pklein9747

We're doing a Princess 7-day California Coastal March 10 and have reservations at Disney's Grand California Resort at Disneyland 3 days before. We've never been to California before and need some advice.

First...which airport is best to fly into? We're planning on using JetBlue and can get a direct flight out of Orlando into LAX. However, the flight doesn't leave until 7:50pm and doesn't get into LAX until after 10 PST. That means we're flying for 6+ hours, we're tired, need to find luggage, and get to hotel all while we're exhausted. JetBlue also goes into Long Beach but we'd need to connect at JFK or BOSTON. We would, however, get in much earlier.

And how do we get from LAX or Long Beach to the Disney hotel? Shuttle, Uber, private car? Recommendations? Does one airport make much more sense than the other.

On the day of the cruise, what is the best way to get from Disney to San Pedro? There will most likely by 4 adults by that time as our friends will be meeting us in Disney (we hope).

We're planning on flying home out of Long Beach as the flight from LAX doesn't leave until 11:30 PM PST. What would we do all day???

Thanks

Pat

Still pack too much due to "You never know..." :( But I always bring along some laundry detergent and dryer sheets. When we do a TA or plan on spending a few days before or after a cruise, the laundry facilities make a huge difference. Can't imagine having to pack enough clothes for 10+ days.

Just got off the Regal last week and did wash twice on a 7-day...don't ask :( It's so easy now...just choose what you want from the LCD screen - washer, dryer and/or detergent - swipe your cruise card and your tokens are distributed to you. Cost: $3 each for a washer load and a dryer load. I always pack a few pods and dryer sheets in a ziplock freezer bag (in case they should break). They don't take up any room and it's much more economical than buying on the ship. Washer takes about 30-35 minutes, dryer about 45 minutes. It was great this time because the laundromat was right down the hall from our room :)

Thank you to all who posted about the upcoming increase. Purchased the AIBP for my husband for our November 10-day Southern Caribbean. Still have the AIBP as part of Sip & Sail for March that we booked last year. After this, we're no longer purchasing it. It just doesn't make sense. Certainly can't drink that much. Even including coffees and water.

Back in 2015 our friends talked us into doing Alaska via the land then cruise. I really didn't want to go...I'm a fan of beaches, warm weather, soft winds...and thought of Alaska as being cold, windy and just unpleasant. I was so wrong and so, so glad we did Alaska. It was truly amazing!! We talked about a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but every time I look at our pictures, I want to go back.

We did the connoisseur tour and felt it was well worth the money. The option of having a tour guide travel with you during the land portion and handle all of the room assignments, dinner reservations, tour arrangements and then to add on all that knowledge about areas we were headed to, driving through, made the trip so pleasant. We also liked that out meals were included and there were no limitations. Our friend who loves crab legs had them every night!! There is a great thread on here by Caribill that provides an enormous amount of information about the connoisseur land tour. Her info was invaluable in planning our trip. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1727858&highlight=Caribill+Connoisseur

I, too, would advise doing the Southbound land then cruise. The land portion was very intensive and it was nice to relax a bit on the cruise. Also, Glacier Bay is not to be missed.

Enjoy your cruise, no matter what you do! And Happy Anniversary. We celebrate our 40th anniversary tomorrow :)

In June of 2016, we booked a November 2017 10-day Southern Caribbean with the AIBP. Price was high but we were sold on the AIBP. Then, in June, we checked the price of the cruise during the Red, White & Blue Sale. The price had gone way down and we save over $1300 rebooking the cruise. We could purchase the AIBP when we get on board and still save money. Always check your fares. Saving money is a good thing!

Also...after having the AIBP on our last few cruises, we've come to realize that we were drinking for the sake of drinking, not for enjoyment.

Made final payment on one cruise last month and then again several days ago for our cruise in November. Only received single points for each. Called the recommended number this morning. Got a nice rep on the phone who found my JetBlue Barclays account but when I mentioned my Princess card, she couldn't find that and put me on hold to transfer me to someone else. "Here we go", I thought. Well, I couldn't have been more surprised and more pleased with the outcome. Was transferred to Cindy who listened to my tale of woe and understood the problem. Explained that the issue has arisen due to Princess adding a code to their charge purchases to be able to differentiate between cruise purchases, excursions, on-board purchases, etc. Cindy claims that Barclays has been struggling to adjust to these new codes and all will be in place by the end of the month.

Cindy quickly confirmed that I had only received single rewards for my purchases and made the adjustment. Then she asked what we were planning on doing with the reward points. She said that they are still having problems with applying points for statement credit and asked if I wanted to do that while I still on the phone with her. I was unsure if I wanted statement credit or OBC and Cindy happily did the math to see which would provide me with the most "bang for my buck." The statement credit was greater and Cindy put me on hold for a short time and processed the credit.

Truth be told...I was planning on cancelling my Princess Visa due to this whole mess. However, with the customer service I received today, I am willing to give them another chance :)

DH and I are doing a 7-day California Coastal in March 2018. There is a 15-day RT LA to Hawaii cruise that embarks 2 days after we disembark that we are thinking of taking cause we figure...hey, we have to fly from FL to CA and back...why not just do Hawaii too? For those of you who keep track of these things, are we better off booking with the Red, White & Blue Sale and risk losing our FCC if we cancel, or wait and hope that a 3 for Free or some other sale will offer us a better deal?

We did the same tour back in May of 2015. One of our best and favorite vacations! We flew in one day before from the East Coast and we were glad we did. We booked a room at the Princess Fairbanks Lodge. It was just easier than having to repack all of our stuff again. Rented a car the following day and toured Fairbanks, went to the home of Mary Shields, the first woman to complete the Iditarod, went to the North Pole to see the "real" Santa and stopped at Pioneer Park. Great way to start our vacation.

On the back end, we disembarked in Vancouver and stayed three nights and then two nights in Seattle. We figured if we were going all that way, it was worth it to stay a little longer and see the sights. Loved, loved, loved Vancouver. If you can, stay a bit longer and enjoy all the city has to offer. We took Amtrak to Seattle as it was a bit cheaper to fly home from there.

You definitely can't go wrong with the connoisseur package. We never regretted the extra money it costs us. And as for Alaska...I was just looking through our hundreds of pictures the other day...and I am ready to return. The sites, the wildlife, the people...it is an amazing place. Have a wonderful trip :)

Definitely consider Overlord. We used them last year when the CB stopped in LeHavre. They were very accommodating and I'm sure if you told them what you wanted to do, they would provide not only enough time to find the grave but would most likely help guide you to it. The American Cemetery and all it stands for will forever be a highlight of that trip.

So excited because we will be on that 2-day cruise and I love technology!! Will it be perfect...no, but someone has to test these things!

No trays, larger platter type oval plates.

Bowls and smaller plates too.

 

Its no big deal IMO

Except on the Royal and the Regal. There they just have large dinner plates, bowls and small plates for desserts. Bring on the juggling!!

I read that there is supposed to be signs that say "Mobile Passport", "Global Entry" directing you where to go. Did you see any signs? Here's what the web site says "Skip the regular line and follow the signs for Mobile Passport Control."

 

Thanks!

 

Tom😎

Yes, when we got closer to the room where you see the immigration officers, there were signs there directing you to the line for Mobile Passport or Global Entry. The problem was that the line was so long last Sunday that we were no where near there and there was no one further back asking if anyone had GE or MP.

We got off the Regal Princess on Nov 20 in Port Everglades at Terminal 2. We have Global Entry but I also downloaded the Mobile Passport. Since this is the first time we have cruised with Global Entry or the Mobile Passport, we waited in line with about a thousand other people (Immigration was very backed up. We were in a snaking line near the luggage!!)

When we got closer to the room where immigration is, I heard a port employee asking if anyone had Mobile Passport or Global Entry. I left my husband in line and went up to tell him we had GE. He asked to see our card. When I showed it to him, he told me to just go through to the GE line. Ran back to get hubby, and to the chagrin of about 100 people, just waltzed right past them and got in the GE very short GE line. I told them I also had Mobile Passport (only 4 people in that line!) and was told that if you have GE you don't need Mobile Passport. Since there were probably over 200 people in the immigration waiting room, I figured we saved ourselves a good 30-45 minutes :) Next time, I'll know not to wait in any long line and just head to GE.

Just got off the Regal today. The comedian we saw got off the ship in St. Maarten. The female string quartet were returning to their homeland after this cruise. A group called the Unexpected Boys entertained us last night. Think Jersey Boys, but certainly not that good. Don't know how long they will be on. The new singers and dancers did a good job on the productions shows Fiera and Bravo. It is always a crap shoot as to what type of entertainer will be on each sailing.

We just booked the two day FLL - Princess Cays - FLL on the Regal 11/13-15/17 while we were onboard this past week. Works perfectly for us as we have a 10 day on the Royal starting on 11/15/17, so we just added two days and now we'll be Elite after the 10-day cruise!!

We were there at the same time as the OP. Didn't see a lot of flies while we were on land, but there were hundreds all over the ship. Most were gone the next day, but even this morning before disembarkation, there were still a few stowaways. We spoke with a gentleman at the pool who had been at Amber Cove back in August on another line and he said there wasn't any problem at all at that time. We are thinking that the heavy rains most likely had something to do with it.

Thanks for the info. Only 3 ships in port that day...NCL Epic, RCL Oasis & us. Word has it we'll be at Havensight. Glad to know it's only a short walk from taxi dropoff to beach at Sapphire. Think we'll try that one.

We are traveling to St. Thomas on the Regal in mid November. Our friend's sister will be joining us. She has been fighting cancer for quite a while and has been struggling due to treatments. We are thinking about going to Sapphire Beach but wonder how far she will need to walk from the taxi drop off to the beach? Would this beach be a good choice for her or does anyone have any other suggestions? We're trying to keep in mind that there will be five (5) ships in port that day and really don't want to go anywhere it will be very crowded. Thanks!

We just spent four nights in Paris after our TA cruise this May. Our first day there we did a 4 hour walking tour along the Seine with SightSeekers Delight. My husband and I were the only ones on the tour and the guide was excellent! They only allow up to 12 people on each tour so they are never crowded. It was a great way to introduce ourselves to this wonderful city.

Another vote for RomeInLimo. They have thousands of positive reviews from CruiseCritic members and on TripAdvisor. We saw so much in Rome using their tour and their tour guides are excellent. Check your roll call to see if someone has already set up an excursion with them.

Had the Sip and Sail on our 18-day TA on the Caribbean Princess and did not receive a mug. I would bring one. FYI: Our sticker was already on our card when we checked in at the terminal.

For those of you who have scheduled interviews, can you change the location of the interview if you find an opening sooner? For example, if we choose Orlando and get an interview for August, but we notice later that Sanford Airport has an opening in July, can we switch locations?

On our Caribbean Princess TA last month, I had a cherry AND a fly in my Flamingo martini in Crooners the first evening. It became our standing joke with the server the entire cruise :)

We were in the Fairbanks, Denali & Mt. McKinley Lodges last year and do not remember there being a coffee machine in any of them. I would suggest you contact the lodges directly to determine if they provide this amenity.