prescottbob
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Posts posted by prescottbob
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Back in February of this year, the Sydney Port Authority offered a complimentary shuttle from White Bay Cruise Terminal to George Street near Circular Quay. The ride was approx. 20-30 min each way depending on traffic, went over the ANZAC bridge, an ran from 0900-2330 hrs. on the first day and from 0900-1700 hrs. on the second day.
A Captain Cook's ferry, docked behind White Bay (an approx. ten min walk due to fencing), cost $10 AUS, went underneath the Sydney Harbor bridge, and took ten minutes to get to Circular Quay
Gracias mi amigo.
Roberto
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A 6/8 reply from Capt. Cook. (I looked into the water taxis and they don't appear to be for the 'budget savy' cruiser.) :)
Thank you for your email enquiry.
Please find attached a sample timetable for our White Bay service.
Our earliest service from White Bay is at 8.10am* and the latest departure back from Circular Quay is at 2.05pm* (*subject to change)
For water taxi services you can try the below companies:
- Yellow Water Taxis 1300138840
- Water Taxis Combined (02)95558888
Should you require further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.
Kind regards,
Victoria
Sydney Harbour Reservations Consultant
Captain Cook Cruises
Postal: No 6 Jetty Circular Quay Sydney NSW 2000
Reservation Phone: +61 2 9206 1111
Fax: +61 2 9251 4725
Email: reservations@captaincook.com.au
Website: http://www.captaincook.com.au
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Ahoy!
I was interested to see if HAL provided any sort of shuttle service to recent cruisers from the White Bay Terminal (we'll be doing an overnight docking in October) to the Circular Quay & return.
I've researched the daytime Captain Cook ferries for cruise ships, water taxis, the nearby bus schedule(s) and various taxi fares via the internet.
I thought I read somewhere that the WC folks had a shuttle service available (as well they should) but I wasn't sure if the other HAL cruises overnighting in Sydney docking in White Bay had the same 'perk'.
Thanks so much for any current information.
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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Ahoy!
So, looking through the Maasdam deck plans what might prevent an 'insider' from reserving 773 or 769 on A deck? Obsessive engine / crew quarters / kitchen noise?
It's certainly not quite as convenient as the Lower Prom (which we like) but it appears a stairway is nearby.
Likewise, the Dolphin deck on the Amsterdam has similar cabins (1841, 1854, 1905 for example) which we reserved one but had to cancel for the 2017 WC. Similar problems?
Our daughter had a similar cabin on the Oosterdam two years ago and it did make me somewhat 'envious' regarding the layout & space available (we we're in a OV at the time across the aisle).
Inquiring minds would like to know from experienced 'insiders' (a critique of sorts) for the deck plan blank spaces that might cause excessive noise (an objective observation perhaps) near the lower deck vertically-oriented inside cabins.
Thanks so much in advance.
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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The charge will show up on the Barclay CC account whether it be a 'big box' reservation (we currently use the 'C' big box for the great OBC's), internet TA's or a direct HAL reservation (be sure to transfer prior to final payment).
Like most mileage / travel cards sign up for the freebies (first year = no cost), charge X dollars ($2-3 K minimum within 2-3 months) = 50,000 points or a minimum of $500 travel credit cash plus depending on your card).
Bottom line: manipulating a credit card or two will help out with your travel expenses somewhat but certainly not all.
Be well.
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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Depending on the airline / on-line travel agency, you can post your KNT in your personal profile and it will automatically be applied to current & future reservations.
In other cases where this isn't an available feature on the site you need to apply your KTN when you check-in online or at the airport check-in facilities. Always check your boarding pass for the "TSA pre" noted on the print out. If it does not show be sure to stop by the check-in desk at the airport.
And, as mentioned, you really only need the card at border crossings (via walking or driving).
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob :)
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Ahoy!
Thank you for the "review". I'm sure HAL will note your cruise concerns / problems aboard.
Please let us know how it works out.
Be well.
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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I wouldn't get too excited yet. Just because here in the US, cruises and travel is being touted, the same may not be in Cuba. There was a lot of Hoopla about the first flight from RSW to Havana several months ago. The passengers, etc were interviewed and there was a video of the plane taking off. It was a no go when they got to Havana. Cuba didn't even allow them to land! It hasn't been tried since to my knowledge. Even Obama wasn't welcomed by the president of Cuba yesterday!
Just because the Cuban people want it means nothing to the Cuban Government.
I have heard some of the former Cuban refugees have spoken out against the US government giving what they call "legitimacy to the Cuban regime" after so many people were driven from their homes and murdered.
I think I would wait and see before I started booking my vacation there.
BTW - living here in SWFL we get adds all the time for cruises and vacations in Cuba, but the fine print always says (when it opens up).
Good luck to any of you who want to visit. I hope you get to go soon.
My wife & her family members were refuges in 1957 from the 'blessed' Che & Fidel thugs, aka, torturers & killers, & were fortunately able to arrive on US soil unharmed.
If you decide to visit please enjoy yourselves in the Communist 'paradise'. Be sure to watch your back.
Also, understand your travel dollars are funneled to the Cuban military for all business (which includes tourism) purposes on the island.
You might want to consider several other nearby islands. Google some images of Havana & other towns on the island & make yourself a decision.
I suppose moral thought is to be dammed these days IMHO.
Bon Voyage & Good Health otherwise!
Bob:)
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Ahoy!
It's worked quite well for us for the past two years we've used it (and certainly worth the application fee). I primarily applied for it since the TSA pre=check wasn't all that less expensive.
I haven't really read through the thread but make sure all your travel airline & travel service accounts have your known traveler #. It makes your life so much easier getting through the regular airport security (if they are open for your particular flights) & foreign entries.
My 'beef' (with TSA pre-heck really) is when I tell them I have a knee replacement I still need to go thru the 'Star Trek' pseudo security MRI device.
Otherwise, IMHO, the global entry program (regardless of all it's flaws) is worth the time saved standing in line at an airport terminal, border crossing or port entry.
Besides, being 'seniors', time is of the utmost importance, no? :)
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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Our recent 17 January 2016 Veendam 14 Day Caribbean Sailing:
MM Inside, A Deck Guarantee that included the Explore 4 Package turned out to be K062 Inside, Navigation Deck (convenient to the Lido & Greenhouse Spa).
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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1. Don't be reluctant to order / try multiple items ( i.e. #2 appetizers, a hot & cold soup if interested & #2 main dishes) for tasting purposes.
2. Beef? I tend to order to order on the rare side due to prior experiences with over cooking which means you need to re-order.
3. Fish fillets, etc. can be a 'crap shot' depending on the chef. Don't feel bad if your need to re-order. Mushy fillets & over-cooked shell fish doesn't work for me.
4. One of my major issues for me has been (seems like for ages with not only HAL) is that cold items (i.e. soups, ice cream/sorbets) need to be served COLD & hot items (i.e. most main platters) need to be served HOT. It's always been a problem with institutional cooking / service. I believe HAL is getting better in this regard.
5. If your a wine drinker make sure you make your wine steward is a ' best friend'. He/she will give you plenty of tips & service with simple conversation & good manners.
6. Get to know your food serving staff on the first night (if you have fixed seating). Your preferences will be noted.
7. Have a good attitude & enjoy. Hey, your not cooking. Your on vacation!
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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There's plenty of 'smart' choices in the MDR. The vegetarian options come to mind.
However, even ordering, say, a NY strip steak will keep the calories within your limitations (with just steamed veggies and no spuds).
And, I might add, you could order pretty much anything else (i.e. the featured, aka, Chef Rudi's choice, main course of the evening) but you need just to take a few tastes and not finish the plate.
It's all self discipline whether it be the MDR, Lido or and other snacks. It's okay to leave your plate with leftovers. The ocean 'fish' will love you following grinding & discharge of the food waste.
Good luck with the diet. Dieting on a cruise ship is really, really hard. I think you can do it!
Be well & remain to be so.
Bob:)
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Nationwide Travel Insurance Excursion Coverage:
up to $250 paid for Itinerary change after departure causing you to miss a pre-paid excursion.
Ports of call changed prior to departure up to $500 paid.
I'm not aware of any policy that would cover phone calls, etc.
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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You are confusing me. (Not difficult) You said "2x the cruise cost." But the example you gave was only 50%: $40,000 for 2, plus $20,000 for additional costs." Is my math bad or did I misread it?
Ahoy!
Sorry. I guess I wasn't clear.
Number-wise: $20K per person (interior) X 2 =2X Cruise cost= $40K.
Then I just add another 'ghost' person (i.e. other expenses) to make it 3X = $60K total.
I just do 'ball park' figuring whenever planning a cruise. 9 times out of 10 we usually come under budget which is good! Then we have some leftover 'dough' to plan another cruise!
Sorry for the mix up.
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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Ahoy!
Like most cruises for the two of us (BTW, I recently cancelled the 2017 HAL cruise) I always budget for three folks (3X the cruise cost versus 2X the cruise cost) budget-wise as a 'ball-park' figure.
This includes trip insurance, on board expenses (beverage & spa), port excursions (HAL & private), visas, auto tips, AL tickets transfers, etc. (which is a good thing, no?)
Example: $4000 for a 14 day cruise for two. Add $2000 for expenses = $6000
WC= $40,000 for two (116 days: we're talking interior cabin here). Add $20,000 for overall expenses (how often do you do a WC?) = approx. $60,000 total .
Needless to say, your probably not going to spend that much money (we always seem to be under budget on prior cruises) but conservative budgeting is not a bad thing for planning IMO.
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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Ahoy!
We disembarked the Veendam this past Sunday and the DVD players are indeed still in place. The ship will be going in for a 'spruce up', aka, retrofit in March.
I was told by some of the staff that will be staying aboard to help out that it was primarily a cosmetic retrofit (e.g. carpeting, drapes, & such) plus redoing the Lido as the Lido marketplace.
I failed to ask about the on demand TV but it seemed like the TV's looked fairly new (flat screen LG's) that did hook up to the DVD player (at least in the interior we stayed in).
I don't know if they'll be spending the dough to change everything out for the on demand over since the Veendam (& Maasdam) are the only two remaining S class ships in the fleet. But perhaps they will.
Hopefully someone will post something regarding the actual changes made after the retrofit.
It be nice if they'd get rid of the Retreat area and replace with the old aft pool. Unfortunately, no such luck me thinks. ;)
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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Ahoy!
I think the only financial outfit I still need to call is Schwab (debit checking for ATM foreign withdrawals). I use web sites for the other cards that I take which in include Cap One, Barclay MC and BA ATM (backup).
AMEX told me some time ago that I need not notify them since they track purchases and such with some sort of 'special program'. I haven't had any problem with them (I used to use it to pay the on board bill only pretty much but now use Barclay for the cash back / statement credit thingy).
Just put travel flag / travel in CC search engines and you should get to a page that you put your travels dates in and drops down lists for various countries that you will be traveling to. Some sites are a tad more sophisticated than others but all seem to work for us.
Have a wonderful cruise. We're off for a 'quickie 14 day Veendam Caribbean this coming Sunday. We're ready!
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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How can I recognize a cruise that requires a non-refundable deposit? Will they be advertised as such? I would certainly not want to book one by accident.
Booking a non-refundable deposit might be OK if it is a real bargain. But, regardless of the pricing, I would not want to book one too far in advance.
Ahoy!
The only times I ever really noted the non-refundable fares is after the final payment date on a certain warehouse travel site (plus flash sales, etc.). Since my wife and I need to plan ahead many months ahead of time I've never researched it much to date.
In so far as fee's / cancellation policies here's a link to a short CC article:
http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1448
I might add, that it always good to go to the cruise line sites and read their passenger contract / terms for specifics.
For instance, Paul Gauguin charges a $100 administrative fee of $100 per person if you cancel 121 days or more prior to the cruise. Several of the smaller Caribbean & European operators due likewise.
In any event have a great cruise.
Mele Kalikimaka!
Bob:)
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Just an FYI.
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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My wife & I still work full time so we usually need to book a cruise 8-14 months out due to scheduling & time off availability. Hopefully that will be changing next year a we transition into 'retirement mode'. We'll see.
Things we think about (in no particular order) when booking a HAL cruise:
1. Minimum of 14 days length,+25 days preferable, due to the hassle of flying into an embarkation port.
2. Itinerary / region of the world. We like to see new sights whenever possible. The so-called 'bucket list', as it were.
3. As many sea days as possible. Port intensive cruises (the Caribbean is exempted: just go to the beach anyhow) are not our 'cup of tea'. When we 've done those in earlier times we usually get home and need a 'vacation' from the cruise.
4. Ship size: we prefer the Prinsendam (our favorite), S&R class vessels. We did only one Vista class thus far (Oosterdam). Needless to say, we prefer the smaller ships.
5. Pricing and 'sweeteners' (OBC, Explore 4 and such).
6. Our desire to have either a cold weather or warm weather (or combination thereof) cruise depending on the region of the world that strikes our fancy.
7. Intuition / 'gut feeling'. You look at an itinerary and it shouts out to you: "Take me, take me, take me".
Items to us that really doesn't effect out selection of a cruise:
1. Whoever the Master / Captain of the ship might be.
2. Entertainers playing in the Mix or Piano Bar.
3. # of formal nights (now Gala something or other) versus casual nights.
4. Availability of fixed dining times and table sizes (2 top to 8 tops).
Bottom line for us: Being on the ship and sailing on the sea is our primary destination.
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
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The short answer to your query's:
(As You Wish): You can either show up or, preferably, call earlier in the day for a specific time & table size.
PG & Canaletto is available. Keep your eye out for the Cellar Master's dinner option if available and if so inclined.
(Menu): The menu (MDR) has changed somewhat with less options (daily) and a fixed menu. I personally like it. Presentation is always good, quality & temperature control can be 50-50 at best (IMHO).
(DVD's): Nope, same old HAL. Were boring also & like to view a flick in the afternoon (sea days specifically) with a room service cheese platter or two. HAL remains to have the DVD player under the TV. One still needs to check out DVD's at the front desk, bring your own or view the available movies being played on the channels.
(Mix):I recall a piano bar with an adjacent sports bar (adjacent to the casino). I recall a small area for champagne & martini tastings. However, I may be wrong on this and I'm sure recent cruisers will correct me.
The Oosterdam was a nice ship. I think you'll enjoy your journey.
Be well.
Bob
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Ahoy!
Interesting comments. Let me add a cent or two in no particular order.
1. We met some great/ interesting folks. Enough said.
2. Canaletto: appetizers were great, mains not so good.
3. PG: Robert (mgr.) gave it his best, staff no so (felt rushed / not trained), food okay but had to send a plate back or two due to overcooking (food is objective, no?)
4. Le Cirque (X 1): done very well the night we attended.
5. Cellar Master dinners (X2 & lunch X1): Sam the 'cellar master', as mentioned, did a wonderful job. The food was certainly much better than the MDR and routine PG IMHO. The pairings were great.
6. MDR: I like the abbreviated menu. Mixed results. Some items were kept too long on a steamer table IMO. Taste/ spicing was a 'crap shot' but certainly edible (hey, we can all be food snobs, no?).
7. Master Eric did a great job getting us to where we needed to go. I would expect nothing less for an experienced HAL Captain.
8. Barbara, the culinary gal, was supper. I attended several demos.
9. The shows, IMHO, were typical cruise ship offerings but pleasant enough for the few I attended.
10. The laundry service was the best I've ever encountered BTW.
11. I didn't deal with the excursion staff but the front office staff was great.
12. Port-wise: It's all good (hey, we knew we're we were gong, no? )The tenders worked when necessary.
13. I left out a lot of good folks out that provided us wonderful service.
14. Excuse me, I'm awaiting for the Lido to open :)
Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)
White Bay Terminal, Sydney Shuttle Query
in Holland America Line
Posted
Just an update for those interested in the topic.
An email from HAL:
"Thank you for your correspondence with Holland America Line regarding transfers in Sydney on October 20, 2016. We apologize that an unexpected increase in email inquiries resulted in a delayed response time.
There will be transportation, or transfers, provided for guests to travel from the White Bay Cruise Terminal to the Circular Quay. More details will be provided once you are onboard.
Thank you for contacting Holland America Line. Please feel free to contact us if we may be of additional assistance or visit us online. We look forward to welcoming you onboard in the near future!"
Bon Voyage & Be Well!
Bob