Harters

The "merchant service fee" is generally a percentage and I'm sure that most businesses build that into their pricing, as with all other expenses. That said, maybe there's a fixed minimum charge which means it's uneconomic for the likes of cafes to take cards for small amounts. AMEX has always been an outlier on this and I know many restaurants simply won't take it

It was only yesterday that I stopped at a cafe that had a sign up saying card/phone payments would only be accepted for orders over £5. Havent seen that sort of restriction anywhere for many months. Fortunately, I wanted a slice of cake with my coffee so was over the five, otherwise it would have been no coffee as I had no cash with me.

Don't be so silly. I think we're done here. But when you've sailed on Vista and actually have some experience of Ember, I look forward to you popping back for a chat. And, when you do, please try not to be offensive about how I judge restaurants.

Absolutely. Even to this foreigner. Your country is so big that it's classics are much more diverse and interesting than we have in our smaller European countries. This Wiki article gives a good overview of traditional American cuisine. And, in the modern twists, the culinary world might well describe the food as "New American" and/or "farm to fork". Even as a foreigner who has visited your country for decades, I know the difference and appreciate the difference. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cuisine As for what's at Ember that's not elsewhere, I'll leave you to look up the menus at Vistas four specialities for yourself (as I know you havent actually eaten in Ember). I go to restaurants not just because of one dish but for the whole experience. And Ember's experience brings a modernity and a buzz to the ship's restaurants that you won't find inn the other three. IMO, of course.

That article describes Ember's food as "American classics with a modern twist". Our experience earlier in the year would reckon that's an accurate representation. Beef and pork main courses were very good - much better than any American chain restaurant I've eaten in over the last 40+ years (so I do entirely dismiss the suggestion that it's like one). We particularly liked the room and the overall set-up - as with any restaurant, the open kitchen adds a real buzz to the space. Whilst we've decided that, for next year's cruise, we won't bother making a reservation for the disappointing (twice) Red Ginger, we will be looking forward to trying other dishes at Ember (and Polo & Toscana, of course).

True. And, having tipped, you'll feel good about yourself.

Briefly. Yes, they purchase as well so we'd be able to change leftover currency back into sterling. There's no fee, as such, although their exchange rates obviously incorporate their profit. And, yes, I can complete the transaction using a standard bank debit card. I get a very slightly better rate than that advertised by the supermarket as I have their standard loyalty card and present that as well. FWIW, today's rate 1 GBP = 1.24 USD

Absolutely. No pre-ordering. I'm not sure of all the currencies they keep in stock but it includes Euros, Turkish lira and, most likely, other holiday destination currency. I'd guess they also stock South Asian currency - Bangladesh, India & Pakistan - to cater for local people returning to the family homeland to visit relatives.

Oh, you guys in the big countries just slay me. 1500 kilometres and I'm four countries away from home. 😀

A true story. For one of our trips to the States, we drove the length of the Blue Ridge Highway and Skyline Drive through North Carolina and Virginia. We saw great scenery, listened to great "mountain music" and met interesting people (and for over two weeks, never came across any other foreign tourist). One day, we went into a small town to find lunch - which we did in the local McD's. Needless to say, as soon as we spoke, the staff knew we "were not from these parts". So, we started to chat and the thing the young guys were most interested in is how we got our dollars. And they seem genuinely incredulous that, not only could we get dollars in the UK but that we got ours from the local supermarket.

Last time we had a long weekend in Venice, I found several walks online which were off the tourist route. We did one each day. Fascinating - you get an entirely different perspective on the city (and, perhaps, an understanding why there are calls to restrict tourist numbers).

Bear in mind Spain levies one of the lowest alcohol duty in Europe. So, even if they are actually duty free, any saving is likely to be minimal and, as Hank suggests, may still cost more than available in retail outlets. Regard the port duty free shop as a tourist trap outlet and you'll be on the right side, IMO.

And even if the V & A isnt your thing, go in just to visit the cafe. I bet this would be the most spectacular cafe location you've been in.

We commented on that in the mid-cruise survey. Handed the survey in mid-morning. When we went back to the cabin after lunch, it had been replaced with something higher. Full marks for customer service.

As a nation, we're not particularly well known for our command of other languages. The Tommies are very good at making their own version of "foreign" place names. My favourite one in Belgium was "God wears velvet" for the village of Godewaersvelde. And in France, my grandfather first saw action near the village of Fonquevillers - know to the Tommies as "Funky Villas"

Ah, you touch on a big historical and cultural issue in Belgium. As you'll know, the country is effectively divided into two. The French speaking part in the south and the Dutch speaking part in the north (although Brussels in French speaking, although its in Dutch speaking Flanders). Back in the time of the Great War (and for some considerable time after), the Francophones dominated society and the Dutch speakers were very much second class citizens (effectively an issue of racism). The Yser Tower museum at Diksmuide documents this well. In more recent times, the division has been much more formally recognised and the dominant language (and culture) in a province is now the "official" language there. West Flanders is a Dutch speaking province, hence the change of name from the French Ypres to the Dutch Ieper. It's had its less than helpful consequences - not least in the rise of a Flemish nationalist political party which wants independence for the Dutch speaking areas. If you're driving round the area, it can be all but impossible to know whether youre in a French or Dutch speaking area, as the border between provinces might run along a small winding stream. In fact, it can be tricky knowing if you're in Belgium or France. On one trip, I went to photograph a bar that had been mentioned in one soldiers diary. I found it, in France, and took a photo. Then I walked a few yards down the small side road to take another shot and there I was back in Belgium.

Ski - noting your location, did you manage to get to see the Canadian "Brooding Soldier" memorial not far outside Ieper (on the main road to Bruges). It's one of the most impressive war memorials I know - commemorates the Canadian troops who stood firm and held the line when the Germans launched the first ever poison gas attack. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/st-julien

The only restaurant I know in the general area and can recommend is Clarke's, about a 30 minute stroll towards Notting Hill. Sally Clarke is everything that is good about Modern British food and has been at the forefront of our cuisine for years. Recommended unreservedly. https://www.sallyclarke.com/restaurant/

If you do decide on the battlefield visit, may I make the suggestion I make to anyone who doesnt have a direct family connection with a casualty. And that's to use the War Graves Commission website to look up whether there's anyone buried at Tyne Cot, or commemorated there (or the Menin Gate memorial) with the same surname. It may not be a family member but it sort of personalises the visit if you go to their grave or inscription on the memorial. I started making this suggestion years back when my niece, then aged about 15, was on school trip and rang me from a cemetery saying she'd come across a grave with the family name and wanted to know if it was an ancestor. I was able to check out the name very quickly and confirm that it was unlikely to be someone from the family but she went away with a connection to that young man who had died before her grandfather had been born.

In real life, I am an amateur military historian, the author of four books on the Great War and one of two founding members of the In From the Cold Project which works with the War Graves Commission to identify casualties who, for whatever reason, slipped through the net of official commemoration. I've visited the Ypres/Ieper area many times over the years and every time have found it fascinating. That said, I have always been visiting for specific purposes. Tyne Cot Cemetery is a moving experience mainly because of its size. As mentioned in the tour summary, it also has a memorial wall with the names of the men who were killed but who have no known grave. Men from my local area whose lives and deaths I have researched are buried and commemorated there. There is a relatively new interpretative centre (and toilets) near the parking area. FWIW, the "Tyne Cot" of the name refers to German pillboxes, of which there are still remains at the site. The British soldiers said they resembled Tyneside cottages. With mention of Canadian John McCrae, the tour may well also visit Essex Farm CWGC cemetery as it's often on the "war tourist" route. This was a field dressing station during the war and McCrae was a doctor based here in 1915. It's a much smaller cemetery than Tyne Cot but is much more representative of front line battlefield burial grounds. The "In Flanders Field" Museum is excellent and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting Ieper. It's in the town centre and close to the Grote Markt (the town square) where you'd find restaurants and cafes for lunch. Make sure you also visit the Menin Gate which is another "memorial to the missing" and which also contains the names of a goodly number of men from my town, mainly killed during the Third Battle of Ypres. You will probably miss the nightly ceremony at the Gate where the Fire Brigade bugle band sounds the last post, as they have done nightly since the 1920s (except for the period of German occupation in WW2). https://lastpost.be/about/ Do this trip and you will learn something of the British Army's involvement in the conflict in this area but bear in mind you will only be scratching the surface.

I cruise with Oceania. To the best of my recollection, the company does not contractually require customers to have insurance. I cannot recall ever being asked to declare that we have a policy on the online check-in and, certainly, have never needed to produce the policy. It's obviously a sensible thing to have

It may have changed in recent years but the area around Kings Cross station rightly had something of a reputation as a red light district. I now stay 10 minutes walk down the road near Euston station which doesnt seem to attract the "ladies of the night". It might be worth Diane also considering staying in an area that was convenient for her London arrival/departure, rather than having a distance to schlep with luggage.

It's good to be flexible with this. We have days in mind that we want to avoid for specialities - mainly if we've planned a long lazy lunch ashore, then we don't want a big dinner. But that's pretty much as far as the planning goes.

On the rare occasions that we've had a small amount of leftover currency from a country we (or family members) are unlikely to be revisiting, then we've donated it in the charity collection points you find at most international airports.

It'll be worth her while looking at a couple of websites. My experience doing this sort of research suggests that websites written by Americans tend to suggest a more generous tip in a particular country, than do websites written by Europeans.