gumshoe958

Time-wise the flight takes less than an hour and the Eurostar train takes about four hours. But the train is city centre to city centre while if you fly you’ll need to factor in travel time to/from the airport. So they work out roughly the same. Otherwise it’s really down to price and personal preference. There are only 4 direct trains a day to Amsterdam, and annoyingly none between 11am and 6pm, and on your travel day (4 May) the 11am is pretty expensive. But the 8.16am and 6.04pm are both pretty reasonable still, and I’d recommend upgrading to Standard Premier for more space. You must book in advance though, and prices only tend to go up so don’t hang around too long.

Monday May 1st is a public holiday in the UK (as it is in much of Europe) so many London tourist attractions may be very busy that day. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th should be fine. Sure, it won’t be quiet and preparations for the coronation will be in full swing, but they’re normal working days so I think you’ll be fine.

Most airlines close check in and bag drop an hour before departure. For international flights they recommend 2-3 hours. The nightmare queues at security that were widely reported last year are long gone. National Express, perhaps understandably, are playing it safe and recommending 4 hours in case of traffic delays. But for a 2pm flight I wouldn’t think twice about booking a coach that’s due to arrive at 11am. You’ve still got at least 90 minutes of wiggle room. YMMV though.

Ultimately, it’s not Royal’s decision to make.

I think that’s a US thing. Doesn’t tend to be available on European sailings either.

I suspect a 12yo used to O-class will find Jewel very dull. And if you like O-class for its choice of dining and entertainment, so might you. Jewel’s main advantage is she can reach ports that O-class ships can’t, so you’ll get more interesting destinations. She tends to attract an older crowd who appreciate her more traditional style and less frenetic atmosphere (although you’ll still find plenty of families). So if you’re sailing for the itinerary, go for it. If you’re sailing for the ship, I’d rethink.

This thread has plenty of good advice for taxi and limo services. London to Southampton is about 75 miles and should take 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on traffic.

How long is a piece of string? Last summer in the UK the temperature reached over 40C/100F. Equally, in June it’s perfectly possible for it to be nearer 15C/60F. And much cooler at night. And the temperature will vary around the country but as a general rule, as in the US, the further north you are the colder it’ll be. I’d say you’ve a decent chance of being able to sit out for at least some of your cruise - but layers are the answer as evenings may well be pretty chilly and rain is always a possibility. (Also note that on a British Isles cruise you won’t enjoy stunning views like in Alaska or the Norwegian fjords. You’ll be too far offshore most of the time and in any case the UK coast is not very spectacular apart from parts of Scotland.)

That coach is due into Heathrow Central at 11am, so it should be fine barring any massive hold-ups on the M3 or M25 motorways. From the bus station at Heathrow it’s about a 5-10 minute walk to T2 via an underground walkway.

She’s coming up to 5 years old so a dry dock is mandatory and in no way means she’s in bad shape. For now she’s the fourth newest ship in the fleet and still feels very contemporary. For a TA with so many sea days you want a ship with lots to do and see and plenty of options for eating and drinking, and an O-class ship really can’t be beaten for choice.

At under $125 a night for an interior including taxes & fees I’d say it’s still a decent solo price for one of the best ships in the fleet. Particularly when prices for pretty much everything are high right now.

You can use your D+ vouchers to buy drinks for anyone you like.

Staffing will be the issue. The people who work in there are assigned to other restaurants in the evening. It’s not like on land where a venue can just hire in temporary staff to cater a function.

Agreed. Plus the fact that Royal have little creative control over the Broadway shows and presumably pay a hefty fee to license them. Doubtless Nick Weir’s team is under the same pressure to cut costs as every other department and we’ll start to see evidence of that on stage, just like we have in the MDR and housekeeping. Sure, Effectors will have cost a lot to develop but now it’s opened the running costs will be considerably lower.

It’s a different show - Wonder has Effectors 2. I’ve not seen the Odyssey one but I’m guessing it’s pretty similar!

Yes, frequently. Even cheaper if you have a North American TA who secures group rates! You can also benefit from refundable deposits if you want (not available in the UK) and can choose a new cabin if you book a guarantee and aren’t happy with what they give you. BUT you won’t be ATOL protected and consumer protection laws are far weaker in the US so make sure you’re well insured in case anything goes wrong.

Yes. You have to confirm you’ve watched it by clicking a button on the app and when they scan your Seapass their device tells them whether you’ve done it.

You don’t sign anything, your Seapass cards will be scanned and they’ll run through some brief safety info (or a slightly longer briefing if you haven’t watched the video on the app first).

And that’s what’s going to catch a lot of people out (and lead to thread after thread on here this year). Even with the old menus with more choices, many people were accustomed to ordering off-menu. If that’s no longer an option, and there are fewer choices, a lot of people are in for a nasty shock.

Yes. I have never had to queue to get off. The way they word the request to register makes it sound like they’re doing me a favour by allowing me to self-disembark. Wrong. I’m doing them a favour so I won’t play their silly games.

Yes, you can always buy a package on board but it’s extremely rare for it to be cheaper than buying in advance. Remember if you buy now and the price drops before you sail you can cancel for a full refund and take advantage of the lower price.

Because they don’t need to know. They just want me off the ship asap.

I always self-disembark and have never once complied with their request to register with the purser’s office. At Southampton last Wednesday I vacated my cabin on QV at around 8.25 after breakfast and walked straight off with no queue whatsoever.

I imagine he’ll be delighted. He’ll be able to resell those cabins at twice the price to people who’ll spend more on board.

Surely the whole point of RoyalUp is to make sure all the suites are occupied even if the rest of the ship isn’t? So demand for CK should be fairly consistent, even on half empty sailings.