Cruise Raider

I understand that of the last Hawaiian cruise on the Royal, there are no longer charges. Whether or not this will last remains to be seen. But, the pizza is fabulous! Happy happy!

They are delicious! We always order them a few times each cruise. the capriccio has artichoke hearts, ,mushrooms, ham, Kalamata olives and basil the romana has anchovies, olives, capers and basil The vegetariana has avocados, sun dried tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers and mushrooms

They are 5 pizzas to choose from Vegetarian Margherita Pepperoni Capricciosa Romana There is no place in the app to adjust your toppings .. just pick one of the five available options. You can get different sprinkles including oregano, pepper flakes and grated Parmesan on the side in little ramekins.

We are currently on the Royal and just noticed that the whole pizzas delivered to you room are now showing as complimentary, when it used to be a $3 charge. While the $3 never bothered me, this is a step in the right direction and the opposite of what some of the other cruiselines are doing. Or maybe it is a temporary glitch in the system???

We’ve arrived as early as 9:45 AM, only because that is what time our ride was available. We waited in a relatively short embarkation line until they opened the doors to the terminal for arrivals. I believe they begin to open the doors for check in around 10 AM. A couple of days ago, we arrived at 11:10 AM, went right through security without delay and were immediately allowed to board the ship right after check in. Very quick and easy!

Not necessarily. Their rates really depend upon how many people are ordering Ubers at the same time. When disembarking from the ship, we’ve always found it is more expensive than doing the reverse. It’s because so many people are ordering a ride at the same time. Sometimes, when we get off a plane, it’s the same. Prices go up by about 20% to 30%.

Many drivers work for both Uber and Lyft and the prices can sometimes vary between the two but then again, sometimes they are the same. It all depends upon demand at the time. Either one will cost a lot more when coming home than going to the pier. BART is very convenient when you don’t have a lot of luggage to schlep to the pier. From the CV station to the Embarcadero is a piece of cake as there are no transfers involved like there is to go to SFO. Just of note, for shorter cruises, we’ve parked there down by the pier. It’s about $20-$22 a day and we’ve even found some lots with security guards. But then again, BART is still a lot cheaper option.

Sorry, but that is still not true. I don’t know about the Canadian passport regulations for entering the US but, as US citizens, we’ve certainly gone with friends without passports (original birth certificate and government issued ID) on closed looped cruises out of SF and they were allowed to go into Canada. They only restriction is you cannot fly back from Canada in case of an emergency.

While it is possible and we’ve had it happen to us, it’s not a regular occurrence. And aren’t there also escalators available? It’s been a while .. so just can’t remember!

We’ve been able to use ours as general OBC.

Same here … my DH always gets the beef tenderloin for embarkation lunch. He says it is absolutely delish!

I thought I read it doesn’t open until 75 days prior to the sail date but I couldn’t swear to that. Don’t give up hope yet, it’s probably just a little while longer.

I truly wish we could keep the Royal or even the Ruby in the port of SF. I guess all good things must come to an end, though.

Only if they request them. I never like to promote smoking but the crew have a tough job and if this is their one outlet, so be it.

I am absolutely aware of that. My comment was based on the fact that the Ruby is heading over through the Panama Canal on Oct 22nd and ending up in Florida on Nov 6th ... but they show her at Pier 27 on Oct 29th and beyond. So, the schedule needs to be updated. I think only the Crown will be in SF past October of this year.

I don't think that one is right either. It's showing the Ruby and the Crown in port at the same time from October through the end of the year. They still need to update it ..

Actually, this doesn't matter. And it is not the Jones Act per se but the PVSA that governs cruise ship passengers. The reason it is ok to use Ensenada as a foreign port is because it is a closed loop cruise, meaning it starts and ends in the same US port. If your continuous cruise starts and ends in two different US ports, you must then stop at a distant foreign port. Starting in LA and ending in Alaska, you are in violation with the PVSA and the cruiseline will refuse to allow you to do this itinerary. If you start and end up back in Vancouver on the second leg of the cruise, you'd be fine because the PVSA is a US law.

hmmm? I don’t know the answer to that. I have to admit, I’m not a huge shopper. I’m going again next week so will try to look into that.

We’ve been on se are different Princess ships since the restart and have not seen it either, they do have t-shirt sales on the Royal in the area in front of the shops. sometimes it is T-shirt’s, scarves, etc , sometimes, watches and sometimes, it is liquor

On the Ruby, Royal and Discovery, we were definitely able to get the same table every night .. and as you mentioned, next to the same groups of people every night. Once, we went to lunch on embarkation day on the Royal and the waiter told us the table we were assigned for the evenings. Our reservations were at either 6:00 or 6:20. Another few times, on the Ruby, we were also told on day one, that if we liked our table, it would be saved for us every night, whether two or four of us showed up. There is usually a mad rush at the dining rooms on day one but seems to calm down as the cruise goes on. Even if you are scheduled for a different dining room on some nights, they seem to be able to work some magic. I think the key is to establish a relationship with the hostess on the first night and let them know if you liked your table and wait team! And also, notify the, when you are not going to be there for dinner. My issues before Dine My Way is that we found it impossible to get in between 6:00 and 6:30 PM. People that were assigned to traditional dining didn’t like their table set up for dining time so, would use the anytime dining room. It just made a mess of everything. There was one night they said they wouldn’t be able to seat us until after 7:30 .. way too late for us. It was our anniversary and wanted our own table but it couldn’t be done. That sold me on the DMW … I’ve always been able to get a table at the time we like to eat.

We usually like our own private table with our party, whether that be just the two of us or a whole group of us. They’ve usually been very accommodating. At lunch, we usually don’t have that choice, though.

We could but we’ve found it is sometimes just easier to walk if we have carry on luggage. It is all flat and just under a mile .. plus, the views are remarkable. I must add, we may take BART if we were to walk to the pier

There are several options available onboard: Perfumes and cosmetics Watches (I like their citizen watch sales) Fine jewelry and some cheaper jewelry Clothing, purses and souvenirs Snacks and candies Liquor and cigarettes/cigars Toiletries and such Very limited electronics Pricing on clothing go from some good deals but some not so good deals. I think the jewelry is kind of overpriced but I do like their watch sales .. and it is duty free (with a limit)! Snacks and candies are outrageously priced. Their liquor and smokes are priced well .. we don’t smoke but many staff members do so sometimes we will get them cigarettes as a gift. I know they are way cheaper onboard than on land. Toiletries and meds are way overpriced but heck, if you need them while onboard, it’s nice they sell them. You could do much better while buying the same items in port. Their perfumes and cosmetics are decently priced. I don’t wear perfume but do use Clinique products and since we get 10% off (elite discount) and there is no tax, they are a pretty good deal. You can do just as well at home around Christmas, though. We aren’t much for souvenirs but you may find a deal on something you like. one more note … I’ve bought a few clothing items over the years when I’ve had extra onboard credit. They sell many quality items and have had several pieces for years and years. I’m not sure about the quality of the cheap T-shirt’s they sell, though, they just aren’t my thing.

Yahoo! Congrats on the great upgrade!

Some airlines are super picky and some, not so much. I’ve seen airlines make you fit your bag into a cage by the gate agent desk, if it doesn’t fit, you have to check it (and pay to check it). I really only take my larger carry on with airlines that allow it because it really is only a 22” bag but the wheels take it up to almost 24”. Most of the airline site specify their limits and include the verbiage “with wheels and handles” in those measurements.