Luv Cruising Land or Sea

On 10/6/2022 at 5:47 PM, GUT2407 said:

Firstly which terminal are you sailing from.

 

Do you have any hotel affiliations?

 

do you have any special interests?

 

Where are you coming from, it can be long trip which will cut into your two days with jet lag and just plain exhaustion.

 

But meantime.

 

We really like Rydges at the Rocks, literally over the road from the Overseas Passenger Terminal. And the Grace which is more centrally located.

 

It is well worth a walk around the Opera House, Rocks Botanic Garden area.

 

A Ferry trip on the Harbour is also great value.

 

Airport to hotel I’d suggest a Taxi or Uber, there is a train, but that means lugging your bags and by the time you pay for two isn’t much less cost than a taxi.

 

Hotel to terminal really depends on which hotel and which terminal (OPT or White Bay).

 

Thanks - we are coming from Boston MA - will transit thru LA - a 6 hour flight and then a 15 hour overnight flight - so yes we will be quite exhusted that first day.  We arrive on a Sunday early AM and board our ship at the Overseas Terminal ( I beleive)  on Tuesday so hoping we will have about a day and a half to see some sights...

We love architecture and historical places... Opera House is of course on our list...

Rydges has been mentioned by others as well

Good to know Uber works well there - very familiar with that and you are probably correct about "lugging our bags" after a long journey - not the best way to start a vacation!

Thanks for the suggestions!

1st time in Sydney - coming in Apr 2023 for a cruise.  We will arrive 2 days early.  Looking for suggestions of where to stay and how to get from airport to hotel and then hotel to Cruise Port.  And  of course what to see in that limited time.  Thank you in advance.   Two couples in our early 70's - quite mobile and not adverse to public transportation.

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

Going back to Canary Wharf > LHR, changing trains at Paddington isn't as troublesome as regular changes of tube trains - the Heathrow Express from Paddington to LHR is luggage-friendly.

 

JB 🙂

 

 

Thanks John - It sound like we will be fine at Canary Wharf - with points the price is too good to pass on (less than half of most hotels I looked at!)  We are not big HoHo fans - we have found in the past that too much time is wasted just "looking and passing by" and we like to experience things up close - we did very well using trains and busses in Copenhagen so feel we can get around just fine - at long as we can get tranfer easily in Paddington with two large suitcases sound like that's the plan!

Thank you both - great information.   I was not sure of the "lay of the land" or where to stay.  This is a last minute cruise offered at a price we couldn't refuse!

Any other recommendations for a Budget friendly hotel?   Budget and London don't seem to be two words that work well together but we don't plan on spending a lot of time in the hotel so I am looking for a clean place to lay our heads at night.

Hello - Arriving in Southampton in August on the Queen Mary 2 - will be staying in London at the London Marriott Hotel Canary Wharf - I have no idea if this is a good area for sightseeing but had Marriott points to use so that's our base for two nights  

Need advice on how to get there from Southampton with a tour along the way... any advice for tour operators?

Hotel to Heathrow for flight home - are cabs the best option?

Thanks for any advice

6 hours ago, DKE said:

Thank you for your reply.  Did you know that PV would be your only port prior to boarding?  What was the reason for no other ports?  High Covid #'s in the other countries/ports?  Incoming travel restrictions from those countries?  Just curious, thanks again.  

We had other ports just not those you mentioned.  Originally we had PV and then the ABC’s but we lost Bonaire when we were delayed going thru the canal 

10 hours ago, DKE said:

Thanks for all the post from the Princess Emerald.  Sailing in late January and was just wondering if anyone on the Panama Canal cruise took any shore excursions in: Cartagena, Costa Rica, NIcacaragua , Huatulco or Puerto Vallarta, Mexico?  What were the Covid protocols leaving ship and reboarding?  Were the locals wearing masks onshore?  Thanks 

We did not have the "usual" Panama Ports - only Puerto Vallarta - I know many got off the ship but we chose not to as we have been there several times before. 

3 hours ago, Grego said:

Just think, you are one day closer to your next voyage!

Yes we are although not on Princess 😂 ( we are taking this opportunity to try some new to us lines with reduced rates and capacity)  This cruise was amazing, hiccups and all!  We went with an open mind and knowing that things may not be the same as before so we were not disappointed or put out in anyway.  Our first cabin was affected, and once moved we were very content.

We were so happy just to be back on the water that some of the minor inconveniences didn't bother us - the crew and staff attitudes more than made up for any small hiccups.  They are sooooo happy to be back to work!   My medallion worked great from the start and we tested many of the functions - ordering food and drinks in different locations - finding my spouse and friends, checking entertainment schedules ( although this is a little clunky) etc. 

Is everything "the same" as before the Pandemic - nooooo and it won't be likely for some time to come - anyone choosing to cruise now must do so with this knowledge and knowing there will be some hiccups along the way.   If you left your car sitting in the driveway for 18 months, you would experience some flatness on your tires, perhaps a dead battery and some motor coughing due to carbon build up etc.  It is the same with these ships - they were basically floating at "an idle" for so many months and with skeleton crews trying to keep things working.  We spoke with one officer who told us she was assigned several corridors - her job was to enter each cabin once a week and flush the toilet and run water - this just to keep the pipes clear! ... I imagine there were many other "jobs" like this assigned to the crew.  What they couldn't do was having other contractors on board to fix or repair things that needed specialty work ( like the flooring around the aft pool)  Our understanding was that an undetected leak caused some major flooring issues combined with some Visa issues for the contractors needed to be brought on board for repairs.

As we all return to sailing we have to keep all this in mind.  Things are gradually opening up and I believe Princess (and all the other lines) are doing the best they can to be fully operational - it won't be perfect for a long time yet, and anyone choosing to cruise now needs to go with that understanding or wait until the cruise lines have time to get the ships in tip top shape! 

For us, we couldn't wait and took any hiccups as just a part getting back to "perfect" but our feelings of gratitude just to be back on a cruise ship outweighed any small inconveniences.

Happy Sailing!

Back to reality and COLD weather!   I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who participated and those we met and really got a chance to get to know... what an incredible journey!  I can't say enough to explain how wonderful it felt to be back on a ship and with such a great crew and the protocols in place to keep us healthy!  From bar stewards to Officers everyone was so friendly and it was great that because of the low passenger count we really had time to chat with the crew and learn their stories!  We had a great group at our dining table and we shared a lot of laughs.  It was also great to meet and chat with those that were on the forums both here and other social media!   The journey was amazing and even though we missed Belize, I couldn't have been happier! We just felt so blessed to be on this journey!  We were in one of the aft cabins (C718) affected by the horrible vibrations and moved forward on our 2nd day - but even that didn't take away from our enjoyment - we went on this trip knowing that it wouldn't be "Princess Perfect" but it was incredible despite a few small hiccups.  We did not experience any difficulty with Medallion or the Wi'Fi as others did.  There are things I would like to see improved upon, but no issues for us - we still like the Paper Patter which was in our stateroom every day.   I think we are now so much closer to getting back to "normal".   Happy Sailing everyone!

Water is a little rougher today and announcements made to be careful walking on decks.  Since moving our cabin forward we are not feeling vibration just some gentle rolling which is peaceful💤    Our cabin steward just confirmed they are moving their dining to Botticelli and passengers to Michaelangelo.  He is wondering how they will accommodate this since the crew has been passing theu the galley to get food buffet style and their is no galley in Botticelli.  He has been great keeping us up to date and even convinced me to use the laundry service we have at a park 1st time for everything!   We had a great conversation with Jody and her team after the Liars Club show last night which was absolutely hysterical!   Entertainment is not lacking on this cruise!

2 hours ago, puggymom said:

Wondering since there is a week between this cruise disembarking and the 11/6, will they address the barnacle situation then?

We were told the ship is going to the Bahamas for a required hull inspection so most likely that will happen while there

1 hour ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Our cabin is also on the back of the ship and we are being being shaken, not stirred, but we love the location and are staying here. We’re also planning a long nap today try make up for the sleep we’ve lost. 

The difference is amazing.  Still rumbling today so glad we made the change.  Hubby wears hearing aids and he was disturbed so we knew it was bad lol. We loved our attendant and hated to move but it was worth it!

Day 3 and all is well except it’s almost like being in a ghost ship!  Love not waiting for elevators, etc but also a little spooky!   We left LA 2 hours late and the Captain had accelerated more than normal trying to make up time which is nice but but some severe rumbling and exceeds motion in the aft quarters.   We were on Deck 10 C718 Balcony aft and didn’t get much sleep the first night out due to everything in the cabin vibrating!   We asked to be moved yesterday and we are now all the way forward on 10 but slept well last night...the difference in sound is amazing.    Not sure if the excess noise and vibration was due to our acceleration or the fact that she has been out of service for so long.  Heading down to club fusion soon for our swab so will speed if things have settled down.   Service is excellent, food great as always and just everyone being so happy to be on board is making for a great voyage!   Felling blessed to have this opportunity!

THanks for starting this GMCwalker we will be on board with you also and will help when and if needed.   Can’t wait to step on deck today and welcome back the awesome crew members!  I am not sure who will be more excited!

On 9/9/2021 at 6:48 PM, Luv Cruising Land or Sea said:

We are due to Port there next week - departing Miami on Sat Sep 11th and should be there Monday the13th - will try to remember to post back!  Wish us luck!

 

We did port in Ochos Rios on 9/13 and we were able to get off the ship.  ONLY Escorted tours could leave the "port area".  Jamaica is in "lock-down" when ships are in port - citizens are not allowed to leave their homes unless they have government approval to work!  Margaritaville was open and crowded but only ship passengers are allowed in - the public beach to the left of the pier (Turtle Beach?) was closed.  Most of the shops beyond Margaritaville were not open - have to have gov't permits to do so....  We got off just to walk the pier - got a coffee and Coke (Pepsi on the ship ugh!) and back on board.

We are due to Port there next week - departing Miami on Sat Sep 11th and should be there Monday the13th - will try to remember to post back!  Wish us luck!

On 7/7/2019 at 7:28 PM, beautifulbill said:

Maybe if you have limited snorkel experience you will be impressed with the Trunk snorkel trail but if you have done lots of snorkeling and diving you will be disappointed. Trunk is a nice beach but there is much better snorkeling elsewhere. 

We are experienced snorkelers and we were also disappointed in the "snorkel trail" - signs were hard to read and we didn't see any more sea life there than other places.  What do you recommend for good snorkeling from the beach either on ST or SJ?

  We are arriving  November 13th and don't dock until 10:00 am on Regal Princess( we also don't leave till 10:00 pm so we have a nice long day to enjoy the beaches) but a late start getting to the beaches.  There are two other ships in port that day ( Allure is one with 5000+ passengers and Carnival Conquest with 3000)  We will be docking at Havensight along with Conquest.

Thoughts on the best place to head for snorkeling?  We don't mind laying towels on the beach and don't require a lot of amenities - if any besides maybe a bathroom.

26 minutes ago, Seacreature101 said:

Thanks for the info.  Did the NCL bus drop you close to entrance or same as shuttles, etc.

Same entrance as everyone else, but we did not see our luggage again until it was delivered to our room so that's one "plus".  We did however keep a carryon with us, not knowing when the luggage would come up.  Our flight arrived at 1:30 and we were on the ship just after 3:00 pm so we were able to go straight to our cabin and change for the pool!

On 3/31/2019 at 1:01 PM, Seacreature101 said:

Still not sure about the transfers.  We sail on Epic out of San Juan in March.  Have discounted airfare ($98 pp) from Atlanta to San Juan.  Removed transfers originally but was thinking about adding them back.  I have also read they are disorganized and taxi cheaper.  Taxi is my original plan, but was thinking this way be sure to board ship on time if do transfers.  Anyone else have comments on NCL transfers from San Juan?  Thank you!

The transfer process was extremely disorganized and took almost an hour after we collected luggage.  Taxi or "van shuttle" average about $10-12 per person - and would have gotten us there faster and cheaper!

On 2/25/2019 at 8:52 AM, Crazy4Camping said:

Avoid Newark as well if you don't have a long layover.  Ours was an hour but between the plane landing late (airport trying to accommodate too many airlines so we circled for a half hour waiting to land) and the shuttle taking forever to get us from one end to the other, we missed our connecting flight.  Had to take a much later flight to a different airport and rent a car to drive an hour back home.  Money out of our pocket and no sleep before work the next day.  Not fun!!

Good reason to have trip insurance - if you did you should check into reimbursement for the car rental!

Report on "FREE AIRFARE" experience

We sailed on the NCL DAWN Sunday March 17th out of San Juan.   Flights were booked thru NCL "Free or Reduced Air Fare promo".  We paid $99 round trip per person - great deal since several of my friends paid $500 per person or more!  This travel was just days after the "grounding" of the 737 MAX.  I called American to insure we were not on the affected flights and got the go ahead.

We left Boston on a 6:10 am flight for Charlotte - on time with no issues.  We carried on two small suitcases and checked on large one with snorkel gear and extra things we could do without if somehow that bag got "lost".  We got to Charlotte a little early, giving our connection in Charlotte gave us about an hour and we had time to stop and get a breakfast sandwich on the go!  Next flight to San Juan left on time and arrived on time.  Got our luggage and headed to the meet up spot for the NCL Transfer.  We kept that transfer just in case we were running late, but it was not well organized and we left the airport about an hour later.  Taxi would have been cheaper and quicker and YES you can decline the transfers, and YES you do pay for them - they are not included with the airfare.

The week was great until we started hearing the horror stories about missed connections, etc.  Keep in mind this is NOT THE FAULT OF NCL booking agents!  It all had to do with flights being changed because of the grounding of the 737 MAX - we heard that 60 ( yes sixty) people missed the ship in San Juan ( we left at 9:00 pm) and were sent to our first port of St Lucia to meet the ship on Day 3 ( we had a day at sea first).  So we started thinking about our flights home - being retired we wern't too concerned and wouldn't have minded an extra day in SJU!

We left the ship on Sunday morning - almost the last ones off.  As it was, we sat at the San Juan Airport for a long time... our original flight was supposed to be at 2:24 so when we left the ship we just headed to the airport ( and glad we did - security lines were crazy!) but we still had time to hang out and have lunch....and then our flight was delayed to 3:15.... and then 4:00 and 4:30 and we finally left after 5:00.  So knowing we would miss our connection in Charlotte I got on the phone and got the best available flights which were the next morning out of Charlotte with a change planes in DC.  We got to Charlotte okay and American got us a hotel and food vouchers and we were finally at our hotel about 11:45 pm with a wake up call for 6:00 am!  The connection in DC was altered slightly by changing arrival and departure gates to two different terminals but we made it with about 5 minutes to doors closing!

So - was the "free or cheap" airfare worth it?  YES IT WAS.  One of our group members found out when we were at the beach (by another passenger) that her Southwest flight had been cancelled and they couldn't get them out till Tuesday so they switched airlines and got a flight out at 2:00 am Monday and paid twice the price as she had originally booked.  Another couple missed their connection in Miami, spent the night there and finally got home to Tuscon at 6:00 pm the following night - these people had all booked their own airfare and still ran into mega issues so we were fine with all that went down with us.

Things to know as they "extend" this program - you can now arrange for a pre-hotel stay on your own and pay a "deviance" fee of $50 to have NCL book your flights the day before the cruise.  Originally you had to book hotel thru them and for us that cost would have been $280 per person for the hotel!  That's nuts!

Hope this helps someone else make the decision - as I stated most of the things that happened were beyond the control of NCL - the issues with the 737 caused any issues we had.

3 minutes ago, Lizabu said:

I just booked my cruise last week so that would make sense. San Juan is amazing and the weather is going to be awesome right now. Enjoy your cruise.

We LOVE cruising out of San Juan... can't wait especially with the winds howling like crazy today here in the Boston area!

2 hours ago, freedom50 said:

We have never cruised with NCL. However we have traveled with Princess and Holland America over a dozen cruises. Have two questions. The first is about the current promotional offer on free or reduced air fare. We have used ez air on other cruises. My understanding is that when you book you do not find out the prices until 75 days prior  to sailing. Are the prices worth waiting for? Can you cancel this portion of the cruise fare if it does not work for you? Second question free exursions? Has anyone had a "free exursion"? Thank you for your responses.

As others have said you will see the cost if any of the airfare as soon as you hit "book".

Be aware there are several restrictions - you will not see your "flight info" until 75-50 days prior to sailing and you are at the mercy of Premier Air (NCL Booking agent).  Most flights are booked "same day" and can have one or more connections.  You may opt to pay the deviance fee of $50 and fly in or out the day before or after.  Until last week you had to book a hotel with NCL - this is no longer the case - you just pay the deviance fee.  In my case flights to San Juan would have been about $1500 for the two of us - we are paying $99 each round trip but we are flying in the same day as the ship departs - at least she doesn't sail till 9:00 pm and we are due to arrive in SJU at 2:30 pm   Transfers will be bundled in but you can opt out - cost is $29 per person each way.

As other's have said you receive an "excursion credit" per CABIN not per person.  You can use this credit to book excursions ahead of time but you must CALL NCLto do this.  Booking on line will result in full charges and then a credit issued when you are on board.

24 minutes ago, cinbol said:

Thanks great to know - I DID not get that memo from my agency!  Will check into it now!

28 minutes ago, Lizabu said:

I had heard this rumour and I wanted to book my own hotel because I work for a hotel chain and I get a great employee rate on hotel rooms. My travel agent called NCL to add the deviation fee on for flying in one day early. And she asked if I can book my own hotel. At first the NCL agent said no I must book through them. But my travel agent asked her to check so she put my travel agent on hold and asked her supervisor and she came back and said sorry actually you can book your own hotel room.

Okay - this new rule went into effect just a week or so ago so even the NCL agents are still learning the "in's and out's"... so here's the skinny - once ticketing has been done you cannot change your flights but under the NEW RULE when booking, you may pay the $50 per person for a deviation and they will book you one day prior or after and you may book your hotel on your own.

Too late for us as we are ticketed and our cruise is less than 20 days away but good information to pass on to anyone else considering this perk.   For us the savings by taking this perk is over $1200 - 6 months ago the flights to SJU from Boston were averaging about $700 per person and with one-stop and we paid $99/pp. Had I been able to take the deviation it would have cost me $150/pp for the airfare and the cost of a hotel for one night (avg $300 or less in SJU) so my savings still would have been almost $1000.  With this new "deviance" rule in place it's a great deal!

When considering the perks you want to choose you always have to price it out to see what works best for you...what you would spend VS what the cost is of the "perk" and also what the "fine print" is.

3 minutes ago, Lizabu said:

I had heard this rumour and I wanted to book my own hotel because I work for a hotel chain and I get a great employee rate on hotel rooms. My travel agent called NCL to add the deviation fee on for flying in one day early. And she asked if I can book my own hotel. At first the NCL agent said no I must book through them. But my travel agent asked her to check so she put my travel agent on hold and asked her supervisor and she came back and said sorry actually you can book your own hotel room.

Thanks great to know - I DID not get that memo from my agency!  Will check into it now!