OhState1

I am wondering if anyone knows where the free shuttle in Bilbao drops off. I'm thinking about booking a private tour rather than take one of the shore excursions. Thanks!

From what I’ve been reading about the internet onboard, streaming seems unlikely.

Look “sharp” is my nightmare. I just want to look acceptable, because I’ve never mastered anything sharp or fashionable. I’ve mastered many things in my life, but fashion is not one of them.

Some South American countries require proof of a yellow fever vaccine in certain circumstances.

Sounds like I should pack my bedside usb fan. Also that thing about motion is not reassuring. Will need to get a patch. May be my first and last cruise ever.

Any Euchre games? Letting my midwestern flag fly here. 🙂

Excellent info, thanks! Will know to pace myself a bit, at least until I get the hang of it.

I generally drink bourbon on the rocks. Almost exclusively. I like to keep track of my intake, but it rather depends on the size of the pours. Does anyone know what a standard pour would be? Ounces, if you know, otherwise I’ll work out the conversion. I’m also thinking about bringing a bottle aboard for nightcaps. Our traveling companions tend to go to bed early.

Thank you so much for the very detailed and helpful advice! We were going to check insurance tomorrow. Our regular carrier offers some coverage overseas, and I’ve previously purchased trip insurance that included the rental car. I don’t think my credit card covers much, but will double check. After our experience with Hertz in Dublin (no spare tire, and a tire that had a slow leak) we will definitely carefully inspect the car. We drove a manual in Ireland and it was interesting but doable. He’s rented a small SUV. Nissan Qashqai or similar, whatever that is. I hope it has a cover for the back as it won’t have a typical boot. (I had an MGB in the ‘80’s so I picked up a bit of the lingo, ha). In the state where we live, roundabouts are called traffic calming circles. People still have a hard time with them. 🙂. We did fine driving out of London to Wales last time (2015). By we, I mean the Mr. Caught the ferry to Dublin and flew home from there. I think we should be fine, but airports can be confusing for sure. At least the signs will be in English (as opposed to the time we returned the rental car at the Rome airport.) Is google maps reliable for directions? Again, many thanks for the advice. We’ll review tomorrow morning and start booking the sights. We hadn’t considered Salisbury and will take a look. After reading 21 pages of advice, you are a true treasure here.

Great info here , thanks. I am hoping to get a sanity check on our post cruise plan. We disembark on a Thursday morning, have booked a rental car at National Southampton Docks, and want to see Stonehenge and Windsor. We plan to stay out near Windsor (perhaps Bray on Thames) then head to Heathrow in the morning for our 12:45 flight. (One way drop charge is £62). Manual transmission is ok for us, we’ve driven there before. What issues do you spot? Our ship is Oceania Riviera, not certain which terminal it goes into. Thanks!

Thanks! We arrive early on a Thursday. Hadn’t thought about the transmission. We can drive a manual (actually own one) but shifting with the other hand was a bit awkward when we were in Ireland. Any idea which Berth/dock area Oceania uses? May help us determine which agency to use. (Also price comparisons).

Just found the British Isles/Western Europe forum. Will check there. Still finding my way around here.

First time cruiser here again. You’ve all been so informative and helpful so far.. so here goes…. We are wondering if anyone has a recommendation for an rental agency or any experience renting a car post trip in Southampton. It looks like there are some rental agencies at the port. Our itinerary states we disembark at Southampton but I’ve read some posts here that say it sometimes gets switched to Portsmouth. We want to get a small vehicle, see Stonehenge and Windsor , then drop the car off at Heathrow the next day. We've both done London numerous times, so skipping the city proper. We have no qualms about driving there. Any advice? Thanks!

Excellent point on the gift shop. While they aren’t big drinkers, the MIL can really shop a lot.

Thanks!

First time cruiser here. How are on board charges handled? My in-laws very generously paid for our room and excursions, but I want to pay for all our other on board charges (drinks, etc). Can I set it to pay for theirs as well? Do I need to set that up with their TA ahead of time, or can it be done on board? Thanks!