Princess Patches

I do not think it is a big deal or requires much time or effort to see the maitre d' on embarkation day. It is something I do on every cruise even when we get our requested assignment.

For instance, four of us are sailing on the Golden in November. We have recently cleared the waitlist and we are all confirmed for first seating traditional. Our bookings are linked. When we check in we will look at our cruise cards to make sure they show we have first seating in the main dining room and we are all assigned the same table. Assuming that is all correct, we still go see the maitre d' upon embarkation. Why? Because we still do not know if we have our requested table for four or we are at a larger table. The maitre d' has the seating chart. We have him check the chart. If it is a table for four we thank him and leave. If it is not a table for four we request a change.

We do not want to show up at the first dinner and find out we are not at a table for four and then request a change after dinner. We feel that is rude to our tablemates. We prefer eating as a family at dinner. We join other passengers for breakfast and lunch in the dining room.

In more than 20 cruises with Princess, I have never failed to get the seating that we wanted either by assignment prior to boarding or by seeing the maitre d' upon embarkation. I am sure that you will too. I am surprised that you are not aware of how accommodating Princess is with dining room seating since you are elite. I cannot believe this is your first time waitlisted. You have been most fortunate.

If you do not clear the waitlist prior to sailing, then see the maitre d' on embarkation day. It is easy and does not take long. On my last two cruises, the meeting time and place was not listed in the Princess Patter, but if you go to the main dining room at lunch and ask they will tell you when and where to meet with the maitre d'. On my last cruise, it was in Sabatini's starting around 1:00 p.m. There was no other passenger when we got there and we immediately spoke with the maitre d'.

We had wanted to sit with just our family, but were seated at a much larger table. We requested a table for four at early seating, but it was not available. So the maitre d' assigned us to Anytime Dining for the first night of the cruise. On the next day of our cruise, there was a card delivered to our cabin informing us that a table for four had opened up in first seating traditional and we had our desired table assignment.

I have never failed to get the desired time and seating arrangement for any Princess cruise by this method. Lots of passengers switch their assignments after they board. I think your worst case scenario is that on the first night you will eat together in Anytime Dining and by night two you will have your desired assignment in first seating traditional. Remember Anytime Dining starts at 5:15-5:30 so your parents can eat early in Anytime if they wish. I guarantee you will be eating dinner with your parents. Don't worry.

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

I looked at the Hertz on State St., but it said....

"PLEASE NOTE: There is not a vehicle rental office at this location. This vehicle may need to be coordinated for pick-up and/or drop-off."

 

So I wasn't sure if it was a 'real' agency???

 

Good to note about the San Marcos Pass (I presume this is hwy 154?) over the mountains...we were going to drive that way up and HWY 101 on the way back. Why is it so dangerous? I see it is not a divided highway..used to those. Curvy? Bad weather? Insane drivers? Animals? We have divided highways here that have accidents monthly, if not weekly...doesn't stop us from driving on them...Now...if it because of gang violance and we'll end up driving through a shooting..then we may have to rethink our plans! (Just joking)....

 

Kind of makes the difference on our decision.

 

 

Thanks.

You will have to call up Hertz to find out how they coordinate the pick up at the Amtrak Station. If you do not like their response, then the next closest rental agency of the ones you mentioned would be at the Fess Parker Resort on Cabrillo. You can take the Electric Shuttle for 50 cents that runs along Cabrillo and there is a drop off in front of the Fess Parker Resort. The ride on the shuttle is just a few minutes, but you might have to wait 20 minutes for the shuttle to show up.

Hwy 154 (San Marcos Pass) is not divided. It is narrow, winding, and steep. This makes it very accident prone. If you decide you want to take it for the scenery or because you like mountain drives, I would advise taking it on the way to Solvang (you will be on the inside lane) and then Hwy 101 on the return.

Lookinf for a car rental company near the tender dock. Looks like Hertz has one on State St? And at 633 East Cabrillo Bvld.

 

How far to get to/from the the tender dock to the 633 addy?

 

We are looking to go to Solvang (sp?) for a few hours...Would it be better to catch a cab/shuttle to the airport and rent there?

The closest rental car agency to the tender drop off point is Hertz at the Amtrak Station on State Street. The tender drops you off at Sea Landing which is about at Cabrillo Blvd. and Bath Street. Walk along Cabrillo towards Stearns Wharf about three blocks, then turn left on State Street at the Dolphin Fountain. Go about two blocks up State Street and the Amtrak Station is on your left at the first signal. This is about a 10-15 minute walk. The airport is 10-15 miles from the harbor and you would have an expensive cab fare to get there.

It is about 35 miles to Solvang and takes about 45 minutes to drive there. The safest most level route is north on Hwy 101. You have beautiful ocean views most of the way on this route. You can also take the more treacherous San Marcos Pass over the mountains, which is scenic, but I do not recommend this mountain road. There are a lot of accidents on that road.

I highly recommend the danish pastries at Mortensen's in Solvang.

Thanks for the wonderful and detailed review. I really enjoyed it. I felt like I was on the sailing with you! I have always wanted to take the Northern Transatlantic crossing (done the Southern) that stops in Iceland and Greenland. It sounds fantastic. I know I will do it one day. I am even more motivated after reading your review.

Vittorios, which to this day has the best garlic knots I can remember, was my grandparents' favorite. You went to Pali High? DW went to SaMo and I did Junior Guards at Will Rogers beach, so that whole area is near and dear to my heart.

I know Vittorio's just past Pali a ways on a little street off Sunset. They have the best pizza. Somehow I missed trying their garlic rolls. I will try them next time I am there visiting family. Thanks for the tip. Yes, I grew up in that area and went to Revere and Pali. I love it down there, but I have to admit I love Santa Barbara even more!

The garlic rolls at Palazzio are to die for (and complimentary too)! Arch Rock is relatively new and I have not tried it yet, but a couple of family members went there a few months ago and are still raving about it. I will try it soon. Thanks for the Travelzoo deal.

What Italian place in the Palisades? I went to Pali High and am trying to think of the restaurant you are referring too.

Yes, they definitely have free wifi at Sambo's. You do not see many people on their laptops there because most go for the great, inexpensive breakfasts and the free ocean views.

I agree with your restaurant picks. I would add Brophy's, which is a short stroll from the tender dock. It has wonderful ocean, city, and harbor views and the food is terrific and reasonably priced (get a table outside for the view). They have the best clam chowder I have ever tasted and I have tasted a few. I also love Palazzio in the 1000 block of State Street for Italian food (get 1/2 orders here because a full order will serve a family of four).

For those cruisers who wish to catch up on their email or work, here are some of the places that offer free wireless in the Santa Barbara downtown area (based on personal experience and a little research):

 

Amtrak Station

209 State St.

 

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

811 State St.

 

 

 

Santa Barbara Main Library

40 East Anapamu St.

 

Starbucks

800 State St.

These are all great free wifi places. The closest free wifi spot to where the ship tenders drop you off is Sambo's restaurant. You can get a cup of coffee or something and sit there for hours. The tenders let you off at Sea Landing which is at Cabrillo Blvd and Bath Street and Sambo's is directly across the street. It is a one minute walk from the tender dock.

The different trolleys and shuttles sound good, we were discussing what to do in Santa Barbara in October. We are not much for wine tasting tours, but if a tour of some kind goes to a winery it's not a real issue. On the hop on hop off trolleys, how long is the loop that it takes? Is it feasable to do the loop and then return to something that looked interesting? Also we were thinking about renting a bike for the two of us, does anyone know if those tours are nice? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks, Scott

The trolley tickets you buy online or onboard the trolley are good for two consecutuve days. So yes, it is feasible to take the full loop and then return to something that looked interesting if you have time. However, if you buy the trolley tour through the ship then it is just the one loop with no getting on or off and no taking a second loop.

I have taken the trolley a number of times and never experienced any trouble getting on the next trolley. They only run about half full the vast majority of the time (a few holiday weekends they might go full). The only trolleys I have seen go full consistently are the trolleys reserved by the cruise ships when they come to town.

If you want to get on and off, do the tour on your own. I recommend getting off at the courthouse, the mission, and the Four Seasons Biltmore/Butterfly Beach. There is also a stop on State Street (the main drag downtown) if you have time.

The Waterfront Electric Shuttle is a nice, inexpensive shuttle service that stops about every block along State Street and has several stops along Cabrillo (main waterfront street). It does not go far and it is not a narrated tour of the city. If you want to see the mission, Montecito, and other city highlights you should take the trolley.

You can save money by buying the Santa Barbara Trolley tickets online. If you are buying 2 or more tickets, you will pay $16.50 per person by buying them online. The ship charges anywhere from $35-45 per person for the trolley tour ($45 on our last cruise). The ship's reserved trolleys pick up on Cabrillo Blvd near the Santa Barbara Sea Landing. It is about a 5-minute walk down Cabrillo to Stearn's Wharf where the regular trolley tour picks up at the Dolphin fountain. This is very easy to do on your own.

On my last two coastal cruises that stopped in Santa Barbara I looked at the wait for the morning trolleys that pick up at Stearn's Wharf when the ship is in and there was essentially no line. There does not appear to be a problem in getting on the trolley on your own at Stearn's Wharf. Most cruisers do not know that you can do this on your own and so they book the ship's tours and the regular trolleys are going empty.

The only disadvantage of buying the tickets online is that you can cancel the Princess trolley tour about 24-48 hours prior to the tour and get your money back. You are stuck with the trolley tickets you buy online if you change your mind at the last minute (although the tickets are good indefinitely so they can be used on a future trip to SB).

We took the Sonoma wine country tour last October on the Sapphire. We went to the Jacuzzi and Cline wineries in the Carneros area and the Sebastiani winery in the town of Sonoma. We were given several wines at each winery to sample. It is a short stay at each winery and you do not tour the vineyards or the winemaking facilities because there is no time for that. They have a wine tasting tent set up where they explain the wines and you taste them. Then you have a little free time to go to the gift shop. I would have preferred going to just one winery and getting a complete tour of the facility and the vineyards. If I do it again, I will rent a car and do it on my own.

$129 is a better price than on our cruise. We paid $149 for our tour and it was up to $169 by the time we sailed. Princess raises the tour prices the closer you get to sailing date, so book early if you decide to go. You can always cancel up to a day or so before the tour without penalty if you change your mind.

That cabin is directly below the treadmills. I have read many noise complaints about being below the treadmills. The fitness center generally opens at 7 but on several of my sailings I have noticed that they were not allowing treadmill use until 8. I was told that this was due to noise complaints from the cabins below.

D741 on the Sapphire is a standard balcony cabin. It is not a minisuite. I prefer the port or starboard facing minisuites, because I find the wake noise in the cabins facing directly aft too loud. Some people will report they like the wake noise and the view from the aft facing balconies. It is just what you prefer.

I prefer the Emerald deck minisuites on the Sapphire. The minisuite has a sitting area with a sofabed, a larger bathroom with a shower/tub combo, and two televisions. It also has a larger balcony that standard balcony cabins (except Caribe deck). The balcony is also completely covered unlike the Dolphin deck minisuite balconies, which are totally uncovered. I like the aft area for its easy access to the main dining room and the buffet. It is also quiet with little foot traffic.

Thanks for the detailed review. I went on this cruise last year and loved it. It was fun to read about your experiences.

Lido 202 is on the portside and therefore under the massage tables and should be very quiet. The noisy area to worry about is the first 5-6 cabins on the starboard side that are under the weightlifting equipment and the treadmills. There have been complaints about noise in those cabins on mulitple ships.

I am not a fan of the aft facing cabins because of the wake noise. It was too noisy on the balcony for me (inside the cabin with the slider closed it was fine). Some people like them for the view which is more panoramic. You are below a public area, which is sometimes a noise problem, but that area of the Horizon Terrace does not get heavy traffic so that probably won't be a problem.

Some don't like the vibrations you get in the aft area while docking, but it did not bother me. The vibrations only last about 15 minutes in the morning when the ship is docking. I found it to be a good wake up call for my shore excursion.

Thanks for posting this. Our Hilo arrival/departure times also have changed for our December cruise. I was just looking into booking a private tour in Hilo, so this information was helpful.

Thanks for all the work you put into your review. I felt like I was on the cruise with you! It was very fun to read. The best review I have read in ages!

I am glad Laura received her much deserved win. She has consistently been in the top three and has not won yet. Her dress was beautiful last night and she deserved the win. I loved Michael's dress too. I was about as enthused to see Angela and Vincent back as were the remaining designers. They seemed very dejected by the prospect of competing against those two again. It didn't seem quite fair. I hope this is not an element of the show that they intend to use again next season. It didn't seem fair despite the fact that the odds were heavily weighted against Angela and Vincent because they had to win the challenge to stay in the competition.

The front runner is still Michael. Laura is in second place right now. It will all come down to their collections at Fashion Week. Of course, last season the front runner, Daniel, lost to Chloe on the basis of their collections at Fashion Week. Past performance counts for nothing when it comes to the final show. Uli and Jeffrey probably won't win because they stay in their niche too much. Jeffrey is in his rock 'n roll niche and Uli is in her tropical wear niche. Their businesses should do well from the exposure they have received on the show (as will Kayne's business). They all deserve it. They are very talented. I think this is the most talented group of the three seasons.

I can't believe the season is nearly over and it is only September. Are they going to do another competition in the spring or must we wait a year?

I felt sorry for Vincent. He obviously invested a lot in this show and it meant a lot to him, but his dress was definitely the worst of the six. He stayed in longer than he should have. Kayne will be the next to go. The judges have mentioned his "taste level" too many times. I thought his dress tonight was okay and not nearly as over the top as some of his other outfits.

I feel certain after today's challenge that Jeffrey will be in the final three. He is coming on strong now and the judges like him. You have to recognize his talent even if his style isn't to your liking. His yellow dress was his best creation and was by far the best of any of the dresses presented tonight.

The other finalists will be Michael and probably Uli. I keep wondering what Heidi means when she says that the importance of being a winner of a challenge will be revealed on a later show. Anyone know?

On the last episode Heidi Klum said something about the importance of winning a challenge would be revealed on a later show. Does anyone know what she meant?

Angela is finally gone. It was long overdue, although I think that flying her to Paris to tell her she was off the show seemed a little mean spirited. At least now we won't have to listen to the Angela/ Jeffrey fights. Angela never deserved to make it this far. I was so sick of the rosettes!! Her outfit last night was horrible and so wrinkled. Who wears linen for traveling?!

I used to think the final three would be Michael, Uli and Laura with Kayne having an outside chance at the third spot but I changed my mind after this episode. I still pick Michael as the front runner to win and Laura as a finalist but I think Kayne will be eliminated soon. He and Vincent will be the next to go. Kayne does formal gowns well but that seems to be his limit. Any time they have asked for something else he is entirely out of his element. The Elvis costume last night was just terrible. Uli is also in trouble. Michael Kors gave her a warning shot last night that if she continues to do nothing but tropical wear she will be viewed as too one dimensional and won't be a finalist. Whatever she does for the next challenge it better not be in a loud tropical print. I like her clothes, but the judges want to see if she can do anything else. I hope she was listening because I would like to see her make the final three.

I actually think the judges are considering giving Jeffrey the third spot as a finalist. His clothes don't appeal to my taste but he is obviously an excellent designer. His clothes are well constructed but have a limited audience. They may just keep him in to mix things up, much the way they keep Santino in last season for the final three.

I actually liked Heidi's outfit last night. It the first thing she has worn this season I liked. However, she wears black too much.

I absolutely hate almost everything Heidi has worn (this week was OK). They're worse than retro. Supermodel she doesn't even look good in them. I don't know who she is wearing, but yuck.

I agree. Does anyone know who designs Heidi's clothes for the show? Is it Michael Kors?