live2skide

23 hours ago, Bruin Steve said:

I don't ever recall it being an issue and I've stayed there in the summer.  I cam't guarantee it works perfectly, but OTOH, if there had been a problem with it, I would have remembered.  I recall once, 20 years ago, staying in an alleged 4-star hotel in Paddington that had NO AC--the front desk lent us a small fan but it was like living in a sauna...and that one I remember to this day!

THANKS -- I figured for someone from California that AC is always a concern and you would remember.  🙂 Appreciate the info.

On 9/2/2023 at 1:14 PM, Bruin Steve said:

When cruising out of Southampton, we've always stayed at the Holiday Inn on Herbert Walker...It's great to wake up embarkation morning and see our ship docked virtually right outside our window, then make that incredibly short walk to baggage drop and check-in.

 

But there are also a few other hotels in the area.  Many on our upcoming July 2024 cruise have booked the Leonardo across the road...and there is also a "Moxy" hotel next to the Premier Inn...and two Ibis hotels and a Novotel on the other end of the West Quay shopping mall...and a Mercure and a Travelodge nearby.  We considered all of them for next July ...before booking, once more, the Holiday Inn...

 

Lots of shopping and restaurants within this same area...and it's a short walk into the more historic part of Southampton...So, any of these hotels work--assuming you like the hotel.

 

For this upcoming trip, we are spending our longest stay in Southampton--four nights.  We plan on wasting at least one day relaxing and recovering from the long flight from LA and the major time zone change...and another, taking the ferry across to the Isle of Wight and spending the day exploring there.  The Red Funnel (passenger ferry from Southampton to West Cowes) ferry pier is also a short walk from the HI.

Quick question, since you have stayed at the HI on Herbert Walker before, HOW was the air conditioning ??  We are planning for June 2024.  

Applied in August for my match - ELITE with Princess - Got matched as DIAMOND (Black). Fast response when I sent a screenshot of my Princess Captain's Circle page.

Applied for my husbands - he is PLATINUM with Princess, and got status matched to GOLD.  His application took less than 24 hours.

***First time on MSC***  - Hubby drinks energy drinks and things like Mountain Dew, Pepsi  & Monster. He will drink red bull as a sub for Monster. He really doesn't often order a cocktail.  I love my wine and sparkling wines.  I can not determine if we can get his "energy drinks" with the Easy package or if I should just order him Alcohol free package?  ADVICE for novices appreciated.  Which drink package to get?  Can he and I get different packages??

22 hours ago, Tangodancers said:

Excellent info.  Thank you.  

When we have done other Princess cruises I have not been able to figure out how to listen to the commentary the captain or special guest speaker (park ranger etc) on the Sun Deck is saying when we are looking at the view from our balcony.  Is there a channel on the TV which will give us the audio heard on the Sun Deck?

Great question. I would ask at guest services or the tour desk.

1 hour ago, Maggie4nc said:

We rented through https://www.acadiabike.com/ .  They will send you to their sister store for ebikes. Both on same street, in town, walking distance from port. Their website has great info. They do offer a bike tour but it starts at 8:30am and we knew we wouldn't be able to be off ship and to visitor center by then.  

The area and paths are really safe. The bike company doesn't even give you locks for the bikes. The owner said "people don't steak bikes here."  At no time would I hesitate to go alone.  

Thanks!!  

On 8/16/2022 at 4:37 PM, Dbld777 said:

Thank you for all of the great info and tips. We are on the same itinerary in late Sept.  We have reserved two ebikes at Bar Harbor for touring the carriage roads. Can you provide a little bit more detail on where you rode to and how long it took you? Did you follow the National Park Service map or some other recommended route? Other watch outs for using the ebikes on the carriage roads? Thank you.

I'd love to see your review when you return from the cruise. Going in late October and will be on my own biking. 

On 8/16/2022 at 7:24 PM, Maggie4nc said:

The bike shop gave great explanation of how to get to park and the routes to take. They used the Park Service map and we used that.  There are lots of signs on trails too.

We started at Duck Pond Bridge, rode past Eagle Lake to Jordan Lake Pond House (the only place that has food and drink if you need.)From there we went back up the other side and headed up to Witches Pond and Bubble lake.  If looking at Park map we went to stops 5,6,8,10,14,15,16,17,7,9,6,4,2,1,3 and back to 5, in that order.

In total, from bike shop and back, we went 21 miles and it took us about 3.5 hours with stops (total active biking time was 2.5 hours).  Just enough time to have lunch and walk about town.

There are lots of people biking.  The ebikes we had were great as you could easily choose the assist. There are 4 levels and you could switch it off too.  I had used very little battery in the end and was never concerned about running out.  Carriage Roads are all gravel and wide, lots of bikers some walkers. Take downhills slow as gravel can be slippery. Our bikes didn't have a bag or basket so we were glad we had brought back pack for snacks and drinks.  Both the bikes did have a bike water bottle on them.

I'd love to know how you arranged the bike rental. Do you think it is safe for a woman alone?  (66 years old).  I cycle on a frequent basis, and love to include it when cruising, but have always done it with a group.

On 8/18/2022 at 11:53 AM, caroleidt said:

We were on the same cruise - BD B735. We had originally booked BF L235 but were "upgraded". As far as we were concerned it was a downgrade, as we prefer upper decks and forward, and the room and balcony were the same size, but it was a fine room. I agree that the bathroom, with its tiny curtained shower, was the worst aspect of the room. The shower had shampoo and shower gel in dispensers, leaving only a tiny soap alcove for my own products - I find it hard to believe that many people are happy to use some random brand of shower gel and shampoo. I agree that some suction cup containers would be useful.

 

The crew were great, and although the ship is an older one, we love the many entertainment venues. Listening to music in the piazza, and the elite lounge, held each evening in the Skywalker's Lounge, high over the back of the ship, with near 360 degree views, were two of our favorites. We booked the Sanctuary for both of the sea days, but the Caribbean Princess has Cabanas that block the view for many of the regular loungers.

 

A real lowlight was the Medallion app. I had made dining reservations for the same time and place each day, but when we got on the ship they had disappeared, and I had to make new reservations for each day. Worse, that part of the app was extremely flaky and so I had to write down the dining times & places. The only good thing was that, although prior to the cruise I'd been unable to book the Crown Grill steakhouse for our anniversary, there was a reservation available once on the ship. The Journey View aspect of the app, which is where you should be able to view the activities on the ship, almost never worked and is unusable when it does, but fortunately you can find the OceanConcierge online at caribbean.princess.com (when you're on the ship) and it has a more traditional view of the activities. I really hope that princess is able to overhaul this really awful app.

 

Itinerary

 

In Quebec City many people were waiting for the Hop On - Hop Off bus, and when one finally arrived they only allowed a few people to board. So we took a Lyft to the Citadelle, and then walked from there. It is a very walkable city, and so beautiful. We focused most of our shore activities and dining on outdoor venues, and many beautiful sites can be enjoyed without going inside, and there were many restaurants with outdoor terraces.

 

In Saguenay we took a non-Princess tour of the National Park by bus. It was run by Fjord et Monde and we booked it through TripAdvisor. It was a smaller group than what was available through Princess. The guide was great, and the scenery was beautiful. We're sleepyheads, so we missed the sail-in, but the sailaway was truly gorgeous, including a lovely sunset.

 

In Charlottetown we took the small group tour to the Anne of Green Gables park. It was fun to see, and our guide provided some great history as we drove across the island.

 

In Sydney we walked the boardwalk down to the Wentworth Gardens and then back through the town toward the ship. We had lunch at the Boardwalk Taproom and Eatery which was quite good.

 

Halifax is walkable, though the main sites are a bit of a walk from the ship. I think that was the day I got the most steps on my FitBit. The Citadelle and the Public Gardens were highlights.

 

In Boston we took a Lyft from the port to Bunker Hill, then walked the Freedom Trail in reverse, given that it was Saturday and crowded. So many sites to see (I hadn't done it since I was 12)!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for all the great ideas.  Sailing Oct 20th and these are new ports to me.  

On 4/4/2022 at 5:57 PM, Denali2003 said:

Hello!  My husband & I will be stopping in San Juan during our May 2022 cruise.  We have been to San Juan 3 times.  We are looking for something different to do. The last time we were there, we did a 90 minute drive with a very nice driver (along with other people who were already on the van)  It was a nice drive.  We do not want to go to the forts (been there done that).  However, the local drivers that are at the port seem to all go to the same places (including the forts).  Is there a private tour we can do that goes somewhere "off the beaten path"?  We are looking for a tour that's maybe 3-4 hours long.  Thank you for your help!  🙂

We are on the same voyage as you and I am so surprised that there are so few excursions listed by Princess .  I will keep looking too.  Let me know if you find something interesting.

1 hour ago, Jadn13 said:

I just went exploring and none of the aft cabins on Dolphin-deck 9 are currently being used for quarantine. I was originally in D601 which sits right outside a set of fire doors. Even if this cabin isn’t in the Q zone I could understand leaving it empty.

We were moved to Aloha-deck 12 which is fine with us, we are currently on Riveria-deck 14. We are still trying to figure out what area we prefer on this class of ships. 

for the sailing on Jan 19 we were booked in D304, a handicap accessible cabin.  I noticed recently that our cabin # had change to a similar cabin on Baja deck.  Almost exact same location near the elevators.  Now I understand why.  🙂 

16 hours ago, gardenbunny said:

We were on the NYE cruise that ended on 9th.  We rarely had anyone on the elevators.  And actually we didn’t feel like we had to wear a mask very much except for walking in the common areas on 5,6,7, into and out of DR and Lido, or on excursion bus, and sitting in the theatre if you went to a show or presentation.  

We stayed on pool deck everyday so outdoor no mask, and once you sat down in DR or Lido you could take it off. With the low capacity you rarely came upon a large number of people.

Always felt safe.

We were asked by our room steward if we wanted turn down service and we said yes.

Funny thing was in Lido you would get up and start walking to go get something and then the ooops moment - turn around and go back to table to get your mask. HaHa

I solved that problem in Oct/Nov on the Grand Princess by using a little "eyeglass keeper" with clips. Mine looked like a beaded necklace and kept my mask "around my neck" if I took it off to eat. I tossed it over my shoulder to keep it from filling with crumbs.  

21 hours ago, oakbender said:

Are you saying no cloth masks allowed?

Everything I read on Princess website recommends high quality mask.  

On 7/12/2021 at 8:27 AM, Magev109 said:

Prime Time Shuttle is still in business.

6 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Pretty easy.  My wife and I have done the opposite a couple of times.... from the port to the car rental counter near the Crowne Plaza.

Thank you Magev109 & d9704011.  Primetime it is. I think LAX moving those shuttles out to one location might ease congestion in the airport somewhat, but a pain in the tushy adding one more step in the process of getting on to Primetime or UBER.  

  I looked at the walk on google maps for walking to the ship from Crowne Plaza, and looks fairly easy. Less than a mile.  I remember taking the little train trolley through that narrow park a couple of times and it's nice to know you can get off the street and walk through the park.  

On 7/13/2021 at 1:26 AM, Bruin Steve said:

First, as has been said, no hotel offers shuttles LAX to hotel and hotel to port...

San Pedro's cruise terminal is 20 miles from LAX, Long Beach (Carnival) around 24...

 

That said, I STILL think I'd catch an Uber or Lyft or Opoli to a hotel at the port...Because I find the area around LAX to be beyond dull...and lacking in restaurant choices...

 

That said, I understand Scott's point here.  I have flown into LAX once and Burbank once since the pandemic has started to die down...intending to use Uber (or some other ride share) each times...and BOTH times have been a complete nightmare...For what is normally about a $45 ride, give or take a couple of dollars, I have found nothing but fares quoted in the $120-150 range!  Thinking I'd wait a few minutes and try again, the price never seems to go down... In the "old days", if I got that from Uber, I'd just walk over to the shuttle stops and grab a shuttle home (typically, it was around $65 by shared shuttle for two) and I'd put up with maybe making a couple of extra stops.  But now, there are fewer shuttle companies...and, to access Uber/Lyft, you need to take a bus to another location.

 

So...we are heading out to Athens a little less than two weeks from now...and we figured out a solution...and we'll see how it works.  First, we pre-reserved an Uber for our ride to LAX, mostly since we have to leave home about 3:00 am and don't know what will be available at that time.  Uber pre-booked the trip for $48...So far, so good...

For the return trip on August 15, we couldn't pre-reserve Uber as their system didn't seem to work for over 30 days in advance...So, we tried Opoli--a newer ride share venture that we haven't had much luck within the past.  They were willing to pre-reserve our trip home for $75...an amount equal to what Prime Time shuttle (with whom they are affiliated) would charge us for a shared shuttle...So, to be guaranteed a pre-arranged private ride, we are willing to take the shuttle bus to the LAX-IT lot (the new Uber/Lyft/Taxi pick-up location).  Unless something goes drastically wrong, I think this should all work out well.  I have no faith, based on recent efforts, that trying to get an Uber or Lyft waiting until we get back, will result in a fare of anywhere less than or near to that $75.

 

I am thinking, if arriving at LAX to start a cruise, it makes sense to PRE-BOOK a fare from one of these services, then take the LAX-IT bus when you get in to LAX...and shuttle to a hotel in San Pedro or Long Beach...there are things to do there during whatever you have left in the day...and lots of restaurant choices in either place...And you'll have a nice, easy short trip to the pier in the morning--without stress...Assuming you're in San Pedro, the Crowne Plaza and the Doubletree will both shuttle you to the pier--though the CP is actually within easy walking distance as well.

Thanks for the info. I used to use Super Shuttle from LAX to Crowne Plaza, but now will be booking ahead with Prime Time.  My sister called Crowne Plaza this week and they said they were not doing their usual shuttles to the San Pedro port. Hoping this changes by November, as I hate schlepping the luggage. Honest question - How easy is it for a pedestrian to enter the port, pulling a rolling suitcase?  I'm fit and have no issues that would prevent me from walking. It's been about 4 or 5 years since I was there last. Thanks. 

12 hours ago, cougaraz said:

Tuesday, August 20, at Sea in Tracey Arm

 

 

  So, let’s talk about the big negative of the trip right up front, our guide Noah had bad B.O., I mean legit gross smell wafting over our entire trip.  I get it, the dude is kind of a granola, crunchy young guy with the long hair and the scraggly beard, but when you are in a customer service job, you need to be good friends with the soap, the shampoo and the deodorant.  To put this in perspective, had he fallen into the Taiya River and been screaming for a life jacket, I think the raft participants would have thrown a bar of Irish Spring and set some conditions for his return.

Oh my goodness you had me rolling with the comment about the Irish Spring.  You had a "real" mountain man running your trip.  I do hope that you filled in a report for Princess. They convey the comments back to the tour operator. 

I really enjoy your detailed trip reviews. You have such a positive spin on things.  You have turned your review into a great travel journal; and it has been fun to read.

I have to agree, there is that terrible 1% who feel entitled to make a mess and think nothing of others having to encounter it until the crew comes along.  I've been on Princess a "couple of times" and always appreciate those deck hands and attendants who tidy the lobbies and elevators etc.   Your cabin steward sounds like he enjoys his job!  

My sister is a "local beer" lover and I will make sure she knows to get to Skagway Brewing Co EARLY !  

Thanks for the reviews!!

Mary/live2skide

Thanks for such detailed posts Scott and Melissa!!  We are on the Aug 24 sailing and so looking forward to the trip.  Mary / live2skide

On 8/17/2019 at 1:05 AM, The Mikado said:

A couple of other observations:

 

The TV is awful. Not the programming, although it ain't all that good, either, but the picture quality is like 240 lines of resolution. Sorry, not an EE so I'm not sure of the lingo but the picture is terrible on all channels. I truly hope they don't intend to use this level of video presentation to carry their new Ocean Medallion endeavor.

 

And what's with the ice cream??? The soft-serve at Coffee and Cones is the usual soft-serve but the stuff in the dining room all tastes the same and has the consistency of mushy ice milk. My last cruise was many years ago on X and their ice cream was really nice.

 

The pizza at Alfredo's was very good.

 

The Horizon buffet is about what we expected but it's had some nice hits, too.

 

Pub lunch was good  enough to go back again and try some of the other offerings.

 

Botticelli's MDR: great, great waitstaff but they seem to have a food temp issue. Other than the chicken and leek pot pie last night (which was excellent), everything has been on the cool side of lukewarm.

 

Since we aren't really interested in getting to the theater 60 minutes prior to the curtain to see a cruise ship show, we haven't availed ourselves of the nightly entertainment. We arrived last night to see the "comedy magician" about 20 minutes prior to showtime and there wasn't a seat to be had.

 

Ketchikan tomorrow morning at 06:00.

Thanks for your observations. My understanding was the ice cream in the dining room was made on board.

Pub Lunch is an all time favorite of mine!!  Watch for it on your next sea day.  Usually they have it twice on a 10 day voyage.  

  Talk to your waiter or the supervisor in the dining room about the lukewarm food . It could be a problem with the guy's running the plates from the galley to the dining room. Food safety is always a concern and that should be resolved quickly.  I'm a loyal Princess traveler and this is # 3 for me this year.  They WANT to get it right; and in order to do so, you must tell them what is wrong.  

The Princess Theater ALWAYS fills up early.  You have to get there early; grab a cocktail; bring your book or your i-pad or a deck of cards and entertain and relax before the show. :)  It makes for a much better experience.   Enjoy!

Thanks for the Patters photos!!  

3 hours ago, The Mikado said:

We got the robes resolved fairly quickly.

 

The dinner table...eh... we have a table for 2 and that's about all it's got going for it. It looks/feels like they moved 2 larger tables slightly to make room for it and it's about 3 feet from a bus/staging table so a lot of activity swirling around us.

 

The waitstaff has been outstanding.

Oh gosh...well that table could make or break you. Keep poking the Maitre'D-- perhaps $$ to urge him to find you a better seating situation.  Remind him your goal is a relaxing dinner with quiet conversation. They do want you to be happy after all!   If all else fails; bail on the designated table and show up for anytime dining....they won't send you away; but you may have to wait. You can "reserve" a table on the DINE line I believe. We have a "shared" table at 5 pm; and I really dislike the early dining. Thanks for your detailed posts; save your internet minutes!  :)  Enjoy those desserts! Good luck!! Enjoying your posts!!

23 hours ago, The Mikado said:

Additional observations:

 

The first hiccup came at dinner. We were “confirmed” for a table for 2 over 6 weeks ago as verified on our booking docs. We showed up to dinner and were directed to a table for 6... with all 6 seats occupied. Back to the maitre’d. The word “confirmed” has, evidently, been given a new definition by Princess. It now means “We really didn’t think you took us seriously when we promised you a private table just for the 2 of you”. So, they sat us at an empty table for 2 which, for some reason, we can’t have for the rest of the cruise, just for last night. Some sort of resolution was promised for tonight, but not necessarily involving a “We really mean it this time” confirmed table for 2. 

 

Dinner, itself, was somewhat disappointing. The “crab cake” appetizer was a lot more “cake” than “crab” with an unpleasant, vaguely crab-like doughy taste and consistency, on top of which was ladled a partially-congealed flour-based sauce. Ick. 

 

I had the mussels and chorizo main dish. The mussels were OK but the chorizo seemed to be more kielbasa-like. Again, OK but surprising. I grew up in LA and I ate a lot of chorizo over the years. I think all my old burrito stand cooks would have looked at this sausage and said, “Que?” It was served with a small bowl of ice-cold, underdone steak fries. 

 

The waitstaff was was excellent and very friendly. 

 

Really rough seas seas last night and into this morning exacerbated by our cabin location up high and far aft. My wife has her patch glued on and is sawing away. 

 

Minor quibble: our robes were also “confirmed”... which, I suppose, explains their absence from our room. 

Oh Dear - it sounds like some improvement is in order. I honestly think "turnaround" day are the worst on any cruise I have been on. Even if  you do a back to back there is always some kind of chaos. 2 years ago Princess undertook a huge menu change and the results have been interesting; some good, some not. I think the waitstaff makes the dinner; and I hope they were quick to resolve or replace what you did not care for or what was not hot. Good luck with the regular table and robes. (Similar thing happened to me when I pre-purchased wine & soda package....in Dec, in Jan and in March; on the Crown and the Regal).

4 minutes ago, The Mikado said:

Yep, we brought 12 bottles, 2 got on free and the other 10 we paid $15 each for.

 

On another thread, I am more or less at war on these corkage charges... for personal reasons that are not important. It’s a battle I won’t win... which should make at least one poster very happy. 

Enjoy!!!  I guess between the "corkage" and purchase price vs the minimum $40/bottle on board you are still ahead!  I will bring 2 bottles for my roommate & myself; because I can't carry much more; then stick to the bottle of vodka I pre-ordered and the mini bar.

I remember bringing wine home from a European cruise in the days where nobody cared how much liquid was in your carry-on. I got nailed in Venice on overweight "carry on" charges (>22#) and had to check the bag. Wasn't happy about the 150EU I had to spend to bring home my cheap wine! HA!!  I also remember in Europe that Princess never checked how much wine you brought on board! We would stock up in every port, and drank it all the way across the Atlantic!  Have corkscrew and stopper already packed for this trip!

Thanks for the UBER info and the early boarding! :)  We are aft on Dolphin next cruise, close to the elevator as well, and look forward to that quick trip up to the pool area and horizon court for breakfast.  Happy sailing!!  Will enjoy your posts for the next 10 days!!

6 hours ago, The Mikado said:

We are on the ship, standing at the entrance to the Da Vinci MDR waiting for the 11:30 opening. 

 

The wine police were out in force making me cough up $150 for absolutely nothing. So, I did not dodge that bazooka. But they didn’t actually count the bottles. Hmmm...

 

All in all, things have gone very smoothly, from Amtrak, to the Amtrak bus across the Bay Bridge, to the hotel, to the Uber XL to drag our bags to Pier 27, to the no-wait check-in, to the 5 minute wait to board the ship, to the sort-of aggressive security guy taking our photos. 

 

So so far so good. 

Guessing you brought on board more than 1 bottle each??  Is the $150 a corkage charge??

2 hours ago, The Mikado said:

Yep, embarkation was great.

 

We arrived about 10:55 AM, the porter took our bags off the Uber and we were on our way in. Absolutely no lines at all, either at security or at the check in desk. We waited about five minutes for them to call our boarding group and we were on the ship from curb to dining room in less than 15 minutes. They did fully enforce the 1:00 PM access to the state rooms. 

 

We do have two chairs on our balcony. I’ve read other posters referred to “barrel chairs”. I have no idea what those are but we do have two semi-comfortable chairs and a small round table on our balcony. 

 

Just now coming up on 4 PM which is departure time. And just now feeling the side-thrusters spin up. 

Happy sailing. I am on the Aug 24th sailing and wondered how "close" did they allow the UBER driver to get to drop off???  Enjoy your trip!

47 minutes ago, SmilesYourWay said:

Following.

I have not been on the Grand. But will be getting on her the day you get off for a 10 Alaska cruise.  Looking forward to your posts and possibly learning something about the ship and ports before I go. Happy cruising!!

Theresa - this is going to be a fun roll call to follow along on while we wait for our sailing on Aug 24. Interesting that they were allowed to board early.  I am coming from a SFO airport hotel that morning; and was going to be "good" and wait for the 1:30; but now I am re-thinking! 

8 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Jan 27th for a Dec 9th sailing?   

Hi Keith - Realized after posting I hit the "wrong" board, but with this new format on CC I can't figure out how to "move" my topic or remove it. So, here it is.  I sailed on Dec 9 on Regal, and will be sailing again on Jan 27th.  I thought I had the review up on the Jan 27 roll call for the Regal.  I have since "reposted" there.  Merry Christmas