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John Bull

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  • Location
    Lee-on-the-Solent, England
  • Interests
    vintage & classic vehicles
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Voyages of Discovery
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Caribbean

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  1. Agreed. Only boutique cruise ships visit Seville, and Arvia doesn't exactly qualify as "boutique" 😏,. She ports in Cadiz, Seville is about 90 minutes by coach or over 2 hrs by train. P&O will almost-certainly offer a coach excursion to Seville, but that'll be a tour with little or no time to do your own thing wandering the streets. But the old part of Cadiz, right by the port, is made for wandering the streets. And La Caleta beach is on the other side of the old town. Not architectural masterpieces like Seville, much more artisan but interesting & walkable streets & pedestrian lanes. A pleasant and lazy day. If that's not interesting enough for you, consider a 30 minute train ride to Jerez de la Frontere, the home of sherry. Production is now carried out in factories on the outskirts but a number of the centre's original bodegas are open for tours & tastings. And if Andalusian horses are your scene there's https://www.realescuela.org/en/visits-shows/what-to-do/full-visit/ Barcelona Take the payable but inexpensive port shuttle, which drops you near the statue of Christopher Columbus on his tall column (think Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square). He's at thr bottom end of the famous Las Ramblas.. Other sights like Gaudi's Sagrada Familia need a bus or metro ride. Mallorca I last visited about 40 years ago but I remember the excellent train ride between Palma & Soller https://trendesoller.com/eng/index JB 🙂
  2. Uber Yes in Dover. And lots of taxis on-spec, but also lots of folk Yes in the Weymouth area, but Portland Harbour is a secure Navy port. The only way to leave or enter the port is on a ship's excursion or shuttlebus. You can pay to take a shuttlebus 4 1/2 miles to the Victorian seaside resort town of Weymouth, or a free shuttlebus half a mile to Portland Castle - this is where private tours & taxis meet their cruise ship customers. This might make the timing a bit unpredictable - I've not heard of any problems in this respect but you really need advice from those who've done it. There are no taxis available on-spec on Portland, and I'm a little doubtful about whether Uber drivers would be interested on-spec, I very strongly advise you to pre-book. Do taxis accept credit cards ? Almost-certainly all at Dover cruise terminal. Probably on Portland but a risk that there are a few which don't. But that's something you can check when you book. What are your plans for taxis at these ports? They're a convenient way to get around town, but further than about 10 miles they'll be expensive if metered rather than at a pre-booked fixed price. JB 🙂
  3. Firstly check the name of the port for Stockholm. @CruiserBruce has mentioned the sail in and out - it's several hours of glorious sailing thro the archipelago of islands, most so close that you feel you could reach out & touch the trees - one of the world's most glorious sail-ins. Best location in Stockholm is along Stadsgardshamnen, if berthed at Frihamnen it's a little less convenient. But if the itinerary mentions Nynashamn that's on the coast - not only is it an hour from Stockholm, it's also too big to go thro that wonderful sail-in. We've not been to Oslo Amsterdam is far & away the better turnaround port - well worth a few extra days pre or post-cruise. At least one overnight in port is always welcome, cities are different day & evening. If you want to visit Berlin from Warnemunde it's about 3 hours away. Better to save Berlin for a worthwhile 3 - 4 day visit at some time in the future, but if that's not likely you want as many hours in port as possible - both itineraries give more-generous time in port than most cruises. We've sailed thro the Kiel Canal - not particularly attractive. The deciding factor for me would be that Stockholm sail-in. But if both port in the city or both port in Nynashamn that's no help at all.🙄 JB 🙂
  4. I'm not a cider-drinker, but the internet tells me it's draught Strongbow 🙂 A couple of BTWs 1. the "premium" package probably isn't worth the cost (unless you prefer bottled Bulmers). 2. Marella's cocktails are rather weak - and we're not the only ones who think that. It actually worked out well for our Adriatic cruise - against my own advice to avoid the Med in high summer we were temped by a bargain late-booked July cruise. Fortunately we'd previously visited most of the ports, because we couldn't hack traipsing round in the afternoon heat and spent most afternoons in a shady corner near top-deck bar. I guess I got thro as many as a dozen BBCs and Pina Coladas in an afternoon, ordering another each time one was brought to me - but I remained sober and totally in command of my limbs. JB 🙂
  5. The £21.00 fare is just for the 7.19 train, which is way too early to be sure of making it. And there's no train on that route at 8.20 - but yes, all the hourly trains from 9.20 via a change at Havant are at £20.10. And no need to buy in advance or specify a train time - these aren't cheap Advance fares, they're off-peak (anytime) fares. Peak fares are only on major routes such as Southampton to London Waterloo, which is one reason why the route via Clapham Junction is so expensive. Altho most flight check-ins are open until an hour or less before flight time you need to be at Gatwick at least 2 hours before your flight to allow for delays at check-in and security, a potential transfer to the North Terminal (the train station is inside South Terminal), and sometimes a long walk to the boarding gate. If your flight isn't before about 2pm it's the way to go. Car rental doesn't make sense - there's time lost collecting & returning, a big one-way charge, and we always drive a complicated cross-country route with lots of options to avoid being trapped by a motorway (freeway) log-jam. If the train timings don't suit your flight time, a private transfer could make sense. Those at the Southampton end include https://westquaycars.com/ and https://www.aquacars.co.uk/ and https://gunwharf-executive-travel.co.uk/ JB 🙂
  6. Hi, and welcome to Cruise Critic, I always recommend a Brit-orientated cruise line for a Brit's first cruise. A cruise is very different to other holidays, there's lots to learn and for a first cruise it's best to keep things simple - ship's currency, language, food choices, entertainment, no unexpected cost add-ons etc etc. For instance.... No mental arithmetic or bank charges when converting USD or euros to sterling. No multiple languages for announcements (a real bore when an entertainments director takes an age to speak in six languages) and no understandably stilted interaction with your fellow-passengers who have limited English (but not a big problem with the crew) Food differences aren't a big deal on American ships, but if you choose an Italian ship it's best if you like pasta and a few strange combinations On US & Italian ships a daily charge of about $14 to $16 per person per night is added to your on-board account. And a service charge of about 20% on already over-priced drinks etc. Don't necessarily be put off by those add-ons, but do allow for the extra costs when comparing cruise fares against those of P&O and Marella and perhaps smaller cruise lines geared to Brits. P&O and Marella fly-cruises are usually on aircraft chartered by the cruise line - choice of departure airport, no risk of missing the sailing because of a flight delay, transfers to the ship included, no having to leave the ship at 9am on the last day, - until your transfer is called you have the run of the ship, dining, bars, pools etc (but not your cabin). And there's the camaraderie of "Brits abroad" Aurora is a favourite ship of ours - a "proper" traditional cruise ship with a tiered stern - not rows of chicken coops on a gigantic barge & topped by USS Enterprise. She carries about 2500 passengers,. Norwegian Sky and Celebrity Constellation are a similar size, and that's ideal - certainly big enough to keep you amused for a 7-day port-intensive cruise. I don't like the huge 5,000-passenger leviathans, many of their passengers don't care too much about itineraries - their destination is the ship itself. Older ships tend to lack the whistles & bells, but they're well-maintained & frequently refurbished. Aurora is now one of P&O's adults-only ships, so she appeals more to the older passenger - in your eyes that may be a plus or a minus. Celebrity is an excellent cruise line, more refined than most the mass-market lines but usually a little more expensive. Connie is one of their older ships, but you'll still be impressed. Norwegian is more of a with-it cruise line, and has plenty of toys. The downsides are that the included food is reported as being well below-par as it concentrates on its many premium-pay restaurants. It also has a reputation for "nickel-and-diming" its passengers - expect the cruise to cost a great deal more than the headline price. MSC has the youngest & most stylish fleet - you'll be wowed. And prices are keen But yes, there are downsides. Mainly the language barrier - not a problem on sailings from the UK because a huge proportion of passengers are Brits, but on Med cruises almost-all are continental Europeans. Language isn't a big problem with the crew, but many are somewhat aloof. Food also relies heavily on pasta. And lots of small courses which added to leisurely service can make dinner a long drawn-out affair. But worst reviews tend to be from un-savvy Americans & Brits who are surprised that an Italian ship is very Italian 🙄. Go with the flow & you'll enjoy. And dig deeper into reviews of Marella. We've enjoyed many cruises on Marella ships - including the Adriatic. Like P&O, passengers are Brits. A broad mix from all corners of the UK and all income brackets. Perhaps a little rough-and-ready, but the friendliest ships we've sailed. And fairly basic choice of drinks (eg choice of John Smith's beer and one indeterminate lager, moderate selection of cccktails, etc ) are included. Good if not fantastic entertainment - shows, comedians, plenty of varied live music bars. And surprisingly good food. Itineraries -. Yes, we love the Adriatic, including cruises, gulets, and road trips. P&O's Valetta seems a strange & distant turnaround port for an Adriatic cruise - and being your turnaround port you'll see little of it. Trieste is for Venice, about 2 hours away. Norwegian & Celebrity's itineraries are better, with only one difference between the two, We rate Constellation's Kotor highly - a wonderful long & scenic sail-in / sail-out, and a beautiful compact and friendly old town right by the port. (some ships berth, some moor offshore & you're ferried ashore by ship's tenders - a bit of a bind on bigger ships but a new experience for you). Far better than Norwegian's Corfu. I mentioned that was the only difference in those two itineraries. But Norwegian goes to Venice. Errrr, no it doesn't.😡😡😡 Most cruise ships are now banned from sailing into Venice. Look more closely at the itinerary. She goes to Trieste, same as Aurora. Celebrity goes to Ravenna, another port for Venice, also something over 2 hours from Venice. That's a further reason why I'm cautious about Norwegian Something you'll have to get used to - cruise lines have much the same reputation as Ryanair for being more than a little misleading about their destinations , eg London is Southampton or Dover, Bangkok is Laem Chabang, Cairo is Alexandria or Port Sokhna. But because Venice is renown for its wonderful sail-in up the Giudecca Canal, describing Trieste as "Venice" takes the biscuit. 🙄 If you've not visited Rome, do fly out a few days early. Lots to consider, hope I've helped more than I've confused. But all first cruises are great - enjoy choosing & enjoy cruising JB 🙂
  7. Hi, and welcome to Cruise Critic, Your mention of Marella tells me that you have lied about your location. Not only are you an earthling, I can pin you down to somewhere in the UK 😏. Other than St Thomas, a P&O Eastern Caribbean cruise visits all those ports and more in a 14-day cruise, starting in Barbados. And they also have a Southern Caribbean alternative But altho Virgin fly to Barbados you'd do better to hang on to your Virgin points, and book a P&O fly-cruise because - aircraft are chartered by P & O, so a great deal cheaper than booking cruise & flights separately even allowing for Virgin points. - direct flights from a choice of half-a-dozen regional airports - everyone on the aircraft is on your cruise, your holiday has already started, and no fear of missing the ship because of a flight delay - you hand over your checked luggage at your UK airport & you won't see it again until its at your cabin door - no immigration, baggage carousel, customs etc at Grantley Adams airport - you don't even go into the terminal !!! Your aircraft taxis to the end of the apron & you walk mebbe 30 yards to your transfer bus which takes you to the ship. Your luggage follows later in a truck. - you have a full day & evening in Barbados at the start or end of your cruise - no long sail to your first - and from your last - port-of-call - on your last day, except for your cabin which you have to vacate vacate by about 9am, you have the run of the ship - pools, dining, bars, etc until your transfer bus is called. No getting kicked off the ship at 9am and being burdened with your luggage in Miami til your evening flight home. You don't mention which Marella cruise you've sailed, but you may have already experienced some of those advantages. And certainly some of these ............. - ship's currency is sterling, no figuring out the value & no currency exchange woes - No daily tips (around $14 pppn on US ships) - No service charge on drinks etc (20% on US ships) I very strongly recommend a Brit fly-cruise for the Caribbean, it's so easy & seamless. We can't recommend travel agents, but google "cruise specialist agents, UK". One based in an arctic house is good. Check out their websites, then phone. You can get some great info from them, and mebbe talk them into an extra discount or a freebie like airport parking or on-board credit. I suggest that you consider only the "Saver" fare, not the more-expensive "Select" fare. Select includes free port shuttles (but there are none in the Caribbean) and choice of dinner sitting (there are no sittings in the Caribbean, it's all "anytime" dining). So the only advantage of the significantly higher fare is being able to choose your cabin number instead of just a guaranteed category. JB 🙂
  8. @gdlamberth Hi Greg, The hourly direct trains between Southampton (SOU) & Gatwick airport (GTW) have been switched in a timetable re-shuffle effective from June.🙁 Those hourly trains will then run between Portsmouth & Gatwick, but from Southampton it will mean only one very simple same-platform change Take the hourly Brighton-bound train from Southampton Central at 20 minutes past the hour to Havant where you have a simple change to that train from Portsmouth, which arrives on the same platform about 20 minutes later. So a simple same-platform change, journey time about 20 minutes longer, fare £20.10. (same frequency, routine & fare going from Gatwick to Southampton, except that the same-platform change is at Barnham instead of Havant) There's an alternative hourly train on the hour to Clapham Junction which is a different route - the journey time is a little quicker, but the change at Clapham Junction isn't simple,, and the fare is £44.50 😮 Another alternative involves two awkward changes, at Basingstoke and Clapham Junction, same $44.50 fare. I'll repeat, a same-platform change at Havant is no big deal. https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ (the national site) or https://www.southernrailway.com/ (the train operator) (same info, same prices, but different layout - choose whichever you find easiest) Sorry Port Royal, but sadly £100 for a private transfer to Gatwick is well out-of-date. Expect to pay £130 to £140 for a sedan, probably £150+ for four people plus luggage. That said, it's better value for four than for two, and mebbe worth considering. JB 🙂
  9. As per my last post, walk-up tickets cost £45.20 (WAT to SOU) and £43.10 (SOU to WAT) But there's a significant saving to be made by buying cheap Advance tickets. Advance prices are dynamic, starting at £14.00 - you're too late for that price, but they're still showing at £21.70, something less than half the price of walk-up tickets. Don't delay, the Advance fares will continue to increase. As per the post above from @gumshoe958 those Advance tickets are only good for the train time that you book, but unless you're too optimistic about when you can get to SOU on disembarkation day that shouldn't be a problem for you (I suggest you book that 19th May journey for no earlier than the 09.35 train). Sundays are the preferred days for planned track maintenance work, but there are no planned works which affect either of your dates. Book via the National website https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ or direct with the operator https://www.southwesternrailway.com/ JB 🙂
  10. The bulk of the crowds mentioned by Hank will be the coach-loads who day-trip from the many Costa del Sol resorts as far away as Nerja. So you'd do well to get there before about 10am. JB 🙂
  11. Folk from London and much further travel to Southampton on sailing day by car by bus, by train. No worries. Yes, we're still getting the occasional rail strike, but there are no wild-cat strikes - unions are required by law to give 14 days notice of any industrial action. And I can't remember when no trains ran because of industrial action - Waterloo to Southampton & beyond is a key route, and all resources are directed to keeping key routes going so even on a strike day those trains or at least most of them will run. It's the less-important local and cross-country routes that will suffer. So book with reasonable confidence and keep an eye on this page https://www.journeycheck.com/swr/ Half-hourly direct trains on a saturday. The walk-up fare is an eye-watering £54.50. But if you buy in advance it can be as low as £14.00 Advance fares are dynamic - they're available from about 12 weeks out, and the price creeps up as the travel date approaches so buy as soon as available. But Advance Tickets are only good for the train time that you selected - miss that train and you'll have to buy fresh walk-up tickets at £54.50 each. You can book via the National Rail website https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ or direct with the train operator https://www.southwesternrailway.com/ (same info, same fares) Altho those Advance tickets are "no changes, no refunds", in the unlikely event that industrial action means your chosen train doesn't run, they can be used at alternative times and on alternative routes. Or you are entitled to a full refund. JB 🙂
  12. For purchases in EU countries (that includes Belgium & the Netherlands) get itemised receipts which include the outlet's VAT reg number. You claim for all purchases in all EU countries at your final departure point in the EU, probably your airport to go home. Keep the goods in your hand-luggage and your receipts handy. Different countries and often different airports handle it in different ways - if you're lucky you get an immediate refund, if not then there's paperwork to do and wait for weeks to get that refund. There are minimum amounts in total and for each receipt (but you can combine several smaller purchases as long as they're all from one place & on one receipt.) It can be a bit of a work-up, so as @navybankerteacher's comment only worthwhile for a goodly sum JB 🙂
  13. I think Maynards is the only place in central Southampton that stores bags for a day - others like Ocean's in High Street have come & gone. Across the road from the Civic Centre, open 7 days a week, about £5 per bag. JB 🙂
  14. Yes, you certainly don't want to risk booking only a very early train and finding that because of a delay in the cruise terminal or the taxi line you miss it and have to pay another £45 a-piece. So buying cheap tickets for two trains is worth considering, it depends how keen you are to arrive early in the big bad city. I'd advise against, because the wasted ticket would cost more than 2 beers But they say you should never take advice from an alcoholic 😏 JB 🙂
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