Langley Cruisers

^ And the Colombian coffee. 😃

3 hours ago, pauly said:

Too big for us. Depending on the location of your cabin, you can spend A LOT of time walking back and forth.

Right? I came home and weighed less than when I started my cruise. Seriously. 😮 A lot of walking!

6 minutes ago, markeb said:

The neighborhood concept actually breaks the ship up nicely, with the specialty dining off of Central Park.... But, bluntly, I can't imagine that ship actually sailing at the end of May. Wait for last minute bargains if it does.

With respect, I disagree. Oasis has neighborhoods which face inward, whereas I enjoy cruising to look at the sea. 😊 I would never cruise Oasis class again for that reason;  *I* found there were very limited spaces to sit and relax and watch the sea go by. I just didn't like the whole concept of the ship (my opinion, obviously, but I'm glad so many others love her).

But I do agree, no one will be cruising by May.

Obvious, sad update - OP will not be porting in Victoria. Maybe another time. 🙂

31 minutes ago, neeko said:

I too have type 2 and controlled by diet and exercise. No drugs . The protocol is for 30 days and will be reviewed at that time. I am wondering if a doctor  writes a note stating that you are healthy enough to take this trip will suffice

But therein lies the rub - the doctor is writing a note of permission for his diabetic patient to travel. Seems like an oxymoron to me if the cruise line has put measures in place that people are going to try to circumvent.

14 minutes ago, embpat said:

My question is  if I am a  type II diabetic that is healthy and only  take oral medication will I be denied boarding for my cruise?

Diabetes is a chronic medical condition, no matter how it is managed. I understand that you say you are living a healthier lifestyle than many people, but that doesn't mean you do not have diabetes. Sorry but I don't think you are cruising. 

I came here to tell OP that "things to do in Victoria" has been discussed here numerous times, and that our own wonderful martincath has provided much of that dialogue. 😊 If she uses the search function, many threads will come up.

Additionally, I agree with cruiseryyc about tea at the Empress - it is very expensive and if OP is doing that on top of the private tour guide, it will no doubt be a hefty day.  💲 (I see it costs $82.00 plus tax per person right now, and I imagine it is more expensive in the summer season) But, given the limitations of mom's bad knee, perhaps a private tour would be good. However, I personally think 3 hours is far too long, especially with tea on top of that which can run another 90 minutes. Maybe a 2 hour tour with drop off at the Empress makes more sense.

OP, I also hope everything goes well for you for your upcoming cruise. We are also slated to sail Ovation ( in August - a family cruise with our grown kids!). The ship is amazing and there is lots to do.👍

For us last year in CC, it was still bar soap. We take liquid soap as well, 2 bottles for a 7 night cruise for both of us. In near future, I would recommend 3 bottles for a 7 night cruise. You can leave the remainder or bring it back home.

21 hours ago, Beav1279 said:

... It's billed as a 3-hour "Highlights of Victoria". She said we can include as much or as little as we want and tailor it to our wants. Some of the possibilities are: Fisherman's Wharf boat community, Empress Hotel, Parliament building, Government Street, LoJo, Chinatown, Beacon Hill Park, Craigdarroch Castle, Oak Bay, Upland Estates, and Mount Tolmie....

Yes, those would be considered some of the highlights/popular places. Some are actual spots where you will get out and walk around; some are merely neighborhoods which you will drive right through. What are the ages of your family members? Children?

2 hours ago, cruiseryyc said:

$280 for visiting places you could easily see yourself; some of them are even within walking distance of where the ship docks!

Absolutely agree with you. 

~

OP Beav1279, I am going to offer some un-asked for advice and I hope you are cool with that. One of the wonderful reasons these forums exist and are so popular is that locals can direct you to the top spots/popular places/local hidden treasures. Usually, these places can be visited for a fraction of the price quoted by a private guide or tour bus. Your day in Victoria sounds like one of these circumstances. You could easily rent a car for all of you for a fraction of that cost. As mentioned, some of these spots are easily walkable (if all of you are mobile).

I appreciate the hard-working local tour guides who show Victoria to visitors. It is a truly magical place and if the day is planned right, you'll have a great time. Having said that, I also shudder to think you are paying that much for something you could easily do yourselves.... we can help you if you want to go that route. Let us know. 😊

Where is your local tour guide taking you? Merely curious. 😊

-deleted-

Hi everyone - while we are loyal mostly to Royal and Celebrity, one of my favorite memories from our first Princess cruise was the delicious fettuccine alfredo every night for dinner. I asked for a small side dish of it and it was presented to me each evening! So incredibly yummy. 😋

I was hoping OP would come back, but I see in another thread they have cancelled the cruise they are concerned about.

8 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

And why do you think you will be denied boarding?  What makes you suspect...what makes anyone else suspect? 

I chalk it up to a person who is nervous and anxious, and is simply asking for assistance.

Along this line, but with no direct experience (hope you don't mind): April 15 is more than a month away and the situation is evolving and fluid.  I think you need to stay on top of the news to decide for yourselves whether to cancel, or if the cruise line is going to cancel for you. Thousands of people are in the same situation as you are, ourselves included on another line. We are all waiting to hear what is going to happen, or when we need to decide.

Here is the Port of San Diego 2020 schedule (scroll down); I suggest you monitor the various roll calls and see what's being discussed.

https://pantheonstorage.blob.core.windows.net/maritime/Port-of-San-Diego-Cruise-Schedule.pdf

8 hours ago, chemmo said:

Cards I hadn’t considered...perhaps a quick wipe over once or twice a day.

I actually wash our cards daily with soap and hot water - hotel room keys, cabin keys, credit cards. More effective than sanitizer and completely easy to do since they are plastic. 😊

Many years ago, I had a huge problem with rosacea. It presented itself to me when we were on a land vacation in Exuma, Bahamas - it was July and stinkin' hot. My face flared up and it was absolutely awful. I cried on the plane all the way home. I was embarrassed and upset and depressed. My doctor gave me a prescription for MetroGel and I used it for many years, not really knowing if it helped or not. ❓ My rosacea went away some years later, but it was depressing living with it and awkward to try and cover it with make-up. My co-workers noticed and it was just a really difficult time in my life. 😢

I remember trying to stay out of the sun as that was a trigger for me, so that made sense and may help those who suffer. I had it many years ago when there wasn't as much online information available to us. Now, I would think there are some very good websites with accurate and helpful information.

33 minutes ago, JennyB1977 said:

Many of the contributors have been around for years. A lot of them have met in person, whether on a ship or elsewhere. I have met a few in person and corresponded outside of CC with others.

Exactly this, for us as well. We are still friendly with several people we met first online on our Roll Call, then in person on the ship, and have continued to be friends with them long after the cruise. It's wonderful because we are all here because of our love of cruising and it's exciting to talk about it. 😊

5 minutes ago, TN Vol Fan said:

The best place to do this was going out of Seattle to Alaska, making a special stop at Pike Place for them.

Yes, glorious aren't they? So beautiful. You should see the bouquets there around Mother's Day - bountiful!!

~

I always wondered why we are allowed to bring on fresh flowers - I mean, I know it's not exactly like crossing a border and declaring something, but certainly the flowers start off in one place (city) and end up in another. Know what I mean? 😏

1 hour ago, Prost Seattle said:

I’m 200 days out from my Solstice cruise in September.  Mom and I had a little pow wow yesterday and we’re very excited.  I’m going to spend a few days with her this month and I’ll show her some You Tube videos of the ship.  The last time she cruised to Hawaii was 1960, and she was in second class. In September she’s excited to have breakfast on her balcony, weather permitting. 

Aww that's amazing! Well, things have changed in 60 years! I hope you have a great time - Solstice is a beauty of a ship.

^ For cancer patients like myself and Prost Seattle, the risk is definitely higher. And yes, the risk for us is flying to and from port, being in crowded spaces, people who go out into the community when they are ill, that type of thing.

No one can decide for OP and I do get the concern, but we all have to live our lives. No one ever knows when they will take their last breath. Sorry, don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, just being realistic and honest. 😁

20 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

...cruisecal.com can help if it is recent.  It's a pay site but you can get that info by using the Itinerary Lookup from the menu bar.  EM

The itinerary part isn't a pay site, just to make that clear. We love that site, very user friendly.

http://www.cruisecal.com/portal/ItineraryLookup/tabid/2918/Default.aspx

1 hour ago, markeb said:

...Which means I never look for a flower cart, but I believe they have them onboard.

Hmm.... I haven't seen a flower cart on board Celebrity or Royal in years. I don't think they were very profitable, and toward the end of the cruise the flowers looked so sad... 😕

On 2/28/2020 at 10:42 AM, newcruisefamily said:

poutine is delicous! fun fact: you can get poutine at the Costco food court in Canada (well, in Vancouver, anyway).

YES! It is delicious. Gotta say Wendy's is offering up some tasty poutine as well. Purists will balk, but we think it's good. 😊

While we are "concerned", we are not overly worried or anxious. We have a couple of cruises booked and one is out of Seattle. Hoping and praying for the best as I am immunocompromised, so I need to take extra precautions. Bottom line: not cancelling, not over worried, will take necessary precautions.