lynncarol

On 12/8/2023 at 8:51 PM, jonsmom said:

Todd I thought the Amsterdam Manor was the stop after Eagle. No?  Is it easy to push a stroller onto the beach?  Is there a walkway? Thanks

Yes, Amsterdam Manor IS the stop after Eagle Beach if you are coming from town.  We just took the bus there less than two weeks ago.  The bus lets you out at its stop, and you just walk across the street to the beach.  Much less crowded than the previous beaches we passed. When you are ready to return to the bus station, the stop is right there on the ocean side of the road.  It is even covered so you can't miss it.

It seemed to us that each van had an assigned area for drop-off.  Our van dropped everybody onboard off at the same place. The driver assured us that this part of the beach had the 'best bathroom of all'. Not sure about that, as the small building had one room with a toilet for men and the another room for women. it was really clean though and a big enough room that folks could bring in a child or two with them. We only rented an umbrella, which was 10 dollars.  I think you could get an umbrella and two chairs for 25. 

We were told the van/bus would pick us up at the same spot in the parking lot. Either a bus or van came every twenty minutes and honored our return trip pass. However, they stick around in the parking lot for twenty minutes until the next one comes. Some folks on the bus had been waiting for over 15 minutes when we got there and the driver was told 5 minutes later that he had to leave as another was arriving.

9 hours ago, cruisintwinsmom said:

Thanks for the info. Are chairs available to rent?

I saw a lot of people right down the beach on very similar chairs, so I am assuming you can rent but don't know how much it costs.

17 hours ago, Hate Winter said:

I've decided to book the August 29 cruise rather than September. Thanks.

That is the same date we cruised 10 years ago, but a north-bound one, leaving from Vancouver and ending up in Anchorage.  The weather was rather chilly and we had occasional rain but never "when it counted". It was a wonderful time for seeing bears as the salmon were running and we took a float plane to Traitors Cove in Ketchikan where we saw tons of bears.  After we arrived in Anchorage, we rented a car and stayed another week on our own. Unbelievably Mt Denali was out in full glory for the two days we were at the park...not a cloud in the sky. Plus the cold weather had brought out the color of the leaves and at times we felt we were 'engulphed in gold'. The train from Anchorage to Seward stops  running in mid September but we took it on its next-to-last day and took a Kenai Fjord day cruise. It was raining, but we encountered a big pod of Orcas which was very exciting.

On 1/16/2024 at 10:49 AM, bookbabe said:

Yes, if there’s a cruise ship in port, there will be taxis and shuttles to take people to the beach.  Prices vary.  Private taxi will be more expensive, shared ride vans are usually about $4-6pp each way.

Four of us were at Seven Mile beach last week off a cruise-ship. The first vans were charging $8.00 per person at the dock.  If you continue past these, the next set of vans were charging $6.00 per person. We bought a round-trip ticket for $12 and as the vans come to the beach every 20 minutes all day,  it was an easy return to the ship.

You can pay on the bus in US currency but your change will be in Aruba currency.  My husband and I just took the bus last week and for the two of us it was a total charge of $5.20 each way.  We gave the driver six US dollars, kept the change and used it along with another 5 dollar bill to augment our return trip.

Following the advice of a previous poster, we took the bus to Eagle Beach but got off on the very next stop AFTER Eagle Beach.  Much less crowded, has shade and really cool blow-holes.  We didn't rent any chairs or umbrellas, so can't comment on that, but brought our own water and spread out our towels beneath one of the unique Fofoti trees that line the shoreline.  Total cost of us was $10.20 for roundtrip bus for both my husband and myself. There was no charge to get on the beach.

We were snorkeling with Sea Cow in Bonaire last week.  Water was fine and we didn't have wet suits.  It was pretty windy though so I was a bit chilly onboard in-between snorkeling (they have you in the water for around 45 minutes then back on the boat for refreshments for maybe another 45 minutes then back into the water again) I brought a big towel from our cruise-ship and was warm enough when wrapped up in that while out of the water. 

Just returned today from a 9 day cruise on Celebrity Equinox to the ABC islands.  I was struggling to find an appropriate tour in Curacao as the ship didn't dock there until 1:30, too late to get to Shete Boka National Park. ( I emailed the park itself and was informed that "sadly by the time you make the 40 minute drive to our park, you will not have enough time to enjoy the park, as the last entry is at 3:30"). Anyway, getting off the ship, we had the great good fortune to encounter Josh, a taxi service located right on the pier. We settled on a fee of $200 total for a tour of Curacao that met my following criteria:  1.  No shopping opportunities  2.  No place where we would encounter lots of other tourists and 3.  Take us someplace that he, personally considered a beautiful off-the-beaten path spot where we could get out and explore.  Josh delivered in spades: He took us to see flamingos (nobody else around), an incredibly beautiful beach surrounded by hills and only one local family present, the original housing of the local fishermen, the painted buildings of old town, overlooks of the cruise-ship and lots more.  All together it was about a 2 1/2 hour tour.  His van was airconditioned and comfortable, his English perfect and Josh himself is a real sweet-heart who took great delight in introducing us to his island. His contact information is Josh Transportation Tour Service, phone +59995151604 and email is Josueisabella48@gmail.com (if I read his written address correctly).

My husband and I have used only carry-on luggage for both cruises (including river) and independent travel for almost 20 years.  I have a nylon travel line that is woven to function for hanging up hand-washed items. I also have a rubber drain plug that can be used to create a washing tub in the shower stall. If you bring clothes that dry easily and don't wrinkle, you can go forever.  We find it usually takes maybe one hour per cruise to do enough hand-wash to last the entire cruise. Also, don't forget, that especially on a river cruise, there are always cities nearby to buy something that you may not expect to need, like rain-coats, sweaters, etc. I still have a hoodie that I had to buy in Peru, as I never expected to encounter such cold days there.

Also, we have found that some off-site booking agents don't include port charges in their offer which can also really add up. Be sure to ask!

I too am prone to sea-sickness. In addition to the above remedies/meds mentioned, chose the correct venue. The bigger ships are more stabile as are cabins in the midship.  Also, NEVER take your first cruise on anything that goes out into the Atlantic.  Thirty years ago, for our 25th anniversary, my husband surprised me with a cruise from NYC to Bermuda. It took him another ten years to talk me into another cruise after that.  For what it is worth, I have found that as the years pass, my motion issues while cruising have declined significantly.

On 12/29/2023 at 1:45 PM, nini said:

If you do rent a car, be prepared for STICKER SHOCK! And reserve ASAP.

Yes, renting a car can be very expensive, especially if you do it from the Anchorage airport.  When we were there, we used Alamo which had a much cheaper option if you rented downtown, plus Alamo had a great special going on for small business owners, of which our cousin's husband (both of whom were with us) qualified. All we had to do was email them a photo of his business card. 

You can have the best of both worlds.  Take the Princess Cruse out of Vancouver that ends up in Anchorage.  From there rent a car and do it independently for a week. This is what we did. We were able to visit Denali for two full days when the weather was absolutely perfect and then off to Girdwood, Alyeska (sp?) with its fabulous ski lift and Matanuska Glacier.  Then we returned the rental car in Anchorage (which saved alot of money)  to take the train down to Seward for an overnight and Kenai Fjords boat ride). Flew home from Anchorage.  

Another vote for Glacier Bay...it was fabulous.  We had a balcony in September years ago on Princess  which visited Glacier Bay and we still ended up on the bow of the ship for a better view of the glaciers.  Plus, usually it was too cold or rainy to sit out on our balcony and we never did see any whales from it.

It's been a few years but when we stayed at the hotel  (then it was a Comfort Inn) it was a very easy and safe walk to the train station. Street lighting was good and nothing scary is about that early in the morning anyway. 

Just returned this past November from two weeks in Argentina and Chile on our own. Having heard so much about the currency issue in Buenos Aires we did visit a Cambio and exchanged a fifty dollar bill for pesos. (Be aware that Cambios do not want US currency in bills smaller than $50.) You can charge almost everything in both countries anyway. After a week in Argentina, we still had almost 15 US dollars worth of pesos left which we used for our last tips.  Everyone wanted US dollars. In Chile, we left a 5 dollar US tip for the waitress in a small town who seemed a bit confused about the currency.  Her co-worker then rushed over and said to her in Spanish (which we understand) "No! This money is American, You want it!" 

13 hours ago, ljandgb said:

TBH, the best way to see Iceland is by land.  It is easy to drive, or there are plenty of good tours.  The "ports" are mostly small villages with extremely limited tourist infrastructure, making you dependent on ship tours.

 

Consider a stopover in Iceland on the way to/from your Norway cruise.

If you fly Icelandair to Norway, you can have a free layover in Iceland for (I think) up to a week.  That is how we made our first trip to Iceland, as a 6 day layover there on our way to Europe.  Two for the price of one!

I am assuming you know that for the Borghese you need to purchase timed entry tickets in advance. Try to time it with one of the English tours the museum provides; Our guide was excellent and significantly added to our experience. 

On 10/31/2023 at 2:18 AM, AKStafford said:

There's the Wingate by Wyndham Anchorage Downtown/Ship Creek right near by.

https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/wingate/anchorage-alaska/wingate-anchorage-downtown-ship-creek/overview

A good recommendation. My husband and I stayed in Alaska a week (post cruise) rented a car, and ultimately ended up back in Anchorage where we stayed at the Wyndham Ship Creek (at that time a Comfort Inn). From there we and took the train to Seward and booked a 3 hour Kenai Fjords cruise, overnighted in Seward and then returned by train to Anchorage the next day. Since the Inn's location is maybe only a block away from the train station it is very convenient as the train arrives at 10:00 at night. 

We have utilized Leo's services three times now.  He is a very safe driver, reasonably priced, always willing to accommodate special requests, and has a lot of knowledge about this island. Highly recommend.

It's not just cruise ships anymore.  It seems since the pandemic, everyone that can possibly do so is traveling.  My sister has lived in Sarasota most of her life.  Apparently the beaches there are one of the new hot spots for tourism.  When my husband and I visited her last winter, traffic in her area was terrible and the four of us couldn't even find a place to go out for lunch.

I had a funny experience in the Sydney Airport.  We were traveling on land independently and had been using a woven bag previously to bring back breakfast rolls from a local bakery to our hotel while in New Zealand.  But at Sydney an official and her dog were waiting.  The dog made a bee-line towards my bag which, despite being empty, still must have smelled of food. Of course, I was checked out and even though found to be innocent, that dog continued to eye me suspiciously until I left the area.  

You should hear what folks in other countries think about the USA.  Even 20 years ago, nobody in the UK could believe that in the USA I had never been mugged nor owned a gun. You will be fine.  My husband and I travel abroad often and frequently  take family members with us.  I would never put someone I love in harm's way but have no hesitation about traveling abroad to countries not actually involved in a war zone.

Have you considered a river cruise? There are ones that start in Paris and incorporate a make a day tour to Normandy.