flip-down seating, so I'm not sure you could put a suitcase there if the bus was crowded.  The bus did have an elevated rear section with steps up to it that had several vacant seats, so perhaps larger suitcases could go up there?  There were about three other travelers on the bus with (small) suitcases or luggage.  The bus took about 25 minutes to get to the Harbor Freeway station; there was a long escalator up to the 3rd level, which was where the Green Line train would come in; there was also an elevator.  I took the escalator, as it was in open air and uncrowded.  There was a turnstile to go through to get to the train; my TAP app worked to open it, but one of the passengers who had paid cash had trouble getting through it and ended up just jumping the turnstile.  The Green Line train arrived in about 3 minutes, and was about 1/3 full, so it was pretty easy to find a seat.  The last transition occurred at Aviation Way, where I would catch the terminal shuttle to take me to Terminal 6.  This was the only difficult part, as I couldn't find a "down" escalator -- only a staircase.  Could have been a problem with a larger suitcase, although I''m sure there was an elevator somewhere.  I just missed getting on the terminal shuttle that was there, so had to wait another 3-4 minutes for the next one.  The terminal shuttle took about 6-7 minutes to get me to Terminal 6, as it stops at the terminals in numerical order.

In summary:

As always, YMMV (your mileage may vary)!  For me, walking to the Cruise Port from the Crowne Plaza hotel was uncomplicated, relatively easy with a suitcase, and really pleasant.  Taking luggage over first thing in the morning (well, about 8 or 8:30 a.m.) worked really well, but I could have done so in one journey a little later.  My boarding time was 11:00 a.m., and I was in the Security Line at 10:57.  Taking public transportation back to LAX worked out okay for me.  To be honest, there were a few dicey moments on the Silver Line bus with a few passengers having a heated argument over mask wearing, but other than that, the rides were relatively uncrowded, and comfortable.

Pictures:

8411_Harbor Freeway Station looking down at freeway from 3rd Level

8412_Harbor Freeway Station escalator from bus level

8413_Green Line rail car

8414_Green Line Aviation Station train platform

8416_Missed this sign when I first got off the stairs at  Aviation Station (shuttle bus level) - turn left after you exit the gate

8417_Up escalator (and down stairs) from street to train level at Aviation Station

4 minutes ago, trbarton said:

Thanks for posting. I’ve been checking & yes Lyft has the best price. That’s my plan soon. I’ll be in Terminal #1 & LAX-it is right across from the terminal. 
 
I just check the price & it was $ 34.99 & this is the time I’ll be arriving. 
 

Thanks again!

 

Tom😀

 

I found that the prices fluctuated constantly -- when I checked Uber and Lyft while walking through the terminal to Baggage Claim, Uber was cheaper.  Then when I checked while waiting for my suitcase, Lyft was cheaper.  I suppose it's based on supply and demand.  I forgot to mention that my experience happened on a Thursday evening (1/27/22). Good luck, and have a great cruise!

My experience:

Arrived at LAX at about 4:30 p.m. via Alaska Airlines; Terminal 6.  Went down to Baggage Claim and got my bag; used the Lyft App to book a ride -- $39 from LAX-it to Crowne Plaza in San Pedro (Uber was going to be $44).  Found and boarded the LAX-it shuttle two doors down from where I got my bag within 2 minutes of booking the ride.  Arrived at LAX-it about 2 minutes later and my ride showed up almost right away at position 30B.  Total time from booking ride to getting in the car was less than 10 minutes.  The travel time was about 45 minutes including some traffic delays getting onto the freeway.

2 hours ago, n4w said:

how was it?

@n4w Thanks for the reminder!  I was actually happy with it.  My room was quite large, on a high floor, and looked west over the airport runway.  I didn’t use the pool or gym, but the breakfast was pretty good, and the staff was helpful and friendly.  Free shuttle from airport-hotel and hotel-cruise port.

@gailellen12  I second what @jimdee3636 mentioned; I think a lot of it has to do with attitude.  I love cruising and my DH doesn't, so I resolved to try solo cruising -- and I really enjoy it!  I, too, traveled a lot in my "youth" and wondered about how I would feel about being on my own in a strange city (getting to the ship) and how being by myself on the ship would work.  It was fine.  It's actually a relief not to have to worry about someone else having a good time (or not) and being able to follow any schedule I want -- or no schedule at all.  Also, I found that people are as approachable as I want them to be.  My solo (2-top) table in the MDR on Freedom OTS was right next to a couple who would engage me in conversation, but were happy to enjoy each other's company as well -- perfect!  I will say that I did find someone (another woman about 1/2 my age with her young son) with whom I shared a lot of interests and experiences, and it was nice to have someone to explore Nassau with.  I'm not sure I would have been as adventurous had I been on my own.  I would definitely encourage you to try it!

8 minutes ago, GTVCRUISER said:

Yes 

Thank you for this and all of the other tips!

5 hours ago, GTVCRUISER said:

Wine tour is good in Ensenada 

@GTVCRUISERWas it this one?  "CALAFIA VALLEY WINE COUNTRY ENSENADA, MEXICO: winery tour and tasting adventure through Mexico’s fertile Calafia Valley region. Hear tales of the area’s history, people and culture while traveling alongside an informative guide via motor coach. Visit two renowned wineries in the famed Calafia Valley wine-growing province, home to the country’s largest wine producers."?

1 hour ago, coastcat said:

Have a great time! I did Navigator B2B in December - great ship, great crew, very good food except the buffet (get lunch tacos at Loco Fresh instead, yum).

@coastcatany tips for Ensenada or Catalina?

Four days to go!  Navigator of the Seas B2B -- 28 - 31 Jan 2022 and 31 - 4 Feb 2022.  Trying out an Interior with Virtual Balcony for the first leg, and a OV Balcony for the second.  Looks like we'll be heading into cooler (for the area, anyway) temperature.  Looking forward to exploring several points of interest in Ensenada.

One thing you can keep an eye open for are the "sales" in which 30%, 40%, etc. off the 2nd guest are offered.  When you book as a solo passenger, that % is still applied against the other half of your solo fare.  It's effectively a single cruiser discount.

5 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

Please note IRMO that Istone is from IL, not So Cal and So Cal is not NYC.

 

There are sometimes when a local knowledge/experience can go a long ways.

Understand.  Thanks again.

When I did my S2S (with one day in between) on Freedom/Oasis at the end of November and beginning of December, Guest Services gave me an AG Card Kit to take with me to test myself (proctored, of course).  They did this because my test would have had to be on debarkation day.  Check in with Guest Services as soon as you get onboard the first half of your S2S.

On 1/20/2022 at 9:57 AM, lstone19 said:

Despite my own experience, I agree with the above. If this is at 3pm on the day of cruise departure, you’re already at risk of missing the ship. Your goal is to get to the ship ASAP, not find the cheapest way there. I’d dare to say you need to be completely rethinking your travel arrangements. IIRC, most Princess cruises from San Pedro need everyone on board by 4pm.

Thanks; in fact this will be the day before I board. I appreciate all of the feedback and tips.

On 1/20/2022 at 1:12 PM, scottca075 said:

 

Steve is being polite, NO LOCAL would ever advise that route.

 

 

Surely you are not flying in the day of your cruise after 12PM and hoping to use public transportation in LA to get to your ship.

 

That would be a very bad idea.

Thank you for your comments.  I am flying in the day before my cruise departs.

Yay!  Cleared to cruise!

Wow, thank you very much for your great descriptions!  I'll be using them in a week!