norwega

Just now, Underwatr said:

The T-Mobile plan has to be a postpaid plan.

do you mean a prepaid plan?  

8 minutes ago, richelle21 said:

My sister’s boyfriend has T-mobile. I didn’t see anything about unlimited data for their international plan. Where do I find more details about that?

I don't know what T-mobile has and need to go the store to talk to them.  I know that 6gb is not enough for us for a 3 week trip, downloading photos while in port.  Ha, I probably take 6gb of photos per day!  

Do you know anything about esim with TMobile?  I have an iPhoneXs Max on ATT.  I don't need a connection onboard as I know how spotty it is at sea.  I don't want to spend my time while we're in port searching for and spending time in a place that has free wifi, but would like to upload photos to the cloud while on land, sightseeing.  We're traveling to Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, with 5 days after the cruise in Chile prior to flying home to Seattle.  TIA 

On 7/17/2019 at 7:14 AM, SRF said:

One plan is better for ports.  One plan is better for at sea.

 

But in ports, you can also find wifi hotspots, so wifi calling (and texting) will work there. Ask a crew member about wifi hotspots in ports.  They have the best info, because they use them.

 

BEST is to switch to T-Mobile. 😄   Unlimited text and data (minimum 2G speed), 25 cents per minute calling, in over 210 countries.  Plus support wifi calling.

 

I have T-Mobile, and get an on board internet plan.

 

On RCI, the two plans are different download speeds.  0.5 and 5.0 mbps.  But on board, the older ships, the ping can be over 600 ms, leading to slow response.

On 5/11/2019 at 4:21 AM, Midwest Sunseeker said:

We will be flying into Seattle on a Saturday, cruise Monday Pier 91.  We would like to stay at an airport hotel with a good restaurant and wine pick up within a short walk/Uber distance.  We have looked at the Holiday Inn Express and the Red Lion.  On Sunday we would like to take a hotel pick up tour of the area outside of Seattle.  Any tours or tour companies recommendations would be appreciated.  On Monday we will Uber to the pier.  Is there a recommended time that would best to leave based on Monday morning traffic? We like to arrive early.  Thank you for your help.

http://sodo-urbanworks.com/tenant-directory.html  wineries near the stadiums.  SODO is short for "south of downtown/dome.  Our favorite wineries are Patterson and Old World.  You can grab a slice of pizza too!   

For your tour outside of Seattle, Woodinville has numerous wineries in the Hollywood District (named because holly grows like a weed here!)  There's an old brick schoolhouse at the roundabout, with wineries all around, including Chateau St Michelle which does free tours on the hour.  The Woodinville wine country just posted this https://woodinvillewinecountry.com/sip-back-and-enjoy-the-woodinville-cellar-hopper-and-wine-express/  

Here's a link to a shuttle for Woodinville wine tasting!  https://woodinvillewinecountry.com/sip-back-and-enjoy-the-woodinville-cellar-hopper-and-wine-express/  We live close by, so I can answer questions regarding wineries, or direct you to others who can help.  

I highly recommend Eugenia and Luigi at wineroutebaja.com.  

We were on a Carnival cruise last March  2018 and they provided the most wonderful, relaxing day.  We didn't want lunch so she found 2 wineries which provided cheese and crackers along with the wine tasting.  She took 4 of us to 4 different wineries.  The cost was $110 for 2, and the other couple joined us at the last minute, which was fine.  

Have a great day!

Eugenia & Luigi

--

facebook.com/wineroutebaja
wineroutebaja.com

We haven't been on RCL, but have on Carnival, NCL, Princess, Holland, and Celebrity.  If you like RCL, I suggest trying Princess or Holland for a more equal comparison than Carnival.  IMO, Celebrity is above Holland, but we like both and usually choose based on the destination and ports.  

I'm booked on the June 23 trip. Both it & the Aug. 18 are filling up FAST!

Were you in Geiranger 6/27? I have some photos of the ship I can email you. I couldn't find the roll call. We were onshore that day and saw you sail out of the fjord.

Who knew Mexico has incredible wine! They don't export to the US so if you enjoy small wineries and good wine, go to Valle de Gaudalupe. I found a husband and wife, she the guide, he the driver, who listened to our preferences, and took us to 4 wineries, 2 small and 2 larger, on a Tuesday, for $55 per person, which only includes their services of driving and guide, and a Tshirt!. http://wineroutebaja.com/ Average tasting fee was $12 I think and bottles of wine were $25-$35. We paid with credit card. We were there on the Carnival Imagination, and Eugenia and Luigi picked us up from the end of the pier at 10AM and dropped us off at 5PM. Our favorite winery I think was Sol y barro. I had asked if we could not go the a restaurant for lunch but just have some cheese, bread, etc, which we did at Sol y barro. We also went to Santo Tomas, which is one of the oldest wineries, where we tasted Chardonnay, Barbera, Syrah. We also visited Vinos ATP, which is not in the official guide http://www.discoverbajacalifornia.com/images/folletos-institucionales_pdf/Folleto-Ruta-del-Vino.pdf, but we enjoyed his wine very much! Merlot, Cab Sauv, Nebbiolo, and a blend of the 3. He and Sol y barro opened just for us, through reservations made by our guide, Eugenia. I was the only one of 4 of us that speaks Spanish, and all servers spoke English. The last winery we visited was Dubacano where we had a cheese plate as well as wine. In total we bought 9 bottles of wine, which Carnival took from us when we got back to the ship. We picked it up the morning we left and put it in our suitcases. We included it in our customs form, as it was probably over $300, no issues. Eugenia and Luigi also took us to the wine museum in Valle de Guadalupe, where they paid for our entrance. It was fantastic, clean, and they provided binders with English translations. We had a wonderful, quiet day, with incredible wine, warm conversation, and full of information. Another couple joined us at the last minute, as there was space in the van. Before we left the US, I reserved the tour, and Eugenia asked me to make a 30% downpayment so I sent her $33 via Paypal, email. I had never done that before, but she emailed me back in about 5 minutes saying "I received your money!" We paid the rest in US dollars. We could have paid via credit card. In fact we wanted to buy several bottles of wine at Santo Tomas, but their website/credit card wasn't working, and it was our first stop so we were hesitant to use all our cash, but Eugenia allowed us to pay her, and then she paid Santo Tomas.

It was a full day, alas we did not have time to buy any trinkets or be bothered by peddlers. We're fine with our wine as souveniers :-)

I finally found the website for Guadalupe Valley Wine tours http://wineroutebaja.com/

I chatted with him, in English, and he is sending me an email with info. His price direct is $55 for a tour from the cruise ship port in Ensenada. He will choose from the wineries that he thinks has the best experience and with our request for a light lunch at a winery. He knows which ones are open on the Tuesday that we are there and will make reservations for us. He said we will pay 30% up front and the remaining at the end of the tour. I am more comfortable booking directly with Luigi than with Trip Advisor or other.

in Astoria there are few cabs, and I don't think Uber. It's about a mile walk to the Avis rental car. We rented a car last year and drove down to Cannon Beach. I highly recommend getting a car as the bus to town comes on the hour, and it's a half mile walk just to get to the bus. Renting a car gives one freedom to go where you want. We stopped at Fred Meyer, a grocery store, on the way and picked up a picnic lunch.

We also stopped at the wreck of ? where there happened to be a junior high girl's cross country race happening!

I was surprised to see this thread resurrected but I have another recommendation for future visitors to Astoria - not an excursion but a book I recently read and wish it had been available in 2012: Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition and Survival by Peter Stark. Amazon's description of the plot:

 

Astoria

is the thrilling, true-adventure tale of the 1810 Astor Expedition, an epic, now forgotten, three-year journey to forge an American empire on the Pacific Coast. Peter Stark offers a harrowing saga in which a band of explorers battled nature, starvation, and madness to establish the first American settlement in the Pacific Northwest and opened up what would become the Oregon trail, permanently altering the nation's landscape and its global standing.

Thanks:) I'll check it out!

A quick search found many threads, here are 3.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2442172&highlight=celiac

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2364337&highlight=celiac

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2495743&highlight=celiac

Thanks, I had seen the first thread, but not the 2nd two. We'll talk to the Head Chef in the Horizon court as we often eat there for breakfast as we can control how long it takes to grab a bite before we head out. We may try the MDR for sea days.

We haven't been on Princess since 2014. On our last cruise on HAL Eurodam we were pleased to see the buffet arranged so only the crew served food or we could choose small plates were already made up. I believe it might have been to lessen the chance of Norovirus and other viruses as all the guests were not touching the same utensils. A nasty cold virus did spread in the ship, but that's all for the 22 day cruise.

Shell43...may I ask advice? Just recently diagnosed (2 months) as gluten sensitive. Taking first cruise (RCCL) in Nov with next Princess cruise in March. I appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions. But you mentioned converting recipes, I am having a heck of a time with this and the trash can has ended up with most of them. Can you direct me to a source that can guide me in the way to convert recipes? Taste has not been an issue but texture has. Most breads and rolls are so dense and heavy they are inedible. Same with pizza crusts and pie crusts. Sorry to hijack cruise related board with this question but I am really struggling with this.

Chris

I hope you've been able to find some recipes! There are so many now using almond flour that are yummy! Search for Wheat Belly recipes, which will be low carb as well as wheat free. There is a FB page for WB that has all kinds of recipes.

We're on the Wine Country cruise from Vancouver to LA Sept 24-Oct 1. My mom is celiac, and we've noted that in her paperwork. Wondering if anyone has tips especially for the first day? We'll try to get lunch in Vancouver before we board.

TIA

We leave on Wed for our cruisetour (northbound cruise with Copper River, Denali, and Mt Mckinley), and I cannot begin to explain how excited I am! What are some things we need to know before leaving?

 

Will our luggage be transferred from the ship to the tour, or will we have to do this ourselves?

Will we get an itinerary of when we need to be where for the land portion?

How bad is the trip from Copper River to Denali? I heard it is 9 hrs and unpaved.

How many people should we expect to see on our tour?

We already booked most of our excursions for land and sea, but are there ones that are not to be missed?

Any sights within the 3 ports (skagway, juneau, and ketchikan) that we should make sure to see?

Packing tips? I already plan on bringing a rain coat and another jacket.

My memory card on my camera can take 4K photos, is this going to be enough, or should I have a spare as a just in case?

Any other tips?

 

Appreciate the help!

Walls of the cabin are made of steel so magnets help to hold some of the paperwork, like the daily paper and our calendar (which I create ahead of time) I use the clip type and also bring baggies to put our tickets and other items on the wall as the desk space is very limited in most cabins.

there are other packing tips on cc, but that is one some people don't know about.

Since you'll be in Alaska, I don't see the need for internet if you can access what you need while on shore with a phone.

Have fun! Alaska is beautiful!

We'll be visiting SF Sept 28 on Emerald Princess with my mom and others that don't walk well. No wheelchairs, but canes to assist when tired. Recommendations? There will be 6 of us total.

We love Pacific Coastal cruises as we are in the Seattle area. Yes, the Passenger Services Act is a pain, but I found that if you're book two different ships, you're fine. We're on a 1 day cruise from Seattle to Vancouver on HAL Oosterdam 9/24-9/25 and then on the Emerald Princess from Vancouver to LA 9/25-10/1. My TA said "no problem" We've never been on a 1 day cruise, so it will be interesting! I imagine we'll stay on HAL as long as possible, and then walk our luggage across to the other side of Canada Place to give it to Princess.

I don't think you would be charged the corkage fee for that 1 bottle over the allotted amount but someone who may have done a 1 day cruise before may know for sure.

 

I wanted to tell you that you have my "dream" retirement job right now! lol.

Me and my DH are always talking about moving to the west coast to spend our winters and working part time at a vineyard for wine. lol

I had to ask HAL about shareholder credit, so asked also about the wine. He said yes, they will hold it until the end of our cruise? We won't drink more than 1 bottle that night, so will just have any others kept for us. Yes, it's a fun "job" but can be physically challenging when helping bottle and crush. We've learned to appreciate the work that small wineries put into their product.

Question, We are taking a 1 day cruise on HAL from Seattle to Vancouver, then a 6 day cruise on Princess from Vancouver to LA. If we take 3+ bottles onboard HAL, will they charge us corkage for the over allotment of 2 or simply keep them until the end of the trip (the next morning? ) We help at the local wineries and get paid in wine, so have lots in our cellar. This is our first time on a 1 day cruise!

I started collecting shot glasses from each new port we visit. They are small and functional when we have a party!

Specialty Dinning can only be booked on board. You can make a reservation the day you board if you like. There will be a person at the entrance to the Crown Grill, Sabatini's and one of the DR's where you can arrange it. You can also call the dine line the next day or any day.

Yes, as of today you can bring on your own water and soda. However, water from the ship's tap is just as good as filtered bottled water. Just bring a water bottle. You can keep water cold in your cabin fridge where there is also ice.

Sanctuary, $20/half day, $40/full day, $30/day if you book the entire week. I would not book it in Alaska. The cruise isn't a lounge around in the warm sun type of cruise, it's sightseeing.

Wine, 1 750ml bottle/pp over 21 can be carried on free of charge for consumption in your cabin. Additional bottles are charged a $15 corkage charge when you board. These bottles are so marked and can be used anywhere on the ship. No spirits or beer can be brought on board.

No charge for Room Service, except $3 for a full pizza which you can obtain on the Lido deck for free, and items that normally have a charge like beer, alcohol. It is customary to provide a tip. Room Service menu is not the full DR menu unless you are in a full suite.

There will be a $11.50pp/per day hotel charge (autotip) charged to your on board account. The amount is $12 for full suites and mini suites. This covers all the tipping for the staff that serves you. However we always provide an extra cash tip to our room steward and to our DR waiters if we have traditional fixed seat dining.

Since you have a land tour read carefully what is included. While some of the land tours do include some meals, many don't and meals in Alaska are expensive. Also, remember you will have various guides/drivers on your land tour which will expect tips.

If I bring 4 bottles of wine onboard and they want me to pay corkage fees on two of them, can I choose which bottles I want to pay for, and then take them to the dining room without paying the corkage again?

Thanks

We arrive very late on May 12th. (It will be the 13th by the time we get to the hotel!) We board the ship on the 17th.

 

I'm still confused on the luggage thing. I know I have to pack bags for carry on, for land and for sea. But I'm just not sure how to do that yet.

You mentioned bringing water and sodas on the ship. Yes, you can, and I bring a duffle bag to easily transport them. But I doubt you want to fly with them, so wondering if you have time to grab some before you leave on your land tour or between land and ship.

on past cruises I haven't brought bottled water, but my own wide spout water bottle that I can refill in the horizon court. another option is to ask for a pitcher of water with room service and fill your own. We're on the Crown May 3 and because of the norovirus issues I plan on bringing a case of water, but we have a friend dropping us off, so no issues getting it to the pier.

DH drinks a couple of sodas a day. We just bring a box or two (12/box) in a duffle bag. We've never had a problem bringing sodas onboard to enjoy in the room. He doesn't take them out for meals though, so if you want soda with meals, you might want the soda card.