Surreyman

Not much of a risk with Everton:rolleyes::rolleyes:

True. I understand if you ring the Everton ground and ask what time the game starts the reply will be what time can you get here. :o

Make sure you buy tickets from whichever team you are supporting. You do not want to, say, find yourself surrounded by Everton fans if you are supporting Chelsea.

Are there any customs/immigrations formalities about leaving the ship for the final time (with luggage), or will that all be taken care of upon arrival at Venice?

I cannot foresee any problems, the OP will go through customs at the airport.

However the sooner the OP notifies the onboard staff, the sooner they will be notified of any potential problems.

Our son had to leave a ship we were on two days before us. There was no problem so long as it was recorded in the system.

There is no reason why you cannot leave the ship the day before, so long as you inform the ships staff in plenty of time.

Ie not the day you want to leave.

Thanks "the English Lady" and "Surreyman" for the prompt replies and great information.

No problem, please feel free to ask any additional questions and I will be happy to try and answer them.

I was born and raised near Niagara Falls and we live near the Muskokas (2 hours north of Toronto) , it is a "Lake District".

Karen

The English Lake District is lakes plus what we call mountains but most are hills. It is certainly worth visiting.

Scotland is more dramatic scenery wise.

North Cornwall has some lovely beaches

So much to see.....

We are hoping to see a game while we are in London the weekend of Aug 23 and also when we are In Liverpool on the 30th.

 

Now that the TV schedule has been released, are the game dates and times set or is it possible they will change again. We are trying to make plans in London around the Chelsea game. How much time should we allow to get there from our Westminster area hotel?

 

Also in Liverpool , what's the best way to get to the stadium from the port?

 

For both locations, should we plan to arrive just before the game?

 

Pam

Games can still change, I think the Liverpool game is now on 31st, but they are playing away that day. In the UK the home team is listed first.

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/matches.html?paramClubId=14

Tickets should be bought in advance to ensure you get in.

Do not plan to get there just before the game starts, allow sufficient time to get to the ground and find the right entrance.

Edit just realised you mean you want to go and see Everton v Chelsea not Liverpool fc.

In order to be safely back on board by 6:30 PM, the very last train you could get from Rome leaves Ostiense (the station you'd use from the Colosseum area) at 4:53 PM (arrives Civitavecchia 6:04). HOWEVER, it's not smart to take the very last option; the wiser choice is the train before this so you have a fall back, if you need it. The train before is at 4:23 PM (arrives Civitavecchia 5:13).

I would second that, when we did the trip we caught that train back and only just made it back to the ship as it broke down, the ship left later than scheduled but at least two people on a later train missed the ship.

May I ask what part of Canada you are from as this might influence where would be best to recommend. For example if you are close to the Rockies then we have nothing that would rival them. However the Lake District might appeal to someone from the prairies.

Cornwall would appeal if you want to see the English Coast.

You could fly to Edinburgh and hire a car and see some of Scotland.

Or you could do London for several days plus a couple of days in say Brighton.

Thanks again, John, for your invaluable advice and your encouragement. We have decided to take your suggestion and head right to Corfe Castle, then do Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door on the way back. Hopefully, we have a little time, before returning the car, to explore Weymouth, too.

 

I have posted online for a taxi share and will give people a chance to respond before booking the taxi for that morning, as 'digtexas' suggested.

If you have to be back on board by 7.00 pm there should be no great rush getting to Corfe and back.

And what is very strange is if you do it as a non stop journey its 1hr 46 mins

if you change at Reading , the combined journeys come to 58mins.

So long as you get a fast train to Reading railway station. some oxford trains as do some others stop at stations between Paddington and Reading so you will only save time if you catch a non-stop train.

Others run direct quickly. The 9.50 will get you there in 58 mins without changing

What train station in London does the train to Oxford leave from?

Paddington Railway station.

Book your tickets in advance or you will often find it is very expensive to buy a ticket on the day.

Use the firstgreatwestern site

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Train-times-and-tickets?gclid=Cj0KEQjwopOeBRC1ndXgnuvx8JYBEiQAq4RPt8n5ar6KDUmXHssQPrJIxWZUfBsLC6tLdSs_bdrp7rEaAjhf8P8HAQ

To book online.

Other booking sites exist but firstgreatwestern run the majority of trains on that route and will not charge you some of the extras others will. In particular, I would recommend you don't use the trainline.com which is heavily advertised but will make all kinds of additional charges.

It is cheaper to travel outside the rush hour but you may be restricted as to which trains you can use, if so do not use a train at another time without first checking with the staff or you may have to pay again.

You can collect your tickets at a ticket machine in the station.

As others have said to get to the colleges is a reasonable walk, my five minutes to the town refers to turning left at the road at the bottom of the railway station road and entering the town itself which in my view starts as you cross Hythe bridge.

there is a sign at Southampton dock stating that no tips are required

Yes tipping, as discussed elsewhere, is not as common as it is in the states. It will rarely be refused, but is not expected.

There's no comparison between Corfe Castle & Maiden Castle.

Bring up "Maiden Castle, Dorset" and "Corfe Castle" on google images

Maiden "castle" is only an earthworks - originally it would have been topped by wooden palisades.

Corfe Castle, although ruined, is one of the earliest stone castles. A "real" castle.

 

No big cities, no heavy traffic, This is sheep country. You'll be fine. :)

 

But I do agree with the Surry lad that for those who don't want to venture far or spend money, Weymouth is a delightful Victorian seaside town in which to spend a day. Pleasant seafront promenade. bustling little streets behind the seafront & through to the harbour, shops, pubs, little museums, fish&chips, lots of little attractions. :)

 

JB :)

Only an earth work? I guess we differ a lot. Corfe well worth a visit esp if combined with a trip on the railway, but Maiden Castle gives a completely different view on a different part of history. And if you are a Hardy fan, which I'm not, it will appeal.

Oh and thanks for the compliment of lad :)

I would take him here

http://www.bekonscot.co.uk

It's a short train ride away, and great fun.

We just returned from our cruise and pre-cruise stay at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge. While we loved the hotel itself because of the room, breakfast, friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, etc. - along with its convenience to the Hop-On Hop-Off bus and the tube station - I found the location was extremely lacking in local restaurants and other stores.

 

If returning to London anytime soon, I would stay in another area that had other amenities.

The park plaza is virtually on the south bank where there are a large number of restaurants plus theatres and art galleries.

John

Thanks so much for quick response - you are a God-sent!

 

I will be posting to see if anyone is interested in sharing a taxi to National.

 

And you're right, when I took a closer look at the 'Back Roads of Great Britain' map we are using, what we want to do is leave Weymouth via the A353, then take the A352 to Lulworth Cove. We would like to walk back to Durdle Door (weather and time permitting - we enjoy a good hike), then take B3070 back up to A352 and on to Corfe Castle. As you don't highly recommend Swanage, we'll skip it and head back the same way to Weymouth. Is this plan doable if we're on the road by 8:30am and back by 3:00pm

Patti

It is doable but it does highlight the problem of packing so much into a small time. Weymouth itself has a certain charm, and there is Dorchester a short journey away with its Hardy connections and Maiden Castle.

I know it's different for me as I live in the country so I can go back, but I wouldn't go rushing here and there.

Funny - I have never had them call me to say they were on their way. Must vary by ship.

Nor me.

Hi everyone,

 

I'm one of those people who needs several cups of coffee before I can start my day. If I order the "continental breakfast" on the volendam by hanging the order form on the door, do I need to specify that I need enough for 2 or 3 refills? Or if I say coffee for one person, do I get exactly one cup?

 

Also, how does it work? Does someone knock? Or do I open the door and find a tray outside?

 

And is a dollar enough of a tip for coffee?

 

Thanks for any replies . . .i'm obviously a first-time cruiser!

 

I'm booked on the Valendam to Alaska later this month.

They will knock and will also bring it in. On HAL you are already paying the service charge at the rate of $11 per day per person. Additional tipping is not compulsory.

Serves you right for living/working in the big bad city. :p

In Southampton & Bournemouth they're AOK.

 

JB :)

Lol I don't I just put it as a location, and I have travelled enough to know to avoid them. It all comes down to personal taste.

We had made arrangements for a private guide to give us a tour of the town and of the university. We met our guide at the train station. She did not represent the walk as a "less than five minute walk." Had she done so, we would not have bothered with a taxi.

 

I'm actually curious to find out the actual distance between the train station and a central point in Oxford. However, as I said, the guide referred to the walk as "longish but do-able." With a 3 1/2 hour walking tour ahead of us, that description was enough to make the taxi seem like a good option.

My in-laws live in Oxford so I can assure you it is a short walk from the railway station, but the guide might have wanted to ensure you got there without getting lost. Oxford traffic is awful, you can walk most places quicker than you can drive. However with a 3 1/2 walking tour, I guess a taxi might have been a good option.

The banks said that the reason they would not sell a cashiers check was government regulation - supposedly to prevent funding of terrorism. They fully understood the concept - it was solely government regulation which prevented them from engaging in such transactions. I used to work at a London branch of a US bank - so I am not completely uninformed. Gift (or other official) checks drawn on banks may now be unknown - but they used to be common.

 

In any event, HMPost surely does know the concept.

We are way off track and it is a pity that there is no option for private posts on here.

An answer in two parts. You can still get official cheques drawn on banks they are called bankers drafts and are usually used for large transactions like house or car purchases, although more and more banking is done electronically and most British banks are taking more and more steps to put people off using no electronic transfers. In the UK all clearing bank cheques were accepted by all other clearing banks so if you wanted to give someone a gift then you could just write them a cheque and they could bank it in a different or the same bank.

The anti terrorist laws are EU wide and require banks to have positive proof of who their customers are esp for transactions over 1000 euros. As the fines for noncompliance are high, they would rather put obstacles in the way of non-customers. None of which is, I admit of much interest to most on here :)

Money changing facilities are widely available in UK towns there are 6 in the town I live in so rates are competitive, although none are at the railway station or the marks and spencer.

On the main subject of the thread, to summarise you may struggle if you come to Europe with a non PIN and chip card, although mag card and PIN are still accepted in some places. You can if you have the right card get money from most ATMs and these can often be found in locations away from banks.

Most ATMs are free but your bank will most likely charge you if you are abroad.

Credit cards are more widely accepted in the UK than they are in some other EU countries so it is best to carry some currency.

Fortunately most of the main EU countries (not the UK) use the euro so you can take the same money from one country to the next.

Cash is still widely accepted but cashless transactions are being pushed hard - bank cards in the UK come with touch less pay facilities and London buses no longer accept cash. It is often much cheaper to buy prepaid cards on metros than it is to try and pay cash.

It's a dreadful shop. I don't recommend anyone go in there, whatever they're shopping for. I'm often down that way for work, and I will usually literally go hungry until I can get back to the office rather than have to deal with it.

 

For the OP, I think the better idea is to go to the Sainsbury's on Waterloo Road, together with exploring the shops in Waterloo Station itself.

Yes Waterloo has a range of shops, including the ubiquitous Marks and Sparks which will sell wine and water.

This forum has seen this debate a time or two. ;)

"Normally" cooked from (bought-in pre-battered) frozen in pubs & cheaper restaurants is perhaps an exaggeration, certainly in this neck-of-the-woods.

But yes it's true in some of them.

 

Harry Ramsden's fish & chips are still traditional, still excellent. It's that reputation which sells his more-ordinary supermarket offerings.

But the surroundings now are more corporate, like other national fast-food brands.

All of which is irrelevant. Since they moved to West Quay Mall the hours are very different, they only serve til 8pm, even earlier at weekends.

 

JB :)

It's a question of taste, but I would not recommend Harry Ramsdens to anyone. It used to be good but now is just a chain, with mediocre standards.

I would also not recommend eating in Premier Inn - unless you are really hungry. Fine as a place to stay but the restaurants are not that good.

......what about vinegar!?:D

A bit like Marmite, you either love it or loath it. I love Marmite and loath vinegar. Each to their own.