cruiserking

The Hyatt Churchill is a lovely hotel in the residential neighborhood of Marylebone very close to Bond Street, Baker Street, Marble Arch and nearby many attractions like the famous department store Selfridges. I've booked a stay here for next summer. The Royal Lancaster is another great hotel newly refurbished just opposite Hyde Park and walking distance to Paddington Station, Marble Arch and Bayswater. Breakfast is included in the rate. Very elegant hotel, spotlessly clean and well managed. Blackberry Car Service Highly recommended. Blackberrycars.com They are very reliable. We were picked up in a timely fashion at LHR and taken to our pre-cruise hotel in Southampton. They then returned us to LHR from Southampton at the conclusion of our cruise. Excellent service. I plan on using them again next summer. Happy Cruising. Jonathan

If you pay the more expensive refundable rate you will not be charged. Otherwise each change incurs a $100 fee pp. Jonathan

44 till Anthem.

Tablets, bands, ginger, patches are the way to go. If you get a really bad case of sea sickness the shot will make you feel better but, it will also knock you out of commission for at least a day and change. Enjoy your cruise. Jonathan

You've narrowed it down to three port excursions, that's a great start. Since it's your first cruise it's always comforting to book through the cruise line. The excursions are pricey but, you know you'll be in good hands and make it back to the ship in a timely fashion. Have a look at the excursions in each of the three ports that appeal to you then do some research on Tripadvisor and online to see which particular locations are the most interesting, compelling and memorable places to visit. Pick up some tour guides to familiarize yourself for all of the ports so you can make a beeline once you debark and know where you want to explore for the ports you are doing on foot. Fodors and Frommers are my two favorite travel guides both with tons of great information and tips. Excursions really expand your experience of a port visit. The best ones will make several stops and also include free time for you to stroll around on your own. Have a wonderful cruise. Jonathan

American Cruise Lines has a fleet of small ships that ply the rivers of America. They have an itinerary that sails from New York and explores all the small towns an especially nice trip during fall foliage. There are paddle steamers that do cruises along the Mississippi like American Queen Voyages that features cruises along the nations rivers in a classic stern wheeler. Viking River Cruises also does a Mississippi River cruise. As others have mentioned there are numerous river boat companies that do cruises throughout Europe. Jonathan

If the choice is NCL or Celebrity I think the latter will win you over. Celebrity is a terrific line with luxurious ships, top-notch service and excellent food. Since you are Royal Caribbean cruisers your loyalty level will transfer to Celebrity and present you with various perks like complementary drinks depending on your status. The Edge class ships of the Celebrity fleet are truly a cut above with streamlined, sophisticated technology and many inviting and appealing restaurants and public spaces. You will love Celebrity. Have a great cruise. Jonathan

It sounds like your doing a Princess cruise based on your itinerary. Typically Princess will hand out tender tickets early in the morning for those eager to get off quickly. The later you wait the less of a line there will be. As others have noted if you are booked on a shore excursion you will receive priority service. The trips into shore are pretty painless. To both Newport and Bar Harbor the rides are approximately ten to twelve minutes. The cruise line does a good job of making sure a tender is always available to take you back to the ship. If you return earlier in the day before the peak time the tenders are not so full. Just wear a mask, enjoy the scenery and have a great cruise. Jonathan

We've sail Anthem from Bayonne every year. While the ship returns quite early the debark time is approximately 8:00 to 8:30 am. It's best to give your car service a ball park pick-up time then when you know your firm time call them again the morning you arrive back in Bayonne. If you carry off your luggage you can self-debark much earlier around 7:00 am. However, if you're merely driving you might as well enjoy one last breakfast on board and leave a bit later. There's a garage within the terminal they charge $25 per day. We try to arrive at the terminal around 10:00 am. The cruise line tries to get passengers to adhere to their specific check in times but, the traffic getting into the terminal tends to bottle neck and it can be slow going getting to the terminal. You've probably already done your online check-in and procured an arrival time. The check-in process at Cape Liberty is very brisk and efficient. It's a fairly new cruise terminal and provides a clean, welcoming spot to begin your cruise vacation. Royal Caribbean has really streamlined the entire check-in process and you'll be on board in short order. Have a great cruise on Anthem she's a beautiful ship. Don't miss dinner at Wonderland specialty restaurant terrific, whimsical, inventive meals served with creativity and flair and absolutely delicious. Jonathan

Between the two choices I would choose the Liberty of the Seas. She's a beautiful ship with many great public spaces, lounges and excellent crew and food. I would also highly recommend Princess Cruises which sails a terrific 7-day itinerary from Brooklyn, New York aboard Emerald Princess in 2023 not sure which ship will do the 2024 voyage. We've done this itinerary with Princess three times and have enjoyed them all immensely. Beautiful ships, excellent crew, delicious food and great itinerary. Port stops include: Newport, Rhode Island - Boston, Mass - Bar Harbor, Maine - Saint John, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia. While the itinerary is very similar to the Liberty there are two port stops which are different but, completely worth considering. Newport and Bar Harbor and really wonderful port stops beautiful scenery and great walking towns with tons of great shops, restaurants and side streets to explore. Have a great cruise. Jonathan

45 days till Anthem of the Seas.

Cunard All three of their current ships have single cabins. Royal Caribbean Quantum Class ships have single cabins; Quantum, Anthem, Ovation and Harmony feature 28 single cabins per ship. Norwegian Cruise Line Epic, Breakaway, Getaway, Escape, Bliss and Pride of America have studio cabins. Most of their recent builds also carry them. Celebrity Cruises Line's Edge Class ships feature the lines first ever single cabins. Holland America Line - Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam have 12 solo cabins per ship. Several other lines also feature them including P&O, Costa and Fred Olsen. The trick to getting any of these cabins is too book really early as they sell out fast. A year in advance should score you one of the singles. Good Luck and Happy Cruising. Jonathan

Ideally you want to choose a Transatlantic that offers at least 4 or 5 port stops. We did an amazing TA years ago on Holland America Line with 8 port stops. Today those are harder to find but, certainly half that amount. If you're from the Tri-state area though you can't beat board Anthem in Bayonne and then taking a relaxing voyage across the Atlantic with a few ports along the way. If you plug Transatlantic into a cruise search engine at an online travel site or cruise line engine you can compare and contrast. It's a wonderful, relaxing way to travel. Have a great crossing. Jonathan

No there isn't. The Emerald Princess is a beautiful ship. We recently completed a 12-night British Isles voyage on board and absolutely adored this ship. She is well maintained, her crew is very friendly. The lounges are inviting and comfortable you will have a wonderful time. Still not convinced. Check out my video chronicling our trip on board Emerald here: Jonathan

Please check out my latest ship tour aboard the beautiful Emerald Princess on our recent voyage to the British Isles. Jonathan

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One per person, bit size portions for the appetizers. A couple of them might be two or three bites but, not big enough to share. Jonathan

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The dinners at Coastal Kitchen are excellent. The food and service is terrific plus it's an intimate venue and they can usually seat you at your requested time. You'll also get double points for booking a Junior Suite, which is nice sized cabin with more space and better amenities. If it's in your budget, go for it! Jonathan

You can order either through the app or using the telephone in your cabin. Jonathan

If you sail from New Jersey you could book either the Christmas Eve December 24 or New Years Eve December 31, 2023 aboard Anthem of the Seas. Anthem will only be 8 years old by then. Gorgeous, state of the art ship with plenty to do on board from parachute simulators to bumper cars plus tons of great lounges, specialty restaurants and on board activities for your whole family. We cruise Anthem every year and adore this ship. It's a 7-night Bahamas run with stops in Port Canaveral, Florida - Coco Cay Private Island Amazing) - Nassau, Bahamas. You will love Royal Caribbean. They will be able to handle your gluten free requests without a problem. Happy Cruise Planning. Jonathan