Mtngirl2

Hi, there,  I understand testing requirements might change between now and May, but where could I get COVID testing before my cruise in Seattle?  What places would you all recommend, where you can get a test acceptable by the cruise company and results come back within a short time frame?  Thanks!

Yes, information about COVID testing on HAL still says as of February 4.  I called again to see if there were any new updates, and there were not.  The consultant could not clearly explain to me if we need COVID testing only before the land tour beginning in Fairbanks, or if we need to get another test while during the land tour and before we get on the cruise ship in Whittier.  She kept saying follow Canadian guidelines?????????  After several minutes, she then said we would have to do our own tests during the land tour, before we get on the cruise ship, and that HAL would not provide them.  I asked her if the land tour group (50 people, 100 people, or whatever number) would have to find testing in Anchorage on our own?  She then said we would have to bring our own home tests with us to do during the land tour.  Very, very confusing.......I don't think HAL has really thought out the land tour/cruise ship testing requirements yet......I know it is early and things can change, but I was very confused AFTER speaking with the consultant.  And she seemed very frustrated with the question as well.  I would have been OK with the statement "Sorry, we don't know yet......".  

We are considering the HAL shore excursion to Misty Fjords via boat cruise this May.  Recommendations?  Thanks!

Thanks for all your replies, and so sorry about the underlined text in my original message--I don't know what happened when I was typing, as I certainly did not intentionally set the underline format.  With that said, yes, I had called HAL several weeks ago and the cruise consultant put me on hold for a good ten minutes while she went to check about testing, and apologized that she could not give me an answer.  Just thought someone had some recent information.  I do realize things might change between now and then, but my biggest concern is planning flights in the event we need to have a test before the land portion.  I decided to do two days in Seattle (I have friends there already) before flying to Fairbanks, in the event we need to show a test.  Fairbanks, when I searched online, did not seem to have many options for testing where we could get a quick result test acceptable to HAL.  Seattle does.  So, for me, I will visit friends, test if we need a test, and then eagerly look forward to the adventures ahead!  I agree, if HAL wants us tested to get on the cruise portion, they will have to provide testing during the land portion.  I know they will provide testing before we arrive in Vancouver.

Hi, we will be on a land tour from Fairbanks in May followed by a 7 day Inside Passage cruise to Vancouver.  Has anyone heard about COVID testing requirements for either the land portion OR if not, where would we get the precruise testing for the cruise while on the land tour????????  Maybe things will change before May?

Thanks for your suggestions!!!!!

You could take an airport bus shuttle from either JFK or LaGuardia to Grand Central.  Then stay at a hotel near Grand Central--the train station itself has great places to eat!  Then you could take the airport bus (inexpensive) from Grand Central to Newark Airport, then take a taxi to the Bayonne Cruise terminal.  This might be the most inexpensive way to do this.  Taxis from La Guardia to Manhattan are around $40, and more from JFK.  Airport buses have schedules and are generally around $20 one way (depends which one).  Check it out!  Newark can sometimes be cheaper to fly into than the NYC airports.  Plus you can get a hotel near Newark airport and get a taxi to the cruise.  But as one post says, NYC is a great city and very worth the time and energy to explore!!!!!!!

Can never predict fog!  Or the weather!  I have worn fleece jackets in July in that area......if raining could be cold!  Always a sea breeze as well.  I would do the 10 am trip, then when back in harbor find a great place for a lobster lunch and do a little shopping (lobster socks and lobster magnets!).  Have fun!

Assuming you are ending in Boston, here is what I would suggest:  Boston--Portsmouth, NH--North Conway, NH (White Mountain area--gorgeous)--Littleton NH--St. Johnsbury VT--Burlington VT--Woodstock VT--and back to Boston.

Time and distances:  *Boston to Portsmouth--1 hour.  *Portsmouth to North Conway--1 hour and 20 minutes--north on Rt. 16.  *North Conway via Littleton to St. Johnsbury--2 hours--travel through Crawford Notch via Rt. 302.  *St. Johnbury to Burlington VT (Lake Champlain)--1-2 hours.  *Burlington to Woodstock--1-2 hours.  *Woodstock to Boston (depending on route 2-3 hours).

Foliage is gorgeous.  All places mentioned are popular tourist areas with lots of places to stay.  I would recommend a day in Portsmouth, two days in North Conway, two days in Burlington, a night in Woodstock.  All depending on what you'd like to see and do!!!!!!!!!!!

Have fun and enjoy!!!!!!  New England is so beautiful!

We have done wonderful whale watching from Portland.  But, how much time will you have when in Portland?  We have done day-long whale watches, going way out into the Atlantic, and have seen many whales.  Some whale watching trips are shorter, like 4 hours, and some may be offered only once a day at a time not convenient for you.  Hope you are able to find something good for you!

Taxis are easy and fast, depending on time of day you are using them.  Closest hotels to the cruise terminal are the Renaissance Boston Waterfront or the Westin Boston Waterfront, as well as the Yotel.  No shuttle service from the hotels, but taxis are easily available.  If you have not been to Boston before, you might want to stay in the center, do some sightseeing, then catch a taxi to the cruise terminal.......maybe 20 minutes from the center, depending on time of day and traffic.  Have fun!

Agree with all.......go in early October to maximize fall foliage!  B2B is a great way to do this itinerary.....you get to do all the ports a second time and go back and spend more time at these beautiful areas!  It is a GREAT cruise and have fun!

Rent a car for the day and go and discover some of the beautiful beaches like Narragansett and the Jamestown area, etc.!!!!!!  Start checking online for great seafood places and plan your day around that.  Gorgeous views and lovely sea experiences!!!!!!!!  Or check out boat rides from Newport to explore the coast.

Good luck seeing any moose!  Years ago we used to see a lot of moose around here, even walking around in the middle off town in the middle of the day!  Now if I want to see a moose, I go on a local "moose safari" designed for tourists in my area......small buses that go around back roads in early evenings between May and October checking out the watering holes where moose tend to hang out, but even then there is no guarantee!  The ticks have been doing a number on the moose over the years in New England.....ticks get on the moose and the moose die from the infestation.  Terrible way to go.  Scientists are looking for ways to save the population, and even moose hunting has been limited in the past few years with lotteries taking place with a small number of hunting licenses handed out.  Sorry to share all of this sad news.....they are incredible creatures and I would hate to see them become extinct.

3 hours ago, dkay1211 said:

We are planning to book a Canada/New England cruise for September.  Looking at 3 itineraries.  1. Portland, Bar Harbor, Halifax, and St. John with 2 sea days.  2. Portland, Bar Harbor, and Halifax with 3 sea days. 3. Boston, Portland, Halifax, and St. John with 2 sea days.  Any thoughts or opinions on these itineraries?  Thanks!  😊

Seems like similar itineraries.....depends on how many sea days you would like!  All are fabulous ports!  Depending on if you are flying to Boston for the cruise, that might the easiest for you.  From Logan Airport, depending on traffic, it would be about a 20 minute taxi ride to the cruise terminal (depending on traffic and time of day!).  Portland is a smaller airport, very nice, but might be a pricier air ticket for you.  From Portland airport, the cruise terminal would be about 20 minutes (less traffic than Boston!).  Both Boston and Portland are great places to explore before the cruise as well.  Decisions, decisions!  Have fun!  I live near Portland so am familiar with the area, if you have more questions......

The Marriott is at Circular Quay, within sight of the old Holiday Inn.  Very nice, clean, and right there near the train, water taxis, boats, the Opera House and the restaurants in that area.  The old Holiday Inn was probably a city block away from the Marriott and the  Shangri-La is maybe two city blocks away from the Marriott.  Good choices!

We stayed at the Marriott at the Circular Quay and like a previous post said, it was clean and lovely and close to all the boats and water transport and the opera house, plus many restaurants in the opera house area.  There are so many hotels and Sydney is safe, so enjoy!

Thanks for your reply!  I will be staying out by the airport and was trying to figure a way to visit some places in the city.  There is a bus that goes from the airport to one of the main subway stops, and I was trying to figure out how to get from that subway stop to a few places I wanted to visit.  I will be a solo traveler and am aware of being cautious wherever I travel, no matter what city!  Tours by Locals are too expensive for one person, and I have visited Santiago before, so I was hoping to get around and see a few other places like handicraft markets, etc.  I will take your good advice and will continue to look at other options.  Looking forward to my trip!  Thanks so much once again!

Another thought.....if you decide to stay in Casablanca, check out Rick's Cafe!!!!!!!  Yes, there really is a Rick's Cafe!  Check out its website!  It was opened by an American women who lived in Casablanca and had worked for the US Embassy, and once she was finished with her job decided to stay on in Casablanca and opened this restaurant.  We met her the evening we dined there.  Unfortunately, she recently passed, but the cafe lives on!  You do need reservations.....But I tell you, when you walk in there, you might think you are in the middle of the movie!  It is decorated exactly like the movie and I expected Sam to walk in at any moment to play the piano!!!!!  We had a dinner table right by the piano and had great photos taken for our Christmas card there!  The food was wonderful, the service excellent, and I would highly recommend it!  For a day in Casa, I would recommend a city tour, visit the old souk, visit the huge mosque, and take in Rick's Cafe!  Enjoy!

I agree with the other suggestions, that it will take a good 3 hours between Casa and Marrakech.  Casa is very congested and will take time getting out of the city, but the road between the two cities is excellent--two lanes in each direction, with big service areas every 20 miles or so (gasoline, cafe, restaurant, play area, gift shop, etc.--very clean and very modern).  The traffic in Marrakech didn't seem to be as congested, but still crowded.  We were with a private guide and driver in Morocco, so I cannot give you suggestions on tour companies.  I would not plan your trip narrowly to the time to be back on ship, because you never know what kind of traffic or situation you might entail on the way back to Casa.  Marrakech certainly needs plenty of time to enjoy.  I would think that even with a private or small group tour, you would not have as much time to really enjoy the old souk as you think you would have.  If you get there by 12 noon, have lunch, do a one hour city tour, you are really looking at 2 or so to begin the souk.....then maybe a quick supper before getting out of the city, doing the 3 hour drive, and then congestion back in Casa.  I would stick with the cruise ship tour.....just in case traffic is congested, etc.  You can always go back one day and spend time on your own touring Morocco and spend lots of time in Marrakech.  I liked it better than Casa......

Hi,  I lived and worked in the Middle East for three years and traveled all around.  Oman was my favorite place, especially Muscat!  Yes, the locals are super friendly child friendly, as another entry mentioned.  Muscat is a beautiful place and there are some lovely beach resorts that you might want to look into for a day pass, if that is something you are interested in.  I have walked the local beaches with family friends before.  You might want to look into a boat ride along the coast?  Also, the souk (old market) is great fun and is one of the oldest in that part of the world--lots to see!  I have not traveled with kids but I am sure others will be able to provide more suggestions.  I knew other families with children who lived there and they loved the city and the country!  Have fun!

Hi,  I have been to Buenos Aires before and am interested in either doing the Gauchos tour outside of the city, or doing a customized tour of places in the city associated with Pope Francis.  Any recommendations?  Any recommended private guides for Buenos Aires to do a tour like this?  Thanks so much!

Hi, everyone, I will be spending a couple of days in Santiago and was wondering about the subway system.  Is it safe?  Is it worth using around the city?  Please advise!  Many thanks!

Thanks to all for your suggestions!  Very helpful!

Hi, any recommendations for private guides in Santiago?  I have a day and a half in Santiago, have been there before, and would like to customize a tour.  Thanks!