Short 3 day repositioning cruise ??

[joanne1]

I am thinking about taking a short 3 day cruise from LA to Vancouver on the Island Princess. Can anyone tell me - do they still do the production shows and have entertainment, what are the menus like, formal nigh, etc? Any info would be helpful.

 

Thanks

 

Joanne

 

03/25/04 Island Princess

08/15/03 Majesty of the Sea (b to b)

03/26/03 Sun Princess

12/15/02 Grand Princess

 

[This message was edited by joanne1 on 04-09-04 at 10:10 AM.]

[jayevee44]

Joanne,

 

My son and I did a northbound 3-day last year on the Star Princess. It had all the normal activities and shows of our previous cruises, except there were no Captain Circle activities. They even had a soda card for $10.

 

The menus were standard. There was one formal night. I told our waiter on the first night that we wouldn’t be back on formal night because we didn’t bother bringing the proper attire. He told us not to worry as most people didn’t observe the formal dress code on this short cruise and he was correct. About half the people were dressed smart casual and we didn’t feel out of place at all.

 

Jim

 

Dawn Princess to W. Caribbean 10/4/04

 

 

Diamond Princess 2-Day Mexican Sampler 3/04

Star Princess to Alaska 7/03

Star Princess 3-Day Coastal 5/03

Sun Princess to Hawaii 1/03

Star Princess to Mexico 11/02

Sea Princess to Mexico 11/01

[crosj]

thats great to know. I just booked the Sun Princess for the three nighter out of SFO going to Victoria and Vancouver. Didn't want to pack fancy.

 

Elation-04/01 Mexico

Radiance-4/02 Panama Canal

NCL Sun -6/03 Alaska

Island Princess 8/03 Alaska

Rhapsody-2/22/04 Mardi Gras

Sun Princess 5/04 left Coast

Coral Pricess 4/05 Panama Canal

[Druke I]

crosj

 

Just noticed your post.

 

There is a thread for this cruise, over on the

Roll Calls forum.

 

We are getting a lively grop together for this "quickie" up the Left Coast.

 

Michael

[Nitemare]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>We are getting a lively grop together for this "quickie" up the Left Coast <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think you misspelled "grope".

 

You did say "lively", right?

[joanne1]

Thanks to everyone for the info - I will have to decide in the next day or two.

 

Michael - I looked through the first 7 pages twice and can't the thread - is it further back than that? I did a search and found that you are listed on the Sun Princess, May 14. Were you referring your comment to the poster above - crosj?

 

Joanne

 

03/25/04 Island Princess

08/15/03 Majesty of the Sea (b to b)

03/26/03 Sun Princess

12/15/02 Grand Princess

 

[This message was edited by joanne1 on 04-09-04 at 01:40 PM.]

[Druke I]

Joanne

 

Yes - my response was addressed to Crosj, as she mentioned the Sun Princess, which is the thread to which I was referring (clumsy sentence eh?).

 

We did a similar "quickie" up the Left Coast last year, on the then new Coral Princess, sister to the Island, which you are looking at.

 

Entertainment was standard production show, and there was one formal night, although most people dressed semi-formal or elegant casual, whatever that is supposed to mean.

 

Michael

[mringenoldus]

Joanne -usually our thread is usually one the first page but occasionally slips to the second. Skim down the senders names until you find mine

"mringenoldus"

Hope that helps

 

CCL Holiday 2000

CCL Elation 2001

CCL Pride 2002

CCL Ecstacy 2003

RCL AOS 2003

Sun Princess May 14 2004!!

[todd-r]

Joanne,

 

We book the Island last week for the Coastal. Got a great deal on a balcony - less than $450 for the 2 of us, all in. We're dong one-way air with HMY. I see that the insides are now on sale for about $310 for 2.

 

Maybe we'll see you on board!

 

Todd

 

Up next - Pacific NorthWest Coastal!

 

 

Navigator of the Seas - 01/05

Dawn Princess - 10/04

Grand Princess - 11/04 (Cancelled)

Grand Princess - 10/04 (Cancelled)

Island Princess - 05/04

Grand Princess - 10/03

Norway - 10/03 (Cancelled)

Wind Surf - Transatlantic 4/02

[joanne1]

mringenoldus - thanks for the info but it is actually the Island Princess that I am looking at, leaving on May 12th.

 

Todd - We actually just got back from the Island and I love the ship. Our daughter is one of the dancers and we actually have flights booked to see her on Saturday, the 15th, in Vancouver - bring her her winter clothes and bring home those summer clothes that she won't need any more. When I saw those prices I thought maybe I could switch around some of the plans - it would be a great chance for her grandmother and sister to come and see her (and a good excuse for me to get away again ) We are just waiting to see if her sister can get it off work. Is there a thread? What airline is HMY?

 

Joanne

 

03/25/04 Island Princess

08/15/03 Majesty of the Sea (b to b)

03/26/03 Sun Princess

12/15/02 Grand Princess

[todd-r]

Joanne,

 

We found pricing through Cruise Value but finally booked through Cruise Quick because the service was better.

 

HMY is a new airline (Nov 2002) from Vancouver who has service to Toronto, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Mexico and now to Hawaii. We flew them to Vegas last Feb and they were great. You can find them at www.flyhmy.com. Send me an email if you have any other questions. My email address is in my profile.

 

Todd.

 

Up next - Pacific NorthWest Coastal!

 

 

Navigator of the Seas - 01/05

Dawn Princess - 10/04

Grand Princess - 11/04 (Cancelled)

Grand Princess - 10/04 (Cancelled)

Island Princess - 05/04

Grand Princess - 10/03

Norway - 10/03 (Cancelled)

Wind Surf - Transatlantic 4/02

[seattlekckckc]

We love doing the short repositioning cruises. I have done 4, the first one I did was a 1 nighter from Vancouver to Seattle (where I live). I was taking three friends who had never been on a ship before, and I thought it would basically be a ghost ship sailing down overnight. Boy, was I wrong! It was like it was just any other night of a full length cruise - they treated us fabulously and we had an amazing time!!!

 

Very smart to do this, it gives people a taste of cruising who normally would never book a full length cruise. All three of my friends are now HOOKED! (And have all gone onto book other cruises). Great way to build up to Elite status!

 

Casey

[tadjr]

I booked a 4 night on HAL for the beginning of May and it appears that it is also being sold as an 11 day Alaska cruise. This is the way a lot of the West Coast position cruises are being done from what I've checked recently. The 1-4 days are added to the 7 day Alaskas (up or down) and sold as both. Some of them are also continuations of Panama/Mexico trips heading north. The last Dawn Princess I did had a couple people who had been on all the way from San Juan. Must be nice!

 

Ryndam Pacific Coastal May 3

 

Dawn Princess Alaska May 17

 

[Cruise Junky]

Joanne, we're on this cruise too. Can't wait. We're doing three nights at the Bellagio in Vegas first then tranfering to LA.

 

Island Princess

Some Ship, Some Itinerary, Somewhere in the Med.

Mexican Riviera - Rhapsody of the Seas

11 Day Circle the Caribbean - Splendour of the Seas

Alaska - Dawn Princess

[joanne1]

Took a few days of planning and rearranging but it is done and there will be 4 of us. We are flying America West and arrive that morning, something I am a little nervous about because we usually go the day before. I can hardly wait!!

 

If anyone has any info that they would like to inform us about for a 3 day feel free to do so.

 

See you there Cruise Junky and Todd - Island Princess here we come.

 

Joanne

 

03/25/04 Island Princess

08/15/03 Majesty of the Sea (b to b)

03/26/03 Sun Princess

12/15/02 Grand Princess

[jandm]

ForTadjr - I was very interested in what you said about the repositioning cruise being added on to the Alaska cruise. We had inquired about staying aboard the repositioning cruise as it continued to Alaska and were told that we could not because of some maritime law. I'm not certain, but I believe it might have been the Jones Act. We were told we would have to leave the ship in Vancouver and then reboard because we could not sail a Non-American flagged ship from one US port to another without landing at a foreign port. For some reason Vancouver wasn't considered foreign. We are very interested in doing a combined repositioning, Alaska cruise and would be delighted to know if the situation has changed. Thanks for your help.

[jayevee44]

jandm,

 

This is my understanding of the law and why you cannot add the repositioning cruise to your Alaska cruise. Last year, I tried to book Los Angeles to Vancouver and Vancouver to Seattle on the Star Princess, but I was not allowed to do so. The following is the explanation I received.

 

A cruise cannot begin in one US port and end in another without first visiting a distant foreign port. The important word is distant. A cruise that begins and ends from the same US port must only visit a foreign port and it does not have to qualify as distant. For example, check out the 15-day round trips to Hawaii from Los Angeles. Ensenada is the foreign port, certainly not distant.

 

Under the law, combining two cruises within 24 hours creates a single cruise, even if you disembark with your luggage, then check in separately for the second part. Therefore, if you take the cruise from a California port to Vancouver, then the cruise from Vancouver to Whittier leaving the same day, that is considered as one cruise which begins in one US port and ends in another. Vancouver is not considered a distant foreign port, so that combined cruise violates the law and Princess could be fined for each passenger who does both cruises. That is why you can’t book them back-to-back. For the same reason, you can’t book the Diamond Princess, Los Angeles to Vancouver, then add the one-day cruise from Vancouver to Seattle.

 

The repositioning cruises can be added to the Panama Canal cruises from Fort Lauderdale to California because that combination creates a single cruise beginning in a US port and ending in a foreign port. The Canal cruise itself, beginning and ending in different US post is allowed because it visited a distant foreign port somewhere along the way.

 

Anyone feel free to correct me if I’m in error here.

 

Jim

 

Dawn Princess to W. Caribbean 10/4/04

 

 

Diamond Princess 2-Day Mexican Sampler 3/04

Star Princess to Alaska 7/03

Star Princess 3-Day Coastal 5/03

Sun Princess to Hawaii 1/03

Star Princess to Mexico 11/02

Sea Princess to Mexico 11/01

[MaryPoppinz]

One way to get around that (or to avoid it, more accurately) is to take one ship from LA or SFO to Vancouver, then take another ship the following day from Vancouver to Alaska. I haven't looked, but there are so many ships repositioning in such a short period of time that it may be possible this year to spend just one night in Vancouver....not that staying longer in Vancouver is a bad thing.

 

"I'm gonna book myself on that Princess Cruise."

-- Fox Mulder, X-Files 'Three Words'

[jandm]

Jayevee44 - Thanks for the best explanation of why the two cruises cannot be combined. Even the folks at Princess did not explain it as clearly as you did. Also thanks to Marypoppinz for a possible way to combine the cruises. The forum is really helpful.

[Commodore Suzy]

Hi. I just wanted to step in and correct just one little thing in Jayvees explaination. The "distant" foreign port has nothing to do with length away, it is a specific list of ports from the act. I know Aruba and Cartegena are two of them, forgot the others, but they are down in that same Caribbean area.

 

So, you can always go round-trip to a US port with ANY foreign port. But if you want to go from one US port to another, you have to stop at one of those specifically named "distant" ports. Thats why the Fort Lauderdale to LA Grand Panama Canal cruises continue to have Cartegena in the itinerary, even though its yucky.

 

In most all cases you can't combine a Coastal with an Alaskan cruise, because you will start in one US port, end in another, and you are no where near the specifically-named "distant" foreign ports.

 

There are other LINES that do cruises all the way up the coast and include Alaska, but they make sure to end in Vancouver. Who would want to go on another line though?

 

 

And I LOOOVVVE coastals. I do one every year as a quick getaway after my busy season. I haven't noticed formal night on the coastals being so much less formal than other cruises though. I think there is always a mix of those that really like to dress to the 9s and those that look smart but not black tie. I love seeing my husband in a tux, so after years of begging him to get one I'm going to definately take it along for him! (Finally got him to get one when we got married last year )

 

Cheers!

 

Suzy

 

NEXT --> Diamond Princess 5/1/04 Coastal Who's with me?

Monarch family weekend 10/15/04 & Grand Galveston 12/11/04

Star Princess 10/18/03 -- Wind Star Honeymoon 11/14/03

Star Princess Wedding 9/24/03 -- Mercury 10/5/03

Vision of the Seas 10/28/02 -- Amsterdam 4/22/03

Sun Princess 5/10/02 -- Star Princess 6/15/02

Carnival Holiday 9/8/00

[pocka]

Going on the May 1 Diamond 3-day repositioning. Can anyone tell me if the formal nite includes the champagne fountain? Have some newbies going with me so I hope they get the whole show!

[Commodore Suzy]

pocka.... please check onto our roll call on that board!

 

And, yes, I've gotten the champagne fountain on the shorties!

 

Cheers!

 

Suzy

 

NEXT --> Diamond Princess 5/1/04 Coastal Who's with me?

Monarch family weekend 10/15/04 & Grand Galveston 12/11/04

Star Princess 10/18/03 -- Wind Star Honeymoon 11/14/03

Star Princess Wedding 9/24/03 -- Mercury 10/5/03

Vision of the Seas 10/28/02 -- Amsterdam 4/22/03

Sun Princess 5/10/02 -- Star Princess 6/15/02

Carnival Holiday 9/8/00

[todd-r]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by joanne1:

Took a few days of planning and rearranging but it is done and there will be 4 of us. We are flying America West and arrive that morning, something I am a little nervous about because we usually go the day before. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Joanne,

 

Good to hear you were able to get everything worked out.

 

We're also flying in (from Vancouver) the morning of the 12th. Let's just hope our luggage doesn't get lost. Jeff assures me it shouldn't be a problem because we'll have priority tags on it!

 

Once 3 short weeks... can't wait

 

Up next - Pacific NorthWest Coastal!

 

 

Navigator of the Seas - 01/05

Dawn Princess - 10/04

Grand Princess - 11/04 (Cancelled)

Grand Princess - 10/04 (Cancelled)

Island Princess - 05/04

Grand Princess - 10/03

Norway - 10/03 (Cancelled)

Wind Surf - Transatlantic 4/02

[joanne1]

Todd - who's Jeff? Priority bags for your flights?

 

We are flying into Long Beach via Phoenix so luggage is definitely the one thing I am worried about. Our daughter is a dancer on the ship and we are planning on surprising her (her dad and I just saw her a couple of weeks ago - but couldn't pass up these prices!! ) Her sister is really excited to see her because she has been away since the beginning of January.

 

Joanne

 

03/25/04 Island Princess

08/15/03 Majesty of the Sea (b to b)

03/26/03 Sun Princess

12/15/02 Grand Princess

[tadjr]

Sorry for the confusion in my post. The Ryndam we are on for 4 nights is also being sold as an 11 night from San Diego, but it is a Vancouver roundtrip as the 7 night, hence you end up out of the country.

 

Ryndam Pacific Coastal May 3

 

Dawn Princess Alaska May 17