rakuroda

So at Cayman the beach is within walking distance?

Aloha :D,

So according to Cuizer2 the tender lands you at the beach and you can walk down the beach until the crowd is thin enough for you to be comfortable.

Sounds like you want to carry your own towel and water bottle from the ship. Maybe the ship can pack you a sandwich and fruit for the beach.

Aloha :D

Thanks! We have a day at sea, two days in Bermuda, and a day at sea. A quickie cruise. I will be sailing Honolulu to Vancouver next spring and am looking forward to seeing 5 islands on the Radiance.

Aloha Carol :D,

Is this your first time to Hawaii?

Radiance of the Seas departing HNL April 20th at 5pm. When are you flying in to HNL before the cruise. How many days are you staying before and do you have your hotel area selected? Are you traveling alone or with a group? Military affiliation (retired military can normally stay at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) facilities.

Also if you don't mind, an idea of your age and hobbies might help me make suggestions for things you might like to see.

For example, I don't zip-line anymore or ride rollercoasters. I don't run, I only walk. I've had cartilage removed from my knee injured while helping coach Little League baseball. I only have the occasional drink when we are out and I know I won't have to drive or navigate and definitely no longer drink to excess.

As I've said, I'm not a shopper but I do love to eat well seasoned food (doesn't necessarily mean heavily seasoned) and it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive either. Some of the best food I've had has been at a Mom & Pop type diner or at a shopping mall. (get the idea?)

I've been looking at the shore stuff for when we get to Boston and was going to ask you about it. Any suggestion?

With all of the help you've been to all of the people on this message board, I'd like to help you enjoy your cruise from Hawaii. Just let me know if you would like to discuss your Hawaii cruise. If you like, I can provide you with my cell number and speak with my wife on speakerphone.

Aloha, :D

Hi, I'm Ruth and my husband Dave and I are booked on the Coral Princess Panama Canal full transit leaving November 7th............ and I am bursting with excitement! I want to take part in everything and am so looking forward to formal nights and getting glammed up for a change. But here's the thing - how can I find out when these nights will be? Will they always be on sea days? The reason for asking is booking salon sessions to correspond - a pamper session before dressing up sounds great but if I wait till I'm on board won't all the best slots be booked out?

 

Also, do people really dress to the nines or do they just make a bit of an effort?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Ruth in the UK xx

Aloha Ruth :D,

On our first cruise, I packed my tailored business suits and shirts, new ties, a new pair of orthopedic dress boots, etc. because I read the cruise line's info. My wife packed a couple of very nice evening dresses & accessories and we dressed for the first formal night.

I did not see one tux in the crowd ! ! I did see business suits and sports coats and many without ties ! ! A few of the women seemed to be wearing evening attire but not many were wearing what I would call women's formal attire.

We live in Hawaii and "business attire" consists of a nicely pressed aloha shirt with dress slacks and dress shoes. A suit is normally only worn by the father of the bride and groom. Not many occasions for wearing suits unless a formal dinner with some dignitary and almost never tuxedos.

Thereafter I wore an aloha shirt with either my suit jacket or a nice windbreaker both of which I removed and hung on the back of my chair.

By all means dress up for dinner in the main dining room (MDR), which would be appropriate but don't go out and buy any formal attire for your cruise.

I like seeing people dressing nicely in the MDR and believe that shorts should be reserved for the buffet or family dining restaurants. Don't worry that you will be underdressed or overdressed in the MDR if you dress like you are going out to dinner at a nice restaurant in the UK. One guy on our last cruise wore a business suit every night in the MDR.

As to what nights are the "formal" dining nights, look up your cruise and they normally have some kind of posting regarding the formal and casual dining nights in the MDR. If you can't find the listing, just call the cruise line and they tell you over the telephone or will email you a schedule. Also, the cruise line customer service can help you with making a reservation for the salon well before your cruise if you want to get dolled up for a formal night.

You are spending thousands for the pleasure of your cruise so be sure you get your money's worth in fun and enjoyment. That's the main thing to remember.

Aloha :D

thanks for the information. new to the site and having a hard time figuring out where to post

Aloha :D,

Don't worry about making mistakes. Everybody does when starting. Welcome to your first cruise.

You'll probably find more info if you go to "Cruise Critic Message Board Forums" > "North American Homeports" > "Gulf Coast Departures" ; starting at the very top of the message board and working your way down.

There are a lot of people asking the same questions you have. You just have to spend a little time reading through the message boards and using the search feature on the board.

I sure people have asked the same questions that you have, but finding them may be a little hard at times. If you spend a reasonable amount of time searching and can't find your particular topic then go ahead and post it in what you will find to be the appropriate forum. Use Hawaiifrank's suggested link http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=8458190 , lots of good info there.

We are going on our 3rd cruise in September, but this is the first time I've used this message board.

Never too old to learn.

Aloha and have fun :D

Aloha :D,

Best investment I've ever made was a Goretex type jacket. I buy one size bigger so I can wear it over small backpack to keep the backpack dry (then the backpack doesn't have to be waterproof). It breathes but stops the wind from blowing through so no wind chill.

I always carry extra very lightweight long sleeve cotton t-shirt in backpack so I can layer up or down. I will start by wearing lightweight long sleeve cotton t-shirt over polo shirt to start in Alaska since it always seems to be chilly there.

Hope this helps.

Aloha :D

Aloha :D

I was just reading the 17 Cruise Mistakes not to make and saw where the cabin steward tip is supposed to be left on the last night. Is the cabin steward tip not included in the mandatory daily gratuity charge?

Also on our Princess CL cruises, I would sometimes have 3 appetizers and no entree for dinner (not a big eater) or no appetizer or dessert but 2 entrees in the MDR. Do they charge for this on RCI?

We're still new to cruising so I figured I'd ask the experts on the board.

Aloha, :D

Aloha Carol, :D

I hope you have a wonderful time on your 5 Night Bermuda cruise. I see that this cruise only visits one port. You'll have lots of time to relax on board the ship without having to get up to go someplace.

Maybe one day my wife will tell me that we're going to Bermuda on a cruise. I only follow along. It's kind of hard for me to choose someplace to visit since we live in paradise all year round.

I really only travel to visit family and friends on North America.

Thanks for your help.

Aloha & have fun! ! !:D

Flying into JFK and back due to visiting family and friends in the Queens area--

We will be using Dial 7 to get us from JFK to Country Inn in Elizabeth and then back again from Cape Liberty to car rental area at JFK.

 

It will end up being around $200 with tip and tolls each way--yes expensive-- but the most comfortable way for us to do this.

 

Once every couple of years we visit family and friends in New Jersey as well as Queens and Long Island. We absolutely hate the drive back and forth, but we rent a car for the week or so to do that.

 

Believe me, we checked out every logistic-- rent a car drive to NJ leave in parking lot by the ship, drive back--using a car service is the least annoying and less expensive then the car rental idea for the cruise---

Everyone's situation is different.. so I would just do the least expensive and least annoying option. Good luck.

Aloha :D,

How many people are you transporting for the cost to be $200 per trip? For us it will only be my wife and myself. I figured it would be about $80 plus $20 tolls plus $20 tip from JFK to our Jersey City hotel. I'm basing the cost on JFK to EWR airport to airport using carmellimo.

Aloha, :D

Aloha all :D

Since my daughter moved to Manhattan 3+ years ago, we've been to NYC several times.

We've been to Liberty Island to visit Lady Liberty and walked around Central Park several times. We've been to DUMBO and (my favorite) eaten at various pizza places and delis. We've stayed in Manhattan and Long Island City and I've found the people in NYC to be about the same as people every where else we've traveled only in more of a hurry.

The only thing I've really noticed is that the people in Hawaii are less likely to look for an opportunity to take advantage of a tourist (Hawaii businesses stress that we need people to want to come back to Hawaii so treating them nice is important to enhance their experience).

The only place I've been to where the people treat you nicer is Japan. The only problem there is that no matter what the literature says, they don't really speak english except at the front desk of the hotels.

I spend hours and hours familarizing myself with simple phrases to ask simple questions and the answers I should expect, how to order food, ask for directions to specific places and I make sure I carry good maps that are in Japanese and english or one in Japanese and another one in english so I can compare the two and find my way.

I find that the only dumb questions are the ones that aren't asked! ! ! They aren't allowed to kill and eat you if they don't want to answer your questions.

Aloha :D

Aloha ransrider,:D

Every time I think about using some travel using a RCI suggestion I think they are just making more money. Just looking at the rack rates for the hotel rooms in the Newark and Jersey City area tell me that RCI is upcharging for shuttle services to the Cape Liberty cruise port.

I think Carol is right about using the light rail and PATH then cab for the least expensive way to get to the dock. I think my wife just wants door to door service so I'm thinking taxi or carmellimo from whatever hotel we are staying at. I think she is making me look at alternatives since her original plan for me to drive from JFK is a no-go for me now.

BTW, we've never gone on a RCI ship before so what is the earliest time you can board the ship. Do they assign you a time to board? With 3,000 people trying to board the ship for the same 4pm sailing time, it must be a zoo. What time do they get your luggage to your room on the ship? What about departure? Is it assigned time or can you just get off the ship whenever you are ready?

Aloha, :D

Aloha, :D

Thank you all for the advice. I still don't know what my wife wants to do. I can only give her the options I see and patiently wait until she tells me what we are going to do.

My preference is to take the carmellimo from JFK to NJ and stay where she wants to stay and not leave the hotel until the next morning. Take a taxi to the cruise port and say the hell with it.

Aloha, :D

Aloha, :D

If you were going to a nice restaurant in your home town, would you wear shorts?

They may be okay for the buffet or a local family diner, but in the main dining room I don't think they are appropriate.

Aloha, :D

p.s. I don't normally go to the formal dining nights either.:D

Aloha, :D

I'm thinking we might take a http://www.carmellimo.com from Manhattan to the Cape Liberty cruise port if the light rail/PATH doesn't work out. I'm just tired of trying to find the cheapest way to do this already!

I just wish she'd make up her mind already! ! ! Thank god I love her! ! !

Aloha,:D

Aloha :D,

Yup! My wife and I are flying into JFK the morning before our cruise leaves from Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne. I've been trying to figure out how to get from JFK to Cape Liberty cruise port or a hotel in NJ.

She is still thinking about it. She is now thinking about taking a taxi from JFK to Manhattan and staying overnight on the 9th. That way we can check out the PATH and light rail from Manhattan to Bayonne and see if she thinks we can manage our luggage to a taxi at the light rail station at 34th St. in Bayonne. If not, then we'll taxi to the Cape Liberty cruise port from the hotel in Manhattan. BTW what does a taxi cost from Madison Square Garden to Cape Liberty cruise port?

I personally don't care what we do at this point. I figure that this trip is going to cost us about $4,000 with airfare and crusie and shore excursions. I plan to eat well at each port. We don't drink.

We're both 60+ and not rich but I can't see struggling to have a good time otherwise I'd stay at home.

Aloha:D

Aloha,

I thought I'd put a reply on this to bring it up to the top of the thread:D

Aloha:D

My wife says she called Royal Caribbean and they told her to call Hilton Newark Penn Station and ask about a rate that included the shuttle to the Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne. I think my wife said it was about $250 for the night and shuttle.

My wife is now thinking about just catching a taxi into Manhattan $52 flat rate plus tip and then catching a taxi to the Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne.

She says if we're in Manhattan, we can check out PATH and light rail on the 9th and see if she is willing to use it on the 10th.

Aloha :D

Aloha,:D

Right now, US$100 equals to C$124 or C$100 equals to US$80. If you pay for something that says C$100 in US$100, you just gave a C$24 tip to whoever you paid.

For this reason, I always convert my US$ to C$ before I go to Canada. I also keep track of currency rates and convert my US$ to foreign currency when the rates are in my favor for places I would like to travel to.

For example, the Japanese Yen (¥) used to be US$100 equals to ¥7600 in 2011. Today US$100 equals ¥12400. I'm planning to spend about 3 weeks in Japan next year playing tourist with my wife and her 85yo aunt. I figure it will cost about ¥140,000 a week for food and lodging or US$1,129. In 2011, it would have cost US$1,842. Over 3 weeks, that is a difference of US$2,139.

Because of this difference in exchange rates, I follow the rates as a hobby and I'll change US$ into ¥ when I figure the rates are maximized in my favor. This depends on the Japanese economic recovery or if the US goes into another recession. Same thing with the Canadian currency.

Remember, you can always change your leftover C$ back to US$ after your trip. The rate will always be better than paying US$ for C$ when you buy something in Canada.

Aloha:D

What is a monte scheme?

It is actually called 3 card monte. A guy will shuffle 3 cards on a flat surface and bet that you can't find a specific card (normally a red queen)! He may have a co-conspirator (a shill) that will appear to play and guess right and win the bet.

This is not a game you can win because the dealer is very good at slight-of-hand palming of the cards.

NEVER PLAY THIS GAME

Aloha

Aloha all,

Since we arrive the day before the ship sails, I've been wondering what people do before they leave on their ships. It appears that everyone goes to Manhattan from reading the board.

My wife likes lobster. When we have vacationed in Maine, I would drive her to lobster pounds and diners that had good reviews for food.

Our ship stops in Portland, Bar Harbor, St. Johns, Halifax, and Boston. I like to eat reasonably priced food that the locals eat. I am open to suggestions since we would be off the ship for lunch in these places.

Also, any shore excursions that are highly recommended?

Aloha:D

Aloha,

I am flying into JFK in September the day before we sail on a cruise that leaves from Bayonne, NJ. I will be traveling with my wife and luggage. Can anyone suggest a safe, good, and reasonably priced way to get from JFK to EWR?

Aloha

Aloha all,:(

The airline we are traveling on only flys in to JFK so re-routing to EWR is not an option for this trip.

Carol had some suggestions along with some others so I've been researching getting from JFK to EWR since I started on this board for our Liberty of the Seas 9 day cruise in September. I checked the Carmel limo and Dial 7 limo fares and reviews and the various airport to airport shuttle services and haven't found any that have had "decent" reviews.

No method seems to have more than a 1 star review. All say you don't know when your "scheduled" pick-up will arrive.

After reading this board, my wife says we may be staying at the Hilton Newark Penn Station, 1048 Raymond Boulevard, since they have a cruise package to get us to the cruise port.

Has anybody had a good experience getting from JFK to EWR?

Aloha :D

:D Aloha,

I just looked at the Embassy Suites on Glimcher Realty Way again and this time I noted that the package with the apparent transfer to the Cape Liberty Crusie port isn't offered after August 13th. :(

Since my cruise is in Sept. apparently the offer isn't available for my cruise.:(

Aloha, :D

Aloha,

I just called the Embassy Suites on Glimcher realty Blvd near the EWR and they said that they do not have a shuttle service to the Cape Liberty Cruise port.

A car service would be about $60 from the hotel to the port.

Aloha:D

Aloha,

I think the boarding time listed for our cruise on Liberty Of The Seas in September was 4:00. Do they send you information regarding our actual boarding time like they did on our Princess cruises. Even though the listed times were like 4:00 our specific times were usually 1 to 3 hours earlier.

Is departure from the ship also staggered?:D

Aloha, rakuroda

Aloha,

"I agree with the previous poster about not renting a car, particularly at an early hour of a weekday morning to drive along the "coast" (otherwise known as the potentially bumper to bumper Belt Parkway), paying $14 to cross the Verazzano Bridge, hoping that the Bayonne Bridge is not closed that day forcing you to go across the Goethals Bridge to pick up the NJ Turnpike at exit 13 to go to Exit 14C ($4.00 toll.).

Price a car service like Dial7 or Carmellimo from JFK directly to Candlewood Suites as well as to the World Trade Center Path Entrance in downtown Manhattan. That way you can decide if it is worth taking PATH from World Trade one stop to Exchange Place for $2.75/pp and the light rail at Exchange Place two stops for $1.05/pp senior rate ($2.10 if under 62).

You should be fine at Candlewood Suites. Keep in mind that it will cost you either $2.10 or $4.20 to go all the way to Bayonne on the light rail plus $10-12 (best estimate - prices have gone screwy at Cape Liberty recently) to get into the port. A cab to the port will run at least $50 from your hotel, so IMO you've underestimated your savings. Do you have the cab company phone numbers? You can call and ask what the cost will be from the light rail to the port.

The light rail and PATH will definitely save you serious money going into Manhattan after the cruise. If your hotel is in midtown, you would take the light rail to Hoboken and pick up PATH there to go to midtown. That is the easiest transfer point.

Carol"

I called Carmel Limousine and asked about the cost from JFK to Candlewood Suites Jersey City and was told it would break down as follows $78 + $22 tolls +tip, so probably about $120 total.

It appears that the Newport Centre shopping mall is about a 10 minute walk from the Candlewood Suites Jersey City so we could probably drop our bags and walk over to the shopping mall while we wait for check-in time.

My wife is still hesitant about walking from the Candlewood Suites Jersey City, using the light rail from Harborside Light Rail Station to the 34th Street Light Rail Station and catching a cab from the 34th Street Light Rail Station to the Cape Liberty Cruise port. I told her that you said that managing the bags at the light rail stations would not be anything like using the NYC subways and that the entry gates were wide enough not to cause a problem.

She insists that when she checked the Jersey City cab rates from the Candlewood Suites Jersey City to the Cape Liberty Cruise port, it would only cost about $45 including tip. I told her that if she got the "approximate" cost from a Jersey City cab information service, they probably gave her a low-ball estimate.

I'm thinking that since we get into Jersey City the day before the cruise departure, we could do a trial run into NYC using the light rail and PATH as you suggest. That would give her an idea regarding the ease of the light rail and PATH. We've travelled in Japan using the trains including moving our luggage. Anything over 200 yards seems to be a bit troublesome to my wife (we're both 65+).

Our daughter is now visiting from NYC and I'll be talking to her about moving around with luggage. I believe we will be in NY for two days before flying back to Hawaii from JFK, so I'll be asking her for info and advice.

Aloha, rakuroda