cruiseaholic78

This is not about a transatlantic but a different possibility. We wanted to do a Caribbean cruise next year and I was pleased to be able to book one with a return departure from Boston. For us that is a much shorter (and hopefully cheaper!) flight than to FLL. When looking for a cruise I originally had put departure FLL into my searches so I only saw this by mistake! Not sure if the link works properly it could all be double dutch! happy planning Rosalyn https://www.hollandamerica.com/nl_NL/find-a-cruise.html#soldOut=&start=0&{!tag=destinationTag}destinationIds=C&{!tag=departTag}departDate=2024-10-01T00:00:00Z,2024-11-01T00:00:00Z&{!tag=durationTag}duration=&{!tag=embarkTag}embarkPortCode=BOS&{!tag=portsTag}portsOfCall=&{!tag=shipsTag}shipId=&{!tag=regionTag}regions=&{!tag=cruisetypeTag}cruiseType= just checked it is in Dutch but you can see the cruises I meant.

Last year the Hilton Shinjuku ran a shuttle service between their hotel and the Shinjuku station, we used it quite a few times. I suggest you check with the hotel for options and check which exit you will need, last year it was on the right hand side of the station We have also used the limousine bus to get from both Haneda and Narita to the Hilton in the past worked well, we bought the tickets after arrival and collecting luggage. The desk was well manned and I would not bother pre booking tickets. We also did the prebooking on Japan web, two Q codes each and we were through very quickly. There were guides at the airport pointing the right way every few meters or so, obviously one way to avoid unemployment! happy planning Rosalyn

Actually it seems we are both more or less right, its not the exact science I thought it was. It varies according to the airline. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-ticket-release-dates/

My advice is to book asap, flights should be available 360 days before your return date. Try using the IATA website and google flights to play around with dates, it can be cheaper to leave a day earlier or stay a day extra. I booked our flights to Asia as soon as they were available, now they are double. Do check with F.E. and if possible check for refundable flights so you can always cancel for a better deal. KLM now has a good P.E. offering. https://matrix.itasoftware.com/search happy planning Rosalyn

Good decision, if you do decide to stay in Rotterdam how about trying something “old style”. The SS Rotterdam is now an hotel quite a unique place to stay a night or two. https://ssrotterdam.com Happy Planning

As your flight seems to be at 11:35 I would honestly say it could be a problem it is on a Saturday which will improve the odds. The situation last year in Amsterdam (and others hubs) was hopeless to say the least but it has improved and we have left from there twice this year with no problems. International check in is 3 hours in advance. If at all possible I would rethink your flight or stay an extra day in Amsterdam or Rotterdam so you will not be worrying during your cruise. This info should help. https://www.schiphol.nl/en/

Another vite for Delft, its like a smaller version of Amsterdam with canals and beautiful old buildings, its also just a short hop from Amsterdam. By the way you should be able to pay for the train now with your credit card, one each though.

Don’t know about the book but this BBC mini series was extremely popular and many people went to visit Crete after watching it.

Gosh its a small world we also visited Alexandria on the Fantasia, no idea which year though. It was also a time that we all traveled without water or used sunscreen! Many years later we also visited the pyramids this time on a large convoy with armed guards front and back and a spare coach “in case of a breakdown” It is one time I would definitely not advise a private tour.

Do you have the HIA package which includes standard wifi? If so (see answers above) is that you only need to pay the difference between standard and premium wifi $5 per day.

Have you had a look at booking Club orange if it is available for your cruise? Basically you book and pay for the lowest veranda guarantee and get to choose the cabin of your choice which can be any sort of veranda, do make sure you know which cabin you want. You also get some other perks including separate dining room. We used this for our Nieuwe Statendam cruise and our end price was less expensive than booking without Club orange. Sorry for weird link but google kept giving me a Dutch one! https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjclIL_z_SAAxW-_7sIHdgtDysQFnoECA8QAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollandamerica.com%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2Fhal%2Finventory-assets%2Factivity-types%2Fdining%2Fclub-orange%2FClub_Orange_Benefits.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2fDlfGk6vK0AM25BzacSH4&opi=89978449

Our cruise was not actually going to New Zealand it was a circumnavigation of Australia and the missed ports (two of them) were due to underwater hull cleaning.

We do not appreciate being lied to! On our Australian cruise last year Thursday Island was cancelled for “operational reasons” and some port times were reduced. The worst thing of all was losing two ports because Regatta had to ‘try’ to do hull cleaning needed for the next cruise to New Zealand. It was obvious that arranging companies to do hull cleaning was not something that was possible at a days notice! Posted February 14 (edited) Attached is an article dated 7th January in which an Oceania spokesperson said that the vessel would be missing two ports and was on her way to Philip Island. They KNEW at least on 7th (it might have been submitted earlier) that we would not be going so why did they not inform us until the morning on 8th and allow people to gather in the lounge awaiting non existent excursions. https://cruisepassenger.com.au/news/queen-elizabeth-fourth-ship-to-fall-foul-of-new-zealands-environmental-laws/

Delete

Slightly off topic but definitely worthwhile, preregistration for customs/immigration in Japan. Apply on you phone and sail through with your two Q codes. https://vjw-lp.digital.go.jp/en/ Rosalyn

Here is a useful link with Schiphol info. https://www.schiphol.nl/en/ Rosalyn

That was last year and there were many problems however we have flown through Schiphol twice this year and there were no delays at all. As you will already be in Amsterdam you can disembark as early as you like and there will be taxis waiting for you. Here is some further info. https://www.schiphol.nl/en/

Yes it is and a perfect solution, we used the bus twice once from Haneda and once from Narita worked perfectly both times. It is really a coach with luggage space underneath and a little cheaper at 1300 JPY but this is about $10 each. https://webservice.limousinebus.co.jp/web/en/ReservationPlanSelect.aspx

The standard wifi package is $29.99 a day and premium is $34.99 a day so why are they charging you $15 a day extra? Or am I missing something here?

Yummy!

Just checking (thought I had seen it but can’t find it again) if we have the wifi package with HIA is it just an additional $5 per day to upgrade to premium? thanks RosLyn

We had them on our 2019 Hawaï cruise, loved them all.

Another vote for Fleet landing restaurant and you must try the pecan pie! On our second visit ordered it again, later asked and received the recipe. The location is great to sit (outside) and watch the world go by. https://fleetlanding.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Southern-Pecan-Pie.pdf Rosalyn

This is what we did on our visit to Boston, try to start as early as possible as traffic can get busy later in the day. Happy planning https://www.trolleytours.com/boston/careers Rosalyn

Wow, thanks for that it looks as though the release for my new cruise Boston to Boston on 19th October visiting the Caribbean was released on 30th March so no early booking bonus for me. To be honest I only found this cruise recently as I had always looked at Fort Lauderdale/ Miami as cruise starting point. This one was had everything Caribbean/Panama canal and shorter/cheaper direct flights from NL. Rosalyn