Who has done the Vancouver to L.A cruise on Diamond-or vise versa

[Jeanneb]

I am thinking about booking this cruise for Sept 2006. Anyone here ever gone on this type of cruise...or the other way around...L.A. to Vancouver?

 

Would love to hear your opinions.

 

Thanks in advance.

Jeanne b

[Druke I]

Have done the San Francisco to Vancouver (or reverse) several times with Princess.

 

Did one Vancouver to Los Angeles years ago on the Windward (now Norwegian Wind).

 

Those coastals are a great way to try a ship!

 

By-the-by, much smoother sailing South along the Pacific Coast than going North - the Japanese Current flows South along the Left Coast, and when going North you are "bucking the current".

[phillipahain]

Did the LA to Vancouver and Vancouver to Vancouver in May enroute to Alaska

 

The Vancounver to Vancouver was a 3 day party ship for the locals and the food selection on both trips was dummed down

 

Returned to normal on the Alaska sector

[bardgal]

I did LA-Vancouver a thousand years ago on the old, original Sun Princess (very small ship), and it was VERY rough! I never get seasick so I was fine, but 70% of the passengers stayed in their cabins.

 

Today's ships are much bigger, and I'm sure the movement would be much less, however, someone who has done this recently on say, a Grand class ship could perhaps better describe it...

 

It was just nowhere near long enough!

[critterchick]

Phillipa, you must have been on the Sun Princess with us on the Vancouver R/T! That was a cruise to forget – the one and only type like it of the dozen or so we’ve taken.

 

 

 

We’ve gone in both directions on the Star, and LA-Vancouver on the Diamond. Mostly we have decent seas until north of San Francisco, where it can get a little bumpy. This past May, the sea was like glass the entire way - I’ve never had such a smooth trip!

 

 

 

We have a ball on the “no port” cruises – there’s always a place to dance, a corner to curl up in and read a book. They offer a lot of activities, too. We like the ballroom dancing classes. We always did personal choice until May, and I have to say that I preferred the traditional on the Diamond, but since they’ve now reconfigured it, maybe it works better.

[Alessandrina]

Went on this coastal cruise last year (Van to LA) on the Diamond. I found it most relaxing and a great way to "test" the ship. It was a fun mini-getaway. Liked the ports of Victoria, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara.

Enjoy your cruise! :)

[tjatczak]

Hello Jeanne b,

 

We have booked the coastal cruise for 9/06. It will be our 25th anniversary.

Come cruise with us. Although now residents of Kentucky, my wife and I are both originally from Wisconsin (Milwaukee area).

 

I am a bit confused - as this (Van to LA) is a 7 day cruise, why all the comments about a great get-a-way as if it is just a few days,. It seems to me to be a busy cruise with some 6 stops...quite busy if you wanted to do (and see) everything...we are actually excited to book a whale watching cruise, a wine country tour...and more... we see it as a mini way to see CA also, since there are stops in SF, SB, SD then LA - am I crazy?

 

Ted

[AngelinaMaria]

Ted--the confusion comes from the fact that Princess has changed this cruise for 2006 from how it was in 2004 and 2005. It used to be a 5 day cruise with stops in Victoria, SF and Santa Barbara with one sea day. Your post was the first I had heard about it being 7 days now so I looked it up and WOW-yes it has changed. Sounds like a busy but interesting cruise. I was on the 5 day cruise on the Diamond last year and it was fabulous--we had the best weather the whole week. Hopefully, they are working out the port holdups in SF and SB--long, long waits to get off the ship.

[critterchick]

The May sailings in 2004 and 2005 were 3-day trips with no ports at all.

[trixie54]

We're booked on that cruise too! We're planning on visiting Victoria a few days pre-cruise, then hopping over to board in Vancouver. A day stop was just not enough time for me to show my hubby all the cool, beautiful sights in & around Victoria. This will be fun to anticipate together for a whole year!

Robin & Paul in Minnesota

[AngelinaMaria]

I'm really envious of you all. I really enjoyed my cruise last year. Victoria is fantastic--we went to the Butchard Gardens and the Craigdarrough (sp?) castle as well as walked all through town--just lovely. I'm orignally from Oregon and have spent many days in Astoria. It would be wonderful to sail into her port. It will probably be cloudy and cool but you may luck out and get a peak at the sun.

[can786]

I did a similar itinerary in 2002 on the Star Princess (except we went from LA to Vancouver). We stopped in Seattle rather than Victoria (would have preferred Victoria!) and had a scheduled call in Monterey, though the seas were too rough to tender so we skipped Monterey. It was a great itinerary and I wish the cruise lines would run more 7 day coastals like this. We did it in May and had choppy seas from Monterey to San Francisco (we actually ended up having an overnight in SF since the captain was able to get us in there the day we had to skip Monterey) but even then it wasn't too bad. Took a Bonine and I was fine. Being 7 days it was worth it to fly out to the west coast, which I would never do for a 3 or 4 nighter. I'd do the same itinerary again in a heartbeat if there weren't so many other neat places I haven't been yet!

[Joy2Day]

I'm booked for that cruise too. Is it too early to start a rollcall? We already have 3 of us.

 

Just got back from Alaska and now a friend of mine wants to try cruising. We aren't beach/sand people, so I grabbed this cruise for something different.

[trixie54]

Glad to find you Joy! Yes, let's start one - I'm rushing off just now, but will check later & start it if someone else hasn't already. It's such fun to plan so far ahead, especially for me - we are hoping we can go, as my 53 yr. old husband had a major heart attack during bypass surgery this summer & is having a tough time getting back on his feet. These trips give me something to think about/hope for instead of sitting around worrying, & he's never seen Victoria, so I'm eager to share it with him.

[Lizzybell]

Hi-these repo cruises are great deals-we were going to do the Diamond, but we preferred the ports on NCL(and the price)-we are leaving 1 month tomorrow. Departs Vancouver, we hit-Victoria, Seattle, Astoria and home to LA-the most affordable cruise i have ever booked-5 nites $325 :). No, its not Princess(my fav line)-but I am on a ship-and the whole trip-1 way air LAX to Vancouver and 1 nite @ Sheraton Wall-total trip was under $500-including insur-so the price was way too good to pass up :) I like the idea of the Princess 7 day Pacific Coastal-will look into it. Have fun on the Diamond, did Alaska last yr on her sis ship-Sapphire-what a beautiful ship!! Liz

[Joy2Day]

total trip was under $500-including insur-so the price was way too good to pass up :)

 

Unfortunately, no ships are cruising up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to pick me up. :-) If I had any vacation left this year, I'd meet you there. If I'm going to fly to a coast, I'd prefer a longer cruise, but for that price, I could always add a couple of pre-cruise days in Vancouver!!

[trixie54]

Here's the link, you'll need to copy/paste, as this board isn't letting me do a hyperlink, sorry: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=222789

[TorontoTL]

I just booked the May 13 2006 repositioning cruise onboard the Sapphire doing the 7 day LA to Vancouver. The intinerary looks great. Anyone want to join?

[Billiken 77]

Since 2006 is a way too busy year we have to forgo a cruise then.:( We are however booked on the May 5th 2007 LA to Vancouver sailing. Looks like a good itinerary and the prices are killer for mini suites. I Know its a long time to wait but we loved the Diamond in Alaska this summer and can hardly wait to sail on her again...But wait we must.:)