Floridapenny

I did the one where you come back on the train and did the am trip. I thought it was fabulous.

I am being shown a similar package for my cruise next month on the Coral. I was informed by my cruise consultant that the unlimited packages are being offered on 2 ships (Coral and Grand) at this time.

I will be on a partial transit cruise on the Coral Princess in March and, because I love trains, I am considering taking a train excursion in Limon. Princess is offering two excursions involving trains. One is Banana Route Railway the other is Train, Tortuguero Canals and Countryside. Has anyone done either excursion or heard anything positive or negative about either?

Thank you.

I will be on a partial transit cruise on the Coral Princess in March and, because I love trains, I am considering taking a train excursion in Limon. Princess is offering two excursions involving trains. One is Banana Route Railway the other is Train, Tortuguero Canals and Countryside. Has anyone done either excursion or heard anything positive or negative about either?

Thank you.

I am booked on the Coral on 3/21 from FLL for 10 day partial Panama Canal cruise. I did not consider spring break at all when booking. After reading all of the above, I think because of the length of the cruise, there should not be too many rowdy spring breakers.

I did something similar (but in the reverse direction) last spring.

We were transported by motor coach from our hotel Fairbanks to Denali Princess Lodge. There was one restroom stop on the way. After checking in, many of us took the shuttle to the park entrance. Some people took organized tours and/or short hikes.

The next morning, we were bussed to the train station for a ride to Talkeetna on our way to McKinley Princess Lodge. The train ride was wonderful. Very comfortable seats, bar service, food options, commentary, restrooms, etc. After arriving in Talkeetna, we had the option of staying in Talkeetna and walking around/eating a late lunch/having a beer or two or going directly to the Lodge. I stayed in town, had lunch and then took the shuttle to the Lodge. It was a bit cloudy at first, but when it cleaned up, the Mountain was visible.

The next morning, we were transported by Motorcoach to Whittier. We made 2 stops (once at the Iditarod headquarters in Wasilla for a long restroom break and then in Anchorage for a fairly long lunch break). The motorcoach ride was pleasant and the driver provided commentary.

I was disappointed that I did not have more time in Denali (and was further disappointed that the weather was not ideal).

All in all, I think it was a decent tour. If I had to do it again, I may have eliminated Fairbanks.

It was worth it for me last year on the Star to Alaska and Island from Alaska.

I am a craft beer drinker and was disappointed that my Star Princess cruise to Whittier served no craft beer, but was very pleased that the Island Princess from Whittier served serveral Alaskan Brewery selections.

When traveling to Miami on Amtrak, I have stayed at Embassy Suites Miami Airport, which is not too far away and was perfectly acceptable. I was traveling with someone else who paid the cab fare. I do not fly, and will be taking Amtrak to Ft. Lauderdale for my upcoming cruise out of Port Everglades. The Miami Amtrak station is not in the best neighborhood. You may want to consider taking the train to Hollywood and staying at a hotel near that station (if you do not want to stay near the port) or take the advice of others and stay near Brickell.

How you will cope with 28 hours in coach will depend on a lot of things. Have you ever taken a long distance train overnight? I would not recommend that long of a trip for a new train traveler older than 35. I certainly would not travel for that long in coach (and I have over 200,000 Amtrak miles under my belt, but am well over 35). If you opt for sleeping accommodations, my guess it will cost much more than flying (although meals are included if you take the Silver Meteor). Rooms on the Silver Star are less expensive, but do not include meals.

Just my 2 cents and don’t take offense but why would someone who most likely paid thousands for a cruise want to schlepp their luggage to the port when a Uber or Taxi costs $10? JMHO

 

 

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I enjoy walking, and walk most places while at home (even though I own a car).

Has anyone walked from Embassy Suites to the Port? It looks walkable if one does not have too much luggage.

So why bother with the cruise at all

My goal is to travel through the canal, which I will do with the partial transit cruise and ferry excursion.

I have opted for a partial Panama Canal cruise on the Coral Princess on 3/21/17. The ports of Aruba, Cartagena, Limon, Ocho Rios are virtually meaningless to me since I previously have visited all but Limon. I chose the partial (with excursion) to save some money and time (since I do not fly and it takes at least 4 days to travel by train between the west coast and Florida).

I, too, am allergic to garlic. I cruised on the Star and Island last spring to and from Alaska. I had excellent luck in the CC dining room for dinners when I ordered in advance. Almost everything on the menu was able to be prepared without garlic. On my northbound cruise, after boarding, I had lunch in the dining room and consulted with the head waiter and advised him of my allergy. I was limited to what I could eat the first day, since no advance notice was provided to the kitchen (even though Princess knew in advance of my allergy). Starting with the first night, I was provided menus for the next day's lunch (if we were at sea) and dinner. I chose my next day's meals in advance and, with few exceptions, everything was able to be prepare without garlic. While in port, I ate at the buffet for lunch a few times and was extremely disappointed. I was afraid to ask about garlic since I did not trust the responses from the staff. I ended up with salad (with oil and vinegar), cheese sandwich, and cookies.

I have just placed a deposit for a Panama Canal partial cruise (10 day) in March and attempted to identify my garlic allergy on the cruise personalizer. I may have been doing something wrong, but I was unable to notify Princess of my garlic allergy in that fashion. Next time I speak to my Princess cruise consultant, I will tell her, however, I think the key is to notify the head waiter.

I am curious as to which beers will be offered on the Coral in March. Last Spring, Blue Moon was the only "craft beer" on the Star to Alaska. However, several Alaska Brewery selections were offered on my Spring trip from Alaska on the Island Princess.

I am considering a 10 day partial Panama Canal Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale and am wondering if I am likely to encounter rough seas. Last late Spring, I did 2 Alaska cruises between Vancouver and Whittier for a total of 14 days and encountered rough seas one morning for a few hours. I was very uncomfortable, but, in the scheme of things, seeing Alaska was worth it. I think I am very sensitive to motion, and I am very reluctant to try the patch or other prescription medication.

Also, does anyone have an opinion about the best time of year to cruise to Panama?

I am looking at the Princess cyber sale right now that has some reasonable fares for March 21, 31 and April 10 on the Coral Princess. I cruised on the Island Princess in the Spring and was not overy impressed. I understand the Coral Princess is a nicer ship.

I plan to look at Holland America fares to compare (since I have read that the cruises are similar and HA is less money).

Thank you.

What kind of shoes do people wear on the ship during the day? I was thinking of getting a pair of vibram's new wrap shoes and working on our vacation would be extra justification for them. We'll be going in June

 

 

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I wear Vibram Five Finger Bikilas as my everyday shoes, and plan to bring them on my cruise. However, I also plan to bring regular running shoes to wear during excursions. I have no idea what people normally wear.

If you're coming in on the noon train and the weather's OK, walking is fine - personally I'd head for the Seawall to maximise the pleasantness of the walk - no steps, just some fairly gently sloping streets. Due to construction, Google has some errors - this map gets you to Pacific at Cooperage Way/Smithe, and despite the lack of continuity on Google you can actually walk right up Smithe, it does not deadend for pedestrians only cars. Follow Smithe to Beatty, turn right and it's 1 block to Hampton. About 200 yards further than the most direct route, but avoids the stairs and all skeevy bits, plus a bonus of Seawall walking.

Thanks for the reply, map and directions. I will be arriving on the noon train. I will play it by ear when I arrive, depending on weather and how I feel. Although I pack light, I am pretty sure I do not want to carry my rollerbag up 3 flights of stairs.

Has anyone stayed at the Hampton Inn on Robson? It appears to be equidistant from the cruise terminal and the Pacific Central Train Station. I will be arriving by train the day before my cruise, and looked for a hotel to which I could walk from the train station and cruise terminal.

I’m on my second pair of these and have used them for several years. They’re light weight and work well with phones or camera equipment. Perfect for glacier days without being bulky. I’ve used liners before but they don’t provide the insulation these do.

https://www.amazon.com/Head-Multi-Sport-Running-Gloves-SENSATEC/dp/B01LX7ZB43/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1492055347&sr=8-5&keywords=head+digital+touch+running+gloves

I ordered a pair in Women's Size S from Amazon and just received them. They are a bit too big for me, but will work. Since I have very small hands, it is difficult to find adult-sized gloves that fit. I am a livelong Floridian and wear gloves regularly in the winter, especially when walking. These gloves have the bonus of allowing me to use my phone, whereas the one pair that I own that fits does not.

I am also a Floridian traveling to Alaska for the first time, and am extremely interested in these gloves. Although I am a bit larger than the OP, I have very small hands. I was trying to research sizing and have not come to a conclusion yet. I think I need a women's small, which may be smaller than a unisex XS, but not 100% sure.

I think this link is to a similar pair by Head in Women's sizes. https://www.amazon.com/Ladies-Digital-Sport-Running-Glove/dp/B01M25YRIK/ref=pd_sim_193_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01M25YRIK&pd_rd_r=7KRTP36MFT4J01QPRP4X&pd_rd_w=jQPYL&pd_rd_wg=r7dy0&psc=1&refRID=7KRTP36MFT4J01QPRP4X

The jacket runs large - so if you do order it, I would order one size below. I would characterize it as men's sizing.

Do you have an idea how the XS (that runs large) would translate into women's sizes (especially sleeve length)?

It looks like this is a great deal on the jackets. Are these warm enough the first cruise of the season 4/30? Also I'm from Florida and today it is 55 degrees and I'm freezing - will this jacket be enough if I layer? Thanks

I am from Florida also and am concerned about the cold. I will be traveling in mid-May and likely will be bringing my down jacket. However, this jacket looks intriguing, but sizing may not work for me.

I opted for the "on your own" BBX cruisetour to save some money. I am not sure if it was the correct decision, but it worked out for me logistically. I will miss the train ride between Whittier and Anchorage, but (on my own), I will be taking the Alaska RR trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks, where I will be picking up the BBX cruisetour.

I do not think our motorcoach will be stopping at the Wildlife Center since it does not show up on my itinerary. However, I hope we do.

Thank you for your replies. I am really looking forward to drinking Alaska brewed beer (whether on the ship or in port).