princeton123211

Sundays should be quieter later on. Anytime I've gone by myself it's pretty quick. Even if there is a small line they'll pluck a single out of it to fill a single spot.

Georges Bank is off Massachusetts and local to Boston. The scallops from there are considered a delicacy and they are quite good.

I was going to say to the poster here, when you were looking at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth to make sure you were looking at USD and not CAD. It might look expensive in CAD but the exchange rate is extremely favorable. It's one of my fave hotels in town.

If its around the holidays even more reason not to do a back and forth drive-- that 25 minutes I mentioned will be more. Husband could end up spending 2+ hours in the car going back and forth. Tons of folks go into NYC during December and that's one of the main routes to get there.

It's basically the same hotel-- it's just gotten a top to bottom remodel (which it needed-- it was a little long in the tooth before). Marriott is still managing it so would be the same benefits etc as if it were still under Sheraton. My personal favorite in OSJ is Hotel El Convento as a few have mentioned. Its independent but has fantastic atmosphere and genuine history. Even when we stay out in Isla Verde we still will come down to El Convento for drinks and a light dinner just to soak it in.

Then what are you interested in? When we have a free night in Waikiki we typically will just bar hop a little bit to some of the resorts along the beach and grab something to each at some point. Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian and Verandah/Beach Bars at the Moana Surfrider are both great. House Without a Key and Lewers Lounge are both fantastic options at Halekulani-- House has Hawaiian music in the early evening and Lewers is like a New York jazz club (although Lewers does have a dress code in the evening). If you want something great that's off the beaten path try Tonkatsu Tamafuji-- you'll want to take a quick Uber and its hidden above an outdoor mall a few blocks in from the beach. Off the charts katsu pork and also excellent other Japanese offerings. Nothing fancy but a must stop every time we're in town.

Third note to keep in mind-- the back and forth driving here will incur about $10 in tolls on the most direct route to the pier and back which takes about 25 minutes each way-- a total of an hour and a half in the car to pull this off for whoever is driving assuming there isn't any traffic. Might be worth the extra $10 to take an Uber in tandem.

Cool, fall weather. QC tends to be in the mid to high 50s during the day, although you can get into the 60s, and can get into the low 40s/high 30s at night. Once you get into the open Atlantic it can get even cooler. I would pack with layers-- you could catch a nicer day that can warm up a bit but generally will be cooler.

Was going to say reading through this-- just have the two that Ubered to the hotel, Uber to the port. Its close by and inexpensive. They'll just meet you at the ship. In terms of food, aside from the mall, you are sort of on an island. Maybe use Doordash/Caviar to have something delivered? Otherwise you are driving or Ubering somewhere.

Same at this one-- right on the water but the food gives me upscale wedding catering vibes. Much better places to eat in Boston.

First off it’s the Seaport District or South Boston. Most people will refer to it as the Seaport but no one will know what you’re talking about if you call it a village. There are a lot but they are mostly corporate chains. The area itself is quite new compared to the rest of the city and is comprised mostly of highrise condos and hotels aimed at busienss travelers. Personally I think it’s the least atmospheric part of the city. I’d definitely recommend getting out of the Seaport for more interesting and local spots to eat. That being said you won’t go hungry there- plenty of options. About a half hour walk or a very short Uber ride. You’re pretty much walking distance to the pier from your hotel. You could take a very, very short Uber.

There is-- you can drive or there is a public bus. It might say 37 minutes on Google Maps but usually there is traffic in and around Honolulu and at some times of the day it can be substantial. I would budget at least an hour each way if you rent a car and drive yourself and close to an hour and a half or more to use the bus each way. Honestly if you are going to other islands in Hawaii you can do similar things at even more picturesque places. You can have a very similar ATV experience at Kipu Ranch in Kauai and it might be a better use of time when there is so much to see in Waikiki in Oahu. Food for thought. There is a free museum that is part of the USS Arizona Memorial. The visitors center and small museum are open but I believe all tours on December 7th are suspended due to various ceremonies happening. It is also the busiest day of the year there. It frankly might be worth avoiding due to the heavy crowds and coming back to visit on a subsequent visit. We had friends go one year and the parking lot opened at 5am and it was pretty full by 7am. I wouldn't make a big effort to visit downtown Honolulu after dark-- not much going on and the nightlife is in Waikiki. Downtown has a few great museums that are worth it, but they are only open during the day. The Iolani Palace or The Bishop Museum might be a great substitution for Pearl Harbor if you decide the crowds are too much to warrant a visit. If you limit your touring to Pearl Harbor/Honolulu/Waikiki it can all be done extremely cost effectively by Ubers which are plentiful and easy there. If you choose to venture to Kualoa Ranch you will most likely want to rent a car-- giving up 3 hours on a bus even on a 16 hour port visit is still not fun or a good use of time. If you do rent a car I would do so from one of the rental counters in Waikiki (there are various Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Sixt downtown) and this will spare you from having to Uber to and from the airport. It will also allow you to drop back off downtown and then go to Waikiki in the evening.

Keep checking-- it will go down. Most likely there are a bunch of room blocks that, when they get released, will open up a lot of regular rooms. If you want to stay at the GB I would book something with a reasonable cancellation policy (the King George next door is also part of the Luxury Collection but its not quite as nice as the Grande Bretagne and could be a good place holder). I would then check back every month and switch the booking when it opens up.

Two UberXLs will get the job done. We generally use mainly Uber and sometimes Lyft in Seattle and it works well. A limo service with a larger mini bus is going to be very expensive here-- usually they are going to charge you garage in to garage out which adds up quickly and you pay for a lot of time that you aren't even on it.

That's not typical-- most likely only a top suite is left or something like that. Usually the GB is in the $1000-1300 per night range for an entry room and the sister hotel the King George next door is usually a bit less around $700-800 that time of year. If you have Marriott Bonvoy points this can be an excellent redemption for around 80,000-90,000 points per night.

All three can easily be done in that time frame. I would start with Pearl Harbor-- you'll need to get timed tickets for the USS Arizona Memorial which will sort of dictate when exactly you go there. Downtown Honolulu is ok-- I wouldn't devote too much time to it. The Iolani Palace would be a highlight in the downtown area and also requires timed tickets. Waikiki is the spot where I would spend the early afternoon into the evening if at all possible. Great beach and a ton of spots for food and drinks. I would absolutely not hire a car. The area you are talking about is quite small-- Uber, Lyft, taxis are available and a MUCH more cost effective way of seeing things. Exorbitant parking costs in Waikiki alone should dissuade you from renting a car. Now that is a challenge. If Princess has a Pearl Harbor only tour that might be a work around. But you definitely do not need to be on a formal tour for Honolulu or Waikiki.

Yes and yes. Boston port is tiny and basic- one building. Easy to navigate.

This. And when you use a Blue Flag private tour (as opposed to a larger bus with other folks on it) you can dictate where you get picked up and dropped off.

I think my comment is being blown a little out of proportion-- I was commenting on the general practice, not hard and fast rules. I haven't seen anyone in 4-5 times sailing out of Boston carry a large suitcase onboard but I don't doubt that its possible. But the vast majority of folks use the porters to bring large cases aboard. If everyone, or even a majority, carried their suitcases onboard it would be a nightmare.

When I lived in Boston years and years ago right out of college the Sail Loft was a great after work bar for meeting girls. It's been there forever-- certainly not the best food in town but very reliable and good mix of locals and out of towners. The bar is open very late so it attracts a heavy drinking crowd after dinner.

I don't think it was about going to Union Station to catch a train so much as ending up at Union Station after catching a train.

Unfortunately that's pretty down the middle price wise for a 4 star hotel in Boston a lot of the time. There is a Marriott and Westin in Copley, a Hilton not far away, and another Hilton in Back Bay that might be a little less but will still be most likely on the high side.

Fairmont Copley Plaza is one of the main ones and is a Boston gem in its own right. Same architect as The Plaza in New York City. The Oak Bar is a great spot for a bite to eat and a drink or two. The Newbury Hotel right on Boston Public Garden a few blocks over also has a great bar and lounge for eating as well as a great Italian restaurant on the roof. Tons of restaurants in the immediate vicinity of Copley Square-- too many to just ramble off but if you are looking for a specific rec happy to make some.

You need to use porters for larger luggage. A carry on, the size of which you would be allowed to carry on an airplane, can be brought onboard by you personally. But anything larger needs to be checked with the porters outside the pier. No alternative.

Because that is literally all they would sell to go if they offered it.