mlgb

And everyone else is not? Pretty rude of you to imply that all other answers not just on this thread but throughout this board are less valid.

 

Just got off Island in Vancouver and Main Dining Room breakfast ended at 9 am, so check your "Patter". On certain port days it may also be different.

 

We found we preferred Horizon Court for all meals due to the poor service in the MDR. Except that you can't get real ice cream in Horizon Court!

 

If you like ice cream, be sure to at least go to the MDR for dessert.

 

If you need coffee early, use room service.

The buffet is open continuously from 5:30am to 11pm. It transitions from breakfast to lunch at about 11am. Breakfast is available in the dining room until, I believe, 9:30am. Room service is available any time but has a limited menu. More like a continental breakfast and the only hot item is a breakfast sandwich similar to a McMuffin.

 

I just got off and MDR breakfast on sea days was 7 am to 9 am, Lunch 12-1:30 pm, and dinner was 5:15 to 9:30 pm. Horizon Court was 5:30-11:30 for Breakfast.

 

The only "real" free ice cream was in the MDRs at Lunch and Dinner.

I couldn't stand it any longer so I phoned CDS Baggage Storage and their rates at the cruise terminals are exactly the same as they charge at the airport. Here is their website link and you can get the rates from there:

 

http://www.cdsbaggage.ca/CDS/Home.html

 

prices aren't on that website

 

I called and it is up to $7 either in CAD or USD and cash only

 

They have a transfer service to the airport $40 for up to four pieces

If you just want to arrange a transfer to and from the port into town to a restaurant, I'd recommend http://taxidatum.com.

 

There are so many excellent restaurants in Lima, it's almost impossible to pick a bad one at any price point if you do even a tiny bit of research.

 

I like the Barranco neighborhood, if you haven't yet been there you could visit some of the museums and galleries, eg Dedalo, Lucia de la Puente, Pedro de Osma (not Osama!), the MATE (photographer Mario Testino), the new Contemporary Museum "MAC".

 

Don't carry a big camera or backpack, and you can walk around Barranco and Miraflores freely. Or have a restaurant call a taxi for you, if you have a smartphone I believe there are even a few apps.

Lido buffet on HAL was pretty awful on my Alaska cruise this past September. And definitely NOT the same as MDR.

I think every hotel you have listed will have an in-room safe. They are well known chains which should (almost always) have an English speaking staff on duty, especially during the day. You may find some desk people more friendly and chatty than others so be sure to pick their brains if you find one. Interesting that the one time I stayed at a Casa Andina, though, the desk person did not have the usual welcoming personality that is almost universal in Peru! Did your travel agent book these? If so, you may want to browse the hotel websites which have information on what is in the rooms.

 

In Lima, that Casa Andina Select is in an area with a lot of foot traffic and you should be fine walking in the immediate area. My last trip (last June) I had a meal at Saqra which is just around the block on La Paz, and it was pretty good.

 

You are also quite close to Punto Azul for seafood, on the NW corner of Alcanfores and San Martin. Huge portions, family style....no reservations!

 

One tip re walking around is to be sure to pay attention to sidewalks as they are often uneven with short steps that you can easily stumble on...and slippery if it is foggy!

 

Google Maps Street View works in Lima, too...helpful to preview where you are going.

Only so much you can do about viruses (the flu-like type) when people all around you are coughing and sneezing without covering.

 

My cabin mate (a teacher for 40 years plus who rarely gets sick) was hit by a bug which was probably from the plane, but flu was spreading around our ship as well.

 

So at a minimum I would recommend a flu shot!

You MIGHT be able to get the lobster using room service, depending on the cruise line, if you order it early during service. (Holland America works that way).

 

But generally, no you won't get the "good stuff" in a buffet.

Hi fsdj1097, I've been to Lima a number of times and really love it, and have walked around the touristy areas on my own. That said, I probably don't stick out quite as much as the average tourist. I would always ask the advice of the desk re safety about walking, after what time should I get a taxi, what areas should I avoid. In general I carry very little when around Lima...you do not even really need to carry bottled water as there are stores on every corner. Just the cash that I need for the day in a safe place, and perhaps a credit card. Re taxis, if you don't want to carry a smart phone, you can ask the hotel or restaurant to help you get one. I did use street taxis but many are nervous about that.

 

Re the camera, I do not prefer to walk around Lima with a backpack and big camera. I use an inexpensive point and shoot which I call my "city camera". In the SV and AC you should be fine, but when you sit down, I recommend putting a leg through the loop of the backpack to avoid it walking off (with assistance).

1) There is a clothesline built in to the shower stall (which still has a curtain)

2) Toiletries included are shampoo/shower gel (no conditioner), soap, and facial tissues.

3) The in room safe opens by punching in a code, not a key swipe

4) Pool towels and gym towels are readily available, no need for Seapass swipe on board (only for off shore excursions)

5) Minibar charges are not outrageous for soda and mineral water (around $2.25 a can and less than $5 for the large bottle of water).

6) There is a selection of free bagged teas available at the dining venues including rooibos, mint, decaf, and even Tetley. The coffee was weak for me, but Canadians considered it too strong. The upgrade espresso is Illy. Windjammer has at least one diet flavored (noncarbonated) drink (Strawberry Kiwi was good). Also sweetened lemonade and unsweetened ice tea are available for free.

7) There was always ice cream for dessert at dinner. During the day soft serve is available on the pool deck. Fruit choices are limited, you won't even find bananas daily at breakfast. Fruit was often were green the day served. We always kept a few bananas and kiwis ripening in the cabin.

8) No corkage is charged. You can also ask your cabin steward for a wine glass and carry it with you to any venue.

9) There is smoked salmon (nearly daily) at Park Cafe, but not at Windjammer.

10). The menus are NOT duplicated at Windjammer & the MDR. There are only a few things that are the same (eg the soups). Often leftover desserts show up in Windjammer the following day.

11) Both at Park Cafe and Windjammer there is a carved meat choice (or sometimes a stirfry). They are different. Eg you may find roast beef in Park Cafe and turkey in Windjammer, or vice versa.

12) If you are interested in Indian, Jamaican/Caribbean, or Indonesian food, check out Windjammer. Some of those items were excellent (they seem to be for the crew more than the guests).

13) The salad bar at lunch in the MDR is better than the one in Windjammer. Sometimes you can get in and out of MDR quickly for lunch, but sometimes not, depending on the attentiveness of the server. If you are in a hurry, forget dessert in the MDR.

14) If you don't have any status, you are probably stuck with My Time Dining. They will try to stick you at one of the huge round tables. Ask for the smaller 8-person one if that happens. I would try to book 5:30 pm times. The wait for a table even with reservation at 7:30 was 15 minutes. If one of you can't handle the slow dinner service, the other can bring "takeout" back to the room if there is something special on the menu.

so I heard on the radio this morning that both this ship and the carnival ship are getting their full cleanings today at the same port?

 

I would assume then that this was spread around at the port somehow and taken onto both the ships that caused the outbreaks...

 

random thought....

 

I would be thankful though that the deep clean is happening right before I board.

We got off the Legend today. We were notified of an outbreak of GI illness on 10 April, our prior port of call was Puerto Quetzal on 8 April (so two days of sailing for it to start spreading). There was also a LOT of coughing..uncovered. I know at least one person was diagnosed with flu, but my cabin mate came down with something on Day 5 that was not flu (they can do an onboard flu test). Remember this was over Spring/Easter break so a lot of people traveling.

 

We got a questionnaire asking where we ate in Guatemala and Costa Rica, so they must be trying to find a source there.

 

There was a couple downstairs as we were waiting to disembark, bragging about how they were sick but decided to treat themselves with meds they had, so they wouldn't need to be quarantined. And people wonder why it's so hard to control outbreaks. We also saw people refusing the mandatory handcleaning.

 

Fortunately neither of us got the GI thing but I think I'm now coming down with the cough. At least it didn't ruin my cruise.

 

And there were plenty of extra lobster tails in the main dining room.

The Observation Bar on the QM is cool, but I've not had dinner on the ship, sorry.

The Strand House in Manhattan Beach for your lunch as long as it isn't Monday. Another more casual place is Capt. Kidd's in Redondo Beach although there isn't the nearby strolling other than the pier.

 

My favorite super Casual Mexican restaurant in Long Beach is Patricia's in North Long Beach/Bixby Knolls but the service can be pretty messed up. A lot of people like Enrique's instead http://www.enriqueslongbeach.com/

 

SuperMex is now something of a chain experience (although a local one), and I don't recommend it unless you don't have a car and even then not really.

 

A pleasant place if they are open is the Claire's at the Long Beach Museum of Art, but call to check since they are sometimes closed for special events. Really nice if you can dine outside there for brunch (Bloody Marys are good).

 

http://lbma.org/claires/

 

Another pretty good option downtown Long Beach is George's Greek

http://georgesgreekcafe.com/