Cruise #20 – Sea Of Cortez

10 Day Mexican Riviera / Sea Of Cortez on Royal Princess. Stateroom Lido 234. Round Trip from San Pedro / Port of Los Angeles.

Although we have done this itinerary before, this had four “firsts”.
1. Our first cruise with Ocean Medallion. (Cruise #18 had Medallion Net internet.)
2. Our first cruise on a Royal Class ship.
3. An overnight in Cabo San Lucas
4. Visit to Manzanillo

As expected, our medallions arrived about 3 weeks before the cruise in a really elegant looking box. We just went with the included lanyard. I downloaded the Medallion App and completed the pre-embarkation steps.

We arrived at the Port of Los Angeles and got a close parking spot. Curb to boarding was maybe 20 minutes, tops. Princess does post a list of preferred boarding times but we always show up early. For a 4:00 PM sailing, we’ll try to arrive by 10:30 AM. Princess “suggests” 1:30 PM. That’s where you will find the lines. The Stateroom was ready at 11:00 so we dropped off our carry on.

Off to the Horizon Court and Bistro. Heard a lot about it and was excited to see it. But first… Sea View! You know, that arched platform with plexiglass flooring that seems to freak alotta people out? Had to try it out. Never missed the opportunity to walk over it during the entire time.

Really impressed with the Horizon Bistro and Court. So much more open than the other Princess ships with less crowding.

One of our chief complaints with Princess recently is that there weren’t enough staff to turn over the tables quickly or provide drink service. Not this time. We really never had a problem finding a table, even on sea days. There seemed to be a lot more choices and variety than we were used to on prior cruises.

Before Muster drill, we went to the Princess Theater for an overview of Ocean Medallion. Glad we went. Our Cruise Director, Matt O (O’Brien) told us that while they were still testing things out, if you ordered a drink through the smartphone app, the first drink was free! Yes, FREE! We both jumped on that.

Another nice option was “always on internet”. We experienced this on Cruise #19 on Carnival. As Platinum Level, we get 250 free minutes each but you have to constantly log in and out. For a discounted amount, we could upgrade to always on. $120.00 for up to 4 devices (we had 3) and it was very fast. So convenient.

Really liked having Ocean Medallion. No more fumbling around for a key card to unlock the stateroom door. Need to see where Suzi is? Just go to the portal by an elevator, click Ship Mates, tap your medallion, and there she was.

The one thing we really noticed was how long the Royal is. When you are on Deck 7 and look down the corridor on the Starboard side, it appears to be endless. As for the overall layout, very similar to other Princess ships. Piazza on 5 and Atrium on 6 and 7.

The casino was nice but packed with machine banks at weird angles that made it difficult to move around. It was also the warmest of all the venues. Warm as in uncomfortably warm.

My only real complaint is… There is no outside grand promenade where you can walk around the entire perimeter of the ship. I really missed that. There are four separate outdoor areas on Deck 7 Midship and Aft but it’s not the same. When I think cruising, I see people walking along the promenade. I really hope that Princess rethinks this in the future.

Another design issue I thought would get to me was the size of the standard balcony. I saw a lot of reviews knocking it, but I really didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. Noticeably smaller? Yes. Irritatingly smaller? No.

As always, we got a stateroom on the Lido Deck, L234. It was not considered an obstructed view room, however, there is quite an overhang from Deck 17.

Really liked the stateroom. And…. Two electrical outlets!!!!!!! Also two in the bathroom! Seemed the layout made it a bit more cramped than Grand Class ships but it was fine.

Like I said earlier, the ship is LONG. The Port of Los Angeles is one of the largest ports in the world but not large enough for a Royal Class ship to turn around in. The Primary Cruise Terminal requires a bit of maneuvering to get in and out of. Doable for a Grand Class Ship but not possible for Royal. So, they use the Terminal directly on the main channel in front of the USS Iowa. They head in when docking, then go out tail first. Kinda weird looking.

Now, I’m not sure whether the Royal has much better stabilization that Grand Class, or if the sea was just unusually calm, but this was the smoothest of all 20 cruises. (Fourth with this similar itinerary.)

Day two was our first full day was at sea. Very relaxing. On day three, we pulled into Cabo San Lucas around 1:00 PM. HOT and HUMID! We, and most others, did not get off the ship. There was also a Disney Ship anchored, so probably just as well.

On day four, we knew we had until 5:30 for last tender, so we took our time, got on a tender and sweated our way to the marina. No Cabo Wabo, no walk to the Paradiso Mall, just a short walk around the marina and through the shops. Especially those with A/C.

Day five was Loreto. It’s our favorite port on this itinerary just because it’s so quaint. Not a lot to do but stroll up and down the pedestrian street. The city hasn’t lost it’s charm.

Day six was another sea day and another time to order drinks using the Ocean Medallion App. So cool.

Day seven was Puerto Vallarta. We’ve done all of the excursions we’re interested in so we decided to pretend to be part of the crew and went to Wal-Mart… Yes, Wal-Mart. Still really hot and humid so didn’t mind not spending a lot of time outside.

The highlight of the entire trip happened as we left Puerto Vallarta. Suzi and I sat out on our balcony and watched a thunderstorm developing on the other side of Banderas Bay. We sat out for at least two and half hours… Next thing we knew, it was way past our traditional seating meal time. Worth every minute.

Day eight was Manzanillo. Had never been so booked the City Tour and Shopping. It’s very hard to describe Manzanillo. It’s very tropical looking. Mountains on three sides… But economically, very depressed. Now there was a hurricane that came through 15 days prior so hard to tell if a lot of windows got blown out from houses or whether the houses just don’t have windows.

The first stop was to downtown. Lots of shops, so we had 20 minutes to get a good sense of the area. Lot’s of kids that seemed very happy… They probably don’t know any better.

We took a drive into the more affluent areas where all of the 5 star resorts are before heading back into town and stopping by a restaurant on the beach for a drink before returning to the ship.

Days nine and ten were sea days. Perfect. We prefer itineraries where the last day is a sea day. Two is even better. We eat breakfast, then head to the cabin and pack. Get it over and done with and enjoy the day.

Now, more about the ship. Entertainment was really good! This itinerary had two sets of singers and dancers. We happened to catch the very last performance of the show, Encore, by this particular cast. Matt O introduced all cast members by name and said that, except for one of the male singers, this cast had all met 9 months prior to begin rehearsals and have been performing together for the past 7 months. It was a moving tribute… Literally.

Our favorite entertainer was AJ Jamal. We haven’t laughed as loud or as often since catching a Steve Moris Show. If AJ is performing on your cruise, GO!!!! No cussing (which we’re not opposed to when appropriate) just funny!

Another hilarious show was a takeoff on Dancing With The Stars. They got 3 male and 3 female passengers and paired them up with 6 crew members. Engineers, to waitstaff and even the gal that dishes out the soft serve ice cream. It was so much fun!

On the very last evening, they introduced the new cast at a performance of the latest Stephen Schwartz production, The Secret Silk. As always, the Production Crew and sets are absolutely phenomenal.

So of course we had to meet with Carol, the Future Cruise Director, and decided we should go ahead and book a little 4 day Catalina / Ensenada cruise in December, 2019. This will be our first time in a froward-facing stateroom, Lido 103. Can’t wait.

You see, we are getting close to Elite Status. If everything pans out for 2020, we’ll hit Elite in the middle of a cruise. As you know, it doesn’t count until you’ve completed the cruise. This way, we’ll start that cruise on Elite. Makes perfect sense. Right?

Cruise #19 – Catalina and Ensenada

So this was our totally spur of the moment “gotta couple of days off while out of town family is here”… Let’s do the 4 day cruise on Carnival Imagination out of our home port in Long Beach. This is the cruise I mentioned in https://theverandalife.com/2019/06/ . We tried to get the entire family, but failed.

That’s also the post where I mentioned I was really looking forward to Guy’s Burger Joint. It did not disappoint. Considering Guy’s Burgers are part of the fare, and not extra, excellent! Have I had better? Yes. Did I pay a premium for that better burger? Yes. So… Was it the best burger I’ve ever had? No. Was it the best burger I’ve had on a cruise ship? Yes. Am I going to ask, then answer another of my own questions? Absolutely!

The 6 of us drove two cars to the port and parked at the terminal. $17.00 per day, so not bad for the convenience. We got there about 10:30 but were right at the front of the line. After a half hour and the Faster To The Fun passengers were checking in, our turn.

Totally different check in process than Princess. Firstly, the Long Beach terminal dome is where Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose used to be before transforming it into the Carnival check in area. Beautiful.

We are used to a terminal where one whole side of the room is filled with what seems like 300 check in agents. At Carnival, you are directed to one of the many separate round tables. It’s just you and the rep. Another difference is, they don’t give you your Sail and Sign card. Those are waiting for you at your stateroom.

We were both on the Main Deck, Deck 5 Port side. There were three of us in each room. We had the older nephew with us.

Being an older ship, there weren’t many balcony staterooms so we did an outside cabin. Although we did like the larger shower than we are used to on Princess, we prefer the Princess Stateroom layout. (And not counting the extra bed that made it necessary for this old guy to climb over his wife…)

It really did not take too long to learn where everything was on the ship, especially where food was involved. Oh, and we found where all the bars were, too…

We only went to the Dining Room once, on the first night. We were hoping for a table for 6, but it was for 12. It was fine, we just went to the buffet the other nights. The rest of the family either joined us or did their own thing.

Beautiful day for Catalina. We relaxed and didn’t head out to the Tenders until 10:30 or so. Walked down the main drag and stopped in a bunch of shops. After a couple hours, we headed back to the ship.

Next day was Ensenada. Suzi and I walked into town while the other 4 opted for the shuttle. We all met up by the shuttles drop off point and did some walking and shopping. Sis and both nephews decided to head back to the ship while Suzi and the brother continued on. We ended up going to Papa’s & Beer for a Pina Colada and some guacamole made table side. NICE.

On the way back, we stopped by a liquor store. If you’ve read my past blogs, you know my passion for Damiana. A bottle here in the States at a big box beverage store is about $32. Last time we were in Ensenada, I picked up a couple bottles at the Port for $20 each. In town? $15.

We all three walked back to the ship. They built a really nice footbridge that takes you from the port right to the Malecon. Great addition!

The next day was a “Fun Day at Sea”. Ship was just circling around, doing about 8 knots. We saw the Hairy Chest Contest and the Marriage Game. All fun.

So if you are on a Carnival Ship and like to dabble in a little alcohol, you gotta go to the Alchemy Bar. The staff there are all “mixologists”. Really good at what they do. They have specialized drinks only available there. They will also create something new once they get to know your tastes. I got hooked on “The Remedy”. Can’t tell you what all was in it, but similar in taste as Pina Colada but on the rocks. All Top Shelf here.

All in all, a fun little getaway. Would we trade Princess for Carnival? No way but it’s always good to check out other cruise lines even if they are under the same parent company.

55 Days to 10 Day Sea Of Cortez. Our first on Royal Princess. Can’t wait!

Timing Is Everything

The older the young ones get, the harder it is the schedule a family cruise.

Case in point. Suzi has two brothers. One moved from California to Florida, married with two boys between 12 and 16. The other brother is out here in California, married with two boys about the same ages.

The Florida gang (or simply “Florida” as we call them) is coming out for three weeks in July. Every time they are here, they talk about going to Catalina Island. Catalina is one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California with daily boat trips, on the Catalina Express, from several ports in the area. It’s a beautiful island with really just one city, Avalon. Avalon is a quaint, sleepy, little town and boasts an iconic Art Deco Casino at the end of the harbor.

Florida thinks about making the trip, but when they do the math, it can be an expensive day, so they usually opt for something else. Now, going to Catalina has just been a running joke. “Hey, what should we do when we visit California? I know, let’s go to Catalina!!! Ha Ha Ha Ha”

Well… The Catalina Express isn’t the only ship that goes there, so does Carnival…
(Here is Suzi looking at the Carnival Imagination from Avalon Harbor on our last jaunt over for the day.)

So… When we were talking to Florida, they joked, “Let’s go to Catalina!” That’s when we mentioned the 4 Night Carnival cruise from Log Beach. After Avalon, it also goes to Ensenada, Mexico followed by a day at sea.

If you’ve followed the blog (you have been, haven’t you?), you know Suzi and I both work. All of my time off for the year has been accounted for. We did our Hawaiian Cruise in April and Sea Of Cortez coming up in October. Well, as luck would have it, I got three Comp days for working at a customers site.

Based on coworkers vacations, I was assigned specific days off. It landed after a weekend (Sunday / Monday), so I was able to string the 5 days together. It was also the last week that Florida would be here, so we found a Sunday through Thursday itinerary and jumped on it. It was the most spontaneous booking we’ve ever made!

Truth be told, although I am really looking forward to the cruise to spend time with family, the real reason I’m looking forward? Three words… Guy’s Burger Joint. I know, I know, it seems a bit selfish but… it’s Guy freaking Fieri and his burgers. Ever since I heard of his partnership with Carnival, I’ve been trying to find an excuse to take a Carnival cruise. I even tried last year. Suggested the 3 or 4 day itinerary for Suzi’s birthday. Sure we’d celebrate her birthday, I’d just celebrate it over a Straight Up or Chilius Maximus… (Note to Mr. Fieri… My expectations are sky high… This better be good!)

Now time to tell the California brother and family. It would be awesome to have us all together, so I sent the invite.

Oh S#!t. The oldest CA nephew is taking an accelerated Chemistry class over the summer. Accelerated meaning “you-cannot-under-any-circumstance-miss-a-class”. Period! The younger nephew will be volunteering at a marine aquarium, so they both have conflicting commitments.

It’ll be very bittersweet. When the six of us are available, the other four aren’t. When the four of them are available, we aren’t. Guess we’ll need to book another one.

Cruise #18 – Hawaiian Islands

Our third Princess Cruise to Hawaii. This time on Ruby, one of our favorite ships. This is the first time we have done this itinerary in the Spring. Our two other sailings were in the Fall. A nice, relaxing 15 days sailing round trip from San Pedro.

No Bon Voyage Experience this trip. We used someone that was recommended through the NextDoor app to take us to the port, then back home. We got to the port about 10:30 AM (for a 4:00 PM sailing). Waited maybe 10 minutes until check-in started. We were in boarding group A.

Sailed right through security and after 1/2 hour, we were on the ship. The staterooms weren’t ready until after 1:00, so we just hung out in Horizon Court. When we got to our room, Lido 302, or luggage was already there. By the time Muster Drill started at 3:30, we were all unpacked. Sail away was at 4:15.

For the first 2 1/2 days, we were rockin and rollin. They had the pools closed but still full of water, well what was left.

Days 3 and 4 were calmer and the weather became more tropical.

Since this was the 3rd time to the Islands, we’ve already taken excursions on every island except Maui where we always just taken a walking tour of Lahaina. This time, we decided to rent cars. I did a bit of research and booked through Costco. We booked a car for the Big Island and Kauai. We were going to book Oahu but it was a Sunday and the rates were really expensive. Not only did we book a car, we booked convertibles!

First port. Hilo. Pouring rain. We got off the ship and waited about 20 minutes for the shuttle to take us to the airport to pickup our car, advertised as a “Mustang or similar”. I have owned several Mustangs but never a convertible. Too bad the rain is coming down in buckets.

We get to the airport. I check in and was told they would bring the car in a couple of minutes. Being a bit of a car buff, I heard a really throaty sounding car, more specifically, a Ford V-8. Then I saw it. A Mustang GT Convertible… Could it be? YES!!!!! It made knowing we might never be able to put the top down a little more palatable… A little.

We get in a I fire it up. I only wish it were a stick shift but… next best thing. Paddle shifters. So we headed North on Hwy 19 and looked for any road that said “Scenic”, so we hugged the coast as much as possible. We had done an excursion to the Tropical Botanical Gardens last trip but being on a bus, really didn’t know where it was. We ended up driving right past it.

When we got near the town of Pepeekeo, the rain stopped and the clouds moved away. I pulled the car over and… TOP DOWN! I let the GT’s V-8 have a little fun and wanted to make sure the paddle shifters worked properly. They did.

We drove up to Ninole before turning back. We stopped at a scenic turnout to grab a couple photos. We felt a couple of raindrops, so put the top back up. Good thing because once we started back to Hilo, more torrential rain.

Before dropping the car off, we did what every tourist must do when visiting Hawaii. Go to Wal-Mart! We got 90% of our souvenirs there… Hey, gotta do what ya gotta do.

I really didn’t want to give the car back. I was just hoping that all Mustang Convertibles through Budget on all Islands would be GT’s. Hmmm.

Next port, Honolulu. Pearl Harbor? Check. Drive around Diamond Head? Check. Drive into the crater of Diamond Head? Nope. So we booked the excursion that took us into the Crater, itself, then towards North Shore up to a Sea Life Park for a dish of Ice Cream. Nice sunny day.

Speaking of Diamond Head… When I was growing up, every time I saw an advertisement or a TV show that mentioned Hawaii, it had a photo of Diamond Head. So when we took our first cruise to Hawaii, I couldn’t wait to get a photo of the long extinct volcano. On the two previous cruises, the ship Docked at Pier 11. Great view of downtown, but no view of Diamond Head. Our first cruise excursion went to Pearl Harbor, so went away from said volcano. Cruise number two, we went around Diamond Head but we were on the wrong side of the bus… This time, we were docked at Pier 2 that had a great view. FINALLY!

Next port, Nawiliwili on our favorite island, Kauai. Off to the airport to pick up our car. Beautiful sunny day! The good news? Another Mustang convertible. The bad news, a 6 banger. Oh well. Top went down before we left the parking lot. Set Google Maps to Spouting Horn.

Although we had been to Spouting Horn before, that was on a bus. Being in an open convertible was just incredible.

We got to Spouting Horn and was not disappointed.

We thought we’d have enough time to drive all the way to the Na’Pali Lookout, so we headed that way. As soon as you pass the town of Hanapepe, the lush foliage ends and you are in the dry side. Kinda boring. I renamed the town Hana stopped pepe’ing… No water.

We ended up heading towards Wiamea Canyon. We decided to stop at one of the lookouts before actually getting to the Canyon. It was quite scenic.

We decided to head back to the wet, or dare I say “pepe” side of the island… Along the highway, we saw a turnout for an alternate way back to Lihue, so we went for it. So glad we did. Here is a little snippet of the drive. (Thanks to camera operator Suzi.)

At the end of the route? Our ship! It took us right along the road hugging the harbor.

Before heading back to the airport to drop off the car, we decided to go see Opaekaa Falls.

The last island was Maui. As mentioned, on the two previous trips we just walked around Lahaina. This time, we booked a tour that went to the Valley of the Kings. As soon as we got there. the sky let loose. Our guide said this area got between 200 to 400 inches of rain per year. I think we got 100 inches in about 10 minutes. I tried to walk to the lookout but the further I got, the heavier the rain. Had to turn back to the bus… Excuse to go back.

On the way back we stopped at the Maui Plantation. Glad we did it but not something we’d do again. It’s a small plantation where they grow quite a few different plants and fruits. Sugar cane, pineapples, mangos, papayas, bananas. They take you on a tram through the property. Part way through, the tram drivers stopped and did a coconut husking demonstration. That was fun to watch.

Back to Lahaina and a walk through the waterfront before getting back on the ship. Lahaina is a tender port so the line was incredibly long but kept moving.

As we set sail, it started to rain a bit. I captured a very subtle rainbow from our balcony.

After another 5 wonderful days at sea, we are at the pinnacle of the journey… Yes, the ultimate Jones Act port of Ensenada!!!

I’m sure if you are an avid cruiser, you’ve probably heard of the Jones Act. If not, maybe you’ve always wondered why you have to stop in a foreign country whenever you sail from and to a US Port. It’s the Jones Act. More specifically, it’s the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. In order for a ship that is NOT registered in the US it can’t leave, say Los Angeles, visit US ports, say Hawaii, then return to it’s final US Port, even if it’s a different US port, like Seattle or San Francisco, without stopping in a foreign port. It’s nuts, it’s crazy but it’s the law.

I digress. As we are pulling into Ensenada, I look across the bay and I see… Diamond Head? Did I pay all that money to go to Hawaii when I coulda just gone to Ensenada? Don’t believe me? Hmmmm.

We normally take the shuttle into town. Very touristy with lots of vendors and kids selling trinkets. This time, we decided to take a tour to La Bufadora, or the blowhole, through a local tour company. It was a great tour! Ensenada is huge! Wal-Mart, Costco, it’s all there. This was our first time to see the blowhole. It is worth seeing at least once.

And, we’re home. Counting down to October on the Royal Princess!!!!

Why We Use A Travel Agent

With all of the online tools available today, why go “old school” and use a Travel Agent? That was my reasoning for not using a TA ever since I knew I could book everything myself.

My “day job” is computer technical support, so I have no qualms getting online, searching for the best itinerary, shore excursions, etc. I started watching a YouTube vlog, CruiseTipsTv

Sheri and her family always use a TA for the expertise as a value-added resource. Once I found out the TA Sheri used was right around the corner from us, I decided to give CTA Travel a try. Suzi and I made an appointment with Karen Lentz and the rest is history.

Karen listened to our preferences and follows up when booking. She can apply special rates or On Board Credits granted to TA’s that us mere mortals don’t get. Except for making payments, I still have the ability to log into the Princess site and research, book excursions and do pretty much everything I used to do.

Then there are usually perks:

For example, the two cruises we’ve booked through CTA, Karen provided a really nice breakfast served on our balcony. This is something we would not do for ourselves, but found totally delightful! Included with our most recent cruise to Hawaii was a Princess coffee card, worth 15 specialty coffees along with two coffee mugs showing the Hawaiian Islands and Ports Of Call. Very nice and much better than the picture frame our first TA used to give us…

Personalized service. This past cruise was the first time we decided to rent a car. Karen helped us research rates and contact info for shuttles to and from the port to the agency. Karen also sends custom documents detailing things to do during your stops. They even have a cool app for your smartphone with your itinerary, etc.

CTA does charge a minimal maintenance fee (hey, they gotta make a living, too), but the OBC we got from CTA more than paid the fee.

Hubbard, Tracy Arm or Glacier Bay. Oh My!

If you are planning a cruise up to Alaska, chances are your itinerary will have a cruise day in any one of these three. IMHO, there is one clear winner. Tracy Arm Fjord / South Sawyer Glacier. In chronological order…

In 2009, we were on the Celebrity Mercury which went into Hubbard Glacier. It was very early in the season. May 5th was the day. It was a spectacular. There were icebergs galore. Not just a bunch of “Growlers” (less that 3 ft high and 16 ft long). Most were “Bergy Bits” (3 – 13 ft high and 15 – 46 ft long). There was even one that was a bit top-heavy and rolled over right in front of us.

We didn’t see or hear any calving, but Hubbard Glacier was something not to miss.

In 2014, we were on Star Princess towards the end of the season. September 5th, to be exact. The journey through the fjord started with us being almost completely engulfed in fog. The further we went, the clearer it got. Tracy Arm is a narrow passage with really sheer cliffs.

Part of the excitement is winding through the fjord wondering when you are going to get your first glimpse of the South Sawyer Glacier, then it happens…

You still have a ways to go, you just hope the ship can get close enough without any of these guys getting in the way.

Then you pull in at the end of the fjord and there she is. South Sawyer Glacier in all her glory.

After spending an hour doing a slow 360, we head out, back into the fog.

Just this past September, we did an itinerary that included Glacier Bay National Park. Don’t get me wrong, Glacier Bay is beautiful, but… Maybe because it was the end of the season and most of the snow had melted. Maybe Global Warming has really taken it’s toll. Maybe my expectations were out of whack… It just didn’t wow us.

Three Naturalists joined the ship, one went to the Bridge to narrate the journey. Quite informative.

If you get one chance to cruise to Alaska, I’d go for Tracy Arm Fjord, but hey, it’s Alaska!!!! You won’t be disappointed.

How to Reimburse Yourself For Prepaid Excursions

Dear Princess, I understand “cash flow” and respect the fact that we must pay for excursions booked online instead of applying them to my On Board Credits redeemed through my Princess Visa card. In return, please respect my workaround.
Yours Truly, Bill

OK. So until a couple of years ago, you could simply reserve excursions online and have it added to your on board account. Then, Princess changed the process and made you pay for the excursion(s) within 24 hours of booking them.

The primary reason we got the Princess Visa Card was so I could redeem enough points to cover tips plus excursions, but now I have to pay in advance… Time to turn lemons into lemonade.

First… If you have On Board Credits (OBC) from a future cruise deposit or other promo, booking an excursion will use the OBC’s first. After all OBC’s are used, it’s up to you to pay.

I use the Princess Visa to pay for the excursions in advance. I get double points because I’m using Princess. Win. Since Princess will refund unused OBC’s from their Visa Rewards program, I simply redeem enough to cover the prepaid excursions. When I get home, Princess sends me a refund check, which reimburses us for the excursions. Win. Win.

Clear as mud?

Let’s walk through an example. Last September, while in Alaska, Suzi and I booked a float plane excursion over the Juneau Icefield from the Princess website. The cost was just under $500.00 for the both of us. That’s double points, or 1,000 points, when paid for using the Princess Visa.

I redeemed an additional $500.00 worth of OBC’s prior to the cruise. We just made sure we didn’t go overboard (no pun intended) with our spending so when we got off the ship, we still had $500.00 in refundable credits. (Make sure you check your stateroom account as it breaks down refundable vs non-refundable.) In a few weeks, we get our money back.

Here is where it could backfire on Princess. Before the change, it was a given that we’d book the excursion through Princess. Now… I won’t get double points for booking third party, but I can still redeem enough points to get reimbursed and mightsave some money while doing so. Just sayin’

T Minus 18 Days – Packing

18 days until we set sail on Ruby Princess. 15 Day Hawaiian cruise, round trip Los Angeles, This means Suzi has begun the packing process. Yes folks. It’ll take 18 days to pack.

So far, we have one 32″ spinner and one full-sized garment bag poised to be stuffed to the breaking point. This will take care of clothes but then there are all the shoes, phone charges, shoes, jewelry, shoes… You get the drill. I’m sure we’ll end up with 4 pieces of large luggage, plus carry on, plus my camera.

There is no airplane flight necessary, so no restrictions for weight or number of bags (my back might argue with that). As long as there is storage in the cabin, we’re good, right?

I’ve been told that each ship has an FPO (Fashion Police Officer), so wearing the same thing more than once could land us in the brig. I have also learned, in the past 26 years of marriage, there is a clear difference between “day” wear and “evening” wear and the two cannot be intermixed. So for a 15 day cruise, that’s 30 outfits… Each!

OK, so I exaggerate a bit but we will pack more than we need but as the saying goes, “Happy Wife. Happy Life.”

We never put all of Suzi’s things in one bag and mine in another. Even when there are no plane flights, tags can come off and we might be separated from a bag for a bit. Always good to have outfits for both of us in each checked bag. Medications, jewelry and the like are always carried on with us.

The garment bag slides perfectly under the bed. All others fit nicely in the closet. We keep one of the carry on’s open in the closet to store the 50 to 60 pairs of shoes necessary for the cruise…

Princess – On Board Credits

We all love OBC’s. Here are a few ways we maximize money we have to spend on board. This may not work for you, but it fits us just fine.

Princess Visa. Since our vacation of choice is a cruise and our cruise line of choice is Princess and we don’t rely of air mileage to get to the port, we use the Princess Visa exclusively. We just do our normal monthly spending and use the card. We never spend more than we can fully pay off, so never carry a balance or pay interest. We get double points for Princess purchases and single points otherwise. $100.00 in OBC uses 10,000 points. $500.00 OBC, however, is only 40,000 points. Of course you can redeem for a variety of products or services, but we go for the OBC. Another plus is… OBC’s from redeemed points is fully refundable, so anything left over comes back to us by check.

CCL Shareholder Benefits. Purchasing the required 100 minimum shares of Carnival Corporation stock just to get the shareholders benefit is NOT a good reason to buy stock. It would take you 112 1 – 6 day cruises or 55 7 – 13 day cruises or 23 14 days or longer cruises to recoup your investment. If you are like me and like to make a long term investment in companies I am a consumer of, it’s worth looking into. I look at it as an extra dividend every time I step on board.

Future Cruise Deposit. Leave a deposit, normally $100.00 per person, and get OBC based on cruise length and cabin type.

Use a Travel Agent. I must admit, that I am completely capable of handling all of my own arrangements and did so until just last year. After following my friend. Sheri, at CruiseTipsTv, I tried it out. The agent Sheri uses is about 3 miles away, so I made an appointment with CTA Travel. Although they do charge a minimal service fee, Karen always gets us enough of an extra OBC to cover the fee. a TA will also keep track of any fare changes, handle special requests and sends us personalized guides of where we are going.

Bottom line, we usually get on the ship with at least $700.00 in “free” money. Takes care of tips, excursions and extras.

Every time I pull out my Princess Visa, I’ll say “Cruise Points!!!!”

Embarkation Day!!!

Most of our cruises are on Princess and leave from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. San Pedro is about a 30 minute drive from our house. Whenever possible, we try to find a friend or friends to drive us to the port. We “bribe” them by offering to pay for a Bon Voyage Experience.

Princess offers BVE on quite a few itineraries. Basically, for $39 bucks per person, our friends can board the ship with us. They get a photo, an optional tour of the ship and lunch. (The package says Main Dining Room, but Horizon Court is fine.) This is all great but the best part? Early boarding!

Yes. As soon as the ship is cleared by the officials, In-Transit passengers board first, then BVE guests. For a 4:00 PM sail time, we usually board between 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM.

Whether BVE is available or not, we’ll try to arrive to the ship by about 10:00 AM (for a 4:00 sailing). We are currently at the Platinum level, so get expedited check-in.

There have been a couple of times where our room has been ready so we can drop off carry-on’s. Then… Horizon Court!

Ah yes. sail away day, or should I say SALE away day. I get that all cruise lines want to maximize sales, and as a shareholder so do I, but it is a bit much if you are a first time cruiser on a line. We have never felt pressured and usually a simple “no thanks” sends them to the next table. Many will recognize us on the next pass and move on with a smile.

Muster drill… Your cabin location designates where your Muster Station is. When we are in Lido 214, our favorite, it’s almost always in the Princess Theater. Plenty of seating. Crown Grill or the Casino, not so much. If not in Princess Theater, best to be really early if you want a seat.

Sail away time. Suzi enjoys the hubbub of the sail away party on the open decks. Me? I’ll be on the balcony watching the world start to go by and look forward to all that Princess has to offer.

As we get further and further out, or cell phone service diminishes. We set our phones on Airplane mode. You never want you phone to say “Cellular At Sea”. Unless you check with your carrier and purchase a “Cruise Plan”, watch out for a shock when you get your phone bill.

Once in Airplane Mode, connect to the Princess WiFi. Once connected, open up a browser, like Chrome and go to ship_name.princess.com, like ruby.princess.com.

After creating an account, you’re in! You will see your own personal Princess Patter.

The Main Page will show excursions booked through Princess along with anything you wish to schedule, be it Specialty Dining, Bingo, Dance class, etc. To add an event, just click the plus sign in the calendar icon.

You can get detailed information about all locations on the ship.

You can even instant message other passengers. All of this portion of the site is free. You can access the paid internet from here.

Now it’s time to unpack and begin the journey to Come Back New!