Wildcatllamas

What a wonderful review. I will be on the Getaway in May and after your review so looking forward to it. I have a couple of questions.

The steak with pepper sauce at Illusionarium - can it be ordered without the pepper sauce? I have issues with to much pepper.

When was the earliest you were able to make reservations for the Chef's Table?

Every experienced cruiser knows that cruise ship coffee tastes like boiled cardboard with a little kerosene added.

 

here's my tip for those that want to save their pennies and just order the regular coffee from room service. A cabin steward taught me this and here is my recolllection of that conversation. It was in the late 90's on the Norway, so I hope I'm re-creating the scene properly.

 

Me: Hello! Reza, would you put in a standing order for room service coffee every morning?

 

Reza: Of course, madamoiselle (gotta love the guy ! LOL) But will you be wanting chocolate with that?

 

Me: Ummmm...Well, okay. Do I want chocolate with that? (Because I have learned to listen and pay attention when the crew "recommends" something. They are doing it for your benefit and for your own good. LOL)

 

Reza: Oh yes, madamoiselle...you want coffee, but you also want hot chocolate, and a little whipped cream. And of course, you will be wanting a bit of milk for the side, oui???

 

Me: Ummmm...okay...yes, thank you Reza.

 

The next morning, it arrived, and Reza happened to show up....

 

I was standing there looking at the tray --- there were 2 cups of coffee, one hot chocolate with whipped cream, and a glass of milk.

 

Reza: Allow me, madamoiselle (I wanted to take him home and was sorely tempted to marry him so he could get a green card.)....he scooped the whipped cream off the chocolate and put it on the coffee. Then he poured (carefully so he didn't spill) a bit of chocolate into the coffee. Then he added just a tiny bit of milk.

 

honestly, I am not partial to chocolate. But it was the best coffee ever.

Seriously.

What a wonderful story. Yes many of these hard working folks know tips and ideas that can make for a wonderful cruise.

Like you in the past with all of my late husband's medical stuff we would introduce ourselves to our cabin steward with a thank you card like you do. In it would be at least $20 and a note saying that with all the extra "trash" we wanted to thank him/her for the added work we would be. Then at the end we would once again leave them a thank you note and extra tip. If they were good I always leave a review at the guest services desk.

Bidding for good hotels on Priceline in Vancouver used to be pretty simple however in the past couple of years they have tinkered with their downtown Vancouver maps so it has become just a little more tricky. However, as long when bidding you stay in zones 4 & 5 and check on 3.5*+ hotels you will end up with a very good room in a good hotel. I would start my bidding at $125 and not go above $135. You are not likely to hit the bid until about 6 weeks before the date you want so don't panic, you have time on your side.

 

Lately I have been using Hotwire more and more and with it I would stay in the Downtown Shopping/Entertainment area and the Coal Harbour/Stanley Park area and sticking pretty hard at the 4* level. You are likely OK with 3.5* but I prefer the added comfort of the 4* level.

Great explanation and could be applied anywhere. I never go below 3.5* and depending how far out start at 1/2 of posted rack rate. If close to the date I will see what the hotels in the area offer for government, military or senior rates and start about $20 to $25 below those.

The two complaints I have with Priceline and Hotwire (and it really isn't with them) is that you can't request a room with two beds upfront. You have to call the hotel after you have booked and hope they will comply. Here the last year or so I have run into hotels putting me in rooms that would be considered their "undesirable" rooms:mad:. Along the road side, right next to the elevator or ice machine, things like that. Seems to happen more often with two specific chains.

I don't think, other than maybe Disney there is a "best for kids" line, but certainly the newer NCL ships have great kids programs. Almost every child we have spoken with and everyone I booked while still an agent loved their NCL experience. I know it got our grandkids hooked on cruising years ago.

As a TA I would have to agree with newmixicoNita. The last couple of years NCL has been working toward being very family friendly with a lot of changes. And for those who are kids at heart I think the newer ships Breakaway and Getaway with their rope courses and water slides are a hit. I am looking forward to sailing on the Getaway in May.

Thank you all for your information. Will check and see if my friend wants closer to the port in the morning or closer to the airport the night of arrival. For me I am open to anything as it will be my first time in Vancouver. She has been there before.

Thank you Putterdude, K50 and matincath. I chose the hotel based on it having a 24 hour airport shuttle. A friend who is sailing with me won't be getting in until about 11 pm on the night before the cruise so was trying to find an easy way to get her from point A to point B. I was planning on renting a car for sightseeing but figured I would turn it back in before she got in.

So besides HI Express Vancouver Airport any other suggestions that would fit. The trip from the hotel to the port will either be taxi or who knows what just yet. It is just getting her from the airport to the hotel. She will be dead tired from livestock judging in the AM and then flying from the East coast to Vancouver.

I will be cruising out of Vancouver in September and currently have a hotel reservation at the Holiday Inn Express Riverport Richmond as it has a 24 hour airport shuttle. I have been debating between flying into Vancouver or Seattle and then Amtrak up. Is the scenery worth doing Amtrak? I will be arriving Vancouver either way two days before my cruise so I have time to sight see there as well.

Thanks for the great review. I am so looking forwarded to my cruise in May. Glad you talked me into doing the Getaway rather than Hawaii this year. Nothing like being on a brand new ship.

As usual your photos cover the things that few others think of and I will remember the trash bag for the ottoman/hamper.

Can't wait to get onboard....My wife and I sail the Getaway in 22 more days... :) Spa Balcony room, not sure if I should upgrade or not...

 

Jazzbone

If you don't upgrade hope you come back with a review of the Spa Balcony cabin since I will be in one in May.

We've done 4 Pacific Coastal in the fall and the weather is unpredictable.

 

2009 the weather was fantastic and there were sun bathers leaving Vancouver.

 

2010 the weather was cloudy till Astoria then sunny the rest of the way down.

 

2011 was raining leaving Vancouver and rough in open seas causing us to miss Astoria, sunny in SF

 

2013 miserable weather all the way to SF with another miss in Astoria, sunny in SF, SB, & LA

 

It's a crap shoot so I'd check Vancouver weather before you leave. It always seems to improve once you reach northern California.

I'm sure I'll be doing this cruise again as it's a nice getaway for us in Vancouver. I know to book after final payment and use the saving on the Spa if the weather sucks. Sun before SF is just an added bonus!

So when you say rough in open seas will that make guests in those front cabins feel like ping pong balls in a tin can?:eek: My friend gets sea sick on rough seas so just trying to be prepared.

Thank you everyone. Have friend who has said if her husband says yes she may join me. Will run all this by her as well. She is used to sailing in an inside so sure don't want her first experience with a balcony to be a bad "are you kidding me" type thing.

If Jamaica can have a bobsled team, why can't you have a land-based cruise? :D

Good point.

If you don't mind my asking, what exactly is a "land based cruise"?

SeaShark it is me being exhausted after to many double shifts this week.:eek: I meant land based vacation. Needless to say I am in dire need of my next cruise.

Thanks for the help VideoTech and Indiana Joe. I have a cabin on the portside stern so there looks to be more protection than a center stern cabin. It will be sunny since we will be headed south. So that was why I initially booked it but then though - hmm weather.

I have a forward Penthouse on the Sun for the Pacific Coastal in September but have started to wonder about the weather that time of year out of Vancouver. Would rather switch to an aft Penthouse then not be able to use the balcony due to nasty weather.

I always ask for a copy of the amenities invoice and take it with me for the cruise. It is no fun to think you have something and then get there and find out "oh sorry - we don't see that". Had that happen on a land based cruise.

I would maybe suggest contacting the Latitudes department directly about this. They have always been very helpful when I have contacted them. Worth a try any way. I'm watch my points too. If my figures are correct I will be Platinum after my cruise in September.

Loving your photos. How did you get so many photos of different cabins? I'm going to be in a Spa balcony in May and so looking forward to this.

Any one who sailed on the Star back in early 2012 may have caught Dr Scott Lewis hypnosis performance and his seminar. He was a very charming man and would respond to emails personally. He will be missed.:(

Here is the link to the report on his death:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/hypnotist-dr-scott-lewis-dead-3013479

On my last cruise the day before we left my RA began to flair and my joints in my fingers were starting to swell and become painful. I avoid prednisone due to issues I had with it so figured this would be lots of Naproxen. During the Spa tour got to talking with the acupuncturist and she felt she could bring me some relief. So as the Star was heading down the Mississippi I got my very first acupuncture treatment. By bedtime that night the swelling was going down and by the next morning was gone and no pain. I have never had it resolve that quickly. I have continued with acupuncture since and things have remained stable.

I have had massages by relatives of Attila the Hun on cruises so a little hesitant in that area.

Loved the Elemis Oxydermy facial. And the Seaweed massage - not every happening again.

I have been enjoying this thread. I am booked on the Sun 9/29/2014. Really looking forward to sailing on her.

I am in a forward PH. This was a cruise my late husband and I had planned on doing. With it just being me I figured the forward would be fine. Now with this friend talking about going it may be time to think about moving to an aft.

I have been on the Star and enjoyed that ship. Looking forward to the Sun. Any tips you want to share - feel free to. Either here or by email.

Barb

Thank you so much Donna. I will ask for a topper just to be safe.

Barb

A friend is thinking about coming with me on a cruise on the Sun. I have been told by NCL that the main bed doesn't break down to 2 twins. She says she is fine sleeping on the sofa bed but can anyone tell me how comfortable it really is? Is there an option for a roll-away? If a roll-away are they comfortable? Hate to have her cranky by day 2 because the bed options aren't great.:(

Thanks!

Well I got in on the tail end. A friend and I were looking at doing the Pacific Coast cruise in September 2014 and were trying to decide between NCL and HAL. I have been sailing on NCL the last year and been very happy. She has done HAL. I was going to ask for advice on which is better but I think I will lean toward NCL with this. Last cruise with NCL DH and I took on 4 bottles of very nice wine and just paid the corkage. A glass apiece each evening while sitting on our balcony was so nice.