lumpkin8

Thanks, Miaminice.

I don't know if these cruise ports have JR rail anywhere near them. Do you know if they do? If we can walk to train station from cruise ports, that would be fine. (Not worried about Yokohama/Tokyo port, just the ports of call listed.)

Hi, We are travelling on NCL Jewel during Golden Week in Japan in April 2019. These are the ports: Kobe, Japan Naha, Okinawa, Japan Ishigaki, Japan Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan I am wondering if there are any places to go that are in walking distance from the cruise ports in these stops? I know it will be crowded because of Golden Week. Also, are their car rental places near the ports? Two of our family are Japanese and have liscenses and drive there all the time, so that is not an issue for us. Thanks/

Hi, We are travelling on NCL Jewel during Golden Week in Japan in April 2019. These are the ports:

Kobe, Japan

Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Ishigaki, Japan

Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan

I am wondering if there are any places to go

that are in walking distance from the cruise ports in these stops? I know it will be crowded because of Golden Week. Also, are their car rental places near the ports? Two of our family are Japanese and have liscenses and drive there all the time, so that is not an issue for us.

Thanks/

Hi,

I work for the cruise port company in NYC, and the credit card info is done at the in-person check-in that everyone must go thru to get their sea pass card. What you input (if anything) on line ahead of time is not relevant at all. Each person can use a separate credit or debit card at the port check-in process. Tell the person at the counter what you want.

I leave the bathroom light on all night, with the door closed. The light shines thru just a bit from the bathroom door frame, and it is just enough to let me know where the bathroom is located in the middle of the night!

I was on the Gem minisuite, and there was a curtain provided already that would be closed to separate the sleeping sofa from the bed area.

I agree, not much of a thing in NYC anymore, but some of the best donuts, (and possibly still a cronut) would be found at the Donut Plant, located at 220 West 23rd st, between 7th and 8th avenues. http://doughnutplant.com/

Johns Pizza is very good thin crust coal oven pizza, but it is NOT considered traditional NYC pizza (by the slice, of course!)

For the slice, try the mom and pop stores all over the city. Times Sq. is not nec. the best location since it is touristy, but if your son eats a lot, try a slice in each of a few different places in the area.

To get this, do you have to book the cruise thru AMEX or just pay with AMex card?

bbryan5....the earlier post said " I have seen numerous passengers go way out of their way to avoid a spritz of hand sanitizer. I think they should give her a gun belt and sidearm." which seemed pretty hostile, so, NO, "hated " did not seem to me to be a "dramatic" response.

I too am allergic to the sanitizer...I have serious excema (dishydrosis) on my palms and fingers. I go out of my way to avoid the spray, and don't appreciate being criticized by others thinking I am not clean. I also bring my own soap onto the ship and use it "religiously". I am glad the sanitizer is there for those who can use it, but I should not be hated for not being able to.

If you don't or cannot print your edocs, security (and also the porters if you are not sure of your cabin) will check for your name on the ship's manifest. It is absolutely not required (at least in NYC cruise port, where I work) to have a copy (print or edoc) of your boarding passes/ship info.

I work at the NYC cruise port. It is NOT required to have a printed doc. Your ID (passport, etc) is required, but not your cruise docs. TSA Security will look up your name on the daily manifest if you do not have the cruise docs printed. Many people do not have access to printers. Once you get past security to the check-in agents, you just need your name and IDs.

My goodness....as someone earlier in this post mentioned, the question of what do you do for a living is almost always just an icebreaker. It is not meant to be judgemental, or a challenge, but merely a talking point and something to comment on in appreciation. No one needs to be defensive for not working, for doing volunteer work, or for being on disabilty....most people will not judge you for whatever your answer is.

Think about getting tix t NYCB (new york city ballet) Nutcracker show. Beautiful to observe.

I just want to include my 2 cents, re: exc;ursions not thru the ship. I respect the opinion of others who want to save money. I have had actual experience with booking an underwater helmut dive thru the ship, in Nassau (not sure which ship or line). There was no traffic issues...the tour simply ran longer than it should have. The 6 people on this tour (my family of 4, and another couple) were returned q;uite late to the dock for the ship. Because it was a ship's tour, the ship did wait for us, and the gangplank was pulled up right behind us. This, to me, makes the higher price worth it eve;ry time.

When I can walk to a site, I don't take the ship's excursion. But if any kind of transportation is involved, I still prefer to keep my sanity and not have to worry about the ship sailing. I worry and stress very easily!!!!

Hi, I work at the NYC cruise terminal. The arrival time you were assigned is absolutely not relevant. It is the how the cruise line tries to stagger the arrival of passengers. NO one will keep you from checking in when you arrive, subject to (of course) as long as the security line is open, and then you are subject to the standard lines for whichever level cabin you booked.

With the ubp, I always hand over $1 bill for each drink ordered, along with my cruise card for the drink charge. Yes, the gratuity has already been paid. And yes, people rely on tips for their livelihood. I have no idea if I get better service because of this. That is not why I do it. I do it because I can, and because that is USA common practice. It certainly helps the server's finances, and does not hurt mine tremendously. I am happy to do this.

Hi, my vote would be for ship's tour if not close to the port. We were on a tour in Nassau, thru the ship, and the ship waited for the 4 of us before sailing since the tour was late in returning. We were the last ones on board, thru no fault of our own, and had we been on our own excursion that ship would have sailed without us. For me, a rule of thumb is if I can walk to the event, beach, museum, etc, from the ship port, then I will do it on my own. Otherwise, I opt for ship tours. I have never had a bad ship tour, and it has never been too crowded. Another time, we booked a snuba tour (thru the ship) got there, and the water was too rough for the snuba to take place. They told us we could stay at Coral World for the day, or we would have to pay for the tour van to take us back to the ship early. We went back, and the ship was absolutely agreeable to not having us pay for the return trip back, and all our money for that tour was refunded. We had booked SNUBA, not a general visit to Coral World. Had we done on our own, of course there would have been no refund.

Just my experiences....

Hi, I work for the cruise port pier in NYC, and can assure you that the time that you choose or are assigned for check in is meaningless for actual check in. It is a suggested time in order to stagger arrivals. We do not check what time you are "assigned". You can arrive when you want, and in NYC terminal the security (TSA) opens at approx. 9:30AM (they control when they open, not NCL). After security, then you wait on line again to check in with an check-in agent, which might have a line or not..... Boarding often starts around 11:30/NOON, again depending on the completion of disembarkation of the prior cruise.

Hi, as a NYC native and long time resident, I can tell you that as lovely as Central Park is, it is just that....a park. Other than the zoo, it is grass and trees. I am not sure I would call it a tourist destination, unless walking thru parks was your priority. Since your friend is a senior, this might not really be the best place to visit.

Coming to NYC could include broadway shows, off-broadway shows, comedy clubs, and museums. This would be a more complete NYC visit. If walking is do-able, then walking in soho, lower east side, williamsburg (bklyn) is always fun. Great bars and restaurants are available of course.

Galaghers is a good restaurant, but quite pricey. If they are not really "into food" I would suggest Olive Garden, in the Times Square area, which is a totally predictable restaurant that would be much cheaper and probably acceptable to those without a desire to have NYC food choices.

I live in Manhattan, have used Carmel for years. They are reputable and fine.

Hi, I work at the NYC cruise port, and YES, the CAS have a separate line to go into security, and then to check in. However, you will need to clearly let the staff know that you are CAS, or otherwise you will be directed to the regular line. Specify Casino at Sea, rather than the abbreviation, of course.