LIVE FROM - 2019 Pacific World Cruise - LA to LA

[beg3yrs]

Oh yeah, and since there are lots of repeat WC passengers, if you run into Major and Joann (she does Zumba), or Dr. Charles (he's likely to be most-traveled), tell them that Scott and Charlie say hi!

[tvlbum]

On 1/19/2019 at 5:47 PM, ccrain said:

Since the Honolulu Stadium flea market was such a bust last November, maybe we will gather some people and do an excursion. Thanks for the tip!

What are the hours of the flea market?  See if we have time to go after our excursion.

[LarryL]

On 1/21/2019 at 8:05 AM, ccrain said:

"So where’s the rest of the ship? 2/3 of it is missing! Oh yeah, that’s right – only 680 of us". 

 

I kind of got a chuckle when I read this. Last month, on the Rome to FLL TA,  I overshot the rear stairs a couple times and walked right into the Club Bar and almost to the dining room before realizing I was already at the rear of the ship and well beyond the stairs.  

 

[friend of Eeyore]

I was told by one of the head waiters that the balsamic vinaigrette is just vinegar, oil, and spices. It's just whipped so it looks creamy. You might doublecheck. And I agree with the other poster. Check with one of the head waiters - there's one in the buffet as well - I'm sure they can help you. They did excellently with my fruit allergies 2 weeks ago.

 

Where are you finding doughnuts? My husband couldn't find one to save his life over Christmas. If you let us know, I'll try to remember next year when we're on the Pacific again.

 

(And I'm glad you're liking the small ship. She's our favorite.)

Edited January 23, 2019 by friend of Eeyore
Added info

[BIGADORF]

Would love to see some pictures of your cruise. Are they available anywhere?

[brucedodge]

8 hours ago, ccrain said:

We managed to get in a few dances to Domino Duo in the Casino Bar, on carpet, before dinner. My new ‘formal’ shoes, leather on the ball, non-skid on the heel, take a little getting used to as the heel will not slip at all. The length of these things, skis actually, really gets me as well as I am used to oxfords, not shoes designed for stirrups. But they fit very nicely, unlike my too small dance sneaks.

 

After dinner we caught the 2 Cool Duo in the Pacific Lounge. While Domino Duo is more ‘ballroom’, 2 Cool Duo is more Rock and Roll. 2 Cool Duo is keyboard and guitar, Domino is Keyboard centered. Both are fantastic. Good music to dance to, listen to or chill to. I just wish they had a dance floor for Domino in the Casino bar. For you dancers out there, both the Pacific Lounge and the Cabaret Lounge has very large dance floors. And they are wood. But that’s the only two. Tonight, they will do some pre-show dance sessions in Cabaret with the ship’s band – 4 piece btw – then the evening show, then another dance set.

  

Hello Charles,

 

Gail and I did the December Transpacific with these two duos, and we had a wonderful time with them.  We danced on the carpet every night.  We asked Reid if we could move the tables back a bit, and he had no problem with that, though the night crew always returned them to the original positions.  After a few days, when Daniella saw us come in, she automatically moved her music stand back to give us more room.  FWIW, I get my dancing shoes on line, and immediately take them to a cobbler and have the heels replaced with leather ones.  You could have that done during the cruise.

 

We also asked Reid if the Domino Duo could sometimes play upstairs (or even in the Universal Lounge), and he was receptive to the idea, but it never happened.  We mostly did our single time swings, east coast swings, and west coast swings with 2 Cool. They sometimes played cha chas, rumbas, etc, and can indeed play other rhythms if asked.

 

Since Reid is still CD, you can probably expect a tea dance or two.  We only had one, but it was very popular.  Also I would imagine they'll do a "dancing with the cast" show, and you should do that.  It was very low key, and the audience loved us older folks trying to keep up with the "kids."

 

We envy you,

 

Bruce and Gail. <---------------  Pls mention us to the Domino Duo

[ccrain]

01-24-2019 At Sea To Honolulu

 

CRUISE CRITIC FELLOW TRAVELER NOTICE:

 

I have given Luigi and his staff the list of participants in the luncheons and dinners, and told them to schedule the events whenever they want to because they know the schedule. When I hear from them, I will let everyone know by phone or note in your mailbox. Hopefully I can get them to send out invites.

 

For those whom did not sign up at the M&G, I will also post the notice here in case you want to show up and hope for a seat.

 

Thanks for the input on Judy’s Mayonnaise reaction. She’s not vegan, she has a reaction to the protein created with you emulsify oil and egg. (A violent stomach reaction BTW.) Miracle Whip is ok – go figure. Mayonnaise is not. So we avoid any hint of Mayonnaise at all. And she really had to eat dinner before 1600, so we won’t always be eating in the main dining room. Yes, she did double check and even the vinaigrettes have Mayonnaise in them. Which is why I mentioned Vegan as Mayonnaise contains animal protein. And yes, our experience is that they are very accommodating to Vegans, but to be fair to the staff, you need to eat at a regular location and at a regular time so they have time to prep things for you. Since we just don’t do that, a couple bottles of Kraft salad dressing should solve the issue quite nicely.

 

Starting to warm up a bit. Humidity is high this morning, as is the frizz factor in my hair. We have, what I refer to, as a following sea. Wind and swells are from astern, making the ride much, much smoother. We had the balcony divider removed yesterday between Paul and Elizabeth’s room and ours. Now we have a large balcony for drinks, snacks and viewing. On the Pacific, if you look at the photos, the balconies are inset into the hull outline, not tacked on to the side of the ship. I’m not sure if it was designed this way or an afterthought like the Sun Class in which the balconies were basically put in after the ship was designed by cutting out a hole in the hull and shortening the cabins. It does make for less wind on the balcony.

 

Forgot to mention it was Rich’s birthday the other day – which he made sure the entire ship knew about – Rich is our resident psychiatrist. Outgoing is an understatement, but he means well (LOL!) – right Jane? So we got him a card and a little Princess flashlight – sealed in a shopping bag with a couple of yards of packing tape. Oh, he knew whom it was from, regardless of the card.

 

Yesterday was a pretty full day. Had to get my power nap in during the movie “The House With the Clock in the Wall”. Judy made me go… It was ok. It held my interest until the corny supervillain monologuing, next door neighbor recovers her awesome power, kid saves the entire world, ending. Jack Black was better in the new Jumanji. (Just saying…).

 

Got through Zumba with little ankle discomfort, then learned a few Samba moves incompletely. That’s one heck of a workout dance. No wonder Brazilian’s eat lots of meat and are so thin! (Or is that Argentinians?) Today is line dance day. A new lecture from Frank – Jimmy Doolittle – a food and beverage behind the scene lecture; Hawaiian lei making; dicey horse racing; ukulele and hula dancing; paper airplanes and croquet in the atrium; lots of dancing opportunities – pre show with the show band in Cabaret, Domino Duo in the Casino bar and 2 Cool Duo in Pacific.

 

Neil apparently likes to run the movie in the afternoon in Cabaret and then again at night after the last show – around 0930. That’s a pretty good schedule and maximizes the use of the venues. I like the way he is scheduling activities and events. He’s maximizing the venues and the spacing/timing is pretty good.

 

The Cabaret Lounge is an interesting entertainment venue. Not a theater, but a true lounge – and not very crowded during showtime. You can get a seat after the show starts! Even the early show! While the sight lines are a bit difficult to navigate – the chairs are not tiered so your views depend on which row and how tall the people are in front of you – it is a unique venue. Far more personal that even the Vista Lounge.

 

Even more loungey is the Pacific. No chairs per se, but lounging patio style furniture. Very comfortable, very laid back, with a great bar staff. This is where they are having the elite lounge in the 5-7 time frame. Great views forward through the windows as well.

 

We had lunch on the open deck of the Panorama buffet. Again, unique to the Pacific. On the Grands and SuperGrands, you eat lunch looking out over the pool and people sunning. On the Pacific you overlook the wake and the water, without the occasional speedo blocking your view. Its just a very relaxing, spectacular view. Shady or sunny, breezy or still, your choice. And the lunch was quite good. Cold salads, which are my favorite were Greek, Seafood and Pork. All without Mayonnaise and very tasty!

 

The vibe on the ship continues to be very enjoyable, and completely different than say the 60 day Coral cruise last September. These are all veteran cruisers with mostly set cruise routines, activities, likes and dislikes. And the ship is being very accommodating to all of us. Moving stuff around, scheduling things, officers being far more visible. Just in the past few days it has become far more a family neighborhood than a cruise ship full of strangers. The size of the ship has something to do with it, but I think the mentality and expectations of the people on the cruise contribute a lot to the vibe as well.

 

For us, it’s a completely different cruise experience, and we are loving every minute of it.

 

Later!

[AF-1]

So how many passengers on your cruise are veteran world cruisers?  I am curious, because I can not imagine being gone from home for that long of time.  Thanks for your feedback

[tvlbum]

On 1/21/2019 at 9:05 AM, ccrain said:

We did bring a bunch of storage enhancers after seeing a really good video from last year’s world cruise.

 

Do you have the link to this video?

[OK cruising]

Wanted to print off the roll call and a few pages but can’t open Shutterfly.  Not sure I ever signed up with Shutterfly site....only looked at such when on the original ....???....whatever it was called.  Any trick to opening Shutterfly?  Looking forward to boarding in Sydney.  Have been busy getting shots and visas for our post-cruise stay in Africa.

 

Barbara 

[sawtooth]

5 minutes ago, OK cruising said:

Wanted to print off the roll call and a few pages but can’t open Shutterfly.  Not sure I ever signed up with Shutterfly site....only looked at such when on the original ....???....whatever it was called.  Any trick to opening Shutterfly?  Looking forward to boarding in Sydney.  Have been busy getting shots and visas for our post-cruise stay in Africa.

 

Barbara 

Barb and Roy, enjoy this epic trip!

We are starting our Middle East ttip

in Dubai tomorrow and then on to Jordon and Egypt.

Deb and Ray

[TheRabbit]

Good to see you are off on your new adventure Charles! Have fun.

[bvm49]

Charles & Judy, I've been enjoying your adventures. It brings back the wonderful 21 night cruise we had on the sister ship, Ocean Princess in 2012 before it was sold by Princess. It's certainly a different experience on such a small ship. We felt part of the shows when we sat in the front row of the Cabaret Lounge - the dancers are almost on your lap! Also you seem to run into people you know all the time.

 

We leave Singapore 4 days after you on 10th March with Sapphire Princess on our 48 night B2B cruise to Southampton and the Canary Islands.

 

Have a great cruise

Brian

[ccrain]

01-25-2019 At Sea to Honolulu

 

Just a bit more vibration last night, but that memory foam pillow from Target is doing its job. I am sleeping far better the last few nights than almost anytime on the Coral late last year. Still shuffling stuff around the room a bit. Will figure it out before too long.

 

Yesterday was a very good day at sea. About as good as you can get. Good workouts in the morning – they have fixed the other elliptical – up and down stairs, then line dancing, then checking out all the snorkel gear in the pool – which is salt water and not heated! But the hot tubs, while not “hot”, are still far warmer than the Coral was last year and the jets are very relaxitating. Lunch was fantastic. Everything tasted really, really good. It was Indian themed from the cold salads to the hot dished. The chicken tandoori was really good and spiced well. A little dry, but that’s typical of a buffet. Two different flavors of ice cream and one of the best cupcakes we’ve ever had. An almost angel food cakish cupcake with a cream cheese frosting to die for. OMG it was so good. The pastry chef on this cruise is fantastic.

 

Although when I approach the salad bar, there was no lettuce! Oh no! Not another lettuce crisis! (They were just refilling the bowls.) They have run out of ginger beer though. Judy usually does ginger beer and bitters as an anti-seasick remedy. Ginger beer works better than ginger ale.

 

Service continues to be well above average for the Princess fleet. Our room steward Teddy, who is leaving us in Honolulu to go home, is smiling broader and broader every day! – go figure And we’ve not had to ask for anything at all. It just happens. Bar staff, table staff, deck crew, shoppies – all are just incredibly friendly and a pleasure to be around.

 

Last night was dancing night with the show band, with Domino Duo. Even on the carpet in the Casino bar, it was a lot of fun.

 

So that’s it from the Pacific on the Pacific…later!

 

[ccrain]

On 1/24/2019 at 9:15 AM, AF-1 said:

So how many passengers on your cruise are veteran world cruisers?  I am curious, because I can not imagine being gone from home for that long of time.  Thanks for your feedback

There are quite a few. I would guess at least a hundred, but probably more, are veteran world cruisers.

[ccrain]

On 1/23/2019 at 7:45 PM, brucedodge said:

  

Bruce and Gail. <---------------  Pls mention us to the Domino Duo

 

They say Hugs and Kisses back!

[ccrain]

14 hours ago, OK cruising said:

Wanted to print off the roll call and a few pages but can’t open Shutterfly.  Not sure I ever signed up with Shutterfly site....only looked at such when on the original ....???....whatever it was called.  Any trick to opening Shutterfly?  Looking forward to boarding in Sydney.  Have been busy getting shots and visas for our post-cruise stay in Africa.

 

Barbara 

The link to the Shutterfly site is in my signature line below. Then click on the roll call page and open the spreadsheet. You should be able to print off the spreadsheet.

[c-boy]

MUTINY !  restock Ginger beer in Honolulu .... hopefully 

[DrivesLikeMario]

Good to read about the buffet.  My friends on the ship are not happy with the bistro service in the buffet at ni.ght.  They say the options are very limited.  I think it's kind-of forcing them to go to the dining room for dinner which they don't like to do. 

[Aquadesiac]

Hello World Cruisers! My DH and I were on the Pacific Princess from LA to FLL last year and had a ball! Are there any folks who are repeats from 2018?

[FoghornLeghorn]

Charles and Judy - thanks for taking us along on this voyage!! Have a wonderful time and a safe cruise!

 

[ccrain]

01-26-2019 Honolulu

 

Judy tried to walk through the corner of the bed yesterday. The bed said no way. So her knee took the brunt of the impasse. (The space between the bed and the wall is very narrow on the Pacific.) I would bet you that there are millions of dollars of pain remedies, braces, wraps, narcotics, OTC devices, pills and medical related ‘stuff’ on this ship. Judy got offered everything from wraps, ice bags, knee braces, Salon Pas heat patches, NSAIDs and lidocaines to ‘the good stuff’! The only thing missing was DIY knee replacement surgery kits.

 

But I carry a first aid kit with an ACE bandage and will pick up a knee brace at Wal Mart this morning. She is staying put. We have plenty of sea days for her to mend before we get into the hot and heavy excursioning. But in the meantime, dancing is now off the table for a while.

 

Food is remarkably good compared to the prior two cruises (Coral and Diamond). Not as much selection as the larger ships in the buffet, but the cupcakes are still to die for. The nigiri for sushi night at the elite lounge was real sashimi grade tuna and salmon. Very nice touch.

 

The ‘lines’ on the Pacific are amusing – as in they are very small if they exist at all. How would you like to walk into a 7:30 show at 7:28 and still get a really good seat? Or show up with everyone else to the buffet at 1145 and have to wait about 30 second to get a plate? Now in all honesty there are lines before each dinner seating. They start around 1715 and they open the dining room about 1720 to 1725.

 

The show last night was Red, Hot and Blue. A song and dance presentation by the new dance company Princess is using for the World Cruise. Up close and personal does not even begin to describe a show in the Cabaret lounge. We were at the second show, 2130, and in row 1. The show was good. Slight technical issues that I heard in the female vocalist’s mike – she was drowned out by the background music at times. The male vocalist’s audio was balanced perfectly. It was a medley of well known songs, slightly modified/modernized with 3 female and 3 male backup dancers. Most of the choreography was modern, but I did miss the Fred Astaire/Gene Kelly American smooth style choreography. The best sequence was the Blues Brothers medley with three of their best known songs and smooth Jazz choreography – the only thing missing were the canes or umbrellas.

 

All in all, a good show to introduce the production cast.

 

Afternoon update…

 

Ah the BOONKER has arrived. Those of you that were on the Coral will appreciate that. It is now tying up alongside to refuel us for the run to Papeete.

 

Busy morning. Shopping at Wal-Mart, salad dressing, knee braces, aloha wear, non-PM Ibuprofen, ginger beer, candy, rat tail yarn, embroidery kits, etc. Still forgot some stuff. Oh well. There are more shops to visit. Facetiming Judy from Wal Mart picking colors of yarn. I almost went with one each…Elizabeth and I UBERed over and back. Quicker that way. There was a shuttle bus running as well.

 

Paul and I then took off to scout out the downtown area. Due north from the ship is a pedestrian street that runs several blocks (Fort Street) from Ala Moana BLVD to South Beretania street. (In the middle is the little Wal Mart.) There is a Ross Dress for Less, very large too, many restaurants, a McDonalds, a couple of banks and a lot of specialty shops along the pedestrian street. A very nice walk up in the mild climate this morning. Good news is that it was downhill back to the ship with a completely loaded backpack!

 

From there it’s a short hop about a block north to a Safeway and Longs Drugs. Safeway just happens to have a very extensive, and cheap, liquor department. Like Barefoot Pinot Grigiot for $6 a bottle. It also has beer and hard liquor (generic and top shelf) as well as mixers, boxed wines and pre-mixed drinks by the liter or liter and a half bottle. While security screening on the ship is typically very tight for liquids, in ports with exterior screeners (such as Honolulu) the ship does not screen carry-ons at all. It is rumored that these are the ports at which to restock the liquor cabinet. Not that Paul and I would have any first hand information about.

 

But I did find some more crystalized ginger and a 12 pack of diet 7-Up for mixed drinks.

 

To save dollars, and Judy’s already sore knee, we did lunch on the back terrace of the Panorama Buffet. Great view of the harbor, Sand Island, the Pride of America NCL ship with the bulldog front of the ship. Gorgeous weather and the food was really good. Plenty of lettuce for salads, not bad ribs and of course fresh Ice Cream (cappuccino and chocolate chip) and to die for cupcakes. Although the ice cream stole the show this time.

 

We also took this time to update all the electronics. Good grief. System updates for the apple equipment, lots of apps to update, email to clean up in the various systems, Symantec updates and screens – good thing our t-mobile phones have the unlimited hotspots. We even caught up on a few shows we recorded when we left home last week.

 

Tonight – the hula show, hopefully some dancing and shrimp at the executive lounge. Have to find Kathy and give her the rat tail yard I bought her as well.

 

So tomorrow. Lahaina! More shopping. Hawaiian ice!

 

Later!

[PescadoAmarillo]

We went down to Pier 11 to see the Pacific Princess today and to meet up with a couple of crew member friends. We talked with several of your fellow passengers and everyone seems so happy with the ship and the cruise. It’s quite fun to see a ship we were on half way around the world just two months ago. Enjoy Maui tomorrow!

[queensquared]

Thank you so much for doing the "Live From"...........! We were on the Pacific Princess last August/September for the British Isles & Iceland cruise. It was our first small ship experience and, hopefully,  not our last. We loved her!!!!! And the ice cream is to die for, for sure.

 If Emanuela is back on board in Effy's, please tell her that the "Fabulous" girls say hi. Also, a big hello to Deb Fraioli, her husband Dan Downey, and keyboardist extraordinare Eliot! They performed as the Cruisetones,  but may be performing under another name now.

Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

[ccrain]

01-27-2019 Lahaina

 

0600 and its dark outside. But dawn comes quickly. Noticeable motion last night. Surf must be up on the North Shore. Wind is blowing noticeably. Hopefully we get some whales playing around in the anchorage. The Island Princess got a real show a couple of years ago. No excursions necessary.

 

Judy was able to dance again last night. The brace from Wal Mart helped a lot. She’ll be fine as long she avoids challenging the bed again.

 

The Hula show was great last night. Similar to the one on the Coral in November, but in the much more intimate setting of the Cabaret Lounge. Highlight show of the trip so far. The little ones are so cute! Unlike other shows, the early show was SRO.

 

Not much planned today. Definitely some Hawaiian Ice on shore. See how the tender process works on the Pacific. Wander around the beach, the town. Pick up some last minute ‘stuff’. Maybe some lunch. Just one of those easy days.

 

I think we are set to leave the states for the next couple of months. Everything that we could update is updated. The Kindle is full of new reading material. Managed to pay the property taxes for the year remotely. So we’ll be back in the US in late April.

 

Off to breakfast!