Anyone have a trip report/live review of a Pacific Coastal?

[SummerBeee]

I’m pondering on booking a Pacific Coastal, LA to Vancouver to make a Panama Canal a B2B. This one stops in Monterey and Catalina Island as well as San Fran and Victoria. Not seen many reviews out there. (I do realize these itineraries aren’t offered very often)

[smokeybandit]

Pacific Coastal the airline?

 

Edit: You're talking about a cruise whose itinerary is the pacific coast.

Edited August 6, 2022 by smokeybandit

[reallyitsmema]

18 minutes ago, SummerBeee said:

I’m pondering on booking a Pacific Coastal, LA to Vancouver to make a Panama Canal a B2B. This one stops in Monterey and Catalina Island as well as San Fran and Victoria. Not seen many reviews out there. (I do realize these itineraries aren’t offered very often)

 

We did a Pacific Coastal, Vancouver to LA on Jewel many years ago.  He had a stop in Astoria, Oregon instead of yours in Victoria.  Loved coming into SF at sunrise, overnighted and left next day at sunset.  I would definitely do it again if the timing was right.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Those are nice CA port stops.  Monterey is our go to spot from home for a long weekend.  We have been visiting Monterey for 50 years.  I learned to SCUBA dive in the bay when Cannery Row still had rusted out cannery buildings.  We visit 1-2 times a year. We have been in town once when a ship was there.  It's a very small town and you tender in to the end of Old Fisherman's Wharf.  Nice walk up the pier and over to the Monterey Plaza Hotel area.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium is world class.  Downtown Carmel has lots of shops, art galleries, and food places.  We just stopped at Catalina couple of weeks ago.  We have been there a couple of times for land vacations.  The excursion away from Avalon is fun and historic.  You can walk the town of Avalon in about 30 minutes.  We rented a golf cart and drove around on their restricted route for an hour.  San Francisco we also had done frequently for long weekends in the past.  The City has become a dirty pit and we haven't gone in three years and don't plan to.  The tour to Alcatraz is very much worth it.  They do a few at night that might be a little creepy.  Monterey is about the same drive for us and much nicer.  

Edited August 6, 2022 by ATSEAMYLIFE

[SummerBeee]

23 hours ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

Those are nice CA port stops.  Monterey is our go to spot from home for a long weekend.  We have been visiting Monterey for 50 years.  I learned to SCUBA dive in the bay when Cannery Row still had rusted out cannery buildings.  We visit 1-2 times a year. We have been in town once when a ship was there.  It's a very small town and you tender in to the end of Old Fisherman's Wharf.  Nice walk up the pier and over to the Monterey Plaza Hotel area.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium is world class.  Downtown Carmel has lots of shops, art galleries, and food places.  We just stopped at Catalina couple of weeks ago.  We have been there a couple of times for land vacations.  The excursion away from Avalon is fun and historic.  You can walk the town of Avalon in about 30 minutes.  We rented a golf cart and drove around on their restricted route for an hour.  San Francisco we also had done frequently for long weekends in the past.  The City has become a dirty pit and we haven't gone in three years and don't plan to.  The tour to Alcatraz is very much worth it.  They do a few at night that might be a little creepy.  Monterey is about the same drive for us and much nicer.  

I dive but can’t handle cold water, total wimp. I’ve seen some fabulous photos of Californian kelp forests.

My mom loved Carmel so much it’s my middle name. I’d love to visit one day

I have been to Alcatraz, such a cool experience 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

5 hours ago, SummerBeee said:

I dive but can’t handle cold water, total wimp. I’ve seen some fabulous photos of Californian kelp forests.

When I was 18 cold water in Monterey with 1/4" wetsuit wasn't so bad.  Today it's gotta be 80" or I'm not getting in.  

[crzndeb]

1 minute ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

When I was 18 cold water in Monterey with 1/4" wetsuit wasn't so bad.  Today it's gotta be 80" or I'm not getting in.  

Nice to see someone from Stockton. I graduated from Stagg, a year at Delta, and then I hightailed it back to San Diego (went to elementary there). Then I came to the PNW in 1985.

 

@SummerBeee I did a Seattle RT Pacific Coastal on the Explorer 2017. My stops were Astoria, overnight in San Francisco, and Victoria. I really enjoyed the overnight in San Francisco (The City). I would definitely book one again, and I think you will enjoy it.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

2 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Nice to see someone from Stockton. I graduated from Stagg, a year at Delta, and then I hightailed it back to San Diego (went to elementary there). Then I came to the PNW in 1985.

I went to AA Stagg (class 1968) and did a few years at Delta and Sac State.  

[Bleueyes44]

I've done this cruise twice both a bit different.  Loved them both.  Victoria is one of my favorite stops.  Astoria was a small town not much to see , except for the column very unique.  Can't beat SF so much to see and do.  You can do city tour or a tour  over to Muir Woods. I have done Alcatraz twice once during the day once at night , that was the best.  Also for some who may not know there is the Walt Disney Museum  at the Presidio , it was wonderful . Monterey was nice we took the that brought us to Pebble Beach golf course, Carmel and other sites up there. And lastly on one of our cruises it stop in Santa Barbara, which we didn't  get off the ship course we just live down the coast and wanted to just enjoy the ship.  Glad we did cause we had a whale playing right off the port side for the longest time till boaters came along and scared it away. We did get to watch for quite awhile and was really one of my fondest cruise memories.

[bonsai3s]

6 hours ago, SummerBeee said:

I dive but can’t handle cold water, total wimp. I’ve seen some fabulous photos of Californian kelp forests.

My mom loved Carmel so much it’s my middle name. I’d love to visit one day

I have been to Alcatraz, such a cool experience 

Pre-pandemic, I did the Pacific Grove Triathlon for a few years...average water/ocean temperature was 55 - 58 degrees...wore a full body wetsuit...it was still cold. The strangest feeling was swimming (literally crawling) over a forest of kelp...imagine your heart beating fast, body full of adrenaline, many swimmers panicking around you...then "wham"! you hit the KELP.

It was "grab the kelp, then pull yourself forward...a foot at a time".

 

* Oh, we love Pacific Coastals...when's the next sailing? 7

[crzndeb]

1 hour ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

I went to AA Stagg (class 1968) and did a few years at Delta and Sac State.  

Class of 1969 (the best class) 😉