I booked my first California Coastal

[lovevacadays]

I just booked my first California Coastal - April 29, 2017. I'm so excited! I'm going solo on this one. My next few cruises are with family and friends which I'm really looking forward to. But, I do like to cruise solo once in awhile.

 

I have $300.00 OBC so excited about that as well. I'm going to San Francisco, Astoria, Oregon, Victoria and Vancouver Canada. I'm reading the Ports of Call threads. I'd love to read about anything Princess cruisers think are must do's or anything about the cruise experience you would love to share.

[GUT2407]

I just booked my first California Coastal - April 29, 2017. I'm so excited! I'm going solo on this one. My next few cruises are with family and friends which I'm really looking forward to. But, I do like to cruise solo once in awhile.

 

I have $300.00 OBC so excited about that as well. I'm going to San Francisco, Astoria, Oregon, Victoria and Vancouver Canada. I'm reading the Ports of Call threads. I'd love to read about anything Princess cruisers think are must do's or anything about the cruise experience you would love to share.

 

Enjoy.

 

We love Princess.

 

Try the pub lunch if it's on offer, afternoon tea at leat once. We loved getting a feed from Horizon Court and sitting out near the pool to eat.

[Cruise Raider]

I just booked my first California Coastal - April 29, 2017. I'm so excited! I'm going solo on this one. My next few cruises are with family and friends which I'm really looking forward to. But, I do like to cruise solo once in awhile.

 

I have $300.00 OBC so excited about that as well. I'm going to San Francisco, Astoria, Oregon, Victoria and Vancouver Canada. I'm reading the Ports of Call threads. I'd love to read about anything Princess cruisers think are must do's or anything about the cruise experience you would love to share.

 

How fun! What ship are you sailing on?

There are literally thousands of things to do in SF. Be sure to check out Groupon for some special pricing for a number of attractions. If you want to do Alcatraz, book online immediately....they always sell out.

 

In Victoria, we always love going to Beacon Hill Park. It is actually within walking distance of where you dock but all depending on how much time you want to spend on your feet. You can always hire a horse drawn carriage to take you there as well. Anyhow, I like this park even better than Butchart Gardens, which is also very lovely.

 

Again, there are many options for Vancouver. Stanley Park has a variety of options and you can even catch the double decker bus in town to tour the entire area and hop on and off as you wish.

 

I have not been to Astoria but have a cruise booked that docks there in the fall.

[freshair8]

great cruise, have done it many times. Love all the ports on this itinerary!

Have a great time.:)

[XBGuy]

I have never stopped there on a cruise, but I once had a business trip to Astoria, OR. Having a few hours to myself one afternoon I visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum. I am a bit of a museum buff, and I understand that this might not appeal to a lot of people. The Columbia River is one of the most treacherous of all navigable rivers. For just a few bucks I had a very entertaining and educational few hours. :)

[SheriffJoe]

The Lewis and Clark encampment/museum is just outside Astoria.

[Colo Cruiser]

Congrats on the booking!

[SadieN]

In Astoria, within walking distance of the ship-

Trolley

Columbia Tower

Brew Pubs

Josephson's Smoke House

Firehouse Museum

Brewpubs

Maritime Museum

The Bowpicker

Did I mention brew pubs?

 

In Victoria-- beyond the Empress and Butchart Gardens-

Rogers Chocolates

Murchies Tea tea sellers (I'm partial to their No 10 Blend)

Don Mee for Dimsum

Mackintosh toffee local made and is sold in lots of shops.

The old town area

Edited March 3, 2016 by SadieN

[lovevacadays]

great cruise, have done it many times. Love all the ports on this itinerary!

Have a great time.:)

 

Congrats on the booking!

 

Thank you all for the tips. I'm cruising the Ruby. I've cruised the Crown a few times so know the layout is the same. It will be my 11th Princess cruise and #13 toward Elite. I'm really looking forward to trying a new itinerary.

[Keith1010]

Congratulation on your booking.

 

Keith

[Clarea]

I just booked my first California Coastal - April 29, 2017. I'm so excited! I'm going solo on this one. My next few cruises are with family and friends which I'm really looking forward to. But, I do like to cruise solo once in awhile.

 

I have $300.00 OBC so excited about that as well. I'm going to San Francisco, Astoria, Oregon, Victoria and Vancouver Canada. I'm reading the Ports of Call threads. I'd love to read about anything Princess cruisers think are must do's or anything about the cruise experience you would love to share.

Congratulations!

[davekathy]

Thank you all for the tips. I'm cruising the Ruby. I've cruised the Crown a few times so know the layout is the same. It will be my 11th Princess cruise and #13 toward Elite. I'm really looking forward to trying a new itinerary.

 

We did our first Canada/California Coastal Cruise September 2015. We liked it so much we have another one booked for September 2016. Enjoy your Cruise.

[jennybenny]

How exciting for you!! I travel a lot for work, and I've considered going on a solo cruise (why not? I do it for every business trip!). I would imagine it to be so relaxing to be able to be on your own!!

 

I hope you have a great cruise! I hope I can do the same myself someday!! :)

[gatorguy56]

We went on that cruise last May and had a ball. We are native Californians and had never been to Alcatraz so I booked that online through the Parks Service (not through Princess). It is literally a few piers away from where Princess docks. We thoroughly enjoyed it (we had a gorgeous day). When you return it is a short walk to Pier 39 and the Wharf. You can catch the cable car if you want to go downtown or walk up the embaradero to the Ferry Building. So much to see in SF! We explored Astoria on foot. We wished we had gone up to the tower. We went to Butchart Gardens in Victoria. The weather can be quite cool in the spring on the water so take layers. We had gale force 8 and 9 winds out of Santa Barbara and San Francisco. It made watching movies under the stars challenging but we did it for the heck of it :)

[lovevacadays]

How exciting for you!! I travel a lot for work, and I've considered going on a solo cruise (why not? I do it for every business trip!). I would imagine it to be so relaxing to be able to be on your own!!

 

I hope you have a great cruise! I hope I can do the same myself someday!! :)

 

Thank you! I've cruised 18 times and done 2 solo cruises. I do love cruising with my family and friends. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my solo cruises because they were so relaxing and I had the opportunity to wake up and do what I wanted on a whim 100% of the time. :):):)

 

We went on that cruise last May and had a ball. We are native Californians and had never been to Alcatraz so I booked that online through the Parks Service (not through Princess). It is literally a few piers away from where Princess docks. We thoroughly enjoyed it (we had a gorgeous day). When you return it is a short walk to Pier 39 and the Wharf. You can catch the cable car if you want to go downtown or walk up the embaradero to the Ferry Building. So much to see in SF! We explored Astoria on foot. We wished we had gone up to the tower. We went to Butchart Gardens in Victoria. The weather can be quite cool in the spring on the water so take layers. We had gale force 8 and 9 winds out of Santa Barbara and San Francisco. It made watching movies under the stars challenging but we did it for the heck of it :)[/quote

 

Thank you. I will definitely put layers on my packing list. I'm from Southern California but typically cruise to Mexico. I'm thinking I might really enjoy Coastal cruises and have another option where I don't have to fly.

[USNUZULOOSE]

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If you are into Disney , the is the Walt Disney museum.