gumshoe958

Tendering really isn’t a viable option at a home port where passengers will be carrying bags and the ship needs luggage and supplies loading and offloading.

Even in the peak summer vacation months of July & August there are many days when Bayonne has no ships scheduled. So availability isn’t an issue although of course there may have to be some tweaks to Vision’s itineraries - the odd day added or taken away - to make the schedules align. But Bayonne seems by far the most logical and sensible option for a temporary home port for Vision. I95 links them both and Amtrak runs trains between Baltimore and Newark as often as every 20 minutes. I’d be amazed if Royal opts for another solution.

I’d be surprised if a temporary terminal’s set up anywhere. That would be a costly logistical nightmare. Far easier for Royal to use Bayonne where the necessary infrastructure is already in place (not least CBP capability). It’s not busy - in April it only seems to be used once a week, by Anthem on Sundays. For those passengers unable or unwilling to drive Royal could arrange travel with Amtrak to Newark and lay on buses from there.

Officially no, but in practice once the window for early traditional closes they’ll start filling empty tables from the MTD line.

I hope Cunard make it very clear that it’s not a straight play, otherwise I foresee a lot of confusion and a lot of complaints from Jane Austen aficionados! The show is going on tour across the UK from September, presented by Cunard. https://prideandprejudicesortof.com

A hotel near Bond Street would work, as would Tottenham Court Road. Both stations are on the Elizabeth line with frequent direct trains to/from LHR, and both are also on a tube line with direct trains to/from Waterloo so take your pick. Tottenham Court Road also benefits from being within easy walking distance of the Theatre Royal. If you know which trains from Waterloo to Southampton and back you want, you’ll save quite a bit of money by booking in advance (but note with an advance ticket you can only travel on the exact trains you book).

Yes, I’m afraid you’ve found out the hard way that Eurostar’s best fares can sell out very quickly. Dynamic pricing in action I’m afraid. Waterloo to St Pancras should be a lot easier than it is by tube but annoyingly involves a change and a lot of dragging your luggage on to and off trains and escalators and along busy corridors. So I would recommend a cab or an Uber. A cab from the ship to Southampton Central should take no more than 10-15 minutes, depending on the terminal. If you’re off the ship early there’s rarely much of a line.

VV do things very differently to any other cruise line. It can take some getting used to. No MDR. Instead, six speciality restaurants which are all included for no extra charge (and are of far better quality than any MDR on Royal or Celebrity) but must be booked in advance on the app. Alcoholic drinks cost extra, either pay as you go or buy a bar tab in advance. No unlimited drinks packages that you may be used to elsewhere. Basic internet is included but you can pay to upgrade to premium. And you’ll obviously pay additional for the spa, excursions, certain onboard experiences, casino etc. But in general there’s less hard sell than on some lines.

Agreed. A world cruise is a huge investment and if you discover cruising isn’t for you, being stuck on a ship for 3 months having potentially shelled out tens of thousands of dollars would be utterly soul destroying. If you’re based in New York, why not try a transatlantic crossing on the QM2 first, to see if you enjoy life at sea the Cunard way? Also, you should be aware that Cunard is probably the most formal line there is when it comes to evening attire, and while there is no obligation to dress formally you would find yourself very much in the minority and excluded from several venues (not least the main restaurant and a number of bars) on gala nights if you didn’t.

Yes.

There’s a Refreshment package which includes all non-alcoholic drinks. I’ll leave others to confirm whether you can get Frappuccinos on ships without a standalone Starbucks kiosk like Liberty. They sell Starbucks coffee in the café but I don’t know whether it’s the full range.

My cruise was supposed to stop at Labadee on April 24th and I got the notification on Tuesday. So just over a month in my case.

Depends on the cruise line. The mainstream American lines like Royal Caribbean aim to start boarding around 11, so much the same as in the US (maybe a few minutes later). But the UK-based Cunard and P&O tend to be later - typically noon to 1:00.

Many places geared mainly at tourists will accept credit cards. But by no means all. Credit cards just aren’t a thing in The Netherlands like they are in the US or the UK, and it would be unwise to rely on being able to use them everywhere you go.

Neither Embankment nor Charing Cross is entirely step free unfortunately, but both have escalators that’ll take you the majority of the way between the Northern line platforms and the street. Of the two, Embankment is easier to navigate and has fewer stairs, although it does involve a 5 minute walk uphill to your hotel. Charing Cross is a maze with many exits, most of which involve stairs between the subterranean ticket hall and the street. As you note, the District line at Embankment is shallower and only has stairs, no escalators.

Agreed. Starlink has made Voom much faster and more reliable but on the older ships like Jewel service can still be patchy, particularly in cabins which aren’t close to a router in the corridor.

As in use your Diamond vouchers? Absolutely, yes.

It’s nothing really to do with fees. It’s a cultural thing. The Dutch (and Germans) don’t, as a rule, approve of consumer debt.

Wonder doesn’t have a Broadway show, sadly. The main theatre has two Royal in-house productions: Voices and Effectors 2.

The Chops menu is significantly smaller at lunch than at dinner.

Indeed, no physical border. But I suspect crossing it adds €€€ to a taxi fare.

As long as it fits through the scanners (which all but the biggest cases should), sure you can carry on your own luggage. The only thing to remember is your cabin won’t be available until at least 1:00 (and sometimes 1:30), so if you’re any earlier than that you’ll have to keep your luggage with you until you can access your cabin, which might be inconvenient. But with a 1:00 check in time, that shouldn’t be an issue.

You only need the special cups if you want to use the Freestyle machines, for which you need a package. But if you do buy a package you don’t have to get a cup, you can always go to a bar for soft drinks instead. Juice is available for free at breakfast in the Windjammer. At other times you can get it from any bar but it’s not free (and isn’t included in the soda package, just the pricier refreshment package). Water & lemonade (and iced tea) are available for free all day in the Windjammer.

The physical cabins don’t move (unless they add new ones during an amplification). But selling categories can and do change. Four person cabins can be reconfigured to become two person cabins and vice versa, which means a different category and a revised deck plan. And it appears Royal has only recently realised that the balcony cabins at the back of the ship are very sought after so it’s invented a whole new category “Aft Sunset Balcony” and raised the price substantially. Same cabin as before, just more $$$.

Sorry to hear about your husband. Just checking you understand the distances and times involved here: well over 100 miles and 2 hours from Rotterdam to Bruges and well over 150 miles and 3 hours from Bruges to Amsterdam, across an international border. If a taxi is willing to take you you’ll be looking at several hundred Euros/dollars for the round trip. Uber, as an example, is currently quoting over €600 just for the Bruges to Amsterdam leg. If money’s no object, fine - otherwise I would stick to the train. I can’t believe Belgian and Dutch railways don’t offer a service of assisting with getting on and off trains, particularly if you book it in advance.