GTJ

Do you know which motor carrier Royal Caribbean Cruises has engaged for these transfers?

The concern expressed in understandable. Partially for that reason, when I seek to visit particular sites, invariably I avoid the tour bus and instead rely upon the local public transportation system. In the case of Québec, the public transportation system is extensive and provides good service. I might use a tour bus service when I anticipate traveling the full loop, or where the local public transportation system is not reliable. In Québec, do consider if you actually do need to travel on the tour bus, or if you will be better off using the city's transit bus service.

The Alaska Railroad also offers the option, on the way back towards Anchorage, to alight from the train at Portage and to travel by chartered bus into Anchorage. This option avoids the detour through Whittier, and reduces the travel time to Anchorage by 2-1/2 hours.

The question is a bit unclear because the expression "all the way into Denali" can have multiple meanings. Do you mean "all the way" to the entrance of Denali National Park, or do you mean "all the way" along the roadway within Denali National Park, as far as one can travel? Other than near the park entrance, including 15 miles into the park, the road in Denali National Park is closed to most vehicles other than the buses operated by the park concessionaire. Neither the buses brokered by the cruise lines for their tours, nor automobiles driven by park visitors, can travel "all the way into Denali." Instead, everyone needs to travel by concessionaire bus service. Two types of concessioned bus service are available. The lest expensive option is a transit bus service, designed for transportation and no commentary should be expected. The more expensive option is a tour bus service, complete with commentary. Both services are operated with modified school buses, not motorcoaches. As for the journey between the cruise port and the entrance to Denali, one can travel on the buses brokered by the cruise lines, by railroad (either independently or as part of a tour), or in one's own automobile. Either way, one needs to transfer to the concessioned buses at the bus deport near the park entrance. So if your goal is to go "all the way into Denali," your choices are to travel by tour bus plus concessioned bus, or by automobile plus concessioned bus. The concessionaire is Aramark Food and Support Services Group, Inc., USDOT 1747540, as a joint venture with Doyon Associated, LLC.

If you're traveling directly from the airport to the vessel, then John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport are both relatively convenient and proximate to the port in Brooklyn. If you're going to spend the night before at a hotel, and plan to stay in Manhattan, then Newark Liberty International Airport would also be a good choice, as all three airports have good transportation to and from Manhattan. While taxi or TNC vehicle might be the most convenient transportation, it can be a relatively steep cost for a single person. Public Transportation is more reasonably priced, but from both airports the journey would require multiple connections. It is really a personal choice, balancing cost, time, and other factors, with no single "best" means of transportation. If your're going to spend the night before at at a hotel, then note that public transportation to the port is easiest from (1) hotels in lower Manhattan, with relatively convenient access to the port using the NYC Ferry service that operates from Pier 11, near Wall Street, and (2) hotels in downtown Brooklyn, with relatively convenient access to the port using the B61 bus service that operates from Smith Street, near Livingston Street. There are just so many hotels in New York City that it is practicably impossible to provide a fair recommendation without some sort of decision criteria. Would you be seeking a hotel that is (1) closest to port, (2) close to public transportation to port, (3) close to airport, (4) inexpensive, (5) luxurious, (6) near tourist sites, (7) near some specific point of interest, (8) in particular types of neighborhoods, or (9) other criteria? With 125,000 hotel rooms, you can get almost anything you want.

There are people on this discussion board who live and work in and around JFK. It is their home. They take pride in where they live. To refer to their neighborhoods as "NOT a good area to be in" is disparaging to those people who live their lives here. Before putting down entire communities, please consider the people that you might be insulting.

I don't know if I would say "wrong," as other estimates might take a more leisurely pace than a regularly-scheduled collective taxi, or a vessel-sponsored large tour that has to concern itself with gathering all the participants and dealing with rest stops, etc. I do predict that, with your knowing of what you will be seeing, this will be one of the highlights of your cruise. As to the Labrador Coast (Red Bay), I had visited that area several years ago on a shore excursion from Blanc-Sablon, Québec, on the Relais Nordik line. Though the south coast of Labrador is picturesque in its own right, it hardly compares to Gros Morne. (I do have the northerly Labrador coast on my bucket list, from Goose Bay to Nain, if only for it being such a remote place.)

Let me initially say that you have made a very good decision to visit the Tablelands at Gros Morne. While much gets written up about the Western Brook Pond fjord and the center of activity in Rocky Harbour, I concur that the Tablelands, as a geological feature, is just a marvelous experience, either for the professional or lay person. Confoundingly, it has a desert appearance, yet it has plenty of rainfall. It is simply the fact of being the earth's interior. Logistically, it is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes from Corner Brook (pronounced "car-ner brook"), through Deer Lake, to Woody Point. Collective taxi service between Corner Brook and Woody Point is operated by Martin's Transportation, and 1 hour 30 minutes is the scheduled running time for the collective taxi. The Tablelands themselves are just a few minutes beyond Woody Point. The parking lot and trail are directly on that highway coming from Woody Point, and you will immediately be within the site. It is not so much as a destination to which you would be walking as it is an environment in which you will be. So there's not really a time to allocate for hiking to some place, but rather a decision as to how much time to spend there. That said, the trail is linear, so it could simply be walking from one end to the other (it is flat, very easy to walk). Let me add a few other notes. There had been a Trout River Pond boat tour that I thought was superb. It showed another perspective of the Tablelands and its contrast with the surrounding and ordinary mountainous area. I think the formal boat tour stopped in 2020, but some people do hike or kayak there. Also near Woody Point is the Discovery Centre. Essentially a visitor center, though less used than the main centre near Rocky Harbour. Some nice exhibits, even if nothing spectacular. It would be nice to see Rocky Harbour, but it is a long drive to get there from Woody Point. There is a passenger ferry from Woody Point to Norris Point, and a local taxi service on that side (to Rocky Harbour and elsewhere: Pittman's Taxi), though the ferry does not operate very frequently (depart Woody Point at 9:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., return from Norris Point at 9:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 15-minute crossing). Anything relating to logistics can be handled by Martin's Transportation in Woody Point. www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057342523513 Tourist services are provided by BonTours. www.bontours.ca You should have a good four hours in the park. That should be a good amount of time. I would not anticipate much traffic.

The station is on the north side of downtown Anchorage, and just a short walk from many hotels. I don't like having to rely upon taxis (for the very reason you're implying, among others), and I usually plan on walking if practicable. Might that be an option?

Are you concerned about safety or about security? Safety should not be an issue: the infrastructure is reasonably well-maintained, and so long as you're looking where you're going, you won't have much risk of falling and injuring yourself. Security has increasingly been an issue throughout the entirety of the United States, but an individual person basis, it should not pose any undue risk in the areas surrounding Fisherman's Wharf. Ask yourself if you're scared to go outside generally, and that would be good guidance for San Francisco. Where San Francisco has been particularly hard hit is automobile break-ins, and that is cause to avoid travel by automobile.

Perhaps just reiterating what has already been said, New York City is so much larger and diverse than anyplace else in the United States. You can be choosy as to what you want in a hotel, and with 125,000 rooms available, you're likely to find what it is you seek. Even during the largest conventions and other events you can hotel rooms (even if fewer rooms near the actual event site). Each of the airports is so large and hub of activity--most of which is oriented towards connections with midtown Manhattan--that there is no consensual "best" airport for every purpose. I might differ slightly from others as to urgency for planning for September--you won't need to sleep on a park bench if you don't book in advance--but the number of choices and rates might not be as good. In short, New York is not a one-industry city, but rather it has virtually everything.

Not truly back-to-back if two different vessels. But as to getting from one to the other, the most practicable transportation would by Greyhound Lines bus. A short 15-minute trip by taxi from the San Pedro port to the Long Beach Greyhound station, 1498 Long Beach Boulevard. Bus departs from Long Beach at 10:15 a.m., and arrives in San Diego at 1:35 p.m. A short taxi or light rail trip from the San Diego Greyhound station to the San Diego port. Advance purchase bus ticket is $16. Very much doable.

I have looked at all the scheduled transportation that might be utilized, and none meet the criteria of allowing someone arriving in Bellingham, at 10:40 a.m., to be in Vancouver the same day in time for a vessel departure that afternoon. (Well, you could make your way from the airport onto a Whatcom Transportation Authority transit bus to the international border, cross on foot, walk to where the BC Transit service area begins, travel on two BC Transit buses, and then SkyTrain, and probably get to the port in time. A long journey, and especially convenient if traveling with baggage, but possible.) Most practicable may well be taxi or TNC vehicle from the airport to the border, walk across, then taxi or TNC vehicle on the other side. Generally no delay for pedestrians crossing between the United States and Canada. Just make certain that your taxi or TNC vehicle does not get into any border crossing queue to drop you off. Get dropped off at the Peace Arch Historical State Park parking lot, at the north end of Second Street in Blaine, Wash. Walk towards the washrooms, cross the highway, cross the border, walk through Canadian immigration and customs, and cross the highway once again. Meet the connecting ride at the Peace Arch Provincial Park parking lot. Less than one-half mile on foot.

The easiest option would be to board one of the buses from Whittier to Anchorage, and have the driver drop you off in Girdwood on the way. Buses ordinarily stop in Girdwood at the Speedway Express service station, adjacent to the Girdwood Station Mall (there's a free local transit bus between that location and the Alyeska resort: http://glaciervalleytransit.com). The critical element is ensuring that the bus driver will make the stop for you, something you would have to arrange either in advance with the bus company, or on the day of travel with the bus driver. Generally, it is best if your baggage is carried onto the coach, or is specially loaded below the coach so as to be accessible when stopping in Girdwood (otherwise the driver won't be able to find the baggage at Girdwood!). Princess Cruises uses Royal Hyway Tours, a subsidiary of Carnival, for their motorcoach transfers. There is also the Park Connection service, operated by Premier Alaska Tours, that departs Whittier at 9:45 a.m., arriving in Girdwood at 10:25 a.m. There is also Alaska Cruise Transportation that departs Whittier at 8:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., arriving in Girdwood at 9:25 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. Contact information is as follows. Royal Hyway Tours, (907) 230-2823, http://www.alaskatourjobs.com Alaska Cruise Transportation, (907) 350-6010, http://www.alaskacruisetransfer.com Premier Alaska Tours, (907) 279-0001, http://www.premieralaskatours.com (The broker for Premier Alaska Tours, which arranges for the Park Connection service, is Alaska Tour & Travel, (907) 245-0200, http://www.alaskatravel.com) Also, note that there are two train departures daily from Whittier. The first departure is at 12:45 p.m., which arrives in Portage at 1:15 p.m. (The second departure is at 6:45 p.m.) The Portage station is less than 10 miles from the Girdwood Station Mall. It is so close, so you might be able to arrange for taxi or TNC (Uber/Lyft) service for this 10-mile journey from Portage to Girdwood. Alternatively, the train, after stopping at Portage, makes a tourist circuit to points south. You could remain on board the train and enjoy the tour. The train will return to Portage and Whittier, and then continue to Girdwood, arriving there at 7:15 p.m.

When a cruise line advertises an itinerary with a set of ports to be visited, the ability of passengers to alight from the vessel and go ashore, without being charged additional fees, is certainly implied. Anything extra, such as a tour or even basic transportation when one has the free alternative of walking, is certainly legitimate for an extra charge. But charging extra as a condition for alighting is just not right.

For the sea ports, Manhattan is most accessible, Brooklyn is in the middle, and Bayonne is the least accessible. Note that there is no longer direct bus service into midtown Manhattan from either LaGuardia or J. F. Kennedy airports; only the airport in Newark continues to have direct bus service into Manhattan. From LaGuardia, there is a local transit bus to upper Manhattan (Harlem, Morningside Heights). Also from LaGuardia there is a free express shuttle to the intermodal bus-subway terminal in Jackson Heights, where one can board "E," "F," M," "R," and "7" trains, and the railroad station in Woodside, where one can board Long Island Rail Road trains, all into midtown Manhattan.

If you and your family are okay traveling together on SkyTrain and TransLink, you'll do just fine on the trains here in New York City. The scale of things might be a bit larger here, and there's quirks here and there, but you know how to deal with transportation systems generally. Be assured that, no matter which airport you do in fact use (J. F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, or Newark), and no matter which sea port you do in fact use (Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Bayonne), there is good public transportation between the airport and the hotels near the sea port. (There are also airport at White Plains and Islip, but these airports are not very convenient.) There is also good public transportation between those hotels and the sea ports, and in some cases you might just walk, except for the port in Bayonne (which has public transportation between the nearby hotels in Jersey City and a station in Bayonne, but a taxi or other for-hire vehicle is necessary from the station to the port itself, absent a long and not entirely pleasant hike). Because traveling on a cruise vessel can be so easy and convenient--many vessels can be described as a mobile hotel and resort--a substantial number of passengers are older, disabled, and less mobile than the larger population of Canada and the United States. As well, many people who travel by cruise vessel don't want to do or think about anything, wanting everything to be taken care of for them. Accordingly, many posts and responses you find here relate to doing things the "easiest" way, concluding that travel by public transportation is too difficult, confusing, or exhausting, especially while on vacation. Younger people who are more adventurous with their interests are not rare on cruise vessels, but are usually in the minority. I would not consider myself to be the "backpack" style, which I generally regard as being driven by a desire to minimize travel cost, but as someone who seeks active travel and good value. So I do not consider myself to be a "typical" cruise passenger either, but nonetheless part of a minority that appreciates cruise vessel travel for the places one can visit, the value that it offers, and the opportunity to do the things I enjoy at the various ports visited.

Yes. At John F. Kennedy International Airport the on-airport automated transportation system, AirTrain, connects with public transportation at two points. At the "Jamaica" AirTrain station, you can find the Long Island Rail Road and the "E," "J," and "Z" subway trains. The Long Island Rail Road is a 20-minute ride, either to Pennsylvania Station in midtown Manhattan or to Atlantic Terminal in downtown Brooklyn. These stations are close to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, respectively, and many of the hotels serving each. The "E" subway train goes closest to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal (50th Street station), and many of its stations in midtown Manhattan are close to hotels near the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. At the "Howard Beach" AirTrain station, you can find the "A" subway train. This train goes into downtown Brooklyn and to midtown Manhattan. If you're destined for the cruise terminal in Bayonne, public transportation is a bit complex. (Once in Manhattan, you would then need to travel additionally on the PATH train to Jersey City, where many hotels serving the port in Bayonne are located.) You would not need a child seat when traveling by AIrTrain, by Long Island Rail Road, or by subway train. Moreover, there would not be any easy way to secure a child seat. Children travel regularly on all of these trains without any special protective seating.

There may well be some merit in that (though what happens when the connection fails? Atlases always work!) It seems to be in the same category of requiring E-Z Pass to be available. But I do like atlases: they are good to get a better overview of the area, and it requires some thought on how to get from here to there, which can be a good thing. Computer-based systems tend to be narrowly-focused, and many drivers proceed only by following directions without really knowing where they are. Best situation is to have both systems, as well as just having a good innate sense of geography. A fair fare consideration! Indeed, my own professional can be billed either by time or on a flat fee basis, and I much prefer flat fee because then I don't have worry about interruptions, being excessively thorough, or otherwise. Same idea as the fare for taxis versus other-FHVs. But as to the quality of the driver, himself or herself: is the driver one or the other type of vehicle going to be any better with geography? I don't think so, but I am open to contrary empirical evidence. Might there be a difference between a person who owns the vehicle versus someone who leases the vehicle? Possibly.

Easy and cost are on opposite ends of a continuum. "Easiest" way is always going to be a for-hire vehicle, one that will take you directly from the port to your destination in New York City. Taxi, TNC, black car. It will be most expensive. Less expensive is a FHV from the port to the nearby light rail station in Bayonne. Then light rail train (New Jersey Transit) from Bayonne to Hoboken, then rapid transit train (PATH) from Hoboken to New York. This leaves you in Herald Square, about 10 blocks from Times Square. About $15 total. But not the easiest, with at least two connections required.

TLC regulations require all taxi drivers to have a street atlas with them. My suggestion is, that after haling a taxi, make inquiry if the driver has every been to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, or otherwise knows exactly where it is. If not, then demand that the driver pull out his or her street atlas to ascertain the route to take to the terminal. This to be done prior to dropping the flag: the driver is supposed to know how to go there, and there is no obligation for you to pay him or her while ascertaining the directions there. Is this foolproof? No, some drivers are simply geographically illiterate (in part driven by the TLC's examination that has de-emphasized geographic knowledge). Another strategy would be to familiarize yourself with the geography of Brooklyn, learn the streets and plot a path. Use Goolgle street views to give yourself an understanding of the surroundings. Then give specific directions to the taxi driver, guiding the taxi driver to the terminal. (I recall having to do this myself several years ago in Fort Lauderdale. Having arrived on a Celebrity Cruises vessel from San Diego, we were next destined for the railroad station for our train back to New York. The Fort Lauderdale taxi driver did not know the way from the Fort Lauderdale port to the Fort Lauderdale railroad station, and so I gave directions to the taxi driver.) Will Uber and other FHV drivers be any better? Probably not--it is the same pool of drivers--and those drivers may not even be required to have a street atlas with them. The more certain way of arriving at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is to plan out the journey, yourself, using fixed-route transportation . . . where the transportation regularly operates along a prescribed route there is little opportunity for the driver to become lost. But you have excluded the possibility here, no need to further discuss.

Yes, it is confusing, particularly since many people (myself include) continue using the former municipality names. No, you are incorrect as to walkability. There are sidewalks the entire distance, including on the two bridges, as well as a pedestrian and bicycle pathway. Not necessarily the most scenic walk, but if you're up for walking 4 km (2-1/2 miles) each way, then go for it. Or walk one-way and bus the other way. The large communities that make up Saguenay are Chicoutimi and Jonquière. Both are much larger than La Baie. Traditionally, Chicoutimi has been the main community, and I have visited there several times. However, I usually go through Jonquière because the railroad tracks the once terminated in Chicoutimi have since been pulled up, and the passenger trains now go only so far as Jonquière. If you like larger cities, then you should plan to these these two communities, as you might otherwise finish La Baie prematurely. The tour bus might be good if you're looking to be guided around. But if you're simply seeking to get to Chicoutimi and Jonquière, and then explore on foot on your own, then you would likely do best using the local transit bus service, and set your own schedule in doing so.

Agreed. The port regulations have no such restrictions, and so NCL should be arguing (in court, if need be) for the port to follow its own regulations. The assertion that "walking from the pier to town is not safe" is simply wrong: the existence of a pedestrian and bicycle path is evidence to the contrary. Besides, none of the roads are limited access highways, everyone has a right to travel upon the roads, and it is up to the individual, not NCL, to decide if the road is safe enough. If need be, the port and NCL should arrange for safe passage of passengers within the port property itself (whether it be personally escorting passengers, shuttle service to the gate, or otherwise), and not just shrug their shoulders. To demand a predatory bus fare just for alighting is simply wrong. I would not be happy.

I imagine that the contraband was in plain view. I cannot recall vessel security having ever performed intrusive searches when alighting. The greatest risk is going through customs with contraband, as there are intrusive searches and no fourth amendment protections at the border. I remember a several years the person ahead of me at customs in New Orleans had taken an orange from the vessel . . . he was taken away by CBP, though I do not know the result. Very true, and something I tell clients when income tax returns are being prepared. But do keep in mind that there is a difference between an act being (1) contrary to law, (2) contrary to the terms and conditions of the contract of transportation, and (3) contrary to personal or corporate desires. Unfortunately, not every crew member can be expected to understand or communicate which of the foregoing is the case; but the consequences do vary depending on the actual infraction, if any (ranging from verbal reprimand, to expulsion from cruise vessel, to a fine and/or jail). Be forewarned!

The City of Valdez continues to report that "Your cruise ship will dock at Valdez's Kelsey Dock, located just a few minutes walk from most restaurants, breweries, museums and gift shops. This means that you won't need to worry about waiting for a shuttle bus or renting a car to see some of the best of downtown Valdez!" http://www.valdezalaska.org/blog/post/cruising-to-valdez-in-2022 When I last visited Valdez, it was by the Alaska Marine Highway, arriving and departing from adjacent to the Kelsey Dock, a very convenient location. Absent any recent changes, cruise vessels using the Valdez Container Terminal would be the exception, not the rule. The container terminal itself is three miles distant from the city center. The walk to and from Valdez is mostly along a pedestrian and bicycle path that parallels the Richardson Highway. To get to the Richardson Highway you would have to walk one mile along the container terminal driveway and a minor local street, Mineral Creek Loop Road, neither having sidewalks or pedestrian paths. Most critical, however, is whether the operator of the Valdez Container Terminal will allow pedestrians to alight from the vessel at all (notwithstanding the implication provided by the cruise line that its passengers may alight from the vessel at its ports of call without be required to pay extra to do so). The Port Terminal Rules and Regulations, available at http://www.valdezak.gov/296/Valdez-Container-Terminal, state: "6.04 PASSENGER PASSES- The master of each vessel shall be responsible for the issuance of passenger passes for all persons who enter the terminal(s) and are considered passengers or persons in addition to the crew." There is no published rule restricting passengers from walking out of, or returning to, the container terminal. The provision suggests that it is up to the captain of the Princess Cruises vessel to issue appropriate passes to those passengers desiring to alight, and that the container terminal itself anticipates passengers alighting from vessels.