donaldsc

I have tried the compact binocs several times and I don't like them. Some of the more expensive compacts are not bad (good compact binocs can be expensive) but I just don't find them easy to look through and the field of vision of them tends to be smaller. Regardless of what you buy make every effort you can not to buy them over the internet. Just because they are expensive and have gotten good reviews doesn't mean that they are best for you. The last time I bought binoculars I spent a couple of hours trying them out in the store before I settled on the ones I picked. Some of them from very well known companies just did not feel good to me. Also there are lots of measurements besides power and front lens size that are important. Make sure that you know what each of them mean and what parameters are important for you. Don't be cheap about what you purchase. A good set of binoculars can last a lifetime and more so you don't want to be stuck with ones that don't work for you. Between my wife and I we own 3 sets of binoculars. The only reason that I stopped using my 35 years old ones on a regular basis is that they were not close focusing enough for the type of birding that I was doing. If you ignore that issue they work perfectly. I keep them at my 2nd summer residence and use them frequently there. I just don't travel with them. One last thing. Regardless of where you buy them but most important if you buy them over the internet make sure that they are returnable. This is especially if you buy ones that are lower in price. The brand and the specific model you purchase may we well regarded but may well end up with a set that has issues. Hope this helps. DON

If you find that you need sunrise / sunset times anywhere else in the world there are lots of sites on the WEB that will give you that info.

This may be a stupid question but if you have or got a camera with tons of megapixels couldn't you zoom in by cropping instead of always switching lenses and the missing pictures while you are changing lenses. Also you will be sharing spaces on tours w other people and where are you going to put your big camera bag and your stuff while you are changing lenses. There is another way to do good photography in AK. Take a photography tour. They are expensive but there will be on 6 - 10 photographers on the tour and the trip leader will know exactly where to go for good photos. A 2nd way and I have done both approaches is to go by yourself on a trip just to take photos. One of my trips was a 1 week guided trip to Haines just to do eagle photography. Another was a almost 2 week DIY trip to Fairbanks and points north to do aurora photography. Both trips were pricy but were also successful. My point is that if photography is so important that you are planning to take all the stuff that you are planning to take a cruise is not the way to go. DON

I do blame the cruise lines. Don't you think that the cruise lines have calendars of the major religious holidays of all the countries that they are visiting so they know where they maybe should not stop at that time. People visit Israel to see both Jewish, Christian and historic sites. If they get to Israel and everything is closed they will not be happy. If might not have been possible for the cruise line to switch ports just for the one cruise but they should have tried. I realize that this is a bad analogy but imagine if you were going on a cruise which stopped at New York City for was your first and maybe only visit to NYC and you arrived on Christmas day. What is open. Would you be happy about that? DON

We always tell people not to tip w $2 bills as they are a pain for the crew member to deal with as opposed to "real" money. As a person who has received $2 bill tips what are your thought about the matter. Would you prefer two $1 bills as opposed to one $2 bill. DON

Mentioned previously but the Hammer Museum is one that you will definitely not see in many other places. DON

I guess that the cruise line did not realize that some religious holidays are really important in Israel - even though they should have them on their calendars. You were lucky that you did not dock on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. DON

Hershey chocolate product are all junk. DON

What time does the ship leave? Also what time is astronomical sunset? Not the sunset when the sun dips below the horizon but true astronomical sunset. DON

I have noticed something interesting about most of these favorite places lists. Most of the places on the lists are warm or even hot places. My list is mostly cool or outright cold places. DON

I am going to quote my 11 year old granddaughter when we took her on an AK cruise /o her parents - "I can see stuff better than they can see from down there". Maybe we should listen top 11 year old kids. Her other comment on her cruise when we asked her whether she wanted to go to the kids club was "I want to see Alaska and not waste my time playing games and eating pizza". DON

It wasn't me but on my cruise to the Falklands and S Georgia someone forget the charger for his camera batteries. They didn't have one in Ushuaia. Luckily others on the cruise had cameras that used the same type of batteries so he was OK. DON

I agree with those who said that service dogs can be of breeds that one would not expect to be service dogs. Just wondering however how may of the chihuahuas that you see people pushing in baby carriages are service chihuahuas. Not too many I would bet. DON

I assume that you mean buying stuff on land w your Medallion. Several reasons why not - why don't you use your credit card; given the Medallion track record would you trust that Princess isn't going to screw up your billing and Princess ends up screwing the local merchants with fees and why would you give the fees to Princess. Is there any advantage to you using your Medallion to buy stuff on land? DON

Pre-Covid we booked a cruise on Hurtigrutin that stopped at several islands along the Aleutians and stopped at several islands in the Bering sea and ended in Nome. That cruise was stopped by Covid and is now much more expensive. DON

The problem is absurdly simple. If child or grandparent gets sick and has to fly home and child or grandparent does not have a passport neither one of them will be able to fly home. Makes total sense. Why is everyone making it so complicated. DON

I do and I am even more indignant about that. Do not get me started on the issue of pets. DON

That is where I have a problem. The issues (allergies or a legitimate very real fear) that people do have of dogs are as serious as the people w disabilities. The problem is that there is not an obvious solution to the problem. DON

Is your world going to be significantly better if you had the $319 in your pocket. Mine wouldn't. DON

The only things that I would disagree w you on that is that it isn't really the fault of the kids and why put life jackets on the parents. After you make the parents walk the plank you would have to figure out what to do we the kids until you offload them at the end of the cruise. DON

Check this out - https://www.flightsfrom.com/. I just found it. It makes it very easy to find nonstop flights that go out of any airport. You can get a whole lot of info really quickly with this site. They also have a flightroutes.com that shows flight that are not non-stop. It took me about 10 seconds to find available flight with all sorts of details from Las Vegas to Tokyo. DON Via Calgary YYC 1 stop with WestJet. BEGINS IN 30/4 SCHEDULE 14h 30m Via Vancouver YVR 1 stop with Air Canada. SCHEDULE 14h 55m Via San Francisco SFO 1 stop with United Airlines. 2 flights per day. SCHEDULE 15h 45m Via Los Angeles LAX 1 stop with United Airlines. 2 flights per day. SCHEDULE 16h 38m Via Denver DEN 1 stop with United Airlines. 1-2 flights per day. MON,THU & SAT SCHEDULE 16h 40m Via Seoul ICN 1 stop with Korean Air. ENDS IN MAR 2023 SCHEDULE 20h 30m HOTEL PRICES CAR-RENTAL PRICES SELECT DATE & CHECK PRICE 1 stop routes with codeshare or different airlines: Duration Via Calgary YYC With Delta Air Lines & WestJet BEGINS IN 30/4 CODESHARE SCHEDULE 14h 30m Via San Francisco SFO With Alaska Airlines & American Airlines 1-3 flights per day. MON,TUE & SUN CODESHARE SCHEDULE 15h 15m Via Vancouver YVR With Air Canada & American Airlines CODESHARE SCHEDULE 16h 20m Via Los Angeles LAX 1 stop with American Airlines. CODESHARE SCHEDULE 16h 25m Via Denver DEN With United Airlines & ANA 1-2 flights per day. MON,THU & SAT CODESHARE SCHEDULE 16h 40m Via Honolulu HNL With Hawaiian Airlines & JAL 1-2 flights per day. SCHEDULE 16h 58m Via Seattle SEA With American Airlines & JAL CODESHARE SCHEDULE 17h 40m Via Seoul ICN 1 stop with Delta Air Lines. 2 flights per day. ENDS IN MAR 2023 CODESHARE SCHEDULE 20h 30m SELECT DATE & CHECK PRICE Las Vegas to Tokyo flights With over 285 flights every week and 7 different airlines you have a wide option of flights to choose from. While flying to Tokyo from Las Vegas you will be doing a stopover in Los Angeles, San Francisco or any other of the 7 alternatives with flight connections. Are there any non-stop flights from LAS to NRT? You could fly non-stop from LAS to NRT before with Delta Air Lines or American Airlines but not anymore. Tip! You might want to consider arriving at Tokyo International (HND) instead. Las Vegas to Tokyo with United Airlines If you choose to fly with United Airlines from Las Vegas to Tokyo you can make a transit either via San Francisco or via Denver. The route via San Francisco is 1 hour and 58 minutes faster. United Airlines is a Star Alliance member. Miles & flight time: LAS - NRT The shortest flight time between LAS and NRT is 15 hours and 25 minutes. Via Total flight time Layover time Miles LAX Los Angeles 15h 25m 4h 37m 5706 (9181 km) SFO San Francisco 16h 0m 2h 30m 5555 (8938 km) DEN Denver 16h 43m 2h 31m 6436 (10356 km) SEA Seattle 17h 0m 4h 15m 5654 (9097 km) YVR Vancouver 17h 50m 4h 42m 5686 (9149 km) ICN Seoul 20h 30m 1h 50m 6828 (10986 km) HNL Honolulu 20h 35m 4h 55m 6607 (10631 km) The flight times and layover times in the table above are approximate and varies depending on flightnumber, aircraft, airline, weather and time of day.Las Vegas to Tokyo flight routes illustrated on a map. Departing from Mc Carran International. Copyright: Harry Reid International Airport CHECK PRICES FOR LAS - NRT Home All flights from LAS to NRT

If you want a specific cruise and a specific cabin book them as soon as the cruise is released. You are already too late for 2024. DON

The best thing to do in Venice is just wander around w no specific destination in mind. You will find it fascinating. Just carry a card w your hotel on you so that when (not if but when) you get completely lost you can get back home. DON

Except that wearing the proper color medallion requires that people come to attention and salute when you walk by what difference does the color of the medallion mean. Would it help me if I put a layer of gold leaf on the medallion? DON