Sheltieluv

We chose to eat at King's Court several nights during our transatlantic.   There were several times that the menu in the dining room didn't appeal to us.  We found the food in the buffet to be excellent and enjoyed it very much.  We did leave a note for our waiter and tablemates in Britannia to let them know, so they wouldn't be waiting for us.

Where are the parents of those teenagers?  Spoiled, selfish, rude brats.

Apparently they are just allowed to run loose with no boundaries or rules?!

Typo--"informing " not I forming!☺️

Mgasaway, we did something similar, although we cruised from NYC and flew back from London.   We did not pack formal clothes and understood that we would need to dine at the buffet on formal nights, and wouldn't be attending the shows, etc on those nights.  We were going to be traveling around and simply couldn't justify packing stuff we would only wear once or twice.

As it turned out, we loved the buffet and ate there more than in the dining room.  There were some nights when the dining room menu did not appeal.  And even on formal nights there were passengers in their finery eating in the buffet.  We did not ever feel like we missed out on any aspects of the ship because we didn't pack a dark suit and gown.

We always did leave a note for our waiter and tablemates I forming them of our dining plans so they wouldn't be waiting for us.

Have a great time!

Hello Globaliser,

We haven't decided on a hotel yet.  The Tower,  Westminster Abbey,  and St. Paul's Cathedral are places we want to visit, and maybe a Thames River tour.  And I really want to attend afternoon tea. (My husband,  not so much, but he'll do it for me.😊)  

I have plenty of time to research hotels and activities,  but would welcome suggestions!

The last time we were in London 4 years ago, we splurged and stayed at Hotel 41, which we loved.  But we were only there 2 nights, and for this trip we will in London 5 nights or so, and will need to adjust our hotel budget accordingly.  

We love London and are looking forward to returning.

Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks,  thank you so much for the information.   We may switch hotels the night before we leave for Edinburgh to be closer to Kings Cross so we can explore the area.  Sounds like a lot to see/do in that locale.

Thanks again!

Sheltie

Kings Cross Station is huge!  We plan on traveling with just carry-on luggage so we should be able to manage.

Thanks for sharing the video!

Globaliser, good to know!  Thank you very much for the helpful information.  Much appreciated!

What happens if a train is cancelled at the last minute; for example,  a mechanical problem occurs?  We lose our paid/reserved seat, and just hope for the best on the next available train?   Globaliser, I'm glad arrangements worked out for you, but what if there's no advance notice of a cancellation, i.e, the announced advance notice strike in your case?  

And do cancellations occur often?  That's exactly why we want to try the train rather than fly, to avoid that situation. 

Hello, Turtles 06

That's good advice to try a mock booking for train tickets.   I will be looking at the 3 train websites and see what a booking entails.  

And thank you for the website link.  I will definitely check it out.

I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Very useful information, thank you!  The closest thing we have to mass transit around here is the local school bus, so train travel is all new for these country bumpkins!😉

Thanks to all of you sharing your knowledge and expertise, I now have a much better understanding of what/when/how to plan, and what to expect.  And I'm sure you have helped many others as well.

Hello Bizzie and Simon,  thank you so much for the information and video.  Good advice all around, and I appreciate your taking the time to help.

This is probably a stupid question, but I couldn't tell from watching the video as the trains were usually moving--

When a ticket is purchased, I assume the rail car is noted as well as the seat number assigned.   Is each car numbered on the outside?  I have visions of us stumbling from car to car until we find the right one...

Thanks again, everyone, for your very helpful advice!

Sheltie

Thank you so much for the information!   Train travel sounds so much easier than flying.

I now have a much better understanding of the procedure for traveling by train in the U.K.

Your help is very much appreciated!

Defbref,  thank you for your reply!  Since this will be our first time as train travelers,  any information is valuable.

A couple of questions--

How early is check-in?  

And do we go through security like at the airport, i.e luggage scan, etc?

Thanks again to you, and anyone else, who can help this newbie!

Dear U.K friends,  My husband and I are planning (hoping!) to fly to London and spend a few days, and then take a train up to Edinburgh, either next spring or early fall.  We have wanted to do this for the past 3 years, but Covid postponed that, and now the airlines are such a mess that we will wait yet another year in hopes that things will calm down. 

I have read about the trains that run from London up to Edinburgh--LNER, Avanti, and Lumo.  I'm having a difficult time deciding which one will be best, because the opinions on each line are all over the place (as opinions usually are!), but which one do you think is the most reliable?  While we would like to travel first class, reliability and performance are more important than a cushy seat and a free drink.  Having said that, we have NEVER been on a train, so we'd like a positive, fun, and stress-free experience!

Thank you in advance for any insights and opinions.  I appreciate it!

The two brands that I recall were Fre` and Ariel, but it's been three years since our last cruise, so other brands may be available now.  There was a merlot, chardonnay, white zin,  and red blend.  I'm no wine connoisseur, so I found each of them perfectly acceptable.   But then, I was drinking $.99 Boone's Farm back in college and thought it was great....😉, so I'm probably not the best judge!

BBWC, yes,  Regent does carry alcohol-removed wine.  I remember asking for a bottle for my cabin, and it was always available at the bars and restaurants. After the first couple of nights in Compass Rose, they remembered to bring me some at dinner without my asking. 

I totally agree with Mudhen.  When we did our transatlantic,  the cost of the crossing was close to the cost of flying.  The QM2 had long been a bucket-list item, so the decision to cruise rather than fly was a no-brainer.

We would (and may) do it again!

A few years ago we did a transatlantic from N.Y. to Southampton.  Our plans included a few days in London, and then flew to Ireland for 10 days.  We wanted to keep luggage to a minimum and did not pack any formal evening wear.  We knew we would be restricted to certain areas of the ship in the evening on formal nights and simply ate in the buffet.  We let our waiter in the main dining room, and also our tablemates, know that we would not be with them on those nights.  It was a basic courtesy so they would not be waiting for us.  It worked very well.

We actually enjoyed the food in the buffet more than the dining room.  Lots of choices, and my husband absolutely loved the cheese station!  We even saw several couples in their finery-- gowns and tuxedos--dining in the buffet on formal nights, perhaps because the dining room's menu did not appeal.  So, to each his/her own.  Please don't let the dress code deter you from booking with Cunard.  You don't have to pack glitzy clothes!  Just be aware of the limitations in the evenings and enjoy.  We sure did!

Z, thank you for your service, and Happy Veteran's Day to all who served, including my husband--U.S Marines, Vietnam vet.  Thinking of all of you who sacrificed so much.🇺🇸

That miso-glazed sea bass looks so delicious!   I think it's one of my favorite things to eat on Regent and always hope it will be on the menu.

We were just reliving (through pictures) our cruise from 4 years ago--NYC to Bermuda to Caribbean, ending in Miami.  I can't believe it's been than long.  It was the weekend of the NYC Marathon; didn't know that of course when we booked, but NYC was crazier than usual.  Lots of fun though, even after getting squished on the subway and fighting our way out at our stop amid the throngs of runners who had completed the race.

Glad to hear the bar stools are back open for business!  On that same cruise 4 years ago, there was a guy we nicknamed "Norm" (after the Cheers character) who was always seated at the pool bar, same stool.  Good times.

Continue to enjoy your cruise; thank you for sharing your experience with those who can only travel vicariously at this time!🙂

They also have a variety of alcohol-removed wines available as well.  I remember having a red blend,  chardonnay,  and white zin offered at dinner.  My cabin attendant always made sure I had a bottle of my choice in the room as well.  They will try very hard to fulfill your wishes; there are many of us who can no longer drink, whether by choice or medical/rx restrictions.

Hope you and TB have a wonderful cruise!  Please let us know if there are any familiar faces among the crew.  I recommended Mario to you, oh my goodness it must be over 2 years ago now, and I've wondered if he returned to Regent.   

We don't cruise until next summer,  so I'll be following your reports with great interest.  Enjoy!  

Thanks very much for the information, AussieBoyTX.  I appreciate it!

Thanks, jp, don't go out of your way and if you don't find out about the n/A beer it's ok!  We are looking at Ponant for a possible future cruise; we like the small-ship size.  The ship looks lovely.

Thanks for posting about your journey!

(Btw,  I'm a SUNY Albany grad; didn't have to think about non-alcoholic beer back in those days!)😄