CaribbeanBound

The 100% Kona coffee is really strong. That's why it is often mixed with other coffee.

Packages run about $10 to $20 for the 8oz to 10oz bags of 100% Kona coffee. Most folks are really happy with the flavored 10% Kona coffees ($4/bag on sale or about $6 when not on sale). The two most popular 10% Kona coffees are "Hawaiian Isles", and "Royal Kona". (These two also offer 100% Kona). The "Roy's" coffees are made by "Hawaiian Isles".

Be REALLY careful when you buy Lion Coffee. They have either 100% Kona or ZERO Kona. They did away with their 10% Kona years ago. While you will get a good flavored coffee from them, odds are it's got no Kona coffee beans in it.

P.S. Kauai coffee is indeed also excellent.

Iolani Palace is indeed a good tour. Can you believe they used this palace as the original Hawaii 5-0 headquarters (the one with Jack Lord), prior to recognizing it as a treasure and bringing back its former glory.

Good for you for wanting to learn more about Hawaii before you go. We lived in Hawaii for 18 years. Once you know more about the culture and the importance of things you're seeing then you'll have a significantly greater understanding and enjoyment.

There is one book that is far better than all the others in this regard. It's Hawaii (Insight Guide). You can get used copies on Amazon for $4 delivered, or new for less than $20.

It's called Fort Frederik Beach, and it's a respectable beach. 5 minute walk from the ship along the waterfront (in front of Fort Frederik). You can get good photos of the ship from the beach.

A little further up the island is Rainbow Beach. You can catch a shuttle for $3 - $5.

B. Portland, Maine

7:00am - 3:00pm. We berthed at Portland Ocean Gateway Terminal at 50 Commercial Street (near Franklin). It is an easy walk to town. We considered a narrated tour from Portland Discovery Tours (formerly Mainly Tours). They run a Land Tour and a Sea Tour. Cost is $18 pp or $33 pp for Land and Sea. Each runs 90 minutes. We opted instead for Portland's $5 "Peak At Portland Metro Bus", Route 8A Metro, with hop-on and hop-off privileges. The METRO typically provides "Peek at Portland" bus service to larger cruise ships with 1000 or more passengers. Self-guided tour maps can be found at the Greater Portland Landmarks site.

The town's $5 Metro bus is a narrated route that runs through most of town. It goes past several landmarks and has stops close to the Shipyard Brewery, L.L. Bean Outlet Store, and the Museum of Art. We bought tickets at a booth inside the protected pier area. At a welcome booth we were handed a "Maine Passport" which is a coupon book with discounts at many of the stores in the downtown region (including LL Bean's factory outlet). If you dock at the Visitor's Center, come out and turn left. You'll find a ticket booth and Metro stop about a block away.

We took the Metro bus and got off at the L.L. Bean Outlet at 9:00am. This was a good sized store packed with clothing. (However I understand it pales in comparison to their flagship store in Freeport). We bought two "Mad Bomber" winter hats lined with rabbit fur. This turned out to be one of our best purchases on the cruise as there were very comfortable, kept us warm, and generated numerous complements at every port.

We walked around town, which has lots of historic buildings scattered about, and then headed for The Portland Museum of Art (a AAA Gem) which opens at 10:00 --- but it was closed. It closes on Mondays after Columbus Day. So we hopped back on the Metro bus and got off close to the Shipyard Brewery for a tour. Tours are free and run on the hour starting at 11:00am. They also have an extensive gift shop. The tour consists of a 10-minute movie, a visit to the bottling floor, and finishes with a tasting of all of their beers and a couple of sodas. Their Eli's brand Root Beer, made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup, was really good. We bought a 4-pack to enjoy on the ship. The Maine Bear Cafe in town serves Eli's Root Beer on tap for under $2.

We enjoyed a bowl of clam chowder and a lobster roll for lunch at Gilbert's Chowder House. I recommend the clam chowder. The lobster roll, while fresh and good, was dry. We prefer our lobster rolls moistened with mayonnaise and bits of celery and onion.

Following lunch, we visited the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum. It's interesting for about 10 minutes unless you are a real enthusiast. It's worth the $2 price of admission.

Ship Hint: be sure to be on the starboard side of the ship as you leave Portland. You will go right by Portland Head Light which is the oldest and among the most photographed lighthouses in the world.

If we've booked an excursion through the ship, what time should we expect to get to the pier at Belize City? And if we've booked through a local tour company, what time would we get there? I'm thinking of booking the excursion to Caye Caulker (shark/ray/island), but the high price is causing me to explore other options. Is the only advantage of the ship's excursion getting on one of the first tender boats? How many tenders are there and how often do they run?

Note that ship's tours will pick you up AT the ship. NCL's snorkel tour will never even go to the port itself. In this case, you'll need to take a tender into port when you get back from your ship excursion.

The third option is to book the shark/ray tour through Eco Tours, which I read about on this forum. Does anyone know if they pick you up right at the cruise ship? Or do you still have to tender to the port?

You must take a tender into the port for ALL private tours. Only ship tours pick up at the ship.

Is it risky taking a private tour, as far as making it back to the ship on time? I have read differing points of view on here; some say they'd never do a private tour in Belize because of the tendering and problems with buses and boats breaking down; others say no problem, that the tour companies would quickly go out of business if they caused people to miss departure.

If you're taking a boat tour with Eco Tours (or most other reputable operators as judged by this forum) you'll have no problem making it back to the ship. If you have to take a long bus to get to a tour (like Lamanai Jungle Tour) then yes, take the ships' tour. The big difference it the snorkel tours usually run 4 to 5 hours and get you back with 2 to 3 hours to spare, whereas the Mayan ruins tours are like 7 hours+.

One last question about tenders: if we don't do an excursion of any kind, can we take the tender back and forth to the port whenever we want? In other words, can we go over to Belize City for just a couple hours and then go back to the ship? Or do we have to wait until late afternoon for the tenders to start running again?

Tenders run all day long. Go as often as you wish, on a space-available basis. Early in the day you'll need tender tickets that you secure from the ship which dictate what time you can catch a tender.

Wow, you've got some good choices either way.

We've been to all of those ports, at least twice, except Grand Turk.

Here is our first-hand information on excursions we've taken at these ports.

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

It may help you decide. Feel free to ask any follow-up questions.

Great ways to help avoid seeing lots of kids on your cruise:

1. HAL is a good choice. Average age is like 93 :rolleyes:

2. Go in March when it's not spring break

3. Take a cruise of 8 or more days

4. Depart out of San Juan.

The more of these you do, the lower the number of kids.

We've been all over the Caribbean, and you can see the island as you pass it by but we can't pull into port. I too am very interested in visiting for the day when its once again legal to do so. Would sign up for a cruise very quickly.

I understand a cab is about $17 for up to 4 people. Try to share a cab. Going for the first time this April.

Frederiksted, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

8:00am - 5:30pm. We arrived on Sunday. A lot of businesses around the island (including the Captain Morgan Run Distillery) were closed. A reggae band was playing on the pier when we arrived. From the ship, you can see the quaint town of Frederiksted in front of the pier with lots of shops, to the left is an old fort (Fort Frederik) with a beach to its left and then about 2 miles further left was a popular beach called Rainbow Beach which had a bar and rented watercraft. We prearranged a 1.5-hour ATV jungle tour with Gecko Island Adventures for $135 for the two of us on a shared ATV. About one third of the tour is on paved roads and the balance is off-roading. There were numerous puddles and we did get a little muddy. (I'd have gotten real muddy if my wife had let me zip through the puddles rather than slowly go around them). There were 4 ATV's in our group, plus our guide. I would suggest you dress comfortably in clothes that are okay to get dirty, wear sunscreen, eye protection, water shoes, and a bandana to cover your nose and mouth from the dust the ATV's in front of you kick up. We had a lot of fun. At the end of the tour you have the option of staying at Rainbow Beach or catching free transportation back to town. We opted to go back to town, eat lunch on the ship, change into our beach clothes and hit the beach next to Fort Frederik. If you stay at Rainbow Beach, it only costs $3 to get back to town. It's only a few minutes away.

To find the Gecko office, exit the Pier and walk down the first street directly across from the pier (which is Customs Street). You will see a mini police station on the right. Enter into Strand Square Courtyard via the entrance next to the police station. Once in the center of the courtyard turn to your left and you'll find the Gecko office where you can pay with cash or credit card. You will then be fitted with a helmet. Our tour started at 9:30 am and we were asked to be at the office no later than 9:15 am.

After lunch we walked past the fort on the ocean side. Just past the fort is a reasonably nice beach with a bar and grill. Umbrellas and chairs can be rented. The sand was soft and the ocean pretty. Great place to take pictures of the ship from the beach. As forts go, there's not much to see, but the cannons are cool and there is a museum inside, but they don't make it very inviting to visit. There is one entrance gate, located on the town side. The gate was closed, but unlocked, though it looked like it was padlocked shut.

More "Secrets of the Caribbean": http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

First-hand information on excursions we've taken in over 20 Caribbean ports. With photos!

I would absolutely tour.

We've been to St. Kitts twice and booked Mr. Grey both times.

First trip: We hired Thenford Grey himself for this "Island Tour". The cost was $40 per person and ran from 8:00am until about 2:00 pm with beach time available at Cockleshell Beach at the end of the tour. Thenford first took us through the historic city of Basseterre which was founded in 1625 by French settlers. After the city highlights we stopped at the ruins of an old sugar cane processing factory and Romney Manor-Caribelle Batik which was once owned by Captain Samuel Jefferson, the great, great, great grandfather of Thomas Jefferson. The Plantation House which sits amidst 25 acres of lush tropical gardens, is now a batik factory and store. The gardens feature a large collection of exotic plants, palms and trees from all over the world. We saw numerous green tailed monkeys in the short drive between the ruin and the Manor. We then spent an hour at Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park which sets atop a volcanic cone that is 800 feet high and offers 360-degree panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and neighboring islands. Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a World Heritage Site. (The $8.00 entrance fee was included). The Fortress is indeed impressive. I could have easily spent 4 hours exploring this impressive site. A lot of monkeys make their home in the vegetation surrounding the fort. Thenford shared a lot of local history with us as we explored the island. We also saw a live cockfight (two roosters going at each other) in the middle of the street. Our last stop was Cockleshell Beach where we had an opportunity to swim, collect shells, and grab a beer. On the way, we saw wandering goats, cows, and more monkeys. Recommended!

On our second tip we wanted to spend a lot more time at the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park so we arranged with Thenford Grey to be dropped off early and then join his regular tour when they arrived at the fortress prior to continuing on to South Friar's Beach. We spent 3 hours exploring the fort and outlying structures. Hint: bring a flashlight to explore dark passages. Next to the fort is a tall grassy mound called Monkey Hill (aka Fort Charlotte). A worker had recently cut a 6-foot wide access path to the top of the hill which offers nice views. About 75% to the top is a side path that will take you to a recently rediscovered 15x20 foot (my estimate) stone out-building, with openings for 3 cannon, that was hidden under vegetation. It also offered views of the fort and the steep gorge behind it. After we left the fortress, we visited an overlook where you could see the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean on either side of a thin stretch of the island. The bodies of water could not have been separated by more than a quarter-mile. We the got dropped off at South Friar's Beach which offers an active bar and grill with lots of shade and picnic-style seating, restrooms, an outdoor shower, changing rooms, a nice beach with black and beige sands, a protected swim area and some snorkeling opportunities. We saw over a dozen different types of fish along the manmade reef and lots of sea urchins (some close to a foot in diameter).

More "Secrets of the Caribbean": http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

First-hand information on excursions we've taken in over 20 Caribbean ports. With photos!

We've been to St. Kitts twice and booked Mr. Grey twice.

TRIP #1: We hired Thenford Grey himself for this "Island Tour". The cost was $40 per person and ran from 8:00am until about 2:00 pm with beach time available at Cockleshell Beach at the end of the tour. Thenford first took us through the historic city of Basseterre which was founded in 1625 by French settlers. After the city highlights we stopped at the ruins of an old sugar cane processing factory and Romney Manor-Caribelle Batik which was once owned by Captain Samuel Jefferson, the great, great, great grandfather of Thomas Jefferson. The Plantation House which sits amidst 25 acres of lush tropical gardens, is now a batik factory and store. The gardens feature a large collection of exotic plants, palms and trees from all over the world. We saw numerous green tailed monkeys in the short drive between the ruin and the Manor. We then spent an hour at Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park which sets atop a volcanic cone that is 800 feet high and offers 360-degree panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and neighboring islands. Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a World Heritage Site. (The $8.00 entrance fee was included). The Fortress is indeed impressive. I could have easily spent 4 hours exploring this impressive site. A lot of monkeys make their home in the vegetation surrounding the fort. Thenford shared a lot of local history with us as we explored the island. We also saw a live cockfight (two roosters going at each other) in the middle of the street. Our last stop was Cockleshell Beach where we had an opportunity to swim, collect shells, and grab a beer. On the way, we saw wandering goats, cows, and more monkeys. Recommended!

TRIP #2: On our second tip we wanted to spend a lot more time at the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park so we arranged with Thenford Grey to be dropped off early and then join his regular tour when they arrived at the fortress prior to continuing on to South Friar's Beach. We spent 3 hours exploring the fort and outlying structures. Hint: bring a flashlight to explore dark passages. Next to the fort is a tall grassy mound called Monkey Hill (aka Fort Charlotte). A worker had recently cut a 6-foot wide access path to the top of the hill which offers nice views. About 75% to the top is a side path that will take you to a recently rediscovered 15x20 foot (my estimate) stone out-building, with openings for 3 cannon, that was hidden under vegetation. It also offered views of the fort and the steep gorge behind it. After we left the fortress, we visited an overlook where you could see the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean on either side of a thin stretch of the island. The bodies of water could not have been separated by more than a quarter-mile. We the got dropped off at South Friar's Beach which offers an active bar and grill with lots of shade and picnic-style seating, restrooms, an outdoor shower, changing rooms, a nice beach with black and beige sands, a protected swim area and some snorkeling opportunities. We saw over a dozen different types of fish along the manmade reef and lots of sea urchins (some close to a foot in diameter).

More "Secrets of the Caribbean": http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

First-hand information on excursions we've taken in over 20 Caribbean ports.

Anyone recently take a taxi to the fort from the pier? How much was it and did you have any difficulties?

Agree with CCCOLE, look for ABC Stores, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and Costco. Would also add Longs Drug Store. You can get GREAT deals on Kona Coffee there, especially if you happen to walk in when it's on sale (about $3.99 for 8oz - 10oz). First timers should try the Vanilla Macadamia Nut Kona Coffee. (This also makes a GREAT gift. Warning, once you try Kona Coffee, you'll not want to go back to whatever you used to drink).

You won't have any problem finding these stores, especially if you look them up on Google Maps online.

kapoho2 is sadly correct. Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch and Crab closed in March 2013. Liliha Bakery is scheduled to open in May 2014 at the former Sam Choy's Breakfast Lunch & Crab restaurant on Nimitz Highway. http://lilihabakeryhawaii.com/

We lived in Honolulu for 18 years. I agree with almost everything mentioned above. sptrout's advice is dead on.

Note: There's NO WAY it only took just 45 minutes to get back to the ship (or Waikiki) on the South Shore from PCC on the North Shore. Thomas Magnum can turn left in Laie and end up in downtown Honolulu, but it doesn't work in real life. It's at least 60 minutes. (And I wouldn't schedule any less than 90 minutes to beeline it back).

My observations to get the most out of this trip to PCC:

1. drive and enjoy a few stops along with way (although if you do, schedule about 2.5 hours to get there), or take the Circle Island Tour as suggested by Cruiser2015.

2. enjoy all of the islands in the park. Each island represents a different island nation. Lots to learn with hands-on activities.

3. stay for the night show. It is indeed the highlight and it's very good.

4. do try to schedule a real luau somewhere else on another day. The luau here will get you fed but it sure isn't a good luau. If you think of it as a low-end buffet with local foods, your mind will be in the right place.

Here'a link to the PCC: http://www.polynesia.com/

Marriott Kauai Beach Club is worth a stroll. It has opulent architecture, beautiful gardens, a koi pond (with public feeding times), a parrot, a huge pool (resort guests only) and the previously mentioned beach. If you want to golf, they share a resort golf course with another Marriott directly to the north.

The Marriott also has a couple of restaurants: Dukes (great local food with beers on tap), and Cafe Portofino (Italian). Both are open to the public and easy to locate beachside.

We stayed at the Marriott Kauai Beach Club last month. It's right near to the pier. We watched cruise ships come and go from our lanai.

When you're docked, look inland to your right. You'll see the Marriott Kauai Beach Club. Directly to the left of the resort is indeed a lot of restaurants in two small strip malls on both sides of the street. There are also a few shops in each. Both strip malls are about a 3 to 4 block walk from the ship. A very easy walk.

Not that you need the street names, but Waapa Road is right in front of the pier. Follow it to your right. Keep going right and work your way towards the resort. Over a 15-minute walk, this road will change names to Kanoa Road then Wilcox Road then Nawiliwili Road, back to Waapa then finally Rice. The name seems to change about every short block. Rice is where the two strip malls are. (You might not even notice the name changes, and it really doesn't matter anyway. I guarantee you can't get lost). I really just include this information because I find it humorous.

The strip mall to your right as you're walking up the road is Anchor Cove and it has an ABC Store, a Crazy Shirts store, Tropic Isle Music Company, a jewelry store, JJ's Broiler (Sports Bar), and another restaurant (with a bar/coffee house that serves a good breakfast by day and sushi at night), and a few other stores.

The strip mall another block up on your left is Harbor Mall which is mostly bars and restaurants but does have at least one fun shop to browse. Harbor Mall also offers a free trolley shuttle for cruise ship passengers. The restaurants and bars include: The Feral Pig, Fil-Mart (Filipino food), Gingbua: (Thai food), Halo Halo Corner (Hawaiian Shave Ice), Kalapaki Joes (Sports Bar), Mariachi's (Mexican), Put It In A Pita (Greek food truck beside the Nawiliwili Stream next to the mall), Rocco's Pizza, Splash Café (Crepes and sandwiches). Shops include Beachrail Hobby & Collectibles (cool store, worth the browse), Elite Hunters Hunting Shop, Kauai Island Treasures, and a few others.

When you're done with the strip malls, walk over to the Marriott. They have a gorgeous beach (Kalapaki Beach). All beaches are public in Hawaii. You can rent some ocean sports gear there. Chairs and umbrella's are also available for rent. You can also whale watch from the hotel, and probably the back of the ship too. We saw lots of whale activity in Nawiliwili Bay.

If you want to share a rental car or taxi, there are 4 small shopping centers and malls not too far away: Lihue Shopping Center, Rice Shopping Center, Kukui Grove Shopping Center (with a separate Costco and K-Mart nearby), and the Kuhio Mall Shopping Center. There is also a Wal-Mart a little further inland from the Lihue Shopping Center. You'll not want to attempt to walk to any of these, but they're all less than 10-15 minutes by car.

"Generally" if you book day 1, you'll be in good shape. I believe the odds of a cancellation are higher than the odds of a sell-out. But the more popular ship excursions can and do sell-out.

Depending upon your ports you may be much better served with a privately arranged tour. Here is first-hand information on excursions we've taken in over 20 Caribbean ports: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

We've done both, and they are both worthy.

Here's our review of the Summit: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/summit.html

And here's our review of the excursions we took in all of the ports you're considering: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

JSF,

Thank you. It's cool you got it on Horizon, but for this purpose we need it to say Horizon.

trvlcarib,

This will work. We only need one. If you're willing to part with it, how do I contact you?

Good question. I too am interested in an answer to your question.

7-mile beach is on the way to and back from the Turtle Farm.

As best as I can tell, the standard pricing is as follows:

Turtle Adventure Tour- Includes the Entire Park

Adults (over 12) - $45 USD

Turtle Farm Exploration Tour - Includes just the Turtle Farm

Adults (over 12) - $30 USD

Thank you

tauep24...

If you're really worried about seeing too many people over 49, just stay up past 10pm. Younger folks rule the ship after the second theater show lets out.

If you really want a younger crowd, the more of these you can check off, the better:

1. Depart from a popular US port

2. Cruise during the summer or during school break

3. Cruise for 7 days or less

4. Take a Disney cruise

If you really want the oldest crowd possible, the more of these you can check off, the better:

1. Depart from a foreign or territorial port, like Puerto Rico

2. Cruise during the winter, spring, or fall when school is in session

3. Cruise for 8 or more days

4. Take a HAL cruise

Relative to March, if you happen to be on a Spring Break cruise, the ship will trend younger.

"bump" is terminology indicating that the OP (Original Poster) has bumped a dying thread back up to the top in hopes someone would see it and answer it.