Traveling Library

On 1/18/2024 at 1:37 PM, alserrod said:

>> Tickets are purchased on the Renfe website. It has an English version (and in French in case anyone needs it)
https://www.renfe.com/es/en
I recommend creating a username and password to purchase. You can later download the mobile application (or you can buy directly from there). With the username and password you can see the tickets.

A large THANK YOU to Alserrod for all of the detail about Renfe.  Somewhere I read that the Renfe site is quirky.  It sure is! After multiple tries on multiple devices (laptop, phone, and finally iPad tablet - the device that worked) and multiple calls to the bank to ensure no "fraudulent" purchase hold was on my credit card, I was able to buy two Premium Seats from Madrid to Barcelona.  

Here are my questions:

1. My husband uses a cane. Is there anyone at the station who can help us bring the luggage to the train and put it on the train for us? In the US this is called Red Cap service.

2. I booked seats 1B and 1C in the 2nd carriage. Does it have a window or should we move to 2B and 2C?  Is there luggage storage at our end of the carriage (not just over the seat where I know we cannot lift our suitcases)?

Cheers!

When I fly out of Boston I park at Preflight Boston in Chelsea. You could park for a week and then either Uber directly to the port or take their shuttle to the airport and take the SilverLine (a bus) to South Station changing to another SilverLine bus to the port or Uber from the airport to the port. I’ve used Preflight for years. The site is secure. You need to make a reservation you cannot just roll up to their gate. 

This November we took 2 different taxi rides in Ft Lauderdale. For both the cabbie insisted on being paid in cash after we arrived. Before we got into the taxi I asked if they accepted credit cards. Luckily we had cash but I’ll only do Uber in FFL from now on. 

Agree with Wolfie11 about the tram ticket. We've cruised to Juneau 4 times and it was only the 4th time that Mt. Roberts was not covered in fog or rain or both. If clear do go. The views are lovely. The glacier is also nice. We bought our bus tickets to the glacier from a kiosk at the pier. Also the Juneau Public Library is at the pier on the top floor and has free WiFi (I make a small donation to the Friends if you to thank them).

I live in the Boston area so I cannot answer your flight time question but I will tell you that if you want to Uber to Logan Airport when you get off the ship and walk around the large white building (Boston Design Center) to DryDock Ave.  look for the street number either 23 or 25 (large signs on the roadside). Request your Uber from either 23 or 25 DryDock. The road at that point is 2 way so your driver can make a U turn and avoid the one way and chaotic scene where you disembark. 
you can see Logan from your ship but to get there you need to go into the edge of the city and then out again. Depending on traffic it will take 20 to 30 minutes to get from the Raymond Flynn Cruiseport/Black Falcon Terminal to the airport. 

If you are disembarking in Boston once you leave the ship walk around the big white building (Boston Design Center) to either 23 or 25 DryDock Ave and call your Uber from there.  DryDock is still 2 way so your Uber driver can make a Uturn and avoid the chaos at the ship.  You also can pick up the Silver Line (bus) which will take you to the city (South Station) or Logan Airport ( you may need to change to get on the Silver Line to the airport)

15 hours ago, WatchHill said:

You have to crunch the numbers to decided cost v convenience. What about a hotel close to a Logan express location? Logan express parking is $7 per day.  Pre purchase logan coach tickets for $18 round trip. Or Uber to the port. Crazy idea, yes. But those park n fly packages do build in parking with the daily rate and often only do it for 7 days   Check out the Marriott in Westwood on university dr. It’s adjacent to the Amtrak and commuter rail line and ends at south station which is an easy transfer to the port. 

 

 

 

Westwood is a nice Idea. It’s south of Boston and just off Rte 128. The train station allows overnight parking if you park in the Amtrak section. Worth calling the hotel for options. 

Another option is to take the train to Boston from NJ or NYC.  We do the train from Boston to Newark Penn or EWR when we cruise out of Port Liberty, NJ.

If you still want to drive look for hotels in Revere and Chelsea, MA (both north of the city) or Quincy or Braintree (both south of the city) to see if they have parking plans. 

We’ve done my time dining and have shared tables. Several times we liked the people with whom we shared and we asked the  matre d’ to seat us together for the rest of the cruise (and they did). Even when we have no shared we are often seated in the same section so we got to know the people at the next table. 

We have stayed at the Best Western Royal Santina Hotel. This is just outside Termini Station and it's where stop 1 on your map is.  We liked the hotel and we paid the 16 Euro for breakfast (expensive but worth the convenience).  I'm pretty sure the HoHo bus only runs in one direction so if you get off at stop 3 you'd need to ride the entire route to get to stop 2 (someone may know better and I'm happy to be corrected). That being said, some of the stops aren't that far apart so you could walk.

Yes but lots of food. We learned to skip the bread and only take a tiny salad from the salad bar. Even then it was too much but stunningly good beef. Agree to share the cookie. Worth every dollar 

On nights when tomato soup is an appetizer I order a grilled cheese sandwich from the children’s menu. When the table next to us heard what I did they did too!

PSVA applies to ships and airplanes. Any vehicle that can commercially transport passengers is under PSVA regulations. It was designed to protect ship building and, ultimately, plane construction. There is no incentive by the shipping and airplane industry to change the law. No PVSA means we could fly any airline from anywhere in the world between two US cities. I can think of a number of not US airlines who I have no interest in flying. 

You'll be fine. The tunnel that is closed thru the end of August is the one coming FROM the airport TO the city. You will be going the opposite direction, that is you'll be going TO the airport FROM the city.

Besides the cruise bus will be taking the same road as everyone else.

If you want to Uber and you can handle your luggage, walk around the big white building (Boston Design Center) to Dockyard Ave and look for number 23 or 25. Request the Uber from there. The road is still 2 way and the driver can avoid the chaos at the pier and head to the airport.

The Fenway Park tour is fun. I agree with Rubyfisch that public transportation from the Black Falcon terminal to Fenway Park will be time consuming but it can be done.  From the port walk around the Boston Design Center (big white building directly in front of you) to Dry Dock Ave. Take the SilverLine (a bus) to South Station. Transfer to the Red Line (subway) to Park Street. Transfer to the Green Line (outbound). You can take the B, C or D Green line (not E) trolley to Kenmore. Get off at Kenmore (don't go to the Fenway stop, Kenmore is closer to the Park) and follow the signs to Fenway Park. 

Public transit (locally called The T), despite its other faults, has a great website with a trip planner. You can see that at www.mbta.com. I live in the Boston area and I use their trip planner all of the time.  Enjoy your stay in Boston!

Hint: If you decide to take Uber/Lyft when you get off the ship walk around the Boston Design Center and call for the ride at either 23 or 25 Drydock Ave (you'll see big numbers by the street).  At that point DryDock is still two way and the driver can make a U-turn  and avoid all of the port chaos.

The Sumner Tunnel runs one way from East Boston/Logan Airport and points north of Boston into the city. All traffic from Logan is directed to the Ted Williams Tunnel which runs two ways. The Ted is getting backed up into the city. The Ted is is route you will take to the port. From the port to Logan you will also take The Ted. Traffic to the airport via The Ted is typical city traffic and doesn’t seem to be backing up (that’s because the other tunnel from the city to East Boston is open). 
So if you are flying in on the day the cruise leaves be prepared for delays. 

The Mary Baker Eddy museum and Mapparium at the Christian Science Mother Church is also worth a visit. 

On 5/22/2023 at 4:19 PM, scrapncruz said:

My son lives in Boston so we've visited most places already but he suggested the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. He said it's his favorite. It's in an old house and there is some kind of mystery attached to it. We're going in Sept.

If you like mystery stories read Murder At The Gardner. During your visit you’ll see the sedan chair. The garden court at the Gardner is stunning 

When we got our Brazilian visas in 2017 we had to pay the fee by postal money order!  No checks. No credit card.  So we went to the Post Office with cash in hand and bought 2 postal orders (one for each of us). I had no idea postal money orders even existed anymore. Note the postal money order still exists ( just in case you ever need one).

Not necessarily.  On our November and our February cruises we were seated in 3 different stations. We were ok with that. We did ask to be seated with a specific waiter but that was only possible 50% of the time. 

On 5/11/2023 at 7:41 PM, lissie said:

Do you  have any details - cost ? when it departed.  Our flight is not until 5pm - but the only  transfer I see under shore excursions  leaves at 8:30 and is 2.5 hours (and $135 pp) - so not that useful and gets us to the airport too soon. 

 

We'll have spent 5 days in Boston pre-cruise so will know what we want to do that day - my issue is the bags. Currently considering the water taxi transfer - its expensive @ $50 pp - but at least includes luggage storage and the flexibility of when we catch the 2nd leg to the airport. 

I’ve never used the service but there is a Bounce location near or at South Station where you can store your luggage. If you can handle your luggage you can take the Silver Line bus from DryDock Ave to South Station. From South Station you can walk up Atlantic Ave or walk to downtown (or take the Red Line to downtown or Cambridge). When you pick up your luggage you can take the Silver Line bus to the airport.  There is no luggage storage at Logan Airport. 

If you can handle your luggage when you disembark you will face a large white building (Boston Design Center). Walk around the building until you see either the number 23 or 25 which is the street address for DryDock Ave. Call for your Uber from there. DryDock Ave is two way at those points so the driver can make a u-turn and avoid the chaos at the pier. 
If you have to go thru US immigration in Boston you will not make a 10:15 flight. 
I know it can be frustrating since you can see the airport from the port but it can take 20 to 30 minutes to get to the airport depending on traffic. 

I've never used them but there are 3 Bounce locations in Boston where you can store your luggage. I don't think there is any luggage storage at Logan Airport (and besides that is out of your way if you want to tour the city).  One Bounce location is at South Station (train station). From South Station you can either walk up Atlantic Avenue, along the harbor and Rose Kennedy Greenway, to the North End (Italian district, Paul Revere House, etc.) or walk up Sumner St to Boston Common or take the Red Line into Park St (Boston Common) or all the way to Cambridge (on a sunny day the view when the Red Line goes over the Charles is lovely).

Also there is the Boston Water Taxi which will pick you up at the cruise port, take you to Rowe's Wharf where you can store you luggage, and then take you to Logan. Again, I've never done this though I know someone who used this service (pre-pandemic) and liked it.

https://www.bostonwatertaxi.com/cruise-ship-special

Enjoy your day in Boston!

Just to correct. The street at the port is DryDock not Dockyard. Sorry for initially giving the wrong name of the street. 

The JFK Museum and Library is well worth a visit. It is in the Dorchester section of the city of Boston. By Uber it will take 20 to 30 minutes to get there. The museum is on Dorchester Bay and has a spectacular view of the Harbor. It’s not that far. It’s just outside of the city of Boston core. 
If you want to stay downtown then visit the Public Library to see the Sargent murals and a snack in the library cafe. 
The Mary Baker Eddy Museum and Mapparium ( you walk thru the world) is fun. 
finally I like to take the Red Line from South Station to Harvard where you go over the Charles River. On a sunny day it’s a beautiful (though quick) view of the city and Cambridge.