Johnsanders

17 hours ago, Busman723 said:

Are there Shuttles from the Newcastle  Cruise Port to downtown? Other5 options for transportation?

We will be on Island Princess, docking on September 20th.

Thanks for any info.

Don't know about a shuttle but it's about a twenty minute walk to Percy Main Metro station with trains about every fifteen minutes. Don't get off at Central (that's the name of the mainline station) bit get off at Monument or Haymarket for city centre. 

The company which is run by the local authority also do a tour to Lucca and Pisa and another to Florence. You can book in advance or hope there is room on the day. They leave from the shuttle bus drop off. The Lucca/Pisa trip is currently 30 Euros.

I see that it says that during the day there are dance lessons in the Limelight Club which then becomes a nightclub in the evening. Does that mean that there will be no dance area like the Crystal Room on the Britannia?

Jim.

Only problem I can foresee you may have is the language; there are Geordies, Welsh and Brummies plus many more who few understand but this is British culture at its best.

Regards John

Eileen, got back today after a great cruise on Britannia.

How can you let John get away with that quote about Geordies.

Jim.

Just back from Constellation, ate in MDR three times for various reasons. Just gave cabin number and there were no problems.

Jim.

Lovely town, go to the tourist info office in the market square and they will sell you a combined bus and cable car ticket for cheaper than just doing the cable car on it's own. They will phone the cable car station up before selling you the ticket to check it's running. They are really friendly and helpful, and will give you good directions about where to pick the bus up and when to get off.

I agree, the ticket is great and it also includes any of the local ferries across the port, we have used it twice, excellent value.

Jim.

Thanks Sparkle. So I assume you mean they won't send them to the UK?

 

 

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That's correct, especially if you live in South Shields. 😃

Has anyone done this excursion using an independent tour company or P & 0?

Last year we did the tour with GeoIceland.com and it was brilliant. He is a Spanish geologist who lives in Iceland, he is very knowledgeable and speaks excellent English. Nothing was too much trouble and he even dropped us off in the town after taking the others back to the ship. (we were overnight with Celebrity.)

Jim.

Venice seems to need a passport to get back on the ship.

Last month a photocopy of my passport was refused in Venice but they accepted photo driving licences.

Jim.

Slightly different question. What time do they want you off the ship if you have a late flight back. Can you stay on board until mid afternoon ?

Yes you can and you can also go a shore while you wait. Two weeks ago a Gatwick flight was called at 5pm.

Jim.

If P & O tell you to take your passport with you and you don't listen you can hardly blame them when you, and all the others who didn't listen, have a long wait to get back on to the ship. I don't like taking our passports ashore in case we lose them but if that is the rule then we have to comply. I just think if we are all in the EU with its 'freedom of movement' we shouldn't 't need to do this.

I know I will regret not letting this go but I wish people would read what was actually written. I realise that Ventura have no responsibility for the unique and strange decision to allow passengers ashore without checks yet apply stringent and inconsistent checks to board the ship in Venice. I accept that it was my fault that a photocopy was not accepted even though there were no checks at all in any other ports including the Italian ones for Genoa, Rome, Naples and Livorno.

My point was that as the same thing had happened the previous visit, Ventura, who have a duty of care to all passengers, even "all the others who do not listen" should have emphasised that Venice was different.

I had a conversation about this with a senior officer and suggested that passengers should show that they have their passports as they leave the ship in Venice so those without could return to their cabin to collect them thus saving passengers and crew alike problems later on. I was assured that new procedures will apply when the ship returns to Venice on Tuesday.

My original post was only intended to warn CC readers.

I believe that many European countries require their citizens to carry an identity card or some other form of photo I.D. the U.K. being one of the exceptions. Why should it come as a surprise then that the security denies access to a controlled area like a port if you can't provide any form of official photo I.D.

I agree though that perhaps the shipping line should have warned or reminded passengers of such.

Perhaps I should clarify. I did see the notice in Horizon but assumed (wrongly) that the photocopy of the passport which I have used in the past with no problems would be accepted - my fault.

What I could not understand was that there was no check entering the port but only when returning to the ship.

It also puzzled me why they would not accept a photocopy of my passport when all of us, including those with no ID at all were allowed through after complying a form which consisted of a place for our name and date.

The fact that many of us had to wait for over thirty minutes for a new batch of the forms after the first 150 had been used suggests that many people had made the same mistake and P&O could have perhaps learned from the previous cruise and emphasised that Venice was different and saved the crew and passengers a lot of hassle.

Every place / country has it's rules. The local Security do a job and it's more then their jobs worth not to follow their boss.

We always take Photo ID ( Driving Licence) with us when going ashore. We don't usually take Passports unless told to do so.

 

1/2 the time P&O are unlikely to know that the local Security guys are going to ask for Passports on that particular day.

 

Be nice to the man with the hat. Do what they ask and move on !

P&O did know as exactly the same had happened on the previous cruise. The Venice authorities did not inspect anyone leaving the ship only on return and this did not happen at any other port including three other Italian ports nor did happen on my three previous cruise visit to Venice. I carry a copy because my passport was stolen at knifepoint in Naples a few years ago.

My point was that P&O should have emphasised that things were different in Venice.

During the first two visits to Venice hundreds of passengers returning to the ship have experienced problems with local security. Many had forgotten to take their passports ashore while some others had taken a photocopy of the passport which was deemed to be unacceptable. Instead a form had to be filled in, the form requiring them to fill in their name and the date!! Last week the ship had to send for more forms as the first 150 forms had been used.

Venice was the only port on the cruise where passports were required and strangely a photo driving licence was deemed acceptable while a passport photocopy was not. I asked the Ventura staff while lessons had not been learned from the first visit and suggested that security staff should warn passengers to carry their passports as they leave the ship.

Jim.

On another social media site, some of the first returnees are reporting that luggage was transferred direct from airport to ship and vice versa.

If you look up "What is bonded luggage" on P&O Med. fly cruises it explains it.

Jim.

For the med you collect it at the airport, put it on the transfer coach and they take it to your cabin, only Barbados do they do it all. As per " help" on P&O.com.

If you read the P&O website it says luggage from charter flights for Med fly cruises go straight to the ship. Hope so as we leave from Newcastle on Wednesday.

Jim.

We are arriving back in Cape Liberty on the Summit from a New England/Canada cruise on October 5th. and are flying back to the UK from JFK in the evening. We would be grateful for any advice as to what transport alternatives are available from the port.

Jim.

Hi

My US. TA contacted Celebrity about Captain's Club being eligible for all three offers but was told that as the price of our cabin had increased since booking we would have to pay the difference to move up from two to three. That wasn't worth it for us. Is Celebrity correct in this?

Thanks

Jim.