Stevesan

Thanks for the info all!

 

I was worried that it would be a bad cabin. Thanks for the reassurance. And the portholes don't look as bad as I thought. I thought it would have been only one tiny porthole.

They're "his and hers".:p

We are Elite and in a Suite, I don't know how this will work? Anyone know?

Not based on my Cruise Personalizer.

Please see post #20.

Pikes Market could be an excellent time killer for early arrivals. Star docks at Pier 91 about 2 1/4 miles away. Maybe there's a trolley or bus?

Personalizer for May 27 on Star:

CRUISE CHECK-IN

To ensure a smooth start to your voyage, we operate a staggered check-in

schedule. Please arrive at your scheduled check-in time as noted below,

determined by your deck and cabin number. Due to security regulations and very

limited space inside the terminal, passengers arriving prior to their check-in

will not be permitted to enter the terminal. Passengers may drop off their

luggage and will be asked to return at their scheduled time. Priority check-in

will be available for Preferred passengers within your allocated check-in time

once inside the terminal.

10:30 am - Caribe & Lido Decks / Cabins C101-C753, L201-L312

12:30 pm - Baja & Plaza Decks / Cabins B201-B751, P201-P337

1:30 pm - Aloha & Emerald Decks / Cabins A201-A749, E101-E733

2:30 pm - Dolphin Deck / Cabins D103-D737

All passengers must be onboard by 3:30 pm

I purchased the Westin Hotel transfer arriving the day before. Interested to see how the Princess representative handles this. I'm in the 1:30PM group.

We used Princess transfers for our Alaska cruise RT Seattle and absolutely loved it both ways. We flew in for a two night stay before we sailed and was transported to the hotel (booked with Princess) with no problems...what we really loved was the luggage pick up from our room at 8 a.m. and cruise check-in in the hotel lobby...we didn't see or handle our luggage again until it was delivered to our cabin...we also boarded with all the elites, platinum and suites ahead of all the long lines...sweet. :)

 

Then at the end of our cruise we did Princess transfer again with flight check-in on board...loved that as well. We were shuttled to the airport and had a private Princess/Holland America TSA screening and then shuttled to the main terminal behind that TSA screening and long lines...we didn't see or touch our luggage (after boarding the shuttle) again until we picked it up at the carrousel in our home airport...what a way to fly. :)

 

We will definitely use Princess transfers again when possible.

 

Sorry that the OP had a bad experience when they cancelled their transport...did you call back to speak with a different rep? Sometimes that helps.

Delighted to hear you had a good precruise experience in Seattle. I reserved it for next month's Star sailing when I discovered that the transfer and hotel (Westin) cost exactly the same as Westin's asking price. About what time did you leave for the pier?

Still undecided about postcruise transfer. I like the included flight check-in, but my flight's not till 1:50PM. It might be best to linger on board as late as possible.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1584734

 

According to this thread, old and new coffee cards are still usuable as long as there are punches left. What has changed is that the unlimited brewed coffee is only given on the cruise on which the card is purchased.

Specifically, post # 29.

I was on the CB on 10/1 and the free coffee in HC was beyond undrinkable. I had seen people on CC complaining about the HC coffee and I was wondering "how bad could it be" - wow, turns out really bad. Princess must have changed the vendor from the previous year. Until this cruise my husband and I drank the HC coffee and had no complaints. This time, neither my husband or I could drink it and he can drink some pretty bad coffee. So after buying the coffee in the IC ($1.50 for regular) a couple of times, I broke down and bought two coffee cards to get us through this cruise and for future cruises. Looks like I might be on the short end of this transaction. The MDR coffee was good and did not taste like the HC coffee at all. We used to use the coffee syrup concentrate at work and it was good, definitely better than Folgers and some of the other stuff out there. Princess really needs to improve the coffee in the HC, otherwise they will start to see long lines at IC for people wanting only coffee. It will be a service nightmare.

I, too, have noticed this. Maybe the kitchen staff periodically cleans their machine.:p

As someone who has purchased coffee cards in the past (and always used them up because I drink the specialty coffees!), I think the reasonable thing to do is to honor any old cards for the stamps still unused AND for unlimited coffee on the next cruise it is presented on. (They can be stamped with the ship and sailing date when next presented.)

I really don't think anyone should have ever realistically expected free brewed coffee for the rest of their lives with these cards.

While there may be disagreement about whether brewed coffee should be charged for, or whether people like/dislike the syrup coffee, it is clear that the intent was to charge for these services.

I suspect that some other rate will be charged for the new cards issued based upon the number of days in the cruise. Maybe there will be different cards offered depending on the length of the cruise. Obviously a 3 day cruiser will use a different number of punches/coffees than a 14 day cruiser, etc.

Maybe the new cards won't include brewed coffee at all, only specialty coffee.

We don't know this information yet.

What needs to happen is a reasonable resolution for people who still have older cards, and I think that honoring the stamps plus one more cruise at unlimited coffee is a reasonable compromise. (and if you are going on a short cruise, save the card for your next longer one...)

Why not? As I said in a previous post, HAL serves fresh brewed coffee from grounds at all locations, including the buffet. And you don't need no stinking card!

I guess tastes differ...there's a thread on Celebrity board right now asking "Why is the coffee so bad on Celebrity"

I saw that, too. Probably more a passage of time than taste. My Celebrity cruise was ten years ago. :rolleyes:

We are being charged for a decent cup of coffee. Either thru the purchase of a coffee card or cup by cup for brewed. Question - Does Carnival, Celebrity, RCI, HAL, etc. server syrup based coffee in their dining rooms?

Can't speak for the others, but HAL uses only ground coffee, Beukenhorst.

It's quite good.

http://beukenhorst-usa.com/

I suspect Celebrity, too. Their coffee was excellent.

Hi guys! Call me a little a dim if you want.On Reading about the coffee card, which by the way i am going to purchase. I know you can get speciality coffees and teas with card but on reading the threads am I right in thinking you can get a nice cup of coffee without having your card punched Or have I misread the thread?:confused:

An attempt to summarize.

In the International Café and some lounges:

Brewed coffee is $1.25/cup, most specialty coffees are $2.50-$2.75 for a regular size, espresso $1.75.

$33.35 buys a coffee card with fifteen punch outs for specialty coffees, and unlimited brewed coffee at the cafes and some lounges that have brewed coffee. You can also use it in the dining rooms for specialty coffees. The server is directed to take two punch outs for double shot orders, some do, some don't.

Since the coffee card is for a discrete quantity it's not time limited. If there are punch outs remaining at the end of the cruise the card will carry over to the next cruise.

__________________

From Princess: Effective Jan 1 2012

Coffee cards are being redesigned to include the ship and sailing on which they were purchased. Once these new cards go into effect, you will still be able to use all 15 punches over multiple sailings if you wish. Any unused punches on cards that you currently possess will also be honored. However, the added benefit of free brewed coffees and specialty teas will only be applicable during the cruise indicated on the cards that you currently possess will also be honored. However, the added benefit of free brewed coffees and specialty teas will only be applicable during the cruise indicated on the card.

I don't think it was a benefit as much as it was a loophole. Right on the sale page it states:

 

Enjoy 15 espresso-based hot or cold specialty coffee drinks with complimentary brewed coffee and premium tea for the duration of your cruise.

 

They've just closed the loophole.

Not a loophole. Just a failed effort to increase the sale of specialty coffees.

I have two active coffee cards titled Ace Of Latte. The cards have no restrictions whatsoever printed on either one.

I did the Diamond in L241 (an inside Category II) on my Alaska cruisetour this past July and it was just fine.

 

The forward location was quiet, the forward elevator bank and stairwell were uncrowded, it had great wase of access to the pool, buffet, lap pool, and the covered pool (important in Alaska).

 

Also, you could quickly get to outside (or sheltered) viewing areas when in scenic areas like Glacier Bay and during docking operations.

 

The interior cabins on Princess are small (about 165 sq. ft.) so some recommend opting for twin bed setup so as to maximize the open space. You may also want to place that glass top table in your closet as it just takes up space and is unlikely to be used.

Except for six Riviera deck (Aloha on Grand) inside cabins, The standard inside, oceanview and balcony cabins are all the same size.

Photos of the six large inside cabins:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/579356797oqrCfy

They are slightly larger, but the primary advantage is a superior layout.

Some people do the right thing

Most do.

Princess offers both solo and single M&Gs. The names are kinda self explanatory.:)

I usually pay less than 200% sgl supp on Princess when booking inside or oceanview. My current HAL booking is an ov at 150%. My Princess booking, inside cat ii, is 175%.

I find that Princess at 200% is often less $ for the same category cabin, than HAL at 150%. I paid less for a Princess top category cabin than HAL's bottom in the same category price for the identical itinerary, Canada/NE, and month. Monetarily, the only thing that matters is the bottom line.

BTW - The ship's Maitre d' usually books solos together in the MDR. I found the same on my one Carnival cruise. That works out very well.

BTW #2 - keep this secret, but I book inside on Princess because most Grand class ships have six oversized and far better designed inside cabins on Riviera or Aloha on ships without a Riviera deck. I'd tell you the cabin numbers, but than I'd have to ....you.:)

http://travel.webshots.com/album/579356797oqrCfy

Even though there is no IC... don't they all have some kind of a "coffee bar"?? I know the Sapphire doesn't have an IC but still has a nice coffee area.

Yes. usually in the same location as the IC.

The coffee card:

Brewed coffee is $1.00/cup, most specialty coffees are $3.00, espresso $2.50.

$25 (+ gratuity) buys you a coffee card with fifteen punch outs for specialty coffees, and unlimited brewed coffee at the Cafe and other lounges that have brewed coffee. You can also use it in the dining rooms for specialty coffees. The server is directed to take two punch outs for double shot orders, some do, some don't.

Since the coffee card is for a discrete quantity it's not time limited. If there are punchouts remaining at the end of the cruise the card can carry over to the next cruise.

Syrup coffee is not faux coffee (like chicory).

The syrup is processed from honest to goodness real coffee beans.

The problem is in the processing and, same as with brewed, the quality of the bean.

Bill, a co-owner of my favorite coffee store

http://www.javacoffee.com/

told me that there are in fact different grades of syrup, some of which are actually drinkable.

Unfortunately, Princess's syrup based coffee must be the cheapest available product because the resulting drink is absolutely vile stuff.

It's very similar to Starbuck's stale, over roasted, coffee.

we've seen Al twice and don't recal him ridiculing anyone, he was very very funny. One night at dinner we were sat at a large table and he joined the table for dinner, I didn't recognize him as I hadn't seen his show yet and thought, man this guy is funny then he said "i hope so, I am the commedian tonight"

 

enjoy

He reads minds, too?:p

I booked Zaandam for April 2011. The cruise is more than eight months out and I'm WAITLISTED for "Main" dining!:confused:

Is that typical, and does anyone have a clue what the odds are I'll get my druthers?

This will be my first HAL cruise with open dining. Since sailing solo I have experienced "Anytime" dining on Princess and have found the experience very uneven. I'm occasionally seated immediately, sometimes after a short wait and always extremely long waits formal nights. I've subsequently returned to late traditional because of the upredictability of Anytime.

Anytime is not a deal breaker, but I do get a bit tired of reintroducing myself every night. There is, however, one a positive aspect: You can repeat your best stories and jokes. ;)

The Conquest is leaving Galveston for New Orleans!

To be replaced by Magic:

Galveston gets largest cruise ship in Texas history

By HARVEY RICE

2010 HOUSTON CHRONICLE

June 23, 2010, 8:47PM

GALVESTON — While the Port of Houston's $87 million cruise terminal sits vacant two years after being built, the Port of Galveston on Wednesday said it has snagged the largest cruise ship ever to be based in Texas.

The Carnival Cruise Lines vessel Carnival Magic will begin sailing from Galveston on Nov. 14, 2011, Galveston Port Director Steve Cernak said.

Cernak said the Magic is so large, with berths for 3,690 passengers, that the port will have to build a new gangway to accommodate it. The new ship is expected to boost Galveston's reputation as a cruise-line home port and add revenues to the city's economy.

"This puts us in the upper echelon of home ports," Cernak said.

The largest cruise ship now based in Texas, in passenger size, is the Carnival Lines' 2,974-passenger Carnival Conquest, one of two Carnival cruise ships based in Galveston. The Carnival Conquest and the 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy will move to New Orleans and be replaced in Galveston by the Carnival Magic and the 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph. The Triumph moves to Galveston on Oct. 6.

A Royal Caribbean Lines cruise ship is based in Galveston part of the year.

The 130,000-ton Carnival Magic will boost the number of Carnival passengers coming through the Galveston cruise ship terminal by 28 percent, Cernak said. The two ships are expected to carry more than 450,000 passengers per year once they begin operation.

'Pretty significant'

The Carnival Magic is a new ship, and the company's decision to base it in Galveston rather than the prime Florida market shows how important Texas is, Carnival spokeswoman Jennifer De la Cruz said.

"The commitment of a new ship outside Florida is pretty significant and is pretty rare," De la Cruz said. "We have built up our presence in Galveston over many years, and we have been able to do that because the Texas and Southwestern market is so strong for us."

De la Cruz said Carnival chose Galveston over Houston because of the cruise line's long-standing relationship with the port and its closer access to the Gulf.

The Port of Houston Authority's Pasadena cruise terminal has yet to have a regular cruise service. The facility was built in 2008 and is next to the Port's Bayport Container Terminal.

The only time cruise ships called on it was when Hurricane Ike damaged the Port of Galveston. Two Carnival Cruise Lines ships relocated to Houston for more than a month.

"It's a beautiful facility with state-of-the-art everything," said Chris Matthews, a principal in the Dallas office of A.T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm. "The Houston cruise terminal is an example of some mis-estimating. The demand has not materialized for many reasons."

Part of the problem is that the 96,000-square-foot facility is located near industrial plants and about a 45-minute drive from downtown Houston, he said.

"Travelers are looking for an attractive destination on both ends of the cruise," Matthews said. "Galveston and New Orleans have much more to offer right there than the Houston cruise terminal."

Ricky Kunz, vice president for origination at the Port of Houston, said the port is continuing to talk to cruise companies about home-porting vessels at the facility.

"Because of required cruise marketing and vessel redeployment, it can take a cruise line up to two, three years before moving into a new port or market," Kunz said.

The chairman of the Galveston Wharves Board, which oversees the Port Authority, said the revenue source of the two port districts may help explain why Houston's terminal remains vacant. Chairman John Eckel said the Galveston port is supported by its own earnings and the Houston port by tax dollars.

"That's why they did engage in a 'build it and they will come' Field of Dreams arrangement," Eckel said.

$8 million in upgrades

Norwegian Cruise Line did operate from the Port of Houston's Barbours Cut Terminal from 1997 until 2001 and again from 2003 until April 2007.

Cernak said the Galveston port is investing more than $8 million in improvements to serve the Carnival Magic, including more walkways and moorings. The improvements will allow the cruise terminal to handle any cruise vessel in the Western Hemisphere, he said.

The increased number of passengers is expected to have a big economic effect on the port and the city, Cernak said. The port gets its income from cruise line and passenger fees, including fees for parking in port-owned parking lots. Cernak couldn't immediately give an estimate of how much the new ships would add to the port's earnings.

A state-by-state 2009 economic impact study by the Cruise Line International Association showed $1.1 billion in direct purchases related to the cruise line business in Texas for 2008. The numbers apply to Galveston because it has the only operating cruise line terminal in the state.

Cozumel Insider has all things Cozumel, including average water temps:

http://www.cozumelinsider.com/Weather

The thread that wouldn't die. :p

The EZ check is great for European departures if you can afford it.

The Easy Check on board airline check in would be great if they offer it at more USA and San Juan embarkation ports. We will see soon, if it's been assigned to Puerto Rico.

 

Bon Voyage

I utilized EasyCheck from Crown Princess in San Juan last February, but it was for USA domestic flights only.

What is the fee for European destinations? Are any Europe/USA ports available.

EasyCheck is an excellent program, especially for SJU. That airport's a zoo.

Princess needs to devote part of their web site to EasyCheck details.

There's a Flicker web page with a copy of the Fort Lauderdale Easy Check form.

The details apply to Fort Lauderdale only, but it does provide a good description of the process.

Too bad Princess doesn't maintain a web page listing the ports where EasyCheck is on offer.

My experience w/sgl supps is limited, but I have learned that the percentage is frequently dependent on itinerary.

The lowest percentage is not always the best price, either.

For Example:

I'm paying a 138% sgl supp for a TOP category inside cabin on princess, booked just last week. This is a two week Caribbean cruise.

I'm also paying a 185% sgl supp to Princess for a TOP category inside cabin on a Canada/New England cruise.

Holland America is asking the same price in a near BOTTOM category inside GUARANTEE for the identical itinerary.

Holland America's sgl supp for this cruise is 145%.

Even though I'm paying a higher sgl supp on Princess, the cost is about the same for the cabin of my choice in a much higher level cabin category.

The lesson I've learned is to research pricing. Once you do that, you realize that the lower sgl supp doesn't always get you the best deal.

You can research prices, and compare sgl supp to dbl occupancy fares on nearly all the major cruise line web sites.

When I find an itinerary that grabs my interest, I start visiting the cruise line web sites for the best cruise for the money.

Even then, I wouldn't always book the lowest fare. The cruise line, ship and accomodations take priority over a moderate cost saving.

JFK to the Brooklyn pier is 20.67 miles (reference Mapquest), about 35 minutes drive time except during peak traffic periods.

Since sailaway is 5PM, you "should" be ok, barring any flight delays.

Can you overnight in NYC. It's a toddlin' town?:D