Cruisin' Chick

I found the pods are pretty convenient (I would wrap each one up in a small ziplock bag just in case). If you prefer the powder type, just put a load's worth in a ziplock bag. We needed to use unscented detergent which isn't available in the dispenser machine.

I know around here, we can pick up macadamia nuts at the grocery store, so they are not as hard to get on the mainland as they once were.

 

Maybe you want to consider something like the Honolulu Cookie Company that has a variety of macadamia nut cookie flavors. That is what we picked up as a gift on our recent trip. We bought ours in Waikiki, but they have several stores. Just google the company name, and you can find their locations.

 

 

 

 

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On our last cruise, we bought a dozen, different varieties, of the cookies from their Waikiki shop. I don't like nuts so there were flavors I could eat.

so besides considering a short cruise to start off with, I would also suggest looking through the Princess website. So much info there, and if you have questions after that, go to the Princess forum here.

I would be concerned about doing such a long cruise as your first one. Is there a way that, in the meantime, you can schedule a much shorter one to give yourself a taste of cruising.

When I first met my future hubby, he already had taken his first cruise and wanted to do more. I wasn't that gung ho about going on one (been on a three-hour dinner cruise through work and a trip to Catalina Island with my college dorm, which is a short trip, and didn't take up my work on a Princess cruise -- a client in the 80s and they had a few unsold cabins they were offering to our staff for free), so we went on an one-day San Diego round trip to Ensenada, a basic gamblers' special as back then, not too many places to gamble in California, if at all then. Got through with that and we booked a 7-day. Years later, I've been on 11 cruises, he has been on 12, and our now-20-year-old daughter on 8 cruises. Our last three were two week cruises. Haven't been on any in over four years because of college costs.

Our last three cruises were the Hawaiian Rts LA/Hawaii and all during the last couple weeks of the year.

We're an hour's drive from San Pedro so it's great for us. We also love sea days.

Elua was on the last two cruises and I suggest checking the Patter each day to see where and when they're performing (for our cruises, they were either on the pool deck or in the Piazza in the grand atrium). I also took the hula classes that Leialoha taught (her hubby Dave teaches the uke classes). On the last day, the passengers in both classes get together and put on a show. Dave would joke that Leialoha is from the island of Oahu and he's from the island of Boston (if I'm remembering his quip right). On the last cruise, I ran into them in the elevator and they were very nice...she was explaining which fruit I had selected from the tropical buffet that I was taking to the Princess theater as a movie watching treat.

Good for you. I use snopes a lot. I used to have a friend (sadly now gone) who sent me tons of crap. I got him to start checking snopes and he quit sending me crap and started letting the folks who sent it to him know that it was (mostly) crap. It is truly amazing the amount of absolute garbage that people send to their friends, acquaintances, strangers... as a "warning". Often they will send it "just in case". Sheesh... Check it out before you send it to people.

 

Thanks for pointing it out here that snopes.com can be a real eye opener for this type of thing. This one is, of course, true.

It's amazing how many people post things on Facebook, including RIPs for a celebrity (often they see a link for an old story and don't check the date). I try to check out such stories before I "share." Snopes and some other fact finder sites are pretty useful (IMDB is useful for anyone in show business as they're pretty good about checking out deaths before changing a bio). A friend kept PMing me last summer with various things she heard about one candidate, and I would post links that refute that info...but she seemed to want to believe her iffy sources.

I checked my landline and cell number...not on that list (right now I can't remember my old cell phone number, but I think I can look for it and check as it was still active til last year or late in 2015. We don't pick up our landline unless we're expecting a call and turn on the bell. Our answering machine does get a lot of hang ups and "hello, hello" calls or calls stating one of our first names as if we'll think it's a friend (we're guessing sales calls where the caller is hoping we'll pick up, but if we're near the answering machine, and we don't recognize the voice....forget it).

It's harder on my cell phone as I can't screen calls other than the caller ID. Since I have a plan with 100 minutes/month, I don't want to risk minutes on a telemarketer. If it's an out-of-state caller, I'm not answering it. Lately, I was getting someone starting with the "as you've been at this resort...." calls. I either hang up immediately or yell at them "not I haven't". I try to mark those calls with the words telemarketer or sales call so I won't pick up any calls from those numbers in the future.

I truly wish that Do Not Call Registry actually worked.

If you're talking about a cruise that originates from Honolulu, that's not on the west coast, which covers the ports of San Diego, San Pedro/Long Beach, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Astoria (Oregon), Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, and the Alaskan ports.

Our last three cruises were the Hawaiian ones with a ton of sea days. With the many activities listed in the Patter, often the hardest thing is to choose among the ones at the same time that sound like a lot of fun.

There's a Hawaiian cultural program on the Hawaii cruises so maybe there's something similar on yours.

besides posting on your roll call, you can also leave a note for the cruise director at the passenger services desk at the beginning of the cruise. There should be a notice in the Patter on Fridays about where passenger-led Shabbot services will be held.

On one of my cruises on Princess, Hanukkah services were held every night, and led by a retired rabbi (I was surprised by how many people brought their menorahs on the cruise -- we just took a foam sticky menorah set). But I believe nowadays, there usually isn't clergy on board.

Our last three cruises were the Hawaiian Rts on Princess that included NYE. It's very festive with a countdown, balloon drop, and a live band.

On our last cruise, we got a late traditional seating (our preference) with a table for 4 for the three of us. When we've had bigger cruises on other cruises, and wanted to go to a show afterwards, we would tell our tablemates and then our waitstaff. Often the tablemates said they wanted to go to that show too.

The one time we ended up with anytime (we didn't clear the waitlist), we didn't care for it. Out of the 14 night cruise, we ended up only go to the ATM for 7 of those nights (usually we go to the MDR every night on a cruise). The rest of the time we just went to the Horizon. Had waits only a couple of times, but my hubby isn't fond of waiting and would rather know when he's going to be seated. A couple of times we were seated with passengers who had already ordered....which made for awkward serving. And it just didn't feel special as is traditional dining (as someone said above, the waitstaff listens to your personal requests and notes them down for the rest of the cruise...eg. my preference for lemon slices for my salads instead of dressing). Instead, it's like going to your neighborhood restaurant and waiting for a table with a waiter who has to be told your preferences.

Not sure about Washington state schools (which may contribute college aged passengers to last season Alaskan cruises, but many California colleges will be back in session by Labor Day, while some others don't start til later on in September.

My daugher's new school year starts next Monday at 10am with Physics of Electricity. :eek:

Hope March is a good time of year ...

 

 

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One thing to keep in mind is that March is part of the rainy season in Southern California and perhaps even farther north.

About four or so years ago, Saturday Night Live had a recurring skit called the Californians. At first, I hated it because I hated how the characters enunciated their words. But then I realized that whoever came up with the idea either grew up here or lived here for many years. When asked about a location, we do tend to start giving directions, especially in terms of the freeways. It's our way of sharing, but sharing good short cuts.

So when someone told you the 101 to the 405 to the 110, that is normally the best way to go, depending on when you leave SB. The last time we've gone through SB was in May 2016, leaving from Santa Cruz, and we actually did the 101 to the 123 to the 118, but we were going to the northern San Fernando Valley, and weren't on a time deadline.

You will most likely hit a lot of traffic, especially going through Ventura and then through the southern Valley, and over the hill. You might hit a jam if there's construction (the 405 has been getting a lot of work done over the past few years).

My #1 advice: if traveling to one's embarkation port, get there at least a day ahead (unless you're a short drive away).

#2 don't plan out every second. Whether on board or in port.

The planning we do is how we're getting to the port. If we're leaving from a port other than San Pedro (which is an hour's drive for us), then it's about getting to that port city at least a day early or more, and whether it's by plane or train, and which hotel we're staying at.

We'll have a family meeting about whether we want to do excursions or sightsee on our own. No rental cars, per hubby (that's his rule for ports). We don't plan out second by second, just have a list of sites we want to see (and I'll check to see if each one is open on the day we're there).

On board, no planning. When we get on board, we go to our cabin (always available on Princess), do a little unpacking of our carry on, while giving a quick glance at the Patter. then we head to the Horizon for lunch. A little exploring if it's a ship that's new to us. The muster drill, then on deck for sail away. After that, no plans. every night we check the Patter for the next day to see what interests us. We usually go to the MDR, traditional, so no specialty restaurants, no spa. But if the shows interest us, we'll go to those. And for me, as many trivial contests as possible.

For us, a cruise is to relax, not go crazy squeezing something in every second.

My hubby has one suit which he bought for promotional interviews at work. It's a tan tweed, and that's the one he brings on cruises, along with dress shirts and festive ties.

On Grand a few weeks ago while watching a MUTS showing there were seven or eight boys jumping from the edge of the hot tubs into the pool. Ship staff members walked right by and did not say a word. I was about to get up and contact security when an adult approached the boys and gave them a scolding. The boys stopped and soon left the area. Those same boys were seen all over the ship over the course of the cruise, mostly causing trouble such as throwing things, running through public areas, and just being disruptive. Never once saw any parents with them. Of the 500+ children on the ship, this group were the only ones that caused any problems.

About 12 years ago, we were on a cruise that had an extended family that had caused problems exactly a year before and did so again on our cruise. The parents apparently spent much of their time in the casino dropping a lot of money, and very little time, if any, with their kids. My 8-year-old said she didn't see any of these kids at the kid area. They spent a lot of time sitting on a stairwell looking bored but also were doing things like running around the hallways (one ran into someone on our roll call), knocking on doors at midnight, etc. The parents were also nuisances as they were making strange requests of their waitstaff and cabin steward to the point that they were monopolizing the staff.

One day, one kid shoved my daughter in the pool. My hubby who was supervising her from the deck, saw this kid go into a hot tub. So hubby went over to the kid and started berating him. The kid said "No Ingles" and then ignored him.

I wished I had brought my digital camera with me (from then on, and on future cruises, I would put my camera in my purse and have with me at all times) so I could have snapped a photo and take it to the passenger services desk to make a complaint. And print out a photo and put it up somewhere public to shame the kid.

At our meet and greet, one of the "youth staff" came over to talk with us, and we were talking about this family (yes, they were the talk of the ship). The guy said that he had approached one of the fathers and said he or one of the other parents needed to watch their kids. He actually said, "I'm on vacation." The staffer responded, "You're never on vacation from being a parent." I wish I had gotten his name so that I could have filled out a made a difference card.

This family also were responsible for our cruise getting on that infamous blog that listed accidents, etc. that occurred on a cruise. This was because at our last stop, one of the mothers was on the gangway, trying to juggle a toddler and putting away her cruise card, when she dropped the kid into the water. The kid was rescued, but that night guess what was the topic at every table at dinner?

This was the only cruise out of 11 that I saw misbehaving kids, and in this case, they were all from the same family.

I wrote to Princess about this family and got a vanilla answer back. But a couple of years later, I read that an extended family from a South American country got banned from Princess after still another disruptive cruise.

Personally, unless you think you're going to be plum tired, I would vote for getting to San Pedro (at that time of night there shouldn't be too much traffic). You can tell the front desk you want to be on the list for the shuttle to the port the next day. Then sleep in.

Otherwise, you'll be dealing with a lot of traffic the next morning (and if you're plum tired, that won't be too pleasant).

I believe he got a flyer which had a picture of a ship - a Carnival ship - but it never actually said the cruise was to be on Carnival. Those time share promos do it all the time. EM

I've gotten those postcards. With the Carnival logo on them and some return address (I can't remember if there's even a name of a company listed), which I imagine is really one of those mailbox places (so you can have a street address, but it's just boxes there).

Those cards barely get a glance before they go in our recycling bin.

I'm guessing if the OP had checked for responses, he or she would not bother to post. But I think this person just wanted to burn Carnival with a libelous comment that really misrepresents what really happened.

We just stayed in Bellevue for four days last month, but not for a cruise. My daughter was in the climate reality training program at the Meydenbauer so we chose the Marriott Courtyard, even though not the less expensive option (hotels are pricey in that city) and the tab for parking our rental was a lot (but was in a secure area under the hotel that one would have to access with a hotel room card). She could walk to the site from the hotel. Hubby and I walked over to the Whole Foods a couple of times (he likes the food bar) and we also walked to the mall to have dinner at one of the restaurants.

One day hubby and I drove to Seattle to do the city tour (I've been shown around by someone knowledgeable before, but this was his second time there so he wanted to get a guided tour).

It's really a nice city, but if you're staying there for a cruise out of Seattle, you should realize the transportation to the cruise terminal will need to be considered. As well as time to get there as you may get stuck in traffic.

I recommend going in to a "cruise specialist," a TA who is knowledgeable about cruise vacations. Ask friends, family members, co-workers for recommendations (you'll be surprised at how many people have cruising experience).

A good TA can advise you on which ships will be a good fit for your family, based on desired itinerary, month you want to go, budget...

But be aware that the summer is prime hurricane time for the Caribbean, so many cruiselines go elsewhere during this time (eg. many have ships in Alaska during the summer...which, if you were willing to travel to the west coast, and didn't necessarily want a beach vacation, would be an excellent choice for many families). Not a worry as if you do book a cruise during the summer and a hurricane is possible, the captain will change the itinerary.

I'm the one in this family who tends to get motion sickness (I can't read in a moving vehicle without getting sick, but not a problem for my daughter and hubby). So I bring along a lot of ginger, as I find candied ginger works best for me as some OTC make me drowsy. Our last three cruises were the Hawaiian ones between LA and Hawaii, which tend to get rough seas, so we aim for mid-ship cabins, either inside or oceanview. One thing to know about motion sickness remedies is that what works for one person might not for another. If you are on prescription medication, ask your doctor for recommendations (if you are on blood thinners, you want to avoid ginger). Some people do well with the patches, while others do not. I suggest trying a few different ones before your cruise on land and see what doesn't give you side effects and take whatever works with you (more than one....just in case one doesn't work on the water).

As for kid programs, the 18-year-old won't be allowed in the teen center. The 13-year-old will be in a teen program. But at that age, many teens eschew the established program. On our last two cruises, my daughter was 13 & 15. She went to the teen center on the first night and met the other teens. She found two girls her age that she ended up paling around with on sea days (and we had about 10 sea days). The teens on that cruise had started a facebook group page before the cruise and apparently some kept posting after the cruise. One of her new friends, she kept in touch with, and two years later we had booked the same cruise (same time of year, ship, itinerary) and it turned out this girl's family did too. So they made plans to meet up at the teen center, and they added another girl and three boys who were the same year, and they would hang out, seeing MUTS while in the pool or hot tub, paying ping pong, etc. I don't think they went to the Remix room very much, if at all, as, according to our girl, the activities were lame.

As for booking, it's standard to put down a deposit at the time of booking, and then pay the rest at final payment time. Just make sure to note down that last date, and touch base with your TA a few days before that to make sure the payment is made in time (so your booking doesn't get cancelled). You should get an receipt emailed to you both times. And I think most cruiselines have a section on their websites that allow you to keep tabs on your booking info (Princess calls it the cruise personalizer, not sure about other lines).

My other advice: always get to your departure city at least a day ahead unless you live within a short drive there. We live an hour's drive from the port of Los Angeles, so we feel confident about leaving around 9 or 10 to get to the port the same day. Any other port, we go at least a day ahead.

Also, don't try to plan out every day of the cruise...or try to keep every day filled with activities. Especially when you're in port.

Am considering either a Southern Caribbean or Alaska cruise for anniversary. if southern Car during April, will that time be a spring break time? been a while since we cruised so just curious.

It sounds like the OP is asking about when spring break is IF he does the So Caribbean cruise. College spring breaks tend to start near the end of February and go through early April, but it seems most are in March.

I do know that the second biggest school district, the LAUSD, takes its spring break the week leading up to Easter. That's the way it was back in the dinosaur days when I was a student, and the way it is still. With some of the religious schools in the same area taking off the week after Easter. But it may be different for other districts.

We usually goes to the formal dinners on our cruises. Hubby has a suit that isn't dark, but more of a tweed, I guess, but one he's used whenever he was going to a "promotional interview" at work. He would wear a dress shirt along with a festive tie (our last three cruises were holiday ones so fitting the atmosphere onboard). I would wear anything from cocktail dresses to floor length dresses or one piece pants outfits...but not glittery (not me).

If one of us don't feel like dressing up, we would just go to the buffet -- not a problem.

The weather in LA in February could range from 50s to the 80s and may be rainy as it's the middle of our rainy season. By the time sailaway happens as it's on the coast, you'll probably have temps in the 50s. The first couple of days will be in the 50s/60s and maybe for the last couple of days as you're approaching Ensenada. As you get closer to the islands you'll notice a rise in temperatures.