DaveT65

Is there a "best time" of year to avoid water level issues on the eastern Danube [budapest to Bucharest]? I suspect the answer is NO / it depends, but I thought I would ask. Looking to do that next summer.

I see very little in recent reviews for Riviera River Cruises. Any comments here?

I would like to "second" the questions posed in two recent posts about transfers from San Pedro to John Wayne [sNA] after a cruise.

We're flying out of SNA on Oct 15 @ 12:25, and did plan to use a private car service, partly because of the relatively early departure. Is this the way to go? PrimeTime? SuperShuttle? Something else?

And I was planning to make an advanced reservation, just to be safe.

Forgot to ask:

Which private car service for San Pedro to John Wayne? Google shows PrimeTimeShuttle and Karmel. Others?

And what time should the service be reserved for [12:25 flight time]? Based on Bruin Steve's comments, seems like I should ask for 9:00 or 9:30, allowing 1 hour travel [and lunch :D ]; is that doable for disembarkation? What if I am late getting off? Do the car services stay in touch and wait?

Thanks, Bruin Steve,

I carelessly mis-typed "Ontario". It is John Wayne in "Orange" County. I had a 1:30 flight out of LGB back east, my first choice, but JetBlue cancelled it! John Wayne provided a reasonable, even better, alternative for me than LAX. So private car service it will be. Hopefully, Sat am won't have bad traffic issues.

And thanks for the guidance on Priceline.

I am not a Priceline user. What criteria do you put in [look for] to guarantee that you get the Crowne Plaza at the Princess/San Pedro port?

And after cruise question:

I will be leaving at 12:30 out of John Wayne/Ontario airport. I assume that shared ride or reserved car is the way to go from the port? And how early to schedule on a Saturday?

I think this is the best thread to post this, and I have searched and scanned for comments, but didn’t find exactly what I am looking for.

My spouse and I are on Ruby Princess Oct 8-15 out of Port of LA/San Pedro. We are flying into LGB day prior [a Friday], arriving 5:37 pm, and leaving out of LGB [a Saturday] at 1:35 pm. I am looking for suggestions for transfer from LGB to hotel, hotel suggestion, and transfer back to LGB.

With our late afternoon arrival on a Friday, I am thinking it might be smart to stay near LGB rather than go near the port. We will be tired, having driven from Zion National Park to LAS and flown in from there that day. So we are not interested in doing stuff or getting a nice dinner. We’ll just want to grab a bite and go to sleep; just a clean, quiet, safe place. We would then go to the port [by cab?] next morning.

I am a Marriott member, and see they have a Courtyard and a Marriott at LGB, both with airport shuttles. My TA, on the other hand, has suggested going to the BW Plus on S Gaffey and then take their port shuttle in the am; she has stayed there and said it was fine. I have read here that Crowne Plaza or Doubletree are suggested near the port. Since I don’t care about doing “stuff”, I’m not sure any of those are an advantage to us.

After the cruise, I know Princess does not offer shuttles to LGB, so I assume it will be a taxi. But are there private shuttles or car services that are better?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Thanks to all who replied to my post. I did book an Aloha Deck mid-aft Cat BB for Sept 24, 2016. I decided the bigger partly covered [premium] balcony on Caribe was not worth the $$ difference to me. And was able to get a cabin just aft of the aft elevators, with cabins below, above and across.

I would have chosen Baja, but it appears that the most-forward of the mid-aft cabins have been blocked for a tour or TA. Those available are more aft and opposite "blank areas" which indicate crew areas to me.

With your help, I am sure that Aloha mid-aft will be fine and a good choice for me/us.

I am looking at Ruby for California Coastal for Fall 2016 - yes, I plan ahead! I have searched the board here, but still have several questions.

I plan to go with a balcony cabin. The vote seems to go heavily to Caribe Deck due to the large, half covered, half not covered balcony, which is a B2 Premium for Mid-Aft. Any comments?

I will also consider B4 Aft [various decks] due to the view, but concerned about motion in the Pacific; should I be concerned?

If I go with standard balcony, BB, to save a few $$$, is there a difference between Aloha and Baja decks? Difference in balcony cover?

Does anyone know whether Port or Starboard is better for being docked on the city side for that itinerary?

I was able to find the shops list and then go further. I found the SIM Local shop listing in T2 and also found the SIM International card info on the O2 site. But neither will work for me, and the reasons illustrate why this is such a "complex" issue for me.

The SIM Local shop in T2 will be open until 22:00 according to a site I found. My flight is scheduled in at 21:55, though it has been typically arriving between 21:00 and 21:30. So I would have the very real possibility of the shop being closed by the time I clear the arrivals process. In addition, I saw on the O2 site that you can ONLY top up their SIM card in the UK. My time actually in the UK will be minimal. So I think I am back to RoamSimple or Telestial - which does also let me get the SIM while still in the USA. As I recall, one or both of those use the O2 network anyway.

So again, many thanks for your information, even if it doesn't work for me. It makes me better informed.

Sparkles87,

Thanks for the information. I didn't realize O2 had multi-country [Europe] SIM Cards; I must have missed that.

And I have looked for T2 detailed terminal maps [as I will be arriving there in early July on UAL] but haven't found them. Only the general ones with pretty pictures and graphics. Can you possibly post the link, or guide me to the site?

Thanks.

Thank you, calliopecruiser, for posting. I intended to include the following comment regarding Telestial and just forgot:

Telestial [= eKit?] has attractive rates but several similar plans that are hard to choose among to me. It is pre-paid, includes a UK & USA #, has 24/7 CS, and the ability to keep the number by paying to do so. I am not sure on this, but think it is trigger callback based - instructions/FAQs are confusing.

Based primarily on the pre-paid versus post-paid, I favored Roam Simple, but calliopecruiser's post prompted me to look again. Telestial OneRate and Passport cards are available on Amazon.com for a significant discount [OneRate for $10, free shipping eligible, $5 call credit incl] , which makes the initial investment competitive to Roam Simple. And I honestly never considered the downside of post-paid, where you could run up a huge bill due to some glitch, or not understanding the system. That is a real advantage of pre-paid, provided I can top up from the phone, which you can with Telestial. I believe the minimum top up increment is $30, though, which is high to me. Lots to consider before I have to choose in June.

If you can clarify any of this, I welcome your post, calliopecruiser. And thanks again.

My post didn't generate any interest, but I decided to post what I have found out. Be sure to read my requirements for context.

I am planning to go with Roam Simple for the following reasons:

*Post-Bill account, not prepaid, so I won't pay for minutes, in chunks, that I may never use. A "biggie" for me.

*Reasonable upfront cost - $15 for a Europe SIM + UK #, sent with SIM, good for one year, renewable afterwards for $9/year.

*Billing for upfront costs and usage in USD against US credit cards.

*Customer Service phone #, albeit only 9-5 M-F.

*Reasonable, but NOT the cheapest, calling costs for my travel areas.

giffgaff had much better costs, but deals only with UK credit cards, thereby requiring a forwarding purchase and does not support phone top up with non-UK credit cards; you must purchase a voucher and then can do it by phone. [i will not have internet access]

WorldTravel cards never expire and you get a USA phone #, too, but is not Post-Billed.

Mobal is Post-Bill but very expensive per minute.

I'll let you know how this works out after my trip.

I have posted an updated version of my original question here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=42129306#post42129306

I have searched Cruise Critic BB for posts about European SIM cards. I found several posts, but most are older. I ask for any comments about recent experience with my situation:

I want to have a mobile phone with me on my Norway cruise out of/back to the UK, and then continuing on to Ireland. I do have a mobile phone here in the USA, a pre-paid plan, and was with Tracfone. I have researched this enough already to know that I could get an "unlocked, quad-band, GSM" phone that will work in Europe and the USA under certain carriers. I wanted to switch from Tracfone anyway, so have purchased a phone as above that is dual-SIM and is working with T-Mobile pre-paid now. So I am NOT looking to buy a cheap phone & card, but instead to buy just a Europe SIM.

I would prefer to buy it now, while still in the USA and attempt to make sure it works. In addition, I will be arriving at Heathrow after 21:00 in the evening, going directly to the hotel to get some rest, then on the transfer to Harwich and the ship the next morning. So I don't see having much time - or the opportunity - to buy upon my arrival in Europe UNLESS there is a store in LHR [i will be arriving on UAL in the new T-2] that can do the whole thing in a short time.

In the searching I have done, I have come across lots of names of Europe SIM providers, and am looking for your comments. Among them: National Geographic Talk Abroad, Vodaphone, eKit/Telestial, Mobal, SimpleRoam, Roam Simple, O2, Orange, giffgaff. I'm sure there are many more. Various upfront costs versus call cost. Simplicity is important to me. I expect to actually use the phone very little. Calling home every day, or even every week, is not on the agenda.

Comments appreciated!! And sorry for the lengthy explanation; I just get carried away with completeness.

I should have asked in my previous post:

Any comments on silver-fleet.co.uk shared shuttles? They are priced the same as the Harwich Cruise Bus.

Does anyone here have experience with britishcruisetransfers.co.uk? Their pricing showing on their web site for a private car transfer, Heathrow to Harwich, is much less than virtually all other car services. 110+ GBP versus 150+ GBP. :confused: That is competitive with shared shuttle or Harwich Cruise Bus.

daisydog,

Thanks much!! Mobal might, indeed, be just what I am looking for based on a quick review. I also see Roam Simple and SimpleRoam. All are similar but with different upfront costs, length of service and costs per minute. And I could combine one of them, getting just a Europe or WorldWide SIM card, with diaB's suggestion to look for an unlocked quad band GSM phone on eBay. $19 for a basic phone when I just looked.

I see being able to get the phone while still at home [and hopefully check it out] & having a SIM card that is good throughout Europe [or more] as opposed to having to get a card/plan for each country as real advantages.

I'm on it ;) .

dauB,

I am a complete novice regarding cell phones, so what would I look for on eBay to get a phone that will work in UK/Norway/Ireland? Something like this?:

- This is an unlocked phone. It may contain a carrier logo on the phone, but it does not affect any of its functions and it's 100% compatible with any GSM carrier worldwide.

 

- Please note that the internet and MMS options may not yet been set up for your network. It can be easily set up according to your carrier in about 5 minutes.

SPECIFICATION:

Brand BLU

Model Aria T174

Color Black Red

Style Bar

Carrier Unlocked

Carrier Name AT&T, Cingular, H2O, T-Mobile, Simple Mobile, Fido, Rogers Wireless & Others - Phone will work on any GSM carrier worldwide.

Cellular Band Quad-Band 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 Mhz

Camera Resolution VGA

SIM Card Dual SIM

And where do I get or activate the proper SIM card?

gailsail:

I went to the three.co web site and was completely lost [see above :p ] as to how I would get a phone & SIM and activation!

Sorry to be such a novice in this regard, but I appreciate those attempting to help me :D .

I will be on Celebrity Infinity for a Norwegian Fjords cruise out of Harwich, followed by a land tour in Ireland.

I think I would like to get a "disposable"/"burner" mobile phone for use while in England, Norway and Ireland. I have read on Trip Advisor that "carphonewarehouse" is the place to buy an inexpensive phone and a month of limited service. I don't need service onboard the ship. Also, no internet, texting, etc. Only possible calls to transfer services, airlines, hotels, tour companies, etc. In other words, use for problems only. Does anyone have any experience & suggestions here? What and where to buy? Expected cost?

Apparently they don't have a store at LHR, and I'm not sure I would have an opportunity between arrival at LHR late evening and arrival at Harwich Port noon the next day. Transfer from LHR to Harwich will NOT be the cruiseline transfer, but Harwich Cruise Shuttle Bus or private car service. Cannot do trains, which might provide the opportunity on-route.

I have a limited use cell phone here in the USA, and I will look into a European SIM card for it, but I am not hopeful as it is a pre-paid T-Mobile very basic phone.

John Bull,

I hope that you are still lurking on this thread.

You said:

Guessing this is the one operated by International Friends (& promoted by London Toolkit) at £59.

http://www.internationalfriends.co.u...transfers.html

 

A recently-introduced hotel-to-ship service operated by an established & reputable coach operator. You can book with confidence.

London-to-Harwich isn't their best cruise transfer because of the time constraints & the lack of worthwhile places to visit on the way to Harwich. No sight-seeing on the way, but a useful stop at a superstore to stock up on wine, sodas, etc.

 

A better bet than ship-sponsored transfer (unless your hotel is right by Victoria coach station), & possibly better than the train unless your hotel is convenient to Liverpool Street station. Both coach & train drop you right by the ship.

I searched for posts on Harwich Cruise Bus and came across your post. Are your comments still valid? I investigated options for LHR hotel to Harwich transfer after late evening arrival at LHR and overnight at Premier Inn M4. Train is not an option for us. Your comments about this being better than the ship transfer, at least for my case, since it doesn't require going back to LHR Arrivals :mad: , make sense to me. And I thought the superstore stop was useful. The only alternative I found, other than private car service which I think is overkill for this situation, was silverfleet shared minivan, and I thought a regular coach, though slower with all the pickups, would be preferable.

Comments? And my thanks in advance.

Riise, Mairnealach,

I am 95% ready to book on Ryanair out of Stansted. I think it is the right thing for my wife and me for this trip from Harwich to Dublin. I have studied Ryanair's Terms and Conditions and can accept them. Thank you for encouraging me to pursue Ryanair, as it saves money and greatly simplifies transfers upon disembarkation.

My last hangup is some questions about booking and checking in online with Ryanair from the USA with US Passports. From what I read, 5 years ago that was a nuisance at best, a problem at worst. As I read Ryanair's current procedures:

I can book directly on their web site and pay with a US credit or debit card.

I can print my boarding pass online, subject to the time requirements that depend on my seating selections. [i would choose allocated seating in order to permit me to print my boarding passes [using A4 paper :D ] before leaving home some 11 days before the flight.]

I can check in by stopping at the Ryanair Visa/Document Check Desk:

Ryanair T&C 6.3 All non-EU/EEA citizens must have their travel documents checked and Boarding Pass stamped at our Visa/Document Check Desk before going through airport security.

Do you have any comments or guidance regarding this?

Many thanks.

I did take the suggestion and reconsider RyanAir and made a trial booking and studied the fees. RyanAir from Stansted to Dublin would cost about 72 British Pounds while AerLingus from LHR would cost about 98 BP, baggage fees incl and advance seat/checkin incl for RyanAir. [While I likely could print my boarding passes to RyanAir on board the cruise ship, I went for the safer option of printing at home early since the penalty for not having a boarding pass ahead of time is severe.]

Cost, together with the easier, and likely less expensive, travel from Harwich to Stansted do cause me to think about it again. From what I have read here, making a 13:40 out of Stansted would be very easy. And there is one backup flight at 17:10. I think I would be even more tempted if the RyanAir were earlier, letting me get to Dublin around shortly after Noon, which was my original goal. Again, from what I read here, I can get to LHR, even on a Monday, pretty safely for a 13:25 flight out of LHR and have lots of backups. While a difference of 26 x 2 BP is nothing to "sneeze at" [uSA expression!!], it is a very small amount compared to what the trip is costing. How accommodating is RyanAir if flight problems do arise? Would we get to Dublin same day, even if it meant going to LHR after all?

And regarding the LCY flight possibilities, I just don't think we could manage public transport to LCY, considering age and luggage. If we do end up going to LHR, I would love to take transit as it sounds much safer than car/bus, but can't see us doing that.

Many thanks to all who have taken the time and effort to comment.

Thanks for the suggestions. Being a Marriott Club member, that is a real possibility for me.

I went to TripAdvisor and looked around, and Premier Inn Bath Road comes up very highly rated and a good value, especially for just the overnight. Anyone with experience with that?

I am looking for a recommendation for an overnight only stay [no amenities required, just clean and convenient] at an LHR Hotel after a 22:00 arrival [we'll be arriving in the new Terminal 2 with United] and early morning departure for the Harwich. We'll be using either Harwich Cruise Bus which picks up at many, though not all, LHR area hotels, or a car service. Probably won't use the cruise line transfer as I don't want to go back to LHR Arrivals.

Suggestions??

Thanks.