KeepCalmBearOn

There are no hotels at the port. Stay in Waikiki, it is only three miles.

11 hours ago, josumello said:

We will be there in February 

Yes.

A LOT of them. We were anchored at Lahaina in Feb 2020. Just sitting on the lanai in our stateroom we saw dozens and dozens of whales in Lahaina Roads and very close to the ship.

Princeton nailed it, nightly budget, wants and plans.

There are a couple of small, local rental places you can walk to or the Hilo Airport is about 3 miles away. All the Majors are at the airport. A taxi may be easier than an Uber.

Princeton may have been able to understand the question(s) you asked, I couldn't really follow.

No you don't need to show a passport or other documents, other than a government issued ID when boarding an airplane to fly between U.S. cities.

If you are saying you are on the Westerdam leaving Seattle on October 24, 58 days to Sydney, with 2 stops in HI, I don't know what travel documents HAL will require for you to board. I don't know if HAL requires VISA documents on a cruise leaving the U.S. or traveling in the U.S.

I'd ask them or ask in the HAL Forums.

1 hour ago, johnrich said:

Out of LAX we could get an 11:30am flight. Just wondering if that would be doable. TIA. 

11:30 is "doable" if you walk off, grab a cab off the line and don't mind a little stress at the end of a vacation. 

Just remember that "doable" isn't the same as "no problem".

I've never heard of them, but they get good reviews from legit posters, so I'd book them for myself based on those reviews.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/skyline-shuttle-express-long-beach

21 hours ago, SelectSys said:

Pheohe’s which is right by the Coronado Ferry Landing has one of the nicest views back to the city.  I am not sure how good the food is there these days, but it should make for a nice outing.

Peohe's has been on a downhill slide ever since Landry's bought them. It used to be my mother's favorite restaurant. No longer. 

I do go for Happy Hour, which is still great.

9 hours ago, Y Tesla said:

can you leave the vehicle in one of the charging spot while your on your 7day cruise?

Of course not.

4 hours ago, reefgeek83 said:

We will be flying into LAX and then cruising out of the Long Beach terminal. Looking at options for transportation from LAX to the cruise terminal. Are there any hotels near LAX that offer shuttle service? Ran a price for Uber and it was $150 one way, a little pricey considering we need round trip. Thanks for your help.

Uber is closer to $45, unless you are looking for curbside pick-up.

Take Uber to Downtown Long Beach and get a hotel there. The Hyatt Centric is my favorite. There are also hotels near the terminal (Queen Mary, DoubleTree Maya and Residence Inn).

I would not stay by LAX. It is a miserable area. Get a hotel in Downtown Long Beach one of the hotels next to the terminal (Queen Mary, DoubleTree Maya and Residence Inn).

17 hours ago, lasvegascruising said:

Anyone have news on Firenze parking?  Really would like to know where we will park on May 16.

If you haven't received communications from Carnival to the contrary, the parking is at the terminal.

On 5/1/2024 at 11:23 AM, latebuyer said:

Curious is there any where to buy canned pop near crowne? Have a separate thread about buying pop before you get onboard.

There are several convenience stores walking distance, as well as Cabrillo Liquors & Fine Wines and then a Von's Supermarket just about one mile away.

On 4/6/2024 at 1:29 PM, DCwom said:

We're thinking since we'll be awake maybe we'll climb Diamond head 1st thing.

29 minutes ago, philv said:

You mentioned some specific things you want to do but if you are open to another suggestion and haven’t done it before, try Diamond Head. We took a public bus from our Waikiki hotel to entrance, hiked up and...

Just be sure you know Diamond Head requires reservations.

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/diamond-head-state-monument/

9 hours ago, cxr133 said:

Is there anything wrong with the Mariott Biscayne Bya? i like this option for the queen beds....  i just dont anything about Miami. is it a good hotel, nice location?

There is nothing "wrong" with the Marriott Biscayne Bay, but I think the Moxy Miami is a better hotel in a better location. The Moxy is small and charming, the Marriott is just a Marriott. It is a big, corporate hotel.

On 4/27/2024 at 6:53 AM, philv said:

Does Hertz have a shuttle from cruise port to airport to pick up a rental car in Hilo?

No.

No one does post Covid in Hilo as far as I know.

23 hours ago, KittyCruz said:

This makes me recall growing up with the Love Boat and conversations with my husband after our first cruise regarding cruise attire and how no one, and I mean no one was walking around the lido deck in their swimwear and high heels.  

This makes me think about, has anyone ever been on a cruise where the adults look like the adults in the ads? The adults in the ads are 'older', but not too old, always dressed to the nines, incredibly hip and popular looking.

1 hour ago, cxr133 said:

Based on my number of points have it narrowed down to Marriott Biscayne Bay   or JW Mariott Bricknell. Residence Inn south beach or the Moxy.  i like the Biscayne bay because of the queen beds.

The Moxy Miami is the nicest hotel in the best location.

On 4/27/2024 at 3:40 PM, TMLAalum said:

Our Cruise Critic friend, who is from Hong Kong, initially recommended Yank Sing, but when I mentioned a few other options, she endorsed the Pallette Teahouse. When I was last in SF, Rebecca from Cruise Critic met my friend and I and took us to dim sum somewhere. It was a Sunday and my friend and I were the only non-Asians in the restaurant. I loved it, but not my friend. Luckily, DH ❤️dim sum!

I eat at Yank Sing (Stevenson) probably 3 times a month because it is pretty much across the street from my office, but my current fave dim sum is Dragon Beaux. Unfortunately it is way up in the Richmond District. I like Palette, but if you are used to dim sum being a great, cheap lunch, be prepared for sticker shock. My last time there I had 3 items and my bill was $51 before taxes and tip. 

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Koningsdam has been sailing east of Vancouver Island for several years now.

But it sails west of Prince of Wales Island northbound and west of Chichagof Island southbound after leaving Glacier Bay.

12 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

Oops! Will they raise prices?

MSC isn't a charity/non-profit, they will charge what the market will bear and with rampant inflation, they will charge what they have to to maintain margin.

20 hours ago, Sea-n-Ease said:

What are the chances of rough waters on a true “Inside Passage” cruise, Vancouver to Juneau and back?  (Holland America Koningsdam)

I think any HAL ship is too big for a "true Inside Passage” cruise. If the Koningsdam follows its usual path, it goes outside the Inside Passage and into the Gulf of Alaska at least twice.

Even inside the passage if there is high wind or a storm, it can be rougher, not rough like an open water passage, but enough to bother someone sensitive to motion.

The original Caspar Milquetoast.

6 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

P.S. This repeating of mediocre entertainment on board makes it really hard to justify a B2B cruise. Another reason we just book one week at a time.

Everyone has their own likes and priorities and they may change over time. I know mine (ours) have.

When we started cruising heavily in the mid/late 80s and through probably 2000/01, we chose cruises for itineraries/port stops. After we'd hit just about every port possible in Europe and the Caribbean we shifted to choosing ships we wanted to try. That is when staterooms, food and shipboard amusements became more important.

I would book a B2B in the YC if the food was so good that entertainment faded into the background. If I were to choose a line purely on entertainment, Royal might win with Broadway at Sea. But Royal comes up wanting in other area.

50 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

When it comes to checking for interlopers the entire staff are Milquetoasts

I don't think frontline workers should be the ones confronting interlopers. The skills for confronting tactfully should be left to managers. Frontline workers should identify potential interlopers then hand off to management. There was a recent YC incident where a frontline worker confronted a YC guest and it blew up into a huge kerfuffle here on CC and on YouTube. It was entirely avoidable. MSC admitted so in the end.

If you are eating dinner, we much prefer Top of the Market, upstairs from the Fish Market. We are hoping they start doing lunches again one day.

At the Portside Pier we like the Brigantine, but really like the Ketch Grill & Tapas. It has such a great menu and atmosphere,