okpaddy

I am trying to discover the best ( most convenient ) transportation from the airport (1800 arrival) to the hotel. I should be travelling with a large mobility scooter and two or three suitcases. I've seen there is the Limo Bus, but I don't believe DW will be able to climb the stair/steps even if they could store the scooter underneath with the luggage. I am unsure if I should try trains with transfers, or simply hire a private van for direct transfer. Thank you in advance for any helpful suggestions you maybe able to offer.

Just a suggestion, but DW rented once, or twice to see if it would work well for her. We then decided to purchase a scooter and now she is much more willing to travel and enjoys traveling again. Research your choices before you purchase to make certain the scooter you choose is airline approved and that the dimensions will fit through doorways on your cruise cabin. Good luck and best wishes. Having a scooter can open up many new adventures

This is difficult, but currently I'm going with: Venice Jewel Anything handicap accessible Inside, outside, balcony doesn't matter much to us, so long as DW can get her scooter in 🙂

I used the Port Valet service this summer while sailing on the Sun. I signed up prior to boarding through the Port Valet website. I was very pleased and impressed with this service. It is definitely a service that I wish more cruise ports offered.

This was the most helpful response I read in this thread. Thank you

My DW is celiac and has to be very careful. We always pre inform whichever cruise line we will be sailing with. NCL has a profile on their webpage that allows you to list such things. However, just to be certain we have it included on our reservation. We also contact the maître d' in the MDR at the start of each cruise. DW has had the best choices by preordering meals for the following days. This can be done in any of the restaurants, except maybe for the buffet. This being said, we had two unfortunate instances in the MDR on our most recent Alaska sailing in June on the SUN. On two different days during dinner, DW was served what appeared to be gluten food items. Each time the waiter insisted that the meal was prepared gluten free just as it had been preordered. I insisted on speaking with the maitre d' and the chef to confirm if the waiter was correct. In both cases the chef came to the dining room and agreed that her meal did indeed contain gluten. The chef stated that the waiter had either taken the wrong prepared meal, or the plates were switched after being moved to the waiters serving station in the MDR. This could have resulted in a serious illness and a ruined vacation. When we reviewed our cruise with NCL, we strongly recommended better training for their wait staff. To the OP, I wish you success, but warn you to also be vigilant. Many ships seem to be dealing with lower staffing levels and less experienced staff.

In response to the OP, I am the non crafty husband. My DW is a quilter and she has gone on several quilting cruises. She loves the classes and activities for the quilters. I have never had trouble finding plenty of other activities to occupy my time while she is busy with her sewing. The percentage of crafters in comparison to the remaining passengers is usually relatively small. There will be plenty of non craft related events listed in the daily bulletin, the usual trivia, lectures, bingo, art auctions, casino, shows, etc... The restaurants and bars will be operating and eating and drinking can occupy large portions of your day 🤣 Best wishes and good luck.

Congratulations StickeyMouse on expanding your family. Japan is also on my bucket list and hopefully we will make it next year. I think we found a cruise that will work with our schedule. 29 days of B2B2B starting in Tokyo. Ten days around Japan, then Alaska and ending in Vancouver.

Thank you both very much. I'm still not certain that I understand the system, but booking Moderno first is easy enough for me to follow. 😃

Dear Bird Travels, Please explain why you should book the fixed price restaurants first before the ala carte restaurants. I will need to make three dining reservations for my upcoming Alaska cruise in a few months. This is always confusing to me, whether I'm supposed to use the vouchers (2) first, or the FAS (1). I want to maximize the benefit and not short change myself. My usual selections are Cagney's, Le'Bistro, and Moderno, two ala carte restaurants and one fixed price. Thank you in advance for any assistance you might be able to offer. I have learned quite a few helpful suggestions from your posts previously and appreciate the information shared on here by all of the wonderfully knowledgeable cruisers. Jim

I usually bring a bar of soap with me when I cruise. I just prefer it to the body wash. I will use the shampoo from the dispenser, but it wouldn't surprise me if I get it wrong occasionally and accidently use the body wash on my head. I don't have enough hair to worry about it, because I keep it very short and therefore maintenance free 🤣

Thank you BruceMuzz for the information and local perspective. I am hopeful of visiting Japan in April 2024 and cruising back to the USA. Please keep posting on conditions and attitudes from Japan. It is very helpful to understand the situation and have a source for updates. I would also appreciate recommendations on where to stay and transportation around Haneda Airport and Yokohama cruise port . Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year

I'm going to miss my daisy girl...

I would recommend "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara a detailed examination of the Gettysburg battle. I also really enjoy most of Jeff Shaara's books especially "Rise to Rebellion" and "The Glorious Cause" two books about the American revolution. My favorite read list includes "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" Apparently I have a penchant for battle stories...

This makes much more sense. Thank you for clarifying. I believe that a single malt, or small batch discovery can be life changing. It doesn't have to be overly expensive, but certainly not your typical well variety. In the past few years I have even ventured into Japanese distilleries that were shockingly pleasing. Best wishes to all who discover what works best for them...

I couldn't imagine why having Coke available would affect a scotch drinker ? If you don't enjoy scotch without a cola, perhaps you should try a better scotch... Just saying. A really nice scotch is its own reward. However, I hope you enjoy whatever makes your cruise more enjoyable.