RSF Cruiser

$40 - when I call they tell me the choices I have. It's usually a choice of one bottle from two whites or two reds.

I have the same problem - my husband has more on-board credit than I do. There's an excursion I'm going on, but he is not. He has on-board credit, I do not. When on the ship, our accounts are merged, so it's not a problem for things we purchase separately while on-board. I want to use on-board credit to pay for the excursion, so I made the reservation in his name, and the cost was deducted from his on-board credit balance. My plan is to go to the excursion desk the first day, tell them what I did, and find out if it matters that the ticket is in his name or not. I'm hoping they'll reissue the ticket with my name. The cruise isn't until December, so I have no idea if what I did will work! Has anyone else done this?

Public transportation is pretty limited in San Diego. You can take the trolley up to Old Town, and the Coaster up the coast - Solana Beach would be a good spot to get off and walk down to the beach. As for walking to Balboa Park, it is certainly doable from your hotel and would take perhaps two hours - of course, that depends on how fast you walk [emoji52]. If you go to Balboa Park, go to the visitor center/gift shop where the Prado restaurant is - you can buy two different self guided walking tours for the park. We generally go to the Prado for Mother’s Day (excellent restaurant) and for the first time this year we bought the self guided tour. I’ve been to Balboa Park many many times and saw and learned all kinds of new things.

Liberty Station is another place not far from your hotel - a three to four mile walk. Ot’s a restored military base with great restaurants, shops, and all around interesting place. A wonderful fairly new restaurant is Pesco or something lime that - it’s next door to the Ralph’s supermarket. The food is a a fusion Argentina style fish restaurant, and their small plates are half off until 6:00 pm. They are so good I wouldn’t hesitate to pay full price!

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Thanks. We’ve opted to do a snorkeling catamaran excursion to Chileno bay in Cabo. Thinking of walking and exploring PV on own.

For Mazatlan, saw there is a nice hike up to the faro lighthouse. Does the cruise ship doc at the port of Mazatlan? If so that might only be about 30 Walk each way per google maps. Does that sound right?

 

 

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We walked from the ship to El Faro - took maybe 20-30 minutes to get to the base of the hill. I loved the walk up - you are rewarded with a magnificent view of the city, bay, and ocean. After you come down, you can go back to the ship, but we chose to walk along the malecon. Depending on how much time you want to spend, you can safely walk all the way into town. Google Earth can probably give you an idea of how many miles that is. There are plenty of taxi's available if you decide to get a ride back.

In PV, you can take a taxi to the edge of town, and then walk along the ocean on the Malecon (lots of sand castle workers), over the foot bridge, and then on the beach. There are lots of descriptions of the PV walk on these boards.

If you get back from snorkeling in Cabo with time to spare, you can also walk along the boat harbor where the tender drops you off over to the Medano Beach. Another option is to take a water taxi or cab there, but I always prefer to walk. If your snorkel tour is an independent one, it's possible they will drop you off at Medano Beach.

You may want to read the reviews on D726 if you haven’t already. We spent 3 plus weeks in that cabin last year. All I can say is “soot”. It affected us everyday and severely limited the use of the balcony. ☹️

 

 

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I’ve read about the soot problem. We don’t sail on the Royal until January 2020, so hopefully they’ll figure something out by then. Hopefully if they haven’t, the soot won’t bother us.

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In addition to what was already mentioned, you also get a “free” mini bar set up. We don’t really drink much, so I generally take the brandy home for flaming/cooking, and swap out the rest for soda. You don’t need to swap out any of the drinks for bottled water since you get two bottles delivered every night.

Another nice perk is dinner in Club Class. It’s dining like it used to be on cruises; personalized service, with one or two dishes that the head waiter prepares in the dining room.

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Thanks for this thread! I had the same issue on my iPhone, but thanks to this thread, I went into the settings and got the images turned off!

We only stay in aft suites and probably stayed in the cabin you are referring to. If you are comparing the amount of vibration to midship, there is more in an aft cabin. We find there is minimal vibration until the ship starts travelling around 18 knots. Then we are aware of being on a moving ship. I'm sure at those speeds, even midship has some vibration, just not as much. It's really a matter of personal preference and sensitivity to movement. We find the vibrations lull us to sleep at night! We also love the view and sound of the wake. We've stayed in aft suites on the Island, which many people complain about. We didn't find the vibrations on the Island to be any different from any other aft cabin we've stayed in.

By the way, Dolphin deck is my favorite location on most ships since the balcony is a bit larger.

Have fun!!!

I, too, realize the original poster said no land tour... I was in a similar predicament several years ago, and after reading reviews, YouTube videos, and online photos, I decided to spend two nights at Katmai National Park near Brooks Falls. It was quite expensive, but the best trip I've ever had. You get to view the bears in their natural habitat, that is, if you go during a salmon run. We were there mid-July, and saw dozens of bear fishing and volleying for dominance at the bast spot. If you like camping, I've heard McNeil River Falls is even better. There is a camp ground near the lodge where we stayed, so costs can be less if you camp and have the gear. You can go there as a day trip, but I'm so glad we stayed over night - we got to roam the area with hardly any humans and lots of bears. Before you can enter the area, the National Park Service requires tourists to go through bear training, so you know how to be safe and keep the bears wild. It was a fantastic experience and I'd do it again if the chance appeared.

We sailed in A729 on the Island through the canal (aft vista suite). The balcony was massive, although uncovered. FYI - of all the suites we've stayed in on many ships, this suite was our absolute favorite. There were two sinks in the bathroom, although no sink at the bar in the living room. The room was bright, spacious, modern, and the balcony was incredible.

Next year we'll be on the Royal for the first time in D726. I have a feeling once we are in that cabin, it will become our favorite!

Thanks! These directions are the same thing we have to do with our TV at home!

Do you want to watch the sun set or rise from your balcony going north or south?

Kapahulu Avenue has several good places that are inexpensive by Waikiki standards. Just around the corner from the Marriott at 134 Kapahulu Ave is a 50's style hamburger place - Teddy's Bigger Burgers. Side Street Inn at 614 Kapahulu Ave #100 is a bit further up and has outstanding food with table service. An all time favorite is Rainbow Drive Inn. There are some picnic tables if you want to eat there, or you can take your food and eat on the beach! Rainbow is actually on a side street off Kapahulu: 3308 Kanaina Ave. Both Side Street and Rainbow have traditional Hawaiian food and are popular with the locals. Google their names and you can see the menus and prices. There are a lot more restaurants on Kapahulu, but these three are my favorites.

You can trade the contents of the mini bar for two coffee cards, a bottle of wine, or for more of the same in the bar, meaning alcohol for alcohol or water/soda, or water and soda for other water or soda. We generally trade the entire contents of the mini bar for diet coke. I realize we are trading more expensive alcohol for less expensive items, but we don’t generally drink, either. We don’t trade for water since as suite passengers, you get two bottles of water every night. Hope my answer makes sense!

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FYI - If you like to hike, I hiked from the port to Ebner falls, and then hiked up Mt Roberts on the way back. It took several hours and was a great way to spend the day.

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Yes, I hiked alone. I hike with sticks and generally hit them firmly in the ground so animals know I am coming. I frequently hike alone in Alaska, and so far, I’ve never come across any bears.

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We park at Aladdin. It’s an indoor garage and has shuttle service to the pier or airport. It’s just a few minute ride. There generally are groupons available $21 for two days of parking. If you stay longer you pay the regular price for those days. If you make a reservation, you usually get a $1 off per day coupon. The regular cost is $17 per day for inside parking. Valet is a but more and rooftop parking is a bit less.

Since the pier is near the airport, there are lots of parking options. Park n Fly, WallyPark, and many others. I think they all offer shuttle service to the pier. I’ve been using Aladdin for years - their price is reasonable and their shuttle service is reliable.

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I loved the trail - you hike through the rain forest up the mountain. I forget the elevation gain, but the trail is steep in many places. I would call it a moderate hike. I think it took me about two hours, maybe a little more. I wore hiking boots and had hiking sticks. The trail is steep, has lots of roots, and can be muddy. I am an avid hiker and loved the challenge. There were some views of the port, but the trail mainly goes through the forest. I would not hike up to save the money for the tram. I definitely would hike up if you enjoy mountain hiking through a rain forest. I think the $10 spending is per person. There is a very nice gift shop and a restaurant at the top. I bought a beautiful t-shirt designed by a local artist.

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We rented a car and used the Maui Revealed guide book. We had an outstanding time and loved being on our own schedule.

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I'm a snorkeler, and loved snorkeling in Ketchikan. You wear 7mm wet suits, so you will be warm, not cold. When I took off my wet suit, steam escaped! It rained when we went, but we were in the water, so getting wet wasn't a problem. Visibility was fine. The sea life is different from warm water areas - there were lots of different start fish, and a beautiful kelp forest. Look on YouTube - there are quite a few videos that show what you will see. Also search on this forum for Ketchikan snorkeling and you will see several reviews. I definitely recommend going, especially if you like to snorkel. That said, if it's worth it is a personal decision - it definitely was worth it for me.

Since Creek Street is just a few minutes from where the ship docks, there should be time to walk over for a bit.

Even if they do not have a table available at the time you want, don/t be concerned. Go down to the specialty restaurant when you want to eat, and they probably will seat you. That was the advice given to us when the time we wanted wasn't available. We were told to show up, and they sat us.

Resources for Photos and Information

 

I have the Ketchikan Trail Guide and the Guide to the Tongass Forest, but am not finding a lot of information outside of Cruise Critic about the local trails. I have tried to call the local Visitor Center multiple times, but haven't been successful at reaching anyone. I am particularly interested in photos of the Ketchikan Trails. Trying to decide between the Lunch Falls Loop and a portion of the Ward Creek Trail, I wish I could do both but will choose one. For those who have done both, which is most scenic? For this day, I am more interested in beautiful rainforest scenery and (cascading) water trails than a strenuous hiking experience. If anyone knows of resources or sites where there are photos and could post a link, I would be grateful!

THANKS! :)

Although both trails are nice, I prefer the Lunch Falls Loop - it is more varied than Ward Creek Trail. You walk through the rain forest and also along the canal. I just Googled the trail names and clicked on images, and saw many photos of the trails. Just need to be careful since not all of the images are for the trail I Googled.

What types of things are you interested in? Are you interested in hiking? Juneau has some excellent trails. The closest to the port is the Perseverance Trail - to get to the trail head you walk through town, past the Russian church, and through a neighborhood with colorful houses. On the way you also pass the trail head to hike up Mt. Roberts where the tram goes. If you have a car, there's also the Treadwell Mine trail through an abandoned mine. Google any of these and you will get descriptions of the trails and directions to the trail head. There's also a self guided walking tour map for the mine online.

Read/search this board and there are lots of options in Juneau.

Let me see, Oakland airport for less than $200 or Hilton San Francisco for $165. I know my pick!!!! No offense, we have done early AM flights from OAK and have stayed at the Hilton. It's fine, except there's nothing around it you would want to walk to. Flying from OAK is a snap compared to getting to SFO. But, this is about pre-cruise staying and my vote is still near Union Square.

I looked up what we are paying at the Oakland Hilton: $120. I wrote under $200 since I wasn't sure what the cost was (we often stay at this property and have paid various amounts.).

I offered Oakland as an alternative to those who want to fly into Oakland and are only looking for an inexpensive place to stay the night before a cruise. I, too, have stayed in San Francisco in various locations, but that's when I want to spend time there. For this particular trip I'm only looking for a place to sleep and will be there about 12 hours.

Just trying to be totally optimistic, I called Princess to see if you could exchange the premier beverage package for OBC instead. She spoke to Supervisor and help desk and the answer given to me was "No." So if someone gets a "yes" answer, let us know!

 

 

Pooh

I tried today, and got the same answer - either take the drink package or nothing. There's no OBC option :-(