Viv0828

We were undecided what to do on St Kitts. We got off the ship with another couple and wandered over to the area where the cab drivers were waiting. One of them had a sign about rainforest hikes. We selected him and went hiking for about an hour and a half. We could have hiked longer but the other couple wanted to see more of the island so we turned back. When we returned we all realized how much we had enjoyed the hike and we're sorry we had shortened it. Oh well. Next time we will go longer!

With some united credit cards you get a free checked bag.

I think it depends on the relationship of the adults. If it's 3 couples I would want 3 separate accommodations. If it's 2 couples and maybe a brother or sister on mother, maybe I could tolerate another person in the room. Perhaps you could get input from the rest of your group?

Is there a good counselor or psychologist in your area that deals with irrational fears? I know 3 weeks is a very short time, but several sessions might work wonders.

On our last 2 cruises we were able to use the shaver outlet for a small nightlight. On several previous cruises, the shaver outlet only worked when the bathroom light was on defeating the whole purpose. I don't know if that outlet now works on all ships when the bathroom light is out??

Check your reservation and be sure it's from anchorage and to Fairbanks and there are no additional charges listed like the drop off fee. If the pick up and drop off locations and the dates are correct, it should be ok.

If you change anything on the original reservation, all bets are off.

We start several weeks before. Since we only take carry on luggage we have to be very precise. It's not the clothes that are a concern; it's the meds, toiletries, and electronic items that we have to really consider.

I dislike cold and wind so we walk 10,000 steps in the inside hallways on the passenger floors. By the end of the cruise we know many of the room stewards. Lol

Really enjoyed the round trip cruise from San Diego to Lima. Fabulous port stops and 2 nights in Lima

We have had flight times changed on us - the last time on AA. When we called to complain and request to be changed to a different flight AA did it without a word or a fare increase, even though the new flight was more costly.

Even if you have already talked to someone in your airline's customer service and been quoted a ridiculous fare change price, call again. A different agent may be more accommodating.

We have used mobile boarding passes for years now. You need either cell service or wifi to check in. Then you have the airline email or text you a mobile boarding pass. In foreign countries I always take a screenshot of the mobile boarding pass " just in case". Never had a problem yet. We have done this with domestic and international airlines, both large and small. Just be sure you have the barcode showing on your pass.

Thanks to the author of this thread and the helpful contributors. We plan to visit Southern Africa next winter - not by ship though - and I found the posts interesting and helpful. I will save this thread for future reference.

We took the grands aged 10 and 7 on a HAL Alaska cruise. There were maybe 20 kids on the ship. The was no children's pool or other child centered amenities. The kids club had mostly <gasp> educational activities. The girls loved it. I think it depends on your kids.

On our last HAL cruise, DH wore a dress shirt with a tie. A tie takes up no space while a jacket does.

I wore a dressy sweater and a wrap with long pants, as I find the MDR is generally chilly for me.

When we browsed computers in st Maarten we noticed most of the models were they were selling were not current. Might be the same for cameras??

I would look at Costco or Amazon or online before you leave.

Last time I forgot an extra battery for my camera. So I made sure to charge it every night.

This may help or not. I would try calling back several times and hope I would find a customer service rep that might help me out.

We used the 100 mg of data roaming in port to download emails, answer them offline and then turn on data roaming to send the replies. This is way faster than the ship's wifi. We could download maybe 30 emails in a couple of minutes when we were too lazy to find free wifi. Most connections were 3 and 4G.

We frequently rent cars in port and except for one place up in the hills of Aruba we could use the map function if we needed directions.

We only went over our data allotment once in Europe when my phone was stolen and we had to download a whole bunch of stuff to dh's phone. We got a warning that we were going to exceed our data limit and they charged us an extra $40. When we had a strong signal (4G) it took us maybe 5 minutes to do in port what would have taken maybe 30 minutes onboard. If we had used the ship's wifi it would have taken significantly longer and cost more.

Of course fast free shore wifi would have been best but we didn't want to take the time to find it. We often get a great signal on our balcony in port.

We rented a car on each island and had a blast! Great sightseeing and we could stop and take a swim or snorkel any time we felt like it!

Maybe a gift card with a note so your uncle can buy the liquor when he gets home?

We had a high school reunion on the queen Mary in long beach. Lovely place for a party. We took some time to walk around and explore. Lots of fun!

Fascinating. Sorry to add a comment as my iPhone won't let me subscribe and hopefully this thread will show up on my "participated" list!

I think when you book has to fit your lifestyle. We like to be flexible so we book 2 to 4 months out. Sometimes if the ship is fairly empty we get great deals; sometimes if the ship is fairly full we don't.

From what I've read, booking a year or more out seems to give folks the best financial bang for their buck, but that is not something we are comfortable doing.

When we were in Honolulu we rented a car and drove to Pearl Harbor. We had reserved our tickets in advance online.

If you are on the POA you will overnight in Kahului. Rent a car that first day and do some sightseeing and beaching.

End up in Lahaina in the late afternoon and either do the Old Lahaina Luau or the Feast at Lele. Then drive back to the ship in Kahului.

Without a car, the logistics will be more difficult unless the ship has a late running shuttle.