OnTheJourney

Hi,

I'm looking to get some feedback on the "Evening at the Sugar Shack" excursion in Quebec City that is being offered during my upcoming cruise. It is basically a visit to a Maple Museum, then a "Quebecois" buffet, followed by a maple taffy pull, and then entertainment. Another excursion I'm interested in is the St. Anne de Beaupre and Montmorency Falls. It's a bit much to do both. Unfortunately both of these excursions are only offered on the day that we are in port overnight and not the following day.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Keith

Hi,

In September I am going on the 14-day Summit cruise of New England and Canada. I thought maybe someone would have some suggestions as to good excursions. The ports of call are:

Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown, Quebec City (overnight), Corner Brook, and Portland.

A few excursions I am considering are:

Bar Harbor: Best of Bar Harbor (visits Acadia and Cadillac Mountain, the Lobster Oceanarium and Museum, Clefstone Mansion)

Halifax: Peggy's Cove and Double-Decker City Tour

Sydney: Grand Tour - Baddeck and Highland Village with Lunch

Charlottetown: - not sure - I once vacationed on PEI for 2 weeks and so really covered much of what there is to see around the island

Quebec City: have never been there and so really looking forward to it! - Considering the Old Quebec Walking Tour and An Evening At the Sugar Shack, and then the next day the Quebec City Tour and Montmorency Falls

Corner Brook - not sure here - Gros Morne National Park by Motor Coach sounds interesting. There is also one called "Captain Cook's Trail".

Portland: tour of Kennebunkport that includes free time in Dock Square

Thanks for any suggestions!

Keith

Thanks for the helpful replies!

Hi,

I've never been there but would like to know where the dock is located. Is it by any chance near the Road Harbour / Road Town area? I am interested in attending Sunday Catholic Mass and noticed that there is a church in Road Town. Hopefully the church is within close walking distance of the pier. It does not look to be that big of an island.

Thanks.

Hi,

I am just wondering being that most of the excursions I have booked start around 8:30-9:00.

Thanks.

I wouldn't think a cruise line would be able to confine passengers to cabins. I would think they can request it, but not much beyond that. (?) If they would do it, they'd have to in some way supply those people with room service meals. I agree completely that anyone who is ill should not be out and around the ship anyway. Getting sick and losing part of one's vacation can happen in any form of travel. I think the big problem is that people do not take every precaution with using hand sanitizers. I've heard of situations where people are seen sneezing, coughing, blowing nose, etc. and then without cleaning their hands go right up to the buffet lines. So the spread of germs exponentiates pretty rapidly. I will never forget being in glacier bay when the captain came on the loudspeaker and made a ship-wide announcement that everyone should "wash their hands every time before eating - 20 seconds - with soap!" With his Dutch accent, it was actually pretty funny, but excellent advice!

Hi,

I will be on the Jewel later this year and was wondering what the evening show times are. I am planning shore excursions each day of the cruise and so am figuring around a 6:00-6:30 dinner time, hoping that this would work to catch a show after eating. I am not a late eater and so would not opt for a show before dinner. Might there be a show around 8:00?

Thanks,

Keith

Hi,

I've never been there as part of a cruise, but vacationed there many years ago for a week at Grapetree Bay. We had a car and enjoyed driving around. Both Christiansted and Frederiksted are worth visiting. Point Udall was nice, as was St. George Botanical Garden and Whim Great House. The Buck Island snorkeling trip was nice too, although the guide got a bit impatient for everyone to keep up with him. I'm sure you'll enjoy your time there.

Keith

I was there in '87 - not part of a cruise - my wife and I flew there, rented a car, and stayed at Grapetree Bay for a week. We had a great time driving all around the island and visiting places. We were to Grassy Point, St. George Botanical Garden and Great House, Whim Great House Plantation Sugar Mill, Fort Christiansvaern, Frederiksted, Christiansted, did the Buck Island Catamaran Sail and Snorkel, and drove out to Point Udall. I found it to be a lovely island. Staying there for several days was really nice - took along our own snorkeling gear and had a nice beach right at the hotel. I'd say it's definitely worth it. Then again, I'm speaking from what it was like 17 years ago! We're going there again as part of a Southern Caribbean cruise in the spring. It'll be quite nostalgic to visit there again.

Keith

Hi,

Right now it's not on the website but is listed in the shore excursion brochure. I will be there in the spring and am looking for ideas. I've seen the new part of San Juan on a previous cruise. I thought this Old San Juan tour seemed interesting since it also goes to El Morro.

Another tour I thought looked good is the El Yunque Rain Forest Hike.

Thanks for any suggestions or ideas!

Keith

Hi,

I will be on the Jewel visiting Tortola in the spring, and found both of these excursions in the RCCL brochure. Any suggestions or ideas?

Thanks,

Keith

Hi,

Both of these are RCCL shore excursions that looked interesting to me. I've never been there before and so I figured it'd be nice to do something that shows me the island. The 'highlights' tour stops at Cane Garden Bay and then drives over Zion Hill along the Drake highway.

Any suggestions or ideas greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Keith

Hi,

I will be on St. Maarten with a RCCL cruise in the spring. I came across this excursion, as well as the St. Maarten Island Tour in the shore excursion brochure. Any suggestions? Having never been there before, I figured I should do something that explores both Dutch and French sides of the island.

Thanks for any input!

Keith

Hi,

I'm looking for good excursions, having never been to St. Kitts before. I thought this railway tour looked interesting. Thanks for any suggestions or ideas!

Keith

Hi,

This tour looks interesting. Any suggestions on this or any other sightseeing-oriented tour? Have never been to Dominica before.

Thanks,

Keith

Hi,

Any suggestions? I'll be in St. Lucia on an upcoming cruise and this excursion looked interesting.

Thanks for any input,

Keith

Hi,

I'll be in Antigua on an upcoming cruise and am wondering about good excursions. This tour stops at the Dockyard, Admiral's house, Sail Maker's Loft, Bakery, Blockhouse Ruins, Shirley Heights, etc.

Any ideas or suggestions appreciated!

Thanks,

Keith

Hi,

I will be in Barbados on an upcoming cruise. Has anyone done the tour that goes to the Parks Farm where they have these black belly sheep? Right now the tour is listed in the shore excursions brochure but not on the website.

Any suggestions on good excursions most appreciated. Thanks!

Keith

Hi,

I am considering taking the Canada / New England cruise on the Summit next September. It appears that most of the mid-ship rooms are already sold out. I do have some motion sickness issues and so was hoping for one of those middle rooms if I decide to do this. Also, I've read that the Vista deck is a good choice. Any suggestions? I've been looking at the 2A rooms. How is the motion on the Summit farther towards aft or forward? There are still rooms available in those areas.

Thanks for any suggestions...

Keith

Hi,

Sorry for the flurry of recent threads, but I'd love to find someone here who has indeed flown the Drake and can tell me what it was like. The flight I'm looking at leaves out of Punta Arenas and arrives in the South Shetlands. The trip I am considering is this one: http://www.expeditiontrips.com/antarctica-cruises-peninsula/antarctica-cruise-t3085.html This company also has several others - this one is the shortest. Any input appreciated.

Keith

Thanks so much for the replies! Perfectly - you have pretty much nailed it when you say that I need to choose between the options that you indicate. As I replied in another thread, I mentioned that I have already decided on ruling out a small expedition ship crossing the Drake. That just seems to be tempting fate a bit too much. I think my best choices are either flying both ways with a small ship expedition experience, or else going with a big company cruise and hoping for the best on the crossing. Either way I'll be prepared with wristband, medicine, and ginger pills.

Best,

Keith

Thanks so much for the replies! Perfectly - you have pretty much nailed it when you say that I need to choose between the options that you indicate. As I replied in another thread, I mentioned that I have already decided on ruling out a small expedition ship crossing the Drake. That just seems to be tempting fate a bit too much. I think my best choices are either flying both ways with a small ship expedition experience, or else going with a big company cruise and hoping for the best on the crossing. Either way I'll be prepared with wristband, medicine, and ginger pills.

Best,

Keith

Wow! Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. I believe the options I would pursue, based on everything I've been reading, is to either fly both ways if doing a small expedition ship or to do a cruise or cruisetour (Celebrity, Collette, Tauck, HAL) if opting for the large ship experience. What I won't take a chance on is to sail the Drake on a smaller ship - that just seems to be too much of an invitation to spend several days feeling sick. Paying for the smaller expedition ship experience is not an issue. I truly appreciate ALL the replies. Now all I need to do is to find someone here who has flown the Drake and find out what it was like. I know someone in one of my threads mentioned that he'd be more scared of flying the Drake than sailing across it!

Regards,

Keith

With ANY cruise I intend from now on to go 'armed to the teeth' - wristbands, dramamine (I hate that stuff - it works but I feel zonked out on it most of the time), and ginger pills -which I've never used but I hear work well. I'm doing a 2-week southern in a few months - have never been on that long a cruise before so hoping for the best. And, yes, I can get seasick while cruising in the Caribbean. The open water around Alaska was a bit worse - had to leave dinner one night to go back to the room to get my wristbands. So now you can see my concern about the potential for Drake Shake.... :)

Thanks again for all the helpful thoughts...

Keith

Hi,

I read through your detailed description of your trip. I must say that the parts (and pictures of the Drake crossing) almost made me queasy just reading and looking at the pictures! It does not encourage me to want to make this trip. It always seems that when I get motion sick it stays with me for hours or more. I'm sure for people like yourself who apparently are pretty immune to the motion, I have no doubt the Drake experience is fantastic! I'm thinking that I had better stick to a flying option. Thanks for your excellent posts on your trip. Your pictures from Antarctica are amazing. I really do want to go, but I little enthusiasm for the Drake after what I read and saw in your posts.

Keith