edinburgher

If you want the fastest, that would probably be a taxi, but taxis in both directions will probably cost more than the 4 X round trip bus tickets although that I do not know, and you would need to check that with local taxi companies ahead of time. By far the slowest but cheapest would be the public bus operated by Lothian Buses, a flat fare I think of £2 pp each way so maybe £16 round trip, but it will take much much longer in each direction as there are frequent bus stops serving the public, unlike the X99. You would see estimated timings on the LB website for the route. You could check the Lothian Buses website, for, I think, the #43 route, or whichever it is, and for info on where in S Queensferry the stop would be, also the best stop for you in Edinburgh city centre. the X99 picks up and drops off next to the tender point at Hawes Pier. It has never been inexpensive to travel as a family. Some day you will find there are only two of you and you will be thinking "how cheap it is here", but of course it won't be, the difference will be that you will be paying for 2 instead of 4. Until then, unfortunately you need to accept the cost of travelling as a family of four. UPDATE. I just now thought to look at the "getting around" section of the cruiseforth website (S. Queensferry.) they say nearest public bus stop is a 10 minute walk, and they also give taxi contact info. https://www.cruiseforth.com/content/getting-around-south-queensferry/

Excellent plan. Be certain to buy tram tickets from the machines BEFORE boarding as ticket inspectors constantly patrol the trams and will fine you if you have no ticket, no excuses accepted. If you are already on the High St/Royal Mile, Cockburn street is downhill from there, not up, but I can't imagine what is of interest to you on Cockburn St. OTOH, Victoria St and the Grassmarket are worth a look. You could actually access both from the boundary at the west end of Princes St Gardens, close to the Ross Fountain, along Kings Stable Road which brings you on to the Grassmarket which you would walk through onto Victoria St then uphill to George IV Bridge, take a left and the Royal Mile is only a few steps away. Or you could access both from the Royal Mile by turning right at George IV bridge then sharp right onto Victoria St and down to the Grassmarket. Hope you have a lovely day in the city and that you may even be tempted to return for a land visit which would give you more time to explore.

Not so much "out of respect", but more for being essential. Read this very recent thread, especially the early posts (3/4/5) referencing buying souvenirs from local ladies who set up tables to sell the crafts they made over winter. Cash would be the most practical way of paying as they are most unlikely to be within any card system for payment. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2995710-nanortalik-and-qaqortoq/#comment-67060958

We saw 2 or 3 of them running freely along a street in Honningsvag. (port for the North Cape if that on your itinerary)

Additional info here: https://www.lothianbuses.com/cruiselink-x99/

No tour is needed for Totem Bight as so easy and inexpensive to visit independently. Multiple past posts and threads have explained the bus, I think still only $2 or $3 pp each way and entrance is only around $5pp. But thanks for including the link above as others hoping to visit may find it useful.

My apologies fruitmachine. I had a senior moment earlier and mistakenly "quoted" you instead of the OP which means you will have been alertedto my post instead of the OP Love 2 Travel, I refer you to my post #4 above 😀

An alternative and cheaper option to a taxi back to Newhaven, would be a tram from St Andrew Square, a 5 minute walk from the foot of Calton Hill on Regent Road. Check the Edinburgh trams website for info. Just a thought as you are asling about taxis back to Newhaven. Did you check your transport options from and to Newhaven on the Cruise Forth website. You can check if there has been a change to your ship location on "find my ship" and the "getting around" section for transport info. https://www.cruiseforth.com/

If you planned to cruise Alaska for the sights, scenery and experiences, just this one time perhaps you could consider rising earlier and eating breakfast more quickly😀 I don't recall the public bus taking an hour to Totem Park, thinking it was more like 25 or 30 minutes, but you could check that online. Past threads mentioning Totem Bight and transportation to and from can be found here https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=totem bight&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=33&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_and_or=and

You could read past threads for all of the ports in the itineraries listed as reading about each port call might help you decide. alesund is indeed a favourite port of call by many as ships dock in the centre of town, there are a number of sights/attractions and it is very easy to DIY. Should you want to consider doing your own thing in Alesund, this thread has much info and some images to help you decide. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2826391-alesund-norway/#comment-62526938

BDEM, be aware that should you decide to visit the Alhambra (the #1 attraction in Spain) it is essential to pre-book timed entry tickets as visitor numbers have a capped daily figure due to the millions who visit each year. It is not possible to arrive without a reservation and expect to enter. As daily entrance tickets sell out, should you want any, book as soon as your date opens up on the booking system..

Perhaps it would have been good idea to look into the Venice accommodation and luggage challenges before booking rather than after? Having said that, once there, Venice is an amazing city to explore.

I also do not think this is a new rule, only Carnival finally enforcing an old rule. Blocking hallways with anything is a hazard, especially in the event a speedy evacuation would be required in the event of an emergency, such as fire.

At the very least, they should inform you of the name of the closest public vaporetto stop and the number of bridges needed to cross from there to reach the apt. (my post #13, bridges and docks) I think it unlikely, but you could ask if they either have their own private dock, or if a private water taxi has the right/permission to access a private one nearby which is owned by someone else. I do think that, should there be no private dock access, a public vaporetto and the left luggage could be your best option.

Should you decide against Florence and are looking for alternative ideas,reading past threads would be helpful. Search in the usual quick way, although this thread has a number of suggestions and would be a good starting point. You only need ignore the reference to driving as it quickly changes to mostly independent sightseeing suggestions from la Spezia. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2911139-la-spezia-anything-to-do-within-a-short-drive/#comment-64723978

Referencing my post #3, although a number of train strikes can be planned, they do not always go ahead, but unfortunately ours did and we had to cancel our planned Florence overnight. I would advise you keep a close eye on the Italian websites which list potential strikes, and book accommodation which can be cancelled at short notice without penalty, just in case.

Many first time visitors do not understand that P. Roma is, as already mentioned, the last point for vehicular traffic in Venice, with easy bus connections to the aiport also to the main train station, and for that reason many will choose accommodation on P. Roma or very close to it, especially if they have luggage. In Venice, it isn't necessarily the amount of walking with luggage which needs to be taken into account, it is the number of bridges which need to be crossed, as luggage must be carried up, across and down the other side. and most bridges are stepped. For those with luggage, after P. Roma hotel locations, hotels with private docks for private water taxis and hotels close to vaporetto stops are popular for that reason. For others, the left luggage option mentioned above is a solution, as visitors need only carry a small backpack or overnight bag with them to reach their accommodation and when they leave it. And the excellent and highly recommended Europe for Visitors/Venice website should be your first stop for all the Venice information a first timer could possibly need, also for information you didn't even know you needed. They even have a section on "how many bridges to your hotel?". The more you look into that website, the more you find. https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/bridges/ And the public vaporetti can be very very crowded, so do not even think about a group of 8 seniors with luggage travelling together on one of them.

Athens is inland, and the port of Piraeus does not, as far as I am aware, have a beach, so the beach bar must be in a different location out of the city. You could search on line for taxi prices from Piraeus, and read online reviews for further information to help you decide. And if the beach bar has a website, you would possibly find further information on it. The good news is that there are usually many taxis to be found at Piraeus, but depending on your timing on the day and the number of ships disembarking at that time, you may need to wait for a time unless you can pre-book a pick up.

you will need a longer day for CT than you will for Lucca, charming though Lucca is. Unfortunately while cruising is a great way to get brief visits to new places, sightseeing time in each is often too short.

Most cruise passengers especially on a first Alaska cruise value the itinerary, number of glaciers and length of time in port more than they do a drinks package, but in fairness not everyone does and your group made its choice. Giving you a heads up that there have been a number of threads over recent months where NCL pax from last season were complaining about several issues, including poor dock or tender locations compared to more established lines, shorter times in ports, the actual timings of the port calls, lack of Glacier Bay and the Ward Cove issue at Ketchikan. Hoping for you that things will have improved for this season.

Or maybe consider swapping your day 1 plans and go to Lucca that day instead of on day 2. Doing that you could return to he ship as late as you like.

And once again NCL surprises. Your group do know that on NCL there is no such thing as a "free" drinks package, because unless there has been a recent change, they will have to pay a 20% service charge pppd on the full retail value of the "free" drinks package. It is for many an unexpected cost. Maybe next time you visit Alaska, you get to choose the cruiseline!

No worries, but if your question is not really a general one and specific to a certain cruiseline, a better response can usually be expected by posting there.

Pity that Nuuk is not on the itinerary. Check Great Greenland website to get an idea of what they sell, otherwise you will be looking at items made from beads or horn, or t-shirts or similar, but when we passed through.the Great Greenland oulet we noticed plenty of items made of sealskin,there is only the question of C.I.T.E.S. or USDA?

Barcelona is a well trodden path with millions of visitors every year,meaning there is most likely very little of the city which has remained " a hidden gem", so good luck with that question. But there is SO MUCH MORE to the city than the small number of sights you listed and you want to spend your time seeing and doing the sights/attractions which are of most interest to you personally and there are a vast number to choose from. In order to do that, you need to read, read and read even more, beginning with the official Barcelona Tourist Information website, and others which appear when you google "Barcelona sightseeing" or similar, also Tripadvisor, YouTube, guide books, and websites such as Rick Steves, Fromer's, Fodors, Lonely Planet etc. Google really is your best friend. And of course the boards here on CC There are many many past threads about Barcelona, a quick search produced the following from which you can choose which to read. And also google "self guided free walking tours of Barcelona" https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=barcelona&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465 It is an amazing city, enjoy.