Discovery Princess Cruise: Vancouver to Victoria to San Francisco to LA
Table of Contents
Story and photos by Scott Kendall (unless otherwise indicated)
Discovery Princess, Newest Princess Luxury Ship
The Discovery Princess is the newest entry into the Princess line of luxury cruise ships. With a crew of 1,346, representing over 60 countries, taking care of up to 3,660 passengers, this marvel of technology is one of the most modern and luxurious ships on the seas.
Deck Plans of Discovery Princess show the wide variety of cabins, including Princess’ largest balconies at sea. This enormous ship is 19 decks high and over 1,000 feet long. With some of the best food and wine at sea, luxurious beds in comfortable rooms, high tech wifi, a plethora of entertainment options, and a friendly, dedicated crew, Discovery Princess is one of the top cruise choices for vacationers.
Culinary Options Onboard the Discovery Princess
The fabulous food and drink options are available at many fantastic venues onboard the Discovery Princess, including specialty restaurants Sabatini‘s Italian Trattoria, Crown Grill Steakhouse, and Bistro Sur la Mer (to be replaced by The Catch by Rudi in late October 2023). Other fabulous dining venues include the World Fresh Marketplace, Gigi’s Pizza, Salty Dog Grill, the Ocean Terrace, and more.
In addition to wonderful menus and wine lists at the various venues, we enjoyed special tastings, events, and presentations from Caymus Vineyards, Rodney Strong Wines, and Foley Family Wines.
The Amazing Chef Rudi Sodamin, Head of Culinary Arts
Led by Chef Rudi Sodamin, the amazing culinary staff of the Discovery Princess offers a wide variety of fantastic food, drink, and service. Chef Rudi combines his passion, creativity, four decades as a master chef, along with his emphasis on teamwork, to deliver the best culinary experiences to thousands of Princess and Holland cruisers.
Since his early years in his home country of Austria, near the Italian border, Rudi Sodamin has been involved in the culinary arts. His mother was a chef, and helping and cooking around the kitchen came early for Rudi. a Riplet, he was one of 11 children, and lots of food was constantly prepared and eaten in the busy household.
Hungry for knowledge and a passion for improving his skills, Rudi gained invaluable experience from training and apprenticeships in Austria, Paris, Switzerland, and Seattle. When he was just 23, the ocean came calling, and Rudi started a love affair with bringing the best in culinary arts to the sea. Stints with Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Holland, and Princess have solidified his standing as the premier chef of cruise lines.
On top of all of these accomplishments, when he was just 26, Rudi Sodamin was the corporate executive chef for the legendary Queen Elizabeth. In between bringing world class cuisine to ships at sea, he has managed to publish over a dozen best selling cookbooks.
Quite a career!
360 Experience
One of the many highlights of our cruise was the 360 Experience, an entertaining, creative, lively presentation of fabulous food, wine and visual effects. The 360 Experience combines a fabulous seven course meal with each dish paired with the perfect wine. The food and drink alone would make for a memorable time.
However, in addition, diners are immersed in a colorful kaleidoscope of images, narrations, places, smells, and sounds. We were taken to Santorini as we started our feast with olives and the best octopus I’ve ever tasted. Once I got past the visual of suckers on the bottom of the lone tentacle, I tentatively tried a small bite. I decided I really did like it, and finished the rest of the dish, relishing every bite.
Johannes, our Master of Ceremonies, and the friendly, efficient staff, timed things perfectly. We were never bored and never rushed, and each moment brought a new taste, a new sight, a new smell, and a new experience. I highly recommend the 360 Experience for two hours of the best time you will ever have at sea.
See our video for a taste of the 360 Experience.
Read more about the 360 Experience at Recipes Travel Culture.
Victoria, Canada
After leaving Vancouver, our first stop was beautiful Victoria. We walked along the shore through Fisherman’s Wharf towards downtown, admiring the impressive Parliament House and Empress Hotel. We also spent time in Chinatown, shopped in the pretty downtown area, and had afternoon tea at the lovely Pendray Tea House.
As guests of Visit Victoria, we used the Victoria Pass, which offers many special deals for local Victoria attractions.
On this rainy morning, we took a car tour of this lovely coastal city on Vancouver Island. Although it was early October and was a bit chilly, we saw a dozen locals swimming in the chilly sea. Passing through Beacon Hill Park, we gazed upward at the world’s tallest free standing totem pole. We then stopped and had a delicious dipped cone at Chocolat Favoris, followed by fun time browsing through the amazing Munro’s Books before continuing to the charming Pendray Teahouse.
San Francisco
Leaving Victoria, we were at sea for a day and a half. We pulled into San Francisco Bay in the morning, passing underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. With Alcatraz on our left and the city skyline on our right, we passed iconic Pier 39 and docked on Pier 27 just to the east.
After going through Immigration and departing the ship, we walked west along the Embarcadero and towards Pier 39 and Adventure Cat Sailing Charters. Perfect weather in the 70s with clear blue skies made perfect conditions to enjoy our first day in port in San Francisco. Our agenda included browsing through Pier 39, watching the playful sea lions, going on a bay cruise with Adventure Cat, exploring the Aquarium of the Bay, and finishing with a delicious dinner at Crab House at Pier 39. Our second day, we decided to ride e-bikes from Blazing Saddles on Hyde Street through the scenic north San Francisco, Fort Mason, and the historic Presidio.
Adventure Cat Sailing Under the Golden Gate Bridge
On a beautiful October afternoon, we sailed with the fabulous Adventure Cat from J Dock on Pier 39 towards the Golden Gate bridge. With Alcatraz and Sausalito on our right and the city skyline, Crissy Field, and The Presidio on our left, Captain Chad steered us under the iconic bridge before circling back to Pier 39. We saw dolphins playing in the bay, the amazing Blue Angels flying overhead, and other watercraft peacefully floating by. With about a dozen people onboard our sailboat, Adventure Cat is the perfect way to enjoy a relaxing exploration of San Francisco Bay.
Crab House at Pier 39
After our sail, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the fabulous Crab House on Pier 39, on the second level just steps from Adventure Cat on J Dock. We started with an aperol spritz and a fantastic crab chowder. Our mains were the fantastic crab and shrimp fettucine and baked cod, and we finished with a delicious crème brûlée cheesecake.
It was fun to watch other diners who ordered fabulous dishes like the Killer Crab Skillet, Garlic Noodles, and the tantalizing Crab Chowder served in fresh Sourdough Bread Bowls. So many great options!
Crab House is owned by the Simmons family, who have proudly run area restaurants since 1978, including the fabulous Fog Harbor Fish House, Eagle Cafe, and Biscoff Coffee Corner on Pier 39, as well as others.
Blazing Saddles Bike Adventures in San Francisco
Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals and Tours provided us with e-bikes to explore northern San Francisco. Last time we visited, Julie and I rode across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and ferried back to San Francisco for an exhilarating ride. We had a blast, and this time decided to take a more leisurely ride from the Pier 39 area towards the Presidio.
We took a fun, easy ride on e-bikes from Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals on Hyde Street. We rode along Marina Boulevard through Fort Mason with spectacular views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate bridge. The Palace of Fine Arts was our first stop, where we took a break to enjoy this magnificent venue. Then we rode through the Presidio, found Yoda, and rode through this former military base.
The Visitor Center was very informative with interesting exhibits, maps, and helpful staff members. The rear of the center offered fantastic views of the recently completed Tunnel Tops and the Golden Gate Bridge. A few minutes riding further west brought us to the sobering San Francisco National Cemetery, with a beautiful scenic overlook of the bay.
San Francisco Aquarium of the Bay
On the edge of Pier 39 we visited with over 20,000 fascinating sea creatures at the Aquarium of the Bay. Conveniently located on Pier 39 just steps from Adventure Cat and Crab House, the Aquarium of the Bay provides an introspective look at the local aquatic population. The highlight of the aquarium are the two tunnels in Under the Bay, full of sharks, rays, sturgeon, giant sea bass, and other sea animals. We also enjoyed the mesmerizing Sea Nettles and learning about the Megalodon, the largest ocean predator that ever lived!
Amazing Blue Angels
Back onboard the Discovery Princess, we had front row seats to watch the amazing Blue Angels from the United States Navy, who were preparing for upcoming shows during Fleet Week. Since we were anchored in Pier 27, from Deck 17 we had fabulous views of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, the Bay Bridge into Oakland, and the skyline of the City by the Bay.
For several hours, we were entertained by these masters of the sky as they practiced for their upcoming show during Fleet Week. As a former Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, it was extra special to witness this magical performance from the comfort of the Discovery Princess. Special thanks to fellow writer and photographer Lori Sweet for this wonderful photo.
A New Journey Begins on Discovery Princess
We thoroughly enjoyed our experiences on the Discovery Princess and are looking forward to our next great adventure on Princess Cruise lines. In addition to the Vancouver to Los Angeles route we took, Discovery Princess has itineraries to Mexico, Hawaii, and to Alaska.
Thanks to Discovery Princess for their hospitality, as well as thanks to Caymus Vineyards, Rodney Strong Wines, Foley Family of Wines, Crab House, Adventure Cat Sailing Charters, Visit Victoria, Pendray House, and CityPass for hosting us. All opinions are my own.
Scott Kendall is the Founder, Editor, and frequent contributor to PlayStayEat. He is a former Navy Officer, teacher and tennis coach who is an avid traveler and writer. Scott has traveled extensively throughout the United States and overseas to Italy, France, England, Croatia, Slovenia, and others. In addition to his contributions to PlayStayEat, much of his published work can be seen at scottkendalltravels.com.