jennaja

46 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

So, in response to your inquiry, Nieuw A is scheduled to take on 1,949 new pax this Sunday in Vancouver on her 14-day Great Alaskan Explorer! In addition, there will be a group of "in-transits" staying onboard, unlike us 🥹 Nice itinerary; enjoy! Be sure to see the B.B. King's All-Stars! They are awesome!

Thank you!  We're really looking forward to it.  Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

Oops.  Didn't mean to post this twice.  The post disappeared, so I thought I needed to start over.

18 hours ago, martincath said:

This issue already arose, so if you just browse the first page of threads you'll probably find some discussions and possible mitigation methods @jennaja! Race website with maps and info is here.

 

Long story short - the race does not run past the pier, nor will all the roads to the pier be closed, BUT the finish area is close by and runner numbers are ~20,000 between all the races if memory serves. With traffic much increased compared to normal Sundays, it's actually not so much the EMbarking pax as the DISembarking pax who will be hammered - the usual HOHO and tour bus pickup spots, the convenient Uber/Lyft pickup area, will be completely unavailable and bumped several blocks away.

 

Spectators will mean more locals using SkyTrain to get downtown to cheer on friends/family but Sunday pax levels are really low normally and Translink bump service frequencies up to midweek levels on big event days and the races themselves start early enough not to have the runners impact your inbound SkyTrain travel. Brunch resos are a goddamn nightmare on marathon day (my wife's a runner - she comes home to shower then we go eat in East Van rather than downtown!) but the only real issue for you will be slower driving to the pier from most downtown hotels - how much annoyance is very specific to each hotel as how much of the shortest route is made unavailable varies, but really your worst case is likely to be a $10 ride becomes a $20 ride given how small downtown is.

 

3 ships worth of pax sucks more than the marathon - either be there as early as you possibly can, before 10am regardless of what your tickets say, or go as late as you possibly can (aim for no less than 2 hours before planned departure, but shave that margin close). On marathon day, things are cleaned up as the race moves - near the start it's back to normal by 10am, but at the end it does drag on until well after noon, with 2pm marking the start of when e.g. HOHO tours are able to start using their stops in the area again. Since most ships leave 4:30-5:30pm, this means that avoiding your fellow pax by showing up late ALSO neatly avoids the marathon issues!

 

If your ship is a 5pm one and you show up at 3pm, you might not even realise there had ever been any problems! BUT, whatever you do for the day if boarding late, be very careful not to be far away from the pier as your boarding cutoff approaches - the ideal thing is to do whatever in the morning, have much (booked well in advance!) downtown, then do the closest things to the pier last. Fly Over Canada is right on the pier, takes about 30mins to experience, so booking that for an hour before your deadline is ideal... or just wander Gastown on foot, check out the Steamclock etc. You want to know that if your ship leaves at 5pm then you can walk to the pier by 3pm from wherever you are at 2:45pm, so that CBP will let you board (they get very, very picky - the full passenger manifest MUST be delivered before sailaway, so you NEED to be at the pier 2 hours before sailaway!)

 

Oh - you can however drop your bags early, go away and Do Stuff, then come back to board late. It's what we've been doing for years - usually from 9:30am you can hand them over, worst-case it's a bit after 10am. And while reports thus far are not great, early each season ALWAYS sucks - new staff! By Sunday, all those new staff will have already had a 'trial by fire' so each 3-ship day after the first generally sucks less and less; the April people suffered so that you can have a slightly easier time in May 😉

We're staying at the Auberge, so it may be easiest to roll our luggage over to the port.

Thanks for all the info!

I was reading posts on the HSL board describing the horrendous boarding experiences at Canada Place so far this season, when I received an email from HAL, informing us that the Vancouver Marathan will also be taking place the day we board.  There will also be 3 ships in port that day (5/7/23).

Does anyone know how many runners are expected to take part, and whether their route goes past Canada Place?  Any tips for dealing with the madhouse?

I was reading on the HAL board about the horrendous boarding experiences people are having at Canada Place, when I received a notice from HAL that the Vancouver Marathon is taking place the day we board.  Does anyone know if the marathon path goes past the cruise ship terminal, and approximately how many runners there usually are?  Any tips for dealing with the crowds of passengers that will be trying to board that day?  There will be 3 ships in port.

Thank you for your thorough and very enjoyable trip report!

If you have a chance, would you mind asking a crewmember how many passengers will be on the 14 day sailing on May 7th?  We will be also be boarding with 3 ships in port.  I understand there will also be thousands of Vancouver Marathon runners near the port that day.

Can lunch at the Pinnacle Grill be booked ahead, or only on board?   I am not finding an option for our cruise in a few weeks.

Thank you for your thoughtful and helpful answer!  We were hoping to visit Gastown - sounds like that's best done during the daylight hours.

16 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

We sail on Nieuw Amsterdam on May 7th, which I believe the above poster is referring to.  If supplies are short handed or anything is out of order, you get to be the scapegoat! 🤣

 

Have a great cruise!

Yes!  I meant the 5/7-5/21/23 sailing.  If you have a chance, can you ask how many passengers or % of occupancy is expected for that sailing?

Good Grief!  I better make sure I didn't accidentally book our flights for the 14th!

Vancouver is my absolute favorite city on the planet.    I'm sure there are changes that have occurred since the pandemic - nothing is the same as it was in the "before times".  My elderly mother and I are travelling together.  Are there areas that locals would suggest that we avoid?  We used to feel very comfortable exploring the downtown area, as well as North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay.  Due to poor flight times, we won't have much time for exploring before our cruise, but want to make the most of the time we have.  We would also like to find a nice place for dinner the night before our cruise.  We're staying at the Auberge.

Also, what time does it normally get dark in early-to-mid May?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions!

5 hours ago, martincath said:

It was originally a hotel linked to the private members club below, and known as various combinations of The Hotel At Terminal City Club, Terminal City Club Hotel etc. which due to worldwide links to other swanky clubs needed available nice rooms for out-of-town members but also rented rooms to Joe Q Public when not needed. Rebranded to Auberge several years ago now and became a little more advertised, fewer rooms held back for members and more available for tourists, but still remains deliberately a smidge under the radar to avoid enticing too much riff-raff in to share a building with club members!

 

It's not a 'stuffy' place like the stereotypical London club, but you'll see a much higher proportion of be-suited locals than is normal for Vancouver, where dress codes anywhere except private clubs pretty much consist of "Duuuuuuuude! Skiboots? At least clean them before you come in!" rather than Jacket and Tie Required 😉

I do recall seeing a  Terminal City Club Hotel years ago - didn't pay much attention to it though.

Safe travels,and have a wonderful trip!

If you have a chance, can you ask a crew member how many passengers or % of capacity they're expecting for the 14 day Alaska sailing departing on 5/14/23?

3 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

We stayed at the Auberge last September and just took a taxi.  Easy peasy.  

 

We have stayed at the Auberge in 2018 and then again last September.  The hotel is in the middle of the block which is why our OP may not remember it.  It was remodeled since we stayed there in 2018; it was lovely then but is even nicer now.  

 

The walk from the Auberge to Canada Place is very easy.  Leave the hotel, turn left and walk half a block along level sidewalks.  Then left again and one block along a slightly downhill incline to Canada Place.  The incline is not that steep so no concerns about having to really hold onto the suitcase handle to avoid an escaping suitcase racing down ahead of its owner.

Thank you for this info!  We usually try to stay at the Pan Pacific for the convenience, but got a relatively good price on the Auberge using a Price breaker deal.  The description says it's about 2/10ths of a mile from the pier, so I feel like I should remember it.

47 minutes ago, Crew News said:

It is my experience that laundry picked up by your Room Steward while you are at dinner will be returned the next morning.  Laundry picked up by your Room Steward in the morning will be returned the next morning.  There is a chance that it might be returned that same evening.

 

Your laundry list and bag will be on a pants hanger in your closet.  You will get a new laundry bag and list with your returned laundry.  I would recommend you ask your Room Steward for some extra bags and lists to have the next bag ready.

 

The price for a full bag is not discounted.

 

The unlimited laundry package means packing less and having fresh clothing every day.  Within the first two cruise days, all of your luggage-wrinkled clothing is refreshed.

We have done this on 2 cruises so far.  Such a luxury to be able to pack less for the trip, and to go home with minimal laundry to do.

12 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

$119 for unlimited laundry, or $20 per bag.

 

 

Totally worth it to me not to drag home piles of dirty clothes that need washing!

We're going on a 14 day Alaska cruise on the Niewu Amsterdam in May.  Can anyone tell me the current price for the laundry package, and also the "fill the bag" price?  Thanks!

Looking for transportation options/estimated prices between the Vancouver airport and the Augerge Hotel downtown.  We're going on a 14 day cruise, so will have 2 largish suitcases and 2 carryons between us.

Although we have been to Vancouver many times, I don't remember this particular hotel. 

I know that Princess has onboard do-it-yourself laundry options.  Since our last sailing with Princess, we have gotten used to the luxury of using HAL's laundry package.  Just stuff your dirty stuff into the bag, and it comes back beautifully laundered, pressed and folded the next day.  Does Princess have a laundry package or pricing for bags of laundry, or is it just on a piece by piece basis?  If they do have a package, what's the cost?

1 hour ago, chicopaige said:

This past Sunday is was just before 10:00am

Thank you!

Are you currently onboard the Royal?  If so, would you mind asking how many guests and crew are expected on the 10/16/22 sailing?  Also, was the boarding process smooth and quick?

If you are so easily upset, you may wish to make use of the "ignore" button.

A friend has offered to drop us of at Pier 27 on the day of our cruise, but it will probably have to be early in the morning.  How early are the porters at the pier to accept checked bags?

Thanks!

2 hours ago, njsmom said:

congratulations! that sounds like a great win to me! I'm still learning how Princess bids are handled. Is it $90 pp for the entire cruise, or $90pp per day?

$90 pp for the cruise.

11 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

We have $934  in FCC which had ti be used on a cruise in 2022 or loose it ,Well we booked a cruise into a handicap balcony cabin .when I tried for over 6  hours to get help on how to down load "Ocean Ready " on to my  I Phone  there was No help . what I came to understand is that Princess hired a lot og new  & untrained  in this matter people  .Thwen I cam across some one at their corporate headquarters who directed me to the online  unfo where I could down load my passports emergency contacts  ie  .BUT ,when I came to the last step of placing our pictures on their wen=b site I  gave up 

 

 Summation ,I am 83 & many cruisers are older generation who have the time & money to cruise . however ,this technology  is way over our  heads &  with no knowledgeable people y Princess do they really  expect the older generation ro want to sail with them vas the others with the on line pre boarding methods ;especially as inflation eats into the publics ability to  spend these sums vs other   necessities   of living 

 

 Bottom line We threw away the $934  of  FCC  & booked with Holland America   using the standard on line  pre boarding web site  info . 

 

 when any one arrives at any cruise terminal  the security people will not let a person into the building unless they can present a boarding pass & pass port 

 

 We have done 87 cruise pre pandemic  &  never had this many problems with any cruise line  .Princess is now on my no cruise list of cruise lines 

 

 

Have you considered using a local travel agent, where you could  meet with them in person?  The local auto clubs still have travel agents in the office.  I suspect they would help you get OceanReady if you booked your cruise through them.  A lot of long-term cruisers have a hard time with the technology.

6 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

When I made a bid, Princess told me that If I won a bid, Princess would email me “up to three days before the cruise.”  You were notified “a few weeks” before your cruise.  Congratulations on the fast response! I am jealous😀

 

I received the upgrade offer the day after I booked, and my bid was accepted 1 or 2 days later.  I didn't book the cruise until 15 days out from sailing though.

On 10/5/2022 at 7:31 AM, voljeep said:

was $90 the minimum bid? - if so, good news that they are accepting minimums and people aren't overbidding

I don't remember, and already deleted the email.  If it wasn't the minimum bid, it was very close to the minimum.  I bid $60pp for the premium balcony, and that bid was rejected.