| Page 1 of 2 | 1 | 2 |
|
|
Welcome Back John H !!
Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the
Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thursday, 8 February 2018 11:40:50 UTC-4, John H wrote:
Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Sigh! It's been so peaceful here the last week or so. |
Welcome Back John H !!
True North wrote:
On Thursday, 8 February 2018 11:40:50 UTC-4, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Sigh! It's been so peaceful here the last week or so. What an ass. |
Welcome Back John H !!
John H
Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! ..... Was wo seeing where all you went. Glad you had a great time and no mishaps. Good to see you John.. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H
wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thursday, 8 February 2018 13:35:56 UTC-4, Bill wrote:
True North wrote: On Thursday, 8 February 2018 11:40:50 UTC-4, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Sigh! It's been so peaceful here the last week or so. What an ass. What did I say that was untrue, Swill?? You been in a drunken stupor the last week or so? |
Welcome Back John H !!
True North wrote:
On Thursday, 8 February 2018 13:35:56 UTC-4, Bill wrote: True North wrote: On Thursday, 8 February 2018 11:40:50 UTC-4, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Sigh! It's been so peaceful here the last week or so. What an ass. What did I say that was untrue, Swill?? You been in a drunken stupor the last week or so? Well, the fact that I am or was in drunken stupor is a lie. You are an ASS to toss a comment like that in to a decent thread. Unlike Norm’s theory of beer making you smarter, did not work in your case. |
Welcome Back John H !!
Bill wrote:
True North wrote: On Thursday, 8 February 2018 13:35:56 UTC-4, Bill wrote: True North wrote: On Thursday, 8 February 2018 11:40:50 UTC-4, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Sigh! It's been so peaceful here the last week or so. What an ass. What did I say that was untrue, Swill?? You been in a drunken stupor the last week or so? Well, the fact that I am or was in drunken stupor is a lie. You are an ASS to toss a comment like that in to a decent thread. Unlike Norm’s theory of beer making you smarter, did not work in your case. Oops. Was Cliff Clavin, not Norm. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H
wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Where did you sail from? PR? |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thu, 8 Feb 2018 07:53:20 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:
On Thursday, 8 February 2018 11:40:50 UTC-4, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Sigh! It's been so peaceful here the last week or so. Don, did I say something there that upset you? |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thu, 8 Feb 2018 11:57:10 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:
On Thursday, 8 February 2018 13:35:56 UTC-4, Bill wrote: True North wrote: On Thursday, 8 February 2018 11:40:50 UTC-4, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Sigh! It's been so peaceful here the last week or so. What an ass. What did I say that was untrue, Swill?? You been in a drunken stupor the last week or so? Don, when we think of you and Harry, this is what we see: https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/...QxitHC7uw.jpeg Guess who's whom. |
Welcome Back John H !!
|
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:47:02 -0500, John H.
wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 17:18:42 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Where did you sail from? PR? Yes, we took a flight (Jet Blue, BTW, has lots of leg room!) from National, here in town, to San Juan. The locals told us that for the most part Puerto Rico is up and running just fine, except for some of the villages and outliers in the interior still without power. What was the general attitude of the people there? Did they sound like they were coming back from the 19th century? We had a little of that here after Irma, but it was really only a few weeks. 5 months is tough |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H.
wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500,
wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. It sounds like where Holland America took us in Guatemala (Santo Tomas De Castilla). It was a container port that they had just decided might be a stop for their ships. The locals had set up a baby straw market with a few trinkets but most people just walked around an hours or so and went back to the ship. We found out you could go to the Navy base and take a water taxi over to the Best Western so we gave it a shot. Once there, there still wasn't much to do but we asked if there was place to take a walk. They pointed up this dirt road and said there was a gate in the 8' fence with the razor wire on top and we could walk up that path. They had not seen the guerilla recently there. It was really a cool walk up this well manicured trail (I think it was how they got to work). We really had the rain forest experience, not like just walking around here like the other "rain forest" walks we have been on. We heard howler monkeys and saw tropical birds we don't have here. No guerrillas. 15.703286° -88.647983° on the giggle. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/Best%20Western%20Guatemala.jpg http://gfretwell.com/ftp/Guatemala/g...avy%20base.jpg http://gfretwell.com/ftp/Guatemala/guatemala%20navy.jpg http://gfretwell.com/ftp/Guatemala/g...ine%20judy.jpg |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:41:16 -0500, wrote:
On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:47:02 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 17:18:42 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Where did you sail from? PR? Yes, we took a flight (Jet Blue, BTW, has lots of leg room!) from National, here in town, to San Juan. The locals told us that for the most part Puerto Rico is up and running just fine, except for some of the villages and outliers in the interior still without power. What was the general attitude of the people there? Did they sound like they were coming back from the 19th century? We had a little of that here after Irma, but it was really only a few weeks. 5 months is tough All those I talked to, mostly in the airport or taxi, sounded upbeat. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote:
On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H.
wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote:
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. The excursions we went on this time were very enjoyable. Disney asks for input after the excursions, and maybe they put a bit of effort into making sure they aren't ripoffs. I would always trust a Disney excursion more than those being hawked on shore. I can't think of one that I didn't find worth the money. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote:
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. === I agree that some of the excursion opportunities are pricey, but if you're on a tight schedule, and/or not likely to get back any time soon (if ever), the excursions offer a chance to see and do things that you'd otherwise miss out on. We took advantage of all the excursion opportunities when we did our Alaska cruise and never regretted any of them - a sightseeing flight around the summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) in a twin engine turbo prop; a helicopter flight to the top of the Mendenhall glacier with plenty of walking around time; a float plane flight into Misty Fjords with a landing and dockage in the back country; and a jet boat trip up the Chilkat River into the eagle preserve. Every one of them was memorable. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:47:26 -0500, wrote:
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. === I agree that some of the excursion opportunities are pricey, but if you're on a tight schedule, and/or not likely to get back any time soon (if ever), the excursions offer a chance to see and do things that you'd otherwise miss out on. We took advantage of all the excursion opportunities when we did our Alaska cruise and never regretted any of them - a sightseeing flight around the summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) in a twin engine turbo prop; a helicopter flight to the top of the Mendenhall glacier with plenty of walking around time; a float plane flight into Misty Fjords with a landing and dockage in the back country; and a jet boat trip up the Chilkat River into the eagle preserve. Every one of them was memorable. We did an excursion on every stop of the Disney Alaska cruise. All were great. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:33:25 -0500, John H.
wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. The excursions we went on this time were very enjoyable. Disney asks for input after the excursions, and maybe they put a bit of effort into making sure they aren't ripoffs. I would always trust a Disney excursion more than those being hawked on shore. I can't think of one that I didn't find worth the money. We have had some good excursions, stingray city in Grand Cayman is cool and we did a Jeep thing in Cozumel that was fun but mostly because of the other 2 people in the Jeep. This deal in St Croix came well rated and I guess if you are from Ohio and don't know what you are looking at it might have been great. In the end my wife was doing the tour for those people (she sold landscape for over a year and had a flower store for 5) and me and Lou were just walking together talking. After a few minutes that authentic island accent slipped away, Mon became Man and it was like talking to "Fitty Cent". He was an engaging guy but not much of a plant expert. He did know which ones tasted good and which one gave you the ****s. I suppose that is useful for a homeless guy. It was enlightening hearing about being homeless in St Croix tho. Their welfare system is not very robust. I think in the end we gave it a pretty good rating too but not because it was what they sold us. In the end we travel to meet different people and that guy was different. We also enjoyed talking to an off duty bar maid in a bar near the dock for an hour or so. She told us all about what it is like to pack up and move to St Croix. We also got some insights into how it is to live there. She was a Florida girl. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:47:26 -0500,
wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. === I agree that some of the excursion opportunities are pricey, but if you're on a tight schedule, and/or not likely to get back any time soon (if ever), the excursions offer a chance to see and do things that you'd otherwise miss out on. We took advantage of all the excursion opportunities when we did our Alaska cruise and never regretted any of them - a sightseeing flight around the summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) in a twin engine turbo prop; a helicopter flight to the top of the Mendenhall glacier with plenty of walking around time; a float plane flight into Misty Fjords with a landing and dockage in the back country; and a jet boat trip up the Chilkat River into the eagle preserve. Every one of them was memorable. I can't even imagine Alaska on a cruise. We were there 3 weeks and we still felt like we were rushed. We did do a lot of things you don't get on a cruise tho, mostly on foot. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:30:45 -0500, wrote:
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:47:26 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. === I agree that some of the excursion opportunities are pricey, but if you're on a tight schedule, and/or not likely to get back any time soon (if ever), the excursions offer a chance to see and do things that you'd otherwise miss out on. We took advantage of all the excursion opportunities when we did our Alaska cruise and never regretted any of them - a sightseeing flight around the summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) in a twin engine turbo prop; a helicopter flight to the top of the Mendenhall glacier with plenty of walking around time; a float plane flight into Misty Fjords with a landing and dockage in the back country; and a jet boat trip up the Chilkat River into the eagle preserve. Every one of them was memorable. I can't even imagine Alaska on a cruise. We were there 3 weeks and we still felt like we were rushed. We did do a lot of things you don't get on a cruise tho, mostly on foot. Next time we'll fly up, spend some time there, and take a ship back. The cruise we took from Seattle, five nights, didn't really allow for much time to see anything at all. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 2:33:26 PM UTC-5, John H wrote:
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. The excursions we went on this time were very enjoyable. Disney asks for input after the excursions, and maybe they put a bit of effort into making sure they aren't ripoffs. I would always trust a Disney excursion more than those being hawked on shore. I can't think of one that I didn't find worth the money. Sounds like you had a good time. I've never been on a Disney cruise, and probably never will. Been on 3 Carnival cruises. The one almost 25 years ago was nice, good food, etc. one about 10 years later had slipped some. The last one 6 or so years ago we wouldn't have gone on except it was a family thing. Really bad. Carnival is the Walmart of cruises. Never again. I want to go on a Lindblad cruise. They really look exceptional, and are on small ships with nice service and real National Geographic folks onboard to tell you what you're seeing on the land excursions. There's one that goes down the coast of Costa Rica, stopping two or three times, then through the Panama Canal. That would be great, but they are very spendy. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 3:29:02 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:33:25 -0500, John H. wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. The excursions we went on this time were very enjoyable. Disney asks for input after the excursions, and maybe they put a bit of effort into making sure they aren't ripoffs. I would always trust a Disney excursion more than those being hawked on shore. I can't think of one that I didn't find worth the money. We have had some good excursions, stingray city in Grand Cayman is cool and we did a Jeep thing in Cozumel that was fun but mostly because of the other 2 people in the Jeep. I've been to Stingray City and did a scuba dive in the Caymans. It was a blast... held a stingray in my arms. I've done Mexico a few times over the years, but it has gotten ugly down there. Not sure I'd go back except under the right situation. Got a trip planned to Montego Bay, Jamaica in early summer. Lots of crime there, but we'll be in an all inclusive, all adult resort. No reason to wander out among the locals. The state department is warning against it. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 9 Feb 2018 14:15:55 -0800 (PST), Its Me wrote:
On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 2:33:26 PM UTC-5, John H wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. The excursions we went on this time were very enjoyable. Disney asks for input after the excursions, and maybe they put a bit of effort into making sure they aren't ripoffs. I would always trust a Disney excursion more than those being hawked on shore. I can't think of one that I didn't find worth the money. Sounds like you had a good time. I've never been on a Disney cruise, and probably never will. Been on 3 Carnival cruises. The one almost 25 years ago was nice, good food, etc. one about 10 years later had slipped some. The last one 6 or so years ago we wouldn't have gone on except it was a family thing. Really bad. Carnival is the Walmart of cruises. Never again. I want to go on a Lindblad cruise. They really look exceptional, and are on small ships with nice service and real National Geographic folks onboard to tell you what you're seeing on the land excursions. There's one that goes down the coast of Costa Rica, stopping two or three times, then through the Panama Canal. That would be great, but they are very spendy. We've always enjoyed the Disney cruises, but they are also a bit pricey - compared to Royal Carribean, Carnival, Princess, etc. We've already made a down payment on another cruise, but haven't decided when or where yet. The Panama Canal cruise gets raves from folks we've talked to, but I don't like the idea of flying across country. Although, I have to admit I was very satisfies with Jet Blue. They advertise more leg room, and they have it! |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 9 Feb 2018 14:24:52 -0800 (PST), Its Me wrote:
On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 3:29:02 PM UTC-5, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:33:25 -0500, John H. wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. The excursions we went on this time were very enjoyable. Disney asks for input after the excursions, and maybe they put a bit of effort into making sure they aren't ripoffs. I would always trust a Disney excursion more than those being hawked on shore. I can't think of one that I didn't find worth the money. We have had some good excursions, stingray city in Grand Cayman is cool and we did a Jeep thing in Cozumel that was fun but mostly because of the other 2 people in the Jeep. I've been to Stingray City and did a scuba dive in the Caymans. It was a blast... held a stingray in my arms. I've done Mexico a few times over the years, but it has gotten ugly down there. Not sure I'd go back except under the right situation. Got a trip planned to Montego Bay, Jamaica in early summer. Lots of crime there, but we'll be in an all inclusive, all adult resort. No reason to wander out among the locals. The state department is warning against it. If you're into scuba, you might check out Aruba or Bonaire. Both islands are big on scuba, and I'd walk anywhere on either island. |
Welcome Back John H !!
Its Me wrote:
On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 2:33:26 PM UTC-5, John H wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! == Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! == Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. The excursions we went on this time were very enjoyable. Disney asks for input after the excursions, and maybe they put a bit of effort into making sure they aren't ripoffs. I would always trust a Disney excursion more than those being hawked on shore. I can't think of one that I didn't find worth the money. Sounds like you had a good time. I've never been on a Disney cruise, and probably never will. Been on 3 Carnival cruises. The one almost 25 years ago was nice, good food, etc. one about 10 years later had slipped some. The last one 6 or so years ago we wouldn't have gone on except it was a family thing. Really bad. Carnival is the Walmart of cruises. Never again. I want to go on a Lindblad cruise. They really look exceptional, and are on small ships with nice service and real National Geographic folks onboard to tell you what you're seeing on the land excursions. There's one that goes down the coast of Costa Rica, stopping two or three times, then through the Panama Canal. That would be great, but they are very spendy. We have been on a couple cruises with friends. Wife and I may do another when we get really old. Do not really like the cruise experience. We may do,a small ship to or from Alaska. Get up close to glaciers. We took the BC ferry to Prince Rupert from port Hardy. Is better on the southbound trip. Going north the close up inside passage area is nighttime. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:54:23 -0500, John H.
wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:30:45 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:47:26 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. === I agree that some of the excursion opportunities are pricey, but if you're on a tight schedule, and/or not likely to get back any time soon (if ever), the excursions offer a chance to see and do things that you'd otherwise miss out on. We took advantage of all the excursion opportunities when we did our Alaska cruise and never regretted any of them - a sightseeing flight around the summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) in a twin engine turbo prop; a helicopter flight to the top of the Mendenhall glacier with plenty of walking around time; a float plane flight into Misty Fjords with a landing and dockage in the back country; and a jet boat trip up the Chilkat River into the eagle preserve. Every one of them was memorable. I can't even imagine Alaska on a cruise. We were there 3 weeks and we still felt like we were rushed. We did do a lot of things you don't get on a cruise tho, mostly on foot. Next time we'll fly up, spend some time there, and take a ship back. The cruise we took from Seattle, five nights, didn't really allow for much time to see anything at all. === We flew into Fairbanks which is way north, and then spent a week working our way south to the coast via bus and train. The second week was working our way south along the coast on the cruise ship. The whole deal was a Princess Tours package and we thought it was very well done, albeit a little pricey. https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/cruisetour-options/?cid=bm_paidsearch_BKWS_google_PrincessAlaskaCruis eTour_princesstouralaska_Exact_isl&_vsrefdom=mca&m chxkw=c:708533188,k:princess%20tour%20alaska,m:e,p :1t1,d:c,ai:33823368621,ad:213749837748,s:g&d=c&gc lid=EAIaIQobChMI597owqSa2QIVVgaGCh3ukA6REAAYASAAEg Iq4fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds |
Welcome Back John H !!
John H. wrote:
On Thu, 8 Feb 2018 11:57:10 -0800 (PST), True North wrote: On Thursday, 8 February 2018 13:35:56 UTC-4, Bill wrote: True North wrote: On Thursday, 8 February 2018 11:40:50 UTC-4, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! Sigh! It's been so peaceful here the last week or so. What an ass. What did I say that was untrue, Swill?? You been in a drunken stupor the last week or so? Don, when we think of you and Harry, this is what we see: https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/...QxitHC7uw.jpeg Guess who's whom. I agree with this post. And, yes, we know who's whom! |
Welcome Back John H !!
wrote:
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:54:23 -0500, John H. wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:30:45 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:47:26 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. === I agree that some of the excursion opportunities are pricey, but if you're on a tight schedule, and/or not likely to get back any time soon (if ever), the excursions offer a chance to see and do things that you'd otherwise miss out on. We took advantage of all the excursion opportunities when we did our Alaska cruise and never regretted any of them - a sightseeing flight around the summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) in a twin engine turbo prop; a helicopter flight to the top of the Mendenhall glacier with plenty of walking around time; a float plane flight into Misty Fjords with a landing and dockage in the back country; and a jet boat trip up the Chilkat River into the eagle preserve. Every one of them was memorable. I can't even imagine Alaska on a cruise. We were there 3 weeks and we still felt like we were rushed. We did do a lot of things you don't get on a cruise tho, mostly on foot. Next time we'll fly up, spend some time there, and take a ship back. The cruise we took from Seattle, five nights, didn't really allow for much time to see anything at all. === We flew into Fairbanks which is way north, and then spent a week working our way south to the coast via bus and train. The second week was working our way south along the coast on the cruise ship. The whole deal was a Princess Tours package and we thought it was very well done, albeit a little pricey. https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/cruisetour-options/?cid=bm_paidsearch_BKWS_google_PrincessAlaskaCruis eTour_princesstouralaska_Exact_isl&_vsrefdom=mca&m chxkw=c:708533188,k:princess%20tour%20alaska,m:e,p :1t1,d:c,ai:33823368621,ad:213749837748,s:g&d=c&gc lid=EAIaIQobChMI597owqSa2QIVVgaGCh3ukA6REAAYASAAEg Iq4fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds Other than anchorage on business, the other trip was a driving trip with 3 other couples. My truck camper, them different types of trailers. Truck camper was the best way. Would not do it again. Would fly to anchorage and rent a 4x4 camper. Did not have to worry about a room in remote areas. Lots of boring driving through Canada. Miles of dead trees, and pretty flat terrain. Beetle infestation. And lots of the Alcan is crap road. Interesting some area as they left the military construction equipment abandoned. We took 7weeks and 8800 miles. We entered Alaska at Poker Flat. Most northern road entrance to the country. Dirt / gravel road and rain to Tok. Interesting is the motels have pressure washers with free use to remove the hundreds of pounds of dirt you accumulate on the Top of The World Highway. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:54:23 -0500, John H.
wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:30:45 -0500, wrote: I agree that some of the excursion opportunities are pricey, but if you're on a tight schedule, and/or not likely to get back any time soon (if ever), the excursions offer a chance to see and do things that you'd otherwise miss out on. We took advantage of all the excursion opportunities when we did our Alaska cruise and never regretted any of them - a sightseeing flight around the summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) in a twin engine turbo prop; a helicopter flight to the top of the Mendenhall glacier with plenty of walking around time; a float plane flight into Misty Fjords with a landing and dockage in the back country; and a jet boat trip up the Chilkat River into the eagle preserve. Every one of them was memorable. I can't even imagine Alaska on a cruise. We were there 3 weeks and we still felt like we were rushed. We did do a lot of things you don't get on a cruise tho, mostly on foot. Next time we'll fly up, spend some time there, and take a ship back. The cruise we took from Seattle, five nights, didn't really allow for much time to see anything at all. Folks like you who like to camp rent an RV and drive around. There are plenty of places to park but all of them may not be KOA grade. It does eliminate the problem that hotel rooms are few and far in between throughout most of the state. We really preferred the Kenai but there are lots of other places we would explore if we go back. Homer is a cool little town that is not very touristy at all. We met some fun folks there. Check out the Salty Dog Saloon if you get there. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/salty%20dawg.jpg That is also where we hooked up with the water taxi that takes you over to the Katchemak State Park that you can't drive to. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/water%20taxi.jpg There is a great hike there that takes you down to this glacier lake, http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/Glacier%20lake.jpg http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/Ice%...%20glacier.jpg Just be sure your GPS is working because the last half mile or so is across a big field of round rock and shrubs that all looks pretty much the same and you need to find a small hole in the trees to get back on the trail out. If you drive towards Denali as far as you can go there is a parking lot where you catch the bus to go to the mountain (no private vehicles beyond that point) or you can take the trail that goes off to the north and it goes back in there as far as you want to go along a ridge above a small river. That was where we saw the grizzly bear fishing in the river. We were up on the hill 70- 100' above him and he didn't really pay any attention to us. My poor old camera did not have enough zoom to really get a good picture and we were trying not to establish eye contact anyway. Right past there it started getting a little rocky and we turned around but that was a few miles in so it ended up being a nice walk. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/Denali%20trail.jpg If I did it again I think we would go down the east side (Rt 2 from Fairbanks or Rt 1 from Anchorage) and see what is there. That gets you all the way to Juneau I think. There are really not a lot of roads in Alaska so you don't have that many options. We never seemed to have a problem staying amused wherever we went tho. You can just stop at any little shack along the highway and find interesting people to talk with. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/Fine%20Dining.jpg You could stop by Wasilla at the fork in the road north of Anchorage and get a selfie with Sarah for Harry. ;-) |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 9 Feb 2018 14:15:55 -0800 (PST), Its Me
wrote: Carnival is the Walmart of cruises. Never again. I agree, No more Carnival for us/ I want to go on a Lindblad cruise. They really look exceptional, and are on small ships with nice service and real National Geographic folks onboard to tell you what you're seeing on the land excursions. There's one that goes down the coast of Costa Rica, stopping two or three times, then through the Panama Canal. That would be great, but they are very spendy. Is that the Bright Horizons cruises? I would really like to do that .... if I hit the lottery ;-) You are right. If you get a nice cabin and sign up for all of the seminars, it is a bundle. Although I doubt it is much more than we spent going to New Zealand. That was close to $20 grand end to end. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 9 Feb 2018 14:24:52 -0800 (PST), Its Me
wrote: On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 3:29:02 PM UTC-5, wrote: We have had some good excursions, stingray city in Grand Cayman is cool and we did a Jeep thing in Cozumel that was fun but mostly because of the other 2 people in the Jeep. I've been to Stingray City and did a scuba dive in the Caymans. It was a blast... held a stingray in my arms. Yup I was rolling around with them like I do with my dog. I've done Mexico a few times over the years, but it has gotten ugly down there. Not sure I'd go back except under the right situation. Not much in Mexico for us. We did wander around in Juarez before we knew it was a death trap. This guy should have been a tip off. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/New%20Mexic...ng%20guard.jpg Got a trip planned to Montego Bay, Jamaica in early summer. Lots of crime there, but we'll be in an all inclusive, all adult resort. No reason to wander out among the locals. The state department is warning against it. Jamaica has really gone down hill. When I was there with IBM in the 60s it was pretty cool. We were there again in the 70s and there were plenty of places they said not to go. Now I think I would just find another spot. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 21:22:23 -0500,
wrote: We flew into Fairbanks which is way north, and then spent a week working our way south to the coast via bus and train. The second week was working our way south along the coast on the cruise ship. The whole deal was a Princess Tours package and we thought it was very well done, albeit a little pricey. https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/cruisetour-options/?cid=bm_paidsearch_BKWS_google_PrincessAlaskaCruis eTour_princesstouralaska_Exact_isl&_vsrefdom=mca&m chxkw=c:708533188,k:princess%20tour%20alaska,m:e,p :1t1,d:c,ai:33823368621,ad:213749837748,s:g&d=c&gc lid=EAIaIQobChMI597owqSa2QIVVgaGCh3ukA6REAAYASAAEg Iq4fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds We were supposed to stay at the Princess resorts at Denali and Cooper Landing but they bumped us from both. At Denali they arranged a stay at that place right where the road to denali goes off the main drag. At Cooper Landing they put us up at Lovie and Willies B&B. We didn't think we would like it but we stayed there another night on our way back through from Homer to Seward. They are a pair. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/lovi...d%20willie.jpg Princess did comp us a dinner and drinks both times for the bump. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 21:22:23 -0500, wrote:
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:54:23 -0500, John H. wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:30:45 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:47:26 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. === I agree that some of the excursion opportunities are pricey, but if you're on a tight schedule, and/or not likely to get back any time soon (if ever), the excursions offer a chance to see and do things that you'd otherwise miss out on. We took advantage of all the excursion opportunities when we did our Alaska cruise and never regretted any of them - a sightseeing flight around the summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) in a twin engine turbo prop; a helicopter flight to the top of the Mendenhall glacier with plenty of walking around time; a float plane flight into Misty Fjords with a landing and dockage in the back country; and a jet boat trip up the Chilkat River into the eagle preserve. Every one of them was memorable. I can't even imagine Alaska on a cruise. We were there 3 weeks and we still felt like we were rushed. We did do a lot of things you don't get on a cruise tho, mostly on foot. Next time we'll fly up, spend some time there, and take a ship back. The cruise we took from Seattle, five nights, didn't really allow for much time to see anything at all. === We flew into Fairbanks which is way north, and then spent a week working our way south to the coast via bus and train. The second week was working our way south along the coast on the cruise ship. The whole deal was a Princess Tours package and we thought it was very well done, albeit a little pricey. https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/cruisetour-options/?cid=bm_paidsearch_BKWS_google_PrincessAlaskaCruis eTour_princesstouralaska_Exact_isl&_vsrefdom=mca&m chxkw=c:708533188,k:princess%20tour%20alaska,m:e,p :1t1,d:c,ai:33823368621,ad:213749837748,s:g&d=c&gc lid=EAIaIQobChMI597owqSa2QIVVgaGCh3ukA6REAAYASAAEg Iq4fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds Thanks for that link. Looks like around $7000 for the two of us. Wonder how that would compare to taking the RV. Will have to do some calculations. About 20K miles, with a stop in Seattle, at 12mpg, at $3.50/gal would be close to $6000, just for fuel. Add another $2000 for food, and that's just to get back and forth. Might have to give the RV idea some second thoughts. Of course, we'd get to see a lot more country, including some fabulous time in the 'fly over' states! |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Sat, 10 Feb 2018 06:23:42 -0000 (UTC), Bill wrote:
wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:54:23 -0500, John H. wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:30:45 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:47:26 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:11:54 -0500, wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:30:45 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:58:51 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:44:58 -0500, John H. wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:08:54 -0500, wrote: On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:40:52 -0500, John H wrote: Hope your trip was spectacular. Understand you went to Antigua, St. Lucie, Bonaire, and Aruba on the Disney Wonder! Great time, I'm sure. Probably gained a few pounds with the fantastic fare. Glad you're back! === Sounds like an interesting itinerary. What were your favorite stops and activities? --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com Antigua was the least favorite. The place made me imagine what Haiti must be like. Maybe we just didn't see enough of the place. We got off the ship, walked around about an hour and got right back on the ship. St. Lucie was enjoyable. Took a bus tour around the island and had a great guide. He was very knowledgeable of the island's flora and fauna, stopping at several trees along the way to point out peculiarities. Bonaire and Aruba were very nice. Very clean and well maintained. We took a couple hour Segway tour in Bonaire, looking at the beaches and the salt production area. Very interesting. Lots of scuba diving about 50 yards off shore. No sand on the beaches there because the sand blows into the sea and kills the coral. Local government prohibits putting sand on the beaches. If folks who live on the coast want sand, they must import it and wall it in so it cannot blow into the sea. Aruba also has lots of scuba diving. The island is very sparse when it comes to vegetation, as is Bonaire. The trip was very enjoyable! === Too bad you didn't get to see more of Antigua. You were no doubt on the north end at St Johns which I think is the only port big enough for a cruise ship. The more interesting harbors where the big yachts hang out are at the south end, Falmouth and English Harbour. You'd have to rent a car or go on a tour to get there. Hawksbill Resort, a bit west of St Johns, is also a very nice place to hang out. Trust me, even the worst parts of Antigua are nothing like Hati except for the little fake village called Labadee where the Royal Caribbean cruise ships take people. We were there once and it seems very serene until you realize that you're surrounded by barbed wire fences patroled by heavily armed guards. We were even escorted by armed guards when kayaking. I'm sure we'd have been better impressed if we'd signed up for an excursion tour. I'd do more and different excursions if we did that trip again. We always try to avoid those excursions. They are expensive and a little too "canned" for us. I think the one that finished it for us was the plant hike in St Croix. We signed up not being sure what to expect and were met at the dock by "Ooh Alooloo" a black guy (not unusual in the islands) but we just started walking from there up through residential neighborhoods looking at the weeds in people's yards. It was the same crap that grows behind my house and he didn't even know the real names for anything. It was just stuff he made up. After talking to him a while, it turned out he was Lou from Detroit and he was just a formerly homeless guy in St Croix who got this gig from Carnival. We paid them something like $50 a head. He wouldn't say what his cut was but I assume taking 8-10 people for a 2 hour walk every time a ship landed would pay for an apartment there.. === I agree that some of the excursion opportunities are pricey, but if you're on a tight schedule, and/or not likely to get back any time soon (if ever), the excursions offer a chance to see and do things that you'd otherwise miss out on. We took advantage of all the excursion opportunities when we did our Alaska cruise and never regretted any of them - a sightseeing flight around the summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) in a twin engine turbo prop; a helicopter flight to the top of the Mendenhall glacier with plenty of walking around time; a float plane flight into Misty Fjords with a landing and dockage in the back country; and a jet boat trip up the Chilkat River into the eagle preserve. Every one of them was memorable. I can't even imagine Alaska on a cruise. We were there 3 weeks and we still felt like we were rushed. We did do a lot of things you don't get on a cruise tho, mostly on foot. Next time we'll fly up, spend some time there, and take a ship back. The cruise we took from Seattle, five nights, didn't really allow for much time to see anything at all. === We flew into Fairbanks which is way north, and then spent a week working our way south to the coast via bus and train. The second week was working our way south along the coast on the cruise ship. The whole deal was a Princess Tours package and we thought it was very well done, albeit a little pricey. https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/cruisetour-options/?cid=bm_paidsearch_BKWS_google_PrincessAlaskaCruis eTour_princesstouralaska_Exact_isl&_vsrefdom=mca&m chxkw=c:708533188,k:princess%20tour%20alaska,m:e,p :1t1,d:c,ai:33823368621,ad:213749837748,s:g&d=c&gc lid=EAIaIQobChMI597owqSa2QIVVgaGCh3ukA6REAAYASAAEg Iq4fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds Other than anchorage on business, the other trip was a driving trip with 3 other couples. My truck camper, them different types of trailers. Truck camper was the best way. Would not do it again. Would fly to anchorage and rent a 4x4 camper. Did not have to worry about a room in remote areas. Lots of boring driving through Canada. Miles of dead trees, and pretty flat terrain. Beetle infestation. And lots of the Alcan is crap road. Interesting some area as they left the military construction equipment abandoned. We took 7weeks and 8800 miles. We entered Alaska at Poker Flat. Most northern road entrance to the country. Dirt / gravel road and rain to Tok. Interesting is the motels have pressure washers with free use to remove the hundreds of pounds of dirt you accumulate on the Top of The World Highway. Now there's an idea. Wonder how much that would be. Will have to check it out. |
Welcome Back John H !!
On Sat, 10 Feb 2018 02:22:41 -0500, wrote:
On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:54:23 -0500, John H. wrote: On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:30:45 -0500, wrote: I agree that some of the excursion opportunities are pricey, but if you're on a tight schedule, and/or not likely to get back any time soon (if ever), the excursions offer a chance to see and do things that you'd otherwise miss out on. We took advantage of all the excursion opportunities when we did our Alaska cruise and never regretted any of them - a sightseeing flight around the summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) in a twin engine turbo prop; a helicopter flight to the top of the Mendenhall glacier with plenty of walking around time; a float plane flight into Misty Fjords with a landing and dockage in the back country; and a jet boat trip up the Chilkat River into the eagle preserve. Every one of them was memorable. I can't even imagine Alaska on a cruise. We were there 3 weeks and we still felt like we were rushed. We did do a lot of things you don't get on a cruise tho, mostly on foot. Next time we'll fly up, spend some time there, and take a ship back. The cruise we took from Seattle, five nights, didn't really allow for much time to see anything at all. Folks like you who like to camp rent an RV and drive around. There are plenty of places to park but all of them may not be KOA grade. It does eliminate the problem that hotel rooms are few and far in between throughout most of the state. We really preferred the Kenai but there are lots of other places we would explore if we go back. Homer is a cool little town that is not very touristy at all. We met some fun folks there. Check out the Salty Dog Saloon if you get there. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/salty%20dawg.jpg That is also where we hooked up with the water taxi that takes you over to the Katchemak State Park that you can't drive to. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/water%20taxi.jpg There is a great hike there that takes you down to this glacier lake, http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/Glacier%20lake.jpg http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/Ice%...%20glacier.jpg Just be sure your GPS is working because the last half mile or so is across a big field of round rock and shrubs that all looks pretty much the same and you need to find a small hole in the trees to get back on the trail out. If you drive towards Denali as far as you can go there is a parking lot where you catch the bus to go to the mountain (no private vehicles beyond that point) or you can take the trail that goes off to the north and it goes back in there as far as you want to go along a ridge above a small river. That was where we saw the grizzly bear fishing in the river. We were up on the hill 70- 100' above him and he didn't really pay any attention to us. My poor old camera did not have enough zoom to really get a good picture and we were trying not to establish eye contact anyway. Right past there it started getting a little rocky and we turned around but that was a few miles in so it ended up being a nice walk. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/Denali%20trail.jpg If I did it again I think we would go down the east side (Rt 2 from Fairbanks or Rt 1 from Anchorage) and see what is there. That gets you all the way to Juneau I think. There are really not a lot of roads in Alaska so you don't have that many options. We never seemed to have a problem staying amused wherever we went tho. You can just stop at any little shack along the highway and find interesting people to talk with. http://gfretwell.com/ftp/alaska/Fine%20Dining.jpg You could stop by Wasilla at the fork in the road north of Anchorage and get a selfie with Sarah for Harry. ;-) Thanks. That's saved in my 'Alaska' folder! |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:56 PM. |
|
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2014 BoatBanter.com