jer_l

Thanks for the replies and the photo. Since my regular tea is Bigelow Earl Grey and my wife’s is Twinings English Breakfast we should be fine. 

We will be sailing on Celebrity for the first time post-pandemic. We are both tea drinkers and would like to know what brands of tea are served in the elite coffeehouse, in the MDR, and at the buffet.

1 hour ago, thepla said:

I sent message, they called. No need for appointment. After preregister there will be a place for test. I have one for backup. We are scheduled at Walgreens in an hour.

Thank you. 

I received a email from Carnival a few weeks ago and pre-registered for the new $10 Covid testing for a 4-day Radiance cruise. The email instructions were to register, but not to book an appointment. I checked back today on the registration site to see if there were updates. On the page to book appointments is this message:

Do NOT schedule an appointment if you are planning to be tested at a Radiance sailing

Has anyone gone through the testing at Long Beach? Is the pre-registration all that is needed?

I may be in a similar situation in May when we cruise 10 days to Alaska. If I take a 3 day cruise now, I will become platinum during that cruise. It might be worth taking a short cruise now if I get the Platinum perks like free laundry. I know you get the platinum card, but are all the other perks included as well if you move up a level during a cruise?

The balcony dining on Princess is a great experience and well worth the money. O wish HAL would offer it as well. 

Disembarkation was way ahead of schedule. With only 800 passengers that was no surprise. 
We rolled our luggage across the street to the Wyndam, paid an extra $25 for early check in, and were in our hotel room which is directly in front of the Koningsdam. The bow points directly at our hotel balcony. 

On 1/6/2022 at 9:49 AM, GTVCRUISER said:

Do they still give you the Mariner Cocktail coupon in your cabin ?  Thank You 

We did receive the Cocktail coupon in our cabin. Since we have a beverage package we have not used it. 

Yesterday we were in Puerto Vallarta.  Although my plan was to take a taxi to the Malecon , I got up early, had breakfast, and then decided to walk because it was such a beautiful day. I’m glad I made that decision because I really enjoyed the walk and the nice weather. 
 

I actually arrived early for my spa appointment at Acqua Spa, and sat on a bench outside until they opened.  After the massage I felt so invigorated that I decided to walk part of the way back and ended up walking the entire way. 
 

I walk almost every day, but usually 3-4 miles. Having turned 70 on this cruise, it was good to know that I can still do 8 miles without wearing myself out. However, after returning to the ship, I took the elevator rather than the stairs!

Today we are in Mazatlan. We got off the ship around 8:30 this morning and took a pulmonia ($6) to Plaza Machado in Old Town.  There is an a family artisan shop just off the plaza on the ope4a house side called Nidart which we visit each time we are here. My DW bought me a leather mask (only $40 US) as a birthday gift which we will hang with the other six we has purchased on past trips. This gallery closed down for 8 months so we were glad they are once again open. 
From there we walked to the Malecon and then back to the cathedral. From there we walked back to the ship which is less than a mile from the cathedral. It was getting warm so we were glad we chose to go in the morning. 
 

Last night was Formal night. I was definitely in in the minority with a tuxedo, but that’s ok. We enjoy dressing formal. Since we were at Pinnacle 5e first night, this was our first time in the dining room. We had late seating and were quite surprised at how few people were there.

pour waiter told us that the size of the crew is geared for 1,000-1,200 passengers. They were stretched a little thin last week with 1,600; however, this week there are only 800 passengers on board. Because there are few passengers, he also told us that we can come to the dining room for dinner at any time as there is no one at our table for early seating. 
dDinner was very good. I had patiala sole and my DW had the risotto. Both of these were excellent.

Today we will be in Cabo. We will be staying on the ship today since we have been here often. 

31 minutes ago, esimon said:

can you define -"putting everything on your navigator app"    I have the app - what do I "put" on it. 

we sail on 2/5   -

Your boarding pass will be there. At some point there will be the option to add a recent photo. I guess that’s really about it,  it I also had my Covid test results on my phone ready to go. The only non-electronics I needed were may vaccine records and my passport. I recently bought a passport cover that has a place to put your vaccine card which also saved time.  
 

having the phone and the passport/ vaccine record ready to go made the process easier and faster than pre Covid.  

Since my birthday was on embarkation day, we had booked the Pinnacle Grill for a 7:30 dinner. Very few were there and by the time we finished we were the only ones left. 
for those who love food pics we shared the clothesline bacon, I had crab cakes, rib eye, and soufflé. My DW had the shrimp cocktail, petite filet, and key lime pie. They also brought a mouse cake for my birthday. I took one bite and took Ed the rest to our cabin where it sits in the fridge. It will make a nice afternoon snack with my Earl Grey tea. 

We boarded the Koningsdam yesterday to celebrate birthday #70. Embarkation was very uneventful. We saw the Koningsdam from our hotel balcony early in the morning and walked over just after 11 even though boarding for group A was to begin at 1 pm. After checking our baggage, we got in line behind about 30 people. By 11:30 we were on our way. Putting everything on the Navigator app, including your photo, really expedites boarding. We sailed through the boarding process while many others were stuck at various stations and arrived at the final waiting area where only 4 others were waiting. After a short wait, they began boarding and we were eating sushi in the lido by noon. While eating they announced 5hat the stateroom were ready so we headed there where we found flowers and a cupcake from our kids for my birthday, and appetizers and a ship model from one of our sons and his family as a belated Christmas gift. We headed to a bar, got a couple glasses of wine, and headed back to enjoy the appetizers and cupcake. 
 

sail away was wonderful with great weather and a beautiful sunset as we reached Point Loma. 

On 12/12/2021 at 12:03 PM, BobnJan66 said:

We booked a Princess cruise to the Mexican Riviera for next April as a replacement cruise for one cancelled due to COVID. It is celebration of our 50th anniversary. We rarely cruise, so are looking forward to any tips and tricks that anyone wants to pass along. For example, we are unsure about what excursions, if any, we want to book, and if we book them, can they be cancelled if we change our mind. We love to walk through towns, explore the history and scenery etc., so are wondering whether any of the three ports (Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta) are especially conducive to strolling directly from the dockside. Thanks!

If you have a balcony and the weather is conducive, I would recommend doing the balcony dining to celebrate. We’ve done it twice and it was a highlight of the cruise each time. 
 

We often stay on the ship when in Cabo, but a couple of years ago we did take a tour that went to San Jose del Cabo. The tour was very informative about the history of the area. There were a few stops where we were able to walk around and see some historical sights. 
 

When in Mazatlan we have walked to old town and have also taken a pulmonia for $10. If taking a pulmonia you can ask to be let off at Plaza Machado. We’ve had lunch at a few different restaurants there. You can also visit the  Angela Peralta Theater (historic opera house) at the plaza.  We always visit a local family owned shop called Nidart which is about a block from the opera house down a brick walkway as I recall.  We’ve purchased several leather masks over the years from them. From the Plaza it is short walk to the cathedral and the public market in one direction or to the seaside in another direction. On ship days there usually are expats (all in blue shirts the last time we visited) in the plaza that will give you directions. 

24 minutes ago, Arlo92106 said:

Thank you for posting, we are hoping to go on the January 2nd cruise.  Are they making you wear masks at the pool?  A Holland rep told me on the phone I would need to wear a mask at ALL times, even outside????

We are also on the January 2 cruise. At this time, the HAL website says masks indoors except when eating or drinking.  Masks “outdoors if in large gatherings and physical distancing cannot  be maintained.”

I would think there will many places outdoors where masks would be neither necessary nor required. 

On 12/21/2021 at 6:50 AM, Hlitner said:

Sorry to be so slow to respond as we were actually out of the country (cruising).  But Ine is correct that I often walk between the Zona Romantica and the Marina (port) on a daily basis.  A fast walker can do that walk in about 1 to 1:15 minutes assuming they continue to walk at a fast pace and do not stop for good food, drink, etc.  There are sidewalks although construction projects might necessitate crossing the road at one or two places (not always easy if there is a lot of traffic).  The actual distance depends on your docking location (there are three piers) but is approximately 4 miles,

 

Given the situation with COVID and the limited time folks have on a port day I would suggest that using a taxi (or Uber) is a more reasonable alternative.  I am also now reticent to recommend using the public buses (we often use the buses when living in PV) because of the increased risk of COVID.  While we continue to routinely travel/cruise we also think it makes sense to minimize COVID risk when possible.

 

Hank

Thanks for your reply. Although I regularly walk 3-4 miles several times a week, I have decided to take a taxi to the Malecon and then walk from there. Several years ago I walked from the cruise terminal to the Malecon, but I didn’t continue to Zona Romantica.  Returning I rode the bus.  If this was pre-Covid I would use the bus system, but I think I will be more at ease with a taxi. 

14 hours ago, SelectSys said:

In addition to distance, heat may be a factor as well.  I like @Ine's suggestion of taking a cab or bus.  My preference would be to take the bus.  The driver will tell you if the bus is heading to the "zona romantica" as I believe some of the buses may bypass that area and head east.  The PV experts woul;d know for sure.

I will probably take a cab although the heat wouldn’t bother me. I often go hiking when it’s in the 90s. I just keep hydrated and keep going. 

20 minutes ago, MSN-Travelers said:

For planning purposes, it is roughly a 30 minute walk from the Hotel Rosita to the Acqua Spa.

 

Enjoy . . . 

Thanks. Good to know.

20 hours ago, Ine said:

I know Hank walks that stretch daily, so he can give you more information. It will be a long walk, most of the time along a busy road, not all sidewalks are even. Of course you can also make the walk over the beach, you will have to cross Rio Pitillal which sometimes is a problem due to high level and strong current.

In case you want to do the part walk, take a cab or bus to Hotel Rosita.

You can find some food maps on this site: https://vallartainfo.com/vallarta-hotel-zone/

and move down to following maps. 

Thanks Ine. The maps were especially helpful. 

I have a massage booked at Acqua Spa in Zona Romantica when we visit in January and wondered about the feasibility of walking from the cruise terminal to there and then returning to the ship by taxi.  I regularly walk 3-4 miles each day and this seems to be just around 4 miles. 

I've also thought about taking a taxi part way and then walking the rest of the way to my destination. If I choose this option, and start at the northern end of the Malecon, where would be the best place to ask the taxi driver to drop me off?

16 hours ago, trixiee said:

How far is the cruise ship terminal from the airport?  Wondering if I should book a Hal transfer or just take a cab?  My flight lands fairly early- 10:30

Twice in the last year I’ve taken a cab from the airport to a downtown hotel. Both times the drivers complained the entire ride about it being such a short distance and hardly worth their time.  Lesson learned!  From now on we take only Uber in San Diego. On our last time there our Uber driver was prompt and very courteous.

On 11/24/2021 at 7:21 PM, zgscl said:

That is so odd! Did they tell you what the problem was? Glad to hear you have your boarding pass in hand, those 39 days will fly by in no time! 

No explanation. Just that it appeared that there was activity on the booking the day I called and that I should try again the next day. I did and everything was printable. 
 

I think the “activity” occurred during one of the very long holds I was on while the agent went to find help, perhaps not wanting to say “Oops, it was our mistake”?
 

Whatever, I’m glad to have the boarding pass even with a 2 pm boarding time. (Our flight actually arrives around that time, but 24 hours earlier. I guess they missed the arrival date on the check in data.). Since we will need to check out of the hotel at 11 am we will head across the street and hope for an earlier boarding time. 

11 hours ago, zgscl said:

Yes the ship's time changed to match local time. We lost an hour the first night and then between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta and then gained an hour back the first and second night after leaving Puerto Vallarta. 

Boarding pass was available to be printed about 45 days out I believe Below is for my upcoming March 6th sailing and the dates are in line with what I experienced for this cruise. 

 

The top date under next steps is when the health assessment will be available about 3 days before sailing. This does not need to be completed to print the boarding pass.  

 

Assuming final payment has been made, once you complete all check in steps including the vaccine/covid-risk acceptance and your cruise contract as well as provided a method of payment for incidentals this box will appear and will tell you when to expect your boarding pass. Luggage tags can be printed at any time 

Thanks for the info. Knowing that we will be on port time will help in planning.

As far as the boarding pass, I thought that the HAL agent was wrong so I called again and spent about 45 minutes on the hone with a different agent.  I was finally able to print the boarding passes today.  Sailing in 39 days. 🙂 

We will be taking this cruise in January.  I have a couple of questions:

Does the ship's time change to correspond to local time?  I believe PV is 2 hours ahead of San Diego and the other ports an hour.)

When were you able to print your boarding pass?  I've received an email that ours are ready, but they aren't available even though the HAL website shows we are checked in.  When I called HAL, I was told they could not be printed until the health assessment is complete (available 3 days before the cruise). I just wondered if that is correct. It would be nice to know boarding times ahead of time.