little britain

Dozens of cabs at the port. No need to waste time looking for your pre booked driver amongst the throng. Get in cab and go. 

I caught an Uber from port gates. Not sure if they will pick up in port ( they certainly drop off in port) 

Uber in Athens are regular yellow taxis 🚕. It’s less than €20 into the city centre. 

On 5/21/2024 at 11:28 AM, CrosNest said:

Apologies for jumping onto this thread. Our cruise next year disembarks in Singapore and unfortunately due to time constraints we will have to fly out the same day.  Flight isn’t until 11.00 pm so we will have a few hours to have a look around, so would welcome any suggestions for a whistle stop tour, plus, what can we do with our bags before going to the airport?  Thanks in advance for any help.

Singapore is hot and sweaty.🥵 I wouldn’t want to get on a long flight after walking around all day. Can you find a cheapish hotel where you can freshen up before the flight? 
Drop luggage at hotel in the morning; sightsee; go back to hotel around 3p at checkin time. Use the pool, eat early dinner, shower and leave for airport around 8p. 
Just a suggestion 

My Australian application was for an Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) 

Travelled there in January this year. 
 

UK 🇬🇧 passport 

1 hour ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

We were probably on the same cruise and yes it was a bit of a nightmare.

 

Having said that we were on IOTS from Southampton a few years ago on a short weekend sailing when they were selling the drinks packages and had a similar experience.

 

I’m pretty sure they stopped selling the drinks packages on short Southampton sailings after that.

Notable: It’s only on the Southampton short sailings where they don’t sell the drinks packages… on an ex-USA short sailing they do!!  Us Brits and our booze eh 🤷‍♀️!!

Even the short Anthem sailings now without drinks packages are still carnage.  If that was your first RCI experience you would say never again. 
 

I would never use a short sailing as a good trial of what a product is like @Blue Eyed Belfast Belle; MSC is an excellent product with beautiful ships. I certainly wouldn’t dismiss them 

13 minutes ago, scottie99 said:

Alas, it’s now sitting in our stateroom whilst we head home!

What a waste! I’m sure you could have asked on your RC group if someone wanted it? 

On 5/23/2024 at 4:34 PM, monkey@cruise said:

If google for laundromat don't go to Kotobukicho area (behind Yokohama Stadium), you do find corner laundry but also soup kitchen, homeless and welfare shelters. It's like US San Francisco, very polarized between high-end resident areas and slum areas.

I’ve found Sunny Service Wash which is just beyond Chinatown, apparently a 20 min walk from Osanbashi. At least the name is in English which is encouraging !
What could possibly go wrong lol! 
 

Thank you for the translation. 
 

On 5/23/2024 at 1:53 AM, Hlitner said:

Hmmm, So you are paying how much a day to be in Japan?  And you want to spend some of that time sitting around a laundromat?  ROFL.  My advice is to send out your laundry on your cruise ship and enjoy your holiday.

 

Hank

It’s a turnaround day. 
As we are spending 12 n on a ship around Japan and then another 8 days on land. I can afford to spend a few minutes in a laundromat.  

51 minutes ago, Viajera7 said:

I will have this problem too. I will receive my first block on the June 2nd Anthem cruise from London. After that cruise I have the Voyager’s cruise from Greece on June 17th before I return to the States. My big suitcase will be full with clothes for almost a month. My carry on bag will have the essentials so if it’s too heavy, should I mail it from London or Athens? Will it survive? 😊

Post it from UK back to your house? I wouldn’t risk it catching up with you in Athens 

9 hours ago, Jumping Cruiser said:

Liberty OTS.

Seriously?! So they take away a ship launched in 2008 and now give the Brits a ship launched in 2007!!! 
Jeez they really treasure that UK market don’t they ?! 🤦‍♀️

Brilliance dry dock April/May 2015. First sailing after DD 5/15/25

16 minutes ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

My Time on Oasis is a mess - you are in for a LONG wait if you do not book in advance!

Have just come over on the transatlantic and had no issues with MTD at all. Walked up to the desk and were seated within a minute every time we went. 
Only on the first night did I see a queue. 

9 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

OH NO !  Sorry to hear this.  Scoundrels....

It took the police 20 minutes to arrive in an international airport 🤷‍♀️

45 minutes ago, firstimer2009 said:

I’m sorry but what happened at the airport?  We fly into Barcelona for a cruise later this year.  We were going to have two checked bags and two carryon wheelie bags.  I didn’t want more than 4 bags for 4 hands.  

My handbag (purse) was stolen after we had checked in our cases. We were still land side. - an Algerian youth distracted us whilst his accomplice stole my brand new bag containing both passports, credit cards, cash, spectacles, etc.  So hang on to your possessions- although my friend had her new iPhone stolen in the airport terminal too on another occasion 

We are b2b in Yokohama so an ideal time to get the laundry done! Assuming B2B formalities are quick (🤷‍♀️) has anyone used a coin operated laundry in Yokohama they can recommend? 

6 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

I think it is different. Abusing individual passengers as part of his show might be comedy to you but I think it is sad. 

It depends if you have a Formica countertop or not 🤷‍♀️

47 minutes ago, Fionat29 said:

Hi all. This is only our second real cruise and we are going on the Fjords cruise in June leaving from Southampton. 

Can anyone give me a rough idea what time the embarkation would begin? I need to book parking and don't know if we need to book a hotel for the night before, or whether we would have time to drive from home on the day?

Thanks in advance Fiona

When your online check in opens 45 days out you pick your Arrival Appointment time.  Earliest is around 10.30/11 for those who want to rush on.  Last is about 90 mins before sailing time. 
 

New AB parking 🅿️ discount code 
PARK2024 brings price down to £112.50

If cruise is in June hasn’t check in already opened?? 

4 hours ago, Luckynana said:

 

How are you doing after your debacle at the Barcelona Airport?

Thanks for asking.  It still weighs on my mind a lot for my stupidity. We submitted the insurance claim of over £2200 for that one second of taking my eye off the bag 🤦‍♀️

13 hours ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

Where does the shuttle pickup passengers for the cruise terminal on embarkation day? I’m on Odyssey out of Civitivecchia and want to know where to walk to that morning. Largo Della Pace or by Fort Michelangelo?  

Largo della Pace 

Need pics of the Sandro handbag please??!

Glad to see you’re keeping hydrated with Aperol Spritzes!! 😋 

Sadly, it is being reported that Captain James has passed. 
Smooth seas Captain; RIP

On 5/15/2024 at 10:16 AM, Brandis said:

As we live outside the US, they don't mail the crystal. We asked for it onboard and they gave it to us. We're at 205 points now, so will pass 210 during our next cruise. Will we be able to ask for on day 5 or 6 of that cruise or will we have to wait for another cruise?

The block will be left on your bed during the cruise. 
If concerned it’s worth swinging past the LA early in the cruise to check you are on the list to receive it. 
 

I’ve matched to DBE but I don’t seem to have a membership number??

It also says my DBE match is good for 2024. Does that mean if I book another VV cruise in 2025 I won’t get DBE?? 

So they haven’t replaced the blue saggy sofas in the cabins. Wonder if the threadbare furniture in Colony Club has been updated. 
 

Thanks for the very clear pic of the d7 extended balconies… have one of those next year 👍

9 hours ago, Rotnam said:

I will ask here since support refused to do it. We booked our first RC cruise (Transatlantic) last month on the Oasis. I took 2 rooms, I setup me and my kid in one and my wife/kid in the other. I booked both, paid for both. I got the points for my room, the other points went on my wife account. Which is a waste. Emailed RC, they just reply we are out of luck cannot combine points ?. Seem stupid to me, it's not like we going to do separate cruise in future. Did anyone got in a similar situation and got it fixed ? Or we are just out of 14 points ?

 

Thanks !

 

Carl

You have 14 points.

Your wife has 14 points.

Child 1 has 14 points.

Child 2 has 14 points. 
 

No one is “out” any points.