whataboutport

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Def looking for hole in the wall. I'm bookmarking these all!

We will hit the standard Maz, PV and Cabo. I'm specifically looking for pulpo (octopus) but also other seafood tacos too. There's many tacos stands but not seeing much mentions of pulpo in particular.

On 2/26/2024 at 9:35 AM, Hlitner said:

You ask about Puerto Vallarta restaurants, and I believe we have far more then 600 eating venues in this city :).  You can eat everything from inexpensive tacos to very pricy French, Austrian, Italian, etc.  Many cruisers like to come into town (often referred to as "Centro") and head to the southside of town into what is called by several different names (Old Town, Viejo Vallarta, Zona Romantica, Southside, etc).  If you walk along the beach (Los Muertos Beach) there are many restaurants where you can eat with an ocean view.  The food and drinks here are safe so it comes down to your price point and type of food.  The Sea Monkey (we live above it) is popular with cruisers for inexpensive basic Mexican food.  Further south you find more expensive places like the Blue Shrimp, La Palapa, etc.  You can look at menus before you sit down.  Keep in mind that some restaurants only accept cash (pesos or US dollars) and if you pay in dollars you may not get the best exchange rate :).

 

Hank

What do you think about the guys selling raw oysters on los Muertos beach? I love oysters and was intrigued but not sure if it's safe. Like what if they just put older oysters on new ice? Have you ever tried them?

On 3/23/2024 at 7:56 AM, Hlitner said:

I will be honest and say that, although we live in Mexico 10 weeks a year, we do our best to avoid Walmart!  That being said, Walmart is known as having one of the better exchange rates (US Dollars to Pesos).  Since I have not used US currency (in Mexico) in nearly 20 years I have no clue whether you can ask for change in Pesos and/or dollars.  

 

There is a back story to that Puerto Vallarta Walmart (across the road from the port).  A few years ago, Walmart built a new (and much nicer) store about 2 miles from the port.  When the new store was being constructed, the "word" was that Walmart planned on closing the old store (the one near the port) which is not all that popular.  For whatever reason, they did not follow-through and have kept both stores.  If I had any reason to ever go to Walmart in PV, I would go to newer (and nicer) store.  I have long wondered why cruisers would come to Mexico and spend their time shopping at Walmart, but that is another issue.  I can tell you that when DW and I have cruised to PV (that has happened a few times) we certainly do not waste our time at Walmart.  We love living in Mexico because of the wonderful Mexicans, terrific places to eat, and great weather.  Going to a foreign land to visit Walmart, Mc Donalds, Subway, Burger King, etc. is just not our scene :).

 

Until a few short years ago, both Walmart and Sams (both across from the port) were quite popular in PV.  But then Costco opened a new store which many of us find much nicer than the Sam's Store.  And close to the large Costco (about 1 1/4 miles from the port) is a relatively new Le Comer Supermarket (the nicest supermarket in the PV area).  There is just little reason for most locals (and expats) to go to that olde/smaller Walmart.

We had fun going to the Walmart in PV. Honestly I find the prices of the souvenirs to be fair and cheaper than people selling it outside. After wasting time negotiating with outdoor vendors, the price inside Walmart was the same--no negotiating. We also like to get local chips and snacks so that was fun too. We go to Walmart for the same reason we go at home, one stop shopping for the most part.

There was a swap meet type marketplace set up in the Walmart parking lot when we were there. Not sure if it's there everyday or not. But I bought an ice cream for my kid. The vendor took US dollars and gave me change in pesos, not in my favor but it was fine. A cup of strawberry ice cream with the most chunks of real strawberry I've ever seen. Very tasty for about $2. 

I went on a closed loop cruise in 2014 (celebrity) that stopped in Cartagena, Colombia and I only had BC and Driver's license. I did not have a passport at that time. Not sure if rules have changed. This was my experience. 

Does anyone know, if my cousin can get the shareholders OBC but I'm the first person on the reservation, do we/she quality to get it? We are in the same cabin. 

On 1/9/2017 at 5:03 AM, GTVCRUISER said:

I have been to Stone Island many times , last time 3 weeks ago

I know this is old, but I've seen you post many times on Mexico. Do you know if there are surf board rentals or surf schools on Stone Island? I read some sites from searching Google that stone island has decent surfing. 

They are pretty strict, and the child will stay in their age group even if they have a birthday and age into a new group during the sailing. Also keep in mind the kids clubs are only open for three hours at a time with usually 2 hr breaks (I'm speaking mainly on sea days, port days have different hours). They won't be apart all day, and depending on your schedules, most likely will only go to kids club once per day; there's three sessions per day.

We just came back from Discovery. My child and his cousin were in the treehouse (age 3-8) and the other cousin was in the next age group up. We all thought it was good they were able to spend some time apart for a bit and tell each other about what they did in their club that day.

Btw princess does a great job with the kids club. The crafts and toys they give out are really nice and good quality. 

On 1/15/2024 at 1:52 PM, lahlah57 said:

In november on the princess discovery....we paid nothing. I used no tokens and just pressed buttons. I was wondering what was going on. Even small detergents were sitting out on a shelf complimentary. Never expected it! 

Us too, still free on discovery from Jan 20-27. Yes there were detergent and static sheets too they they refilled as the week went on. Very nice surprise. 

4 hours ago, sonomaphil said:

Happy Groundhog Day everyone and welcome to the LIVE aboard the Discovery Princess Mexican Riviera cruise, round trip out of Los Angeles February 3-10, 2024!  This first post comes to you right before we head out for our drive to Southern California.  

 

This is Princess cruise 21 for us, first on Discovery and first cruise since we did the full transit Panama Canal cruise on Emerald in January 2023.   We had two other Princess cruises scheduled for 2023 but, you know, life happens.  I did a live thread on the Emerald cruise and looking back it’s lots of pics of the ship, food and drinks!  So if that interests you follow along! We’ve sailed this route twice before but have not done it since 2007 on the dearly departed Golden Princess. 

 

We ended up opting to drive to LA rather than fly because the return flights were outrageously expensive on 2/10.  We live in Las Vegas and as you may know there is some small gathering scheduled here in Vegas on 2/11, I believe it is called the Super Bowl.  Flights between LA and Vegas on a Saturday are usually $50 or so but on 2/10 they are crazy priced unless we wait until late night or have stops.  Flying to Oakland to go to Vegas from LA is just silly.    

 

We’ll leave Vegas about 3:30 today and split the 5 hour or so trip into two, spending the night at the Hilton Garden Inn Victorville CA.  Sure we could have gone all the way to the port but have you ever driven in LA about 7 PM on a Friday night? We can’t leave earlier as my wife is at work! It’s about 3 hours to Victorville leaving about 1:30 to 2 hour drive this morning.   Victorville is pleasant enough and is chain restaurant heaven so we'll have dinner somewhere.  

 

My wife and I are very casual cruisers, we don’t make big plans for any day and just do what we want.  No excursions scheduled, we might not even get off the ship in Cabo.  Have you ever stayed onboard when everyone else leaves the ship?  It’s glorious!  We have a Deluxe Balcony and the Premier package.  We plan on eating at Catch twice as the menu sounds so good.  Nothing against Crown Grill. We've eaten there many times and do like it a lot. We’re not fans of Sabatini's.  

 

More to come! 
 

We just did this sailing last week. It was amazing! The ship is beautiful. Hope you enjoy. I noticed your itinerary gives you an extra 30-60 mins more than what we got on each of the ports! We didn't get into Cabo until 2pm. They said scheduled maintenance so they have us an extra hour at the backend until 9pm. Strangely tho, I saw the darling after mine also used that same reason to push back the time in Cabo. 

14 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Just curious if PCL ever mentioned that your husband could get his veteran status verified immediately by using the below link a PCL rep provided us the other day?

 

https://offers.sheerid.com/princess/military/
 

No they did not but getting verified was not our issue. That was the easiest part. Our issue was getting the MOBC to show up in his acct. 

Just wanted to share my experience. We booked a cruise in July, then I submitted my husband's info for the MOBC soon after (perhaps a couple days later). It was approved almost immediately. The credit did not show up after the 7 days as it claimed, so in Oct I contacted then via chat. The agent said they see it was approved (and it has shown in his CC profile since I submitted) but the actual OBC would show up in his acct approx 3 days before sailing (we sail this month, Jan). I didn't like that answer and should have asked for a supervisor but I just waited. A few weeks ago (Dec) I contacted chat again. Now his veteran status didn't show at all for them (still showed in his online profile tho for me) and I had to resubmit. Luckily they let me send via chat. I asked did they want a screen shot of his CC profile or his DD214? They answered yes lol so I just submitted both. Then they were magically able to add the MOBC immediately and I was able to request an email to prove it and kept them on chat long enough until I received the email. 

4 hours ago, Italy52 said:

Left a note for whom? 

Cabin steward. I just leave the note on the desk. I usually ask for ice too and they will keep my ice bucket filled

4 hours ago, Italy52 said:

Thanks.  We did 2 Discovery cruises last year and had a heck of a time swapping out.  First cruise cabin steward said to contact room service (we waited two days and nothing was done even after a couple of reminder calls).  Cabin steward asked if the situation was taken care of and we said we are still waiting.  Cabin steward was not happy that room service had not done their job and he personally switched things out.  Second cruise, room service came to our cabin about 10 PM when we were just getting ready to go to bed. Since we cruise in a couple of weeks I was just trying to get an idea as to what we might be in for this time around when it comes to swapping out the liquor.

Personally, I have always left a note with a cash tip on the first day and it has worked every time on every cruise line I've been on 

On 1/8/2024 at 1:20 PM, travelin.sisters said:

Post 15c: Dining–Night 3 Juneau MDR 

 

At lunch on the third day, someone was wandering through the WFM inviting people to the culinary show on the next day & asking about our dining experiences. I mentioned our issues & allergy concerns from the first night (which I had also reported in the first day survey with no response) & we were surprised shortly thereafter by Ricky, one of the head waiters from the Juneau dining room. He talked to my sister about her allergies & helped her pick out safe dishes for that night & suggested we try his dining room.

 

That night we went to Juneau when it opened & they were able, after a short wait to get us a table for 5. The difference from the first night dining experience was remarkable. We went from our worst ever Princess dining experience to our best. Haro, our waiter, asked & remembered our names. helped with allergies & was able to adjust menu items for the girls. We enjoyed our gala dinner.

 

 

they grabbed the rolls before I could get a photo! Princess breads are the best.

 

our 15-year-old liked the escargot

 

fettuccini alfredo (better on this cruise than some recent ones) & notice plenty of water!

 

the french onion soup was delicious & suitably topped with bread & chesse

 

BIL always asks for anchovies on his Caesar salad & he got timely beverage service

 

shrimp cocktail

 

surf & turf without the turf (allergies)...another strange Princess potato creation but it was all delicious

 

duck & her sister's lobster

 

the lobsters from those who didn't want them (this was the first time we've sailed where they charge for extra lobsters, but we could share for free)

 

dessert, of course

chocolate pistachio dome

 

crepes suzette

 

creme brulee

 

cheesecake again

 

& an icecream sundae

I'm surprised included lobster made an appearance! I thought that was a thing if the past. 

40 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

how tall and how much does he weigh? It appears he has some specials needs which make him need a stroller more than other kids. I'd bring a stroller.

That said, depending on his weight, do you have something like an Ergo Baby? Must sit on the hips, instead of shoulders, though.

 

This is not me, I got this photo from ergobaby website. That reminds me, I still have mine, even though my baby is about to be a teen, and is way over 100#. I was able to wear him till about 34#, since I have a very bad back, but it went to 40#.

 

What amazes me about this photo is not that she is baby wearing a toddler, but that she is hiking in her flip flops. 🙂

 

 

what's the third thing?

 

I also still have a very bulky Baby Jogger City Elite, which is not suitable for travel.

 

Are you flying or driving to the cruise? Are you going to take taxis at the ports?

 

https://community.babycenter.com/groups/a10635/traveling_with_children - check out this board, great advice.

She must be from Hawaii lol. My hubby is also and it's so hard to tell then to wear something other than the slippahs 

My kid is barely 32 lbs on a good day! But he's long/lanky so baby wearing is a little awkward too. We just gave up our osprey but that thing was more bulky than the stroller folded up! He's technically not special needs but he's def not as tough as his cousins were at that age. 

The third thing was Puerto Vallarta. (Cabo, Mazatlan and PV are our ports)

We are driving to the port so luckily not flying 

We will be doing Cabo, Mazatlan, and PV. We have a travel stroller, baby jogger city tour (old version 1) we bought for Rome but never used since COVID lock downs in 2020. I read it was decent for cobblestone and uneven old roads.

We are planning on doing the water taxi, medano beach, then walk back to visitor center/tender area for Cabo. I realize it can be a bit of a walk.  For Mazatlan, thinking of doing the hike to El Mirador lookout (I know there are many stairs). And PV walking to the nearby Playa del Oro beach. The stroller folds up quickly and we have a belly bar attached that I can use to sling over my shoulder for transporting. We also have the backpack carry bag, but it's actually quite a hassle to get it in and out. Is it dumb to even think of bringing the stroller?

My kid is a very tiny 5 yr old, just turned 5. Little legs and gets tired easily. I'm weighing my options of carrying around a folded up stroller, or carrying around a sleeping kid. The stroller can at least hold things that we buy but if we need to take things out of the stroller to fold it up, it kind of defeats the purpose. Also thinking of the stroller for sun protection for the kid. Hubby will be with me and we are fairly fit. We like hiking which is why I wanted to do the lookout. Or should I not bring it on all three? 

I know CA has been getting huge waves recently. How was the motion in the ship? We sail on her in a few weeks and it will be my kid's first time on a ship. When I was a kid I did this itinerary and I got sea sick on the way back up to LA. 

1 hour ago, Mike45LC said:

Cabo:  Medano Beach is a long walk from the tender dock.  I walk it, but it is far.  Are you willing to take the kiddo on a pedicab without a car seat?  That would be my recommendation.  Will that stroller work on sand?

 

Mazatlan:  I posted about Stone Island.  No cab ride needed.  And I don't think kiddie seats are need for the boat ride.  The ferry should have child-sized life jackets.

 

Puerto Vallarta:  There is a public beach just a short walk from the cruise ship's docking area.  This is not a great beach, but I walk here to kill an hour or two while waiting for my wife to be ready to go ashore.  When you are walking through the Cruise Ship Terminal area -- this is complicated.  The name of the Cruise Passenger Terminal is Puerto Magico.  Lots of stores.  They want you to turn left to go into the store area, but if you go straight ahead to the driveway, it is more direct.  You might need to ask one of the locals for directions.  Once you get to the roadway/driveway, there is a large flea market visible, off to the right.  There is a large plaza in front of it.  The market stalls and a restaurant are across the plaza.  Kind of straight ahead there is a fence with a large opening and a red banner "TO THE BEACH" with a large arrow pointing to the right.  The walkway runs along a condo building's exterior wall.  Walk along the walkway (to your right) and you will come to a small stairway to the beach.  The beach is called "Playa De Oro."  If you walk far enough along the beach, there will be lounge chairs under palm frond umbrellas, but those areas are roped off (and patrolled by very polite staff) for residents/guests only.  I don't know of any services for cruise passengers, but I usually buy a soda from one of the flea market stall operators before and after my beach visit.  

 

Thank you so much for this. You are a gem 

On 12/28/2023 at 1:23 PM, Mike45LC said:

Here is my recommendation for self-guided tours in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.  I am assuming we are talking about a relatively short one-day cruise ship visit.

PUERTO VALLARTA:

Known for:  Cobblestone streets, high sidewalks.   Sculptures along the Malecon

Grab a shuttle from the port.  These are mini-vans and cabs offering to drive you “downtown” for $5 per person.  The Malecon (I’ll loosely translate this as “The Boardwalk”) is too far for you to walk, especially compared to a $5 pp van ride.   Make sure the fare is $5 per person.  I recall seeing A-Frame signs by the shuttles.  A lot of posters here talk about walking out to get a city cab, to save a couple of dollars.  I am on a relatively expensive cruise holiday, and will not go out of my way to save a few bucks.

El Malecon Boardwalk:   The shuttle will drop you off near Rosita Hotel.  You can walk down El Malecon from there.  The water to your right is Banderas Bay.    Whenever you get tired, you can take a break at any of the many restaurants, or you can grab a cab back to the ship.  For the return taxi ride, there is no fixed fare – agree upon a price before you get in the cab!   I usually pay $10 to $15 for the return trip, depending on various issues, including how tired I am and how much time and effort I want to put into negotiating!   Remember, the difference between a $15 fare and a $20 fare is only $5 to you out of thousands of dollars on the cruise fare.  For the driver, it is much more significant.  So I will bargain the price down and then pay a lot more in the tip.

As you walk down the Malecon, you will see many sculptures  – the Seahorse, the dolphins, the ladder to the sky (“In Search of Reason”), sea creature chairs (“Rotunda of the Sea”).  There will also be sand sculptures on the Bay side.

Sometimes, the folkloric fliers are performing here on the beach side.

The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe is off to the left (as you walk south).  You will see the government building and the Plaza De Las Armas on your left.  Cut through the Plaza and you will come to the Church.  It is a couple of blocks uphill from El Malecon.

Walk as far as you want.  The Malecon used to end at a river, in the middle of which is an island, Isle Cuale.  Nowadays, you can continue walking El Malecon even further.   This area is called Romantic Zone, and Las Muertos Beach.

Las Muertos Beach is at the south end of El Malecon, beyond Rio Cuale.  Plenty of beach-front restaurants, parasailing, banana boats, jet ski rentals, ....

By Las Muertos Beach, there is a street called Basilio Badillo, where you'll find a variety of shops with good quality Mexican items better priced than the stores on El Malecon.

During your walk, you will see some Oxxo stores.  Oxxo is the equivalent of 7-11.  Coke, chips, ....

PV has multiple alternatives – Vallarta Botanical Gardens, zip-lining, Playa las Gemelas, Destiladeras Beach, Playa Las Animas, ....   But the walk along El Malecon is the basic “I want to ‘do” Puerto Vallarta” experience.

MAZATLAN

The ship docks in the middle of a large commercial port.  You need to take a free shuttle bus (tips are gladly accepted!) from the ship to the Visitor’s Center, which is filled with small stores.  Once you get through that (and the stalls outside it), there are taxis and tour busses lined up waiting for you.  Mazatlan has golf-cart style cabs (“pulmonia”).  As always in Mexico, agree upon the price of the cab before you get in!!  There are lots of tourist helpers hanging aroud, sometimes called “Blue Shirts”; these are snowbirds helping us out as a free service.  Many of these snowbirds are Canadians, others are American.  They speak English and know Mazatlan.

My recommendation for a do-it-yourself tour:

Grab a golf cart to the Cathedral downtown.  Explore the Cathedral and then walk to El Mercado (Mercado Pino Suarez, to give it its full name).  Any of the locals will point you in the right direction.  It is only a block or two from the Cathedral.  Wander around El Mercado, get grossed out by the pig heads and other exotic merchandise.  

Then, grab a golf cart and go to the Golden Zone – ask to be let off at Seashell City or Shrimp Factory or Las Flores Beach Resort.  Wander around, go to the beach, shop, enjoy.

When you are done, grab another golf cart to take you back to the ship.  If you want, this driver will stop to let you watch the cliff divers.  

Alternative: There is a blue line painted down the sidewalk/in the middle of the roadway, from the Cruise Passenger Terminal to downtown.  You can easily walk to the downtown area by simply following the blue line.  The Tourist Advisors will help you find the Cathedral and Mercado. [Update: there are also signs on posts pointing you along the “Blue Line”.]

My personal way to enjoy Mazatlan includes a trip to Stone Island.   This does not need an organized excursion or tour guide.  

Stone Island has a nice beach, with lots of bars/restaurants.  The restaurants have chairs and tables and umbrellas.    The café you are spending money at will allow you to use a table/chairs/ umbrella as long as you make a reasonable minimum spend.  I’ve never known the minimum spend, because it has never been an issue.  The beach has many vendors (cheap jewelry, candies and other Mexican stuff.)  There are ATVs for rent; horses; banana boats; seadoos; etc.  
To get to Stone Island:  A short walk from the Passenger Terminal, there is a “ferry” that takes you across a small inlet to Stone Island.  From the entrance/exit of the Cruise Terminal (after the tram ride from the ship), turn left and walk down the street, about four blocks.  The street curves to the right just beyond the entrance to the Naval facility.  Continue straight onto a dirt road, about 50 yards, to a ticket booth (small yellow building).    Round trip ticket costs 30 pesos per person – they will charge you $2 per person if you pay in $US.   After you reach Stone Island, there is a path off to the left, to the beach and restaurants.   I usually spend a couple of hours on the beach at one of the restaurants

CABO SAN LUCAS:

This is a tender port.  Many ships spend only a few hours here, so don’t get adventurous!!   Others spend overnight here.  On some ships, the tenders run all night; on others, the tenders stop from around 9 or 10 p.m. and resumed tender service at 8 a.m. or so.  I have not stayed ashore all night.

The tenders bring you to the Marina, which is filled with restaurants, bars, shops.  Some people don’t even leave the marina area.  If you wander a little bit, you will find more restaurants and bars – Giggling Marlin, Cabo Wabo and similar places.

Cabo is very much a “party city” for California’s youth.

When you first get off the tender in Cabo, there will be a huge crowd of locals trying to sell tours.  They all offer the glass-bottom boat tour to the Arch.  It includes a  drive-by of Lovers' Beach, the stinking sea lion rock, the Arch, Divorce Beach -- these are all just drive-bys.  The captain will do a drop-off at Lovers' Beach upon request.   Warning:  there are no services at Lovers’ Beach.  You will climb off the boat and wade ashore.   I have heard of one local who sets up with a cooler to sell beverages, but I don’t know how often he is there.

After seeing the Arch, upon request, the Captain will also do a drop-off at Medano Beach.  You need to wade ashore; if a wave catches you wrong, you might take a dunking.  There are full services at Medano Beach -- food, drinks, bathrooms, chairs, umbrellas, water sports, parasailing, ATVs, jet skis, etc.  And vendors; lots of vendors.

If you want to parasail, I recommend doing one that launches from the boat instead of from the beach.  

If you get off at Medano Beach, you have already paid for the return to the Marina, but that requires you finding the same boat that you had taken.  I have never tried this -- I will walk, grab a land-based taxi or a pedi-cab instead.   I don’t want to try to find the same captain and then wade out in the surf and climb aboard the boat. 

If you stay in your tour boat, the boat returns you to the Marina, near the tender dock.

My last glass bottom tour, I think I paid $25 for two of us.  Pre-Covid, I would pay $8 to $10 per person, but I am more generous now!  When I am paying thousands for a cruise, I no longer want to negotiate over $10!  

This “tour” is no-frills, no soda, beer, drinks.  There are lots of other tours -- pirate ships, open bars, lunch buffets, etc. --  but the basic one is what I take every trip to Cabo.
 

Thank you for this thorough post! Are there any beaches within walking distance in any of these ports? We are travelling with our tiny 5 yr old. Yes he's 5 but very small(short legs), we aren't bringing a car seat, so don't really want to get in a taxi, and thinking about bringing a travel stroller. Are the roads good enough for a small stroller or are they too bumpy/cracked? We bought this specific stroller for the cobblestone streets in Rome but never got to try it out due to COVID shutdowns in 2020. Looking for a beach where you can just lay a towel down and not have to pay for a chair or entrance fee, since we don't know how long he will want to be at the beach. 

1 minute ago, skynight said:

Remember that the breakfast door hanger is no charge.

 

Do the cabin stewards just leave a new breakfast door hanger in your cabin each day? 

Has anyone been on Discovery lately? My 6 yr old niece is a little princess and I think she would love afternoon tea. I'm having trouble understanding what's available on Discovery. Afternoon tea in MDR is free but Royal Tea is an upcharge, is this correct? What's the difference?

On 10/11/2023 at 7:52 PM, kiwimum said:

Did he apply thru Sheer ID and receive

approval.  Contact your TA or Princess. Looks like it needs to be released.   Had the same issue with SIL this year.   Needs to be triggered on the reservation. 

Yes thru the Princess site. I was trying to avoid calling in, was the reason I chose the chat function. The rep pulled up our reservation and could see everything but did not issue the OBC. Assured me it would show up by 3 days out. Do the chat reps not have full functionality?

PS Sorry guys I'm not sure how to do multi quote

On 10/11/2023 at 9:29 PM, CastMember 02 said:

The quickest and easiest way is www.princess.com/military and go through Sheer ID program

Yes that was what we did, thru the Princess site

On 10/12/2023 at 12:43 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

Once approved your DH should also be able to see a reference to it when he logs onto his PCL Personalizer, then goes to My Account -> Profile -> Circle Savings/Cruise Credits -> Onboard Credits

 

He should see something similar to this:

 

Yes he has that on his acct. That was how I know it was approved. Thank you for posting how to get to it tho. I always forget!