frisbeewife

After more research and discussion we've decided to take the train to the Hertz location in Cork. We'll have to return the car to the Cork City Centre instead of the train station, but it appears to be a short walk back to the train station so that shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for the help. I feel better about the stop in Cork now. [...smile...]

I'm also looking into Great Island Car Rentals and wondering if we should take the chance on a non-major company. The train into Cork and the Hertz location right next to the station sounds tempting, but according to the website you can't return the car there. You have to return it to the Cork City Centre and make you way back to the port. I have no clue how difficult that would be.

I see that Great Island Car Rentals has a location at Cobh Cruise Terminal. Is it safe to assume that's where our ship will dock? There isn't another location the cruise ships go to, is there? It's only a little more expensive than the cars at the airport but it would be incredibly nice to be able to pick up and drop off right at the port.

Thanks! I’ll check out the app and reconsider the plan for Cork. If anybody else has info or suggestions on car rentals I’d appreciate hearing it. Our original plan to see Ireland was to fly into Dublin, rent a car, and drive around for 2 weeks so my husband could stop wherever he wanted to take pictures. That’s our usual method of traveling. But, long story short, because my husband was 75 there were issues with him driving a rental in Ireland. We didn’t want me to do all the driving for 2 weeks so this cruise is a compromise. I can handle driving a few hours for a few days, I’m just not entirely sure it won’t be a huge hassle to pick up the car in some of the ports.

This May we'll be doing the NCL cruise around Ireland. My husband is an avid amateur landscape photographer so in several ports we've reserved rental cars so we can go where we want and stay as long as we want (until 2 hours before ship's sailing time, that is). We're from the US but have driven on the left side of the road in Scotland so we're not concerned about that. I just want to be sure we can count on either a taxi or uber at the cruise port to take us to get the rental car. Does anybody know if taxis/ubers are usually available at Belfast, Galway, Dublin, and Cork? We're picking up the cars at the airport at each city except Dublin, where I reserved it at Dublin South - Dun Laohaire since that's where the ship docks. Thanks.

Yes, I decided that going to Cashel is not a good use of our time in Waterford. We're going to rent a car in Cork and go from there. But I would still like to know if taxis are available in Waterford to drive us around for a few hours so we can see the scenery in the area. There don't seem to be any car rentals there and we'd really like to see the countryside.

We’ll be in Waterford in May on NCL Star. Does anybody who’s been there know if it would be possible to hire a taxi at the port for about a 4 hour drive around the countryside? And about how much it might cost? None of the ship excursions excite us and we’d like to visit Rock of Cashel for a few pics then head on to other scenic sights. The rental car places seem to close at 5 and since the ship doesn’t arrive until 1:30 that really cuts into our sightseeing time.

My husband (75) and I (66) will be on the Norwegian Star in May 2024 and my husband is an avid amateur photographer. We really wanted to rent a car and make it a land trip but, long story short, my husband is unable to drive a rental car in Ireland (I'll spare you the details of why unless anybody is really interested). So we decided to do this cruise and either I'll drive a rental car for the day at the various ports or we'll sign up for a photography tour. Waterford and Dingle are the ones we really need a tour for, since it doesn't look like rental cars are available in those towns. But Galway and Cork could also be good places for a tour if one is available. We'll definitely rent a car for Dublin and for some reason my husband really wants to do the ship's excursion to the Giant's Causeway in Belfast, so those 2 ports are covered. Does anybody have recommendations for photography-oriented tours, especially in Waterford and Dingle? We can do some easy hiking but are not really hikers.We wouldn't mind a small group of people with us, especially if they're also into photography, or it could be just the 2 of us. Thanks for any advice!

We'll be in Kirkwall and Skye at the end of May and I was wondering if anybody could recommend some good places to eat there, or in the surrounding areas. And if you were there recently did you have any problems getting seated without reservation? Thanks!

Does anybody have recent info on parking a rental car near the cruise port on Kauai at Nawilwili?

Sorry if this has been discussed before but the search feature on this app isn’t cooperating. what’s the best way to get from HNL to the cruise port? We’ll be dropping off a rental car the morning of the cruise and I don’t know if I should sign up for a shuttle service to get us to the port or if we can count on a taxi or Uber being available. Any advice? 2 adults with the usual luggage.

We'll be in Maui in January on NCL's Pride of America and were considering their Road to Hana Tour. Does anybody know if the tour stops in various places for taking pictures? Yes, I know we could rent a car and drive ourselves. But we don't want to mess with the hassle of getting to the rental car and dealing with traffic and road construction. And I know we could get a private tour but those seem to be as expensive as the NCL tour. I may still end up doing one of those options but for now I'm just looking for info on NCL's tour. Thanks!

Celebrity currently has three 12 night Patagonia cruises listed for 2024. Do you think those will be replaced with 14 night cruises? I was considering putting a deposit on one during the Black Friday sale but maybe I should wait.

Hubby and I are considering booking a cruise of Patagonia for early 2024. We’re interested in scenery and wildlife and at the time of the cruise we’ll be 75 and 67 years old. I see Princess and Holland both have 14 days cruises which include a stop in the Falklands and Celebrity has a 12 day cruise that skips the Falklands. Without counting the Falklands, can anybody comment on the number and quality of the excursions and sightseeing on the various cruises? When looking at the itineraries online it looks like maybe the Celebrity cruise stays farther from the coast along the west side, while maybe Princess and Holland get closer. But it’s hard to tell from the itinerary maps on the websites. I’d love to hear from anybody with experience of these cruises! Thanks.

I'm also a first timer in Maui and will be docked in Kahului but want to go whale watching. How long should we allow to get to Lahaina from Kahului? And what would be the approximate cost for 2 people? I'm tempted to do one of the NCL whale watching tours but would love a smaller boat and those seem to go from Lahaina.

Can anybody recommend a good photography tour in Oahu? We'll be arriving in Honolulu a couple of days early for our NCL POA cruise in January and my husband is a serious landscape photographer. I know he'll get lots of chances to take pictures on the cruise but I thought he'd like to spend a day just dedicated to picture taking - not to mention the chance to spend time with somebody else who shares his obsession. Personally I couldn't tell you the difference between f-stops and exposures and shutter speeds and whatever other buzzwords photographers use. Not that he hasn't explained it to me, I just don't care. [...smile....] We could always rent a car and drive around on our own, and we may end up doing that, but I still think he'd be happier going with somebody who knows where to go, how to get there, the best time of day, etc. So I thought I'd see if anybody here had any experience with such a tour and would share their thoughts. Thanks!

You would have the same table for every night of the cruise, unless you request to be moved. I don't know how moving affects which waiters get the tips though. I would have to have a really good reason to move, personally, since I like having the same waiters and neighbors every night. To me that's one of the advantages of the MDR over the WJ. Talking to new people, not just for 10 minutes but every night for a week or so, is endlessly fascinating.

Me (66F) and my husband (74M) will be on the NCL cruise in January for our first and only trip to Hawaii. One thing on the must-see list is at least 1 volcano. We'll be in Hilo from 8:00 to 6:00 and in Kailua-kona from 7:00 to 5:30. Would Hilo be the best option for visiting Volcano National Park? And would it be better to just do the ship's excursion or are there plenty of private tours that might give us a better experience? The advantage of the ship's excursion, of course, is the ship won't leave without us. I'm not familiar enough with the traffic, road conditions, distances, etc. to judge whether that's really a potential issue so advice would be great. Here's the description of the ship's excursion: Volcanoes National Park Details 4 1/2 hrs Estimate Duration Spectacular volcanoes, craters and steam vents are waiting to be explored at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that has recently reopened after a period of tumultuous volcanic activity. The landscape of Volcanoes Park has dramatically changed as the floor of the Kilauea crater sunk over 1,500 feet and the overall caldera quadrupled in size and widened by over a square mile. Today, the explosive eruptions, earthquakes and ash clouds have been replaced by remarkable changes in the summit area. The highlights of this exciting tour include approximately half hour visits at each of the following destinations in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park while riding to each stop in comfort on a deluxe motor coach. Walk through the Kilauea Visitors Center to receive information on the Park’s current conditions, view educational exhibits and interact with park rangers. Then you’ll be engulfed in rising steam as ground water seeps down to the hot volcanic rocks at the Steam Vents. The area between the edge of Kilauea’s caldera and the outer cliffs are treeless because the extreme heat destroys their roots; only shallow-rooted grasses and other hearty plants survive here. Unforgettable views for miles are offered from the Jagger Museum Overlook. Kilauea’s massive size and scale is realized from this vantage point and Halemau’uma’u Crater and Mauna Loa are seen in the distance. On your return to the pier, stop and experience Hawaii's Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center. Award winning Mauna Loa has over 30 year history of perfecting one of the most delicious Macadamia Nut in the world. The Volcanoes National Park Tour is not to be missed and includes round-trip transportation from the pier by deluxe motorcoach.

The parking garage had a sign that said max height was 8’2”. Or maybe 8’4”. I don’t really remember but it was a bit over 8’. I was there 2 weeks ago and noticed because my sons car had a topper on it and I was wondering if it would fit.

We will be in Curacao in October and are considering doing a little snorkeling at Blue Bay Resort Beach. The ship's excursion is pricey so we were thinking of just taking a taxi to get there. But we don't want to lug our snorkel gear for just this one day. Is there a place at Blue Bay where we can rent gear? Does anybody know about how much it costs?

OMG I can’t believe I typed his age wrong. I’m only 65 but some days I act like I’m 95. Thank goodness I live in florida where they keep building beautiful new memory care facilities! I should start touring them now, while I can still think. 😀 My apologies. The grandkids are 21, 20, and 12. I think. Maybe. That’s what I’m going to go with…… And I’ve been told the lost license has now been replaced at the dmv and he’s good to go. He has learned a lesson cuz he was convinced he wouldn’t get to go and (thanks to me) he dearly loves cruising.

Beats me, but I find it a little amusing. He is 20, just finished his 2 years at community college and has been accepted by FSU in Tallahassee. He currently lives with my son and his family in Orlando so he’s beyond excited at finally getting out on his own. Last weekend he made his first solo trip to Tallahassee- and returned without his license. He isn’t even sure why he would’ve taken it out. I can’t wait to hear what kind of adventures this kid gets into “on his own”. Of course his dad took care of everything by checking on the requirements (yes, he did that by asking me, his Mom) and making an appointment for today at the dmv. The 21yo, on the other hand, is perfectly happy to live at home and attend UCF in Orlando. Amazing how different kids can be. But it’s fun watching them grow up. The reason I’m taking them all on the cruise is because it might be the last chance with school, careers, relationships, and all that. And because I want to be the Favorite Grandma. 🤣

I knew it! I leave tomorrow (July 29) for a 3 night cruise. I kept expecting them to drop the precruise testing effective August 1 cuz that’s how my luck goes. I was only off by a week. Now if they just drop the rest of it before my 8 night cruise in October then I’ll be a happy cruiser………..

It’s official. College id is not acceptable. Oh well.

Going to the dmv is possible if he can get off work. And his passport is too old to use. im on the phone with Royal now but I’m pretty sure he’ll have to get to the dmv.