princeton123211

You can’t really- the big competitions are all based on surf conditions. For example, the Eddie Aikau— the more famous of them, is scheduled this year to take place between Dec 14 and March 12, 2024 only when average wave height reaches 40 ft. They can’t schedule these things on a particular date- just a range and when the surf is big enough they go.

The walk from the Dufferin Terrace (upper town where the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac is) to the Citadel is about 15-20 minutes and can be done without any cobblestones. The main square, Place Royale, is the main area with cobblestones-- the roads and sidewalks for the most part are smooth paved and even in area where the roadway is cobblestone in and around the older lower town, the sidewalks are smooth.

The airport shuttle is a water launch from the airport-- not a car. Cars can't access Murano at all and very limitedly Venice proper. As cruisemom said-- unless touring Murano is a big part of what you want to accomplish in Venice, it will put you at a disadvantage with the limited time you have to see the main sites. Wouldn't be my first choice either. Find a spot in Venice thats fits your budget that ideally has their own private dock or is near Piazzale Roma or adjacent Santa Lucia Station.

If your intention is to spend most of your time in Murano then by all means, but much like Venice proper, hotels along the canals in Murano you can access directly from a water taxi but you'll be schlepping luggage in Murano to hotels that are not on canals just as you would in Venice. If the intention is to spend most of your time in Venice then you'll just waste a bunch of time commuting between the two. With only two days I would splurge for a hotel with their own private dock in Venice proper and just also splurge for a water taxi to get there. You'll stay right where you can walk to most things and you won't have to drag your luggage anywhere.

Yes it does but make sure to check to confirm where you are docking-- smaller and medium sized ships will get the prime spot at Wharf 22 (which is the one you see in all the promotional pictures) and larger ships will be sent to Wharf 30 which is on the other side of the basin. One time on QE2 we were docked at Wharf 103 which was wayyyy down and had to be bussed into town. I would assume Summit would have 22 unless there was another ship that day that bumped her. Depending on how much you want to see a HOHO bus tour really isn't necessary in Quebec City-- its relatively compact and very walkable. Even to get up the steep hill to the Chateau Frontenac you have the Funicular. A lot of the main tourist area is pedestrian only. If you have a full day and want to cover a lot of ground quickly, mainly to cover the Citadel and Plains of Abraham, then it could be useful. But if you have a shorter port stay and just want to see the main sights in town it's not only unnecessary but actually a hindrance.

Very much so. And usually a lot nicer than the taxis there. New Orleans doesn't have very high standards for the quality of vehicles they allow to be taxis-- the last time I didn't take an Uber and took a cab outside my hotel it was a 15 year old Chevy Suburban that must have had a million miles on it and I swear was creaking so badly I didn't think we'd make it to the airport. Never will do that again.

Yes. If you self disembark you should be able to make this with some time to spare. Even on a weekday you are sort of reverse commuting out of the city when most folks are coming in. It can be. Personally I would take an Uber or Lyft to Newark. Cabs are required to take you to EWR (even though it is outside of NY) but it is on the meter. An Uber/Lyft will most likely be a much nicer car for about a similar cost. We've had luck with having an Uber actually come up to the pickup area at the pier, but mostly have been disembarking smaller ships. I wouldn't schedule an Uber in advance-- I would just get out there and call it from the app then. Will be a lot easier.

If they're charging and getting $45 a day for parking in Altoona, I'm in the wrong business... That being said I don't think its going to be a dramatic overall savings-- but it might be worth it if they save $100 overall and then don't actually have to do the driving (which at 82 would be much more valuable to me).

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but you won't find anything with a stay and park in NYC including Manhattan or Brooklyn. Any of those that I have heard of or read about on these boards has been in New Jersey (which isn't particularly convenient or helpful for Brooklyn Cruise Terminal). Have they considered taking the train? You can take Amtrak's Keystone Service from Altoona, PA, a little more than an hour drive from DuBois) directly into midtown Manhattan's Penn Station. The cost is about $60 per person in advance and I have to think that parking in Altoona for the week would be inexpensive. You can also do this from Harrisburg which would be a little bit of a longer drive. You MAY be able to do a little bit better than $450 + hotel costs. Probably not much better but at least they wouldn't have to do much driving at all.

It’s such a fun town for a night- I’d just cancel the NCL shuttle and stay downtown by the pier.

You are docking in the middle of a major city. As negn mentioned, Fishermans Wharf is just down the street from where your ship docks and is easily walkable. Alcatraz does require a ferry, but more importantly it requires reservations for that ferry which can sell out in advance. There isn't really a need for an excursion but I would book and reserve the tickets for Alcatraz well before your cruise date-- you'll avoid the markup the cruise line has on it. If they were sold out directly then I would consider booking the cruise line excursion.

Its about $40 each way from MSY to the cruise terminal in an UberX so its not actually that great of a deal considering all the time you'll spend waiting around for the bus to fill and then empty etc. Where is your hotel? It sounds like you might be complicating this considerably. If you are staying downtown in New Orleans, the cruise pier is also right downtown. Going back to the airport would be an enormous waste of time, energy, and money. If you were staying but the airport, maybe you might have a case for this.

I can't tell from what you've written here but it sounds like it's possible you're coming in on an international Amtrak trip the same day as your cruise departure (which I'm inferring based on you asking for advice for a taxi from the train station). If so thats a giant risk as those trains are notorious for getting held up for hours crossing the border. It could be worth renting an international cell phone if your Canadian cell phones won't provide international service. Rentals are fairly inexpensive and would have been worth it just to solve this issue. This is sort of an area where Uber shines-- it allows you to request accessible vehicle pickups directly in the app. As GTJ mentions, the number of of truly accessible taxis in NYC is significantly less than the general taxi pool and will frankly be a bit of a crapshoot. If a fully accessible vehicle isn't required most taxis should be able to fit a folding wheelchair. I would highly recommend using the taxi stand. My wife and I did what's suggested here a few weeks ago (I used to live in Manhattan 15 years ago and very well versed in hailing a NYC cab) and it was frankly a full contact sport. It's bedlam on those corners where there are a significant amount of folks vying for taxis that are trying to skip the taxi line. You essentially have to step out into the street over a bike lane to jockey for a cab and hope that someone else doesn't jump into it. Then you basically have to throw your stuff into the back of it in the middle of traffic. Both of us are fully able and were only with carry on roller luggage. I can't imagine doing that with full size luggage and a wheelchair. I would use the taxi queue so you at least have a decent place to load into the cab as you'll be carrying more than most.

Id second the Fairmont El San Juan-- nice full service resort. It's a real shame they haven't opened up the old Ritz-Carlton yet. They keep teasing that progress is being made and then nothing. It was never the nicest Ritz in the Caribbean but it was RIGHT next to the airport and incredibly convenient for what the OP is describing (as well as a quick night prior to a cruise).

There is zero reason to reserve in advance UberBlack from LAX-- just have them request a car in the app when they are coming curbside. I do this several times a year at LAX and have never waited for more than 5 minutes for UberBlack. Alternatively you CAN book in advance with an app called Blacklane, although you will pay a bit more than you would with UberBlack. For a short ride to Santa Monica though, just request int the Uber app when they get there.

I get that, but even then they go right into the Battery Tunnel. There shouldn't be any issue approaching the terminal in the early afternoon coming in from the Brooklyn Queens Expressway to the North onto surface streets. It's a little more circuitous than cutting through Brooklyn from JFK but it should avoid most of that until you are right at the terminal (assuming there is anything actually still going on from a race that starts at 9:30am going on at noon or 1pm). If anything, if I were doing this, I would just plan to arrive a little later around 1-2pm to be sure.

Well its been a disappointing few months for a lot of us that call the place (for certain times of the year) home. As you said-- it is what it is. You made an interesting choice in destination if beaches aren't your thing. I agree with SilverSweethearts-- there is nothing to do in Kahului. Its an industrial port, airport area, and big box shopping area. You can either rent a car and head towards Hana, Upcountry (up the mountain to some fun very small towns like Kula), or head to Wailea which is a big resort area. In Wailea you don't necessarily have to go to the beach but there are some nice hotels like the Four Seasons, Fairmont, and Hotel Wailea that have great restaurants/bars etc. It's possible that Kapalua will be back open for business (you don't say exactly when you'll be there)-- there is a nice Ritz-Carlton and Montage hotels with some dining options. I'd normally say to check out the resort area at Kaanapali (again pending reopening) but its mainly a beach, albeit one of the nicest on the island.

A 3 mile race with the amount of routes available isn't going to make a bit of difference. There was a thread a few days ago about arriving on the day of the New York City Marathon which has the potential to be much more disruptive and with available routes there is no issue getting to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Uber or Lyft would be my preferred way of getting from JFK to Red Hook.

Honestly the majority of the Royal Hawaiian's charm can be experienced without being a guest in the public areas/bars/lobby etc. The rooms are nice but a little dated and the bathrooms, even in the larger suites, are TINY for a hotel charging that much. It's still one of my faves to stay at though for the sum of the parts, ambiance, and history. Even when we do stay at Halekulani we always will go back over to the RH for drinks and a snack and to spend time there.

Not all tables have the same views as others-- the ones towards the edge of the roof have the best unobstructed views. I would just have the concierge request a good table for you given you're staying at the hotel. Yes, they serve breakfast up there.

I'm with you-- I enjoy the Royal Hawaiian for the same reasons. But Halekulani blows the RH away in terms of service, quality of accommodations, food, etc. Pricing at the RH has creeped up over the years that it's to the point at some busier times of the year that unless I'm using Marriott Bonvoy points, for a hundred more a night, Halekulani is a much better value. Paying $600+ a night at the RH is insane for what you get. The RH is a solid $300-400 a night 4 star hotel-- not a $500-600+ 5 star.

I don't think much more than usual. The North Shore is mainly locals-- there isn't nearly the amount of tourists, which would presumably cause a holiday surge, as there is on the south side of Oahu in places like Waikiki and Ko Olina.

I tool an Uber last time I was in Rotterdam and needed to get back to Amsterdam. Was super easy and relatively cost effective. For something a little more put together I use an app called Blacklane extensively when traveling in Europe. It works with top local black car/livery services. More expensive than Uber but you get a Mercedes E or S Class (depending on what you choose) and can use them "as directed". All the billing is handled in the app and tax and gratuity are included so not worrying about that on the ride. Highly recommend for something more high end. Saves you from dealing directly with local services.

If you want pizza just pick a place and have it delivered-- no reason to actually go to it when you'll have a ton of delivery options to your hotel and not have to pay an Uber. This is all subjective, and no knock on folks that live in the area, its just not a part of New York that I, as a visitor, would want to spend time wandering around. Is it unsafe? Not any more so than most major cities but just not particularly picturesque either. For the most part its a working class residential neighborhood-- not the normal cityscape of restaurants/hotels/shopping you find elsewhere in New York City. If you want to actually go somewhere a quick Uber ride over to the TWA Hotel at Terminal 5 has multiple restaurants and bars ranging from upscale to quick service-- including a bagel shop in the morning.

Very much so-- you will have time to tour Pearl Harbor and also spend some time in Waikiki if you want to. No tour company is needed. Most of the site is owned by the Navy and administered by the National Park Service. You will need to secure free timed tickets for the boats to the USS Arizona Memorial ($1 processing fee). This can be done on the NPS website-- https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/233338/ticket/16. Visitor's center and museum before you go out to the memorial there are all free. Aside from that you can choose to do as much or as little as you would like. The USS Missouri is very worthwhile but can be redundant if you have listed another one of the Iowa Class Battleships on display around the country. Extremely easy. Honolulu is a major American city and Uber is available just like it would be in any other large US city. It would be to not use a tour company. This can be easily and inexpensively done with Uber, a little planning ahead getting tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial, etc. Complete waste of money paying a tour company to get you into a National Park that your tax dollars already pay for. With the extra time you'll have I would then suggest headed over in the afternoon to Waikiki-- tons of restaurants/bars etc to spend some time and take in the scenery. The Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel right on the beach is a favorite and the hotel is very historic and fun to look around.