Our fourth trip to the 49th State. 12 Day round trip Los Angeles on Golden Princess in September, 2018. Our friends, Paul and Jody booked the same itinerary. Yes, we were in Stateroom Lido 214.
This was our first cruise on Golden Princess. We had read they updated Horizon Court and it seems much brighter and up to date than Star or Ruby.
The first three days were sea days. We did the normal. Off to Horizon Court around 9:00 AM. We always look for P & J or they look for us, but neither feel obligated to meet for breakfast or lunch. They prefer Anytime Dining where Suzi and I do traditional. It’s perfect. We choose to be together because we want to, not because we feel we have to.
First port, Ketchikan. Absolutely perfect day. Mid 60’s and sunny. Perfect for a walk to Creek Street and the Salmon Ladders. Docked next to the ship was Time Bandit, one of The Deadliest Catch ships. Much smaller that I imagined.
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Our next day took us through Glacier Bay National Park. It is beautiful, but after experiencing Hubbard, Mendenhall, and South Sawyer Glacier, I was a bit underwhelmed.
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Next port was Skagway. On the way into town, we ran into Paul and Jody, so all 4 of us walked all the way up to the Fudge Shop and meandered back to the ship.
Next port was Juneau. This was our most adventurous excursion yet. We booked the Five Glacier Seaplane Exploration. Thank you cruise points and shareholders benefits!!!!
Suzi was really apprehensive about going so weighed the options. Be completely nervous waiting for me to return or just go and be nervous. She chose the latter.
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The takeoff was amazing. It was a picture perfect day. In fact the pilot took us further than normal weather conditions would allow. Halfway through the flight, I looked at Suzi. She gave me a big smile and two thumbs up!
The views were beyond words.
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Here is a video Suzi took.
And here we are coming in for the landing. Perfect!
The last stop before heading home was Victoria. This was the only bad weather we had the entire trip. It was a heavy mist at times. We did the Craigdarroch Castle and City Highlight tour. We drove through quite a bit of the city, then made our way to te lookout point at Mt. Toimie. Rain. Then we toured Craigdarroch Castle, which has been through several transformations. A residence. A Hospital. A music school, etc. Now the property is being restored back to when it was originally a residence for the Robert Dunsmuir Family.
Back to LA and time for another countdown. April, 2019 Hawaii.
Although we would like to go on different itineraries, until I retire, we’re limited by three letters P.T.O. (Paid Time Off). We do repeat itineraries and will continue to do so for a few more years. Maybe we’ll venture back to the Caribbean or better yet, Europe, Asia or Australia / New Zealand. Maybe even see the fall colors along Canada’s Eastern Seaboard. Until then, we’re back to Mexico and the Sea Of Cortez on Ruby Princess in April, 2018
Muster Drill. No longer have to schlep life jackets. YEAH! OK. Repeat ship, repeat itinerary, so how can we mix things up? Not only did we book a different cabin, it’s the first cruise ever that our stateroom was on the starboard side of the ship. Talk about changing it up. Lido 251.
First port was San Diego. When we get off the ship in San Diego, we always go to the right. Maybe because we are staying on the opposite side of the ship, we turned left and walked all the way to the other side of the harbor across the street from the airport. The Ruby Princess looks pretty small from here.
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The next day was a sea day. If you recall, when we did this itinerary in 2016, the first sea day after leaving San Diego, we did our burial at sea for Cousin Jerry. So at 12:00, Suzi and I stood on Deck 7 Aft and had a moment of silence as we knew were were pretty close to where his urn was interred. As mentioned, we take Cuz with us on every cruise.
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Next day was Cabo San Lucas. On the Tender in, we was this hitchhiker.
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No excursion, we just went walking to the Puerto Paraiso Mall. then back through town to Cabo Wabo. My goal, this trip, was to have at least one Damiana Margarita in every port. The Caborita was the first.
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Next Stop La Paz, We knew from the last trip, there is not a lot at the port, so we took the shuttle into town. So we walked up and down the Malecon’.
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Next Stop was Loreto. Our favorite port of this itinerary. We went to the central square to have two, count em, two Damiana Margaritas. We peered into this really unobtrusive looking building and saw this hotel lobby. Beautiful!
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After a sea day, Puerto Vallarta. We booked The 10 Best of Puerto Vallarta excursion along with a couple we met the first day. This drove us around many of the highlights we’ve been to but then took us to a tequila factory for sampling. Of course they hand you a small plastic cap. The guide said we could ask for grande or poquito. The girls said poquito, us guys? GRANDE! (times 8).
On board, we had the sweetest Assistant Waiter, Gisella. She was from Columbia. Towards the end of the cruise we asked her how she came to work on the Ruby. She started to tell us, then got very emotional and had to stop. We felt bad. She stepped away, then came back to the table more composed. She told us about growing up poor on a farm but had heard about going to college and found a sponsor. After college, the sponsor recommended cruising. She applied to Princess and said the day Princess accepted her was the greatest day of her life. I think we were all teary-eyed. Next time on Ruby, we hope to see her.
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Back to Los Angeles and Counting down to Alaska in September.
During our October, 2017 sailing on Ruby Princess, the Princess Patter newsletter mentioned the Ultimate Ship Tour. Said to stop by the Purser’s desk for details.
It’s limited to 10 or 12 guests and as of this sailing cost $150.00 per person. Suzi and I talked about but thanks to Princess Visa On Board Credits, we booked it. It was for the last sea day of the cruise.
Like everything else on a ship involving staff, timing was crucial. The only negative was that we could not bring cameras. It wasn’t just because we would be going into proprietary areas of the ship, it was mostly due to timing and getting to the next station on time. We were, however, shadowed by a Security Officer and a Photographer, so there were complimentary photos available.
10 of us met in the Conference Room by the Princess Theater on Deck 6 at 10:00. Asst. Cruise Director, Jase was our guide. He whipped us up to Deck 7 and at precisely at 10:05, the door to the mooring area opened up. This is where the chains for the anchors are and all the mooring ropes. You would think the area would be full of grease. Instead, you could eat off the floor. Spotless.
Down the crew stairway to the Princess Theater’s Backstage. We got to meet the Production Manager and a few of the singers and dancers. They demonstrated the lighting, sound and set changes. We learned rthat all Production shows are developed, cast and rehearsed at the headquarters in Santa Clarita, CA. Costumes are fitted there and any alterations are the responsibility of the performer. All very interesting. The lead performers, usually two guys and two gals actually have their cabins backstage.
Next was the Galley and Food Production areas. Like many of you, we’ve probably attended a Galley Tour at some point, but this wasn’t a few hundred passengers being herded through the skirts of the galley so you would end up where the Chef and Matre D’ are hawking their cookbook. We got into the middle of the Galley where they were making soup and various breads. We were hosted by one of the Executive Chefs. During the presentation, they brought out fruit punch and chocolate covered strawberries.
When we left the Galley, we went to see the storage facilities and talked to the Inventory Manager. He discussed how they order and when. Also talked about how crazy turn around day is.
Next stop was the Engine Control Room where the Chief Technical Officer showed us exactly how the engines act as generators, then the power is distributed to the propulsion systems, sanitation and hotel.
We went to the Incinerator Room to see how all the waste is accounted for, with as little of an environmental or physical footprint.
Next stop. The Print Shop. This is where they do everything from the Princess Patter to Menus, to stationery.
Next? Photo Lab. All photos taken by the staff photographers are printed here. They are constantly busy.
Now we go down to the Medical Center. This is a state of the art facility capable of critical care, x-ray and even minor surgery. The nurse did bring up costs and HIGHLY recommends purchasing trip insurance…
Off to the Main Laundry. This is a round the clock operation. Very impressive. They have machine that will press and fold bed sheets in seconds. They even have a tailor on staff for crew and passengers.
And… The ultimate, the Bridge. We were able to meet the Captain and get a photo with him. We heard about how many hours it takes on land before an officer can begin a career on the ship. Walking out to one of the wings of the bridge give you a unique perspective looking aft. Incredible.
Once we left the Bridge, we all met up in the Adagio Bar for a Q and A session with Jase. We were met with Champagne, more chocolate covered strawberries and a selection of petit fours. Jase talked about the diversity of the crew, relationships, etc. All very informative.
When we returned to our cabin after dinner and a show, we each had a bag with our names on it. Inside, there was a Princess Robe, an Princess Apron, all the photos taken during the tour, a picture frame and a Princess Notepad.
It made that $150.00 seem like a bargain. I would highly recommend checking with the Pursers Desk to see if this tour is available.
Back to Back Cruises. Leg One was California Coastal in late October, 2017. Identical to our last cruise in April of this year except that instead of Santa Barbara, we’d stop in Monterey. Leg two is Mexican Riviera. What’s cool is that we will be in Mexico for Halloween and, more importantly, Dia Del Los Muertos, the Day Of The Dead.
We invited our friendsMark and Ann to Bon Voyage Experience. They have been on several cruises but not on Princess. They were really impressed by Ruby, especially the Gelato Bar… Fortunately, our favorite Lido 214 was available for both Legs.
After our relaxing day at sea, San Francisco. The City by the bay where summer and fall are unseasonably chilly. WRONG!!!! 93 freaking degrees. We booked the Hop On Hop Off tour through the ship. Why? Cause it’s free (Cruise Points!) Our only “hop off” was Haight Ashbury. Was it to see the birthplace of the hippie generation? The home of The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin? No… At our age, we needed to find a bathroom.
The next day was Montery and Carmel. These cities are also known for cooler climates. NOT! 102 degrees. We booked an excursion for the 17 Mile Drive with free time in Carmel.
The 17 mile drive is on of the most picturesque sections of the California coastline and where the famous Pebble Beach Golf Course is. Also the famous Lone Cypress Tree.
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Now, 2 1/2 hours of free time in 70 degree weather is great. 2 1/2 hours in 100 degree weather is about 2 1/2 hours too long, especially since there aren’t many stores that have air conditioning… They usually don’t need it. We found two stores with A/C. A chocolate shop and an ice cream store.
We did get a little walking in and found our favorite place, the Tuck Box.
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The next port was San Diego. Been there, done that. Did our usual walk to the downtown area. Didn’t even take the camera. At least it cooled down a little but still above average.
Next day was Ensenada, where we raided the town for Suzi’s favorite gum that’s only available south of the border.
The next day was completely different. We had a nice leisurely breakfast at Horizon Court and said goodbye to some of the new friends we met. We didn’t need to congregate at the Wheelhouse Bar until 10:00 AM with the other “In-Transit” guests. I think there were 40 of us. We all disembarked, were escorted through the terminal, down through US Customs, back upstairs and into the “holding area” until the ship was cleared, maybe a half hour. As soon as it was cleared, back to the ship for Leg Two.
A perk for In-Transit guests is… It’s recommended that you attend Muster drill but not required, so we opted to sit at our favorite spot on the ship, Deck 15 Aft outside of Adagio and SHARE.
Not only did we get the same Stateroom, we also get to keep our table in the Main Dining Room and, more importantly Jimmy, our Waiter. We also built a good relationship with our Head Waiter, Carlos. When you ask Carlos how long he’s been on the ship, his response is “For about 80 pounds”. Both Carlos and Jimmy provided excellent service.
Since the cruise coincided with Day Of The Dead and Halloween, we decked out our cabin Door.
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The next two days were at sea. Our routine is… Go to Horizon Court around 9:00 AM and look for a large 6 + person booth, and ask to join, unless we are lucky enough to find an empty one. Although we like to have dinner by ourselves, breakfast and lunch is our time to meet and make friends. On more than one occasion, we’ve sat down for breakfast with another couple, start talking and next thing you know, it’s lunch time. I think our record was… Breakfast at 9:00 they turned into lunch then at about 3:30, it’s nap time for yours truly.
On this first sea day, we sat down with with a lady, Nhu (pronounced New), who said she was with a group of 15. Then another gentleman, Bud, sat and joined us. We never saw the group of 15 so began joking with Nhu that she was making the whole thing up. We were all cracking up over it.
Day two, we headed to Horizon Court for breakfast and who was sitting at the same table? Alone? Nhu. About the time we got our plates and sat down, here comes Bud. The laughs continued as now we were certain Nhu’s friends and family had to be imaginary. We called ourselves “The Breakfast Club”.
Our first port on this Leg was Puerto Vallarta. The date? 10/31. Halloween. Since we had recently been to PV, we did what every tourist should do. We went to Wal-Mart. We picked up Halloween Candy to add to what we had brought with us, then we walked around the big Liverpool mall, both right across from the ship.
That night, we passed out candy to the crew and all the kids we saw on board. Later we went to the Halloween Party in Club Fusion. Lot’s of great costumes!
The next port was Mazatlan. We hadn’t been there since 1993 on our Honeymoon, so booked the Mazatlan City Highlight excursion. Guess who was on the same tour? Nhu and some of her group, proving she wasn’t completely crazy.
Our last stop on the tour was to watch some cliff divers.
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Next Stop, Cabo San Lucas. We booked the Cabo City Highlights excursion. Our first stop before heading out of town towards San Jose del Cabo, we stopped by a glass factory to see a glassblowing demonstration.
Afterwards, we hopped on the bus for our ride to the old town. Our guide mentioned that if we got thirsty, there were several places in town that served a special margarita. This piqued my interest as, if you recall on a previous cruise, I had the best margarita of my life but didn’t know what made it so special. So the tour guide mentions “Damiana Liquior”. So I wondered if this was the answer. After arriving in town and seeing a few sites, we stopped by one of the bars the guide mentioned and I ordered a Damiana Margarita. YES!!!! This was it! Daniana is an herb grown in Mexico. It’s supposed to have several health benefits and act as a an aphrodisiac. Upon seeing the bottle, it looks like it’s shaped like a Buddha, but research says it’s an Incan Goddess. Either way, I found it!
On our last sea day, Suzi and I went on the Ultimate Ships Tour: This was a highlight as there were only ten of us plus Assistant Cruise Director, Jase.
Mooring Station – Officer-In-Charge gave us a detailed overview of machinery used to drop anchor or tether the ship to the dock.
Back Stage Area – Met with the Stage Manager who gave us an overview of everything that happens before, during and after a performance. Then we went into the Dressing Room and had a discussion with the Talent lead as to how the productions are rehearsed and executed.
Galley and Food Production Areas – Met with an Executive Chef about inner workings of the ship’s kitchen areas while enjoying a glass fruit punch and chocolate covered strawberries. Got a peek into some of the ship’s food storage and production areas.
Engine Control Room – At the center of the vessel’s mechanical and electrical systems, the engine control room and met the chief technical officer who will explained the numerous functions overseen by the control room, including the vast amount of power generated to operate the ship.
Incinerator Room – The ship’s environmental officer showed us just what happens to the waste discarded during the cruise.
Print Shop – Saw where the Princess Patter, among other things, are produced.
Photo Laboratory – Princess operates a full photo lab with the latest in digital printing equipment. Saw how they manage the thousands of pictures taken and printed each day.
Medical Center – One of the nurses showed us the state-of-the-art medical facilities, including treatment rooms, laboratory facilities, critical care unit, and x-ray room.
Main Laundry – The ship’s onboard laundries operate 24 hours a day to wash tons of guest and crew linens, towels, and clothing – including more than 20,000 towels a day alone. Here we meet the laundry master and will saw this impressive operation in action.
Bridge – The tour concluded at the ship’s command center, where we met the captain and his bridge team to learn about the state-of-the-art navigational equipment and safety systems on board.
After the tour, we all went up to the Adagio Bar where we had Champaign and more chocolate covered strawberries. Jase opened the floor for any “off the record” questions.
When we returned to our stateroom after dinner, we were met with:
Princess Robe
Princess Apron
Photos taken by a ship’s photographer
Picture Frame
Princess notepad
Time to say goodbye to our new friends, real or imagined…
7 day California Coastal, Round trip Los Angeles. April, 2017 on Ruby Princess. What? Only 7 days? It’s OK. We’re doing two cruises this year. Actually, three. We are doing our first Back To Back, or B2B, cruise in late October.
Time for another Bon Voyage Experience. This time, we invited Suzi’s California brother, wife and two sons.
Our beloved Stateroom, Lido 214, was already booked, so I went with an Aft Balcony, Baja 752. As the six of us walked down the hall, we noticed our youngest nephew, who is very inquisitive and scientific by nature and probably knows more about electronics than most adults, was waving his hand horizontally under every light above every stateroom door. He stopped and one door and had us look. When he waved his hand, it looked like he was waving in slow motion. He told us that the light must be pulsating. To prove his hypothesis, he asked his dad to video the light in slow motion. He did and yes… the slow motion playback showed that, indeed, it was flashing like a strobe light. Amazing!
So we made our way aft to our stateroom. Our older nephew immediately began searching for a place to stowaway. This cabin did have a somewhat obstructed view but was the only aft balcony available when I booked.
We all made our way up to Horizon Court, then gave our family a tour of the ship until it was time for them to disembark.
Suzi likes to attend sail away parties, where I like to be on the veranda. Until now, we have always booked on the Port side of every ship, so it was a bit different being at the stern of the ship with a 180 degree view of both sides.
After a sea day, San Francisco. Cousin Jerry lived in the Bay Area, so we visited San Francisco regularly. One of the places neither of us had never been was Alcatraz. Thanks to our Shareholders Benefit and Princess Visa cruise points, we booked a tour of Alcatraz and Sausalito, a beautiful little town on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
It was a spectacular day. Temp in the mid 70’s and sunny. Our tour guide walked us to the Alcatraz landing and got our tickets. After boarding, we noticed the guide sitting by herself, so we invited her to sit with us. Always good to be friendly with the tour staff.
After a sea day, we tendered off of Santa Barbara. I’ve driven through Santa Barbara many times but only stopped once on business. Suzi has been there a few times but has been awhile. We booked the Santa Barbara Trolley Tour excursion.
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The next port was San Diego. This is another city Suzi and I had been to many times but it just seems so much better when you pull in on a cruise ship instead of fighting traffic on the freeway. The last time we cruised here, it was 105 degrees. This was a much more comfortable mid 70’s. We took a walk towards Seaport Village then onto the Gaslamp District. Here is a shot of downtown from our balcony as we set sail.
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Thanks to The Jones Act, Ensenada. Suzi loves to chew gum and is always looking for new flavors of sugarless gum. She found one in Ensenada, so she bought a few packs only to find out it’s not available in the States. Our new mission when visiting Mexico? Gum.
Here is a panorama of Ensenada from our favorite sitting area on Ruby
10 Day Mexico and Sea Of Cortez. September, 2016 on Crown Princess. This was a very bittersweet cruise. The Three Musketeers were booked. Suzi and I in Lido 214 and Cuz in Lido 210.
Unfortunately, after we all booked the cruise, Cousin Jerry called to let us know he had the most aggressive form of cancer. At the end of January, 2016, he passed away. We had made arrangements with Princess to do a burial at sea so, technically, all three of us boarded the ship. Please click here for more about the burial at sea.
Our first port was San Diego where we had booked the Old Town Trolley Tour. The average temperature in San Diego in late September is 71 degrees. Not close. 105… No one got off the bus and away from the air conditioning.
The next day was our Memorial for Cuz. Although we were saddened, of course, we knew this is what Cuz wanted, so we were walking on Deck 7 aft, with Cuz and his hot pink Cairns, Australia baseball cap (which we take on all of our cruises now), when we passed by one of the Lotus Spa staff members. She stopped us and said “What a beautiful box! What’s in it?” So…. Suzi told her…
Next stop, Cabo San Lucas. We booked the El Arco and Coastal Cruise excursion. This was a good sized catamaran that took us around Lands End and up the Pacific. And… Provided Daiquiri’s and Margaritas. The heat stayed with us from San Diego, so we were thirsty. Since Suzi rarely drinks, I got hers! Nice.
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Next port was La Paz. The port city is Pichillingue and there is nothing there other than a few vendors. We booked the Highlights of La Paz excursion.
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It gave us a good tour of the city with free time on the Malecon before returning us to the ship. Temperature was somewhere around 100 degrees.
Next port, Loreto. This was a tender port. We booked the Loreto Walking Tour. Had we known how small the town was, we probably would have gone out on our own, but live and learn. This ended up being our favorite port in all of Mexico.
We walked up to the central square and saw a group performing a dance. (No… This isn’t Hawaii…)
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Really hot out. After the tour broke at the church, we headed back to the ship. We were both really thirsty. We stopped by a market where Suzi got a water and I got a beer. As I’m guzzling it down, I look at my watch. It’s 10:15 AM…
After a day at sea, Puerto Vallarta. We hadn’t been here since our Honeymoon.
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We did the City Highlights tour. After taking us around Banderas Bay, we ended up at Canto Del Mar Restaurant for a beverage. The margarita that changed my life. Since Suzi passed on hers, I had two. WOW! I had no idea what was in it… Special tequila? Special mix? Had no idea (until a future cruise…)
After two more sea days, back home to Los Angeles. The Crown Princess and Ruby Princess are twins, so enjoyed everything about it.
Our second cruise on this itinerary. 15 Day round trip from Los Angeles. November, 2015 on Ruby Princess. Our first time on Ruby. No Cuz, but Paul and Jody decided to join us.
Another “Princess Plus”. Princess offers a program they call the “Bon Voyage Experience”. This is available on select itineraries and allows guests to board the ship with you. It’s $39.00 per person and includes a photo, lunch in either the Main Dining Room or Buffet, and an optional tour of the ship with the Future Cruise Director. (the $39 dollars will be credited to a future cruise if booked within a certain time frame. BVE guests get to hang out until about an hour prior to setting sail.
Since we were going out of our home port, we asked Suzi’s BFF to drive us to the ship. In return, we would pay for her BVE. The best part of BVE is… As soon as In-Transit passengers board (Back to Back passengers are last to leave the ship but first to board), the BVE people get to board. So even if our designated boarding time is, say 1:00 PM, we get to board at 11:00 AM. SCORE!
After a nice lunch and tour of the ship BFF departed and we unpacked and prepared for the lifeboat drill! BTW, we had booked our favorite balcony stateroom, Lido 214.
We set sail at about 5:00 PM and at about 6:00 PM, the Captain made the following announcement. “We are expecting some rough seas ahead, so if you brought anything to help with seasickness, I would suggest using them now”. Comforting.
Fortunately, Suzi and I haven’t been affected by seasickness. I was a little queasy the first two cruises but never sick. Since then, we have encountered some pretty rough seas without issues. Well, it did get rough. During the night, the ship was making groaning noises like we’ve never heard. We were on a good roller coaster. The next morning, when we headed to the Buffet, we saw that the crew had taped seasickness bags all along the hallways. We didn’t think it was that rough. At least not now. Then we got to Horizon Court and there weren’t a lot of people there. The rough seas lasted 2 1/2 days…
First port, Hilo. Suzi and I took the tour to the Botanical Gardens. This truly was a photographers paradise.
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The next port was Honolulu. All four of us booked the Scenic Drive of Pali Coast. We drove around Diamond Head, then up to the Pali Coast Lookout before heading back to the ship and downtown Honolulu.
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Next stop was Kauai. Of all the port locations in Hawaii, Nawiliwili is my favorite because of the warehouse on top of the hill.
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Suzi and I booked the Wailua River and Fern Grotto excursion.
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Next port was Lahaina, Maui. Suzi, Paul and I did a walking tour that I found online. They offered 28 points of interest. We didn’t get to all but did get to quite a few including the old jail. This old jalopy was sitting in front.
And we’re on our way back for 5 relaxing days to Ensenada. Never got off the ship. Next day, home (after a stop at the Future Cruise Desk where we made our next deposit…)
In closing, the Ruby Princess became our favorite class of ship. Although we liked the separate desert areas in Horizon Court on Star Princess, the Main Dining Room on Ruby had restrooms and four elevators. Oh, it also had a Gelato Bar!!!!! 3 scoops for $1.50!
12 Day Alaska round trip from San Francisco. August, 2014 on Star Princess. Something a little bit different. Instead of Cuz coming down from the San Francisco Bay area to Los Angeles, we decided to go up to San Francisco to join Jerry and the ship. So did our pals from Hawaii, “Paul” and “Jody”.
Us two So Cal couples drove up independently the day before the cruise. P & J booked a hotel closer to San Jose while Suzi and I stayed with Cuz. As usual, we got to the port in plenty of time and good thing… The new cruise terminal in San Francisco was about a month shy of opening, so the ship was moored at one of the old pier buildings. I dropped Suzi and Cuz off with the luggage and made my way to the 55 Francisco parking lot which I had reserved months ago. I met them at the terminal to find out that due to limited space, we weren’t scheduled to board for three hours. Well, if you’re going to get stuck waiting at a port, none better than San Francisco.
It was finally time to board so as we were making our way to the ship, we ran into Paul and Jody.
Although the three of us had booked Lido 210 and Lido 214, Princess upgraded us to Premium Balcony staterooms. We were Caribe 320 and Cuz was Caribe 604. Nice upgrade but one of the main reasons we like the Lido Deck? Why it’s the same Deck as the Buffet… Now we actually have to take stairs or elevators. HAH!
We were right at home on Star Princess and looking forward to our departure taking us under the Golden Gate Bridge. Yes, it was as spectacular as imagined.
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After two relaxing days at sea, we pulled into Ketchikan. Thankfully, it was not 82 degrees this time. The three of us did our normal trek to Creek Street.
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Next port was Juneau. The three of us booked an excursion to Mendenhall Glacier. It was a gray day with a light mist. Suzi and Cuz stayed in the dry, warm observation building and I decided to take a hike to Nugget Falls. Yes, I saw the sign that says “Bears. Travel in parties of two or more!”, however, I’m a fairly big guy so went for it. I thought I’d run into other hikers. I got involved looking at the scenery so missed the fork in the road for the falls.
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I continued the hike that kept going and going. I checked the time and decided it was time to turnaround. It was about 5 minutes back, then I saw the sign for the falls. Oh well, excuse to go back.
Next stop, Skagway. All three of us booked the White Pass Rail and Klondike Highway excursion. This is our third cruise to Alaska and have always wanted to do this excursion but opted not to because of the price. Well, this ended up being free… Free you say? Tell me more? Once Suzi and I decided to make Princess our “Cruise line of Choice”, I began researching ways to get more On Board Credits.
Going off topic a bit but here is what I came up with:
Check to see if your preferred cruise line offers a credit card. Princess offers one we’ve been using for all regular monthly purchases (What we can pay off in full every month). Purchases on Princess get 2 Points per dollar, all other purchases get 1 Point.
Check to see if your cruise line offers a Shareholder Benefit for owning stock. Since Princess is part of Carnival, I purchased enough to receive the benefit. By the time we step on the ship, we have at least $600.00 in OBC’s.
Now, where were we… Ah yes, the “free” excursion. Rather than take the train both ways, we opted to take the bus up the Klondike Highway that parallels the train up to Fraser, British Columbia where we transferred to the train. The weather was not great. Quite foggy in the middle section of both ways but it did add an interesting element.
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As we got further down the mountain, things cleared nicely.
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The next day was cruising up Tracy Arm Fjord up to South Sawyer Glacier. Folks, this is truly an amazing experience. The fjord was created by glacier. As you are going through the narrow passage, for what seemed like hours, all of the sudden, you can see the glacier peeking through.
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Once you pass through to the end of the fjord, you see the South Sawyer Glacier in all its glory.
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After a beautiful day cruising the Inside Passage, we ended in Victoria, BC. No excursions other than the shuttle into town where we walked up and down Government Street.
Our first Hawaiian Cruise. 15 Day Round trip from Los Angeles, December, 2013 on the Star Princess. The Three Musketeers, however, being 15 days and feeling a bit cramped in a Mini Suite on the Island Princess, Cuz got his own stateroom. We were on Lido 214 and Jerry, right next door in Lido 210. We enjoyed this Stateroom so much, we book it whenever it’s available.
I’ve always admired this class of the Princess line with Skywalker’s Lounge over the stern with the angled walkway.
We always choose traditional late seating. Reasons? More time in port and we like to build relationships with the staff, especially the ones that feed you…
We ate in the Amafi Dining Room, located on Deck 6 Aft. I would not recommend Amalfi for mobility-challenged passengers for two reasons. There are no restrooms in or near the dining room. You must go upstairs. For those with challenges, there are only two elevators that service Deck 6.
Being this cruise was in early December and heading towards Hawaii, there were a lot of WWII Vets on board. Unfortunately, there were 4 less passengers by the end of the cruise. Very sad but I guess if it’s your time, no better place than during a cruise.
First Port was Honolulu, Oahu. Never having been to Hawaii, Pearl Harbor was a must, especially at this time of year, December 10th. Jerry had been several times so opted to grab a cab and go into Waikiki Beach. Suzi and I booked the USS Arizona Memorial and City Drive excursion. You can’t not get choked up going to the USS Arizona.
After getting back to the port, we went to the top of the Aloha tower and grabbed this shot of the ship.
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Next port was Nawiliwili, Kauai. All three of us booked the tour for Wiamea Canyon with a stop at Spouting Horn. Suzi and I grabbed a seat on the bus together while Jerry found a seat next to a single gentleman. By the time we reached our first stop at Spouting Horn, the two were best friends (Jerry could start a conversation with anyone…) Jerry introduced us to “Paul”. Paul was on the cruise with his wife, “Jody” but she opted to stay on the ship.
It turns out Paul and Jody live 5 miles away from us. Since this cruise, we have remained close and get together for dinner once a month. We have also been on 3 additional cruises with them. Small world. Here is a short clip from Spouting Horn.
Next stop was Waimea Canyon. When they said it’s the Grand Canyon of Hawaii, they weren’t kidding. Not as breathtaking but much more lush. Kauai ended up being our favorite island.
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Next stop, Lahaina, Maui, which was a tender port. The three of us booked a whale watching excursion. On the plus side, the tour boat picked us up from the tender pontoon of the ship. On the minus side, it’s really early for whale watching, so we saw one younger whale that was way out in the distance. Even with a 300mm telephoto, nothing. Here is a shot near the harbor
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Next Port was Hilo on the big island. We all went on the excursion to Volcano National Park. (Photos still not processed. Will update soon!)
Time for another 5 day journey, this time to Ensenada (Thank you Jones Act). Along the way we had a pretty good deck party.
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We arrived in Ensenada. I booked all three of us on a tour to “The oldest Winery in Ensenada”. Princess mis-advertised. The tour went to the retail outlet downtown for “The oldest Winery in Ensenada”… I made sure to let Princess know about this and they have since corrected the information.
And…. Time to book the next cruise and take advantage of a Future Cruise Deposit.
New Goal – Cruise every year. Panama Canal (Full Transit) in November, 2012. Los Angeles to Port Everglades on Island Princess. The Three Musketeers again!
We booked a Mini Suite, Baja 222. Gotta say, much preferred the Mini Suite on Jewel Of The Seas. Royal Caribbean was more of a square, allowing for much better maneuverability for three, than the rectangular shape of Princess. Granted, Island is designed for the old Canal Locks, so is smaller than Jewel.
The size of the Island’s Buffet was also a disappointment. Compared to the layout of the Jewel, I kept looking for more buffet real estate. Once we became comfortable with the Panamax restrictions, we embraced the ship. Overall, though, our favorite ship to date (2019) has been the Jewel.
Our first port was Cabo San Lucas, which is a tender port. Although our Honeymoon cruise made a stop at Cabo, we opted to stay on board. This time, all three of us took the tender in and took a nice walk to the big Puerto Paraiso Shopping Mall at the other end of the harbor. It was HOT!!!!! Must have been in the high 90’s. Getting to the air conditioned mall couldn’t get there soon enough. After about an hour, we headed back to the ship.
Next port was Puntarenas, Costa Rica. All three of us went on an excursion to Espiritu Coffee Plantation and a City tour of Sarchi. Good thing as Puntarenas seemed to have a pier and a jail…
The coffee plantation was beautiful. Learned about peaberries. A single bean in a pod instead of two beans.
Next stop? PANAMA CANAL!!!! Spent most of the transit up on the higher decks or from the comfort of our veranda. They were still building the new locks.
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Weather was great until halfway across Gatun Lake, then the sky just let loose for 5 minutes or so.
Well worth it. Especially glad we saw the Gatun Locks from land on our previous cruise.
Goodbye Pacific. Hello Atlantic.
Next port was Cartagena, Columbia. As you might recall from a previous blog, the three of us toured the city. Jerry decided to stay on the ship and visit the laundromat. (Plus for Princess plus. They have self serve laundromats and most ships.) Suzi and I headed for a bus tour but once we got to the Old City, we walked (and we walked). Here is a shot from in front of the theater.
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Towards the end of the tour, we watched this artist create a painting on a mirror.
Our last port before Port Everglades was Aruba, where we just tootled around town.
Once we got back to Florida, time to spend a week with the family!
The Veranda Life 