500adverbs

Maybe I’m missing something, but the Princess page linked at the beginning of the thread says we will have to adhere to local regulations and take only Princess-approved excursions.

But it doesn’t say anything about not getting off the ship if you don’t take an excursion.

I hope that, by the time any of us actually get back on a cruise ship, sufficient numbers of people are vaccinated and case counts will be low enough that this will be less relevant.

And as others have pointed out, this is all likely to change and become more clear as time goes on.

So, @garda, did you go? If so, how was it? 😊

5 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

For those having difficulty believing that Princess pricing is increasing while these cutbacks are happening...I just pulled up my confirmation from the Hawaii cruise I took. This is comparing apples to apples - same ship / same date / same itinerary / same cabin:

 

Star Princess LA-Hawaii RT

Dec 19 2017 - Jan 3 2018 (15 nights)

2 BD aft balconies: B736 / B740

PER PERSON: $1,758.40 CAD

TAX/FEE: $209 CAD

Total Paid: $7,869.60 CAD

 

Above was booked approximately 8 months out and included no perks at booking. Switched to 3 for free promo for no extra cost and received $150 OBC per person, plus paid gratuities for all pax

 

TODAY

Star Princess LA-Hawaii RT

Dec 19 2019 - Jan 3 2020 (15 nights)

2 BD aft balconies: B736 / B740

PER PERSON: $3,591.70 CAD

TAX/FEE: $234.01 CAD

Total cost: $15,302.84 CAD

 

Add to this the cost of gratuities ($1,131 CAD) and the $600 OBC and the total is $17,033.84 today compared to $7,869.60 in 17/18.

 

Someone mentioned I must have got a killer deal - maybe I did, but given the time of year it's unlikely. In fact, the sailing was sold out and we were offered a move over (which we didn't take)

They did seem to be selling the Christmas 2017/New Year's 2018 cruises for a deeply discounted rate, at least for a time.

We snapped up a $1,749 per person balcony on the Grand from SF to Hawaii 12/18/17 to 1/2/18, which we thought was a good deal having kept close track of fares from SF for a year or more, but yours appears to have been even better.

Our 2016 and 2017 cruises aren't exactly apples to apples, but the 2017 fare appears to be comparatively low even given the difference in cabin type:

SF to Hawaii 11/23/16 to 12/8/16
(D204 mid-forward mini-suite, perfectly fine stateroom, but awful location directly above the smoking area on Promenade deck and very choppy in rough seas - our only non-aft cabin in 5 cruises)
Booked 8/21/16, about three months out

Fare: $2,699.00 USD (per person) [equivalent to $3,521.93 CAD on 9/9/16, the day final payment was due]

Vacation Protection:  $188.93 USD (per person) for $377.86

Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses:  $215.00 USD (per person) for $430.00

Total: 3,102.93 USD (per person) for $6,205.86

SF to Hawaii 12/18/17 to 1/2/18
(B732, aft balcony - we love aft cabins)
Booked 7/20/17, about five months out

Fare: $1749.00 USD (per person) [equivalent to $2,126.26 CAD on 9/8/17, the day before final payment was due]

Vacation Protection:  $39.00 USD (per person) for $78.00

Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses:  $230.00 USD (per person) for $460.00

Total: $2018.00 USD (per person) for $4,036.00

No big conclusion. It's indeed possible 2017 may have been a low point for fares... but no matter what, it's hard to argue that they're not going up.

My DW told me this news just now and we are so sorry to hear it. In a tragedy like this, we are all one family. To those on the Royal, know that all of us in this community are holding you in our hearts. I hope there is some way the rest of your trip can be peaceful and, if at all possible, even healing. Thank you for taking the time to update us. And to those who have lost their loved ones, and to those who lost their lives, may you also find peace.

My DW and I did this cruise twice - we've cruised four times, and the last two were this cruise (the last one was a year ago).

We loved it. We also sailed with Brian and Rowena both times and they are a lot of fun. There will be Hawaiian ambassadors on every Princess Hawaiian cruise, so there will always be ukulele & hula lessons (and a performance by passengers), and lectures with some of the culture and history. There are always a lot of things to do. Karaoke, trivia, shows, movies, looking out at the ocean, eating, working off the food, etc. We also had a great enrichment lecturer, Barry "Big B" Brenner, who did an amazing series of concert/lectures on early blues music.

My wife and I are early/mid-40s, and we didn't feel out of place demographically (there are all types and ages of people on the ship).

One of the best things about this cruise from an "experiencing Hawaii" standpoint is that you get to experience four different islands. I feel like I got a good sense of what I liked most about each of the islands and ideas for future visits (of course, I love them all and want to spend more time on all of them).

It is definitely rougher going across the Pacific than it is hugging the coast to Alaska or on the California Coastal. Try to avoid a forward cabin. At least the one time we did it, booking a forward cabin resulted in a lot of concussive, loud noises when the ship hit the rough water. (TNTLAMB might know a bit about why - that was an interesting tidbit on the ship, thanks!) Midship is your best bet. We like a little motion and always book an aft cabin now. 

It is definitely colder the first couple days out from San Francisco but the gradual warming is a unique phenomenon that we enjoyed experiencing.

We will no doubt do this cruise again someday. However, here are the reasons we are going to fly to Hawaii next time we go there:

1. Balance of sea days and port days: You have to really be committed to sea days to take this cruise. And then the four port days being right in a row in the middle mean that, if you want to maximize your time in the islands, you could wear yourself out (or just end up having to skip something you would otherwise want to see). In addition, personally, I find it difficult to justify taking that much time off for only four partial days in the islands.

2. Not being able to relax on land for any length of time. There's something nice about hanging out in your hotel lagoon in the moonlight, or walking on the beach at sunset, that you can't really do on a cruise. And you don't get as deep an experience of any one island.

Either way, you really can't go wrong. Enjoy!

In general, I think the food on the Grand is really good (I've been on it three times between 2016-2018). HC is solid if not spectacular, and toward the end of a long cruise (15 day) you have to really look at the produce because some of it gets iffy (which is to be expected). In the MDR, DW and I rely heavily on ordering what our waiter recommends, which is not always what we think we'd like most based on the menu description, and we've been very happy with the results.

On fish tacos and Mexico, I love fish tacos (which I hadn't heard of very long before I moved to California in 2002). A former co-worker suggested I have fish tacos in Ensenada because they were spectacular there... but I didn't try them (or anything else) the one time I went ashore there.

On the rare Mexican food day on the Grand (taco/fajita bars at Horizon Court), I have found that I could assemble passable tacos/burritos from the ingredients provided. Tortillas, beans, meat, pico de gallo, pretty good guac, etc. 

If they have one on my next cruise, I will make sure to include whatever the fish of the day is in my creation!

It's not a linear progression, especially with the fire still burning. Winds change direction. 

Here's an article showing the current extent of the smoke: https://m.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/camp-woolsey-fire-from-space-smoke-photos-13381891.php

I live in San Francisco and haven't ventured out much since Saturday morning due to the smoke. The air quality throughout the Bay Area continues to be unhealthy. At the very least, smoke would affect a California Coastal cruise while docked in SF.

That information is outright incorrect...........With nearly 260 sea days on Princess, we have NEVER been charged 2 punches for any kind of LARGE specialty coffee....their Blended Banoffee (Banana Coffee) is to die for.

A large one with a WHOLE banana (usually it's half a banana) plus extra whipped cream and caramel syrup

has NEVER cost us more than one punch.

I also beg to differ about your comment that a nice barista and International Cafe is an exceedingly rare combination. We have NEVER come across a barista who was not "nice" as you put it. Actually they have always been nice and very accommodating of our requests.

And just to be clear, we are NOT Princess cheerleaders NOR do we cruise exclusively with just Princess.

I'm glad that you've had that experience and that others have as well.

I simply shared the experience I and my DW had on four cruises on Grand Princess between 2015 and 2017.

DW and I have done four cruises: 10, 7, 15, and 15 nights. We loved it right away. They all always feel too short. It really does depend on what you're doing. Of course, the last one felt too short because I was sick the last four days of the cruise. Oh, for more vacation time and an early retirement.

It may be a silly concept to you, but it wasn't for us when we had to cancel a cruise due to a sick cat.

This happened to us as well. It's a real bummer.

Unfortunately, we didn't consider that possibility when we got our third party trip insurance (Generali). We canceled so late that we'd have gotten nothing if we had opted for NCL's own coverage either. Our TA was nice enough to offer our cabin as an upgrade to someone else he represented and we got a small percentage of the trip back, but aside from that the insurance we picked didn't help us at all.

Thanks, that's a big help! So, gratuity being the same either way, and if I can use my "card" for either size, $31 ÷ $3.50 = 8.8. If I get 9 speciality during the week I break even. Every additional speciality drink and brewed coffee puts me ahead. Not crazy about the new rules, but this still makes sense for me... as long as we can get large drinks we'll keep our pre-purchased cards.

They typically punch once for small drinks, twice for large. Sometimes you'll get a nice barista who punches once for a large drink especially if it's something simple (e.g. a cappucino with nothing added). But "nice barista" and "International Cafe" is an exceedingly rare combination.

I was pretty happy when I saw the remodel of the ice cream place on the Grand - they now have espresso drinks up there as well. Nice to not have to go all the way down to IC before grabbing food at HC if you are inclined to combine the two.

The coffee cards have been a staple for me and DW, but the difference between the new program and the old is not really a big deal. I do prefer the brewed coffee slightly, so I'll probably still get the coffee package, but I have consumed quite a lot of the free coffee and the free iced tea in our four cruises. I'm not particularly picky.

A general note on this thread. It seems like Princess continues to move towards nickeling and diming. I started cruising in 2015 so I never got to experience the heyday. But the reality is that you're there to relax and a cruise is still among the more economical ways to travel overall. It's really not worth worrying about this, especially for those who are taking their first cruise; just go and enjoy yourself.

FYI...this week on the Grand (Nov 28-Dec 8) they are no longer selling coffee cards. The folks in international cafe tell us it's all part of the transition to the new system. They ARE honoring those who already have them. If you don't have a coffee card you are being charged the individual drink prices.

 

And also...we were at one of the bars when IT made a computer change. The bartender told us the picture now shows up when he runs your card for the drinks. He said it'll cut down on the sharing.

 

This is current to the Grand. I have no knowledge about what is happening on other ships right now.

Thanks for posting this. We are getting on the Grand in 17 days and love having the coffee cards. Usually we've bought them onboard, but with this in mind, I just ordered two online to maximize our chances of getting them.

Thanks for the review! Cruising to Alaska on the Golden (so similar to the Grand) was my and DW's first cruise, and we've cruised twice since, both times on the Grand. We agree on how great the crew is. Like others who live in and around SF, we also feel lucky to be able to hop in a cab and go straight from our place to the ship.

It's always interesting to hear what people think who have been on multiple cruise lines. Given what we value (customer service, cultural and scientific programs, convenience), we think we made the right choice with Princess so far (despite some hiccups). Very much looking forward to going to Hawaii on the Grand in less than three weeks, but your review makes me want to go back to Alaska!

Which deck are you on? Emerald E619 appears to be an oceanview cabin (and thus odors probably wouldn't be much of an issue), so are you in D619?

Looking at the deck plan, it is on the starboard side, so it's directly above the high-traffic area near the entrances to Vista Lounge, Sabatini's, and the photo/video area. I can't remember if people smoke outside that door or not.

I was in D204 on the Grand, which is right above an ashtray on the Promenade deck (forward port side, so not relevant to your exact question). From that spot you *will* smell people's smoke from your balcony.

Perhaps others who have stayed on the other side of the ship remember.

Will scout it out on the Grand in a few weeks...!

We had one once when my duh was recuperating from a bad wreck and required a walker. It was nice, it was a balcony. If you don't mind being by an elevator and they don't need it,go for it.

Do I dare ask?

Phone/tablet autocorrect for "DH" would be my guess.

On the Grand last fall (with Brian and Rowena) they had dozens of ukuleles available for the lessons. The Wheelhouse Bar was filled to capacity and everyone had a ukulele. (It pays to get there early if you want a seat, though it looks like they had them in Vista Lounge this spring on the Grand, which sounds much more comfortable.)

Can't imagine it would be much different on the Star. The plus of bringing your own is that you'd get to practice between lessons.

It does seem like it would be sort of annoying to book a midship cabin and have to either use the elevators or do a lot of backtracking. I never thought about the fact that midship cabins are more expensive and in some ways the least convenient, if you don't use the elevators. Still, more steps mean more desserts.

My wife and I have been on the Grand twice and the Golden once, with aft cabins twice and forward once. We walk through the photo area a LOT on the Grand, and the art gallery, and even occasionally the casino despite the smoke, but in good weather we prefer the promenade deck. And of course we walk end to end from Horizon Court to Horizon Terrace and take the outside stairs down. We also like to walk a lot more than most.

I guess the upshot is that I prefer aft cabins... we like the movement of the ship back there and there are a myriad of direct routes to and from anywhere on the ship.

A cab could be closer to $70 including tip (I'm adding the average cost of a cab from SFO to our place to one from our place to Pier 27), but it depends on traffic, which depends on what time you're getting to the pier.
 A rush hour cab might well be $80.

$29 per person for the transfer sounds reasonable and I imagine the convenience factor (and the assumed professionalism of the driver) would be worth that price (though I've never taken a ship's transfer).

We take Lyft from time to time here in SF and our experiences have been mixed (though, now that I think about it, trending downward). It is cheaper than a cab. We have ridden with very nice people and some seemingly unstable people... the percentage is a little better in our experience with cabs. Either way there's a chance for an unpleasant experience (bad smells, annoying conversation, fear for one's life, etc.). I exaggerate a bit.

BART from the airport to Embarcadero ($8.95/pp) and either a cab to the port (~$20) or a 20-minute walk is definitely a viable option. If you go that way and have 30-90 minutes of extra time, you can stop at the Ferry Building on the way, which is worth checking out.

My wife and I really enjoyed the atmosphere at The Arctic Club Seattle (Doubletree by Hilton) in downtown Seattle when we stayed there six years ago (well before our cruising days). It looks like it's valet parking and no shuttles, but it's a six-minute drive/10-minute walk to Amtrak, so Lyft/Uber would be nominal from there.

Terrific review - thank you for sharing your time, photos, and internet minutes. ;)

I actually end up eating more in the main dining room because of all the courses, and the bread, and the desserts... stretched out over a couple hours, I find it easy to overeat. DW and I have taken to eating most breakfasts and lunches in the buffet. My trick is to only have one plate and virtually never go back for seconds. On that usually one and only plate, I fill up half of it with fruit (breakfast) or salad with a small amount of oil and vinegar (lunch). Also, we don't drink alcohol, we avoid sugary beverages, and we walk everywhere. We did pretty well on cruises 2 and 3, though I think we gained a little each time.

Chengkp75 will remember this story from last December.

DW and I were on the Grand Princess on our way back to the mainland from four amazing days in Hawaii, looking forward to four relaxing sea days, a relaxing day of not going to Ensenada, and rolling our bags off the ship into a cab to our home in San Francisco.

Instead, the tender platform opened up while at sea, punching a hole in the hull. (See photo in long thread describing what happened.) This happened for unknown reasons at 1 am on a Saturday morning and we were awakened by the Captain's announcement at 7 or 8 am about it. We eventually limped back to Honolulu (at about 11 knots) for repairs and a premature end to the cruise.

The bonus day and a half in Honolulu was nice (as was being reimbursed for most of the cost of the cruise via refunds and future cruise credits), though we had to spend a good portion of the entire second day re-packing for a very unexpected flight. The whole atmosphere of the ship changed in a way we hadn't wanted. It was pretty scary that whole Saturday when we were all trying to figure out what was happening. We were looking for the opposite of that kind of excitement. (I could also feel the intentional list of the ship while laying in bed.) The ship was heading straight for dry dock in Oregon, so the two nights we spent in Honolulu on the ship as a floating hotel featured lots of construction work on deck and lots of new workers on board to replace a lot of the passengers who left earlier than our assigned time. Still, we got home safely, which was better than the alternative.

Most people sailing out of SF live in Northern California, so they don't fly to the ship, and most of them are older than we are. Looking down from my window seat, I could see the luggage being loaded onto the plane, and I have never seen so many walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters loaded onto a plane at one time. A little heartbreaking.

I think taking the cruise with your family was a wonderful idea and I hope it went well.

This is an old thread, but I'm reviving it in case someone has the answer, because I am interested in it as well!