SunshineCoast

we are arriving on a cruise ship next February and if we cannot find a snorkelling tour our second choice will be a really high quality Beach Resort with a lovely beach and swimming.

If anyone has any suggestions and also info on how to get there from the Tender drop off in Nathong we would be really grateful.

Many thanks

Kr

would be grateful for any assistance please in arranging a snorkelling trip whilst in Koh Samui next February. Booked months ago with Tours Koh Samui but just heard from them apologising for having to cancel as they have just been informed by the Royal Thai Marine Police that they will be inspecting their yachts for safety standard and compliance on the day of our tour. :(

Will post another enquiry about Beach Resorts in case we cannot find a snorkelling tour but this will be a poor second choice.

Kr

We have booked the T.Gorge train with Back to Nature tours in Dunedin for next March whilst in port. They have given excellent service throughout the booking. Pick us up from the ship and also a bus ride to the Penisular afterwards. Much cheaper than the ship's tour. Surprised to hear the train wasn't available in April because of cruise ship being in port. It is definitely available when the Diamond is in port in March.

Kr

Many thanks Hallam.

We will probably do the 'tour on our own' option. Our bus seems to drop us off near the Petronas Twin Towers - which suits us as it is the main thing we want to do.

Can anyone tell us the quickest/easiest way to get from the Twin Towers to the KL Tower.

Many thanks

Would really appreciate some help from anyone familiar with the KL transport systems. Arriving early March 2018 on cruise ship and will get ship's 'bus and tour on our own'. Bus drops us off near Petronas Twin towers about 11.00 and we need to be back there by 15.00 hrs. We will try and purchase tickets in advance for the Sky Bridge for 13.30 - so that gives us 2.5 hrs for 'exploring'. Such a short time which is a real shame. If time we would like to go up the KL tower and look around the Merdeka Square area. Advice on the feasibility of this and transport suggestions and alternative suggestions welcome. Sky Bridge we definitely want to do.

Alternatively - to give us more time in KL - any suggestions on how else to get into KL and return to/from cruise port (which I believe is the West port at Boustead, Pulau Indah) would be helpful. Many thanks

Many thanks for this info. Much appreciated. Looks like we will be able to get to a Metro stop by using one of the Mall shuttles. It will be really useful if a shuttle does go to the Dubai Mall. We will probably be using the Big Bus for 2 days but will use public transport for the 3rd day and as we will be coming back on all 3 days after the HoHo finishes would prefer to use the Metro if possible rather than paying for several taxi journeys.

Again - thanks

Apologies again - just realised this thread did not include Dubai - so have started a new thread with my request.

Kind regards

Have spent ages researching but cannot find any info on how to get to the nearest metro from the cruise ship. Would appreciate any info on

1) once off the ship how do you get out of the port Rashid area

2) if there is a shuttle - where does it drop you

3) what and where is the nearest metro and bus stop from where the shuttle drops off

4) how far is it walking

Many thanks - any info will be much appreciated

Apologies - just realised I had not put the port - info required for Dubai please

Thanks

Have spent ages researching but cannot find any info on how to get to the nearest metro from the cruise ship. Would appreciate any info on

1) once off the ship how do you get out of the port area

2) if there is a shuttle - where does it drop you

3) what and where is the nearest metro and bus stop from where the shuttle drops off

4) how far is it walking

Many thanks - any info will be much appreciated

Many thanks for such an amazing report TeDaKi - the photographs are amazing and your review is going to safe me a log of -'leg-work' for our cruise holiday next year.

kindest regards

Hello Palmettogal

We were in cabin R735. Really disappointed as apart from the soot problem there is no privacy on the balcony from the balcony above. They were even worse as they have no privacy at all from anyone on the open deck above them at the back of the Horizon court - no ship plan in front of me at the moment so unsure of deck levels.

Also in our cabin the noise and shaking when coming to a stop and starting up - slowing down or going sideways - was horrendous. early hours of the morning whilst still in bed you feel as if you are in the middle of an earthquake - really scary the first morning it woke us up.

On the plus side it is a very wide balcony.

Hope this helps

I have just posted a longer reply in another thread on this subject but we had an aft balcony cabin on the Regal in September and could nor use our balcony for sitting/sun-bathing the entire 12 days as the soot returned as quick as it was cleaned up. I think the wind direction and strength may make a difference on how big a problem it is but unfortunately for us it was a real nuisance.

We had an aft cabin on the Regal on a September cruise from Venice to Barcelona and on that cruise we definitely had a problem. As we sailed out of Venice at 11 pm we didn't know until the next morning when we went out on the balcony early before it was fully light and then couldn't understand why the carpet was so black when we came back in. Then looked at floor of balcony only to find thick with lumps of soot. Also as the rail was sooty our sleeves were black. I think it may depend on wind direction and strength but we could not use the balcony for the entire trip. Hours after the balcony was cleaned it was as bad again. Even had lumps of soot falling on us when just popping out during sail-out. we pay extra (and these rear cabins were a lot more than the side balcony cabins) for a balcony in order to have breakfast and snacks and sun-bathe but this was impossible. Lovely extra wide balcony but of no use whatsoever. Why did Princess not tell us about this problem prior to sailing? We were given a small on-board credit but insufficient to cover the extra we had paid. Contacted Princess on our return but to date not heard anything from them. We are cross because we were not informed that there could be a potential problem prior to sailing and given the opportunity to change cabins.

Doug52

Many thanks for this amazing link to cruiseportinsider. If we had know about this before it would have saved hours of research - as it is we have found a lot of new and very useful info.

Fireflymd

Thanks for the link to alaskagalore.

kind regards

Hello Fireflymd

Could you please tell us who you are doing the following tour with please

Day 11 Juneau

Whales, Bears & Glaciers tour (whalewatching tour, van to search

for bears in Tongass National Park, flightseeing over glaciers

Many thanks

Hope this is of use. We are cruising up to Whittier with Princess, doing a 6 day land tour on our own and then cruising back from Seward with Celebrity.

• Vancouver: booked an apartment for a few days using HomeAway prior to the cruise.
  
• Ketchikan: found a really unusual activity – Sea Cycles. Check out their website – Alaska Sea Cycle Tours. Should be a lot of fun.
  
• Juneau: 3 hr Whale Watch with Harv & Marv. Will get them to drop us at Mendehall Glacier and we will catch the Blue Glacier Express back to the docks (costs about $8)
  
• Skagway: Will do a 6 hr road trip, probably with Frontier Excusions. Would like to do their 4x4 but they are for private parties of 4-6, so we may just have to settle for their Yukon Discovery tour.
  
• Booked Park Conx. Bus from Whittier to Talkeetna to Denali and then the Alaska Railroad from Denali to Anchorage through Alaska Tour and Travel. You can get some good deals on the train journeys with the Northern Light Entertainment coupons, but we wanted to use the Dome level and this isn’t on offer. (If using the coupons I think you would have to book the train direct).
  
• Talkeetna: Upon arrival taking a Jet Boat Tour with Mahays using N.L. coupon – 2 for 1.
  
• Staying a A B&B on C (good reviews and Peg the owner has been really helpful)
  
• Next morning doing a flight with K2.
  
• Catching the bus that evening and get into Denali about 9 pm. Staying at the Grande Denali Lodge (2 for 1 with NL coupon)
  
• Next day going to Wonder Lake using the Shuttle bus.
  
• Catch the train the following day to Anchorage. Staying at City Garden B&B.
  
• Pick up Hertz hire car the next morning and drive to Alyeska to go on the Aerial Tram (using NL 2 for 1 coupon).
  
• Upon arrival in Seward go to Exit Glacier whilst we still have the car. Staying at Sunshine House B&B for 2 nights.
  
• Take car back next morning. Take the Kenai Fjords National Park tour getting discount with NL coupon. Will also try and fit in an hour or so at the Seal Life Centre using 2 for 1 coupon.
  
• Following day do Major Marine Tour. Cruise ship leaves that evening.
  
• Juneau: Would have liked to have done the boat trip to Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier, but cruise ship timing makes it impossible. So will probably do Mendenhall Glacier again and Mount Roberts Tramway and the Trolley City Tour. Would have liked to have got out to Shrine of St Therese but not found how yet although I have seen M&M tours mentioned.
  
• Skagway: We are in Skagway on one of the days they do the White Pass & Yukon Rout Fraser Meadows Steam excursion.
  
• Icy Strait Point/Hoonah: Whale Watch tour with Hoonah Travel Adventures. If possible may also try and do a bear tour with Teckk as that has a 2 for 1 offer.
  
• Back in Vancouver – touring Vancouver Island for a few days and then a few more days in an apartment in Coal Harbour booked via Airbnb.
  

Able to do more tours than first envisaged as booking ourselves and not through the cruise ship. Also the Northern Lights coupons have helped. As you can tell - this is the 'BIG' once in a life-time holiday.

kind regards