cruisinqt

Thanks I didn’t know Windsor castle was further away. Yeah the hotels in the Hyde Park area were a bit cheaper but after further investigation they have mixed reviews so with you saying it’s further away I’ll pass on them. So that narrows it down to just 2 hotels, thanks.

This is our first visit to London so we are looking at the the main stuff everyone wants to see when they first go there. Like Buckingham Palace, Windsor castle, taking a boat ride on the Thames, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of london, having a nice meal at a local pub, and seeing a show at the theater. I know all of those things aren’t together in the same spot but as long as I’m kind of in the middle of things where I can hop on the tube or a bus and get there in a decent amount of time I’m good. I just don’t want to be off in the outskirts away from the main attractions taking forever to get there.

I’ve been looking for a decent hotel in a safe area of London close to all of the sights with transportation nearby (we aren’t renting a car). I’m not wanting anything super expensive but I don’t want a dump either. I had almost decided on the Premier Inn in Waterloo since it’s reasonably priced and a great location. But first I decided to check my Hilton app and see how many points I have and if they had any good deals. Well I’m seeing some pretty good deals but they’re not in Waterloo (which is an area I researched a lot) so I’m unsure if the new locations I’m considering are good ones. I’m looking at one hotel in Victoria (Hilton Doubletree), one in Westminster (Westminster London Curio Collection), and 2 in Hyde Park (a Hilton & a Doubletree) between Paddington and Knotting Hill right next to Hyde Park. Are these good hotels in safe areas close to all the sights with transportation nearby? If it were you which one would you choose? Or would you just stick with the Premier Inn?

That’s good to know. I had knee surgery a while back and steps may bother my knees after walking around London sightseeing. Thanks

I use VRBO all the time here in the USA and love them. I’m a little concerned about staying in someone’s home in another country though. Homes are usually in residential areas where you need a car to get around and we don’t plan on renting a car. London has so many different ways of getting around that’s really cheap so we plan on using them instead.

Thanks for the link. The prices aren’t too bad and more what I’m looking for. But I have a question. There seems to be several Premier Inns and everyone recommends a different one. There’s Premier Inn Westminster, the Premier Inn Waterloo, the Premier Inn Kings Cross, the Premier Inn St Pancras, etc. If it were you and you were choosing a Premier Inn, which one would you choose to stay in?

That sounds like a great idea, thanks.

That’s something I’ll definitely be using. Thanks for the info.

We are doing Quantam of the Seas with Royal because we have 2 daughters and we know they want young fun stuff to do. Quantam has laser tag, bumper cars, the flowrider, an escape room, a rock climbing wall, a skydiving simulator and a fully enclosed pool. Plus there are lots of specialty restaurants they’ll enjoy like Johnny Rocket’s where they can get cheeseburgers and milkshakes. I think your grandson would enjoy a ship like this.

Same here the wait was never over 10 minutes and that was during peak dinner times too. We’ve found YTD to be consistently faster than the MDR on our past 3 sailings (Horizon, Mardi Gras, Panorama). And if you get a great waiter you can ask to be seated at his table every night. That way you have the same MDR waitstaff throughout the cruise, just like with the fixed dining. I like it better because I can eat when I’m actually hungry, not when I’m told it’s time to eat.

Yeah things aren’t super cold if you don’t do something about it. Keeping the cabinet door wide open and pulling the fridge out away from the back wall helped a lot. It needs better air circulation in order to work properly. Ours worked much better when we did that. Having them bring ice is a good idea.

I guess I should have clarified. When I said Java Cafe was on those specific ships I meant those were the ships it was on so he could go from there and do his research as to the exact location.

Java Cafe is on the Celebration, Mardi Gras, Horizon, Panorama, Vista, Elation, Glory, Luminosa, Sunshine, Sunrise, Miracle, Radiance, Splendor and soon to be on the new Jubilee.

For water you can order a 12 pack of bottled water for $9.95 ahead of time. It will be in your cabin when you arrive. But yes there are places to fill up with water. What I do is keep the empty water bottles and fill them with lemonade at the lido and juice at breakfast time and put them in the cabin fridge. I also collect a few extra mini chocolate milks at breakfast and store them in the fridge too. I like to have something to drink on hand in my cabin when I first wake up or when I’m chilling in my room trying to wind down enough to go to sleep. There are other things you’ll enjoy like free soft serve ice cream machines in the lido, Guy Fieri’s burgers, and the Punchliner Comedy Club (the late night adult comedy is especially good).

I agree wholeheartedly. Sounds like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed because the Excel class is the best of the fleet in my opinion. And how could they say it isn’t a family ship? It’s main show is circus themed with big tops, clowns, and acrobats. Then there’s build-a-bear workshop, green eggs & ham character breakfast, summers landing with free ice cream foosball & a pool, a full sized mini golf course, a roller coaster, and a ropes course. How much kid friendly stuff does this cruiser require to consider a ship a family friendly ship? I personally saw 2 different Dr Seuss parades and the kids faces were beaming. It made me wish my kids were still little just so they could enjoy it too. Don’t listen to that cruisers advice he’s wrong. It’s a very family friendly ship and you’d love it.

Thanks that’s good to know 👍🏻

You could call Carnival and see if they can book it under her name for you. But don’t wait till tomorrow when the offer expires because they won’t honor it.

If it was Carnivals fault you might have a chance of being compensated in someway. But since this is weather related and not Carnival’s fault, just like the airlines, it will be up to you to rebook airfare and possibly find a hotel if needed unless you booked your return flight with them.

Oh yes the Excel class (Mardi Gras, Celebration, Jubilee) have the biggest casinos I’ve ever been in on a cruise ship. On the Mardi Gras I actually got lost in the casino which was a first for me.

We’ve been cruising for over 20 years with various lines like Princess, Royal, Hal, Norwegian, and Carnival. I’ve never done Celebrity but I’ve compared Carnival to many other lines and they along with Royal tend to be my favorite. Ignore the “Walmart of the sea” stuff you hear. It’s not true. If you’ll look at their signatures you’ll notice that the people saying that stuff have never even cruised with Carnival before. CC is full of cruise snobs loyal to one or two cruise lines who like to put down all other cruise lines then praise theirs. My biggest complaint about the higher end cruise lines is the much higher median age of the cruisers which makes a big difference in what activities are offered. On Hal and Princess there was ballroom dance classes, daily lectures, and dinner time was a very formal affair every night. I enjoyed them a lot but it was a much more laidback relaxed pace. I know that’s not a bad thing but it’s just not what I’m looking for. I may be in my 50’s but I’m still very active and like to keep busy. With Carnival the daily activities are a bit more playful and fun. They have Deal or No Deal and pick contestants from the audience to win prizes. Then there’s a live Family Feud show that uses passengers as contestants too which is always hilarious. The Celebration has a huge big top circus with tents and acrobats that’s being touted as one of the best shows Carnival has so definitely don’t miss that. But overall Carnival has a younger crowd with activities more geared towards things that interest younger people. Definitely do the comedy shows too. They bring in professional comedians that are really funny. They even have late night adult comedy after 11 which is a favorite of mine. You should also try out the spa if you’re a spa person. You can buy a “thermal suites” pass online ahead of time. For about $149-$159 you can get a week long unlimited pass to use the thermal suites. This includes use of the hot bubbly therapy pool (like a huge oversized hot tub), the steam rooms, the saunas, the waterfall showers to rinse off in, and the heated marble loungers. Some of my best naps ever were in those heated marble loungers after a long soak in the therapy pool. Oh and the spa is 18 and over only so it’s very peaceful and relaxing there. I’d also highly recommend Emeril’s Bistro (by Emeril Lagasse). The food is top notch and those beignets are to die for. Also try out Rudi’s Seafood Grill by Rudi Sodamin. Guy Fieri has a great burger place and bbq joint that shouldn’t be missed either. While at the bbq place check out the microbrewery. The beer sampler is awesome and a great way to figure out which beer is your favorite. My husband always does the brewery tour, it’s not my kind of thing but he loves it. I think you’ll be very surprised with what Carnival has to offer. It’s not elegant and regal like the higher end lines. But it’s not a Walmart of the seas filled with rowdy drunks either. It’s a ship with a younger crowd with more lively activities planned. But there’s also higher end specialty restaurants, a great spa and the adults only serenity area with its fresh made to order salads that appeals to the more sophisticated crowds.

Yeah I’m hearing a lot of that. I’ve never been on a Carnival or Royal cruise that was all older folks but I’m prepared. We will enjoy ourselves either way. At least this is a bigger ship with more amenities to enjoy so that will keep me busy.

Wow what a great video! Thanks I loved it!

Oh those sights are exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

Well I’ll definitely be watching those videos. I hadn’t thought about losing a credit card overseas, that’s a good point. Thanks.

I always forget that feature. I’m an avid book reader so I tend to jump right into reading about things. But I’m getting better about clicking on “images” and “videos” now. I just forget they’re there lol.