KeepCalmBearOn

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Koningsdam has been sailing east of Vancouver Island for several years now.

But it sails west of Prince of Wales Island northbound and west of Chichagof Island southbound after leaving Glacier Bay.

12 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

Oops! Will they raise prices?

MSC isn't a charity/non-profit, they will charge what the market will bear and with rampant inflation, they will charge what they have to to maintain margin.

20 hours ago, Sea-n-Ease said:

What are the chances of rough waters on a true “Inside Passage” cruise, Vancouver to Juneau and back?  (Holland America Koningsdam)

I think any HAL ship is too big for a "true Inside Passage” cruise. If the Koningsdam follows its usual path, it goes outside the Inside Passage and into the Gulf of Alaska at least twice.

Even inside the passage if there is high wind or a storm, it can be rougher, not rough like an open water passage, but enough to bother someone sensitive to motion.

The original Caspar Milquetoast.

6 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

P.S. This repeating of mediocre entertainment on board makes it really hard to justify a B2B cruise. Another reason we just book one week at a time.

Everyone has their own likes and priorities and they may change over time. I know mine (ours) have.

When we started cruising heavily in the mid/late 80s and through probably 2000/01, we chose cruises for itineraries/port stops. After we'd hit just about every port possible in Europe and the Caribbean we shifted to choosing ships we wanted to try. That is when staterooms, food and shipboard amusements became more important.

I would book a B2B in the YC if the food was so good that entertainment faded into the background. If I were to choose a line purely on entertainment, Royal might win with Broadway at Sea. But Royal comes up wanting in other area.

50 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

When it comes to checking for interlopers the entire staff are Milquetoasts

I don't think frontline workers should be the ones confronting interlopers. The skills for confronting tactfully should be left to managers. Frontline workers should identify potential interlopers then hand off to management. There was a recent YC incident where a frontline worker confronted a YC guest and it blew up into a huge kerfuffle here on CC and on YouTube. It was entirely avoidable. MSC admitted so in the end.

If you are eating dinner, we much prefer Top of the Market, upstairs from the Fish Market. We are hoping they start doing lunches again one day.

At the Portside Pier we like the Brigantine, but really like the Ketch Grill & Tapas. It has such a great menu and atmosphere,

Your plans are fine.

On 4/16/2024 at 8:00 PM, DennysDad said:

Hampton inn Blue Lagoon has a shuttle for a fee to port? It doesn't say that anywhere on there website. 

Actually it does.

http://www.hamptoninnmiamiairport.com/shuttle.html

18 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

You needn't 'tiptoe through the tulips' here. "The phrase "tiptoe through the tulips" means...

To me, Tiptoe Through The Tulips means one thing and one thing only. Tiny Tim.

D. You are on MSC, nothing should surprise you.

I guess because of the LB Marathon there were no Hyatt hotels in Long Beach available?

If you are staying in San Pedro, your only two real choices in hotels are the Crowne Plaza or DoubleTree. I'd see if they can be booked before cementing your plan.

I think you can't just consider drive time when comparing airports, but the time from when you step off the plane until you are at your destination.

For example, at LAX, it can be a very long walk from your gate to baggage claim and then if you want to use a taxi of Uber, you have to transfer to a secondary lot for pick up. Overall it is very time consuming. Add to that that LAX is undergoing massive construction projects and LAX is a bigger disaster than it normally is.

LGB and SNA are small airports and very easy to maneuver through. I'd choose either one before LAX. SNA will give you the most flight options.

30 minutes ago, alwalaska said:

Do they charge for the shuttle if you are staying there, or is it included in the price?

$5.50 a person, do reserve with the front desk.

It depends on which pier you are using. The Aloha Tower has parking. For Pier 2, it is wouldn't be for too long, I'd drop it at H Mart.

2 hours ago, Halehuaka_i said:

I have taken Uber from the Līhuʻe airport to my home near Poʻipū and it cost about $50, so to ʻEleʻele would probably be around $75. It appears the Uber drivers hang out near the airport, so you should be able to get one fairly easily.

When did you last take Uber from LIH? In my last three, post Covid Hawaii cruises, Uber/Lyft has neigh on impossible to get at Nawiliwili. One of the cruises we hadn't planned to do anything on Kauai, but my father decided he wanted to go to Walmart to buy some more supplies he needed. When we got down to the taxi stand area, the line was an hour or more and zero Ubers responded to my request. Luckily there were neighbors of my father's on the same cruise already in line and they were heading to Walmart too.

To get back I grabbed a driver as they were dropping someone off, who turned out to be a licensed tour operator and Uber driver. Seeing my elderly father, she took pity on us and drove us back to Nawiliwili before picking up her pre-arranged group. She explained how few Uber drivers there were on the island and how few licensed cabs, post Covid.

That was an April 2023 cruise and when I went back in Oct 2023, it didn't seem things had improved, but I had rented a car from Avis that trip so we could go to Hanapepe and Poʻipū.

On 4/10/2024 at 9:07 PM, cxr133 said:

or some tour to Key west

That is a very long ways, like a day trip to SLO from LA.

Look at the Moxy, W, Stanton, Residence Inn and Courtyard, all in South Beach.

On 3/22/2024 at 7:02 AM, wolft927 said:

Can anyone give me some insight on the hotel and maybe even the suite itself? We see there is a restaurant and bar which is great. Any info or comments o your stay would be great!

The Hilton Blue Lagoon is a very nice hotel and I think a great location. I've stayed there on business several times and even hosted a few meetings there and everyone has liked the hotel. Being at the end of the island makes it seem very private.

On 3/24/2024 at 6:08 PM, Jaypmill231 said:

Looking for a place for 10 adults for a pre cruise stay ages 91 - 40

It is usually better to start your own topic since you are really asking a different question.

PS Love the 94th Aero Squadron, you can find them at several airports around the country. Also love Casa Juan for good Cuban food and even if the Hampton Inn serves a breakfast, I'd still go to First Watch for breakfast. It is one of my favorite places in Florida for breakfast.

50 minutes ago, Ashland said:

We'll be a group of 6 with 6 large suitcases will we be able to do an Uber XL and what happens if he gets there and we/luggage can't all fit in?

My friends who were just at MIA with 6 people and 6 large suitcases had to use two Uber XL.

10 hours ago, oakridger said:

Sorry, @atxlady you may have to go with another drink of choice for this cruise

Just mix some prune juice and fizzy water, and voila!

34 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Semi-correct:  Establishments cannot ask for "proof", but they can ask what service the dog is trained to do.  Of course, the unscrupulous will give whatever answer they want.  There is a difference between a therapy animal, a service animal, and an emotional support animal.  

Semi-correct: Establishments can ask what service the animal is trained to do, but they cannot ask to see the service animal perform that task.

18 minutes ago, Jnsplace1 said:

Travel Documents: Entry requirements for service animals vary by port. Entry requirements for service animals at the ports you visit differ, and there are some ports where animals may not be allowed ashore. You must check in each country you visit and obtain the necessary travel documents, which may include vaccinations, medical certificates, and other travel documents.

This was a Hawaii cruise. The only "foreign port" was Ensenada.

On 4/2/2024 at 7:20 AM, TAW1963 said:

To us, this was not a true service dog and should not have been allowed on the ship.  We love dogs, but do not believe cruise ships are the place for them unless they are true working service dogs. This dog surely seemed like just a pet and, if so, Princess should do a better job of screening them.

Because of the U.S. ADA and CA laws, there is virtually nothing Princess can do if people lie about their dog being a service dog. They cannot ask for any documentation or proof.

On 4/2/2024 at 8:17 AM, Bemidji Ty said:

Thanks for taking the time to write your review.  I'm trying to talk my DW into this cruise.  She is afraid that she will not like that many sea days.  We've done close to 70 cruises but never had more than 3 sea days in a row.  Any thoughts are appreciated.  Cheers.  

I am up to seven round trip Hawaii cruises now and I love them obviously. The five sea days in a row, twice, is my favorite part. You can truly relax when you don't need to worry about your activities at the next port and no rushing around in port. 

There are so many activities onboard there is plenty to keep you busy, if you choose, or not if you choose.

9 hours ago, MyriamS said:

Still I couldn't find any official website stating clearly that there are no immigration checks between Hawaii and mainland USA

There isn't any official website stating clearly that there are no immigration checks between Hawaii and mainland USA because there doesn't need to be. It is a purely U.S. domestic flight, no different than flying from LA to Las Vegas or any other U.S. domestic location.