Splinter

Scroll down and you will find a lot of threads about this. What is your price range? When are you traveling? Prices and availability vary widely, especially in the Embarcadero and Marina districts (close to the cruise port). Are you looking for someplace with parking included?  Few of the hotels in this area have that.

Just a caution...on most river cruises the ships line up (raft up) to 6 ships abreast at the dock. You must climb up and down stairs to reach the shore, and if you on the outside of 5 other ships, you may have to do that over 5 ships to get on/off at the port. In addition, there may be stairs on the shore to get to street level.  Can your wife do those stairs?

Using a Rollator around the ship will not be problematic as long as you have a cabin on a deck that has elevator access. Some river ships have only stair access to the top and bottom-most decks.

The Firefly is narrower than the wheelchair itself, and, as above, is shorter in wheelbase and length on the chair than many scooters. I know a lot of people who have them, although none that have taken one on a cruise.

Never a problem for us, since my mother sat in her wheelchair in the dining room and elsewhere. Totally non-ambulatory, and transfers were only with a lift. This is probably more an issue for ambulatory people who also use a scooter.

On 11/11/2019 at 6:04 PM, scottca075 said:

So two full days...  nah, I'd just Uber. Plenty to see and do in a 10 mile radius.

Note that the OP said they don't do Uber/Lyft. Neither do I.

If you want something cheaper, check out the Old Town Inn. Right next to the Trolley (light rail) system, which you can use to get to the Embarcadero, Little Italy, and Gaslamp Quarter.  It is also a transit center, so you can get a bus from there to the Zoo/Balboa Park, or take a cab.
https://www.oldtown-inn.com/

Try calling instead.

It's been a while for me; I was on the Trollfjord in 2015, but the washing machines required a token that you buy at the reception desk, and as I remember, it was 4 NOK. Dryer is free. Get someone to help you with the directions though;  very confusing as only printed in Norwegian, and not as simple as a laundramat at home.

On 11/8/2019 at 10:49 AM, Erie516 said:

What size toilet risers fit?  We brought ours last time and it didn't fit.  

The toilet bowl is smaller than most home toilets. Suggest you contact the Special Needs dept. as above and get one of theirs that actually fits.

I used to travel with my parents; my mother had MS and I went as her caregiver. We were, with difficulty, able to get fully wheelchair accessible cabins on RCCL, Celebrity, HAL, and Princess. Not on Crystal, sadly (which was their favorite cruise line).  On HAL we often had a large accessible cabin in which they would set up (and have room for) a roll-away bed for me. Princess, Celebrity, RCCL, and newer HAL ships usually have a sofa bed or bunk bed for the 3rd person, so someone would need to take the upper bunk. We usually booked cruises about a year in advance.

If you want to get a taste of cloudberries before your trip, IKEA has cloudberry jam in their food section.

Crystal also usually has a few cruises to Alaska annually. Their ships are on the medium size, but their cruises are expensive. There are also small ship expedition type cruises available, although most depart from places other than Seattle (such as Vancouver or Juneau).

And yes, you can walk onto the pier. Security will check for your ticket when you do so, so have that handy. Sometimes they will just take your word for it that you are booked, but best to be prepared.

Kind of a dicey area for walking. Consider taking a cab or Uber/Lyft to Trader Joe's just north of the airport.

Further complicating this is the "state of emergency" with demonstrations and riots in Santiago right now, which may close the airport and/or interfere with tourists getting transport the 90 miles to Valparaiso. Watch the news closely on this.

I just wanted to give a shout out to the cod tongue we had on the MS Trollfjord. It was in May. Fishermen came on deck and showed us how to butcher the head of this huge cod for the cheek and tongue. I didn't even know cods had tongues! They prepared it raw (like sashimi) on deck and it was mild and sweet. Later that day we had it breaded and fried at lunch in the dining room buffet, and it was also excellent. Give it a try if it is offered on your cruise.

Always a plus to get fresh shrimp on your voyage, and if you get a chance to have any deserts with cloudberries, you will be in heaven!

On MS Trollfjord I did not have a safe, but I had no problems just keeping my valuables in my cabin when on-board. They did offer safe storage if desired at the registration desk.

40 minutes ago, Splinter said:

Another option in San Pedro is the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. If your husband loves ships and the sea, this would be good for him. It is a short walk from the pier, or you can take waterfront trolley:

 

https://www.lamaritimemuseum.org/

Corrected tof info on the bus trolley. The rail trolley unfortunately is no longer running:

https://sanpedro.com/community-information/san-pedro-downtown-trolley/

Another option in San Pedro is the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. If your husband loves ships and the sea, this would be good for him. It is a short walk from the pier, or you can take the rail trolley:

https://www.lamaritimemuseum.org/

On 9/15/2019 at 2:57 PM, Nymich said:

I was wondering what the locals think of the hop on hop off?   I figured we could see some sights and then get some shopping done at the same time.

What do you want to shop for?

Old Town Trolley Tours has been around for a long time. They have 10 stops and the complete route takes about 2.5-3 hours, without getting off. Good way to see some sights, although it is not cheap.  Would be best if you had a whole day to devote to this; risky taking this and hoping to get back to the ship on time the same day.

https://www.trolleytours.com/san-diego

On 9/15/2019 at 2:53 PM, scottca075 said:

 

I'd walk up to Little Italy for Caffe Italia, Lofty Coffee or Harbor Breakfast. If the cruise leaves on a Sat or Sun, add in Queenstown Public House.

Add the Farmer's Table to that list. Great breakfasts.

On 9/13/2019 at 6:33 PM, scottca075 said:

 

It isn't a "round trip" (Closed Loop) cruise. There is a back to back from Fort Lauderdale to SD and then it leaves SD to go back to Fort Lauderdale.

Still don't understand how you are claiming that this makes any difference when going through Immigration.

Check out "vacations to go" and check on the little icon at the top of the list of cruises you are considering for "Single supplement". It will show you the %.  While it is usually 75-100%, sometimes you will find deals. I booked a Panama Canal trip that way on HAL and got "only" a 30% single supplement for the 15 day cruise.

Also check out river cruises. Lots of single supplement deals on Vantage, AMA, Gate1, etc. (not much on Viking).

I travel a lot by both cruises and flying, and never once have I been asked this question.

3 hours ago, SantaAna,CA said:

Yes it can be up to a double fare cruising as a solo.  May I make a recommendation?  The site vacations to go (all run together of course) has a special section for singles sailings that have discounted, and sometimes even no, single supplement.

Yes, but those are singles/hook-up focused cruises. Not what I am interested in. VTG also lists lower single supplement cruises. There are rarely any 0% though.  One of the reasons I have lately been doing river cruises, where you can find both single cabins and no single supplement rates if booked far enough in advance.