Roseflyer

Any idea why Quantum of the seas is at anchor in the middle of Elliott bay today?  It was supposed to go to Alaska for the last cruise of the year but is currently in the middle of the harbor off Seattle causing delays as ferries and other traffic have to yield to it

Weather is great for the arrival in Long Beach.  Will have no problems getting out.  Where it goes is the question

What flight are you on? Are you making a connection? There are three flights from Chicago to San Juan and they all arrive before 4pm. If you are arriving at 445, that implies you are making a connection. That is far too risky in my opinion in December.

The first flight of the day is usually the best and it arrives before 3pm, which should be ok.

Flat tipping allows the cruise line to stabilize revenue. The revenue varies over the course of the year since cruise prices can vary widely. For example cruises in early December are half the price of holiday cruises. Although tips aren’t directly tied to staff wages the costs are consistent regardless of season and what revenue the cabin fares generate.

It takes about 5 hours by train to get from Boston to Newark. You can get off at either Newark airport or Newark Penn and get a taxi from there. If you book early enough it is only $50 per person. Cheaper than flying and flights between Boston and Newark are commonly late. I wouldn’t fly personally. The train is more comfortable anyway.

People say bad things about Newark, but it is just a train station with taxis out front. I recommend it over getting a taxi from New York Penn and the traffic getting to New Jersey.

Cruise lines send representatives (often friends and family of employees, or travel agents on promotional trips, etc) on excursions to monitor the service and ensure everything is up to standard and report back with issues.

Many bus lines now do have cameras installed.

It was a ship sponsored tour.

 

I still just can't understand how the bus crashed in broad daylight on a straight road with no other vehicle involved when there was no rain. Even if a tire blew you wouldn't think that would cause a bus to flip over.

I was in a tour van that passed that area shortly before the accident. It is a perfectly straight section of road with fairly wide shoulders. It's a two lane road with no divider in the center. There were many tour busses leaving at the same time. There are a number of vehicles that travel at different speeds, so overtaking is common from traffic in both directions. We passed a number of busses and one bus passed us in the van.

There was a drainage ditch on both sides of the road despite the whole area being flat. A top heavy vehicle like a bus can flip on its side if it goes off the side of the road due to the drop off of about 5-8 feet. From what I saw of the bus when passing the bus, it appeared to roll on its side and then end up hitting the other side of the drainage ditch rather hard head on destroying the front of the bus. All the windows on that side were broken. It is very tragic and I hope that explanation of what I saw doesn't offend anyone.

So sorry for those affected. It was very sad seeing the bus yesterday as we drove past it on our way back to the ship. The guide on our own van said he was friends with the guide on the bus which crashed. It's very sad to reflect on the fact that my family passed the accident site minutes earlier and those who lost family members.

For those curious, the ship sailed sometime after midnight. There were some people who left the ship in Costa Maya. We saw crew removing belongings and suitcases from a room down the hall from ours last evening. The ship did arrive in Cozumel on time. There haven't been shipwide announcements, but a number of people have been at guest relations, which I think is a good way of handling the event.

I saw the bus after it has been turned back over while on our way back to Costa Maya. Very tragic scene.

We are still wondering what's going to happen. The ship is still in Costa Maya with the gangplank out.

What is going to happen with the ship? We are still in Costa Maya. Some are wondering if the ship will go to Cozumel tomorrow at all. There haven't been announcements during this unfortunate tragedy.

We are on Equinox and were late to arrive back from a shore excursion (through native choice) to the same destination that the tour group was going. We were held up waiting for them to tow the bus. We saw the damage and it was apparent that it went off the highway into a ditch and rolled on its side. The road is perfectly straight in that section and in good condition.

The ship is still waiting along with both other ships in port even though Royal Caribbean pulled their gangway, Celebrity still has theirs out. When we boarded, they had photos of those who were late and checking everyone off. We also saw people disembarking with their luggage including one person who was injured.

I feel so sad for those on the bus and their families.

Well even though we haven't paid our final payment we were assigned our cabin. We did a verandah GTY. We have been assigned cabin 6176......

I was surprised to see assignments since we haven't final paid.

 

Thanks for the relies! And tips!! I really Appreciate them!

 

 

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Keep an eye out on price drops within 30 days after final payment. We actually booked a cruise on Equinox after final payment. Booked balcony guarantee and within a week were assigned an obstructed view 2C cabin like yours. Three weeks later there were some price drops and we were able to upgrade all the way to Conceirge Class cabins right next to each other for no cost. The sale that allowed us to upgrade only lasted a few days, but keep your eyes open for price drops within 75 days of departure for a chance to upgrade.

Thanks for sharing we are doing the same cruise in two weeks on Equinox so I appreciate you posting.

I was planning on booking shorter excursions for our December cruise and was able to take advantage of the discount. Unfortunately it was not 20% off. One excursion we wanted was 5% off and the other was full price.

Cruises out of Puerto Rico to islands hit by recent hurricanes are heavily discounted probably because people canceled or rescheduled. It is unlikely that they will visit all the ports according to the schedule provided or that some activities on the islands may not be available due to the recovery effort. If you are willing to have your vacation impacted by infrastructure issues, especially Puerto Rico possibly not having adequate hotels and resources, you can get a cheap cruise.

Meanwhile western caribbean cruises are just as expensive as normal. I suspect many people are favoring itineraries going to Mexico/Grand Cayman/Jamaica who have been unaffected by recent hurricanes.

I disagree. Most, if not all, of the "perks" you mention are marketing ploys. There needs to be a basic package all the airlines agree on that can be used measure the real costs of a ticket and allow accurate comparisons between them when making purchase decisions. Without congressional mandates this is never going to happen.

regards

Bill

There are mandates to show the entire price including taxes when booking and provide and explanation of baggage fees.

The only airline with free domestic baggage in the US is Southwest and usually travel agents like Choice Air don't usually book on Southwest. At least you get a carry on with Delta.

Some of the storm track paths are now projecting that the hurricane will stall out off the cost of Florida or the Carolina's. The path is uncertain, but the hurricane could linger off the coast for a while longer. Even if Port Canaveral opens up, if the hurricane is just off shore, I doubt ships will be sailing to the port this weekend.

I recommend not using Uber at LGA. The Uber drivers have to wait outside the terminal area and then meet you at the curb. With how bad the traffic is during construction you could be waiting 20 minutes for your uber and then it can be hard to find the correct car.

Other users recommend a car service. It works if you have a chauffeur pick you up inside baggage claim. Otherwise I suggest just waiting in the taxi line. Be warned in the evenings the taxi lines can also extend over 20 minutes. New York taxi drivers can be scary drivers. On Sunday I was almost in a head on collision in a taxi in NYC.

In short unless you pay someone to stand and wait for you with a sign, don't expect to get out of LGA quickly.

On your way back to the airport I recommend Uber. I think Uber is best for a pickup taking you to the airport. You don't have to plan ahead like you do with car service and rarely do you wait more than 5-10 minutes for an Uber in NYC.

How bad is the Grand Central parkway near the airport on the weekend?

In the morning it is fine. In the afternoon it is backed up just like every other freeway or parkway in Queens, Brooklyn or Manhattan.

Keep in mind, before the traffic disaster started, LaGuardia has been in the top 5 for most delayed airports anyway. This just adds to the delays. For this reason, I personally have not flown out of LGA since June and plan on avoiding the airport for all travel. Just remember that the TSA staffing shortage has affected LGA, EWR and JFK so all airports have longer than desirable security lines. Depending on terminal TSA Precheck may or may not be available.

For people arriving, I would suggest day before, but if you fly in day of, I would recommend a flight arriving before 10am. Flights in the morning tend to be more reliable. When there is bad weather, things get progressively worse throughout the day with the late afternoon and early evening being worst. If you are on the first flight of the day to LGA, then odds are you'd be ok with delays. This would also give more time to get to the cruise terminal.

For people leaving from LGA, that is a tough question. Right now the port authority is recommending getting to the airport 2.5 hours early. That's a long time, but all the lines have been bad in addition to traffic. That probably means flying out after 1pm at the earliest, although after 2pm is probably a good idea. Be very careful with connecting flights out of LGA. The airport is very delayed and while they aren't holding flights for late arriving passengers, if you do miss a flight it can be very difficult to find another seat. One caveat is that if you fly Delta Shuttle to Washington or Chicago from the Marine Air Terminal, you can get out quicker since that is a separate terminal that doesn't have as bad of traffic.

I'm not sure who is saying you can't fly from LGA and get to Cape Liberty Cruise Port. Most cruises are on the weekend, and in the morning, the drive should be 1 hour or less. Budget for up to 2 hours for the drive since you have to cross Manhattan, but for the most part, I believe most suggestions against using LGA when going out of New Jersey is that the time and money is not worth it. It's an expensive ride and Newark is a much better option, however you can still do LGA if you leave lots of time. I don't see why you wouldn't make a 3pm or later flight out of LGA. From Cape Liberty, on a weekday in bad weather it can take the same amount of time to get to LGA/JFK as it would to get to Trenton or Philadelphia, which is why it is not recommended.

Newark and JFK haven't really seen any changes. Both airports have mass transit train options. My suggestion would be for a person going to the Manhattan Cruise terminal is that if you are willing to do mass transit, then JFK and EWR are better options. You can grab a taxi to Penn Station or walk about 1 mile to the subway and then have quick easy access to the air trains at either JFK or EWR. You can reliably get to either airport in under 90 minutes. Cape Liberty or Brooklyn don't have as good of public transit options, but car service and taxi options exist.

OP is staying at a hotel near / next to JFK Airport in Jamaica, Queens - good luck hailing or finding a cruising yellow metered taxi. Our neighborhood car services have green taxi that's metered if hailed on the street or will charge a flat rate if radio dispatched by calling/booking ahead.

 

Whether it's a green or yellow taxi, if stalled in slowing traffic in the portable parking lot going from JFK/Queens to Red Hook/Brooklyn, whether it's via the Belt Parkway or I-678 to LIE to BQE - on a weekday trip - could cost more than a few dollars extra, far more than the very, very reasonable fare for Carmel (and, probably true for Dial7) ... both services combined with a citywide, fleet of 1,500 vehicles that they dispatched directly from their bases - not a booking services or reseller.

 

Two travelers unfamiliar with the area hauling a 25" roller or spinner plus a carry-on bag each for 5 to 10 blocks, with multiple transfers, steps, elevators & escalators - crossing streets & industrial area isn't exactly a smart nor wise recommendation, IMHO of course. There is probably a frugal way to travel from their JFK hotel, as we don't know exactly where they are staying overnight, to walk to the nearest bus stop & connect/transfer to the regular subway train, more transfers & so forth, for as little as $5.50 p/p plus a $1 charge for a single MetroCard ... if they wish to allow up to 2 to 2.5 hours to get to Pier #12.

It looks like you are almost advertising for Carmel so I must assume you really like it. I'm not saying that a taxi would be cheaper, but from an airport hotel to red hook, it should be a metered fare of about $50 for a taxi. It should not be hard getting one at an airport hotel. Just ask the bellman or front desk and one will be there in minutes. That is my experience, although I would probably just use uber myself as long as it isn't high surge pricing. Personally I do recommend a car service when in the suburbs to friends or coworkers, but usually don't find them as worthwhile in the city since you have to plan ahead, but there are so many options in New York that everyone has their favorites.

Hotels are easy. Pick a three star or better hotel and they are all similar. You'll find outdated lobbies, and some hotels with conference facilities or not. Rooms tend to be similar. My personal recommendation is the Residence Inn Times Square/Central Park. The lower half of the hotel is a Courtyard and the upper Residence Inn. The hotel is new and rooms have fantastic views. If not, just find your favorite brand or look for price. If you are within 5 blocks of Times Square, you are in a good spot. Expect smaller rooms in Manhattan than you are used to, so trying to squeeze four people in a single room is not fun.

I would not suggest a hotel all the way out near Coney Island since it is a long trip from the airport and to your cruise with luggage. It may be easiest to have your hotel by the cruise terminal and near a subway. There are options like Holiday Inn and Comfort Inn. Coney Island is right on two subway lines. It's easy to get to. Check the hours and what you are interested in doing there before you go. The theme park isn't open on weekdays in the spring/fall. It's only open on weekends, so during the week it can be rather deserted outside of summer.

Taking a taxi to Battery Park would be easy. Make sure you go to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island first. You can buy tickets ahead of time if you want. There can be lines, although they won't be too bad in October to get back on the ferry. It's an easy walk from Battery Park to the 9/11 memorial and museum. I personally found the museum very interesting. Just plan more time than you think for you trip. Doing all three of those things will consume an entire day. Keep an eye on the clock.

Some people love the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty. Coming from a boat, I'm not sure you will be as eager. The island itself isn't that stunning. If you want to go to the pedestal you have to buy tickets months in advance. I liked the museum at Ellis Island. My favorite of the three was the 9/11 memorial and museum.