anonmom

I just googled Hotel Barracuda to find some info to show my friend who is accompanying us on our latest cruise this month, and I found my own thread from 8 years ago!

 

We've been to No Name Bar 4-5 times since I first posted here, and always had a great time. In fact, we've liked it so much that we've never gone anywhere else in Cozumel!

 

The 5 year old just turned 13, and we're bringing her best friend along on this cruise, so I'm considering Margaritaville this time due to the free use of the inflatables, but I'm not sure the atmosphere will be as nice as No Name/Barracuda

We just bought a 5 zone BIRG in Civitavecchia and are on our way to Rome on the 11:46 regional now. Does it make sense to get off at Roma San Pietro to see the Trevi Fountain then walk to the Colliseum? What else is a must see in Rome? What is a good place to get coffee and pizza? Is there an online trip planner for the subway?

Buenos Aires cruise port terminal (Terminal de Pasajeros Benito Quinquela Martin)

 

Av. Ramón Castillo 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina

We made it! The terminal is called Terminal de cruceros Quinquela Martin if anyone else is lost. Locals only know where to go if you tell them that it is by "El retiro" which is some type of customs house 

Does anyone have the physical street address of the cruise port in Buenos Aires? We are sailing on the NCL Star today and everything I found online says Puerto Madero is the cruise port. But when I Google it I don't see any ships. I'm wondering if Puerto Madero is the name of the entire neighborhood?

Looking for information on how to do a DIY visit to see penguins from Ushuaia. I'm seeing mentions of boats to Isla Martillo or Isla Yécapasela from Estancia Harberton, but the only places listing prices are the overpriced shore excursion operators. We are looking for a public transit option if possible and hopefully info about where to meet independent boat owners who would take us to the reserve. We are bilingual Spanish/English. Thanks!

The actual cave is very small and it is roped off. You just look at it and take pictures in front of it. The experience is not claustrophobia-inducing at all. We did not pay for the tour, we just walked there from the ship. Google "la grotte Napoleón" in maps if you want to see the way beforehand. Otherwise just head up in to town from the docks. It is a 20 minute walk, uphill but not a serious hike, and there are signs pointing the way. We didn't Google it beforehand and we got there just fine. When you get to the pyramid with the statue of Napoleon, just veer left, it is basically embedded in the pyramid on that side. After we saw the statue and the cave, we walked back down to the sea. There are very clearly marked bus stops for the number 5 bus. Take it away from the port to the last stop and you will find a nice area to hike and see sea views. Then take the 5 back again. The last stop in that direction is the port

Thanks for all this great info! I'll run the options by my husband

What is there to do in Livorno itself? How far away is Pisa? Is it worth it to take the train there?

 

As always, also seeking pizza/gelato recommendations in the area.

 

TIA!

We are docking in Naples tomorrow and want to go to the National Archaeological Museum. Can we walk there from the port? Or take public transit? 

 

We are in Civitavecchia today and clearly we were not ready for Italy! For some reason we have terrible cell service here, even though it was great in Barcelona and Ajaccio. We would like to be more prepared/less confused tomorrow.

 

It was also surprisingly hard to find a pizzería with tables to sit in and wifi here. I would love a good pizzeria recommendation for Naples! 

We have booked the Patrick Watts tour to Volunteer Point from Stanley. The cost is $190 per adult and $165 for my 11 year old, which seems reasonable for a tour in small vehicles that involves hours of off road driving. Patrick has been very responsive and informative and there is no deposit required. Really looking forward to this!

 

That Martillo Island tour is not available the day we will be there, but I am going to keep looking for similar tours.

 

Gypsy Cove looks like a good option for people who don't want to spend their whole day with penguins, but we definitely want the up close and personal penguin meet and greet!

 

It looks like there are a couple of penguin watching tours from Puerto Madryn. I will continue to look into this.

 

I hate the idea of manufactured walking sticks, but they might be a necessity here. I'll look on Amazon

 

Unfortunately the Solo Expediciones torres start too early for us. They look great!

Thank you! 2 hours really seemed excessive, but it makes sense for start/end of cruise. I'll ask about all aboard times on the NCL board

We're not new cruisers but it has been 3 years since we cruised, due to the pandemic. It has been a long 3 years and I can't seem to remember some very basic things 😄

 

We are sailing on the NCL Epic from Barcelona in a few weeks and I'm trying to plan our dinners and port days. Are these the times that the ship pulls in to port/sails away? Or do we need to add 2 hours to each time for when we can get off the ship and when we need to be back on board?

 

TIA!

2 hours ago, roger b said:

 take a taxi to Soller from the ship to Port de Soller you shoud be there around 2.30 pm ? 

Thanks for the reply! About how much would a taxi cost? I don't really want to spend a lot on transportation

We will be in Palma from 1 pm to 8 pm on Saturday, October 1 on the NCL Epic. My husband loves scenery and trains and stuff like that, so we want to go to Soller/Port de Soller.

 

It seems pretty much impossible to catch the 1:30 pm train, so we would need to take the 3:10 pm. That would put us in Soller at 4:10 pm. We could spend 20 minutes in Soller and catch the 4:30 pm tram to Port de Soller, arriving 5 pm. That would give us 30 minutes in Port de Soller. We would have to catch the 5:30 pm tram to Soller, arriving 6 pm and giving us another 30 minutes in Soller before the 6:30 pm train back to Palma, arriving 7:30 pm just in time to catch a cab back to the ship for an 8 pm departure.

 

Is this too tight of a timeline? We would basically be going for the scenery we would see on the train and the tram. Is it worth it?

We are flying in to BCN on 9/24/22 and cruising the next day. I can use hotel points to get us a room in Molins de Rei and it seems pretty straightforward to get there from the airport by bus/train, as well as getting from the hotel to Sagrada Familia and other tourist destinations.

 

Where I'm having trouble is getting from the hotel to the cruise port. My maps app keeps wanting me to take the train a short distance and then take a taxi the rest of the way. I would prefer to either get all the way there via public transportation or else get to the closest stop and just take a taxi from there to the pier.

 

Someone mentioned a blue bus that picks up at the cruise port. Not sure if blue is the color of the physical bus or the color code of the bus line.

 

Can anyone clarify for me please? What is the closest rail stop to the pier? How far is it and how much would it cost to take a taxi from there to the pier? Does the public transit system in Barcelona have multiple fares, or could we buy a train ticket at the hotel and use it to transfer to the blue bus? Is there a 24 hour pass that we could buy at the airport in the first day and just use that to get around for the day as well as go to the port the next morning?

 

Thanks!

Thank you all for this information! I will follow up on these leads and then post again

My mother (72), my daughter (11) and myself (46) will be on the NCL Star this Christmas and New Years. We will be visiting Puerto Madryn, Port Stanley, Ushuaia, Punto Arenas, and Puerto Montt. We love wildlife and my daughter is crazy about penguins. What are some of our non-ship or DIY excursion options for seeing penguins? We all speak Spanish, have lived in Ecuador before, and are comfortable riding local public transportation, but we have never been to Southern South America. Our top priorities are: seeing multiple species of penguins and other wildlife, having an authentic experience, and not overpaying for tour operators when we could just jump on a bus or take a cab.

Thanks!

I got the email today, but NCL.com is acting up and I can't see details or book. 😕

Did you really type $2.75 and ask about using a cruise next cert.? Just pay the $2.75. Your DSC/Gratuity will be added daily to your onboard account and or pre-pay the DSC/gratuity ahead of time.

 

It appears that no, you can not use a 3rd cert. for any reason on the reservation.

Um, no, the point isn't about how to pay the $2.75, LOL.

 

The point is that it looks like this is an opportunity to use a third CruiseNext certificate. If anyone has been in the same situation where it seems like NCL will allow you to use a third CruiseNext, and you figured out how to do it, please post your workaround. Thanks!

 

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For some reason, my NCL.com account shows a balance of $2.75, even though I paid in full months ago. The weird thing is, it offers me the opportunity to use one of my CruiseNext certs to pay. But then it won't accept it, presumably because there is no way to use part of a CruiseNext certificate.

 

Here's my question: is there any way I can get my account to show the prepaid gratituities of $2xx, so that I can pay that with the Cruise Next certificate? I tried adding it to my cart, but then it doesn't let me use CruiseNext.

 

I know that we are not supposed to be able to use a third CruiseNext certificate, but I remember when we were only supposed to be allowed to use one, but if you got a nice NCL rep on the phone they would let you do it and the computer would accept it.

 

Thanks for any information you can give!

 

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Wow, people are rude. If there is one thing I've learned on Cruise Critic, it is to never post a specific request for information. People just can't resist posting about how they think the thread is unnecessary.

 

We'll be on the Sun on Sunday. I think the disposable plastic straw ban is sensible, and I get why people want the ships to stock paper straws ASAP. From a PP, it sounds like the Sun does not have them yet, so we are each bringing an insulated steel cup that comes with a plastic lid and a reusable plastic straw.

 

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Traveling with a car seat isn't as bad as people think it will be. I used to travel with my daughter's 26 pound Radian all the time. I've put straps on it and worn it like a backpack. I've bungeed it to my rollaboard and wheeled it through airports.

 

If your one year old still fits in their baby bucket, I'd take that for them and then buy a Ride Safer Travel Vest for the 4 year old from Amazon. Best purchase ever. My daughter is 7 and she still fits in hers. You can roll it up and it fits at the bottom of a backpack or purse.

 

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The Bliss stopped at NYC when it came over then on to Florida and on to the west coast.. this one leaves NYC and on to San Juan and south of there . And as for if it matters to me ..I don't get to cruise much, and would be cool to say I was on the Inaugural cruise to San Juan & the S. Caribbean. But if its the way you say.. It will not be :(

Will the Bliss be sailing from New York to San Juan and the southern Caribbean regularly after your cruise? If so, then it is definitely the inaugural cruise for that itinerary.

 

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For me there is no comparison between a cheap Caribbean cruise and a cruise to europe, alaska, etc. I would much rather take my chances on an itinerary where I can take in a different culture and see historic sites.

The cultures and history of the Caribbean are very worth exploring. Next week we will be visiting the Miami Science Barge (a floating marine laboratory), Old Havana, Placencia fishing village in Belize, Chacchoben Mayan ruins and a modern-day Mayan village with a home cooking lesson in Mexico, and the art deco district and Wolfsonian museum, which covers the period from the industrial revolution through both World Wars, in South Beach.

 

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