princeton123211

1 hour ago, DiRonT said:

Arriving on a Wednesday - best to Taxi, Uber or is there a Princess Shuttle service?  TIA for info.

Assuming you do make it in at 10:30-- a delay or ground stop can be an issue here-- you should be able to make it downtown by 2:30. Personally would take Uber. Same day is always a risk.

5 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Thanks, got it downloaded and set up

It's a waste of money if you are near a taxi rank in the Dockyard or at a hotel in Hamilton etc. But Hitch is a lifesaver when you want to get off the beaten path or need to come back from somewhere like this example. Added benefit is you can pay with your credit card through the app so it can also save you from having to carry around a lot of cash. 

35 minutes ago, Bristol5 said:

 

Thank you all so much, I will begin looking into ways to get to Waikiki

 

It’s a very short Uber ride from the dock.

30 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

I would do it on the Honolulu day(s). 

Agree. I would have said Maui if they were stopping there but I would hit Waikiki when you're in Honolulu. 

12 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

Buy some Canadian dollars before the trip. 

The best way to do it is use a a bank's (vs 3rd party) ATM in the terminal upon landing. Buying CAD ahead of time in the US you will needlessly pay more with less competitive exchange rates at banks (they have to make some money on the spread). The best conversion rate will be at a Canadian Bank's atm. There are Royal Bank of Canada ATM's in Vancouver Airport which will get the job done. 

11 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

All we have is Sunday and Monday. would one of those days possibly be a bit better?
 

We embark Tuesday. 

I would prob do Monday to try and avoid Cape traffic. People usually go down on Thursday/Friday and come back Sunday night or Monday morning. 

19 hours ago, df5250 said:

is there still an NCL free ferry to St Georges? If so, does someone have a schedule for when the Gem is in port, Monday and Tuesday?  If I remember correctly it doesn’t run on Sunday’s.

As others have said it is still running. But I believe (and not 100% certain) that it does in fact run on Sundays when an NCL ship is in port. The one that doesn't run on Sundays is the public Orange ferry line. Double check me here with NCL. 

2 minutes ago, Deep68 said:

I realized I will be there 4th July so I am sure that could limit my options!

Actually if anything it might keep places open a little later than they normally would be and could be to your advantage. 

5 hours ago, ElaineCT said:

What is the best way to go from London to Southampton cruise docks? we do not want to take the train but are considering Uber or a private company

Either of those work. We've used an app called Blacklane which is essentially a much more higher end version Uber that only deals with top chauffeur services and pairs you with them through the app which unlike Uber is scheduled in advance on the app. It includes all taxes and gratuities too. I think our trip from The Savoy to the dock in Southampton was $210 pounds all in. Highly recommend. 

5 hours ago, tarrenel said:

I see Fenway Park does tours and we were thinking about going there. From the port what is the easiest way for 7 people to get there? 

The easiest way would be to split the group into 2 Ubers (I think UberXL is only up to 6 passengers). 

19 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

I Did mean Logan - not sure why I typed La Guardia. I would prefer not driving around the airport area and was trying to find a car rental south of Boston we could Uber to and from, but they are only open short hours as far as I am finding. 

Keep in mind that you can usually return a car to a downtown location after hours with a key drop. I used to do it all the time when I lived in Boston at an Avis location that is very close to your hotel in Government Center. Just call the location and double check you can drop after hours-- usually you just write down the mileage and gas amount on your agreement and drop that and the key into the box and leave the car in the garage. 

I agree that a rental car is the best way to go here-- I wouldn't want to spend that sort of time on a bus and the flexibility of having your own car is a major plus. But please keep in mind that if you are doing this day trip anywhere near the weekend in the summer you can potentially get stuck in soul crushing traffic that is headed to the Cape. I would avoid Thursdays and Fridays if at all possible. 

5 minutes ago, VIFP1987 said:

We will definitely take a taxi to Guinness Storefront .. thanks for that tip. Our other points of interest are St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Christchurch, Leo Burdocks and Dublin Castle. Are any of these easily walkable or should we plan on taxi’s to get to some of these?

Everything there except for Guiness is easily walkable. I would also suggest meandering around Trinity College (even if you don't go see the Book of Kells which is very worth it). Also nearby St Stephens Green is quite nice. O'Donoghues Pub nearby there is a great stop as is the Shelbourne Hotel for a drink (where the Irish Constitution was written on the second floor of the hotel). 

On 6/17/2024 at 10:51 AM, uneamie said:

We want to try the new ship NCL Aqua leaving NYC with end of August and September dates to Bermuda. Being that Bermuda is the only port destination we hesitate and don't want to lose the only port we will have due to a storm. How bad are the seas for this route in September and or risk of a Hurricane? 

Let's put it this way-- it's always a possibility during hurricane season but it happens less often than it does. There's no way cruising to Bermuda from New York and Boston would be this popular, have this many ships/departures etc, if ships were consistently missing the port. Also having multiple overnights mitigates risk. 

If you still want to stay in the NCL family but opt into a much better Bermuda experience consider Oceania Insignia from New York in September. It docks overnight at both St Georges and downtown Hamilton (vs being with the bigger ships out at the Dockyard). It's much smaller and doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a new NCL ship but its the best way to see Bermuda. 

2 hours ago, Zaarh said:

So, Greyhound bus expects you there within 15 min, as border inspection happens in the US side (the country I was traveling to), which to this day has been my only experience with international travel.

2 hours ago, Zaarh said:

customs is usually done after you cross the border.

It is not done exclusively after crossing the border. When you fly from Dublin, Ireland to the US you pass through US Immigration (Customs is only for monetary declarations) in Dublin with US Immigration Officers there before you board your flight and your flight arrives in the US as a domestic arrival. 

In fact in addition to Amtrak preclearance in Vancouver it exists in 16 other instances in Dublin, Shannon, Aruba, Bermuda, Abu Dhabi, Bahamas, and several major cities in Canada when travelling by air. 

It's always important to read the fine print when travelling internationally because nothing is standard or usual anymore. 

17 hours ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

Oh boy…that is unfortunate.  I had a great experience on the train (one way from Seattle to Vancouver) but this gives me pause recommending it.

To be fair to Amtrak, they state very plainly in their cross border information when booking a ticket like this that you are required to arrive to the train station at least 1 hour prior to departure to complete immigration formalities. The OP clearly didn't read. 

18 hours ago, Zaarh said:

The worst part, the email they send with the ticket has an entire instructions/disclaimers section, but had NOTHING indicating we would need to arrive early to go through customs. They expect us to open the attachment with the ticket and re-read a very similar section to find that warning? This is very deceitful to say the least.

This is selective memory-- Amtrak's own website when booking this ticket says "

• Departing from Vancouver, BC - arrive at least one hour prior to departure for border crossing processing. To complete ID checks, Customs and Immigration closes the gates 15 minutes before the scheduled departure; gates will not reopen once closed.

18 hours ago, Zaarh said:

We called Amtrak customer service, only to be greeted by an unempathetic gentleman offering a $250 future travel credit. Would you trust Amtrak after this experience?

Given their disclaimers this is quite generous of them. They really owe you nothing. 

18 hours ago, Zaarh said:

Why did the other passenger receive a refund and not us?

They most likely had a higher status than you in Amtrak Guest Rewards or there was some extenuating circumstance that didn't apply to you. I'm not saying it's necessarily fair but it's how any major airline handles these situations as well. 

The bottom line is there is no reasonable expectation you can show up for public transportation with an international border crossing 15 minutes prior to departure. What was Greyhound's policy? You were already there but I'm sure they had a similar 1 hour prior requirement. 

17 hours ago, VIFP1987 said:

Hello! Could someone please recommend a hop on hop off bus service in Dublin, Belfast and Glasgow. We will be on the Carnival Legend in July and we’re trying to figure out how to best see the sights without booking an actual tour. Any help you’re able to offer will be greatly appreciated!

Very useful in Glasgow because of some of the sites (like the University) being outside of the downtown core. Have not used in Belfast.

In Dublin it is less useful-- it works reasonably well in the morning but then gets hopeless mired in traffic in the early afternoons right into rush hour. Like we literally sat there for 30-40 minutes before deciding to just get out and walk and this wasn't a one off experience-- have spoken to lots of folks that it happened to. 

Dublin is much better done on foot. Take a taxi to Guiness or Kilmainham Gaol if you want to see them but most of the rest of it can be walked. 

1 hour ago, Harbour20 said:

I am aware of Mid Ocean but it might be too far for me without my husband.  I have read their website and the guest fee is considerably higher.  I can see that it is a beautiful course.

It is on the other side of the island so there's that, but you can take the ferry to St Georges. And it is more expensive but you get what you pay for here-- Port Royal is nice but it's a corporate/resort course and feels that way. There's something very special feeling about MOC-- regularly ranked in top 100 in the world. It's worth the extra effort and expense if you are inclined. 

8 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

For a Friday am port arrival time of 10:30 at Pier 91 (Celebrity) what time should we plan to ride share/taxi our way there? 

It's maybe just 10 minutes away-- straight shot from your hotel. No highways. 10:15 should have you there at or just before 10:30. 

32 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

You should mention that Mid Ocean is a challenging course. It is on the other side of Bermuda than the Dockyard and it is more expensive than Port Royal. 

Mid Ocean is challenging but it's a much higher quality course than Port Royal. Port Royal has some nice holes but its a more modern course and doesn't have the same charm that Mid Ocean has. 

18 hours ago, Harbour20 said:

Has anyone played golf in mid July while docked at Dockyard?

It will be extremely hot and humid most likely. 

18 hours ago, Harbour20 said:

I will have to rent clubs.  Looking for recommendations and if it might be too warm to play in afternoon.  Can you book while on the ship or best to book on my own?

I think the best golf on the island is at the Mid Ocean Club. It is private but they will allow a limited number of tee times for non members if you call and ask nicely. You need to call yourself. They also have a private beach and beach club which is fantastic if you golf early. 

2 hours ago, jkbec101 said:

Has anyone done a food tour or a cooking class in Venice?  

Most likely not the answer you're looking for but wander, get lost, and eat. One of my all time favorite cicchetti spots is Enoteca Schiavi-- one of the few spots left that will have as many local Venetians as tourists. Nearby is the equally spectacular Gelateria il Doge-- off that charts good. 

They do have a very nice epicurean school at the Gritti Palace Hotel. Did not take a class but did pop my head in when we were there last and they have cooking classes you can book. 

10 minutes ago, Indiansbaseball said:

Artezen got great reviews and is within walking distance to 9/11. 

The only issue there is that Lower Manhattan is pretty dead after 5pm and all day on the weekends. Significantly less to see, do, eat, and drink. If that's ok then all good-- but just know what you're getting into. 

1 hour ago, Indiansbaseball said:

We are coming in 1 day before our cruise (arrival time 8:30 am). Hubby has never been to NYC and would like to see 9/11 memorial, Grand Central Station and Times Square. We also want to try awesome New York pizza. We are sailing on Venezia out of MCT. 
I have picked a few hotels and would like advice on which is best to see what we want to see. Rates are all similar.

1. Artezen in the Financial District 

2. Doubletree Times Square South

3. Hilton Garden Inn New York/Midtown Park Ave

Based on what you said here the majority of what you want to see and do is in Midtown and you are departing from Midtown on your cruise-- I would pick a hotel in Midtown which would scratch the Artezen off your list. 

You can easily take the subway, taxi, or Uber down to the 9/11 Memorial at any point although that will take a significant chunk of time out. The Doubletree Times Square South is most likely the most centrally located. The Hilton Garden Inn Midtown Park Ave is a little bit South of the main tourist area of Midtown but its not a far walk and you aren't far from Grand Central. 

There is another Doubletree at Lexington and 51st that's worth looking into. If you are a Hilton person (which it appears you are by HGI and Doubletree) also worth looking at the New York Hilton on 54th and 6th. It's just a touch out of Times Square (which is a good thing) but right in the middle of walking distance for most major sights in Midtown.  

Pizza is subjective and you'll get a thousand passionate answers. For most people not from the area even ok New York pizza is pretty good pizza. Its not a definitive list but this covers a decent amount of some of the better ones: https://ny.eater.com/maps/nyc-essential-pizza-pizzeria. Di Fara, while a bit of a trek for you, is worth the hype. Dont get me wrong, I love pizza but personally I'd go grab a pastrami with mustard on rye from Katz's before I would go on a search for the best slice of pizza. 

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

I’m also local, 7 miles from Penn station.

What you aren't taking into consideration is you can't actually take any ground transportation directly from EWR rail station. You need to take the escalator upstairs, go through the turnstiles, get on the slow AirTrain monorail, go to a terminal, walk through that terminal, and then find a taxi or Uber. 

Newark Penn Station you literally go downstairs from the platform and out front. 

Let's say it's 7 minutes faster driving from EWR-- even so you spend at least 20-25 minutes getting to the actual car that will drive you vs less than 5 with Newark Penn. 

Another thing to consider for folks joining a cruise is that Newark Penn Station has Redcap service which will help you with your luggage through the station vs that not being available at EWR train station. 

1 hour ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

I do believe I need to do something to visit Venice though.  We will be spending 2 nights in a hotel there so I believe we will be exempt from paying but I seem to recall I need to fill out some form or something.  Is that all I need to take care of?  

It's only for very specific dates-- if you aren't visiting on one of those dates there's nothing to do. If you are there is a website where you can enter your info and apply for the exemption. You technically are still paying the fee but it is baked into your hotel's taxes. They say they will be checking at the airport, train station, and some other major entry points into the city but it sounds like a nightmare to enforce. 

You will need to use a phone when registering that can dial internationally as it will prompt you to call a number in Italy to verify it when filling out the website.