Meander Ingwa

I have heard cocoa mention , several times,as a welcome back drink upon return from excursions on cold days.

well it is that special time of year when respiratory viruses ramp up. What most people call "flu" is not Influenza, but any of the other severe respiratory viruses that pass around. I am glad that being retired I am no longer exposed to the workplace crud that the kids bring home from school in September. They pass to their parents who bring it to work to share with those of us who are missing out. I think by now we all know how to protect ourselves Tomorrow I am getting my RSV vaccine. I had my Influenza last month and am getting the new Covid vaccine sometime late Nov early Dec. I think goodness that to y knowledge I have never had Influenza. I do think of it, however, every winter when I travel I have a trip in early January. I will be spending 4 days in London prior, so I will be protecting myself with mask both to try to keep crud at bay and to keep from bringing anything on ship. You cannot do anything but take your own precautions. I think the ships excel at keeping the food borne issues to a minimum but there is only so much engineering you can do with the airborne viruses and we each must try to do our part.

I would love to come home from a Japan land vacation via this route. I live just south of the border so jump on the train and home. It would be a lovely , relaxing end to a journey

Hummm sounds like a few more hairdryers are in luggage disembarking than embarking

@Crestawave check in later or check when you get on board. Before 7 is prime time. Most people report not having issues booking the restaurants once on board

The Mayflower is one of the grand, enduring hotels of Seattle .

why. Is it too easy?

it is a Braun Satin Hair 1 a very nice quality

It is possible to do a day trip. It is a very FULL day trip. You want to hit the road early since puget sound region traffic can be a beast . Advantage is you are going, in general counter commute on weekdays. The road closure has no planned reopening. It is closed at the winter gate and the location and elevation somewhat prevents work until next Spring. You can visit the science and learning center though you may feel you don't get the whole experience without visiting Johnson Ridge . I would agree with this. You will probably have to put this on the nice if we can, but not make 100% sure plan. I would suggest Paradise at Mt Rainier as a nice alternative . Getting seats on the correct side of the plane can get you bonus views of these mountains

many people reporting problems yesterday and Viking said give them 48 hours. YOu may need to log out and back in again as well

Agree, even if you have registered your passport etc with your airlines, they still do hands on at the baggage agent. My airline of choice, out of my home airport has dedicated agents for international departures.

@Tsunami74 it is not really possible to tell you what to do without context. If you are arranging your airfare and visiting London on your own before your cruise, how comfortable are you with using public transportation. Are you mobile and able? If leaving from Greenwich it is a simple use of the Underground and DLR to the Cutty Sark station. . You are about 2 block from the ship at that point Or use a Taxi / Uber, you could be to Greenwich just as fast as going back to Heathrow and finding the transfer service. If leaving from Tilbury it is a train ride to Grays then a cab ride ( or Bolt or Uber) , or a Train to the next town of Tilbury and a walk or cab ride of 1 mile. I understand cabs are more readily available from Grays. There are other options as well but this is the basic. A private transfer from your hotel to the cruise port may be more efficient than finding your way back to the airport just to get a shuttle / bus. To me that alone is worth the extra charge

https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/fares/ here is the fare calculator for the ferry system, prices may likely be higher in 2025 Ferry leaves from Pier 51 / Coleman Dock, south on Alaska Way about 1 mile, from hotel. See Google Map but you cannot miss it. A sunset ride on the ferry to Bremerton is a treat. Most people get to the waterfront from SeaTac using Taxi/ Lyft / Uber

I usually depend on the reviews on Google Maps. I would suggest taking a look there. Spring for something a little more upmarket, this is not the time to skimp. there are plenty of corporate type hotels, like the near the convention Center, such as Best Western or consider Hotel Metropolitan. You may spend a little more, but you probably wont take away any friends to share your cruise, either

You are more likely to find such an offering by looking at the usual places for local guides. I found one such guide in Norway during my northern lights cruise both for landscape and NL itself. V did not offer the landscape guides offering. most of the trips on V i found on the regular sites with local guides. They even had the same pictures. Photo tours with local guides are common, I am sure Google will get you matched with someone

Have you ever used polish remover pads?. They do come in foil packets and are handy for travel

I am doing a northern lights Tilbury ( London) to Bergen, in January. I will fly round trip to London from Seattle and fly back to London from Bergen. This will also allow me some extra time in London which is my favorite world city

Is RC not a line you would consider? They have a trip on which includes Slovenia, 3 Croatia stops Montenegro and Italy

I would say that for this family group, an Air B&B type housing would probably go a long way. That would give them space to enjoy Christmas Day with a home cooked meal etc. Also day to day it will help to be able to have breakfast at home. Most venues and events do not open until 10PM. It would very likely be far more economical than a hotel situation. It might counter any perceived flight cost issue. I use Google Flights extensively and have already set up my fare alerts for next Summer. They bounce around multiple times a week, sometimes as much at $50 - 75 for a domestic flight

I vote for Winchester for the Cathedral alone, The Keats Walk adds the potential for a riverside walk and birding opportunity. I know you mentioned you are are interested tourist locations, but the cathedral has been beautifully restored and is an amazing example of Gothic architecture . I always love Evensong in these spaces as it is a chance to hear music, usually sung , in the spaces the music as written for. No matter your spiritual belief, it can be a very moving experience. Winchester has a handy town website for tourism that has details of the walk. I always use Google Maps to help me find interesting restaurants and places to stay.

27 to 39 is about 1/2 mile the ferry building is about a mile from 27 in the other direction Both landmarks are served by trolly/tram ( F line) and are on level waterfront ground

totally agree about the bikes... and cobblestone, You have to watch your steps.

This is a situation where using Google maps would be very helpful to you The Movenpick is out on the area near the cruise ship dock. Pretty isolated from the heart of A'dam which is really quiet small and intimate. Handy for embarkation but less so for exploring You would need to feel comfortable with the tram and canal system The Anne franks House is about a 45 minute walk. Is it walkable, yes, can you do it, thats or your decision The Pulitzer is about 1 or 2 blocks from AFH and is located in a more established neighborhood and sounds like it would be more to your liking. Many restaurants of world cuisine, whatever you like. It is 5 star all the way they have a Gym, but no pool. They have their own private canal boats for private tours. If you stay there, it is highly likely the concierge can find out about a private gym with pool Amsterdam is no different from any other Urban city. You probably want to stay away from the red light district

I have same trip in January and have booked a small, local NL trip for first day/ night Tromso. Second day will self tour the museums. I used the general site already mentioned and other known tour guide sites and found the interesting local providers. It should be a Hoot. I will reserve the decision to chase in Alta for when we are getting near, in route. It is the desire to see the museum in Alta that takes priority (UNESCO site). If weather is favorable I might find a private chase.

you are going to need a paper and pencil to work it out. If you are embarking VANC and debark SEA somewhere you are going to have a logistics challenge. It is usually more economical to book a round trip air fare via one city. You then have to figure out the logistics of getting to or from the secondary city. Most people who fly in to SEA will take the train or bus to VAN. Factor in the time of departure for the bus or train, and the possible need for a hotel in getting that connection.Choices are somewhat limited dont over look round trip Air to SEA with a one way flight to Vancouver to start your trip. I am seeing ,with a quick glance about 120 for that one way trip. I consider that only nominally more expensive over the bus or train when you add in the logistics of getting to that bus or train plus the added time in transit. Personally I will pay more for the one way flight over the aggravation of transferring in to town to get the train or staying overnight to get the bus that shuttles to the cruise port in Vancouver from SeaTac. Now mind you this is coming from a Seattleite who LOVES trains, but probably not after 6 hour cross country flight remember that if you are flying from the east coast time zones you are gaining a little time in your logistics so while it will be a long day, a connecting flight to Vanc at SEA might get you to your hotel in Van by late afternoon.