Islandattorney

14 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

They can make one for your group by combining the square tables. I suggest giving the restaurant a call 10-15 min. before you plan to arrive to give them time to get things ready.

Thanks.  We can do that.

Thanks. That is helpful. 

We sailed on Epic some time ago but we were only 2 and I can’t recall if they had larger tables in the small Haven dining room.  Also not sure if that varies aming NCL ships.  We will be 8 this time. Info appreciated.

Thanks friends.  

For some reason, I cannot find the answer to this question on the RCCL website and while it may seem trivial, it will dictate some important cruise decisions for my family.  Does anyone know if there are age or height requirements for kids using the watersides on the big RCCL ships?  We are thinking of a family cruise with our grandkids (ages 2 & 4) who look out at visiting cruise ships from our place and want to get on those slides…if they couldn’t ride, we would look at other vacation options for a few years.  But they are very athletic…one snorkels and both swim.  What can the CC community tell me about this?  Many thanks.

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Will taxis accept US dollars?

Maybe too late for you but the Summit is at Crown Bay today.

It will absolutely be warm enough for a short but lovely beach day.  True Virgin Islanders will think the sea water a bit too chilly that time of year and that time of day, but everyone else will find it perfect. Temps will be in the low 80’s even that early in the day.  Grab beach towels from your ship, jump in a taxi, and tell him you want to go to the closest pretty beach. Have fun,  

On 12/29/2019 at 11:49 AM, Beaver1975 said:

 

So, they should shut down the engines so you have no electricity while in port?

 

Should have just stopped after the first sentence, that would have have been in staying with the topic at hand.

The NY Times article cited by previous poster reports that their dock has electric plug in capacity for the ships, but most are not using that and instead burning diesel all day long, perhaps to avoid electric charges. The city’s effort to avoid this pollution seems like something the cruise lines should be working with.  They don’t have a great reputation on environmental care.

Is this what they call a forward facing penthouse?  I was looking at pics of one on getaway and it looked quite like this. Very small balcony though.  Did you also take connecting cabin, and was that a regular balcony suite?  We would be traveling as a family with 4 adults & infant and I am trying to figure out if this would be a good arrangement for us. Thanks. 

I have lived in St Thomas for over 40 years now, and raised 2 children...and then we have 2 grands.  So happy to share thoughts on this.  There are no beaches walking distance from the WICO dock but it can be interesting to walk around there and see the ships.  There is a statue of the Little Mermaid thst was created as a replica of the original in Copenhagen by the original owners of the dock, The West Indian Company that was a subsidiary of the East Asiatic Company. But for a toddler it would surely be more fun to get to a beautiful beach with gentle warm water where the little one can get in and feel that lovely experience, so unlike the ocean in California where I came from. You can take a taxi to Magens Bay or Secret Harbor for that...both gorgeous.  And there are many others. Enjoy your day.

St Croix is a beautiful island with two interesting historic towns, Frederiksted where you dock and CHRISTIANSTED on the other side of the island.  There is a fine old fort in CHRISTIANSTED (not sure why this keeps capitalizing Csted?}. and many cafes along the waterfront for a meal or a drink.  If you are in port long enough, and if you like to snorkel, there is a fabulous national park at buck island, with massive corals and lots of fish.  That is the first place I ever tried snorkeling.  I think there is a nice beach within walking distance of the dock if you prefer an easy day.  Most taxi drivers will give you an island tour if you want to explore on your own.  Have fun.

We will be in Buenos Aires tomorrow to board a cruise that departs the next evening. We want to go to Plaza Dorrego to check out the antiques fair & tango. Any problem or advice on taking a taxi from the ship after we check in to the Plaza? Or getting a taxi back?

we are ending a cruise in BA and flying to Iguazu Falls the same day from the domestic airport (AEP). We fly back the very next day because of strict time pressure. Our flight back to the states the following day is out of EZE airport. We are trying to figure out if it makes sense to drop our bigger suitcase at a hotel in BA on the way to the AEP airport since we won't need much for the very short visit. Are there any nice hotels in a convenient location for this little plan? Or should we just lug the bags along?

When I was there a couple of years ago, we got into the Stern (jewellers) minivan and at their shop, they got us a taxi and we toured Olinda/Recife for $25 pp (there were 4 of us). Went where the large buses cannot go.

We also took that free shuttle cruise n Recife but did not tour...we just walked across the street, as far as I remember, to a big beach full of happy local folks with music playing and kites flying. We thought it was a great way to spend a day.

By the way, may I add this question: do most restaurants & shops take credit cards? I assume taxis require cash but I am trying to estimate our actual need for cash in Argentina. Thanks....

Yes but they are typically empty.

 

Strangely, they are in the corridor that leads to the Banco de la Nacion which is open and will happily issue local currency.

 

For me the line was only 45 minutes long.

ONLY? Is that a joke? Now I'm wondering how much these dreaded local fees are...maybe be worthwhile.

Is there an ATM at the airport there?

We will be in St Thomas with our 14 month old son and was wondering what we could do with him while there.

Thanks in advance

 

 

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Having raised 2 children in St Thomas, I have always thought the most wonderful thing for tiny ones here is our warm & gentle sea, where they can kick their little feet in the clear water, with no fear of waves or frigid ocean. The best way for them to experience an "ocean/like" place. Of course, playing in the sand is lovely too. Magen's Bay is a nice choice for that..,

We live in St Thomas and made our first visit back to Magen's on Saturday. There was quite a bit of visible tree loss but also clear rebirth of green leaves on surviving trees. We could see many big palm trees ready to be planted. Water was lovely. People were few...really pleasant. And the bar they had relocated to a picnic shed normally used for rentals was great! Literally the best Painkillers ever & funny, top notch bartenders. We did rent an umbrella for shade. I think you will have a wonderful visit.

We have lived in the Caribbean for over 40 years and visited all the islands you mention. All have lovely qualities and they are surprisingly different. For example. Dominica is beautiful, as others say, but it has no beaches. Its beauty is in its mountains & rivers. St Thomas is where I live and it surely has the most beautiful harbor of any of the islands...the most picturesque town. If you like zip-lining, that is offered in St Thomas, and if you want to go sailing, you can do a day sail from St Thomas to St John & return, if your stop is long enough - surely the most glorious sailing anywhere. We went for a daysail a week or so ago on the Yacht Independence, over to a near deserted bay in St John, with great rum punch, nice lunch, and sails up all the way (no motoring). They cater to folks on cruise ships. (Independence44@gmail.com). Have a fine trip!

May I add a question here for Infinity veterans of the Antarctica cruise? Any suggestions on cabin choice? Is it too cold to enjoy a balcony? Any particular cabin type or vessel side you liked for best viewing of the scenery? We are looking at the 2/18 departures and just wonder if cabin selection for this itinerary presents unique considerations. Thanks in advance.

Hello again. Today we went to the Tala Private Game Reserve about an hour outside of Durban. I had no special expectations, but the two hours plus of driving thru the property were outstanding. We were in a big, specially designed open truck which had a canvas top for shade. As it was cloudy, and slightly cool, with no wind, the morning was absolutely perfect for viewing. And view we did! In no particular order, we saw a Warthog mother with two tiny babies running along behind her, a very large group of giraffes of all ages, including an 8 and a half week old baby, gnus, impalas, antelope, a family of Blue Cranes...the national bird and quite rare, several herds of zebras, hippos, many duck species, a few heron, and the preserves three stars...one black and two white rhinos.

The rhinos have been de horned and have a well armed guard always hidden, at a distance...24 hours a day. 7 months ago poachers snuck in, heavily tranquilized a larger herd and two died before the guard could save them all. Only two sisters and one unrelated male was left. Now the guards shoot to kill the poachers...looks like this new policy, and the dehorning, could be a deterrent. Let's all hope this is the case.

 

Added to the experience was our marvelous Zulu guide. He was lowkeyed, and extremely informative. It was a terrific excursion....totally unlike the full 4 days we spent, about ten years ago, at the fabulous Singita Lodge in northern SA. But that is a silly comparison. Tala is close in to civilization. You don't fly a tiny plane in, or stay 3 nights in a mind blowing luxury lodge, so you can't have a deeply atmospheric wild safari experience. But, at Tala, you do have wild life, many stops for close up viewing, beautiful scenery in rolling hills, lakes, open fields, some bush, and roads which are tolerably rough.

 

We accepted the concept, understood the compromises, and LOVED it!

Sounds great. Was this a ship's tour or one you arranged privately? We are "following in your footsteps" in February & find your reviews so helpful.

CruisinPashmina...just a bit hard to visualize the economic migrant trying to sneak into a South Africa on Silversea. Still, wishing you & others on the Cloud a lovely voyage.

If you're cruising in February 2018, check to see which cruise lines are doing overnight stays in Rio during Carnival. I sailed 12 or 13-nights onboard Celebrity Infinity, starting in Buenos Aires, with calls into Montevideo, Buzios, Portobello, 3 overnight stays in Rio for Carnival, and then returned to Buenos Aires for another overnight onboard.

We are looking at this cruise for next Feb. How did you like the Carnaval 3 night stay? Did you feel you were really able to enjoy that experience from a cruise ship?