CruisingRagdoll

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

SG? SD? Need to clarify where you are going.

 

In San Diego, the zoo is definitely require a taxi or Uber. Not a bad idea for Santa Monica, either.

Sorry I meant SD. 

Hi there, 

we will be visiting LA and SG with Princess in September and we will be docking at the World Cruise Center in LA.

We want to visit the Santa Monica/Pier area but the excursion is sold out. What will be our options to arrange our own transportation from the World Cruise Center to Santa Monica? We are a family with little kid so would Taxi be our best option? Are taxis readily available in the Cruise Centre area? How much would it cost us per trip and how long would it take with the traffics usually? Or if we get a Uber or Lyft, do they require child seat?

For SG, we want to visit the zoo but again the excursion is sold out. I checked Google maps and see the port is relatively close to the zoo so I guess Taxi is probably our best option here, or would anyone recommend getting there by bus?

thanks in advance!

Called our CP this morning about potentially switching our September cruise on the Crown b/c of the engine issues. She did tell us that the Crown was missing ports but mentioned they are already “working on it”. She was honest to say that she doesn’t know if the issue will be fixed by September but there’s still some time. If the itinerary needs to be changed, we will get an email notice….So we decided to hold off changing anything until the 30 days, and if it’s not fixed by then we will use the Cruise with Confidence policy to book another ship instead. 
 

I was checking CruiseMapper and it looks like the ship is making 20 knots from time to time, so hopefully it’s because they are “working on it” and the speed is improving.

31 minutes ago, Muffinz said:

you're probably best to take an I-pad or laptop with some downloaded videos / games.....

Lol we will probably do that, didn’t have high hopes, but still wish it can handle the occasional video calling and sending pictures! 

1 hour ago, twincheryl said:

We don't drink either, and always get Wifi and OBC.  That way if you want an occasional fancy coffee/tea or a soda, you just pay for it.  

 

Wifi is inconsistent depending on what ship and where you are in the world (and where your cabin is).  Sometimes it's great.  Generally good enough for texting and checking email.  Not always good enough for streaming or uploading photos... seems to depend on how many people are online.  Sea days seem to be especially slow since everyone is onboard.

Thanks for the reply. We will be on the celebrity eclipse.

1 hour ago, davekathy said:

Welcome to CC. Have you compared the price of your cruise with and without the bundled perks? Drinks that are included in your cruise fare are, milk, tap water, coffee, tea, lemon aid and assorted juices. 

Yes, we did compare. Works out to about 400 dollars more, and we thought it’s worth it since the obc is 300 dollar alone, and we need wifi for sure. Sounds like there are enough basic drinks for us, so are these basic drinks available through out the day or just during eating hours? 

Thanks!

Hi there, 

we will be cruising with celebrity cruises for the first time on a pacific coastal trip. And we have some questions regarding their perks offer. We can choose two of the following, obc 150USD for two, unlimited wifi, classic drinking package and prepaid gratuities. 

we know we will need wifi on board since we are bring our 1 year old and we probably have to enjoy some activities separately while the other looks after the baby and uses wifi. How fast is the unlimited wifi package? Is it fast enough for video chatting, mobile online gaming, or is it just enough for texting and surfing the web that sort of thing?

And for us who don’t regularly drink alcohol or soft drinks, (except bottled water), is it worth it to get the classic drinking package in the perks offer or Should we opt for the on board credit offer, and just spend it as we need. ( 7 night cruise)

and if we don’t get the drinking package, what are our free options?

Thanks in advance for any tips.

Thanks guys for all your inputs. Open for more thoughts on the ship differences and the weather.

Hi There, 

We are newbies planing on our first Alaska cruise with HAL, We used to cruise with Princess. we are set on a 7 day round trip going the inside passage route with Glacier Bay and are having a hard time making some choices.

1. We plan to go in early - mid May, will it be too early for a "good" Alaska experience (i.e. is the weather too cold/rainy/windy to enjoy the scenery on the balcony/open decks)

2. We have 2 choices of ships: Koningsdam vs Volendam. The price is actually slightly cheaper for a vista suite on Volendam compared to a standard verandah room. Should we go for a bigger vista suite on the older Volendam or enjoy the new Koningsdam but stay in the smaller balcony room? Our main concern would be any dining experience differences as our on-ship activity may be very limited due to my next point.

3. We are debating of whether to take our 1 yr old with us on the cruise since they have a kid sail for free offer, does anyone have any positive/negative experience with infants this young on a cruise like this? 

looking forward to any thoughts and recommendations.

Thanks, 

CruisingRagdoll