John Bull

Yes Stephanie, £60 is a very good deal - especially with a different drop-off address. And the airport is close to the motorway. The problem with Uber is that the wait and fare are fluid - depending on supply & demand they can be quick & cheap or can take a while & be expensive. I don't know about that time of the morning. I'd think it'd be a quiet time time of day but with relatively few Uber drivers. It wouldn't have been me saying taxis could be hard to come by, even a long line at the cruise terminal usually moves quickly - but of course there are exceptions. If you want to pre-book try https://westquaycars.com/ Last I heard it was around £20, but recent hikes in fuel prices may have pushed fares higher. Do pre-ibook Highclere Castle. Oh - and as you're probably aware from watching Downtion Abbey, it's not a "castle". That was an affectation at the time amongst owners of "stately homes". But I think the curse of King Tut is long-gone 😉 . The owner of Highclere Castle, Lord Carnarvon, funded Howard Carter's finding & opening the pharaoh's tomb & in 1923 was (reputedly) one of the first to succumb to the curse. JB 🙂

Just a little BTW. Pre-pay debit cards can be used for car rental fees (but check the depot's terms) - but not for deposits against CDW excess charges or often un-insured items such as glass or tyres, or toll charges, speeding tickets & such, typically €1,000 to €2,000. Same applies to hotel charges & similar scenarios. They work for specified sums at the time of purchase, but not for indefinite sums applied or refunded later. But I see only dis-advantages in using pre-pay debit cards, except for those who cannot have a credit or standard debit card so have no alternative.. JB 🙂

Yes. Just beware of traffic. JB 🙂

It sounds like your friends are obsessing with very very rare scenarios. Kinda like when folk pay far too much attention to a single and often second-hand negative comment about any service or product.. I can think of just two situations which can (very rarely) give rise to a problem of unruly drunkenness. But neither applies to Mediterranean cruises, and explaining those circumstances would just feed that obsession. Do you have a particular cruise or cruiseline in mind? JB 🙂

Yes, no worries. And in the middle of the day there's enough traffic to remind you which way to look. JB 🙂

Yes, I think so. Googlemaps shows a convoluted 1.3 mile route past Mayflower terminal, but it's probably out-of-date. Berth 102 was the fruit terminal and was secure, but it's now the site of the new Horizons cruise terminal. On the birds-eye view you can see the new terminal but the road to Solent Road, which leads to Dock Gate 10, still unfinished. Haven't been there for some time, but if it's not yet finished it certainly will be by the time you cruise. https://goo.gl/maps/pDUAfWe1G14shhtX6 JB 🙂

By then Hank had probably drunk dry the ship's stocks of Guinness.🤣 JB 🙂

Depends on your cruise terminal. You're allowed to walk out of the docks from any of the five cruise terminals. But QE 11 terminal is deep n the docks and most of the docks sidewalks from there to the gate are protected from truck traffic by only a yellow-painted line, so a taxi is strongly recommended. And Mayflower and Ocean terminals, altho on proper sidewalks are perhaps a little too far with luggage - about 25 minutes. City and Horizon terminals are closest, only about a 15 minute walk to either train station or coach station. The ground is level from all cruise terminals, but if distance or bad weather dissuade you from walking, there are taxi lines at all cruise terminals - £10 tops. Train is generally the better bet for central London or LGW altho Nat Express bus is cheaper. Nat Express bus is by far the better bet for LHR, there's no direct train service JB 🙂

Three hours is normally being excessively prudent. Airports around the world are struggling with low staff levels at the moment after culling staff during Covid. Manchester airport in particular has been pilloried about long long lines to check in, but I've not heard any horror stories about Heathrow. The situation may get worse in the coming weeks - if you can quote the date (and day-of-the-week) for your flight home we can try to be more specific Via Highclere is pretty straightforward. But unless you have a great deal with Avis, there are a number of rental depots close to the cruise terminals - the airport is about 8 miles / £20 away. JB 🙂

There's a small taxi rank at the coach station - I suggest one of you head straight to it to grab a taxi while the other follows up with the luggage. If there's no taxi there, they swing by from time to time. Yes, its a very short distance, about 600 yards, no turnings, all on sidewalks, all on level ground. But if mobility or luggage or weather make that difficult, no worries - there's a minimum fare (about £5) and drivers won't scoff. All taxis are licensed, it's illegal not to be. But there are two levels......... "Hackney Carriages" are licenced to ply for hire at taxi stands or can be hailed in the street. Their fares are metered. In Southampton they're all white. "Private hire taxis" are generally cheaper (no big deal for short journeys) but they have to be booked - signs on the doors say "No Booking - No Ride". Uber come within this level. If you're having difficulty, staff at the bus station can give you phone numbers for local operators - or, if asked sweetly, even phone for you if you don't have a UK-based phone plan. Those taxis too usually use meters for local journeys, but can charge a £1 booking fee. Premier Inn West Quay is about the same distance from City Cruise Terminal, or a taxi to any cruise terminal is no more than £10. The hotel can call a taxi for you. Same two levels in London ............... Hackney Carriages are known as black cabs (even though some aren't black) Private Hire taxis are called mini-cabs (even though most are standard-sized cars) Hailing a back cab in the street is quicker & more convenient, but book a private hire taxi for longer distances eg central London to Heathrow airport. JB 🙂

Depends on what you're comparing Europe against. Certainly a lot fewer and more expensive than in the Caribbean or S E Asia or Alaska. But there are big differences ............... ............ The infrastructure in Europe is waaay better, so public transport (mainly buses & trains) is the way to go. You need to do your homework before your cruise, but frequency, reliability and quality are good, and fares are low. For instance if Dun Laoghaire is one of your ports, the DART train takes you to the heart of Dublin, local buses can take you to specific places that you want to see or the ho-ho buses take you to all of them. .......... Tour operators are more-closely regulated than in many parts of the world. Vehicles are regularly inspected, insurance requirements are high as are many other overheads & taxes, all included in the price. Hence prices are higher. ............ speaking of taxes, the price you see is the price you pay. Taxes are included, as are other obligatory costs such as tolls. ........... The demand for tours is low because most visitors - even from other European countries - travel by car. Their own, or rented in resort. Much the same as in the US. ..........ports aren't necessarily located close to sights. Invergordon for instance. ........ and some visitors use a cruise port-of-call to visit iconic places some distance away rather than seeking out great places locally. For instance Portland to Stonehenge (almost 2 hours e/w) or Bath (over 2 hours e/w) rather than Corfe Castle (under an hour) or the Jurassic Coast (you're pretty-well there already). IMHO ships' excursions are rarely the best way to go, but to avoid them you have to do your homework cos you won't see vans lined up touting for business at the ports. JB 🙂

You'll find that most of us on Cruise Critic tend to DIY or to use local tour operators - not just because of the cost but also the freedom to do our own thing. Cruise lines do seriously over-play the risks of not taking their own excursions and the security of "the ship will wait for our excursions to return" But even for us there are occasions when a ship-sponsored excursion makes more sense - long distances, unreliable transport infrastructure with no Plan B alternatives, etc. You've been to Europe before and done your own thing, but consider a mix of ship's excursions, shared independent excursions (have you checked your cruise RollCall?), and DIY. Kusadasi is for Ephesus, we & others have struggled to find anything else worthwhile for a second call at that port. It's about 30 minutes by road from the ship. A shared independent tour is probably the best way,. Best if shared with others from the ship (via your RollCall?), if it's shared with land-based tourists make sure it gets back to Kusadasi in very good time. Normal routine is you & your guide get dropped at the Ephesus entrance & your transport waits for you to emerge at the other end of the site. If you choose to do it DIY by haggllng for a taxi, pick up a guide at the entrance or at the very least get a guide book before your cruise - signage is very poor and you won't even know what you're looking at. Mykonos. No need for a ship's excursion. Catch the boat-bus from the cruise berths to the village harbour, about 1 1/2 miles. Or if your ship moors off-shore you'll be tendered direct to the harbour. The village is well worth wandering - harbour-front cafes & bars - and Petros the pelican ( & his siblings), the village mascot - immaculate and colourful little winding alleyways of shops & homes, the iconic line of windmills behind the village, and "Little Venice" just around the corner. But the village beach is unworthy. If you choose to take the little ferry to the island of Delos, be sure to do that first and take the return ferry in very good time. I think ships' excursions take the same ferry. Corfu. Local bus from the port gate to town takes about ten minutes, frequency is every 10 to 20 minutes. There are a couple of castles, but the town is mainly for shopping & for people-watching from behind a cool pint. Sorry, can't help with tours for elsewhere on the island. Santorini is a tough one to advise on. As per other posts & threads, all ships moor off-shore near Fira. Those on ships' excursions are tendered south to the little ferry harbour of Athinos, where the road comes down to the port. (But those tours end at the top of the cliff in Fira) Everyone else is tendered to the quayside at the foot of the cliffs under Fira - there's no road, you go up to Fira by cablecar which is easy but long lines can form. or by donkey (they're actually mules) up the zig-zag path, walking up the path is too strenuous for even the fittest plus you're mixing it with the donkeys. Or from the quay the little ferry north to Oia, where the road comes down to the little harbour & a bus ride up to the village is included in the ferry fare. You then need a taxi or overcrowded little bus to Fira - that can take time, so don't leave it too late. Oia is very popular, if you start off by going up the cliff to Fira there are bus / van tours to Oia. Or rent an ATV (remember to take your driving licence & mebbe your passport). Whichever way you choose to visit Santorini - whether that's ship's excursion or ferry or up the cliff, you'll end the day having to go down the cliff to the tender quay, and that's the biggest pinch-point of the day. Long lines can form at the cablecar station, depending how many ships are leaving at about the same time. That can be as long as two hours.. I suggest that - provided that you're tolerably mobile - you get to the cable-car station at least 45 minutes before "last tender" time. If the line for the cablecar is long, your Plan B is to walk down the zig-zag path to the quay - it takes 25 to 30 minutes, not strenuous, and few if any donkeys at that time of day (low demand & donkeys aren't great at going down steps). Bear in mind that at berthed ports you normally have to be back on-board 30 minutes before sailing time, at tendered ports you have to be at the tender quay 60 minutes before sailing time. That's "at the tender quay", not "on the ship", so a long line for the tenders is irrelevant - if there's still a line at last-tender time they continue ferrying until the line is mopped-up. Pre-Covid, Celebrity experimented with bringing their excursions back from Athinos (same as at the start), avoiding the cablecar pinch-point. Check whether NCL will be doing that for your cruise - it may tip the balance in favour of taking ship's excursion. And try to figure what other ships will be at Santorini on the same day - and their arrival & departure times. Various websites provide this information eg https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/santorini-island-port-69?tab=schedule&month=2022-08#schedule It looks like you'll be on a similar schedule to only one relatively small cruise ship, but check out other sites cos those websites can be inaccurate or out-of-date. If you're not going to compete with other large ships or if you're happy to walk down the zig-zag path back to the tender quay then I don't see a problem with DIY. If your ship's excursions tender you back from Athinos, you might think it worthy of consideration. If you've not yet figured them.............. the "search" facility. Go to the page for one of the countries (Turkish ports will be in "other Med ports"). In the little "search" box (top-right) type in the name of a port. In the drop-down which will appear, click on "this forum". Click on the little spyglass beside the search box. After a short delay for the magic to work, it'll show all the posts which mention that port. Your cruise RollCall. This is for everyone on your cruise to introduce themselves, share tips, and to look for sharers for independent excursions. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/270-norwegian-jade-roll-calls/ There are a couple of Norwegian Jade cruises in August - look for the one with your sailing date. (They're not listed chronologically - when someone posts on one it goes to the top of the pile.) JB 🙂 .

My reply on your other thread JB 🙂

The post you're looking for wasn't by me - there are several ports that I've not visited. But can I suggest that you do a search of posts in this forum which mention your ports. (If you've already done this, my apologies for teaching granny to suck eggs) Top right on this page is a little "search" box. Type into that box the name of a port or city. In the drop-down which will appear, click on "this forum" (avoids being overloaded by roll-call posts etc). Click on the little spyglass alongside the search box. Give it a moment or two for the the wizardry to work, then a page will open up showing all the posts on this forum which mention that port. Here's the result of my searching "Portland" https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=Portland &quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=148 Instead of Inverness type in "Invergordon" (your port) Instead of Brussels, type in "Zeebrugge" (your port), and also try "Bruges" (most popular destination). Unless you have a particular reason to go there, Brussels (90 minutes by train from Blankenberge, the nearest station to Zeebrugge) is a pretty boring commercial city, home to the EU bureaucrats. The only currencies you'll need are GB £ (England, Scotland, Belfast) and € Euros (your other ports, including Cork & Dublin). JB 🙂

Yes, tendered rather than berthed ports are a concern - for those with severe mobility issues, particularly getting from ship to tender & vice-versa. - and for everyone some tendered ports are unreliable, because tenders will not operate in difficult seas such as high swells. JB 🙂

Check whether you need a lateral flow test aka rapid antigen test (suits most destinations) or a much more expensive and time-consuming PCR test. Boots don't offer face-to-face LFT tests in any of their branches in or convenient to Southampton. Lloyds do - you have to book an appointment but you pay, take the test, get the result & certification all in the one visit. There are other approved operators in Southampton, check the link provided by Fiona. Or depending on your travel-to-port plans you can get the test near home - some cruise-lines / destinations require the test to be carried out no earlier than the day before travel , some accept tests done up to 3 days before travel. Most face-to-face LFT's cost about £30. Or for around £20 you can book a video-link test, which you can do at home (subject to your travel-to-port plans as above). The testing organisation sends you a kit (you must use that kit) & you are observed taking the test via video-link to your smart-phone, tablet or PC. You are then sent the result / certification thro' the ether. It means you are relying on technology, and if you won't have access to a printer you're relying even more on technology for producing the screen-shot when required. JB 🙂

There are well over a thousand ports in the world that are are visited by cruise ships, and as per the Flyer's post any list would very quickly be out-of-date. Some ports are secure, and provide a free shuttle to & from the port gate. In some ports the berths are deep in the docks and walking isn't permitted, in others walking out would be a time-consuming chore - Barcelona for instance. Some ports it's easy to walk out of the port gate but there's literally nothing close by, so you'd need transportation into town or wherever - sometimes free, sometimes payable. Being able to walk off the ship and into town without at least a shuttle isn't a matter that most folk would consider when choosing a cruise - do you have a particular reason for asking the question? JB 🙂

Public transport in the south-east of England is London-centric. Whether you travel by train or by bus, you go via a change in central London - that adds time and distance and complication. There's a way round that - direct hourly train from Dover Priory station to Stratford International, journey time about 60 minutes, fare about £50 pp. Airport Express bus (two competing operators) direct from Stratford International to Stansted airport, service every 20 or 30 minutes, journey time just under an hour, fare £15 pp. But for two people & add a taxi from ship to Dover Priory brings the cost to about the same as Blackberry's quote. https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search https://airporttransfers.stanstedairport.com/uk/search-results/67444668-stn# Blackberry is a long-established & reputable car transfer operator, used by many Cruise Critic members. And whilst paying in advance presumably may mean that if you need to cancel you won't get back some or all of your money, Blackberry is about as safe as you can get and of course paying by credit card guarantees that your money is safe. But if you want to look elsewhere, try https://www.dover-sherwantaxis.com/ http://www.folkestonetaxi.com/fares.html (Folkestone is about 8 miles from Dover cruise terminal, so their quote is likely to be about £150) JB 🙂

I know that folk have indeed booked thro the website from the US - they are given a reference number, which they use in the automated ticket machines at the station. In fact, at any station - so to avoid any last-minute complication or rush you can collect your tickets at some convenient time if you're in the UK a day or two ahead of your train trip. Or by booking thro the app you don't need to get a physical ticket - you simply scan your mobile device at the station. Buying ahead isn't totally necessary, you can simply buy when you get to the station, but buying in advance gets you a discount -as much as 50% or more on journeys like London to Southampton, so its well worth persevering But sorry, that's the best I can advise - being locals, we've never needed to book from outside the UK. JB 🙂

Thanks, folks. Glad-rags at the ready. Did a bit of research on Marella Discovery. Always wanted to sail a Celebrity ship, now it seems I will - but 12 years too late 😉 JB 🙂

You wouldn't make the 12.45 bus, and the 2.30 bus wouldn't arrive in Southampton in time for a cruise departing same-day, which is why I wanted to know your arrival time at LHR. But yes, altho you may have an hour to wait in the bus station cafe, the 2.30 bus is ideal for you because you're not sailing same-day. (there's a 5 - 10 minute walk from T3 to the bus station) You're going to have to decide whether to hedge your bets with ticket upgrades. You'd be very unlucky to miss the 2.30 and I can't see you missing later coaches, so you're unlikely to need the refund option. But you could consider standard tickets plus Change-and-Go if you feel it worth the extra cost, altho buying fresh restricted tickets wouldn't cost a lot more. JB 🙂

Things are a little different now. Tickets used to be valid only for the booked time - but with the exception of departing from airports because Nat Express appreciated that customers have no control over delayed flights. So passengers at airports could switch to a later (or earlier) coach if space was available, I believe there was a £5 admin fee. But now there are different ticket options, so its a little complicated and no special treatment for travel from airports. Ticket options (regardless of where you board) are broadly : Restricted tickets- no amendments, no refunds. Standard - not refundable, but you can - prior to the journey - change the date or time - prior to the journey - Fully-flexible - refundable if cancelled at least 24 hours before departure, amendable prior to the journey. For an extra £5 you can add "change & go" to standard or fully-flexible tickets, allowing you to switch to a later (or earlier) coach if you're delayed. Effectively the same as the exception for passengers at airports but now fortravel from anywhere. No personal experience of the new tickets. Ticket types : https://faq.nationalexpress.com/s/article/What-is-the-difference-between-a-Restricted-fare-Standard-fare-and-a-Fully-Flexible-fare-1581438956696?language=en_US Change & Go add-on : https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/change-go I think Nat Express may have head-hunted booking executives from the train operators, who are experts at complicating ticket terms and pricing 🙄 Dolly - I agree at least 90 minutes from touch-down, but preferably 2 hours. If you quote your scheduled landing time & latest cruise terminal check-in time we can suggest what time bus to book. Also subject to your landing time, you have the options of ship's transfer bus or a slightly complicated bus+train combo. Both are significantly more expensive than the Nat Express bus JB 🙂

Hi David, If we were remotely interested in Egyptology we'd book a Nile cruise plus a week or more in Luxor. But we're not. So we ticked the box with a day-trip from a cruise ship in Safaga, same as you've got. A very very good day, despite the 3+ hours each-way from Safaga. That (plus a similar day-trip to Cairo/Giza from Port Sokhna) was plenty for our limited interest. It included amonst other sites the Temple of Karnak, The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings. All well-worthwhile. Altho some are outside Luxor, all the sites are only a few minutes apart, but because it included so much the time in the Valley of the Kings only gave free-time to go into one tomb. And in all honesty one was enough. If you're really keen on the subject I feel you'd already know what you want to see in a single day's visit. But if you just want to get a taste, to see the places you may have heard about, then I suggest you do what we did- go for the most wide-ranging tour available, ensuring it includes the Temple of Karnak & the Valley of the Kings and hopefully the Temple of Queen H. Lots of hawkers, but very friendly and not too pushy - much better than Cairo. We rarely take ships' excursions, but this was an exception because of the distance & remoteness of the road. We got back to the ship about half an hour late but no worries. This was a Thomson (now called Marella) cruise - for this excursion they provided a packed lunch, ideal because restaurant stops cost so much time. Like our ship-mates we shared it with local kids. And no waste of time visiting unwanted carpet shops, woodwork workshops etc that give cruise lines a commission on sales - one reason we don't usually take ships' excursions. That's another difference with Cairo. If Cairo's on your itinerary, your tour will end at the "Papyrus Institute" ie souvenir shop. But there's a second reason for that - coaches travel between Cairo and port in police-escorted convoys, so it's a way of getting the wagon-trains together. A Red Sea cruise is a great way to get an insight. JB 🙂

Usual problem with trying to get info via their website, chat & phone.🙄 Does anyone know whether there's a formal night on Explorer, 7 nights Adriatic Explorer, 17th June? Don't want to lug formal gear if not required - but equally don't want to go to formal night in tee-shirt, bathing trunks and sneakers 😂 TIA JB 🙂

Yes - spot on 🙂 And I'll hazard a guess that the tour-transfer from your hotel (or one very close) to your cruise terminal in Southampton via two hours at Windsor castle is this one .............. https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/london-heathrow-to-southampton-via-windsor-castle.html Well-established tour coach operators, used by many many Cruise Critic members. JB 🙂