Luv Cruising Land or Sea

You're welcome....

 

Part of Freestyle, NCL does not have official "formal nights" but if you want to dress up feel free as there are a ton who do (tuxes and gowns).....the ship's photographers set up in the Atrium several time during the week for professional portrait type pictures.

Thanks - that's what I was looking for - we do enjoy wearing our "adult dress up" clothes once in a while but didn't want to stand out!

Thanks for the dailies and all the other info. We haven't been on NCL for a while - I don't see any mention of "formal nite" or "Dress up or Not Nite" - have they done away with this completely? Just wondering if we should pack our "dress up" clothes or not bother. We do like the formal nights and the opportunity to "dress up" but I know some lines have done away with this completely....:(

We are sailing on June 2 - can't wait and so happy about the new complimentary ferry service -we love the St George area and this will make travel there that much easier!

Any one use UBER from the Boston docks? How hard was it to spot your driver?

Paddy's offered me a quote of 260 GDP for 1-4 people for the 7 hour tour in June so they must charge more for more people.If they are giving you 2 cars that is a pretty good price but if only one car it may be really tight since the cars are designed for 4 people. Derry Blue quoted 240 GDP and Belfast City tours was I think 180 or 190, while Value Cabs is 170 GDP for the full day. We booked with Belfast City as they were cheaper, had good reviews on trip advisor and were willing to do a customizable half day tour instead of the full day since we have seen some of the sites before. I usually get a response a few hours after I email even though I am in US so so far they have been very responsive and willing to adjust trip to whatever we want to see. Paddys seemed very set in their iterniary and we wanted to customize it more since we have seen some of those things before; in any event I never heard back after I asked about customizing it. There are a bunch of tour companies that are part of a group -Paddy's is in that group - I am using their sister company in some of the other ports.

We will be in a larger (7 seater) vehicle so the price is just a bit more. I may still look at your suggestions but since you haven't actually used them I am still looking for feedback from people who have. Thanks for your input.

Thanks for the feedback. I was hoping to hear from someone who has already used one or both of the companies.

We did book with Paddy Campbell. I also received the email from him about traveling with people you know well and completely understand his point. We have in the past jumped into some "shared" situations and had one person in the group be very negative and wanting to do other things than what was originally agreed upon so what he is saying rings very true, so that didn't put me off. He has responded to all my questions typically within 24 hours which is also understandable since I am in the states and he is in Belfast (5 hour time difference). There are 6 of us (all family) so we will most likely be fine!

We are doing 7 hours because we want to go up the Antrim coast and see Giants causeway, the rope bridge, Dunluce Castle and then back to Belfast for a City tour before returning to the ship...all for 290 gbp. Seems like a good deal for us. Good luck with your tour!

We will be visiting for one day 17 August 2017 on the Celebrity Silhouette - we will be in port from 0700 (7 am) to 1800 (6 pm).

What type of climate shall we expect? We are from the Northeast Region of the USA and it is typically hot here this time of year anywhere from 80-100 F ( roughly 32 C)- is the weather about the same there?

I have copied and pasted the earlier walking description by Towncar T an want to say Thank you! How wonderful that a "local" took the time to give tips to fellow cruisers! It looks like most things that we would be interested in are in a walk-able distance from the ship - ie Beatles Story and the Mersey Ferry. Being a teenager when the Beatles "invaded" the USA it would be fun to see their story where it all started!

Thanks for helping all of us tourists!

Cindi

Hello

I am looking at two different tour operators - Paddy Campbells Famous Black Cab Tours or Black Taxi Tours.

The tours can be tailor made to suit our requests but there is a slight difference in cost for the 7 hour tour.

Has anyone who has used either of these companies got any advice?

thx

You might expect that the price per person would be less on a minibus than in a car. I guess it's just different companies quoting different prices.

Exactly! I thought booking a vehicle to transport 16 people would bring the cost per person down - not up! The price quote for a taxi for 6 people round trip to the Tattoo area and back to the docks is £26 for the lot of us! I realize the taxi is metered and with traffic I imagine the cost can grow exponentially but this is quite a difference - the price quote from the private livery company is as I said roughly £19 per person round trip (£295 for the transport) so as Tartanexile said there is considerable savings to be had by booking a taxi in advance and not the private luxury livery service. We don't need luxury for this part - just reliability;)

I've posted these details in response to other questions so it should be fine. I've used both companies in the past and they've been reliable.

 

http://www.capitalcarsscotland.co.uk 0131-777-7777

http://www.ecph.cab 0131-555-5555

 

When you get off the ship you'll see volunteers on the pier (wearing purple jackets) and they'll be happy to answer any questions you have on the day. There's usually an information desk in the atrium on the ship run by our volunteers too

Hello again

I have seen many of my cruisemates booking transportation to and from the Tatttoo while we are in Edinburgh. Would either of these taxi companies be reliable if booked in advance? I ask only because the company that I have booked with is a private company with a van that will accommodate 16 of us that will cost us roughly £18.61 per person round trip and when I look at the price for this taxi it is £9.00 for up to 6 passengers one way - what am I missing?

Thanks to all for the thoughtful replies!

We will ask our transport company to pick us up at 1:30 pm instead of 2:30 pm. This will allow everyone on our van time to have lunch on the ship, and let all the other people who are in a hurry get off the ship. Our ships itinerary says we port at 9:00 am but according to CruiseForth we will not be in port until 10:15 am so I am thinking the tenders won't begin leaving the ship till after 10:30 am by the time we are cleared by the Harbormaster.

One last question that I was not clear on for our Day 2 - We will take the HOHO Majestic Line right from New Haven Harbour - can we pay when we board, or would we be better off to pre-purchase tickets online? The website says "all tours leave from Waverly Bridge" so I am confused if we can just jump on at Newhaven with pre-paid vouchers.

Thanks again for all you all do to help us tourists!

Cindi

It would be helpful to know when you'll be in Edinburgh and also how mobile you are. I am more than happy to help give you some suggestion depending on whether you will need to use public transport or are happy walking.

 

BTW Dai, sorry but The Royal Yacht Britannia is at Ocean Terminal in leith not at Newhaven Harbour. A #22 bus from the Balmoral takes less than 15 minutes to the terminal.

Hello Tartanexile 81

We will be in Edinburgh tendering in on Aug 14th from the Celebrity Silhouette and staying overnight in the harbor. (same ship as J&B) This is a first visit for my group of 6. We already have booked private transport for 16 people to and from the Royal Mile/Tattoo - picking us up at the docks at 2:30 pm and returning us immediately after the Tattoo ( which we have all purchased tickets for separately)

Would you be kind enough to share your opinion on the following:

I expect it will take 30 minutes or longer to get from the Ocean Terminal into the city due to the traffic in and around the Fringe Festival putting us into the city around 3:00 pm. We have reservations for dinner at the Witchery at 6:00 pm (for 6 of us) and then into the show.

• Reading about the crowds at the Fringe would it be best to have our driver drop us closer to Edinburgh Castle?
  
• Do you think 2 hours is long enough or too long to tour the Edinburgh Castle?
  
• There are other sights along the Royal Mile that we want to see - St Giles, Grey Friars Kirk, etc - will there be enough time for visiting some of these on this first day or should we just wander around the Fringe?
  
• Should I have our transport pick us up earlier than 2:30 pm to allow us more time to wander?
  

On Day 2 we can be off the ship early, and want to be back to the tender docks by 4:00 pm.

• Would be easiest to take a cab back to Edinburgh and then either use the HOHO or walk about.
  
• Is there a HOHO stop near Ocean Terminal and can we start anywhere with pre-purchased vouchers or do we have to get downtown first?
  

I would like to see St Giles, Grey Friars Kirk, Royal Botanic Gardens and Palace of Holyrood House on that second day - and anything else you suggest. Some of us will likely attempt Arthur's Seat (depending on the weather) and the other's would find something else to see during that time.

We will be in Iverness the day before and will see some of the beautiful country side so it seems that while in Edinburgh we should concentrate on the city although I would like to see Sterling Castle ( I like Castles - can you tell?)

Would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions for our limited time in Edinburgh.

Thanks

Cindi

We will be on the NCL Dawn out of Boston on June 2 and we are exited to see these beautiful ships. For more information on the race try here: https://www.americascup.com/en/racecourse.html

There is an entire Village being created in the Naval Dockyards, but it is not right next to the docks where we will be for 2 1/2 days. If you take the ferry to Hamilton you will go along side the "race course" and you may see some practice runs if you are not there on a race day.

Yes there will be many more people milling around, shopping and on the beaches for sure, but we think it will just add to the experience!

Cindi

Sailing on POA later this week. Are there any 'theme' nights?

We were on the POA last April and to be honest we didn't find a lot going on the ship at night! I do remember there was a Hawaiian Night where they brought on Dancers from the Island we were docked at, but being overnite on two of the islands many people are off the ship - we basically used the ship as a "floating hotel" and didn't participate too much - we wanted as much "Island time" as we could get!

The service charge for the UBP for 7 nights is $99.54 per person. The service charge for the SDP (3 meal) is $12.42 per person.

 

These costs are rolled into your final payment due. This is separate from your regular gratuities/service charge which is due at the end of the cruise (but can be prepaid separately from your cruise invoice).

Thanks that was exactly what I was looking for! DH usually gets a soda sticker which was around $95 with grats last time we sailed on NCL so it would be worth it would since we would spend that anyway and then a glass of wine on occasion would add up fast so it seems worth it to spend the $200 for this "free perk" - don't you love how they get you coming and going?

Hi All

We typically do not purchase any "perks" other than a soda perk when cruising. We are light drinkers -occasional glass of wine or cocktail, so never felt the cost would benefit us.

On a cruise we are looking at we have choices on "free" perks. One is the UBP and another the SDP. I know from reading other posts that we will pay gratuities on the value of these perks - where do I find the actual value to know the cost of the "free" perks? The excursion credit doesn't appeal to us as we are only in one port (Bermuda) and having been there several times we will do things on our own - and I can live without internet for a week!

thanks

Cindi

Hello Donna, Back in 2011 you helped me out with my Hawaii Photo Album. At the time you posted a site you used to purchase stickers and backgrounds. I resurrected this thread and did find the link for the company you used to supplement your Mixbook Album. However, they must not be in business any longer since the link doesn't work. Do you have any other websites you use now for stickers and backgrounds? I have been enjoying making photo albums, but I would love some more choices for backgrounds and stickers.

 

I see your thread continues to help others, just like it helped me back in the day. It was an amazing review with so many helpful hints.

 

I hope you have had many more amazing vacations since 2011 when we were in touch with each other.

Hello

I'm not Donna but I am a scrapper! I just ordered a bunch of stuff to complete my Alaska album from scrapbooking dot com - great site with a wide variety of items. I also use scrapmytrip dot com - same reasons. Both have high quality items perfect for scrap booking! Enjoy!

Cindi

ps sorry just realized this is an old thread - it popped up in my messages today because of a newer response but hopefully you found what you needed!

The ride to the tubing area is about an hour in a comfortable van or bus depending on how many participants are being picked up. We were there in April of this year...it was hot but bearable as we were mostly in the shade. I am a 65 year old woman, slightly overweight, with a bad knee and I had no problem on this walk and we were wearing water shoes not good walking shoes! It was lovely and informative and our guides took a leisurely pace. We were with "Butts Up" and we did not carry our tubes...they were waiting for us at the entry point. The only part I found a little tricky was crossing the river about knee deep. There is a rope to hold on to and you just take it slow as the bottom is a little rocky. You must wade across the river which is the same one you will float down later on. I would book with Cave-tubing.com again in a heartbeat!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

There is a dolphin encounter at Chankanaab and the price includes use of the park afterwards. We arrived at Puerto Maya the southern most port of the three and cab fare to CP was $12 for two of us... cab fares are regulated and fixed the is a web site where you can see the fares from other ports

http://www.cozumelinsider.com/Transonczm?From=Taxipuertamaya

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I agree with the previous posters. Having sailed on both, Princess is by far the better choice and the Coral is a great ship. We did the full transit in reverse from LA to FLL and would do it again if we had the time. We were just on NCL in the spring and service and food were both sub par...but this was the Pride Of America in Hawaii which is an American ship and we couldn't get back to Princess quick enough!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We are considering the Dawn for a March 5th cruise out of New Orleans. One of the ports of cal is Roatan. I can not find out if the ship docks in Mahogany Bay or Coxen Hole, or if there is any chance of tendering since my wife hates ship tenders. Any info would be appreciated.

NCL docks in Coxen Hole. Mahogany Bay is owned by Carnival

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Get a room at a Disney resort. Each property is magical. The value hotels will be perfect for your children. Then you can take Disney Magical Express bus to MCO. All included in your room. The kids will get a kick out of the oversized Disney friends.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Most hotel check-ins are after 3:00 pm and they would need a car service to get to Disney from the ship - that's a lot of extra $$ for something you won't use.

We just returned from a cruise stop at Cozumel. We love to snorkel and spent the day at Chankanaab Park. Easy entry snorkeling and the y also have diving as well. Palapas and chairs included in the admission price and lots of things to see and do there. Check out the Cozumel port forum.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

You need to factor in not only the travel time from Port Canaveral to the Disney Parks but also time to park and then actually get to the park...getting to the Magic Kingdom you need to allow another 30 minutes from the parking areas as you travel either by monorail or ferry to the main gates. This is something most people don't take into account.

Add more time to pick up and return your rental car so now your day at Disney will be about 5 hours not 6. For a 7:30 flight you should be in the airport by 5:30 to get thru security. Last time we went thru Orlando it took us almost 45 minutes to get thru TSA

Having been to Disney many times I agree with Langley that I wouldn't want to be worrying about catching a flight while trying to rush thru the parks especially if it's a first time visit!

I would go to the space center and/or a beach for the day.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We just returned from a stop in Roatan on the Caribbean Princess and docked At Mahogany Bay. We booked with Bananarama and it was raining so I was concerned about this "horrendous" hill that I had read about.

I am a 65 year old woman with a bad knee, and slightly overweight. Not in great hiking shape but we decided to just "do it". The walk was not bad at all, but for someone with mobility issues I would grab a cab. You will have to walk about the same distance from the ship to the welcome center as you will from the welcome center over the hill to the pick up spot. (Took us about 20 minutes walking leisurely)The video posted previously is a great depiction but you will walk down the hill not ride as the videographer did. The vendors are allowed to drive in to the cab area on your return so you don't have to deal with the hill again.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We just returned from a cruise and used cave-tubing dot com.They were fabulous! Dario and Ivan were guides for the six of us.

We left our clothes and belongings in the van that was locked in the parking lot with people from the tour groups all around, and we had no problem with that.

The walk was about 20 minutes at a leisurely pace and I wore my water shoes. I am a 65 year old woman, not in great shape, and normally wear "good" shoes when walking. I had no issue at all on this walk and I have very sensitive feet!

The tubes were waiting for us at the entry point we did not have to carry them. You do cross the river that you eventually tube down and that part is a little tricky with rocks in the water, but I just took it slow and carefully. There is a rope to hold on to for stability.

I am not sure what other caves people have gone thru as we seemed to enter the water where everyone else was....we were in an area that seemed like a "cul de sac" with a waterfall, so I couldn't see where other tubes could be coming from another place further on.

We did travel further down river than those who were on the ship excursions but everyone ends up in the same parking area.

We stopped for lunch at their Restaurant, it was okay but nothing special.

It was a great trip and we were back to port in plenty of time to get our tender back to the ship.

I would recommend this company at half the price of this ships tours!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Just curious , when at Chank what do you do with your ID and money while out snorkelling ? My wife and I were thinking of doing this park but not sure what people do with their valuables while out swimming . Thanks for any advice in advance

On any beach excursion we have a waterproof pouch that hangs around our neck to hold cash, credit card and cruise ship cards - they make several different kinds - you can get a belt to wear instead which I have seen many people use as well.

If you have larger items - I did see lockers that people were renting - not sure what the cost was (if any) but you could email them to ask.

We use a waterproof camera so that is always with us and the only other thing we bring is one of our phones ( for emergency) and we left that in our bag wrapped in a shirt - there are so many people around from all the cruise ships we have never had a problem.

There were 7 ships in port the day we were there and there were still plenty of chairs with shade but as advised get there early to get your best choices!

Cindi