sharke

Will be on Breakaway 23 days next year. The first half will be port intensive and last, lots of sea days. We usually cruise much smaller ships and not used to reservations for entertainment etc. Are there areas we can just pop in for music without reservations? Also are there any quieter out of the way places during the day? What are some hidden gems you've found on the Breakaway?

We r huge baseball fans also. Been to Puerto Plata twice last year. The best thing we did was have the taxi driver take us to several local baseball fields. We gave out baseballs > hats to the kids & coaches. Not sure who loved it more. Us or them. Our STL Cardinal pitcher, Carlos Martinez is from there & the people were so excited to c us wearing his shirt. They love all US teams! Hopefully there is not horrible damage there from the hurricanes & u can enjoy your time.

Forgot to say, Yuri is in Santiago de Cuba. Fascinating place. Read Teddy Roosevelt's San Juan Hill & the History of the Baccardi Family.

We were in Cuba on the Fathom Adonia in March. Had an amazing private tour all day in'53 Oldsmobile with Yuri. http://Www.cubaguider.com or email at yuri.arcayaborrego@nauta.cu. Can't praise him enough. Prompt, great English, knowledgeable, personable, and plans the day to your interests. We had a blast!

We did Juneau on our own in May & found it easily walkable & had a great day. Because we had seen the glacier previously, we elected to stay in town. I would highly recommend the Alaska State Museum. It was magnificent. It is not advertised enough. Give yourself a couple hours there. It's approx 10 blocks away from the pier, pretty flat. On the way back we found a little whole in the wall cafe selling Russian dumplings & playing a variety of old vinyl albums. Great day. Enjoy

My Keen low hiking shoes worked great on our reposition to Alaska a few weeks ago. Had a few days of rain & hiked near shorelines a few times. Comfy & dry.

On NCL you pay the corkage fee when you embark. Have your wine in a carry on. There is usually a desk you will be directed to after clearing security. They will sticker your bottles and add the fee to your account.

Also not a book but "Cuba Chrome" Discovery series can be streamed. Very interesting & entertaining about keeping those classic cars running. Also the documentary, Buena Vista Social Club.

Bacardi & the Long Fight for Cuba - was fascinating

The Rough Riders by Theodore Roosevelt, especially if you are going to Santiago & San Juan Hill

We were there 1st week of September and again last week on Fathom. Tour buses are air conditioned but as mentioned above most tours include touring sights by walking. The buses are mainly used to get you to a particular sight then walking tour. Sometimes you get off at one spot & reboard at another. We loved Cuba but it is definitely hot. Sept was about 95F and 100% humidity. February was better, about 84F, a little less humidity.

Thanks everyone. Port side it is. One of the most amazing experiences s we've had coming into a port was seeing the pilot from the pilot boat swing on board entering the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria. Took place right under our balcony in very rough seas and had us on pins & needles. Not for the faint of heart. Those people are amazing. Will make sure we are on the correct side again.

Which side is best for views on a cruise starting in San Francisco going to Astoria, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait, Sitka, Prince Rupert, Naiamo, and ending in Vancouver? Appreciate any thoughts, please.

CupKayke. Thank you so much for your review. We are taking Gate 1's 15day China trip with Yangtze River cruise in late March 2016. I've been looking for reviews and having trouble finding any. You provided such great pictures and terrific hints that we will definitely use. Our ship is the Century Sun. Hopefully it will be similar. BTW our first trip with Gate 1 was to Macchu Picchu. It was phenomenal and Gate 1 was one of the reasons. We would highly recommend Peru including Cusco, Macchu Picchu, Lima & lake Titicaca. Life changing !

We used KSG Tours a few weeks ago and were more than pleased with them. All of our correspondence with Kagan was answered promptly and clearly. No deposit required and when our ship cancelled our overnight and we had to make last minute changes Kagan assured us no problem. Our guide, Senem was amazing. She provided us a wealth of easily understood and interesting information while leading us in & out and all around the sights. We also arranged for transport from our ship to the airport. It was a little more expensive but again when we encountered problems, Kagan was there to meet us at the port. Our ship apparently experienced problems moving the crowd thru customs. We just texted back & forth to keep each other informed. When we saw the long ques for taxis, it made the extra cost more than worthwhile. Highly recommend them. You will find Rick Steve's mentions their services in his book.

We used EKOL Travel a couple weeks ago. Our guide, Habi did a great job at all the sites & kept us ahead of the crowds. Nice van and good driver. We did have a demonstration when we stopped for a local lunch but actually enjoyed seeing it. Watching the silk spin from the cocoon was amazing. Just let them know we weren't interested in buying and didn't feel a lot of pressure. I did buy several beautiful silk scarves, though.

Sad news for the cruising world:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/08/books/john-maxtone-graham-an-authority-on-ocean-liners-dies-at-85.html?_r=0

 

We sailed with John Maxtone - Graham in 2005 on our first TA, Rome to Galveston on Galaxy.

He ended up giving 9 lectures instead of 6, due to extra Sea Days as a consequence of Hurricane Wilma ( we weren't allowed into Key West as it was hit by a tidal Wave)

 

We also bought a couple of his books, including 'Titanic Tragedy' and 'The only way to Cross.'

Very sad to hear. We thoroughly enjoyed many of his lectures. Hopefully Celebrity continues their speakers program. It is of such interest to learn details & customs where one travels. We've enjoyed speakers in Alaska, Antarctica, trans Atlantic crossings & most recently trans Pacific from Vancouver to Hawaii. All a wealth of information.

Just to clarify ... O'heo Gulch (aka 7 sacred pools) is on the Road to Hana ... about 10 miles past Hana. It's in the Kipahulu section of Haleakala National Park (the other part of the park is the summit ... two different areas, accessed by different roads...

 

Sorry, Bryan did not mention this to us (sounds interesting) May have been our time restrictions.

Janet,

 

I'm curious if you saw the pools at O'heo Gulch (aka the Seven sacred pools)? Per Bryan's website, "Please note, due to permitting issues, I can't take you into the Haleakala National Park, AKA, The Seven Sacred Pools." Did he park outside of the entrance gate and let you walk in yourselves so that you could see the pools?

We did not do Haleakala with Bryan therefore no Seven sacred pools. Bryan is not allowed to give tours there since it is a national park. We went to Haleakala with a ship tour and enjoyed it but next time would rent a car so we could spend more time-seemed like easy drive although long. Our tour with Bryan was the road to Hana with many stops and we were really glad we didn't drive ourselves. Whoever drives really can't enjoy the view as much since they have to concentrate on all the curves & finding the sites to pull over for. Since Bryan drives it all the time he knows the road & sights well. His prices have recently changed & are listed on his website. I think his van can accommodate 6 so of course a group makes it more reasonable. A great day!

We just returned from a repositioning cruise Vancouver to Hawaii. We tendered in Lahaina also. Booked a road to Hana Tour with Bryan Miner of Maui's Private Guide. http://Www.mauisprivateguide.com. He picked us up at the pier at 8am & returned by 5:40pm. It was a fantastic day. We stopped at a few waterfalls, walked thru a dry lava tube cave, swam a short time on a black sand beach & had lunch at a local cafe in Hana. Bryan is very knowledgeable, manages the time well, letting you know what you can fit in your time span. His van is immaculate & great driving skills. It was so nice that someone else was driving & providing historical & natural information all the way. We highly recommend him. Had a fabulous day. Can't compliment him enough. He does various tours and will also listen to your interests & physical abilities to plan a private tour specific to you.

We've eaten primarily in the MDR on Eclipse, Equinox, and Silhouette. We were always given a wine list and often had sommeliers who helped us choose glasses we would enjoy. We had the premium package.

Beth

Love your quote by Erica Bauermeister. Her brother Michael lives near us & we were fortunate to have Erica join our book club to discuss her "Essential Ingredients." Small World :)

Thanks for the help everyone :)

Anyone know if there is a clock with or without an alarm in Aqua Class cabins, specifically the S ships?

If I purchase my flights from Azamara along with the cruise is my transport to & from the airport to the port included? Getting some questionable info from my TA. I know these boards are the place for quick & recent answers from personal experience. Thanks

We did this tour through Hawaii Forest & Trail several years ago. It remains one of our very favorite tours. The whole time seemed so surreal - starting out the day playing on the beach in 80 degree weather & then experiencing snow at the summit! Our guide & driver were both so interesting, a wealth of information. The drive on Saddle road gave us a different feel for the island. We stopped half way to acclimate a little to the elevation & had lovely picnic dinner & walk about. The summit is breath taking. Well worth the price. We'd do it again in a minute.

Sorry if this has been discussed before. Tried to do a search but having problems getting it to work today. We are spending an overnight in Honolulu, sailing with Celebrity in Sept. I think we dock at #10 r 11 berth. Are there shuttles to car rental places? Is there overnight parking, cost, availability? Any details regarding car rental from here much appreciated. Thx