kttraveler

There were folks in line to leave at 6:30 this morning when I went down to get my coffee. Our driver was scheduled to get us at 9 so we left at 8:40. Our luggage was waiting for us and so was our driver. We pulled out just after nine and expect to get to our hotel near paddington station around 11:15 am.

All you get tonight is the dinner menu. No patter for tomorrow since we disembark (boo hoo). We have tickets to buckingham palace tomorrow afternoon and I get to go to the backstage Harry Potter tour the day after. Then it is back to the states. Thanks for following along.

We stopped several times along the way there to get a bit of history. We only stayed about 45 minutes. We left the ship around 8 am and got to the American cemetery around 11. Cruise ship tours started showing up about 11:30. I don’t know when they left. We headed back to the ship around 1:30 and hope to be back around 3:30 if traffic cooperates. Most tours will do more and stay out longer than us. It is still quite a drive though.

Today is our last port, Le Havre. This is an industrial port so you aren’t getting out and walking around on your own. You can get a shuttle to Le Havre and back for $20. There was a line of taxis waiting out front of the pier as well. I did not explore what options existed in town for sightseeing because my parents and I had a tour booked. My parents and I did an overlord tour to the Normandy beaches. It was very informative and the guide did a great job of going with the flow and helping with the wheelchairs. The initial drive out took about three hours but we went through some beautiful small villages. Luckily I went to Paris a few years ago so I didn’t want to do the ship excursions into Paris. The Normandy beaches was enough of a drive. It did start to rain after midday so we didn’t get out and explore much.

Plenty of cobblestone in most places we went. Really bad for scooters and wheelchairs but also not awesome just for walking if you don’t want to twist your ankle. I figure car suspensions over here get a real work out. For those who have never stayed in a European hotel and plan to do so you might want to know washcloths are not normally provided. They are in the ship because they know Americans love them but many hotels don’t give them out and don’t even have them if you ask for them. If you really want them maybe pay some cheap ones and just leave them behind. Also if you’ve never had clotted cream go to tea on the ship at least once and give it a try with a scone and some jam.

Plenty of cobblestone in most places we went. Really bad for scooters and wheelchairs but also not awesome just for walking if you don’t want to twist your ankle. I figure car suspensions over here get a real work out. For those who have never stayed in a European hotel and plan to do so you might want to know washcloths are not normally provided. They are in the ship because they know Americans love them but many hotels don’t give them out and don’t even have them if you ask for them. If you really want them maybe pay some cheap ones and just leave them behind. Also if you’ve never had clotted cream go to tea on the ship at least once and give it a try with a scone and some jam.

Today was a sea day and I basically did nothing, which I needed. My parents and I have all had colds the last couple of days so I wanted to just relax. There is quite a bit of coughing and sneezing the last couple of days but it really is just colds. Goes away fast after a couple of blah days. The yummy gold and white dinner menu is attached as is tomorrows patter. The escargot was the best I’ve ever had. Sadly I have started my packing.

We were right beside Albert dock but it was still quite a walk if mobility challenged because of the incline. There was lots to see and do at the dock though.

That makes so much more sense! That would be too much for one day.

Today I had a fabulous outlander tour with Rabbies. I can highly recommend them (and my driver Neil). We tendered in for Edinburgh and then I caught bus X99, which was waiting at the pier, into town. I jogged across Andrews square to the bus station to meet my tour. I was cutting it closer than I like because the whole trip from boat to bus station took almost an hour. Catching bus X99 was easy and it took me right to the heart of town. I could see Edinburgh castle as we pulled out of the bus station so it was in walking distance. I heard others looking at the hop on hop offs in Edinburgh and I was shocked at the nearly sixty pound price, much more than the others I’ve done so far. I got back after my scheduled dinner time so my dad and I went to Alfredo’s (so you get the menu from the app). Edinburgh seems like a good place to plan ahead what you want to do and how you want to do if the hop on hop Off really is that expensive. You can get tours for less than that and see things outside the city. Catching bus X99 is easy but plan for the 20-25 minute tender plus the 30 minute bus ride into town.

Today we did a Wow Scotland tour that took us to Cawdor Castle, clava clairns, Loch Ness, and Inverness. The tour wasn’t as handicap accessible as my mother had assumed when she booked it so my parents stayed on board the van. I enjoyed getting out at each stop and having several outlander moments. Our driver was very informative and helpful. I would highly recommend wow Scotland as long as you can manage the steps to get on and off the small bus. We got back to the ship just in time for our early dinner. Menu and tomorrows patter are attached. Tonight’s show is fiera and I’m looking forward to it.

We docked in Liverpool right beside the Albert Dock. The shuttle was just to help people who would struggle with the steep elevation required to get off the dock.

Tonight’s dinner menu and tomorrow’s patter.

Extra edition for the menu today. Lunch in the main dining room.

Today is a sea day and I am glad for a bit of a rest. Before I list my complaints let me say I love cruising on princess and this is my second time on the Regal. This is also the first time I have had a balcony room (thank you upgrade). This is a great cruise to have a balcony. There always seems to be wonderful view, including other ships and small islands. Sadly my room has a musty smell, especially near the bathroom. For the first time ever on a princess ship my bed is hard and very uncomfortable. I am also very disappointed in princess live. I usually love going to trivia and the games but the seats in princess live are theater style and very narrow. That means my hip hurts when I sit in the seats and there are no tables so nowhere to sit your drink and no place to sit the paper to write your answers. I’ve given up going to the fun things being done in princess live which is disappointing. I am loving how approachable to captain is and I enjoy his daily announcements. The entertainment staff have all been lovely. They’ve done a great job talking to me and touching base. I have also enjoyed the shows and entertainers that have been on board. The food has been delicious. We are sailing at capacity and we’ve done fine using the elevators, including getting two wheelchairs on and off. I had been worried we would have a tough time getting around but it hasn’t been much of a problem. I’ve also met lots of lovely people.