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havoc315

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Posts posted by havoc315

  1. On 5/11/2024 at 3:40 PM, vacation65 said:

    Hi, we will be cruising on the Norwegian Gem out of Boston on July 5/24 and I have a question regarding parking. This will be our first time leaving from Boston and we have no idea where to park. Is there parking available at the cruise port. We like parking and just walking to the ship but I'm not sure if this is possible in Boston. I've been researching and the closest parking I found seems like you still have to rely on a shuttle to take you to the ship. Any help with this would be appreciated.

     

    Thanks so much in advance.


    Through ParkWhiz, you can book the lot right next to the terminal — search for 1 Black Falcon Ave. Apparently, it only takes Friday bookings, which works for NCL. $175 for the week. 

  2. 24 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

    True but you are forgetting one thing. Suite guest on the Gem get the same perks as the Haven guest (24? suite cabins). With the exception of the use of the Haven courtyard and sundeck. Breakfast, lunch, butler, concierge all the same. Our forward suite cabin was 3K less than the cheapest Haven cabin at time of booking. The Haven on the Gem for us wasn't even close to worth considering booking because of the price difference. Maybe on one of the away class ships it would have been


    Yes.  I was comparing Haven/suite to non-suite altogether. 

    • Like 1
  3. 21 hours ago, Queen of Oakville said:

    I priced out the Gem sailing from boston and it was not cheap.  Have to admit I got a bit of sticker shock.  Especially the gratuities on the beverage plan.  I tihnk when we've had beverage plans before the gratuities were not as high . I tihnk the beverages were comped at $1,400 and the beverage gratuities were charged at 891.  We're not huge drinkers and would never spend that much.  I think I read somewhere that you could pass on the "free" beverage plan.  That might make sense for us to pay as we go.

     

    I have two teens - 18 and 17, so we are either looking at two cabins or a suite.  

     

    I'm not clear on Haven - I think that is just a larger suite, is that correct?  when my kids were younger, they loved HAL and Celebrity.  but they also loved our recent cruises Oasis and Symphony.  

     

    I was trying to avoid a flight to Florida, so I figured if we could drive to Boston or NJ - it made sense and we have never been to Bermuda.

     

    lots to think about ~ thank you to all who responded.


    We are driving from NY to Boston this summer, cruising the Gem in a Garden Villa. 
     

    Haven is a lot more than a larger suite. 
    In terms of larger suites, the 2 bedroom comfortably sleeps 4-5 people, and is sometimes cheaper than booking 2 balcony cabins.  
     

    In terms of perks:

    - there is a small private covered pool on top of the ship just for haven guests, including a hot tub and sauna. There will typically be snacks in that courtyard through the day.

     

    In the Gem, haven guests get a separate dining room for breakfast and lunch, a bit better quality than the main dining room. 
     

    Haven guests get butler and concierge service. That includes priority boarding, tendering, etc. 

     

    If you’re in an owners suite or Garden Villa, bar setup is included.  (3 bottles in an Owners Suite, 6 bottles in a Garden Villa; unlimited soda and mixers). 
     

    On newer ships, Haven is “ship within a ship”— private lounge, restaurant, bar.  On the Gem, the literal “Haven” is smaller— courtyard, small pool, hot tub and steam room. But you do get the better dining for breakfast and lunch, and you receive a bit of VIP treatment throughout.  

    • Like 2
  4. 40 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

    Very odd for sure. Some dates it shows up as available, other dates it doesn't even exist. Since Boston is a "seasonal" port, there haven't been too many reports for this season yet, but over the next few weeks we should be hearing from folks who have, hopefully, used C1 successfully. We plan to use it in mid-July as a drive up.


    I could have sworn I read somewhere that it’s open for Friday bookings. 

  5. 19 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

    It seems you like to drive - perhaps you are always fortunate with regard to traffic. When I travel for leisure, I want it to be easy, hassle free and reasonably economical - including ALL related expenses.
     

     


    That’s what I want — easy, economical, hassle free. 
    There is no universal answer that applies to every situation.  There are many trips where a train or a plane are easier. 
     

    But which is a bigger hassle, waking up at 4:30am drive almost an hour in the wrong direction to get to a train.. or waking up at my normal time, 2 hours later..

     

    Which is a bigger hassle… after the cruise, go back to my car and leave the city any time I want. Or to be tied to a train schedule. 
     

    which is more economical, $175 to park plus $50-100 for gas and tolls, or $500-700 for trains and Ubers. 
     

    I actually dislike driving. But I’ve done the drive to/from Boston well over 50 times, maybe over 100.  There was a period where I was doing it monthly. 
    I often hit 10 minutes of traffic around Hartford.  Sometimes another 10-20 minutes getting into Boston. 
    On average, takes me about 3:10.  Dit it a few weeks ago in 2:55.  It’s never taken me more than 4 hours.  
    So if it takes 4 hours… I probably won’t love the traffic. But still faster, more economical, and less of a hassle than a train. (I actually hit far more traffic going in to Stamford than Boston. Stamford should be a 40 minute drive… last time I took the train from Stamford, it took me 1:20 just to get to the train station… which made me miss my train, but that’s another story). 

  6. 3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

    I suppose you NEVER experience traffic delays on I-95, and that you would prefer to spend $300 on Uber vs. $128 to park at Stamford station, and that typical per-mile car costs don’t count,   So just continue driving.  My experience driving to/from Boston, and my preference for a good time vs a hassle cause me to think differently.

     

    Enough.


    I’ve accounted for all that. I’ve done both, driving and train. My experience over 28 years going to/from Boston 2+ times per year, is that driving is much faster, much more relaxing, and much cheaper 95% of the time. 
    Can I hit traffic? Sometimes. Am I going to hit 3 hours worth of traffic both ways to even out the travel times? Very very unlikely. 
    Do trains have delays? Absolutely sometimes. 
    Hassle? Loading my car with 6-10 pieces of luggage just once, and then dropping it off at the port.. or lugging it into an Uber, then lugging it on to train, mugging it off train, lugging it back into another Uber before getting to port..

     

    So less handle, hundreds of dollars less, hours and hours faster… Not close for me. 

     

  7. 1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

    If you book cruises a few months out, and check Amtrak prices that much in advance, it is a totally different scene.

     

    If one of the points of the trip is to have an enjoyable time, avoiding I-95 in CT, RI and MA is something to consider.


    Im looking 3 months out. Should be plenty of time. 
     

    But even if the train fare was only $3 per person… it would still be more expensive and much more time consuming than driving. Because of the need to spend about $300 on round trip Uber to get to/from the train stations. 
     

    looking now — 6 months out, November 1 to Nov 8, cheapest late morning tickets: I’m seeing $316 round trip for 4 people. 

     

     

  8. 23 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

    I have just checked for a random date a couple of months out: Stamford CT to South Station Boston - prices were minimum $15 and maximum $33 per person each way (Northeast Regional, obviously not Acela) making four round trips TOTALLING  either $120 or $264.   Of course if one does not think enough to plan ahead (like booking other things the same time as the cruise) and buys at last minute prices, he pays what he deserves to pay. 
     

    Also, an early train on embarkation day negates the need for a room (or rooms) for hotel night, overnight parking, and cruise parking.


    I was giving this thought. My last 2 cruises out of Boston, I drove the same day. I left the house at 7am, I was parking at the terminal by 10:15. Total cost of parking, tolls and gas — $200-$250. 
     

    I priced and timed my upcoming July trip. Anticipated costs of driving, about $250-$270. (Prices up since my last trip). 
     

    By train: the most affordable train on the way there, and it still would get me to the port by about 10:15am — 6:17am-9:47am. 
    That’s $30 per person. (You didn’t check the times of your $15 per person.. those are trains that get into Boston at midnight. Sleeping at the train station to save a few dollar before boarding a cruise isn’t my thing). 
    I priced the Uber — $110 each way, 45-50 minute Uber ride. 
    So I’d have to leave the house at about 5:20am.. 

    So just getting there:

    $110 Uber to train. 
    $120 train fare

    $25 Uber from south station to port. 
     

    total 1 way, with cheap train: $255, about 5 hours door to door 

    driving — $250-$270 round trip, 3- 31/2 hours each way 

     

    Coming back in the train — cheapest late morning / early afternoon was $65 per person, so $260 total . Plus the same $135 in Ubers. 

     

    So cheapest possible round trip costs on train: 
    $650

    More than double the price of driving. And almost double the time. 
     

    Train is great if you live in easy access to a train line with direct service to Boston, and especially if you’re a small travel party. 
    If you’re a larger travel party, and if the nearest train is really out of the way, then driving will usually make more sense. 

     

  9. 1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

    I have just checked for a random date a couple of months out: Stamford CT to South Station Boston - prices were minimum $15 and maximum $33 per person each way (Northeast Regional, obviously not Acela) making four round trips TOTALLING  either $120 or $264.   Of course if one does not think enough to plan ahead (like booking other things the same time as the cruise) and buys at last minute prices, he pays what he deserves to pay. 
     

    Also, an early train on embarkation day negates the need for a room (or rooms) for hotel night, overnight parking, and cruise parking.


    my dates in July have nothing that cheap except for a 6am train. 
    $400 is the minimum for 4 people, and those times don’t work. 
     

    I can drive without a hotel as well, but I’m getting there a day early to do things in Boston.  
     

    But even if the times worked, even if it was $200… that would still be significantly more expensive than driving because of the multiple Uber rides. 
     

     

  10. 7 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

    I got $52 from Newark Penn round trip leaving that date and time frame. My daughter is a student at BU, so has done the trip frequently, train, plane and car. The only time she has done the drive in just under 4 hours each way was when she was flying from our home in NJ to Mexico and realized 12 hours before her flight that she left her passport in Boston, so drove almost 8 hours overnight. Her best friend’s family has a home on cape cod, she’s been there dozens of time, the traffic is always bad. We the most bizarre detour this time adding an extra hour.


    Well, Newark Penn is about a 90 minute $200 Uber ride away for me. So that would add a lot of time and money to the trip!

     

    I attended BU, and return for friends and alumni events frequently. I’ve never had more than 30-60 minutes traffic and often have smooth sailing. 

  11. 3 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

    But the person on the train was happier and more relaxed than the driver 🙂

     

    Flying into DC is a mess. You either roll the dice at DCA and hope there isn't a ground stop for some sort of VIP traffic or you go to Dulles where you still get delayed and you have a wonderful 1.5 hour slog into the city that should take 30 minutes. 


    I’m driving in to DC next week, dreading it. 
    Most of the time, I’m an advocate for train when it comes to DC.  But I have to pick my son up from college and haul all his stuff. 

    • Like 1
  12. 15 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

    Sort of a general statement. For you, maybe. For most people absolutely not. 


     

     

     I was only talking about myself. It depends on number of people, distance from train station. 
    If you are an hour away from the nearest train station, and 3-5 people traveling, driving is often much faster and cheaper. 
     

    By the way — did a trip from NY to DC recently for a wedding. 3 segments of my family — 1 drove, 1 took the train, and I flew.  Because of flight delays, my 1 hour flight took about 12 hours. The driver won the race easily. Train was slightly behind the driver. 


     

    15 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

    I live in Philadelphia quite close to the 30th St Train Station. Takes about 5 hours on the train to Boston (I get off in Back Bay since it's closer to where I like to stay). If I drove, with zero traffic, it would take a little over 5 hours according to Google maps. There is never zero traffic-- its usually 6-7 hours door to door stopping for gas etc. 

     

    Flying-- about 30 minute Uber to PHL. Check in 1.5 hour in advance. Block time of an hour. Then another hour getting of plane and getting to hotel from Logan. If everything goes perfectly its a wash-- commercial aviation in the NE doesnt usually go perfectly. 

     

    What's not being said here is that even if it were a wash in cost and time, taking the train is so much more relaxing and easy than driving or flying. I would still take the train if it cost me an hour vs other means. 

     

  13. 2 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

    How early do you book in advance? Amtrak now has a multi tier booking system-- if you book far enough out the prices on the "Value" fare are very reasonable. New York to Boston booked a month or two out is $35 at peak times. Have to imagine less from where you are if you are 3.5 hours driving to Boston.


    Here is what I’m seeing from NY Penn for my dates:

     

     

    IMG_3013.jpeg

  14. 2 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

    Please advise what station you are talking about - which is 3 1/2 hours from South Station, Boston.

     


    Either Penn Station, NYC (which turns it into a $200 Uber) or Stamford, CT.  
    The cheapest I’m seeing is $400 round trip, the more convenient times are over $500.

  15. 24 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

    $500 for a 3 1/2 hour Amtrak ride? Which could probably mean no hotel cost, nor two Ubers pre-cruise, and no parking costs.  I suggest you spend a bit of time pricing and timing things out - just because you own a car does not mean you should ignore real costs of driving it .

     

    p.s. A 3 1/2 hour Amtrak ride to Boston would probably cost about $25, so four round trips would be closer to $200 than $500.


    ???? Don’t know what Amtrak you’re taking. I’ve never seen a ticket for under $60 each way except for very inconvenient times. The cheapest for my dates was $65 each way, per person. 

  16. 9 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

    $500 for a 3 1/2 hour Amtrak ride? Which could probably mean no hotel cost, nor two Ubers pre-cruise, and no parking costs.  I suggest you spend a bit of time pricing and timing things out - just because you own a car does not mean you should ignore real costs of driving it .


    $500 for round trip for 4 people. That’s the cheapest ticket — about $60-$70 per person, each way. 
    $50-$100 for Uber from home to train station. 
    $500 minimum for train. 
    $50 Uber from south station to hotel. 
    $30-$50 for Uber from hotel to port. 
    $50-$100 for Uber from port back to train station. 
    $50-100 for Uber from train station to home. 
     

    train cost: $780 to $900

    Time; about 5 1/2 hours to 6 hours from front door to hotel 

     

    Car:

    Time: 3-4 hours

    Cost:

    round trip gas and tolls: About $100 to $150. (400 miles… I get about 36-40 mpg in my hybrid, so about $50 in gas round trip).
    overnight parking for 1 night at hotel: $50-$70

    Parking: already prepaid Black Falcon lot, $175 for the week. 
    Total cost of driving: $325 to $395

     

    Not even close. Driving is significantly faster and cheaper than the train. 
     

    (could take the high speed train… but that only saves 20-30 minutes and costs twice as much)

     

     

  17. 8 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

    I drove to Boston on Thursday, gps said 3:45, took 5 1/2, filled up the tank there and back, our hotel charged $75 for valet parking. I’ve driven, flown, and taken the train, I’m sticking with the train from now on (booking well in advance for the lowest fares). We are 20 minutes from the train station.


    mileage varies.  I do the drive to Boston 1-2 times per year. It usually is around 3 hours, never taken me more than 4. 
    Total costs by train/uber are about $800.

    Total cost of parking and gas: about $300-$350. 

  18. On 3/25/2024 at 10:13 PM, navybankerteacher said:

    Perhaps coming from Montreal driving makes sense - but for many in the US Amtrak is easier and frequently less expensive (even for several travelling together) when the cost of driving is realistically figured, including that of parking.  I was responding to OP who did not indicate where they were coming from.  There are many in the US who seem unaware of rail as a reasonable alternative.  
     

     


    That assumes you have a convenient rail stop. 
    For me, it’s a direct 3 hour drive. 
    Versus — Uber XL for 4 people to Amtrak station, about 35-40 minutes away. Then a 3 1/2 train ride to south station, (for another $500 or so) followed by another Uber to hotel. Followed by another Uber to the cruise port the next day. 
     

    And doing that all in reverse the next day. 
     

    So train is much more time consuming and much more expensive than driving.

     

     

  19. 21 hours ago, vince_g said:

    Vince Acevedo did 2 shows, with one of them being 18+.  The movies were Dune and Guardians of the Galaxy 3.


    I’m doing this cruise in July. I’m disappointed in the clear entertainment cost cutting. In a 7 night cruise, just 2 production numbers, a single comic on multiple nights, and movie nights. 
     

    Do you recall which nights were the 2 production shows?

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