gumshoe958

There are lots of shops at Schiphol after you’ve cleared customs and gone landside. Including an Albert Heijn supermarket which should have all you need.

Now on sale.

Yes, VV Insider initially said the 12th but has now changed it to the 14th.

Yes, VV Insider initially said the 12th but has now changed it to the 14th.

The National Trust has a comprehensive access guide to the Causeway here: https://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/assets/website/national/regions/northern-ireland/places/giants-causeway/pdf/giants-causeway-access-statement-2023.pdf Even if it doesn’t answer your specific question there’s an email address at the top so you could try sending them a message. From memory it’s about a 10-15 minute downhill/uphill walk to/from the stones on a paved road but buses can’t go beyond the visitor centre.

A balcony is always lovely to have but ask yourself how much time you’ll REALLY spend on it? $1540 worth of time? Are there any solo sea view cabins available? They’re really nice IMHO.

Yes, it’s called the Refreshment package and it’s available on all ships. It basically includes all non-alcoholic drinks so yes - coffee, water, sodas, juices, mocktails, shakes.

Depends what you drink. Cocktails are $14 each. A glass of wine around $11. A beer $8. Water, soft drinks or nice coffee $3-$5. All plus 18% gratuity. So if you drink 6 cocktails a day the package will save you money. 6 glasses of wine and you’ll roughly break even. Anything less and you’re probably best off paying as you go.

They’re about 2 miles apart and there is no scheduled transport between the two so a cab is your only option unless you fancy a 30-40 minute walk through the fairly grim docks. Cab drivers should be fine with that - it’s further than both the train and bus stations.

For simplicity’s sake I would book the National Express coach to Victoria, then jump in a cab or Uber to your hotel. If you’d rather not use the tube (understandable) you’ll need a cab whether you use the train or the coach from Southampton.

Any of those will get you there in roughly the same time. Just depends how much you want to spend. Right now Uber is charging just under £60 but obviously that can vary. A taxi will be more, a private car even more.

There is an express bus every 30 minutes or so, picking up at all terminals and dropping off at Bryant Park. $18 each I think. Still takes at least 90 minutes though, so it’s tight and it’ll be peak rush hour by the time the bus gets anywhere near Manhattan. And what were you planning to do with your luggage?

Yes, there’s a soda package, a refreshment package (which includes all non-alcoholic drinks including mocktails, shakes, bottled water) and a coffee card. Plus, if you’re on a ship with an on-board Starbucks you can use your Starbucks card. Only a few ships have one though.

Believe me, I’m a huge advocate of the Elizabeth line. It’s revolutionised my journeys to Heathrow from the West End. But I’m conscious that most users of this forum are from overseas and unfamiliar with London’s public transport, may not be as mobile as some of us and may come from the US where train travel isn’t the norm that it is in Europe so find the prospect of using a busy commuter train in a strange city daunting. Elizabeth line trains don’t stop for long, there are often crowds to board and there’s often standing room only, like on the tube. I’m fine with that - it’s part of London life - but for many CC users the HEX might be a better, more relaxing option given it’s often quiet, there’s dedicated luggage space, more chance of getting a seat and plenty of time to get on and off at Paddington. Yes, it’s overpriced and I never use it but I acknowledge it has its uses.

For luggage storage definitely the HEX. There is none on the Elizabeth line. You’ll want to book at least a month in advance to get the £15 fare, and ideally far more. They only sell a limited number of £15 tickets each day, and once they’re gone they’re gone and you have to pay the full fare of £25.

Have you tried using a different device? Always worth a try.

I had no problem booking an inside cabin on Queen Anne for solo occupancy for the 4 night Rotterdam short break on 25 Nov ‘26.

There’s a reason the HEX is always empty and the Elizabeth line is super popular!

Important information for anyone transferring between Gatwick Airport (LGW) and Southampton: From 2nd June, the existing hourly direct train is being axed. It will be replaced by a half hourly (hourly on Sundays) indirect service involving a change of trains en route at Barnham. There’ll be no need to change platform at Barnham, so no stairs or long walks involved, but it’ll add 20-30 minutes to journey times as well as the inconvenience of having to load & unload luggage twice. Unfortunately, apart from one service late at night, there are no direct coaches between Gatwick & Southampton so the train will remain the only realistic option for those who prefer not to use a taxi or private car transfer. Note this does not affect London Heathrow (LHR) which is by far the more frequently used airport by cruisers from outside Europe.

All being well yes, although it’s on the tight side, particularly if it’s a weekday as the traffic can be very heavy. I’d want to be on the road by about 7:30 if it’s a weekday, 8am if it’s a weekend. With a clear run it’s just under 90 minutes but could easily be longer if it’s busy.

That should be fine. I’d have thought you could be off the ship earlier than 8:30 with a 7am arrival, but even 8:30 shouldn’t be a problem as it’s only a 10 minute cab ride. Is your flight a simple one-way or return LHR-BER ticket booked with money (not miles)? If so, BA allows a free space-available change to another flight on the same day, so if you’re early and there’s still space you may be able to rebook to the 1:50pm or even 12:55pm flight instead of wasting 2-3 hours in the lounge. You can do that on the BA app but only on the day (from midnight UK time) - and not if the LHR-BER flight is part of a multi-city itinerary eg LAX-LHR-BER-LHR-LAX.

You can both use it. Two devices can be used at the same time, it doesn’t matter whose they are.

Fares are only part of the story. The real profits come from ancillary onboard sales - drinks, specialty dining, spa, casino, photos etc. Experienced cruisers on long itineraries tend to spend far less on board. Not so newbies on the 3/4 night Caribbeans.

That is indeed the case. But yes, what happens on Spectrum isn’t necessarily representative of the entire fleet. Very different market.

Happy hour still exists with canapés but no free drinks. You have to use your vouchers. Also beware that on some sailings Diamonds aren’t allowed in the lounge between 5pm & 8pm, typically those with high numbers of top tier guests.