ssawjo

On 3/9/2023 at 7:44 AM, onyx007 said:

Been in Cobh in June 2022 and can you tell you this:

 

Cobh itself is also worthwhile to stay instead of going somewhere else...

It's connected to cruising since over 100 years, that very port was the last stop of the Titanic and a nice museum in the former ticket office is great to visit, also nearby the Lusitania was torbedoed and sunk and the survivors where brought here on land...also nice to visit is nearby "Spike Island" a former jail and fortress (has to be booked in advance online) and right beside the pier is the "Heritage Museum" where one can learn about the interesting story of this place...over 2'000'000 Irish immigrated from here into the world...

Thank you for this information.  We will be there in September.  Being of Irish descent, I will definitely visit the Heritage Museum.  I guess there is no reason to go elsewhere in the area.  Can you recommend a good place for a pint and some lunch?

Thanks, Bill

On 3/3/2023 at 8:42 AM, TW6cruiser said:

We took a taxi from the port which was easy (not pre-booked).  We had the taxi drop us off downtown as we had our own walking tour in mind. We then got a taxi from the main taxi line up across from the Belfast City Hall (worth a visit...there is a lot of history/Titanic artifacts inside) to the Titanic museum.  There is then a phone and taxi stand inside the Museum to use to get back to the ship.  We normally don't do taxis on our own but it was very easy at this port. 

Question:  How did you pay for the taxi rides?  Was it by credit card or British pounds?

On 3/8/2023 at 8:46 PM, austromyrtus said:

australia has a travel advice site called 'smart traveller' where i found this entry which not only warns against travel to myanmar but specifically warns against the lotte hotel (has links to the military junta). will you have valid travel insurance if you stay in yangon? personally if i was to go (i did  enjoy my travel in myanmar for 4 weeks in 2007 and would like to revisit but not under theee current regime), i would be going on ship excursions & returning to the ship at night. 

 

https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/myanmar

Latest update

Still current at: 09 March 2023

Updated:10 February 2023

Latest update:We continue to advise do not travel to Myanmar due to ongoing civil unrest and armed conflict. Violence, including explosions and attacks, can occur anywhere and anytime, including in Yangon. Attacks may be planned against locations that are frequented by foreigners, which could include the Shangri-La and Lotte hotel and serviced apartments in Yangon, and restaurants and hotels in Nay Pyi Taw. Attacks are unpredictable in their location and intensity. The main targets have been infrastructure, police and military vehicles, and security and administrative personnel. Targets may also include other civilian infrastructure, including hotels, serviced apartments, restaurants, bars, shopping malls, schools, petrol stations and supermarkets. Heightened security arrangements are in place for Australian officials. Remain aware of the security environment at all times. Exercise caution including in townships under martial law. Minimize movement, especially on anniversaries and days of national significance and monitor media closely. Avoid all public gatherings, protests and areas of known and possible unrest. A curfew remains in place. There have been widespread detentions, including of foreigners. Australians may be at risk of arbitrary detention.

We continue to advise:

Do not travel to Myanmar due to ongoing civil unrest and armed conflict.

Thank you for your advice.  Sounds like some parts of Mexico.  

I will have travel insurance.  I never leave home without it.  There has been some speculation that if the "troubles" continue, the port call to Yangon will be canceled by Oceania Cruise Line.  So, my guess is not to go to Bagan no matter what.  Is that correct?  Did some google map searches and I see that the port is about one hour away, depending on traffic, from the city center.  That is not too bad of a commute.

My TA is working with an agency for some off ship excursions and they selected the Lotte Hotel.  Perhaps we will just do ship excursions.  We are there 3 days/2 nights, so I don't want to sit on the ship.  (BTW, it appears that any cruise ship calling at Yangon has to spend 3 days/2 nights in port.  Must be some type of requirement placed on the cruise lines in order to visit.)

I guess that I will wait and see what Oceania does.  I really would like to visit Myanmar as I doubt I will be able to do so again in the future.

Thanks again, Bill

"Get Over It Day" and "Panic Day"  Don't they offset each other?  While one is panicking, someone else is telling them to get over it.  I don't know.

Well, if we were going to Newcastle, which we are not, I would go to Hadrian's Wall for a visit.  I have no tour info but I am sure there is something on the internet.

I was wondering what the distance/time is from the cruise ship port for Yangon, Myanmar, to the city center.  We are there for 3days/2nights on the Oceania Riviera in January 2024.  I asked my TA for suggested tours and the company she deals with has us staying in the city at the Lotte Hotel and Resort (which looks very nice indeed) and doing tours of the city from the hotel.  I am asking this question because I was wondering if it is worth the cost of a hotel instead of going back to the ship each night.

Thanks for your responses.

Bill

I DW called it the "Pitter Patter".

19 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

We asked recently, and they do not.

 

Tom

Thanks.

12 hours ago, ericosmith said:

If I recall correctly they have 2.  I have no idea how to go about getting one since normal reservations are for the two seaters.

I guess I can always ask, thanks.

13 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

Yes, that was my guess on the reason for the early start, but still.....

 

After doing some research, I settled on making our overnight stay in Bangkok at the Banyan Tree Hotel.  The rate was reasonable for a "luxury" hotel.  It is very well reviewed in Tripadvisor and it has a very nice roof top restaurant.  The only downside is that we might not get much time to spend at the hotel.  I will be curious to hear what you ended up settling on.

 

Your itinerary sounds very nice, btw.

 

David

I will let you know.  It is about a year away, so no rush to decide for us.  Thanks for the suggestion.

On 2/22/2023 at 3:52 PM, mduffy1834 said:

The first part of the tour was mostly in the car with great commentary from Joey.  We drove up a "mountain" and stopped at a look out point for great photos and views.  Then we went to the National Park - cave and coastal views.  Then on to the beach where we swam with the sea turtles.  There are showers there so you can freshen up before lunch.  Lunch was a 5 minute drive from the beach on a hill, overlooking the turtle beach.  Then back to the ship.  Perfect day

Sounds like a lot of fun!  Do you recall the cost for your tour?  Thanks.

Following this post.  Just wondering what the cost was per person.  Thanks.

19 hours ago, PapaGoose said:

We just got back this week from a Panama Canal and ABC Island cruise. We had a half day stop in Bonaire. 6 am to 1 pm. We emailed Debbie at Bonaire Cruisers and reserved a golf cart. No CC required. They were very good in confirming our reservation! It was an early morning and we got off the ship around 7 am and Debbie herself was waiting just outside the gate at the port. She pointed us down the street, probably a 10 minute walk, to their place. I paid with a crisp US $100 bill and gave a second $100 as a security deposit. You can also do this with CC and the second $100 is just a hold on the card. They thoroughly described our route, gave us a map and explained all the intricacies of operating the golf cart. Take your key with you if you wander from your cart to enjoy some of the locations!
 

We travelled the South loop with many stops for photos and a couple of toe dips in the beautiful water. We saw flamingoes, wild donkeys, a salt mine, slave huts and even a very grumpy goat. It was breathtakingly beautiful. 
 

we wish we had the full day there so we could have toured the North loop as well. Next time I guess. 

 

We returned the cart with 20 minutes to spare before we had to board our ship. We were greeted warmly and given our second $100 bill back. A short walk back to the port and we were sadly on our way!

 

Bonaire is now on our “ let’s go back there soon” list!

Do you know if they have four person golf carts?

I am looking for a moderately priced hotel for one night pre-cruise in November 2023.  Don't plan to do anything except crash because the flights are long and we will arrive in BGI mid-afternoon.  

Thanks, Bill

On 2/5/2023 at 7:58 PM, John Bull said:

Hi Dave,

 

We've  been to Bangkok several times, including a two-day cruise stop.

Laem Chabang is the usual port for mid-to-large ships for Bangkok, it's about 2 hours away..

There's no sensible public transport from port to city, you need a pre-booked private or shared transfer or ship's bus. Taxis are available on-spec at the port but they're run by a cartel and are seriously over-priced cos they know that the un-prepared have no alternative.

I concur whole-heartedly with Jamie that you should spend at least a couple of full days in Bangkok. A hotel on or close to the Chao Phraya River - very handy for ferries instead of the log-jammed streets eg to the Grand Palace, the Royal barges, and Wat Arun. And for a long-tail boat ride through the klongs (canals) - best on a private long-tail boat (not expensive) rather than a tourist-filled one, enquire at a ferry stop. Also river cruises eg converted rice barges or dinner-cruises. Sheraton Royal Orchid is ideally-located if your pocket can stand it, but there's cheaper further back from the river.

 

For Saigon (HCMC), Phu My is the best port for all but the smallest cruise ships - major road improvements have brought the transfer time down to about 80 minutes. Best to pre-book a private or shared or ship's tour or transfer. Transfers usually drop near the Rex Hotel, easy walking to Re-unification Hall, War Remnants museum HCM museum and the architectural gem of the French main post office (tourist info desk inside).

Crossing the roads in Saigon is an art.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmOVAPxg9v4

Ideally be on the downstream end of a group, walk across slowly and steadily, don't run & don't stop, the motorbikes will weave around you. But that doesn't work with cars and buses. 😄

 

Most countries in SE Asia are tiger economies - Cambodia is the odd one out, its still stuck in about the 18th century and it's poor and grubby.

Some folk were shocked by Sihanoukville - they took  quick look at the town then hurried back to the civilisation of the ship. But it's part of our planet and it's an education to see how the other half live.

We shared a van  which we bartered at the port, silly cheap. A great day - a waterfall, a long-tail boat across to a little "resort" island, a stop at Ream Nat Park and on the way back a stop at a fishing village - fish laid out on the dusty ground to dry. Bartering is fun, but the driver's needs were greater than ours and we gave him a huge (by western standards)  tip.

BTW, we had to tender in because a  cargo ship had sunk at the berth. Turned out it had sunk several  years earlier. It's probably still there That's Cambodia.

 

Stopped over in KL  for 24 hours on a flight to Australia. 

Sorry, didn't rate it. 

Petronas Towers, and that's about all we saw of any interest.

 

For pre-booked shared excursions, use Cruise Critic's RollCall (from the main menu select your cruise line then ship then sailing date)

 

JB 🙂

 

 

JB, we will be in HCMC overnight and I was wondering if you could recommend a good hotel in the city for one night.  We really don't want to go back and forth to the ship.  Thanks, Bill

14 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

I first contacted two private guides and could not get them to commit to a tour (one said it was too early to ask, the other said she had family coming in from overseas during Christmas and would not be available).  My dates of interest happen to be Christmas Day and Dec 26 of this year. 

 

OTOH, I did end up booking with Thai Tour Guide.  The reason that I liked them is that they are geared towards the cruise ship passenger who is planning on spending their overnight in a hotel in Bangkok.  There were several different type of tours that you could pick from or you could customize your own.

 

Our tour was quoted at 19,800 BHT (currently $568 USD) for two people for both days and it included pickup and dropoff at Laem Chabang port which is great.  The first two tour guides started and ended their tours in Bangkok.  So I originally was going to buy the bus transfers into and out of Bangkok from Celebrity which currently cost $86 USD pp ($172 for both of us). 

 

Thai Tour Guide will drop you off and pick you up at your hotel for the overnight.  The price also includes an air conditioned mini-van with driver and English speaking guide.  There is no deposit required.  Their pricing does not include the hotel as you book that yourself independently.  No meals are included either.

 

Their website is excellent and the emailing back and forth (with questions from me) was handled very well.  Things are spelled out fairly well in writing.  They appear to be well reviewed in Tripadvisor.  One drawback is that this company has a set of tour guides from which they assign to you.  I prefer to work with a one person company because it's easier to evaluate from reviews how good they are and because I prefer to do my email planning directly with the guide.  When you look at the Tripadvisor reviews, it appears that all their guides are favorably reviewed.

 

The other drawback I have found so far is that their tours start so early.  9 am pickup at the port which is fine (that time is defined by when our ship arrives and is allowed to let passengers come ashore).  However the tour on the second day starts at 7 am.  And because that is the day we have to get back to the ship, there is no time to shift the tour to a later start (I am beginning to realize that this cruise is going to be exhausting!).  What I have found is that it is pretty common among Bangkok tour guides to start very early in the morning.

 

David

They start very early because of the heat in the city.  We will also be staying in Bangkok, not during your time, but appreciate the recommendation.  Do you know which hotel you will be staying at?

We will be debarking the ship, staying a few days in Bangkok, before flying to Angkok Wat.  That's the plan, anyway.

Bill

37 minutes ago, ORV said:

Good post. Some people don't get that it has to be one or the other, there's room for both. Over the past 20 years or so we've always done some private tours, some ships tours and sometimes just walking around a port. 

The one thing we have rarely done is go to a beach and sit in the sun. Oddly enough on many cruise lines that's the number one thing many people are most interested in. To me that is a big waste of time and money. 

Fully in agreement about beaches and sitting in the sun.  After having a lot of "things" dug out of my face, that is the last thing I want to do at my age.  Also, agree about tours.  We do some private, some ship, and sometimes nothing, depending on where we are at the moment.

13 hours ago, Duanerice1 said:

Easy peasy.... Rent ahead of time or at the port.....  drive on 'normal' side of the road.  Just rent a big car or a van....  I think we used Royal and they were fine......

 

Not sure if you can return to the airport....

 

Question, which cruise line finishes their cruise in Aruba?

 

Have fun

Thanks for your responses.  I will check before reserving if I can drop at airport.

Windstar Pride ends a 14 day cruise from Barbados in Aruba.  And then leaves for Panama Canal.

Bill

Questions about renting a car in Aruba:

I see I can rent a car at the port.  But we are staying for a few days post cruise.  Can we return the car to the airport?

Do they have automatic transmissions?

Do they rent vehicles that can accommodate four people with luggage?

What side of the road do they drive on?

Which rental agency would be best, in your opinion?

Thanks, Bill

We are visiting Florence on the Vista in October 2024.  I was wondering, since it is a distance from the port, if Oceania would allow us to stay overnight in Florence and take a train to Rome (Civitavecchia), to board the ship the next day.  We have been to Rome a few times, so no need to go again.  This would allow us more time to visit the area.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Bill

Thank you for your suggestions.

5 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

No, the tip is not included in the drink price if individually purchased.  It is added on.  It's now 20%.

Correction noted.

2 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

The  20% gratuity is added to the price  on the menu automatically

Ah, 20%, a little steep IMO.

8 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Can anyone confirm that the Ultimate O-Life sale is appearing soon? I found it on a reliable site (24 itineraries) while browsing, but would like confirmation before getting hopes up.

I was just browsing their website and found 109 cruises that have the 20th anniversary sale.  Well, actually not all of them.  I guess it depends on a lot of things.  

For example:  I am booked on the Jan. 8, 2024 Riviera sailing from Mumbai to Bangkok.  It is technically a back-to-back.  The first half is Mumbai to Singapore and the second half is Singapore to Bangkok.  The second half has the 20th anniversary sale ($800 OBC) but the first half does not.  Interestingly, the segment/cruise before Mumbai does have the anniversary sale.  

I do have a question, however.  Since I booked the whole cruise as one whole trip, can I possibly get the anniversary sale OBC for the second half (segment) of the cruise?  I do not want to rebook the whole thing.  There is availability in the cabin category I selected on both segments.  

Thanks for any insight.  BTW, I am in contact with my TA who is or will be looking into this for me.

Bill

Yes, each individually purchased cocktail, beer, wine has a tip (18%?) included.  But if you have a drink package, then the tip is included in the cost of the package.