lynncarol

I would imagine an ATM in Istanbul would suffice to get local currency. Our ATM card reimburses for fees of foreign banks and we have always found the best exchange rates using them. Out of an abundance of caution, however, we always use a bank's ATM machine and only during their business hours (not some random machine attached to a grocery store, for example). Bank fees in our area to get foreign currency are high with a poor exchange rate and a long wait time if seeking the less popular currencies.

Peggy's Cove is very scenic but it will be crowded with tourists. Given your interests, I would definitely spend my time in Halifax. Been there three times now but If you are really torn, once we took the ship tour to Peggy's Cove and the Titanic Graveyard. I think it was 4 1/2 hours total, so you could do that in the morning, then (assuming your ship has a later departure) see the Halifax attractions. Titanic Museum and waterfront area, the Citadel/fort and the Botanical Gardens are my personal favorites. Try to time your visit to the citadel when they fire the cannon. Very cool.

There is so much more to see on St Kitts than just the beach so highly suggest you take a tour. If you just want to lounge by the ocean, do so at one of the islands that offer little other natural or historical attractions than their beaches. (The private ones, perhaps or even Antiqua) I also recommend Leo's Tours. We have utilized his services several times and Leo will be glad to tailor the tour to whatever you chose.

We were there this past March. Maybe the tide was in, but there wasn't a lot of beach between the road and the water and that beach was packed with people in rented beach-chairs. The bar seemed mobbed, so we sat on the little curb/wall between the road and beach and watched 3 planes land right over top of us in less than an hour before we left. It was an unique experience, but would I do it again? NO!

As noted, the museums are free. I did buy a one-day London Pass card when we were in London for 5 days this past fall. The pass also gives you free rides on the Uber boat on the Thames River. We took the underground to Tower of London where we skipped big admission lines with the pass, then hopped onto the Uber boat to go to the the Millenium Bridge, got off and walked across on the bridge to see St. Paul's Cathedral, got back on the boat and off to Westminster Cathedral stop. All Very convenient with the London Pass. Also, I agree with others: you do not need an Oyster Pass. The contactless credit card worked perfectly and we never felt that i was tempting theft while using it. However, my husband and I each used a different credit card as our Capital One card always gets suspicious if duplicate charges occur within a few minutes.

In 2016 our cruise-ship spent a full day at Akureyri. We booked ahead with Saga Tours who gave us a great eight-hour excursion from the port. Our van had only eight passengers plus a super guide. We stopped at Godafoss, the thermal vents at Namafjall Hverir, saw amazing volcanic rock formations at Jolasveinarnir i Dimmuborgum, a small continental rift area, visited Lake Myvatn, and capped it off with a swim at the Nature Baths. A wonderful day.

Been to Iceland twice now. First time in 2006 for a week with a rental car. The second time was in 2016 on a Transatlantic cruise where one of 3 stops in Iceland was Isafjorda. While we love Iceland, both of us were underwhelmed with Isafjordur. It seemed too small a village to accommodate the influx of so many tourists from the cruise-ship. Some folks took a ship excursion to a waterfall, but we just strolled around the harbor and visited the museum. Also, if you are spending 10 days in Iceland with a rental car, please consider visiting more than just the very crowded Golden Circle attractions. There is so much more to see in this gorgeous country.

I can only speak of our own experience in Cinque Terra September a year ago. We were not on a cruise and touring Italy on our own, allotting 2 full days (3 nights) in Cinque Terra. The train that runs between the 5 villages in Cinque Terra is not always that reliable. We were staying in Vernazza. Our son-in-law hiked between 3 villages, then planned to get the train back to Vernazza. It was delayed for almost an hour for reasons unknown even to him. So, I must agree with Cruisemom...it might be chancy returning to your ship before its departure.

My husband and I have done 3 cruises with Vantage (Black Sea, Holland, and the Seine River). I have to say, that on our first cruise with Vantage, a 36 cabin yacht on the Black Sea in 2014, occurred just 3 months after Russia annexed the Crimea. Vantage was the ONLY cruiseline that didn't cancel during that period of unrest and we were welcomed everywhere, including our time at Sochi Russia and 3 days in Odessa. One of the most interesting cruises ever. The only problem was the ship's air-conditioning was dependent on the water temp and as a heat spell was going on, our cabin was really warm until we got to the more northern parts of the Black Sea. Because of this, Vantage, UNASKED, sent us a $1000 credit for our next cruise. For that alone, they have our loyalty and we are now booked on a Duoro (sp?) River cruise with them this spring.

After our cruise, we spent a full week in Alaska ending up in Anchorage where we would fly out that final night. Having turned in our rental car, I can enthusiastically recommend seeing the Anchorage Museum on the corner of 7th street and A in downtown. It features several floors of Native Alaskan artifacts and clothing, recreated dwelling and whaling boats which were fascinating. In addition, one section features the 1964 earthquake, complete with old films and photos which totally engrossed my husband. We also walked to the flower-bedecked Alaskan Statehood Monument, supposedly a perfect spot to see Mt Denali if the weather is clear. (It was too cloudy when we were there, but fortunately we had just spent two days in Denali without a cloud in the sky, so no big loss).

it's been a few years but my husband and I took 3 adult grandkids with us on the NE/Canada cruise from Baltimore on Royal's Vision of the Seas. Got three ocean-view cabins. Baltimore is a good port to sail out of....fairly easy to access and plenty of parking. Also, you get that great view of sailing under the bridge when leaving the port. We all found the food to be delicious and the waitstaff were wonderful with all the different dietary requirements. Each grandchild was assigned responsibility for activities at a port of their choice. One took Halifax, another Boston and the third Bar Harbor (although I am not sure any big cruise ships go there now).

In September of 2021, my husband and I spent 2 weeks in Italy allotting two nights in Ravenna just to see the mosaics. Our hotel was near the train station and it was an easy walk to visit the 5 different sites with mosaics. I had considered a walking tour, but learned that you just walked by the buildings but no entrances occurred. So, online I got admission tickets and we did it all on our own. Well worth the time and effort: the mosaics are incredible and supposedly 95% original.

We really liked the Posat Restaurant (which our hotel recommended) and located just outside the Pile Gate. Certainly not cheap, but excellent service and has a lovely covered outdoor dining terrace with city view. The four of us split a whole fish, which was delicious. You will need reservations.

$150 USD, and of course, we also added a nice tip

My husband and I once took a 17 day Trans-Atlantic westbound cruise in 2016 from Copenhagen. Although we love crusing, had a nice balcony cabin and great dinner companions, both of us agreed: Never AGAIN! Too long, too boring, too many days at sea. So, it's not for everyone.

There is the National World War II museum that is quite interesting. Also, when we had two teenage grandkids in tow, we took them to Mardi Gras World. That's where the floats are built and they have a number of former ones also on site. (I assume this has reopened since the pandemic) You even get a free slice of King Cake. It is very easy to get around New Orleans either on foot or by using their trolley/tram.

Is this an unpopular opinion? As a fully vaccinated and boosted person. I am unsettled that my favorite cruise lines boast that they no longer require vaccinations prior to cruising. This may be the first year in probably 30 years that I will not be taking at least one cruise.

I can't recall if it was Celebrity of RC (been on both the last year) but one of the survey questions was something to the effect "Did any of the crew ask you to provide a 10 on their ratings". I didn't know how to answer this, as several of them did, but I was afraid this response would get them in trouble. I ended up skipping that question

Have you considered spending a week in the Lake Country of Argentina first? Supposedly similar to Switzerland. I saw videos from relatives visiting the area and it is gorgeous. Now on my bucket list.

There's a very interesting Star Wars museum in town run by a former special effects man on the show. Also, when one of our group wanted to see iguanas, Action Jackson (the guide assigned to us on Bernard' tours) took us to a small pond where hundreds of the critters hung around in the trees and came rushing down when a local man showed up who enjoys feeding them.

We went with Leo twice. The first time it was just my husband and myself and we wanted to see the fort, the black rocks, and the sugar mill ruins/plantation. Once we realized that Leo also knew a lot about the local flora we added that to our outing (highlight: he showed us an ancient Santo Domingo mahogany tree - most of which are now extinct- that was growing out of a sidewalk along a street). The second time we were with a group of five and, deferring to the wishes of our friends, we took a walk in the jungle, chilled with rum drinks at the plantation, and spent time at the black rocks. So, in other word, he will be happy to accommodate whatever you want to do.

For time constraints with Leo, we always booked for 4 hours (half day). However, he is very flexible and if our time ran over, we were never asked to pay more. We always generously over-tipped if this happened, of course.

Been to St Kitts twice now (most recently this past March) and each time have utilized the services of Leo Christopher. He has lived in St Kitts all his life, is a very safe driver, knows lots about the native fauna and flora, and each time has shown us something different. You can email him directly at christopherom95@gmail.com. Highly recommend. Tell him Carol says Hi

Have been to Cozumel 3 times now. We always engage the services of Black Hat tours. The owner, Crecenzio, is a real sweetheart and he will drive you anywhere you want or plan a special excursion if necessary. The second time we went with him, my elderly parents were with us. My dad was feeling poorly and Crecenzio was so attentive and supportive to him. When Dad died a week later, and I notified Crecenzio about this, he promptly emailed condolences, along with one of the last photos ever taken of my father. Highly recommend!