Timing of QMII excursions

[RDMOREU]

We've received part of our documents - the big book/booklet that lists QMII's excursions with the approximate time involved. However, it doesn't say what time the excursions are offered. Do we have to wait until we board to find the timing information?

 

Thanks for any help and Bon Voyage thru Life,

Dolores

[travel-to-go]

Dolores,

Which cruise are you going on?

Remember these were in January, so things may be different based on when you arrive (which could depend on where you are sailing from) and time of year (I.E. When is sunrise, sunset, etc) Our cruise was out of New York City. I assume yours will be out of FLL and your times ashore may be different.

 

I used to pick up a book on Caribbean Cruise Ports by Kay Showker (I think- I don't have it handy right now) It is usually about $18.00 and is from Saybrook Press- available in the larger bookstores (Barnes and Noble, Borders) and some smaller ones. She gives good advice on various shore excursions, a little about each island or country (history, money, political situation, holidays) common prices by taxi, and of various shore excursions, plus general advice on when to go it on your own, and when you are better off taking the ship's excursions. i am not sure how frequently it is updated, I have several versions, and consider it my shore excursion bible when I go some place new. I take it along with me. It might even be in the ship's library. Don't look that as a source on board- The libarary has some exceleent travel volumes!

 

Here are the times given on our Janaury 6th stop this year: We anchored at 8:00 AM and departed at 6:00 PM, All aboard is 1/2 hour before ship sails)

 

Land Tours

Best of St Thomas Island Tour (AM or PM) $39.00 9:30-12 or 1:00-3:30

Views of St thomas (AM or PM) $44.00 9:15-12:15 or 1:00-4:00

Coral World and Island Drive $42.00 8:45 -11:45

St John Island Tour $52.00 9:30-1:30

St Thomas in Focus Photography Tour $69.00 9:30-1:00

The Grand Tour of St Thomas $49.00 9:30-1:00

Virgin Islands Helicopter Oddessey $169.00 (varied)

Accessible Scenic Island Dve/shopping $49.00 9:00-11:00

St Thomas Scenic Dve and Mountaintop $24.00 1:30-3:30

St Thomas Historical Walking tour $34.00 9:45-11:45

Golf at Mahogany Run $205.00 8:45-2:45

Water Related Tours

Nautilus Semi-Sub and Coral World (AM or PM) $56.00 8:30-11:30 or 12:30-3:30

Atlantis Submarine Expedition $94.00 10:30-12:30

Trunk Bay Beach and Snorkel $59.00 9:30-1:30

Kon Tiki Raft Party

St John Eco Hike and Beach $69.00 9:30-1:30

Mini Boat Adventure and Snorkel $179.00 8:30-12:30

Magen's Bay Beach Getaway $25.00 12:30-3:30

CasCay Eco-walk, Boat Ride/Snorkel $69.00 8:45-12:15

North Side Scenic Dve and Beach $49.00

Champagne Catamaran Sailaway to St John $79.00 9:15-1:00

Full day Catamaran Sail to St John with Lunch $99.00 9:15-3:15

Turtle Cove Sail/Snorkel (AM or PM) $56.00 8:45-11:45 or 12:45-3:45

Turtle Cove Sail/Power Snorkel (AM or PM) $69.00 (same as above)

Captain Nautica's Snorkeling Expedition $76.00 8:30-1:00

St Thomas Discover SCUBA Diving (AM or PM) $89.00 8:00-11:00 0r 1:00-4:00

St Thomas Helmut Diving (AM or PM) $99.00 8:30-11:30 or 12:30-3:30

St Thomas Certified SCUBA $99.00 8:15-12:45

 

 

Bear in mind, this was on our cruise. Things may be different for various reasons on yours.

Man are my fingers sore. I never learned to type! Someone mentioned Fish and Chips at the Golden Lion on another thread, now I am hankering for them, The local faux-Irish pub has them Firday nights, so I've talked Marc into it.

 

Karie,

who grew up in Ormond Beach Florida, north of Daytona, on the peninsula-

[bobby1119]

Someone mentioned Fish and Chips at the Golden Lion on another thread, now I am hankering for them

 

Karie, it was me... They were sooooooo good on Queen Mary 2. If they are as good on QE2, they might be my ruination by the end of the world cruise!

 

We have a good Fish & Chips place here in the city in Greenwich Village called "A Salt and Battery." Very good for a cheap lunch, eat-in on a counter or take-out.

 

Take care of those yearnings!

 

Bobby

[travel-to-go]

Karie, it was me... They were sooooooo good on Queen Mary 2. If they are as good on QE2, they might be my ruination by the end of the world cruise!

 

We have a good Fish & Chips place here in the city in Greenwich Village called "A Salt and Battery." Very good for a cheap lunch, eat-in on a counter or take-out.

 

Take care of those yearnings!

 

Bobby

I am so used to "fast food" fish and chips- 2 or 3 triangles of batter-fried whatever was cheap on the docks this week.

When my fish and chips came, it was a large batter-fried fillet! Huge! (Plus the requisite chips, of course, which I proceeded to douse with a bit of salt and lots of malt vinegar!) No mashpeas (Thank goodness) with two pints glasses of Blue Moon ale with fresh blueberries (!) bobbing up and down amongst the bubbles, They had to roll me out of the pub! I was SOOO bloated! Good fish, I had to leave 3 or 4 of the chips, and maybe a square inch of fish, but if I had one more bite, Well, let's just say it wouldn't have been pretty!

 

Thanks, Bobby, for giving me the idea.

Marc even said, (after pining for leftover sirloin chili I'd made the night before) that this was a great idea and he was glad we'd come!

 

Karie,

who needs to go take a long walk to walk off all those calories- But boy, was it good!

[RDMOREU]

Thank you for all the information. I think I can get Kay Showker's book; do you consider Fodor's or Frommer's beneficial to Showker's.

 

We are on the Dec. 2 sailing, Ft. L to Ft. L. I believe that the only other cruise before us with this same itineray is the one that returns the day we leave - so, unless somebody emails from the QM2, we won't have any feedback.

 

It's great to at least see how your excursions were timed.

 

Actually, our friend - a travel agent - apparently "bought up"/hold on a number of cabins; I believe there may be about 80 in our group. We talked some good friends into going and they keep saying 'You pick out the excursions, we'll do them with you.' Well, I have got them to sit down and find out which ones appeal to them or I will go crazy having that responsibility!!!!!

 

Once again, Thank you and Bon Voyage thru Life

Dolores

[RDMOREU]

Karie,

 

You have made me SO hungry for fish and chips = I'm salivating!

 

Dolores

[travel-to-go]

Karie,

 

You have made me SO hungry for fish and chips = I'm salivating!

 

Dolores

Dolores,

Blame Bobby! He started it! <G>

Wait! Don't you live in Florida? Don't tell me you can't find any good fish around!

 

BTW, for dinner today, I made Clam Chowder (well, I had help on that- It was pre-made, and I kind of fixed it up a bit- a little butter, a little cilantro and a little rye and sea saltflat bread for dipping, instead of oyster crackers.) then for the main course, I had Japanese marinated shrimp over short grained rice with a tiny bit of butter and some of the marinade over it. MMM! (The marinade was a soy/citrus lime based)

 

Karie,

who has had her Omega 3's today!

 

P.S. Make your friends narrow it down by saying which ones they would absolutely abhor. Do they want to do a lot of walking? Beaching it? (Magen Bay for the beach!) Shopping? BTW, all of the tours, pretty much end up in the shopping district of Charlotte Amalie, which is where you will catch your tender back to the ship. The mountain top is a tram. You can also do this on your own, without benefit of a tour, and cheaper, too. as for the Frommer, of course it is a good resouce, but truthfully, I was so delighted with the Showker after the first time I purchased it over ten years ago, I have bought updated copies since. It was all I needed. The price is reasonable, and the facts are well put together. Just make sure you get the version which covers the Southern Caribbean. There is one which does not cover the Netherland Antilles and Panama and Northern S America. I think both, however cover Barbados and St Kitts.

[patwell]

Hi Dolores.....we're on the Dec 2nd cruise too and are in the process of trying to decide what to do too. Do come join our Roll Call which has been going since last Dec!! We've got a great bunch of people there, plus help from a couple of CC buddies like Karie who are there to answer all our questions. And provide us with a countdown clock as well!!!

 

Here is the link to get you there if you'd like...

 

boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=264770&page=43

 

Cheers, Penny....who is definitely planning to sample that fish and chips:D

[RDMOREU]

Karie, yes we do have seafood in FL (We live in Longwood - a 'bedroom community' of Orlando.) but, your lovely rendition of 'Fish & Chips' (a classic hit from the song group Mermaids and Water Sirens ... lol) hit me in the mid-afternoon - after lunch, not yet dinner time! Think that I'll cook some shrimp tonight.

 

Bobby, please go into the fish & chips, home-delivery business!!!

 

Karie, you gave me good ideas on how to handle the excursion question in regard to our friends. What I'm doing first is to get myself and DH to make 1st, 2nd choices so that I know where to 'suggest' our options. Same deal with eating venues.

 

Penny, I'll 'stroll' over to the rollcall later tonight. I had seen it, but I've had so many weird health problems this year that I was afraid I would have to cancel Dec. 2 as well as the NCL So. American cruise in Jan. 2007. With QM2 being such an inviting venue (and, much closer to the USA if MediVac was needed), I can do mucho things even on the ship, presuming I'm not up to going ashore.

 

Bon Voyage thru Life to All of You,

Dolores

[RDMOREU]

Karie, yes we do have seafood in FL (We live in Longwood - a 'bedroom community' of Orlando.) but, your lovely rendition of 'Fish & Chips' (a classic hit from the song group Mermaids and Water Sirens ... lol) hit me in the mid-afternoon - after lunch, not yet dinner time! Think that I'll cook some shrimp tonight.

 

Bobby, please go into the fish & chips, home-delivery business!!!

 

Karie, you gave me good ideas on how to handle the excursion question in regard to our friends. What I'm doing first is to get myself and DH to make 1st, 2nd choices so that I know where to 'suggest' our options. Same deal with eating venues.

 

Penny, I'll 'stroll' over to the rollcall later tonight. I had seen it, but I've had so many weird health problems this year that I was afraid I would have to cancel Dec. 2 as well as the NCL So. American cruise in Jan. 2007. With QM2 being such an inviting venue (and, much closer to the USA if MediVac was needed), I can do mucho things even on the ship, presuming I'm not up to going ashore.

 

Bon Voyage thru Life to All of You,

Dolores

[RDMOREU]

Sorry for the double post.

Dolores

[travel-to-go]

Dolores,

 

I hope you got travel insurance, if not from Cunard from one of the other companies. And check with your credit card company (I assume you paid by credit card) Some of them give automatic travel insurance.

St Thomas is a US territory, and fortunately only two US non-US ports, if anything should happen. There is a mini hospital on board. They can handle a lot of mini emergencies. We had someone who needed to leave the ship on our Panama cruise, so it sped us up one night to get to land quicker, if i remember correctly. A gentleman fell at the spa and was badly hurt.

 

Well, hope for the best. Having just had to take care of getting refunds and insurance claims for Marc's father who had to cancel going with us on our Labor Day cruise, Cunard was most quuick about handling their part of the refund. They aso claim that in the event that the insurance does not fully cover, they will give you the balance as a credit towards another cruise. It think that is really good of them. The insurance company which provides Cunard Care (Berkely group) was also easy to work with, even after Marc's father lost the claim form and had to be sent another one.

 

Many of us have had really awful circumstances this year. I lost my father and almost lost my job. But I decide I was going on that labor day cruise come hell or high water (wait- Maybe I should use a different phrase!) Our friend Maria, learned she had cancer, right after our Panama cruise in January. She finished chemo just over a week before our Labor Day cruise. We all made the best of it, and believe me. We made sure she had a good time (which is easy when it's Maria. She BRINGS a good time!)

Another friend was going to cancel her "girls" cruise with another friend, when the friend's husband was diagnosed, also with a fast moving cancer. Our friend and cruise critic member couldn't go alone, really, but her husband suddenly said, you know, life could be short. Don't cancel, I'm going with you!

He had a marvelous time,. and we with him! (and her of course!)

 

I guess what I am saying is, I wish you the best and hope that the cruise will be uplifting and provide you with respite from all of the year's woes, and the joy to face whatever the new year brings with aplomb!

I find there is nothing like a cruise to make you know you're alive, and to make you grateful for life! I shed my share of tears at times, still grieving heavily (As I still am even now) but who better to share it with. There was more than enough love and laughter to go around! And I found it to be contagious!

 

The Cruisecritics on board will take good care of you. You wil have a marvelous time, and if I have anything to say about it (hey, fates? Listen to me here! I got something to say!) all will be well with you!

 

Karie,

who has powers to heal the sick, and give strength to the weary. (not really, but if I can make you believe, your own positive attitude will get you there!)