wowzz

It depends on the port. Security staff in Europe couldn't care less about how many bottles you have at embarkation.

When booking hotels in the UK, the price you see is the price you pay.

As this is a Princess board, I will confine myself to what we do on Princess. We have Princess Plus, so all tips are taken care of. We normally then tip our steward, and, if we have the same servers at certain bars or restaurants, we will tip them at the end of the cruise. But, I'm sorry, if I walk to a bar, and the bar tender just pours me a glass of wine and hands it to me, that, in my view, does not justify a tip.

I didn't say that I never tip in a restaurant. If the service is friendly, then yes, a tip is in order, but not at US levels. Don't forget, the UK minimum wage is somewhat greater than in the US !

I think you will find that the OAP amount, even if it increases with the Triple Lock, by 10%, will still be less than your tax allowance, so you will pay no tax on the government pension. But, the effect of the pension increase will to raise your total income, and therefore your tax liability will increase accordingly.

Not common practice in the UK, especially in your average chain hotel. However, in the unlikely event that I stayed in a hotel for seven days or more, and had the same staff every day, I might leave something.

Not accepted practice for 99% of Brits.

If I'm just popping into a pub for a drink or two, no tip. And, I don't carry cash any more ! Foreign tourists might leave a tip, locals don't.

Prices are shown on the drink menus.

Which is why we are on P&O in the Caribbean next year ! Much as we like Princess, and love Celebrity, being able to fly direct to the Caribbean, with a proper 14 day Caribbean cruise, rather than sailing out of FL/Miami, is an unbeatable advantage.

Duplicate reply.

I totally agree with you. Fortunately I don't live in the Midlands!

If you have a suite, you will not be dining in the main section of the MDR. You will be eating in the suite/cc section of the MDR and getting a better level of service. I am sure that if you want a specific wine from Vines, you will be able to get it without any issue. As I have mentioned before, we always take a glass of wine with us, so as to avoid short term dehydration!

Do you know what irony is ?

I think the "touristy area" might be the key. Out here in the UK countryside, no pub or restaurant would survive if they charged 10% service charge.

Is there any reason why Princess could not show the gross price of drinks on their menus ? Why show a drink as costing $10, rather than $11.80 ? It is not as if you can opt out of the service charge.

Nothing wrong with old ships, as long as they are kept up to date. Crusing on Arcadia this year, after two Princess cruises was like stepping back in time. A shame because Arcadia, from our point of view is an ideal size. But, P&O are sweating the assets, not upgrading the TVs, furniture etc. A shame, because if they actually invested some serious money, they would have a ship to compete with Saga, Oceania etc. and could charge accordingly.

Did you go to Abigail's Party as well ?

Me too. Celebrity is a step up from Princess, and two steps up from P&O, in terms of quality, but the price differential is too much for me. I would be tempted to switch to Saga at the Celebrity per diem pricing.

I think you are in a minority !

We know friends of friends who have an appartment on The World. The annual service charges alone are enough to make your eyes water !

I think that whilst certain restaurants in London, (and other major cities) especially high end ones, may add on a service charge, that is not the case elsewhere in the UK. And, after over 50 years of drinking in UK pubs, I have never been asked to pay a service charge!

Can I assume that if we were to take our own bottle to the buffet, there would be very little chance of having to pay corkage ?

Although an amuse bouche is much smaller than an appertiser, and is not necessarily served at the start of a meal.

As a slight thread drift, do Americans use a different term for an "amuse bouche" ?