Stevesan
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Posts posted by Stevesan
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Someone posted that January and February is the worst time for fog... so can I hope that in October fog is not that common? I read that it's caused by the difference in temp between the air and the gulf water, right? so I'm hoping it's not a problem for my cruise :o
Fog forms when the difference between temperature and dew point is generally less than 2.5 °C or 4 °F.[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fog
Fog is common along the Gulf Coast (ie, Galveston, and Princess' Bayport Terminal) during winter when air temps are often 40-60 degrees. Summers are hotter, consequently far fewer fog events.
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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"
http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/bring.jsp
Is it always observed? No.
Most head waiters are very "liberal" about enforcing the rules.
A long sleeve shirt w/tie will "usually" be allowed entry.
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and do you have to go to Vines to get the sushi with "Eye of newt, and toe of frog" ?
Yes. But you can add "wool of bat and tongue of dog" with it free, gratis!!:p
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We are cruising on the Navigator of the Seas out of Galveston in July for my parents 50th anniversary. There will be 10 of us ranging from 16 to 71. Our flight leaves out of Houston Hobby the day we disembark in the evening after 7. I am a little overwhelmed on what to do after we get off the ship and everyone seems to be turning to me for a suggestion. We will have all day and will have all of our luggage. I haven't booked any transportation yet. Any suggestions on what to do for entertainment and what to do with our luggage? Thanks for any help:)!
Sorry I can't help you with the luggage, but someone on this board should have an suggestion. Maybe you can rent a couple cars and turn them in at Hobby?
Galveston offers numerous activities. Moody Gardens should have enough diversity to satisfy the people in your group.
The Pleasure Pier is "Coney Island" style, but on a much smaller scale.
http://www.galveston.com/whattodo/
http://www.galveston.com/moodygardens/
http://www.galveston.com/pleasurepier/
P.S The security lines at Hobby can get loooong. What ever you do, be sure to allow for that.
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Why not a caldron?
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble. :D
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I live north of the Baltimore/Washington area and do not drive in either city. One nice thing that I did like and was a life saver is how Texas prints the number of the highway on the road. Helped me out a lot.
Thanks for the tip. I didn't mean to be critical of Houston traffic, it just scared the begees out of me.
Sheila
Sent from my iPad using Forums
And there's nothing wrong with that!!
I've lived in Houston for forty years and I'm critical of the traffic every day.:eek:
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how much is the coffee card and what can you get with it? Just coffee? Hot chocolate? Specialty coffee?
Is there not free coffee on the ship?
At 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, including gratuity, buys a coffee card with fifteen punchouts for specialty coffees, and unlimited brewed coffee at the cafes and 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. The unlimited brewed coffee does not carry over.
__________________
If you are accustomed to good quality coffee, you definitely will want a coffee card. The vile concoction in the Horizon Court (buffet) is syrup based. Room service is also syrup based.
Not that syrup-based coffee is always a bad thing. My hometown source, http://www.javacoffee.com/, informs me there are different grades for syrup coffee, just as with ground coffee.
Regardless of grade, the taste of syrup based is always going to be somewhat inferior to an equivalent grade of ground. Based on flavor, Princess must use the lowest grade (cheapest) available.
Not all ships have the Int'l Cafe. They do, however, have a Coffee Bar for regular and specialty coffees.
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Anything that's "unlimited" is technically for the person it's bought for, whether it's a coffee card or soda sticker. However, Princess looks the other way if you use it to get coffee for someone else. Be aware that at some point, Princess will crack down and people will scream, "We've always been able to do this." At the very least, the cost will go up to accommodate the people who use it for others. Just saying.
That's why the coffee card no longer carries over for brewed coffee. Folks discovered they had free brewed coffee for life.
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[Are there any park and cruise hotels near the Houston (Bayport) cruise terminal?
The closest hotels are at Kemah, about 7 miles from Bayport Terminal. The area surrounding the terminal is oil storage and processing.
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Is there any good snorkeling from the shore at any of these ports? Not sure we want to do a catamaran trip.
There is decent shore snorkeling at St Thomas' sister island, St John. Trunk Bay is the most popular. Your ship will offer a tour, but a do it yourself is easy.
Cruise critic doesn't allow a direct link.
enter: www dot vinow dot com, Or Google it.
I don't think the other islands have good shore snorkeling. If I'm wrong, maybe someone wll enlighten us.
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Check tripadvisor.com for things to do in Galveston. For years, we've intended to go to Moody Gardens and have never made it. A few weeks ago, our friends did go and had such a good time! Other hotels are Galvez, Hilton, Hampton and Sheraton Four Points and are all located across the street from the water. The Hampton is next to Wal-Mart which is nice for last minute purchases.
A few weeks ago, we stayed at Four Points using Starwood points. This was our 3rd stay and it was nice, quiet and clean. And, free. Breakfast runs about $10 pp and is very good. The breakfast at the Hampton is free but very limited, high carb choices. No eggs. And, here's a great link showing the location of cruise port hotels: http://www.pre-cruisehotels.com
Or:
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You'll find that the auto tips on Princess are different from RCL/Celebrity. Princess shares the tips fleet wide so your money doesn't go directly to your waiter, it goes to all waiters. This means you are free to visit any of the restaurants and you don't need to worry about tipping.
You don't need to prepay tips for any time dining. They will be posted daily to your account.
Anytime dining - just go with your group to the hostess and ask for a table for 4. Sometimes there is a wait and if there is you will be handed a pager. If you agree to sharing a table the wait is usually much shorter.
Try to make your reservations for specialty dining on the first day. They may fill up later in the cruise.
First I've seen this. This would be a nightmare to manage. What is your source?
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The walk off application form has a list of times. I was assigned my requested time. The intervals were either 10 or 15 minutes. I forget which.
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I recently did an MDR kitchen walk through on CB. There was a specialty coffee "machine" in the kitchen.
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Princess web site is up and running this morning, including booking with prices and descriptions.
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Distance From Bayport Terminal To Airports:
HOU – 20.9 miles
IAH 48.7 miles
Kemah, @7 miles from Bayport Terminal, is the closest hotel source.
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Easy Peasey:
If you're unhappy with your assigned table, see the head waiter and he'll reseat you.
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Princess has scheduled Sunday as Bayport turn around day next season.
Less arrival stress for out of town folks.
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thanks , so this is a little closer than Gavelston from hobby
It's 42 miles from HOU to the Galveston ship terminal, 21 miles to Bayport Terminal.
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Grand has six inside cabins on Aloha deck that look larger than the others. They look larger because they are. 182sf compared to the standard 160sft.
516, 517, 507, 508, 417, 421.
http://www.princess.com/deckPlans.do?shipCode=AP
The larger size is not their best feature. The layout is a great improvement over the standard.
Some photos of one (scroll down to post #2):
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1728255
You'll find that all grand class ships, and most subsequent, have these cabins.
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Distance From Bayport Terminal To Airports:
HOU – 20.9 miles
IAH 48.7 miles
Driving Directions:
http://www.portofhouston.com/cruise-information/driving-directions/
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Posting the same question twice doesn't increase the number of responses.:rolleyes:
Egg Crates
in Princess Cruises
Posted
Try this. It's been a few years snice I've had to use it.
Fax Transmittal Form
To: Princess Cruises
From:
ATTN: Special Services
Number of Pages: 1
Fax: 661 284 4885
Message:
Please request cabin steward place an egg-crate mattress topper and a top sheet on queen arrangement bed.
Passenger: Booking Number: Voyage Number: Ship’s Name: Date:
Cabin Number: Thank You