Boston

Conveniently located just 10 minutes from Boston Logan International Airport, Flynn Cruiseport Boston is located less than two miles from Boston's neighborhoods, including historic Back Bay, trendy Newbury Street and Copley Square shopping areas and the city's newest culinary hot spot, the South End -- all within walking distance from each other.

Bus: You can take the Silver Line SL2 bus from Black Falcon Ave. to South Station, follow the signs to transfer to the Red Line direction Alewife, and go 2 stops to Park St. The start of the Freedom Trail and the info booth are right there in Boston Common.

On foot: about 30 minutes via Northern Avenue, partly along a new Harborwalk and over the Northern Avenue pedestrian bridge.

Plenty of taxis available at Boston Cruise Terminal. Often cheaper with 2 persons or more than a cruise ship shuttle.

For GPS users: One Black Falcon Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02210

Even with so much to do and so many doing it, Boston is a relatively easy place to visit. Its historical sites are laid out in simple-to-follow walking tours, and its subway system efficiently whisks passengers around the city. (You won't need a car, which is good: Driving in Boston is hair-raising, even for locals.)

The central city sits on a peninsula, surrounded by the Charles River, Boston Inner Harbor, and Fort Point Channel. Downtown is roughly in the middle of the peninsula and encompasses many of the Freedom Trail's historic sites. Adjoining downtown to the west are Beacon Hill (also rich in history) and the green expanse of Boston Common and the Boston Public Garden. Farther west is Back Bay (a prime shopping, entertainment, and dining district), and then the Fenway area. Northeast of downtown, on the tip of the peninsula, is the North End, the atmospheric Italian neighborhood. South of downtown is Chinatown and the South End. Across the Charles…

Also across the river is Cambridge, another popular area for visitors and home to Harvard and MIT. Boston and Cambridge.

Sights-The Freedom Trail, which passes 16 of the most famous sites from early U.S. history; Boston Public Garden and the swan boats; Newbury Street for its boutiques and art galleries; the Italian North End for old-world ambiance; Beacon Hill for its gas lamps and Yankee Federal architecture, Louisburg Square mansions and the gold-domed New State House; the South End, with its Victorian row houses; Fenway Park.

Museums-The Museum of Fine Arts for impressionists and antiquities; the charmingIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum with its stunning three-story garden atrium and important works of art; the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum; the Institute of Contemporary Art; the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Boston Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour

Public transit in Boston is convenient and relatively inexpensive, and can take you directly to most points of interest. A single public transit agency serves the Boston Metro area, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ("MBTA", or "the T" for short). The MBTA is the fourth-largest transit system in the U.S. For complete schedules, maps, and other information, see their official website

Today, "festival markets" are a dime a dozen - every city, it seems, has a collection of old brick buildings turned into chic little stores and endless restaurants.

But the one that blazed the path was Boston's Quincy Market. Back in the mid-1960s, James Rouse, then a city planner had a revolutionary idea: Instead of abandoning downtown to decay, why not build a fun marketplace that would not only attract tourists, but keep workers downtown after dark.

Today, Quincy Market is the most visited tourist destination in Boston. It's changed over the years - it's a bit less Boston, a bit more Any-mall, U.S.A. (Abercrombie & Fitch has its own building). But don't worry - it's still very much the vibrant place. There are street performers and zillions of people. The food court is probably the best food court anywhere - lots of original local eateries and stalls. And you'll still find more lobster items (from candy lobsters to lobster T-shirts to stuffed toy lobsters) than anywhere else in the world.

The official U.S. currency is the United States dollar (symbol: $). ATM's everywhere.

Major credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are widely used and accepted, even for transactions worth only a few dollars. In fact, in some cases, it may be the only way to make a transaction. Note to overseas visitors: Prices of goods and services always seem lower than they really are, as taxes and gratuities are seldom included.

Most states have a sales tax, ranging from 2.9% to nearly 10% of the retail price; 4-6% is typical. Sales tax is almost never included in posted prices (except for gasoline, and in most states, alcoholic beverages consumed on-premises), but instead will be calculated and added to the total when you pay.

Tipping in America is widely used and expected. While Americans themselves often debate correct levels and exactly who deserves to be tipped, generally accepted standard rates are:

• Full-service restaurants: 15-20% (Often this is the only income of the wait(ress). Tips are either left in cash or you can add it to the credit card slip) Note: Few restaurants add an automatic service charge, in which case it is up to you how much you tip extra. Check your bill!
• Taxi drivers, hairdressers, other personal services: 10-15%
• Bartenders: $1 per drink if inexpensive or 15% of total
• Bellhops: $1-2 per bag ($3-5 minimum regardless)
• Hotel doorman: $1 per bag (if they assist), $1 for calling a cab
• Tour guides: Depending on tour length, size, and overall quality of guided tours; for half day tours or less $5-10 per person, for longer tours $10-20 per person.
• Private car & limousine drivers: 15-20%
• Housekeeping in hotels: $1-2 per day for long stays or $5 minimum for very short stays (optional)
• Food delivery (pizza, etc.): $2-5, possibly more for very large orders

The U.S. has no official language at the federal level, but English is by far the standard for everyday use. Several states have declared their official state language as English. Spanish is also official in the state of New Mexico, where it is widely spoken; French is official in Louisiana and the Hawaiian language is official in Hawaii, but neither approaches the use of English and are official for primarily historical reasons.

Emergency 911

In major metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles, many drugstores and supermarkets are routinely open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, while department stores, shopping centers and most other large retailers are typically open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and often with shorter hours on Sundays - generally 11 a.m. or noon to 5 or 6 p.m. On holidays, the tendency is to remain open (with the exception of the most important holidays like Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day where stores are generally closed)