finucane

Question is; will the ship chug along for another 18 months

Hard to believe but it sounds that way...

Something to definitely keep an eye on...

Something to definitely keep an eye on...

Something to definitely keep an eye on...

Well folks,

 

This is my last post ever on Cruise Critic.

CM

I hear ya Grenville, why take the chance, besides CC has way changed anyway, I next to never use it anymore myself, not what it used to be.

With what you guys just went through over on that side of the pond and the way the world is changing, it is better to side on caution, just not worth it. Weather just a proposal or not things are going on that if you can avoid it that is the best choice.

Until we meet again, hi to Ann and Trina sez hi.

Take care, we have each others email anyway...

Last month we stayed at the Best Western World Port about three miles away on Pacific Coast Highway.. It was a nice hotel at a nice price. They let you Park free, but have no shuttle. However the Cab was $16 one way and $15.00 back. Much less that parking at the pier or the prices in San Pedro. We came in on Thursday this time. The only problem was getting in and out of the parking lot with the traffic.

Have heard your BW on PCH is a better property but lacks the shuttle as you mentioned, your cab fare would make that a bargain compared to the terminal fees of $17 per day.

It has all gotten so expensive, supply and demand...

Next time we will look into your BW on PCH, probably a lot safer area too.

Thanx for the info...

Just an FYI

Stayed at the Bestwestern in San Pedro, warning...

Service is poor, people waiting for 15 minutes while the 1 and only night shift (7pm on) employee takes a potti/smoke break, honestly, nobody is at the front desk. Rooms are barley OK, 1 of 2 elevators are broken down, my understanding that they have been broken down for ever so expect to wait in lines just to get to and from your room.

If by chance you are confined to a wheel chair, they dont have the means to shuttle you to and from the pier and will not pay the cab fare for you even though they sold you the package deal and will not refund that portion.

-Crown Plaza has accessible shuttle van.

-Double Tree has no accessible shuttle van but will pay cab to and from.

JMO:

Daniel (General Manager) could care less about any of "their issues" which become "your issues".

STAY ELSEWHERE IMHO!!! It is a rundown, poor renovation hotel in a very poor area of town, you wont want to walk around at night for sure...

Pay the extra few $'s and stay elsewhere, I mean what a few extra $'s on top of your cruise to start your vacation off right?

Just an FYI

Stayed at the Bestwestern in San Pedro, warning...

Service is poor, people waiting for 15 minutes while the 1 and only night shift (7pm on) employee takes a potti/smoke break, honestly, nobody is at the front desk. Rooms are barley OK, 1 of 2 elevators are broken down, my understanding that they have been broken down for ever so expect to wait in lines just to get to and from your room.

If by chance you are confined to a wheel chair, they dont have the means to shuttle you to and from the pier and will not pay the cab fare for you even though they sold you the package deal and will not refund that portion.

-Crown Plaza has accessible shuttle van.

-Double Tree has no accessible shuttle van but will pay cab to and from.

JMO:

Daniel (General Manager) could care less about any of "their issues" which become "your issues".

STAY ELSEWHERE IMHO!!! It is a rundown, poor renovation hotel in a very poor area of town, you wont want to walk around at night for sure...

Pay the extra few $'s and stay elsewhere, I mean what a few extra $'s on top of your cruise to start your vacation off right?

Just got off a cruise after staying in a HC balcony cabin, besides a suite it is the best cabin I have ever had. I hope I am unlucky enough to get one one my next cruise!

George and Dorthy, you got lucky...

Dont count on what you wish for:D

See on our Panama Cruise, come on by our cabin and you'll see what I told beamer8 about, guaranteed...

See ya in December...:cool:

Even though we never stayed in any stateroom less than a balcony we understood that an obst. view was the only avail. Our travel agent then told us we could be upgraded but never mentioned H/C cabin.

We have seen H/C cabins before and found the large bathroom and sink in the mattress very unacceptable. We did not have a good feeling about these rooms.

We didnt realise that paying extra on gty would include H/C cabins, we were pretty much ready to settle with an obstructed being the lowest we could get. although not a H/C.

I hear ya beamer8, I feel your pain!

My wife is a paraplegic so obviously she is confined to her chair, cannot walk or stand, we have been doing this now for 25 years with the cruise industry. We are grateful we can cruise because of the accommodations but you are right. With the exception of more square footage we would gladly take a smaller cabin to avoid the issues you mentioned, those are true concerns.

More times than not an accessible cabin is roomier but the drawbacks are they are usually a lesser room for the following reasons:

1-locaton

2-bathrooms are usually molded because shower water runs the entire bathroom floor, especially while at sea

3-bathrooms and living area usually have a tinge of urine odor which is unavoidable due to medical conditions associated with paraplegia, most times to the point of nausea.

The cruise lines do there best but it is an impossible task, once its in the carpet, tile, etc., it is there to stay.

4-the cabins are generally in a state of dings and dents from wheelchairs and scooters.

5-mattresses? Never understood the excessive mattress sinking in these cabins, I know they do put plastic liners on them for incontinence issues, the sinking I never figured out.

There is a host of other issues that go with an accessible cabin but more minor than the above.

So again, unless it is a brand new ship your most likely to have issues like you have mentioned so I do understand your concern. A larger cabin no way makes up for the issues, no way. We have had 30 some accessible cabins in the 25 sailing years and 90+% of them have had my described issues but we have no choice, you and able bodied passengers do so I hope you got it ironed out. I would so wish we could take a "smaller cabin" to avoid the problems, YOU ARE 100% correct in your concerns...

Best of luck...

I thought I would share this with the board as many of you have shared prior promotions which I didn't know about until I read it here and was able to save $$. So, paying it forward....

 

Got a brochure in the mail " Experience the Holiday Spirit At Sea" 2015 Holiday Cruises. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's.

 

It appears to cover cruises that are at sea (or in a port) on any of the above holidays.

 

Cruises 1-7 days, $25 OBC per guest in interior, $50 per guest in OV, $100 per guest in balcony, $150 per guest in Mini or above.

 

Cruises 8 days or longer, $50 per guest in interior, $100 per guest in OV, $200 per guest in balcony, $$300 per guest in Mini or above.

 

First and second guest only. Available to U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Bermuda, and District of Columbia residents (not the UK or European residents :(). OBC expires at the end of voyage if not used. Single occupancy gets the per stateroom credit.

 

And a fabulous :rolleyes: free bottle of champagne (voucher in stateroom).

Offer is capacity controlled and expires 06.30.2015.

 

DH and I were able to score (or our TA did for us) the $150 per guest OBC on a cruise we had booked over Thanksgiving.

 

Campaign code: PT5MD012A (not sure if that is a zero or an 'O'). Hope I could list that here without violating CC rules.

 

I hope this helps someone!

Thanx for the info, we are booked on a 15 day Christmas/New Years cruise. I called Princess and they could find no record of that code but said it may be customer specific and only good for that individual so it did not work for us.

We are long time Princess customers so maybe we will get one in the mail, we should I would hope...:confused:

Again, looks like that one id just for a select few so book a Holiday cruise, got for it.

Think I'll wander out to our mail box, haven't gotten the mail yet.

Thanx...