cruisetoscrap

On 4/16/2023 at 3:44 PM, SleepyBunny said:

Thanks!  She has started knitting this year and can do pretty well once cast on!

 

I have read elsewhere that Kids Club may only be available June - August, so we are preparing in case they aren't available.  🙂

We were just on it in March and they even brought in more teachers for the trip.  Never seen them not have kids club on princess, it's the reason we sail.  I'd check our your sources on that. 

PS they were ELS teachers from Canada and they were awesome.  

.

55 minutes ago, portiemom said:

As I'm reading this thread, I'm not sure if the package I bought is the same as what is being discussed or not. I've never gotten involved in timeshares, so I don't really know what a timeshare pitch is or sounds like. My package is just like the one mentioned by tigtraveling (see earlier posts above). The rep I spoke with has a Princess email and phone number. And the portal for booking the hotels has a Princess logo. I don't see any other company name involved. The rep knew my PVP and when I spoke with her she was aware of the program and was able to apply the FCC to the cruise seamlessly. I can see the OBC from the package in my cruise personalizer. I explored the hotel booking portal (after I purchased the package) and all looks good to me. Lots of hotel choices. The value in the package comes from the hotel booking, so if you don't fly in early or stay after a cruise or if you aren't interested in traveling independent of cruising (7-day stay can be used anytime, anywhere) then maybe it's not for you. Or maybe there is a different pitch going around for something other than this Princess promo??🤔

no it's the same pitch.   just getting the cruise part of it seems easy unless you are under a deadline.   it's actually getting the hotel and point part.   I can't even get into the website.   I hope your experience is better. 

I bought this last December and it was quite the process to get the FCC.   The sales person who calls you is almost the only people at princess that had even heard of this program.    The "free" hotel stay that I was offered now is $500 for a holiday inn express.  I have yet to be able to access the website to be able to claim my stay or points.   I am sick with regret for the $800 extra I paid to get these credits.   If anyone has actually had luck redeeming these I'd love to know how. 

Princess is amazing for kids.   Go to kids club and register right away.   you can go there to play games with them on the first night and you might not see them again for the rest of the cruise.  

Knitters and knatters is an unsupervised group of people who do hand work. Attendance is hit or miss and no supplies or guidance is provided.  I bring hand sewing like English paper piecing or applique to do and will do it when and wherever I want.  I've found the craft "classes" to be hit or miss too.   Kids get to do so many crafts that you might need another suitcase for your way home.  

1 hour ago, cruisegirl06 said:

Is it possible to do horseback riding without a prebooked tour - or can anyone recommend a horseback riding tour that also allows for those that don’t want to ride to just hang out on the beach and relax?

 

last visit we did a tour that included a quick (maybe 10 min?) ride, but my 8 year old would love to do a longer ride this year (30 min - 1 hour)

When we went over 16 years ago we used Randy's Happy Horses.   Now it's Maria's Happy Horses.   We will be on the tour next week but she's been above and beyond when responding to emails.   The price is even the same for people just doing transportation as it was 18 years ago, $15. 

25 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Yes, you get the cup.

 

No maximum.

 

One at a time, but as often as you like.  They just want to be sure that you are not sharing your drinks.

 

Specialty coffees included, from any place that offers them.

 

Yes, bottled water.  Regular and mineral.

 

 

thanks for such a quick response

I'm sailing on the Navigator of the Seas in October.   I'm wondering if you purchase the Deluxe  package  do you get a tumbler to use at the Free Style Coke machines, or do you only get drinks from the bar?  Is there a max number of drinks per day?   Are there rules against the frequency in which you can get drink,   for example do you only get one per hour or  do they not care and you can get two at a time?  On Navigator how hard is it to get shakes from Johnny Rockets,  do you need to pay to eat there to get a shake?  Are there fancy coffee's with the deluxe package or only Starbucks branded extra cost coffees?   Does it include bottled water to take on shore?  I've never purchased more then the pop pass on Princess so I want to understand the value.  

awesome info thanks!

We just got home late last night. We used Coral Breeze Belize Tours.

We got on a tender pretty easy it was actually a long tender ride in from where the Emerald Princess was anchored to where the port is. During the tender ride they do try to get you to sign up with tours and such but quickly and happily left us alone when we said we had book a tour locally so I don't know what they cost but a few people did sign up with them. There were LOTS of venders offering tours in the port area too. A bit pushy. Nothing is "Cheep" anywhere anymore it's all relative but they were less then the cruise line.

We just got home late last night. We used Coral Breeze Belize Tours, they were actually our second choice to Ecological Tours & Services' Shark Ray & Caye Caulker tour that was full. With Coral Breeze we took the tour called Shark/Ray Alley Snorkeling & Caye Caulker Exploration. They accommodated us last minuet and they were responsive by e-mail and phone.

We got on a tender pretty easy it was actually a long tender ride in from where the Emerald Princess was anchored to where the port is. During the tender ride they do try to get you to sign up with tours and such but quickly and happily left us alone when we said we had book a tour locally. We followed the directions that they gave to get to the representative and got through the pushy venders in the port. The representatives were not in Coral Breeze gear until they got on their boat and it would have been nice if they would have had them on when we meet them. It's is enough of a walk to the transportation and their pier that you want more then thin swim shoes on. Before the tour started we were asked for the rest of the payment at the dock. The tour cost $75 for each of our 2 adults and $63 for our 8 year old. We had made a small credit card deposit and cash was required for the balance. The tour had about 30 people on it and the boat they used was the right size. I was told the size of the boat depends on how many are signed up an it had a max of 50 people. Equipment was antiquate and they took the time to make sure everyone's stuff fit.

They were an environmentally responsible group and took the time to stop and explain the importance of the Mangrove Trees and also made sure no one touched the coral. They also made sure no trash got in the water and such.

It was quite a ride to get to Caye Caulker where they drop some people off and encourage a bathroom break. Then a shorter ride to the coral reef for the snorkeling portion. They use about three different guides that take the small groups around. and point stuff out. We saw great fish, white sand, a huge round coral and a barracuda even nibbled on the guides flipper. The guide took the time to make sure we were with him and to point stuff out as well as follow him so we wouldn't hit the coral. After getting back on board we had pineapple that hit the spot and Belize salsa and chips that were eaten up in a flash. The whole time they provided plenty of water in pouches.

Then another short ride over to the Ray Alley and they get you off the boat fast with your mask so that you get the prime view of the sting rays and nurse sharks. It's shallow enough that a tall adult can easily stand in the water. They feed them and held up the stingrays so that you can touch them. It's not as good as the experience that we had in Grand Cayman but good.

Then the not so good part, Cay Caulker. The place they take you is a fine place with showers, bath rooms and food. We had paid for the included lunches that included a couple of chicken options and grilled cheese. The Fanta was disappointing to my kid and about 5 others who thought it should be orange not strawberry but that is a minor detail. There were a few other food offerings that were about the same price near by and chicken is a common meat. Another family on the tour got take out chicken strips that were similar in cost and looked really good too. The town its self is a basic beach town with pack sand roads and just the basics. If you want to shop this really wasn't the place a lot of the goods were old and shop worn and priced high. It's a nice cultural experience to check out the two general stores to see what they pay and what they have that is the same and different. We had a bad experience with one "local" who told my son he was fat in the street and it really ruined our day. But the other people on the street came to make sure our son was ok and where ready to jump the guy. This site also was said to have a beach in the description but it was more of a retaining wall filled with packed down sand and lounge chairs. But the island in general is not crowded and very laid back.

The ride back is pretty long and the engines had a problem. They made my son's day by letting him "drive" the boat with assistance on the way back and he felt 10 feet tall. The problem was handled calmly and efficiently and the crew really worked well together. It could have been so bad but was really handled well. Stuff happens so I don't blame them for the problem at all I just bring it up because it's good to know it was handled well. We got back to their dock and then the pier with plenty of time left.

Overall, I think the tour was good and the time allotted for each activity was right. They delivered on the tour as explained in the description. They handled kids VERY well and took the time to make it educational as well. I don't know if it was quite worth the expense but compared to other options it wasn't out of line cost wise. And a reminder to wear sun screen and more importantly to re-apply it there is no shade on the boat and the ride back got us.

Yes the Stingrays and Sharks are basically safe. They could still sting you but they don't. They are curious and like to get the food. They might sting if you were trying to hurt them but they don't mind you checking them out and bringing food. Stingrays were the highlight of my 8 year old's trip my 3 year old was freaked out by the entire thing. She was excited about flippers and goggles before getting in the water and then as soon as she was dropped of the boat she couldn't stand it. She was able to stay on the boat while we snorkeled though. Maybe see if you can try the stuff out in a pool at home before you go to see if its worth taking the littlest ones. She was able to be carried when we stopped to look at the stingrays and was ok until they brought the sting ray up to the water surface then she went to my shoulders and was really scared. Not normally her reaction to anything so you never know what kids will do.

We just got home late last night. We used Coral Breeze Belize Tours, they were actually our second choice to Ecological Tours & Services' Shark Ray & Caye Caulker tour that was full. With Coral Breeze we took the tour called Shark/Ray Alley Snorkeling & Caye Caulker Exploration. They accommodated us last minuet and they were responsive by e-mail and phone.

We got on a tender pretty easy it was actually a long tender ride in from where the Emerald Princess was anchored to where the port is. During the tender ride they do try to get you to sign up with tours and such but quickly and happily left us alone when we said we had book a tour locally. We followed the directions that they gave to get to the representative and got through the pushy venders in the port. The representatives were not in Coral Breeze gear until they got on their boat and it would have been nice if they would have had them on when we meet them. It's is enough of a walk to the transportation and their pier that you want more then thin swim shoes on. Before the tour started we were asked for the rest of the payment at the dock. The tour cost $75 for each of our 2 adults and $63 for our 8 year old. We had made a small credit card deposit and cash was required for the balance. The tour had about 30 people on it and the boat they used was the right size. I was told the size of the boat depends on how many are signed up an it had a max of 50 people. Equipment was antiquate and they took the time to make sure everyone's stuff fit.

They were an environmentally responsible group and took the time to stop and explain the importance of the Mangrove Trees and also made sure no one touched the coral. They also made sure no trash got in the water and such.

It was quite a ride to get to Caye Caulker where they drop some people off and encourage a bathroom break. Then a shorter ride to the coral reef for the snorkeling portion. They use about three different guides that take the small groups around. and point stuff out. We saw great fish, white sand, a huge round coral and a barracuda even nibbled on the guides flipper. The guide took the time to make sure we were with him and to point stuff out as well as follow him so we wouldn't hit the coral. After getting back on board we had pineapple that hit the spot and Belize salsa and chips that were eaten up in a flash. The whole time they provided plenty of water in pouches.

Then another short ride over to the Ray Alley and they get you off the boat fast with your mask so that you get the prime view of the sting rays and nurse sharks. It's shallow enough that a tall adult can easily stand in the water. They feed them and held up the stingrays so that you can touch them. It's not as good as the experience that we had in Grand Cayman but good.

Then the not so good part, Cay Caulker. The place they take you is a fine place with showers, bath rooms and food. We had paid for the included lunches that included a couple of chicken options and grilled cheese. The Fanta was disappointing to my kid and about 5 others who thought it should be orange not strawberry but that is a minor detail. There were a few other food offerings that were about the same price near by and chicken is a common meat. Another family on the tour got take out chicken strips that were similar in cost and looked really good too. The town its self is a basic beach town with pack sand roads and just the basics. If you want to shop this really wasn't the place a lot of the goods were old and shop worn and priced high. It's a nice cultural experience to check out the two general stores to see what they pay and what they have that is the same and different. We had a bad experience with one "local" who told my son he was fat in the street and it really ruined our day. But the other people on the street came to make sure our son was ok and where ready to jump the guy. This site also was said to have a beach in the description but it was more of a retaining wall filled with packed down sand and lounge chairs. But the island in general is not crowded and very laid back.

The ride back is pretty long and the engines had a problem. They made my son's day by letting him "drive" the boat with assistance on the way back and he felt 10 feet tall. The problem was handled calmly and efficiently and the crew really worked well together. It could have been so bad but was really handled well. Stuff happens so I don't blame them for the problem at all I just bring it up because it's good to know it was handled well. We got back to their dock and then the pier with plenty of time left.

Overall, I think the tour was good and the time allotted for each activity was right. They delivered on the tour as explained in the description. They handled kids VERY well and took the time to make it educational as well. I don't know if it was quite worth the expense but compared to other options it wasn't out of line cost wise. And a reminder to wear sun screen and more importantly to re-apply it there is no shade on the boat and the ride back got us.

We just got home late last night. We used Coral Breeze Belize Tours, they were actually our second choice to Ecological Tours & Services' Shark Ray & Caye Caulker tour that was full. With Coral Breeze we took the tour called Shark/Ray Alley Snorkeling & Caye Caulker Exploration. They accommodated us last minuet and they were responsive by e-mail and phone.

We got on a tender pretty easy it was actually a long tender ride in from where the Emerald Princess was anchored to where the port is. During the tender ride they do try to get you to sign up with tours and such but quickly and happily left us alone when we said we had book a tour locally. We followed the directions that they gave to get to the representative and got through the pushy venders in the port. The representatives were not in Coral Breeze gear until they got on their boat and it would have been nice if they would have had them on when we meet them. It's is enough of a walk to the transportation and their pier that you want more then thin swim shoes on. Before the tour started we were asked for the rest of the payment at the dock. The tour cost $75 for each of our 2 adults and $63 for our 8 year old. We had made a small credit card deposit and cash was required for the balance. The tour had about 30 people on it and the boat they used was the right size. I was told the size of the boat depends on how many are signed up an it had a max of 50 people. Equipment was antiquate and they took the time to make sure everyone's stuff fit.

They were an environmentally responsible group and took the time to stop and explain the importance of the Mangrove Trees and also made sure no one touched the coral. They also made sure no trash got in the water and such.

It was quite a ride to get to Caye Caulker where they drop some people off and encourage a bathroom break. Then a shorter ride to the coral reef for the snorkeling portion. They use about three different guides that take the small groups around. and point stuff out. We saw great fish, white sand, a huge round coral and a barracuda even nibbled on the guides flipper. The guide took the time to make sure we were with him and to point stuff out as well as follow him so we wouldn't hit the coral. After getting back on board we had pineapple that hit the spot and Belize salsa and chips that were eaten up in a flash. The whole time they provided plenty of water in pouches.

Then another short ride over to the Ray Alley and they get you off the boat fast with your mask so that you get the prime view of the sting rays and nurse sharks. It's shallow enough that a tall adult can easily stand in the water. They feed them and held up the stingrays so that you can touch them. It's not as good as the experience that we had in Grand Cayman but good.

Then the not so good part, Cay Caulker. The place they take you is a fine place with showers, bath rooms and food. We had paid for the included lunches that included a couple of chicken options and grilled cheese. The Fanta was disappointing to my kid and about 5 others who thought it should be orange not strawberry but that is a minor detail. There were a few other food offerings that were about the same price near by and chicken is a common meat. Another family on the tour got take out chicken strips that were similar in cost and looked really good too. The town its self is a basic beach town with pack sand roads and just the basics. If you want to shop this really wasn't the place a lot of the goods were old and shop worn and priced high. It's a nice cultural experience to check out the two general stores to see what they pay and what they have that is the same and different. We had a bad experience with one "local" who told my son he was fat in the street and it really ruined our day. But the other people on the street came to make sure our son was ok and where ready to jump the guy. This site also was said to have a beach in the description but it was more of a retaining wall filled with packed down sand and lounge chairs. But the island in general is not crowded and very laid back.

The ride back is pretty long and the engines had a problem. They made my son's day by letting him "drive" the boat with assistance on the way back and he felt 10 feet tall. The problem was handled calmly and efficiently and the crew really worked well together. It could have been so bad but was really handled well. Stuff happens so I don't blame them for the problem at all I just bring it up because it's good to know it was handled well. We got back to their dock and then the pier with plenty of time left.

Overall, I think the tour was good and the time allotted for each activity was right. They delivered on the tour as explained in the description. They handled kids VERY well and took the time to make it educational as well. I don't know if it was quite worth the expense but compared to other options it wasn't out of line cost wise. And a reminder to wear sun screen and more importantly to re-apply it there is no shade on the boat and the ride back got us.

Last week we visited Chacchoben with a private company and loved it. I think the quality of the guide is as important as the ruins themselves. She mentioned that the other ruins take a very long time in the bus/van.

 

Incidentally, we then went off into the back of beyond and had lunch with a local family in a Mayan village. Wonderful.

 

 

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Who did you use?

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I really pushed for Seattle but we ended up choosing WI to be close to family. Everywhere is expensive ;-)

I was wondering if anyone has lived in Seattle and could give me some insight? My husband has a job offer :D that would move us to Seattle and I know it's the right career move but not sure if it's the right place for our family. I know this has nothing more to do with cruising except we could catch a cruise easer, sorry. We don't know anyone who's actually ever lived in Seattle or more precisely one of the southern suburbs around Tukwila.:rolleyes: Is it really more expensive? We went last weekend and looked at groceries apartments and gas and they are cheaper or just slightly more then here. We used to live in Colorado and think that Seattle has a similar feel. Is the weather really that bad? locals brush off the rain and cloud cover but everyone else says it's so bad. :confused:

Wow I didn't realize it was such a long drive from the airport to the downtown hotels. So would a shuttle be cheaper than a taxi? Also how far is the cruise terminal from downtown?

We were there last weekend and followed the advice of our Hotel to take the light rail downtown from the airport.

Really easy to get on the light rail from the airport, it's in the parking garage and not much farther then the shuttle stops with easy to follow signs. You can buy a day pass for around $5 I think and it's a pleasant ride to the end of the line at Westlake station. It would bit of a walk with your luggage depending on your hotel but not too far to Pikes Market.

Does this port in Bayshore have like a coffee shop or restaurant while you're waiting to get one? Maybe free Wi-Fi? liquor store?

About the car seats ... If it is true that it's not possible to install them, then why does Princess say on their website and Cruise / Cruisetour answer books that we are required to bring a car seat or a booster seat when traveling with a child?

 

Is there someone out there who has traveled on the trains & buses with a toddler? What is the protocol?

Since AK is part of the USA they would have laws very close the ones in your home state. Here's what one website states http://www.carseatsak.org/Links/index.cfm?fuseaction=AlaskaLaw

basically if they have a seatbelt you have to have a car seat.

I'm pro car seat so I'd bring the same seats you feel comfortable with them in at home. If you really don't want to haul them consider booking with a non-ship sponsored tour provider with a good reputation and request that they provide one. I haven't been to AK but it worked in European countries that required a car seat.

thank you so much everyone for your input! I've taken it to heart and changed my cruise plans! no more land tour and we'll just enjoy our time on the 7 day cruise portion which I know my kids will enjoy. :D

I haven't done Alaska but I have taken my then three year old on a cruise in Europe we did buses and trains but not for that long. And this summer I drove three big road trips 6-12 hours of driving per day with a 2 year old and 8 year old so I'll share what I learned.

1. Bring a tablet (like an IPad) AND load it with movies In Europe we watched "Walie" at least three times a day because it was the only thing loaded on the laptop. If you can get them to wear headsets even better.

2. You have to have a bathroom plan. On a long drive into Cairo we didn't have pull-ups or anything for a 3 year old and we had to improvise because stops are not allowed. But while on tour in the different towns everyone from shop keepers to tour guides were overly compensating.

3. Snacks make everything better. You'll need a large diaper bag or backpack. You can wrap snacks and new dollar store toys in newspaper so they are like little presents. Bring a reusable shopping bag for when it's time to get off the bus/train/plane because everything expands and it's hard to get it all packed back in just right when it's time to get off. So just throw it into the bag and you can re-organize when you have space and time.

4. Have patience and realistic expectations, you will plan and plan and they will not care about the "pyramids" and love and remember the "drinking fountains" or "marry-go-round" let things happen.

I know you said you don't think you'll do it but just think about how your kids generally act. Can they handle a long car ride? Sometimes it's the right time to do something even though it might not make sense to everyone or anyone. My kids could handle it today but next week they might not be able to. There are a lot of gown-ups who have ruined my day worse then kids.

Lamanai is a fantastic excursion in Belize to see ruins, but with a 3 year old, I think it would be a long day. I would recommend Chaccoben in Costa Maya to see ruins. It's a shorter day and relatively easy trip.

good advice thanks

If we can make it to Huston at a decent hour we'll have to see the Texas Battleship. Of course that means I'll have to not shop at every quilt shop along the way and not have weather (our last drive with me and the kids took us a very long time because of the quilt shops and storms from WI to KS).

Any quilt shops worth stopping at in Huston?

The Port of Houston is very close to the Johnson Space Center which I have enjoyed visiting more than once. If you have an interest in space travel--go!

 

If you have an interest in naval history, the battleship, U.S.S. Texas, is also located near the Port of Houston.

QUOTE]

 

We've picked a hotel that is really cheep with Hilton points and I think that parking at the port makes sense with how much shuttles cost for 4 two ways. Do they actually sell out of spaces? We went to a battleship in North Carolina and the kids loved it so I think we might do that depending on when we get in from driving the day before and when we want to go wait to embark.

From Kansas City? What kind of hints?

should we worry about any weather? Are there any must do things in Huston since we'll have a car? Where is the best place to park? Or any other random things since I've never driven to a cruise.

this is a helpful tread anyone have any suggestions for doing it with kids in tow?

My family will be traveling to Cozumel, Belize City and Costa Maya in January. We'll have a three and eight year old with us. With one port I want to do a beach day, one a snorkeling day and one a ruins tour. This thread seems to be on that topic so which set of ruins would be best and could include a climb and pictures. I think I want to snorkel in Belize and beach in Cozumel and do ruins in Costa Maya. What would you do? The following is my list of options with points taken from here and from Princess's website:

Cozumel

Mayan ruins of the walled city of Tulum

-Tulum is accessed from Cozumel and again an all day excursion.

-Very unique from other Mayan ruins, as they are out in the wide open, right next to the ocean.

-Mayan for the "place of red corn," these astounding ruins south of Tulum date from the 6th century. Explore the circular paths, the three imposing pyramids, and ponder the mysterious hieroglyphics

Coba Maya Ruins

-can be climbed

Costa Maya has Chacchoben, Kohunlich and Dzibanche ruins.

All are smaller ruins.

Kohunlich Mayan Ruins

The Temple of the Large Masks and the Plaza of the Acropolis bring 5th-century Maya to life in this multi-level city. Surrounded by lush jungle with giant cahoon palms, timeless wonder is all around.

Chacchoben Mayan RuinsChacchoben Mayan Ruins

-Chacchoben is about an hour each way, so one of the shortest travel times of any of the ruins.(and probably why it is the most popular.)

-less excavated

Dzibanche Mayan RuinsDzibanche Mayan Ruins

Explore Costa Maya's best kept secret from the Temple of the Owls and the Temple of the Captives to the landscaped grounds ringed by jungle. Along the way, seek clues into ancient Mayan society.

Belize has three larger ruins accessible on a cruise day.

Mayan ruins of Altun Ha,

-can be climed

-Altun Ha is the closest

Lamanai Mayan Ruins

-Lamanai is the middle

Xunantunich

-Xunantunich is the largest, but all the way on the Guatemalan border.