suntan

Thank you for confirming how I thought disembarkation would take place.  I must say this is one of the best boards on this site.  Everyone is very knowledgeable and helpful.  Thank you all again for your help and guidance.

I'm now looking at flights to/from Amsterdam.  I'm trying to find out how disembarkation will take place so that I can decide on the time for the flight home (which will be a very sad day).  We dock back into Amsterdam on day 7, with disembarkation the next morning.  I'm looking for confirmation of how I think disembarkation will take place.  One: We can disembark whenever we want for me that will be after breakfast; 2) there will be no requirement once we disembark to go through Customs and Immigration before making our way to the airport.  Unlike on a Caribbean cruise from New Jersey where you disembark then visit U.S. Customs and Immigration and then go to the airport.  

Please let me know if my thought process is correct.  If not, please set me straight! LOL

I have just booked my first river cruise with Avalon - Tulip Time May 6, 2020 saling from Amsterdam.  I am looking for hotel recommendations that are near the dock or close by as I will be arriving the day before the cruise starts.  I tried to find out which dock in Amsterdam we would be sailing from; however, that information is not yet available.

Thank you.

I will definitely be visiting the Keukenhof gardens.  I've also heard that the flower market is also a must see.

Thank you everyone for your responses to my questions re Avalon Waterways.  Your insight and past experience helped me decide to book which I did today.   I'll be sailing on the May 6, 2020 Tulip Time Cruise, Amsterdam to Amsterdam.   I am very excited to experience a different style of cruising and to seeing the beautiful ports of call.

On 7/23/2019 at 6:55 PM, YoungDubFan said:

I know that Avalon completely waives the single supplement on some sailings. Check their website for which cruises qualify.

This is correct.  I just booked with Avalon this morning on a May 2020 cruise and the single supplement was waived.  As the OP stated only certain cruises had the supplement waived.

35 minutes ago, seashell said:

Suntan,

 

i can't answer some questions since i don't cruise until May but I can address the single supplement.  I am booked as a single.  I was told there are usually 5 cabins per cruise that have the supplement waived.  So if the price is $4000 per person in the room then you pay $4,000.00.  If they get more than 5 singles on the cruise then you pay $8,000.00.  (or close to it).  If you want to do this then book early to get the lower price.  I have a family group going and we are age 59 to 75.  The family wanted to see castles so we are going on the Rhine cruise.  

i was told by the agents i have talked to that the busiest months on the rivers are May and September.  We booked May not knowing that.  Also something to think about is weather.  Pick a month you like the weather.  I don't think you can pick a bad itinerary they all visit so many interesting places.  Good luck in your search.  I think river cruising will be a nice change from ocean cruising.  

 

Michelle

PS thanks everyone for the continuing information.  I have picked up so much from all of you.

Seashell, thank you for your response.  I'm hoping to decide where I want to go later today and then contact my travel agent.  Viking wanted almost $10,000 for flight and 8 day cruise (that's with the single supplement).  That's not in the cards. LOL

1 hour ago, s35flyer said:

1. What is the age demographic on a river cruise?  I'm in my late 50's.  Will I be too young  or too old? LOL

2. Re stateroom locations. I see some of the staterooms (Artistry II) are on the same deck as either the propulsion room or engine room.  Wouldn't that be noisy at night and interrupt one's sleep?

3.  I see there are optional excursions available at some ports.  Are these included in the price or would there be an extra charge for them?

4. Is the price all-inclusive?  By that I mean, cruise, meals, alcohol, soft drinks, tea, coffee, and shore excursions?

===============================================

My wife and I did the Rhine in late April aboard the expression.  I am 65 and active tennis player and hiker my wife is 59 and plays golf three times a week so my point is we are close to your age.  Our cruise had mostly our age on board, there were older and there were younger, 35-75 I would say covers most everyone.  Two things are important here, first you must be physically independent, there are no elevators and walking in Europe is difficult for some people.  The next thing is and what we enjoyed was meeting all the different people, we even became friends with some  and are staying touch.  There are “groups” of people 4-8 of various sorts, family, group of friends,  they missed out on this because all they did was hang with their family/group, eat together etc.  So as a single, look for others and sit down with others, don’t be shy!  Pick a seat any seat and enjoy the conversation.  There’s always one Debby downer, we had ours loud boisterous knows everything type, we stayed away so no issues.

2.  We were on the top floor about midship, I could hear the engines, but it was a very dull sound and I actually slept better than at home.  But walking all day, never ending wine glass might have contributed.  

3. That depends on the cruise line, Tauck everything is included, from my research all the other lines have extra excursions.  However, there are excursions every day for everybody.  We would usually go with a group and after getting the lay of the land go off on our own but being back at the ship at the designated time.

4.  Yes and no, again depends on the cruise line.  Avalon, everything included, except alcohol served in the bar, but there is a happy hour before dinner and it’s cheap.  At meals, free.  We paid extra for a few things like a special excursion to the Maginot line in France.   But that’s the exception not the rule.

 

 

advice-  before choosing a cruise figure out what you want to see, then search for cruises that match that.  And if your wanting 2020, better reserve soon they fill up fast.  We have a new reservation for 2021 and it’s half full already.

 

Thank you for your response.  I've travelled on my own several times and I have no problem meeting people.  I've pulled off today the cruises in 2020 I am interested in which I will review later today and contact my travel agent to see which cruises have the single supplement available.  Wish me luck.

Hello everyone.  I am searching for a European cruise in 2020.  I've booked a British Isles cruise on NCL for May 2020; however, upon reviewing the ports of call it appears some of the ports of call are 2-3 hours from the central areas for travel.  Also the cost of the shore excursions, whether through NCL or private, are pricey for what was being offered.  So I'm looking at a river cruise and I see Avalon has waived the single supplement on some 2020 cruises.  I've never done a river cruise before so I have some questions that I hope you will be able to answer.

1. What is the age demographic on a river cruise?  I'm in my late 50's.  Will I be too young  or too old? LOL

2. Re stateroom locations. I see some of the staterooms (Artistry II) are on the same deck as either the propulsion room or engine room.  Wouldn't that be noisy at night and interrupt one's sleep?

3.  I see there are optional excursions available at some ports.  Are these included in the price or would there be an extra charge for them?

4. Is the price all-inclusive?  By that I mean, cruise, meals, alcohol, soft drinks, tea, coffee, and shore excursions?

Thank you

On 8/14/2019 at 9:21 PM, cunnorl said:

 We are going to be in Amsterdam on 5/3/20 and we are interested in going to Keukenhof to see the tulips. My daughter is a fulltime wheelchair user but there are family members to assist. Any recommendations on the best way to get there from the ship?

Thanks!!

Hi, I just booked this cruise yesterday.  I'm travelling by myself.  I too am interested in going to the Keukenhof gardens.  I will be happy to assist you and your daughter in getting to the gardens.  I do not see going to the gardens as an excursion offered by NCL (at least not for this year).  I don't see the 2020 excursions are available yet.  From what I can see to get to the gardens is via train and/or bus.  The Combi ticket, suggested by Dutch_Travelgirl may be the way to go.   I checked with Viator and they do have day trips to the gardens which include accessible transportation.  That's always an option.  

Great job NCL!

They had ROA on my sailing 7/23-30. It was not available to book online for me prior to sailing, but instead as soon as you board.

Just off the same cruise as the OP. You have to book Rock of Ages on the ship. Same with the comedy show Second City. I couldn't book online but you have to book when you get on the ship.

Thank you everyone for your responses to my question.

You can get to both from either. If you go to Hamilton first, it is a shorter ferry ride and a longer bus or taxi ride. If you go to St George's first, it is a longer ferry ride and a shorter bus or taxi ride.

 

The ferry to Hamilton takes about 20 minutes and departs the Dockyard about once an hour. The ferry to SG takes about 45 minutes and departs the Dockyard twice in the AM. To make your plan really, really doable, you should take the ferry that departs the Dockyard at 9:30 am.

 

The bus (route #10 or #11) from Hamilton takes about 30-35 minutes to get to the caves. The bus (route #10 or #11) from SG takes about 20 minutes to get to the caves.

 

If you take a taxi from either Hamilton or SG, travel times would less than the bus in both instances.

 

SBtS

Thank you for this information. I would like to do St. George and Hamilton in the same day. Please advise if the following is available: first ferry out from Royal Naval Dockyard to St. George; ferry to Hamilton after lunch; ferry back to Royal Naval Dockyard from Hamilton. Thank you.

I spoke with a rep from Dial 7 this morning regarding pick up at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and he asked if the terminal was on 46th Street. According to the NCL documents I received the terminal is on 12th Street.

Please help! I don't know Manhattan at all so I have no idea who is correct with the address. For those that have used Dial 7 after disembarking how do you get your ride to pick you up?

Thank you.

14 on the Breakaway!

The St. George's area is so small that there need not be any stress. Even with a somewhat inaccurate map like that one. You can get a beautiful pocket map to carry put out by the Bermuda's tourism people at the Visitor Information Centers. And I advise all not to use Google Maps. I put several routes into Google Maps and several of the routes they proposed were screwy. Like their route from the ferry terminal at Pennos Wharf to Tobacco Bay. Don't do that one.

 

Also there is a Visitor Information Center in the town square and they will answer any questions about directions and such.

Charles,thank you for your post. I will pop into the Visitor's Centre upon my arrival. Only 15 days to go! :p

Thank you Beachikeen for posting your question as I am doing a similar walk around St. George in August as what you have planned.

Thank you to everyone else who provided excellent information and the map. This has taken a bit of the stress away as one tries to figure out how to get from point a to b, c and d for a first time Bermuda visitor.

Thank you for your responses. Yes I am on the Breakaway. The porter suggestion is a good idea. I will download a car services app to get my transport to EWR. I have built in lots of time to get to the airport.

How long, approximately, will it take to get off the ship in Manhattan for a Canadian without a Nexus card (although I hope to have it before the trip)? I would like to hire a private car to take me to the airport in New Jersey but can't really specify a time to pick me up without knowing how long I will have to wait to clear customs/immigration. Sailing August 6-13/17.

Thank you.

There are probably over a thousand adults who have the UBP on every BA cruise. Even if a dozen people over do it and embarrass themselves, that's still a very small percentage.

 

There isn't a need for limits to the package. It's a personal responsibility issue.

Well said!

I really appreciate everyone's comments and recommendations on how to get from EWR to my hotel in Manhattan.

The bus or train it is then!

THANKS again!!!:D:D

Since you're arriving the day before your cruise am I correct to assume you're staying at a hotel in Manhattan ? If so, where? Admittedly the answer to that question is probably not that likely to affect the suggestions for transportation already made by Carol. In any event a ferry is not likely to be part of the answer.

Yes, I am staying at a hotel in Manhattan the day prior to the cruise. I'm staying at The Belvedere - address:319 West 48th Street. Someone suggested the ferry and I thought it would be a great way to arrive but I'm sensing a "no" coming. :D

I'm searching for flight deals from Toronto in August 2017 for my NCL cruise sailing out of the Manhattan cruise terminal. I am arriving the day prior to the cruise. Flights out of Toronto to JFK are running $400 Cdn non stop (any stops are not acceptable for a 1 1/2 hour flight) and you can forget flying into LGA with all that construction. So I was thinking of taking Porter Airlines to EWR and then making my way to Manhattan.

Is it possible to get from EWR to a ferry to take to Manhattan from which I will take a cab/car service and if so how would I go about that?

Thanks,Sue

Yes Taxis are allowed in port area. It's more like the drop off at an airport. Check back regularly whether car services such as Dial 7 can enter for pickup or if you will need to arrange to meet them across the street. It seems to change every so often.

 

 

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That's good. One less thing to worry about. :)