John Bull

I'm a local so I've never used International Friends, but couldn't see anything on 'their website about having to disembark unassisted. Were you perhaps mis-reading "Service also available to passengers on other ships not listed when dates and arrival times coincide with ships listed. Please note you will need to make your own way to the ship we are servicing on that date" Plenty of Cruise Critic members have used International Friends - r perhaps one or two can advise. Certainly they don't want anyone to hold-up the coach. If you have to use it, self-assist is available from about 30 minutes before any assisted passengers are called to disembark, so there's no crowding. Yes, most certainly you can use the ship's elevators, and that's no problem - as long as you're not late, because you'd be mixing it with a lot of unencumbered cruisers. I don't think City Cruise Terminal has elevators, but the walkway has a gentle slope down from the disembarkation point to the terminal - if you've got rolling luggage that's absolutely ideal. There should be no line as such to enter Stonehenge - to avoid long lines by spreading the arrivals, those who make their own way there have to pre-book an arrival slot. Those who buy their tickets thro coach tours - including both International Friends and cruise lines - do not have that restriction, their tickets are "anytime". There may be a line for the transport from the visitor centre to the stones, more especially saturdays & sundays. We've been to Windsor castle a couple of times, no line but I don't recall the time of day or the time of year, so no promises.. JB 🙂

Yes, well worthwhile in those circumstances. You miss only an evening aboard, and get two days in Paris even if you're committed to the same return date. By booking "multi-city" or "open jaw" flights (has to be the same airline or airline alliance) a flight from home to London and a return from Paris costs only the same as return tickets to either.🙂 Most cruise lines allow this by prior agreement. some charge a relatively small fee. But NCL don't permit this 🙁. JB 🙂

Whilst the majority of Cruise Critic's members wouldn't consider flying trans-Atlantic to arrive on sailing day, many man people do and cruise lines offer bus transfers to Southampton from LHR and LGW Your post suggests that your flights are to/from London Gatwick, which has an hourly direct train service from inside Gatwick South terminal to Southampton (except on sundays, when you need a longer and more expensive ride involving a change of train - probably best to book ship's transfer for a sunday). You'd need to decide whether to buy a cheap advance ticket (£6 one-way, only valid for the train time that you book) or buy a ticket on the day at £19. Probably best to buy an advance ticket which allows 90+ minutes from arrival for airport formalities at either terminal, but in the knowledge that a flight or airport delay would mean throwing away that cheap ticket. You also need to keep an eye on https://www.southernrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/planned-engineering-work for any forecast delays or cancellations. Same routine for the return to Gatwick. Unassisted disembarkation (haul your own bags from your cabin) is usually about 7am, first tranche of assisted disembarkation at 7.30 - if you're allocated a later slot you can ask for your slot to be brought forward citing your onward travel arrangements. Disembarkation at Southampton is usually pretty slick, To Southampton Central train station is 5 to 25 minutes depending which cruise terminal and whether you taxi or walk. You probably have ship's transfer buses to fall back on. I used to drive cruise transfer buses, and at the airport cruise line reps would sometimes give me an envelope to hand over at the ship - folk who'd not booked the bus and whose fare would be added to their on-board account. Ships' reps in the Arrivals Hall at both terminals. Cruise lines normally advise not to book their transfer buses to LGW for flights leaving before 1pm or 1.30pm. First buses leave the quay at about 8am drive time 2 to 3 hours. So it's certainly do-able altho there are some small risks. Would I fly trans-Atlantic for a four-day cruise? Not a hope in hell 😮, to me the minimum is 14 days. But I'm not you. JB 🙂

"Tottingham" was a good try, but it's Tottenham Court Road. 😏 (Which incidentally is a couple of miles from Tottenham itself). A good area. The British Museum is 5 minutes walk east, Covent Garden 10 minutes south-east, and Leicester Square , Chinatown, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square are all under 15 minutes south. Farringdon isn't an area that I know, perhaps others can chip in JB 🙂

Hank, you'll never get the chance to watch me drink even a dram of that evil black mud 🥴😀 JB 🙂

That second cruise starts from Tilbury? If so, its a simple train ride from Fenchurch station.. And plenty to see in the area including the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and St Katharine's Dock. South of Fenchurch St station is more interesting than north. Tube station and hoho stop at Tower Hill. But not so easy from LHR. Needs at least one change on the tube - several options where, but because you'll have luggage I'll leave a Londoner to suggest the easiest, though it's also going to depend on the location of your hotel JB 🙂

Hi, Can you please clarify? If "the cruise port" for the sunset cruise is Fira Old Port, where cruisers who aren't on a ship's excursion are tendered, that's brilliant. No need to join a line for the cablecar, just a short walk along the quay from one boat to the other.🙂 But if the sunset cruise goes from a different port getting to or from the tender port is problematic 🙁 JB 🙂

A good summary, but no mention of the zig-zag path from the tender pier up to Fira. Fair enough not to mention walking up the path - only the very fittest would contemplate walking up the path, though those of average or a little below fitness should have no difficulty walking down to get back to the ship. But you can go up the zig-zag path by mule (usually inaccurately called donkeys) which will transport those who aren't significantly over-weight. I don't know the current cost, but it won't be a lot more than the cable-car. There may or may not be a line for the mules, which are located at the bottom of the zig-zag path. Also worth mentioning that unless things have changed there's no water-bus back to the tender pier from Ammoundi (Oia) You clearly know your stuff about private water taxis - is there any reason why they go to Athinios rather than Ammoundi (Oia), which is much more convenient, you'd need a taxi or bus from Athinios, which is tiny and quite remote. JB 🙂

Yes, from the baggage hall passengers pass through customs (usually without having to stop) and emerge in the Arrivals Hall. Reps of the cruise line or their shore agent will be by the travellers' entrance into the Arrival Hall along with private hire drivers & the like - they'll be easy to spot in uniforms and with cruise line placards. At least two of them, one stays in the Hall while the other escorts groups to the coach pick-up point. Easy JB 🙂

"Radio taxis" is the name from decades ago, before many taxis had two-way radio, let alone cell phones Probably all of the Southampton "Hackney Carriage" licensed taxis lined up at the cruise terminals now have card-readers though it's best to double-check before getting in. "Private hire" taxis cannot ply for hire eg cannot park on a taxi rank like at the cruise terminals, or be hailed in the street. They have to be pre-booked though that can be just a minute or two on a phone. Uber are licenced as "private hire" taxis, the Uber system requires payment by card. But I think you have to set up an account with them. I'm a dinosaur, I have neither an Uber account nor a smart-phone, but when sharing an Uber ride with friends no cash is used. Coupled with my own car being only a two-seater, I find evenings out with friends very economical 😀 JB 🙂

Ooops, my bad - I don't know how I managed that, but thanks for the correction. Paddington is very easy by train or tube from LHR and it's a passable location for central London sights but the wrong side of the city for travel to Tilbury by train or by road. Staying on the Elizabeth line to somewhere like Tottenham Court Road or Farringdon tube stations would take you closer to the sights of London and shave about 30 minutes off the road transfer to Tilbury. You'll have no difficulty pre-boking a private transfer to Tilbury. I'm not a Londoner so can't give any recommendations, but google something like "private transfers London to Tilbury". From central London I'll hazard a guess that it should cost in the range of £45 to £60. Be very wary of operators who quote waaay below the norm., and check out independent reviews. Or, more relaxing, consider a private transfer from Heathrow to a hotel like the Orsett Hall, a shortish taxi ride from the port. The driver will probably use the M25 London orbital motorway, taking about 1 hour 15 rather than straight thro London which would take up to 2 hours. Do pre-book. You'll get a fixed price and better value. Hailing a black-cab taxi from the rank or in the street makes life simple for a journey of two or three miles, but for longer journeys it'll cost you an arm and a leg. JB 🙂

Is this an overnight port-of-call or a change from one cruise ship to another? JB 🙂

As peer my answer elsewhere............... No, not risky - no more so than, say, booking a mid-evening flight home after the Princess cruise. If the Princess cruise is between April & October it's unlikely to be delayed by the weather at sea and Southampton is a reliable port, sheltered by the Isle of Wight - one of the reasons why it's so successful. Of course any ship can encounter mechanical issues which might delay it altho getting to the turnaround port on time takes precedence over ports-of-call - but without increasing your concern unnecessarily, where is the first port-of-call for the RCI ship? The UK, or mainland Europe or further afield ? Since this isn't a b2b on the same ship you'll have a gap between when you must disembark Princess & earliest time to register & board RCI - whether you'll have time to explore Southampton may depend on whether you can deposit your bags early at the RCI terminal. RCI's usual terminal (berth 101, City Cruise Terminal) is only a 10 to 15 minute walk from the city centre & the few sights of old-town. No worries JB 🙂

Yes, a point that I've brought up many times on CC when comparing the price of a cruise bought in North America against buying it in the UK, the EU, Aus and probably elsewhere. I'm wary about disagreeing with knowledgeable members like @chengkp75 but I don't believe that where a ship is flagged is relevant, it's where the purchase is made. One reason for higher prices for bookings outside the US is that Brits & others booking in their own country have much greater protection from the stricter consumer laws of those countries, By booking thro a US agent a Brit loses that enhanced protection - comparison of the terms & conditions on US and UK websites is quite revealing. Matters such as weather conditions, industrial action in the ports, and civil unrest are beyond the control of the cruise lines, but changes of itinerary for "operational reasons" or mechanical failure are within their control and therefore their responsibility under UK law. On a cruise which we booked in the UK, when we missed an important Red Sea port-of-call due to a faulty dynamo the cruise line didn't admit liability & offered rather meagre compensation but we stuck out for a more realistic figure. The Cyprus-based cruise line said they'd fight the claim in the Cypriot courts but when told that the claimant had the right to sue in the court of their own country they paid-up. (Yes, we have better legal protection but - like all businesses - cruise lines try to wiggle out of their responsibilities 🙄). JB 🙂

No, not risky - no more so than, say, booking a mid-evening flight home after the Princess cruise. If the Princess cruise is between April & October it's unlikely to be delayed by the weather at sea and Southampton is a reliable port, sheltered by the Isle of Wight - one of the reasons why it's so successful. Of course any ship can encounter mechanical issues which might delay it altho getting to the turnaround port on time takes precedence over ports-of-call - but without increasing your concern unnecessarily, where is the first port-of-call for the RCI ship? The UK, or mainland Europe or further afield ? Since this isn't a b2b on the same ship you'll have a gap between when you must disembark Princess & earliest time to register & board RCI - whether you'll have time to explore Southampton may depend on whether you can deposit your bags early at the RCI terminal. RCI's usual terminal (berth 101, City Cruise Terminal) is only a 10 to 15 minute walk from the city centre & the few sights of old-town. No worries JB 🙂

The simplest - but not necessarily the best - route by public transport from LHR to Tilbury involves one change, as indicated by @Island2Dweller. From LHR take the Elizabeth line Tube to Tower Hill. LHR is the terminus so no difficulty getting seats with your luggage close by although I don't know how crowded it gets during the journey. From Tower Hill tube station it's a walk of a little more than 100 yards to Fenchurch Street train station - again it's the terminus so should be easy getting a seat with your luggage close by. And passengers are likely to thin out during the journey.. There are 4 direct trains per hour to Tilbury (or, as I2D suggested get off at Grays for a short taxi ride to the ship). Train fare £6 pp., journey time about 40 minutes If you want to spend an evening in central London, a hotel near Tower Hill / Fenchurch makes a lot of sense. But if you prefer to get closer to Tilbury (and spend less on a hotel) take the train from Fenchurch Street station as far as Chafford Hundred. Premier Inn Thurrock East is just a half-mile / 10-minute walk from the station (or there's a taxi rank at the station). Premier Inn is a national chain, significantly better than Travelodge, this one is two-storey with a good-value pub/restaurant in the same ownership. And the most comfortable beds in the business.There are a very limited number of other hotels, B&Bs & apartments Across the train line from the station it's a five minute mainly-covered walk to the huge Lakeside indoor shopping complex, where you can blow your entire vacation budget 😄 Next morning, less than 10 minutes on the same train to Grays or Tilbury. Or a 15-minute taxi ride from hotel to ship. Or for something a little more "rural England" the Orsett Hall Hotel which you mentioned (10-minute taxi ride from Tilbury station & same to the ship) or the De Rougemont Manor Hotel near Great Warley, but it's a 15-minute taxi ride from Chafford Hundred station and 20 minutes by taxi to the ship JB

Google is your friend. Not a great view, almost all of the lower half is obstructed by a lifeboat. The obstruction in the top half is almost-certainly a travelling platform for cleaning & maintenance, It might be in the photo by coincidence or that might be its location when not in use. https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/ships/stateroom-details.php?ship=Crown-Princess&cabin=E306 If a view is important it's always wise to pay extra to avoid "obstructed" or "part-obstructed" cabins. JB 🙂

The two main options from Heathrow are the National Express coach service (about £20 pp) or a private transfer (about £140 for a sedan). But there's no need to go via Heathrow, there are 3 to 4 flights daily from Edinburgh direct to Southampton with Loganair JB 🙂

Yes, M-in-M is in the heart of the Cotswolds 🙂. Certainly a choice of hotels, pubs, restaurants, shops etc mainly strung out along the straight main street - originally part of the longest Roman road in England, the Fosse Way. I don't know about local buses & tours, but Cruise Critic has a resident eagle in the Cotswolds, @Cotswold Eagle Instead of a private transfer there's an approximately hourly train direct from M-in-Mto London Paddington, and a short hop from there to LHR by Heathrow Express or the Elizabeth tube line. Or get off the train at Reading for the RailAir bus link to LHR. JB 🙂

Did that trip many years ago while staying in Phuket. Phang Nga is a great bay to explore, full of steep-sided islets, some with a lagoon in the centre. And I vaguely recall a floating fishing village. Folk explore by traditional boats, speedboat or canoes/kayaks. Our speedboat trip ended with time for (shallow) snorkelling on a small low sandy islet. A great day. But to the bones of your question - I don't recall boarding, probably I would if it were very difficult, Your best resource is probably YouTube or dialling "speed boat Phang Nga Bay" itno googleimages and googlevideos. Here's one which includes boarding - looks very easy 🙂 https://www.google.com/search?q=phang+nga+bay+speed+boat&source=lmns&tbm=vid&bih=671&biw=1346&rlz=1C1GEWG_en-GBGB999GB999&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj2kLTP2qCEAxX2WqQEHUQ7A-cQ0pQJKAJ6BAgBEAY#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:0fd9192b,vid:L5rkZ-pK08Q,st:0 JB 🙂

That depends on the distance & transportation between port and place-of-interest. Not sure about Cabo San Lucas (???) But for instance Bangkok is a couple of hours or more from the port at Laem Chabang and no suitable public transport. Staying overnight in Bangkok avoids duplicating the travel time & cost. And gives an evening in the city - something not usually possible on cruises. Much the same for HaLong Bai to Hanoi, Phu My to Saigon, Ashdod to Jerusalem, Safaga to Luxor and a few dozen other places in the world. JB 🙂

International Friends coach tour-transfer is effectively a transfer from your cruise terminal to Heathrow (or central London) hotels via an interesting day out in the Cotswolds. It's not in-depth, you'll have a little over 5 hrs in the Cotswolds but it will certainly give you a flavour. It's by far the simplest and most cost-effective option. If you want to add post-cruise days in central London the cost of that tour-transfer is the same. If you want to add post-cruise time based in Southampton, there are lots of day-trip options to a selection of destinations by train or ferry or private tour or by rented car, possibly a local operator's excursion coach. You can book with International Friends as if from another ship arriving a day or two later, provided that there's a ship served by International Friends arriving on a suitable date and you make your own way to that ship's cruise terminal https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/ ...................................................................... A private 2 - 3 day tour from Southampton would be seriously expensive, would include overnight accommodation for the driver, and would need a Southampton driver who knows enough about the Cotswolds to provide interesting routes and give you some background.. If you want to spend a few days in the Cotswolds probably the sensible way to go about it is to take a train from Southampton to a location in or on the borders of the Cotswolds, with one or two days booked with a local driver, then train to LHR. Simplest would be a direct train from Southampton Central to Bath Spa, about 90 minutes, from £13 pp advance ticket. Bath is an attractive destination in its own right, with Roman baths, Jane Austen connections & Georgian architecture, and it's on the fringe of the Cotswolds. It attracts visitors from all over the world so you should find day-trip coach excursions from there to the Cotswolds or private transfer operators who can tailor-make day-trips. Then fast direct trains from Bath to London and an easy change to LHR. Other bases in the Cotswolds like Stow-on-the-Wold or Moreton-in-Marsh, or just north of the Cotswolds in Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon would be better-located than Bath, but involve tedious changes of trains. https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ If you want to push the boat out, you could make one or both of those train journeys by private transfer. Or if you're happy driving England's roads rent a car in Southampton, go wherever you want, and drop the car at LHR. Helpful ? ............ or confusing ? 🙄 You decide 😏 JB 🙂

Port website says Anthem at berth 101, City cruise terminal, as usual. And QM2 at berth 106, Mayflower cruise terminal, on dates which coincide with Anthem. Both in the western docks, just Horizons terminal between them. Unless you're taking the kitchen sink it's easily walkable. https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/ Your problem may be being kicked off Anthem an hour or two before you can register to board QM2, but you might be able to get shot of your checked luggage. JB 🙂

To get the correct up-to-date answer from the horse's mouth it's best to e-mail the Gib Taxi Assoc. at info@gibraltartaxiassociation.com Mention that you're on a cruise ship port-of-call Their website website https://gtagibraltartours.com/ If you use cash, everywhere on Gib. including taxis & tours accepts euros as well as UK £ and Gib £ (those two at equal value) and certainly shops, pubs, cafes etc accept Visa & Mastercard plastic. Don't rely on Amex or Diners. As elsewhere in the world, decline any offer to convert the charge to the currency of your card, keep it in local currency - your card issuer will always give you best exchange rate. There will be taxis & vans at the cruise terminal lined-up for the standard Upper Rock tour at a set price (around £50 pp ? or equiv euros incl all admission charges). Get off the ship around the front of the herd and the taxi marshal will get you into a shared vehicle and away in double-quick time. Don't leave it too late, it may be difficult for the taxi marshal to find sharers or the taxis will have deserted the cruise terminal in favour of finding trade elsewhere. And don't rely on finding a tour in town - again the problem of finding sharers. Tour takes 2 hrs+ with stops of about the right length of time for most folk. At the end of the tour you can ask to be taken back to the ship or dropped at Casemates Square, at the bottom (northern) end of Main Street. Depending on time, most (all ?) folk get out at Casemates Sq to wander the town's minor sights, shops, pubs & cafes. From there it's a 20 minute walk back to the ship. If you want a more-extensive tour, best to pre-book a taxi or van altho you can negotiate with the driver for an extended tour at the end. JB 🙂

I remember that episode 🤣🤣🤣 JB 🙂