PennyAgain

The train is easy if you don't have a heap of luggage. There is no one to help you with luggage so you have to get it on and off the train on your own and you can't block the aisles or doors with it.

My husband is not allowed to carry luggage so we are limited to what this old wife can manage on her own and do.

Most tourists are not aware that there is a Denali State Park. Very nice but not the same as Denali National Park.

Not the same road or the same rules.

Having your own car won't help you much at all in the National Park as you can only drive a few miles down the road on your own.

Accidents do happen. We have a family motto. "If it looks dangerous, don't do it." We've cancelled doing a tender run when we had elderly family members traveling with us and now use the same caution for ourselves.

Thanks so much! I really needed a good laugh and you gave me a whole collection of them.

Many ports have boats called tenders that they charge the cruise ships to use to ferry passengers to and from the ship. They vary from nice and well maintained to much less so. They also vary in size and number of passengers they can carry.

The worst we ever had was at Kona Hawaii down to the broken seats and unclean conditions. Some tenders are down right luxury situations.

Most cruise ships carry along some of their own tenders which can also be used as life boats. See this is where it can get fuzzy.

I stand corrected on the bus ride from Invergordon to Inverness. Thank you. I was so interested in the scenery of Black Isle that it seemed like 15 minutes instead of 30 to 40.

The facilities at Inverness are much too small for modern ships.

The shopping at Inverness is interesting, but there are no bargains. We were after a wool jacket for my husband and found an excellent one that will last for generations.

When you are coming into dock at the quay under the Firth of Forth Railroad bridge, be sure to be where you can see as much as possible. That bridge is absolutely wonderful. It is rare to get the wonderful view that you will have.

A marvel in its time and still very beautiful!

There are at least 2 places ships dock in Edinburgh. Also for Inverness the actual port is Invergordon.

I went from Invergordon to Inverness in about 15 minutes on a bus provided at no charge by the cruise line. The bus circulated and I was able to take it back to the ship when the time came. I didn't look around for a taxi.

Can you post more information about where you are docking in Edinburgh?

I wonder if the increasing rents took it. The growing tourist trade has taken the real character out of the towns on the cruise boat trail.

One thing that gets me is that people assume a younger person has an injury that will get better so should be trying harder to do so.

I'm 60 and am still asked if I have a knee injury and perhaps replacement that make it get better. I try very hard to be polite.

Very!

My leg is damaged. It is not going to get better and I don't need a knee replacement!

As I get older people are a little less rude, but still willing to offer advice. No thanks!

Nothing in Juneau is far by road, but it is too far to walk. Renting a car (driving is easy and impossible to get lost) is a good idea.

The shrine is beautiful. Well worth your trouble.

I know people who have done that and all used the Alaska Ferry System for their sea journey. I had a VHS tape of a nephew's trip, mostly shot by himself while riding!

Obviously not a great tape.

You need a MILEPOST from www.milepost.com to explain it all.

You could make a series of Nurse George books for young people and interested adults.

I'm not kidding! Great stuff!

I have traveled by ship both for my work and for pleasure. I have a lot of Viking in me and don't get seasick, but I have fallen down in rough conditions. I crosssed the North Atlantic twice in a ship of less than 5,000 tons.

As I get older I am more worried about falls and injuries. Any advice other than staying in bed when things get rough?

By contrast I was on the QE2 when they wet the table cloths and put the ropes up in the corridors, but I stayed put in my room as I didn't trust myself to walk around. A big ship can take a rough ride as well.

where it is not even necessary to ask the Original Poster's question.

Cunard offers a civilized environment for all who care to come aboard.

Well, perhaps not those who change to jeans after dinner!

Thanks to all who responded. Our seniors believe that Medicare pays for everything everywhere and don't want to buy travel medical insurance. We will be going well outside any US territory (Baltic cruise). I need this information to try to convince them that Medicare is not the golden goose.

I can't get decent information on this question. We will be traveling in a family group with 3 people who have Medicare.

What does Medicare pay for if they need medical care while on the cruise?

Thank you.

We really enjoyed our cruise on SOA. West Carib. I think. What fascinated me was the beautiful artwork on board including a most interesting painting of a Viking ship bow forward. I have always wanted to see that painting again.

Now I would photograph such and have the memory.

We had a very nice time. Thanks for the photos. We were learning to cruise with those first efforts.