Nghthawke

On 11/14/2023 at 1:05 PM, seagarsmoker said:

I hope not as we have had this cruise booked for a long time. Checked HAL website and it is available for public booking.

Ezra Levant's Rebel News have booked the Nieuw Amsterdam for their Rebel News Western Caribbean Cruise 23-30 March 2023.

Their special guest is Tamara Lich, leader of the Truck Convoy that paralyzed Canada's capital and US/Canada border crossings for three weeks. 

Be aware they will likely have recording equipment with them and they will record, embarrass, anger and make fun of you and/or HAL crew if they feel maligned in any way and especially if they feel they can raise money from their base.

Ezra Levant and Rebel News have chased down and harassed climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Ezra Levant and Rebel News regularly chase down and harass politicians.

Rebel News harassed Ottawa residents and businesses during the convoy blockade.

You can Google Ezra Levant or Rebel News and decide for yourselves if you really want to be on this cruise. Some of the cruise passengers will be convoy participants. 

Alright. Thank you much!

I have taken everything down and printed a transit map so pretty sure we can manage.

Looks like there is a bus stop at the Boston Cruiseport so we can board the bus there (SL2) and then transfer to the airport bus (SL1).

Thank you! I will print out the map for the Silver Line stop so we can find it easily when we get off the ship. It looks like it has a dedicated transit lane?

Any recommendations on what is best travel suggestion to get from Boston cruise terminal (Black Falcon Cruise Terminal correct?) to Logan Airport? 

On 4/12/2022 at 10:56 AM, TheLizardHouse said:

NB: Cruise lines are not offering advice on where to get pre-cruise testing done.  There is a lab at Canada place, but state on their website they only test for 'essential travel'. I've not had a response from them as to whether they do pre-cruise testing.

 

Here we go:

COVID-19 testing for Port of Vancouver cruise ship travellers

I came across this website today. Apologies if it is a duplicate post:

To book COVID-19 testing offered at Empower's clinic located in the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel - adjacent to the port terminal at Canada Place or virtually via telehealth.

11 hours ago, deejuliet said:

 Please help me and explain exactly what I need! Thank you!

 

Looks like other travelers have posted some good Internet links. There is also the one that I posted earlier: 

(2/2) To avoid any difficulties, make sure you download the latest version of the app. Learn more: http://ow.ly/3twS50IFjK3

I must admit I am one of those people who gets flustered with stuff like this. What I do is I set aside some quiet time, read everything through and then when I'm ready I will follow the instructions of whatever it is I need to do. No TV. No radio. No distractions. And then I just get it done.

Most ports have free Internet access nearby. So I'm thinking this is what we will use when we are in transit instead of relying on the ship's Internet. But if we must we will use the ship's Internet. We usually use that for online check-in for our flights and it's always been pretty good.

The good news is there are travelers ahead of us so I'm sure someone will post an update of how it went for them here on the HAL board. My understanding is that the ArriveCAN app is easy to use.

First cruise ship in Victoria today, what a beautiful sight:

First cruise ship in two years (HAL Koningsdam)

Whether the train goes all the way up to Carcross or not it is very much worth it! 

I wouldn't spend more than a couple of hours in Banff. Too crowded. Especially in the summer. 

However the Banff Gondola is a worthwhile stop. 

Jasper is excellent if you have the time. It takes a full day to drive from Lake Louise up to Jasper with a stop at the Columbia Icefield ($$). There is also the glass-floored Columbia Icefield Skywalk ($$). If I could only pick one I would do the bus up to the top of the Columbia Icefield. 

The Rocky Mountaineer is expensive but worthwhile if you can afford it. 

Driving the Canadian Rockies is awesome but a lot of stretches require the driver's full attention.

VIA Rail is wonderful but it is an overnighter and goes through Jasper then Edmonton which is several hours north of Calgary. 

There is also Brewster Sightseeing motor coaches/buses. 

Excellent Mexican food at "Magpie & Stump Restaurant" in Banff.

For cheaper fare go to any A&W across Canada. 

Lots of heavy mountain construction on the Trans-Canada (Highway 1).

You would be driving on the scary/cliff side of the highway heading East.

So whoever would be driving should be comfortable with heights.

If you get stuck in construction traffic just switch the engine off and wait. 

You could be stopped for half an hour. 

Might suggest you take the Crows Nest Pass (Highway 3) which pops out near Waterton Lakes National Park then up to Calgary. 

Or you can leave the Crows Nest Pass at Cranbrook and go up to Radium and take highway 93 up to Lake Louise. Then over to Banff/Canmore/Calgary. You can stop for a dip at Radium Hot Springs. Look out for the bighorn sheep. Gorgeous drive. 

Likely 2-3 day drive.

If your heart is set on Lake Louise you will want to do some research.

Parking is limited and there is a shuttle available.

Not sure how much it costs or what's involved. 

Go early when the sun is shining on the glacier across Lake Louise.

Nice walking trail on right side of Lake Louise.

Recommend Trailhead Café at the bottom of Lake Louise Drive off Highway 1 for breakfast, trail snacks, lunch. 🙂

(1/2) Reminder: Travellers to Canada must submit their information into #ArriveCAN within 72 hours before their arrival to Canada and/or before boarding a cruise ship destined for Canada.

(2/2) To avoid any difficulties, make sure you download the latest version of the app. Learn more: http://ow.ly/3twS50IFjK3

Curious to see how it will go for the first cruise ships sailing out of Canada. 

Thanks for the reply. We decided to book an earlier train arriving in Quebec City around noon. We're hoping we'll get lucky and get to board one of the new VIA Rail trains. 

"COVID-19: Canada to change testing rules for fully-vaccinated cruise ship travellers in April

Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra announced Thursday that come April, when testing rules change for those entering Canada by land and air, people on board cruise ships that enter the country will still need to get a COVID-19 (antigen) test no more than one day before departure but won’t need a second test before disembarking the vessel."

(source: Global News) Testing rules for fully-vaccinated cruise ship travellers

On 3/15/2022 at 3:47 AM, GTJ said:

 But that's a personal preference of mine that might not be shared by others.

It costs nothing to send an email and see what they can do.

For me, it depends on the trip itself. If it is something really special I will use a travel agency. I have used a travel agency for India. It was a trip of a lifetime. The peace of mind (no stress!!) was worth it.

On 3/9/2022 at 4:21 AM, GTJ said:

The problem with that strategy is that no Toronto travel agency has anyone in St. Anthony to provide such tours. They would call around to people in St. Anthony, engage their services, and then mark the price up for the Toronto agency to get a cut. If a local guide can be hired directly, that would likely be better than a remote travel agency in Toronto.

I'm not sure about Colette Tours but I do know that Worldwide Quest already has local guides, etc. for private tours in Newfoundland. 

I should add even outdoors. Was funny going for walks around the grounds at the hotels and spotting the outdoor Internet hubs (I think that's what they are called) discretely hidden in the trees and vegetation. So yeah, a nice outdoor table on the hotel grounds in India would be my perfect work from anywhere spot. 

We actually went on cruises to get away from work and computer screens.

If I wanted to do a work from anywhere vacation I would return to India. 

I was pleasantly surprised how every hotel, no matter how remote, had excellent Internet access. 

1 hour ago, YXU AC*SE said:

assuming your eligible group = National Association of Federal Retirees

Yup, that's the one. Thank you for the link to the pdf file. It looks pretty good. 

Your best bet might be a travel agency such as Colette Tours or Worldwide Quest out of Toronto. Just email them and ask them how much for a private tour to  L'Anse Aux Meadows for 2-4-6 or 8 number of people.

For Havre-Saint-Pierre Holland America has excursions to the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve. The online photos look stunning. 

You could also try calling Holland America and see if they have a wait list for L'Anse Aux Meadows. 

Will be sailing on the Nieuw Statendam on 7 September. 

We were thinking of taking the train but it would not be arriving at the station until 4:30 in the afternoon.

How late do the embarkation staff stay at the Port du Québec to do passenger check-in, photo, etc. ?

The ship doesn't leave until the next day 8 September so I'm not worried about missing the sail away 🙂 !

Thank you for the replies.

I was thinking of signing up for MEDOC. I just joined the Assoc. Federal Employees yesterday. Anyone else find MEDOC is worthwhile? They have two options for travel insurance right? Domestic and out-of-country.

Do you get all that information in the mail when you sign up or do you have to get in touch with the MEDOC/Johnson Insurance people?

1 hour ago, XLVIII said:

Holland America to go ahead with Canadian cruises this year:

 

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/new-published-canadian-cruise-procedures-clear-way-for-holland-america-line-full-alaska-and-canada-new-england-cruise-seasons-818346327.html

I really like it when someone quotes directly from the source. A lot of times I won't read a news article anymore if I know there is a press release -- I will just look up the press release directly. 

You board the ship the day before it sails because the the Nieuw Statendam will overnight in the port.

The ship doesn't go anywhere on the first day. It just stays in port. So you go to sleep in Quebec City and you wake up in Quebec City the next day. 

Thank you. I'm retiring in a few weeks so this is helpful.