Tell Me This Isn't True

[Lovincruisin1321]

I met someone last night from San Francisco who was trying very hard to convince me to cancel my 5-nite cruise out of San Diego to Vancouver. (From Vancouver we are boarding Celebrity for a 7-nite Alaska)

 

The itinerary is very simple on the Radiance:

San Diego

Day at Sea

San Francisco

Day at Sea

Victoria, BC

Vancouver

 

He said one day in San Francisco is not enough to really see anything and we should rent a car and drive down the coast so I have the flexibility to see what I want (redwoods and drive up through the wine country), then drive to Vancouver instead.

 

My husband was almost convinced. I still want my cruise and Jr. Suite Aft!

 

Convince my hubby why the cruise is a better choice. :confused:

[ChipLondon]

One day in most ports of call is never enough to see everything, this is very true about SF, but it will give you a taster, and you might consider staying longer next time. :)

 

I met someone last night from San Francisco who was trying very hard to convince me to cancel my 5-nite cruise out of San Diego to Vancouver. (From Vancouver we are boarding Celebrity for a 7-nite Alaska)

 

The itinerary is very simple on the Radiance:

San Diego

Day at Sea

San Francisco

Day at Sea

Victoria, BC

Vancouver

 

He said one day in San Francisco is not enough to really see anything and we should rent a car and drive down the coast so I have the flexibility to see what I want (redwoods and drive up through the wine country), then drive to Vancouver instead.

 

My husband was almost convinced. I still want my cruise and Jr. Suite Aft!

 

Convince my hubby why the cruise is a better choice. :confused:

[MrsFixitCT]

I could TRY to tell you that the cruise is the better option, but I'd be lying. We've done San Francisco on a land based vacation, and I'd be hard pressed to tell you that one day is enough, because it definitely is NOT. We were there for a week, and still didn't see it all...and we didn't even get to see the Redwoods...we did "downtown", Alcatraz, Monterey/Carmel, Napa, and part of the shore to the North. On our last cruise in March, we did 4 days prior in LA and San Diego, and even that wasn't enough..did the SD zoo, Hollywood and some other wandering. I'd jump in the car in a heartbeat!!! The coast alone from what I've seen is SPECTACULAR...and having the ability to just "wander" up the coast would cinch it for me...

 

sorry!! ;):rolleyes::(

[dixieva]

This would be a no-brainer for me! The cruise would win every time-especially if you have an aft JS!

 

I wouldn't want to do a 5 day driving trip. How about this:

 

If you're driving you can't drink. On a cruise there's no driving.

 

You'll have the expense of the gas for the car, staying in hotels every night and buying every meal.

 

There will be no real relaxing time on a road trip except at night when you're done sight seeing for the day.

 

I'm sure there are many more good reasons to go for the cruise.

 

However if your goal is to see as much as you can of just one place the cruise is not for you.

[jorapp]

Cruise is better because...

1. Someone else is driving and you both get to relax

2. The meals are included

3. No traffic, road construction, smog

4. Wine country needs a week...preferably in July or August when the farms are at peak, so save Napa and San Fran for its own trip.

5. ...the most important reason...'cuz it is what the wife wants! lol

[Liltx31]

Dh and I are planning a long weekend in SF and aren't even going to the wine country or redwoods. We are still having to priorituze what we see inside the city as there is soooooo much to do there. I have a crazy friend (crazy because she goes in the winter) that goes for 5 days each year and she still sees new thing.

If your goal is to see SF I would cancel. If you just want to get an overview and go back someday I think the one day would serve that purpose.

 

Our plan so far is:

day 1- arrive early afternoon and take a city tour

day 2- union square, cable car to fisherman's warf/alcatraz tour and then giradelli

day 3- free china town tour (mondays only), imaginarium or Presidio

day 4- golden gate bridge/park and Salsalito (town across the bridge)

day 5- fly home

[Greghouseo]

It never ceases to amaze me how people "stick their oar in" and think they know best for you.

 

This person you "met last night".

Is he the same age demographic as you?

Does he have the same holiday requirements asyou?

Is he in the same economic bracket as you?

 

There are so many reasons to listen to your hearts and to yourselves and so few reasons to listen to this person. How well do you know him? or his motives?

My view would be to tell him to MHOB

[Sue L]

Dh and I are planning a long weekend in SF and aren't even going to the wine country or redwoods. We are still having to priorituze what we see inside the city as there is soooooo much to do there. I have a crazy friend (crazy because she goes in the winter) that goes for 5 days each year and she still sees new thing.

If your goal is to see SF I would cancel. If you just want to get an overview and go back someday I think the one day would serve that purpose.

 

Our plan so far is:

day 1- arrive early afternoon and take a city tour

day 2- union square, cable car to fisherman's warf/alcatraz tour and then giradelli

day 3- free china town tour (mondays only), imaginarium or Presidio

day 4- golden gate bridge/park and Salsalito (town across the bridge)

day 5- fly home

 

My daughter moved there a year ago and still finds plenty of new things to do each weekend.

[MelissaE1]

Wow, I never thought I'd ever think to say to someone NOT to get on a cruise, as it's my favorite vacation by far, but in this case I would say without reservation to take the drive if you have never been up the coast of California. Especially since the question is really whether to do that or have a "pre-cruise" prior to your Alaska adventure.

 

The City is amazing by itself (even with five whole days you'd never fit it all in), and you can get around fine without a car, but the Redwoods and a drive up Highway 1 are something that should be on most people's bucket list, IMHO. It's hard to explain with just words. Unless you are not into natural beauty (and most people who cruise Alaska seem to be) you will not regret it.

 

Just my .02! :)

[negc]

Of course, one day is not enough to see and experience everything that San Francisco has to offer, but one could easily argue that even five days is not sufficient. A driving tour of California's coast is not the same experience as a cruise which visits West Coast ports and spends a dozen or so hours in San Francisco. No one should expect that the two are comparable and you need to choose which vacation offers you the experience you are looking for. A stop in San Francisco during a cruise can offer you an opportunity to sample what the city has to offer and may encourage you to return and spend more time there. However the overall cruise experience is much more than making relatively brief stops at the ports along the way. You need to decide exactly what you want to do and act accordingly.:)

[The Martins]

If I were you, I'd simply tell my husband that the wife-unit will be unhappy if we drive. I will do nearly anything to keep my wife happy, and I'm a happy man because of it.

[cassieroll]

I'd keep the cruise and probably never get off the ship but I grew up in California so ymmv :p

[orville99]

If the alternatives are to:

A) drive from San Diego to Vancouver and sight see along the way, I've done it in reverse, and it will take you five nights to do it, but the drive and sights are truly amazing, or

 

B) Fly into SF a day or two before the Radiance arrives and do the wine country/stinson beach/redwoods one day and do a south to the Monteray peninsula the second day and then pick up the Radiance when it docks, or

 

C) Do the Radiance and try to fit one of those things in when you're in port,

 

A or B are doable; C would be a stretch other than the stinson beach/redwoods drive - Monteray or the wine country are just too far.

 

If it were me, I'd just hop a cable car from the port and do SF, or hop a ferry from teh port and do sausalito

[ali_cat]

Well, I think SF and California are just beautiful, but at the same time SF isn't for everyone. Make a deal with him. Go on the cruise since you've already booked it and at least paid for most if not all of it, spend the day in port, and if you like SF make a plan for your next vacation to be there.

[AlanAllyn]

Does Celebrity have these two cruises linked? According to many posts, this pair would violate the PVSA, sailing from one US port to another without stopping at a distant foreign port, even though you are changing ships in Vancouver. Do investigate to make sure that you can do these two cruises.

[MrsFixitCT]

Does Celebrity have these two cruises linked? According to many posts, this pair would violate the PVSA, sailing from one US port to another without stopping at a distant foreign port, even though you are changing ships in Vancouver. Do investigate to make sure that you can do these two cruises.

 

I believe they should be fine...I've done cruises that started in Miami/FLL where the first stop was in Key West before continuing on to Cozumel...which would be of a similar nature- US port, US port, MX port. Theirs would be US port, US port, Canada port.

[snowbird1]

To me this is mixing Apples and Oranges as they say, they are not the same type of trips and shouldn't be compared.

 

Have fun either way.

[MIcruiser99]

To me this is mixing Apples and Oranges as they say, they are not the same type of trips and shouldn't be compared.

 

Have fun either way.

 

That was my thinking, also.

 

It just depends on what type of vacation that you are looking for....not someone else.

 

Figure out what YOU want!

[matj2000]

Sounds like one of the worst cruise itineraries I have ever heard... Take the car.

[johneeo]

 

Convince my hubby why the cruise is a better choice. :confused:

 

Tell him you will kill him if you do not do the cruise.:eek:

 

Pretty simple.:cool:

[Mark_K]

Does Celebrity have these two cruises linked? According to many posts, this pair would violate the PVSA, sailing from one US port to another without stopping at a distant foreign port, even though you are changing ships in Vancouver. Do investigate to make sure that you can do these two cruises.

One cruise is Royal Caribbean, the other is Celebrity.

[Mark_K]

I believe they should be fine...I've done cruises that started in Miami/FLL where the first stop was in Key West before continuing on to Cozumel...which would be of a similar nature- US port, US port, MX port. Theirs would be US port, US port, Canada port.

The problem is that if the two cruises can be considered one cruise, you would start in San Diego and end in Anchorage. This would be transporting from one US port to another.

 

Visiting US ports during the course of a cruise is fine as long as your cruise doesn't end there. People boarding in Miami/FLL on the cruises you mentioned would not be allowed to terminate their cruise in Key West.

[MrsPete]

I met someone last night from San Francisco who was trying very hard to convince me to cancel my 5-nite cruise out of San Diego to Vancouver. (From Vancouver we are boarding Celebrity for a 7-nite Alaska)

What is your goal?

 

If you want to see San Francisco, then his advice is sound. In a short port stop, you will not see all the highlights, much less really have time to tour the city -- and since the redwoods are a bit of a drive out of town, you can forget them.

 

On the other hand, if your goal is to take a relaxing cruise and touch on a few ports along the way, then stick to your plans. You'll have a limited experience in each of the ports, and you'll also enjoy all the ship has to offer: Dining, the pools, the entertainment.

 

Both are good choices. The real question is, which vacation do you want?

[Bemidji Ty]

A day in SF, walking around the Fisherman's Wharf area or getting pass on the hop on hop off tour is a great day. Do the cruise.

 

Don't you just love people who you "just met" and "know" what is best for you?

[julieds]

What is your goal?

 

If you want to see San Francisco, then his advice is sound. In a short port stop, you will not see all the highlights, much less really have time to tour the city -- and since the redwoods are a bit of a drive out of town, you can forget them.

 

On the other hand, if your goal is to take a relaxing cruise and touch on a few ports along the way, then stick to your plans. You'll have a limited experience in each of the ports, and you'll also enjoy all the ship has to offer: Dining, the pools, the entertainment.

 

Both are good choices. The real question is, which vacation do you want?

 

I TOTALLY agree with this advice--these are two completely different types of vacations! There's no comparison, no way to rank one as "better" than the other without knowing you and what you want to get out of this vacation!

 

I've never turned down a chance to take a cruise, and view it as a great way to get a quick glimpse of ports I've never been to, or a chance to visit the "high points" of places I've seen before. But I also recognize that a cruise isn't the best way to get a real sense of the places I'm visiting--or to see as much as possible of a given area/region/city. For that, you need more time and flexibility than a cruise shore stop offers.