eetonaee

As a Vancouver resident I urge anyone departing on a cruise to arrive at least one day before sailing.

Last summer I was at YVR working next to the meeting point for passengers with pre arranged bus and luggage transfers to the cruise terminal.At about 2:30 pm a group of about 10 people including children, approached the counter just as they were closing for the day.

They were told that there was no way to get to the terminal in time to board the ship.

From what I could tell they had taken connecting flights from the Southern US, both of which were delayed.

On arrival in Vancouver you could be delayed in Customs line ups for an hour as there are many flights arriving from Asia and Europe in addition to the US.

Traffic is also very heavy in Vancouver during the summer. 
I know that hotels in Vancouver are very expensive but it would be better to stay in the suburbs and spend $100 on a taxi or Uber than miss your cruise.

There are no direct flights from YVR to any airports in Alaska. You would have to fly or bus to Seattle in order to catch up with your ship. 
 

I spent today at Vancouver airport (YVR), meeting students arriving from Asia. 
Our desk was next to that of the company that coordinates prearranged baggage and passenger transfers to the pier. 
As someone who has taken over 20 cruises I was surprised to see how many people were arriving after 12 noon for sailings that were leaving just a few hours later.

The transportation staff, who are not directly employed by any of the cruise ship companies, worked non stop to get the passengers loaded on buses and luggage on trucks to the pier.

At about 3:30 pm, a group of 20 people, including families came to the desk asking where to board their transfer to the pier for their Princess sailing. 

They were told immediately that they were too late as boarding closes at 3:45. Apparently they took connecting flights to Vancouver and both were delayed. 
There was nothing that could be done for them at the airport but they started calling the ship, Princess etc.

From what I could tell, they would have to fly, bus or drive to Seattle (140 miles), where they could take a flight to Ketchikan to meet their ship.

Unless  they had insurance they would be responsible for all expenses.

If you are sailing from Vancouver please note - even if your flight is on time, US travellers could be at Customs and baggage claim for an hour as there are lots of flights arriving at the same time from Asia and Europe.

The drive from YVR to the pier could be 45 to 60 minutes depending on the time of day. 
 

Prearranging a transfer to the ship does not mean that the ship will wait for latecomers. That might work for ship tours at the various stops but not for departure. 
 

You should avoid flying to Vancouver on the same day as your ship departs. If you must make sure you have travel insurance. 

• Photo taken early September. Our HAL ship used the Ore dock.

Our previous 20 or so cruises have involved long flights to the departure port in Florida, California or Europe.

Finally we’re taking an Alaska cruise from our home town.

Our travel involves a short drive to the SeaBus passenger ferry for a 15 minute ride, and then a 10 minute walk to the terminal.

Sounds like we’ll be less stressed than you this Saturday 😉

We had a Concierge cabin on the February 20 Equinox sailing.

The verandas and furniture were no different than those on regular veranda suites.

Don’t make the mistake we did this past Friday when we lined up for our post cruise test at the Fort Lauderdale dock.

We completed a request on board to be tested after our Celebrity Equinox cruise and in advance of the 12:10 flight to Toronto.

We were advised that we could be tested on the pier from 7:30 to 9:30 am. We took our time disembarking and by the time we got off at 8:30 am there was a long and slow moving line.

Only two people doing the tests and a few others recording information.We were in line for at least an hour.

When we got to the airport the results had not arrived and we would be denied boarding without proof of a negative test.

We waited a while but with final boarding just an hour  away we ran over to another part of the terminal and paid $59 USD each for a guaranteed result within 30 minutes.

We received these results faster than the first test we took 2 hours earlier.

My advice - get in line as soon as possible even if it means skipping breakfast.

We did Newport in October 2019.

just get on the city bus.. takes you to the mansion area.

I believe  it was just a couple of dollars each way

• Ship:  Equinox
• Length of Cruise:12 days
• Cruise Sail Date: Feb 20
• Date email offer received: ? no email - went through manage reservation on website
• Captain’s Club Tier : Classic
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA
• Current Cabin: Inside
• Bid?  Yes/No: Yes

If YES -  Bidding Details:

• Cabin Category: Concierge
• Bid Offer $540 pp CAD
• Notification Date:  February 15
• Accepted / Rejected-  Accepted

General Comments Also bid $525 on a verandah.

Verandah bid was ranked as fair, the Concierge bid was the minimum.

Our travel agent moved us to a better location, same category when she got notice of the move up.

We used SPB in St.Petersburg and Berlin in 2009.

Great to hear that Viktoria and company are still doing well.

just want to add my thumbs up to previous comments about SPB and private tours in general for Baltic cruises.

18 hours ago, DQGal said:

Well I did it, put a bid in aqua class.

We put in a ‘Fair’ bid for a move up from an inside to a verandah on February 20 Equinox sailing.

Followed suggestion to bid on multiple categories so added a ‘Weak’ bid on a Concierge.

Verandah bid says expired and Concierge is pending.

I am unable to modify the existing bid or bid on other categories. 

Not sure if this is good or bad news but hope to find out soon.
 

My wife and I were on the same November 4-11 cruise on the Eurodam.

Our first cruise, 20 years ago was on a Holland America ship, but this was our first HAL cruise since, with 14 on other lines in between.

Having just turned 69, I expected to have reached the perceived HAL demographic but still felt like a kid compared to many others on board. I admire those who defy their age and mobility difficulties and continue to enjoy cruise vacations.

We didn't use the spa facilities other than one visit my wife did for a facial. She enjoyed it immensely.

We ate in the MDR every night and can understand noise concerns. We were next to a noisy table but enjoyed the company of the other couple at our table and stayed put. 

The menu was creative to the point that many of the options were not appealing to me but they do have basic items available each night as well. 

While not outstanding, the food was very good and the desserts well worth saving room for.

The highlight of the trip for us was the BB King Blues Club. 6 of the 7 nights we enjoyed live music from one of the best groups of musicians I've seen on a ship. The band was friendly, interactive and seemed genuinely happy entertaining audiences that ranged in age from 9 - 90.

We also enjoyed the Billboard Piano Lounge with two musicians singing selections, mostly by request, from the 50's to current hits. 

We saw two shows in the main showroom, an impersonator and a comedian. The other shows didn't appeal to us but people who went seemed happy. 

The main pool area can be noisy especially with small children on board but there are adults only whirlpools and a pool at the aft of the ship. 

There is pizza available and  you don't have to stand around waiting as they give you a pager that vibrates and lights up when your order is ready. You can customize the pizza from a wide choice of toppings.

The main pool also has a very good burger bar with Nathan's hot dogs as an option.

The Lido dining area is very hectic on boarding day as people are still trying to find their way around and new cruisers aren't used to the set up. By the second day things calm down and line ups are short. My plan is always to avoid prime time for breakfast or lunch in the Lido.

We chose this ship and itinerary as we live on the west coast and didn't want to take the long flights to Florida and back. The three stops, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, are all familiar to us but we did leave the ship to do some walking, shopping and relaxing on the beach.

We don't use any of the ship tours or land transportation but there is an overwhelming choice of locals at each stop ready to take you to your favorite or new places at lower prices with smaller groups.

The stop at Cabo requires a tender to shore but you can walk in to the main part of town from there. Mazatlan requires a taxi in to town but you can get transportation for under $10 each way for two people. 

Puerto Vallarta also requires a taxi in to the city but there is also a large shopping center and a Wal Mart right across from the pier.

Even though it might appear that you travel in a relatively straight line north to south, you do experience two time changes. If you don't hear the reminder in the showroom, or read the note left by your cabin steward then you could be late for a morning tour or appointment. We saw this happen in Cabo as well as in Puerto Vallarta where people showed up late for their pre booked tours.

We stayed in San Diego the night before and after the cruise. Looking to be economical I chose the Town & Country. It is about 15 minutes from the airport or cruise terminal. The hotel is undergoing massive renovations which may have accounted for our Expedia rate of about $155 CAD per night. Other than our room being a bit of a walk from the temporary check in location we did not experience any noise or inconvenience.

It is walking distance to the Fashion Valley Mall so we enjoyed visiting higher end stores like Nordstrom's, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales as well as the usual assortment of mall stores. Dinner was at P.F. Changs, also by the mall.

We stayed the extra day post cruise to visit the Zoo, After 5 hours there we were happy to spend the evening at the hotel and enjoy an in house pizza.

On a separate note, I was a little apprehensive sailing during the week of the US midterm elections as from our Canadian vantage point we worried that the partisan politics could cause some uncomfortable moments. I have to say that everyone on board I encountered seemed to want to escape politics and I had no conversations about the elections before, during or after. A couple of times when the topic came close to politics either the person stopped mid sentence or their spouse jabbed them in the ribs.

Overall I prefer Caribbean cruises with more interesting stops and warmer ocean water for swimming, but for a quick break for West Coasters the ship and itinerary fit the bill.

We just sailed on the Eurodam, cabin 4131.

This is classified as a handicapped accessible verandah cabin.

There is no bathtub but a shower with a chair that folds down from the wall if needed.

No steps as there are drains on the floor for the water. We didn't have any problems with water getting on to the main part of the washroom.

Lots of bars to grip on to in the shower and by the toilet.

I live in Vancouver so haven't stayed there but you are just a couple of blocks from Canada Place.

If you have time you can walk along the waterfront to Stanley Park and back

We enjoyed a private tour that featured locations in Sicily where the Godfather was filmed. We had time for a few hours in Taormina as well.

We were in Venice near the end of October 2014 and were greeted by high water in San Marco as we walked to our nearby hotel from the vaporetto stop.

As mentioned the only high water is in the square and we experienced it a couple of times in the middle of the day.

I would be more concerned about the crowds of people. When we were there the streets and squares were still packed with visitors. I can't imagine what it is like in mid summer. If May or September is the less busy then that is the one I would choose.

We'll be arriving in Koper on a Sunday and public buses only run about once an hour. Are taxi's readily available from the cruise port to Piran, and if so any idea on the cost? Has anyone used the HoHo bus for that trip? If so, does that give you sufficient time in Piran?

We docked in Koper on Sunday, October 26.

We didn't have any prearranged plans so took a very short walk from the ship to an area where tour companies had displays with day tours.(first picture)

We chose a 6 hour Slovenian coast trip from Roundabout Travel which included a drive with stops at viewpoints en route before arriving in Piran.

We had more than enough free time in Piran to tour the town square, church and tower, the fort and walk along the waterfront resort area.

The price was 20 Euro per person for a bus with about 25 people.

We also had tine before and after the tour to visit the historical area of Koper which is very close to the port.

Slovenia was a nice surprise and we had a great day.

As of April 1, 2015 the sale of BC made wine will be allowed in large grocery outlets such as Safeway, Save-On Foods and similar stores where groceries make up the majority of their sales.

This will make it convenient for people who want to buy wine as well as non alcoholic beverages and food in one location.

Only BC made wines can be sold but there are many quality wines produced in the Okanagan and other areas of the province.

Non BC wines, beer and spirits will be available at government or private liquor stores only.

The locations of the grocery stores that will sell wine haven't been announced yet but I don't believe there are any stores within walking distance (about a mile) of Canada Place that will qualify.

You may want to check out Paestum. Possibly the best preserved Greek temples still standing. About an hour or so south of Naples.

Mostly yes. Some port operators could limit this (seen it happen in Venice, Italy) but generally it is available - check the paperwork they deliver to your cabin couple of days before the cruise ends.

sorry - posted in error

I was on the Jade from October 25- November 1st and just had my review posted in the Cruise Critic member reviews section. This was my first cruise with NCL.

My review was generally favourable.

Another review, posted by someone on the same cruise had the opposite opinion.About the only thing we agreed on was the shower size in the inside cabins and the Tenors of Rock.

I can't tell you that I am right and he is wrong so keep checking all of the reviews.

In the end the only opinion that really matters is yours.

Have a great time.

After 14 cruises mostly on Princess, Celebrity and RCCL we've just completed our first NCL cruise on the Jade two weeks ago, sailing from Venice to Rome.

I must admit that many negative comments on cruise critic forums about NCL gave me the impression that we would not enjoy a Norwegian cruise.

I'm pleased to say that our cruise experience, although short and very port intensive, was as good as any we have had. The food which seemed to draw the ire of many posters was excellent, plentiful and imaginative. Our basic room had all that we needed including a shower that you didn't have to step out of to pick up a bar of soap from the floor.

Appreciated not having to take extra clothes for formal nights and the friendly crew.

The Jade was perfect for a European cruise and look forward to trying one of the newer ships in the Caribbean.

Thanks, I just won my bet with DH.... I owe u an hamburger whenever u come to Israel, fries 2 :D Dani[ela]

My family name in Hebrew is "vinemaker", spelled with K.

Thank you- I'm due for a visit .

Haven't been since 2005.

Shana Tova

"eetonaee" - sounds exactly like "journalist" in Hebrew :)

Not a coincidence.

When I joined CC many years ago I was publishing a small community paper.

@eetonaee thanks so much for the photos and suggestions. The stairs down look doable and the beach a possibility

Thank you.

So there is no confusion - the beach in the picture is in Mykonos.

I have picked up some great information from Cruise Critic members over the past 10 years or so and perhaps given some too, but I am always reluctant to answer an open ended question like the OP's.

There are so many factors that can affect your day in a port like Santorini.

How many ship's in port? The weather? Individual interests? The mood you are in?

We were in Santorini in June 2012. A beautiful hot day as you can see from these pictures. Our ship, the Celebrity Equinox, was the only one in port when we arrived in the morning so the cable car line up wasn't too bad. Some passengers chose to walk up the stairs or ride the donkeys.

I knew that the best photo ops were in Oia so I walked a few blocks to the bus station and boarded the public bus for the short ride from Fira.

Oia is an amazing place to take pictures, look at shops, look at people and mostly look at the amazing blue water. I knew there could be a bit of a rush to get on the public buses so I left earlier than I wanted to to but had time to stroll around Fira before taking the cable car back to the tender loading area.

A calm relaxing day in a place I hope to visit again.

One of the last stops on our 10 day cruise was Mykonos. I knew there was lots to see but as the ship approached the dock we saw a beach on the port side that looked very inviting. As we had already toured Athens, Crete, Ephesus and Rhodes and a tour of Pompeii was a few days away, we decided to just relax on the beach.

I wouldn't have known 2 or 3 months earlier that would be how we would spend our time in Mykonos. We try not to over plan so that when a new option opens up we can take advantage of it.

Line up for the cable car from the port to Fira

Stairs between the port and Fira shared by people and donkeys

Oia

Relaxing in Mykonos