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Stuart Suss

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Everything posted by Stuart Suss

  1. I have had several positive experiences with SAS (rideSAS.com).
  2. Yes, the Coral Way Trolley provides free transportation to and from Dodge Island and your cruise ship. Please be aware of the following which is based upon my actual usage in December of 2021. Study the location of trolleys on this map. The arrival time for your trolley may vary between 15 and 45 minutes. https://publictransportation.tsomobile.com/webtracker/webtracker.htm?labels=false&tkn=81E39EC9-D773-447E-BE29-D7F30AB177BC&lan=en The best disembarkation point on Dodge Island is Stop #45 at Atlantic Way and North Cruise Boulevard. From there it could be as much as a 20 minute walk (NCL) or a 30 minute walk (Royal Caribbean) to your cruise terminal, assuming you are transporting (rolling behind you) only one suitcase. For the journey into Miami, the best embarkation point on Dodge Island is Stop #47 on North America Way. You are shaded from direct sunlight and the trolleys pause there for several minutes before starting the return journey to Coral Gables. You can meet the Coral Way trolley at either the Vizcaya or Brickell Metrorail stations and at any other stop along the way. Allow for 1 hour and 15 minutes travel time if you board at Stop #1, Giralda Avenue. There are hotels in Coral Gables which are easily accessible from Miami Airport by either the #37 or #42 southbound bus from the airport bus terminal. These hotels are near the Publix Market on Douglas Road. It is an easy walk from these hotels to the Coral Way Trolley. Please be aware that this is the free Coral Way Trolley NOT the Coral Gables Trolley which is a different service.
  3. In the past, I never paid attention to shore excursion booking or prices. I always booked shore excursions with private entrepreneurs at the destination. Now, with $50 shore excursion credits, the situation has changed. I am aware that the $50 shore excursion credit is a marketing ploy. It is similar to cruise lines which raise the cost of a beverage package from $150 to $200 one week, than offer it on "sale" the next week for 25% off of the new $200 price (which is also $150). I understand that the cruise line may increase the price of a shore excursion by $50, then offer me $50 off the higher price. The following questions arise from my recently completed New England/Canada cruise. 1. When booking shore excursions online, prior to departure, some stated prices did not show the $50 discount until you had almost completed the booking process. For other excursions, the stated, online price already reflected a $50 discount. Why the difference? Was this merely a poorly coded web page? 2. Very few shore excursions were available for booking online, prior to departure. My booking was at the last minute, so I assumed that the other excursions had already sold out. Yet, after boarding, the shore excursion desk booking form offered many more options than those offered online. Does NCL hold back shore excursion space for those who book after boarding the ship? When should a passenger book a shore excursion in advance of departure and when should a passenger wait until boarding the ship, when all of the options are known? 3. I noticed that some excursions were priced at less than $50. With the $50 credit, those excursions were free. Does NCL assume that there are two persons in every stateroom? Therefore, with the $50 credit limited to one passenger per stateroom, this becomes, for a couple, a buy one shore excursion at full price and receive the second excursion free. As a solo passenger, did I stumble into a windfall benefit? 4. Boston offers a "Duck Tour" which enables you to travel one time around Boston in an amphibious vehicle. If I booked the tour directly with the tour company, online, the senior citizen price would be $40 plus another $4 in taxes and fees. If you were not a senior citizen, the price would be approximately $10 higher. NCL offered the tour for the list price of $89!! After applying the $50 credit the price was reduced to $39. For those at a certain level of Latitude points, there was another 10% credit for a total cost of $35.10. So there was either a $9 or $19 savings for booking the Duck Tour through NCL. However, NCL's offer was limited to one, morning departure time, even though the Duck Tour departs on several occasions each day. Who was actually offering the discount, the Duck Tour company or NCL? Why was it limited to one specific departure time? 5. Similar questions for the Hop On Hop Off Trolley tour. If booked directly with the company, the price was $60 with a 10% discount for booking online, in advance. NCL offered the Trolley for the list price of $55. After applying the $50 credit the price was reduced to $5. The $5 price was only available for the 9:30 am departure time which was sold out despite three trolleys being at the port, ready for passengers. On the date of our visit to Boston, it was pouring rain at 9:30 am. The trolleys run all day. I wanted to take the trolley tour later in the day when the weather forecast predicted dry weather. NCL refused to sell me a departure at any other time than 9:30 am. The trolley company was happy to sell me a different departure time, but I would have to book directly with them and forfeit any $50 shore excursion credit. Who was actually offering the discount, the trolley company or NCL? Why was it limited to one specific departure time? Thank you for your advice and assistance as I look forward to planning future cruises.
  4. Was the showing of the World Series on the Prima a unique arrangement made for a ship departing from Galveston and likely to contain a high percentage of Astros fans, or is the World Series available throughout the NCL fleet?
  5. Replying generally, and specifically to posts #19 and #28. I just completed an NCL Canadian Maritime cruise. NFL Football, yes. No baseball. Even when 8 teams remained in the playoffs, there was insufficient passenger interest to make any requests to show baseball. However, my AM radio was able to pick up WFAN throughout the North Atlantic and either ESPN 1000 from Chicago or ESPN 1050 from New York for most of the journey. I had to be willing to sit outdoors, in the cold, in a quiet area of the ship, in order to listen to the games. My AM radio was able to receive signals from several 50,000 watt AM stations from around the U.S. Unfortunately, many were not broadcasting post-season baseball. I am aware of a passenger mutiny similar to that described in post #19. In 2017 NCL was not carrying the Astros-Dodgers World Series. In Aruba we met a Carnival ship which had departed from Galveston. The Astros fans were sufficiently indignant about the absence of World Series coverage that Carnival made a last minute decision to purchase rights to the games.
  6. I visited Ephesus on a cruise ship excursion offered by a private company, Ephesus Shuttle. The service was high quality. The tour guide was excellent. There was no pressure to visit a carpet store or any other store or restaurants. Options for those who wished to shop or eat were presented politely. https://www.ephesusshuttle.com/tours/mini-group-tour-1-option-with-terrace-houses?tur_id=22 I wholeheartedly agree with the others. Pay the surcharge ($10 from this company) to include a visit to the Terrace Houses.
  7. I have a slightly different opinion about the Voyager of the Seas Cruise from Stockholm to Copenhagen from July 31 to August 10. Agnes ("Dragon") reported that the "furniture in our suite looked very clean and the upholstery looked new." However, I was in a standard, inside cabin. My carpet was stained and the sink had scratches and a small gouge. Perhaps there is an ongoing refurbishment effort which has started with the suites. Perhaps it will reach ordinary staterooms someday. My stateroom rattled along with the motion of the ship. When I reported the problem, maintenance workers used double sided tape to do something that I do not fully understand. It was almost as if my stateroom was taped to the skeleton of the ship. That ended the rattling. To the staff's credit, the response by the maintenance workers was prompt and effective. I thought the main dining room entrees were bland/flavorless/unseasoned. The better tasting food was in the Windjammer. The food was not bad, merely average. I thought the entertainment was also average. The exception was the ice show which was very good. I agree that the service by concierge lounge waitresses was slow. I had the same issue in the Diamond Lounge. On the other hand, the Diamond Concierge, Matty, was quite helpful in resolving miscellaneous minor issues. I had been onboard the Oasis for 14 days in December of 2021. Perhaps I was spoiled by the grandeur and quality of that ship. This ship was not of Oasis level quality. I missed not having a Central Park, a Park Cafe, and a Solarium Bistro, especially for breakfast. That said, even an "average" cruise ship experience is still enjoyable, particularly given the destinations.
  8. Agnes (Dragon of the Seas) and I both arrived on the same 80X ferry departing from Nybroplan at 10:45 and arriving at Frihamnen at 11:27 on Sunday, July 31, 2022. It is the perfect way to arrive as the ferry drops you off right at the boarding terminal. Scenery and convenience can't be beat.
  9. Agnes, Thank you for all of your information prior to and during the cruise. Final statistics Started the cruise: 1336 Boarded during the cruise: 27 Leading nationalities: USA: 550 UK: 175 Mexico: 143 Spain: 74 Canada: 45 I hope everyone has enjoyable post cruise visits and safe journeys home. Stu
  10. Oslo Guided tours in English mostly take place at either 13:00 (1:00 pm) or 14:00 (2:00 pm). I have two days (Friday and Saturday) during which I may choose tours. Which of these tours would you recommend in order of quality? Opera house tour (only available on Friday) https://operaen.no/en/your-visit-at-oslo-operahouse/guided-tours/ Guided tour at Akershus Fortress (listed as a drop-in tour) https://kultur.forsvaret.no/forsvarets-festninger/akershus-festning/besokssenteret-akershus-festning Walking tour offered by Oslo Guidebureau (only available on Saturday) https://gotobooking.io/en/adventure/122-in-the-heart-of-oslo-green-walking-tour Guided tour of the Royal Palace (more flexible scheduling) https://www.royalcourt.no/artikkel.html?tid=29623&sek=179512
  11. The 24 hour Copenhagen Card costs DKK 439 (pay in local currency, not in U.S. dollars - unfavorable exchange rate). The Card includes a 24 hour transit pass. You will need to decide if you will make enough qualifying visits to sites or tours with admission prices totaling DKK 359 so that together with the transit feature (value at least DKK 80) you will pay for the value of the card.
  12. Agnes (Dragon Lady), I hope this information about the shuttle from the ship to the Orientkaj metro station is helpful. http://www.latecruisenews.com/2022/04/27/free-electric-shuttle-buses-between-ocean-quay-and-the-metro-for-cruise-guests-in-copenhagen/
  13. In one of the other roll calls, a Helsinki resident has posted a detailed walking tour. In the subsequent posts information is provided on both the history of Finland and current etiquette. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2824835-july-3-2022-voyager-of-the-seas-stockholm-7-night-scandinavia-russia-cruise/?do=findComment&comment=63304338
  14. I am the original poster. I posed my original question in an email to MBayley. I pointed out that museums and other sites in Stockholm are closed on Mondays. I wanted confirmation that I could check in, place my suitcase in the stateroom, and then leave the ship to visit those sites in Stockholm on Sunday. Today, I received a response from Adrienne Bennett of the Executive Office. Here is what she wrote: I understand you are inquiring about the departure process for your sailing on Voyager of the Seas departing on 07/31/22, and I am more than happy to provide you with the information requested. I reached out to the pertinent teams to confirm that check-in is for the first day only. Once you are checked in and fully settled on board you can freely disembark the ship and visit your museums that won't be opened [sic] on Monday. They also advised that there isn't a set time for you to embark again once you disembark, as long as you're on the ship before 4:30 PM on Monday when the ship is set to depart. You can always reach out to Guest Services while onboard if you have any further questions regarding this. I now have official confirmation of the answers that each of you provided to me. Thank you, all.
  15. In the main dining room: 1. Ask your waiter to identify the chilled soup of the day. 2. Ask for "savory bites," a kaiser roll with poppy seeds. However, the roll is the size of a cherry tomato.
  16. Our question pertains specifically to Voyager of the Seas, boarding on July 31. The experience of passengers from other similar voyages may be informative. Boarding begins on Sunday, July 31 in Stockholm. Our cruise documents state a "departure" time of 6:00 pm on Sunday. But Voyager does not actually depart. Instead it remains in Stockholm until the next day, Monday, August 1. The true "departure" time is 4:30 pm on Monday. 1. What is the meaning of the 6:00 pm "departure" time listed for Sunday? 2. Is 6:00 pm merely a deadline for boarding? The last available time slot for checking in is 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm on Sunday. 3. May passengers who have already boarded leave the ship after 6:00 pm for a night on the town in Stockholm, returning later in the evening? 4. I had a customer services supervisor in Guatemala City tell me that once we board the ship on Sunday, we may not leave the ship at any time on Sunday. Instead, we may not depart until shore excursions are available on Monday morning. Is this correct? For example, I doubt that any back to back cruisers are held prisoner on board the ship for the entire day on Sunday. Some museums in Stockholm are closed on Monday. In a perfect world, we would prefer to take advantage of our first boarding slot, leave suitcases in the stateroom, depart the ship and head out to visit sites, particularly those that are not available on Monday. We would return to the ship by 6:00 pm or whenever we are required to do so. If the supervisor in Guatemala City is correct (no departures permitted from the ship on Sunday), then we would choose the last possible boarding slot, check our suitcases, and visit the sites in Stockholm, boarding the ship at the latest permitted time. We need a definitive answer, from someone willing to put the answer in writing, so that we can make the correct plans for Sunday in Stockholm, including selecting the best time for boarding the ship. 5. How do we contact the right department and the right person in order to receive clear and definitive answers to our questions? Thank you.
  17. Hal 2008 has recommended the easiest and the quickest, but also the most expensive way to travel between Arlanda and Frihamnen. The journey can be made exclusively on public transportation for the cost of a 24 hour transit pass and you will have public transit access for the remainder of the 24 hours. Details available upon request. If you are using public transportation to the pier, I do not see the distance between the bus stop and the cruise ship as being "significant." As I read the map, the distance between the bus stop for the #76 bus, Frihamnens färjeterminal, and the cruise ship is 700 meters, less than a half mile. That should be a 10 minute walk. And if the weather is nice, and if you want to take the #80 boat, they run every 30 minutes to Frihamnen. Just make sure the destination is Ropsten. The express #80X is a 45 minute ride. The #76 bus ride to Frihamnens färjeterminal is about 15 minutes.
  18. I have not yet arrived in Stockholm. The information below is a result of research and the responses of others, not my own first-hand knowledge, except that learned from my last, pre-Covid, trip to Europe. Most merchants in tourist areas are accustomed to American credit cards which require signatures. Alternatively, using a contactless credit card frequently bypasses the need for either a PIN or a signature. And using Google Pay or Apple Pay may be even better. To the best of my knowledge, 1. Transactions above a certain amount (which amount varies from country to country) may still require a signature. Solution: Sign the receipt. 2. In some locations, a request for a PIN may appear if you make five consecutive contactless credit card transactions. Solution #1: Try Google Pay or Apple Pay. Solution #2: Restart the transaction, this time using the chip or magnetic stripe on the credit card. Sign the receipt.
  19. Unfortunately, the Tripadvisor forum for Riga does not have a good presence of informed local experts.
  20. Hello Marvie, Thank you for your helpful suggestions. I am unable to access the Rigassatiksme web site. I receive an error message: 503 Service Temporarily Unavailable. Fortunately someone has provided me with a workable link to the journey planner pages on that website. Rumbula appears to be reasonably accessible by public transportation. I can take Bus 18 from either Elizabetes iela or from Centrāltirgus to the stop called Rumbula. From there, it shows a 500 meter walk to the Rumbula Memorial. Access to Salaspils is more difficult. I would take Bus 18 to the final stop, Dārziņi. From there it is a 2 kilometer walk to the Salaspils Memorial including walking (or running) across the four lane highway, A6. Visiting both sites would require: Bus 18 to Darzini. 2 kilometer walk (crossing A6) to Salaspils. Visit Salaspils 2 kilometer walk (crossing A6) returning to Darzini Wait for the next Bus 18. Bus 18 to Rumbula 500 meter walk to the Rumbula Forest Memorial Visit Rumbula Forest Memorial 500 meter walk returning to Rumbula bus stop. Wait for the next Bus 18. Bus 18 returning to Riga Is there a better solution, using public transportation? I have emailed two tour companies, tourpoint.lv and smileline.lv. Neither company has responded. Are these companies that went out of business during the pandemic or do they remain in business? Thank you.
  21. During the cruise stop in Riga, I would like to visit the memorials at Rumbula Forest and at Salaspils. I am unable to find a tour company that visits those two sites, a tour company that remains in business after Covid and a company that replies to emails seeking information. Is anyone able to recommend a tour company? I understand that the two sites are close to each other and that they may be accessible by public transportation (train or bus), with limited walking. However, I am unable to find an English language web site that would enable me to plan a visit to both sites via public transportation. Is anyone able to be of assistance? Thank you.
  22. Dragon, thank you for this helpful information. However, as I read the timetable, your ferry departs at 11:15, not at 11:05. Have I misread the timetable? An alternative from Nybroplan is the #76 bus which only takes about 15 minutes to Frihamnens färjeterminal (one stop beyond the stop called Frihmanens). There is, however, a 7-10 minute walk from the bus stop to the cruise terminal. The bus arrives quicker, and runs more often than the boat https://mitt.sl.se/ficktid/sommar/S76.pdf (see page 8 for Sunday schedule) but is, no doubt, less scenic.
  23. Here is how I see it. You lose money at the start of your journey whenever you exchange you home country's currency for the local currency in cash. You lose money at the end of your journey whenever you exchange the local currency back to your home country's currency. In an ideal world, you would never exchange any currency and you would pay for everything with your credit card. Your credit card issuer provides a better foreign exchange rate than a currency exchange store and at least as good an exchange rate as an ATM. Your advantage increases if your credit card does not charge a foreign currency conversion fee (which ranges between 1% and 3%). Your advantage additionally increases if your credit card provides a cash back rebate on purchases. My Capital One Quicksilver card does not charge a foreign currency conversion fee and provides a 1.5% rebate on purchases. If you are using a credit card with a 3% foreign currency conversion fee, you are out of pocket $1030 for every $1000 in purchases. With my Quicksilver card, after the 1.5% rebate, I am out of pocket $985 for every $1000 in purchases. As the Scandinavian countries, and the rest of Europe, become cash free, we are approaching that ideal world where you only need a credit card, not any local currency. Using your credit card is great. Who cares if you need to sign the receipt, that is how it would work back in the U.S.A. Using a contactless credit card frequently bypasses the need for a PIN or a signature. And using Google Pay or Apple Pay may be even better. To the best of my knowledge, 1. Transactions above a certain amount (which amount varies from country to country) may still require a signature. Solution: Sign the receipt. 2. In some locations, a request for a PIN may appear if you make five consecutive contactless credit card transactions. Solution #1: Try Google Pay or Apple Pay. Solution #2: Restart the transaction, this time using the chip or magnetic stripe on the credit card. Sign the receipt. 3. If you are driving at night on the highways in France, some tollbooths or unattended gasoline stations, with older equipment, may require a credit card with a PIN. As I understand it, this is becoming less common. Solution #1. Try Google Pay or Apple Pay. Solution #2. Use your home DEBIT card which has a PIN.
  24. I purchased the Coco Cay Waterpark for $45 during a Black Friday sale in 2021. This was for a visit by the Oasis during the off peak time slot after Thanksgiving 2021 and before Christmas 2021. Oasis was traveling with about 3800 passengers and was the only ship at the island on that day. I do not know which of those factors contributed to the low price. It was being offered for $90 on the days prior to the Black Friday sale.
  25. 1. I plan to pay as frequently as possible with my contactless credit card. If you do not have a contactless credit card, a regular credit card loaded into Google Pay or Apple Pay will have the same features. No PIN should be necessary. https://usa.visa.com/pay-with-visa/contactless-payments/contactless-payments.html (applicable to Master Card as well as to Visa) 2. Ideally, your credit card should be one that does not charge foreign currency transaction conversion fees (Capital One is a good example). 3. During my last visit to Europe (prior to Covid), contactless credit cards (or Google Pay/Apple Pay) were accepted by merchants even for small transaction amounts. 4. I plan to use my contactless credit card for travel on Stockholm public transportation starting from my arrival at the airport and ending on my final day of sightseeing. I will follow the procedures as set forth in this very informative 8:33 video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtubbZAy8h8 or as set forth in these instructions. https://sl.se/en/in-english/tap-your-contactless-card-to-buy-a-single-journey-ticket I will purchase a 24 hour ticket when appropriate. Using this method of payment I can take advantage of the senior citizen fare for which I qualify. 5. If I do need local currency, I will use my Charles Schwab DEBIT card which does not charge foreign currency transaction conversion fees and rebates to me any fee imposed by the owner of the ATM. When I use a DEBIT card, a PIN is necessary. 6. If I use an ATM machine in a foreign country, I will, if possible, use an ATM connected to a bank. 7. When using a credit card or debit card for payment, or when using a debit card at an ATM, reject dynamic currency conversion as explained in this detailed article. https://www.mastercard.com/elearning/dcc/docs/DCC Guide 20.02.17 EN.pdf If the linked article is too long or too complex, here are two simple pieces of advice. First, ALWAYS politely insist that the merchant bill your credit card in the local currency, NOT in the currency of your home country. Second, reject the exchange rate which may be first offered by the ATM. See the image on page 10 of the article to which I have just linked. Look for the "small print" and select "no conversion" or "alternate conversion." I am happy to answer any questions.
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