Dick and Jane

Did you take one of the optional dinner tours, or did you find the Biergarten on your own?

Thank you. We will certainly take advantage of the available music and venues.

My husband and I enjoying ballroom dancing in the evenings. Is there a venue on board where this would be possible?

Thank you for sharing. We are visiting Trois-Rivieres in September 2019. I was  particularly interested in whether some of the main attractions were within walking distance of the ship. Your post has answered that question for me.

Pan American pier where RC and Celebrity dock is not far from OSJ. Taxis are very easily available to go either way.

 

There are quite a few hotels in the vicinity of Pan American, but not walkable to the port.......welllll, I did see a couple pulling their rollling luggage and walking, but I would not personally do that.

 

 

 

You can stay in OSJ and it will take you a few minutes taxi ride to the Pan American pier. No need to change your OSJ plans because of the pier. It is all close bye.

That could have been us! We’ve walked to the port several times. You’re right - it’s not for everyone.

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So, I guess I just found out that RC docks at an entirely different port (Pan American) instead of OSJ. I guess this now changes everything :(. I will probably have to look for a different hotel over that way now. I really wanted to stay in OSJ and explore a little more that night/next day.

 

 

Any suggestions for me now? Anyone know how much a taxi from OSJ would be over to the PA port? Would it still be worth it for us to stay in OSJ? Our flight doesn't come in until 5pm, so I imagine we wouldn't even arrive to the hotel until 6 or so, but I still wanted to walk around a bit. I love OSJ, even at night.

Stay in Old San Juan if that is what is comfortable for you. We took a taxi from the Pan American pier to Barrachina's in Old San Juan for about $10. The distance is probably about 3 miles.

We're staying at Hotel Milano. Just my husband and I. Close to 1 of the forts and they're going to hold the luggage when we get off the ship, so we can start touring. I'm frugal and the price was good. Haven't stayed there yet (Feb. 17th), so can't give a review.

Punta de Vista is the rooftop restaurant at Hotel Milano. We had lunch there in early December. I recommend it.

Hotel Miramar - http://www.hotelmiramarpr.com/

We booked this boutique hotel directly through the hotel‘s website.

Cabs were plentiful at the airport. $20 plus a gratuity. The receipt shows a fuel charge added to the total bill.

We had booked the same hotel in September through Expedia as a non-refundable charge at the height of hurricane Maria. We received a full refund.

I had emailed several weeks ago to verify a reservation, and they responded quickly that we were set. Two days before arrival, an email confirmation came through as well.

Free Wi-Fi was sketchy, but not an issue. The phone in our room didn’t work nor did the TV. Again, we didn’t care. I don’t think the hotel is running off of a generator, but on electrical service. There is an attractive rooftop deck.

Casita Miramar - A terrific Puerto Rican restaurant - is less than a block from the hotel. There are also several other eateries close by that are open for business. We ran into some fellow cruisers that had an enjoyable breakfast just across the street from the hotel. The café on site also serves breakfast. We just had coffee. Our room had a refrigerator and microwave +2 bottles of water, but no coffee maker. There was an open grocery store less than a 10-minute walk.

Hotel Miramar is about a mile from the port. We plan to walk to the cruise ship this morning, but taking a cab would be easy. It is 2 miles into old San Juan. Walking to Condado is also easy.

We would stay here again.

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Just checked into Hotel Miramar. Ran into fellow Jewel cruisers - sorry, Dick and Jane if we were socially awkward. Long day and starving!!!! We’re cool. I swear.

 

Back to the hotel... all is well with AC, etc. check in was a breeze. We’re very pleased.

 

Tip: book through Expedia to ensure your breakfast is included!!!

 

 

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If you were, we didn’t notice! Traveling can be exhausting.

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The cave tubing is outstanding ! Although tendering is a bit disorganized at times you should still have plenty of time to get the excursion in!

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Next time ur in Belize try the cave tubing ! You can pre book with several companies on the internet or grab a tour on the pier!

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U will be able to get a taxi that can accommodate all eight and can have the driver return at a designated time to take u back to the ship'

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A drive to the Keys is a great drive ! Even if you don't travel all the way to Key west ! You could drive to Key Largo ! And enjoy the keys without the extended drive !

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The internet has become much faster U can use Skype and usually get video to play without issue

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Any idea is solos only need to spend $450

$450 per person or $900 per couple - so yes (as I interpret the e-mail).

We're on this cruise soon and know there are 2 formal nights, but are there any 'smart casuals' where suggested dress is jacket/tie?

 

Many thanks

There was one smart casual night, but I don't recall seeing many jackets/ties!

My friend and I will be on the 12 nights from Harwich to St.Petersbury cruise in August. Can you tell the name of the port which Brillance of the seas stop at each of the city please ? Because some city has several ports ? i want to work out if it is walkable from the port to the city centre and do some pre planning before arriving the ports.

 

Many Thanks

Chris

We were on the June 23 sailing of this cruise. I'm not sure about the pier/port name, but I can tell you what we did.

Self-guided walking tours: Copenhagen, Tallinn, and Stockholm. We tried to walk into Helsinki, but with all the construction at the port we got lost and ended up taking the shuttle to downtown. We met other passengers that did the walk into Helsinki and it took about 40 minutes.

Ships tours: St. Petersburg

Bicycles: Skagen. It would've been easy to walk into town - less than five minutes. Our plan was to walk, but they were bike rentals right at the pier. Made it easier to get to Grenen.

Thanks for the bike information, we would like to do this, but have a few questions:

 

 

 

How long did it take to get to Grenen?

 

 

 

Was it a fairly flat ride?? We are from Florida and there are no hills where we live - so we'd hate to be halfway there and find lots of hills!

I think it took us about 25 minutes by bicycle. We met a couple that said they walked it in 45 minutes, but you'd need to be race-walking to accomplish that speed. I estimate the distance on flat terrain to be approximately three miles. It was an easy bike ride - considering I hadn't ridden in probably 40 years! We took our time stopping to admire the scenery and take some photos.

The walk to the point had a few hilly sand dunes, but mostly flat near the water's edge. That was about 30-40 minutes each way. There is a sand trolley you can ride for a small fee.

Skagen - I'm sorry you were not able to dock at this lovely port. We were here yesterday, and I thought that I would add my viewpoint to your excellent report.

The weather truly cooperated with our visit. The sun was shining and it was in the high 60s low 70s. As we left the ship, there was a location renting bicycles right on the pier. For a full day rental, it was $10 or €10 per bike or 100 Kroner for two bikes. With simple instructions on how to exit the port, we rode through the picturesque town and took the well-marked bike lane to Grenen. This is the location where the North Sea meets the Baltic Sea. Keep following the bike/walking path until it ends at a large parking lot and tourist facilities. I estimate it was about 3 miles to get to the parking lot. I estimate it was another mile or so to walk along the shore to the point. If you have mobility issues, there is public transportation to Grenen and a sand trolley ride to the point. It's fairly toiristy, but marvelous views of the waves coming together from opposite directions. There are WC's, food, and drinks available.

On our return to Skagen, we stopped at a food truck for a traditional Danish hotdog called a Polse. Then we went to the Skagen Bryghus for local beer and live music. Bonus: the annual Skagen Music Festival was taking place during our visit. There were bands performing all over town. We finished our culinary delights with ice cream.

On our return to the port, there was a mini-car show on the pier - 50's era Cadillacs and Chevrolets.

Every port on this cruise offers something special. Skagen was a highlight for us.

Yes...the vendors will gladly take Euro or US Dollars....however...it is very much illegal to pay with anything other than rubbles in Russia. The local market areas even have undercover police watching just for exchanges occurring in Euro or dollars. It is illegal for both the vendor to take the currency and for the customer to pay with it.

 

 

 

You might not get caught...but if you do, you could be facing more than just embarrassment. Be careful when deciding to use dollars or Euro! I would recommend sticking to credit cards, and ATM machines You usually get the best exchange rates at ATMs anyway....

Rules and practices are always changing. Best to be a smart and alert traveler. When we visited Moscow in 2005, the Kremlin would take our U.S. dollars!

Good suggestions on tipping. I know tipping is a personal decision, but I always like to have some kind of basis especially when traveling in other countries. Thanks.

I'm assuming your guides were comfortable with dollars or euros.

We have the comfort tour with Alla booked two days in Russia so am interested in the other ports. So many ports most with different currency's. Makes it hard to get money for all, but want to do some sightseeing but know for example that we would not be able to do 5 hrs in Tallin walking, but would like to see Old Town even if it is for an hour. I do have some euros left from our Italy trip a few years ago, but no Danish or Swedish Kronas, no Russian rubles etc. what is easiest an least expensive way to get unde $50 for each.

The guest relations desk on the ship will exchange your currency. It is definitely the easiest way although maybe not the cheapest.

The last time we were in Russia, we never obtained any Rubles. All the street vendors would take US dollars or euros.

A comment about cards: I completed travel notifications with my banks for my credit cards and ATM card. I received a travel warning from my Chase ATM card for Russia. It stated it is not safe to use the machines in this country because of fraud and theft.

I have questions about tipping your tour guide in Russia: what was the general amount the passengers were tipping for the two day tour? Did you tip each day or just at the conclusion?