Wayfairers

We carry our luggage on so we drop that in the room, grab a drink and explore the ship.  Later, we will unpack while watching the muster video and then enjoy the sail away on an open deck - and start meeting other cruisers.

Never cruised out of Rome, but we hired a tour guide/driver to get us to the airport from a cooking school in Tuscany and asked for a tour along the way.  With an 11am flight the tour part wouldn’t work too well.  If you can be self assist - take your luggage off the ship with you - you can get off the ship as soon as they are cleared.  That gets you to the airport quicker too since you don’t have to locate your luggage once you are off board.  In your case, I would probably research taxi or Uber costs to the airport and also your cruise line may offer a shuttle, but you would have to check airport arrival times with that.  

We typically take long trips - 3-7 months.  I get toiletries together a few weeks before we leave so I can buy more if we need.  I also take a quick look around my closet to see if there are any clothes, undies, winter wear, etc I need that I don’t already have or any that need to be replaced/updated.  Then about a week or 2 before leaving, I pick out clothes and spend a few days fine tuning what I want to take then pack them.  Rather have them packed than wear something I want to take without thinking and scramble to do laundry at the last minute.  Even on long trips we travel light so not too many clothes and they are almost all mix and match.  

If we are taking a one week cruise then I start that process a day or so before we leave.

My husband always picks his clothes out and packs 1-2 days before we leave.

The one with the itinerary I want 

I would pick a cruise longer than 10 days during the school year.  There will still be kids unless you pick a cruise line that is adult only, but fewer and better behaved.  

1 hour ago, FlaMariner said:

 

Skip the faux area and head to the left up the beach and enjoy a drink at Jack's Shack, pet the golden doodle and then head back to the ship. 

 

(Disclaimer:  just a suggestion not saying "you should")

 

Enjoy the journey.......even if it is Grand Turk. LOL. 

 

 

23 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Sounds like a good recommendation to me! But Grand Turk is not a good exchange for Curacao, one of my favorite ports. It seems an odd change, since Curacao can take several ships. My cruise is in February and I'm concerned about Bonaire and Key West since they've been more restrictive about ships lately. I want to snorkel in Bonaire!

I 2nd the suggestion to go to Jack’s Shack.  Nice walk down the beach and a great place to hang out.  I love Grand Turk for a beach day. 

On Curacao we usually wander around in town or have lunch at Jaanchie’s on the other end of the island - we’ve gone by bus and will be taking a tour that includes the national park on that side.  Also thought about just taking a random bus and exploring wherever we end up.  Always have fun visiting Curacao - we have 2 stops there on 2 of our upcoming 3 cruises so I am looking for new ideas.  What makes Curacao one of your favorite ports?

Breakfast and Lunch in the MDR are good.  Although the menu never changes, there are enough choices to try many different meals for those days you want a more relaxed meal.

I agree, the Origin Story is worth seeing and will give you the interesting history of HAL.

Download the Navigator App and use it to board, see the daily schedule, communicate with others on board (although beware, they aren’t notified when a message is received unless that has changed).  

Lots of great activities to choose from during sea days.  Enjoy!

59 minutes ago, mcmarya said:

It is sometimes difficult for ships to tender since Quepos is an unprotected port.  On one cruise there the captain had to reposition the ship 3 times before it was safe.  This delayed tendering.  The tender ride is medium length--probably around 20 minutes.  

Thanks for the great information!

Thanks everyone!  Great information.

Never cruised with Windstar, but saw a ship in port in Venice years ago and have wanted to sail with Windstar since that day.  We prefer long cruises and typically either take a long cruise or do multiple cruises B2B.  When you move to the next Yacht Club level while onboard, do you start the new perks the day you get to the next level or do those perks start with the next cruise?

On 9/25/2023 at 11:12 AM, homeschoolmom3 said:

We will be on NCL Epic next year. Our final 2 stops are both in Israel. We would like to permanently get off the ship at the first port Ashdod and just stay in Jerusalem while the ship ends the cruise in Haifa. The US customer service says ask on board. I know we need to start the request before we get on board. Does anyone have contacts for starting this process? Thank you.

If you booked through a TA, ask that person - our TA normally gets our deviation letters for us after I tell her what we want to do.  That is with HAL, but I suspect that is how it works with other lines too.  If you booked directly with NCL, I would imagine call their customer service

So many great excursions….the best ones have been

Myanmar - I told the private tour guide we wanted local, not touristy for a 2 day tour.  And we did!  First day we saw unexcavated ruins (older than Great Wall of China) that had just been named a UNESCO site after a short hike through jungle so thick our guide had to make a path with his machete.  That day our lunch was at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere with no running water in the toilets and I’m guessing the kitchen too - washed our hands in a cistern! Then promptly used hand sanitizer.  2nd day he bought us tickets to a ferry, then met us on the other side of the river.  The only non-locals were us and the other couple on the tour and we didn’t know anyone on board and no one spoke English on the less than 30 minute ferry ride.  Every bench was packed and folks walked the aisles selling clothes, a cigarette (not the carton), food, etc and loudly talking about what they were selling in a sing song voice.  It was sensory overload and an incredible experience.  The village where we disembarked was locals only and transportation was by bicycles and tuk tuks - we had a tuk tuk tour.   We had amazing meals both days and have no idea what most of it was, but wow, we accidentally ordered spicy one day and could barely eat it!  We also saw some local sites and attended part of a church service in a tent

Alaska - don’t remember which port - Ship excursion -helicopter ride to the Mendenhall Glacier then put on crampons for a trek across the glacier to a wall that we climbed using ropes and ice axes.

Dubai - Ship excursion was cheaper than using a private guide for a float plane ride - incredible seeing how the height of Burj Khalifa compared to other buildings from the air and how abruptly the city turns into desert.  And, we landed right beside the ship!

6 different lines…….

Royal Caribbean

Holland America

Carnival

Princess

Norwegian 

Celebrity

22 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

When cruising, your time in Schengen starts with first arrival, which in your case will be when you arrive at a Spanish airport (assuming you are flying and not driving). Your time in zone will continue when aboard the ship, unless you visit a non-Schengen country.

 

If visiting a non-Schengen country, during the cruise, your time in zone accrues from embarkation until departing the last Schengen port. If the cruise visits a Schengen country, after departing the non-Schengen port, the time in zone starts again and continues until you visit another non-Schengen port, or return to UK.

Good explanation.  I’ve never quite understood how it works when you are on a cruise ship.  If I come from the US, visit a Schengen port (the counter starts), stay aboard visiting Schengen ports for 30 days then spend time on land only in Schengen countries, before boarding another cruise that visits Schengen ports for 30 days before stopping in a non-Schengen port, I’m only allowed to be on land for 30 days?  However, if any time during that trip my passport is scanned in a non-Schengen country by either land or ship, the timer restarts?

54 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

We found that out with the seemingly deafening 6:00 announcement on departure morning. The captain's voice startled us fully awake (note - I'm not complaining). I am sure it was to help make sure we were all up and out in an orderly and timely fashion.

Wish those doing back to backs had the option to opt out of those announcements!  🤣🤣

Does anyone remember how long this ride is?  I will ask shore excursions once we are onboard in a few weeks, but was curious now.

On 5/25/2023 at 10:45 AM, stobe1 said:

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone. After as much research as we could do (and surprisingly there is not much information out there on HAL Amazon river cruises) we have booked a balcony cabin for this sailing. We have our yellow fever shots among numerous others already due to several trips to Africa, India and Central Asia over the years.

 

We really appreciate all the feedback and information. We are looking forward to the Amazon and trying to be the lively "youngsters" on board lol. We always make our own fun no matter what.

 

We are looking forward also to our 1st HAL experience. We are typically Carnival and Royal type of cruisers but a little more laid back vibe is good as well sometimes. We are Platinum on Carnival and wish that our status could be portable amongst other Carnival Corporation brands, but it is no biggie. I know that topic of "portable status" is a bit of an area of contention sometimes amongst cruisers.

 

Next major cruise for us will be Antarctica at some point in the next few years. That will be the last continent that both of us still have yet to step foot on so we will be looking for cruise options that actually have excursions and not just scenic "sail by" cruises. But all in good time. 

 

Thanks again for all of the input!

We started cruising with HAL when we were 41.  We’ve been amongst the youngest on board, but never THE youngest.  Even on our longest cruise (~90 days) there have been a handful of people 30-40s and usually some children.  We are not typically late night people, but have gone to bed midnight or later many times on HAL after having drinks and good conversation with fellow passengers.  On one cruise a fun pianist in the Crow’s Nest kept everyone entertained most nights - I believe he played until around 10pm or 11pm.  It will definitely be a different vibe than Carnival or Royal though.  

I agree - it would be wonderful if your status was for Carnival Corporation rather than one part of that.  A few years ago MSC offered status matching from any line if you took one cruise with them.  If they can do that, Carnival could do the same for within the Carnival family!

On 9/16/2023 at 7:11 PM, Banditswife said:

We will be doing a 16 day "holiday" cruise on the Zaandam-12/19 thru 1/4.  What special activities will there be onboard?  Someone on our roll call said ugly Christmas sweater contest & New year's eve ball.  I know the ship will be decorated.  And since we will be in the Caribbean, I think I'll try for an ugly Christmas tshirt.  Anything else I should plan on packing?

We were on the Zaandam holiday cruise last year and surprised how much was closed in ports the entire cruise.  We expected on Christmas and New Years, but many places are closed the entire week.  We didn’t have an ugly Christmas sweater contest - but that would be fun.

Just now, TLCOhio said:

 

YES!!  We will have a Hambantota, Sri Lanka, port stop on Sun./Feb. 18, 4 am arrive till 7 pm.  Right now for this Hambantota visit, we are leaning to do a ship's tour that includes the religious site of Kataragama, plus Velgam Vehera.  Then lunch at Jetwing Yula Hotel and finish at Yula National Park.  Bundala might be less crowded, but Yula has a wider variety of creatures, birds, etc., there.  Trade-offs to consider??

 

Appreciate your great follow-up and specific details.  Will keep researching, planning and considering the various options for our three ports stops in Sri Lanka.  Glad things worked so well for your visit to Yala.  Understand, however, it can get petty busy at times there.  Other insights?

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit.  Now at 33,815 views.  Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

We were at Yala in 2016 and I am really glad we went.  The drivers radio each other about where the animals are and they all race to get there so yes, it does get a little crowded sometimes.  something to consider is the vehicles - the ones we were in were tall had you had to climb up into it using a narrow ladder a few times.   It wasn’t easy for some with any type of mobility issue.  

 I’ve not been to Bundala and don’t know anything about it.  

2 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

 

Appreciate these various follow-ups and very helpful background information about Sri Lanka.  We'll check more as to offerings from Blue Lanka. Keep it coming with this great sharing.   

 

From the London/UK Daily Mail this weekend, they had this headline: “Birds (and big cats) of paradise: Sri Lanka is best known for its elephants - but wildlife of a different kind is the real attraction” with these highlights: “You might never have thought of going to Sri Lanka for bird-watching.  About 5,000 years ago, at what is now Kurullangala Prehistoric Cave Art Site, an unknown artist sketched the native peacocks. The depictions are so accurate it’s clear that bird-watching on this Indian Ocean island has been fashionable for a long time.”

 

Many colorful and interesting birds are pictured in this report.  Fascinating!!  

 

Here is more background: "Sri Lanka has had its difficulties in recent years. A long civil war was followed by the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, a terrorist attack in 2019, the Covid pandemic and a collapse of its economy in 2022. Yet despite all this, the country remains friendly, safe and optimistic, and as extraordinary for nature as it has always been.  In all, there are 33 bird species unique to Sri Lanka. If you want to see all of them, there is one place to go: Sinharaja Rainforest in the south."

 

Full story at:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-12498689/Birds-big-cats-paradise-Sri-Lanka-best-known-elephants-wildlife-different-kind-real-attraction.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 54,814 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

If your ship ever stops at Hambantota - Yala National Park is wonderful.  We had a safari on a day trip with Shehan Safari and saw lots of elephants, a leopard, monkeys, white Pelicans, painted storks, kingfisher bird, mongoose, monitor lizard, spotted deer, boars, crocodiles, jack rabbit, bald eagles, fluorescent green birds, fluorescent blue birds, brown Pygmy birds, egrets and cows and I am sure I forgot to make a note of some animals.

 It has been a few years since I’ve been to Muscat.  My tour guide is saying it takes passengers a long time to get from the ship to the port and has asked me to leave the ship as early as possible to meet him at 9am.  We are in port starting at 8am.  I remember the taxi drivers being extremely aggressive at the port gate and really don’t want to wait there very long.  I do have my guide’s number so I can WhatsApp him when we get there.

I know there is a 3 minute shuttle ride, but does it really take an hour to get from the ship to the port?  

Last visit our ship was there overnight.  The first day our tour went to Galle seeing Stilt Fisherman, a turtle hatchery (awesome), a mask factory and a Buddhist temple. It was a fun day but the 3 hour drive to Galle was long. The stops helped.  It was fun for one time because it was different.  
 

The other day we did a city tour and it was interesting.  Highlights were the water temple where we saw a gorgeous wedding, floating market, peppermint mosque and a good street market.  
 

Next year we have a one day stop and are going to see Ingiriva.  

All tours with Blue Lanka.   Really depends on what you like to do and how much time you have in port.  

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

It’s not you.  CC’s bizarre geography puts the Costa Rica sub forum in the Caribbean forum, despite Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast.  

Good grief.   No wonder I couldn’t find it!

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

The Costa Rica Ports of Call sub forum is here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/120-costa-rica/

Thank you!  I looked for that but somehow missed it.

I am meeting a private guide in Agadir, Morocco and wondering how long the tender boat ride is so I am determine what time to leave the ship.  Does anyone know or have a general idea?