Derbie

We have a late flight home, and I was wondering if anyone had an idea on when they kick out the last people off the ship?  We are arranging transportation and want to plan accordingly.  Sailing the Panorama out of Long Beach in a few weeks.  

Thanks to anyone who may know.

On 2/21/2023 at 7:19 AM, phoneman69 said:

I have had the same issue on my Venezia sailing in June 2023. Have put it out to others on Venezia and every sailing comes back sold out. Now may not have opened up yet but still keep trying. I have seen the display for the green eggs and ham breakfast on many a sailing. One of first things i go after on my sailing. good Luck 

I was able to finally get seatings for the last day of the cruise.  Yee Haw!

Thanks to everyone!  I will pass along the information to all that are sailing.  There are three teens in the group, so I was hoping the Hub would be an option, at a reasonable price.  

The wording on the website is a little confusing, so I am going to ask here.  Is the cost of chat only; $5 per day per user or $5 per user for the entire 7 days?  We are not interested in the regular internet service as there are 8 of us traveling.  We will try to grab usage somewhere in port.  

Thanks so much,

10 hours ago, scottca075 said:

How many adults? What ages do you have?

 

3 Uber XL at about $60 each from LAX would be $180 and 3 Uber XL at about $50 each to San Pedro would be$150, so $330+ tip.

 

You can also look at Mickey's Space Ship Shuttle and LAX Airport Express. Both these companies have child seat available, which are needed in CA for under 7 years old.

 

https://mickeysdisneylandexpress.com/

https://airportexpressshuttle.com/

Many thanks.  I will check them out.  I had looked at uber prices last night, but I think I it was rush hour in LA,as the cost for Uber XL Knotts to the port was around $185 for one vehicle.

We have crunched the numbers many times over and are trying to figure the best way to travel LAX to Knotts and then to the port and back to LAX.  We have looked at Uber/Lyft XL, shuttle services and renting cars.  We will eat at the park, etc as we are only there truly one day (Friday) and then on to the port on Saturday-so maybe a rental isn't completely necessary.  So far, the lowest we can come up with is around $564 (tip not included on this amount-no worry we will gladly tip) on the shuttle.  Anyone that can think of any way for us to pare down the cost at all, we would appreciate it.  We have gladly absorbed the cost for most of the trip for our son and his wife and grandkids.  

So many thanks in advance!

Thank you all for the recommendations.  I have seen several posts that recommend taking a ride out to the arch and back and see if you can get the captain to agree (extra cost) to look about for whales.  I will continue to search and look.  I wouldn't mind quite a lot more, if I was certain (since we are going last week of March) to see lots of whales and calfs.  thanks again

46 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

What do you define as "reasonable"? The price is the price.

I suppose the question is open ended, as $200-$250 for 8 people for say....30 mins is reasonable to me, but to someone who has a larger budget $1000 is reasonable.  So. having said this; I will rephrase my question.  Will I be able to get a whale watching quick trip for $200-$250 for 4 adults/4 kids

.  So there you have it...the price is the price, I would like to find. i appreciate you replying.

Good morning,

Can anyone advise of a company that is pretty reasonable for a whale tour?  There are 8 of us, and we trying to save a little money on port costs. We are going the last week of March, so I do realize we will not see tons of whales.  We did it the same week some years back, and we saw about 10 and a few calfs.  Any suggestions, would be very much appreciated.

21 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

We’ve sailed on Royal Princess, sister ship to Regal, many times.  Lovely ship and not too large.   Food was always quite good.  I love the International Cafe!  Entertainment is not bad, depending on what you enjoy.  Lots of little lounges all over to relax and have a drink.  My husband is a Brit, so he’s familiar with all of the ports.  My first time to Scotland and Ireland and I’m so excited.  My husband says the scenery is breathtaking and he’s looking forward to sharing it with me.  We have excursions booked for all except for Portland.  We will get the bus into Weymouth, where I’ve been to previously. A lovely seaside town with lovely little shops and cafes and a Boots!

 

Wishing you and your family a sincere Bon Voyage!  Please report to us when you back and let us know about your adventures!

Thank you.  This is off topic, but I have to ask if the dog in the picture you have a Keeshond?  We had a lovely girl years ago, and when our current dog crosses the rainbow bridge in the future (I hope a long way off) we would like another.  They are wonderful dogs.

It sounds like you had a grand time!  Yes, we do have Scots in our heritage.  We are of the Anderson clan by birth!  So, we are very much looking forward to seeing Scotland.  DH and myself have been to Ireland, so it will be nice to return.  I am hoping we can visit some ports on our own.  I had a cap on what I wanted to expend, and we have already surpassed it, with the cost of the cruise, airfare and insurance on the four of us. So, we will now look for ways to visit ports quite a lot on our own. If you have any advice, I would be so glad to hear it.  

12 hours ago, nwnittany said:

My family (DW and two sons - 20 and 21) have done Alaska and Caribbean in the last year(ish).   We are lucky that they don't mind hanging with Mom and Dad, but still spent some time on their own. 

 

From what I could tell, the biggest challenge for the kids is meeting the other kids.  Once they know each other, there are lots of things they can do together (shows, pool/hot tub, trivia/games, karaoke, movies, sports, dancing, and the ever-popular 'teenagers walking around in a group to see and bee seen'.

 

My youngest is fairly athletic and met alot of kids of similar age on the sport court, ping pong, and walking track.  From what I could tell, this area was conducive to both shy and extroverted kids.  The friends he met there would often seek each other out when the stumbled across each other later on the ship.

 

Another place they met friends was on the excursions (smaller groups), which then carried over to the ship.  We did mainly active excursions (hiking, snorkeling, etc). 

 

Unfortunately, both seemed to have inherited dance genes from their dad (me) so they were never seen anywhere near the dance floor (resulting in much rejoicing from all...most wanting to avoid an Elaine from Seinfeld moment).  But, I noticed a bunch of young women dancing on the floor and they appeared to have a bonding experience since most everyone else around them dancing was alot older. 

 

I guess the last few places I saw kids meet were the hot tub (they just need to find a way to bust into the group) and the karaoke and trivia events (although it was tough to tell if they actually met at these or if they met up there once they were comfortable). 

 

Interestingly, I didn't see anyone really meet anyone at the gym...everyone kind of kept to themselves. 

HA HA HA...I chuckled out loud with the Elaine reference!  I believe they will hang with us a lot, and there are a lot of ports on this cruise, so this may not be an issue as it were going to be a lot of days at sea.  Thanks

12 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

We’re also doing the British Isles itinerary in September 2024 on Regal Princess.  It’s a port intensive cruise, so you’ll be spending most of your time on excursions or walking around new ports of call.  There won’t be loads of extra time to get bored.  Once you return back to the ship, usually everyone wants to have a drink and some snacks and relax before getting ready for dinner.

 

After dinner, Princess does offer numerous entertainment venues for all ages.  You’ll see what’s available each night in your daily Princess Patter.  Honestly, the time flys on these cruises.  I’m sure your nieces will meet up with young people in their age group and you’ll never see them!

 

Have a wonderful time with your family!

Thank you very much.  Have you cruised on this ship before, or visited any of the ports?  

13 hours ago, jeromep said:

20 is a weird age.  I have fond memories of it, but I was transferring between colleges, moving out of the house for the first time, having roommates for the first time.  I was pretty  busy and going on vacations wasn't something I was doing a lot of.  20 is an odd age because you are an adult, but there are a few things that remain off limits to you, notably establishments that exclusively serve alcohol and renting cars.

 

For the onboard youth clubs, both of the nieces are too old.  You will want to be looking at the Patter when you get on board to see if the cruise director's staff is doing any activities for that age group between 18-20.  If they are, they will list a meeting location and time.  First one will be more of a meet and greet, and depending on the turn out and what the folks that show up want to do, other events will follow... or not.  If they look through their passenger manifest and find enough youth in that "too young to drink, too old to be with the kids" group, they often will arrange for special events for that age group. If you don't see anything you can always find a member of the cruise director's staff and ask them if they have any plans for the 18-20 set.  Of course, if that were so important to the nieces, they could do the same, directly asking somebody on the CD staff if they had any plans for that age group.

 

Setting aside your nieces for the moment, I think Princess does a very good job on longer cruises.  Any cruise they do that is 7 days or longer gives you a good taste for the cruise line and enough time to experience the ship and its venues.

 

You may be get better responses if you let us know what ship you are sailing on.  Maybe what specific itinerary you are on.  And some more specific questions you want answered.  You'll get a lot more detail from the group that way.

Thank you so very much!  I figured if I put the ports on the question, the administrator would move it to the England board.  I will come up with a better list of questions, based on the ship, etc.  Many thanks again.

14 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

what kind of suggestions are you looking for? what questions do you have?

Do the "teens" have special needs? Or the adults?

Neither teen has any special needs; nor do the adults. Just looking suggestions on best places to dine, what would be fun for the girls (given age), shows not to miss, etc.  For me....best coffee. :0)

On 2/6/2023 at 9:53 PM, reedprincess said:

Blackberry Cars or Smith's for Airport. Door to door transport, excellent customer service, clean comfortable spacious cars..

 

We are going to need two vehicles (five people).  Can you advise of the average cost?  

Good afternoon,

My DH and I along with my sister, are taking our nieces on a 12 day British Isles tour.  We are going to stay two additional days in Paris.  This is a big trip. The girls are 20 and 18.   Their mother is coming along as well.  We have been on 20 plus cruises, but none with Princess.  Any and all suggestions would be sincerely appreciated.  I will be closely watching this board, until we set sail in later June.  I cannot thank you all enough for your time and expertise.

On 1/27/2023 at 7:38 PM, Mike45LC said:

Cabo authorities require all passengers to wear a life vest, so (1) I am not surprised that OP's captain insisted, and (2) I am surprised that Cousin Brucie was not required to wear one!  I always put one on on our boat rides in Cabo.

 

I'm sorry that the OP had a poor experience, and hope that it does not dissuade her from taking a whale watching trip in the future.  I wish there was an identification of this very bad captain and his boat, but I understand how hard that can be.

 

One thing the OP did not mention was if they spotted any whales up close.  I hope there was at least that on the plus side for this trip.

 

We are sailing the last week of March with our son and his family.  I know it is very iffy, as we took a whale spotting cruise in March about 10 years ago.  I cannot remember for love-or-money the name of the operation.  Can you recommend a company there in port?  It sounds like you are quite knowledgeable. I did go digging a bit on this board a bit.  There are 8 of us, and we the grandparents will probably pay.  So, if we could find a reputable company that is not too too expensive, it would great!   Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I read on another thread where you can obtain permission to leave the ship and not return.  We are considering a 12 day European Isle cruise with family member; including an 18- and 20-year-old.  They would very much like to see Paris and this is close to the end of the cruise.  Does anyone know?  I have never sailed on Princess before.  If we book this cruise, I will be back with a bunch of questions for you grand folks!  

Thanks in advance,

My DH and I are wanting to take our two nieces on a cruise this summer.  We are considering a British Isle tour.  Has anyone used the airfare offer? I did note it is only on certain level cabins.  If so, any suggestions and reviews/pointers would be very appreciated.  We have also posted the question on the NCL as we are considering a cruise to the Isle with them as well.  We are trying to save a little money, as this is a huge undertaking for us.  Also, I am assuming that the flights would probably leave out of large hubs like NY or Boston, etc.  Thanks in advance for any information you can share.

My DH and I are wanting to take our two nieces on a cruise this summer.  We are considering a British Isle tour.  Has anyone used the free airfare offer?  If so, any suggestions and reviews/pointers would be very appreciated.  Wei are trying to save a little money, as this is a huge undertaking for us.  Also, I am assuming that the flights would probably leave out of large hubs like NY or Boston, etc.  Thanks in advance for any information you can share.

On 1/1/2023 at 1:36 PM, allinwonderland said:

I booked it through Carnival. We left the ship at around 3pm and got back by 9 so right before the ship left. I think they do a separate version of the event just for cruise ship passengers and another one for people staying at local hotels that starts and ends later.

 

If it's not on the Carnival excursions portal for your sail date then idk what to tell you - I wouldn't recommend trying to book it separately, the risk of missing the ship is way too high (plus I think they don't let you if you're a cruise ship passenger). And yes it was quite a bit more than that per person!

I appreciate the information.  I do have a quick question for you.  When we saw the show years ago, we were there when it was later in the evening.  Did you see the show while it was dark?  I fear, it would lose something if it weren't dark when the show commenced.  We are sailing the last week of March, so I know it will stay light longer.  Returning at 9 makes me wonder if it will be dark or not?  Thanks so much!

I tried every single day and time on our weeklong cruise to get a reservation for our granddaughter and my DH and myself. We sail the last week of March on the Panaroma.  No luck. I even selected the days in port, and they are all showing sold out. Every single day and time slot is sold out.  Does anyone know if there is a way to have our names adding to a waiting list, or even something like this exists?  

Thanks in advance,

On 1/1/2023 at 11:33 PM, SDPadreFan said:

End of March it can get kind of iffy for whale watching in Cabo. There may still be a few around, but not like the numbers in Jan/Feb.

 

For PV, an excursion out to Las Caletas can be fun. They have both a daytime excursion (snorkel, beach break, etc.) as well as the night-time Rhythms of the Night which even the 7 year old would probably enjoy. It is pricey, but definitely worth it. You can find videos of it on YouTube. The most boring time of the excursion will be the 1 hour boat ride out to Las Caletas. On the ride back, the boat crew puts on a pretty entertaining show. Light sweater or jacket for the return boat ride as it will cool down after the sun sets. Also sturdy shoes are a good idea (sneakers work). There is some trail hiking to get from and to the boat out at Las Caletas. Flip flops would be tough at night.

Thank you.  DH and I have been to Rythm of the night in the past, but I really don't have the budget of $1300 for all eight of us to go. It is one of the best shows, we have ever seen!  I will check out Las Caletas.  

10 hours ago, realnice46 said:

Is this photo of Lefty’s or another restaurant?

What kind of pricing for the restaurants?  Better to pay with American dollars, or exchange funds in advance?