trivia addict

Thank you. This is interesting. It is early in the season so maybe different. I’ll watch the Cruise Critic Bermuda board to see if anyone else has any more info and will be there in June to see for myself.

You mention that Clearwater Beach has a small store that sells premade sandwiches, drinks and snacks. When we there last year, there was an actual beach bar serving drinks and a food truck with hot food. Have these been replaced with this small store?

I did a Resort for a Day at Cocoa Reef years ago. The pool was beautiful, the lunch was very good and everyone was very friendly. What I did not like was the many steps one had to navigate to go to the beach.

Just to be clear, yes you will fly into Basel, but it might not be a direct flight. As I said, we first had to fly to Frankfort for our connection and I know that some on our ship first flew into Paris before coming into Basel. The Silver beverage works for us because my husband enjoys craft cocktails and I like the fact that I have a wider choice of wines than those that are included in the price of the cruise. We feel that the $25 per night is worth it for us.

We did do the Viking Air but we paid the extra fee for air plus to choose our own flights. ( I think it was $100 pp for this service) We had to fly into Frankfurt and from there flew into Basel. Viking gives you free beer and wine for lunch and dinner, but cocktails are extra. The drink package gives you all bar drinks, and beer, and wine whenever you want. The wine selection is much larger with the package giving you the chance to try all of the local wines. And we take advantage of that! i believe it is called the Silver Spirits package and you can buy it at the bar when you first board. Probably can buy it ahead of time but we have twice done it onboard. I can’t remember the exact price but pretty sure it’s well under $200 for the entire week. I’m sure you can call Viking to get the price. A lot different than what we pay on the cruise lines here!

Thank you. I stand corrected!

Yes, O positive is the universal donor.

I don’t think that those who were asking why a male as opposed to a female were trying to interfere in someone else’s business. No one asked for names, circumstances, or medical issues. I think, like me, they were just wondering as to the science of why the gender is important. Thank you to those who gave us the scientific answer. I think we all know a little bit more about medicine which may or may not be useful to us someday. Knowledge is good.

We always go to Clearwater Beach. Far, but quiet, uncrowded and has amenities.

Yes, you will need a TA who is familiar with the countries you are visiting. Very different experiences. And do watch out for pickpockets. Despite its reputation, I never had a problem in Rome, but a I’m sure a family trying to corral 3 children would be a good target. i have had two problems in Barcelona. Once had a camera stolen and once my daughter and I were definitely being followed. BTW, if in Barcelona, I recommend the HopOnHopOff bus. And of course, the Gaudi works of LaPedera and Sagrada Familia are not to be missed.

Maybe no coffee makers in rooms but many of the smaller European hotels have amazing European style included breakfasts. Cheeses, meats, breads, yogurt, pastries, etc. My adult children now probably remember those more than some of our excursions! If you can book one of those you will save quite a bit of time and money in the mornings.

Smilegirl07, have you thought about using a travel agent for your stays in Europe before and after the cruise? i, too, am very hands on when it comes to cruises and travel within the U.S., but when it comes to booking hotels, cars, trains and museum tickets in Europe I find that a good TA knows a lot more than I do about these things.

The company may not be “local” but the guides that are hired at the venues are local citizens who are trained to be guides. Obviously, if you have guides all over the world, your headquarters will not be “local”

Yes, the Schuyler/ Hamilton history is fascinating. There are many good biographies or historical novels of them all that make good reading. Can’t really judge the seating for you, it’s a big theater, but of course, lots of seats! And pictures posted, make me want to take another tour all over again!

For anyone who has not yet seen Hamilton ( in person) I highly recommend you make an effort to see it. Over 50 years and countless Broadway plays in my background, it is my all time favorite. I do suggest though, that before seeing it, you do a little background reading on his life. The music and acting is wonderful, but the dialogue is rapid. By knowing his story it is easy to follow. And if you are in the City beforehand, one of the downtown Hamilton walking tours is very educational and fun!

Check out Tours By Locals. Our family of 6 did a private excursion with them a few years ago in Oahu. We did a complete circle of the entire Island, stopping at places that our guide thought we would like and yet flexible enough to stop whenever we saw something interesting. We have also used that company in Austria and Budapest. Always very satisfied. In fact we had a tour booked with them for Italy for June 2020. Obviously didn’t go and had no problem getting our deposit back.

Add to that list The Painted Desert and Red Rock Canyon. The only time our luggage receipts were checked was back in the 70s. For a time at LaGuardia, the luggage area was fenced in and in order to get out with your luggage you had to show your receipt to a guard at the exit.

I love Vibe, but I have been to Alaska twice in May, once in July, and once in August and I would never consider paying for it on an Alaskan cruise. Thermal pass is a much better idea.

We have used Carmel. We used it once from Long Island to Manhattan Cruise Terminablev and once from LA to LAX. Found it very comparable in price to Lift or Uber. Each time reserved in advance and both times very satisfied.

I might go with the extra space in your case. I am claustrophobic and always get a balcony, but on my 4 trips to Alaska, I used the balcony less than other trips because of the weather. Weather in Alaska can be sunny and warm or cold and rainy. I seemed to get a lot of the cold and rainy. I was more comfortable sitting in the observation lounge with my coffee/ cocktail watching the mountains go by. And if you want to be outside, there is plenty of deck space to find and sit on. And as mentioned, will you be off of the ship on excursions a good part of the time? Will you need to sit on your balcony? On our first trip to Alaska, we were up early and on excursions all day long. A hard choice. If this is your first trip to Alaska and the Northwest you will be in awe of the scenery and use the balcony regardless. On the other hand, I can’t imagine the discomfort of 4 people in a small room for an entire week.

Also would recommend Edmonds. We go there a lot. And the whale watching boat is a bit expensive but is comfortable, educational and great with finding whales. We like taking visitors on it. But if you are going to Alaska, perhaps you already have a whale watching excursion?

Cavalier, please keep us posted on your final decisions. Would love to hear of your experiences!

So many great suggestions. As you can see, we Northwesterners are very proud of our beautiful area. But be aware that many of these places are very far from each other. You will have to look at a map and decide if you want to generally stay south, north, east or west of the city. Since Mt Ranier is on your bucket list, I would say stay in the southern to central quadrant. An excursion to Mt Ranier will take you an entire day. The suggestion of then spending another day on the Kitsap Pennisula, and one day in Ballard/ Fremont ( lots of good beer) would work for you.

All good ideas, but as a Whidbey Island resident I would consider staying on Whidbey itself rather than the Silver Cloud in Mulkiteo. Other than that small beach in Mulkiteo, there is not much there to fill 2 or 3 days. From the South end of Whidbey, one can only get here by ferry. By staying here you get to experience the beaches, beautiful mountain views, gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, breweries, wineries, trails and parks that are here without having to go back and forth to the Mainland. A large Island with a small population, Whidbey is perfect for outdoor activities. Our towns are small and we don’t have any major hotel chains or a lot of retail commerce. I might recommend looking at the seaside town of Coupeville for accommodations. Here you will find Inns and bed and breakfasts. One suggestion is The Captain Whidbey Inn which has been featured in various publications