2reddy2cruise

Thank you for referencing the info on the AQSC website. I finally found it and it looks like they're still figuring things out with the Empress. However, the Duchess has had lots of changes and they seem to be offering full refunds and air reimbursements if people are unwilling or unable to change to other sailings. For those that need to know, you'll find updates by clicking the "Contact Us" tab and then selecting "Alerts". Or you can call them, it says. Thanks to all my fellow Cruise Critic participants - you are all a great source of info!

Hi - I just asked this question to AQSC this morning and they said no, nothing has been affected at this time (Wednesday morning). We'll see if the smoke gets worse.

Thanks, Chris. I sure wish we could transfer some of the rain from other parts of the country to the northwest! Hoping for the best all the way around.

Has the current wildfire situation (as of 9/6/2017) caused cancellation of AQSC American Empress trips? Anyone heard anything? Weather service is posting air quality alerts and there does not seem to be any rain forecasted.

We flew in on the 3rd, stayed at the Vancouver Hilton & boarded ship on the 4th of October Enjoyed the farmer's market across the street from hotel - even bought some fresh flowers for our cabin. Weather was great for us - most days were short sleeves, but we took a light jacket along on excursions. We took the Portland City Tour, Multnomah Falls, and Hell's Canyon Jet Boat premium tours. - and the bus ride to the Spokane airport (if you want to call that an excursion?!). Also enjoyed the hop-on hop-off bus, especially the stop at the Reach in Richland & the Richland farmer's market. Some have complained about the stops being in such small towns, but I like small towns. The American Empress had plenty of public places (indoors & outdoors). Enjoyed the River Grille - ate there for most breakfasts and lunches and 2 evenings (maximum evenings which we could register). Also met a lot of nice people. Can't pick out a best memory as I enjoyed it all! Hope you do too!

Thanks for the info - I'm sure we'll enjoy it all!

We were on American Empress in October last year. Although we had a balcony, IMO a veranda would have been fine. We didn't spend a lot of time on the balcony, as there were plenty of other public places to sit outside.

 

Didn't see a lot of walkers, but half of the time we were docked in the mornings and walkers may have already been off the boat.

 

Our trip was Portland to Clarkston. If you have any other questions I can answer, let me know.

Hi,

Don't mean to hi-jack the thread, but I'll sneak some extra questions in if you don't mind. We'll be on the Empress in October 2017 (hotel on the 1st and then embarking on the 2nd from Portland area). What was your weather like in October...long sleeves vs short sleeves, type of outer wear needed, etc)? Did you do many premium excursions? Were there many rainy days? What is the best memory you have of that trip? Thanks for any insight you want to share!

Therese from Maine

This is probably a silly question, but I'll be sailing on the Journey in the Caribbean next Wednesday. I usually sail on HAL, so I always pack a basic black dress & a nice sparkly jacket for "formal dinners" and wear nice pants the rest of the time for dinner in the main dining room.

 

I'd planned on bringing the black dress with jacket on this cruise for a few nights at dinner, but am now wondering if it would be better to bring a nice "spring"/light-colored dress for the Discoveries dining room instead.

 

Comments?

 

Thank you,

Diana

Hey Diana - I have the same types of questions with packing (for the same cruise) even after reading these boards for a while! I'm worried that my stuff might be too dark or too heavy for the Caribbean. Then again, it's too late for a whole new wardrobe and I fear that it STILL won't make me look more chic and/or more slim. We're all going to look great no matter what we bring (take the black dress and the sparkly top - can't go wrong with that).

Therese

Going to be in town a day before our cruise and staying on SE 17th St. We are planning to catch the water taxi late morning for some sightseeing and would like to get off at one of the stops for lunch. Favorites? Recommendations? Any other stops recommended for shopping and/or walking around later in the afternoon? Thank you.

Hi,

My husband and I both had good meals at the 15th St Fisheries Restaurant, which you can access via the Water Taxi. That's my vote.

Hi!

We were there on a weekday, and did the walk 1st thing upon arriving to port, during what I would assume passes for rush hour. There was a steady flow of cars but most of the time there are generous shoulders that allow the cars to pass you at quite a comfortable margin. In the heart of town there are even sidewalks.

The one exception to this rule is during the immediate ascent out of the town itself up the hill toward the Christ statue. No sidewalks, and not much room on either side. One side of the street was lined with parked cars, so we would walk from car to car, and wait between them if there were cars passing. This situation exists for perhaps 200 yards, at the most. We were cautious and never felt unsafe.

The bright side to the traffic is that I think it would be a perfectly safe walk for a solo, female traveler. The road is well lit and well traveled. For most of it there are public businesses along it. There is one stretch where there is basically nothing but forest on each side, but the road is wide, with broad shoulders and well traveled. I would feel fine doing it again, alone.

And, for the record, received the new Victoria's Secret swimsuit catalog this week. I am not in it. :)

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks for coming back and posting answers to our questions. I'll probably give that walk my best effort. If I had been in the area of a similar photo shoot, I would have been VERY happy not to be in the catalog! Happy Travels!

Therese

Hi Therese,

 

I will be in St. Barts on March 6, so unfortunately we will miss each other by a couple of weeks. Too bad as it would have been nice to have a walking companion. :) I was in St. Barts in November 2014 and walked to Shell Beach on my own and to the overlook of Shell Beach. Some great views from up there. My DH walked part of the way and then cooled off and refreshed at a bar with a couple of glasses of wine. It was nice to explore the shops of Gustavia too.

 

I do not meant to high jack this thread, but what do you think of Azamara? I am considering one of their cruises in November. They seem to do some different things that look kind of fun.

 

Denise

Hi Denise,

I would probably be the turtle and you the hare on a long walk, so maybe you dodged a bullet! I hope you have a great visit on March 6. Your DH sounds very similar to mine with the liquid refreshment stop :D. I'll come back and let you know about Azamara. We've only cruised the main lines and I'm looking forward to trying a smaller ship with more inclusive amenities. For this one, we booked it during a buy one, get second person half-off sale and have since had one price drop which Azamara gave to us automatically. I'm really not even clear as to why that happened - it may have been the result of moving us after the just-completed renovation of the Journey. They converted our original stateroom to an accessible stateroom and asked us to select another. We chose one just across the hall so it was no hardship whatsoever and then we received a $400 credit. I am sure it was not from the on-line agency we used to reserve the cruise as the refund on our credit card statement clearly stated Azamara issued it. I am very happy with them so far! Again - have a great trip!

Therese

Borrillje, thanks so much for this detailed report on the walk to St. Jean beach and Eden Rock. What a unique experience to stumble on the Victoria's Secret shoot. At any time during the walk were you frightened by the traffic being so close with no sidewalks for part of the walk? Would you do this walk if you were a female on your own? I am going to be back there in March and would love to get some good photos, but the walk would be too physically demanding for my DH, so I would go it alone.

 

Last year I did the walk to Shell Beach on my own, but I imagine there is a huge difference in the amount of traffic encountered.

 

Thanks for any help that you can give.

Hi Dennich - You and I are on the same exact page with the questions for Borrillje, who made me laugh with her description of her trek to St Jean Beach. My husband also would not be making this walk, but I am considering an attempt - also in March! Will you be on a cruise and, if so, what ship? We are on the Azamara Journey and will be visiting St Barts on Tuesday, March 22. Hope that Borrillje is still looking at these forums and comes back with an answer.

Therese from Maine

That is late for that area, especially during the week. The hotel should be able to recommend pizza delivery. There is a TGIFridays and Hollywood Ale House in Oakwood Plaza; check their kitchen hours.

Looks like the Ale House has late hours and would suit us fine. Thank you!

We'll be landing just before 8pm on a Tuesday night at FLL then catching a hotel shuttle to the Comfort Suites on SW 19th in Dania Beach, which I believe is close to the Cambria Suites there. By the time we are registered and ready to get something to eat, it will probably be close to 10 pm. A hamburger and a drink might be just enough, but we're not sure what's close - maybe just see if the bar/restaurant at Cambria is still serving food then? Any suggestions that might be close and still serving food? Thanks!

Did not see the stipulation regarding 17th St area. They probably will not find any bargains there.

One night for check in on March 24 at the Comfort Suites in Dania Beach with airport shuttle and breakfast included would cost them $165 including tax (but prepaid) through http://www.expedia-aarp.com. The reviews on Trip Advisor are good for this airport-area hotel and that website also offers Cambria Suites in Dania Beach for slightly less (no breakfast included).

Hi - I check back infrequently because this thread is a bit slow. As there has been no interest from fellow Azamara cruisers for fishing on our day in this port, we have given up on the idea (unwilling to pay what the private charter for two would cost). Thank you for this additional info, though. I am sure we will have a nice visit there no matter what we choose to do.

We had reserved a room through the Choice Hotel site, which was not paid for but guaranteed with a credit card. It was more than what I wanted to pay ($190 including tax) for a room at Comfort Suites in Dania Beach. However, I have been scanning discount sites to see if it would go on sale at all. Yesterday I was on expedia-aarp.com and the same room was 10% off the advance pay price. I booked and paid $151 including tax for the same night/same type of room and canceled the other reservation. It may go down more before our travel date (March 15), but I'm happy with that price and that hotel as we arrive in the evening around 8 pm and leave early the next day via shared shuttle for POM. I think there will be further movement in some of these high prices as the time gets closer...hopefully downward for those of you still looking! :)

Thank you for the additional info. Sorry to hear about the tragedy and that there are such foolish and careless people piloting watercraft (similar to the ones causing accidents while driving their cars and even pedestrians walking into traffic and windows, etc.). I always wonder what could possibly be so important that they can't stop somewhere safely and check messages/calls without risking injury to themselves and all those around them. We'll check out the outfits you mentioned - much appreciated.

Thank you for responding, SBGoddess. I was beginning to think they might be an imaginary company...or the thread of conversation here is me talking to myself. Appreciate the comment.

Hi Moopig,

We reserved an Alamo car at the downtown location and then canc'd it for the very reason you stated (your past experience). Instead, we reserved an Alamo car at MIA after verifying with Alamo that they have a shuttle pick-up right at POM that will take us to the airport to pick up the car. It works for us as we are headed to Key Largo from there and it will probably be easier this way than dealing with downtown traffic.

Has anyone used Jicky Marine for any service whether it be fishing, sunset or swim sails, snorkeling, etc.? We would like to hear about your experience with them or any feedback regarding them. We will be visiting St Barts on an Azamara cruise in March and are researching opportunities now. Thank you.

Does anyone know if Princess has scheduled plans to refurbish this vessel (or her sister, Pacific Princess)?

Hi,

We're going to travel on the Regatta in April. We're very excited because we know it is definitely a step up from the mass market ships we have cruised on in the past. That said, I always do a little research and watch what is happening in general when travel is upcoming. We like to minimize problems and discomfort - like we wish we had not been on the west coast when everyone in southern California was wearing masks over their nose/mouth to avoid the bird flu outbreak that seemed prevalent in Mexico at the time (our short cruise in that area stayed off the coast and did not do any of the scheduled ports). These things happen and sometimes there is just no avoiding. The last two inspections of the Regatta are pretty low in scores (89 in July then down to 87 in October). While 85 is the marker for unsatisfactory, it disturbs me that the score is trending downward. What do you think - do you worry about these things? Please don't be insulting - I just wonder if anyone else checks.

Priceline Accepted Bid - $85

For One Night - April 18, 2014

Total Cost with taxes/fees = $98.67

Stay is just before Easter and prices probably won't drop till last minute! No shuttle here, but free breakfast and very near the beach and Las Olas. We stayed at the Marriott at Beach Place a couple years ago, so we're familiar with the area and we're happy to be back for one night!

Check out Casablanca Cafe. They have great food and it is in a historic home across from the beach. They don't take reservations, so just put your name in as soon as you arrive. The wait can run up to an hour at peak times. We usually put our names in and go for a walk around the neighborhood. They also have a piano bar. People dress anywhere from resort casual to smart casual dinner attire. The nicest restaurants are in the hotels but if you don't want to dress up at all, then avoid them. The best steak/seafood house is 954 Steak in the W Hotel....jackets and ties are not expected but people dress nicely....they take reservations.

Thanks for the restaurant tip, Royalcruz - that one is also well-liked on Trip Advisor - we'll try it on his birthday.

We'll be getting off a cruise on my husband's birthday and checking into the Marriott Beach Place Towers. Any suggestions for a nice restaurant (good food and nice atmosphere, but not really dressy) close to that resort? Thanks for any tips.