columbusnj

I find the reviews posted here are so much more comprehensive and I enjoy them more.

Just use your own judgment on what’s appropriate.  If you’re not sure, check with someone on the ship.

The marriott is beach better as well as the beach

I stayed in a regular room at the Le Meridien but it's been a few years. The room was fine (nothing special though) but the sunset views were great. I stayed there 3 nights before a Paul Gaugin cruise and would do the same again to adjust to the time difference. I also had a day room at the Intercontinental on the return home and I didn't think the IC rooms were special either.

I would not stay in the overwater bungalows at the Le Meridien as they're overpriced and the beach there is not the greatest, but the resort has a fantastic pool. The hotel is near (walking distance) a restaurant a grocery store.

Just to be clear- I was joking in case if didn't come across that way.

understood. the problem is actually with DH. He wants to bring as little clothes as possible and I'm trying to see how light he can go.

Thank you for the info

I'm going on my first Azmara cruise and have a laundry question. We're trying to pack light so we're wondering how quickly you get your laundry back if you use their laundry service. Would we be able to get it back the same day?

I agree. Another great town to visit is Rhonda. Malaga is also a very nice town.

Thanks for all your feedback. We solved our problem by deciding to spend an extra day in Lisbon

Thanks for your reply.

I’ll be in Lisbon next September and will probably arrive at the hotel around noon – flying in from Newark, NJ. I plan to sightsee in Lisbon on Day I (same day as I arrive). On Day 2 (the only full day), I plan to go to Sintra. On day 3, we need to be at the dock no later than 12:30 so we’ll only have a few hours in the morning.

For Day 1, I originally wanted to go to Belem to just see the Monastery and the Monument of Discoveries, then go to the Alfama district to walk around, have dinner, and go the castle. I am now thinking this is too aggressive since we won’t be starting the day until around noon, and I want to just enjoy the day, soak up Lisbon and not rush it. So I’m rethinking my plans for Day 1 and comtemplating two options, which I’d love to get feedback from people who have visited Lisbon in the past.

Option 1 is to make a choice between Belem and Castle and not do both. I plan on going to the Alfama district either way, to walk around and have dinner.

Option 2 is to do Alfama District including the Castle on Day 1. Then on Day 3, go to Monastery in the morning and then go straight to ship from there. I’d hire a taxi for the morning so the taxi could wait with our luggage. The Monastery doesn’t open until 10am so would 2 hours be enough time.

Any thoughts?

This comes down to what you want to accomplish and personal taste. This is a great way to get a taste of all the islands. All the islands are so unique. I am not a fan of NCL but if I want to cruise Hawaii, I would choose them. Also, I would only want 2 to 3 days on some of islands, so if you want to visit all of them, this is a good option.

I've been to the islands several times including an NCL cruise. I think the best choice for a first timer is to do a combination trip, 1 week cruise, 1 week land. After that, I think land vacations are the way to go. If you want to be active each day, both options work. If you just want to relax, I recommend a land vacation. If you want to get the feel of Hawaii, I recommend a land vacation. A large cruise ship will not give you that feeling.

Think about what your favorite activities are, then choose. Your choose of islands, should be based on this also.

The swim platform was not crowded; however, the currents can be very strong and the crew may not allow you to go swimming if they are strong.

Although my favorite time to visit Hawaii is Sept/Oct, a lot depend on the travelers preferences. For me, beach time is essential and the water is warmer than. You can have rain at any time but I've experienced it more in April.

I suggest maherp should research it and base it on their preferences. There is so much info on the web and in travel books.

I would choose September over April. April can get a lot of rain. I've been to the islands numerous times in September and October and always found the weather great.

The beach in front of the Ritz would be good but you won't be able to use their longers. It's fairly shallow for quite a distance. Baby beach would also be good but it's a distance from the pier.

Depending on how long you are in port, you could do all 3 options. Maybe take a tour via taxi in the morning and have the taxi drop you off at Carlisle bay where you can have beach time and snorkel with the turtles. Or you can do the opposite. When I was there, we went to the beach and then did a 2 hour tour via taxi before going back to the ship. There's advantages to both. The taxi tour is more affordable in the afternoon.

I don't want land tours included. Although we do sometimes do tours depending on the port, we prefer to either book our own or just do DIY. We totally dislike touring with large groups. My husband has hearing problems so large groups is difficult for him.

I would love to get info on port shuttle ahead of time as it would help with planning.

We had finally gotten to the point where we were going to try a Regent cruise, but their new inclusive policy has just priced us out. Plus we don't want to pay for something we are not going to use.

If you don't use the Ship's tour on the day of departure, you may want to consider renting a car for 1/2 a day. This way you'll have a place to leave your luggage.

I was just on their website a little while ago and found the page with laundry information. It's under Already Booked, Guest Packages there's a downloadable form that has the prices for laundry.

Package includes laundry service for both cabin occupants.

6-day cruise package $93.43

7-day cruise package $109

8-day cruise package $124.57

Hi, LTC Dan. Like you, I like to do my own planning and research and I don't like having to go through a TA unless there's a cost benefit. I have yet to find a TA that I liked; I'm sure good ones are out there but I haven't found one.

I just booked the January 2nd Jewels of the Windward cruise directly with Windstar. I had searched the website but didn't see any offers with extras such as shipboard credit and all the prices I saw were the same as being offered from Windstar. I asked Windstar if they had preferred travel agents that offered any special deals. They told me they didn't know of any but if I found a better offer that they would match it, so I just went ahead and booked it direct. I think if you plan a cruise with Windstar fairly far in advance, there are not many special offers.

I research both on-line sites and purchase travel books. Oftentimes, you can find info in the guidebooks that are not on-line and vice versa. I also find the guidebooks handy to travel with.

For my coming up trip, I also purchased maps of each city that we'll be doing on our own. We purchased Streetwise maps.

You can also go to the library and check out different travel books. If you decide to purchase any then you'll know which one's you like the best.

When I called Oceania regarding information on the excursions, I found the main office staff very unhelpful. However, when I sent them an email, I received the information I wanted and they were helpful. It took them 24 hours to respond, but I was satisfied with their response.

This is the only place I've been to that I either wouldn't go back again to or wouldn't get off the ship if the ship stopped there. It was filthy and the locals were did not like Americans. Many billboards had grafetti that said "Americans go home."

Besides this Island, I would be willing to at least experience any other port.