mcmarya

Uber works well in Manaus if you have cell service though we used it from the cruise port, not the airport

It is sometimes difficult for ships to tender since Quepos is an unprotected port. On one cruise there the captain had to reposition the ship 3 times before it was safe. This delayed tendering. The tender ride is medium length--probably around 20 minutes.

No charge. There are facilities associated with a little food stand at Arashi. Last time I was there, no facilities at Boca but there may be chair rental.

We have booked hotels with points (Marriott properties) and still had to pay the resort fee.

I am considering booking a shore excursion in advance of sailing for a port we will reach 8 days after embarkation. In the Shore Excursion FAQ, it says, "Cancellations of shore excursions, spa services or gift orders made more than three days prior to embarkation will be fully refunded; cancellations made onboard or within the three-day window prior to embarkation may be subject a cancellation fee." So, it looks like I would have to cancel almost 2 weeks before the excursion date if I wanted a full refund. While I hope to be able to do the excursion, not sure I want to have to lock in so far in advance. And, any fee involved is somewhat ambiguous. Has anyone had occasion to cancel a shore excursion while onboard a cruise and, if so, how did that work? We don't usually book shore excursions from the ship but there may not be good independent options for one of our upcoming ports. Thanks!

There is an app called Organic Maps (says hiking and biking but works for everything!) which allows you to download maps for offline use and also provides the blue line you like. For offline purposes I find it works better than downloading Google Maps of areas I will be visiting. For me it replaced Maps.me which used to work wonderfully but is now kind of worthless. We rarely have cell service outside the US but Organic Maps (or previously Maps.me) has gotten us around many places around the world. It even has voice-driving directions. We bought a sim card in Brazil recently but only used it for Uber. For getting around we used Organic Maps. The only thing you will not have is current traffic info and any changes that have occurred after the most recent update if you are using offline.

When we stopped in Pisco in 2019 on a HAL cruise, a shuttle was provided from the port to the marina from which the tour boats depart. So for us, no tour needed since it's easy to just join one of the tour boats. In addition to the fee for the boat, there is a fee for visiting the park. It was well worth doing since we saw tons of bird, a few penguins, and a bunch of seal. You will also see the design drawn on the side of a hill which is only visible from sea.

Pointe du bout is worth going to. There is an area of coves where the water is calm and there is snorkeling around the rocks. There are not any facilities, however.

Doing the planning Machu Picchu on your own is difficult since you have to organize a lot of tickets--Machu Picchu, train, flights from Lima--as well as hotels. Then there is ground transportation at several points. Some of the websites are not as foreign tourist friendly as they could be. Iguazu Falls is much easier since you really only have to book flights and a hotel. Ground transportation is pretty easy to manage at either end, too. We had someone help us with Machu Picchu but had no difficulty arranging Iguazu Falls ourselves. Either way, you will save a bunch over what the cruise line will charge and you can plan your own itinerary instead of being at the mercy of what they have arranged. In addition, for less money, you can have a much more personal experience.

Hopefully someone will report on the current situation there before you need to make a final decision. Maybe things will be improved by then. The current situation is actually worse than when tenders were necessary. When we've been anchored there previously tenders started early and ended late.

You may have trouble meeting your tour at 5:30 am. How early you can leave the port facility will depend entirely on what arrangements have been made by NCL. We were there last November when 2 ships were docked. Our small ship had shuttles running starting at 7 am and we had no issues leaving the port fairly early--of course we were bussed to another location for further transport. The larger ship's passengers had to wait until all of the tours had departed before independently touring passengers could get out of the port area. Many missed their arranged tours. Unless some major construction has occurred since then, no private vehicles/taxis will be able to enter the port area. If so, you are at the mercy of the shuttle bus setup.

Another issue beginning in October is the need for a visa for Brazil.

One popular thing to do in Puntarenas is a boat tour on the Tarcoles River where there are crocodiles and lots of birds. There are usually tour operators at the pier if you don't sign up for something in advance.

The path along the water is actually quite nice and the rest of the way is quite safe.

I would recommend Antigua over Guatemala City. The route is quite scenic passing volcanos and little towns. Antigua is a fascinating place with interesting buildings and ruins. Many cruise lines have an "Antigua on Your Own" tour which provides transportation and you can explore on your own.

There are lots of places to eat in Antigua, though I have no personal recommendations. Many seem to have lovely courtyards. Even the McDonalds has a nice outdoor eating area (didn't eat there, just looked inside).

It looks like around 70 miles. You need to allow plenty of time due to the arrangements at the port of San Antonio and the distance to Santiago. The airport is also around 70 miles if you go directly there. Either way, I would allow at least 90 minutes for the trip.

Dropping luggage at your hotel is a great strategy since the luggage allowance going to IGR is pretty small. Even if it were not strictly enforced, I would not want to have to lug it along. Exchanging money in BA is probably easier, as well. AEP is quite close to the cruise port and taxis are pretty cheap. Be sure to allow enough time to cross the border. And, beginning 10/1/23, Brazil visas will be required.

One of the frequent HAL lecturers, Jim McParland, also does stargazing sessions. Since I think he is part of the Antarctic team, he may well be on board for your cruise.

There is a shopping area at the port with some of the stores that are found in Antigua such as the Jade Factory. When we have stopped there in the past there was a sort of fashion show. The last time we needed internet there (several years ago), it was available for a price and also with purchase at a bar. Up the coast a bit is Playa Puerto San Jose and the beach town of Puerto San Jose. I've never been there so have no idea what it's like. Otherwise, there is nothing to do close by. Most people take a tour to Antigua which is about 90 minutes away and highly recommended. Due to the distance and the possibility of traffic backups on some of the 2 lane roads due to accidents or construction, the safest way to go is on a ship's tour.

I think you may have that backwards. Basseterre, the city, is located on Basse Terre island which is green and mountainous. It is the location of the Soufriere volcano which you can hike. When we were there a few years ago, there were young women who were studying tourism in school. They were not allowed to receive payment for their services but would do tours where you just paid the taxi driver. That's how we did the volcano hike but there were other options. Who knows what is available these days but the volcano hike was doable for senior citizens like us but not easy.

I got lucky on our trip last September. The first ferry to Hamilton was not terribly crowded. As we were getting on, I mentioned to the ferry employee out front that I wish I could get the 15 tickets. He told me not to pay, that he would take me inside in Hamilton to buy the tickets, which he did. It is unfortunate that they don't sell them at the Dockyard.

There are also regular-size buses in Curacao but they don't run that often, hence the minivans taking up the slack. You can find the official bus schedules here with Punda being the routes going to the southeast of town and the Otrabanda routes going to the northwest: https://autobusbedrijf.com/en/route-information The bus drivers accepted USD last time we were there and we gave the driver $3 for 2 people to cover the fare. If you don't mind some extra walking, you can actually go to the Tugboat snorkeling site by bus. The 6a bus route that goes to Mambo Beach continues on to Caracasbai. If you get off at the roundabout at "The Pier" restaurant, you can then walk down Caracasbaaiweg past Fort Beekenburg to Tugboat Beach. It's around a mile but has interesting scenery. The Fort has been open when we've gone and you can explore that as well. Everyone takes the bus in Aruba and it's a great way to get to Arashi or Boca Catalina for snorkeling. Can you tell I like to snorkel? I also love to take public transportation as we travel.

Taxis are very expensive so you might want to try to arrange a tour in advance. If you haven't been to Antigua before, there are many interesting sites to see.

A just OK beach is right by where the tenders dock in downtown in front of the King K Courtyard. All beaches are free for all and there is a public shower facility on the pier. If you don't end up renting a vehicle, there is a Kona Trolley that has a limited route but goes as far as Kahalu'u Beach Park, a great snorkeling spot. Haven't used the trolley before but may try it in December. Traffic really is bad in town.