RonaldL

Frequently a cab will cost about half what the ships tours cost.  On one trip we negotiated a very reasonable price for a cab tour but the driver did not know where to go.  We told him to follow the tour bus and it worked out well.

The train from Rome to the seaport is a little over a half hour and fairly frequent and cheap.  But from the train station to the ship is too far to walk and the cabs are a rip off with very high fares for a 5 min. ride.  Be prepared for that.

Very seldom is a passport mandatory when leaving the ship at ports of call.  If not mandatory what's the point of taking it?  

Do they still give out deck plans of the ship, either at check-in or in the room?

Princess says my embarkation time in an upcoming  trip is "Blue Line."  What does that mean?

I have the  MSC Diamond status which gives me some extra perks but my  wife who will be with me on our May cruise does not.  Will she be able to accompany me to everything/place that  the Diamond status allows me?

I completed the Status Match form for a May 23 cruise and quickly got the Diamond level with no problem.  Tried the same for my wife and the information would not go through.  They responded to an email and I carefully followed their instructions` but the status match form would not go through.  Again asked for help from MSC via email and from travel agent but, so far, no response.

There are at least 2 of the hop on/off bus companies.  Double decker and open on the top level.  Two start/finish at Fisherman's Wharf.  The major downside is there are certain stops (Union Square for example) that are so popular  that they have lines waiting to get back on the bus.  It is not rare for buses to go right past you because they have no room.  Don't completely give up on the cable cars.  They are fun and there isn't any where else that has them.  There is a much less crowded 3rd cable car line that runs from California and Market-a block from the Ferry building.  It goes up and over Nob Hill to Van Ness Ave.  Catch it in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel at California and Market.  Another fun trip is the ferry boat to Sausalito.  Catch it at the Ferry Building.  A fun town to walk around with tons of restaurants for lunch.

If the world returns to normal you can count on the long lines.  The cable cars have a platform in the front on both sides like a large running board.  You actually stand in front of the people sitting in the front and actually block part of their view.  Many people are uncomfortable with hanging on like this and no kids.  Many times you can beat the line by walking up two short blocks to the cable cars first stop.  If there is room on the platform you can jump on.  Just hang on for dear life to one of the poles.  If you fall you will fall out into the street.  In the "old days" it was men only but some women sued and won the right to stand on the platform.

Ice cold bottled water in the Mexican ports is easy to find and reasonable, $1. or sometimes even less.  Most cruise lines sell it for $2.50 on the ship.  Buy it in port.  You do not have to carry it around, much cheaper, and easy to find.

Pier  27, the SF cruise ship terminal now has free wi-fi.  It is fast and works well inside the terminal but not outside.

Does the cruise ship pier in SF have wi-fi?  I want to call Uber from there but my ipad will only work with a wi-fi connection.

As you leave the pier turn left and walk about a mile to the ferry building ( huge clock tower on top).  That is Market St.  Cross over and walk up Market St. one short block and you will see the entrance to BART.  You will have to fight your luggage going down stairs to the BART station.  There  are machines there to buy tickets.

The evening shows  are normally at 9:30 pm.  If/when you book a time at one of the specialty restaurants keep that show time in mind.  Book the restaurants at the earliest possible time as they quickly fill up.  

Lots of people selling tours on the south sea islands.  Most of them  about 1/2 the price of the ship tours.  and the same tour.

Spent a full day in Cuba on 5/2.  Took a 3 hour tour, then a taxi to the large indoor flea market and walked around the area having drinks at a local restaurant.  Everybody spoke English and everybody took US dollars without hesitation.  When you get off the ship there will be a line to exchange money but we did not.  I don't think it is necessary.  If you take a cab agree on the fare before you get in.  They will bargain.  So will everyone in the flea market.

The Playa Mazatlan has one of the best beaches there is.  They used to sell a day pass which gives you use of the pool, chairs on their beach that is roped off so the vendors cannot come by and pester you.  I think they also supply towels, outdoor shower, etc.  Nice restaurant.

The downtown area is an easy 10 min. walk from the cruise ship pier.  Lots of restaurants and shopping.  Very pleasant.  You do need to cross a busy highway and they do not tend to stop for peds.  There is usually a crowd walking to town-just follow them.

Beware of a common scam in the downtown area:  a lady will approach you with a free scratch off ticket and then tell you that you have won with a choice of some expensive gifts.  You pick the prize up at a nearby hotel and she will even pay for the taxi.  When you arrive you sit through a long timeshare presentation and loose a good part of the day.

On my last trip to St. Maarten we hired a 6 passenger van with driver and received a nice tour of the island for 1/2 the price of the ship tours.  But, coming home from the other side of the island we hit so much traffic that we arrived back at the ship only 15 min. before sailing.  We would have missed the ship had the driver not taken some back dirt roads to beat some of the traffic.  

Last time I was on the Grand they were allowing people to disembark by 8 am.  Customs is normally quite fast so you should be ok to catch the 9 am bus.  

Two of the three cable car lines start at Powell and Market, the heart of downtown.  Both lines go within a couple of blocks of Fisherman's Wharf but different routes.  In the spring and particularly in the summer the line to board is frequently up to a two hour wait.  Add almost another hour for the ride.  If you have a deadline, such as boarding a cruise ship this time frame could cause a serious problem.  Beware if time is critical to you.

49 minutes ago, CTOM said:

Ronald, thank you for that.  That lack of privacy is a huge factor. 

Is there a forum here where I can look up which decks/rooms have these un-covered balconies on mini suites?

Our ship is the Diamond Princess, and from what I can see, the mini-suites are all on the Dolphin deck.

Thank you!

Please note that on several of the Princess ships the mini-suites have no top cover over the balconies.  That means full sun and the deck above can look down on your whole balcony.  For example the Grand Princess only has a few covered balconies on deck 6.  The whole of deck 7, all mini-suites,  has all uncovered balconies.

I have been told some cruise lines now charge for room service.  Is this true?