fvandewouwer

Hi,

cruise to Vancouver from San Diego, will visit San Francisco and stay the night on the ship

have been to SF about 16 years ago, so excited to come back

will it be worth to buy the hoho ticket dynamite 48 hours ( price 50 usd pp ) it has a lot included

http://eng.bigbustours.com/sanfrancisco/dynamite-ticket.html

and it seems if I am correct that the cruise port is not direct walkable into the city

Mon 18 May SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 12:00PM 0:00AM Docked

Tue 19 May SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 0:00AM 5:00PM Docked

thank you for your help

have a wonderful day

from Belgium

Frie

Swedish wave, thank you so much

I thought no one ever went on a cruise day to these ports (except some but they reviewed only some bars and restaurants )

ok it seems these ports do not need some planning ahead as there are enough vendors near the port

also I have a decent idea about the price for a taxi or bus that was also important

I wish you a wonderful day

from Belgium

Frie

Huatulco -- You can hire a taxi or a small boat. Either will cost around $20 per person. The taxi will take you to lookout points and the town. (Or wherever you want to go)

The small boat will take six or eight people and will go up and down the coast so you can see lots of scenery and beaches. The blowhole below the lighthouse is pretty neat. Some will even let you off to snorkel or swim and come back to get you. If you don't snorkel or swim, you may have time to do both the taxi and boat.

 

Cabo -- The glass bottom boat out to the arch is a nice ride and the price will be around $10 or less per person. If you want to go to Medano beach, they will drop you off there and you can walk or taxi back. You will see many vendors just off the dock with tours of all kinds for good (negotiable) prices.

 

Ensenada -- The bus ride to town from the pier is $3 per person(round trip), and on the way, they will offer a bus trip out to La Bufadora for about $15 per person. It is about a 30 minute ride each way and you will pass a lot of farmland and some desert type scenery plus a good look at the bay. I don't know what the taxis charge to take you out there.

 

As is true with most of Mexico, bargaining for price is a national sport, so don't hesitate to try to get a better price !!! Street vendors are easier to bargain with than the established tour sellers.

Hi,

cruise Legend next month Panama Canal still looking for 3 ports for weeks now and after reading a lot I can use your help.

we love nature, see a town, stroll around, walk, hike, snorkel, love to walk on a beach, getting a tan no thanks we can enjoy nice views

we hate crowds ( yes already enough people on the ship ) party boats, fancy restaurants and bars, loud music no thanks shopping : fine no need of jewellery ( oh yes I am a woman ) or brand cloths

Huatulco : from 1pm till 8

has 9 lovely bays and a lot of beaches

hire a taxi when we arrive ? if yes where to and what to expect related to pricing ( anyone can give us an idea of taxi price please )

or can we just start walking

Cabo San Lucas from 7 till 6

would like to kayak to the Arch or walk to it but that seems according google maps impossible

again snorkelling seems too cold

or should we take a taxi boat to .....

if we could snorkel with sea lions wow that would be awesome (despite the cold ) anyone has input in our kayak experience ??

Ensenada from 12 till 7

ok there is a blow hole La BUfadora, flea market, fish tacos ... so I need to take a taxi anyone has done that and can give me an idea of price

it is just the 2 of us and we are not afraid of getting dirty or tiered

in case someone has a good idea about one of these ports

I thank you for your time to help me out and for sharing your ideas

have a wonderful day, from Belgium

Frie

anyone has an idea of price (

ok will see what will happen

cruise has been paid although one month too late as date was not correct gladly there was no problem with RCI

thanks everyone

yes I did use a travel agent from the US

thank you so much for your explanation as I did not understand the big difference

therefore the big difference, probably taxes were never lower

ok this is clear now when I book another cruise I need to ask what taxes I pay otherwise I can never compare and check price with website of RCI

thank you all for your time to answer my questions

have a wonderful day

I think that you have used a travel agent and are trying to compare the line that they list as taxes and fees compared to what Royal lists as taxes and fees. Typically a travel agent will also include non commissionable fare in this line which would result in the large discrepancy that you described.

 

I have not seen taxes and fees drop by $150, it is usually like $10-$20 at most.

yes I know so I do hope they will pay our balance today as I mailed them yesterday with my agreement

fingers crossed

klfrodo reservation is still in the system, thank God I just checked, also booked our airfare through them and booked following this cruise another one from San Diego to Vancouver ( that one has been paid completely )

so they better not cancel my reservation

Host Anne it is a good idea to take the invoice with me and I will also print out the price of today with the lower taxes and fees hope to get a clear answer onboard

we did book several cruises with this us agent (8) and we also did book some cruises in our country (6 ) , it depends on what we receive extra

normally I do not have any problem with the agent but this time I believe it was not up to me to check if the final date was correct ..... was it ??

thanks everyone

just wonder, booked 2 cruises and seeing taxes/fees were lower ( 150 usd ) then when I booked my cruise 6 months ago

( well if I calculate the price through the website the total price difference is 150 usd lower on the website as the price on my invoice )

Can I apply for the lower taxes/fees ? I called my agent and she tells me she can only apply for lower rates until final payment day not for lowering the taxes/fees .....

I do not understand why I need to pay higher taxes and fees when I booked my cruise 6 months ago as when I should have booked it now

please help me clear this one

thanks

all the best

final payment is late, I know, was out of my control

will put this question on CC RCI board

taxes need to be clear for once and for all

thanks

You should be asking this on the Royal Caribbean board here at CC. But I believe the cruise line is right, your final payment is late. Final payment is due at least six weeks before sailing, and usually at least 60 day, or 75 days out depending on the length of the cruise. Taxes will not be adjusted by the TA. If they go down, it will be refunded to you onboard. EM

that is just the point, no final payment yet as my agent has put on my invoice the date 3/3/2015 and now I got a mail that our cruise is in danger as date is expired ( but it isn't so I think they made a mistake )

I did answer them yesterday that it is not my mistake, I did not put the date on the invoice....

I applied for the difference in price already more then a month ago and they said they could not adjust the price as it was about taxes and fees not cruise fare

but I doubted that, they never answered back until I received an urgent mail yesterday about final payment is overdue etc etc

difference in price on website of RCI it says Taxes, fees and port expenses 659 usd ( 2p ) if I take my invoice from my agent it says taxes and fees 1325.34 usd ( also 2 p ) I am not sure how they build up their invoice that is why I always take the total amount I find on the website and compare that with the total amount of my agent and difference I have now is 156 usd

confused very confused as I have booked already 7 cruises with this agent and this is the first time I have all these problems

thanks again for your help

we booked our cruise in the US and our agent tells us that she can only adjust our price if the price of cruise goes down not the taxes

I am doubting that but she said to contact RCI myself if I do not believe that

and that the information I collected from cruise critic or any other forum is not always true

what should I do as it is 150 usd which are not peanuts for us

thanks again

Frie

I do thank you for your reply it is RCI the Legend of the seas

( april Panama Canal )

thanks again for your time to answer

We have gotten a credit on our final bill when taxes or port charges go down for how much they dropped. You don't say what ship you'll be on so can't say what will happen on it.

just wonder, booked 2 cruises and seeing taxes/fees were lower ( 150 usd ) then when I booked my cruise Can I apply for the lower taxes/fees ? I called my agent and she tells me she can only apply for lower rates until final payment day not for lowering the taxes/fees

I do not understand why I need to pay higher taxes and fees when I booked my cruise 6 months ago as when I should have booked it now

please help me clear this one

thanks

all the best

thanks yes we know after all those cruises we have never missed the ship but a couple of times we came too close and that was really scary

have my doubts about Colon ( only one way to and from Panama city ) but really do not want a buss-ship tour it is just not that kind of traveling for us

have a nice weekend

Frie

When you are on a ship's excursion, the ship will wait if you are delayed...and if they can't wait, they will get you to the next port on their dime. (So, 99% of the time, they will wait!!). A private tour, while seldom late, will NOT get you to the next port....you're on your own.

 

If something is a goodly distance from port, and it's an "all day" trip, then a ship's excursion will be like an insurance policy!

I hope you enjoyed your cruise, RCI ?

if I check the tours from the cruise line there is no such tour perhaps their online list is not complete.

It seems like a nice trip you had, and luckily you took a ship's tour regarding the traffic jam ( boarding at Colon ?? )

still not sure what to do but would not want to miss the ship that is for sure:eek:

thanks for your time to reply

have a wonderful day

Our ship stopped on the Pacific side of the canal and offered a tour. First by bus, then by boat. Our boat guide pointed out birds and lured capuchin monkeys down on the boat with a fruit she had picked before. The boat tour started near Gamboa where the small marina had a fleet of excursion boats.

 

There was a bad traffic jam on the way back to the ship. Luckily we were on a ship excursion and knew the ship would wait for us.

Hi BillB48 thank you so much for your input, really appreciate it

will check out Monkey Island and Gamboa Aerial Tram but I had no idea that we would see a great deal of the rain forest on our way crossing the canal

perhaps we need to hire a taxi to take us to Panama City if it only takes about one hour it should be doable ... ( in Panama we can take the HOHO bus )

maybe too much for a day .....

I also met someone on TA who is doing the same cruise ( I am trying to read as much as I can and saw someone asking almost the same question on TA ) and she gave me a link to a private tour company that helps cruise people building there own day so ...

did not have the time to write them an email but will certainly do and see with what they will come up to

thanks again for your time to explain me a little more about those national parks ( really had no clue )

I do wish you a very nice day and a splendid weekend

from cold Belgium

Frie

Sorry I can't offer any help in a private tour of the areas you are interested in, perhaps there might be someone on your Roll Call that may have a private tour that you may be able to join. As for visiting the national parks, Panama's National Parks are really just protected areas that restrict habitation, farming and such... not actually set up as a visitor attraction. There are a couple of tours that would take you within some of the areas of the parks such as the Gamboa Aerial Tram or a trip to "Monkey Island." You can get a good feel for the rain forest on either of these trips and you will see a great deal of the rain forest on your Gatun Lake crossing during your transit.

 

A trip to Panama City is something that can be done from Colon very easily. Most of the trip to the Pacific side is on a modern expressway and normally doesn't take much more than an hour each way.

Hi,

RCI April stop Colon from 8-7 ( day after full transit canal )

We know that the Panama cruise most people take to see the working of the locks, we are from Antwerp and have been too many times into locks so we are more interested in the wildlife and beauty of the national parks

can anyone help us finding a shore excursion ( private ) to one of the most beautiful national parks of Panama.

As we will not stop in Panama City but sail to Puntarenas there is also an option to go to Panama City but I wonder if that would not be too far from Colon

Any help much appreciated

thanks for your time

best regards from Belgium

Frie

thanks for your reply, yes a lot of people would love to stay near the elevator , our TA also found it the best room but .... we have some bad experience staying near an elevator so .... thanks for your answer, I do wish you a wonderful weekend

Hi,

we are trying to figure out what the best outside cabin is for us

on the je Jewel of the Seas RCI

we can choose between 3086 which is located at the elevator ( afraid of noise due to traffic from the elevator )

or 3548 which is between cabins ( not sure what is on deck 2 on the map it shows as an empty space ??? )

we are very light sleepers and are searching for a quite cabin

I do thank you all for your time to answer my question

have a wonderful day

Frieda

sorry Keith, forgive me, due to my English not well explained question

Charleston is a port of call from 7 am till 5 pm so wanted to be sure that we need to be back on board at 4.30 or 4 pm to catch the ship ( want to make a tour from 2 pm till 4 pm in the city )

it is not our embarkation port

sorry wrong forum ??

Since this is your port of embarkation you need to check in 90 minutes before the cruise leaves.

 

If you board and then want to get off then 4:00 would be fine.

 

Keith

Hi Kirk, yes the latest, ok thanks

probably need to change my walking tour

have a nice day

If you are asking the latest you can be on board I would not be later than 4:00.

Hi,

Can anyone that has cruised Charleston before give us an idea of the boarding time if ship leaves at 5 pm

We would love to do an afternoon walking tour at 2 pm till 4 pm and I am trying to figure out if we will be back in time to catch the ship

( do not want to miss the boat :) )

thanks for your time to answer us

have a wonderful day

Frieda

this I would never have found and the one with cruise terminal and visitor center on it

I will print and take it with me

no more questions Thank you so much everyone, especially Bill !

have a wonderful weekend

Here are some sites to check out:

 

http://www.sciway.net/maps/downtown-charleston-south-carolina-map-grid4.html

 

http://www.charlestonsfinest.com/sc/mapdntwn.htm

 

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0LEV131AndTSl4AJe9XNyoA?ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-312&p=historic+charleston+sc+city+map&rs=0&fr2=rs-bottom

 

http://thecharlestoncitymarket.com/index.cfm

 

These sites will give you some idea as to where the ship will dock (noted on maps). Hope this helps.

 

:cool: Bill

 

so we really do not need to book anything in advance ?

it would be a lot easier for us if we just could hop off the ship and walk back on without being somewhere on the clock

we really appreciate a guided tour but hate to walk behind someone with a flag and a group of 40 not even interested in what the guide is telling ( have done a lot of city trips so we know )

is there a a kind of hop on hop off system ???

or even better if we can walk everything that we need to see ( and I do not mean shopping but ok when we see some also restaurants or bars does not interest us, why should we, we have a driving restaurant with us)

so it would be great after breakfast step of the ship and walk around go back for lunch and after that do another site of town .... would that be possible

a city map on the internet ? google maps I have but still cannot figure out where we dock ( am Flemish and blond perhaps that is the reason ;)

thanks again

QUOTE=jordanaire;42759976]The ship's pier is right next to the downtown area. It's only a hundred yards or so to the Market Place. Just a 5-minute walk. From there, you can shop, rent a carriage ride, eat at some fantastic restaurants and more. Most of your Charleston tours can be bought right here as well. You won't need a cab. It's all right there within walking distance. So much to see and do! It's a beautiful city!

:cool: Bill

also you are a great help was during break time at work reading about those walking tours and tried to figure out to do several in one day

so one during morning coming back to the ship for lunch and one during the afternoon

just not figured out yet where the ship will dock exactly

also the reduced price ticket tip : wonderful we do have groupon not sure if I can register for the us deals

so lovely of you all

xxx

From the links that Bill posted above, I can personally recommend the Low Country Walking Tours. My girlfriends and I took that tour last fall when we were in Charleston and loved it! We found reduced-price tickets on Groupon, I think.