ROWSE

On 7/20/2022 at 8:43 AM, phabric said:

Were you giving a choice of times to  choose from?

Regarding the Scavi tour, I believe we gave them dates we possibly could and they sent times with tour space..  It has been a long time ago,  but we did book way ahead and then booked our Vatican entry time to work with that.   

17 hours ago, cruisegal415 said:

Looking forward to taking the Beefeater tour.  Do they accept/expect tips? How much?

It was a huge group around and following along with our beefeater.  So really didn’t feel like it was a tipping situation, but always up to the person.
That may be a question to ask on the port of call board.   
It was a great experience!

On 7/18/2022 at 2:08 PM, NIkkiGR said:

Beautiful pictures. We will be touring the Vatican prior to our 21 day cruise on the Regal staring from Rome on September 10th. Our ticket does not include the Basilica. Did you stand in line for a long time to get into the Basilica? 

I am sorry for hijacking thread for a minute.  AND if someone already wrote about this tour I am sorry too as I have not read through everything yet.  

We were able to do a tour called the Scavi tour but booked so far out as they only take a few people an hour.  It is an underground tour of the Vatican where we saw an area containing. St. Peter’s bones and so much more.  This was the highlight of our Vatican Day.  Planned it for first tour.  You write them on the “contact” heading with possible days.  Only 13 euro each.  THEN, the best part is that you can go immediately into the Basilica from end of tour.  No waiting in that line.  It may be already full or not work with your time, or you could be claustrophobic.  It was amazing.  The line for the Basilica was huge when we finished and came out.  Here is a link:  http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en/biglietto-di-ingresso.html

 

 

1 hour ago, bktraveler said:

We are also cruising on the Emerald Princess in August.  We have our first ever balcony.  We have been on many cruises but this is our first Princess cruise.  Can you point me to the information about using the Abbott home binax test.  We will be in London for 3 days prior to the cruise so cannot do the test at home.  

I love your very comprehensive review.  

We loved our cruise and glad you enjoyed our adventures!

I bought our tests in a pack of 6 from this site:  https://store.emed.com/s/category/covid19-athome-test-with-verified-lab-report-emed/0ZG8c000000LZXk?c__results_layout_state={}    

 Just be prepared for the massive shipping and handling on this product. They do come within a couple days!  Note:  I was able to turn this in to my medical insurance and got a bit of the price back.  

 

Hopefully your lodging will have good internet and then you just follow the directions. We signed up for the Navica Ap before we left the United States.  It was so convenient and worked perfectly in London.  We went online by typing the emed site (https://www.emed.com/)   and hitting "start test" as you are suppose to be able to scan your box and pull it all up but that did not work for us.  

 

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

7 hours ago, amajaa said:

I don’t know if you can get this series anywhere in the States but we have been watching a Series called Inside the Tower of London which follows the Beefeaters working in the Tower and the Curators etc. You get to know about them and where they live and all sorts. There have been 4 seasons so far since 2018 and it’s really interesting. https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/inside-the-tower-of-london/#gs.4ppakm

There have been many other programs over the years called Inside the Tower of London so careful you don’t pick up the wrong one

 

Thank you for the link!  The Beefeater tour was just fantastic on our visit! 

14 hours ago, Tiki_Koro said:

 I am writing this live trip report mainly for two reasons. First, on our last trip, I posted so many photos during our trip on my social media accounts, and my friends and family really enjoyed following along. By doing this report, they can follow along and get more details and stories from our trip in addition to photos and video. Second, I gained so much useful information from other trip reports on Cruise Critic, and I hope my report may be helpful to others in their planning (hat tip to @ROWSE on her wonderful report from her May 9-26 review ).

Happy 40th Birthday!

I blush at your lovely compliment!  Thank you!!!!!  I am so happy to be reading about your trip!  You have so much fun planned, and I am excited to hear about it all! 

 

Happy and safe travels to you all!!!!

3 hours ago, durangokid said:

Adding our thanks for your wonderful, fact filled review.  Have made notes of which tours you did and are looking forward to booking some for our September 5, 2023 cruise.  Enjoyed reading this very much!!

 

Mary and Art

Thank you for reading and for letting me know it was helpful for your 2023 cruise!  Happy Sailing!

16 hours ago, styme123 said:

You gave such a great review that I just booked tickets for the same tour as you did post-cruise with International Friends, Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the Thames river cruise! We have unfortunately only had one free day in London before flying back home or else we would have copied you some more lol. You should be getting a kick back commission from all the companies that are getting bookings because of your great review🤣 

Oh my goodness!  That is such a compliment, thank you!  Hope you have as wonderful a time as we did!

On 6/17/2022 at 5:18 AM, Diver2014 said:

I have quite a few of your exact same photos from our Princess cruise in 2019, especially in Southampton.  We arrived 3 days before our cruise so we could explore.  It was such a wonderful trip that we're planning on doing the same cruise again in a few years.

Thank you for reading along!  More time in Southampton would have been nice.  Always so many things to see and so little time.  

On 6/17/2022 at 3:01 AM, cnd crsr said:

What a great review of your trip. Thanks for taking us along. Your photos and writing have brought back wonderful memories of  the BI cruises we have taken and also given me ideas for next time.

Again thanks for a wonderful read.

Thank you for the compliment and coming along for the ride.  Hope your next time is very soon!

On 6/17/2022 at 1:29 AM, dog said:

Excellent photos & review. Thanks again. Safe travels home.

Thank you for reading along!  We did have safe travels home!  Lucky as there were many many flights cancelled that day!

On 6/16/2022 at 8:07 PM, loveapug said:

I add my thanks to the others. Really enjoyed living this trip through your eyes. We leave in about a month for a similar trip and this helps get us ready for the adventure!

Thank you for chiming in and I am a little slow to Thank you!  Have a fantastic cruise!  

On 6/17/2022 at 9:05 AM, Tinktank said:

Many, many thanks for your fabulous review and photos. Definitely one of the best I've ever read.

We are on the Aug 25th sailing and now are more excited than ever to experience the British Isles.

Thank you!!

I got a little behind in thanking those who are reading along but THANK YOU!!!  Hope your have a fantastic adventure on your August cruise!

5 hours ago, WhiteRockMike said:

Wow, this is just a fantastic review, thank you!!  it is very timely and useful to us as we are doing the same cruise on August 25th, and will do many of the same things that you have done. Your excellent review is a great guide for us, Thank you!!

Thank you so much for the compliment, and to know I may be helpful to someone going soon is just heart warming!  Have a fantastic cruise!  

21 hours ago, TM said:

I have really enjoyed reading your review and following along on your trip.  We did British Isles back in August of 2019, on the Crown Princess and we haven’t been back on a ship as of yet. The Med cruise we had booked for the following fall on the new Enchanted was cancelled due to Covid.  
 

Our trip started with 5 days pre cruise in London followed by a Norwegian Fjords cruise and then British Isles.  We ended our trip with 8 days in France.  You brought back so many wonderful memories and seeing your pictures just added so much more to the review and it was fun saying we were there, we did that!   Thank for taking the time to share your trip with us.

 

Tom and Christine

Thank you for reading along!  I hope you get to go back to cruising soon!  Norwegian Fjords will be a someday for us!!!  

4 hours ago, cruisegal415 said:

Where/how did you get a Beefeater tour? That sounds fantastic!

 

This tour was for anyone and given at the front entrance just after you come in at various times.   Just ask someone when the next tour will be when you are ready.  Don't think they really care how many just show up at one of the times.  

 

4 hours ago, cruisegal415 said:

Great info! I think we will just take a taxi, to save our steps.  After the Guinness Storehouse we are doing a Sights and Pints tour which is a walking tour of Dublin.  We are also on the August 25th cruise, some of our other Roll Call pax are also following your wonderful review! I also wonder what camera did you use to get these great pics? Or did you just use your iPhone?

 

Just used my iPhone and thank you for thinking they are pretty good.  There are some amazing photographers on here @Bimmer09is one of them.  

 

4 hours ago, cruisegal415 said:

How long would you estimate we should allow to visit the Tower, including the tour and seeing the jewels? We unfortunately only have two days in London pre-cruise and I fear that we will not have enough time to do even the minuscule amount of things we want to!

Not sure if you mean the Tower of London or Tower Bridge but Tower of London would be at least 3 to 4 hours I would say.  Tower Bridge could be maybe an hour or two.  You could definitely make it quicker depending on how much information you like to read.  

It is really subjective as you could like to read more or less about things than we did.

 

 

1 hour ago, cruisegal415 said:

Was this the best stop to get off for the Guiness Storehouse? That's our first place we are going in Dublin, planning on taking the train.  Was there more than one line to get on? (train line, I mean, not a queue line)

The train in to Dublin goes to the same stations, I believe, but if we did it again, we would not go to Connolly station to get off, we would get off at Dublin Pearse Station.  It cuts the walk a bit.  It is still about a 38 minute walk to Guinness Storehouse.  Connolly is a massive size station and Dublin Pearse is on the smaller side to navigate also.  

 

If you wanted to see the sites a walk is great but if you want to get there fast, then a taxi would be the thing to do.  Really are not too bad price wise I know it was under 10 pounds.  We did not look for a taxi at the train station, so no idea if they are there or not.  There was one outside the door at Guinness Storehouse.  

 

I remember when buying the ticket the end place was Connolly station so that is the ticket you want to buy but get off at Dublin Pearse which I believe was one stop before Connolly.  

 

 

 

 

5 hours ago, MixerDave said:

You said when you boarded they handed you a letter saying they had several covid cases.  Surely this could not be passengers or they would have been denied boarding.  Was it the crew.  Please help me understand as We are due to board on 7/20.

Staff at check in handed us a letter as we entered the waiting area to board.  It was not specific about who,  just due to there being an uptick in Covid cases they were requiring masks in public inside areas unless eating or drinking, but as I stated earlier in my review, another letter was in the cabin with the wording “recommending” masks.  Very much mixed messaging on Princess part.  
Seems each cruise is handled differently.  There would be no way to know what will happen by July.  


 

 

6 hours ago, kgillespie5 said:

@ROWSE I loved your review!  I was living vicariously through you, reading every post and loving it, not knowing that I would end up booking a transatlantic cruise on the Emerald for November.  I was set to cruise on the Royal in November but this past week decided to do the Transatlantic instead 🙂  I noticed you took a National Express bus from Heathrow to Southampton.  Did you enjoy it and would you recommend it?  I priced it and it's a lot more palatable than the cost of a private transfer.  Is the National Express departure site at Heathrow?  Did you find it relatively easy to find and figure out?

Thank you for the compliment!    The National Express was a lot less expensive and it was very nice bus.  It has a bathroom and the luggage is stored under the bus.  Our bus stopped at Terminal 5 and one other stop then to Southampton.  The stops were very short.  
The departure is adjacent to Heathrow and there is signage directing you how to get there.  Follow the Central Bus Line signs.   I watched You Tubes  by putting in “National Express Heathrow” on You Tube.   There are a few to watch, and they familiarized me with it all.  
 

Once to the area, we asked an agent that was walking around which bus we were looking for on the reader board to be absolutely sure we were doing the right one.   We had pre-bought our tickets and since the reader board lists several named stops it is a little confusing.  The agent was very helpful.
I would do it again if we ever go out of Southampton in the future.  

 

1 hour ago, ciera123 said:

I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your vacation with us! It was such a great review, and I’m sorry it's over. ❤️

It was so fun to relive as I posted.  Thank you so much for the compliment!  

1 hour ago, styme123 said:

What a great review!!! I love all the pictures! It really makes it come to life. Were' booked for mid August on same trip. I wish we could stay longer pre/post cruise but we only have a day or so on each end. So many interesting and wonderful places to see. Thank you for taking the time to post it all for us to enjoy.

Thank you for the compliment and reading along!  Enjoy your August trip!!!  

1 hour ago, muchofamuchness said:

I have really enjoyed following this report - it's been a joy to check back every so often and read the next 'episode'.

 

It's always interesting to see the view that someone coming from another country gets of places you think you know so well. Seems that you really 'did things properly' and I'm glad you had such a nice time.

Thank you for reading along!  

May 28, 2022, saying Good bye to London!  

 

We are sad it is time to go home, and want to use every minute of time so we are up early for our 

last lovely breakfast.  Check out was at 11:00.

 

 

We walk a little more of Hyde Park.  Check out all those Port-a-potties for the upcoming

Queen's Jubilee.  Too bad they were all locked up.

 

 

We go see the Marble Arch which was designed to be both a grandiose gateway to an expanded Buckingham Palace and an exuberant celebration of British victories in the Napoleonic Wars – a Triumphal Arch.  Walked some of the neighborhood.  

 

All too soon it was back to the hotel, grabbed our bags and headed off to Paddington Station to take the 
Heathrow Express.  The Indigo Hotel had been wonderful!!  I had purchased the Express tickets at least 90 days out and only paid 11 pounds total for both of us.  If you purchase at the gate it is 25 pounds each.  

We scanned in and a Station guide pointed us to the right train.  

It was not very crowded.

 

 

Great place for luggage. 

 

Train starts off slowly and DH thinks it got up to 80mph.  Great way to get to the airport.  

 

 

Our flight isn't till 3:10pm.  but there are SO many people at the airport Delta gate that it took us way over an hour to just check our luggage.  Then security was very very long as well.  

 

We finally get up to what seems like this huge shopping area but you have to wait here till these reader boards announce your gate which is just a short time till your boarding time.  We were lucky to have a gate about 10 minutes walk away, some are 20.   Even though we were there so early, we only had a few minutes before the gate was listed.

 

 

Later we realize that so many many flights were cancelled due to the Memorial Day weekend and count our blessings that we got on and home without any glitches at all.  It was a vacation we will remember forever, and I thank those of you that might still be reading along for joining us!  

May you all have Happy Sailings ahead and great vacations!!

May 27, 2022, London last full day continued...

 

After our lovely tea at the Palace it was time to head off to our next site.  Catching the Central Tube Line we were at St. Paul's Cathedral soon after.  WOW!!!  

 

 

 

 

 

This just makes the jaw drop!! 

 

After plying myself with so much tea I again need a rest room.  It is down in the crypt area and we look around a little before going back up.

 

 

 

There was a little chapel down there as well.  

 

 

 

Back upstairs we gaze up at that dome and realize there is actually a 528 step walk up to the top that is included in our ticket.  I am a little apprehensive but hoped for the best. 

 

Starts out with wide stairs.  I see by my eyes that caffeine of all that tea has really kicked in

and actually was a good thing to keep me going strong up all those stairs! 

 

Well now, things are getting more narrow. 

 

 

At one point there was a window in the floor to see down at the top of the dome.  

 

It got to be a circular stairway and some slow going with all the people.  

 

 

We reached the first level but there was more if you wanted to go to the very top view area.  Of course, we made it this far!!   

 

It was called the Golden Gallery up here! 

 

AND then it was out on the walkway.  OH MY!  Amazing, amazing views!  

 

and a bit of wind!  What an absolutely perfect weather day for this! 

 

Our magnificent views of London!

 

 

 

 

 

We come down to the lower viewing area. 

 

and we hear this... 

 

 

What a way to end our climb!  There are no pictures because they are not allowed, but we stayed

for the Evensong service and got to hear an amazing choir!  Wonderful experience to end our last 

full day in London!  

 

May 27, 2022, London last full day!

 

We took our online proctored Covid tests and it went perfectly.  YAY!!!  We were negative!  All our

obsessive mask wearing paid off.  Such a relief!!  Just missed the new ruling that allows us to

fly home without it, hope it stays in place for our October plans.

 

Today our first adventure was to be Kensington Palace.  We walked through Kensington Park and came across the Italian Garden.  What a beautiful spot!!!  

 

 

 

 

Our first site of Kensington Palace across the pond in the park. 

 

 

We walked closer and saw the statue of Queen Victoria out front.

 

 

 

It was still awhile till the Palace opened and I needed to find a bathroom.  After asking where there might be one we walked out to where the nice gentlemen guided me.  No, it was all shut down, and from the looks of the garbage on the stair area, had been for some time.

 There just is not a lot of bathrooms for such a big park!  I was told there was one in the Diana's Memorial Children's Park and we went there.  It was not open yet!!!!  OH MY!!!  It is gated and a person sits in a booth about 15 feet  inside the barred fence.  I am really in need and I can see the bathroom on the other side.  TORTURE I TELL YOU!!!!  

The gal in the booth looks at me, my hands gripped on the bars and looking like a prisoner on the other side trying to get out.  I said PLEASE!  Can I use your toilet with the best sad puppy eyes I can muster.  She says do you have children???  UH, no but I really really need to go!  

She makes a Hmph sound and buzzes me in.  OH!!!  I thank you and my bladder thanks you!!  

The job done and I thank her again and she buzzes me out!  

We contemplate the way this playground is barred with an entrance and decide it must be for safety of the children and only parents with children are allowed in??  If any one knows, please enlighten me.  I will just be glad she took pity on my situation!  

 

We head back to the Palace and get first in line to buy tickets.  A huge amount are lined up in the pre-buy line.  We learn that it fills up and we have to wait another hour for a timed entry.  We passed our time

admiring the Sunken Garden with the statue of Diana with children.  
The pond was being resealed but we enjoyed how beautiful it is.

 

 

 

It was finally time for us to go in.

 

 

When we got in, there were no audio guides left,  and we would have to wait till someone left to 

give up theirs.  This was disappointing but we did not want to wait and just walked through

on our own reading things along the way.

 

This staircase was magnificent!

 

 

Some example of the various clothing of the time.   One wonders how those women got through the doors.  

 

Art work adorned all the walls! 

 

A look out the window to the front where the timed line formed. 

 

The Queen's bedroom 

 

 

 

Some of the beautiful crowns were on display. 

 

 

Queen Victoria doll house!  

 

After our wonderful visit, it was time to try to have the High Tea which I had hoped for 

all my life in England!!!  We had been told earlier at the restaurant at Kensington Palace that

they were sold out for the day.  I urged my husband to walk with me once more to see if they

had any cancellations before we moved on from the Palace.  WELL, there seemed to suddenly be room for us!!!  It was my lucky day for sure!!

 

 

 

 

 

Loved the china pattern!  

 

Can't even begin to describe how wonderful this was to me!!  

 

I had practiced my pinky raising for years now!!  AND to have HIGH TEA in England it was a dream come true!!!  

 

The staff here were wonderful, and I would recommend it to all!!  

Time to move on to our next adventure of the day!