Ken_W

I believe Princess offers transfers to both the Victoria train station and the Victoria coach station. They appear to be different facilities but in the same general area. Does anyone know if there are designated buses for each or just one bus that stops at both places?

 

Sent from my YP-G70 using Forums mobile app

Victoria Coach Station and Victoria Train Station are two different buildings on the same street, about two blocks from each other. The train station is also a major change point in the London bus system, but not for the long distance coach that would take you to or from Southampton.

I've taken the train, the coach and hired car and driver from Southampton to London in the past, and it has always been far cheaper to book my own transportation than purchase a transfer; however, the transfer is much easier to deal with and has the advantage of someone else making the arrangement for you.

If you can find shipboard acquaintances to share the cost of hiring a car and driver it gets to be more reasonable price-wise, but it's still, of course, the most expensive way to travel.

Oops, sorry, sec is 'dry' demi-sec is 'half dry'...... doux is sweet.

Wouldn't want anyone to order the wrong thing. :)

 

Brut is very dry (literally 'crude') and probably 90% of the champagne drunk in France is brut and, in terms of taste, those of you who say you are not wine connoisseurs, let me assure you that you will have no difficulty in coming to the conclusion FLAT brut champagne tastes horrible :eek:

Of course you are completely correct; I can only claim a momentary brain lapse, and I thank for your kind and gentle correction.

You're also right about flat brut champagne. Ickl.

Ah, the champagne coupe... the only glass that allows you to use a champagne swizzle stick.

Let me explain.

Late 19th and early 20th century Brits drank a great deal of sec or dem-sec (sweet or half-sweet) champagne. With it, they might use a champagne swizzle stick, which when opened resembled the arms of an upside down umbrella with no covering. A few quick twists of the wrist and those nasty bubbles were practically all gone, and many preferred their wine that way.

I collect coupes and use them for cocktails, as their three to four ounce size ia perfect for drinking Martinis or Brooklyns or Daiquiris or Sidecars or or or... because their small size means the drink will stay cold during the time it takes you to drink it.

Of course you need to have more than one, since they're so small, but they're so cold and delicious.... well, that's my preference and I'm sticking to it. A cocktail that gets warm holds little appeal to me.

For those interested, there's a very powerful documentary called Pink Ribbons, Inc. tht came out over a year ago that does a very fair job of examining some of the big charities that have become involved in breast cancer research, including an extensive interview the then-head of the Komen Foundation.

The question it centers on is who benefits from all the fundraising, and the film maker truly stays out of the way and lets people speak for themselves, and I found it profoundly moving. It doesn't draw you pictures of heroes and villains, but it does urge you to make decisions about how you want to support the fight against breast cancer.

Sadly, it never received a general release (because it's intelligent, unbiased, not shouty or extreme, plus it's a documentary).

It's available on Netflix for streaming to your computer or television, and I promise you it's ninety minutes well spent.

Looking forward to reading your review! I believe my great-grandparents took a Great Lakes cruise for their honeymoon, and I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Here's the Calendar for Port Events for ships visiting SF this year. I clicked to October, found the listing for the Star Princess on the 11th, clicked on it and learned that the Star is presently scheduled to use the new pier on its arrival.

So if you look for your departure date and click on your ship, you should find which pier you'll be departing from.

Thanks for all the clarifying responses. I'm an early riser, even on vacation, but at home I have my supply of English muffins, yogurts, oatmeal, etc., but when on vacation I long for soft-boiled eggs, toast with yards of butter and assorted jams, smoked salmon... and not having to clean up after myself before getting on with work!

Thanks, all!

Used the Search function and found some information, but not an answer to the question I've got!

1st timer, Star Princess, not in a suite so Sabatini's breakfast is not an option, and I have trouble facing a buffet line early in the morning.

I've read that there is a cooked breakfast available in the MDR, but is that just for people who are in Traditional Dining? We'll be on the Anytime/Anywhere program and one thing I love on vacation is the full breakfast layout being served. Do I head for the MDR or the standard Anytime dining room?

You can "book" ahead of your sailing.

Thanks for that tip, luckysadie. Was just on the phone with Princcess and got my name on the list for an upcoming cruise! It sounds like a wonderful experience.

Hi, OP here. Thanks so much for the shared wisdom. I too am scheduled to be on Dolphin Deck and now have visions of dinner under stars.... we'll see!

The more I hear from all the CC members, the more I realize what a terrific set of decisions we'll have to make once we board!

I'd be interested to hear about people's experiences with Ultimate Balcony Dining. What are the mechanics on how it works -- food delivered in courses, menu selections, etc.? How is it priced and, more importantly, did you feel that the experience was worth it?

Also, if anyone has tried the Chef's Table I'd like to hear about your experiences. Thanks in advance!

(Thinking of doing the balcony dnining for one of the formal nights, as we're not planning on bringing formal wear this time around.)

Have you EVER heard of anything so dumb?

 

Mike:)

NetFlix. But I thought that was a one-off.

Just wanted to let you all know that yes, we're booked on the Star Princess for the 10/11/14 Coastal California voyage. Vacation days have been staked out, deposit made and, since the prices were so right, we've splurged a bit on a mini-suite.

I have really enjoyed all you responses, and have been reading more and more on the Princess board here and have been impressed by the friendliness and the knowledge of all the Princess regulars, and hope to meet some of you on board.

Cheers, and happy sailing to all!

Is there anything finer than having your coffee or tea, along with an English muffin or roll on your balcony, early in the morning while watching the ocean go by?

Thanks again for all the thoughtful responses. I have a feeling I get better information here than when I call shore side operations, because here I'm hearing from people who have actually been on board a Princess ship recently!

Well, the beverage spreadsheet seems to me to list bourbons, whisk(e)y and rye all under the category "Whiskeys and Whiskies". Fortunately the first listed is Canadian Club, which is rye. That seems to be the only one though.

I've received some excellent advice from this group -- and I'm afraid I'm back for a liittle more.

I understand that there is a cigar bar (referring to the Star Princess); can anyone tell me if there are any Cuban cigars available? I indulge less than once a year, but I have some favorite brands.

I searched the Princess website looking for a list of liquors on board, but I wasn't able to find such a list. I did find the info about the drinks packages, in which I'd be interested, but I wondering specifically if the bars carry any potato vodka (such as Chopin or Blue Ice) and what varieties of rye whiskey they have. Is there an online list of liquors? What about wine, other than the Bon Voyage gift list?

Thanks again!

Does anyone have a link to the various liquors served onboard? I'm particularly interested in their selection of Rye; Old Fashions, Manhattans, Brooklyns... just the usual suspects, but I've never developed a taste for bourbon.

First let me take a moment to say "Thank you" for all of the really thoughtful and well-expressed comments that you've all provided. I appreciate the time that you took as much as I appreciate the content, and I have to say that if you're representative of the typical Princess passenger, then Princess attracts a very nice lot of people indeed and it would be a pleasure to sail with you.

You've covered just about everything I can think of (and very well, which tells me a lot), but there is one thing I'd like to know; if we've chosen ATD (is that Any Time Dining? Did I get the acronym right? Am I catching on?) and I order a bottle of wine but don't finish it, is that bottle available for me to finish only if I return to the same restaurant? Or can I go to a different restaurant and get "my" bottle? (My partner doesn't drink wine, so it frequently happens that one bottle lasts me two nights or more. Usually.)

The next step in the decision making process is for my partner to confirm that he can get the time off from work. I'll keep you all posted, and thanks again.

Hello to all! While I'm not new to cruising, I have not yet cruised on Princess. What has piqued my interest is an itinerary that consists of ports along the West Coast, up and down California and including Ensenada on the (I believe) Star Princess. The cruise is in October, and it's round-trip San Francisco -- which is where my husband and I live, so no flying into and out of port!

It's a seven-day itinerary, but the ports are of less interest to us than just getting back onto a ship and getting pampered for few days!

My question is this; what is it about Princess that you good folk -- lets call you The Princess Regulars -- like about cruising with Princess as opposed to other lines?

I'm sure the dining options play a large part in your preferences, but what else is it about Princess that keeps you coming back for more?

For me, a day on board a ship is always preferable to day on land, and when on a ship I can always be found somewhere near the stern watching the wake of the ship receding into the distance. That's me, pretty darned happy, to be back on the water and away from the stress of everyday life...

Penhaligon's might be seen as a tourist trap to some, but it's a trap which holds two Royal Warrants and has some beautiful products. I use their Lily of the Valley hand cream and look forward to sampling the 'Quercus' range on my next cruise.

I've been using Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet cologne for several years now, and even buy the soap when I'm feeling particularly flush. Yes, it's an indulgence, but one that makes me smell nice.

For a while there, purchasing the eau de toilette here in the U.S. in dollars was a better deal than buying it in the U.K. for pounds; don't know it that's still true, but I'll be finding out soon as my supply is running low. At Penhaligon's own U.S. website the BB 50ml is $85 and the 100ml is $125, though it can be found for less at several online retailers. While I can see "sticker shock" being an issue at their Covent Garden location, the same prices in their Burlington Arcade store seem more in line with the rest of the goods offered by the various merchants. It's a case where context is everything!

A new cruise line, cruising the East Coast, the Great Lakes and the Caribbean. Pearl Seas Cruises, one ship so far with an inaugural sailing set for June.

Had a brief conversation with a sales rep and asked if they were U.S. flagged, and she said yes they flew the U.S. flag but were registered in Marshall Islands, where we provide military support but they're still a republic.

Meanwhile, cruises that start in the U.S. end either in Canada or Nassau, so it seems they would not be U.S. flagged.

Anyone have more info? The itineraries look wonderful, and it looks like a nice small ship environment.

The first known homosexual political organization in the U.S. was the Mattachine Society, founded in November of 1950 in Los Angeles .

Sorry, but I can't resist! The Mattachine Society was the most important and influential early organization in the U.S., but not the first organization concerned with gay rights.

That honor goes to the Society for Human Rights started by Henry Gerber in Chicago -- in 1924. Two issues of a monthly newsletter were published and two months worth of meetings were held before Gerber was arrested and tried in court.

You can check out the Wiki entry here, and I think it's fascinating -- who joined, (more importantly, who didn't join and why), and the lengths the Society went through to protect themselves...

And I believe the Wiki entry sheds an interesting light on this discussion as well.