Jamietravelstheworld

When does online check-in become available before a cruise?

When one arrives in Tokyo by plane from another country and you go through immigration, are your bags x-rayed?

Carnival is not geared toward the solo traveler. But other cruise lines are much more welcoming. Unfortunately, those are also the more expensive lines. I have done several cruises as a solo and am currently on a Princess cruise solo. The other cruises I have done solo were small ships (Regent Seven Seas and Azamara). I much preferred the smaller ships as a solo - it was easier to get to know people. Princess has tried to connect the solos but it's just too hard to reconnect with the people you meet because the ship is so big. On Regent and Azamara the solos would meet for happy hour and then often go to dinner together. I've made good friends that way. I've noticed that post-COVID the cruise lines don't do table shares anymore.

I loved Kuranda. I spent a week in Cairns around 5 or 6 years ago. In Cairns, in my opinion, there are 2 things to do - either the Great Barrier Reef or Kuranda. If you do Kuranda, choose an option that includes as many activities as possible. I particularly enjoyed the sky cable car, the local show/entertainment, the animal encounters, the butterfly house, and the buffet lunch where I tried kangaroo that was delicious. I wish I had had more time there.

I just went and checked online and you're correct. It's Ireland that has it, not Heathrow. Sorry I gave incorrect information.

That's one of those things you can wait to decide until you're on the ship and talk to guest services about. I'd ask them specifically what time the expected drop off at the airport is and if there's any padding in the timing for traffic. You will be able to cancel this on-board and switch to transfer to the airport. International flights are now 3 hours for check-in (and some airports and airlines recommend 4 hours) and I believe that you go through US Customs and Immigration at Heathrow so you need time for that; but if you have global entry that will speed you through that (which I believe is accepted at Heathrow). You could check the Heathrow website to verify that information.

Does anyone know where the Regatta docks for Bangkok? I'll be on the Regatta in November when we have a day and a half in Bangkok.

I don't recommend going to Paris if your port of call is Le Havre or anywhere that has a long drive because you won't have enough time to see or do anything. If you decide you must go to Paris, I would only do a ship's excursion, because I'd be too concerned about not getting back to the ship in time. And I wouldn't do the ship's Paris on your own, because you'd still have very little time to do anything. Paris is packed with people (I was just there) and there are crowds for everything. If you really want to see Paris, I'd plan to do it pre- or post-cruise. It's worth several days.

I have just discovered the most wonderful company. It is the Baggage Handling Company and they handle baggage for many cruise lines. They will pick up your luggage anywhere in the UK, store it, and deliver it to the ship on the day of your cruise. Super nice people on the phone. Here's their website. https://www.thebaggagehandlingcompany.com/ I recommend calling and talking to them, they're open M-F, 9a-2p London time so you may have to get up early to talk to them if you're in the US, but well worth it because the 2 gentlemen there I've talked to, Craig and another person I can't remember the name of, have been super helpful for me.

I've been on smaller cruise lines as a solo - Azamara and Regent. On Regent, they really go out of their way to make sure solos meet and interact and have a daily cocktail gathering and most nights several people would then go to dinner. The Cruise Director sent all the solos invitations to these events. On Azamara it was just listed on the daily program, and was not as well attended. On my first Azamara cruise there were only 5 of us who showed up but we became very close and had cocktails most nights and often had dinner. On my 2nd Azamara, at the beginning there were closer to 15-20 of us, but that number dwindled quickly. However, several of us continued to get together regularly. I will be traveling on Princess this summer and am curious how the larger cruise lines handle solos.

Looking for recommendations for a cruise line for India and Sri Lanka. I prefer smaller ships but itinerary and cost is most important. I’d appreciate your input. Thanks.

Doesn't really matter what the requirements are today - that could easily change between now and October, and most likely will change multiple times.

A couple things I'd want to know: Which ports are used for Ho Chi Mihn City and Bangkok? For large ships (which NCL are), the port for Bangkok is 2-3 hours from Bangkok and for Ho Chi Mihn City I believe it's an hour away. Take that into consideration when planning for excursions. I love Bangkok so I'd recommend spending several days there after the cruise. In 2020 I was supposed to go to HCMC and Sihanoukville in 2020 but never made them (aborted cruise midway due to COVID) so I can't tell you much, but Sihanoukville seems like a beach resort city. Singapore is a fascinating city as well. I'd recommend going in at least one day early in case of messed up flights and to see it as well - you can see a lot of Singapore in one day with a private guide (that's what I did) but it's exhausting due to high heat and humidity.

@BTO, I believe I am on the same cruise as you, but am boarding in Santiago, Chile on February 14, 2024. Will be on the Marina. I'm curious to hear the responses and I noticed that several of the Amazon ports do not have excursions listed.

Will have a cruise stop in Le Havre in July and trying to decide between Mont Saint Michel and Normandy tours. Both tours involve a lot of bus time and a lot of walking, so can't use either of those as deciding factor. If you've done both or have a strong opinion, which would you recommend? Mont Saint Michel appears to be stunning, but I am concerned about the physical stamina required to really see it. I like WW II history but don't have a strong personal connection to it so am not sure how interesting I'll find it. Or is there something else you'd recommend? (Don't want to go to Paris, too far for a day.)

http://www.dewabalitours.com/

Hi. I'll be on the Regal for British Isles at the end of June. Is there anyway to know if there are any special themed nights where special clothes (such as white night) should be packed?

Do you know which website you book the Waterloo to Southampton train on? I haven't been able to find it? And do you need reservations in advance?

I haven't seen any discussion of this. I'm taking the Eurostar from Brussels to London St. Pancras station before a cruise out of Southampton. I know I can change to Waterloo station and take a train but I'm wondering if there are any shuttles that pick up at St. Pancras. Googling I haven't found anything and car services are very expensive for one person. Thanks.

I was in Dubai for 5 nights in 2017 and what I learned was that the city is quite large and traffic terrible. Taxis were expensive and it took forever to get anywhere. I would look for what you want to do and find a place to stay near that. I don't remember where I stayed but it wasn't convenient to anything so I wouldn't stay there again as it was a half hour taxi to go anywhere. BTW, Ubers were less expensive than taxis. Often when I'm looking for a hotel pre/post cruise, I look at what hotel the ship is using and then book that hotel independently (much cheaper than through the ship) or if it's not available or is still too expensive, look for a hotel near the ship's hotel. The cruise lines usually choose based on locations and quality.

Will be on an Oceania tour in October 2023 that docks in Kobe. I'd like to do a non-ship tour to Kyoto on our half day and am looking for recommendations. Probably a private tour because of what I'm interested in. I'm not finding much when I google. Thanks.

For the port of Durban on February 27, I just found this tour provider, Wild Routes Africa. They offer several day tours, but this one particularly interests me: https://wildroutesafrica.com/plants-and-primates. I have sent them a message asking to book it. As I'm traveling solo, I may need to find others who are interested - it's a max of 7 people, so if there are others interested, please let me know.

Hello. I'll be on a cruise next fall that has 2 days in Bali (Benoa port). I've been there before and saw a lot so I'm struggling with what I'd like to do this time. A couple questions: 1. Are there hotels/resorts that allow day passes for the beach with facility usage? 2. Is it easy to get cabs at the port or in Ubud to take you to specific destinations or is it better to hire a driver for the day? Thanks.

I will have 1 day in Singapore on a cruise in fall of 2023. Just before COVID I had a full day in Singapore and did a private tour where I saw so much, including the Gardens by the Bay and Chinatown. I'm looking for something unique or different to do when I'm there next year. The ideas I have so far are the Orchid Garden and Raffles Hotel. What other suggestions do you have?

Hello all. I will be on the Regatta in the fall of 2023 cruising in Asia and am booking a few private excursions where the guides want to be paid in cash in US dollars. I will be traveling before the cruise and don't want to carry this much cash. I'm assuming there's an ATM on board as there's a casino, but can someone confirm this, and confirm that it gives out US currency. Do you know if there's a daily limit? And what the transaction fee is on it? My Schwab ATM card refunds ATM fees so I'm not particularly concerned about fees but still curious. Thanks.