veryseasonedtraveler

We live in Chapel Hill and had to drive 2.5 hours for our interview. Yes, it is worth it. Global Entry automatically puts you in the TSA line before any flight. It is wonderful when you arrive back in the US after a long flight and you are able to use the kiosk instead of the Disney- like long lines for immigration. You just put your passport in the machine and have a picture taken. An official verifies your picture and you're done.

We were just in BA after a cruise. Be extremely careful! They are going through tough times now. Would highly suggest you always travel with a guide and guard your belongings. We had numerous warnings from the captain about dressing down and not wearing jewelry. We did have a mugging. Such a shame because it was such a beautiful city.

We used Flight Ease thru HAL and it was about half the price for a one-way ticket back from Rome.

We were just on the transatlantic from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome. The Maasdam looked great. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the ship. They were always washing and polishing, This spring we sailed the Volendam and it was filthy. Some windows were almost impossible to see thru. Wonder how much say the Captain and Hotel Director have regarding the above.

I want to double down on Mr. Emerald. I arranged an excursion thru him and we were all pleased. He met us at the pier and turned everything over to his guide. Our tour was in a van with an English speaking driver. Loved seeing the beautiful city. The historical section is colorful, especially with the ladies parading around with fruit on their heads. Our only problem was our short stop while there.

We did have a stop in his Emerald shoppe with refreshments. Would you believe the HAL excursion came in as we were leaving!

Our son bought a lovely painting on the street for very little.

The port area was also nicely done with colorful birds. I would not try to do anything on our own as everything is remote. Go with his tour. Great stop.

They are absolutely wonderful when you travel to colder locations. Nothing like seeing an iceberg from the thermal lounge. Life is good.

We recently sailed on a 30plus day cruise from the Far East to Vancouver on HAL. One suitcase was damaged during disembarkation. We filled out the forms and reported it to HAL. They responded promptly and basically told me I wasn't asking enough for the damage. Since we already have a cruise on the books, we are getting shipboard credit for the damage. We think this was above and beyond. Thanks HAL.

One of the reasons we enjoy going to the awards ceremony is knowing who the long time cruisers are. This gives us an opportunity to sit with them at the luncheon to compare favorites and give us ideas on where to go next. I feel being loyal to one company for over 200 days deserves an acknowledgment. It doesn't cost HAL mega $$$ to do this.

We were just on the Volendam in the Far East for 31 days. We were still 4 star (now 5) and found out from cruising friends already on board that we would not be invited to the awards ceremony because Seattle was cutting back because there were too many 4 Stars on board. Needless to say, we were all upset because we are devoted Mariners with HAL and enjoy the recognition we have earned at these ceremonies. We think this is a big mistake on the part of HAL. Several 4 Star friends chose not to attend the Mariner's luncheon! Hope this not the new norm.

This is our first trip to Caribbean and we're doing Southern Caribbean including Antigua. We're group of 4 adults and would like to go to Nelson's Dockyard. Will 2-3 hours be enough time? And what would he charge? (ballpark)...we'll be on Celebrity Eclipse....ship tours seem to offer one or the other and lean towards beaches. We want to be able to see Nelson's and still have time to explore St. John's on our own. Is that realistic?

Sorry I am late in replying. We were in the Far East for 6 weeks.

We felt we had enough time at Nelson's Dockyard. Mr. John will cater to you. He didn't rush us at any point. He charged $20pp and $8 for the entrance fees. We have cruised over 500 days and usually do excursions on our own. You are off to a good start by using CC. Bon Voyage.

We took the train to Amsterdam from the airport and then the local bus. Be wary if you do this on a Sunday as busses are few and far between. Once we arrived at the port, we had to schlep the luggage up and down a gigantic hill. They also don't allow you to walk to the ship from the check-in area. We had to use a shuttle bus to ride a very short distance because it is a working port.

We had a late flight home after we disembarked, so decided to take the HAL tour transfer. We were very pleasantly surprised as the tour was excellent. Visited Edam and also saw many old windmills in a cute touristy area. It was a pleasant way to get to the airport.

Would more than glad to pay extra for the cruise to be able to board in Amsterdam.

He took us to the major sights on the Island. We paid an additional $8 to go in their park system. At first it was an overlook area, then a fortification overlook area with a little show depicting the island's history and then Nelson's Yard. That was an historic area with colonial buildings, restaurants, etc. So many Caribbean Islands have little to offer, but this was worth doing. He also took us to his personal church.

My must take are the packing envelopes by Eagle Creek. I fold all shirts and tops in these. Upon arrival, I just take the whole pile of shirts and put them on a shelf. As we use them, they are hung in the closet. Unused shirts simply go back in folders for return trip home. I just packed ten of my husband's shirts and they are ready to go on our 31 day cruise:-)

We recently had a Costa stop in the DR. We decided to take a tour to the local falls on a motorcycle with a cart that held 4 people. DON'T ever do this. He charged $25pp. He stopped at a grocery store and someone with us bought a large beer and found out after he sipped it that it was an $8 beer.

The men started out facing backwards towards the highway. The motorcycle couldn't handle the weight distribution, so the other women and I changed to the back and were hanging on for dear life. We were breathing black smoke from the motorcycle, cars were in our face impatiently trying to pass. There were no seat belts, so we had to brace our feet, hold on to one arm rest and lock our other arms. The areas we rode through were horrible. We have been to Sri Lanka and India, and this was right up there with the worse we has ever seen.

Definitely a horrible experience.

Yes, our driver had a van. We had 6 passengers with plenty of room. He commented that some try to squeeze 8 people in vans. Best to specify a limit of 6 people. Hope you are able to contact Christopher John,

We visited Antigua in January while on a Costa ship. When you get off, there seems like 100 taxi drivers trying to sell you a taxi ride. Several were in orange uniforms and extremely aggressive. Everyone wanted $20pp. We hired Christopher John who told us his tour was $20 and $8, which included admission to their park and the Nelson area.

We were extremely pleased with Mr John. Most of the other drivers fail to let you see a presentation at one of the stops because they rush their tours I order to get an additional fare. He does one a day, is very Informative and even stopped and bought us a container if fresh fruit to try. He owns his cab and can be reached at chrisolejohn@live.com. The way he worked it with us was agreeing to leave at a specified time after he had 6 passengers. If you email him beforehand with a group, that would be better yet. He wanted to please.

We booked one of his tours in Cartagena this January. The contact beforehand was excellent. He meets you by the side if the dock to escort you to his van. He disclosed to me beforehand that he owns the emerald store. We made a brief stop there to pay our van fee and were not high pressured at all. Al we were leaving, the HAL group came in. That should say it all.

His tour was great. He lived in America years ago and stayed there. No worries.

We enjoyed our partial transit in January. The only excursions available were with HAL. We got off and saw our ship come back thru from the locks. Don't think I will ever forget seeing Big Z approaching. The part where we saw the new construction was much too long. No way will the new part be completed next year. Overall, would do it again. Those that took the train to the Pacific were disappointed.

If you stop in Cartagena, Lee Miles had an excellent tour. Great contact beforehand and an excellent tour. He has a good internet site. Nice area around our port after our tour.

Buyer beware. Go to Diamonds International problems on internet. Interesting reading.

I personally have lots to say about the quality of what we bought at DI.

My husband and I are almost 5 star mariners on HAL. That translates to 500 days of cruising. We are quite frugal and do not go overboard (no pun intended), while cruising. We book a verandah only if there are numerous on a ship. Always book the next while on board to get FCC. Concentrate on one company, to get free laundry, 1/2 price wine, etc. We also take advantage of CCL stock program for shipboard credit. We don't pay extra in the premium restaurants, and try to arrange our own tours whenever possible. Many times we take a train or subway while overseas to avoid taxi fees. We feel if we are careful, we can cruise more often. I have used CC a lot for tips in most of the ports we visit.

SKI (Spending Kids Inheritance) is kind of a joke among frequent cruisers. We have taken our family on numerous cruises. We are seeing them enjoy our world.

We have had excellent luck putting in a location on Hotwire. We were there this spring and indicated Orchard Road area. Can't recall which hotel we got, but was a 4 star in an excellent location at a good price.

Warning: Don't put your shoulder bag on the road side while walking. Cycle drivers ride by and rip purses from people on the street. Met a very bruised victim in Naples.

Also, I wonder what ladies are thinking when they wear their expensive jewelry while touring. It is asking for trouble.

Hey seasoned traveler, can you please post this question on you own post? I'd prefer not to receive email notifications that aren't specific to my request. Thank you and have a great trip! :)

Think you are being rude. Thought CC was an information site open to all for sharing the love if travel.

Going to spend three days there Pre-cruise. What area of city is best?

We have had this problem before. We now always take a printed copy of proof that we own the stock as a backup. Your name must appear on the paperwork.