Jasjas

WOW...!! What wonderful people you all are...so many helpful responses...

My homework is now cut out for me...

THANKS to each and everyone for responding to my request...

We are SO excited about our first visit to USA and Canada...

The Alaskan Cruise is a dream come true...

Jasjas.

My friend and I , ladies in our mid-sixties, will be on Norwegian Sun cruising Alaska in September... ON A VERY LIMITED BUDGET due to our very weak South African currency. The Rand has already depreciated by more than 20% since we booked our cruise a year ago...

Our ship will only be in the port of Juneau for 6 hours -7am to 1pm .

How possible (or impossible) will it be for us to do the Mendenhall glacier trip on our own and maybe still have time to to go up the Mount Roberts Tramway ?

...and what would be the cost difference.

Any other tips of getting the most out of the other ports without breaking the bank ?

Sincere thanks,

Jasjas.

Thanks for the detailed info...it is truly appreciated...

Jasjas.

THANKS CptSticky !!

I saw some adapters like the ons one your photos in a shop today...they are identical, except for the two prongs that are not different in size...would that pose a problem ?

The label states that it is for South African visitors to USA... the other side is suitable for South African plugs.

Thanks again.

Jasjas.

Sincere THANKS Roger001 your info helped a lot...

Jasjas

My concern is not for the voltage, but the format of the outlets.... I know that South african plugs are way different to the ones in Europe and the UK '''so I am pretty sure it will also be different to those in USA and Canada and therefore also to those on the ship... We have 3 round prongs on most of our appliances.

I will have to get adapters...maybe I could find out from luggage shops... ?

Thanks.

Jasjas.

My friend and I, two ladies in our mid sixties, will be on Norwegian Sun in September,,,from Seward to Vancouver.

What do the electrical outlets on the Sun and in New York, Anchorage and Vancouver look like? My concern is just to bring the right adapters for charging our camera batteries and cellphones.

We are from South Africa and are very excited about our first visit to the USA and Canada and our Alaska cruise.

Sincere thanks.

Jasjas.

I have had so many wonderful responses and great tips on this thread...

Here is another question :

If I had to choose between Empire State Building or Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Building) for Sunset and after dark views...which would it be ??

Thanks.

Jasjas.

It's me again...

Someone suggested the STATEN ISLAND FERRY which is apparently free of charge = to view the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge...???

Is it worth it...or not so great ???

Please help !

Jasjas

To each and everyone my sincerest thanks for all the wonderful advice and tips ... our airline tickets are paid and most of our accommodation is booked..

and you are helping me to fill in all the details to,what promises to be, one of our best vacations EVER.

Thanks again !!

Jasjas and Isabella.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone for the invaluable advice and great tips....it has honestly cleared a lot of issues for me...

ANOTHER QUESTION:

I have stumbled across another possibility on the internet while researching NYC

...Circle Line Sightseeing on a boat with several options.

I would also like to know if there is a nice location (while we are around Battery Park ) from where we could see and take pics of Brooklyn Bridge without actually going right up to the bridge.

I am really thankful for all the tips.

Jasjas.

Thanx Jeannie for the good advice and the maps....we are really looking forward to visiting NY !!

We will do what we can with the time to our disposal...

I think we have ruled out the HOHO as there is so much to see and do on foot.

Jasjas.

Thanks for all the good advice...I am certainly looking into the options for public transport in Manhattan...

The more I learn and the more confident I get, will help us to enjoy more of this amazing city !

Thanks again...

Jasjas.

Dear Carol.

My mind is not absolutely made up about our plans and I am very open to suggestions...

We are just not really into history and museums...as strange as that might sound...

We will be arriving on Monday morning very early and leave for Anchorage on Thursday morning.

We are staying at Row NYC Hotel.

Thanks again.

Jasjas.

Thanks Carol..

You make it sound very simple and easy, which encourages me... We are not very familiar with public transport systems as it is virtually non-existent in South-Africa, but I am willing to give it a try...

We have never been to the United States and are very excited about our adventure, although we are both already in our mid-sixties..

Jasjas

We will have a 3 day stop-over in New York on our way from Johannesburg to Anchorage for our Alaska cruise in the beginning of September 2015. We will stay in a hotel close to Times Square.

We plan to go to Battery Park by Metro early one morning for the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty.

On our way back we will walk via Wall Street to the 9/11 memorial site and would also like to see Brooklyn Bridge and then on to China Town.

MY QUESTION IS... Is it worth walking all the way back to our hotel or would it be better to take the HOP_ON_HOP_OFF bus from the very start of the day ?

Needless to say - all the options have me VERY confused.

Another day would be set apart for Central Park..and the 3rd day for the sights in Midtown Manhattan.

PLEASE HELP !! ??

Sincerely

Jasjas.

We will be disembarking Norwegian Sun at Canada Place in Vancouver on a Monday in September 2015.

How easy is it to find a Taxi from Canada Place to our downtown hotel - 2 persons with two pieces of luggage each.?

I see that the fare will be $10-$20 depending on traffic.?

Sincere thanks.

Jasjas.

We plan to cruise Alaska during the first 2 weeks in September of 2015.

Seward to Vancouver.

What kind of temperatures can we expect and could it be very rainy...?

I know that the weather can be VERY unpredictable... Just some guidelines, please.

Thanks.

Jasjas.

I have had many answers and good advice on this question, but i would like to know if i should shop for a fleece top (which will also serve as a souvenir) in anchorage or seward, before our cruise, or should i wait to do so in skagway ... Or what about the clothing sold by alaska railway at their shop in anchorage ?

Any other shops worth looking at in anchorage...?

Thanks again

jasjas.

Thanks donnatello...the are just 2 of us.

Jasjas.

We will be staying at Row NYC Hotel before flying to Anchorage at 15h10 on a Thursday in September 2015, for our Alaska cruise.

I have been looking at transport to JFK Airport...Taxi fare is twice the amount of the Airporter Bus, which departs a few minutes walk from our hotel.

Any thoughts PLEASE...

Sincere thanks.

Jasjas.

We are two ladies in our mid-sixties. We will be spending 2 days after our Alaska cruise in Vancouver.

We plan to visit Queen Elizabeth Park and would like to know whether it would be worthwhile to also go to Van Dusen Botanical Garden and are there any places to have something light to eat for lunch, except the restaurant in Queen Elizabeth Park.

We will stay at Sunset Inn...any convenient bus route from there to the gardens ?

The second day we will spend in Gastown, Chinatown and Granville. Then, on the third day, we will have half a day for Stanley Park before we leave for the airport.

Any better suggestions for our Vancouver stay that will not leave us more bankrupt than we will already be ...considering our weak currency (South African rand) ?

Sincere thanks.

Jasjas.

Hallo Len,

I live in Pretoria...one of the most beautiful cities in South Africa...

Yes, Alaska is a long LONG journey for us and also very expensive, but we are counting the days to our trip...

Greetings.

Jasjas.

Dear AryMay .

Sincere thanks for the wonderful feedback and useful hints...

We are so excited about our trip...!

Jasjas

I was so GLAD to read your positive remarks on the balcony stateroom...I was starting to think that we should not have spent the extra money, after reading so many remarks that people found it much more worthwhile to go to the public decks to look at the scenery ...We have a balcony on deck 9 when we cruise Alaska in Sept 2015 and because of your positive description of your time spent on your balcony, I am now more excited than ever...Thanks SO much for a GREAT review and pics...

Jasjas.