lakegirl16

2 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

 

Downtown Long Beach gives you more choices for hotels, but the nice ones tend to be more expensive. You also have more dining choices and you can eat on the water at a couple of nice places.

 

Downtown LB puts you about 6 miles from the San Pedro terminal.

Thank you.  Can you recommend the restaurants on the water?  Understand Downtown Long Beach may be more expensive, I did a little looking and compared to San Pedro not that much more, assuming the hotels are nicer.  Thanks again.

Sailing on the Discovery Princess February '24.  Looking at hotels for one night.  We stayed at the DoubleTree last December, pre cruise.  It was so so.  Room was very worn and somewhat stale smelling.  Not terrible but not great.  We have two other couples sailing with us in February.  I've read the reviews of the Crown Plaza and they seem about same as DT.  

Thinking about staying in Long Beach pre-cruise instead.  Everyone is flying into Long Beach.  Looking for hotel recommendations that would be within walking distance of a nice place for dinner.  Dinner recommendations, welcomed too!

Thank you.  

Hello! I'm confused on the definition of a Pre Existing Condition and the lookback period.  If I currently am being treated for a condition, that would be considered a pre existing condition, correct?  How does the lookback period work and what does it apply to?

I understand the insurance must be purchased within so many days of making my first payment and I must be medically fit to travel.

Thank you.

5 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

I have not noticed any substantial difference in the various dining rooms.  Decor is basically the same -- I don't care if the theme is Michaelangelo or Botticelli!  Menus are the same; waitstaff are all the same quality.  Put me in any of them! 

 

Which is why Steeler told you that location is the main difference.

I've sailed Princess before, am aware the menus are the same.  But on past ships I have seen cruisers like one dining room over another, which is why I asked.  

Thanks very much!

15 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Same menus.  Just different locations (check out the ship deck plans on Princess.com).  One location or other may suit you depending on cabin location, etc.  When you book your Private table in DMW app, you won't be locked into same table and waiters for full voyage.  If you want that traditional experience, you need to speak with DR Mgr or Host on Day 1.  I'd go with a DR where they can set you up in the same place and you just head straight to your table each evening.  That may be different than the one you book ahead of time in DMW.

Thanks!  Wondering if anyone likes one dining room over another and why?. Location doesn't really matter.

We were on the Ruby this past May, we dined in Botticelli and it was very noisy.  Maybe they all are, depending on time and crowd.

Thank you!

2 hours ago, NavyVeteran said:

There are no formal nights on a 4 night cruise. This information is provided in Onboard FAQ: Dining & Nightlife under Formal Nights.

 

Princess always counts the number of nights when defining a cruise length - even though they sometimes say days. They would call a four-night cruise four days even though you are on the ship for portions of five days. Just read "nights" whenever they say "days".

Thank you.  I did read this but was very confused whether we were four or 5 days.  Thanks for clarifying.  

Assume this is 1?  I looked on Princess site and it addresses days not nights, so I was confused.  

Thank you.

Just booked first cruise on Discovery.  Would love some thoughts on the three dining rooms for dinner.  Traveling with another couple, will be choosing a table for 4.

Thank you.

48 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

No tours, it's a very walkable city.  

We just loved walking around and enjoying the architecture, esp in the side streets near LasRamblas. Oh my, the bakeries, and bars, restaurants !

Day 1, we arrived around 4pm and took the Aerobus from the airport to Placa Catalunya, 5E.   We dropped our luggage at Hotel Lleo and walked to the Boqueria Market. Spent an hr there, then walked further down Las Ramblas.  Found the 'Umbrella Bldg" and got photos of the dragons.  Stumbled upon Placa Real, and stayed for a drink at one of the outdoor restaurants there. 

Day 2 we went back to the Market to kill time as we waited for a relative flying in from London. (We had planned to do a free walking tour of the Gothic District but her flight was too late.) Then we walked to the Sagrada Familia, passing Casa Mila, wandered thru the Gothic district, and back to the Placa Real for dinner.  Wandered around around the Gothic District some more then crashed.

Day 3  took a taxi to a park to watch Castellers (human pyramids) perform. Fantastic!

Collected our luggage around 2pm and took a cab to the ship.

 

We just LOVED Barcelona and wished we had arrived a few days earlier. So much to see.

 

Thank you so much.  We are looking forward to our visit.

On 8/17/2023 at 1:28 PM, mapleleaves said:

I will also mention that we arrived in Barcelona 2 nites prior. Absolutely LOVED Barcelona !  Such a beautiful city, wonderful architecture, and so walkable. We stayed near the Placa Catalunya. The Ramblas and Boqueria Market were within a 5 minute walk.  The port was about a 10-15 minute cab ride away. 

Glad to hear this.  We arriving two nights prior in Barcelona and staying in that area.  Did you tour on your own or use a tour company.  Thank you.

6 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Are you looking for leather walking shoes or for athletic sneaker-type walking shoes?

 

Sneaker type I think?  Thx.  

If this has been covered, sorry for the repeat.  Looking for a comfortable pair of walking shoes for Europe land/cruise.  I have a wide foot, high instep.  I'm older so style isn't as important as comfort.  🙂

Thanks!

7 minutes ago, HotRoot said:

One and only Celebrity cruise.  First morning at breakfast they refused our request for a table for 2 and put us at a table for 10.  We sat through people eating first courses.  Finally our food came.  I told the waiter that was not what I ordered.  He told me "Eat it, it is good."  Table was so tight you hit elbows with the person on each side of you.  Thankfully it was a 5 night cruise.  Service just kept getting worse.  We will never sail with Celebrity again.  Probably a one off but enough to turn me off.

Curious what ship this was on and when?  Thanks for sharing.

1 hour ago, villauk said:

 

Thanks for the review; we also cruise both lines. Did you sail in a suite on X but a regular cabin on Princess?

Yes, I did sail in a Sky Suite on Celebrity.  Which I why I didn't really do a dining room comparison, only mention of the slow service on the Ruby.

Thanks for the other comparisons and comments.  Every ship and every person is different that's what make this board so informative.  

Also, someone mentioned bringing a streaming stick on the ship.  We brought a Firestick (I believe that was the device, could have been Roku) on the Solstice last December.  We were able to hook this up to WiFi via the TV and stream Hulu.  This was a Mexican Riviera Itinerary.  We brought it on the Princess ship, as well, but the internet would not support it.

Thanks everyone!

1 hour ago, snoozecrooze said:

Most of the big points have already been discussed, so I'll leave those as is, but this small one stood out to me lol. I don't care too much for the Live TV offerings (they're really about the same across both lines) but Princess's on-demand television offerings are good enough that they're not... "terrible", are they? What happened here?

To clarify, I was referring  to the Live TV offerings and thought Celebrity had more offerings.  Perhaps I am not remembering correctly.  I didn't use the On Demand.

10 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Thank you for sharing your comparisons.  This is a very interesting format.  I hope you don't mind if I steal it for the next few minutes.  

 

I've been on five Celebrity ships, the last being the Summit in March.  I've been on three Princess ships - Regal, Majestic, and Ruby - the latter being my last sailing on Princess back in April.

 

I should note that two of my Celebrity cruises and two of my Princess cruises were themed cruises.  I'll try to note when they affect things.

 

OK, here goes:

 

TV and VODs - even.  I don't cruise much for TV.  I can't say that I've watched any television programming on either cruise line.  I've sampled some of the VODs on both.  The themed cruises offered a better selection here than normal.

 

Internet - even.  I've had good luck with Princess, even without Starlink.  The pings can be long and the speeds are erratic, but I had few problems streaming.  It's relatively cheap for a cruise line, especially for those with status. On Celebrity, I'm convinced their basic plan (RIP, except for their all included) is throttled at 1 mbps down.  Premium is faster, but costly at $35/day.  They have Starlink on all their ships now.

 

Embarkation/disembarkation - Celebrity.  I've always been able to get on and off smoothly with Celebrity.  In fact, I've often been able to be one of the first ones off the ship even when not trying to do so.  I had a big issue with Princess on the Ruby when I was stuck in line with the other 90% or more who didn't have their Medallion sent to them.  That took an extra half hour that I didn't want to give up.

 

Entertainment - Celebrity.  On one of my non-charters on the Millennium, we had a production show and a soloist of interest in the main theater.  They were good.  And the entertainment on the themed cruises was outstanding (as expected, and as I paid for).  Otherwise, on my regular cruises on both lines, I didn't find much of interest.

 

Pastries - n/a.  I rarely bother with pastries on cruises.

 

Coffee bar - n/a.  I'm not a coffee drinker.

 

Friendliness and competence of staff - even.  No complaints; most everyone on both lines went out of their way to try to make me happy.

 

Friendliness of the other cruisers - even.  I found Celebrity had more extensive travelers - on cruise ships and other ways of getting around.  Ruby had a big group of newbie cruisers; they were a lot of fun to interact with.

 

Cookies - n/a.  I choose other things for my empty calories.

 

Desserts - even.  I'm not big on desserts when cruising.  But the ones I tried were all right.

 

Overall food - Celebrity.  I'll note that I've only dined in the buffet on both lines.  Celebrity always had food of good quality and quantity when I was there.  Princess?  Not so much.  And their buffet design is less efficient that it really should be - especially on the Ruby.

 

Cocktails - n/a.  Coffee isn't the only thing I don't drink.

 

Beds - even.  Both gave me more pillows than I wanted, but that's a minor thing.

 

Activities - even.  No major differences noted.

 

App - even.  Celebrity's app is good but less ambitious.  Princess' Medallion App is much more ambitious, but everything doesn't work all the time.

 

Spa - n/a.  Not a place I hang out.

 

Toiletries - even.  Both cover the basics well.

 

Ice cream - n/a.  Another thing I don't consume.

 

Burgers - even.  Neither are in the Guy's neighborhood, but they're suitable for ordinary use.

 

Casino - Celebrity.  It's brighter, less confusing to walk around, and even offers some gaming lessons.

 

Dining room service - n/a.  See "Overall food" above for my experience at the trough.

 

Overall ship condition - Celebrity.  I've only been on the Summit and Millennium on Celebrity - none of the newer ones.  Both were kept up very well, IMHO.  The Ruby had a few signs of wear and tear, fewer on the Regal or Majestic.

 

Other - Princess.  I've had good luck dealing with their customer service department on my pandemic canceled cruise, dealing with the gift card department, even writing random letters to John Boy in Santa Clarita.

Thanks, great to see another comparison.  And I wish I didn't eat the cookies, desserts and ice cream but sweets are my thing!  🙂

6 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

A lot of references to Star Princess.  I assume this was about Ruby?

 

Coffee?  Did you have the International Cafe coffee, or are you referring to MDR coffee on both?

 

I’m really shocked that the crew wasn’t friendly or fantastic.  I’ve found the crew on the Princess to be fabulous on all the ships we’ve sailed.  To be fair, have not sailed Ruby.  Just really surprised.  JMO.

 

Thank you for the comparison.  

Coffee - yes International Cafe - coffee was fine.  More the service.

I was shocked on the crew as well. Many we passed never spoke, dining room staff not very engaging.

AND yes, the RUBY not the STAR.  Too late to edit.

4 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

A lot of references to Star Princess.  I assume this was about Ruby?

 

Coffee?  Did you have the International Cafe coffee, or are you referring to MDR coffee on both?

 

I’m really shocked that the crew wasn’t friendly or fantastic.  I’ve found the crew on the Princess to be fabulous on all the ships we’ve sailed.  To be fair, have not sailed Ruby.  Just really surprised.  JMO.

 

Thank you for the comparison.  

25 minutes ago, lakegirl16 said:

I've always considered these two lines more similar than different.  We just returned from 10 Day Ruby Princess Round Trip Alaska.  Most recent Celebrity Sailing was December 2022, Mexican Riviera on the Solstice.  Both of these ships were built around the same time.

 

I know this comparison is subjective and every ship is different, many will say the opposite of my opinions but wanted to share my thoughts.  Happy to answer any questions.   

 

In no particular order, here's my thoughts ... 

 

Television - Celebrity.  I know we don’t cruise to watch TV but Princess TV is terrible.  

 

Internet - Celebrity.  Internet on the Ruby Princess was not good, very slow.  In fairness, the Solstice had just gotten Starlink and we were sailing south and not north.

 

Embarkation  / Disembarkation - Even. 

Although I heard passengers complain it took them 1.5 hours in the 12:30 boarding group on the Ruby.

 

Entertainment - Princess. We found the shows on the Solstice in December very average.  Star Princess shows were great.  I also like the wide variety of musical entertainment in the bars on Princess.

 

Pastries - Celebrity - I always felt like the pastries I had on the Ruby were a bit dry.  One exception, the almond croissant.

 

Coffee bar - Celebrity - Location, setting and coffee selection.  Service on the Ruby was terrible.

 

Friendliness - Celebrity.  I found a lot of staff on Ruby didn’t speak at all.

 

Cookies- celebrity.  Princess cookies were dry and hard.

 

Overall food - even.  I thought both had good and not so good selections.  My one concern on the Star was often my food wasn't hot.  Not cold, just not hot.

 

Desserts - slight to Celebrity.  I can’t believe Princess changed the Love Boat Dream to Raspberry!

 

Cocktails - Celebrity - Martini bar, big plus.

 

Beds - Even.  I always sleep great at sea

 

Activities- slight to Princess.  I love BINGO! 

 

Apps -  Celebrity hands down.  Princess app is pretty worthless, can’t see menus unless you are booked in the restaurant.  

 

Spa - even.  Although I had a pedicure on Princess and first time ever she didn’t try to sell me any products!! 

 

Toiletries - Princess love the hand soap

 

Ice cream -  Celebrity - love the Gelato!

 

Casino -Celebrity - smoking on Princess is a no go for me.

 

Dining Room Service - I’m not going to compare because our last cruise on Celebrity we were in a Sky Suite.  I will say service on the Ruby was so so.  In general servers were not terribly friendly.  We ate in the main dining room 4 nights.  Only one of those nights did we have a server who introduced himself, gave recommendations and was engaging.  Wait times went from really poor to good.  We had one lunch that took an hour and 20 minutes.  

 

Overall Ship Condition - Celebrity.  

The Star Princess is looking pretty ratty. Rusted off parts on our balcony.  Furniture in Wheelhouse, leather peeling off couches, looks terrible.  Before we sailed on the Solstice, I read lots of reviews saying the ship was in poor condition, I never noticed anything.  I don't really "look" for problems because I'm enjoying my cruise. These things on the Star, I didn't have to look for, they were obvious.

 

I thought I proofed this and caught where I'd said STAR, all comparisons were the RUBY.  STAR was the ship we were on before.  Too late to edit my mistake.  

I've always considered these two lines more similar than different.  We just returned from 10 Day Ruby Princess Round Trip Alaska.  Most recent Celebrity Sailing was December 2022, Mexican Riviera on the Solstice.  Both of these ships were built around the same time.

I know this comparison is subjective and every ship is different, many will say the opposite of my opinions but wanted to share my thoughts.  Happy to answer any questions.   

In no particular order, here's my thoughts ... 

Television - Celebrity.  I know we don’t cruise to watch TV but Princess TV is terrible.  

Internet - Celebrity.  Internet on the Ruby Princess was not good, very slow.  In fairness, the Solstice had just gotten Starlink and we were sailing south and not north.

Embarkation  / Disembarkation - Even. 

Although I heard passengers complain it took them 1.5 hours in the 12:30 boarding group on the Ruby.

Entertainment - Princess. We found the shows on the Solstice in December very average.  Star Princess shows were great.  I also like the wide variety of musical entertainment in the bars on Princess.

Pastries - Celebrity - I always felt like the pastries I had on the Ruby were a bit dry.  One exception, the almond croissant.

Coffee bar - Celebrity - Location, setting and coffee selection.  Service on the Ruby was terrible.

Friendliness - Celebrity.  I found a lot of staff on Ruby didn’t speak at all.

Cookies- celebrity.  Princess cookies were dry and hard.

Overall food - even.  I thought both had good and not so good selections.  My one concern on the Star was often my food wasn't hot.  Not cold, just not hot.

Desserts - slight to Celebrity.  I can’t believe Princess changed the Love Boat Dream to Raspberry!

Cocktails - Celebrity - Martini bar, big plus.

Beds - Even.  I always sleep great at sea

Activities- slight to Princess.  I love BINGO! 

Apps -  Celebrity hands down.  Princess app is pretty worthless, can’t see menus unless you are booked in the restaurant.  

Spa - even.  Although I had a pedicure on Princess and first time ever she didn’t try to sell me any products!! 

Toiletries - Princess love the hand soap

Ice cream -  Celebrity - love the Gelato!

Casino -Celebrity - smoking on Princess is a no go for me.

Dining Room Service - I’m not going to compare because our last cruise on Celebrity we were in a Sky Suite.  I will say service on the Ruby was so so.  In general servers were not terribly friendly.  We ate in the main dining room 4 nights.  Only one of those nights did we have a server who introduced himself, gave recommendations and was engaging.  Wait times went from really poor to good.  We had one lunch that took an hour and 20 minutes.  

Overall Ship Condition - Celebrity.  

The Star Princess is looking pretty ratty. Rusted off parts on our balcony.  Furniture in Wheelhouse, leather peeling off couches, looks terrible.  Before we sailed on the Solstice, I read lots of reviews saying the ship was in poor condition, I never noticed anything.  I don't really "look" for problems because I'm enjoying my cruise. These things on the Star, I didn't have to look for, they were obvious.

Just returned from 10 Day RT San Francisco cruise.  Highly recommend Gallant Adventures for a small boat wildlife tour in Sitka.  Paul Davis is so knowledgeable and the nicest guy!  His boat is very nice, enclosed heated cabin (which we needed as it was cold and rainy).  He knows where to go to find the wildlife.  We saw whales, sea otters, sea lions and various birds.  Weather wasn't great but he still showed us so much.  There were 6 of us on the tour and the boat seats 6 very comfortably.  One of the best excursions we've ever taken.

As a side note, after the tour we walked to The Beak restaurant.  Chef was a James Beard nominee.  Small restaurant but staff is so friendly and accommodating.  I had lobster, mac n cheese, DH had rockfish.  We also enjoyed their butter board.

Loved Sitka, can't wait to return!

12 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

They're not overly large, but not the smallest I've had in a European hotel (That distinction goes to the Hilton Stockholm!).  This last visit (both pre-and post-cruise), out rooms were L-shaped and the luggage was easily out of the way in the "L".  No problem walking around the bed or to the bathroom.  Rooms are all differently shaped and sized as it's an old building.  The only room we've had there we weren't overly fond of was not due to size, but the fact it had stairs within the room...Had to walk up to stairs to the part of the room that fronted the door to the bathroom...not easy to deal with that in the dark.  But, the last three times, we haven't had that--I think it's just the rooms in the back right corner of the building.

What room type have you booked?  Thank you!  Appreciate very much your posts on this hotel!

Could someone speak to the size of rooms at the H10 Catalunya?  I'm reading they are small.  I don't mind a small room but do want at least to be able to walk around our luggage.  I booked the Double Room what's the difference in size between this and the Deluxe Square room?  Thank you.

5 hours ago, cruzin4us said:

 

I'm not going to lie, the excursions are costly in Alaska, and sometimes they are cancelled do to bad weather or being late to port (such as we are this cruise).   I'm just as happy taking in the scenery as anything else.

You mention being late to port?  Curious what ports were delayed?  I'm on next week and have an excursion Sitka I would hate to miss.  Thanks.

@cruzin4us How's the internet been?  Thanks.

@jaycruising  How has the internet been as you traveled north?

Thank you.