mcmarya

Sorry, too late to be of benefit to Shorefolks. Bus service in Manaus is free to anyone over 60, disabled, pregnant, etc. Once you figure out which route to take it actually works well. We were there on 3/9, 10 and took the bus to the CIGS zoo--route 120 from the top right red star from the map above. Taking local buses is sort of a hobby for us. We found some kindred spirits on our recent Seabourn Quest cruise who do the same.

The 50% of the bill rules applies in the US but not in Argentina. The person who accepts your USD needs to make sure he can turn around and use it in his country, not in the US. Banks in foreign countries are not likely to accept imperfect US currency.

When we were in Santiago, we took one bus between San Antonio and Santiago and another between Santiago and the airport. I expect the same is necessary in order to reach Valparaiso.

We took the bus in December and gave the driver $3 for two of us. Route 6A (Caracasbaai) goes to Mambo Beach, Seaquarium Beach, Dive Bus, etc. The 1B (Schottegat) goes most of the way there before turning if you miss the 6A. The 6A runs about every hour to 1 1/2 hours, the 1B every 2 hours. That's why the vans are helpful since they fill in the gaps. Another place to snorkel that is sort of reachable by the 6A bus is the Tugboat. That one requires more walking since it is necessary to walk about a mile from the bus to Tugboat Beach in addition to the walk to the bus station. When other locations are wavy sometimes it is less so.

The International Airport (EZE) is a long way from Buenos Aires and traffic jams sometimes happen. Be careful trying to book an early flight.

I've been doing some research since we'll be returning to Manaus March 9 to join a ship. Looks like there is a new website: https://www.sinetram.com.br/p/Horario-dos-onibus Many routes have changed and a card may now be required, not good news. I'll try to find out more and post if I manage to do so.

There is also Taxi Ezeiza at the airport which is a set rate. We've used them twice. The exchange rate in USD is not great but at least you can use USD and there are no surprises. It is definitely less than $60.

Not sure if it is still true, but the immediate alert you get for the amount in USD is based on the official exchange rate. The actual amount you are charged may be lower on your credit card statement. Credit card companies have used an mep rate which is sort of between the blue dollar and official rate, again not sure if that is still true. For us, that rate was applied before the transaction was posted to our statement. The final amount was lower than the alert amount.

From what I can tell, a stop at Devil's Island can be the reason a Yellow Fever vaccination is required. I was told some countries require it for entry after a visit there but don't know if that is accurate.

If you have data I would definitely recommend taking an Uber to MUSA--it's probably safer and definitely easier. Taking the bus back to the pier works well because it is not difficult to connect with the bus and easy to tell when to get off. The other passengers will warn you to keep your phone and other belongings safe. We never had any issues in Manaus on our 3 visits, but we never went out at night and were very careful and situationally aware.

Following the bus website is a bit tricky and is all in Portuguese but here goes. http://www.onibusmanaus.com.br/ It has a not secure warning. The route to and from is 448. You can plug that number into the website under Linha. One of the reasons we used Uber to go to MUSA was that the bus "terminal" right outside the port is a little hard to navigate. It looks like the bus leaves from Yellow 1 North platform--see attached photo with the bookmark for amerela 1 Norte so on the right side of the platform on the left. We managed it on another trip but since we had a sim card this time, it was easier to just use Uber--it was about $6 so we tipped really well. It's easy on the way back because the bus stop is right outside MUSA. On another stop in Manaus we took the bus to the CIGS zoo and the Ponta Negra beach without incident. We found the platform where the bus was supposed to come and just watched for the correct number. Be careful of your belongings. In terms of the cost, in the past, senior citizens rode for free. When we took the bus from MUSA back to the ship, no one was being charged. Not sure of the current policy.

Agreed. I was also puzzled by the cost. I don't think it is more than 4 miles. Cabs are cheap in BA--a regular taxi would probably be $5 or so. If you are concerned about safety and have data, you can also use Uber. Hotels are very accustomed to storing bags for clients taking domestic flights with small baggage allowances. It's nice not to have to be burdened by the extra bags. But, glad to hear the excess baggage fees are very reasonable.

We visited Cahuita National Park on a cruise ship stop in Puerto Limon a few years ago. Not sure what a taxi there might cost but it is about 27 miles from the port. We actually took the local bus from the bus station, Terminal de Mepe, about 4 blocks to the left on the main drag. My husband speaks Spanish so we didn't have any issues but I think the bus was labeled as being to Cahuita. There is a bus terminal a short distance, maybe 2 blocks, from the park entrance on the other end. We did see some monkeys and an assortment of lizards and birds as we walked through the jungle to Cahuita point. Considering the distance, you may want to try to join a group tour with one of the tour operators mentioned in this forum (Relax Day Tours, Your Lucky Tour, and Port Limon for example) which offer many tour options.

One thing I noticed trying to book independent excursions when on a ship other than the Pride of America--not a lot of independent operators offer tours for passengers of other ships, especially small ones. We had to use a ship's tour to do anything in Nawiliwili since other tours only operated on certain days of the week.

I would not recommend tipping with $1 bills in Argentina. The person who receives them may have trouble using them, especially if they are not pristine. In terms of changing bills smaller than $50, you might be able to do so at a cueva with a pristine bill but at a lower rate--someone posting on Trip Advisor was able to do so recently. We have visited BA 3 times and each time the currency situation has been totally different. The only constant is change.

We used Uber to visit MUSA a few months ago and it worked very well. We took a local bus back so not sure how successful we would have been getting an Uber. The park is on the far side of town and it took almost 45 minutes to get there. I had researched the bus ahead of time and used it because I wasn't sure how successful we would be in getting an Uber driver to come out there.

Most video is blocked unless you upgrade to premium. However, we were able to video chat with family using Facebook Messenger using the surf (included) plan. Whatsapp may work, as well, but we did not try that.

A cab to Playa la Entrega is now $10 one way.

We have used Taxi Ezeiza a couple of times and it worked well. They have a booth just before you leave the terminal. It is a set rate so no surprises. They only accept cash when you pay at the airport.

We stayed at the Ohia Waikiki Suites a couple of years ago and it was OK and affordable. We will be tin Honolulu again in a few days and needed a hotel for a couple of nights at the end of a cruise. This time we will be there during holiday time, so it is more expensive, about $175 a night, the cheapest OK place we could find. I'll report back if it has gone downhill.

Today we snorkeled at Santa Maria Beach, about 8 miles from Cabo. The snorkeling there was very good. Since cabs are apparently very pricey, we figured out how to take the bus for $2 each one way. Uber might be an option if you have data. According to a local we spoke with, it's the best snorkeling close to Cabo. Another couple on our ship was very pleased with snorkeling at Pelican Rock, accessible from one of the glass bottom boat tours.

I expect that what happens at the pier in terms of waiting or even any enforcement? of check in times depends on the location. Our experience was in Miami and will be in Miami again. YMMV. It's not like 3,000 passengers need to get on the ship.

The app flickers on and off on my phone--hard to use.

If it is no longer necessary to assign check-in times very soon, why is now any different? Since we will arrive at the airport around noon, we don't plan to wait until our 3 pm assigned time to show up. A year ago we arrived at the airport about 1 1/2 hours before our assignment. So, we found a place to park ourselves for 30 or 40 minutes and finally decided it might be more comfortable to wait at the pier. When we arrived, we did not see another soul--I think it was around 1 or 1:30 pm. We asked where everyone was and were told most were already on the ship.

Some ships dock are able to dock at Puntarenas but tides determine whether that is possible and probably the draft of the ship. Whenever we have docked at Puerto Caldera, an industrial port, there have been tour operators present. The Tarcoles River boat ride is a good option. You will see crocodiles and lots of other birds and wildlife. There are usually lots of other options. When we have docked at Caldera we could not even walk out of the port area. There is a building there which may have wi-fi and there will be craft items for sale.