SiliconCruiser

We've had erroneous charges on our bill for the last couple of cruises.  With the Medallions it was easier to prove that the purchases weren't made since we weren't even on the ship when the purchases were made (and yes, they can track you anywhere on the ship with those medallions.)  Nevertheless, the Guest Services desks remains the worst link in the chain with all sorts of excuses and outright lies.

On 8/21/2019 at 9:38 AM, olegna said:

Does anyone know how to get the public announcements on the cabin tv?

 

Old days, just tuned to bridge camera and there it was. Have asked several ship personnel and no can do. Must keep door open. Very strange for modern tech. 

 

Thanks for response. 

Currently on the Caribbean princess bound for Greenland. 

Just got back from a cruise on the Regal, and the announcements from the bridge were broadcast on the bridge cam channel.  On the Medallion ships with the new TVs, you'll find the bridge cam channel under the Live TV category.

On 5/12/2019 at 11:25 AM, josephml1 said:

Hi

 

Please let me know your inside tips for the Grand  Princess

 

Please share your favorite: spot, food, restaurant, inside tips, bar, favorite place, pool, secret place, etc

 

also tips traveling with children 

 

All tips are welcome.

The Grand is an old ship, first of Princess' Grand class.  It is due to be moved from it's home port of San Francisco to Singapore in 2020, and the Star Princess (another Grand class ship) is supposed to replace it with San Francisco as it's homeport.  Presuming that you will be embarking from San Francisco, be aware that traffic around Pier 27 is a incredibly congested when the Grand is in port, starting with disembarking passengers early in the morning and embarking passengers later in the morning.  Traffic is controlled by off-duty SFPD officers on the street side, but union porters control everything on the dock.  Mix that in with the usual traffic congestion in the City and you pretty much have a nice mess that you'll have to be patient with.  Avoid driving into the City and parking your car there, use a public conveyance or have a friend drive you to the pier; auto burglaries are common in San Francisco, especially in lots that are recommended for cruise passengers.

Contrary to any information (or misinformation) that you might get from Princess, you can usually start boarding around 11AM.  If you get on board early and can drop your carry-on bag in your stateroom, you can go to the DaVinci  dining room for a sit down lunch (ship personnel will try to steer you to the buffet and may fib about the dining room being available.)  DaVinci does close at 1PM for lunch service.  First night dining in the three dining rooms is usually mass confusion, go early (5PM) or late (after 7:30) if you can.  The Horizon Court (14th floor buffet) is good for breakfast, okay for lunch, and absolutely horrid for dinner.  Unless there have been major changes, use the dining rooms for dinner.  If you have Anytime Dining, and plan on eating between 5:30 and 7:30, make reservations in the morning otherwise you'll probably be holding a pager for a while before being seated.  Bars are a big money maker for the cruise lines, you'll find them all over the ship.  Waiters have also been trained to offer you "exclusive" wine tastings (I think they must get a commission for each sale.)

Princess has a nasty reputation for trying to sell you something everytime you turn around, and they do live up to that reputation, so be aware.  Also do be aware that much of the merchandise (clothing, souveniers, etc.) that they sell on the ship is made specifically for Princess.   If you're going to Hawaii, do be aware that the first couple of days out of San Francisco can be a little rough, so you might want to pack some OTC motion sickness medications/remedies if you are prone. 

On 5/12/2019 at 11:25 AM, josephml1 said:

Hi

 

Please let me know your inside tips for the Grand  Princess

 

Please share your favorite: spot, food, restaurant, inside tips, bar, favorite place, pool, secret place, etc

 

also tips traveling with children 

 

All tips are welcome.

The Grand is an old ship, first of Princess' Grand class.  It is due to be moved from it's home port of San Francisco to Singapore in 2020, and the Star Princess (another Grand class ship) is supposed to replace it with San Francisco as it's homeport.  Presuming that you will be embarking from San Francisco, be aware that traffic around Pier 27 is a incredibly congested when the Grand is in port, starting with disembarking passengers early in the morning and embarking passengers later in the morning.  Traffic is controlled by off-duty SFPD officers on the street side, but union porters control everything on the dock.  Mix that in with the usual traffic congestion in the City and you pretty much have a nice mess that you'll have to be patient with.  Avoid driving into the City and parking your car there, use a public conveyance or have a friend drive you to the pier; auto burglaries are common in San Francisco, especially in lots that are recommended for cruise passengers.

Contrary to any information (or misinformation) that you might get from Princess, you can usually start boarding around 11AM.  If you get on board early and can drop your carry-on bag in your stateroom, you can go to the DaVinci  dining room for a sit down lunch (ship personnel will try to steer you to the buffet and may fib about the dining room being available.)  DaVinci does close at 1PM for lunch service.  First night dining in the three dining rooms is usually mass confusion, go early (5PM) or late (after 7:30) if you can.  The Horizon Court (14th floor buffet) is good for breakfast, okay for lunch, and absolutely horrid for dinner.  Unless there have been major changes, use the dining rooms for dinner.  If you have Anytime Dining, and plan on eating between 5:30 and 7:30, make reservations in the morning otherwise you'll probably be holding a pager for a while before being seated.  Bars are a big money maker for the cruise lines, you'll find them all over the ship.  Waiters have also been trained to offer you "exclusive" wine tastings (I think they must get a commission for each sale.)

Princess has a nasty reputation for trying to sell you something everytime you turn around, and they do live up to that reputation, so be aware.  Also do be aware that much of the merchandise (clothing, souveniers, etc.) that they sell on the ship is made specifically for Princess.   If you're going to Hawaii, do be aware that the first couple of days out of San Francisco can be a little rough, so you might want to pack some OTC motion sickness medications/remedies if you are prone. 

On 5/12/2019 at 11:25 AM, josephml1 said:

Hi

 

Please let me know your inside tips for the Grand  Princess

 

Please share your favorite: spot, food, restaurant, inside tips, bar, favorite place, pool, secret place, etc

 

also tips traveling with children 

 

All tips are welcome.

The Grand is an old ship, first of Princess' Grand class.  It is due to be moved from it's home port of San Francisco to Singapore in 2020, and the Star Princess (another Grand class ship) is supposed to replace it with San Francisco as it's homeport.  Presuming that you will be embarking from San Francisco, be aware that traffic around Pier 27 is a incredibly congested when the Grand is in port, starting with disembarking passengers early in the morning and embarking passengers later in the morning.  Traffic is controlled by off-duty SFPD officers on the street side, but union porters control everything on the dock.  Mix that in with the usual traffic congestion in the City and you pretty much have a nice mess that you'll have to be patient with.  Avoid driving into the City and parking your car there, use a public conveyance or have a friend drive you to the pier; auto burglaries are common in San Francisco, especially in lots that are recommended for cruise passengers.

Contrary to any information (or misinformation) that you might get from Princess, you can usually start boarding around 11AM.  If you get on board early and can drop your carry-on bag in your stateroom, you can go to the DaVinci  dining room for a sit down lunch (ship personnel will try to steer you to the buffet and may fib about the dining room being available.)  DaVinci does close at 1PM for lunch service.  First night dining in the three dining rooms is usually mass confusion, go early (5PM) or late (after 7:30) if you can.  The Horizon Court (14th floor buffet) is good for breakfast, okay for lunch, and absolutely horrid for dinner.  Unless there have been major changes, use the dining rooms for dinner.  If you have Anytime Dining, and plan on eating between 5:30 and 7:30, make reservations in the morning otherwise you'll probably be holding a pager for a while before being seated.  Bars are a big money maker for the cruise lines, you'll find them all over the ship.  Waiters have also been trained to offer you "exclusive" wine tastings (I think they must get a commission for each sale.)

Princess has a nasty reputation for trying to sell you something everytime you turn around, and they do live up to that reputation, so be aware.  Also do be aware that much of the merchandise (clothing, souveniers, etc.) that they sell on the ship is made specifically for Princess.   If you're going to Hawaii, do be aware that the first couple of days out of San Francisco can be a little rough, so you might want to pack some OTC motion sickness medications/remedies if you are prone. 

On 3/11/2019 at 8:35 AM, lindiloo65 said:

My sister and myself who are in our 70's and have mobility problems plus my sister is one oxygen 24/7 are thinking about taking a cruise/land tour to Alaska. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Looking for a cruise and than a train ride if available. Thanks for your help.

The cruise lines that cover Alaska, mostly Carnival brands like Holland America, Princess, and Carnival are U.S. based businesses that must offer accessibility in compliance with ADA.  And they often own the lodgings in Alaskan land/cruise tours, and like any public lodging in the United States, they too must offer accessibility in compliance with ADA.  Train transportation must also be ADA compliant (after all, Alaska is part of the United States 😉.)

The one caveat would be the excursion operators at the Alaskan ports.  Many do not offer accessible vehicles and are not required to.  You'll want to check before you book any of them.  Same with the excursions offered by the cruise line (since many are through the same operators.)  If the excursion is accessible, it will usually be noted in their literature.

On 3/10/2019 at 3:06 PM, The Commodore said:

New to Scooter travel. How do you travel from home to airport to hotel.to ship? Uber? How difficult is it at the airport? Then uber or taxi to hotel then to.ship. Seems like a nightmare. Rental.is expensive compared to purchase. Purchase is easy but is it worth it?  

Thanks to.anyone for guidance.

 

Tom

I would avoid ride sharing services, unless your traveling companion can lift and place the scooter into the vehicle on their own.  Uber/Lyft drivers can come up with all sorts of excuses to not assist you.  The drivers could care less about ADA compliance, though Uber and Lyft feign compliance with "guidelines" for drivers.  We find regular airport shuttles (they have vans with motorized lifts) to be far more reliable and consistent with pricing.  Many of these shuttles also go to cruise ports.  US airlines are better trained and are pretty consistent about transporting and gate-checking mobility devices so that they'll be waiting for you right outside of the aircraft.  Your experience on the ship and disembarking at ports may vary depending on the ship's crew (not necessarily consistent throughout a cruise line.)

On 2/23/2019 at 5:08 PM, 1980dory said:

My experiences have been different.  On a flight to Singapore, my scooter was not waiting for me on arrival.  If fact no one knew where it was and advised me to walk all the way to baggage claim to find it.

On another occassion,  my collapsible scooter was not rolled around on it's wheels.  Instead, it was dragged upside down across a rough (probably concrete) surface causing extensive damage to the console, instruments, and an expensive bell.  The finish was also severly scraped.

My airline tried to say that it was previously damaged but could provide no evidence of such.  I asked why they had not noted any damage prior to accepting the scooter.  Since they did not do a pre-acceptance inspection they could provide no answer to the question.

Ironically, one of their counter employees noted that the condition of the scooter "looked new".

And on arrival, the pilot of the flight exited the plane and could not believe the damage to my scooter when he saw me trying to deal with the problem.

I filed a formal complaint and after many months of hassle, the airline finally paid for the damages and the airline was gigged  fort the damage.

We also experienced the same thing in Singapore.  When we got down to baggage claim, we saw a female baggage handler struggling to try and push the wheelchair with the wheels locked.  I screamed "Stop!" very loudly across the room and she stopped.  Fortunately, the only damage that was sustained was a bent bolt.  We filed a claim immediately and received a repair authorization.  (Changi airport in Singapore uses a centralized damage claim area for all of the airlines, so you don't have to deal with the excuses/lies from the airline employees.  You should not deal with airline employees in Singapore.)

On 2/11/2019 at 2:36 PM, bay guy said:

A few questions: 1) Is it difficult to take a scooter on a plane? Can you bring the scooter to the gate and gate check it without having to worry too much about getting it back undamaged and in a timely manner so you can make a connecting flight. Is there a problem with TSA security getting a scooter through the checkpoints?

Yes, it is not a problem.  At least not in the U.S. and some of the more responsible airlines for international travel.

On 2/11/2019 at 2:36 PM, bay guy said:

2) Since lithium batteries are used in the scooters, I assume that you have to carry them on into the passenger compartment versus leaving them with the scooter to go into the cargo hold. Correct or not? If correct, do the airlines count them as part of your carry on allowance?

My wife uses a transportable motorized wheelchair that uses a Lithium battery. With the exception of China Airlines, the battery has always remained with the chair in transit.

On 2/11/2019 at 2:36 PM, bay guy said:

3) Do the scooters tend to ride more smoothly on sidewalks and other uneven surfaces with less jolting than a wheelchair?

Unless your assistive device has shock absorbers, you'll feel the bumps with both.

On 2/11/2019 at 2:36 PM, bay guy said:

4) For you seasoned travelers who use these assistance devices, is it easier for you to use a wheelchair or scooter, assuming you have someone who can push a wheelchair for you?

Wheelchairs turn a tighter radius.  Motorized wheelchairs use separate motors for the left and right drive wheels enabling much more agility in maneuvering crowded areas.  Scooters are cumbersome and inconsiderate passengers will often leave them sitting in the hallways outside of their staterooms, blocking the hallways.  I have moved a few of them (yes, I know how to move them without the key) so that my wife could go by in her wheelchair.   Both scooters and wheelchairs will fit through the doorways of ADA accessible staterooms.

The Cantonese settlement that is descended from the early immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th century can still be found in Vancouver's Chinatown (this is the one that is the oldest in Canada and was once second only to San Francisco's Chinatown.) While some of the places there are reminiscent of the earlier Chinese restaurants (i.e. no-frills) there are still some there. It would appear that the more recent immigrants (Hong Kong people escaping from the Chinese turnover, Taiwanese, and PRC) have settled in Richmond. We didn't go to any Chinese places in Victoria, but other cruisers (descendants of early Chinese immigrants to the U.S.) tell me that is is slightly tourist oriented (not outrageous, but definitely targeted for a more lucrative market.)

We were in Vancouver a few weeks ago, and the scenery has certainly changed. Higher end Cantonese Chinese restaurants (the ones that reflect offerings to the more financially affluent of the recent Hong Kong migration) are all over Richmond and some in Vancouver (though not in Chinatown)

We dock in Victoria on 9/8 from 6pm to mid nite and plan to check out the inner harbor but just discovered that the Chinatown here is the oldest in Canada and second oldest in N. America. Just wondered if it's walkable from the port?

 

Thought about maybe having dinner and Wah Lai Yuen was recommended for Southern Chinese food (I'm Cantonese and could go for dim sum!) but wondered if there are any other recommendations!

 

 

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For the sake of convenience, I'd suggest bringing those soap pods. Pack a few more than you think you might need in a zip-loc bag and close it leaving a lot of air (for cushion). In a separate zip-loc, pack dryer sheets (like Bounce) if you normally use them. As I recall, it was $3 to wash and $3 per dryer cycle. You'll use your cruise card to buy tokens for use in the washers and dryers, and the cost will be charged to your account.

Princess tends to be fairly lax on the Alaskan cruises due to the nature of the cruise and the more informal dress standards in Alaska. Many male diners are seated with open collared dress shirts, without a jacket. Even saw a few polo shirts.

we have some friends doing Alaska next month ,they want to know about formal dress requirements, we cruise a lot but have not done princess in a while

I have routinely taken 500ml bottles of mouthwash in either carry-on or checked luggage without question or suspicion. Do bear in mind that contrary to the stuff about "your safety", the alcohol prohibition is solely to benefit the bottom line of the Carnival cruise brands. If they were really concerned about your safety after consuming alcoholic beverages, why would they sell you an all you can drink card for $56 a day?

And in a pinch, Listerine (and generic versions) has an alcoholic content from 20-27% (40-54 proof), and it is consumable.

Seems that you usually have to be mildly assertive when you ask which dining room is open for lunch on embarkation day. Seems the standard answer is the buffet, but if you keep pushing they'll eventually tell you.

Probably best to call the local hotel (in Vancouver) and ask them to be sure. Was up at Canada Place last week (not for a cruise) and it appears that passengers may board below street level from the parking garage. Didn't see any porters at street level.

We went in late May and had no problems getting excursions on the piers, there are vendors galore at each port. I'm of the impression that there is no need to book excursions through the cruise line for any of the venues.

Also, in Juneau, I neglected to mention the Mt. Roberts Tramway (directly across from the pier.) Yeah, it's a tourist attraction, but seemed to be a worthwhile. The tickets are for an all-day pass, so you can use it multiple times in a day.

Thank you for all the responses. Since it is shoulder season, do you think we will be ok with booking excursions when we get to Port (i.e. Whitepass in Skagway and the shuttle to Mendenhall and possibly other activities, depending on weather)?

I assume that most of these operators are very familiar with the cruise tourists and should be reliable enough to get us back in time (which was the primary reason I would book directly with Princess but if we could save some $$$, may wait until the ports).

 

Also--any mosquitoes this time of year?

 

Thanks!

To be perfectly honest, get it at your local Costco when you get home (they have Norwegian and Alaskan Sockeye.) The retort packaged (cooked) smoked salmon is probably available at one of your local grocery stores. As for cold smoked salmon, the level of care that is required to transport it on various forms of transportation over a period of time, is really not worth the risk. You don't want your friends to be saying that they managed to survive the lox/lachs that you brought them from Alaska ... ;p

As for totally raw salmon it's really not even worth considering.

We will be doing a Cruise-tour with Princess starting on August 13th. We are flying into Anchorage a day before the tour begins. We will be staying at Captain Cook Hotel and in the Denali and Mt.McKinley Princess Lodges. The ports on the cruise are Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. After the cruise we will spend a few days in Vancouver.

 

I would like to purchase both salmon and smoked salmon to bring home/ship home for friends and family. I would appreciate any and all suggestions as to where the best places/ports are to purchase these items. Thanks in advance for your thoughts! :D

We cruised the Inside Passage on the Grand last year. The Alaskan port calls are pretty standard for the Carnival brands (including Princess).

It should be noted that at every one of the port calls, you will find pretty much the same excursions on the dock that you can purchase from Princess (albeit usually for less.)

Ketchikan - A van tour will often take you away from the Creek Street area and will enable you to see some other sites other than the tourist traps. But even the van tours will usually drop you off near or at Creek Street so that you can leave some of your tourist dollars with the local merchants.

Juneau - Take the bus (either the ship excursion or one from the dock) to Mendenhall and then come back at your leisure (they're all in the $35 neighborhood.) If you're able to go into the downtown area, it is worth wandering around to see some less touristy sites (not to worry, it is pretty hard to get lost since you'll probably have visual sight of the ship.)

If you're over 62, rush to any National Parks or multi-agency site in your area and get a Senior Pass for $10 before Aug. 28 (goes to $85 after that.) It will save you the per person charge (for up to 4 people) when you go to Mendenhall.

Skagway - Again, you'll find tour operators at the dock offering the same tours for less. White Pass excursions usually consist of a bus (or van) in one direction, and the train in the other direction. Be sure you bring your passport with you, as you will go into B.C. and both the Canadian and the U.S. officials will want to see that your face is a reasonable facsimile of the one on your passport (or passport card if applicable.) If you wander further than the dock, you'll also find tour operators on the main drag. (The further you are from the ship, the lower the cost for the excursion.) And the main drag is pretty uniform and looks nicely maintained; seems that the National Parks Service manages that strip of land and requires a specific appearance for the merchants that lease those properties.

Victoria - is the mandatory foreign stop before the ship can return to the U.S. (since it is not a ship of U.S. registry). If you've been to the B.C. capitol in any recent time, it hasn't changed. Get off ship to enjoy some of the local scenery, it should be a relatively short port call.

Not sure which airline you may be traveling on, but many passenger aircraft actually have specific compartments for Li-Ion batteries. You can give it to a flight attendant and they will return it to you on arrival. U.S. airlines seem pretty well-versed in this procedures, some of the non-U.S. airlines are not quite as well trained.

I was thinking more for airplane travel. I suspect that the key on mine is what keeps me from having to remove the battery when I fly. With just an on/off switch, something could theoretically turn the Travelscoot on if the battery was in place.

Originally heard that the magic date was going to be 8/21 from a NPS employee in Seattle, looks like it may be 8/28, at least for online applications. But you can get a senior pass for $10 from any National Park (whether they charge for admission or not,) or pay the processing fee in addition to the $10 fee to get it online. The price after that, will be $85, not $80 as indicated in the original post.

Sequim88, just used it the other day going to Hurricane Ridge.

Actually I think it is their way of pleading ignorance, and absolving themselves of responsibility if things change. But, just for the sake of fair play and equal time (and all that nonsense,) the Chinese government can't seem to get their act together either. When an inquiry was made to the Chinese consulate, they just said to check with the Shanghai immigration station. So when Princess says they're in constant contact with the Chinese government, I can't believe either party. Lots of fingerpointing without anyone willing to accept responsibility. Sounds like the GOP :)

Interesting, yes, but nice of them to at least let the passengers know that things might change without even the cruise line knowing about the change! You would think that a country would publicize a change like that months in advance so people would have time to react to it. Guess when you've got a government like that, that they don't care if you get caught in the middle!

 

Tom

The content that was posted is content from a standard web itinerary on a Princess visa requirements page that is applicable to a cruise that is only makes one stop in China. On cruises that make two port calls, Princess lists that a double-entry visa is required. Many countries are charged different rates depending upon the number of entries that they make to China. Americans, on the other hand, should only apply for a 10 year multi-entry visa because U.S. passport holders are charged the same (and much higher) rate regardless of the type of visa they apply for. It should be noted though that the higher visa fee to Americans is in reciprocity to the rates that the U.S. charges China passport holders for visas to the U.S.

You'll also want to note their somewhat interesting disclaimer "Visa requirements can change at any time. Princess does not set the requirements, nor are we advised when changes are made."

Columnist Christopher Elliott, who has a website I follow, contacted Princess on behalf of two people who wrote for help on this subject.

 

The visa is needed, they claim the 144 hour thing doesn't apply. Read the last page.

 

 

http://forum.elliott.org/threads/princess-refuses-to-honor-144-hour-visa-free-transit-in-shanghai.3569/#post-44619

Thanks, I was hoping to get some feedback from some passengers that had gone through the Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal to see what their experience may have been.

On a recent Alaskan cruise that had to stop off in Victoria BC (to satisfy the international stop requirement,) U.S. citizens had to go through immigration. Passport holders of other countries had their passports held by Princess before arrival (assuming that info had to be sent ahead) and then had to go through immigration as well.

That's why the statement about not going through immigration individually didn't quite sound right for a country that has strict border controls, like China.

That response makes sense. In most ports visited during acruise the cruise line gets clearance for all of the passengers on the ship, so each passenger does not have to go immigration individually. For example St Petersburg in Russia is an exception.

Aren't you the one that brought up the 144 Hour Visa Exemption for U.S. Citizens on another site?

Princess, like any other company in the transportation industry operates under a broad set of regulations. So no, they cannot arbitrarily do anything they want. And it is not unusual to be have phone agents be provided with very old or incorrect information. That even appears to be the case with Princess's website where they state one thing and the reference a 3rd party site that contradicts that information.

As for websites, much of the information on the Chinese Embassy's website is a couple of years old and the information on the Chinese consulate websites haven't been updated since 2013.

As for how long it may take to get a China visa, I was reminded by a former co-worker that a visa can be obtained from the consulate in a few hours under pressing circumstances and with the payment of an additional $30 rush fee (as I recall, he had to get one that way.) Normally, a visa application through the consulate takes about 4 days. However, if you go through one of the travel agent visa processing services it could take weeks or months.

Bottom line you will not be allowed to board the boat! This cruise is in just over a month and you are unwilling to take NO for an answer.

 

To be clear Princess can require anything they want and it does not matter if they are wrong as its their boat and their rules!

 

 

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They're back to telling passengers that they must have a visa to board. But each phone agent seems to have a different version of the story to tell. The last one that I heard was that it wasn't applicable because passengers would not have to go through immigration individually and that Princess would just send all the information to Chinese immigration (I think her nose was growing ...)

Well, more than a month after the rule changed and was posted by the embassy, and after several weeks of many of us contacting Princess for clarification, and Princess telling us we still needed visas, now, tonight, they send an email telling us we don't need them after all. After most people on our cruise spent nearly $500 to get them. Just spoke with Customer Relations and they have already been told to tell passengers that management will not provide any reimbursement, compensation or allowance for making us get the visas.