greatestvalue

On 6/4/2023 at 11:26 PM, Ine said:

you only pay a fee if you want to enter a windmill.

We are off to Zaanse Schans during our upcoming cruise in May 2024. 

Any experience with purchasing tickets in advance or its one of the entrances, you can purchase day of?

On 2/18/2024 at 4:41 AM, FreestyleNovice said:

Amsterdam Central Station

Is Amsterdam Central Station considered the same as Amsterdam City Centre?  

7 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

Check out the map at https://keukenhof.nl/en/ov/ 

This is perfect information.  Thank you!

On 12/31/2023 at 8:02 AM, VMax1700 said:

visit Blarney Woolen Mills

Are there any Woolen Mills or Woolen Shops in the town of Cobh? 
We are opting to do Spike Island, Titanic Museum, Cathedral in town and would love to shop local at a Woolen shop 

On 1/11/2024 at 1:27 AM, FreestyleNovice said:

Public transport is good here

We are coming into Amsterdam cruise terminal.  Looking at all the transport options to buy the bus and entrance tickets.  Which would you say is easiest walk to Central station and take the ferry over to the bus, and/or get to the airport and hop on the bus.  Or is there a means we aren't thinking of?  Thank you

On 1/9/2024 at 1:50 PM, gnome12 said:

I have certainly been to Keukenhof.

How easy did you find it to get to the Tulip Festival taking the bus?  Did you go to the airport and hop on the bus or go to the ferry location and take the bus there or neither?

3 hours ago, J13C85 said:

First, the MDR menus are the same each correspinding night of the 2 cruises. What I mean is the menu one night one is the same on both day ones

Yikes, we may have to strategize how we eat...LOL  Ours are 7 days, 14 days.  So we should get reprieve from the same menu on day 8 of the 2nd cruise?...lol

On 2/10/2024 at 5:49 AM, nasa1974 said:

I scratched something off my bucket list. I was able to dive the Great Barrier Reef.

That would be amazing! So blessed to be able to check that off the bucket list.  Your comment me realizing a comment I made to my husband, if we are going to Australia we cant skip the Barrier Reef. Just added that onto our trip. 
Thank you so much for sharing your experience.  You just brought ours up to a whole new level!

13 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

One thing to be aware of if your itinerary leaves Australia is that once you board on the day the ship sails, you are considered to have left Australia and can’t leave the ship again to visit the embarkation port that day the way you can in other countries. 

So you can get off the ship once but not a 2nd time, is what youre saying?  Since Ill be in Melbourne for a  few days prior to the 1st leg of the cruise, and the rep said we wouldnt have to check back in for the 2nd leg of the cruise and youre added tip, I think its best we stay on the ship if we can...LOL 

I would have never known that.  Thank you so much.

19 minutes ago, mahasamatman said:

make sure you've used your OBC wisely and don't expect it all to accumulate for the second cruise.

Great tip. Most of us may not think thru that. 

Thank you 

15 minutes ago, suzyed said:

We didn't think it was anything special. Probably would not book it.

We've opted to wait until we get onboard, after we see it. We just weren't feeling it from online info. 

1 hour ago, nasa1974 said:

If you can afford business class to Melbourne, go for it. It was one heck of a long flight.

I am fortunate to have the hobby of traveling on points &  miles. So business class is the only way we fly internationally. 

For this trip, we were able to catch 2 business class flights from the states to Auckland for a killer deal in points, and $97.00 in taxes. 

We will spend 7 days on the North Island New Zealand, fly to Melbourne spend 4 days prior to the cruise so we can do the Great Ocean Road. 

On the way back we will book business flights with a 5-7 day stopover in Fiji, also on points. 

So very excited!! 

Happy to share info on traveling on points/miles. 

14 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

you may want to specifiy no upgrade,

Would they ever upgrade if you didnt bid?

1 hour ago, DCThunder said:

Is it truly a B2B with two booking numbers, or a 14 day (or 28 day) cruise with a return to the home port, but only 1 booking number?

1st one goes RT Melbourne (various ports around Australia) - 7 days 

2nd one, leaves the day we get back from the 1st one.  Same ship, Melbourne to New Zealand back to Melbourne. - 14 days 

I was able to call and they linked the reservation, saying now I didnt have to disembark.  They put our Amex benefits on the reservation as well. And we were able to get the same room for the full 21 days. 

Love the idea of seeing Australia & New Zealand!

Hello 

Hope everyone is doing awesome!

We are looking at booking our 1st B2B.  This will be for Australia/New Zealand on the Diamond Princess.

• Is there any maritime laws we need to worry about?
• Any easy way to book or are the normal channels fine (ie TA or direct)?
• Any price breaks when booking a B2B? 
• Anything we should consider and or ask for when doing so to make the trip convenient (ie staying in the same cabin)?

Thank you 

We are trying to decide if we should even purchase the Enclave on Regal for our upcoming British Isles cruise.  From everything I can see on youtube etc, it looks really small and has no view of the ocean, is this true or just the perceptions from the videos we have watched?

On 4/30/2023 at 3:45 PM, SCX22 said:

For National Express:

You take a taxi to the Southampton Coach Terminal and catch the National Express coach to Heathrow.  The taxi is £10 max.  Cheaper but you have to find a way to the coach terminal from the pier.  National Express coaches drop off at the Heathrow Central Bus Terminal, between Terminals 2 and 3.

Then you need to still get a transfer from the Heathrow Central Bus Terminal, between Terminals 2 and 3 to the Heathrow Airport?  Or between Terminals 2 and 3 is the airport. 
Thank you trying to figure out transfers for May 2024. 

2 hours ago, Saturngrl said:

Most of the massage places have prices comparable to our ship's spa.

Our favorite places are in Mexico when we do those ports. 

On 10/16/2023 at 12:51 PM, Saturngrl said:

spas for a massage near the cruise port

Did you ever find anything?  We will be there next week. 

On 2/19/2023 at 2:57 AM, kazu said:

If you have on board credit from another source (you purchased

This type of OBC is also refunded to your credit card if you do not use it all by the end of the cruise, correct?  & Thank you!

On 2/7/2023 at 1:33 PM, MtnSeaGirl said:

Snorkeling is difficult as the times we have tried this has mostly been in waves pounding over my head and having to jump from the boat

This is so me, so you are not alone.   My poor DH gets really nervous when Im in the water, because he knows how much I panic.  Hope you were able to follow the cord, and see the beautiful fish.  We are going to ABC Islands in 2 weeks, and I still dont plan on doing the snorkeling.  Im just not ready yet, and to not panic. Someday....

On 4/4/2023 at 7:07 AM, FlyingAnchor said:

I recommend it to everyone anytime I hear they are going to Bonaire! 

What was the name of the company?  If you dont mind me asking.

We are going to Bonaire in 2 weeks.

DH would like to do something together, but I dont do well with water, so snorkeling is out for me.   This may just be the thing we can do together and have a great time. 

1 hour ago, 1emerald1 said:

I really like your itinerary; wish I'd noticed it sooner!

I am so bummed. I was looking at the May 15 on Regal Princess and just realized it doesnt go to Scotland Highlands.  The one place that is a must see.  

Cant do the May 3rd, as I will be on a TA on our way over to South Hampton.  Thinking we will just have to add 4 days to the trip, backtrack and go the Highlands seperately. 

Looking for to your trip.  We are considering her for a British Isles cruise in May 2024 as well. 

Enjoy your trip!!

On 8/29/2023 at 10:19 AM, shackpacker said:

I have to say that this cruise was my favorite of all the ones we have done. 

Sounds amazing!!  What cruise line did you go on for your cruise, if you dont mind me asking?