WisRiver

Our experience with ES is that you have to wait for the shuttle at the airport and at the hotel. In May, 2017, Cab fare from the airport was about $18 including tip. We walked out of the terminal and caught the cab. Cab fare from ES to HAL was $15 including tip with no waiting or crowded shuttle. I do not use Uber

Participation in roll calls seems to depend in part on the number of Cruise Critic members on the cruise. Not every cruiser belongs to Cruise Critic. I think CC appeals to English speakers, and is not as popular among cruisers whose primary language is other than English. In our April, 2017 transatlantic to Copenhagen our roll call had over 150 members, and the roll call started 18 months before departure. We have signed up for the March, 2018 transatlantic and there is no one (other than me) on this roll call for the 14 day crossing. A few people are signed up for the 24 day back to back cruise. The Koningsdam roll calls seem not to have a lot of participants.

We were in Cabin 6177, a Neptune aft wraparound, on Zuiderdam on the April, 2017 transatlantic. Even though there were a few stormy days, the motion did not bother us. However, we are not prone to motion sickness. This Neptune Suite seems to be among the smallest of the Neptunes, but the large veranda was great. It is a long walk to the Neptune Lounge, but the other perks such as the 5 PM hors d'oeurvres, priority embarkation and Pinnacle Grill breakfast were great. We were traveling with another couple who were not in a Neptune, about we could order 5 PM snacks for four. We would have a glass, or two, of wine before going to dinner. We were drinking wine we brought on board in Fort Lauderdale.

Three years ago we did a transit of the Panama Canal. It was a bright, sunny day and I spent most of the time in the bow area running from side to side. I wanted to have some shade. The aft facing suite will probably give you shade (if it is sunny) and a great view of where you have been. I would still want to spend some time in the front of the ship.

We use the $1.50 hot dog big box travel agency. Their final payment is due about 60 days before departure. When we call in our credit card number for the final payment, we ask if there are any upsells available. This year when we made our final payment for our transatlantic when we inquired about upsets. The agent called HAL, and we were offered an upset from a veranda guarantee to a SC Neptune guarantee for an extra $700. Last week we were assigned an SB aft wrap Neptune. Moral of the story; when dealing with the big box TA you have to ask. We also received larger OBC. We are happy. We have used the big box for our last five HAL cruises. Usually we get an upset offer from a veranda to a signature suite. This is the first time we were offered a Neptune.

We have done three TA's from Europe in the the past eight years. All departed Europe in early November. Two were uneventful, moderate seas, some clouds and rain, and warmer as we approached Florida. One trip, we encountered 60 foot seas between Cadiz and Funchal that necessitated a very late arrival in Funchal and no docking. The two days of high seas resulted in injuries to several passengers who were tendered off in Funchal. There is a possibility of bad weather, but impossible to predict with any accuracy until late October.

Which port in the Azores will you be using? Many ships make two stops in the Azores, Horta and San Miguel.

You have to have an "unlocked" cell phone that can access all of the GSM bands. We used to use an unlocked phone and would buy a UK chip. Then we started using a T-Mobile phone with their international service. We do not like T-Mobile's US service, but they have great international service.

We winter in Chicxulub, and support the activities of the the Chicxulub food bank. This past winter we saw a couple of cruise ship groups at the Thursday Muelle Market. While the organizers of the food bank are year round residents, many helpers only winter in the Yucatan. Here is a link to their web site. http://foodbankchicxulub.com/cruise-ship-visits-9/. School will be out for Holy Week and Easter.

According to the Delfont Mackintosh website (the official website) Book of Mormon is booking groups until September 2017. Sounds like the play will run through the fall, but individual seat bookings may not open up until the spring. http://www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk/Tickets/TheBookOfMormon/TheBookOfMormon.asp

I have determined that if we want to go to Malmö we have to take a bus and train to the Copenhagen Airport, change trains, and go through a passport check. When we buy our 4 zone tickets at the Oceankaj convenience store or from the bus driver, will our tickets be good to Malmö or will we have to buy tickets at the Airport when we change trains?

We are ending our transatlantic cruise in Copenhagen. We will be in Denmark for several days (not in Copenhagen). Is there an ATM or exchange booth in the terminal? We will have Euros and US dollars, but they will be useless once we get into the country side.

We are arriving in Copenhagen on May 5. Our original plan was to pick up a rental car in Copenhagen to drop in Sweden (pricey but doable). Now it is possible that local friends may be able to pick us at the Cruise Terminal. However, they cannot pick us up until about noon. We know we have to be off the ship no later than about 9:30 AM. I know that most people in the terminal want to get on with their travels, or get on the ship. Is there a comfortable place for us to wait for a couple of hours in the Cruise Terminal for our ride once we disembark. Since we have visited Copenhagen several times, there is no reason for us to go into the center of the city with our luggage.

tack

We are arriving in Copenhagen on May 5 on HAL's Zuiderdam. We will leave Scandinavia from Stockholm on May 15. We will visiting family and friends in Denmark (Århus) and Sweden (Karlskoga and Graso Island). Trains and buses are inconvenient and would require a lot of bag drag. We are considering renting a car at the CruisePort in Copenhagen and dropping in Stockholm.

Are there car rental agencies at the CruisePort? I know there are rental agencies near Central Station.

Tack så mycket

We winter in Chicxulub, a small village near Progreso. We do no drink the tap water. However, more importantly we wash our hands before we eat or drink. I would not worry about the drinks, since the mixers come from bottles or cans. The ice is usually made in in central ice making plants from purified water. In my experience if you are going to get sick, it will be from your dirty unwashed hands wrapped around a chip or taco.

How much is a fountain Coke or a can of Coke.

The collectivos travel from Chicxulub Puerto to KM 18 on the Progreso-Telchac Highway. You would be still be 6 km short of the resort, plus the collectivos do not make a direct run from Progreso. You would have to take two collectivos, the first from Progreso to Chicxulub Puerto and then the second to KM 18. Yucatan Beach is at KM 24. You should contact the resort directly for travel info.

There is an AutoHarp/Dulcimer group on the April 19, 2017 Zuiderdam Transatlantic. http://www.cruisewomen.com/groups.htm Music all the way across the Atlantic.

I answered this question on September 8, 2016. I am not sure if the Capt. McGaa is still doing charters.

We have made connections to European through Amsterdam twice this year from the US. We were connecting from Delta to KLM. Each time we had to clear immigration before proceeding on to our KLM flight. Connection time was about 2 hours. Our US flights were on time and we had no problems making the connection. In each case we had about a ten minute wait. Amsterdam remains my favorite airport in Europe if I have to make a connection.

For our March, 2106 trip on the Fram I had good luck with my REI Gortex pants with polypro long underwear. I also wear them for fresh water sailing in the Upper Midwest. We were never soaked, but there was some spray on the landings. Several fellow passengers had waterproof insulated ski pants, and they said they were too warm for walking on shore. On several landings you could do 1-2 km hikes involving some uphills. I found myself stuffing the blue parka in my back pack.

You may not have to go into London to catch the Eurostar. Several London/Paris trains stop at Ashford International, the last stop in England before the train enters the Chunnel. Ashford is closer to Southhampton. A private transfer to Ashford may be cheaper. You would avoid London traffic, but I am not sure about schedules.

Several years ago we got on the Eurostar in Ashford for Paris because we were visiting friends in Kent.

Where are you staying? Taxis may be hard to find. Chinatown is a good recommendation if you are in Central London. You may get better answers if you post on Trip Advisor.

On a Zaamdam repositioning cruise I took the "Behind the Scenes Tour" at a cost of $150. We were told that the proceeds went to the crew welfare fund to pay for things that the crew sports teams. I assume that since our contribution to the crew's welfare fund is one of the reasons why the crew was uniformly welcoming. I was told our payment did not go HAL. Does anyone know different? The tour was a great way to spend two hours on a sea day.

Shore Excursioneer is a booking agent for local tour companies. Auto Progreso is a Mexican company that only serves the Progreso/Merida markets. When you deal with AutoProgeso you deal with the company that will provide the service.

We (two people) are planning on taking the QM2 from Southampton in June, 2017. We are thinking of a twelve day driving trip to Scotland. We will arrive at Heathrow and want to drop at Southampton. Any experiences with or suggestions for a car rental company that would meet our needs?