travelin.sisters

Please let us know if he updates your estimated arrival time for tomorrow. I am glad for you that you get to go to Ensenada, did they reschedule tours or just on your own?Enjoy your day either way! I am however, sad for us that embarkation will be delayed as I am ready to head to sunny Hawai'i.

our last cruise we had to skip Puerto Vallarta & dock in San Diego instead to run ahead of Hurricane Orlene. We also were searching the ship to find ways to spend OBC...

they do have cameras for sale in the photo department where they sell the pictures...maybe do your Christmas shopping early?

hopefully you &/or someone on that cruise will do a live or review & I can drool over the photos! in the scheme of all the horrid things covid caused, a missed cruise is so minor but we were sad when it happened...now back to enjoying what is possible & probably 28 days is too long for my people as they get older (don't we all) enjoy!!

@Shippy, please feel free to ask any questions as we go. I have not been on the Crown yet, but have done the Ruby several times, we did the Majestic in Feb of last year & it is definitely bigger & 'shinier' than the older ships...unlike many people who only like one or the other (& there are a lot on both sides) I like both, actually my favorite ship I have sailed on is the smallest, the Island which I loved for our Panama Canal trip. We did like the bigger buffet on the Majestic although since we were sailing at 25-30% full much of it was closed, as was the pastry shop inside it...I am a big fan of the International Cafe so didn't miss it. We do a balcony & interior across the hall for 3 people...more privacy & an extra bathroom vs. a mini-suite for virtually the same cost. I have never been in a suite but I believe you are right that they do not have the suite lounge. I usually do a 'walkthrough' of the ship on embarkation day while my people are resting to just feel like I have my head wrapped around what is where & hope to post photos of things so maybe that will help.

Pre-cruise Packing Confession…I am an early packer & an over packer. I am great at emergencies, but I hate last minute emergencies that could have been prevented so I like having anything possible packed well ahead of sailing. I have lists (& maybe even lists of my lists); being organized is my happy place. Living within miles of the port means I can be an over packer too. I can pack what we need, what we might need & even what we want. I know that some people would look at my lists & just shake their heads in amazement/disgust/confusion at what I choose to pack for a 2-week cruise. Sometimes I think I should be more like the people who can travel with one carryon (or even a backpack) for any length of trip, but then I can’t come up with a good reason why, so…I am an over packer. This led to a packing crisis which l was thankful happened in plenty of time to solve (Feb 2nd~1 month before sailing). I got the first bag containing all the shared things for our group packed, zipped closed & set aside to wait for the cruise. Then…I heard this strange hissing noise coming from that side of the room. I couldn’t figure out what it was but decided it was coming from the suitcase I had just finished packing! I hauled it back on the bed to discover that an entire aerosol can of reef safe suntan lotion had sprayed itself into the suitcase. I always pack anything that might leak in plastic bags…except…I didn’t & the waterproof laundry bag it was in wasn’t (waterproof)! So, I rewashed the fuzzy blankets for cozy naps (yes over packer) & a bunch of other stuff & repacked. Even though I had probably 90% of everything packed for all my people 2 weeks before we cruised there was still last-minute semi-craziness. Yesterday I had to add another small suitcase in order to pack an unfinished king-sized quilt/wedding present for an event the day after we return. This meant there was room to toss in a few other things that we probably won’t but might need. In spite of this, we are all packed except the last-minute things to toss in after they are used tomorrow morning. Almost everything is checked off the list! Today I can focus on last minute other things & seeing the TA about our next cruise. List of my posts in this LIVE: Introduction~post 1 Pre-cruise: packing~post 10

you should be able to

I hope you have a wonderful trip..that cruise is 'the one that got away'...we had planned & anticipated for almost 2 years before ours was canceled in 2020...

You should have done it!

that would be so much fun! some day...

You can start the online check in as soon as you book--making sure your passport, bed configuration, dietary preferences, etc are in & correct (this can be done either on the Medallion app or on the web version) It gets confusing because there is the Medallion app...which has the check-in, dining, schedule etc (it is a phone app which you can but don't have to use) & the actual Medallion which is the quarter sized device that you will use on the ship like your old cruise card to open your door, pay for things, get on & off the ship (etc) I don't know if you still need to order the Medallion withthe Plus package (but I would imagine you do as there are options to personalize it or upgrade the holder) this is in the app...the actual medallion will arrive 1-2 weeks before you sail. Hope this helps.

Introduction Tomorrow will be our last day before boarding the Crown Princess for Hawai’i so it is time to start a live. This will be my 3rd live & I have discovered that it is a great way to record & remember so I will be sharing the things I enjoy & want to remember. As a warning, I really like food pictures so there will probably be a lot of those. There will also be Stanley Bears! And photos of waves & flowers & random, somewhat rambling thoughts. Hopefully in the midst of all that there will also be things that are useful &/or enjoyable for the rest of you. The Hawai’i itinerary is our (my sister, BIL & me) favorite itinerary. Leaving from the Port of LA is an easy few minute drive to the port (with family to drop us off & pick us up) & we love the many sea days & the Hawai’ian ambassadors really bring something extra special to these cruises. I am looking forward to ‘ukulele & hula, lazy days at sea, wandering the ship, meeting new people & revisiting the islands…oh & cruise food! Depending on the internet, I hope to post daily (with photos if possible). I will answer questions as I can (but remember that this is a vacation) & hopefully others on the cruise (or from land) will also chime in with answers. I will post the Patters & as many of the menus as I remember to take pix of, either during or after the cruise. I won’t hide things that go wrong (& some things will, they always do), but I do truly believe that one has a better trip (or anything else) if you focus on the good things not the problems & I want to enjoy my trip, so I will always be focused on what is going well. The one thing I do ask is please be kind, if someone asks a question you think is repetitive, obvious or even stupid, you don’t have to answer & you certainly don’t need to tell them they are dumb. We can (& will) disagree on things but we can also do it with kindness. Thank you! I wish CC would let me keep updating this first post with a list of main posts, but since it doesn’t, I will add to the bottom of each post the updated list of my main posts since sometimes a single question will lead to a page long ‘rabbit trail’ which is great & often full of interesting info, insight, opinions or just stuff but not everyone is interested in following a lot of posts about a specific issue in order to get to the next port. It will also help people later to find a specific port or topic. Anyway, here goes. List of my posts in this LIVE: Introduction~post 1

I'll do my best...let me know

....wait...there's still one more Hawai'i cruise before the season ends!!! Don't lock the doors before our turn!

Hollywood Conservatory is very fun...the Majestic also has some interesting murals for photo backgrounds on the upper deck. Make sure they know which places are included in the fare i.e. international cafe, alfredos & room service...it was several cruises for me before I realized they were available to all. I always encourage people to try all the dining options early in the cruise because tastes vary & it is sad to discover your favorite the last day & feel like you missed out on something you would have loved to have more of. Tea is fun at least once a cruise. I always 'walk the ship' on embarkation day...even if I've sailed it before but especially a new one...it helps me feel like I know where I am...I don't remember if the majestic has different colored carpet for port & starbord but if it does that is a haelpful tip. that's probably enough for now

you might want to have an alternative to Waimea canyon if it is rainy...I was really looking forward to it but this is what we saw in January of last year literally nothing but fog/clouds to be seen looking down/across the canyon...it was rainy everywhere that day but the rest of the tour was still worthwhile, I just think if it had been with a car not a pre paid tour we would have enjoyed something else with that chunk of time...

you should be able to pick boarding times in the medallion app, but in my experience, they really don't monitor when you board at the port of LA

yes, it was very strange

I also take earplugs whenever I travel, I don't usually have to use them but they take little space & if you need them you really need them. Princess used to have a sleep channel that played relaxing sounds to help with sleep but I haven't found it on my last 2 cruises...it was wonderful. You might take a clip in case your curtains don't overlap & there is a gap.

I have cruised LA-Hawai'i in both January & April & enjoyed it so much we are heading out on that itinerary on the Crown in March (4-5 days from now) & expect it to be another great cruise...cruising anytime can have weather issues, but my personal least favorite time to sail from here is late Sept/October when we have lost port calls due to tropical storm activity...still enjoyed our cruises though.

a favorite thing I discovered on the Ocean Now menu was chocolate cake (I was in isolation for 1 day on our way back from Hawai'i last Jan, while waiting for a 2nd negative test so tried room service), it was the only good cake on that cruise, but someone on a thread here on a different ship said they got a mousse/pudding thing...wondering if that is true on the Crown. also have you used crew chat for questions/issues & is it working well on the Crown hope our wild weather here in So Cal doesn't make you trip home too bumpy...it is forecast to clear for the 2nd when you bring her back for us to sail on.

we always try to board early & have rarely had long waits, if there is a delay for some reason or if you are planning on boarding in the afternoon, then it may get a little crowded...it is easier if your ship is in berth 93 than 92 the building is better set up

depending on what you are used to it can range from pants & long sleeves to winter coat cold, I have seen all...for me (SoCal 'girl' with MN winter experience) I pretty much do fine with a t-shirt if I am just walking from elevator to buffet, but if I am sitting outside I will want a medium weight sweatshirt...ususally it is the first & last 2-3 days that it is coolish...we are boarding on the 2nd when the ship brings @arctickitty & special someone back & I will try to remember to post temps on my live

when we sailed in Sept/Oct all three of those (which I would also order regularly when nothing else was appealing) were changed & not for the better, it was so sad

yes to packaged foods, for beverages check the latest passage contract, I believe they are not allowing bottled soda or water on board & a limited amount of soda in cans, milk can be gotten in the buffet throughout the day if you ask for it (you might bring a cup or container & take some back to your room & put in the fridge...juice is available at breakfast cookies & snacks are available throughout the day in the buffet or international cafe you can buy a case of 12 bottles of water for less than $8 before you sail & it will be delivered to your room (we buy 1/person or more for longer sailings) hope this helps