Dobby36

I always take some pesos with me into Mexico, since I live in San Diego it’s convenient to get them on either side of the border. I learned that occasionally you’ll want to go eat somewhere where credit cards aren’t accepted and even though many places are relatively inexpensive, US cash can run out quickly if that is the only option you are left with. as mentioned above, I just save mine in a travel bag for my next trip if I don’t use them. also small coins and the 20 notes are great for tips and the occasional bathroom fees in some cities (usually not required in Baja)

There are drivers and cabs at the docks. I personally would grab one of those, instead of jointing a big tour bus from the cruise. You’ll have plenty of money to get lobster and buy souvenirs left over. Rosarito isn’t a must do for me, but some people like it. For lobsters I prefer Ortegas, the last restaurant in thhe corner on the main loop of the Puerto Nuevo fishing village. You can eat on the water and the prices aren’t as cheap as they used to be, but still very reasonable. You can order your lobster by size, with all the fixings. I seem to always be tempted into the crab-stuffed bacon-wrapped prawns though. Mmm.

We did both independently, ended up basically walking around and shopping, eating etc. both had some tour operators hawking tours at the docks. Ushuaia much more so than Punta Arenas. The tours were whale/wildlife watching boat tours mainly. Some were fishing charter types or more harbor cruises, but there were also some land-based ones that went to the penal colony or the mountains, I recall.

Another vote for Uber in QC. We used it frequently last year and they pick up right at the terminal, no matter the hour. Cheaper and more accepting of various payment types than the cabs, to boot!

Looks like the cruise returns to Miami at 6am, so leaving the ship by 8 is doable. its 30 mins to FLL without traffic or 1 hour with traffic. Looks like it’ll be a Sunday so traffic should be minimal. Even if something goes wrong, you should be fine with a 11:30 departure. If cost is a concern, a cruise line transfer or rideshare are even likely fine to avoid the extra cost of private car service.

As a local, I agree with the above. Assuming two of you, that’s over $100 spent on this tour just to drive around and stop twice(3x?) in a few hours. Sounds like a lot of hurry up and wait, on/off bus, etc. I’d pick out a couple highlights of La Jolla and Old Town, etc as your fav destinations and just spend that $100 on Ubers instead.

Yes, the “ retire friends of Dorothy” is certainly a hot thread in this forum! Seems everyone has an opinion on that topic 😉

Hello! I’ve posted here but agree, it’s often quiet. The regular roll calls have so much more activity. but when I go aboard, often folks only have vague understanding of what cruise critic is at the LGBT meetups. I suspect they spend their time on other apps 😉

The Tokyo Station hotel is no more than 4 floors or so. I think all the rooms are on 2,3,4. It is dwarfed by the high rises around it but it’s not too tall itself at all! For: @GeezerCouple

we are on this sailing and I suspect the timing hasn’t been updated after some itinerary changes were made mónths ago. When the excursions came out there was a few for that evening, starting in the late afternoon. First only one appeared, and now móre. So someone is planning for some time in Barcelona on the last day.

I would also avoid Spirit. If you are set on a nonstop from Pittsburgh you might consider flying into Miami. Especially since you are coming in early. It’s only 30 min drive from Port Everglades, and American Airlines serves this route nonstop, and flights are on sale now for Jan.

We used these folks in 2023 : https://puertosanantoniotours.com were very happy with them. They didn’t require a deposit, just US cash on the day of, which was simple. We used email and WhatsApp to communicate and worked well. Ours was a wine tour with lunch and the driver was happy to customize it to our preferences on the day of. Great guy. They also do simple pickup and transfers too.

We did this one: maderotango.com.ar. It was called Madera Tango, and they did a lunch and show deal. Their website seems clunky, but we had a friend call speaking Spanish and got us sorted. Beautiful show, plenty of food and wine portions and east to be back at ship by late afternoon.

Yes, they are gay friendly. Usually have a meet up every night. You may have to look for it under “guest events” board at front desk if not listed in app/program. Last year we were told they’re taking all the AA meetings, religious events, community-specific things like this off the daily listings and into their own section. But all the staff were welcoming. No one batted an eye about two men having the beds made up as one, etc. very welcoming.

I’ve been given OBC for a canceled (well, unable to occur really) excursion on both HAL and Celebrity. Both times these were prepaid with a credit card and the OBC went 1/2 and 1/2 to each passenger. I would have preferred a refund to CC since I paid for both of us actually! 😄 this surprised me too.

We did a Santiago to Buenos Aires cruise last year and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Especially if you have business class, these flights are doable from CA. We flew San Diego to Atlanta, then overnight on delta to Buenos Aires. No complaints, arrived in the AM a bit groggy, but since there is minimal time difference, not much jet lag. On the way back we did American through DFW, as was suggested above. The AA lounge in Santiago was under construction so they used an empty restaurant as a makeshift lounge. It was hot and crowded, but the self-serve bar helped make it tolerable 😉 DFW arrival in the AM was aided by a nice shower in the Flagship AA lounge, and we were home feeling refreshed in northern CA by lunchtime. I’d share your hesitancy transferring in Panama City, Mexico City, etc a but otherwise: go for it!

I have an old felony from years ago, which was expunged (will not show up on a regular background check, but still results in global entry application denial) after I completed probation and restitution. I’ve traveled to Canada 3 times since then, and only found out about the potential for issues between the second and third time. I did a good bit of research with the help of a friend of mine who does immigration law. The best we could tell is that there is a sort of random sampling of folks who enter who get screened for criminal convictions, and that it isn’t a procedure done to 100% of entrants to Canada. Good news is that means it would be rarer to be denied entry. Bad news is one successful entry does not necessarily guarantee entry on another occasion. Additionally, once an initial denial/hold occurs, there is an opportunity to complete the rehabilitation exemption application that @PhD-iva was referring to. It’s essentially the same paperwork, but you’ll need to pay the filing fee in that moment, and have your conviction info (case numbers, disposition, exact dates, etc) readily available. So have your friend bring these and payment means, as a last case resort.

The Tokyo Station Hotel is local to Imperial Palace, (obviously the central train station also) and lots of other sights. It’s not modern, more of an old luxury or traditional Japanese feel, but we very much enjoyed.

Hi @Lonedaddy (or others!) wondering if you know the letter of the “buckets” that would be pulled from for regent air seats? I have expertflyer and know how to search for “J” seats and find seat maps, set alerts etc. I’m calling regent air later this week to discuss options to deviate on an October-Nov trip on Voyager, outbound to Istanbul, return from BCN to SFO(likely). I’m amassing a short list of preferred routings based on google flights info but wondering if I can refine even further to the universe of possibilities by leveraging expertflyer. Happy to do the legwork, just unsure what to look for. Thanks

Hi there, will try to help. I think we keep choosing this area on the Oosterdam and other ships mainly for its proximity to the crow’s nest. Love to shuffle such a short way for a morning espresso drink. It’s also nice to go quickly outside at the opposite end of the hall. Even with a balcony, sometimes I find myself wanting to step out for a 360 view or a better feel for the weather and this area is above the lido, usually not busy and views in either direction. Occasionally joggers in the AM but nothing disruptive. depending on if the retreat is open, above you there can be AM noise when they arrange the deck chairs there. But again, never really bothered us. The people going to crows nest from elsewhere on the ship just go down the passage into crows nest from elevators or stairs and rarely make noise that extends to the short deck 10 hallways, in our experience. as far as downsides, the VB balconies are less deep than other balconies on lower floors. But there will still be chairs and a small table. Fine for 2 people I say. Also, you’re obviously about as far as you could get from the main dining room. So if you eat there every meal, it could be bothersome to return to cabin over and over-but again, for us easy access to coffee in the AM and a nightcap in the PM at crows nest is a real win. It’s also nice if your traveling partner is up different hours than you are so there is a place to be out of their way without going far. as for what’s in front of 10002, I think you are referring to this yellow area? It is a staircase up to the retreat above. On all our sailings it is not heavily used, but if you were doing a México or Caribbean shirt cruise with a ton of families up there I suppose it could be annoying. best of luck!

We went around the horn in march of last year on Oosterdam. We were on deck 10 very forward VB cabin, much against the warnings of the future cruise rep onboard who booked us during our prior cruise. She and others warned it would be very bouncy up high. I can’t speak for aft, but for our trip, all was manageable - some swells but most people/activities went along as normal, despite some warnings in the daily program and announcements.

You mentioned flying in “early morning”. Depending on your departure you may have hours before you can board or drop bags. If your luggage amount and mobility allows, insider taking a taxi/uber to Seaport Village and walking around for a bit before heading to board. There aren’t many breakfast spots cohere except Malibu Farm restaurant, but it’s a ni e walk along the waterfront if you need to kill some time…

The Tokyo Station Hotel is convenient to (most things as it’s above the central rail station) the Imperial Palace and walkable to the lovely Tsukiji market. It was old world Japanese charm, but with the modern needed amenities. Incredible breakfast as well.

We got off there for a few hours and walked around. Went into a few shops and a grocery store for some local snacks and candy to bring home to the kiddos. Also spent an hour or two at the casino. All of these were within sight of the ship and we felt safe, even into the dusk hours. There was a stream of (mostly older white folks from HAL) passengers doing the same walk a block or two and no one seemed to have any issue. We got the same warnings about jewelry and taking precautions, and that was all that was needed!

We did something similar. Got off the ship and dropped off bags at Ritz Carlton. Still expensive. But cheaper than Bay Sands, and only a short walk over the bridge from all the excitement of their casino and the Gardens by The Bay. They held our luggage for us and the bellhop helped arrange a car to take us to a hawker market and shopping area in Chinatown (we asked for that in general, but he chose the location and conveyed to driver) very easy and when we returned in a few hours with a full tummy and some shopping done, our room was ready and we napped. The Ritz is priced competitively for the luxury hotels in the area and we had the most incredible breakfast buffet there in the AM. Very memorable end to a great cruise.