Cornishpastyman1

My day there. All the best, tony

[YOUTUBE]4bZ2fhGQQjI[/YOUTUBE]

 

Reactions and suggestions from others experienced from visiting Lisbon?

 

Full story at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/portugal/lisbon/articles/why-your-next-city-break-should-be-lisbon/

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 219,339 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Hi Terry

This was our day there in 2013. We just got an all-day travel ticket (€6 then). I wasted so much time queuing for a very ordinary ride in the Santa Justa elevator that I was unable to go to the famous pasteis shop in Belem :mad: Hey ho, you can't win 'em all.

All the best for June, Tony

[YOUTUBE]z8KoKa6I7y0[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]zxEg6kwlF6Y[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]brr-bT0D7fQ[/YOUTUBE]

Hi there

Sailing on Volendam Weds June 14 2017, arriving from New Zealand mid PM Sunday 11th. Any ideas for a sightseeing itinerary of Vancouver from locals and the best way to get around?

Thanks in advance

I'm not local but was in a similar situation to you. We did this, from a hotel at Canada Palace, just walking although the train is very easy too. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]a-u1IcJ6VtM[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]typQucY7Yx4[/YOUTUBE]

While on our West Coast driving holiday we stopped for an hour to look at the Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign. The walk is a kitch bit of fun apparently visited by 10 million tourists a year.

We drove as close as we could to the sign but understandably the residents have become fed up with the endless stream of cars in their neighbourhood so the final approach has cameras preventing access to the very top.

All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]ObrrLx5valQ[/YOUTUBE]

Hi all. Our ship docks at Villefranche the day before the film festival starts in Cannes. I had hoped to visit Cannes and Nice that day at port. Will it be easy to access Cannes the day before the festival opens or will roads be closed etc?

 

Assuming that I can get into the town, I am wondering how far a walk from the town are the public beaches? I think all the main promenade ones are private.

If it's any help this was my look at Cannes on our way to the station for the train to Nice, where we had about 4 hours. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]gO4Luc3h41k[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]OXW5R66Td2o[/YOUTUBE]

It's our first time doing Alaska, and doing a cruisetour, so a few questions about the land tour...

 

It doesn't read like most meals are included in the land tour part of our trip, does anyone have any advice on the best approach to take here?

Is just eating in our hotel restaurants the way forward?

It's places like Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper we're stopping...

 

And are the days pretty full of organised activities, or do we need to think about organising anything ourselves?

 

Any knowledge greatly appreciated!

 

Hi

We did a Canadian Rockies road trip in 2014 ahead of our Alaska Inside Passage cruise and I made videos of each day, which can be seen from this

The places we visited were very much where the majority of tourists go so I imagine your land tour will take in most if not all of them. From memory Banff, Jasper and Kamloops had plenty of restaurants if you fancy a change from the hotels. I was only at Lake Louise for about half an hour but as it's a major ski resort that must be similar in terms of eateries.

All the best, Tony

From a July 2016 West Coast road trip. USS Pampanito, Muir Woods, Sausalito and Alcatraz to follow. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]a5jXVQX0nKo[/YOUTUBE]

Numbers 1-4 and 6 in this ?

We will be sailing on the Ruby Princess next summer on our first trip to Alaska. My husband and I would like to book a Chilkoot Rail & Bus Tour in Skagway and are trying to decide between the Yukon Rail & Bus vs. Bennett Scenic Journey.

 

From the tour description:

 

Yukon Rail & Bus: (or Bus, then rail) (7.5 hours) ($186)

 

1) 28 mile train journey between Skagway, Alaska and Fraser, BC, then by

2) Bus to Emerald Lake, Caribou Crossing, Carcross, and Lake Bennett for a BBQ chicken lunch, admission to Yukon Wildlife Museum, and to a dog musher camp to pet Husky puppies.

3) Bus back to Skagway with stops along the way.

 

According to a very helpful Chilkoot representative: this tour includes a 1.75 hour train ride and 4 hours with the bus (including stops)

 

Some considerations:

 

1) Comfort: Would the bus be more comfortable than the train?

(One advantage is presence of restrooms on the train!)

2) Scenery: Does the Bennett trip offer more variety in scenery?

3) Dogs: Definitely not a deal breaker, but it would be fun to pet the puppies. (We’re hoping to do the sled dog/helicopter trip in Juneau, weather permitting.)

 

 

I’d be interested in hearing perspectives on the pros/cons of either tour. I’m sure they are both wonderful options, but I would really appreciate some advice.

This was our rail/bus day with Chlikoot (we didn't do the dog sled thing)

[YOUTUBE]3WSaRzt5N0Q[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]aFpz4AHOcUs[/YOUTUBE]

Comfort issues on the bus never arose because it was a perfectly comfortable bus but also because we were only in it for short periods as there were so many photo stops, as well the extended lunch and Museum break and time at Carcross.

I suppose had I been on my own I would have chosen the BSJ, not for the scenery as it's fabulous whichever one you do, but for the slightly more Gold Rush history. But for a party of 6 the overall cost would have been quite a bit more and we did have a really excellent day doing the one shown above. Whichever one you choose I hope you are lucky enough to have the last carriage on the train, as we did. All the best, Tony.

I love your videos, what whale watching company did you use?

Thanks. For the Juneau videos we used http://juneauwhalewatch.com/

For various reasons we were unable to commit to a tour as a party of 6 until the day before going to Juneau so just walked up to them at the dock. It worked out perfectly but we were a bit lucky that they could take us at the only time we could do it.

That whale watch/glacier combo tour cost $125 pp in 2014. All the best, Tony

If we arrive at 7:00 and our tour with chilkoot leaves at 7:30 - will we have time for this excursion? I know they will be at the dock and we take the but over to the depot, correct?

Yes, that will be fine as it was exactly our situation. The Chilkoot minibus picked us up at the dock at 7.30 and went on to make a couple more pick-ups from other ships. From memory we didn't board the train until around 8.30 and it pulled out 15 minutes later.

Videos of the train ride up and then the bus into the Yukon to Carcross are in the Alaska link in my signature below. You get around 40 minutes to walk around Carcross. All the best, Tony

What's the difference between the 7.5 hr and the 8 hr trip for train up and bus back?

This is the 7.5 hour tour (train then bus. If you want an extra hour in bed then do bus then train).

[YOUTUBE]3WSaRzt5N0Q[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]aFpz4AHOcUs[/YOUTUBE]

Had I had the casting vote I would have done the B.S.T. but the rest of my party voted for this one. No matter, it was still a wonderful day. All the best, Tony

Thanks for the link.

 

I've got 4 guide books and trying to do some reading up on what to see in 3 days in Tokyo and 3 days in Kyoto/Kobe area.

I'm going to purchase the 7 day Japan Rail Pass.

Hello

If it's any help, even in showing what some of the names in tour descriptions look like this was my video diary from a Japanese Gardens holiday based in Kyoto and Tokyo

Maybe Hiroshima is a possibility from Kyoto with your JR pass ? All the best, Tony

I’ll be in Lisbon next September and will probably arrive at the hotel around noon – flying in from Newark, NJ. I plan to sightsee in Lisbon on Day I (same day as I arrive). On Day 2 (the only full day), I plan to go to Sintra. On day 3, we need to be at the dock no later than 12:30 so we’ll only have a few hours in the morning.

 

For Day 1, I originally wanted to go to Belem to just see the Monastery and the Monument of Discoveries, then go to the Alfama district to walk around, have dinner, and go the castle. I am now thinking this is too aggressive since we won’t be starting the day until around noon, and I want to just enjoy the day, soak up Lisbon and not rush it. So I’m rethinking my plans for Day 1 and comtemplating two options, which I’d love to get feedback from people who have visited Lisbon in the past.

 

Option 1 is to make a choice between Belem and Castle and not do both. I plan on going to the Alfama district either way, to walk around and have dinner.

 

Option 2 is to do Alfama District including the Castle on Day 1. Then on Day 3, go to Monastery in the morning and then go straight to ship from there. I’d hire a taxi for the morning so the taxi could wait with our luggage. The Monastery doesn’t open until 10am so would 2 hours be enough time.

 

Any thoughts?

Of those I think option 2 is best, assuming you are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed enough after the flight to do Alfama and the Castle :D If not I suppose you could make up for what you didn't do then on day 2, pinching an hour or so from the Sintra day.

On day 3 if you get to Belem at around 9.15 you can easily do the Monument of Discoveries before going to the Monastery, as it is just a ride up in a lift and quick look at the view from the top. Also, you'll have plenty of time to go the that Pasteis shop if you want. I didn't go inside but imagine 2 hours is plenty to have a good look - and in any case it'll have to be :)

This was my (single) day there using the all-day travel ticket. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]z8KoKa6I7y0[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]zxEg6kwlF6Y[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]brr-bT0D7fQ[/YOUTUBE]

I have one day in Lisbon in November as a port stop. Is it possible to walk from the ship to st George's castle? If so, how far is it? If not, can I take public transport to the castle and walk back to the ship? I am assuming we dock near the Bridge. Thanks, Dena

 

 

Forums

Hi Dena

I would be guessing on distances but we took a train from where we docked (Alcantara) to near the Rua Augusta Arch and walked to the castle easily enough, but of course it is uphill all the way :) All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]zxEg6kwlF6Y[/YOUTUBE]

Really struggling with Marseille, Monte Carlo and St Tropez, just not finding the areas appealing, oh nad we have Sete too but haven't started looking a that yet. Have less than a week till cruise ship departs on 24 day med cruise and these places just aren't appealing to us.

 

My possible solutions so far are:

 

Monte Carlo - renting a car and heading up into the small beautiful french towns like Saint Paul de Vence, Peillon, Gorbio, Eze, La Turbie etc... will be in port from 8am -11pm

 

St Tropez - stumped???

 

Marseille - considering renting a car and heading to Avignon or more for the day

 

Sete - Stumped???

 

Any thoughts on my plans for Monte Carlo and Marseille and for the other two? We are 50 years old, enjoy more advernturous activities, caving, diving, hiking, spending the day at a world class museaum or just a nice glass of wine in a square, definitely not segway group tour people.

In case it gives you any ideas here's what I did in that area :

[YOUTUBE]_NcDithaCEY[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]aNsFktA9o58[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]gO4Luc3h41k[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]OXW5R66Td2o[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]3yP8aGVHyFY[/YOUTUBE]

24 days in the Med is a a seriously intensive cruise so Hank's idea of a relaxing day off in St Tropez sounds good :) All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]_jAUldkIOe0[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]esWN6B3SCz0[/YOUTUBE]

I took the 800 bus to the waterfall (about $3 each way in 2015)

We will be in Halifax on Oct 25 and would like to visit Peggy's Cove. Are there taxis at the pier that would take us there and wait for us? There are two of us. Or possibly a tour we could sign up for when we get there?

At that time of year I don't know what the weather would be and don't want to commit to a tour ahead of time.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

Laura

Hi Laura

In 2015 we hired a taxi from the pier at $60 per hour.. There were 3 or 4 waiting there and as we wanted to see Peggy's Cove and Fairview Cemetery we asked for 3 hours, which was plenty, with a look at the Citadel on the way out. The taxis take 6/7 and we were 6 so it worked out fairly cheap on a per person basis - if you can find 4 others. All the best, Tony

Hi if you had the chance to stay on the Amalfi Coast Would you stay at Positano or Amalfi

We all choose Positano because there's much more to see and a nicer beach. There's nothing wrong with Amalfi, it's a very nice town and well worth a look but to stay it has to be Positano. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]_lpGhBoXGro[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]_c4f9PJFkN4[/YOUTUBE]

While both were beautiful in their own ways, I would choose Charlottetown in a heartbeat. I agree with above poster that the approach and departure to Saguenay is superior as you sail down the fjord, however the town was a little underwhelming for us. In Charlottetown (and surrounding areas) there is so much to see and do. We rented a car both times and did a circle tour that included the Confederation Bridge, North Rustico which is a beautiful little fishing harbour and Cavendish (Anne of Green Gables), lots of lighthouses and just stunning farmland and ocean scenery. We also had time to do a little walking around in Charlottetown and get an ice cream at Cows.

We did much the same - except the queue at Cows was too big so I missed out on that :(

[YOUTUBE]lHiNXwpsAiw[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]9sW01QVxX0M[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]XISMUulN-wg[/YOUTUBE]

Does anyone ever see whales from the ship like you can in Alaska? I am not talking about whale watching excursions.

Thanks

Please remove this - my answer was stupid (moreso than usual :) )

We are using Princess shore excursions on our September trip. Trying to decide between Lucca or Pisa. Both are 1/2 day trips. Would love to hear from anyone who have done either of these 2 excursions and any recommendations.

 

Thanks,

Suzanne

Hi Suzanne

In case it helps you decide, this was my day visiting both, sharing a taxi for 6 at the dock. We only had time for about 75 minutes at Pisa but unless you want to climb the tower and poke about in the Field of Miracles that's enough.

All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]tV17niTbwmE[/YOUTUBE]

We will be on Summit, two days in Quebec, leaving at 4 pm on the second day. I'd like to go to Montmorency Falls the morning of the second day, but worry about timing.

1. Should we take a public bus (8 mile trip) early that morning?

2. Should we take the ship's excursion to the Falls, and Sainte-Anne-De-Beaupré Sightseeing And Copper Embossing Experience ($75 per person), but I know we will be back in time for departure.

3. Should we take Viator half day tour ($45 per person), returning at 2:30. Is that cutting it too close?

Has anyone been on that Celebrity tour?

Thanks for any help and suggestions.

I went on the 800 bus. The journey takes about 45 minutes, as although it's not far there are many stops. So if you go early you will have lots of time, as you won't need more than an hour there (tops). From memory the bus fare was about $3 each way in 2015. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]esWN6B3SCz0[/YOUTUBE]

We will be arriving in Charlottetown, Pr. Edward Island in September aboard the Summit. Any suggestion on places to go or see?

 

Thank you for any suggestions.

This was my day there. We hired a taxi @$60 per hour for 3 hours and went up to Cavendish, called in at the AoGG post office there and just walked around when back at the port. Nice little city. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]9sW01QVxX0M[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]XISMUulN-wg[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]lHiNXwpsAiw[/YOUTUBE]

Looking to book an Alaska cruise for late summer 2017. There are so many different options & itineraries. Haven't picked a cruise line yet as we want to see which ports are best 1st.

 

I know nothing about Alaska & I want to take the time to plan & make sure we do it right!

 

Thanks!

I don't know how you determine which ports are "best" but if it gives you any ideas the Alaska Inside Passage link in my signature below has videos I made of Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan on a round trip out of Vancouver. All the best, Tony