Mr DK

Far out!

Maybe you should read the OP's post as Sadie is worried about her Passport not her cash.:rolleyes:

Very true. My bad! [emoji16]

First of all, why,on this cruise would you want to carry very much cash with you? In St. Petersburg you will either be on a ship tour or a pre-arranged private tour. IMHO, in the other ports you will be going to the chance of pickpockets is no more than you would expect anywhere in the U.S.

Carry your ID, and a credit card (not American Express because it's not universally accepted) in a front pocket or a shoulder strap purse and you'll be fine. Don't fall for all this travel paranoia!

We sailed on the Star in February, and it certainly wasn't just the movies on Muts. I went up on deck about 8:00am one morning to enjoy the view with my coffee. From 8am until 10:00, we were treated to the inane Wake Show blaring repeatedly, time after time, at a volume so loud that several people were complaining. One of the cruise staff attempted to lower the volume, only to find that the control panel was locked. Very annoying.

For the most part, downtown Seattle hotels are not "inexpensive" during the summer, but I agree that it's worth spending a little bit more to spend some time enjoying this beautiful city. My personal favorite is the Mayflower Park, which is adjacent to Westlake Center and the monorail, across the street from Macy's, and just blocks from Pikes Market. The Silver Cloud on Lake Union, suggested earlier, is a nice option. Not downtown but not far away, and a little less expensive. Also some good restaurants in the area.

Good choice! I enjoy Sierra Nevada.

 

I do think they are now owned or at least partly owned by one of the larger multi national brewers, but hey as long as they maintain quality and favor, I am okay.

Absolutely untrue! Sierra Nevada is a privately owned brewery located in our home town of Chico, CA. Ken Grossman, the founder, is still the sole owner of Sierra Nevada. Until last year all Sierra Nevada beer was produced in Chico. They have just opened a second brewery in Ashville, NC.

We didn't look. Based on our experience on other Princess ships, we were not interested.

And this advances the thread how?

No problem dropping off your luggage then doing some sightseeing before boarding. We were on the Star about three cruises ago, and arrived in SF a little after 11:00. People were already at the pier checking luggage. I'd say you're safe to drop off no later than 11. Enjoy your cruise!

From the Crown Plaza its an easy walk to Macy's, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Eddie Bauer, and others. For REI, you'll probably need to catch a cab, but it's not far. Lots of shopping available in downtown Seattle.

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You'll probably have better luck posting this on the roll call thread for your cruise.

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Here's what we did. First I went to the No Desk (passenger services), where I received the standard "I'm very sorry for your inconvenience sir, but there's nothing we can do. I then discussed with our room steward who said the only option to the bed in the corner was to configure to twins. That didn't work for us, so I was able to find out who was the Deck Supervisor for Plaza deck. I talked to him and asked him to meet us in our cabin. Long story short, he was very cooperative. We ended up taking the large nightstand out of the cabin completely. He was able to find a small one for one side of the bed, allowing us to move the bed away from the wall far enough to allow me to get in and out of the bed without climbing over my wife. Then, our cabin steward rigged up a small table for my side which was big enough for a clock, and a place to set my coffee in the morning. This wasn't ideal, but it worked out OK.

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Have to agree with Pompeii. The location is nice, but many of the cabins, as you go forward, are much smaller than the typical cabin. We had booked an Outside Obstructed guarantee for the Emerald TA last fall, and were "upgraded" to Plaza deck. The only upgrade being that the view was unobstructed by life boats. As stated above, a double bed must be pushed against one wall. There's a small vanity, with a vanity chair, but no table and no side chair. Just not enough room. These cabins should be advertised as suitable for twin beds only. We'd take an obstructed view on Emerald deck any time over one of these cabins. Oh, and the noise from the thrusters when coming into port and from the anchor chain at tender ports is very loud.

Oceania gives a free cruise after twenty cruises.

They should. After all you're paying twice as much.

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We rented a motor home in New Zealand about three years ago. Used my American Express card, which provides coverage for rentals as one of the benefits. We ended up with some minor damage for which we were billed by the motor home rental agency. I submitted to AMEX only to find that New Zealand was one of a very few countries excluded from the AMEX coverage. :confused:

My favorite hotel in Seattle is the Mayflower Park, located in the middle of downtown at Westlake Center, and only three blocks from Pikes Market. The Monorail to the Space Needle leaves from Westlake Center. If you're a shopper, the hotel is across the street from Macy's, and you usually get a Macy's discount coupon when you check in. Nordstrom is only one block away (sorry guys :)). The Mayflower Park is a smaller Boutique hotel with reasonably priced nicely appointed rooms, and great service. Also a nice restaurant, and a great cocktail bar happy hour for the husbands to enjoy while the ladies are across the street! BTW, wherever you are in Seattle, there's a Starbucks close by! Taxi to downtown not more than 30 minutes. You can take the shuttle, which takes much longer, but really you won't save much if anything since the shuttle price is per person. I recommend the cab. I'd say you have plenty of time to book, since you're still nine months away. Hotels get really busy in Seattle in July and August. Enjoy. It's a great city.

Another Chicoan for Aloha shirts. Tommy's are my favorites, but I also have several Tori Richard's, which I like equally well. Standard attire for me on tropical cruises. On cold weather cruises I tend to take more long sleeve dress shirts, but will mix in a plain black or blue Tommy as well. From what I've seen on board, I never feel under dressed! :)

Please don't try to walk to town because it is only a road with hardly any walking space or places to stop at. It is safer to just take the shuttle into town. Please stay in the tourist area because there is nothing to see where the people live. They don't like the looky loos.

Don't know how long it's been since you've been there, but there is a nice wide fully paved sidewalk along the seashore, from the tender pier to town. Very easy walk, and it's been that way for at least 5 or 6 years.

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No kidding. Nothing against the Pats. I would not want to go on a cruise with any team's fans.

Where's the "like" button when you need it?

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Should be when you exit the terminal, walk to your right. The Alcatraz ticket booth and line to get on the boats is just past pier 39. If you are on the street facing the cruise terminal, it is to your left.

Actually, Alcatraz Tours leaves from Pier 33 as I've stated above. So you do walk to your left after exiting the cruise terminal. Definitely recommend buying tickets on line ahead of time. Google Alcatraz Tours.

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The pier for the boat to Alcataz is very close to the current cruise terminal. Your cruise ship will dock at Pier 35, which is just one pier away from Pier 33 from which the boats to Alcatraz depart. When you exit the cruise terminal, just turn to your left and walk to Pier 33. Are you planning to take your luggage with you to Alcatraz? Be aware that the walk to the prison from the dock is fairly steep. Enjoy, it's a really nice tour.

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Thanks for the warning. :-))

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And, if you watch the videos, or the print ads, you will notice that no one over 45 ever sails on a Princess ship.

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Like other cruise lines, Princess is lots less formal than it once was.

 

DH still wears his tux on Princess but may not on future Princess cruises and just do a Sports Coat.

 

 

 

Like it or not ... things have changed. :o

 

 

 

LuLu

 

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Interesting. Is it Princess that is lots less formal, or is it the passengers who for one reason or another, choose to disregard the requested dress code? Here's what's said on the link provided above by Pam:

Formal

When formal nights are held, please observe the dress code in the Traditional Dining and Anytime Dining venues for the enjoyment of all our guests.

Evening gowns and cocktail dresses for women

Tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits with a tie for men

Looks pretty clear to me. Hard to see how someone can interpret this to mean "as formal as you want it to be."

Just sayin'! Do I feel a lot more comfortable in my Tommy Bahama shirt than my tux? You bet. But I'm still going to wear my tux or a suit if for no other reason than to respect my fellow passengers who make the effort to look their best for a special evening. Just my two cents for what it's worth. DK

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Wow, that's excellent, Mr. DK. We've never been so I'm sure we shall enjoy. Have you also been to La Paz? If so, how far to town fro where you dock? Walk-able?

In La Paz you will dock at Pichilingue which is about a 15 minute bus ride. A shuttle will be provided to take you to the center of town. Another nice port call. DK

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On an upcoming cruise on the Sapphire Princess -- the itinerary calls for a tender at the Loreto port. Does anyone know where the tender takes you? Does it go right into town or do you still have another bit of travel to get to town?

The tender pier is about a five minute walk to the center of town. At the end of the pier turn left and walk along the Malecon, then cross the street and walk up to the torn square. You'll be able to see the church steeple, which is located at the town square. Enjoy. Nice little town. DK

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