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Looks like you will be fine for next Wednesday the 1st May, they have to give two weeks notice of strikes so it won't change now. https://www.timeout.com/uk/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-rail-strikes-092022

All National Express coaches have toilets so you can get up to use those and take the opportunity to stretch your legs and there is no limit to visits 😉 Otherwise, as you are in a motor vehicle you should be seated with a seatbelt on (legal requirement now). Longer journeys have comfort breaks, I doubt a 4 hour journey will include a stop though, your schedule will show if there is a stop.

What a shame, I did not get it on either of my cards this time I have only just seen this but don't think I missed it as I check every day for new offers, it's rare I miss a day.

I'm afraid I don't have a link to this, this is from personal experience, various websites and others experience such as @lebreos as posted above. Real life experience always works out this way.

When you visit an EU country on a cruise you are classed as transiting during your stop in port, no days are therefore counted against your 90 day allowance. Even if you join the ship in an EU country you should be signed out as you board the ship, so only the days from arriving in the EU and boarding the ship are counted against your 90 day allowance.

All good thanks, funny enough we just got back from a cruise yesterday, you reminded me to update my signature. We have done two short weekend cruises with MSC since we met in January 😂 They were both on the same ship and both to Hamburg, it's great for a weekends entertainment, we are 20min from the port and flew straight home ready for work on Monday. The next big one is NCL Jewel LA to Tampa, Panama Canal in November. Pass on my best wishes to Pat for a quick recovery.

You say that and it's what I expect but not my experience. I booked on a double points promotion, then did a paid (not bid) upgrade when there was a treble point promo on, I hoped to get the treble points but would have been happy with the original double points. When I got back home from my cruise, I was awarded 1 point per night. I spoke to my PCC who spoke to Florida and the message came back that it was the upgrade that caused it and no further explanation. To this date it irritates me and I still don't know why. My PCC claims he tried and tried to get the points but was told there was nothing that could be done. I actually suspect he did not apply the promo to my booking when he upgraded me because he has always been evasive about the reasons for the lack of points. Either way, it shows you have to be on the ball, then check and check again when doing these things

Fantastic, it's a great museum, gardens and house, something for everyone. I am probably telling you something you already know but Uber is a bit difficult in the UK. They are licenced by the different cities and can't operate where they are not licenced. They can operate in Southampton so a trip to or from that city is no problem, however you can't use them to travel in unlicensed areas. As an example, living in Ringwood, I can ask for a pick up to go the Southampton even though Uber have no licence to operate in my town, but I can't order and Uber from Ringwood to Bournemouth as neither of those places licence them. Licenced areas in the south and South West are: South East: Southampton Brighton Portsmouth South West: Bristol Bath https://www.uber.com/en-GB/blog/changes-to-where-drivers-can-receive-trips/

Nothing bad that I'm aware of, taxis are unfortunatly expensive in the UK, day rates can work out well though. To be honest, although expensive there is no better way to get around, if you hired a car you would be planning your own routes and possibly miss so much. I don't know if you like cars but Beaulieu National Motor Museum is fantastic, I love it as I love my classics, I have a 1958 Austin Healey Sprite and a 1957 Triumph Thunderbird. https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/attractions/national-motor-museum/

I will, I have not been the the Alice Lisle in a while, I also like the close by Royal Oak at North Gorley, we often drop in there for a pint while on a bike (electic, I'm a cheat 😂) ride on the forest. The Red Shoot is also OK at Linwood, It's a Wadworth pub but it's nice and has a Micro Brewery. On the subject of Brewery's, Ringwood Brewery has closed down now, very sadly for us, it was always going to be a disaster after Marston's took it over and were subsequently bought by Carlsberg to become Carlsberg-Marston's. It was always a decent brewery tour there for tourists and locals alike, they even let people behind the bar hand pulling their own pint's. Ringwood beers will now be made near Birmingham 😢

Which line? Online check-in for NCL opens midnight Florida time, regardless where you embark.

JB, I agree, a walk at the Ornamental Drive and maybe see the near-by Knightwood Oak (oldest tree in the forest dating from 1600), Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary is close as well (but be aware you may not see deer) is another nice walk. I always recommend Fritham, close to your Linwood selection, but it's lovely by the lake and I always take people there for practically guaranteed horses. I think Burley is a do-not-miss, the old cottages (some dating back to 18th century) and again in the village centre and near the cricket pitch almost guaranteed horses and donkeys. There are lots of lovely old pubs in the New Forest for lunch and I really would recommend that option to step back in time. I can give that some thought, but the Royal Oak at Fritham is an nice old thatched pub which you might be near at lunch time. I only warn about the taxi drivers as some of the Southampton ones have little knowledge of the New Forest, in terms of a days sight seeing. Don't get me wrong, they know how to drive people from A-B and avoid traffic but if you ask some of them to take you on a sight seeing tour they might get a bit lost for ideas, hence the possible advance planning recommendation. I think you have that here in spades.

For Gatwick I would take the train but just be aware there are still occasional strike days to contend with, they are announced well in advance though so check online. It sounds like you are not in a hurry, so unless there is a need to get off the ship first, book a later morning train and maybe even have some lunch is Southampton. You can call an Uber with the app if you want, but the journey to the train station is very short and the saving will be tiny over a regular taxi. There will be lots of taxis outside the ship so I would personally not bother with Uber unless it's a currency thing, I guess if you won't have UK£ an Uber might make it simpler. It is walkable to the station and I have done it many times but with cases and two young children I would just take a cab, it is not expensive and for 4 people it's well worth it. Personally I would go straight to the hotel and leave the bags in storage, or if you have taken a more relaxed exit from the ship just check-in and freshen up. I guess it all depends on how much time you have after the cruise and how much you want to pack in, if I have the time, I tend to go for the relaxed option rather than rushing from place to place. EDIT PS, I recommend booking train tickets in advance on Trainline. https://www.thetrainline.com/

You will get an exit stamp as you get on the ship. All the stops in the EU will be counted as transit stops and don't count towards her 90 days, so as far as time in the EU that adds to her allowance goes, it will be just the time period from landing in Portugal and getting on the cruise ship.

All the big chains operate out of Dover and all the big companies should allow a drop off to a different location. It's always going to be more expensive to drop off at a different location but you really don't have a choice, if you took a bus or train to Gatwick and hired from there it would probably cost more in the fares. I'm not sure where Canterbury comes into the equation but I can't think of a reason it would be an advantage to hire from there as you are still returning to a different location. If you have a favourite car hire company where you have status, try them or, my advice, is to use Kayak to do a comparison. https://www.kayak.co.uk/cars