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sddsddean

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Posts posted by sddsddean

  1. 35 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

     

    That is a possibility, I suppose since the word "total" is missing.  So you could be right, but I hope you are wrong.

     

    Virgin was very careful with the advertising of the Aug 5 Valiant Lady sailing:

    1. They don't ever use the word "total" when you look at the sailing on their website: link

    2. In their solar eclipse information page, Virgin says that their ship that visits Ibiza will see "100% totality" while the ship that visits Iceland will see "98.5% totality".  

     

    Although Ibiza will see totality, it’s for only 1min 9secs. We were really lucky earlier this year to see the one in April near Waco, Texas. That was over 4 mins totality and absolutely stunning. The best of the 3 we’ve seen. I think that’s spoiled us, so I’m not bothering going to Spain!!

     

    Simon

    • Like 1
  2. If you did decide on the POM/Brickell area, you can get there really cheaply...$2.45!

    From MIA get the free shuttle to the car rental centre/rail station. Train to Government Center is $2.45 then use the lift down two floors to use the free MiamiMover to get around Brickell area. Loads of vids on youtube on how to do it.

    We did this in April to got to the Holiday Inn POM (don't go there...its sh!t...worst HI I have been to worldwide). From stepping off the plane to arriving at hotel was 50 mins during rush hour!

     

    Simon

  3. 2 minutes ago, travelbuds said:

    Hi Simon,

    No problem. Thank you for your response. I have allowed 3 hours from our scheduled landing at LHR Terminal 3 to get to the Central Bus Station. I suspect that deplaning and luggage claim will eat into the time. Will 3 hours be enough? Landing at 1PM on a Friday. Thanks again.

    Should be plenty of time 🤞, but you never know!!

     

    Simon

    • Thanks 1
  4. 6 hours ago, travelbuds said:

    Hi, I just got off the National Express website which said that the NE ticket office at LHR's central bus station is permanently closed. https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/coach-stations/heathrow-central-bus-station  Do you know if this is currently true? If true, how do you go about getting a ticket change if needed? Thank you.

    Yes, my mistake. See post #4 above. You have to do it on the phone now!

    Sorry for any confusion.

     

    Simon

  5. There is a lot of free transportation round Miami. Look into the Metromover and the Trolley system...all free. Having said that, there is a flat fare of $2.45 on all buses and trains. We did the trip from Miami airport to near Bayside for $2.45 in 40 minutes during evening rush hour! Would have taken twice as long and well over 20 times the price in a cab/uber.

     

    Simon

    • Like 1
  6. 5 hours ago, little britain said:

    You may have read of the disruptions caused by eco group Extinction Rebellion. Last week they chained themselves to the locks preventing cruise ships entering Amsterdam. 
    So last night at 9pm we received an email saying to avoid this anticipated local disruption we will now be docking in IJmuiden and VV will provide complimentary busses to shuttle passengers into the city centre about 30 miles away.  The irony of this must be lost on the ER people ! 

    Don't you just love activists who just don't think things through?!

    Hope you had a nice time LB, though I can't help thinking some staff would be going overboard after about the third time someone said 'Ahoy Sailor!

     

    Simon

    • Haha 1
  7. If you mean the Port of Miami HI, when we were there in April, they did do a taxi transfer for $18pp and being a taxi, it went right to the ships luggage drop off. That was OK for the 2 of us as we don't use Uber.

    On a side note...and not wanting to worry you...I found this to be the worst HI we have stayed in worldwide. One out of 3 lifts were u/s for the whole 4 days we were there, the pool is u/s due to construction next door and don't take your shoes off in the room. I walked across the room in just my socks and they were black in 2 minutes. Still can't get them clean after several washes! They 'live' on being the closest hotel to the port. Spend a bit more and got to Hampton Inn at Brickhill or the YVE next door...we certainly will next time!

     

    Simon

    • Like 1
  8. 1 hour ago, Keldvm said:

    We were planning to take the bus back to Heathrow after our cruise.  Am I correct that we can book through the National Express site?  And the bus stop is walkable from the cruise terminal?  Hoping to get all this sorted today!  

    Thanks!

    Yes, you can book on https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

     

    Its walkable from City Cruise terminal and Horizon terminal. Any others (there are 5 altogether in Southampton) I'd probably use a cab.

     

    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/50.9000755,-1.4139786/50.9059706,-1.4091995/@50.9018375,-1.4125306,1045m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDgyMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

     

    Simon

  9. Are you on Silversea? As far as I know, cruise ships that tie up by HMS Belfast are tendered to Millenium Pier, which is on the north side of the river by the Tower of London. You need to see if you can find out if you are dropped south side (as in IslandDwellers post) or north side.

     

    If you do get tendered to north side, walk straight away from the river for about 100yds, parallel to the Tower of London walls, until you 'hit' the main road. Look 45 degrees to you right (across the park with a war memorial) and you will see the Citizen hotel (square building with a big M on it). Tower Hill tube station is in the bottom of that building. Get a District line train (green on the map) and change at either Barons Court or Hammersmith. You just have to walk 30 feet across the platform to get Piccadilly line (dark blue) trains to LHR. Pretty easy...I can't remember what access is like at Tower Hill, but hopefully escalator or lift for ease with luggage.

     

    Simon

  10. 2 hours ago, kaysha2004 said:

    The National Express website says that ticket sales at the Central Station is permanently closed, which is why we are buying tickets in advance. We prefer not to hunt down a ticket booth. It's one less detail to worry about.

    All the terminals at LHR used to have NE offices in them so that you could re-arrange bus times if your flight was delayed. They closed during COVID and have never re-opened...I assume that includes the one at the Central Bus station. You have to do everything on your phone now!!

    Hopefully this is a link that shows the NE coach stop in Portsmouth.

    https://maps.app.goo.gl/EyTGHcnUyVpKh3eGA

     

    Simon

    • Like 1
  11. Also, bear in mind that if you are landing at 2pm, thats 7pm UK time which means you prbably got a 11am flight, so probably have been up since at least 7am. By the time you get through immigration (took us 2 hours at Houston earlier this year as only one officer 'on duty' for 4 plane loads! In my experience, MIA isn't much better), get you bags, get to hotel, its gonna be like 9 or 10pm. Trust me, you will be knackered!! I'd advise a bit of a re-think.

    The cruiseline city tours are usually pretty good. Have done them in Ft. Lauderdale and Cape Liberty before a flight home.

     

    Simon

  12. Being an ex engineer, these sort of things interest me too!

     

    We were recently on Oasis and I studied the fountain a few times. My conclusuion is the jet shoots up and rebounds from a 'cup/dome' in the bottom of the bar, to be deflected back down. To engineer a system that would require a holding tank, seems like an architects solution... (speaking as an engineer, the only good architect is a dead architect!!😁).

     

    Simon

    • Haha 3
  13. Have you already got your NE ticket? Did you pay the extra £5 to allow you to change it at the airport?(All terminals have an NE office in them if you need help). As gumshoe says, your two bugbears are baggage and what is happening at border control that day...customs should not be an issue. Bear in mind, if you are arriving T4 or T5, the coach stop is just outside the building. If you are at T2or3, you have a good 10 minute walk to Central Bus station to get the coach.

     

    Simon

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