A Day In San Pedro

We are staying at the Crowne Plaza in San Pedro, close to the ship.  We love the area.  It is certainly changing.  Lots more fancy condos.  Really cute shops, cafes, restaurants.  Every weekend they have a market and the first Thursday of the month they have the art walk which is great.  It feels like a city I would live in.  Eclectic, families, very new age, healthy and cool.

We wake feeling so rested.  We needed it.  Our room isn't cooling down much so a quick stop at the front desk and when we return early afternoon it is fixed.

We first head up to a great spot for breakfast The Brite Spot Mexican Cafe on Pacific Street.  

Hasn't changed much but the food is amazing, 

Bernie's huevos ranchers

The servings are so huge, actually I find all over the US servings are huge.  But ask for a doggy bag to take some home.  We didn't finish it!

We head up toward the Rite Aide to pick up some things but omg the store is half empty.  We head to get shampoo and conditioner and there maybe was 10 bottles in total.   So we just walked out.  Does anyone know if this store is closing?  Sure looks like it.

We then walk over to CVS on Pacific and their shelves are stocked.  We get some shampoo and conditioner and a small bottle of laundry detergent.  

We wander around for another 2 hours but decide we still want to rest.  

Back in the room we both relax and we each have a short nap.  

At 5 we meet up with our friends and they ran into a group who were part of a roll call for the cruise and were invited to join them.  It was a huge group.  Well run, very organized, and they all were very nice.

Later we were getting hungry so we head to a restaurant I have never been to, but really enjoyed.   The restaurant is called Think Cafe.  

Very nice menu and the ambiance is nice too.  We order cocktails and our meals.  

I got the chicken picante and Bernie got the roast chicken.

Again we are full.  It is a lovely evening and tomorrow we board the ship.

I am happy to say I am feeling good.  So far I haven't had a flare up from my fibromyalgia.  Rest has been key and the hot bath has helped too.  Even with all the walking I have done!  

Thanks for following.

Flying To Los Angeles

The Cruise leaves from San Pedro.  

I am one who really loves San Pedro.  It feels like a working class place.  I love it's vibe and trendy shops, bars and restaurants.

We booked Bernie's flight ages ago since it was a good price.  He flew to LA via Montreal.  I will be on the same flight.

We flew in two days prior.  Mainly because it is a long flight, a four time change, and I am not taking any chances.  Also I need to rest and recover after flying now or I will set up the next week for disaster.

We booked the Crown Plaza San Pedro once again.  We love the location.  The price was right especially because I booked via Hotwire.com which saved us over $150 compared to any other booking site.  Hotwire is easy for San Pedro as there are really only 2 hotels in that star class.  So you are either getting Crown Plaza or the Doubletree and we would of been happy with either.

Our friends Lori and Andy are travelling with us and they flew with us and are also staying at the Crown Plaza.

Day of travel.  We caught the shuttle from the hotel at 315 am!  No one got much sleep.  

First flight to Montreal was quick and then with a 1.5 hour layover and needing to clear US customs first we wasted no time once we arrived in Montreal.

We joined the queue to go thru connecting flights security. And guess what my boarding pass had the dreaded SSSS on it meaning i had been randomly selected for full security screening!

Oh well.  Full pat down, everything in my carryon was checked.  Phone, tablet, computer all had to get checked.  Even my runners were swabbed.   But all good.

Then thankfully we had nexus (Global Entry) and got to front of line to see customs agent, which was quick and easy.  Our friends took a bit longer but still maybe 10 minute wait.

Thankfully our flight to LA was a little delayed as we got to the gate just as we should of been boarding.  But was delayed around 15 min.  

Flight is just over 5 hours!  Watched some shows I downloaded and read.  But with a full plane, and squished in, and little sleep we are glad the flying is done.

Bags arrived quickly and we grabbed the shuttle to the taxi/ride share stand.  We jumped in a van that could accommodate all 4 of us and our bags and a fast trip to the hotel.  Thankfully it is Sunday.  Taxi cost was $85 which included the tip.

Once at the hotel I asked about an upgrade and he gave us one to a huge room with sitting area on the corner with a view of the water.  Doesn't hurt to ask, plus being part of their loyalty program helps.

We will rest in the room for a bit and meet up at 3 and have an early meal and crash early.  

We are heading to one of our favourite Mexican restaurants Kalveras.  

Evening in San Pedro

After settling in at the hotel we head out for dinner.  But first we had to get to a drug store.

We know there are two drugstores on Gaffney so we start walking that way.  

There is a Rite Aide at Gaffney and 7th Street that you can get all your cruise needs and even a bottle or two of wine.  

We decide to head back to Niko's Pizzeria on 6th Street (the same street the hotel is on).  We had dined here a long time ago and their pizza is good so we thought we should go again.

We started with a large glass of beer.  Boy it looks huge next to my glass of wine.

I know the US serves large portions, and here it is not different.  Looking around us the servings are large and many are taking home doggie bags.

We start with a greek salad that we share that was very good.

Then we shared a medium veggetarian pizza that also was so yummy.   

Service was very good and efficient.  Prices are reasonable.  Only negative was the constant banging of dishes and what sounded like metal pans being dropped in sinks.  With a chair that backed onto the kitchen it constantly freaked me out.

There are quite a few places to eat at around here but not tons like you would find in Long Beach.  Establishments here are privately run and are not big brand names.  Lots of quaint cafes, bars, a great brew pub just a block away.  Restaurants that are run by families.  

It is now 9:30 pm and we are back in the room relaxing and ready to hit the hay early.  

We are both looking forward to getting on board tomorrow and stepping away from all the hustle and bustle of living on land.

The pictures are a pain to load with on the tablet so as soon as I get on board the ship the pictures will have to wait until I am at home.

Flying to Los Angeles

We pack our small carry on bag for the 3 days and then got in the car for the drive to the Vancouver Airport.  Bernie still is not allowed to drive because of his eyes so I had to drive and listen to how hard it was for him to be a passenger.

Once at the airport we quickly checked in and then proceeded thru security.

It sure helps to have Nexus (Global Entry) and in all it took about 5 minutes.

Our flight is 2:15 and we board easily and even secured the emergency exit seat.  We were lucky to secure space in the overhead with a bit of maneuvering to store our carry on our bags.

The flight was fine, it isn't that long a flight - under 3 hours!

I love flying Air Canada with their entertainment in seat in front of you with a plug in for your devices.

Once we land we log on to the free wifi at LAX and request an Uber.

Seven minutes later our Uber is there and we hit the LA traffic running.  It takes about 45 minutes to get ot the hotel.  

The Crowne Plaza San Pedro is our go to hotel when coming to LA for a cruise.  The staff are great and we get a nice room on the 8th floor that even has a view of the harbour.

We are going to rest for a bit and then we will head out for dinner and then to Rite Aide for some items we need.

Flight - Embarkation in Los Angeles

We once again booked a pre hotel at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport with points as our flight the next morning is very early.

We are assigned a room on the 7th floor with a view of the mountains and the gates with planes arriving and leaving.

We head downstairs to the main terminal for dinner at the White Spot.

Back in the room I take advantage of the amazing tub and soak the day's stresses away.

The room is so comfortable and this bed is divine.

Our flight is at 6:35 am.  But with no checked bags we can just head to the security and then customs.

The line for security is very long.  I believe this is because the security just recently opened up.  Thankfully we have Nexus and we are able to bypass the long line and head to a dedicated line.  Two people ahead of us is much better than 100 ahead of us.  Best $50 we ever spent on Nexus (Global Entry).

Flight was easy and smooth.  Seemed like everyone around us was getting on the ship with us.  I sat next to two nice men who were sailing for the first time.  It was great to chat with them and enjoy their excitement.

We arrived in LA and I used Uber for the first time ever.  My friend Monika said it was easy, cost effective and so we decided to try it.  She was so right.  

We requested a car and we met our driver at the Ride Share pick up spot on the Arrival's area.  The final cost came in at $29 US.  Much cheaper than Primetime shuttle ($17 per person) and not having to deal with waiting for a van to fill and deal with others.  A taxi is usually around $70 US!  We will definately use Uber again.  

If you are interested in Uber click here to get a $15 credit on your first ride.  

We had the driver drop us off in San Pedro at the drug store to pick up some essentials and then we walked to the pier (about 20 min.).

We arrived at the pier around 11:30.  Probably one of the worst times to arrive but we knew we just had to go with the flow and enjoy the experience.

Of course we arrived and filled out the necessary health forms.  Up the escalator and a short queue for priority boarding (maybe 20 people).  This time the regular queue for non priority boarders was very very long (at least a 100).

After getting our cruise cards we went thru security -- no issues with us.  But if you do have liqour in your bag they will confuscate it, unless it is wine.  To learn more about bringing wine on board click here.  

They had already started boarding and we were directed to board the ship right away.  

In all it was about 20 minutes from sidewalk to ship.  Not bad considering we arrived at a very busy time.

After dropping our suitcase (we just brought carry on bags) in the cabin we headed to the dining room for lunch.  Boy it has been a long time since we have had lunch in the dining room on embarkation day but boy how nice it is too.

We confirmed a table for Daniel's section for 7:45 in Da Vinci Dining room.  He is the whole reason we booked this voyage -- to surprise him.

We had be discussing getting the drink package for a while and we decided to go with it.  On a shorter voyage like this we can justify it, but on a more port intensive longer voyage we just can't manage to continually drink that much.

After Muster Drill we head up for the sailaway.  Great weather, excellent music by the and Nexus and a chance to see Anna again.

At 5 pm we head to the elite lounge in Skywalkers.  We meet a lovely couple -- Arlene and Tim and we chat over a few drinks.  

Los Angeles April 25

We slept like babies, we must have been really tired.  After taking our time to get ready we wander out of the hotel to the restaurant ….. on sixth.  I order the Chaquilles and Bernie gets the huevos ranchero.  HUGE plates and I could only eat about a third of my plate.  We should of split something.  

After breakfast we wander up to Gaffey to the Starbucks and sit and enjoy our drinks.  We make note of how darn cold it is.  Heck it is colder here than at home.  It is overcast and looks like it could rain (in fact is does start raining later in the afternoon).

Around noon we get back to the hotel and get our bags that we stored with the bell hop.  The hotel does have a shuttle, but I believe they now charge $5 for it and the walk is not that far so we head out on foot.  

We walk along the promenade to the ship.  It is the only ship in port and it looks rather quiet.  We arrive at 12:30 and we are on board at 12:45.  We had to fill out the health questionnaire.  Note they are still screening for the Ebola with the questions about where you have been in the last 21 days.  

We head up the escalator to the line to get our cruise cards.  We get to go in the priority but it really didn’t save much time as there really were no lines.  As soon as we have our cards we go thru the security screening which takes a bit of time.  We didn’t have any alcohol but if we did we would have been directed to the table right after the screening.

Boarding has already started but since we are elite we get to go right on.  Note they were giving out boarding numbers to those below Platinum.  As we were getting on they were calling group #10.  

As soon as we got on we went to our cabin which is P204, the second oceanview cabin on Plaza deck.  It is bigger than most insides, a little longer.  We do notice that the beds are in twin format and there is only one night stand that is a bit bigger than the normal one but smaller than two normal ones put together.  

Hmmm if the beds are put together how are we going to have each a nightstand.  After speaking to our cabin steward Qi, she says he can put it together but one side of the bed will be right against the wall.  Or she can turn the nightstand sideways (but we won’t have access to the drawers).  Which is what we say is fine with us, we don’t need to access the drawers.  It is only a seven day cruise and we don’t have that much stuff.  Plus we have a large window sill that can take things.

Footnote – later when the bed is put together as a Queen the night stand is positioned so we can access the drawers. 

There is a wide space on one side (where stand is) and a narrow side on the other side.  So take note that P204 is a bit narrower (by about a foot) than the standard cabin.  

However it is longer with more space at the foot of the bed to the dresser than the standard cabin.

We ask for extra towels and a top sheet.  

The ship looks great.  It is strange coming back to this ship after being on the Royal for so long but we love this size.  

We get a coffee and run into Norma and Kim who are friends of Monika and Rick and just sailed to Hawaii with them. 

When we get back to our cabin our small bag is there so we unpack it.  The second bag took another four hours to arrive, but it did.

Not sure why but it seems often that Princess needs to change out their shower curtains more often.  Ours stinks of mold so we let our steward know and she brings us another one.  But later on when we enter the bathroom all I can smell is mold/mildew.  I lift up the shower curtain and see the black marks at the bottom and smell it and it is horrible.  

I am sure she just grabbed this shower curtain from another cabin that wasn’t in use.  It is so bad the smell I take the shower curtain down myself.  She promises us she will get us a fresh one, and she does right away.  It is a newly laundered one.

But other than that the cabin is great, we have our mini bar, we have ice.  The bed is very comfortable, we have a clean cabin, a big window with no obstruction and it appears to be very quiet.  

The Horizon Court is crazy busy, which is the norm on embarkation day.  But we are not hungry at all.  We wander around and it is busy with people inside cause the weather is not nice, in fact it is raining.  Guess sailaway is going to be inside.

We get a call from the dining room telling us that they are able to accommodate us at Mark’s station tonight for 8 pm. We are so excited to see Mark again.

Looking forward to a wonderful voyage.

Off to muster drill now, more later.

Thursday November 20, 2014 – Boarding the Golden Princess San Pedro

When we wake at around 8 am we both comment boy that air conditioner was loud and don’t recall the AC units being so loud at this hotel.  But I had ear plugs so that helped, Bernie has some too but he can’t remember where he packed them – the usual.

Bernie showers and dresses and heads down to the Enterprise office to return the car.  That was convenient as we were able to park right at the hotel in one of the car rental return spots.  The total cost of the car came to $30 for the day, that was a deal.

While he is gone I shower and dress and we both repack the bags – now why was it that the bags seem heavier and more full than when we arrived.  I know because we just shoved everything in them we we packed the last night.  We will do a better job when we get off the Golden to fly home.

We head downstairs with our bags and leave them with the concierge until we are ready to catch the shuttle to the pier at noon.  Yeah we are taking the shuttle to the ship, normally we would walk but both of us don’t feel like dragging the bags today.

We decide to just have breakfast at the hotel, they have a breakfast buffet that is $14 and is nowhere as good as the ship’s breakfast but will do, but it is just warm.  Next time if we go back we will order from the menu instead of the buffet.

Last night we found a Starbucks that is relatively close to the hotel, about a kilometer away.  Don’t know why we had never found it on earlier visits but those who know me know this is where my happy place is.  So we walk up 6^th street to Gaffney and turn right and the Starbucks is in the next block. 

We are back at the hotel around 11:40 and get our bags and the shuttle leaves about ten minutes later.  And of course the pier is so close we are there in five minutes.

You can see how close the Crowne Plaza is from the pier

For some reason I was expecting craziness at the pier.  You know a three day trip, lots of new cruisers, everyone wanting to get on right away.  But I was completely wrong.  In fact when we walked in there was maybe a dozen people filling out the health form – it is the longer one that has the Ebola questions and the agent there confirms you have filled it out correctly and initials it.  We head up the escalator and head to the Preferred Check in for Dolphin deck, again there is only one person in front of us. 

We hand over our passports, get our cruise cards and we are told that the rooms won’t be ready until 1 pm but we can drop off our carry on bags if we need to.  We go thru security and even that was quick, and many people are carrying on all their bags because of the shorter cruise length.

There is really no one waiting to get on board that I can see, but because we are Elite we are directed right onboard.  Pose for the Embarkation Picture and we are in our cabin on Dolphin Deck in 733 right away. 

Feels odd to have just gotten off the Grand that is the same size/similar ship but different too.  We can’t help but comment about the differences.  In fact our very first back to back was on the Grand then the Golden on two seven day Caribbean cruises way back in 2001.

I comment to Bernie about the narrower corridors… I took a pictures of each ship’s corridors and will put them up later to show everyone.  Yes the Grand has lovely wide corridors but they take away space from the closet for this.  Golden’s is narrower but has the bigger closet.

The ship is not full, in fact many cabins by us are empty…. And a lot of first time Princess Cruisers.  Which is great to see.  It is always fun watching them experience cruising for the first time.  Lots of younger people too.  What a great way to go away for the weekend with friends.  I think they are selling a lot of the All Inclusive Drink Packages!  I am just glad we are at the back of the ship in a corridor that is almost never passed by.  Lots of families too…. Lots of kids.

Our thoughts on the cabin:

Bernie, the couch is not comfortable at all and is not conducive to watching the bigger tv from.  He does not like the cupboards that are beside each of the beds cause they are useless big spaces, would have been better with drawers (which I know other ships in this class have).  

He loves the mattresses.  Lots of storage and shelves to put things.  The three closets are big, the one cupboard though has two rods, but the upper road is useless cause there is not enough clearance to the next rod.  He makes note that the toilet seat lid does not stay up if he has to pee because of the handle… but of course this only affects men.

Vickie’s thoughts:  it is quiet, love the long desk area and big mirror.  The steward says he can put the two twin beds into a Queen Bed configuration but there is not a lot of clearance, but we decide to keep it as two twins.  The bathroom is large and adequate for our needs.  The Door to the cabin is on the side, when the room service attendant came by she actually opened the bathroom door to exit instead of the cabin door.

There is no full length mirror anywhere.  For someone in a wheelchair they would not see below their head.  

The closet has two rods for hanging but the top one is useless cause anything you hang on it hangs well below the bottom rod.

Also there are two hooks on the bathroom door at a reasonable height for someone in a wheelchair.  But are totally useless if you are average height.  You certainly can't hang your robe on it cause it drags.

The grates in the floor in the bathroom are excellent drains and work wonderfully.  Although we notice an odd odor and it smells like sewer smells and we have to keep the cabin door all the time to keep the smell contained.

Muster Drill happens and we had to bring our life jackets here too.  Vista Lounge is our Muster Station but it is not even full.  After the drill we hear an announcement that many people did not attend the drill and they must attend another one. 

We are leaving late it appears for some late arrivals.  When we finally pull away it is totally dark out.

We are dining tonight at the Crown Grill for a change. 

Oh forgot to mention that the Golden has the new internet pages with the Patter and menus and on board account etc.