GrJ Berkshire

Agree with ededmd, pool is fine, no problem other reservations when not on the deck are not, like the bar, quick slip back to a suite. Over lunch or other activities away from pool, no. You clear up and take your chances when you turn up again.

Norway has few places taking Euros and not for a coffee, only in Oslo, Bergen, will you find any at all. NOK is the only currency or a cc or debit card.

It is a marvellous city to walk or a boat tour. However if time is limited don't waste it on the little mermaid, Copenhagen has so much more to offer in the centre and Nyhaven. The little mermaid is a long way out and one of the World's great tourist disappointments, buy a postcard. I think it is only rivalled by the manakin pis in Brussels as an underwhelming sight.

Enjoy the rest of Copenhagen.

Why are we tipping? Read the regent info

You read it for day of departure/ sailing time , why not no tipping.

This just then adds to this discomfort of those who follow the advice and those who boast about what they give. I'f you must give ,keep it quiet!!

Anyway in a £5000+ cruise the included gratuity must be way above this!!

Another example of the totally different approach to this on both sides of the pond. Tipping is on its way out in Europe, but still seems embedded in the DNA of Americans and seems to be much more intrusive and at a higher level than when we first travelled to the states more than 25 years ago.

Will back up about Am-ex, not as widely accepted in UK.

Also usually tips are not as prevalent in Europe, most restaurants have an included service charge, so no tip needed. In the Baltic, tipping is not the norm either. In UK you will see a rounding up culture but not tipping as wages are high and the hand out culture is not found. With cc's tips are on the card if at all, not cash. You will find that increasingly its a cashless society, with contactless cards widely used even for small purchases like coffee shops. If you have a debit card and ATM's, this would be useful.

It's Grand Bretagne!!

If money will allow the Grand Breanne in Syntenegen square fits the requirements with a rooftop breakfast with a view of the Acropolis one way and the parliament the other.

Not cheap, but worth it!!

Sorry the angry face is a mistake!!

We are in Limassol for 9 hours and have been in to Limassol before, also up to Omodos in the wine growing region ,so thought we would book into Regent's trip to Nicosia, Europe's last divided capital. We have free time here and could find little about best sites and wanted advice on what to see as a must see, and what to miss. We are there in late July so know it will be hot, and therefore wish to pace ourselves.

We are looking forward to it, sorry again if original post did not give that impression. Hoping people can help.

There is no EU law to carry passports at all times. As UK citizens we have stayed in Belgium and crossed into France and Luxembourg without them with us. In the shengen area you do not need, unless you are hiring a car and need ID they will not be used. The only way you may need them is if you intend to do some shoplifting, or smoke / inhale some dodge substances.

This is urban myth, and as said earlier can only result in theft of them, which will mean no flights home. On Regent it's not even an option to carry as the purser has them for immigration formalities at the port .

If arrested ( likely to be your own fault) and had your ships card, they would get from the ship all the documentation needed.

This is legal advice from the EU, it may not apply in Algeria, Tunisia, Syria or Russia, but will in all other likely destinations in the Mediterranean/ Black sea. area.

We have docked in many unusual countries like Georgia, Albania, Ecuador, it is not the case in any of these.

Carry less and enjoy, I have seen Americans carry passports in London- totally stupid.

Nowhere apart from Russia , needs you to carry passports in Europe. A photocopy of the details page can be carried. However Greece, Croatia are EU countries and do not require these. Leave in your cabin, all you can do is lose, misplace, or have them stolen.

The problem now is that much of Europe has almost turned its back on cash. In London now you can't pay cash on buses any more. Contactless cards are the norm now even in coffee shops for small purchases, only market stalls really deal in cash exclusively. Pubs largely accept debit cards or have ATM's ( but beware these are not usually free ones ), cash carrying is rarer. TfL is now mainly oyster or day passes. Chequers are almost a thing of the past and not accepted in retailers. Garages for fuel expect debit / credit card payments. If you do pay cash lack of change is often an issue especially a lack of £5 notes.

The euro also means you do not have dual currency tills in many places as in the past, where near borders, 2 or more currencies were regularly accepted e.g. France/Belgium or Austria/ Germany. Now in these places prefer card payments, for travellers other currencies are less available , especially outside London. Travellers chequers are no longer really used.

On top of this is still the issue of Americans especially who want to pay in $US, which may be accepted at a few international type shops, but usually at a terrible rate.

Half price tkts theatre ticket booth in London used to be a cash payment location, now accepts cards and when there recently was the only person paying cash. In France last summer had built up o lot of small shrapnel, went into banks to try to change over to €1/€2 coins, they had no facility for this at all, just payment points and ATM's, no old fashioned counters and few staff, just a banking hall rather than an ATM's in the street and one troubleshooting person helping at the machines, many PO's are also automated.

Rapid changes in this area, all travellers need to be aware.

Totally agree with Hlitner. It's an American thing the reputation as tippers is such that people try it on . Taxi drivers think they can get 15-20% as they perceive that is what Americans will tip. We always get a very different reaction when they know we are Brits. Five years ago we car toured Denmark, visiting much of this lesser known country( outside Copenhagen) and there is not tipping culture anywhere. Scandinavians have a high cost all inclusive price, the local wages are high, tipping therefore is not seen as part of the culture. The taxi driver just equated Americans, cruise passengers, as easy prey for making a quick buck.

30 mins in advance is good, no dress code. Just remember to turn off mobile/cell phones. Don't have too many bags or clobber with you as space can be limited, you can end up quite cramped and holding jackets etc.

Enjoy the show.

Would support the idea of transferring to Windsor area in view of your excursions, no need to stay in the airport vicinity. Oakley court Windsor, is a good suggestion or Ascot hotels. Then its a simple hop to Windsor and on the way to Southampton/Stonehenge.

There is no issue with this in the Loire Valley, generally pick pocketing is mainly opportunistic where people are carrying too much or drawing attention to their wealth in poor areas. With sensible awareness there is no issue, do not carry passports, nowhere in Western Europe do you need it with you, equally bulging pockets of cash , or high value jewellery/ watches.

Do not use in Europe!!!

Gaelsail says it all would you accept NOK for tips in NYC!!

Tips are not the custom in Norway or indeed much of Europe now, but paying in dollars in Norway is in my opinion worse than no tip at all. Even in the UK if you left a $10 tip it will cost you £3 to change to Sterling, unless you are going to the USA, it is not really that generous. In Norway people are paid a high proper wage and therefore there is no tip culture

To host Dan:

Intended this to be in Q&A section for 17/06 live on the Explorer, can it be moved into this section?

When the Explorer is in port next year in Southampton, will there be opportunities for ss frequent customers to have tours on the change over days?

Thanks for the correction, as we were unable to use oyster when we last used Gatwick express in Oct 2015. A good addition to the scheme. Most Brits our less aware of the cashing in process as once you have , you keep in wallets for next use even if not regularly used, or as in our case you live outside the schemes area and only use on London trips.

Simple answer, NO

Gatwick is outside TfL area, and Gatwick express is not on the Oyster scheme.

TfL = transport for London, under Mayor, who run Oyster scheme, BR lines in various companies are not part of this.

We have never had any issues with getting what we requested and wanted, despite a couple of our trips being booked well within the period that were bookable by concierge passengers. The included excursions are one area of advantage for Regent over other lines. We have not had the issues with the trips with a wide range not just bus drive by type. Nearly always only half full buses, with plenty of space, often mini bus trips. The fullest trip we had was a Regent choice trip.

I was incorrectly informed that this was FCO advice re Turkish travel. Although I gather many companies like Regent, Oceania have pulled out of Turkey altogether, and tourism is under pressure. Shame, as Istanbul is a wonderful city and at the crossroads of so much history.

Visited when car touring Denmark, went up to the northern tip of Jutland where the Kattergat and Skaggerak meet and visited the dune coast and this in a large buggy vehicle for the beach. Skagen itself is a fishing/ seafaring port and quaint, good herring dishes available.It would be interesting to see what ship excursions are arranged as we found most of Denmark to be a great holiday destination but away from Copenhagen and Lego land well off the main tourist trails. We are always surprised how few Brits have ever been to Denmark, outside of a Copenhagen weekend break, we met few foreign tourists in 3weeks touring the country.

There is some wrong information here. None of Norway, Switzerland and the Faeroe islands are in the EU , so it may do tax free shopping but its not VAT, so this would not get a refund to non EU citizens.

You must get this processed before leaving the EU at the last port/ airport.

For info I of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, the Azores, Madeira are the same, not in the EU although affiliated to EU states- UK and Portugal.

Do not carry all with you. Europe is safe, you do not need large amounts of cash when sightseeing. You do not need to carry passports ,leave in the hotel safe, large handbags are an easy target. Keep valuables out of sight, only carry what you need for the trip,1 card and a little cash for the day. Why did anybody have $2000 dollars on them, advice at trevi fountain bags on the bus etc is good, think do you need to be encumbered with most stuff . You will enjoy it more with less, you do not need a set of everything to survive most tourist sights. If US tourists are you going to use a cell phone in the day: then leave at hotel, same with expensive watches and big cameras, use a compact in a city if at major sights. One of the worst is Verona, Juliet's balcony( I know a 1930's mock up) pick pocketing in this area is bad. But no worse than LA at Mann's Chinese theatre where we were warned of issues.

Enjoy trips, much of it is urban myths. But just take precautions as in NYC ,LA, Boston etc rather than small town USA.