John Bull

Senor Frog's is a phrase I've seen time and again - and I don't know whether it's a particularly popular actual bar owned by Senor Frog, or a euphemism for any bar where customers over-indulge. Any answers? JB 🙂

Halfway round the world to Australia, same as Bruce (but probably in the opposite direction). But for anything like that distance I cant imagine anyone goes from airport to ship, then ship back to airport. We had stop-overs in Kuala Lumpar, a New South Wales road-trip before the cruise and a few days in Sydney post-cruise. JB 🙂

As per Globaliser's post, "black cab" drivers are obliged to take you regardless of how short the distance. There's a minimum charge of about £4. Then a combination of distance & time - so it's not possible to give an accurate figure in advance because it depends on traffic conditions, but probably about £6 total. Poor value, but probably well worth it if you have luggage. I suggest that you comply with the boss's assessment that you take a cab - ' cos if you don't, you'll be the one lugging all the bags 🙃 JB 🙂

Hi again, Gloria. Yes, the British Isles cruise or the English Odyssey will give you a taste of the UK. You might have an opportunity to extend your interest in royalty if you port in Edinburgh (the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith) or Invergordon (Balmoral Castle, but it's very unlikely to be available as a ship's or group tour because it's 90 miles away altho it's a scenic route). Or a pre or post-cruise visit to Queen Victoria's favourite residence, Osborne House on the Isle of Wight - it's a 60-minute ferry ride and a ten-minute bus ride from Southampton Perhaps other opportunities too, depending on the cruise / tour itineraries. London as a base has the big disadvantage that accommodation is expensive, but it scores highly in every other way ........... - You don't need a car in London - a car is actually a millstone. - Some sights are close together. For instance Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, Churchill's war rooms, Downing Street, Horse Guards Parade, Trafalgar Square & a dozen other places are within walking distance of each-other. - Other sights are spaced further apart in central London. places like the Tower Of London / Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace and. the British Museum and the museum complex of the Natural History Museum / the Victoria & Albert Museum (known as the V & A) / Science Museum. This is where London's extensive underground system ("The Tube") is so useful. Fast & frequent & easy-to-use. And abundant taxis to hail for short hops of up to 2 or 3 miles (expensive for longer distances) - And there are boat trips down the River Thames to the Royal Naval College & Maritime Museums Greenwich ( the home of Greenwich Mean Time). These are places you can organise for yourselves, tho some like Buckingham Palace you need to pre-book. A hop-on bus tour is a good way to get an overview at the start of your visit to London - or at the end, to take in sights you never had time to visit. But their routing and low speed mean that they're not a good way to get from place to place - for that use The Tube or mebbe the occasional taxi. So don't waste time & money on a multiple-day ticket. - Because of the number of tourists in London, there's a huge number of day-trips to places in South-East England. Places like Stonehenge, Bath, the Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, Canterbury, etc. Rather than using a booking agency like Viator or City Discovery or TripAdvisor, book direct with a reputable tour coach operator like Evan Evans or Anderson Tours or Golden Tours. Near Westminster Bridge is perhaps the most convenient location for a hotel, though the hotels there are almost-entirely international brands. But Victoria offers a wide range of hotels for a wide range of budgets. Plenty of other locations, broadly between Harrods in the west and Tower Bridge in the east - just make sure it's handy to a Tube station. Bookmark this website https://www.londontoolkit.com/ It has a stack of logistical information and tips about London. JB 🙂

Hi, Gloria, Can you fill us in with a few basics.......... - Pre or post-cruise, or not cruising at all? The port might give us a starting-point. - Any flights booked or planned? To which airport? They too might give us an idea of what part of the UK you're considering. Most frequent direct flights are to London or Manchester. London Heathrow (LHR) has the widest range, but fares from Orlando Florida to London Gatwick (LGW) are usually better value. - How long do you expect to stay in the UK? A few days pre-cruise or a full-blooded six-week UK tour, or something in-between? - Aiming to base yourselves in one place (eg central London or Edinburgh), or tour? If touring, by rented car or by trains & buses ? - Your interests? History? Culture? Cities? Scenery? Arts? Theatre? - Just the two of you? Any limitations such as mobility? Or are you planning to arrive with a family tribe? - Can we assume you've never been to the UK before? Most folk want to visit London, but there's a lot more to England and the UK than London. Lots of gaps to fill, then we can help. JB 🙂

There are tourist offices at the cruise terminal, and the main office in "The Piazza", behind City Hall which is halfway up Main Street. Maps should be available at both. Maps of Gibraltar can be misleading because of the steep sides of The Rock, roads which appear to be close together may have elevations which are hundreds of feet different. But the town is very simple, and - importantly - on level ground. Almost everything of interest in town in Gib. is on or just off Main Street. Follow the herd from the cruise terminal to Casemates Square, a direct 15 - 20 minute walk. It's a large open square enclosed by defensive walls & lined with bars, cafes & shops. Casemates Square is at the bottom (northern) end of Main Street, which is part-pedestrianised and lined with shop, cafes & pubs. Most of the shops sell duty-free goods, particularly electronics, alcohol & tobacco. Prices are not regulated, and do vary so hunt for the best prices. They may be shown in pounds or euros or both, and value may be different so go armed with current £ to € exchange rates. Both currencies are accepted everywhere, cards almost everywhere - if using a card check the POS machine to ensure that your card is charged in the currency that's advertised (and the best value if dual-priced) or which you've negotiated. If using cash, avoid getting Gib pounds in your change. Altho a Gib pound is 1:1 with the British pound, and you can buy with British pounds, Gib pounds aren't accepted in the UK. Be very aware that for electronics, Gib. is a dumping-ground for last-year's models. If you're planning to buy go armed with model numbers and photos and current prices at home - there will be bargains & there will be rip-offs. Minor Main Street sights include the Governor's Residence and at the far end of Main Street, on the left, outside the South Bastion gate the little Trafalgar Cemetery. This has the graves of sailors who died of their wounds in Nelson's victory at Cape Trafalgar (those who died in the battle were buried at sea). Five minutes past the South Bastion, after the large carpark & cable-car base station, are Gibraltar's Botanical Gardens. 15 minutes beyond the Gardens (don't get lost) is the Victorian 100-ton gun at Napier of Magdala Battery, overlooking Rosia Bay harbour. Everywhere I've mentioned is on level ground. https://goo.gl/maps/4xmet7BwnXo7npyM6 JB 🙂

Excellent location, semi-rural but close to the city centre. Five minute walk to the Cathedral Close, less than five minutes more to the cathedral itself. The market place in Blue Boar Row, which I've always considered to be the city centre, is a little more than 5 minutes further. Market days tuesdays & saturdays. The train station is 1 1/2 miles from the Rose & Crown. BTW you mentioned that you "plan to take a taxi from the airport" Don't just take a cab from the rank at Heathrow, it'd cost an arm & a leg - hailing a cab is fine for short journeys of a mile or three, but for LHR to Salisbury - about 75 miles - you need to pre-book a fixed-price private transfer. Here are a few located at the Salisbury end (probably best given the time of night because the driver can get to bed at a sensible hour), sorry I don't know any of them so no recommendations https://www.allthesevens.co.uk/ https://www.spiretravel.co.uk/airport-taxi-from-salisbury/ https://triple4triple4taxis.co.uk/ https://www.your-taxi.co.uk/about-us https://www.aa-taxis.com/ https://salisbury-valuecars.co.uk/ https://www.hengecabs.com/services Or there are dozens based at Heathrow. JB 🙂

Is your port actually Villefranche-sur-Mer? If so it’s far far quicker, cheaper and simpler to take a direct frequent train or bus to Monaco, about 15 to 20 minutes. JB 🙂

Salisbury and Winchester have many more similarities than differences . For something very different, consider the conjoined cities of Portsmouth and Southsea. Portsmouth is home to the Royal Navy, and on Portsmouth Historic Dockyard you can step aboard Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, and the world’s first steam- powered ironclad, Warrior. Plus Henry V111’s flagship, Mary Rose. And various exhibits in the dockyard buildings - enough for a very full day. The Spinnaker Tower close by. And a long waterfront walk or a short taxi ride to Southsea Esplanade. Southsea is a resort city, waterfront views across The Solent to the Isle of Wight, a small Henry V111 castle and adjacent D-Day museum, and lots of other seafront attractions. Portsmouth does have a cathedral, but it’s quite new (about 1925) and quite diminutive - unworthy of a visit. Google Portsmouth, Portsmouth historic dockyard, Southsea etc About 30 minutes further from LHR than Salisbury or Winchester, direct hourly trains (or buses) to Southampton take just under an hour and cost about £11 Ideally located hotels are Holiday Inn Express in Gunwharf Quays, and The Royal Maritime Club - both very close to the Historic Dockyard and Portsmouth Harbour train station. But a wide choice of other hotels. JB 🤗

whichever city you choose, you,ll arrive about midnight or later, so do check the hotel’s ability to cater for late night arrivals. JB 🙂

Since you ‘re coming from the west, Holiday Extras offering at Marchwood is tolerably convenient. Established and respected organisation. Shuttle-bus service to the ship included. https://www.holidayextras.com/southampton-port-parking.html JB 🙂

I have a personal preference for Salisbury, it’s more laid-back than Winchester, which always seems crowded and hemmed-in. Salisbury cathedral is in a quiet close, five minutes away from the hub-bub, and there are more city centre river walks - It’s the confluence of five small rivers. Cathedral is younger but more spectacular, and has an original 1215 Magna Carta (like a Bill of Rights) Much wider selection of historic but affordable city centre pubs, restaurants and hotels too. Rail stations for both are a five-minute drive or 15-minute walk. Trains from Salisbury to Southampton half-hourly, from Winchester 3 per hour. Of course others will have their own favourite, but as per Harters’ post I don’t think either will disappoint. JB 🙂

Yes, Mykonos and Corfu are chalk & cheese - Corfu is seven times bigger. And come to think of it, so are the streets 😉 And knowing which ships are in port won't help unless you know which are on a port-of-call & which are on a turnaround. I still say, don't worry about it. But if you're there on a saturday that'd probably be best. JB 🙂

Hi, and welcome to Cruise Critic. I would have thought ships' excursions for October would already be published. Most Cruise Critic members do their excursions independently of the ship - some DIY with local transportation, some use local tour operators. But in some circumstances - tight scheduling, unreliable local transport, absence of a Plan B etc - even experienced cruisers sometimes choose ship's excursions. If you tell us your ship and your ports-of-call we can give you an idea of what's worthwhile. George mentioned your cruise's Roll Call. Go back to the main menu https://boards.cruisecritic.com/ After the cruise line boards are the Roll Calls. Click on your cruise line & navigate from there to your ship. All the threads start with the sailing date They're not in chronological order, when someone posts on one it goes to the top, just like this and the other forums. So you need to scroll through to find the one with your sailing date. There's likely to be folk on your cruise posting on there looking for excursion sharers. Post on there anyway, to say Hi to your ship-mates. Bon voyage JB 🙂

Its not really worth worrying about - this isn't some little Caribbean island. Ships turning around in Corfu on your day won't affect you - the vast majority of their passengers joining or leaving will be travelling direct between port and airport. And Corfu gets a lot of land-based vacationers, so passengers of a couple of ships on port-of-call visits will not add greatly to the throng. Except maybe on a saturday, the main turnaround day for land-based vacationers - they'll be joining the bun-fight at the airport and the rest of the island will be relatively quiet. JB 🙂

Budget locations include Victoria, Kensington, Paddington, & Kings Cross - Victoria is the most convenient of these & walkable to a number of sights, Kensington is just a couple of tube stops further & handy to the "Museums District", Earl's Court is further west from Kensington, and a little further from "tourist" London than Canary Wharf. Victoria is on the ho-ho routes, Kensington & Paddington are on ho-ho feeder routes and of course Paddington has a fast direct train to Heathrow (if you choose Paddington area, buy the train tickets to Heathrow well in advance - prices start off very reasonable, go up as the date approaches & are highest at walk-up. All of the areas mentioned are "respectable" and not considered unsafe. The tube system does make central London a great deal easier, so do pick a hotel close to a tube station. Tube trains are super-frequent and fast. The main problem with areas outside "tourist" London is the time taken to go back to a hotel to freshen-up between day-time touring and night-life, so there's a tendency to soldier on through or to dine locally in the evening Going back to Canary Wharf > LHR, changing trains at Paddington isn't as troublesome as regular changes of tube trains - the Heathrow Express from Paddington to LHR is luggage-friendly. JB 🙂

Southampton to London tour/transfer Best bet is one of the offerings of International Friends. Choose one of the first three https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/shore-excursions-and-cruise-transfers.html Long-established, reputable & reliable tour coach (bus) operator, they added cruise tour-transfers some years ago. Seamless tour-transfer from cruise terminal to central London hotels - more about that below. Confusingly, identical tour-transfers are offered on the London Toolkit website.🤔 Pre-pandemic, London Toolkit used to promote the International Friends' tour-transfers - I don't know whether they have simply re-vamped their website or switched their allegiance to a new competing operator. Price differentials are mainly due to the way add-on admission fees are treated, but there are still smallish differences - see for yourself. https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton-from-london-via-stonehenge.html#southampton-london BTW flip thro other pages of that London Toolkit website & save it - it's a mine of logistical information. Other transfer options offered on both sites (cars & vans) are poor value, you can do a lot better independently. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ London hotel. Location-wise, not a great choice. Canary Wharf is the centre of London's commercial district. It was developed on disused docklands, and its high-rise office-blocks have taken over as London's commercial hub from the traditional "Square Mile" which is between St Paul's cathedral & the Tower of London. Consequently Canary Wharf's hotels are used mainly by business people & weekend rates are low. It's east of all the main tourist sites in London, which are very broadly between the "museum district" of Kensington and the Tower of London / Tower Bridge. So all your exploration will start with a west-bound tube ride on the Jubilee line or the new Elizabeth line of the tube, or the tube- connected DLR (Docks Light Railway). But probably adds only mebbe ten minutes to journey-time. The hop-on bus tours don't go out to Canary Wharf, you'd need to take the DLR to the Tower of London or the Jubilee line to London Bridge to pick up a ho-ho. https://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf If you take one of the tour-transfers from Southampton the operator might get you to Canary Wharf for a small supplement, or can suggest the nearest hotel served & you can hail a taxi to canary Wharf. Canary Wharf is beyond the eastern tourist sites whereas LHR is west of central London. So a private transfer will be a bit more expensive than one from a more-central location. Don't just hail a cab for that transfer - it will be horrendously expensive. Hailing a cab is convenient for a mile or three, but not for the 20+ miles to LHR. Instead, pre-book a private-hire taxi (Londoners call them mini-cabs). lots of operators compete for London / LHR transfers, sorry I've got no recommendations. Or, much more cheaply, the new Elizabeth line of the tube runs from Canary Wharf to LHR. It's a new line, not as-yet fully bedded-in and altho the tracks run direct between Canary Wharf and LHR I don't know whether you need to change trains. Needs some research, or mebbe a Londoner can chip in. Altho the tube isn't luggage-friendly, Canary Wharf is close to the start of the Elizabeth line so you shouldn't have trouble getting seats with your luggage around you. But if you have to change, that may prove very difficult at the wrong time-of-day. So,, all-in-all not a great choice of hotel. If you can switch to another Marriott (Marriott County Hall is ideally-located, many major sights and lots of restaurants, bars etc easily walkable) then consider doing so. But if you stick with Canary Wharf it's not the end of the world. JB 🙂

As per Globaliser's post. Yes, for LHR to a Westminster hotel with your amount of luggage, a direct pre-booked private transfer is definitely your best bet. Sorry, no recommendations - I've never needed one BTW, "minicab" - more of a London word than a British word - doesn't have anything to do with the size of the taxi, they're regular sedans which have to be pre-booked, rather than the iconic London "black cabs" (which aren't all black) which can be hailed in the street or found at taxi ranks and which are expensive for a 15-mile journey between LHR & central London. From that end of Westminster, a National Express bus to Southampton from Victoria coach station might be cheaper and more convenient, but takes about an hour longer than a train from Waterloo. And you'd need to pay for your excess luggage. There's also a direct hourly train service from Victoria train station to Southampton, but it takes a different route - 2 1/2 hours rather than 1 1/2 hours from Waterloo. If you take the train, buy your cheap advance tickets from about 8 weeks out. Those tickets are only good for the train time that you book (miss it and those tickets are trash) but they cost anywhere between about £10 and £20 pp versus regular walk-up tickets at £39 pp. Check the timetable for any date in July or August to see those prices & terms. JB 🙂

Yes, Stonehenge tickets bought thro the ho-ho (The Stonehenge Tour) admit you anytime. Ibis is very convenient to the station. And only a 10-15 minute walk from Horizon cruise terminal is an easy 10 - 15 minute walk if the weather's fine and you're feeling energetic. But only TGI Friday and MaccyD are close by. Or IKEA or ASDA for a cheap breakfast For a selection of proprietor-run pubs & restaurants you need to walk past the modern West Quay entertainment & dining complex (chain restaurants) to old-town / waterfront, a level 15 - 20 minute walk. The Duke of Wellington in Bugle Street (historic pub), the Dancing Man (pub & micro-brewery in 14thC. stone Wool House on the corner of Bugle Street & Town Quay) and on Town Quay - more expensive but quality to match - Ennio's (Italian) & next-door La Regata (Spanish). And on the other side of the road Kuti's Brasserie (Indian, in the former Royal Pier ballroom. Have eaten at all of them over the years & never been disappointed. But bear in mind that's just one guy's opinion, so google the name + Southampton UK for reviews, menus, photos & such. One other, a 10 - 15 minute walk in the opposite direction is Papillon. It's a re-purposed 19th Century church opposite the Mayflower Theatre in Commercial Road. Beautiful interior. Dined there a couple of times pre-theatre when it was called The Vestry, New ownership last year, so can't comment on the food etc. New website is https://papillon-southampton.co.uk/ A couple of other restaurants nearby. Whichever you choose, being a friday (or saturday), it's best to pre-book JB 🙂

Yes indeed. One of THE places to be back in the '60's. So cool that they built a swish marina (Puerto Banus). But as carlmm says, those days are long-gone. It's not "Spain", and the route is a boring autopista. Does the ship offer Ronda or "the white villages"? Much more "Spanish, and attractive mountain routes. The cruise line might provide their Spanish excursion/s with a shuttle to the border, and a tour coach waiting on the other side. This is to avoid a potentially long vehicle queue (in either direction) at the border (reasonably quick on foot). And, for the same reason, if you -or anyone else - is considering renting a car to visit Spain I strongly suggest booking a car from a depot convenient to the border in La Linea. Frequent buses in Gibraltar to / from the border cost just a couple of pounds / euros. JB 🙂

I'm just a country boy, cap'n - I know my way around the south of England, but not so much about the big bad city. Globaliser is one of our London experts - and is correct in saying there's no train from LHR to Waterloo - you'd need the Heathrow Express to Paddington station, then the tube (London's metro) to Waterloo Station. Heathrow Express is excellent with luggage, the tube can be very difficult with luggage, very very difficult with two checked bags & a carry-on each. I can't find your original question, and I just want to clarify why you want to go to Waterloo station. Will you be spending time in London & based at a hotel near Waterloo station? If so, I'd suggest a pre-booked private transfer. About £50 - £60 Or are you planning LHR to Waterloo in order to then take a train to Southampton? If so, via Waterloo isn't the way to do it. You have better bus or train or bus+train or private transfer options options LHR to Southampton JB 🙂

There's far more to Waterloo than just a field. There's a ruddy great man-made cone-shaped mound overlooking the site & topped by a ruddy great iron lion. Plus alongside the mound a circular panorama of the battle, not dis-similar to the one at Sevastapol. Depictions of the battle at the battlefield. Both in one google street-view https://goo.gl/maps/hReZkrC4UBKw9Sc37 And an underground museum somewhere in the vicinity. But Hougoumont Farm is just an archaeological site. And the railway station is 225 miles away. 😉 JB 🙂

Yes, more than 8 passengers plus driver requires a higher level of driving licence and standard of roadworthiness and operating premises / workshop etc. But your number is what it is, and 8 plus luggage can get cramped in a smaller vehicle. You need a long-wheelbase van, with 12 to 15 seats and luggage space behind - most transfer operators don't operate them, but there are plenty which do. I don't know any in the London / Heathrow area, snowballs' mum has quoted one & google will offer others by pumping-in "12 - 15 seat private minibus Heathrow" That doesn't work so well for "Southampton" instead of "Heathrow" because google is cluttered with agencies, - you really need to book direct. But some coach operators in Southampton also offer minibuses. I've driven for Angela coaches - long-established & well-respected operators, and they have suitable minibuses. https://www.angelacoaches.co.uk/ And Coliseum Coaches, now part of the Lucketts Group certainly had them, worth an e-mail. JB 🙂

The problem with Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for a turnaround day is that the day is trunkated even if same-ship, same-cabin. For instance, a second safety drill? Direct hourly train takes about an hour, Portsmouth Harbour station is a 3-minute walk from the dockyard gate. You need a minimum 3 hours to see Mary Rose, walk over HMS Victory, and either exhibitions in dockyard buildings or walk over Warrior. Doing it justice is more like 5 hours plus. Winchester is easy - 10 minutes by train, 2 - 3 trains per hour, 15 minutes £12 return pp. The main attraction is the Cathedral. Salisbury pretty easy too - half-hourly trains, 35 minutes journey time, £12 return pp. Again main attraction is the cathedral - not as old, but more spectacular. The National Motor Museum & other attractions of Beaulieu are via the little ferry from Town Quay across Southampton Water to Hythe, then a taxi from Hythe about 6 miles across a corner of the New Forest. Arrange wit the driver to collect you at an agreed time - there's no taxi rank at Beaulieu and the bus service is woeful. Links to the above in my thread posted by the Old Bear In Southampton you'd have time for the Tudor House & Gardens and Solent Sky. Tudor House, recently restored, is Southampton's finest old building (much of the old city blitzed in 1940 / 41. https://tudorhouseandgarden.com/ Used to be known as Tudor Merchant's House, but changed to avoid confusion with the nearby Medieval Merchant's House (behind the Duke of Wellington pub) which is much much smaller & only open at weekends. Solent Sky is volunteer-run (one an old friend of mine tho I've not seen him for a few years). Exhibits major on aircraft with local connections & include an original Spitfire (designed & built in Southampton before the factory was blitzed, then construction continued in factories & workshops around the area until new factories were built in the Midlands. And a Supermarine S6A seaplane, fore-runner of the Spitfire which won three consecutive international Schneider Trophy events. Hawker-Siddeley, de Havllland, Avro, Folland & other aircraft with local connections, and a Harrier jump-jet cockpit in which you can make yourself comfortable Also a Short Sandringham flying boat (Southampton was the country's premier flying-boat port in the few years of their hay-day just before WW2. Their terminal was Berth 101 - now the site of City Cruise Terminal, they took off & landed on Southampton Water. Their maintenance hangers at Calshot Spit survive, now used for adventure training. You can see them starboard side on the spit of land which juts out where Southampton Water joins the Solent, behind the coastguard tower and diminutive Henry V111 castle. Other aircraft including & parts & stories. The volunteers are enthusiastic, friendly & informative. https://www.solentsky.org/ Convenient for a bite of lunch, between the two are several pubs including the Duke of Wellington & the Dancing Man and a number of restaurants. JB 🙂

1.Out-of-date map, been a pub/micro-brewery for a number of years. 2. Probably best not to mention that to the landlords 😀 JB 🙂