Britboys

Very few (if any) of the City Centre hotels have secure parking, often just CCTV. I've used the Holiday Inn a few times without any problem. Elizabeth House to the north of the centre is popular. Outside of Southampton, Chilworth Manor is nice.

After a glorious sunny day yesterday, today has been a real mixed bag but at least dry. The friends who were staying with me last week went back yesterday so I am now catching up with all the things I didn't get done whilst they were here...😁

It sure was a nail biter!

Great result! Don't smart about the price. As there was only one cabin to meet your requirements, it really is very possible that it may have sold if you waited just one more day. Just focus on having got a decent price and that you have a fantastic adventure to look forward to.

Fantastic. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time.

Thanks for the tips.

This will be my first visit there. I'm on a cruise sailing solo but with a large group.

Thanks Kalos. Never been there, so I'm looking forward to it.

My own assumption is that whilst the crew may well now be on 'enhanced' contracts that they are still somewhat low-paid. My own 'modus operandi' now is that if my cabin steward and waiters pretty much go through the motions providing just acceptable service then I don't tip. If I feel they have provided very good service then I leave a little extra at the end of the cruise. Certainly not the sort of amount previously suggested by before P&O they did away with the old system but a little extra to say thank you. Other pax decide what they want to do and that of course is perfectly acceptable.

All the best people have a late November birthday Brian! I'll be in Rouen for mine...

My local council does empty the garden waste bin all year fortunately. Like most others, we do of course have to pay for this service...

Possibly but who knows? Many cruise lines struggled to recruit back to full capacity crew-wise post-pandemic which could also have increased wages? Many crew on P&O are also having to work harder too though. Cabin Attendants seem to have more cabins and mdr waiters also now take wine orders etc.

Don't think I've ever seen an "exciting" P&O refurb... 🙂

I don't know how the other lines differ from P&O but I must say that my disembarkation from Aurora in August was superb. Calm, quiet, ordered and efficient.

It is a really beautiful little town.

It was indeed but I believe they later created an Officer's Mess in what used to be the disco area adjacent to The Globe?

There was a section of the Horizon on Aurora in August set aside every evening for Officer dining. Never ate in the buffet in the evening so don't know the servery arrangements.

Thanks Barbara - I was going between the two itineraries and counted several times. Obviously managed to get them mixed up...

No, sorry I don't. I've only done one Caribbean fly-cruise with P&O - and that was 12 years ago...😁

In the past it has largely been Gatwick but with the recent difficulties procuring aircraft, it could be elsewhere. Other possibilities are Heathrow and Stansted.

Quite a nice itinerary but virtually all in November when the weather can be a bit iffy - especially on the Eastern side of the Med...

Should have also said in my earlier post that I have recently booked a cruise for next summer. It's a 7-night river cruise in Germany and France. Really quite excited about it - morseo than my last few ocean cruises. Going with the friend whose partner died recently. We've cruised together before on the Nile and Alaska.

Probably get better deals with the ports by way of frequent/regular bookings...

You appear to have seen it correctly. Leave Southampton same day. Ventura calls at 10 ports and Iona 13. I foresee some bargain fares down the line...

Be warned that unless things have changed, the swimming pools on Ambassador ships are not heated...