canadjineh

Late Sept 2023 we had a fun time and delicious food at La Buche (FWIW they even have some good gluten free choices - I have celiac disease.) It is right in Old Quebec 49 Rue Saint-Louis. Yes it's kinda touristy but that is the fun part - it is like an old sugar shack where you can sit at private tables or join in a long family-style trestle table with benches. Historic building, food, service and atmosphere are good - they have 4.5 stars out of 5 with over 5000 Google reviews and over 2100 Tripadvisor reviews. https://restolabuche.com/ Lots of neat stuff to look at on the walls and definitely head downstairs to the washrooms, they are a gas! Casual restaurant, not fancy dining... if you want a yummy fancier dining place we can suggest Restaurant Shiraz. Very tasty Persian food, great atmosphere, lovely owners in upper Vieux Quebec. https://restaurantshiraz.com/ We really enjoyed their flavourful menu.

We only used Princess for two shore excursions while on our 10 night New England/Maritimes cruise this past Sept. We booked a ride on the school bus (who cares - it's only a way to get a largish group to the sites you want to see) to Saguenay Fjord National Park so we could do some hiking on our own - worth the ride. We also did a tour to Island Falconry on Prince Edward Island as there wasn't any way to do that privately. Good reviews on both those tours, BTW. The rest of the ports had great things to explore all within walking distance or easily arranged with other tour & transport companies, except for Boston - I'm totally uninterested in American Revolutionary history so instead spent about $100 CAD for return taxi and entrance ticket to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. It was amazing, I could have spent days there. https://www.mfa.org/

I just started following them and reading their blogposts. Very interesting.

Hubby & I stayed in Maz (not on a cruise - just land/hotel) a year and a half ago and we loved the observatory with interesting history and bird sanctuary. An easy walk right from the cruise ship. Best to do on your own, and there's a great view from the bar lawn if you choose to have a drink. Cheaper on your own, and you can choose your time to avoid the excursion crowd.

If you go on the National Park website you can get your tickets for Acadia online ($20/person), then you don't have to wait when you get off the tender. You can take the bus (fare-free with your park pass) to all sorts of trailheads, carriage roads, small local towns, etc if you are there between June 23-Oct 14. Here's more info on the NP website: https://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/island-explorer.htm

My husband & I had an amazing time this past September at the Island Falconry. Peter is a very interesting fellow with great stories to tell as he introduces some of his birds to you in a classroom setting, where you can choose to have them perch on your arm. Then he takes you outside to fly his Harris Hawk and you also can lure the bird in with a meat treat in your glove and have the hawk swoop in to land on your arm/hand and take the morsel. Lots of opportunity to take photos and ask questions. https://www.experiencepei.ca/tour/fun-with-falcons https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g1507275-d17625546-Reviews-Island_Falconry_Sevices-Borden_Carleton_Prince_Edward_Island.html

We were there in Boston in Sept/23 for a Maritime/East Coast cruise. There didn't seen to be much on offer in Boston except for the US Freedom trail (we weren't interested) and I walked around the area near the ship for about an hour, but there was nothing to see except big commercial warehouses - commercial port. I ended up taking a taxi to Museum of Fine Arts - Boston which was totally worth it. It definitely wasn't a walkable distance away, though. Don't know if I'd bother with Boston again. Been there twice now... everything worth seeing is a distance away from your ship.

You can pop into any bank/credit union and ask to change for smaller bills, no charge if same currency. The fifties will still be quite useful as, unless you are planning on only eating at McDonalds, a decent sit down meal at a mid range dining/family establishment will easily run you $60-70 for two with a drink each and tip. Smaller fast food places/food trucks and little Mom & Pop stores may have a sign that says they cannot accept $100.00 bills (limited tills for change and fear of counterfeit bills.) Most places these days have a mobile card machine that can be brought to your table, so you shouldn't have a problem with scamming. If you go to a place with only a tethered machine, accompany them with your card to the machine at the desk so you can watch the transaction. (no hidden extra swipe behind the desk)

Hi alwalaska: It kind of depends on what time of year you are going... Huatulco and Fuerte Amador can be superhot during our springtime (we just got back from Huatulco in mid March and it was 35C & blue skies every day - people we met off a Princess ship that were on a Panama canal cruise said it was in the low 40'sC there.) I would suggest a beaches cruise in Huatulco, it's too hot to do any of the other 'active' things you mention. That would likely be different at the end of the wet season in Huatulco, say, November/December. Things would be much greener at least. It's been quite a few years, but we really enjoyed El Charro Ranch horseback rides out of PV into the hills along the river for some good views and a lovely waterfall (again, depending on the season you are going - possibly no falls if it's very dry.) They treated their horses well and they have been in business for over 30 years so they are pretty good. You need to take money with you for a lunch out in the Sierra Madre mountains, and a tip for your guide of course. We loved it, and were lucky enough to be the only two on the 'tour' with a private guide. https://www.ranchoelcharro.com/ Hope that helps a bit :)

We loved renting a car and driving out to Cabo Pulmo Nat. Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabo_Pulmo_National_Park We also enjoyed going to the natural hot springs within the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere north of http://www.loscabosguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/miraflores-300x200.jpg Cabo especially El Chorro (in the river.) https://www.loscabosguide.com/natures-hot-tubs/ It's a very cheap trip especially if you can get a group of 4 to share the car rental. Very easy driving too.

We are taking the Grand Princess circle tour from LA late Feb/25. We have been to the Islands quite a few times and have camped in Volcanos Nat Park and at Punalu'u black sand beach, hiked through Kilauea crater (on a quiet year, although a Park ranger took a few of us who had good hiking boots out to the actual lava flows - dip a stick in and it's like fiery taffy). A great cultural site is at Pu'uhonua o Honaunau - a national park on the Big Island. https://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm Stayed for a week on Molokai in a little rental condo one time and enjoyed real Hawaiian culture and the most beautiful empty beaches in the Islands. Have been to the Surfing finals on the North Shore of Oahu in early Dec twice. Last trip two years ago (stayed for 2 weeks) we did a cultural focus and went to Iolani Palace (2nd time) https://www.iolanipalace.org/ and the Bishop Museum https://www.bishopmuseum.org/ The Bishop museum had an amazing temporary exhibit on "Tatau: Marks of Polynesia" exploring the beauty of Samoan tattoos by traditional artists and new up-and-coming younger practitioners. They always have lots of interesting exhibits there. We spent a full day, and packed a picnic for lunch in the grounds under the trees. I suggest the volcanos and the cultural sites - beaches you can get on almost any cruise - unless you surf...in that case take a lesson/rent a board and get out on the waves. 🤙 'Ike Loa (We are all here to Learn & Grow in Greater Harmony)

Yep, Paul is 'famous.' We missed out on getting on one of his tours because I left things too late (3 months before our cruise last Sept.) I don't think you'll have a problem getting that tour filled.

If you are 'lucky' enough to have to pre-order meals the day before due to, in my case, celiac disease, you could ask the chef to make you up almost whatever you wish. Once I have been a few days into a cruise and knew they could feed me safely, I would give the chef free rein some nights, just suggesting the protein and see what he came up with. I've had some really amazing dishes that way, although the Princess MDR menu is the dullest of all the cruise lines we've tried. Mainly boring 'white bread' choices that pretend to be some other cuisine.

The Sun I can certainly see never booking on, what an ugly behemoth with too many people on it, plus too many charges for new class divisions on the ships - the stuff that used to be included. (Back to HAL for us.) Is it just because of the age of the other ships? Or some other reason you don't like them? Curious, as this upcoming cruise in Feb 2025 will only be our second Princess cruise.

This is our main wish!!!! I need pitch black to sleep (partly why we often pick interior cabins) and those bloody floor lights that flash on every time you stick your foot out of the duvet along with that closet light that is sooooo bright just kill me. I have a senior husband who hits the washroom a few times a night (I know, TMI 🤐.) On our first Princess cruise our cabin steward rigged up something to cover the sensors for the floor lights at least but we/they aren't allowed to fiddle with the closet 'emergency' light. Also can we please opt out of all the lanyard crap if we've already got one? Think of how much money they'd save.