Oh2B@C

Hi folks,

I'll be driving to LA for a cruise out of San Pedro Jan 7-17, 2017.

I need suggestions for cheap 10-day parking. PLEASE NOTE: I do NOT need to be close to the cruise terminal or airport. As long as I can take transit down to San Pedro easily enough (I've already decided to take metro to Long Beach and then bus to San Pedro).

So any savvy Angelinos out there know where to find the cheapest (and reasonably safe) long term parking?

Thanks for your help

Phil

You are apparently NOT the Consummate Host and we certainly have not come back new and are reviewing our future loyalty to Princess Cruises.

You could have come back new if you had converted to the Mormon Church...;) Then you could have used those venues the Mormons were using... Two birds with one stone really, just sayin':)

It was far better value food wise than the Crown Grill.

Now here is a perfect example of how different people can have different opinions. I look at Crown Grill this way: it's $6 more than the Salty Dog, and for that I get

> As many items as I can wolf down, including: filet mignon, porterhouse, NZ rack of lamb, lobster bisque, lobster tails, onion soup, need I go on...

> A quiet, reserved atmosphere where I don't have to scream at my table mates to be heard above the noise of the surrounding crowd and musician(s) nearby

> No people walking back and forth coming and going from other venues or just passing by

> Comfortable seating at a standard table

Did I mention it's only $6 more than the Salty Dog...? To me, the real value is the Crown Grill. The Salty Dog is a PUB, and that is fine, but the cover charge should be less than $19 by comparison to the CG. Same opinion for Share, priced too high for my taste. But that's what Princess gives the customer: clear choice with subtle difference. Up to us to choose which ones suit us best.

As I have stated in previous posts, the only issue I truly have with Salty Dog is that they took away space in the Wheelhouse Bar in order to install yet another for-fee venue. I have no problem with change as long as it's a positive change. When a nice space like the Wheelhouse Bar is partly replaced by a revenue-generating space, I just feel it is showing disrespect to the loyal Princess customer like me.

And to those out there who just sit back and let it happen without complaining and accept is as "just the normal course of doing business", well get ready for more changes like:

1) Meters on the exercise machines - swipe your cruise card and pay 25 cents a minute to use the treadmill

2) A hospitality tent next to the putting green. For $15 you get to sit and watch the putting competitions from the comfort of your very own comfy chair while you sip on "complimentary" Chateau Tuesday Champagne

3) A toll booth on the Promenade Deck

4) Pay an extra fee to have a special cordoned off area set up for you in the dining room to make you feel more special somehow... (wait, I think they've done that one already...)

5) Fishing poles for rent and catch your own dinner

6) Simulated pirate attack: for $299 you get to fire a water cannon at the dancers dressed up as pirates riding around in their little dingy

7) Reserved seating for shows in the front 2 rows, or better yet, replace the back row with La-z-boys; hmmm, let's try $10 per person per show for that one. Perhaps an all-access pass for $6.95 per day (taxes and service charge extra of course)

Do you think some of these ideas are ridiculous? Did you ever think Princess was capable of tearing down the entire Universe Lounge on the Island and replacing it with more cabins?

These comments aren't exactly coming from an un-biased source. The guy is CEO of Holland America. Though when I read the title of the post, I thought there was a company called Stein Kruse and cruise had just been spelled wrong:o

Now I just think that Stein Kruse is simply the coolest name for the CEO of Holland America... but it would still make a great name for a cruise line;)

My reaction when I saw that video (the right one:)), was: mouth agape, words coming into my head like "unacceptable", "irresponsible", "reprehensible", "actionnable"... A glass panel MISSING next to a children's play area??? WTH:mad: If the ship is not 100% ready, the cruise line should not be charging 100% of the fare. Pax should be asking for at least partial refunds.

Trying to understand the connection between Princess Cruises and religious sites closed to women...:confused::confused: Perhaps I am not fully caffeinated yet;)

I took my first Princess cruise in 2010, so not that long ago compared to all you old salts. But in those short 6 years, I've seen so much tinkering with some of my favorite ships that I am starting to get real nervous about one day the scales being tipped in the direction of "too much is too much". I just reached Elite, and even though I don't cruise Princess for the perks, I still enjoy the perks I get (over any other cruise line where I would get none at all) and I like the familiar feel I get when I take a Princess cruise. Being a bit of an analytical person, I made a list of things they have changed (what I can remember anyway...) to see what, if anything, affects my enjoyment. I'm also going to keep it to my favorite ships, the Crown, Emerald and Ruby, (henceforth to be referred to as THE GRAND THREE;)) because I refuse to sail on those three most recent monstrosities.

Disclaimer: of course everything I write here is my own opinion. I am always happy to read everyone's comments, for or against. That's what makes (NORTH-)America great (or does it have to be made great again...;)) but I digress...

Here goes:

1. The Sanctuary

I don't quite remember (isn't that awful, only 6 years ago...) but didn't you used to be able to enjoy a space at the front of the top outside deck without having to pay $20 or $40 extra??? That would be one where my enjoyment is restricted, since now I have to pay to use that Sanctuary, which I won't.

2. Share

Ugh... I don't get it personally. To me it's smoke and mirrors. BUT... it does not restrict or change my enjoyment since I never used to go to Sabbatini's. I am sure the 15 people a night who go to Share thoroughly enjoy their twice cooked duck and charcuterie plate. The MDR is fine for me, I can get a twice cooked steak anytime I want, even when I order it rare...:rolleyes:

3. Salty Dog and the redesign of the Wheelhouse Bar

Ooooh, that one upsets me a great deal. They removed a great deal of the comfy chairs and couches and replaced them with hard top tables and high chairs where you can sit and eat your $19 hamburger (if you are in a balcony cabin on a 10-day cruise, would that be a $5,019 hamburger???). That change is one of the most obvious examples of a pure money grab, which comes at the expense of what used to be a public space to enjoy. Funny thing, on my last cruise I noticed those tables were full, but mostly with people just having drinks. So would a staff member have to come over and ask you to vacate if someone suddenly showed up to try the $19 hamburger?

4. This new Club Class experience...

An obvious new money grab, but it will only affect my enjoyment if it causes me to wait longer for a table at ATD. Since I always ask to share a big table, I usually don't wait that long to begin with.

Side note, all this money grabbing effort on the part of Princess makes me feel like taking up a collection for them. They are obviously suffering financially...

5. And yet they still won't redesign the BUFFET... What the ...:mad:

Trips to the buffet on the GRAND THREE make me so anxious... Tight spaces, weaving around, people cutting, the tall scary Ukrainian girl at the entrance scowling at me to "refresh" my hands as she points to the Purel dispenser, one side almost always closed. You mean to tell me with all the changes they've made to the GRAND THREE recently, the Princess "brain-trust" can't agree on airing out the buffet space???

OK, admittedly I can only think of 5 things at this time...:o, but I started thinking about this earlier this week when I walked down to Canada Place (Vancouver - this is where I live now, need to change my CP) and saw the Island Princess. THAT ship above all others is a reminder of what Princess is capable of, in the wrong direction. That's why I get nervous when Princess tinkers with the ship designs. Granted, the new beds are nice, so it's not all bad.

Aaaah, nothing like a good rant. Switching to decaf now:cool:

I, for one, feel much better about Princess now that I know they have a team of analysts who analyze...:rolleyes:

Another reason for booking EZAir is that Princess takes better care of you in a "situation." We were on the cruise out of Houston that was delayed by 24 hours. People who booked "the whole package" of cruise' date=' EZAir, and transfers were taken to a nice hotel which was paid for by Princess, and shuttled back to the terminal the next day.

 

People who had arranged their own transportation were "on their own" to make their hotel arrangements and get there.

 

We had private insurance, not thru Princess...so that was not a part of the requirement.[/quote']

 

And what if I have cruise+EZ Air but not the transfers?

Be aware that you will not be allowed to board the ship in San Diego if your booked itinerary disembarks in Los Angeles as that would be a violation of the PVSA (Passenger Vessel Services Act.) No cruise line can knowingly allow you to violate US law. Your nationality is immaterial. EZ Air would have to get you to the first Mexican port.

D'OH!!! Curse this ridiculous antiquated law!!

However, this does settle a nagging question I hadn't yet still resolved: to fly the day of, or to fly the day before as I usually do. Now that I know I couldn't board the ship in SD, that settles it. Day before.:cool:

I was pondering my travel options to get from Vancouver BC to LAX for my Ruby 10-Day Mexico cruise in January. Was feeling a little down at the flight prices on Air Canada and Westjet. In an email to a friend I mentioned that it would be great if airlines let you book any fare (including sale fares) and cancel later at no charge. Then I went into My Account on Princess.com and checked out EZ Air. I'd always been wary of using a go-between, but when I saw EZ Air's fare and the conditions attached to the FLEXIBLE fare (which was cheaper than the RESTRICTED FARE:confused:), I had to get a closer look.

So, still wondering if this is too good to be true, here's what I'm getting:

> $275 CAD round trip on Delta (Air Canada and Westjet were both above $400 CAD)

> I don't have to pay now, I can wait until final payment in late October

> I can cancel without any penalty or charge up to 45 days before sailing

Price on Delta website is $293 CAD but fare is non-refundable and payable immediately.

With independent arrangements I would have to pay NOW and the cheapest fare in non-refundable. Add to that the fact that if my flight to LAX is delayed etc and I miss getting on the ship, Princess will get me to the next port (San Diego, shouldn't be too hard;))

So, am I missing anything here??? Is this really the good deal it seems to be? Yeah, I am a sceptic until I experience it for myself. Definitely willing to try this out for the flexibility and the cost savings.

Well, I'm actually not upset about the decrease, I'm just in shock about how big the drop is and wondering if this happens a lot. I keep reading other posts about Princess offering OBCs or upgrades when this happens, and instead, Princess offered me an upsell.

 

I have a cabin on my favourite deck, in a good spot, I'm satisfied.

I assume this is the Star Princess Hawaii cruise out of Vancouver April 4? I've been watching that price go down for a while and would have jumped on it had I not booked the Emerald TA leaving April 2. This won't make you feel any better but it is the first time EVER I have seen a Hawaii cruise price go down by that much and so close to sail date. Just don't let it affect your enjoyment, as I know you won't. Have a great cruise. If it is the Star Hawaii cruise, hey at least you're doing a r/t leaving and returning close to where you live.

It was HILARIOUS, because I wasn't on that cruise...;)

I write the songs that make the whole lido deck sing... la, la, la-la

For $78 per couple, that really is not expensive for that type of multi course, dining experience, at least not where we live.

Yes but you forgot to add the price of the cruise to the $78 per couple charge...;)

For me it is mostly a question of the price point. If they leave the Crown Grill concept, menu and price alone (are you listening Princess?), then that's where my specialty dining money will go. I just don't fall for these menus where you need long paragraphs to describe the food and the "experience". To end on a more positive note though, I will agree that it seems a step up from Sabbatini's.

Not sure I would want to try a burger topped with Ketchup Leather:confused::eek:, that sounds like something I might have scraped off the bottom of my shoe...;)

Does anyone know what brands of beer we're allowed to swap the liquor mini bottles for? I know Dos Equis is the default brand, but what others might be available for swapping?

Hi All

 

So OP lost 2kg, and this is a complaint, I know folks that would pay to lose 2kg,

 

yours Shogun

Our last cruise was 17 days and I was thrilled to gain a total of ZERO pounds! Losing 4.4 pounds (2kg) would be fantastic. ;)

Yeah, but it's only 0.3142857 stone... that's not much when you look at it that way...;)

Yes, except on the smallest ship, the Pacific Princess.

 

I would not choose a cabin on the back of the ship. The Emerald tends to shimmy and shake a bit in any kind of rough seas or high swells, and while it remains a comfortable ship mid-ship it becomes less comfortable aft.

Gee thanks a lot yellow penguin fish... I will be in C 746 for the April 2nd TA...look at the deck plan:mad:

Dear Ms. Swartz,

You're kind of cute so I am willing to forgive you a lot of things... but NOT errors in French grammar.

1. Fete is actually spelled Fête

2. Francais is actually spelled Français

3. The word fête is of the feminine gender, and therefore the adjective must take the feminine form: so it should be Fête Française

But other than these THREE ERRORS in your two word phrase, you got it spot on:rolleyes:

I could also forgive you that if you take all of your Royal Class ships and send them to China...;)

Just watched episode 1. Not really my kind of TV show, but a couple of funny moments:

1) The guy at Port Everglades, pointing to the ship and saying: "Those are the rooms with the balconies"

Why, yes Sherlock, those ARE the rooms with the balconies. Can't argue with that!:rolleyes:

2) Mushroom Mandy kind of grinds on you after a while, but the funniest has got to be her husband... what's his name, he's so bland I almost forgot; Gordon I think it was... All he does the whole time is stand there and stare into space through his nearly shut eyelids:D I keep thinking to myself that Gordon looks like he wishes he were dead so that he could get away from Mandy once and for all

3) Best line of the show:

Crew member: "If you think back on the Titanic, ever night was formal night"

Narrator: "Well that is until it hit the ice-BUHHHG"

A $45.00 quiche? Now that really is steep!

 

Maureen

What is steep to some is ... awww forget it, that IS steep!!:eek:

Gee... $45 for breakfast at Crown Grill or $25 for dinner at Crown Grill... Uh, gee, uh...:confused:

On these boards the last few days I have read a lot of negative comments about various Princess-related things, from the food, the service, the beds, the venue changes, etc...

Now I love sailing on Princess. In 2012 alone I was on the Ruby for 19 days, the Crown for 24 and the Emerald for 20. My last Princess cruise was in Feb 2013 on the Sapphire and I am planning my long awaited return this March on the Regal.

In all honesty, I am a little worried. Worried that Princess has made too many changes in the name of increasing revenue. Worried that many of my favorite venues are changed beyond recognition or just plain gone. Now to be realistic, I understand that Princess probably needs to make changes here and there to compete, to make money (it IS a business after all) and that the more important customers are the new customers, not the new Elite customers like me who have close to $0 on-board expenses. But thinking only for myself, if the product changes so much that I cannot recognize it anymore, I am not going to stay loyal just because I've achieved top loyalty.

I like to think that those who offer criticism of a Princess product or service are doing it because they CARE. I've also seen a lot of you give credit where credit is due. I will do that too: Princess creates an atmosphere on board that I love. I cruise solo but I never feel alone. The CD staff are friendly and approachable. I have made tons of friends I've met on Princess cruises. But if the company is going to change the product I have grown to love so much to the point it feels foreign to me, I am going to start comparing prices, since another of my beefs is with the incredible rise in the fares.

So how do you folks feel about the Princess product TODAY compared to before (a year ago, 5 years ago...). If you've just taken your first Princess cruise, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts as well.

Thanks for SHARE-ing...

$39:eek: Not for me. I'll give up my place to others who I am sure are lining up around the corner too get in. To each their own. Hope Princess makes a mint and slashes cabin fares:rolleyes:

Would you be able to provide some info on the gastro-pub? I am wondering especially how it has affected the Wheelhouse bar space. Are they sharing the space so that Wheelhouse bar is now smaller?

THX:)

To Griller or anyone else on board right now:

Was Adagio left unspoiled by the transformation of Sabatini's to Share?

And I echo the need to know the cost for Share?

THX:)