Cyberchomp

uktog and 3rdGenCunarder,

Thanks very much for your responses.  The morning of the "surprise" disembarkation was, indeed, our actual disembarkation day.  All the guests had somewhere they needed to be on that day, so it was just as well to get off Ocean Voyager ASAP.  As it happened, we arrived at Pearson around 10:00 a.m. - only an hour later than our disembarkation time had we actually arrived at Toronto's cruise terminal.

Everyone was instructed prior to the cruise to not schedule outbound flights before noon.  Most had 1:00 p.m. or later flights but with a three-hour window to check in, clear security and U.S. Immigration at Pearson - the guest complement this voyage was over 90% American - this was still pushing it.  We had an early evening flight back to the West Coast and had booked a hotel day room to kill time before heading over to the airport.

It was a very stressful experience, obviously.  Nobody likes a wake-up call from the Captain at oh-god-thirty.  We had apparently been stuck in the lock for hours.  I was awake for some of that experience, having felt some shaking as if the ship had bumped into the side of the lock - well, it felt as if we bumped into something.  My best guesstimate, at least according to Google Maps, was that we were somewhere outside the city of St. Catherines ONT at the time.  

Communications between staff and guests was a little sparse, probably because the staff was working on-the-fly.  No one expected us to get stuck in a canal lock, and we still do not have the actual reason for the stoppage.  Mechanical issues with the ship?  Something wrong with the doors of the canal lock?  We'll probably never know.  We left the ship without learning of its eventual fate; I would guess that a tug eventually towed Ocean Voyager from the lock (if this was a ship breakdown), or someone finally manager to get the doors open (if this was a lock malfunction).

We finally heard an announcement around 6:30 a.m. that all independent guests were to report to the Compass Lounge, presumably so the staff could figure out how to get us to Toronto.  Everyone else had group arrangements (city tours and airport transfer, straight airport transfers, hotel transfers), and motor coaches had been set up for them that morning by Wendy, the ShoreEx manager.  We were placed with the direct airport transfers to Pearson.  All transfer fees were waived by AQV.

The ship was tied up to the side of the lock and a gangway put in place.  All the bags had been moved shoreside by the time we got off, which was around 8:00 a.m.  I uploaded a photo of Ocean Voyager with the luggage alongside.  We had to cross a gravel track through an open gate in a security fence to reach the coaches.

It is hard for me to fault AQV, though they may have learned something from the Ocean Navigator fiasco earlier this summer.  The buses arrived in a decent amount of time, given the hour of the morning.  We eventually did get to Toronto, and got home.

In response to Cunarder's questions:

- We were not tuned into CC during our voyage (though the wifi worked fine), so did not learn of the Cindy chat before we arrived home.

- It was interesting that you mentioned the diver inspection on your cruise.  While we were at Mackinac Island, we noticed a number of ship's officers (including the Captain) looking at the stern of our vessel.  One of them appeared to be maneuvering a small drone and conducting an inspection.  We had no problem traversing the Soo Locks and the ship appeared to have plenty of speed in the open water of the Lakes.

- Were there any good aspects to our cruise?  The attention given by the staff was first-rate, especially our cabin steward Patrick and the servers in the dining room.  That was probably the best part of the AQV experience.  The Lakelorian's presentations were interesting, if a little dry.  The tours, both inclusive and exclusive, were fine.  The Missus liked the Sky Dancers show in Escanaba.  I liked the Ford Museum experience in Detroit.  The HOHO bus tours worked well.  The tour of the ship's bridge (with Ivan the ship's navigator as host) was a cool experience.

Any bad aspects (other than the final morning's outcome)?  Ocean Voyager's a small ship.  Other than the lounge and saloon, there were not a lot of places to sit and relax.  We did book a AA cabin, which had a "semi-public veranda" - two chairs and a small table outside our exterior door, from which we would occasionally chase away interlopers from the lower decks who were trying to relax in them (hey, we paid for them!).  The tradeoff for the outside access was that the cabin was extremely small.  But it was a small ship...

We liked the "character" of the ship - the pressed tin ceilings in the public rooms, the carved beams in the dining room.  Ocean Voyager is, however, over 20 years old and is showing its age.  It definitely has a dated look (I suppose that's part of the "character") and there are no bells/whistles as would be found on the newer builds of other lines.

I would rate the food 3.5 out of 5.  The dining room food was well-prepared and we didn't wait long for courses.  The kitchen tended to use a lot of artificial crab in its soups, salads and appetizers (hey Cindy, don't think I didn't notice this).  The prime rib tended to veer toward underdone and fatty (but we know the dish is difficult to master on any cruise ship).  The staff in the Grill was great; the buffet selections were not great (more of that prime rib).

Probably the worst aspect, #1: AQV vessels tend to be extremely cold and this was indeed the case on Ocean Voyager, especially in the Grill.

Probably the worst aspect, #2: because of the ship's small size, there were few food options outside of posted meal times in the dining room and Grill.  If you are taking a late-season voyage on either of these ships, stock up on snacks before boarding unless you want to live on a diet of cookies and soft serve ice cream between meals (and Goldfish crackers from the bar).  We got real tired of the cookies, real fast.

Probably the worst aspect, #3: masks are optional on AQV vessels.  Other than us, we saw only a couple of other guests wearing them.  With another strain of COVID on the upswing, not a good sign.

Probably the worst aspect, #4: it was difficult to get to know other guests.  I would say that 70-80% of the guests onboard this cruise were on group tours (Road Scholars was the largest, followed by SunTours) and the atmosphere seemed too "clubby".

I personally am not expecting compensation from AQV for the unexpected disembarkation.  Unlike the ill-fated Navigator voyage, we did call at all ports on the itinerary (save for the official disembarkation point).  We were just a few miles from sailing on the fifth Great Lake.  So it goes...  

Would we sail on AQV again, in any capacity?  It will be a while before we do any further lake/river cruising, but we are taking a hard look at ACL and Viking.

Just returned from AQV's Ocean Voyager Chicago-Toronto excursion, which ended short of our destination.  The ship was taken out of service due to a mechanical issue that occurred in the Welland Canal separating Lake Erie from Lake Ontario.  We were in the last lock of the canal when the malfunction occurred.

At about 5:00 a.m. on August 16, we were woken by the Captain on the PA, told that the ship could no longer continue and that we would have to disembark.  We were nowhere near a town.  The dining room rustled up an early-morning breakfast while the ShoreEx Manager rounded up buses to take us the rest of the way to Toronto.  About five hours after the initial announcement, we were unceremoniously dropped off at Pearson Airport.

We were given no information as to the exact mechanical issue.  I have heard nothing as to whether this will affect upcoming O.V. voyages.

This is eerily reminiscent of a previous ill-fated cruise by the Ocean Voyager's sister ship, Ocean Navigator, earlier this year.  Mechanical malfunctions led to AQV dumping its guests in Michigan.

Voyager and Navigator are ships full of character, but breakdowns are becoming noticeable.  No wonder AQV wants to sell them.

We're preparing for our April 25 Japan voyage on Explorer. A friend who is headed there now posted the following on her FB page:

https://weatherboy.com/violent-volcanic-erupts-into-the-stratosphere-international-flights-impacted/?fbclid=IwAR1wzEAE1hjBNnrHmRj2LuK4LKZxXjlIiBUUwbth4m6hs0MjPdDU0Ia5r50

This has added several hours to her now-diverted EWR-HND flight.  

According to the Weatherboy article, this is the second known eruption in eastern Russia in the last few days.  Unknown if this eruption will rival the Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull eruption that halted trans-Atlantic air traffic for weeks back in 2010.  But any U.S. West Coasters flying the northern route over the Bering Sea to Japan in the near-future (like us) should take notice.

On 3/29/2023 at 11:25 AM, BajaBarry said:

Regarding the QR code, the site says it is for "Tax-free procedures". I could not get the site (on iPhone, iPad, or my Mac) to capture the photo. It kept saying "failed" and to try making it brighter. I tried several locations to no avail. I did input all the passport information manually, so I hope lack of a QR code does not impact our arrival. Anyone else have this probelm?

I did not have this problem.  I was able to print out the QR code, as well as reproduce it on my phone where I could take a screenshot.

I am considering using Ken S. from Tours By Locals, as the previous poster is doing, for my cruise on Explorer on the cruise following Carol's.  It would be a rented taxi-van - pricey, but I'm looking for guests on the April 25 voyage who might be interested; this would drive down the cost of hiring the taxi.  If you're on that particular cruise (Yokohama-Vancouver) and were shut out of the ship's tours to Kyoto, feel free to respond to this post and we'll find a way to touch bases.

Hi -

Very sorry to have missed your post!  I hope your Columbia River cruise was enjoyable and memorable.

For the record, we only tipped our cabin stewardess extra.  We appreciated her efficiency.  

Many thanks for reading my review!

On 8/11/2022 at 1:25 PM, wandb said:

What a great review!!  I’ve read every word, and you have answered many questions we had. One of my main concerns was the smoke impact from wildfires in much of the northwest. I’m terribly allergic to smoke, and yours is the first review I’ve seen that seems to address that. Do you think late September or sometime in October would be less smoky?  Will it be too cold then?

 

Surely hope someone can share thoughts on this. 

Barb

Barb -

The Northwest will be a bit chilly in October.  September's not so bad.  But with climate change, trying to get to non-smoky weather in the Far West is a crapshoot these days.  We happened to sail at a time when wildfires were charring Northern California and Oregon.  It has been well over a year since I posted my AmEmpress review and we're seeing wildfires year-round.  Glad you enjoyed my review!

Apparently RSSC and Oceania utilize the same filtered water system ("Vero").  We tried out the system on Oceania recently.  The water tasted fine - no ill effects from it.  I will concur that the room bottles are heavy and unwieldy to use and pour from; they do not pour well without spilling.

We would have used the personal water bottles more if we had known the locations of the refilling stations.  Will probably bring the Vero bottles we acquired from Oceania on our upcoming RSSC cruise, now that they've been properly washed and rinsed out at home.  But if you have a better container at home, feel free to bring it.

It probably helps that T-Mobile is owned by Deutche Telekom, one of Europe's biggest telecommunications providers, so your T-M phone ought to work over there.

Yes, the Navigator is a bit dated. But it's a very cozy ship - feels more like an oversized yacht than a cruise ship.  The service remains what you would expect from a RSSC vessel.

But if you're the queasy sort: this ship does not ride well in heavy seas because of its hull design - if I'm to believe the rumors, it's the hull of a former Soviet research vessel.  A trip from Namibia to Cape Town in the South Atlantic felt like riding an endless Colossus at Magic Mountain.  There's a reason I call her the Seven Seas Agitator...

<< Do they have poker and/or poker tournaments on board? >>

On occasion.  I have played in poker tournaments in the Navigator's casino (they utilize the blackjack tables).  But it may have been on a sea day.  You'll want to ask the casino manager about the games schedule.

I don't know of any shipboard casino that is open on port days.  Forbidden by local regs, probably.

If gambling's a big deal to you - you *should* be in Vegas...

It is a bit of a walk from Embarcadero Station to Pier 27.  I've done it before.

Just for fun: if you're light on carry-ons, walk from the Embarcadero Station to Justin Herman Plaza (in front of the Ferry Building) and hail a pedicab.  Traffic is not a problem for them!

Also: see if Princess still offers coach service from SFO to the Pier.  I used to work for the shore services company that liaisoned with Princess at SFO.  We took in walk-ups all the time for a $30 one-way fare.  The chartered coach picked up Princess guests at each of the four airport terminals and dropped them off at Pier 27's front door.  Pricey?  Yes.  Fewer hassles?  Worth it!

The Doubletree offers the free shuttle, but you have to sign up for a shuttle time upon checking in.  Plenty of free parking.  However, it is the farthest hotel in San Pedro from the cruise terminal; there are few options for dining other than the hotel (which currently is offering only modified dining options and no room service).  You can walk around the marina, which the hotel overlooks.  As with the other available hotels, the Doubletree looks pretty tired.  But we've stayed there before and have no complaints.  Heck, it's only for a night...

Only the American Queen has a self-service laundry. No laundry services (self-serve or otherwise) are available on the other boats.  This is mentioned on Page 13 of the AQSC "Essential Travel Guide".

If we needed something laundered quick, we did it in the bathroom sink.

Navy and Missouri: Glad you enjoyed the review. Hope it helps you enjoy your cruises! Multnomah Falls is not to be missed.

For our voyage down the Columbia and Snake Rivers, July 12-19.  

Excuse the excess verbiage.  It is a wee bit long.  If you get to the end of it, thanks for reading!

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=681773&et_cid=3449005&et_rid=16683874&et_referrer=June 2008 Boards Mailing

tincan and njhoo, thanks very much for your responses!  After reading them (and perusing some other posts going back to 2015, it all gives me a pretty good idea of what to expect.

It is my understanding that AQSC has its own fleet of HOHO vehicles that follows the ship to each port of call.  Someone posted a photo/video account of their Columbia River voyage to their Flicker account which showed what the buses look like: standard enclosed tour buses, not the novelty HOHO double-deckers I've seen in other ports on ocean cruises.  Now that the Missus and I have had the vaccine, we are able to finally get out in public again and, perhaps, we will take a chance on sailing the Columbia this July.

Greetings -

The Missus and I are booked on a AQSC cruise from Clarkston to Vancouver WA this July.  Not entirely committed to it, but we like the AQSC mandate for complete COVID vaccinations prior to boarding.  We have had ours.

Which leads me to this question: if you have sailed the Columbia previously on AQSC (and there are a few of you on this board that have), what are the shore excursions like?  Is everyone crammed aboard chartered buses?  I read another posting that AQSC uses HO-HO buses, but I am not sure if those are related to the actual complimentary tours.  Although everyone will (hopefully) had their vaccine, we are a wee bit leery about sharing a crowded charter tour bus.  The tours listed on the Web site give no logistical details.

If you've previously done the excursions, please give me your thoughts about how they are conducted.  Also, were there any tours you liked (other than the Pendleton Pilgrimage)?  Thanks, in advance.

I, too, am the proud(?) recent owner of a CPAP.

My question is: what do you do to sterilize it / otherwise keep it clean on a two-week cruise?  This will be my first cruise lugging along a CPAP device.  The instructions on mine say it should be cleaned with a vinegar / water solution at least twice a week.

FWIW, my device is a ResMat AirSense 10.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.

The Embarcadero BART stop is a bit of a walk, especially if you have bags. Call it a 15-20 minute walk from Pier 27 east to the Ferry Building...then turn right onto Market Street. The entrance to the Embarcadero station is opposite the Hyatt Regency.

Magellan's was always our go-to source for travel stuff. Now their Web site is down with no listed date for a return. Comments posted to its FB page indicate they may have been bought out by some firm called Potpourri International. Which is strange, because Magellan's had merged just a couple of years ago with a Denver holding company. Other FB comments report the site might not be back up until next February. This doesn't sound good...

I work part-time for a shore services company at San Francisco International Airport. I greet incoming cruise ship passengers who have purchased the airport-to-ship transfer. If you have sailed on the Grand Princess out of S.F. on weekends over the past year, there's a good chance I may have met you at SFO baggage claim.

I want to say that it never hurts to get to the embarkation port city a day early. Case in point:

Today, I was at United baggage claim to meet seven guests off a flight from Chicago, who were boarding the Grand this afternoon. At the adjacent carousel was a very unhappy couple who was arguing with the baggage staff. They had come in earlier from Chicago but their bags were still at O'Hare...leaving them with possibly facing five nights at sea to Hawaii with just the clothes on their backs. They were elite-status cruisers, but did not have a change of clothes in their carry-on bags.

I couldn't say enough about the United baggage manager. She personally offered to drive the couple to the nearby mall so they could get some shopping done. My last view of the couple was seeing them head upstairs to Ticketing to board the next flight back to Chicago. They apparently gave up on the cruise because they just couldn't live without their luggage.

This could have been avoided if they had arrived the night before. The next courier flight would have brought their bags in late today, but too late to make the ship.

On a busy Sunday, we greet upwards of 200-300 passengers who have flown into SFO from New York, Houston, Washington, Miami and points farther away - all expecting to board the ship that day. I still find this astounding.

Cancelled flight. Extremely delayed connection. Weather issues - and SFO has some of the worst weather delays in the U.S. (although the weather here has been gorgeous, lately). One of those, or a combination of them, and you might not make the ship.

My wife and I have 25-30 cruises under our belts. Not long ago, we were to fly from San Francisco to San Diego for a cruise. Easy morning flight, right? Our flight was cancelled that day. And then the next one was cancelled, which put us in waitlist hell the remainder of the day. We finally arrived in San Diego around 10:00 that night. But we had come in the night before and had pre-booked a hotel room. We figured dealing with the expense was better than dealing with same-day travel stress-outs.

One more thing: our shore services crew has learned that it is extremely difficult to get Southwest Airlines to forward missing bags to the next port of call, if SWA does not fly there...and Southwest does not fly to Hawaii. We have given the airline our company point of contact as well as the Princess agent's name in Honolulu but the bags have sat at SWA baggage claim, not forwarded. Another reason to get here early, to ensure your bags get to the ship the same day as you...

Following your posts with great interest...because the Missus and I will board AmaPrima on the 20th for the return (actually Budapest to Nuremberg, followed by a couple of days in Prague). We can't wait.

Give us your overall impressions of the boat, please. It's one of AMA's newer builds. We have seen pictures of it on the River Cruise Reviews site and everything looks very snazzy...

Many thanks for your travelogue! We're going out next week on AMAPrima, same itinerary. Reading your posts helps us get the lay of the land. We're packing a lot of *warm* clothing...

A little late to the party, but...

My wife, my parents, and I were booked on the old Ocean Princess (not the converted R-ship now in Princess' fleet) for the weekend following 9/11, Seward-Vancouver-San Francisco. The attacks occurred on a Tuesday. We were to fly out on Thursday from Northern California to Anchorage, and then transfer down to Seward, AK to meet the ship.

The ship would sail for Vancouver, tragedy or not. Since we had committed to go, my wife and I hit the phones pretty heavily the night before we left. This was because, of the three Bay Area airports, only SFO would re-open on Thursday. Our flight was to have left Oakland, with a change of planes / airlines in Seattle. Finally Alaska Air said they could get us as far as Portland. We said yes, figuring we could drive from Portland to Sea-Tac and make our evening connection on Delta.

We arrived at SFO shortly after dawn. The lines went every-which-way and it was difficult to tell which line went to which ticket counter. We boarded a Horizon Air puddle-jumper which, true to Alaska's word, got us to PDX. Once again, lines all over the place. While checking in at SFO, we were able to book a connecting flight to Seattle from PDX.

Sea-Tac was more lines, stretching from the front door through the food court and back to the ticket counters. An auditorium in the main terminal had been converted by the Red Cross to an emergency shelter for passengers stranded during the week. We boarded our connecting flight to ANC without further delays.

At ANC, more lines. The cruise ships continued to disembark passengers at Seward, busloads of them, but there were no planes to fly them out during the week. We had booked hotel rooms for ourselves to see Anchorage and the surrounding area for a few days. Those passengers who were turned away by the hotels wound up on Red Cross cots in the Anchorage Convention Center. I remember walking past the Center, and an endless line of cruise tour and Grey Line buses lined up to take weary travelers to the airport to meet their long-delayed flights.

We caught the Ocean in Seward and it left on schedule, only two-thirds full. We arrived in Anchorage, walked around for a couple of hours, and re-boarded the ship to sail back to San Francisco.

We had a great time. But we knew things would never be the same...