travelin.sisters

would they dock on the other side of the island where we did in last Jan?

you also might want to consider the possible expense for transport home or off the ship in case of accident or unexpected medical needs

it is not like places where the assumption is that people regularly drive in snow & are prepared...the grapevine can be closed for quite a while with snowfall that you might not think is significant

can you tell me about elite in room tea please?

having lived & worked in different parts of the country (& the world) it is very true that what is casual, ok for dining out, professional ect vary widely from place to place...coming from rural northern CA I was shocked when I went to Atlanta for training & we would go out in the evenings after dinner to the mall & everyone would be dressed in suits & the kinds of clothing we didn't even see at church on Sundays...when I lived in AZ, shorts & t-shirts were common even in very nice restaurants...even the company dress code for the multinational company of what was apropriate business attire was different from state to state...if everyone is wearing clean clothes & everything that needs to be covered is covered then I am happy to share my dining space with you & to be honest I am more bothered by loudly complaining or demanding people in the dining rooms (or elsewhere) than how they are dressed (& don't get me started on people who berate the crew who are doing their best to help them!)

I know everyone says Princess never did this (& I believe they never did it regularly), but apparently my sissy & I were uniquely unlucky because we were on the Ruby for my first Princess cruise in 2015 for a California costal & they actually make us line up outside on the deck while they did the talk, demonstrated & even made us practice putting on the life vest!!! I even have a photo to prove it...it was miserable!!! I was glad when the next cruise was inside & even more pleased with the new system

the last time we were in Lahaina was before covid (last cruise docked at the other side of the island) we did a whale watching cruise & after I sent my sis & BIL back to the ship for lunch & stayed to wander, the tender lines were not short, but they were much better late AM/early afternoon than getting off the ship when it first opened & getting back at the end of the day...mid day it is easier, I would say if you are willing to give it an hour for lines, travel & changing on board it is doable...one thing bring a hat, there is not much shade waiting for the tender back to the ship

I also have a shellfish allergy, the first night tell your waitstaff that you have an allergy & would like to speak with the headwaiter, they will help you find something safe to eat that night & as @beg3yrssaid will bring you menus for the next night. After the first night they can modify a meal to fit your need. It in our minds is easiest if you have the same waitstaff every night because they are excellent at remembering & looking out for you, but if not just tell them that you have pre ordered with the headwaiter. Princess has special kitchens for allergy meals.

yes & the ship has some 'ukes to loan out...her craft classes have a charge for materials though (oops, sorry to repeat, didn't see that you had answered already)

hoping this is the one glitch for your cruise & everything else is wonderful!!!

just to be sure, you are cruising Carnival? They are the only ones that sail out of LB. I haven't sailed out of there in quite a while so am not sure about crowding/pricing in their garage but unless you find a park/sleep package that is a better deal, you should be able to stay out a bit further on Friday night & not have trouble getting in on Saturday AM.

Tiki Dave does do free (tips accepted) online play alongs & does a wide variety of music with those...it is a nice way to continue & expand on what you started...that said I have to pretty much start over each cruise because there are so many things at home I would rather do...have either Dave or Leialoha mentioned if they are on for the next cruise or getting off at the end of this one (I have heard both)? Have fun in Hilo...even in the rain it is lovely.

use it as a refrigerator magnet...I don't believe it has personal info encoded on it but I am not sure

short answer: NO long answer: we are balcony people, we like being able to be in our own space, not surrounded by lots of people & able to watch the sights, we are also older & have some mobility issues so this is good for us...others find the balcony a waste of money as they enjoy the excitement of being outside & able to go from one side of the ship to the other as things appear on one side or the other or find different places on the ship to see different things. actual answer: you have to look at your budget & decide what is most important for you, will having a balcony mean you can't afford an excursion or adventure that you really want to do? do you love being able to hangout on a balcony with your morning coffee & laze, I hope this thread gives you tons of insight to help you make the best decision for you

this long but very thorough review might help you decide, I think a Princess Alaska cruise sounds like it would be good for you, but what do I know...he talks a lot about saving money on the cruise, but also reviews of the venues, ports, entertainment & comparison to other lines:

our last cruise disembarkation (walk off) started at 7.40...so you might be off the ship at 8am..if nothing goes wrong...at the best of times it would be a little less than 1/2 hour drive to the airport...so if you can carry your own luggage off the ship & everything goes well you have maybe 2 hours to get a cab/uber/lyft...check in at the airport & get to your gate (Long Beach airport is small & tends to be easy to navigate) but it really depends on your risk tolerance & what other options are available.

yes, they have been working on plans to move the Iowa as part of the current waterfront upgrades. this was in the works pre-covid but everything got pushed back/ground to a halt...there are a lot of "red-tape" layers for work in the port area because of the need for the port & city to coordinate their regulations & who pays for what & then all the environmental & costal regulations cruise ship sailings & dockings have been up quite a bit over the past year I would not expect parking rates to go down as land for parking is limited & much more will be needed with the waterfront expansion & upgrades.

haven't stayed there...but it should be relatively safe, however there really isn't anything within walking distance except the Denny's next door. It is quite a distance from the port. There was a lengthy thread about this hotel in this forum a few months back with lots of comments & opinions.

sounds like you & special someone are having a wonderful trip so far..,thank you for sharing it with us

thank you so much! I think he is on for the next cruise too...he is a wonderful teacher as is Leialoha who does hula & crafts.

if you have time, could you please let me know what time the 'ukulele classes are held? no rush & if not no worries...enjoy your cruise

if the accounts are all linked to the same credit card, then the charges will use the combined OBC first & charge the card after...as far as I know that is the only way to pay for her charges with you OBC...you can of course if you are in a bar buy someone a drink on your account...hope this helps

look for a recent live or review for Patters...I posted them for LA/Hawaii RT on my January 2022 live (link in signature) & plan to post during or after our RT on the Crown next month

what is being done to address the massive problem with consistency policy implementation, I could write pages of examples, but here is one form last summer/fall platinum/elite members were given 1/2 internet packages but to get the pre order discount you had to pay the full price & then get a refund onboard--it was supposed to be refundable credit per the official Princess documentation but depending on the ship it was often issued as non-refundable...there are so many other things that it depends on the ship, CS rep, or whoever you happen to manage to ask, what the answer is so we are many times "sailing blind" as it were at the mercy of the person we manage to talk to for how policy is carried out...CC friends, I am not sure I am expressing the frustration of this well, so if you can help clarify please do!!

it's been OVER a year!!!! 😉