World Traveling Military Family

Tarague Beach & Scenic Overlook – Andersen AFB

By: Mrs B26 Comments

Tarague Beach Andersen AFB

Tarague Beach on Andersen AFB is really a hidden gem here in Guam. Yes, you do need base access to use it which is probably one of the best reasons those with an ID should use it! It’s rarely crowded there, the water is clear, the beach access easy, and it’s a short 10-15 min drive from main base. There are also some other neat things about Tarague beach that are often overlooked.

Tarague Beach used to have waves that lapped the cliffs but after geological shifting the reef area was exposed and the jungle area grew. It’s home to the endangered Marinas crow, the Marinas fruit bat, and a safe haven for nesting sea turtles. There are remnants from the tribe who lived there in 500 B.C. as well the remnants of a 1900s copra plantation. On clear days you can even see Rota to the North. I am so thankful that we get the chance to enjoy this amazing beach.

From the first main roundabout on Marine Corps Drive it’s about a 10-15 minute drive down to the beach. It’s quite charming as you get the feel of driving through the jungle to reach it!

If your lucky you may even get to see some of the local wildlife like the chickens that mill around the base. Or the wild pigs that are out forging for food, we’ve seen them at least twice on the way to the beach now. Those pigs have some tusks so I don’t recommend getting too close!

You’ll also get an amazing view as you go around the bend of Saunders Slope. It is an amazing preview of the beach area surrounded by the dense and lush jungle area.

When you arrive at the parking area there will be a few spots when you enter, then more down towards the main beach area. The ones at the end are great for if you plan on hiking the trial.  Tables and benches are located in this area as well.

Yes, there is a hiking trail at Tarague beach too! Most people I’ve talked to who’ve been here awhile had no idea. It’s also in the Best Track son Guam book. I highly recommend picking this up from the War in the Pacific museum outside of Big Navy. You can see a sign near the entrance as well. We plan to hike it soon.

Of course being on a AFB there are lots of rules, and they are all posted. So make note of the rule and follow them. They are pretty much common sense stuff.  Note there are no dogs are allowed at the base beach unfortunately.

Make sure to note the swimming conditions which is posted with the flag. There is also a sign that explains what the colors mean.

There are quite a few amenities in the beach area. There are 2 playgrounds one for smaller kiddos and a larger one as well.

Volleyball area and a covered area where you can have get togethers, etc.

Bamboo Willies is also at Tarague but it does have limited hours. It’s open on Friday evenings & Saturdays depending on how many people are using it. The restrooms are located in the building next to it but we’ve found that they are not well stocked. It’s best to bring your own tissue with you, just in case.

You can also camp at Tarague beach, I’m not a camper so you won’t find me gracing the sand overnight. I’ve heard from many that it’s great, I’ll take their word on it 😉 There are 30 campsites and these can be reserved through Outdoor Rec. You can even rent camping equipment from them if you don’t have any. Camping is open year round but I’ve been told the best time for the least rain & humidity is often Dec-Feb time frame.

One of the best things about Tarague is that it is never crowded! We’ve been several times even on weekends and it’s never overly crowded, I love that about it! Sandy areas for setting up and easy access into the buoyed swimming area are found on the beach. Like any beach here in Guam it’s recommended that you have shoes, felt bottom ones are the best. These will make it MUCH easier to get in and out of the water over the rocky areas. It’s easier/harder depending on high/low tide as well. The BX has the felt bottom shoes but the Home/Garden store at the NEX has ones without the split toe as well. There is also a Dive shop on base that has some as well.

Crabs can be found all over the beach! From huge fist sized hermit crabs to ones that are just bigger than a grain of rice! My kids enjoy finding the crabs and building a ‘home’ for them in the sand.  Fish are in the swimming area and can be seen when snorkeling. Some days the water is a bit clearer than others but for the most part there are always fish around to see.

If you turn to the right away from the beach you’ll find signs for Well No. 4. Here you can walk down and see the natural sinkhole with stairs to the pump building. The sign says open during daylight hours. I only had sandals on and there were way TOO many lizards to go attempt that in them and without Mr. B, so I’ll head back to take more pics soon.

Another great spot is the Tarague Scenic Overlook area! When you head to the beach instead of turning at the left towards the beaches keep going straight and follow the Scenic Overlook signs! It’s about a 10-15 min drive from the main roundabout as well and will take you on some curvy roads. The pull off will be to the left after a bend, it looks like there was a sign that used to be there but it wasn’t there a few weeks ago. You’ll see a clearing area to the left and if you go past there will be a fence, so you know you just missed it.

There is a sign up that gives some history about the beach and the area. While the area itself is beautiful it’s always the history that I appreciate the most so I’m always excited when I see signs like this!

The overlook has some amazing views of the beach area, how lucky are we that we get to use this amazing beach?! I want to go back for the sunset view as well! I even know someone who was married at this overlook area, love that idea 🙂

There is also a large Ifit tree as well as a sign that gives some info about them. The Ifit tree is the official tree of Guam and is protected here on the island. We are lucky enough to have one in our backyard here.

So if your here in Guam and have access to Tarague I encourage you to get out and enjoy it! But also make sure your enjoying the rest of the island as well, it’s small but mighty! 🙂

Adventure On!

PCSing to Guam with Pets – Newcomers Info

By: Mrs B25 Comments

PCSing to Guam with Pets - Newcomers Info

PCSing with pets can be stressful but even more so when your dealing with an Overseas PCS. I wanted to share some PCSing to Guam with Pets info that will hopefully help make this process a bit easier for Newcomers to the island. We just went through this process 7 weeks ago so it’s still fresh on my mind. I’ve also reached out to a few others who have recently done it as well and compiled this information for you, they have shared their personal experiences to help as well.

First I want to say that while there IS a quarantine process here in Guam, it’s NOT nearly as bad as it seems when your reading the literature for the process. Everything you’ll read will say you need to start the process 120 days out BUT if that doesn’t happen to be the case for you, don’t stress! It’ll take a bit of research but you too can have a quick quarantine process. We found out we were PCSing to Guam with a less than 90 day notice, we had about 70 days! Even with the short notice PCS our dog was only required to stay 1 day in the quarantine facility, he ended up staying 3 nights until we could get him out to stay with some friends.

There are 2 major bases on the island Andersen AFB for the Air Force folks (and a few from other services) and US Naval Station Guam, known here at Big Navy. There is also Navy Hospital which is a separate location that houses the hospital and High School but more about that in another post as it’s not important to pet info. With that being said the process for both bases and services for PCSing in with pets is the same, so that’s at least helpful to make sure people are getting the information. The only difference is that there is Pet TLF only on Big Navy, and none available on Andersen AFB. Pet TLF on Big Navy books up fast so make sure to make reservations as far out as possible if you’d like to use it. There are also some pet friendly hotels off base but reviews for them are not that great, if you have to stay off base with a pet the Westin is your best choice. Lodging can book the accommodations for you if there is no availability on base. Booking as far in advance as you can will help you to get better accommodations.

If your planning on bringing your Pet with you to Guam I highly encourage you to start with the Andersen AFB Shipping Your Pets info they have online, it’s got ALL the information you need and I’ll expand on it more here as well. Then I suggest you go run by your local military vet as they will have a checklist of what is needed for a PCS to Guam. Some of the links on the Andersen page are no longer working so I’ve uploaded the Guam Pet Quarantine Guide and the Andersen Pet Lodge Quarantine Facility Handbook. I highly recommend downloading both, printing them out and putting then in your PCS Binder or with your PCS paperwork.

QUARANTINE FACILITY

You’ll need to choose a quarantine facility, I’d recommend the one on Andersen as they deal with pet PCS’s often, but you can use one off base as well. The Andersen Pet Lodge has info online as well. You’ll need to have a facility accept your pet to be able to complete the Entry Forms for the Department of Agriculture (DOA). If using Andersen Pet Lodge they will email you everything that you need to fill out for your pet to stay there, then after you send it back they will send you a letter of acceptance that you send with the DOA paperwork.

FLIGHT INFO

As soon as your able to book your flights I recommend doing it so that your able to get your pet on the flight as well. There are only so many pet spots per flight. It’s cheaper if your pet is traveling with you on the same flight, often as excess baggage, but you can ship your pet without you as well. Many people use the United PetSafe program to get pets to and from Guam, I’ve heard some wild stories from people who used them so do your research before deciding.

If your flying from Germany like we did and not using your COT en route you’ll use Korean Air and fly from Frankfurt to Incheon, Korea, then on to Guam. You won’t get to see your pet during the layover at Incheon but we did ask the flight staff to make sure our dog was getting on the flight with us. They were happy to call and check on him and let us know that he was doing well and would be getting on the flight. The flight was only $200 and the staff was fantastic, it was our easiest flight process so far with our dog!

If your flying from the US you’ll go either through Hawaii or through Japan. The only airlines that fly pets to Guam from the US are currently Delta and United. Also know that Delta is the only airline that allows small pets to fly in the cabin. I’ve had several families recommend using Delta to fly through Japan if possible.

Jennifer Everhart was willing to share her recent experience with us, they flew from Detroit>Tokyo>Guam on Delta. Jennifer said “Once we landed we went to the delta desk and asked if we could see our dog and relieve him…they scheduled an “appointment” for about an hour later. We were told to come back to the desk at that time…we were then escorted down past security and I believe was basically baggage claim. We stepped outside and they drove our dog up in his kennel…we then could let him out, offer food and water, and attempt to relieve him. Unfortunately their idea of a pet area was a handicap bathroom with a pee pad on the floor. Our dog refused to go since he wasn’t used to it but did drink a ton of water and eat a little. Escorts were with us the entire time, they were all very friendly and put no time constraints on us!” It’s great to know that you are able to see your pet in Japan, which is nice to piece of mind!

If your going through Hawaii know your pet may have to stay at least 1 night for quarantine reasons, possibly more depending on how late you arrive in what cities, etc. So check all that before flying. Due to most pets needing to stay at least a night for quarantine I was unable to locate someone who flew WITH their pet through Hawaii. Most sent them either a few days prior or the day before. If you have traveled through Hawaii WITH your pet, please feel free to leave a comment with your experience 🙂

Shipping your Pet as cargo with United PetSafe is a more expensive option often than having them on your flight. I’ve heard several crazy stories and have a few mild ones to share here. A recently arrived Navy family shipped their cat from CA>HI>GU using the United PetSafe. They had to drop the cat off at the cargo area and they took her 2 hours prior to their flight, it took them an hour to get her dropped off! So plan accordingly! They were able to track their cat and her flight all the way to Guam. They called the Hawaii quarantine facility to check on her as well. (POC: Dallas 808-479-1308 & Holding area 808-833-2049). Their only complaint was that they were not notified that she had landed and was picked up by the Pet Lodge. So they had to drive all the way out to United Cargo to ask if she was safe and on island. They were told they Pet Lodge had picked her up and they went the next day to pick her up from the Andersen facility. They paid $500 for the United PetSafe to fly their cat here to Guam.

Another Navy spouse, Kylie Collier, was gracious enough to share her experience with us as well. They shipped their dog the day before they departed using the United PetSafe program. The dog flew from Maryland>Denver>Hawaii>Guam on his journey. Kylie called United PetSafe to book the flight and was told she would pay $349 for her 20 lb dog plus kennel, and $119 was for the 1 night in Hawaii. She called the day before the flight to verify everything and was told there were $300 of additional charges! When the showed up at the airport they were surprised to find another $200 in fees tacked onto the above charges! After complaining to the manager they were given an email to the refund department and told to email them. So they had to pay $1100 on the spot to fly their dog. After they arrived they contact the refund department and after a huge run around they found that they were overcharged by $300, but the amount was still way over the initial $349 they were quoted to begin with. He arrived on a Friday and on Saturday her friend when to visit him at the Pet Lodge. Kylie was told if they paid over the phone her friend could take him home on Monday. It took a bit of work to get the over the phone payments authorized, requiring some authorizing emails, but they finally got it done and he was able to go home with her. United also lost their leash it was in a ziplock bag taped to the top but never arrived. So if you leave one get a cheap one in case it doesn’t make it and have an extra with you. They are also told only soft neck collars and no body harnesses for the flight.

Once you arrive in Guam you won’t be able to see your pet at the airport as they arrive in a different location. They will be picked up by the quarantine facility that you made arrangements with. We arrived in at 1 am and the staff in the baggage claim area radioed out to the pet area and made sure that he was there and doing well for us. When the Andersen Pet Lodge opened Visitor’s hours at 11 am we went there to check on our Westie. He really did well during the 28 hour travel experience and was happy to see us. You get to stay with them for 30-45 mins but know that it’s an outside, uncovered area where you visit with them so if there is bad weather you may not be able to visit.

ENTRY PERMIT

You need to do this BEFORE arrival in Guam and you need to stay on top of the process as I’ve had friends get theirs just a few hours before leaving for their flight. I sent everything in ahead of time and called to make sure they received it and then called again a week prior to leaving and we had the Entry Permit in hand 4 days prior to leaving Germany. I cannot stress enough that after you send the emails you need to call to verify that they got the info! Also remember kindness goes a long way 🙂 POC for the DOA is Ms. Jackie: 671-300-7965 & 671-300-7966.

The Entry Permit that needs to be filled out is located in the Guam Pet Quarantine Guide that you can download above, it’s on the last page, page 12. You need to send the filled out form with your rabies certificates and the current immunizations for Guam to the DOA.

Then then you get the health certificate (no more than 10 days prior to leaving) you’ll send that with your flight confirmation, and the quarantine facility confirmation.

Also don’t forget to send the money order to the DOA as well, it needs to arrive before they issue the permit so send it early. Address is in the Guam Pet Quarantine Guide and the Andersen Pet Shipping Info above.

MICROCHIP

This needs to be done before the rabies shot is given as the number will be recorded on the rabies certificate.

RABIES/OIE-FAVN

Your pet will need to have 2 rabies shots/certificates, the last one can be given no less than 30 days from arrival on Guam and no further than 12 months prior to arrival. After the rabies shot you’ll need to get the rabies OIE-FAVN test to gain entry. Your pet needs at least 0.5 I.U. per milliliter of rabies antibodies or greater. If less than that they will have to stay the 120 days in quarantine, the time starts the day the blood work reaches the lab so some/possibly all of it can be done prior to arrival. However if your pet has a level of 1.0 I.U. per milliliter of rabies antibodies or greater they will qualify for the 5 days or less, even if the test was not done 120 days prior to arrival. Your vet may tell you that you only need to wait 10 days after the rabies shot to get the FAVN drawn but the longer you wait the higher the results and better chance of passing will be. The German vet told us to get it drawn after 3 weeks. Also on the KSU Lab that does FAVN tests they recommend waiting 21-30 days for optimal antibodies results, you can read more HERE.

As I said we found out that we were PSCing short notice so I sent the the FAVN blood work to be tested on May 25th, even before we found where we were going because Guam was #2 on our list. Due to a mishap with our Spangdahlem Post Office the blood work did not arrive until June 9th, which is when the 120 days started for our dog. We arrived 70 days later to Guam! However his FAVN was so high at 3.46 I.U. per milliliter of rabies antibodies (this is an amazing result!) that he was only required to stay the 5 days or less! We would’ve been able to get him out the following day however there is no pet TLF on Andersen so we had to make arrangements for a location for him, we did get him out after 3 nights.

Our vet in Spangdahlem used KSU Lab for the FAVN testing and I have to say they were amazing! I had to call a few times and then correspond by email and I had fantastic customer service each time! We didn’t pay the expedited fee either but the results were done within 2 days of arrival. You can track your results online as well on their site.

HEARTWORM/VACCINATIONS

Also note that no more 14 days prior to arrival you’ll need to get dogs tested for heartworm, this can be done at your health certificate appointment so that you don’t have to make several appointments. We did our health certificate appointment 7 days prior to leaving that way if we got delayed a few days anywhere it would still be valid for the 10 day period. Our dog only needed one more vaccination according to the Guam list so we just got that at one of the appointments we had set up for the PCS.

Also stock up on flea/tick meds and heart worm meds as they are required for your pets here. You vet will also need to apply the liquid flea/tick meds and have it noted on the health certificate.

AFTER ARRIVAL

Your pet will need to be cleared by the vet before they can leave the facility and have passed the FAVN results or served out the quarantine period. After the vet has cleared them and you’ve paid the fees your able to take your pet. It really was a much easier process than I thought it would be! You do need cash or a check to pay for the Vet fees since it goes to a separate facility.

**NOTE: As far as Quarantine fees go the Military (both AF & Navy) will refund the quarantine fees, up to $225 per pet with a max of $550 for 2 animals. If you’ve already arrived and didn’t know about it go file a supplemental for your travel voucher and you can get it refunded.

FEES

You’ll have several fees and expenses to get your pet here to Guam.

Airlines – you will have to pay for the airline tickets (ranges from $200 to $1100 from what I’ve seen on the modest end) if flying through Hawaii it’ll include and overnight fee if your pet is required to stay overnight.

Entry Permit – $65 as of Oct. 2016

Quarantine Fees – $225 for the quarantine and 5 days in the pet lodge. This is reimbursable by the AF/Navy when filed on your travel voucher for up to $225 per pet with a max of $550 for two pets.

Off Duty Pet Pick up – varies from around $90-100 and is charged by the Andersen pet lodge.

Vet Quarantine Clearance Fee – $35 to Andersen vet to get pet cleared to leave the facility.

Rabies/FAVN Bloodwork – $85 as of Oct 2016 for the KSU Lab

Vet Fees – these will vary by your Vet and if you see a Civilian/Military vet. We had 3 Vet visits (Rabies shots, FAVN blood draw, and Health Cert with Heartworm test) this cost us around $235.

It cost us $935 to get our dog here and we got back the $225 so a total of $710. I have to note that our flight from Germany to Guam was only $200 so way less that what most are paying from the US.

WHAT TO SEND IN THE KENNEL

First make sure you have an airline approved kennel with the metal bolts, that will save you a lot of trouble! We’ve heard of people having their kennel rejected at the airport due to plastic instead of metal, one was lucky enough to be able to buy a kennel from the airline. Not sure what would’ve happened if they hadn’t been able to! Also make sure it’s large enough for the pet to sit down/stand with their ears not touching as they check this at the airport.

We always put in a thin padded mat that has pee pads under and over it and then we put it in a pillowcase that I’ve slept on. This helps him to have our scent with him. We also sent his ‘baby’ which is his comfort item, it’s a stuffed dog. We had the bowls attached on the inside but did not send food as he won’t eat under stress. I did buy an awesome water bottle so that he’d have water for the full 28 hours of travel, and it worked great!

If you want to send a leash taped to the top make sure it’s one you don’t care if you get back. KoreanAir didn’t even want us to leave a leash so we didn’t. Also carry a back up in case it doesn’t make it.

Taped to the top should be your quarantine info, we put it in a page protector and folded it over and taped it to the top, yes we just may have had duct tape in our carry on 😉

PCSing to Guam with Pets

You can check out this free PCSing to Guam Checklist that I made to help make it a smooth process HERE

I hope you found this info helpful in getting you and your pet here to Guam! If you’ve already made it here with a pet please feel free to post your story in the comments so that others can learn from your experience!

Joe’s Jet Ski – Tamuning, Guam

By: Mrs Bcomment

Joe's Jet Ski - Tamuning, Guam

If your looking for an adventure Joe’s Jet Ski in Tamuning, Guam is a fantastic experience! You start in Agana Bay and get to take the jet skis all the way out to Two Lover’s Point in Tumon Bay and back. Perfect for a date, hanging out with friends, or adventuring with the family. They also offer a Military/Local rate which is a huge perk for the military families stationed here.

We were thrilled to receive a complimentary tour to check out the Jet Ski tour, it was nothing short of an amazing adventure! It happened to be our anniversary and of course we chose to spend it checking out a new adventure. There are so many reasons why we had a great time, from the fantastic staff to the experience of driving the jet ski’s out past the reef! We plan to take the kids back to check it out at some point as well.

Bring your swimsuits, sunscreen, towels, etc. There are free lockers to use and changing rooms if needed. We brought clothes to change into afterwards to go grab some lunch. They provide the life jackets, goggles or sunglass straps, & have a waterproof camera to take photos. You can bring your own waterproof camera if you have one as well.

We parked at the Hotel Santa Fe and walked down to the beach, look for the cute beach shack just next to the restaurant. You walk through the restaurant to get to it. We walked past it as there wasn’t a sign (they are working on getting one up) so look for the blue shack and you’re there! If you’re just visiting and staying at a hotel they have a complementary shuttle as well.

Lockers are free and have a key that you’ll wear attached to your life vest, there is staff that stays at the location while your out on your experience. We felt like our stuff was safe while we were out having a great time.

The staff was super friendly and we even got to meet the owners, who were fantastic as well. You have to sign a liability waiver and then get life vests, and all set to go out.

A guide takes you out and you drive following their lead on the 5 miles down to the Two Lover’s Point and back. You’ll make a few stops along the way for some photo opps, and maybe even a few mins of swimming. We were the only ones who went out with our guide during our time so it was very much like a personal tour experience. You do need to follow directly behind the guide getting in and out past the reef as it’s shallow in that area and rocky, if I can do it you can too 🙂

We stopped by Gun Beach for some photos and drove around our guide in circles so he could get some video and photos. You can tell they know what they are doing and I was impressed with the pics.

Then at Two Lover’s Point you stop again to get photos with the point in the background. The guide even took photos with my waterproof camera for me as well. Once you reach the Two Lover’s Point you can change drivers for the ride back.

After that we drove back down to the Gun Beach area and he let us swim for 5 minutes. I’m not gonna lie, I’m so not a ‘ocean’ person so I was a bit scared swimming outside the reef. We seen some big fish and that made me wonder what bigger ones were there that we couldn’t see, LOL! I’d recommend bring goggles or a mask so you can see what’s under you if you get to swim! We used their sunglasses that have a band but they were not waterproof for looking under the water, Mr. B tried.

After swimming we got back on the jet ski and it was my turn to drive. I was a bit nervous about driving as I’ve never drove a jet ski before but it really was super easy! The hardest part was when a boat was heading out and it made some large waves which scared me just a bit but it really wasn’t horrible.

One of the neatest things is the FLYING FISH! I kid you not we seen flying fish! Mr. B thought I was crazy until after we got back to the beach shack and were talking to Joe. Joe said there is a 90% chance you’ll see flying fish on the ride, we seen two! The first one I just thought it was a fish jumping near us, which I thought was weird since were going so fast. The second one I seen fly out of the water and fly back into a wave, it was a sight to see!

After you’ve made it the 5 miles back to the Agana Bay area you’ll find shade and drinks in the beach shack. We were offered a beer, water, & popsicles, while we waited of the pictures to be burned to a disc.

Don’t forget to sign the hut!

I have to say I was really impressed with the photos, we’re not talking about 1 or 2 pics. We got a disc with 49 photos and a video! The guide got some great shots as well and I think it’s a great keepsake for the experience because it’s hard to take good selfies on a jet ski. The water is just an amazing color, I mean check out those blues in the first pic at the top!

We were really impressed with this experience! We’ve already talked about splurging in the near future and taking the kids to go experience it as I think they will have a blast. If you want to take kids know they need to be at least 8 years old to participate. More info below in the Know Before You Go section regarding ages of kids. This really was an ideal way to spend our anniversary and I can say that I recommend doing this at least once while you’re here in Guam!

Know Before You Go

What: Joe’s Jet Ski – Tamuning, Guam

How To Get There: They are located at the Hotel Santa Fe but if your visiting and staying at a hotel downtown they have a free shuttle service as well.

Parking: We parked at the Hotel Santa Fe for free.

Cost: $250 for a tandem ride, $130 for a single rider however the Military/Local rate is $175 for tandem ride and $100 for a single rider.

Traveling with little kids: Kids need to be at least 8 years old to participate. Kids who are 8-13 years old can ride with a paying Adult over 18 years old at the Tandem ride rate. Those who are 14 years old and older can operate a jet ski by themselves.

How long: Plan on at least 1.5 hours for the experience, longer if you want to grab lunch after. There is a restaurant on site at the Hotel Santa Fe as well.

Newcomer’s Island Tour – Andersen AFB, Guam

By: Mrs B2 Comments

Newcomer's Island Tour - Andersen AFB, Guam

If your new to Andersen AFB, I highly encourage you to take advantage of the FREE Newcomer’s Island Tour that is offered by the AFRC. You’ll get to see some great locations on the island, learn some great information, and get to eat some yummy lunch. The tours are offered monthly, call the AFRC to sign up.

We arrived here in August and were able to get on a tour shortly after arrival. It starts at 8 am and your back on base by 3 pm so it can be a long day for littles or the jet lagged. I only fell asleep once on the bus, on the drive back to the base 😉 Jet lag was rough moving here from Germany. The tour is Free but keep in mind you’ll need money or credit/debit card to purchase lunch, I also recommend bringing along some water.

The tour takes place on a large air conditioned bus so that made for a comfortable journey, I’d also recommend an umbrella or ponchos because one of the stops you’ll most likely get rained on. We’ve been there twice and have gotten rained on both times! I’ll just be giving a short run down of the places visited and will post more detailed posts about each location in the near future.

Newcomers-island-tour

The tour guide was great and provided lots of info as we drove to the South of the island for our first stop at Inarajan Pools, which is a neat natural swimming spot just off the park area. There were fish in the water, and we were told it’s a good snorkeling location. The public restroom was open during our tour but apparently its sometimes closed.

There are some stairs so you can climb up and get a good view of the area. We’ll be headed back to explore this one some more.

Fort Soledad was next on the trip and you get a great overlook of the Umatac Bay area, very picturesque here! There are also some great mountain views from here as well. The Spanish Bridge is also located here and I’ll be headed back to get pics and it was pointed out to us while driving from the bus so there wasn’t a photo opp. You’ll find restrooms here.

We were running behind on the tour so the Cetti Bay Overlook was skipped, so we’ll have to back to hit that one on our own. You can hike to the bay from this area BUT the hike is challenging and an Airmen died of heatstroke so make sure you are prepared and go with someone who is experienced if you want to try it.

At the Asua Bay Overlook we were greeted by not just rain but a downpour! Bring your umbrella/poncho for this stop! We didn’t get to see much here due to the rain. We’ve been back a second time and we did have a few more minutes to explore the memorial area but it rained hard again on the second trip, so go prepared. Hopefully the third time is the charm so I can get a clear photo.

It was nearing lunch time so they took us to Chamorro Village to eat lunch from the local food vendors. There were also a few shops open and a Guam Chocolate shop, that is a must visit! We had tacos (chicken & shrimp) and chicken kabobs, it was yummy! Restrooms located here.

Next on the tour was the USO in the Royal Orchid hotel, which is really a hidden gem. It has a super nice set up and they also serve breakfast, lunch, & dinner for $1/plate donation. I think it’s the same grub daily but for $1 plate if your staying in a hotel off base this could be a great option. Restrooms here as well.

Our last stop on the tour was Two Lover’s Point, you can walk around and see the scenic area and if you want to go up to the top you can pay $2, we skipped this as we’ll be going back at another time. There were also some vendors there selling drinks & slushies with the tapioca beads in them.

Overall we had a good time on the Newcomer’s Island Tour, we got a great overall visual of the island and learned some great information. There were some littles on the bus that were not happy to be there, as it was a long day for them, it was a long day for me, LOL! Our teens went with us and tolerated it because we weren’t out in the heat for long and you could get back on the bus with the AC as soon as you liked at the stops. I think it was a great introduction to the island and gets you to some stops at the South part of the island which is one of the less explored areas by those here at Andersen. It’s also a great way to explore for those who are intimidated to go out exploring new areas on their own. Get out there and get exploring!

Know Before You Go

What: Newcomer’s Island Tour – Andersen AFB, Guam

How To Get There: You need to call to sign up as they can fill up, the AFRC number is 366-8136. Meeting point is on base, AFRC will give you the details.

Parking: Your able to park at the pick up location on base.

Cost: Free, but bring $ or credit/debit card for lunch. Also bring some waters and snacks if desired.

Traveling with little kids: This is a long tour, know if your littles will be able to handle it. There are several stops so plenty of time to get off the bus and let them run around for a bit at each spot. Most of the locations had restrooms but not all did, so use when you see them.

How long: Tour is from 8 am to 3 pm, so plan on being out all day.

Guam Food Tour – Eat Like a Local!

By: Mrs B4 Comments

Guam Food Tours

I was SO excited when I found out that there is a Guam Food Tour here on the island! I mean really what an amazing way to get ingrained with the locals than to start by eating their cuisine?! And I have to say that the locals here know how to cook some amazing food and leave visitors happy and probably a few pounds heavier.

I was so excited when our family was invited on a complimentary tour to check out the local Guam Food Tour, I have to say that we thoroughly enjoyed the experience! We did the Fiesta Plate Tour and enjoyed all the food, my favorite was the Beef Tinaktak, delish! The experience is much more than food though and left us excited to spend the next few years here eating amazing grub, exploring the island, and making friends with the locals. I highly recommend taking the time to check it out! They are also starting two more tours as well, a Southern Island one, and a walking tour in the capital city of Hagatna, so exciting!

Guam Food Tours

They will pick you up anywhere in Tumon, we parked at the Hilton and got on there as they were picking up some other locals there as well that day. One of the best things about the food tour for our teenage son was that we were drove around in an air conditioned van to the locations, a great perk in the toasty Guam climate. We were with a group of 9 plus the 3 staff for our experience.

I have to say the staff is amazing! Dom was a great driver, while Anna filled us in on the local history and legends, and Leslie provided great local info and resources. It was truly like eating a long lunch with friends and the almost 4 hours just flew by!

There are 5 stops during the Fiesta food tour, and instead of being at local restaurants they are at local historic areas and they bring the food there to serve you. Using a great system all the hot food was hot and the cold food was cold. We were offered drinks at each stop as well, which was great as we’ve done a food tour in Europe were that was not the case. Drinks ranged from canned sodas, water, and even the iced local tea, which was noting short of amazing!

There were even extra goodies! The reusable shopping bag to carry home extra food, and a poncho, which you will most likely need at one of the stops, every time we’ve been there it has rained! If your bringing leftovers home they keep them in a cooler for you as well, so no worrying about the food spoiling, they have thought of everything.

Our first stop was at Sagan Kuttoran Chamoru, Ipao Point, which is a great cultural and historical area here in Guam. There are healers, crafters, and many cultural events that go on. The info is limited but you can find some on their Facebook page. Also here is the Guinean Chamoru gift shop which only has items that are hand made on the island! This may be a great spot if your looking for some unique gifts for your friends/family. They also had several books about the area as well! It’s also a great scenic overlook point too.

Here we sat in one of the buildings and were served Beef Tinaktak which is ground beef cooked in coconut milk and served with rice. While it did not look like something that was beautiful to the eye or that we might order if we seen it, was amazing! I’m so glad we had this so now I can look for it when we are out and about! I will order it now for sure! It was also served with the fina’denne sauce, this stuff will blow your mind! It’s soy sauce with lemon, vinegar, & onions, seriously one of the best things I’ve tasted! Note there is also a hot sauce that is mighty hot, so use sparingly.

We also had Chicken Kelaguen with tortillas, again another dish I may not have ordered on site but it was delicious! It’s also listed as one of the top 5 food to try here in Guam, I can see why. It was light with citrus flavor that I really enjoyed. This stop is lots of food and it’s heavy so if you can’t finish it all you can take it ‘to go’ with you.

Guam Food Tours

Our second stop was at Chamorro Village where one of the vendors, Bokka, served us Kadon Pika (spicy chicken) with rice, and the Calamansi tea. The chicken was very flavorful but not spicy, which was great as I’m not a big fan of heat. While none of us would’ve ordered the tea had we visited on our own, we found that is was fantastic! It was very light and refreshing and tasted like lemonade, even though it looked like iced tea…something we don’t drink. I can’t wait to have this drink again.

The next stop was a hidden gem, we made quick visit to Chode’s Market. Looking at this little store you’d never think that it’s a must visit at it looks like a little connivence store, but inside is where your blown away. Here in this tiny store you’ll find home baked goodies & pastries that will make any foodie happy! There were pies, cakes, empanadas, brownies, rice crispies, and so much more! We grabbed a few goodies to sample and are determined to go back for a cake and pie as they looked amazing! The pies are $8.99 and the cakes are $7.99. We were told it’s best to go in the morning when the fresh goodies are put out to get the best selection. Of course as we drove away there were goodies to be had as they passed around Manha Titiyas which are think tortillas that are made from young coconut. They are yummy, best when warm, with a mild sweet flavor!

Asan Bay Overlook was the next stop and odds are that you WILL need your poncho here so bring it out with you and don’t leave it in the van like most of us did! In addition to the great scenic overlook there is also memorial walls set up, so make sure to check those out as well.

Here they set up a little table under the covered area and we all tried Tamales Gisu, where one side is spicy and one is not. This was my least favorite item of the trip. While I like tamales, this was not a typical tamale…here they are made with the corn meal shell you’d find on a normal tamale but the while thing is made of it! The constancy was just too much for me, the red side tasted better to me than the white one but it was also too salty for me. Here they are also cooked in foil instead of in corn husks. It was interesting to hear about them and sample it but it’s not a dish I’d have again.

Our final stop was at Plaza de Espana which was the Govenor’s Palace when it was occupied by Spain, today its a historical site and you can see a few remaining structures like the Chocolate House were the ladies would gather and sip hot chocolate.

The final dish was the fabulous Latiya, which is a vanilla custard spongecake, what a great way to end the day! It was so light and refreshing and it reminded us a lot of the Speicher cake we had in Germany but it was just a bit softer. We will be having more of this in the very near future! I easily could’ve had several pieces and been happy 🙂

We thought the food choices were great representations of the local cuisine and found the stops to be interesting & informative with the knowledge of the staff. Not only did they share their knowledge of the food and how it came about and is prepared, but also about the local area. Our time flew by on the tour and even the kids had a great time, which says a lot since one of our teens is not a fan of traveling.

I hope that you get the chance to get out and experience a Guam Food Tour, and I hope to check out the other ones as well during our time here. I’d love to hear your experience if you try it out 🙂

Know Before You Go

What: Guam Food Tour

How To Get There: They pick up from anywhere in the Tumon area, you just let them know where to pick up from.

Parking: We parked at the Hilton as they were picking up another group from there as well and they told me that is where many of the locals park.

Cost: $75 adult & $40 child but they DO offer Military rate for $60 adult.

Traveling with little kids: Your drove around in a van so not sure how that would work with littles that need carseats and it was a bit tight getting in & out, I’d call ahead for info if your wanting to take littles. Also it’s a long day so know if its something that your little can handle. While this is a great experience for older kids, and our teens enjoyed it, not sure that littles would think it was so much fun. It could be a great Date Day idea!

How long: Plan on at least 3.5 hours for the tour, it may even run a bit longer.

Tallinn, Estonia – MSC Musica Baltic Cruise Port

By: Mrs Bcomment

Tallinn, Estonia - MSC Musica Baltic Cruise

Tallinn, Estonia was our third port on our MSC Musica Baltic cruise, we spent a few hours on a Wednesday in the city. This is a hidden gem of a city and we fell in love with it! It’s very quaint and charming and you can entertain yourself cheaply walking around this fantastic city. We hit a few fun stops and splurged on lunch here. I recommend visiting this city! You can read about the cruise experience HERE

You don’t need to use the cruise shuttle or even a taxi here as the port is only a 10-15 min walk into the city! It was a super easy walk we did it both into the city and then back out to the cruise port after our city visit. It’s super convenient and Free! If you really want you can cough up the big bucks for the cruise shuttle or get a taxi, although I think it’s really not needed. There are also some great shops/vendors set up just outside the port terminal so make time to hit them as you head back to the ship!

We walked the 10 mins into the city to Fat Margaret, which was the start of Rick Steve’s self guided walking tour, as y’all know we use his books almost everywhere! 😉 I love how easy it is to follow and the great info it provides, which makes for less research on my part.

We followed the tour but made quick pit stop at the marzipan store so that the kids could make a sculpture from marzipan. It was only €4 per person and they had 30 mins to make their creations. They were also given a sturdy plastic box to hold the sculpture in so they held up for our tour of the city as well. They really enjoyed this!

We ordered drinks (cappuccinos & sodas) and sat in the seating area while the kids happily created away.

There is also a marzipan museum downstairs where you can see some neat sculptures & creations, this is free if you just want to pop in and go look at the small museum too.

We stopped in several gifts shops along the way to check out all the fun souvenirs, if you like amber it’s cheap to buy here, way cheaper than Stockholm & Copenhagen. We know the ‘thing’ to buy here were the wooden utensils and butter knives so we grabbed one of those.

We also stopped this bakery that’s been around for many years and had a tasty treat, Yum!

Next we headed off to the square to explore the market there were lots of vendors pack into the square, it was also here that we dropped big $ and had lunch, it was $70 for 3 meals. So if your wanting cheaper eats stay off the main streets & main square. Rick Steve’s has some cheaper suggestions in his book as well.

There is also a pharmacy that has been around since 1422! It has a small museum with things from the past, and it’s still a working pharmacy and my friend was able to get some meds for her cold there during our stop. Interesting and practical, win win! 🙂

The painted ceilings and walls were amazing and gave it so much character! While it doesn’t look like something amazing from the outside, it’s so worth a visit and it’s free!

While walking up some of the funky narrow streets it seemed like there were a lot of people there but once you were back out in the open it was actually really laid back and relaxed, not overcrowded at all.

We did pay to visit the towers, we did the combo ticket to visit the Maiden tower (pretty unimpressive) but it had some good views, but the second tour Kiek in de Kok was worth the entrance fee. It was €7 for the combo ticket so €28 for my family of 4. If your not paying to visit the towers there is a bathroom here for €1, but with a paid ticket it’s free to use.

View of the courtyard area from Kiek in de Kok.

Lots to see in this tower and it has many floors both up and down to explore!

We ended the tour back in the square, ate lunch then hit a grocery store for some snacks as we walked back to the cruise port.

We really enjoyed this neat little city and are so glad we got the chance to visit it! I really think it’s one of those hidden gems that many people don’t realize is worth taking the time to visit! I’d even go back again some day…so that says a lot in itself, LOL!

Stockholm, Sweden – MSC Musica Baltic Cruise Port

By: Mrs Bcomment

Stockholm, Sweden - MSC Musica Baltic Cruise

Stockholm, Sweden was our second port on our MSC Musica Baltic cruise, we spent a few hours on a Tuesday in the city. This was our least favorite port as it was much too ‘city like’ for our taste but we managed to hit two major sites during our visit. This is also another expensive city but we were able to keep costs down here as well by using public transport and eating from vendors. The biggest cost here were the attractions we visited but you could choose just to walk around as well. You can read about the cruise experience HERE

Again here you do NOT need to use the shuttle cruise or Hop on Hop off buses, you can but they are much more expensive and much more crowded. We walked about 8 mins down to the bus terminal and and took the public bus into the city. I had already planned what stop to get off at for our first visit, it was about a 20 minute ride and super easy to use! It was $40 round trip for 2 adults & 2 kids to use the bus for 3 bus rides, this was MUCH cheaper than the shuttle or HOHO bus. We used Rick Steve’s Northern Cruise Ports book for the bus info, it also had info for the ATM that is right near the cruise port as well.

Our first stop was the Ice Bar, we’ve always wanted to visit on and the one here is family friendly. It was $70 for 2 adults & 2 kids which included the entrance fee and a drink in an ice glass for each person, they had non-alcoholic drinks as well. It’s also cheaper to book ahead online vs show up and try to go in, and they are sometimes fully booked so I’d recommend making your reservations online.

They give you the warm coats and mitts to wear, but I didn’t think that it was super cold inside, others in the group did. The coats are a one-size-fits-all kinda thing but they do have smaller ones for the kids.

The ice glasses are neat and after your done drinking/nibbling the cup you send them sliding down a ramp into a container. It was neat that the drinks were fun colors as well.

The carvings in the ice were well done and it was interesting to read about the different animals as we walked around the room.

Note the room is small with one table/seating area (made of ice) and you have 45 mins in the room but we only needed around 25 mins.

We also visited the Vasa Museum, it was free for the kids (all kids under 18) but it was still $30.80 for 2 adults. We were a bit pressed for time here so we had to hustle through it. While it was neat seeing this super old and amazing ship I almost think we should’ve done the Nordic museum but again being pressed for time not sure we would’ve seen all of it there.

We didn’t have time to do both the tour (which RS recommends) and the movie so we just went to the movie, it was interesting and had great info about the ship and it’s history. It’s not easy to get a full pic of the ship with a DSLR and the amount of room you have in the building!

It has a amazing story about how it sunk and was on the bottom of the ocean for 333 years before it was found and brought back up to the surface.

There are some very intricate carvings on the ship, I’m sure it took many hours to build that then to have it sink had to be devastating!

There were some food vendors on the road outside the Vasa museum so we grabbed some cheap eats here before walking the 2 mins to the bus stop to head back to the cruise port.

Overall I’m glad that we got to check Stockholm off our bucket list but it’s not necessarily somewhere I’d have to go back again, more a one and done kinda place for us. The Ice bar experience was neat and I’m glad we got the opportunity to do that while we had a chance. This was our most expensive port because we wanted to do the Ice Bar but you could easily just walk around for free if you wanted to be more budget friendly. Total cost here was $170 which included the attractions, bus transport, & food.

Copenhagen, Denmark – MSC Musica Baltic Cruise Port

By: Mrs Bcomment

Copenhagen, Denmark was the first port on MSC Musica Cruise, we had 6 hours to spend in the city. We found Copenhagen to be quite charming and fairly cheap for our time there, but I know as a general rule this is an expensive city. I’ll share how we kept costs down and enjoyed the sites. The city is also home to Hans Christian Andersen and the original Little Mermaid story, so that holds an importance in the city. I’d say this city is certainly worth visiting if you can do it on a cruise which keeps it affordable.

You do not need to use the Cruise shuttle or Hop on Hop Off bus here at the Copenhagen port. Sure you can for some hefty fees BUT it was super easy and cheap to use the public transport! We did this port on a Sunday and the buses run everyday. It’s about a 20 min bus ride to the City Hall area and it’s €4/adult & €2/kids, so we paid €12 each way. With the ticket you can use it for 2 hours and up to 10 bus rides. On Sundays the bus stops at the Oftsten station and then you get on the bus to the city center as it this is the pick up/drop off for the city buses to the terminal ports on the weekend. Also note this bus stop is about a 3 min walk from the Little Mermaid statue. We finished our day there and then hopped back on the bus to the terminal. You CAN buy your tickets on board, or you can get them at a ticket stand (there is one right by the cruise port for your ticket to the city) it’s the same price wherever you buy them. So round trip we paid €24 to get to the cruise port and back, the bus system was super easy to use! The shuttle prices were high like €30/adult & €15/child so that would’ve cost us €90 and we would’ve been herded around like cattle, not how I prefer to travel 😉 The bus terminal is about a 8-10 min walk from where MSC docked.

I HIGHLY recommend getting the Rick Steve’s (RS) Northern Cruise port book for this cruise! It has all the info you need for how to catch the buses, where to eat cheap, walking routes, etc. You can make the DIY travel guides for each port to make them easy to carry as well.

We got off at the city hall stop and then crossed the street to start the RS self guided walking tour which starts in the walkplatz with the Hans Christian Andersen statue. You can see the golden weather girls across the way.

We stopped in the Circle K (just a store not a gas station) and they had some great looking sandwiches and snacks. There is also a bakery with yummy treats on the walk. We also found a hot dog vendor & churro vendor and ate cheaply.

You can climb up on this dapper fellow’s knee to have a photo pop with Hans himself.

The city was nice and not overwhelming, the weather was perfect with a slight breeze to keep us cool when walking. There are also free WC’s throughout the city, if you have the RS book he tells you where they are, we also found some just past the fountain area walking towards the Little Mermaid statue.

You see some interesting architecture here too like this spiral toward made of dragons.

And these golden domes, there was lots of neat things to see!

This church is worth a visit (near the palace) as it caught on fire and was burnt down and had to be rebuilt, there are photos of the building after the fire inside.

The harbor area was super cute and had an amazing ice cream place, it was delicious! Make sure you stop in there, the servings are large as well!

We were going to take a boat ride out to the Little Mermaid statue but the one we were at did not let you off at the statue so we instead decided to walk the 20 mins to the statue. We stopped at a cute grocery store and got some snacks to eat while we walked.

We seen a neat looking church and there is a great fountain area on the way as well, so the walk was worth it.

There were quite a few people at the Little Mermaid statue but it wasn’t hard to make your way to the front to get photos. We did see that from the boat tours you only got to the the statue from the back, that would’ve been disappointing so we’re glad we didn’t do the boat ride.

A 3 min walk led us back down the street to Oftsten where we rode the bus easily back to the cruise port.

Overall we really liked visiting Copenhangen for the day, if you eat cheaply by eating at the hot dog vendors, or stores (grocery, Circle K, etc) and bakeries it’ll keep your costs down. Our only expenses for the day were our bus tickets, food (hot dogs, grocery snacks, and ice cream) we didn’t do any sights that required admission fees so that helped keep costs down as well. We spent maybe €50-60 for the day including the bus costs.

Remouchamps Caves – Remouchamps, Belgium

By: Mrs Bcomment

Remouchamps Caves - Belgium

Recmouchamps Caves (Les Grottes de Remouchamps) in Remouchamps, Belgium is a fun day trip to explore this large underground cavern. You’ll hike through the caves, climb up & down stairs, and take a boat ride in the rainwater river. Great family fun experience. Only 1 hour 15 mins from Spangdahlem & just over 2 hours from Ramstein.

The entrance for the caves is just off the main street and there is no designated parking area, so that makes it a bit tricky. After a bit of driving around we were able to finally find a parking spot. (more info below in the the Know Before You Go section).

The tour is 1.5 hours long and is €14 per person ages 12 and up, also the guides ask for tips at the end so have some coins on hand if you’d like to tip. The restrooms are to the left of the gift shop by the ticket window area, none on the tour so use before it starts. You’ll need some coins to use them as well.

The tour is also done in multiple languages, we were the only English speakers (9 of us) so we got VIP treatment and were brought to the front of the group with the guide. The information was great and the guide was very knowledgeable.

The website says to dress warmly but it was not chilly on the tour, we had light jackets but didn’t have to have them. Also make sure you dress in clothing that you don’t care if it gets a bit muddy, the paths are wet and we found that the back of our pants were all mud splashed when we got out and shoes were muddy as well. Also backpacks, shirts, & jackets had mud drips on them from the ceiling. Some of the paths were a bit slippery so wear good walking shoes for this tour.

You can see the ceiling dripping and the wet paths in this photo.

While there were signs saying No Photos, we asked our guide and he said that we were able to take photos, just none with flash when they are guiding the boat as it blinds them. They are already dealing with narrow passages ways so no need to make it any harder.

Note some of the clearings are low so you may have to duck your head a few times as you ride through.

You walk the first part of the tour into the cave and then they boat you back to the entrance area.

We had a good time exploring the cave and listening to the tour, it does take a bit longer since they do it in several languages but that just gives you time to take photos while the other language is being explained.

Several sets of stairs are on the tour.

Note if you want to eat in the area there are not a whole lot of options, the place to the right of the caves was reservations only, we ended up at the restaurant to the left of caves and the menus were in French only and we had some difficulties communicating with the waiter, he acted like he understood but then he brought us 7 condiment cups of mustard which cost €4, so keep that in mind. Also the burgers were a bit weird, they had been deep fried and not grilled.

Know Before You Go

What: Remouchamps Caves – Remouchamps, Belgium

How To Get There: It’s about 1 hour 15 mins from Spangdahlem, and just over 2 hours from Ramstein. GPS addy: Rue de Louveigné 3, 4920 Remouchamps, Belgium

Parking: Is a bit challenging, there is no designated parking area, it’s a fend for self kinda thing. We first tried down the street to the right but a lot of that is reserved for the stores & restaurants along the street. Then we looped back and made the left at the light, there you can find 4 parking spots where you can park for free, luckily 2 were open for the 2 cars we needed to park. It’s about a 1 min walk to the entrance from here.

Cost: €14 per person ages 12 and up, I think it was €10 for ages 3-11 but I didn’t write it down and the website doesn’t have the price info. Also they do ask for tips at the end of the tour as well so have a few coins on hand if you plan to tip.

Traveling with little kids: No strollers allowed, and there are 400 stairs you’ll climb so keep that in mind as well.

How long: Plan on at least 1.5 hours for the guided tour longer if you plan to check out the shop or eat in the area.

MSC Musica Baltic Cruise – June 2016

By: Mrs Bcomment

MSC Musica Baltic Cruise

One of my big bucket list things while here in Germany was to get to some the Baltic cities, we were able to do this on the MSC Musica Baltic Cruise a few weeks ago in June 2016! On the 7 night cruise we were able to hit Denmark, Stockholm, Estonia, & Russia! 4 new countries on one trip and for fairly cheap as well!

For this post I’ll be talking about the cruise in general and just highlight the ports, I’ll do a separate post for each port with more detailed info.

First let me say that we have been on a cruise before, we did a Carnival cruise out of Mobile, AL to Mexico several years ago so I knew I’d have to lower my expectations based on everything I’d read and those I’d talked to before the cruise. My thoughts after the cruise are that it almost meet my minimum expectations and served it’s purpose to get us to the Baltic area for cheap but I would’t cruise MSC again.

MSC Musica Baltic Cruise

There were several reasons why we choose MSC Musica for the Baltic cruise instead of going with a higher end cruise line. First was the price. For the 4 of us (2 adults & 2 teens that we only paid tax on) was €2200/$2463. When I looked at the higher end lines it was going to be at least $1500 per person, so around $6000, just for the cruise. We saved a ton of money using MSC but it’s kinda like RyanAir…you get what you pay for kinda thing also. They did charge an additional €9 per day per person for gratuities which added to the total cost but it was still cheaper.

I priced several military cruise sites, both the Spang ITT & Ram ITT, but the best price I found was at the local travel office in Speicher. So  make sure to check all options when booking. Also we booked in Feb for the cruise in Jun and we booked the last 2 cabins so plan early for a Baltic cruise!

We also chose it because the dates were a good fit for us AND the port was in Kiel, Germany so we were able to easily drive the 6.5 hours to port instead of paying for a flight to Copenhagen, Denmark and then get on which would’ve been the case for the other cruise lines. This was an additional savings as well because we didn’t need airline tickets or a hotel stay. We drove down the day of the cruise and when we returned we drove back that day as well.

MSC Musica Baltic Cruise

Our TOTAL trip cost was $4700 which included our gas to drive to the port & back, our excursions (self done), drinks/food on cruise, & souvenirs. This is way less than it would’ve cost to try to get to these expensive countries individually and we were able to hit 4 in one trip!

The ship itinerary was board in Kiel, Germany on Saturday – we found this to be a bit complicated as the parking address was a hot mess to find with the GPS and we had a horrible situation with the parking when we returned, we actually got half of it refunded. I’d suggest using the valet parking, which is a bit more but it’s closer to the port and hopefully you’ll avoid issues like we had. We had to book our parking thought the cruise line as no other parking was available due to a festival that weekend. The cruise line was not helpful with the refund but the actual parking service was. I’d recommend paying a bit more and using the closer valet parking to avoid that hot mess.

We saved a ton of money by planning our own shore excursions and using public transport for every port besides St. Petersburg where a tour with a Visa is required to enter the country. I’ll share more about each of these ports in separate posts but do a short run down here.

Copenhagen, Denmark – We visited here on a Sunday, this is a cute little city and home of Hans Christian Andersen and the original Little Mermaid story. We used the Rick Steve’s self guided walking tour to see the city area and the highlights and then walk out to the Little Mermaid Statue area. We ate cheaply by eating from food vendors and grabbing snacks in a local grocery store. There were free bathrooms throughout the city as well. We spent maybe €45 the whole day including taking the bus into the city and back out to the terminal. At this terminal I recommend using the public bus system to get to the city area, MUCH cheaper than the cruise shuttles, and HOHO buses, and SO easy to use! I’ll have more info about this in the Copenhagen post.

Stockholm, Sweden – We visited here on a Tuesday, this city was our least favorite of the ports. We made the most of it and visited the Icebar which is family friendly and the Vasa museum. Again here I recommend using the public bus system to get into the city instead of the cruise shuttle or HOHO. We spent around €115 including the entrance to the Icebar & the Vasa museum plus food from vendors.

Tallinn, Estonia – We visited here on a Wednesday, this was our favorite port of the trip! This city is so charming and is so easy to get around and explore! No need for the cruise shuttle here as it’s an easy 15 min walk into the city. We used the Rick Steve’s self guided tour to navigate and explore this fascinating city. We also stopped at the marzipan store and let the kids make sculptures out of marzipan. Lunch here was expensive since we choose to eat in the main square instead of venturing further out to the side streets due to connivence of when everyone was hungry. If you want to save $ here stay away from the tourist areas. We spent around €90 here for the day including our lunch & stop at the grocery store.

St. Petersburg, Russia – we visited here on a Thursday, this was the main reason we wanted to do the cruise to be able to see Russia. We booked a private tour of 8 people (our family & friend’s family) through TJ Tours for an amazing price, plus we got to customize the tour! It was a great experience and we go to see the important sites as well as get to Starbucks to get our mugs. Here you must have tour with a blanket Visa to enter the country, plan ahead for this port!

Days at Sea – we had 2 during our 7 day cruise. The first one was the best as it was warm and you could use the pools and sit outside, which is helpful as the entertainment and things to do on the ship during the days at sea is very limited on MSC. On the 2nd day at sea the weather was too cold to sit outside and too cold to enjoy the pool. Thankfully we did take cards with us so we were able to play some cards for a bit.

Rooms were tiny and a bit cramped for a family of 4 that has 2 adults & 2 teens. It had the full bed then a twin bed folded down from the wall on each side over the full bed, with just a strip in the middle where you could sit up and not smack your head.

Main Dining room food was underwhelming and the choices were not impressive, our 15 year was disappointed because he remembered the food on the other cruise and this one left him hitting the buffet afterwards. The other thing that I wasn’t a fan of is that there is no free water, etc in the main dining room for dinner. You have to pay for drinks so each night we had to pay for at least 4 drinks for everyone and more if they wanted a 2nd drink, sodas were $3 for a can. I’d recommend getting the drink coupon booklets, you can use those in the dining room as well and it reduces the prices by 50 cents a can but it’s still spendy, which is a good money maker for the cruise lines. This was still WAY cheaper than getting a drink package that all of us would’ve been required to by. The cheapest one would’ve been $250 and that only included unlimited soda, which hubby & I don’t drink that often. We only spent around $150 on drinks on the ship for the whole cruise. There is free water & juice at the buffet around the clock for the water.

The entertainment was average and on sea days it was really quite boring on the ship. The teen program had nothing exciting for my kids, we seen dance parties advertised often, which is not appealing to my kids. Our friends had younger kids (8 & 12) and they liked the younger kid club but they also haven’t been on another cruise before either. The evening shows were boring the first 2 nights, by the 3rd night it got a bit more exciting and had dancing, acrobats, etc. However for the rest of the evening shows the rest of the week they were all pretty much the same with different names & costumes. During the day the entertainment was limited to ‘games’ the staff would play out by the pool which was ok to watch for a little bit but not overly exciting.

Tips for making the most of your cruise:
Bring a shoe organizer to hang on the closet door, we used it to store all kinds of stuff from chargers to clothing, it’s great for the cramped space.

Don’t book excursions through the cruise line! You can save so much money doing it on your own and not be herded around like cattle!

Don’t pay for the cruise line shuttle services at the ports! The public transport is easy to use and much cheaper.

Bring card games, etc for days at sea, this will help give you something to do.

Bring zip lock baggies – we found that if the offered something we liked at the buffet, like the large pretzels, it normally wouldn’t be available again until few days later so we’d bring some back to the room to snack on that evening or the next morning.

Make the DIY travel books instead of carrying around the large book, this was fantastic! I only had to carry one for each port daily.

Purchase drink coupons to save on drinks on board, if you purchase before the cruise you’ll save the 15% they charge on board so try to do that. If not you can still purchase on board. There are several coupon booklets a soda/milkshake/juice one, cocktail drinks, beers, wine, etc. You can buy one booklet and use it for all members of your party as you only hand in 1 ticket at the time of redemption.

MSC Musica Baltic Cruise

While we were a bit under impressed with our MSC Musica Baltic Cruise experience (mostly because we’ve been on a better cruise) our friends who haven’t had previous cruise experience were happy. So if you do plan to use MSC do it BEFORE you cruise on the upper end cruise lines. Overall it did what we wanted…it got us to the Baltic countries for cheap so at the end of the day we are happy that we got to see them before we left Europe, even if it meant using a lower end cruise line to do so 🙂

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