genealogyfan

Should I submit a bid now for an upgrade or wait to see if they offer the same upgrade with a discounted price?

I haven't done the Jolly Pirates Sunset cruise but have done the Red Sail Sports sunset cruise which sails from the dock in front of the Hyatt in Palm Beach. I assume they are similar, but a sunset cruise is fun, relaxing and you can see amazing sunsets. Whichever company you use, it'll be fun.

I've never taken a cruise to Aruba, always have stayed in Palm Beach. ABC Tours picked us up and returned us to our hotel. It was nice having a driver take us around, although I have rented a car in Aruba, and you really can't get lost there, since it's not that big of an island. I've seen taxis in front of the many hotels in Palm Beach, so I'm sure you could walk up to a hotel (like Hilton, Hyatt) and grab a taxi. There are alot of good restaurants in the Palm Beach area. Palm Beach has a nice walkway that goes between the beach and the hotels. The sidewalk along the road is always filled with people. There are stores (mostly touristy ones) and good restaurants to see in Palm Beach. The sunset is really beautiful along Palm Beach and any beach on that side. On one visit, my friend and I went to Oranjested and I wasn't that impressed.

People have alot of reason for not attending a meet and greet, doesn't mean they are snooty and disrespectful. Especially nowadays with Covid being an issue. In addition people may have other plans, etc.. There isn't a requirement to attend a meet and greet (if there is one), just because you read cruise critic.

I've been to Aruba many times. If you will be in Palm Beach, I definitely recommend eating at Smokey Joe's; Salt and Pepper, Tango Argentine Grill, and Papilion. All are good food. A new restaurant that just opened in the last couple years that was really good was called "The Lobby", just across from the Hilton. Excellent food. If you are looking for a great view, carribbean vibe and good food, try the Bugaloe, which is on the pier between the RIU and the Hilton. Outside on the pier, right on the water, but the price for food is really good.

I've taken them twice. I definitely recommend them. I believe we took the 1/2 day jeep tour which included Natural Pool and other locations. The lunch that was included was really good too. ABC Tours let you ride in the jeep or drive it. When we took it 3 of our jeeps had drivers from the company, but one group drove themselves. We were amazed at his skills going over all the offroading, hills, rocks, etc.. Personally I'm not impressed with the Natural Pool, I think it's alot of work and not worth swimming in it. I did swim in it the first time I took one of these tours, the first time I went to Aruba. This company has been around awhile, and is reliable and I'm not surprised of all the good reviews on tripadvisor.

I would suggest calling them directly, I just got that from their website. "Massport/Black Falcon Cruise Ship Terminal – This stop is part of the Seaport Loop – available 9am-12:30pm. " Also good advice with the post above, if a trolley is full, you have to wait for the next one. I was told in June, they come every 15 minutes, every 20 minutes, every 30 minutes (depended on who I talked with). I never got off of the one I took and it didn't go to the cruise port loop as it was in the late afternoon.

On an Alaska Cruise, we really enjoyed the "In Alaska's Wildest Kitchen" at Icy Straight Point. A local woman showed us how to cook different recipes with local seafood. Being that Icy Straight Point is such a small place, you couldn't get a similar excursion with a private company and was worth it. I highly recommend it. https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/ICY_01/In-Alaska-s-Wildest-Kitchen

Here's the direct link to the Boston Hop On/Hop Off Trolley, and if you are needing to be picked up and dropped off at the seaport, please note that specific area is only at certain times of the day. It says the Seaport Loop is available from 9am-11am everyday. https://www.trolleytours.com/boston#home-section https://www.trolleytours.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ott-boston-brochure-2022-05.pdf

Check out the Hilton-Faneuil Hall, but it is downtown Boston, so it depends on what you think is a reasonable price for a hotel. . There is a Hampton Inn at the Seaport, so you don't need a taxi to get to the cruise. Boston Logan Airport has several hotels near it and they maybe cheaper, and they may have free shuttles from the airport. All you would need to pay is the taxi from the hotel to the cruise port.

Also be aware the Hop On Hop Off Trolley sometimes closes stops without any notice on the website or at the stop. I had that issue in June, called the office several times wondering where the trolley was. Finally the 3rd call, the customer service rep told me the stop I was waiting at was closed and the next stop was several blocks away in front of a certain hotel. She was less than helpful telling me how to walk to it. I had to look it up myself. No obvious notification on the website, and no signs at the bus stop.