Homeagain

We have been to Robben Island (twice) and although I understand some of the negative comments, I would still recommend a visit. It is very 'atmospheric' and the photo opportunity back to Cape Town and Table Mountain is wonderful.

We usually stay in Hout Bay when in SA and can recommend Mariners Wharf, but also the calamari at the Chapmans Peak Hotel is out of this world.

On your journey down the Cape, go along Chapmans Peak Drive (toll road) for wonderful views.

Also, the Constantia wine growing area is beautiful, especially Groot Constantia - a lovely lunch stop.

If you have time, the Kirstenbosch gardens are stunning and we think the Moyo restaurant there is better than the one in Stellenbosch - reserve a table on the terrace for lovely garden and mountain views.

Thanks for your take on Robben Island. We'll probably go there to experience the atmosphere and history as well as the photo opportunities. On our Full day Peninsula Tour we do go along Chapman's Peak Drive and our last stop is Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. It sounds like we are hitting all the main attractions! We have a full day Winelands tour to Franschhoek and Stellenbosch with lunch somewhere along the way and several stops for wine tasting.

We'll be sure to check out the Bo Kaap area if we are able, we will not have a car as we are doing private tours daily.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

Diane

Hi Diane,

Highlights around Cape Town are very subjective. For us a highlight is not to visit Robben Island - although the Nelson Mandela story is a great testimony the island itself is a little of a let down. It's not as exciting as visiting Alcatraz, so personally we don't take guests there for that reason and also because there are soooo many wonderful things to see in Cape Town, one has to choose the highlights that suit your personalities.

As you now know - we are crazy, avid, wildlife watchers …. so much of our time is taken up with Whale Watching in Hermanus, Penguins at Boulders, Seal Island off Hout Bay and a trip to Cape Point (whale and game viewing there too). South Africa has such unique animals (to Africa) and seeing them all in their own environments is such a plus. Just a side here: If you do get to go to Hout Bay, there is one of the most awesome restaurants there - Mariner's Wharf …. they serve the BEST seafood on the Cape Peninsula hands down. Also while in South Africa you must try a Dom Pedro …. it's like a double thick shake, made with ice cream but also contains either whiskey or Kahlua … you can order one at ANY restaurant that has a liquor license.

You are going to find so many places where the food is so inexpensive. Of course for us to exchange rate at the moment is pretty much $1 - R10, so we find most of the restaurants very reasonable.

You will find more restaurants at the V & A than you can imagine and they run the gamut in price. Starting with McDonalds and KFC right up to Nobu etc. But in the cheaper range here are some recommendations:

Santa Ana Spur (Spur is a chain of steakhouses in SA) - good food, good prices.

Steers - if you are looking for a burger joint, much better than Mc Donalds.

Mugg & Bean - for great breakfast and lunches

Ocean Basket - cheap seafood

Quay 4 - down on the water, you can watch the seals playing.

Moyo - for a true African experience. Although I will say we much prefer Moyo at Spier winery in Stellenbosch.

And other than Willoughby's (which you will not be disappointed in) our personal other favorite casual restaurant there is Balducci's.

Hope this helps a bit ……...

Jackie and Tony,

Thank you so very much for all your wonderful suggestions. We have booked a trip to Robben Island but... have been reading some reviews similar to yours so we may have to rethink that. We will be going to Hout Bay on our Peninsula tour (which is a private tour for the 4 of us) so I will ask if we can lunch at Mariners Wharf - it sounds amazing! We also can do an optional Seal Island Cruise. We are doing Hermanus for Whale Watching and Boulders Beach during our Peninsula tour as well. So, hopefully we have covered all the highlights for wildlife viewing.

Thank you for the restaurant suggestions. It seems that there were too many choices and I really appreciate you narrowing things down for us. We want to stay away from fast food joints so your ideas will really help. Looking forward to trying a Dom Pedro!

Thanks again.

Diane

P.S. Feel free to offer up any other suggestions, ideas, places to visit etc.

Hi, I am an ex-Cape Tonian and hubby an ex-Rhodesian (now Zimbabwe) we now live in Tampa, Florida but in the 20 years we have lived here we still travel to SA every year (Sept & Oct) to visit family and go on safari. Some background, my husband was a game ranger at Wankie (Hwange) National Park, Zimbabwe and also Pilanesberg National Park, SA and Kruger National Park, SA. I met him in Victoria Falls where he lived for a while - National Parks move you around ;)

Anyhow, now we tour American friends to our home countries each year. We do not have a business, nor do we charge, this is purely introducing our American friends to our African heritage. Sorry it took so long to qualify myself to answer your questions.

 

As a previous person suggested Willoughby's is absolutely the BEST restaurant in the V & A according to us as well, it's not really Japanese but they do make the most unbelievable sushi. We always have the prawn platters and their seafood is scrumptious! There are tons of restaurants in the V & A and lots are good, some have better views of the bay and the mountain than food. You won't be disappointed with Willoughby's. Try and eat early in the evening, typically Cape Tonians eat later, although Willoughby's also attracts people coming from work too.

 

US Dollars are only used in Zimbabwe and Rands are used in South Africa. I wouldn't suggest carrying too much cash on you for security reasons. We carry the bare minimum and use our credit cards everywhere … the charges are minimal.

 

We will be in Chobe, Zimbabwe, Kruger Park and Cape Town in September this year as well - it's the best time of year in the game reserves and at Vic Falls - you're going to love it, it's just a pity you won't be in Cape Town longer!!

Thanks so much for your reply. It's great to know that we have picked a good time to visit. My research has paid off! In your opinion, have we missed any highlights around Cape Town? We will have every evening free for dinner and whatever else may be of interest. It's so nice to hear from someone that knows the area inside out and I really appreciate any additional information and suggestions you can make. I read that we can get a boxed sandwich at Il Paninaro to take with us when we go to Robben Island - have you tried this? I have read mixed reviews about Robben Island - what are your thoughts? Any other restaurant suggestions? What is the cost of meals in Cape Town? We are not into really fancy places, just somewhere with good food, good service and good atmosphere.

Thanks again for taking the time - I enjoyed reading your background!

Diane

Willoughbys in the V & A waterfront. Lots of locals eat there. Japanese food, no reservations, but the queue moves quite quickly.

 

We used US dollars for Victoria Falls and used rand for South Africa.

Thanks! I always like to be sure and have the correct currency to avoid using credit cards and incurring exchange rates.

Zimbo,

We are not cruising to South Africa but doing a land based tour starting at Victoria Falls with a day trip to Chobe, then on to Kapama Buffalo Camp then to Cape Town. Hope you don't mind answering a few questions for us. We wondered if we should bring just US dollars or just South African Rand or a combination of both. We will need money for tips, meals, tour guides etc. I saw your list of things to do and places to eat in Cape Town. We are staying at the Victoria and Alfred Hotel on the V & A Waterfront and will not have access to a vehicle except during our tours. Are any of the recommended restaurants in the waterfront area? Are there any other reasonably priced restaurants you would recommend in the area? We are doing 4 days of touring to cover as many of the highlights as we can -a half day Cape Town tour with a half day Robben Island tour then a full day Peninsula tour, a full day winelands tour capped off with a full day Shark Cage Diving for the guys and a Whale watching tour for the girls. We are visiting in Sept 2014. Any information you can provide would be appreciated.

Diane

Todd and Leslie Foss are the owners of Grace Bay Car Rentals and they work out of Providenciales. If you Google grace bay car rentals their website comes up with pictures of them and information about the company. I did correspond with them as well as Dennis from Grand Turk.

I did not give my credit card information prior to my rental - we did it when we picked the car up.

When I heard back from Dennis in Grand Turk here is the e-mail he sent me along with the rental reservation confirmation:

Hi Diane,

I am Dennis from Grace Bay Car rentals Grand Turk about your reservation on Oct 8, 2013 at Cruise Center.

Yes we can deliver the car at 8am , so all you have to do once you get off the cruise just ask any of the security

the place Indigo Pearl shop our agent will wait you there his name Jessie his wearing a blue grace bay Tshirt

his going to assist you to your car and his going to get all your information, your drivers license and credit card.

About hte car we have this Toyota Corona that have space for long legs. by the way our waiting time for our guest

30 minutes so Jessie will wait you at Indigo from 8:00 to 8:30 am . Just let me know if there a time change.

My contact number is 649-231-8500. sorry for the late reply abput your reservation. If you have any question i'm

gladly to help you. We have map inside the car that can help you or ask Jessie for assistance .

I hope you enjoy exploring in Grand Turk and thank you for renting with us.

Regards,

Dennis

Here is the e-mail address:

info@gracebaycarrentals.com

Hope this helps.

Diane

We contacted them 3 weeks prior to our cruise and firmed up our reservation 2 weeks prior. I do not know how many cars they have - we had a Toyota Corona which was perfect for the 4 of us.

We stopped at Senor Frogs and had a drink and used their free wifi to book our return seats. We did not print anything and got our boarding passes when we checked in at the airport.

We just returned from our Carnival Breeze cruise. We rented a car from Grace Bay and it was great. I e-mailed back and forth a few times prior to booking and all correspondence was answered quickly. We also were in port at 7 am so we booked for 8 am and Jessie was waiting for us beside Indigo. A quick walk to the parking lot and we were on our way. They did not require our credit card until we arrived which we liked. We had the car for the day and as a previous poster mentioned just left the car with the key under the mat. We liked having a car so we could lock up our stuff while we explored and then again when we went snorkelling. It was an inexpensive alternative for the 4 of us. We wanted to see the island - although there is not a lot to see - but enjoyed it just the same.

Diane

We are just back off the Carnival Breeze and used Mark Morris tours for our trip to Dunns Falls and River Tubing. We had Michelle for our guide and she was wonderful. She took us river tubing first to avoid the crowds at the Falls. When we got to the river tubing we were the only group there! We had the river to ourselves (our group of 4), we were able to do a very leisurely trip down the river and only saw 2 groups on rafts. There was one other group arriving as we took off down the river. It was great. Michelle kept all of our things locked in the van and met us at the end. Once we were done there, we made our way to Dunns Falls. It was very busy, but we decided to climb without a guide and that was the best decision. We walked past a very long line and went straight to the falls. The climb was challenging but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Again, Michelle kept our things locked up - she walked us into the park, right up to the beach and watched as we got started. She then waited at the end for us. Michelle was a great guide - gave us lots of local information, was very friendly and knowledgeable. She was very accommodating also, and would take us shopping or for lunch - whatever we wanted. We decided to go back to the ship and got back before the big rush. Prior to our trip, Mark sent a confirmation immediately and another reminder a couple of days prior to our trip. This was reassuring to us. When you get off the ship there are tour advisors and they will direct you to Mark Morris tours. We ended up walking out of the terminal to meet our guide (with a tour advisor) since it was so busy in the terminal. Payment was made at the end of the tour so again, they are giving you the best day and you do not have to pay up front. It was a wonderful day and I would highly recommend Mark Morris tours to everyone.

If you'd like to spend three hours strolling, tasting, and learning all kinds of neat things about the Bahamas, I highly recommend this tour. Our guide, Alanna, was personable, local, and full of information. We were warmly welcomed in the restaurants, chocolate factory, and store and all the food was delicious. Now I know where to go the next time I'm in Nassau!

How did you book this tour or was it available when you got to the port? How much was it? We are looking for something to do in Nassau besides going to the beach (probably Junkanoo) since we are there from 8 am until 5 pm. Thanks for any info.

OK, I haven't seen anyone mention the Sandsculpture Exhibit (unless it's another one I'm thinking of - but I think it's in Riga, not Copenhagen!) What and where is that exhbit?

 

Thanks for your info! I'm going to CPH soon and trying to figure out what I can cram in my limited time there!

Hi there,

Here is a link for the Sand Sculpture Exhibit - it is quite close to the Amalienborg Castle and Nyhavn.

http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/Events/Copenhagen...Sand-Sculpture...

Diane

Thanks for the info Diane!! I agree about the card. I had thought about getting one in other ports where we would be visiting a lot of the sights and using public transportation simply because we could use it for the majority, if not all, of the costs. It sounds like you visited the exact same things we plan on going to! I don't think we were going to tour City Hall, but we were planning on going there. Did you like the tour or would you suggest we skip it? We wanted to see what we could but not be in the crush of people rushing back to the ship. Also, do you remember about what time you were allowed to get off the ship that morning?

Susan

Hi Susan,

We got off the ship shortly after 7am. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour of City Hall and you have to be on a guided tour to see it. They run every hour starting at 9:30am so you may be able to get there earlier then wander around Gamla Stan after.

We used a Copenhagen Card on our arrival - we went a day ahead - we purchased it at the airport and used it to take the train into Copenhagen. Our hotel (the Best Western Hotel Hebron) was a short 2 blocks from the train station. After checking in we headed out with our card - you can use it for the buses but we walked a fair bit the first day. We saw Rosenborg Castle, the Round Tower (great views), did a canal tour, went to the Tivoli gardens at night then onto the Ice Bar (10% discount with the card).

In Oslo, we got off the ship immediately at 10am and purchased an Oslo card from the Information desk at the port. We were very lucky and by the time we walked over to the ferries going to Bygdoy we only had to wait a few minutes. Once across we walked to the Viking Ship Museum - again getting there just before the crowds. After that we walked to the Open Air Museum (Norwegian Folk Museum) to see the Stave Church - we didn't feel we had time to see the whole place and had planned to do the Open Air Museum in Aarhus (which didn't happen as we did not get into port that day) We took to ferry over to the other side of Bygdoy to see the Kon Tiki and Fram Museums. Ferry back to city centre then a quick walk back to the ship for lunch - we didn't have any plans made and felt this would be quicker. After lunch we went to the Akerhus Castle (which is right beside the ship), then the Resistance Museum which is right beside the castle then walked a short distance to City Hall for a wander (no tour). After that we took the tram to Vigeland Sculpture Park and spent an hour or so looking at all the sculptures. We were back to the ship by 5pm. The only things we didn't get to were the Cathedral and Holmenkellen (it seemed too far away to chance it).

We purchased a second Copenhagen Card after our return as we weren't flying out until the next day. With this one we took the city bus out to see the Little Mermaid, then bus back to Amalieborg Castle and went into the museum, then to the Marble Church (no charge for this), went through the Sandsculpture Exhibit (enjoyed seeing 3 Canadian sculptures), then we took a bus back to the train station and took the train to Roskilde to see the Roskilde Cathedral (amazing!) and the Roskilde Museum. There is also a Viking Ship Museum there but we did not get to it (it is not included in the card). Then train back to the city. We went back to the Tivoli that night just to wander. Then up early and onto the train back to the airport (still using our 24 hour card) All in all we got great value for the cards that we purchased and I had done alot of research and asked alot of questions on CC to help make our travels run smoothly.

Sorry for going on so long - but hope this helps! Feel free to ask anything else. I'm working the next few days but will try to pop on at night!

Diane

Hi, we are going on this ship and have the same questions and I was wondering what you ended up doing and what, if anything, you might do differently. Thanks in advance for you help!!

Susan

Hi Susan,

We ended up purchasing a Stockholm card in advance (had it mailed to us) We got off the ship immediately and followed the blue line part way - took a set of stairs up to the main road and caught the first bus going by - included in the card. At Slussen, we asked at the info desk where to catch bus 76 to Djugarden (sorry if I spelled it wrong) stop - it was a short walk across the bridge to the Vasa. After the Vasa we took a bus back to Gamla Stan - went to the Stockholm Cathedral and wandered a bit. Then we walked over to City Hall for the 11:30am tour. When this was done we caught a bus back to Slussen then asked which bus to get back to the ship. We were back just after 1pm. It was a wonderful day and the public transportation is very easy. The Stockholm Card was about $63.00 each and we used about $48. worth. We knew we may not get our money's worth - but we felt it was still a good deal with the convenience of having it for the buses and the entrances. $68 to see the Vasa, the Cathedral and City Hall was great value.

If you have any other questions - I'd be glad to answer them for you!

Diane

Here is the current timetable for bus 76 with times for four major stops. First table is for buses going North to South, second table for buses going South to North. Full list of stops at the end of table.

http://sl.se/ficktid/vinter/v76.pdf

Thanks Ultima Thule. Any thoughts on which method of transportation is better/quicker/more efficient?

Still trying to determine which route to go - Bus or HOHO boat to get to Vasa before 8:30am - so we can go in as soon as it opens.

I believe we can catch bus 76 from Slussen to get there but what time does it start in the morning? We are there on a Tuesday from 7am to 2pm docked at Stadsgarden 167. Is there is schedule I can get from somewhere with the bus times?

From the Vasa we want to go over to City Hall or Gamla Stan, again is the bus or HOHO better or will either work?

We are trying to decide whether to get a Stockholm card or not - purely for convenience - we know we will not get our money's worth but for $68 (Approx) each for the day we still feel it would be worth it if the transportation works. Otherwise we will look at an all day HOHO boat pass.

Can anyone help with this?

Thanks.

Diane

As North-Bound mentioned elsewhere, you can’t always count on the advertised docking assignment. However, that said, when it says S167 this early, well that is most likely where you will be.

 

 

 

In all honesty, I am not familiar with the HOHO service, there are several (at least 2) companies. I tried to get some straight answers last season, but I am still a little confused. I am pretty sure they will be waiting to take people to the Vasa when the ship disembarks.

 

Sorry, but in my opinion you are trying to do too much in such a short time. I would forget the city hall tour and the tower. You are not taking into consideration getting around. You have to consider waiting time for ferries, buses or whatever and climbing the tower too. I suppose what you have on your wish list is possible, but I would be dead about half way through, and stressed out of my gourd even if everything fell into place perfectly, time wise, crowds etc. Once again, sorry, but this is the way I like to travel. I understand it might be a once in a lifetime trip for you and you may never get back, but best to be aware.

 

 

 

I’m sure you will have an amazing day. Be sure to add on your comment card to the cruise line that you were not real thrilled with the in-port hours. Enjoy the sail-in/out through the archipelago. Hope I did not put a damper on your plans, I can only speak for how I would do it.

 

 

Al

Thanks for your input Al, I think we will skip the tower and play the City Hall tour by ear - if we can't make the 10am we may look at booking for 11 or 12 and wander Gamla Stan prior. We do like to see as much as possible when we are in port and with only 4 of us we can usually cover a lot of ground in a short time frame if we have a good plan.

I'm still debating between the HOHO boats and buses - Anyone else have any input as to which is the most efficient for getting around?

Thanks for all the help!

Diane

Al,

Thanks for the information - any chance you can comment on my plan for Stockholm - it is on post #879. I'm not sure which method of transportation would be the most time effective the HOHO boats or the buses? I'm not concerned about purchasing the Stockholm card and not getting my $ worth - it would strictly be for convenience only allowing us to use the buses and get into both the Vasa and City Hall.

I appreciated any suggestions.

Thanks.

Diane

We were hoping to do something similar to Homeagain in Stockholm. We dock early and want to get to the Vasa Museum first thing but it looks like the Hoho boat doesn't start running until just before 10:00am. What are our other options?

Gayle,,

I have read that the HOHO boats start running around 8:30am to take people directly to the Vasa or Gamla Stan. I am trying to confirm this as we would like to be at the Vasa by 8:30. We may have to go for the bus instead.

If Al has any information for us we would appreciate it.

Diane

Thanks Sinppu and Tony,

We are docked at the West Harbour - Hernesaari according to the Port of Helsinki so we will either take the 15 or 15A or walk back depending on our timing. Thanks again! We are looking forward to visiting Helsinki.

Diane

Sinppu's excellent answer covers all this. I really enjoyed my time at the fortress

 

You are on your tour in the morning. If you have to get an 8 euro all-day travel ticket for that (unlikely, I know as travel is probably included in your tour) that will be good for the ferry too so you won't need another ticket for that.

 

I am really pleased we have another local expert for Helsinki (Ultima is great too) as Helsinki is a great port of call, criminally under-rated just because it isn't St P or Berlin. I had a superb day there

 

All the best, Tony

Tony,

I watched your video which got me interested in seeing the Fortress. Thanks for your help. Our tour does cover transport unless we stay after the tour and will have to make our way back to the ship so the all day ticket may work. What would be the best way back to the ship?

Thanks again Sinppu and Tony - we cruisers really appreciate the first hand knowledge that you provide.

Hello!

 

The Suomenlinna ferry runs from the Market Place (Kauppatori). They leave every 15-20 minutes and it also takes 20 minutes to reach the island. The ticket costs 5 euros per person and it is valid for 12 hours so you'll only need to buy it once. Once you get to the island, you are free to go anywhere. There are museums which charge a small fee.

They offer walking tours (currently 8 € pp) also in English and they start from the Visitor's Centre.

I'd say you need at least 2,5 hours to visit, the ferry trips included. The island is not big and you can easily walk around it. There are a few residential homes on the island so watch out for the backyards ;)

There's also the Naval Academy but it is well signed (like everything on the island).

You can have lunch there as there are many restaurants or you can eat at the Market Place (lots of traditional Finnish food stalls). Finland is expensive so a meal with a drink can set you back 10-15 euros.

 

You can walk from the Central Station to the Market Place, it will take 10-15 minutes max. If you'd rather take the tram, it is number 3T to Eira direction and will take you less than 5 minutes.

 

Hope these were of some help, ask away if you think of something else!

Thanks Sinppu. Your information is very helpful. I'm sure I will have other questions as I do more research on our trip!

we will be in Helsinki on Mon June 11 on the Emerald Princess. We are in port from 7am - 4pm. We are on on organized tour from 9:30 - 12:30pm seeing most of the city highlights. We are considering taking the ferry to the Sea Fortress. Where would we get the ferry? Our tour ends at Central Station (the heart of Helsinki?) where would we need to go to catch the ferry? How often does it run and what is the cost? How much time would we need to visit the Sea Fortress and is there an admission charge for it. We would also like to have lunch somewhere - we could have it before going to the Sea Fortress or there. Any suggestions and approx cost?

Thanks for your helpl

I know you have probably answered all of this before but I need to ask in order to feel confident that we are on the right track for our part day in Stockholm.

We are on the Emerald Princess arriving on Tuesday June 12 from 7am to 2pm only! We are docking at S167.

My plan is to purchase a combo HOHO and Vasa ticket at the booth at the dock and hop on one of the boats going directly to the Vasa so we can be there as early as possible (hopefully 8:30am when they open). Spend approximately 1 hour touring the Vasa Museum. After that I would like to take the HOHO over to the Royal Palace stop and walk over to City Hall and catch the 10am tour. After the tour decide if we want to go up the tower at 11:15am. This will take us till about noon at which time we would walk over to the Stockholm Cathedral for a quick tour. Then wander around Old Town and catch the HOHO back to the ship for 1:30 all aboard time.

Is there anything we should consider eliminating or adding? Is is possible to cover all of this in our short time frame?

I had considered purchasing the Stockholm Card rather than the HOHO pass but wasn't sure if the bus was as efficient as the HOHO boats.

Thank you for any information you can provide to make our day in Stockholm an amazing one!