Meander Ingwa

Agree the last thing I would do at Le Havre is waste my time going in to Paris. With two amazing places close at hand Rouen and Bayeux, might as well watch Paris on TV

Or Tacoma, convenient to the airport and easy enough to get to Seattle and not a bad city in itself. I could see an all day trip to Paradise Lodge in Summer season. Spectacular. Excursion to Nisqually NWR for the bird lovers, the Glass Museum, Ft Steilacoom, Pt Defiance

I would encourage you to reconsider the agenda at Kirkwall and take advantage for a chance to visit Skara Brae and the other ancient sights Edinburgh is easy to get to from the port on the tram line. There are as many opinions about pubs as there may be about pizza or BBQ. I usually start by noodling around google maps for the areas and look at what's there and click in to the venue web site for info about vibe food and drink

You can sort , using Google Flight, the compare and contrast flights for LAX and SNA. Factor in the arrival and depart times as they pertain to your ship on / off. I would consider the schedule first over the $ difference for the same hotel in the different locations. Personally I have strong fidelity to IHG and Hilton hotels. Holiday Inn Express is usually a reliable basic economical place to stay. The challenge of being south-ish of Long Beach is the traffic flow restriction due to the Large Seal Beach NWR. The route down from LAX has more options for a Uber / Lyft / Taxi driver to work around if things go really bad on the freeways see also the thread on Booking Hotels San Pedro. There might be some near the port. Here is a quote from that thread..... There is free shuttle from hotel to cruise port. We just did this in April. They also will shuttle you around a 5 mile area to store or restaurants for free. This is for the Double tree in San Pedro.

Portsmouth is just east along the coast to Southampton sort of the mouth of the harbor so to speak. If you take the train down consider staying in Kings Cross. It has a lot of tube lines that connect you to many areas of the city. There is no one neighborhood that allows you to see it all, and by using the Tube you are not far from the things you will likely want to see. Premier Inn is a national chain of nice basic hotels. Holiday Inn on Marchmont Street is familiar and close to Russell Square station.. I like the Marchmont street neighborhood I have stayed there many many times over the years. There are TONS of small hotels and B&Bs. If you do stay in one of those be aware that rooms are small, the normal standard. Many are in class 2 historic listed buildings. The usually dont have elevators so ask for a ground floor. Kensington / South Ken is very nice, a little more upscale and close to many things. A busy, popular area. I dont think you can go wrong Choose whichever hotel and enjoy your train ride..

Yes I forgot Tottenham. That would be the best and closer than the bus stop on Russel Sq or Goodge street. ( though goodge street is close to one of my favorite Chinese restaurants) Personally I would walk the whole way but if the OP is not comfortable with that option Tottenham for the Northern Line is a good choice. I would add for the OP that a walk along the south bank of the river, in the evening, is a lovely way to view the city. With the lights on, it is pretty wonderful. Add a full moon rising, it is a wow. The riverside walk is handy and popular with many places to sit and a lot of places to grab a drink

I agree. I see no need to be "taken care of" IF the features are there for those who desire them, that is great! I have always traveled alone. I often meet folks who are amazed at a woman traveling alone. This was when I was in my 50s I dont understand that thinking.

yes you can tap in out with a card. I dont know if it is particularly easier, though. I never take the bus in London, I find the tube to be simple and efficient. Goodge street is 4 blocks about the same distance as Russell Sq or Holborn. If you are at the hotels near Waterloo tube station the bus might drop you further than the tube station inside the train station. The bus stop near the museum is on the south side of Russell square, about 2 blocks away. Do you know how to use Google Maps to see your travel options?

there is a train from the port that goes to Stockholm central station, takes a little over 1 hour. If you look on Google maps you can find it. You would need to take the tram to ABBA. Galam Stan is closer to the station but not directly to ABBA. You need to decide how much time you can spare to loop back around to get to GS from the station. If you know how to route find on Google Maps you can get ideas for routes and time tables of those routes. A visit to the Viking Museum which is near ABBA might be a better use of time?

talk about being alone on a cruise. I bet many crew members are missing home and contact with people who really care about them. What a simple gesture you made to make someone feel seen and important.

You are perfectly safe walking at 21. I have walked home to Russell Square from the theatre district at 2300, no worries. Friday night in summer at 21, the night is young. The Strand is a busy main street. the only direct train close to the museum is the Northern line, southbound at Goodge Street. If you have google maps on your phone, you can see all of the tube stations. zoom in and you will see the roundel , a red circle with a blue line through. If you tap on a station you can see what lines run there and even see a schedule. If you have Google Maps you can also download a map and it is there for you even off line and without data.

About 250 km

I am the first to express love for the Piccadilly line and the Underground in general. Sheesh on my last trip to London I went to certain stations just to photograph special features. The Elizabeth Line from Heathrow is a game changer for me. It is comfortable and more spacious than the Pic and after 10 hour overnight flights,very welcome. The core station halls are spacious and step free (elevators) I have never considered the money difference between the Pic and the Elizabeth Line to be a decision maker. That said, I dont stay in central London either, I am just as comfortable in the Zone 2 area recently Greenwich For our original poster I would go with a cab to any Elizabeth Line station and onward. Your hotel, even though near the great Tate Gallery, is pretty inconvenient to tube stations. I would allow 3 hours prior to flight. I departed LHR in February on a weekend day and it seemed like getting thru check in and security took far longer than usual and this was with a premium ticket and screening.

the last thing I want is people who have not had specific health care and safety training for food service. If the ship line cross trains staff for these positions that is great but if not, I'll wait in line

1164 km per Google Maps

I am surprised the cruise lines have not at least made effort to communicate with passengers of immediate concern

You can sit with me anytime. Most introverts know that feeling of being ignored in groups; not having quick and dominating "wit" I rather eat alone than be talked over

33 was my old neighborhood route. I lived in magnolia when 91 was the car port for imports. I cannot imagine taking a wheelchair down the steps

well there is always Lyft / Uber. But what ever the mode of travel, is there a real reason to stay right in the neighborhood?

the government is who dictates requirements not the airlines. The governments web site is the one to be consulted. You have the correct page If your husband is joining you I would have him bring the cards. You may not need them for government issues, but if something goes amiss on the ship and illness arises, the sickbay may wish to have accurate information. The phone record would serve that purpose but might as well be thorough . I never trust my phone to be ready willing and able when I need it.

The reason most people take this trip is the magnificence of the scenery. To experience it at its best, being on a panorama observation area is better. Can you stay in your cabin, sure you can I would make sure the shore experience meets up to expectations of the group. A more urban port schedule may be more to the liking. Norway compared to the Med is a completely opposite experience Some people just want to go on cruise to experience ship life and really dont care where they go to. It is hard being all things to all of your group, I would find out what the majority feels about what they want in the experience. Is there any significance to it being a church group? Why was the original itinerary choice made? May be a need for a group get together to discuss all the option pros and cons of each potential trip what other trip options are available?

not knowing exactly what you want ( just a place to stay for the night, no frills , close to touristic places etc) consider hotels further away from the port. Zoom in on your Google Maps and tab the Tram icon to see where the Embarcadero Line runs. You can consider using a hotel along the line if you are amenable to riding the tram to the port on embarkation day. San Francisco has near the highest COL in the country. The Travelodge on Columbus is basic basic basic but the price reflects that and it is clean and safe enough. Is it cheap, yes, Nice enough that is a judgement call. I would not expect a lot for 130/night in San Fran

I worked in a research lab. There is no one who washes like a chemist. Before AND after using the bathroom

what an unfortunate start to what should be a fun time.