Omega1

For our June trip, the price of the White Pass train ticket was only $8pp less booking direct than doing a ship excursion (Princess) - we have used our obc and got the departure time we want.

Thank you for your review - the blog was very helpful. We fly into Doha in January to pick up the Norwegian Dawn. We have a full day to explore Doha and your blog has given us lots of ideas and the confidence to do it DIY. We will probably add on a visit to the museum of Islamic Art and finish up with an evening meal in the Souk Waqif.

Thanks for the recommendation- we’re planning a side trip to Vic Falls and Botswana (Chobe) as part of our trip to South Africa next year. We’re regular visitors to SA, but the add on is new.

4 minutes ago, Wayfairers said:

Thanks for the info.   Definitely plan to return for a multi day safari one day including a balloon flight over migration.   The cruise is our intro to Africa….(well Morocco will be a repeat…spent a week and a half there a few years ago).  Anyway, we want to experience a short safari or two on this trip to see some animals and Aquila is one we are considering.  
 

 We will definitely see Table Mountain and Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope, Boulder Beach to see the penguins, Chapmans Peak Drive.   Thinking of possibly a hike between Cape Point and Cape of good Hope.  At this point I don’t know if we can do all that in one day.   We aren’t into seeing buildings and gardens unless they are something really special.   

It’s a pleasant and relatively easy walk between Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point (45-60 mins). Good luck with the planning.

It’s probably 16 years since we were at Aquila, it hadn’t been established that long and felt a bit like Noah’s Ark - 2 elephants, 2 giraffe (get the idea) and the lions were in their own fenced enclosure like a zoo. It looks as though it has expanded now and become more ‘safari like’ and it’s one of the few opportunities to see game in the Western Cape. Obviously, the best game parks are much further afield in the Eastern Cape and Kruger. Having said that it’s certainly a fun activity but given you only have a couple of days in CT there is so much to see and do within an hour of the city, my advice would be stay local (Aquila is a 2 hour + drive away) and go back to South Africa to do a ‘quality’ safari experience.

We are flying to the Western Cape for three weeks in 10 days (our 7th visit) and if visiting for 48 hours on a cruise ship, on day 1 I would book a tour (or rent a car) to Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope to include the African Penguins at Boulders Beach and a stop at Hout Bay and take in the spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive en route to Cape Point. For a long day you might add a call at a Constantia winery eg Groot Constantia.

Day 2 take your pick of several CT attractions- Table Mountain cableway, Robben Island, Kirstenbosch Gardens, afternoon tea at the Mount Nelson hotel to name a few. So much choice, you need to be selective.

Thanks for posting, we visit Doha in January 24 and I had read about this on a different site. We have annual, worldwide travel insurance ( with a good level of cover, plus we pay an additional premium to cover existing conditions), so this seems like an underhand tourist tax to me.

57 minutes ago, mousefan73 said:

Was this shuttle price RT and did one have to register before or are they just waiting there for pax? I am googling trying to find this bus, or is it cruise line organized? thanks!

 

The price is RT and I think tickets were purchased from a desk in the cruise terminal.

We were in Le Havre three days ago. The shuttle into Le Havre was $19.95pp. Our group of six picked up a taxi van at the port to Honfleur for €25pp return. We arranged a pick up time and didn’t pay until we were back at the ship. A brilliant day and our driver recommended a restaurant for lunch- modules et frites followed by tarte Normande washed down with local cider, delicious!

The bus plus shuttle to where the bus starts was approx €45pp compared to our taxi of €25pp. A board at the exit of the cruise terminal stated that a taxi for 1-4 people to Honfleur was €130 return. Hope this helps.

Yes.

We were in Dublin 10 days ago. As we tendered ashore, on the road opposite the port exit was a green hoho bus. Tickets were €25 pp (senior) and included a ride into Dublin, one day access to hoho bus and a train (DART) ticket from central Dublin back to Dun Laoghaire. We decided to stay on the bus for the full circuit and then walk around central Dublin (O’Connell St, Trinity College and Temple Bar) followed by a lovely lunch with live music in St John Gogarty’s. A little more sightseeing before walking the short distance to Tara Street to get the DART back to Dun Laoghaire. A brilliant day.

I too can confirm that snorkelling with Woodwind is a quality experience- having done it twice.

We often rent cars in Norwegian ports - a great alternative to expensive shore excursions. Currently around £95 ($130) per day for a compact auto this summer.

Do both as a b2b like us!🤣👍

11 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Yes.  Not sure where your $15/day number is from and what length of voyage.  But 4 people can share the 4-device package.  Or 2 or 3 people.  The person with the login info who booked it controls the usage.

I took the pricing information from the Princess website - actually a link from the Princess site to someone’s blog, but the pricing was correct when operations ceased in 2020. $9.99 per day for unlimited WiFi for one device, $14.99 pd for up to 4 devices. Of course, those prices are likely to go up slightly. The prices are per day so the length of voyage doesn’t matter.

Would it be possible for people travelling together on different booking numbers (2 couples) to share the 4 device package? So one person buys the 4 device  package at $14.99 per day (less 50%) and all four people log in on a device each.

This would be $1.87pp per day for unlimited internet. Asking for a friend!😂🤣

On 11/1/2020 at 10:30 PM, DavietheScot said:

Some ideas if you visit Scotland's capital city, a city that is a must visit on any UK Itinerary 

 

https://happytravellingwithdavie.blogspot.com/2020/10/edinburgh-must-do-on-any-uk-visit.html

 

 

 

 

Very helpful - thanks!

Just to add a further complication (apologies if this has already been referenced ) - we had a FCD applied to a cruise that was cancelled. The FCD had expired by the time the cruise was cancelled but was returned to our Princess account as a FCC. When I enquired if the FCD benefits (obc) still applied, the Princess agent said they did - but there is no evidence to that effect on the account. It’s one to watch.
(How many acronyms can I get into a single post?😂🤣)

No, not for us. Cruising is a means to an end, not an end in itself (for us).

The Greek regulation that came into effect in mid April stated that if the vouchers are not used within 18 months by customers, businesses will be required to refund the initial amount of the bookings in cash. That is obviously subject to the business still being a going concern.

7 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

And you ask why my mind is made up????? 😁

Thank you for your response. For clarity (and accuracy), I didn’t ask why your mind was made up, simply it seemed to be made up.

With an on going investigation and enquiry, I think it is quite dangerous to draw conclusions, no matter how tentative, when only part of the evidence has been heard. The evidence should be viewed in its entirety, premature conclusions are simply that - an incomplete picture. 

I am not disputing what you say - I am saying you cannot possibly have a complete picture because all the evidence has not been heard.

Anyway, I will watch how matters unfold, from afar, with interest and trust in the rule of law and due process.

Best regards.

Sounds as though your mind’s made up. Anyway, stay safe and happy cruising, whenever that might be!

ps should that be ‘unjustly accused’?

4 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I am not a conspiracy theorist, and always subscribe to the idea that most things are more likely to be a 'stuff up' (Australian slang for mistake or 'screw up') than a conspiracy.

 

However, in this case I wonder if the big pay rise for the Police Commissioner personally organised by the Premier of NSW (when other government employees are fore-going their scheduled pay increases) is literally a 'quid pro quo' for diverting attention from the mid-handling of the matter by the Premier's own departments. All political.

I’m not a conspiracy theorist... however.... bang, another conspiracy theory!😂👏

Why not wait for the outcomes of the Commission of Enquiry and Police investigation (and subsequent court case if there is sufficient evidence)?

Wow, I thought the U.K. had its fair share of conspiracy theorists, but Oz seems to have some corkers!

Having just read this thread from the the start, one thing is clear - there are lots of opinions masquerading as facts.

On 3/20/2020 at 6:12 PM, Roberto256 said:

 

Cash doesn't expire.

 

It does in my pocket!!🤣