Any Tips for Trans-Pacific Sailing?

[rogueriver]

My sister and I will be doing a trans-Pacific cruise, Sydney to Los Angeles, in April 2020 on the Golden.  We've never done such a long cruise before and this is our first time on a Princess cruise.  Any general information or tips on what to expect on a long cruise would be helpful.  Thanks!

[voljeep]

18 minutes ago, rogueriver said:

My sister and I will be doing a trans-Pacific cruise, Sydney to Los Angeles, in April 2020 on the Golden.  We've never done such a long cruise before and this is our first time on a Princess cruise.  Any general information or tips on what to expect on a long cruise would be helpful.  Thanks!

hopefully, you booked this during a Sip N Sail promotion ...

[rogueriver]

We only have a glass of wine now and then so not that important to us. However we did get the gratuities covered, which is helpful on a 29 day cruise! 😊

[skynight]

Have done a similar cruise, 31 days. You should have a great time. Prepare yourself for lots of sea days. There will be lots of trivia, 2 maybe 3 times a day. Suggest you attend pub lunches, no charge. The coffee package, US$36, will get you 15 espresso drinks and unlimited brewed coffee for the the entire cruise. It's better than the free coffee in the buffet which is prepared from a liquid concentrate. Join your roll call info below. In Bora Bora I would recommend booking Patrick's tours. They are really good.

You can carry on 1 x 750ml bottle of wine per adult at boarding. This is for use in your cabin. If you bring the bottle to a public area you will be charged a $15 corkage fee. It will be very strong sun as you cross the equator. There will be a crossing the equator deck party. If you want to be one of the victims (participants) mention it to the cruise director early on during the voyage.

 

[rogueriver]

 Thanks so much for the tips, skynight.  I'm kind of a trivia junkie, so that will keep me busy on those many sea days!  I've joined the roll call but so far it is pretty quiet.

[Colo Cruiser]

13 minutes ago, rogueriver said:

 Thanks so much for the tips, skynight.  I'm kind of a trivia junkie, so that will keep me busy on those many sea days!  I've joined the roll call but so far it is pretty quiet.

For sure.

Do as much or as little as you want.

There will be quite a few things to choose from.

My favorite go to is its always time to eat.

[Ep010835]

20 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

My favorite go to is its always time to eat.

 

+1

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by Ep010835

[skynight]

Are you ready for this?

Spend Monday April 20th in Apia

Depart Apia 6pm on April 20th

Wake up the next morning at sea on Monday April 20th.

There will be lots of discussion around the ship.

By the way we saw a nice free show at the cultural center downtown, Apia. They put on the show because our ship was in port. Look for it.

Edited July 8, 2019 by skynight

[cruisenfreak]

We’ve done several Atlantic crossings and one Pacific crossing.  We like all the days at sea.  Our transPacific was from Tahiti to Pitcairn to Easter Island to the west coast of S America through the Canal to Fort Lauderdale.  There were lots and lots of activities during the day - lectures, trivia, arts and crafts, wine tastings,  knitting/crocheting group, book reviews, etc.  I participated in many, but also enjoyed meeting and talking with fellow passengers, sitting quietly and reading, watching the sea, etc.  Never bored!  As we approached S America I remember a new friend commenting it would be nice to turn around and do it all again!

[rkacruiser]

I have been fortunate to have sailed trans-Pacific a few times on Holland America Line ships.  The previous posters descriptions of activities aboard are what I experienced.  Your ship will have the Lotus Spa, I believe.  Check it out on the day of embarkation and see if an occasional visit there (or maybe a pass for your entire cruise) would be of interest to you.  (I often find a ship's Spa to be something very different from what I routinely have at home and are very enjoyable for me.)  I bring specific books that I wish to read in case the ship's library is deficient.  MDR menus are not repetitive, but expect some items that are well liked to appear more than once during your cruise.  The Crossing of the Line Ceremony is NOT to be missed.  Arrive at its venue EARLY in order to get a good position for photos.  (It's unlikely that guests will be allowed to participate due to liability issues if they are injured.  But, if you would wish to do so, surely no harm in asking.)  If a Behind the Scenes Tour is offered and you are so interested, while not inexpensive, it provides a different view from what the majority of cruise guests see/understand and will provide you the opportunity to meet many of the Heads of Departments, maybe even the Captain, and interact with them.  It's much more informative than any Q&A the Entertainment Department provides with the Captain and Hotel Manager.

 

Also, be prepared that King Neptune may not always be in the best of spirits as you sail the Pacific.  But, when that is the case, at least for me, I know that I have not booked a Marriott Resort.

 

Enjoy your crossing.   The Sydney-North America port crossing is one of my favorites.

  

[casofilia]

Take your own washing powder so you can do your smalls in your cabin sink.

[skynight]

 The Crossing of the Line Ceremony is NOT to be missed.  Arrive at its venue EARLY in order to get a good position for photos.  (It's unlikely that guests will be allowed to participate due to liability issues if they are injured. 

I have seen the crossing the equator party 4 times on Princess ships. Princess does select passengers to participate. Activities include kissing a fish, being slimed with spaghetti, pudding and jello, some sort of operation skit where the passenger is the patient, jumping into the pool, maybe some other things. Every event has been somewhat different.

Passengers that wish to participate have to provide make it known to the cruise director early on in the cruise. Participants include passengers that represent all passengers on the ship, plus some crew members.

[Hlitner]

We love long trans ocean cruises, but it is primarily because DW and I treasure our sea days.  And a Trans Pacific cruise has many sea days.  If you like sea days and get favorable weather it will be a great experience.  If you do not like lots of lazy sea days then you might find yourself quite bored.

 

Hank

[ggprincess2004]

We did this cruise this spring (2019) on the Golden and loved it. First, Princess offers passenger self-service laundries, so you need not wash out things in the sink. Just use the delicate cycle on the machines. I did take Tide Pods and fabric softener sheets in my luggage (securely packed in the original Tide Pod heavy duty zip lock and then in a zip lock freezer bag as well). I also carry little folding plastic hangers and the little plastic clothes pins which have loops and can be looped on various tubes, including deck chairs, hand rails and towel racks...get creative. Plastic hangers also work on magnetic metal hooks that we use on the walls to hold all kinds of things - hats, clipped paperwork, etc. Just didn't let our cabin steward in on laundry days. LOL. 

The Crossing of the Equator ceremony was a hoot. We enjoyed it perched in a hot tub, that was actually not hot (perfect for this) at the mid-ship pool with cocktails in hand. The Lotus Spa pool was great fun when the seas were a bit rougher, great wave machine. Take sunscreen, this is a great cruise with lots of sea days to enjoy poolside and in the pools if you wish. We also took our small electric fan for the stateroom, as the tropics are the tropics and there is only so much the air conditioning can do when it is really, really hot and the sun in beating in on your stateroom, even with the drapes closed.

You will get to know a lot of the staff, as it is such a long cruise, and that is a bonus. 

There are a whole lot of sea days, be prepared. You have to LOVE sea days to love this cruise. Luckily, DH and I do. There are certainly plenty of activities offered, including progressive trivia.

You can bring those bottles of wine on board at embarkation, we were also permitted to bring one bottle of wine per adult onboard at each port with out paying the corkage fee.  If the itinerary includes New Zealand ports again, there is certainly plenty of opportunity for acquiring wine. And with a corkage fee of only $15 per bottle, sometimes it makes a whole lot of sense to bring more on board...that can easily go to the dining rooms with you. 

We preceded this cruise with b2b cruises that were a r/t New Zealand and a circumnavigation of Australia, they were both fantastic as well. But, we packed to meet the requirements of Aussie airlines - very lightweight carryons. We determined that it would be easier to have rolling carryons once we got ashore in the US, for our final flights home, and picked up the $35 US rolling carryons in the Princess gift shop. It was a good decision for us. Those puppies have been little workhorses since, and although they don't seem terribly sturdy, they do the job and fit down airplane aisles while rolling. We are just gentle with them, and of course, they don't get checked.  Yes, we have taken them on several more trips since our return from the Pacific crossing, as in we are hardly ever home. lol. 

Our check in at the port in Sydney was interesting....not at all like the check in for Princess in the states. They actually were paying attention to the check in times that were given - the by deck check in. And we could not go in to the terminal area until they started the checkins. We are elite with Princess so we had priority check in, and they still went by deck. My advice would be to arrive at the port no earlier than your designated check in time, as you will be a first time Princess cruiser (unless you are in a Suite or Club Class minisuite), because you really will have to wait. Just get there later and avoid the hassle. 

Hopefully your roll call will become more active as the cruise gets closer.  There are lots of fun activities to plan as a roll call group. 

Bon Voyage, wish we were going with you!

[rkacruiser]

10 hours ago, skynight said:

The Crossing of the Line Ceremony is NOT to be missed.  Arrive at its venue EARLY in order to get a good position for photos.  (It's unlikely that guests will be allowed to participate due to liability issues if they are injured. 

I have seen the crossing the equator party 4 times on Princess ships. Princess does select passengers to participate.

 

What is permitted for this interesting ceremony obviously differs from ship to ship. maybe cruise line to cruise line.  The statement that I posted was based on several such Crossing the LIne Ceremonies that I have witnessed and was told why guests were no longer permitted to participate.  

 

I hope you don't disagree with my suggestion to arrive at the site early in order to obtain a good vantage spot for photographs.

[rogueriver]

Wow, getting some really good tips!  I enjoy sea days but have never done this many, so I'll check out all the various activities.  The Crossing the Equator celebration sounds like a blast.  Thanks everyone for all your advice.

[janina]

22 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We love long trans ocean cruises, but it is primarily because DW and I treasure our sea days.  And a Trans Pacific cruise has many sea days.  If you like sea days and get favorable weather it will be a great experience.  If you do not like lots of lazy sea days then you might find yourself quite bored.

 

Hank

I totally agree with Hank.  We loved going from San Francisco to Sydney and are doing it again at the end of September.  It seems like there are a lot more activities on the ship on the longer cruises.  You tend to meet up with more people since you all know you will be on the ship for a longer period.  Plenty of relaxation is what I like and getting pampered at the Spa.  

[jasbo49]

If you're musically inclined at all, you might want to look into joining the Princess Pop Choir. They have rehearsals most sea days and a performance toward the end. Actually, on a cruise so long, they might have two sessions. That always gives me something to kind of build days around.

 

Also, there's a chance the Hawaiian Ambassadors program may join you for the last week of your cruise. If so, that means ukulele lessons and crafts and hula and so on.

 

Jim

[skynight]

15 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

What is permitted for this interesting ceremony obviously differs from ship to ship. maybe cruise line to cruise line.  The statement that I posted was based on several such Crossing the LIne Ceremonies that I have witnessed and was told why guests were no longer permitted to participate.  

 

I hope you don't disagree with my suggestion to arrive at the site early in order to obtain a good vantage spot for photographs.

I have no information what happens on HAL or any other cruise line so I don't disagree. I was only trying to clarify to the OP what I have seen on Princess voyages so that they could be informed should they wish to participate. We have actually crossed the equator 5 times on Princess ships with four parties. Every time some passengers were included. The last time was March 2017. If the OP wishes to participate they will have to make it known to the Cruise Director very early in the cruise. Only a few were selected. If Princess has changed their policy since 2017 the CD will advise them.

If you wish to take photos it is good to get there early. On the Golden Princess the event may be held at Neptune's Reef Pool with viewing around the pool or one deck above. You can easily walk around to various locations. People move around a lot. On this class ship I have also seen the event held at the Terrace Pool. That is a possibility. There is a seldom used cover for that pool that turns the pool into a stage. Viewing is from decks 14 and 15 above. Sight lines are not as good as around Neptune's Reef Pool, and you can't walk around as much to obtain different views. In my opinion the Terrace pool isn't as good a location as Neptune's Reef Pool. 

[LeeW]

Skynight's comment on strong sun is an understatement.  When I worked for three weeks on Kwajalein I used triple the normal amount of sunscreen.  You DON'T want to buy this or Tylenol onboard - bring twice what you think you will need.

[8dimsum]

I enjoy bringing small needlepoint projects and a couple balls of yarn to knit up a shawl that I  would either use or have a gift ready for giving.  --I might buy a small journal to jot thoughts or observations (some folks might want to bring coloring books) or drawings of places/people.  

[cruzysuzy]

Take books/e-readers, puzzles, needlework projects, drawing equipment, etc.  I did the round trip Vancouver to Hawaii but would love to do a longer sail.

[rogueriver]

A few additional things I've been wondering about for our trans-pacific cruise on the Golden next April:

1.  How many formal nights will there be on a 29 day cruise?

2.  Can you use OBC in the casino?

3.  Do they offer Zumba on the Golden?

4.  Will there be any problems using credit cards in Tahiti, Bora Bora, Tonga or Samoa?

 

Thanks everyone - love all your comments!!

 

Pat

[Aus Traveller]

1. There would usually be one formal week every week.

2. Your OBC is simply credited to your account and any money used for gambling comes off this account. So the answer is "yes".

3. The availability of Zumba depends on whether a member of the cruise staff is qualified to run the class. The answer is usually "yes" but no-one can answer for sure until they see what the current CD staff offer.

4. Credit cards - no problem using a credit card for larger purchases. In market stalls in Tahiti we have used US$ and in the other ports we have used AUD. They may also take US$ but AUD is easier for us.

[rugerdog]

Hi Pat:

 

Oh how I envy your upcoming cruise.  You and your sister are going to have a great time.

 

What I've learned on Princess is if you are in a room category below a suite, there is no hair conditioner in the room.  Perhaps that only applies to the Emerald Princess, but I wish I had known to bring my own.

 

The Chef's Table experience is an absolutely over-the-top experience.  $80-100 (=/-)per person, depending on the ship and if you want wine or not.  If you enjoy unique, interesting and gourmet food, it's worthwhile.

 

The International Cafe has fresh salads, hot sandwiches, paninis, and pastries that are quite good, and different than what is offered at the buffet.  Open 24 hours,  and all included in your cruise fare.  However, the beverages there have a charge.

 

Definitely get to know your fellow passengers.  Especially on a long cruise, you really do meet the most interesting and wonderful people.  Trivia, roll call meet ups, cabin crawls, just sitting in the piazza with coffee are great ways to enjoy your long sea days chatting with new friends.

 

I never used to understand the cruisers who have told me they love crossings because of the many sea days.  I always thought the main point of the cruise was to get to the ports.  Now, I far greater enjoy the sea days, and the ports really are secondary.  

 

Have fun!