trivia addict

Sorry, not a hiker so can’t help you with that, but maybe there are some readers out there that can help. 

Bainbridge has buses and Ubers. Further research could give some answers.

The advice of the OP above on other things to do in Seattle is very good and I would second those suggestions.

Whatever you do, have a great time in Seattle and on your cruise!

If you are a Chihuly fan then you will like the museum. It’s not terribly big but is well done.

For crossing the Sound, it is very easy to do as a walk on on one of the many ferries that traverse the Seattle/ Puget Sound area.

Our ferries are reliable, modern, and a major part of the life here. Just sitting on the observation deck and seeing the amazing beauty of the Northwest water and mountains is worth a trip.

Leaving  from the ferry dock in Seattle, you might take a 35 minute ride across  to Bainbridge Island, and then it is a short walk to the shops and restaurants there. 
Or you could take an hour ride across to the town of Bremerton which is on the Kitsap Peninsula.  Again, a short walk to this town which has 3 museums dedicated to its culture and military history. Bremerton has a major Naval base.

Google the Washington State Ferry system for times and information if interested.

If you are flying to your embarkation port you cannot attach your cruise tags to your luggage and so must then bring along your packing tape and stapler with you. ( or go to the trouble of borrowing a stapler from a busy hotel desk.) 

These tag holders last forever and can be prepared at home and then kept with your cruise items ready for easy attachment the morning of your cruise.

I have  had two sets for many years. A thin set for Royal/Celebrity and the wider one for Holland/ Norwegian. And like others here, I have given them as gifts to family members when they are cruising for the first time.

On 1/16/2024 at 5:51 AM, ljandgb said:

 

Meaning "old enough" to... what exactly?  While probably a toddler has no clue where you take them, even younger kids can develop a better idea of the wider world.  My youngest was 6 when we started to really travel internationally.  We live in a very small, rural town.  Many people here never leave the state.  What he saw when we traveled - the vast array of different types of towns, houses, transportation, cafes, stores. Museums, old castles, different foods.  All accompanied by experiences with locals that by and large went very well.  I'd like to believe he grew up absolutely knowing there is so much more to the world than his small country town.  That just because someone does something one way, that's not the only way to do it.  That being different from what you're used to is not bad, just...different.  I think more people could do with understanding this this.

 

He's 18 now and has a deep passion for history and geography.

 

 

Our children also traveled extensively from a young elementary school age and it has benefited them tremendously in all aspects of their adult life.

i truly believe that if more people would travel and meet those of other cultures and mindsets, our world would be a much better place of peace and understanding

1 hour ago, PartyPlannerLady said:

Because it cost way more than it is worth even at the old price

But you don’t say why you feel it is not worth it unless I missed one of your posts.

You are entitled to feeling this way, but it would be helpful for others to know why you think Vibe is not worthwhile at either the old price or the new price.

On 3/30/2023 at 1:13 AM, crazyank said:

Correct,  and we have seen several staff with trash bags full of ducks that were being disposed of.

Do you hang out in the trash room often?

19 hours ago, PartyPlannerLady said:

 

It is not worth the cost f the cruise were ALL sea days.  Even at the old much more reasonable price it was barely worth buying.  Now, not even close!

Because?

Good points from both of you. Decisions, decisions!

Perhaps others will weigh in on this

Thank you Princeton…. You always have great information.

We originally thought of doing it ourselves but the thought of narrow roads and hairpin turns was dissuading me. We have driven many roads on two continents like that and I just thought I’d give my husband a rest!

 But you have given me thought to reconsider my plan.

I am looking for a private tour for a Road To Hāna excursion. Most tours that I am seeing mention pickup from hotels, but I don’t see any that pickup from the cruise ship.

Do any of the excursion companies pick up from the ship?

For those who have done a private excursion, how did you meet your tour?

Vibe also has blankets available on warm weather itinerary’s too!

Last February on a cruise during a cold weather snap in Mexico, we were very happy to see blankets piled up next to the towels in Vibe!

On 1/10/2024 at 9:37 AM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Well, bless her heart. 😉

We had one exactly like that last summer on one of our HAL excursions in Alaska.

wonder if she was the same person?🙄

Our children grew up on Long Island, and while my husband and I would often go into NYC for theater, dinners, etc, we would get a sitter for them when they were that young.

The City is not a place where children who are 1 and 3 would enjoy. Especially during cold winter days. The crowds, and  the noise will overwhelm them. (And if you plan on pushing a stroller in Times Square it would be a nightmare. The crowds are so thick that it is even difficult to walk)

Restaurants in Times Square can have long waits.
If it was summer, I would advise a stroll through Central Park.
If they were a bit older I would recommend a visit to the Museum of Natural History.

If it was Christmas time I would suggest a walk down 5th Ave with a visit to Macys and Santa.

One idea you might think about is a tour of the Intrepid which is docked close to the cruise ships. The 3 year old might enjoy that.
At the very least I would say to keep your itinerary pretty loose and just plan to take advantage of a few hours of seeing whatever is closest to your hotel.

But really, I must agree with the poster who said a nice hotel with room service, and tv is what they would appreciate most and will be easiest on you.

My daughter and I have been doing mother daughter cruises to Bermuda for the past 5 years. Always in June and in fact this year will be on the Joy the week following your cruise.

We originally started with a Celebrity ship but switched to the Joy and absolutely love her.

I have two suggestions. On the first day we always go to Clearwater Beach which is on the far side of the Island. It takes awhile to get there which is why we do it on the day when we will be in port for the overnight. It is a beautiful, quiet,  uncrowded beach next to a sanctuary where you can find sea turtles. There are chairs and umbrellas to rent and a snack bar with food and drink.

There are various ways to get there. You will need to research them all. We usually take the ferry to St. George and then a taxi to the beach.

On the second day, we book a Catamaran excursion at the Dockyard. It is a morning sailing tour that takes you to a grotto where one can jump into the water for swimming, and snorkeling. Your boys will love it. There are often quite a few kids on the boat ( don’t be alarmed…they are all well behaved!) and all seem to really enjoy it. You can book a tour directly at the dock when you arrive or if you want to be sure to get a spot you can book online ahead of time.

As said above, never enough days in Bermuda!

A few years ago we did the Antiqua On Our Own Tour, but used it only for the NCL bus. That way we were assured of making it back to the ship on time.
Once we got to the town we had hired a private guide to use while there. As stated, it is a World Heritage site, and filled with history. He was very interesting and it was good to know what we were looking at. We were a small group and felt we were getting a more personalized and complete overview of the city than the ship tour.

Of all of the ports that we took on our Panama cruise, this one was my favorite. I would recommend that you see it.

Be warned, the bus ride is long and a bit uncomfortable. But because of the distance and very primitive surroundings, I would never take private transportation in this area.

We did this cruise  from Basel to Amsterdam last summer.

As mentioned the highlight of the cruise was the day that we cruised by the castles on the Rhine. Deck chairs are set up on the outside top deck so that both banks of the river can be seen. Waiters will come around with drinks and appetizers and a commentary of what you are seeing will be broadcast as you travel up the river. It is a full day experience.

Most of the included excursions were rather tame for us since we have been to Europe several times. City tours were rather repetitive.
I would suggest you look into the purchased excursions, they are probably better. 

On the last day, we took the excursion of the dairy farm and then we proceeded to the  Windmill tour  which is a world heritage site. It was fantastic. Highly recommend this tour.

Viking river cruises will allow you to bring any beverage you want onboard.
Water is  always available as is tea and coffee.

We have never drank diet soda and rarely drink any type of soda, so I don’t know what is available in European stores that you would e able to carry onboard, although you would have no trouble bringing on anything.

We do the premium liquor  package, so wine and spirits are always available, but I thought that beer and wine are always included for dinner.

BTW, and spirits and wine when purchased with the upgraded package are an incredible value if you drink either. 
The bartenders are the best, and the drink package costs much less than on our domestic lines.

My husband, a scotch and bourbon snob, is in heaven when he is onboard. And, I, a wine drinker, cannot  believe the quality difference in the local wines served and what I buy at home in the USA. 

2 hours ago, mugtech said:

Ed Sullivan is doing shows on POA?

Took me a minute, but I get it😂

Think one has to be of a certain age!

We did this  Denali Park tour through HAL last summer.

All 6 of us are70+ and no one was uncomfortable. The two rest stops were adequate and everyone was too interested in the scenery and wildlife to worry about being on a school bus.
Our guide was terrific. He gave out lots of information and tried hard to spot any wildlife and would stop often whenever he spotted something interesting. The bus is equipped with a camera and tv screens that can show close ups of any animals that may be in the far distance.

We had a wonderful time.

Not luxury transportation, but hey, remember where you are, and aren’t you there to see and experience the wilderness that you can’t see at home?!

Don’t forget to  bring a good pair of binoculars. This is not Disney World, the animals are in their real habitat and not always up close.

Love, love the Vibe on the Joy. Done it twice, with my daughter psuboater, who kindly treats me! 

Elevator will take you to it but it is a long wait. Better to go to the floor below and walk up one flight of stairs.

Oh my gosh! There are so many threads on all of these boards on this topic!

Posters either love them or hate them.

People say they are either allowed or not allowed. They are either tacky and environmentally wrong or helpful to finding your cabin and pleasant to view.

I happen to love them and have used them for the past 20:years on many different lines, including HAL, and had no problems doing so!

I have cruised since  2005, and have over 50 cruises accomplished.  
Have cruised  Royal, Celebrity , Norwegian, Disney and Viking. Have  cruised with my children when they were young, then as  they were adults, then with grandchildren, and also many times with friends, some of whom I met on cruises. 
Every single line and every single ship on those lines have given me a different experience. All had things I liked and didn’t like, but I loved I them all.

Choose an itinerary, a price point and a date that works, and  start your own memories.

Don’t worry about what others think. We all are looking for something different,

We have used Sixt 3 times. Once in Austria, where although we waited in a very long line, we had no problems.
Then in Seattle, which I honestly cannot remember the problem. But my husband fought with the company over it and received a credit.

We then used the credit in San Francisco, where they insisted that we had not filled up the gas tank and charged us for a full tank. Luckily the credit card receipt with which we provided them with the time and amount of gas bought, resolved the problem.

We will not use them again.

9 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

All 54 year olds "want" to be stuck on a ship with their parents?  Really?

 

Based upon everything else you've told us, I'm finding it hard to believe that the kid was that one who "asked to go."

Actually there are some of us who do actually enjoy multigenerational vacations.We did when my own parents were alive, and now with my own adult children and grandchildren.

Thank you Astoria Preppy for your thoughtful reply.

I will only add one thing. I do know that excursions are either included or discounted with Latitudes but in addition to my story above I also like to go off on my own for other reasons.

For instance, in many excursions if you compare the cost of a cruise excursion, you can often find one that is similar from a private company that costs less. And, if you find others on your roll call that are willing to join you, it’s even less.

A more important reason is that a private excursion will take you to exactly the places that you want to see and no time is wasted waiting for everyone else.
Our trip on Royal to St Petersburg was an example of this. By hiring a private guide and driver we saw so much more in 2 days than did our traveling companions who only took the ship excursions. So glad I did because sadly, we will never return.

One downside to private jaunts, one always worries about making it back to the ship on time!

Wishing you happy sailings however you go!