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.

There was another ship also tendering folks at guernsey. Their back on board was 1:30 and they were also running behind so they had to stop docking our tenders and only pick them up for a while. That made the line very long.

Todays dinner menu and tomorrow sea day patter at attached. This afternoon we had bagpipes in the piazza. He is coming back a couple times this evening. The sticky pudding was amazing!

Hope this is what you needed. Sorry for the shadow.

I am signing on from the train back from Glasgow. Today is my last day wandering around on my own. The walk to the train station took about fifteen minutes. I can’t recommend the train for those with mobility issues, not only because of the walk but also because this train gives the mind the gap a new meaning. You are stepping over the gap and up into the train. The ride however is very comfortable and scenic. It was easy to find my way around, although on the way back I did have to ask what train I wanted (it was platform 14 but don’t count on it always being that one). The train does a good job telling you where you are and what stop is next. I went from Greenock Central to Glasgow Central (and then back). I bought my tickets at the station but they do have a person onboard selling them in case you get there with only a second to spare. I had not prebooked a hop on hop off because there were two that did the same stops. They both started at George square. It was a ten minute walk from the train station and there was a red city sightseeing bus selling tickets when I arrived. This one had more knee room than yesterday and the guide did a great job telling us about Glasgow and announced each stop. The tour did a large area of Glasgow as well so I felt like I saw a lot. I got off at stop 14 and went to the Hunterian museum at Glasgow University. I am a museum kinda girl and I loved learning about some of the early experiments in science and medicine. I had been tempted to get off at stop two for the Glasgow Cathedral but the bus was packed and the guide was good so I stayed on. I finished out the hop on hop off (without a guide and I kissed him) and then stayed on going back around to stop 8 which was the train station. I got some excellent fish and chips from the blue lagoon and walked around looking for but not finding tartans. Luckily I still have time. There was tons to see and thankfully Glasgow was spared from a lot of the WWII bombing so much of its architecture remains. It was a beautiful city and deserved more time than I could give it. For those who don’t want to do a princess excursion but also don’t want to risk the train there were independent tours selling tickets as I got off the ship. It was another long-ish walk to get off but no incline this time. The first tour I saw was a 1.5 hour bus ride, which was exactly what I didn’t want. I like getting off and walking around. After I passed them I saw vans offering rides to town. That might be a better option if you want to explore on your own but not walk to the train. That also might help you feel more sure about getting back to the ship in time. If you opt for the train check the time tables and plan well.

The Trawlermen performed tonight and I loved the show. I’m not even a fan of folk music and I loved it. If they are on board with you give it a try. Tonight menu and tomorrows patter are attached.

Liverpool was sunny but windy and therefore still chilly. The walk from the ship to get out of the pier is longer than usual and up an incline. If you have any mobility issues there is a free shuttle that will get you out of the pier. On the way back the shuttle will let you skip one of the two security checks. I swear I was asked to show my medallion eight times to get back on the boat. I have precooked the red hip on hop off which doesn’t get started until 9:50. I was up early and off the boat a little after eight so I walked around Prince Albert dock. Nothing was open that early, not even the coffee shops. As I went past the museums at the dock the signs said they opened at ten except on Mondays and of course it is a Monday. After getting in plenty of steps I found the hop on hop off and sat on board until it was time to start. The second stop is the pier for both hop on hop offs so there is no need to go looking for it. You also don’t really need to prebook. I wish I hadn’t. The yellow busses were less crowded and although they advertised fewer stops I still think I would have been better off. The red bus hadn’t been dried off from the day before so some riders had a rude surprise when they got on and didn’t notice the seats were wet until after they felt it. They also didn’t announce the stops and didn’t actually stop at the stops. I thought maybe it was just me (I missed stop three where I had planned to get off) but as the day went on the guides mantra was “oh yes we passed that but you can get off here and just double back.” I got off at the world museum only to then notice it also said it was closed on Mondays. I was internally cursing the tour guide but then saw a family walk in. I followed. Apparently it was open. I enjoyed the Egyptian exhibit which included real mummies. There was a library next door and across the street a park over top of a mass grave from the cholera and black plague epidemics. I walked back to the western front headquarters. This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed learning about the impact women had in WWII. Since my bus hadn’t actually stopped here I had to make a guess about where the stop was. I was close enough and after waiting about 30 minutes I snagged one of the few open seats. I complete the tour, which really only went around a few blocks. On the walk back to the ship it looked like the museum of Liverpool was open despite the sign saying otherwise. That probably would have been a better use of my time but oh well. I was hungry and went through the security gauntlet to get back on board. My parents were on an easy drive around Liverpool and this time they were on a larger bus that had a lift instead of a van. I’ve been very impressed with the wheelchair accessible excursions on this cruise. The driver even got out and took a few pictures for my parents. If you are a Beetles fan Liverpool is your city and you will be thrilled. If you aren’t the dock has lots of museums and shops.

Keep your eyes open on the patter for the Irish dancers and musicians. It was a 4 pm performance and I’m glad I was on the ship to see it. Dinner menu and tomorrow’s patter are attached.

Belfast was chilly and wet. When visiting the British Isles prepare for all four seasons and rain. Don’t forget your sunscreen and midges spray just in case. The ship offered shuttle tickets to town and back for $16 and it dropped off right where I was picking up the hop on hop off. Although the hop on hop off advertised that it didn’t start until 10 am they went ahead and began once they had a bus full of us, which was around 9:30. I’m glad I went ahead and left early, but I was prepared to twiddle my thumbs if they really didn’t start until 10 AM. I got off at the titanic stop. When I bought my hop on hop off tickets, I bought a combo that included tickets to the titanic museum. That was a great choice on my part because I was able to walk right in. Others on the same hop on hop off bus as me (arriving at the titanic museum just before 10 am) were told the earliest they could buy a ticket was for the 4 o’clock tour. My advice if you want to go is to buy your tickets in advance. If you have to select a time (I did not) you can reasonably get there between 10-11 am if you don’t drag your feet. I really enjoyed the titanic museum. It had good information on the building of the titanic, as well as about some of the passengers and included items like letters found with those who survived, and those who did not. It also included a ride that let you see part of what it was like to build the ship. I got back on the hop on hop off but the only seats available were the ones in the rain so I got off at the next stop which was the St. George market. The market is only open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays but since we were there on a Sunday it was open. I got a crêpe and walked around for a few minutes before getting back on a bus that had dry seats. I finished out the hop on hop off without getting off again, taking pictures through the windows because I was chilly and wet. I got a shuttle bus back to the ship and arrived in time to do a little laundry. Luckily the laundry room has lots of availability while everyone else is out exploring.

Tonight’s menu and tomorrows patters. It was Italian night and there was a special penne pasta you could request as an appetizer or main that wasn’t on the menu. It smelled delicious as we passed it in the way in so we all got it as an appetizer. If you love garlic and it is offered go for it.

Dublin was very easy to do on my own. The train station was right across from the port. I already had my leap card (ordered ahead and had it shipped) so I swiped right on to the train. I got off at Pearce street and headed over for my book of kells appointment. I was little late because tendering took a little longer than expected when the swells required them to change which side of the ship they used. Being a little late meant I walked right in though. For those doing a hip on hop off there ate pick ups at the Pearce street station drop off. I had prepurchased dodublin tickets so I hopped on a bus and went to the Dublin Castle. The next guided tour was two hours away so I did the self guided tour. My next stop was St. Patrick’s Cathedral. They offered an excellent audio tour that let me go at my own pace. I did a few more hop on hop off stops before getting lunch and stopping by the natural history museum. A couple protests stopped traffic for a while so I finished the day on foot and easily got back to the port by train. For those that want to do the Guinness storehouse get there early. Every bus I was on apologized for running late. A few people missed their slotted times.