Jamietravelstheworld

One other factor of note. On my recent Asia/Australia cruise, I believe Intercruises (https://www.intercruises.com/what-we-do/shore-excursions/) was the subcontractor who provided the shore excursions. So it may not matter what cruise company you're on, if your ship is docking at a port where Intercruises is the contractee, they may be who provides the ship's shore excursions. Looking at their website, it seems they provide shore excursions for a good portion of the world.

6 hours ago, QuestionEverything said:

 

Q - what specifically were the issues with the shore excursions in Asia?

Would greatly appreciate your experience being shared.

 

The descriptions didn’t match what we did. Guides were difficult to understand. Descriptions when we boarded were different from when we booked. Book independent tours in ports where you don’t tender and you’ll be fine.

Oceania wouldn't want you to be able to see reviews because no one would then book their shore excursions. I just got off a 53 day cruise and I'd say I was disappointed in at least half of the ship's excursions, especially those in Asia (cruise was Asia and Australia). Most of the other passengers I spoke with agreed. And again, mainly for the Asia excursions, the descriptions rarely matched what the excursions did.

Can someone explain Argentinian currency to me like I'm a first grader? I just don't get it. There's a blue currency rate, another color rate, and a credit card rate - I'm so confused. I just need a simple, clear, what currency do I use explanation. Thanks.

13 hours ago, howiefrommd said:

I just reached out to Luggage Forward and this is their response:

 

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out, we are glad to assist.

AirTags, or similar tracking devices, are prohibited from our shipments despite having small lithium output. We are not licensed to ship batteries of any sort.

If we can be of any further assistance please let us know and you will also find many answers regarding the service through the below link to our Support Center.
 

I have shipped three times with Luggage Forward with air tags inside, with no problem. 

I've used Luggage Forward several times and been very satisfied with them. However, there are restrictions on what you can pack so you need to read the packing list carefully. Bag has always arrived on time or usually early. You can track it on their website but it's not the best tracking info. I put an Air Tag in mine and can track it via my iPhone.

On 11/17/2023 at 7:30 PM, Carolfay said:

I've already talked to their representatives and have been turned down.  

I just booked Luggage Forward for Seattle to Santiago (San Antonio port) on their website. Not cheap, but I was able to do it. Pick-up of Feb. 1st for Feb. 14th departure.

23 minutes ago, Carolfay said:

I can't find any companies that will ship my luggage to South America.  They all say it has to do with customs regulations.  I'm resigned to being on my own and traveling with all my bags.  Disappointing.

I believe Luggage Forward will. My plan is to use them, I have for other cruises and I think I looked at the price already. 

Yes, I've read about this. Anything you buy on board is subject to a 25% VAT tax while you're in Brazilian waters so don't buy anything in the ship's boutiques then. Apparently there's a lot less drinking while in Brazilian waters too.

2 minutes ago, Borna said:

While I'm a curious and adventurous traveler, I find no worthwhile attractions in Takoradi (or its connecting sister city Sekondi).  I hope I am wrong and welcome suggestions as to what to see and do there while my cruise is docked for the day.  Thanks in advance.

Ghana and it’s people are fascinating. It’s not about the attractions but the people, the culture, and the history. I did a ship tour that took us to a village, to a castle/former slave castle, and to a lunch that had dancing and drumming. During the village visit children performed for us and we learned about how the villagers live. 

Hi all. I have a cruise that ends in Miami in April. My flight home is out of Fort Lauderdale airport and not until 6pm. I will likely have 2 large pieces of luggage and a carryon. Does Oceania offer any tours with airport transfers? I know the big cruise lines do but nothing is listed on the Oceania site under shore excursions. I’m traveling solo and don’t want to pay for a private car and driver for the day. I also don’t want to sit in the airport all day. Any other suggestions? Thanks. 

Their website was hacked recently and is terrible. I was able to get my evisa through their site on my phone but not on my computer. It was a pain in the you know what and took several tries but eventually worked. 

Can anyone tell me if I will need a jacket for the South Island of New Zealand in early January? I've looked at historical temperatures and they're all over the place. I'll be all over the South Island, both cruising and on land, and trying to pack light, so needing to figure out if a jacket is necessary, or if just having layers will be sufficient.

I stayed at the Moxy pre-cruise. It was very pleasant. The only issue I had was I requested the hotel order a taxi for me for the morning to the ship (Princess). So did another 50 or so people at the same time. There weren't enough taxis and they weren't showing up on time. I was traveling by myself and ended up sharing with another couple going to the same ship. I'd assume most hotels have the same issue. Leave lots of time for transfer to the ship.

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.

13 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

No, you don't do US Immigration and Customs at Heathrow. But you do have an extra security check for US bound flights. GE is not a factor at Heathrow. 

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

4 hours ago, Cessna140 said:

When I booked this excursion the time for flights cut off was 4 pm. We have a 430pm flight so we booked. Now the Princess website has changed it to 5 pm flights and later. Has anyone else done this tour lately? We are thinking of cancelling because we hear how crowded and busy the Heathrow Airport is....and we will be doing this on a Saturday. Any thoughts ? Thanks!

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.

2 minutes ago, jamesthefemale said:

My family and I are taking a cruise from Southampton this fall.  We will be staying in London for several days before exploring the Cotswolds region.  We will have quite a lot of luggage for our trip and will have limited space in the rental car that we will be using in the Cotswolds.  I would like to have the majority of our luggage picked up in London and then shipped/taken to Southampton and stored until the cruise departure.  I know there's a lot of left luggage locations but due to our schedule we wouldn't have the time to take our luggage and store it ourselves.  Any suggestions?

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.