Surreyman

Guess we are the "unusual" ones in that we decided to go for a taxi (there were three of us) rather than walk to the train station and then try to get a taxi in Rome to get to our hotel. It was the end of a cruise that involved lots and lots of walking (case in point, although I enjoyed a four-course meal every night, gelato, pasta, etc. on land, I only gained three pounds). We were just plain tired. The friend with us was about 5'1" and got very tired of the walking and pulling two suitcases. We are all in our 70's.

 

For us, it was just worth the extra $$$ to arrive in Rome fairly rested. Yes, it was over an hour drive and a little pricey, $275 of which my DH and I paid for half. (Our friend wanted to pay for ALL of it--she was that sure she didn't want to do the walking, train, walking, etc.) I was willing to take the train, but our friendship is such that we do try to be cooperative.

For those thinking of taking a taxi, the $275 quoted is rather excessive compared with per booking a private vehicle to pick you up from the port to take you to Rome. If you are prepared to do a little research and book in advance, it will be significantly cheaper.

Can anyone suggest the best way to get from port into Rome? Approximate distance & cost? And does anyone know how to go about taking a train to Venice from Rome?

The Italian railway website will give you all the info you need.

http://www.trenitalia.com

I wouldn't count on the ship's front desk. As mentioned, sometimes they have some currency available. Sometimes not. Just make sure you notify your ATM bank as well as credit card compainies with your travel plans.

With a UK chip and PIN card, notification should not be necessary. I have had no problem using them without notifying the issuer.

Take a cash point card and withdraw it onshore if you run out, would be my advice.

On the Nordam last week they were turning away people not in smart casual on non-formal nights but were not turning away people in smart casual on formal nights

The thread title catches the eye of those who know the difference between frig and fridge.

Yes, I know one is free to do what one likes behind locked doors, but there is no need to publicise it :-)

We are jsust about to set sail on our first cruise on Sun 3rd and are Europeans - British / English, whatever. We did not get a cut price cheap cruise and are staying in a verandah cabin. We also have to fly to get to the embarkation port.

Are 'Europeans' inferior to Americans / Canadians / Australians?? Sorry if I am taking this the wrong way but this is how the OP makes it sound!

 

I do hope we wont come across any of this attitude onboard as that would not be nice at all. I believe HAL was born in the Netherlands or am I mistaken?

 

I am really looking forward to meeting people from other countries and visiting some lovely places. I understand if a person is unhappy with service and the ship looking worn etc but the other comments could be construed by some as offensive.

 

I was only looking on here for recent reviews.:eek::)

Oh dear.

You will find alsorts on the ship, including us.

We will try not to act too British in case we find ourselves in the company of the OP.

:-)

All main line termini in London have a tube station too.

 

Simon

And in Britain they tend to be called Railway stations not train stations, although the American terminology is creeping in, unfortunately.

All mainline railway stations will have and entrance to the tube, although the tube may not be directly underneath the main part of the station.

You will hear the words tube and underground used interchangeably

Pour became a noun in 1790.

 

http://i.word.com/idictionary/pour

 

It first appeared in England.

 

Just because someone posted that they tip to get a better pour doesn't mean that it's universally true. I stated that I haven't seen a difference in service, but it's okay to ignore that and choose only the facts that fit your argument?

 

You can easily perform an experiment to test your theory. Tip a little the next time you are on a HAL ship. See if there's a magical transformation in your experience. If there is not, as I expect, you can sit back, with a grin on your face, several dollars per day in your pocket, and have a hearty laugh at those who are tipping.

 

PS - Yes, it was a straw man, but it was a sarcastic, humorous straw man.

Interesting, I have never heard it used or written as a noun except on this forum.

Of course I chose the facts that fit my argument as most people do. It would be pretty daft to choose other ones.:D

But if someone claims that they get more if they tip the waiter then it may well encourage others to think they will also benefit.

But don't worry I won't tip over the 15% I'm already paying. All I want is what I order in a clean glass served to me in good time. 15% is enough to cover that.

Others are free to hand whatever additional money they want.

Yep...you're right...Corruption...You should see the pour I get form my can of coke. My can is always twice as large as everyone else's can.

Strawman. See the post above where the poster states that he tips to get a bigger pour (when did pour become a noun btw) but only pays HAL for a standard measure.

There is a gratuity included. We have never tipped for beverages on the ship and we always receive good service. IMO added tipping should not be allowed.

I quite agree, but the tales of bigger drinks for tippers shows the power of money to corrupt.

Look on the bright side. When something like that happens the moment you meet someone, it's a real time saver. Imagine it you had invested precious vacation time conversing with them before they showed their true colors. :)

Oh we did appreciate the fact that we found out early.

We shared a table on deck with a couple who when we said we were from London (we aren't but few people have a detailed knowledge of uk geography) proceeded to tell us it was a filthy city because of all the foreigners living there.....the conversation died at that point.

Thinking about the comments thus far on this topic, a thought struck me. Those of you who do not feel that you should ever add an extra tip for any service (including bars) are reaping the benefits of superior service without paying for it.

 

What I mean is, if no one ever tipped extra, I am certain that human nature being what it is, the level of service would end up being much inferior to what it is today. Everyone likes to be recognized for a job well done, and extra tipping is a way to express that. Makes it more likely that the person will continue to do a better job in the future I believe.

 

Don't believe me? Just go to a country where tips are included on your bill and in most (not all to be sure), the service you receive will not be as good.

 

Just my thought for today!

DaveOKC

A terrible generalisation. It is possible fro people to do a good job because they want to do a good job, not just for the hope of more money.

I am mostly a wine drinker. There have been times when the wine I like that is usually available at HAL bars was not there. The bartender went around the ship from bar to bar until he found a bottle to bring back for me to enjoy. I appreciate that effort.

 

If they have the time when the bar is not too busy, we enjoy when they share a chat with us, tell a joke, remember us from previous cruises..... in general, be that much more 'present' and available to see that we have what we need and want. A friendly demeanor by servers goes a long way in creating a pleasant mood/atmosphere for a couple to enjoy their cocktails. Sure beats a scowling, unpleasant perfunctory functionary. :D

 

 

 

Your first paragraph I can understand why you might tip, the second paragraph that is what I am already paying 15% for.

With all the different bars on the ship, I normally tip a bit extra at the time of service, IF they provided good service.

 

DaveOKC

Why, when you are already paying a 15% tip?

It means that if cruise Lines and Airlines would boycott Russia their tourist economy would be hurt and maybe Putin will think over about his dream of recreating the Soviet union. After all he annexed Crimea wich is Ukranian. And he was not even bothered.

TBH it would affect him not one bit.

You are right ,and not only ocean cruises but river cruises as well,and Airlines.

Even if during WWII the majority of concentration camps were Ukrainians,but those are dead now.the tourist economy would be hurt.

I've read that post ten times, I still have no idea what it means.

We took a Finnair sponsored land tour of Leningrad in January 1984 right after KAL 007 was shot down. We were apprehensive but went ahead with the trip anyway. Nervous? Yup. Unsafe? Nope. We figured that the Soviets had nothing at all to gain by harming innocent tourists.

 

Fast forward to 30 years later. Why would 298 innocent people be intentionally killed by Russia? Dunno, but the incident certainly does not inspire confidence that Russian travel is safe anymore.

I don't think anyone thinks it was intentional. As of today it hasn't been proved that the Russians did it.

I would advise against using the trainline.com, there are plenty of sites out there which do not charge booking fees or for using a credit card.

Certainly gets very good reviews in today's papers following its revamp.

After a lot of input on this and various threads and the realization that we don't have as much time as I hoped here is my plan.

 

From Heathrow go to Southampton overnight before cruise.

After cruise take train from Southampton to Bath. Spend 3 nights in Bath.

From Bath take train to London staying in Paddington area.

 

Any thought? Hotels? Things that are must sees or does? We will be on cruise Apr 24-May4.

 

Thanks Karen

It really depends on your interests, and for hotels what your budget is.

Bath:full of Georgian architecture, the Roman baths, the hot water spa. Bristol with Brunel's suspension bridge and his ship the SS Great Britain is a short train journey away.

Personally if it was my first trip to Britain I'd spend more time in London.

I totally agree with the comments on the poor selection and price of wines BUT I am primarily a beer drinker. The beer selection, in general, is DISGUSTING. Only rarely can I find a stout or porter on board. I was fortunate to sail with Saurabh Vaishampayan as beverage manager on a cruise and he found me some Guinness Foreign Extra... I treated myself to one each night in the MDR. On our last cruise I managed to special order a whole case of the same. If you look at the beer list it is pure garbage. Not a single black beer to be found but there are lots of pales and lights. I have sent messages after each of the last five cruises bitching about it but no response.

 

Thanks for letting me vent about beer in a wine thread.

Last time sailed with HAL they had Guinness in bottles, but the people I saw drinking it out of the bottle instead of a glass must have been new to it.

HAL have a better selection than say Thomson who only had cans, no bottles.

Europeans are notoriously slow.

What a prejudiced an inaccurate statement.

How large is the Weymouth shore area? DH is thinking of just spending the day strolling and having lunch along the beach. Kind of a r&r day. But if the area is small and a couple hours would be it, we'll probably want to get further out to see the countryside and cliffs.

We'll be there Sept 1. Any idea of typical weather?

Unfortunately the weather in England is never predictable. Quite often the start of September brings an 'Indian summer' a period of sunshine but this can in no way be guaranteed.

Weymouth is quite small but you can spend as long or as short a period as you like, if you just want to relax for a bit.