princeton123211

7 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

If i go to neptune seafood 5 or 5:30 on a sunday would there be a line? I’m single so could sit at the bar

Sundays should be quieter later on. Anytime I've gone by myself it's pretty quick. Even if there is a small line they'll pluck a single out of it to fill a single spot. 

31 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

They also have something called george’s bank scallops at atlantic seafood and neptune oyster and i don’t know if those are better.

Georges Bank is off Massachusetts and local to Boston. The scallops from there are considered a delicacy and they are quite good. 

On 8/20/2023 at 5:11 PM, McFins said:

Looked at the Fairmont QE and while it looks lovely it is a a bit more expensive than what we want to spend

On 8/20/2023 at 6:34 PM, lx200gps said:

They sure are, not just here but all over. At least folks from south of the border have the favorable US exchange to help them out

I was going to say to the poster here, when you were looking at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth to make sure you were looking at USD and not CAD. It might look expensive in CAD but the exchange rate is extremely favorable. 

It's one of my fave hotels in town. 

14 minutes ago, soccermom4 said:

Can't see my husband going back and forth and paying the tolls (especially in the winter if the weather isn't ideal).  After all, it's a Christmas cruise for the family

If its around the holidays even more reason not to do a back and forth drive-- that 25 minutes I mentioned will be more. Husband could end up spending 2+ hours in the car going back and forth. Tons of folks go into NYC during December and that's one of the main routes to get there. 

On 7/31/2024 at 5:07 PM, CruzerDeb said:

We were originally going to stay in the Sheraton Old San Juan, which I understand has been remodeled and renamed Rumbao. Has anyone stayed there and would you recommend it?

It's basically the same hotel-- it's just gotten a top to bottom remodel (which it needed-- it was a little long in the tooth before). Marriott is still managing it so would be the same benefits etc as if it were still under Sheraton. 

My personal favorite in OSJ is Hotel El Convento as a few have mentioned. Its independent but has fantastic atmosphere and genuine history. Even when we stay out in Isla Verde we still will come down to El Convento for drinks and a light dinner just to soak it in. 

7 hours ago, geovet said:

Thanks, but I’ve done a luau previously.

Then what are you interested in? When we have a free night in Waikiki we typically will just bar hop a little bit to some of the resorts along the beach and grab something to each at some point. Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian and Verandah/Beach Bars at the Moana Surfrider are both great. House Without a Key and Lewers Lounge are both fantastic options at Halekulani-- House has Hawaiian music in the early evening and Lewers is like a New York jazz club (although Lewers does have a dress code in the evening). 

If you want something great that's off the beaten path try Tonkatsu Tamafuji-- you'll want to take a quick Uber and its hidden above an outdoor mall a few blocks in from the beach. Off the charts katsu pork and also excellent other Japanese offerings. Nothing fancy but a must stop every time we're in town. 

1 hour ago, minniemouse427 said:

Two notes:

Third note to keep in mind-- the back and forth driving here will incur about $10 in tolls on the most direct route to the pier and back which takes about 25 minutes each way-- a total of an hour and a half in the car to pull this off for whoever is driving assuming there isn't any traffic. Might be worth the extra $10 to take an Uber in tandem. 

14 hours ago, KCGreg said:

Our cruise leaves from Quebec City on September 27.  For those who have done this cruise, what kind of weather can we expect in Quebec and the maritime provinces in late September - early October?

Cool, fall weather. QC tends to be in the mid to high 50s during the day, although you can get into the 60s, and can get into the low 40s/high 30s at night. Once you get into the open Atlantic it can get even cooler. I would pack with layers-- you could catch a nicer day that can warm up a bit but generally will be cooler. 

31 minutes ago, soccermom4 said:

Maybe taxi/Uber to the port from the hotel?  LOL - my head is spinning now.

Was going to say reading through this-- just have the two that Ubered to the hotel, Uber to the port. Its close by and inexpensive. They'll just meet you at the ship. 

In terms of food, aside from the mall, you are sort of on an island. Maybe use Doordash/Caviar to have something delivered? Otherwise you are driving or Ubering somewhere. 

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

We have a chart house here in NJ overlooking manhattan. Folks go for the views, the food is just okay (but pricey). 

Same at this one-- right on the water but the food gives me upscale wedding catering vibes. Much better places to eat in Boston. 

3 hours ago, Shaden1982 said:

Any insight on what there is to do in/near Seaport Village?

First off it’s the Seaport District or South Boston. Most people will refer to it as the Seaport but no one will know what you’re talking about if you call it a village.  
 

3 hours ago, Shaden1982 said:

Restaurant recommendations?

There are a lot but they are mostly corporate chains. The area itself is quite new compared to the rest of the city and is comprised mostly of highrise condos and hotels aimed at busienss travelers. Personally I think it’s the least atmospheric part of the city. I’d definitely recommend getting out of the Seaport for more interesting and local spots to eat. That being said you won’t go hungry there- plenty of options.

3 hours ago, Shaden1982 said:

How far is Fanieul Hall?

About a half hour walk or a very short Uber ride.

3 hours ago, Shaden1982 said:

What is the easiest transportation to the cruise port - Uber/Lyft or Taxi?  

You’re pretty much walking distance to the pier from your hotel. You could take a very, very short Uber.

9 hours ago, ShallIDoIt said:

We have now researched more and want to also visit Kualoa Ranch, which is around 37 minutes drive from Waikiki. This is probably now top of our list. It looks like there is transport from Waikiki to the ranch??

There is-- you can drive or there is a public bus. It might say 37 minutes on Google Maps but usually there is traffic in and around Honolulu and at some times of the day it can be substantial. I would budget at least an hour each way if you rent a car and drive yourself and close to an hour and a half or more to use the bus each way. 

Honestly if you are going to other islands in Hawaii you can do similar things at even more picturesque places. You can have a very similar ATV experience at Kipu Ranch in Kauai and it might be a better use of time when there is so much to see in Waikiki in Oahu. Food for thought. 

9 hours ago, ShallIDoIt said:

As the USS Arizona is closed due to 7th December anniversary, we will just do a whistle stop tour of Pearl Harbour. I believe there  is a free section?

There is a free museum that is part of the USS Arizona Memorial. The visitors center and small museum are open but I believe all tours on December 7th are suspended due to various ceremonies happening. It is also the busiest day of the year there. It frankly might be worth avoiding due to the heavy crowds and coming back to visit on a subsequent visit. We had friends go one year and the parking lot opened at 5am and it was pretty full by 7am. 

9 hours ago, ShallIDoIt said:

We may or may not visit Honolulu. As it is a short walk to the ship, we may make that our last stop before walking back to the ship. Looking for tips on how best to achieve this with either car / or public transport / Ubers etc 

I wouldn't make a big effort to visit downtown Honolulu after dark-- not much going on and the nightlife is in Waikiki. Downtown has a few great museums that are worth it, but they are only open during the day. The Iolani Palace or The Bishop Museum might be a great substitution for Pearl Harbor if you decide the crowds are too much to warrant a visit. 

If you limit your touring to Pearl Harbor/Honolulu/Waikiki it can all be done extremely cost effectively by Ubers which are plentiful and easy there. If you choose to venture to Kualoa Ranch you will most likely want to rent a car-- giving up 3 hours on a bus even on a 16 hour port visit is still not fun or a good use of time. If you do rent a car I would do so from one of the rental counters in Waikiki (there are various Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Sixt downtown) and this will spare you from having to Uber to and from the airport. It will also allow you to drop back off downtown and then go to Waikiki in the evening. 

40 minutes ago, MELSMOM47 said:

Crazy. Only three bedroom suites. This is in May 2025. Checked another date and it’s only $500. Now that would be quite reasonable 

Keep checking-- it will go down. Most likely there are a bunch of room blocks that, when they get released, will open up a lot of regular rooms. 

If you want to stay at the GB I would book something with a reasonable cancellation policy (the King George next door is also part of the Luxury Collection but its not quite as nice as the Grande Bretagne and could be a good place holder). 

I would then check back every month and switch the booking when it opens up. 

10 minutes ago, samplecd02 said:

Can anyone recommend from experience a transfer service that can pick me up from the hotel and take me to the pier 91, then after the cruise take me from the pier to the airport? I will either need a bus that can take 8 or multiple vehicles.

Two UberXLs will get the job done. We generally use mainly Uber and sometimes Lyft in Seattle and it works well. 

A limo service with a larger mini bus is going to be very expensive here-- usually they are going to charge you garage in to garage out which adds up quickly and you pay for a lot of time that you aren't even on it. 

20 hours ago, MELSMOM47 said:

Yikes. Just checked for our cruise next May…… $8,115€ per night. That is quite the splurge 😱

That's not typical-- most likely only a top suite is left or something like that. Usually the GB is in the $1000-1300 per night range for an entry room and the sister hotel the King George next door is usually a bit less around $700-800 that time of year. 

If you have Marriott Bonvoy points this can be an excellent redemption for around 80,000-90,000 points per night. 

On 9/2/2024 at 8:35 AM, ShallIDoIt said:

We want to visit Pearl Harbour, Waikiki Beach area and Downtown Honolulu, We dock at 7am and depart at 11pm, so I hoping this would be enough time for all three??

All three can easily be done in that time frame. I would start with Pearl Harbor-- you'll need to get timed tickets for the USS Arizona Memorial which will sort of dictate when exactly you go there. 

Downtown Honolulu is ok-- I wouldn't devote too much time to it. The Iolani Palace would be a highlight in the downtown area and also requires timed tickets. Waikiki is the spot where I would spend the early afternoon into the evening if at all possible. Great beach and a ton of spots for food and drinks. 

On 9/2/2024 at 8:35 AM, ShallIDoIt said:

We would like to hire a car, but I have no idea how I go about doing this. Are there car hire places near the port where I can arrange pick up of the car and which car company would i need to search. 

I would absolutely not hire a car. The area you are talking about is quite small-- Uber, Lyft, taxis are available and a MUCH more cost effective way of seeing things. Exorbitant parking costs in Waikiki alone should dissuade you from renting a car. 

On 9/2/2024 at 8:35 AM, ShallIDoIt said:

We are also struggling for tours of Pearl Harbour as limited tours due to the 7th December being the anniversary of the invasion

Now that is a challenge. If Princess has a Pearl Harbor only tour that might be a work around. But you definitely do not need to be on a formal tour for Honolulu or Waikiki. 

11 hours ago, cropping cruiser said:

will Uber be able to drop us off at terminal? Is the baggage drop off near the entrance to terminal ?

Yes and yes. Boston port is tiny and basic- one building. Easy to navigate.

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

I'd suggest a Blue Flag taxi tour. Blue Flag cabbies are certified as tour guides .

This. And when you use a Blue Flag private tour (as opposed to a larger bus with other folks on it) you can dictate where you get picked up and dropped off. 

6 hours ago, lx200gps said:

That's interesting. At other ports we've sailed out of, any luggage that can fit in the security scanner is acceptable to be carried on board, including many larger luggage, not just carry-ons. Many people carry relatively large suitcases on board. Are you saying that's not allowed in Boston?

I think my comment is being blown a little out of proportion-- I was commenting on the general practice, not hard and fast rules. I haven't seen anyone in 4-5 times sailing out of Boston carry a large suitcase onboard but I don't doubt that its possible. 

But the vast majority of folks use the porters to bring large cases aboard. If everyone, or even a majority, carried their suitcases onboard it would be a nightmare.  

13 hours ago, paddingtonbear said:

I was wondering if you have been to the Boston Sail Loft?  If so what is it like?  It seems reasonably priced for a very expensive city. 

When I lived in Boston years and years ago right out of college the Sail Loft was a great after work bar for meeting girls. It's been there forever-- certainly not the best food in town but very reliable and good mix of locals and out of towners. The bar is open very late so it attracts a heavy drinking crowd after dinner. 

On 8/27/2024 at 10:33 PM, KeepCalmBearOn said:

Arriving in San Pedro, you would not want to go to Union Station, because that is 30+ miles in the wrong direction. If you DID want to use the train (which I would not), I'd Uber to the Fullerton (FUL), Anaheim (ANA) or Santa Ana (SNA) Amtrak station.

I don't think it was about going to Union Station to catch a train so much as ending up at Union Station after catching a train. 

2 hours ago, Junebug624 said:

Newbury is out of our price range at $988 a night.

Unfortunately that's pretty down the middle price wise for a 4 star hotel in Boston a lot of the time. There is a Marriott and Westin in Copley, a Hilton not far away, and another Hilton in Back Bay that might be a little less but will still be most likely on the high side. 

1 hour ago, Junebug624 said:

What are the hotels in that area?  I think one transfer would be a bonus, but I do want to have a place to eat that evening.

Fairmont Copley Plaza is one of the main ones and is a Boston gem in its own right. Same architect as The Plaza in New York City. The Oak Bar is a great spot for a bite to eat and a drink or two. The Newbury Hotel right on Boston Public Garden a few blocks over also has a great bar and lounge for eating as well as a great Italian restaurant on the roof. 

Tons of restaurants in the immediate vicinity of Copley Square-- too many to just ramble off but if you are looking for a specific rec happy to make some. 

1 hour ago, Junebug624 said:

Do you have to use the porters?  What is the alternative?

You need to use porters for larger luggage. A carry on, the size of which you would be allowed to carry on an airplane, can be brought onboard by you personally. But anything larger needs to be checked with the porters outside the pier. No alternative. 

44 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Its also weird - i looked for online ordering and there is no lobster roll on it.

Because that is literally all they would sell to go if they offered it.