John Bull

Usually Syntagma Square - between the Parliament and The Plaka. The National Gardens is a 6 minutes walk, Lycabettus Hill in the opposite direction, a 15-20 min walk. JB 🙂

Torquay harbour is way too small for even the smallest cruise ships. I don't know where tenders offload, I suspect it's Beacon Quay/Haldon Pier, which is at one end of the touristy bit, with cafes & attractions right by. Torquay is a Victorian seaside resort town, close to the harbour and pleasant enough on foot but many of Torbay's attractions are too far to walk Babbacombe Model Village & cliff railway are two miles. Or Torre Abbey is about a mile / 20 minute walk. Or a mile further is the historic hamlet of Cockington (I remember Cockington Forge from when I was a nipper) - a 20 minute walk from the bus route. Torbay has three resorts, the other two are Paignton (3.5 miles)is a much more bucket-and-spade and kiss-me-quick hats resort than Torquay, but there's an excellent steam train + River Dart cruise from Paignton station https://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/tickets/steam-cruise Brixham (9 miles). A delightful fishing village, though tourism is now much more important. https://www.englishriviera.co.uk/things-to-do I'm not a local & don't know the local buses, but they are excellent - for instance they run every ten minutes between Torquay & Paignton (15 minute journey) & Brixham (a further 15 to 20 minutes) https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-west/discover-torbay-by-bus JB 🙂

Premier Inn Dover Central (linked to excellent pub / restaurant) and Best Western Plus Dover Marina are both on the waterfront. Best Western a 15 min walk from the cruise terminal, Premier Inn 20 mins. We've stayed at that Premier Inn, excellent budget+, There's also a Travelodge on the other side of the main docks road. JB 🙂

NOW you tell me 😄 Haifa rail station was very handy to the port, the train was cheap, comfortable, frequent and quick.🙂 But Akko station was quite a hike from the citadel.😟 JB 🙂

As illegal immigration and the movements of terrorists, criminals & undesirables have increased over the years & decades, countries have been strengthening their gates. Visas were to be required for many more countries But the US and then the EU and in due course the UK felt that for nationals of selected countries a simpler, cheaper and faster safeguard would be appropriate - what they have all chosen to call a "visa-waiver". Since they have many of the hallmarks of a visa, I don't chide folk who refer to ESTA or ETIAS "visas", but the governments call them visa-waivers. But if you're right, my feathered friend, you'd best tell US Homeland Security and the European Union. And mebbe forewarn HMG not to make the same mistake 😉 https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-waiver-program/ https://www.etias.info/ https://www.etiasvisa.com/ https://www.etiasvisa.com/etias-requirements/uk-citizens etc ad infinitum JB 🙂

The US ESTA - and when they are implemented - the EU ETIAS and the UK equivalent are "visa waivers" and affect visitors who do not currently need a "proper" visa. Visitors to the UK from some countries have for some time needed need a tourist visa, work visa, etc., and the same applies to those entering the USA, the EU, and most other countries. That will not change, they will still need a proper visa. Covid has delayed implementation of EU and UK visa-wavers, the EU is planning to introduce the need in May next year and the UK in 2024. When introduced they will be 🤞 as simple as visitors to the US getting their ESTA. On-line application to the official site (avoid the scammers who currently try to pass themselves off as part of Homeland Security and charge a fee), acceptance in seconds for most or a few days for some (happened to me, apparently name similar to a felon). then you can print it off. And, as is the case with ESTAs, theoretically no need to carry a copy cos technology links it to your passport. (Technophobes like JB carry hard copies of such things.) More detail at https://traveltomorrow.com/eu-travelers-will-need-to-apply-apply-for-permission-to-travel-before-entering-the-uk/?fbclid=IwAR3i3wMAOM5ssVQLixHc2o01enBx_ffstCT5E_hQ0nr-ni0NzgLwHC-y-d8 (article based on travellers from the EU, but applies to all.) JB 🙂

We had a port of call in Trieste. Croatian tourist tax added to our shipboard account. Under £2, equivalent to a couple of dollars or thereabouts.. Didn't bankrupt us 😉 JB 🙂

We use https://www.skyscanner.net/ , an excellent resource. Or ask over on Cruise Critic's cruise air forum https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/77-cruise-air/ JB 🙂

The route isn't on the way to the ferryport. And it's not affected by the usual truck & car snarl-ups - but they have been major over the past 2 - 3 days, so side roads may have been affected. If a walk is needed, it's more like 1 1/4 miles, 25 - 30 minutes. Simple route, all on sidewalks, no major up-hills. Not a great way to arrive, but no fear of missing the ship. This seems to have been French immigration (on English soil for the short sea-crossing) getting caught-out by post-Brexit passport paperwork on traditionally the busiest weekend of the year. Had it not been for Covid this problem would have surfaced two years ago. But the traffic lines had already subsided today (sunday) I doubt you'll have a problem, but not the end of the world if you do. 🙂 JB 🙂

Ports-of-call, please. And anything else relevant, such as ship's hours in each port, number & mobility of your group. A few points ..... We found Kuala Lumpur pretty boring. There's the magnificent Petronas Towers, and ........ errrrr ...ummmmm .... give me a minute ..... Nope - just the Petronas Towers. But the east coast is waaay more interesting. Bangkok is brilliant - lots of sights, busy busy markets, long-tail boat trips along the river and thro the klongs (canals), etc. But apart from small ones, cruise ships port 2 to 3 hours away in Laem Chabang. If the ship overnites it's worth a hotel in the city - saves double-travelling & gives you the evening in Bangkok. If the ship is in Laem Chabang for just a one-day visit, that's just not long enough. Bali is great, Buddhist rather than Muslim, very religious, very friendly,, very different to the other Indonesian islands. The craft villages of Ubud are well worth a visit, as is the adjacent monkey sanctuary where you wander amongst the residents. JB 🙂

Pre-pandemic there were direct Nat Express buses (under 3 hrs) and hourly trains (2 hrs) from Southampton to Gatwick. Travel restrictions and reluctance to travel decimated passenger numbers and skeleton timetables were introduced. National Express cancelled the Gatwick service so, as you've found, it's a bus to Heathrow and a change of coach there for Gatwick. That's still the case, but other Nat Express services have been reinstated and closer to your travel date that may be the case for Southampton to Gatwick . The direct hourly train service Southampton to Gatwick (station is inside the South Terminal) has been reinstated - travel time 2 hours, advance fares as low as £12.50. But not on sundays - there's never been a direct service on sundays. Cabs are available from the ranks at both the cruise terminal and Gatwick airport. They're metered and expensive per mile. That's trivial for the short distance from cruise terminal to Southampton central station, or from Gatwick airport to a Gatwick hotel. Yes, you can take a cab for the whole 90 mile to Gatwick from the rank at the cruise terminal but a whole host of us have always strongly advised against it It's a very expensive way to do it, and even if you haggled a fixed price I reckon it'd be around 50% to 100% higher than a pre-booked private hire car, and for good reason.. When a Southampton cab is taken from the rank to Gatwick he has no passenger for his return to Southampton and is not permitted to join a Gatwick rank or tout for business in Gatwick, so his return to Southampton is "empty mileage", By contrast when a pre-booked private hire car is booked to Gatwick they can usually allocate the car for a suitably-timed passenger returning from Gatwick. And cab drivers don't have to accept fares outside their catchment area - they may have other local bookings or personal appointments for the day or simply want to stay local. So you'll have to walk along the line looking for a driver wiling to take you and at a fare that you're willing to pay. So if you want a sensibly priced, seamless, & hassle-free drive pre-book a fixed price private transfer with a local operator like https://westquaycars.com/ or https://aquacars.co.uk/ JB 🙂

Very unlikely mum, because altho certainly consumer rights are much greater for those who book from the UK or EU than for those who book from the US of A, they don't extend to circumstances beyond the control of the cruise line. So for instance, if a cruiseline cancels in order to switch to a more-lucrative charter of the entire ship (I hear that happens in the US from time to time), or foreshortens a cruise to bring forward an upcoming dry-dock booking (happened to a NCL cruise), or due to a mechanical issue or industrial action by the crew, those things are the responsibility of the cruiseline, and under UK or EU law they are obliged to compensate. But cancellations due to sea conditions, civil unrest, industrial action by port workers, pandemics etc, are outside the cruiseline's control and there's no obligation to compensate - passengers need to check their travel insurance to see if they're covered. Same as if the ship diverts to go to the aid of another vessel, under the convention of SOLAS - I'll hazard a guess that includes the welfare of one of the ship's own sick or injured passengers or crew, no doubt Cheng will tell me if I've got that wrong 😉 JB 🙂

For clarity, this is the Southampton Harbour Hotel https://www.harbourhotels.co.uk/southampton The only major 5* hotel in the city (others in the countryside around). Has the footprint of a cruise ship, high standards but by far the most expensive hotel in the city (best my wallet could afford was a sunday roast lunch, which was excellent). Not to be confused with what until a few years ago was called the Grand Harbour Hotel (now Leonardo Royal Grand Harbour) which is close to City cruise terminal & the city centre. Also has panoramic views over Southampton Water. Not as good, not as expensive. https://www.jurysinns.com/hotels/southampton/leonardo-grand-harbour (an added confusion - it's in the Jury's Inn Group, but the "Jury's Inn" is a different Southampton hotel, in the city centre but not convenient for cruisers.) JB 🙂

You should have no problem catching the 8.45, altho you'd need either to disembark unassisted (haul your own bags from your cabin) from about 7am or have an early (7.30 to 8am) disembarkation slot - if you're allocated a later slot just ask at Guest Relations for 7.30 to 8 slot, citing your onward transport. The coach station is a three-minute taxi hop or a 15 - 20 minute walk from your cruise terminal. There's a taxi rank at the terminal and at that time in the morning, despite Anthem's size, little likelihood of having to wait for a taxi. If you choose to play it ultra-safe & book the 11.20, you'll probably be thrown off the ship by 10am. That might be after the taxis have deserted the terminal, but by 11am (probably earlier) there'll be taxis arriving to drop off new cruisers. Or 10am to 11.20 gives you 80 minutes to walk less than a mile. JB 🙂

Each to their own, matey. Although have you actually sailed Marella? We've sailed them a dozen or so times - perhaps because our priorities are itinerary and cost, not the best cruise line, but always friendly and never had a bad experience with them. JB 🙂

Yes, of course. But for silky-smooth transfers direct to the Caribbean rather than the hubbub of a Florida airport a day's sailing to & from the Caribbean and being kicked off the ship with our luggage at 9am when flights back to Blighty are in the evening, plus all the other advantages, I'm happy to sail P&O (as have you). And for the right price and their unusual itineraries (including Cuba overnite and Cartagena and Panama and Costa Rica and Grand Caymen all on one cruise) as well as the afore-mentioned advantages I've happily sailed with Marella too. Try booking Havana out of Florida 🥴 And there are plenty of opportunities to sample US ships sailing out of the UK, as we've done. JB 🙂

Somewhere broadly between Nyhavn & Tivoli would be ideal - and close to the waterfront is more attractive and adds the waterbus to your local transportation options https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/harbour-bus-gdk447302 Cards are very widely accepted in Denmark & Norway, even for a beer or a coffee. Just be sure that your card is charged in local currency, not CAD - that way you'll know that the charge is the same as the check, and you won't be ripped-off by the vendor's exchange rate. If you don't have a card with no foreign transaction fee, consider getting one - especially if you're planning any future foreign travel. But do get some local shrapnel. There's a comfort in having mebbe 30 to 50 CAD-worth for the rare occasions when a card is no good, and you can use them up on your last day or two. Certainly a lot of outlets - esp. in Copenhagen - accept euros, but the rate will be lousy. Or if the ship is in Europe for the season use them for any tips on the ship. Not a great use of euros, but better than having them gathering dust at home JB 🙂

It's not just that the P&O and Marella (and sometimes Fred Olsen) flights are direct, Idubs. It's that they're chartered fly/cruise packages - everyone on the aircraft is on the cruise (or in the case of Marella, accommodation in their destination resort) As well as the advantages that Jo & I have already mentioned, that means that if either the flight or the cruise can't go ahead the cruise line is responsible for both. No cruise line has left behind 300 passengers because their package flight was late.😉 When we book flights & cruise separately (which for scheduled flights is more flexible and usually cheaper) there's always the risk of missing the cruise if the flight is delayed or cancelled, or hunting for a week or two's accommodation in some god-forsaken port because the cruise is cancelled - we've yet to test whether travel insurance covers that. And the cruise pricing process in the UK means that prices can drop or increase dramatically in the last 6 weeks. Unless you want a specific cruise or need a specific date late-booking can mean great bargains, but if it involves flying to the embarkation port the savings of a late-booked cruise are nullified by expensive late-booked flights. But seats on a chartered flight can't be sold separately like scheduled flights. So a cheap cruise is a cheap fly-cruise, and the only risk is the flight availability from a convenient UK regional airport. Just so many advantages of a chartered fly-cruise - I don't understand why some Brits cruise the Caribbean out of Florida ports. JB 🙂

The tour/transfer offered by Viator (a booking agency, not a tour operator) looks to be the one that I linked - operated by International Friends, a long-established & reputable coach tour operator. https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/transfer-from-london-heathrow-to-dover-with-optional-dover-castle.html It's almost-always better to book direct with a operator rather than an agency - one less link in the chain. The operator's website is also a little cheaper. Neither headline price includes admission to the castle altho you can buy castle tickets with an International Friends transfer. But more importantly, the tour-transfer only operates on sailing day, and there are two downsides - for Sunny the arrival day would be spent in airport-land. - for both Sunny and Tigger, the time at Dover Castle is foreshortened by the need to arrive at the cruise terminal in good time to register, which could be as early as 3.00pm depending on the ship and scheduled sailing time https://www.doverport.co.uk/cruise/find-a-cruise/ I agree with alidor. Sunny is not planning to spend pre-cruise time in London, hence the advice to avoid the grief of travelling thro central London by booking a private transfer from LHR to Dover. But for those who'll be visiting central London, direct trains to Dover from several stations including Victoria, St Pancras, Charing Cross & Waterloo East, or even the direct Nat Express bus from Victoria, are quick and inexpensive. https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/ (destination station is Dover Priory) https://www.nationalexpress.com/en https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/?utm_campaign=aka_dover_castle_21 Drop your luggage at the cruise terminal or Dover hotel, and taxi to Dover Castle. Tigger could even travel to Dover the previous evening after a day in London - a cheaper hotel room than central London, and at the castle at opening time (usually 10am) on sailing day. Just MHO as always JB 🙂

Hi Stacey, Easiest and cheapest, but not quickest, is the direct bus service https://www.nationalexpress.com/en The London terminus of the bus is Victoria Coach Station - like Reubens at the Palace it's on Buckingham Palace Road and a simple flat & direct 10-minute walk (or very short taxi hop) to the hotel. The 09.50 would suit, or the 08.45 if you can get an early disembarkation slot, but for either you are very strongly advised to book because the buses don't have elastic sides. Nat. Express fare is about £20 per person, book the golf clubs as extra baggage, journey time 2 hrs 30 mins. Driver loads & unloads. In the UK & in Europe generally, public transport - including buses - is used by people from all walks of life, buses are comfortable and have bathrooms & free wifi. Most train services from Southampton to London go to London Waterloo station, about 90 minutes. But that means travelling by tube (not ideal with luggage) or a £15 - £20 taxi hop from Waterloo to the hotel. Fare £21 if booked in advance (only good for the train time that you select), walk-up fare £41 Or there's an hourly train service to London Victoria train station, just a 5-minute walk to the hotel, but that train takes a convoluted route and the journey time is 2hrs 30 mins. Fare £21. All of the above have direct services, there are other options which involve a change of train but I suggest you avoid that complication. You'll need to haul bags yourselves, tho there's no high step between platform & train. Be aware that there is an industrial dispute with train drivers, there have been a few days when they've been on strike and that may continue. There are no "wildcat" strikes in the UK, they have to be voted by union members and advised to the public in advance. If you choose to go by train, do check for industrial action - and any strike days have a knock-on effect on the following day's trains. https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/ If you go by Nat Express or train you'll need a taxi hop from the rank at the cruise terminal to the bus or train station. About £7. Many cruise lines - including Princess - offer ship's transfer buses from the cruise terminal to Victoria Coach Station (same place as the Nat Express buses). Very poor value compared to Nat Express for almost the same service even though no taxi hop is needed and no charge for the golf clubs, but some folk prefer the comfort of booking with the cruise line. A private transfer would cost mebbe £170 - £200. Best bet is either Nat Express or ship's transfer to Victoria coach station. JB 🙂

Ooops, I made an obvious typo.🙄 Don't ask H.I. to call you a cab - firstly you're staying at the Moxy, secondly by the time you get to H.I. you're almost there. Not my fault - brain unavoidably fried by 97degreesF. 🥴 JB 🙂

As per Bob's post, public transport means LHR into central London, then central London to Dover. By National Express bus that means switching buses at central London's Victoria coach station but by train it means crossing central London from one station to the other. By either it's a long and tedious affair. If you're planning to spend time in central London, that's fine. But to simply get from LHR (or LGW) to Dover it's best to travel direct by pre-booked private transport or (and it's rare that I advise this) by ship's transfer bus. For you, ship's transfer bus is out, because they only operate on sailing day. I'm out of date on private transfer rates, but I'll hazard a guess at £130 to £150. Try https://www.blackberrycars.com/ (based at the LHR end) or https://doverroyaltaxis.com/ or https://www.centraltaxidover.co.uk/ or http://www.county-taxis.co.uk/ or http://www.folkestonetaxi.com/ all based at the Dover end. The only other option I can think of is to overnight at an LHR hotel and book a tour-transfer wich includes a visit to either Leeds Castle or Dover Castle https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/dover_from_london_bus.html or ship's shuttle (I think you have to make your way from your LHR hotel to an airport terminal to catch ship's bus). Personally, I'd book a central Dover hotel (eg Best Western or Premier Inn) and a private transfer. Mebbe drop your luggage at the hotel & get the driver to drop you at Dover Castle - a very well-worthwhile visit JB 🙂

No corrections from me - go to the top of the class & collect a gold star 🙂 I don't have first-hand knowledge of either, but both are pretty good locations. Both are less than a five-minute walk from a tube station (and both tube stations have more than one line), Blackfriars is a three minute walk from a main ho-ho route & Waterloo is actually on a ho-ho route. Yes, the river tour boats call at both ends of Westminster Bridge, unless things have changed. Premier Inn Waterloo is the more convenient. And a 3-minute walk to Waterloo train station if your cruise is from Southampton (two minutes further to Waterloo East station if cruising from Dover). Biggest advantage of Waterloo is the number of sights that are walkable - London Eye and river cruises almost on your doorstep, over Westminster Bridge to Big Ben & Westminster Abbey then up Whitehall past sights which come thick-and-fast - Churchill's War Rooms, the Cenotaph, Downing Street, Horse Guards Parade, Banqueting Hall (the last remaining part of the original Palace of Whitehall), the original Scotland Yard & other sights to Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields, and Admiralty Arch which is at the top of The Mall. Many events & Royal processions (like this year's Platinum Jubilee) go down the Mall to Buckingham House. This route from Premier Inn Waterloo to Trafalgar Square is just a mile - theoretically a 20 minute walk, but with the number of sights you might want to spread that over two days. And a pleasant evening riverside stroll along the South Bank, perhaps as far as the Tate Modern (ugly building) and Shakespeare's Globe. About 25 minutes e/w with plenty of watering holes & restaurants. half-hourly direct trains from Waterloo station to Windsor & Eton Riverside (50 minutes, about £14return). The station in Windsor is a five minute walk from Windsor Castle And half-hourly direct trains to Hampton Court station (35 minute journey, £14 return), a five min. walk over the river to Henry V111's Hampton Court Palace. All of which is all a long-winded way of saying I'd choose Premier Inn Waterloo. (And well done for the foresight to book options before recent price hikes. ) https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/ https://tfl.gov.uk/tfl/syndication/widgets/tubemap/default-search.html (don't bother to print-off - tube maps on all tourist maps, in hotels, at stations etc) https://www.londontoolkit.com/ Very useful for London Logistics, etc (just don't book their car / van transfers -very expensive, but someone's gotta pay for the website 😉) JB 🙂

When you're there you'll realise why there are no shuttlebuses to the upper part of old town😉 The idea of transport to the top of old town then walking down is very sound, but it needs a taxi or small van - Hal2008's RideShare makes sense. From the cruise berths the nearest part of old town, a tower with the unflattering name of Fat Margaret, is only a 15-minute level walk, then a gentle 10 minute stroll to the centre of the old part. The upper part of old town is only about 10 minutes beyond, but that can't be described as a "gentle stroll". 😮 😄 JB 🙂

Now five cruise terminals, Aulanis. The new "Horizon" Cruise terminal (still shown as the Fruit Terminal in the linked map 🙄) is between City and Mayflower terminals in what are called the New Docks or Western Docks. https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/admin/content/files/PDF_Downloads/Southampton Map 2014.pdf If Dastardley (and Mutt? 😉) don't know which terminal, the cruise schedule is at https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/ For reference, "Eastern Docks" includes QE 11 Cruise Terminal and Ocean Cruise Terminal. That bus (No U1C) is to serve the Oceanography Centre (part of Southampton University) - yes it can be used by the public, yes it's sensibly walkable to Ocean Terminal from the stop in Town Quay altho' few do. But QE 11 Terminal is deep in the docks - yes, about a mile from the bus stop & more importantly the docks road to it is busy with truck traffic and much of it has no separate pavement. Same bus can be used for the other cruise terminals. Cheap & very frequent, but involves a taxi hop from either the train station or West Quay. And slow - it goes via university campuses & takes close to an hour. https://www.unilinkbus.co.uk/services/UNIL/U1C There's also the option of the train from Southampton Airport / Parkway to Southampton central station. Fast (about ten mins), again cheap & frequent, but then a taxi to the cruise terminals which wipes most of the savings. Yes, taxis from the cruise terminals are metered. I don't know about those from the airport. Gridlock is a risk, but usually limited to saturdays. JB 🙂