rakuroda

Haneda Airport's only weakness is transport late night/early morning.

Japanese Customs/Immigration are generally very efficient and speedy.

Likewise baggage claim.

If your flight arrives on time, you can probably catch the bus you need.

But if you cannot make it;

The monorail train runs much later.

Take the Monorail to the end of the line - Hamamatsucho.

There you can easily transfer to a local train that will take you to Yokohama Station in about 30 minutes. The fare is very low, and the trains will not be very crowded at that hour.

From Yokohama Station, catch a taxi to your hotel. Quick and inexpensive.

Alternatively, a taxi from Haneda to your Yokohama Hotel might cost you around US 100 - 150.

Aloha BruceMuzz, :D

Thanks for your input.

I just checked FlightAware & the flights seem to be arriving about 30 min. late. That means that we have to catch the last bus at 20:45 hrs. If we miss it, we will have to catch a train or but to YCat Yokohama & taxi to hotel.

I was hoping that there would be some other way that we wouldn't have to deal with our bags.

Aloha rak, :D:D

Aloha, :D

We bought Suica cards because we were going to use Japan Rail around Tokyo on our 1st trip to Japan. Suica can also be used on most of the subways in Japan, including Yokohama.

Don't forget that you can use the cards at fast food restaurants (McDonalds, etc.) & convenience stores like Lawsons & 7-11. Just look for the scan pad by the cashier. Keeps from having a bunch of coins in your pocket.

Aloha, rak :D:D

Aloha, :D

If you haven't been to an onsen before, you need to understand that there are 2 different types of baths; onsen and sento. You should look for information on both types using YouTube.

Sento is really just a bath house where you strip, scrub, rinse, then enter the community hot pool. You are expected to scrub yourself clean of dirt, sweat, sunscreen, & deodorant before you enter the soaking tub or pool. That way, the soaking pool stays clean.

Onsen is a hot spring bath where the water is from an underground hot spring. Many are built in the rural areas where there can be a view. Some onsen have a garden like area for viewing. Not all have a scenic countryside view.

There are several onsen in the greater Tokyo area which can be found using Google search. Saying Tokyo is like saying New York City or Los Angeles which are actually large metropolitan areas rather than say Vancouver, BC which is an actual city.

You need to really research onsen if you wish to use it because there are certain customs that should be observed.

Aloha, rak :D:D

Aloha, :D

If you are going during Japan's Golden week, many hotels will already be sold out.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2282.html

This is when many Japanese take vacations so they have reserved their accomodations well ahead of time.

Aloha, rak :D

Aloha,

Suica or Pasmo are the two smart cards in Tokyo. We've had both and they operate the same. You can buy them at the airport or almost any large train/subway station. These cards are mostly used for the subways in the large cities and money can be added at most subway/train stations. These cards can also be used in a lot of convience stores. Just look for the smart card pad by the cashier. Even McDonalds in Japan takes them.

You can buy personalized cards with your name on them. Read about them at the link below or Google search for more information.

http://trulytokyo.com/tokyo-smart-cards-pasmo-and-suica/

Aloha, rak :D

Aloha all, :D

How do you get from arriving at 19:00 hrs Haneda International Terminal to a hotel in Yokohama? How long does it take to get thru immigration & customs & baggage claim?

I saw a Keihin Kyuko Bus schedule that goes to Yokohama but it stops after 20:45 hrs. That would be like 90 minutes from arrival to bus departure if the plane arrives on time (flying against the jet stream).

If I planned on catching this bus then missed the last departure, then we'd be up the creek !

Aloha, rk :D

Aloha all,

We are on a Celebrity cruise in April, 2017, that says there will be port stops in Niigata and Sendai.

We've used the search function on CC and can't find any information about call in the Niigata or Sendai ports.

From what we've read, there really aren't cruise port facilities in either location.

Does anybody have any experience with cruise stops in either of these ports?

Aloha, rak :confused: :confused: :confused:

Aloha all,

I posted this on 11/18/16 on the roll call page for the Celebrity cruise we're taking in April, 2017, since we had visited Nagasaki in 2014.

We visited Nagasaki back in 2014 and saw Dejima & Nagasaki Peace Park, & I think the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.

 

My top 3 things to see in Nagasaki during the time available are:

1. Nagasaki Peace Park & Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum entrances are within easy walking (5-10 min) distance from each other.

2. Dejima

3. Mt. Inasa Observation Platform/Nagasaki Ropeway.

 

You should use Google Maps to locate these places & arrange you itinerary accordingly. Nagasaki Peace Park & Dejima should be seen during the day. I would have dinner before going to Mt. Inasa & view it at night before returning to the ship.

 

I would allow 3-4 hours to see Nagasaki Peace Park & Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. Dejima maybe 1-2 hours. Mount Inasa (Inasayama) is a supposed to be one of the top 3 views in Japan at night (assuming a clear night).

 

Near the Nagasaki International Cruise Ship Terminal is Dejima. It is a fan-shaped artificial island first built in 1634 to segregated the Portuguese traders from the Japanese mainland in an effort to prevent the propagation of Christianity by Portuguese Jesuit priests and later Spanish Franciscan arrivals.

 

Since the 1990's the city of Nagasaki has been involved in a reconstruction program at Dejima to return Dejima once again as an island and to restore many of the 19th century buildings. So far the Deputy Factor's Quarters, the Chief Factor's Residence, the Japanese Officials' Office, the Head Clerk's Quarters, the No. 1 Warehouse, which was used to store sugar, No 2. Warehouse, used to store wood, the Main Gate and the Sea Gate have been opened.

 

This is an open air museum that visitors can stroll through viewing the reconstructed buildings. Visitors can also view Dejima's kitchen, a miniature model of the island and the Dejima Museum, housed in the former Dejima Seminary, and in another annex building. The free Dejima Theater is housed in the New Stone Warehouse, a restoration of the original built in the 1860's and shows a film describing the history of Dejima by an actor playing one of the Japanese translators.

 

Mount Inasa (Inasayama) is a 333 meter high mountain about 4.5 miles away from the Nagasaki International Cruise Ship Terminal.

 

For what it is worth, these are my thoughts about Nagasaki. Personally, I travel to sample the great food in Japan & just snack at the different restaurants we find along the way.

One of the problems with trying to catch the trams everywhere is that with 2,000 people from the cruise ship trying to catch the trams, they can be very crowded. We have found that catching the taxi isn't that expensive for a group of 3 or 4. I think from the cruise port to the Peace Park and Museum was about 2,000 yen or less than US$20. Taxis in Japan are not as expensive as some discussions may lead one to believe, especially for trips of less than 5 miles.

Also, remember, you do not tip in Japan! ! So a US$20 taxi fare total is US$20.00

Aloha, rak :D :D :D

Aloha Capt. Ron,

Thank you for your quick response.

Aloha, rak

Aloha,

In Japan tipping is not expected at all.

Viewed from the Japanese point of view, a valued customer who is engaging your company's goods or services, should always be provided excellent service as an integral element of the employee's job. To do otherwise would be an insult to the customer. Also, in Japan think about why would an employer engage an employee that would provide less that their best effort, excellent service is expected from both employer and employee.

When viewed in that culture and from that point of view, one can understand the reluctance to accept more than what is charged for the goods or services.

Some from the very customer oriented Aloha state try to carry individually packaged chocolate covered macadamia nuts (or other little treats) to give to those who provide exceptional service, as a little gift or token that may not be considered a "tip". Personally we try to give 2 or more items and tell the person to share with a friend with the explanation of it's from an "Aloha from Hawaii" customer. If you think about the effort one takes to carry a token from one's home on a trip to give to somebody that made their trip special while respecting their culture, you can understand a little about what ALOHA means.

The same seems to be the case in Korea. In some other asian countries, some seem be have been corrupted by the western practice of expecting tips regardless of the quality of service.

When visiting another culture one must consider the expectations of the culture. Normal varies from country to country. We hope this helps.

Aloha, rak

Aloha Capt. Ron,

You posted in reply to ep1987 question, "Also not asia board related but did any of the food onboard stand out as being either really good or pretty poor?"

Capt. Ron response, "Not really, food was Okay in MDR, had better on other Celebrity ships. Veggies cold twice for wife in MDR. Lobster one night without extra cost. They have added extra cost food items to order from the MDR menu which was new to us. Lobster, prime steak etc."

We are going on 8 day Celebrity Millenium in April 2017. We've sailed on Princess twice & RCCL once before. The food on our Princess cruises was very good. RCCL, not so good.

Please, could you expand on your experience of the food on the Millenium.

We've looked at the limited information provided on the Celebrity page for this cruise and it is very limited. We've read other reviews on CC that the food on the Millenium was not very good and that the staff keeps trying to upsell meals in the MDR and the pay restaurant packages. We've also read that people that have purchased the pay restaurant packages were dissatisfied with the wait to get into the pay restaurants & the quality of the food served there. :( :mad:

We've also read that there is very little variation in the buffet food & drink items (kind of like our experience with RCCL) and insufficient seating for the number of passengers trying to use the restaurant. :(

I look forward to your reply.

Aloha, rak :D

Haneda Airport is quite close to Yokohama.

Limousine bus will take you directly and inexpensively to the major hotels in Yokohama.

 

For details on any of these options, remember that Google is your friend - and it's free.

Aloha BruceMuzz,

Thanks for the quick response.

I've been using Google and TripAdvisor & everything else I could think of for the last week, but I haven't found a Limousine bus from HND that will take me directly to the Hotel New-Grand in Yokohama. The closest I've found will drop me off at Yama****a Park across the street from the Hotel New-Grand Yokohama.

Right now, we're figuring on catching the train to Yokohama station and taxi to Hotel New-Grand Yokohama, but it still leaves us with having to take luggage from train in Yokohama station (appears to be a big station) to taxi stand outside station.

I will really appreciate it if you could give me a link to the limousine bus that will take us directly from HND to the Hotel New-Grand Yokohama.

Aloha, rak :confused: :) :confused:

Aloha from Hawaii,

What is the easiest way to get from Haneda (HND) International Terminal to Yokohama?

We've traveled to Japan from HI a few times but haven't done a cruise from Yokohama before. We're going in April 2017 and are arriving at HND on Thursday, 4/20, at 6:55pm. We're familiar with the trains but understood that we could catch a limousine bus directly to our hotel. We would prefer this to avoid having to deal with the luggage on the trains & transfer points (some people don't understand traveling light).

Our ship doesn't depart Yokohama until 4/22, so we'll be spending a day & a half poking around Yokohama on our own before departure.

We'll be grateful for any help on painlessly getting to Yokohama.

Aloha, rak :D :confused:

Good afternoon,

 

I'm Will (the Bean half) traveling with my girlfriend, C (Tomato) on my first adult cruise in October on Norwegian Breakaway out of NYC (where we also live) to Bermuda. We've both been lurking around for reviews and any info we can find on our trip and cruising in general and have decided to join up and learn more. I've only been on a cruise and out of the country once back when I was 9 (Oceanic), so I'm looking forward to this trip quite a lot.

 

Any tips/advice are totally welcome. :)

Aloha TomatoandBean/Christine & Will :D

I'm surprised nobody suggested you read the Ports of Call thread for Bermuda at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=196 Also, use the search tool near the top of each page.

Aloha, Randy :):D:):D

Thank you so much for your suggestions, they are really helping me plan this trip. Do you know of a good Italian Restaurant that is close to the Broadway Theaters in New York?

Aloha Linda :D

As you can see by the responses about Becco, Barbetta, etc., there are many, many, good Italian restaurants in NYC. The hard part is determining what style of Italian cooking do you like. Probably in Chatanooga, there are maybe a half dozen good Italian restaurants, but what style do they cook. Barbetta is northern Italian style, Becco is probably a mixture.

From where you are staying, & the theaters you're probably looking at, you're looking for a restaurant in the section of Broadway which runs through the Theater District is known as the Great White Way, 42nd to 53rd encompassing Times Square.

I used TripAdvisor & went to "New York City, New York" & "restaurants" & "Times Square/Theater" & Italian and was shown 31 Italian restaurants in the area. You can take a look at the list & see what appeals to you. Personally, I would go to John's Pizzeria, Times Square. The name can be deceiving since they have a full menu of appetizers, salads, pastas & non-pasta meals, & deserts http://www.johnspizzerianyc.com/Times-Square-Menu/Miscellaneous in addition to pizzas. The other thing is that John's has been recommended several times in various threads.

Just so you know about my tastes for Italian food. We visited Italy back in 2006 & stayed in Rome, Pisa, & Venice. We also visited Florence. We tried the local Italian foods & none of it was particularly tasty to me. Now remember this was in Italy & we were there as somebody's guests & were taken around to different places to eat. So remember, what is tasty to one person is not necessarily tasty to another.

I actually got used to eating Italian cooking from my Italian uncle from Boston.

Aloha :D

We are considering a cruise on the Quantum of the Seas but after TWO major headaches trying to get a taxi from the "Other" Manhattan cruise port we are very wary of trying it again. So, do taxis come right to the cruise terminal in Cape Liberty (Bayonne) to pick up passengers on disembarkation day? Or do you have to drag all your luggage to some other place to find a cab? We usually go in the winter so waiting around outside is not an option. Thanks for any info.

Aloha :D

138east/Carol has mentioned a taxi dispatcher at the Cape Liberty terminal several times in her posts, so I would look for him. If you call the http://www.cruiseliberty.com/ phone number on their website, someone should be able to give you detailed info. that you could post on this thread for others to use. We're using a car service so I haven't researched taxi locations at the port.

Aloha :D

Okay, now you're getting my attention with Portland, ME options. Looked up the menu for Portland Lobster Company and saw they have steamers (haven't had these in years), mussels, shrimp and whole lobsters. Wished more items had something other than "market price." Guess we'll find out the price when we get there.

 

Other than eat, what other suggestions does anyone have for Portland?

Aloha chrismch :D

If you are asking about what to do in the immediate vicinity of where the ship docks, other than eating, we will be walking along Comercial Street & looking at the restaurants & shops, walking up a couple of streets (locate Exchange Street on a map & Google "Old Port" & "Exchange Street" so you know what you are looking around for. So basically "window shopping" on the way out, then we decide what we want to buy & pick the stuff up on the way back. That is one of the main reasons I always have a large capacity backpack when we "just walk around". We always bring back salt water taffy in boxes that say "Portland, Maine" or something like that to give to friends after we return to Hawaii.

Portland is the first stop on our cruise so we believe we'll eat some type of lobster at least twice, even if it means we're just taking a lobster roll or a bowl of lobster stew or chowda back to the ship.

Other than around the ship dock, Portland ME is famous for it's lighthouses, coastline & lobster fishery, so people take tours away from the dock area. We've driven around Portland several times and have gone on boat excursions to see the lobster pot bouys & the coastline & lighthouses before so our plan is to walk around the dock areas (even though we've stayed in a hotel near the docks before) on this trip. It just depend on how much activity you want on your cruise. While we can buy lots of seafood (including whole Maine lobster, 10lb. box at Costco) in Hawaii, it's fun to us to eat fresh lobster when we are in New England. We actually don't buy the lobster rolls as often as we buy the whole cooked lobster & use our fingers to pick out the meat ourselves, sucking up the saltwater the lobsters are cooked in.

Aloha :D

hi travelers! I have never been on a cruise from NY and am a bit nervous (obsessively). we are 12 people (8 adults and 4 kids) coming from Philly to NY to sail on the Disney Magic in October 2016. we are trying desperately to find the easiest and cheapest way to get us all there. is there a shuttle service that we can use (would something like super shuttle work)? and parking at the pier is $35/day. what would you do/suggest?

thank you

Aloha happy traveler69 :D

Apparently, quite a few people use this company for transportation to the cruise pier from PA. http://www.transbridgelines.com/ From what I could see it looks like at least a busload of people on our cruise leaving from Cape Liberty in September.

There was also a previous post along this request in this East Coast Departures thread earlier. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2236025

Aloha :D

I just looked at the menu and it looks amazing. I will definitely have to include this restaurant to our trip to New York. Thanks for the info. Yes my Mom would like the lobster roll and the clam chowder too. Any suggestions where to buy them? I have read that Johns is the place to go for pizza. We will eat pizza but it is not our favorite. Maybe will try it for lunch one day.

Aloha lperry1016 :D

I just posted our current plan for our cruise with the food stops on our Roll Call thread. All of the ports have lots of lobster offerings. Whole boiled, rolls, stew, chowder, bisque, etc. Breakfasts include lobster omlete, lobster benedict, etc. In addition to crab, fish, clams, mussels. A lot of this seafood in New England is fresh, and that is why my recommendation to eat something other than seafood in NYC which has to have all of these brought in.

Sat 8am-6pm Portland Ocean Gateway, Pier 2

Harbor Fish Market 8:30am-5:30pm check out cooked whole lobster for later in day (maybe lunch)

Becky's Diner breakfast Lobster & Swiss omlet w/ homefries & toast

Old Port, Exchange Street, main commercial thoroughfare in the Old Port district (leisurely poke around)

Portland Lobster Company 11am lunch if not Harbor Fish Market

 

Sun 7am-6pm Bar Harbor tender dock TomsPortGuide.com BarHarborMaine-08-21-2013.pdf

Bar Harbor Shore Path leisure stroll high tide 11:43 +11ft

Lazy Lobster Deli 7am-3pm check out breakfast lobster benedict, lobster omelets and lobster crepes

Downeast Deli 8am–4pm box lunches home of the naked lobster roll (no mayo)

Testa's Restaurant 8am-9pm lobster omelette w/ home fries and toast $19.95. lobster benedict homefries or grits & toast

Testa's Restaurant 11am Early Bird ala carte lobster fresh boiled butter & rolls $15.95 - twin lobster (no sharing) salad, choice of side and fresh rolls $25.95

 

Mon 7am-3pm Saint John Marco Polo Terminal TomsPortGuide.com SaintJohn-NB-05-30-2014.pdf

Market Square, Brunswick Square, Saint John City Market walk to

North Market Seafood 7:30am-6pm @ Saint John City Market called & verified whole cooked lobster

Deluxe French Fries Brunswick Square 9am-6pm fastfood in food court

 

Tues 9:30am-7pm Halifax Pier 22 TomsPortGuide.com Halifax-06-15-2011.pdf

Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market pier 20 Maritime Lobster Shack, Goldwater Lobster Shack 10am-5pm

Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 9:30am-5:30pm (1.0 km)

Taxi to Halifax Citadel walk to Halifax Public Gardens taxi back to ship

 

Thur 7am-5pm Boston Black Falcon Cruise Terminal TomsPortGuide.com Boston-04-21-2013.pdf

Old Town Trolley Tours HOHO

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum 10am-5pm

James Hook & Co. 10am-5pm fresh Lobster Roll $16, Rockport Lobster Bisque $8 waterfront shanty offering live lobsters plus prepared shellfish fare for takeout

Yankee Lobster Company 10am-9pm 850 meters from Black Falcon Cruise Terminal

 

As you may notice, we don't plan to take excursions during this cruise, just walk except for Boston. We'll taxi when our feet get tired. We like staying close to the ship so we can just go back on board to take a nap if needed. Anne hasn't given final approval so subject to revision.

Aloha :D

Are you coming to Portland as well as Bar Harbor?

Aloha chengkp75 :D

Yes we dock at Portland Ocean Gateway, Pier 2 on Sat 9/11 @ 8am. Our cruise ports are Portland, Bar Harbor, St. John, Halifax, & Boston.

Our plan is to go over to Harbor Fish Market 8:30am-5:30pm check out cooked whole lobster for later in day (maybe lunch), & Becky's Diner, possibly eat at Portland Lobster Company if Harbor Fish Market doesn't pan out.

We've driven up from NYC & flown into Portland International Jetport, & driven to the Old Port & Cape Elizabeth (looking at lighthouses & looking for lobster). I think we even stayed 2-3 nights at the Hampton Inn Portland Downtown, Waterfront (probably was different name back then) on our first New England vacation. We plan to walk & explore the Old Port & Exchange Street areas (I need to find salt water taffy for a good friend back home).

We are entirely unstructured & open to suggestions. We continue to discuss what we are going to do while we are on this cruise, & discussion will probably continue while we are on the cruise.

Aloha :D:D:D:D

Aloha chengkp75 :D

Since we're not driving from the ports on this cruise, we're stuck with the "tourist prices" for the lobster. My favorite is a soft shell 1-1/2 lb. pistol & pick the meat myself. As it is, I figure if we can buy a single whole cooked soft shell 1-1/2 lb. pistol for $12 with butter, that will be an excellent price & I'll be happy. I'm more than willing to skip the mayo & bread.

In Bar Harbor, we don't want to chance getting stuck if we taxi out to Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound or Travelin' Lobster (7 mi.) or Bar Harbor Lobster Pound (5 mi.). Our ship leaves port at 6pm & Travelin' Lobster doesn't open until 3pm. Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound opens at 8am, but it's 11 miles from the tender dock. Like I said, I don't even know if we can get a taxi to drive us out that far, then of course that drives up the cost per lobster!

Aloha :D

Are lobster rolls really worth the price?

 

I see lots of posts mention the desire to find a good place to get a lobster roll in the Canada/NE ports. With the flash freezing they have these days for seafood, I can buy my own lobster tails at $5-$6 for the 4 oz size. Are there really any reasonably priced seafood markets where you can buy it off a pier, they cook it there and you can eat it inside or out on picnic tables?;) outside

Aloha :D

I've been reading this thread with interest since it started and decided to finally chime in. We're from Hawaii where nobody seems to sell lobster rolls. My wife loves to eat lobster, so when we vacation in New England, we eat lobster. She prefers her lobster roll with butter, not mayo, so naked lobster roll with butter on the side is her preferred. So spending thousands of dollars to fly to New England to eat lobster, the $20-$25 price for a good lobster roll is worth it to her.

Now if you are looking for a "reasonably priced seafood markets where you can buy it off a pier", I doubt you will find one, because they have to pay their rent on the pier which is very expensive. If you want "they cook it there and you can eat it inside or out on picnic tables?;)outside" you're talking about a lobster pound.

One year, from Bar Harbor, we went on a boat tour to look at seals & lobster traps. There were so many traps & it looked like the traps were only about 25 yards apart. This was when there was a glut of lobster hitting the markets & the lobster fishermen weren't even covering their expenses to go out & pull their traps. We were driving thru Maine and we found a lobster pound that was actually on a pier & the 1.25 softshells were 3 for $15.

The Lobster Shack on Two Lights Road on Cape Elizabeth, ME. On Bar Harbor Road, Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound at the bridge to Mt. Desert Island, Travelin Lobster & Bar Harbor Lobster Pound. These are other lobster pounds where we have eaten. There have been numerous other beach & port stops where we have eaten lobster rolls, lobster stew, chowders, bisques, etc.

So like I said, since we spend thousands to fly, drive, & stay in New England to vacation, yes, to us they are worth the price.

Aloha :D

I'm going to go against the flow here. I think you should go with the expectation of experiencing/exploring cruising. Use the ship as your destination. Take whatever itinerary fits your time and budget.

You are a family of five with young children. Most cruise lines/ships would not have cabins for that number. You would have to book two cabins, unless you could get a family suite which could be expensive. I have no idea of your budget. But there is a cruise line that can take care of you. Carnival Dream class ships , Carnival Breeze out of Galveston and Dream out of NOLA, have cabins for five. There is a twin/king for the adults, two uppers and a couch for the children. There is a split bath, two sinks and showers, one toilet. They are ocean view cabins. Their kids programs are free, though some activities may have a fee (Build-a-bear type stuff). Programs in the kids area after 10pm do have a fee. Carnival Magic also has these cabins, but she is sailing next summer from Port Canaveral, a longer trip to departure port.

EM

Aloha Essiesmom :D

WOW! I didn't know such a cruise existed. Must cost a small fortune for this cruise for 5 people 38, 38, 9, 7, 4, unless kids are half price. I can't even begin to imagine the total for a 7 day cruise.

What about the gratuities? Like on our RCI cruise in Sept. the "voluntary/mandatory" gratuities are $12.95pp/day so on our 9 day cruise for two it's $233.10 in gratuities. If it's the same amount for the kids, the daily family rate for 5 is $64.75 in tips, $453.25 for a 7 day cruise. Plus port fees & taxes.

When our 3 were those ages, we were socking away everything we could for their college educations. As it is now, our last is 23yo & the land grant college he attends is over $16,000/year in resident tuition alone plus room & board & books, etc. & this is undergraduate school. I hope he doesn't tell us he want to go to graduate school (btw, he works part-time for his spending money). Graduate school will be cutting into our cruise/retirement moneys.

Might I also suggest that you get a babysitter & just the two of you take a short cruise first to get a real idea what a cruise is like. The babysitter has got to cost less than the fare for the 3 kids.

Aloha :D

Why have you decided to be nasty to me. I have never done anything mean to anyone. I asked for help and my question was moved. I really don't understand how or why someone would even feel the need to look up how many questions I answer. If I have something to help someone I will. Why does anyone care. I am afraid to ask any questions now. I always went to the cruise boards for help. What did I do that was so offensive?

Aloha LuvTheSea14 :D

Your original post was just a shotgun blast type of asking for everything anybody would take the time to type out. I looked up your prior posts to see if you just did the same thing wherever you posted (I do my research, see!) just in case your original post here was something different from your norm. So far, you haven't demonstrated that you have had "something to help someone" ever in your posts.

Now you accuse me of being nasty. I'm not trying to be nasty & I'm sorry if you perceived my response as nasty. If you don't understand what you are doing, do you want to just continue in ignorance? Or do you want to do better? Otherwise most of the time when I see somebody that just seems to take, take, take, take, I don't bother posting any information.

BTW, I increase the size of the text in my posts because my eyesight is not what it used to be and the larger text helps me review my posts. If this is perceived as shouting, please tell me. I thought only all caps was shouting.

If anybody out there thinks I am being unreasonable, please let me know, because I have been wrong about stuff before. Also, if my thinking is reasonable, please also let me know.

Cruisin' Chick, what do you think? You always seem to try to help, & I appreciate your effort.

Aloha :D

My wife is very apprehensive, but I so want to cruise. Do not even know where. We live in Arkansas and would cruise our of the Gulf for Florida coast. Advise for traveling with family -- me 38, wife 38, son 9, son 7, daughter 4. We do not have a preference for cruise line or itinerary. Where do we start? How do we choose a line. We are not drinkers or gamblers -- best for my family. what are our options besides Disney, which is soooo expensive. Summer travel is our only option.

Aloha hawkinsh :D

First you have to understand what it means to cruise. The ship is a moving hotel room with some entertainment & restaurants. Most of the cabins are small, check out the square footage on the websites. The hotel moves from location to location (ports) and will let you off for a few hours to explore & experience (excursions) the immediate area (remember it is very limited time in port, just hours). Drinking & gambling are not required activities. They are provide to make money for the cruise line. So if you think that you will get to know a particular area, think again.

I'm not trying to discourage you from cruising, but you have to be realistic and understand what cruising is about. Some people cruise to just enjoy the ship & don't leave the ship in the ports. Some people like to just sit & read on board the ship or like to go to the restaurants every night. The ship itself is the destination for these people & you might be surprised to find out how many actually don't leave the ship in the ports.

Cruises (excluding Disney) are not designed for kids. There may or may not be kids clubs (which costs, so you can do stuff without them) with activities. You may need to babysit your own kids on the ship & on shore. The ship is not a playground where you just turn your kids loose.

So just think about these thing before you decide to cruise with or without your kids.

Aloha :D