KJMommy04

Kauai is my favorite island! Even two days is not enough to take in all of it's incredible beauty. I see a cruise of the Hawaiian island as giving you a taste of what you need to come back and see for longer periods of time. :)

Just one thing to keep in mind - if you are here on a weekday and plan to use a rental car to get to Paradise Cove, the traffic in the afternoon/evening will be terrible. Make sure to allow yourself at least an hour from Waikiki to the luau.

There is a Safeway or an ABC store not too far from the port - either would be a good place to buy wine.

Thank you. What tickets would you recommend to get, we want to get a good experience, but not sure if we want to be there all day.

If you can only do one other thing, I'd recommend seeing the USS Missouri. It's pretty neat to stand in the place where Japan surrendered, ending WWII.

There will be plenty of great diving and snorkeling opportunities in April. You can check the surf forecast about 7 days out. Keep an eye on it as there is always variation in the surf regardless of time of year. Wind is another factor to consider. However, April should be ok to snorkel/dive the North Shores as you don't usually see the huge swells that late.

It's about $2.70/gallon now on Oahu, so you can expect to pay $.20-$.50 more per gallon on other islands. Costco will definitely save you money if you are a member.

We will be in Amsterdam for an overnight cruise stop in June. Can anyone recommend a tour that takes you away from Amsterdam to see the countryside? I am thinking windmills, tulips (if they are in bloom then), etc. We plan to do the city on one of the days, but would like to see more of Holland.

Also, not sure if you're interested in the other historic sites around Pearl Harbor, but there is also the USS Bowfin and the USS Missouri. Tickets for those can be purchased on site. There is also the Pacific Aviation Musuem on Ford Island.

You will need to book your Arizona Memorial tickets in advance here https://www.recreation.gov/showPage.do?name=landing&landing=/htm/pearlharbor/home.jsp&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72369 If the date you are looking for is sold out, try again at 7am (HST) the day before you want to go. They will release tickets. Without purchasing tickets in advance, you will need to be in line at the Visitor's Center by 7am to get same day tickets.

We have an overnight in Le Havre this June and are planning to spend the two days in Paris. We'd prefer private transportation than the train in order to maximize our time in Paris. Can anyone recommend a company who does this kind of thing? I'm having a difficult time finding such a company. I'd appreciate any help!

Also, respectfully, I do understand two days is not enough time to see all Paris has to offer. However, we've made up our minds and want to the best with the time we have in Paris. We have another port call in Cherbourg where we will visit the D-day beaches, so for this post, I am really interested in recommendations for transportation to Paris. Thank you! :)

And Mahalo to you, too :) (Hawaii?)

 

The cruise tour-transfers are run by International Friends,

a well-known & respected coach tour operator.

https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/southampton-cruise-tour-transfer-to-london.html.

They offer other tour-transfer options too, in both directions & from other ports - click on the "shore excursions & transfers" header.

Those from London & Heathrow hotels to Southampton are marginally cheaper, but don't include Windsor because of the constraint of early pm registration times at the port. In your direction - ship to London - it's a longer & more-comprehensive day and better value, because there's no red line for arrival time & you're dropped at your hotel early evening.

 

Most folk know & book them through the well-known & respected booking agency,

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_london_transfers.htm

For whatever reason the prices through that agency are about £10 cheaper.:)

 

Prices don't include entrance fees to Stonehenge & Windsor Castle, these are optional extras. But other than for those with special deals such as English Heritage members, I believe their add-on prices are the same as prices at the gate.

Important - If you want to go into Stonehenge (and you'll be wasting 90 minutes sat in the coach if you don't) it's important that you buy at least those tickets with your booking - Stonehenge limits its numbers and you need timed tickets in order to avoid being denied access at the gate. Buying with your coach ticket gets you through without delay.

 

BTW, the London Toolkit website has stacks of info about London and the cruise ports and airports on other pages, including public transport, sights, hotel locations

Bookmark that website, you'll frequently find it very useful.

(but the private transfers they advertise are over-priced)

 

JB :)

Thank you, John, for the excellent information! It sounds like the transfer with tour stops is a great deal. I'll be looking into this further.

And yes, I live in Hawaii. :)

Can anyone recommend a company for a post-cruise transfer from Sounthampton to London that will include stops at attractions such as Stonehenge and Windsor Castle? I believe I recall reading about a company that does this, but can't seem to find any specifics. Mahalo!

We are sailing on the Magic next month. I saw in a photo that there are punching bags withe the outdoor fitness equipment. Does anyone know if the ship has boxing gloves to use? I have my own, but they would take up a lot of space I could use for shoes. ;)

Can anyone recommend zip lining only (no cave tubing) tour that is not through the ship?

How does the wine corkage fee work? Do they charge the fee as soon as you board the ship? If not, and I'm only using the wine in my room, how would we be charged?

Kimmy, when is your cruise? My daughter (age 7) sounds very similar to your son - allergies to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and corn. She's had 5 anaphylactic reactions, one being to a minuscule amount of milk protein found through lab testing in a slice of bread, so I understand your concerns. My husband and I have cruised lots, and we want to take our kids on a cruise so badly. I'm really interested to hear about your experience if you don't mind sharing with me.

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide such great details! We are on the June 22nd sailing, and this is wonderful information!