princeton123211

As the previous poster mentioned, no need for a tour company. Uber/Lyft/taxi for quick transportation over there and then to the airport. You don't have a ton of time- whether this is even worth it or not will depend if you can get timed tickets for the ferry ride to and from the Arizona Memorial. These are available a couple months in advance on the government website, are for specific times, and do sell out. Once you have those you can start to plan more.

It's less about the time and more about the fact that in the late morning onwards it is so beastly hot and humid in July that they might not even offer a ride for safety concerns of the horses. Unlikely-- it's most likely part of their insurance requirements.

Keep in mind that Mt Rainier is a FULL day trip. Its about 2 hours each way from the city center without traffic (before you even get to the National Park) and then you can spend multiple days, let alone a few hours, driving around/hiking etc. Its doable but you won't cover much ground in a day except for what amounts to be a drive by. As the previous poster mentioned it could be useful to stay the night prior not in the city and closer to the park maximize time the next day if this is a must do. Personally I would find an alternative and hope one of your days in Seattle the weather is clear enough to see the mountain from downtown. I would second the other poster's suggestion of Woodinville-- a lot of great wineries, a whiskey distillery, and some fun restaurants. The Hollywood Tavern there is a favorite.

Uber or Lyft.

Keep in mind that what’s on offer in Bermuda is a nose to tail trail ride. My wife is a competitive rider and aside from the scenery it’s a frustrating experience for anyone who’s an equestrian. We’ve sought out other options but they don’t really exist.

Its like seeing those speed limit signs that say "7 mph"-- you pay more attention to them. We're talking about it aren't we?

There are several flights from the US that arrive right around the same time so it can sometimes be a bottleneck. We arranged for a pick up service that took us through immigration at the front of the line last time in June and it was quick but the normal line was most likely 45ish minutes. Where in Venice are you going? Often times taking a water taxi will be faster (it can take you directly to some hotels) unless you are staying close to Piazzale Roma. Also the water taxi is an absolutely magical way of arriving into the city.

You'll dock very close to town-- there are a few different piers so it's not the same every time but you'll be in easy walking distance to most things. Quebec isn't French-- its important to make the distinction. They do speak Canadian French (which is a little bit different from what's spoken in Paris) but the food isn't predominantly French-- its Quebecoise. Totally different. Montreal has a much more dynamic dining scene than QC, so if you are spending time in Montreal at all on this trip might be worth waiting for the special meal there. That being said if you did still want a nice French meal (as opposed to getting something that's a little more local) Le Continental near the Chateau Frontenac is traditional French with a lot of tableside preparation and flambe deserts-- great throwback.

Its a big city-- there is going to be homeless nearly everywhere. That being said there are hotels you can sort of cocoon yourself in if you don't want to walk around. The Fairmont Olympic would be a good example of this-- they have something like 3 restaurants and 4 bars on property as well as a nice indoor pool. You wouldn't really need to leave if you didn't want to. When walking downtown you really want to avoid 3rd Ave which has some of the worst homeless in the downtown core. Aside from that it's going to be similar to most large cities.

Usually this works the best if you are planning on using the hotels restaurants or bar and usually just at nicer 4-5 star establishments. If you walk up and tell them you are grabbing lunch or a drink there is zero chance they will say no-- its like checking a coat at a restaurant.

Yep- totally different climates. Desert vs the coast. Even in Los Angeles the temperature in the same city can vary greatly-- can be cool and foggy in Santa Monica at the sea and sunny and hot further inland. Will depend from ship to ship and day to day but not long-- 10-15 minutes max.

A very long time ago. Was at the Royal York just before the pandemic and the lobby was thoroughly renovated and was much more geared towards bars and lounges. If I had to pick a favorite Fairmont afternoon tea it would still be at The Empress in Victoria. I still can't go to Quebec City and not go to the Chateau Frontenac, at very least for a drink-- when in Rome...

None that I know of that offer a shuttle to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. Certainly none in Manhattan proper but I don't believe any in New Jersey either. There are hotels that offer a park and cruise package in NJ but not a shuttle.

Keep in mind that this hotel has been rebranded from a Hilton to a Doubletree by Hilton, so if you do use Uber you might not be able to find it under it's former name.

SeaDream's small ships still dock at San Basilio close to the cruise terminal. The Aegean Odyssey was docked at the main cruise terminal when we were last there in early June. I believe the ban only applies to ships that are greater than 25,000 gross registered tons.

I mentioned in another similar post the Hilton Short Hills which is located about 30 minutes from Cape Liberty and is in an extremely safe area. The hotel itself is across the street from the toney Mall at Short Hills with plenty of dining both on site and over at the mall. Sometimes the rates exceed $200 but on the weekends especially they will be in your budget and its a full service 4 star hotel.

As Bruce said you will tender and the tender will land you at Cabrillo and Bath St downtown. Easy to walk to many things right there. The courthouse is a bit of a hike including crossing under the 101 Freeway-- something like a 30 minute walk but you could easily take an Uber and be there very quickly-- really just depends on how much time and effort you want to devote to it. Plenty of cafes and restaurants within easy walking of where the tender drops you. A really special lunch idea would be to head up to San Ysidro Ranch (this would be an Uber ride each way). Stunning gardens in the hills above but plenty of options in town. It might be a bit brisker than you are anticipating. That time of year might get into the low 70s but can be in the 50s and 60s. You are by the sea so its a bit cooler-- warms up a bit more inland. Mornings and early evening you might want to bring a light jacket or sweater.

A lot to unpack here. Only you know if you want to get to your hotel room quickly after your flight arrives or if you would prefer to wake up in downtown Athens and hit the ground running with any sightseeing you plan on doing while there. Personally I would rather bit the bullet and arrive late downtown to be able to wake up in the city center and spend time looking around. If you do go downtown and want a nice 4/5 star hotel the Hotel Grande Bretagne is hard to beat both in quality of hotel and central location. Part of the Luxury Collection by Marriott so also redeemable for points. Most hotel rooms in Europe as a whole are small and only can accommodate 2 adults with no room for a pull out couch or rollaways. Occasionally there are triple or quad rooms that are bookable in Europe but they tend to be for tourist class hotels and not for 4/5 star options you are looking at. Unless you are really penny pinching a taxi is the way to go to Piraeus- if I remember correctly it was only like 25 or 30 Euro. Its a big port and it will get you closer to your ship than public transport. Taxis in Athens are reasonable and plentiful. The port is huge. NCL will update you closer to the cruise as to what berth the ship will be at. Last time we sailed into Piraeus we weren't told what berth we were going to be at until the night before.

If you want to take all the guess work out you can book a private transfer-- it's not a short distance, about a 2 hour drive, but doable. Booking through an app called Blacklane (which we use in Italy extensively and works really well) you can get a Mercedes van transfer to the pier in Ravenna for about 494 Euro all in (including tips etc) seating up to 5 so not a terrible per person cost. A Mercedes E Class for 2 people would be a little less for about 448 Euro in the app. The train is easy although you will have a connection with no direct between Venice S Lucia and Ravenna. If you do book the train book the Frecciarossa and not the regionals- reserved seating and much nicer train cars. Also we have never had a major issue with the language barrier most train and station staff speak enough English to be helpful.

None that I've heard of over the years and we go 1-2 times per year. There are a handful of great tea shops-- just not offering an afternoon tea service like you get at the Chateau Frontenac. The tea service they offer is nice but only once a week and is more of a Fairmont brand standard than a QC tradition-- tea service in QC isn't really a thing. Montreal on the other hand has a bunch of great options including the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth and Ritz Carlton Hotel if you are stopping there at all on your trip.

Also the code for Day Use rooms in Marriott website/app is ZDY. Will work anywhere but will show the hotels at LAX and current pricing/availability.

I said an extra 15 minutes vs Wailea. Kaanapali is 45-1 hour vs 30-45 minutes for Wailea.

Has not been our experience with Uber in the area- during the day they are less prevalent than at night (when more are working) but usually it’ll be a 10-15 minute wait from Lahaina during the daytime and 5-10 min at night (and usually less)- just budget time accordingly but there won’t be an issue in getting one. I’ll use Uber for shorter distances like, like going from our place in Kaanapali to Lahaina or up to Kapalua but will use a taxi for longer distances like going to the main airport. But for what’s being described here- going from Lahaina to the car rental an Uber will be a reliable option. It’s about $15 in an Uber up to the Avis/Budget spot near Kapalua airport.

No, but an extra 15 minutes in the opposite direction is Kaanapali Beach which I think is nicer than Wailea and has vastly better facilities/amenities for day guests with Whalers Village. Plus you’ll have the benefit of being able to visit Lahaina before or after your beach day. Kaanapali was just rated the 10th nicest beach in the world.

The Bridgewater Marriott is a decent option- full service hotel that’s recently undergone a renovation (stayed there for a wedding over the summer). Walking distance to a few corporate chain restaurants like Maggianos and the restaurants at the adjacent Bridgewater Commons Mall. Very similar set up, but a little closer to the port, would be the Hilton Short Hills. This would be more upscale than the Bridgewater Marriott and the Short Hills Mall across the street is much more upscale than the mall in Bridgewater- more along higher end shopping you’d find in New York. Walking distance to a bunch of restaurants as well.