john watson

I think it is due to demand I saw some Queen Mary 2 video mid Atlantic and the decks were covered in snow. I have also been on ships in December. Quite often all the loungers are tied up in stacks and nobody wants to get in the pool. Regards John

The train was in the station at Cork to return us back to Cobh. It had been sitting there a while so I started running. The Railway man told me not to run in case I tripped. He then said the train wont start while people are walking along the platform towards the train. This is a strange concept for people used to BR service. Incidentally Cobh formerly know as Queenstown was a Titanic port. The ship did not dock but anchored and was tendered. A memorial exists at the town. Regards John

I think the US to UK sector is no too bad as I'm thinking you get to bed early on a short day. The UK to US sector gives you five extra hours that day which is the problem. Regards John

I park at the Holiday Inn in Herbert Walker Avenue. Usually do a park and stay package with taxi included both ways. I think they also do straight parking only but you would have to contact them direct to confirm this. Regards John

I think you will find them heated for Mexican Riviera and not for Alaska or Northern Europe in December. The Retreat Pool on Deck 17 Sky Deck forward on Discovery Princess is free of charge and fewer people seem to find it. Regards John

I think the trick is to say yes I'm on my own on this one and leave it at that. There is no compulsion on explaining why. If they come back at you talk about the flights problem which some people have or answer a question with a question.. Regards John

Dark Grey or Navy Blue would be within the dress code. Regards John

The original poster is from Wales and I am sure she will be contacting the call centre in Southampton, Carnival House. Regards John

I think they do not heat them as much when winter cruises are concerned. Generally they do keep them warm but net them off sometimes. Regards John

When we docked at Cobh the ship was next to the railway station which took you to Cork. The station was closer to the ship than all the tour buses Regards John

If you bid the minimum for a balcony but have been upgraded to a cabin which does not have a balcony. I suggest what has happened is that you have been given an upgrade free of charge. The two things whilst similar do not relate to one another. I should confirm this once on board not before. Regards John

When you became a doctor did you get a feeling of anxiety when on flights in case someone fell seriously ill? I think you must have been proud when you became a surgeon. Lol John

There is a solo section on this website giving various tips. In general, though having sailed alone on occasions I should dine on shared tables at dinner and if possible breakfast and or lunch too. The solo travellers coffee mornings are worth looking in on. You often find contacts to chat with from time to time in this way. Organised games such as carpet bowls or elevator roulette on sea days are amusing. Check the daily patter to make sure you get to bingo, trivia quizzes or whatever works for you. Regards John

I only do the tables generally Black Jack or Roulette. You can hand in your cruise card at a table for chips. Generally they give you for the table you are at so Black Jack would be small cash chips with the value on them. Roulette chips you get all the same colour which is your type, maybe up to ten players each with a different colour. You can give them cash too. They call the supervisor to witness the transaction and shove all paper through the table slot. There is a cashier's counter so when you want to cash in you just ask croupier or dealer to colour up and they will give you a series of £25 cash chips plus the odd £1,£2, £5 etc. All these can be cashed in at the counter for pound notes. You can then pay off your cruise account at reception with all your winnings, lol. I have no idea about the slot machines. Regards John

Yes, a massive long table of a big group mainly from Long Island. The cruise was a rare round trip Caribbean out of New York. This was a fixed dining first seating arrangement. Regards John

When booking a cruise the first two passengers pay full price depending on cabin grade. If you then need to book 3rd and 4th passengers in possibly children they ten to be booked at a far cheaper rate. Once you start looking at the Caribbean 3rd and 4th passengers each need a seat on the aircraft both ways. The latter is quite expensive and explains why parents tend not to take their children to the Caribbean in large numbers. Regards John

I think it unlikely you can all sit at the same table. Having said that I spent a cruise around Caribbean with my daughter at a table for two but daughter hardly ever wanted to go so I dined alone. However the next table was a group of over twenty Americans all from the same family or close friends. They were a bit noisy but this didn't bother me. The patriarch was just like sergeant Bilko, it was quite amusing. Regards John

You may bring food back to cabin for your son. Conversely I am wondering as an adult why he wont just drop in at an MDR? He could share a big table which makes a lot more sense. There is also the buffet and other dining options as well as room service if he cannot leave cabin. Regards John

You can share tables at breakfast and lunch if you want. They do solo traveller coffee mornings and you could do one or two of them. Sea day games and activities sometimes have a mixed crowd. Spectating at the casino you meet another gang. It is all about sometimes mixing and sometime not. Regards John

I think the problem is that cruise lines do not want to take responsibility in this matter in case they make an error. There are hundreds of countries in the world from which people may have a passport. The second problem is that cruises stop at a large number of different ports many of which are independent of a major country. The regulations change without notice at individual countries. Obtaining visas for a series of different countries is a nightmare if you have to visit in person several embassies. I know someone who did this and once boarded they retained her passport so officials entering the ship could look at the document in person. This happened to me on UK passport and all Americans on US passports when visiting People's Republic of China, Taiwan and Japan. We were given photocopies for some ports. Regards John

I have studied this closely and reading between the lines I am thinking a number of people mistook this for a dentist. Lol John

I remember a youngish newbie couple at Guernsey who got on the tender and the wife seemed to be a bit nervous. They sat next to me and we watched the tender pilot reposition a big fender then walk back in and up a ladder to his driving position. The woman said "He hasn't got a clue what to do and he's driving" so I said to the husband "ohh, he's our waiter". Well he found it funny. Regards John

I remember a stop at Guernsey where we had done an official tour to Sark on a second ferry. We were incredibly late back, in fact the last ships tender was being raised as we returned to the ship. Our ferry transferred all our group on to a bigger ferry which took us back to the ship. On another occasion when we visited the sea got choppy and the ship's tender dock closed. We were at sea for over an hour until the ship moved to shelter the ock. Regards John

I think Ireland does not qualify but Guernsey does. Probably because you can walk across the border undocumented. Regards John

Virtually every British Isles cruise pops in a foreign port such as Le Havre. When a ship enters a foreign port ex-UK round trip, I understand the line are then able to sell duty frees. If this port of call is not included I believe no duty free sales are permitted. Regards John