Hello!! 6 Day Pacific Coast Booked!

[Ricktan]

Hey everyone! Let me start by saying that it has been several years since I’ve posted (although I’ve done a lot of trolling lol). We did a Med cruise several years ago and I was so grateful for all the advice I received on here. Some of you long time posters are incredible with your input! I had several cruises booked that I had to cancel and have sent the past few years trying to get well. By the grace of God (and some very skilled hands of a brilliant Neurosurgeon) I can proudly say that I have booked a new cruise and am enjoying becoming a “normal” person again (my hubby says I was never normal). 🙈

We are booked on the 6 day Pacific leaving Vancouver on Oct 30 (Oosterdam) and hitting Astoria, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and then San Diego. Couple of questions...

Best day to book Pinnacle Grill? I’m thinking the first night might be good....any thoughts? 

I have read that sometimes you can’t get into Astoria? If correct, I will roll with it but wondering if I’ll be missing much as I can’t find a lot on this port. 

We leave on a Monday so we will have the weekend in Vancouver to play. Interesting tidbit....I went online to book 3 nights at the Pan Pacific and it was showing 1583.00 (US) for the 3 nights, Pre paid and non refundable. Went on HAL and found 3 nights precruise for 1180!! Big difference and I’m good with booking through HAL since they will provide my transport from the airport to the hotel. I’m sure this might sometimes be more expensive but glad it worked for me this time! I have never been to the West Coast and am excited and open to all suggestions! So happy to be back! 

 

 

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you are back to normal.

 

Don't know what star Mariner you are, but if you are 3, 4 or 5 star Mariner, you can get discounts on the Specialty restaurants.  If not -- the first evening in the specialty restaurants is being discounted -- only if you book once on the ship.

 

 

[grsnovi]

1 hour ago, Ricktan said:

I have read that sometimes you can’t get into Astoria?

I would imagine that depending on the weather crossing the Columbia River bar to get into Astoria could be a problem. Astoria is a cute little town, named after John Jacob Astor. There is a maritime museum there which I keep meaning to get to. Nearby you'd find Fort Stevens and Lewis and Clark National Historic Park - which is where L&C established a beach head so-to-speak. There are interpretive types and some old fort-like buildings. I don't imagine there is enough time in port to make the trip into Portland or to sites in the Columbia River Gorge. I suspect that you could get across the bridge into Washington to visit Cape Disappointment State Park. Astoria was once the canned salmon capital of the world. We will often stop there to eat at the Bridgewater Bistro when we make the trip over to the coast. 

[RuthC]

Welcome back to health, normal life, and Cruise Critic. I can practically hear the excitement anticipating your cruise from what you wrote. Have a lovely time.

[canadianbear]

I recognize your handle-welcome back!  Happy you are now well enough to cruise again.    When I read the title 6 day Pacific Coastal I thought you’d be on ours this April.

 

 You’ll have time now to research what you’d like to see in Vancouver  for your 3 night stay-it will probably be raining so be prepared!!   

 

 

 

 

[OlsSalt]

SANTA BARBARA - tender port:

 

Let me know what you think you would like to see or do in Santa Barbara and I'll see if I can help. Also curious to learn what shore excursions HAL offers for this occasional port. There will be tables of information and volunteer cruise ship "ambassadors" waiting also to help with maps, directions and information about the shuttles and local transportation.  We get some occasional high winds too in this part of the world so the tenders can become problematic in that event.

 

My rule on first night Pinnacle is to do it if you don't have fixed dining, but not do it if you do have a fixed dining table. Great to get away from the first night table finding confusion that tends to slow things down.

 

But we also found when we did this first night Pinnacle when we had a fixed dining table we did not make the initial "bonding' with our wait staff on that cruise too - and also because we switched out table as well - so the waiters we eventually ended up with did not know if we were just temporary or would be there for the long haul - and it was a shorter cruise too - so it just left a lot of confusion on all counts. (That sounds kind of rambling)

 

Bottomline for us -  if fixed dining - wait for Pinnacle until later after you have met your fixed dining waiters;  if open-seating dining -first night Pinnacle can work well. Last cruise - we liked the main dining room on the Maasdam better than the Pinnacle anyway. 

Edited January 9, 2019 by OlsSalt

[Cruising-along]

We have done the 6-day Pacific Coastal before, it's a nice cruise.  I looked and see that it leaves September 30 -- not October 30?  I was curious because I've never seen a Pacific Coastal leave in October 🙂  

 

There was once or twice we did miss Astoria -- it happens sometimes in the fall, we've had some rough seas in September.   If you've never been there before it's a nice, quiet little town, easy to walk about.   But IMO  San Francisco, Santa Barbara and San Diego are the highlights of this cruise. 

 

 

[OlsSalt]

25 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

We have done the 6-day Pacific Coastal before, it's a nice cruise.  I looked and see that it leaves September 30 -- not October 30?  I was curious because I've never seen a Pacific Coastal leave in October 🙂  

 

There was once or twice we did miss Astoria -- it happens sometimes in the fall, we've had some rough seas in September.   If you've never been there before it's a nice, quiet little town, easy to walk about.   But IMO  San Francisco, Santa Barbara and San Diego are the highlights of this cruise. 

 

 

 

What did you do in Santa Barbara? 

[Cruising-along]

16 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

What did you do in Santa Barbara? 

One time we just browsed around the shops etc. It was a beautiful day (every time has been!)  Another time we did the glass-bottom boat -- a little hokey but entertaining  (oops, DH just told me that was in Catalina).    Another time we had a rental car and drove to visit our son and DIL in Simi.  When we get back in the future I want to get to Solvang, maybe some wine tasting.  Not every Pacific Coastal we've done has included Santa Barbara, it's a beautiful area.

[Ricktan]

10 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Glad you are back to normal.

 

Don't know what star Mariner you are, but if you are 3, 4 or 5 star Mariner, you can get discounts on the Specialty restaurants.  If not -- the first evening in the specialty restaurants is being discounted -- only if you book once on the ship.

 

 

Thank you!  We are just 2 *. Will reach our 3* with the Sept 2020 Canada/NE cruise that I just booked hehe!! 

[Ricktan]

10 hours ago, grsnovi said:

We will often stop there to eat at the Bridgewater Bistro when we make the trip over to the coast. 

Great info, thank you!

[Ricktan]

8 hours ago, RuthC said:

Welcome back to health, normal life, and Cruise Critic. I can practically hear the excitement anticipating your cruise from what you wrote. Have a lovely time.

Thank you!! I have to say.....everyone is being so nice! (Not that I expected meanness but hey, you never know right?) 

[Ricktan]

8 hours ago, canadianbear said:

I recognize your handle-welcome back!  Happy you are now well enough to cruise again.    When I read the title 6 day Pacific Coastal I thought you’d be on ours this April.

 

 You’ll have time now to research what you’d like to see in Vancouver  for your 3 night stay-it will probably be raining so be prepared!!   

 

 

 

 

Thank you! Not even rain will dampen my excitement! But I will invest in a rain jacket!

[erewhon]

Congratulations on your recovery and booking the cruise.

When you book the Pan Pacific through HAL, you will be met at the airport by a HAL rep who will take you and your luggage to the transport to drive you to the hotel.   After our 15 hour flights to reach Vanccouver, we were pleased to be met by a very pleasant and helpful lady   

 

Wishing you a wonderful  cruise.

[Ricktan]

On 1/9/2019 at 12:46 PM, Cruising-along said:

We have done the 6-day Pacific Coastal before, it's a nice cruise.  I looked and see that it leaves September 30 -- not October 30?  I was curious because I've never seen a Pacific Coastal leave in October 🙂  

 

There was once or twice we did miss Astoria -- it happens sometimes in the fall, we've had some rough seas in September.   If you've never been there before it's a nice, quiet little town, easy to walk about.   But IMO  San Francisco, Santa Barbara and San Diego are the highlights of this cruise. 

 

 

Oh my! You are correct. I typed that wrong. It is Sept!! 😊