Zacharius

The "city" is right next to the dock. You basically empty from the ship right in to the city center. There's plenty of shops, if that's what you're interested in. You can also check out a couple of government buildings if that interests you (since it's the national capital), take the stroll over the Queen's Staircase, grab a drink at the Pirate Republic Brewery if that interests you, have some local seafood (conch fritters are recommended). Other than that, I just kinda head back to the ship and enjoy it being a little quieter.

Grit and hashbrowns together would be an extra charge on the All Star. Let's not go crazy here, money bags. Though admittedly, I waver between grits and hashbrowns depending on my mood on that particular day.

All-Star, pecan waffle, hashbrown capped and peppered, bacon light, raisin toast, eggs over medium. Get it right.

I'll put my frequent plug in, which is to look beyond just the port area. Often times, you can rent a car at the airport, have full access to the metro area (for sightseeing, meals, lodging options of all budgets), and drop your car at the port the next morning (with a free shuttle from there to the ship) for less than a hotel + uber/lyft. We have never actually stayed at a place that has a shuttle to the port, because we often prefer the flexibility of having our own car at the same, or sometimes lower, total price. Just one more option to look in to if it interests you.

Newark is not only the best airport for the port, it's often the best airport for Manhattan as well. Keep in mind, all three area NYC airports are trash...but Newark is pretty much the least trash. If you're staying in Manhattan, I usually still would pick Newark. If you're staying east (Brooklyn/Queens/Long Island City), JFK might be better. You could always take a different airline and fly in to EWR. Even if you like Southwest, the pain of flying in to LGA and having to get all the way across the city to the port must simply be worse than just flying a different airline for a couple hours from wherever you are in Illinois...

I really didn't enjoy my first cruise, which was with Royal Caribbean. Why? Expectations were set too high...people kept saying how good the food was, how good the shows were, etc. etc. Got onboard and found the food just okay, and the entertainment just okay. Decided to give cruising one more try, after about five years, and again went with Royal Caribbean. Went with lower expectations, did more specialty dining (but aside from that just viewed the food as a way to get full, not a culinary experience), and skipped the shows. Have had a much better experience since then, and really look forward to my next one. People may say cruising isn't for everyone, and that's true. But also, cruising may be for you but your expectations were set too high, as mine were at first.

It might be worth grabbing an appointment/consultation with a travel doctor. He/she will have a better, realistic understanding of where, geographically, the risks may be compared to (a) random Internet sites (this one included), or (b) most other types of medical specialists.

I'm not saying that. Australia probably does. But my point is that China will have the definitive rules as to immigration policies of China. The Australian government will do the best they can, and they very well may have it right, but when push comes to shove and Chinese authorities are questioning your immigration status, it's better to have a Chinese government answer than an Australian (or British or American or Sudanese or whomever else's) answer.

The Australian government is not the best source for rules about Chinese immigration requirements. A Chinese embassy/consulate in Australia would be. But much like you wouldn't go to the Chinese government to ask about entry requirements for Australia, nor should you go to the Australian government to ask about entry requirements to China.

I don't actually work for Boeing, but I do a lot of consulting with various aerospace companies and suppliers in the Seattle area.

$297 really seems fair to me for a roundtrip. It could come down, yes. It's just as likely, if not more so, to go up. If you're comfortable paying $297, do it...if it's more than you want to pay, wait, but be prepared to pay $397.

Where are you departing from? That makes a big difference. If you're flying from Spokane, it's an okay price. If you're flying from Boston, it's a really good price. I fly to Seattle a lot for work (work in aerospace) and Seattle flights tend to be surprisingly cheap.

Makes sense. Just wanted to make sure. There are a shockingly high number of people who still think Puerto Rico is a foreign country 🙂