ilovhywd

There used to be a budget airline that flew between Manchester and Orlando, Florida. Then it's only a very short flight to Ft. Lauderdale. I don't remember the name of the airline; but hopefully you can find it.

Ft. Lauderdale Airport is a five minute drive from Port Everglades. It is always easier to use Fort Lauderdale. Miami Airport is about 45 minutes away unless it is rush hour and the traffic is nasty. The idea of a direct flight to Miami is appealing, but the drive to the Port could be horrendous depending upon the day of the week and the time of day.

And it is always better to fly the day before so that an unexpected delay wouldn't cause you to miss your cruise!

Hope this info is helpful to you!

Panama Canal - Los Angeles to Ft Lauderdale on May 11, 2016. We live 30 minutes from the port in Ft. Laud so the one-way flight makes this itinerary very appealing!

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Thanks everyone for your responses - especially Pam in CA who took the time to write a detailed reply. We have done all the research and we are booking our trip tomorrow. I am sure we will be delighted with the Pacific Princess!

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Having recently cruised on the new glitzy Celebrity ships, the newer Oceania ships, and the Crown Princess, would we be disappointed with the older Pacific Princess?

There is an itinerary that we really like, but we are concerned about the age of the ship.

Has Princess kept up with safety and decor improvements over the years?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Several months ago, we were able to hook up with another couple on the Roll Call for our specific cruise (Oceania Marina 11/28/15) who had already hired the same driver/guide that they used on a previous visit.

The driver/guide we used in 2012 was already booked for the date we requested.

You can find recommendations by looking back on this South America thread that we are on now. Also, try Trip Advisor or do a Google search for tour guides in Rio.

Good luck!

P.S. to Vida - Thanks for the suggestions!

Our group needs some ideas for our second visit to Rio this December.

In 2012, we visited the Christ statue on Corcovado, the modern art museum at Niteroi, the famous beaches, and the Botanical Gardens. We also tried on the Carnival costumes, rode the cable car to Sugarloaf, and saw the wonderful views of Rio from up above.

We have a car and driver for the day in Rio and would love to have some suggestions of what to see on this return trip.

We already heard about the port renewal project, but we would like to see some other areas as well. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I am happy to report that I finally got a reply, in writing, from Celebrity that port charges are refundable in the event of cancellation. Therefore, they don't have to be insured!

It's too bad that some of their telephone representatives are misinformed.

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We agree with cruisestitch and chezmarylou, but the supervisor we spoke to was pretty definite. So was our (new) travel agent.

Does anyone have a reliable contact at Celebrity who could help us resolve this issue? Does Celebrity monitor these message boards?

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We spoke to a supervisor at Celebrity today who advised us that port charges are NOT refundable in the event of a cancellation.

We need to insure cruise fare and port charges.

Gratuities and government fees are refundable.

I am using this thread to try to get in touch with CASHIPman. I need to ask him something, and I think he may see my post on this thread. Please contact me at variousmail at bellsouth dot net. Thanks, Ilene

Hello! I am borrowing this thread in order to get in touch with CASHIPman. I need to ask him for the name of a tour guide he recommended; and he may see my post on this thread. Please contact me at variousmail@bellsouth.net.

Thanks, Ilene

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Ladybug: in Akaroa, the jet boat docks right near the tender pier. No taxi necessary. There isn't a river there. The jet boat goes around the bay/harbor. I read TLC's review last year, and, if I remember correctly, I think she took the jet boat ride in a different port.

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The folks in the Information Booth on the pier told us that there are other tours with similar itineraries as the mail run, so it is likely they will find something for you!

We were in Akaroa last week. We tried to book the Mail Run in advance, but it was fully booked.

It is a good thing we did not get on because we would have lost our money.

Akaroa is a tender port; and for awhile that morning, the ship had to cancel all tender services because a stong wind came up and it was too rough for the tendering.

The mail run could not wait for the passengers because it has a schedule to keep. The people on the ship could not get off until around 10:30 or 11:00. They missed their tour.

We ended up taking the 1:00 jet boat ride which was a lot of fun; but not for anyone who is pregnant or has back problems! Bumpy!

We were in Tauranga on Friday. Yes, there are many tours available to purchase at the information booth where you get off the ship.

Since we were not particularly interested in a tour, we chose to do the level hike around the large mountain that is close to the ship. It turned out to be a lovely one-hour hike on a good path with great views and well-located benches to sit and contemplate the scenery. We even saw the Tui - a native N.Z. bird that looks like it has a cotton ball stuck to its chest.

After the hike, we shopped in town for some last-minute souvenirs.

The mountain hike was a great way to spend our last day in New Zealand.

I am reading this thread for the first time, and I am bewildered by this conversation. We have traveled for years with both prescription and non-prescription meds, and no one has ever questioned us about them. In fact, I bring half of CVS when we go to some destinations. What am I missing here? I read Alaskanb's link to the items forbidden in New Zealand, and I see no reference to meds. Why is this an issue? Help! We are leaving in a week for Sydney to Auckland cruise. Please clue us in!

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I never heard of MJS but I just read reviews on Cruise Critic and it sounds terrific.

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OK Sue, I understand it now! I would still recommend Tri-Rail. Take the Park and Go shuttle to FLL and then the Tri-Rail shuttle to the train station which just west of I-95. But if you have a lot of luggage, splurge for a taxi or car service.

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I'd like to help, but your post is a little confusing. If you are arriving at Port Everglades by ship and flying out of MIA, why are you parking a vehicle at Park and Go in Ft. Lauderdale?

We use Tri-Rail to go to FLL and to MIA. Inexpensive and safe. The only negative is that you have to schlep your luggage on and off the shuttle bus at each end of the trip. The train does not go directly to the airports; the stations are a few blocks from FLL and MIA airports.

Wow! Thanks, MVPin Boynton. These outlets are terrific. They are greater than one inch above the desk!

To Lovemychoos - I have the same cat!

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Hello! Our upcoming cruise on the Solstice will be our first experience on this ship. We need some assistance in purchasing a new travel power strip.

Other ships have their main electric plug about one inch from the top of the desk, making it totally unusable for electronics which have their plug in a box. Does the Solstice have their plug in the same location? Can anyone give me a link to a photo?

We need to buy a power strip with a normal plug in order to charge camera batteries, iPad, razor, hair iron, etc. Our old travel power strip died, and Radio Shack no longer carries them. We will probably need to order one online.

Can anyone give me a specific recommendation? Thanks! We appreciate the help!

My friends enjoyed this musician on the Infinity in March. Does anyone know what ship he is on now or what his schedule is for the next few months? Thanks!

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The town itself is a good walk from the pier with no shade. The market and the street vendors were very colorful, but we were somewhat wary about some of the locals. There was some type of festival in the main square with music, local dancers, and native foods. I am not sure if this festival was taking place because a cruise ship was in port. Anyway, I observed some shady characters eyeing the tourists' purses and pockets as they were watching and photographing the dancers. We felt uncomfortable, so we went back to the ship.

I regret that we did not hire a taxi to do a tour of the island, which I am sure was more interesting and scenic.

Dear Nitemare:

A few months ago, you gave me this advice (I don't know how to do the quotes so I just cut and paste it):

"Golden Circle is awesome. But there are 100 other things in Iceland equally (or nearly, or MORE) awesome than that. So I wouldn't repeat the Golden Circle, even for your friends who haven't seen it.

You definitely want to do the South coast in the time you have.

Instead of Gullfoss, for your waterfall, go to Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. About 20 miles apart from each other. Continue Southeast and turn off on road 218 to Dyrholaey. Great black sand beach, some very easy hiking, and we saw tons of puffins up close there in mid/late August this year (many more than we saw from our puffin boat cruise in Reykjavik a few days prior, and much closer). "

I just wanted to tell you that your suggestion to do the South coast was fantastic! We especially liked Dyrholaey even though we couldn't find one puffin there a few days ago. (I walked over the cliffs and under the cliffs, but it must have been too early for them to roost. Saw lots from the Puffin Express in Reykjavik.) We did Gulfoss also, which is so different from the other two.

Again, thanks so much for your perfect advice!

Ilene

When we were there, the weather in Torshavn was gray and rainy. We found a taxi to drive us around. After we crossed to the other side of a mountain, it was sunny and beautiful! The scenery was magnificent. Suggest you get out of the city and bring your camera!

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