hallasm

12 minutes ago, Chairsin said:

Don’t forget also Seabourn has cruises to Norway. On a smaller ship you can go into some of the fjords that the large ships are unable to cruise.

Just curious- which cruises and which Fjords?

You have to be at the deck early and enjoy the sailing of the Fjord.

Enjoy your cruise and please update us on you Northern Lights experience- I sailing along the Norwegian west coast in January.

my recommendation is JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai at Tomorrow Square

- taxi from airport to hotel and again taxi  to the pier. 

Hotel is located in downtown Shanghai.

Ask the hotel to provide address printed in Chinese - taxi driver might not be able to read English - and be prepared- driving like mad and probably no safety belts.

The world's first Northern Lights observatory was built on Mount Haldde in Alta, 900 m above sea level.

https://www.altamuseum.no/en/altas-nyere-tids-historie/altas-historie/nordlys-1/nordlys

you might find some useful information here:

https://www.toll.no/en/goods/alcohol-and-tobacco/simplified-customs-declaration/

I'm using Credit Card travel insurance only and with good experiences - no problems with claims - however might be different from Europe to US. 

I do have the terms and conditions for my Credit Card insurance where terms are spelled out very clearly - check the terms and conditions for your card.

We did use Porter Express - they did pick up luggage at the terminal - later they met us in the City and brought us and the luggage to the airport.  http://www.porterxpress.com/

Also this option http://meteoritelogistics.com/baggage-services/

Tender is to Patong Beach - it’s 10 miles from Phuket City. 

I think you’ll need bath - US$ is not widely accepted.

Here you have the forecast for the next 21 days - the Kp should be >3.5 In order for a good chance for Northern Lights - also the light from the  moon will have an impact on visibility of the light - however difficult to make a good long term forecasts.

26 minutes ago, Coral said:

I was actually surprised - at least 3 of the ports we stopped at on Sapphire Princess had around a population of 250. No problems with ships getting in there. Norway really is setup for ship travel.

Most fjords are deep enough for big cruis ships - some areas round Lofoten and Trollfjord are only accessible by small ships. Below some examples.

Do not know you Itinerary and date but assuming you also are sailing during night - sailing, when north of Bergen, you might have the opportunity to see the light when sailing. You can find s number of apps for Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) forecast and notifications.

Bergen is a typical DIY destination - very walkable -  for Fantoft Stave Church you’ll need an excursion.

I’ll suggest planning for Northern Lights excursion in Alta and then see Tromsø - do the cable car tour  - i do not know Polar Park. If possible maybe snowmobile safari or dog sledging (Husky).

The chances for Northern Light in Tromsø or Alta is the same - very much depend on the weather conditions and auroral activity of the day. 

I’ll however recommend an excursion - there might be too much light in the harbor. The excursion will bring you to a location with the best chances for seeing the Northern Lights. 

I'll recommend to stay with  RCCL, Azamara, Celebrity, HAL, or P&O -(might be others)  -  Cruise lines like MSC and Costa might be too 'Italien' and AIDA too 'German'.

7 hours ago, chikinyellow said:

I  am able to pull up our confirmed reservation with seat assignments online on aa.com.  Wondering if I am missing anything? How can they be $900 cheaper than the actual airline? 

If you can access your reservation on aa.com you should be safe. Worth to check luggage allowances. Might be hand luggage only.

In general flightsbird.com does get very bad reviews.

January and February are great months for a Caribbean cruise. 

My recommendation would be a 7 or more days Caribbean cruise.

to reduce travel you can consider a Caribbean cruise out of Cape Liberty, NJ - might recommend - 8 or 12 days Anthem of the Seas Cruise.

Sure you’re well prepared. Just make sure you have the right clothing - and no formal nights - only casual  - and layers.

Hurtigruten has three different price structures, basic, select and platinum - from you order confirmation you can see what is included in the fare - they do not refer to basic, select or platinum on the confirmation.

- this is Hurtigruten description of platinum:

Full board is included and with PLATINUM you can choose our a la carte dining experience whenever you want. Our drinks package is included with dinner. Two exclusive shore excursions are also included on our 11- and 12-day voyages. One excursion is included for 6- and 7-day voyages. Airport transfers to and from the ship are included in Bergen, Trondheim and Kirkenes. Enjoy daily turn down service and a welcome basket on embarkation day. 

Regarding cash - you’ll probably not need more than few 100 NOK -  NOK 2.500 per person is IMO far too much in cash - normally I do not spend a lot of money ashore - credit card widely accepted. Exchanging money in Norway is however expensive. A debit card for ATM might be the best solution?

-  enjoy your trip - long travel from CA to Norway.

Here you have some inspiration for Aarhus - just ask for more details.

Moesgård museum is outside the city - you can easily either go by yourself by bus or taxi.

The main attraction in Aarhus is ‘Den Gamle By’The Old Town Museum, a National Open Air Museum of Urban History and Culture. This is absolutely my recommendation 

You can walk to Marselisborg Castle and the park.

Othere things to do: Central Aarhus with ‘The Latin Quarter’ and the old part of the city surrounding the Cathedral and ‘Skt Clemens Torv’ is very nice and very walkable. You can walk to the attractions

Also well worth a visit: Aros art museum, Women’s Museum, the Steno Museum, the Viking Museum, Town Hall and Concert Hall Aarhus. and the Botanical Gardens

Very close also Magasin and Sally g  department stores.

enjoy Aarhus

Valletta is walkable and very close to the cruise pier. There is an elevator from the ‘pier level’ to the City

I always book airfares as soon as they are available - normally the best rate and I do get tickets with my preferred airline, best routes and the dates I want. 

Somtime cheaper tickets does mean more stops and longer travel. 

When I have booked my cruise I do not want to save few $$ on airfares - I want to ensure the best possible holiday.

If only Prague and Budapest do not Exchange to Euro - bring US$.

The currency in Hungary is Hungarian Forint (HUF). However you can pay with US$ or  Euros at several places. The hungarian banks offer better exchange rates than the foreign ones, so it's better to exchange money in Budapest than getting Hungarian Forints abroad.

The currency in Prague is the Czech (CZK), Euro or US$ are not widely accepted, however some hotels, shops and restaurants accept Euros as well, but the exchange rate may not be very good. The best option might be to exchange money in Prague.

3 hours ago, tonyd285 said:

We are booked in a category "U" on the Fram next year.  What an we expect in amenities, cabin size, etc.?  Any input would be helpful.

Category U is ‘Arctic Superior Outside’  Oceanview Staterooms.

Street art In George Town, Penang is facinating - watch my video. Then you’ll also see the rest of the town - very walkable. Also some DIY tips on my Penang blog 

Totally agree with Ashland - Southern Caribbean.

Thank you for the clarification - I was referring to the area behind reception.