jkspringtexas

Thank you so much for starting this.  

We have been trying to find a tour company that will take a reservation for Sept. 22.....Freedom of the Seas to the airport for our flight at 3:45. We are looking for someone who can tour us with our luggage, for a few hours then drop us off. San Juan Friendly Tours website seems to be frozen so we aren't sure if they are in business or not.

I have been reading this thread and never thought I could add anything that hasn't already been said, but I want to share a horrifying experience that happened early this morning that might make everyone think twice about critising others when you don't know the facts.

About 6:00 am our 5 pound Yorkie began barking like crazy and just wouldn't stop....running from one to the other. My husband was unconscious and having seizures caused by low blood sugar.......it was truly amazing how she sensed what was happening and alerted both of us. Thankfully the paramedics were able to revive him and he was back home from the ER in a few hours. Without her alert, the outcome would have been devastating.

We are still reeling and not sure if we can continue to travel. If we do, and you happen to see us with a tiny fluff ball named Baby, please feel free to ask what service she performs.....we will proudly share with you all of the details of how she is a diabetic/seizure alert dog and saved his life. Of course we will get her ADA certified and follow all of the rules.

Last fall we took a b2b cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore and then on to Sydney - on another cruise line. This was the absolute worst cruise we have ever taken both for us, other passengers and the crew!

We were told that at least 95% of the passengers were from large Chinese tour groups. They were rude, pushy, loud and just obnoxious. There were many instances of hostility with passengers not from those groups making for a very uncomfortable cruise unlike what we have ever experienced. Some fellow passengers we met on the leg after Singapore were told by their travel agents, the future cruise desk and also the actual cruise line to rethink their plans and not go on that cruise - it was not meant for the enjoyment of international passengers. Unfortunately, we were never informed by either our cruise line or travel agent. Even officers we spoke with were frustrated and exhausted by the passengers they had for the previous sailings in Asia.

Once we got to Singapore they got off and the Aussies "arrived" - one of the best cruises we have ever had!

We did this last summer and it honestly didn't work for us but it might for you. We had to go an office to get our tickets (a voucher was only issued by Groupon) but we did know this in advance as it was printed in the instructions. From there it was about a 4 block walk to get the bus, but we did pass a bakery that is part of a TV show so we had a nice stop there.

Once onboard the bus we were able to sit upstairs in the front seats and had a great view of the route we took north to Central Park. The bus was clean and the employees were professional - no issues at all. As we remember, we could have returned later at night for another route at no additional cost.

Now, this has nothing to do with the Open Loop company and would be the same for any open top tour bus, but the traffic was so bad we were just creeping along and after awhile it became frustrating to us to be going so slow and not seeing much that was new. Since we only had 1 full day in NYC, we felt taking the bus was a waste of time for us, we should have taken taxi's to our destinations or just walked there - the cost wouldn't have been that much more since there were 4 of us. If you have more time to spare, then the Open Loop company might work for you.

Mikem15, I also might suggest that you take/rent wheelchairs or scooters for them if they have the mobility issues you mention. We always take and use a wheelchair for mom even though she can walk perfectly well at home.

We do it for two reasons - first if it gets rocky, she is sitting down and won't fall. As she has gotten older, we don't use the scooter anymore because she is much too polite and it takes forever to get anywhere if she is "driving it". Second - and I know this sounds selfish - but we can get along at a quicker pace than if she is walking and will be right with me - no wandering off.

You might check with the tour company to see if your grand parents can be accommodated on that excursion - I would think they would be welcomed and can somehow get onboard with your group. Our son was a catamaran boat captain on Waikiki Beach and he always made sure that everyone, whatever their ability, could safely and comfortably get aboard. You will be amazed at how strong, helpful and caring crewmembers on tour boats can be!

Please post back and let us know how your cruise and excursion went. We all learn from other's experiences. Thank you for coming on here and asking for help - that's what CC is supposed to be about - just ignore those that make less than positive comments.

In June we took our 13 family members on a cruise celebrating our 50th anniversary. Of course, Mom who is 92 went along. She lives with us and is my responsibility with the help of a caregiver in the mornings (dementia). We had 2 rooms with a connecting inside door so we could make sure she was safe.

I'm not sure of your grandparent's medical abilities and circumstances, but cruising is such a wonderful experience with our elders, just a bit different. I have such fond memories of mom enjoying her room service orders for early coffee, working on her jigsaw puzzles and word search books and actually playing a slot machine with family members cheering her on - but most importantly being able to enjoy 4 generations of her family.

My best advice is to accept that this cruise will not be a "vacation" for you or whoever will be responsible for them, but an opportunity to enjoy cruising with your grandparents. To answer your question, we did not inquire about "adult companions" so I don't know if that service is offered onboard.

The best chocolate chip cookies which you can also get thru room service.

Thanks, I'll do some searching right now.

We live in the US and have been following this cruise for some time. Wish we knew the name of the website you are referring to - would love to get that great deal. However, is that price in USD? Thanks for your reply, Jan

Last fall we did an around the world (cruises, trains and land) for 40 days all with one 26" suitcase and a Pac Safe purse/murse each. We had various temperatures to deal with, but with advance planning, had plenty of space in our suitcases and the lowest weight limit of 40 pounds when flying from China to Mongolia. We still laugh at our first Europe trip when we each took two large suitcases filled with everything including the "kitchen sink" and maxed out at 50 lbs. We dragged those darn things around for 3 weeks.....lol

Our best suggestions for any trip would be to layer your clothes and stick to 3 colors that coordinate together. You will be amazed at how many different looks you can achieve. Formal night is no longer a big deal for us - so formal wear now stays at home and we pick an alternate venue for dinner on those nights. Other tips include copies of all of your important documents, credit cards and passport, Downey Wrinkle Release, cords and chargers for your devices and now insect repellant for Zita.

In two weeks we have an upcoming cruise from our homeport and can take any and everything our hearts desire since we will be driving. However, that 40 days with one suitcase really changed our ways. We finally discovered how to simplify and make travel easy for ourselves.

Thanks again everyone. As soon as we finalize arrangements for someone to take over mom's care, we will make our reservation.

We appreciate that this thread has remained so positive, welcoming and helpful to us.

Jim and Jan

Oh my - thank you everyone very much for your amazing comments. You made us feel that we will be right at home.

We just love Cruise Critic and knew we would get accurate advice if we just asked you all directly.

We are seriously considering taking a 50+ day cruise on the QM2 in January, however, after reading comments here on CC we just aren't sure if Cunard would be a good fit for us. The many postings here make Cunard sound like it is only for the wealthy and for those in a social class that we certainly aren't a part of.

We are just average middle class retirees that absolutely love to travel. We hope to have a wonderful time with a good mix of friendly passengers from all walks of life. Yes, we definitely know how to dress and act properly - wow lots has been written here about that issue!

Certainly Cunard isn't just for the privileged. Thanks everyone, we hope to hear that our fears are unfounded.

NCL handled the situation in an excellent manner! We were not rushed to leave the ship, had a quick time getting thru customs and immigration and shuttle busses were waiting to take us to the Marriott. The check in line moved quickly and we were in our room within 20 minutes with our $100.00 per person hotel vouchers in hand.

Yes, it's true about 100 passengers were not accommodated at the waterfront location, but shuttles and transportation representatives were right there to make sure those folks were able to get to their hotel.

NCL had representatives from their Care Team in the lobby all day to help everyone. Dinner was going to be a challenge since the restaurant was quickly reserved and the alternative was a large sports bar or lobby bar. However, Marriott stepped up and quickly organized a dinner buffet so all passengers could have dinner.

We haven't been down stairs this morning yet so can't comment about how things are going. Checkout isn't until noon and shuttles to the airport are supposed to run every 15 minutes.

Again, thank you NCL and Marriott for taking great care of us.

Have a great time.

 

Keith

Thank you Keith.

You have been so inspiring to us - we have followed you for 2 years. We will hold in our hearts what you have shared and what we have learned from you - especially about attitude toward others and the places we visit, experiences and situations that will occur and to just enjoy the moment. The two of you are perfect examples of world travelers!

One last thing we are wondering about. Have you ever used portable solar powered batteries? We will be on the Trans Mongolian train for several days and it's iffy if there will be reliable (if any) electricity to recharge our devices.

Thanks again, Jim and Jan

We do have questions for fellow cruisers. Has anyone used a solar charger? We will be several days on the train without reliable electricity to recharge our devices. Jim really likes to watch movies on his ipad and knows those 4 portable chargers we just bought won't last that long. Also, if you have used the solar - does it recharge pointing out a window?

Thanks everyone,

Jim and Jan

Hi everyone. We aren't sure if this is the correct place to post this, but if you are interested in following us you can. We leave home on Sept. 10 to Vancouver for a cruise on Celebrity Millennium headed to Shanghai.

We will leave the cruise in Tokyo to stay for a few days with our former foreign exchange students. From there we fly to China then on to Mongolia to join the Trans Mongolian train ending in Moscow. From Moscow on to Dover, UK for our second cruise to Tampa on the NCL Star. Then back to Houston 40 days later.

We are not exactly technology inclined - but will enter regular updates on our Facebook page Around The World In 40 Days. If anyone would like to follow us, just go there, hit like and you can see what we are up to.

We have been following the wonderful world cruise postings here for the last 2 years and that is one reason we are so inspired to do this trip. We also had been dreaming of experiencing the Trans Mongolian train - so here we go. We just can't be away from home for the length of a full world cruise - hope this satisfies our nagging desire to go all around the world in one trip!

Jim and Jan

We sailed on June 7 in the Western Med. It wasn't in our original plan to dine at specialty restaurants, but were invited by "roving employees" to dine there at 50% off.

First we went to Chops - absolutely fantastic!!! We all tried something different (steaks and salmon) and ordered many family style sides as well as desserts. I must say, my 15 year old granddaughter who is a tough critic (lol) said her fillet was to die for and she could have eaten another one. It was so tender she could have cut it with a butter knife and was perfectly cooked and seasoned. So we would highly recommend Chops.

Another night Arizona, a Samba Grill gaucho, found us outside the MDR and personally invited us to dine with him, again at 50% off. We really had a good dinner with impeccable service. My husband loved this restaurant the best and although I don't eat beef, Arizona made sure I had chicken and salmon. The girls enjoyed the food, but preferred the steaks at Chops. We definitely would recommend Samba Grill.

We also ate at Johnny Rockets one night - actually on formal night (can't believe we did it). We were too tired to dress up and sit thru another 2 hour meal so gave it a try. Again the food and service were excellent. Although we ate outside, we did take the girls inside for dessert so they could experience the dancing with the waiters - great fun.

Great tips. I also love my Pac Safe Purse.

We just returned from Europe - 3 weeks, cruise and land. This time we tried something new and it worked very well. I bought some thin (fabric) shorts with large and deep pockets. Then I sewed Velcro onto the pocket openings so we could close the pockets and reinforced the entire pocket by double stitching all around.

Into these shorts went our extra money, credit cards and passports. We wore them over our underwear and under our outer pants. This was the best solution we have ever found. They were extremely comfortable and provided a high level of safety/security for all situations - walking, bus, trains, subway and airplanes. Being thin, they were undetectable and we could sleep in them if necessary. They were easy to wash and dried quickly.

We now jokingly call them our "money shorts". We would never again use an uncomfortable bulging money/passport holder around our waist.

In addition, I use a Pac Safe purse and my husband uses a Pac Safe messenger bag. He is a diabetic and must keep his testing supplies and insulin, along with other medications with him at all times. After many years of traveling, we know and use what works best for us. No fumbling, walk with a purpose and only keep a small amount of money out for the day.

What is the site for the webcam?

Thanks bearette. Appreciate your help.

We are interested to know how you did your DIY for Naples and Pompeii. Our plans are to take the train and then hire a guide at the entrance. Does that sound reasonable?

Does anyone have a current map showing how to get to the train from the port gate?