purdo

I know what you're saying but didn't want to pay £400+ for Flybe with 20kg allowance , when we booked BA for £224 with 23kg, us women like the extra kgs. Will enjoy, thank you.

We're flying BA Belfast to Heathrow T5 as Flybe Belfast to Southampton was double the price with 20kg. BA is 23kg and more flights.

We've used National Express as well found them very good. Have booked two return journeys from Heathrow leaving in April for £57 return. Your luggage is put in the hold so you 're not watching it all the time as you would have to on the train.

Going for pink myself!!!

Anyone using packing cubes, bought four sets a couple of years ago, they're a great job even hubby uses them. Bought them after reading about them on cruise critic. Saves the clothes getting creased, you know when you pack your suitcase then as soon as you lift it up everything moves and gets all crumpled. Some of the cubes I don't have to unpack, underwear in one, t shirts, blouses etc in another, at least when you takes the cubes out of the suitcase you can see what is in each. Even use them now on city breaks in my carry on.

Julie, go for the hot pink!!!

Have copies of the passports but hadn't thought of photographing them, great idea.

Cases have been down for weeks, just sitting there. Flying out on 12 April for Western Mediterranean for 14 nights on Azura then 7 Nights on Celebrity Silhouette to the Fjords. So will have to pack two lots of clothes!! As soon as that front door is closed behind us I'm on my holidays. Hubby is different he won't be in the holiday mood until we're in Southampton.

Have just put the luggage tags in their plastic holders, they are a great job.

Couldn't imagine leaving it until the day before for packing, I'll probably start at least two weeks before. I have a couple of items sitting beside the cases already.

My last week will be cleaning out my pets. I have Degus, Leopard Geckos and an bird shed with an aviary attached with approx 60 birds. Hubby has two tropical aquariums. That stresses me more than anything getting all them sorted. We have a guy who has looked after our animals for years (it's his business). Handover of spare keys a couple of days before we leave.

Next is to start the checklist,will start that at the weekend.

Happy & safe sailing to all of us.

I've booked two return tickets on National Express Coach for next month from Heathrow for £57 for both of us. I find it easier than trains where you have to watch your luggage all the time and as previous posters have said chances of a strike or maintenance on the line.

Hi Kim

The National Express Coach is extremely handy. We've used it before after spending a couple of days in London and then boarded it at Victoria Coach Station to Southampton. I've booked it again in April from Heathrow to Southampton for £57 return for both of us.

Mary

I also looked on Trip Advisor and they mentioned a cable car in Toulon it got good reviews. So I'm thinking now just dander around Toulon and give the cable car a good. Still researching!

You will have to ask for it. You might be speaking to someone who immediately understands and arranges it or you may have to ask for a supervisor. It will be £32 per cruise, this amount is less in U.K. than in U.S. but is not negotiable. It will take about 10 days to show on your booking.

Here I should also say that last week I had excellent service from the Celebrity U.K. office when there was a big price drop on our booked cruise and she sorted it out to my entire satisfaction.

Sandra

Hi Sandra

I didn't realize that you could avail of a price drop in the UK. I thought it was only available in the USA or Canada.

Mary

Hi, if you scroll to the previous page on 14 January there were a couple of questions on Toulon on with 32 replies and scroll again to the next page on 25 August 2017 another similar question with 43 replies. I'm in the same dilemma! Good luck!

You should also post in the Europe section. Then scroll down to Northern Europe & Baltic sea.

Thanks for sharing, great photos and write up. We're on Celebrity Silhouette in early May to the Fjords, can't wait!

We're on Azura to the Western Med on 13 April and the excursions have been available for a couple of weeks now.

We've been on two Celebrity cruises and found them both to be excellent. On Azura 14 night Western Med in April will be interesting to compare them, first time on P&O. We disembark on 27 April and embark on Celebrity Silhouette on 30 to the Norweigan Fjords. Will post again when we're back. Will be interesting to compare them.

I'm from Dublin but live in Northern Ireland. Weather in Ireland like everywhere can vary but we have plenty of rain through the year. You would need a warm coat/jacket, layering would be a good idea. Temperature could be anywhere from 8° C to 13°C in March.

These past couple of days where I live the temperature has fluctuated from 7° C last week to over 10°C at the weekend back to 5°C tomorrow. As previous poster has said just check the forecast before you leave. Hope you have a great time visiting Ireland.

Mary

Forgot to say that we did tip the cabin steward.

All sailings from UK have kettles, we're on Silhouette from Southampton in April. We've been on Eclipse out of Southampton with kettle in cabin. On Reflection out of Rome in June last year no kettle but I knew this beforehand and asked for a kettle for our cabin and my sisters. I had brought tea bags and mini pods of milk with us, but could have got them from the buffet if we wanted to.

Yes, they have changed their policy. When we were on Eclipse in 2016, anything above the Classic package you would have to pay the full price. Last year on Reflection we just paid the difference in price plus gratutity.

Hopefully the train drivers are not on strike. Again.

That was one of the reasons we didn't take the train!

We used National Express Coach in 2016 London to Southampton return ticket cost in the region of £30 ish cannot remember the exact figure. They were on time on both outward & return journeys. On leaving Southampton we disembarked from Eclipse very quickly and were able to get an earlier coach. About to book them again for April this year.

We did the Scandanavian & Baltic cruise on Eclipse out of Southampton August last year and as we all know there are kettles in the cabins. We were on Reflection out of Rome in June this year and I knew there would be no kettles on board. Shortly after being allowed into our cabins I asked our attendant could be have a kettle and sure enough he brought one for our cabin and another for my sister a couple of cabins down from us. We did tip him well! I had brought tea bags along with little mini milk pots and cups. We could have taken them from the buffet area but it saved us carrying the milk down on the lift. I would certainly ask for a kettle once onboard they can only say no.

We used Civitavecchia Shuttle Services which turned out to be excellent. I organized it for 8 of us going from Rome to Civitavecchia, we were already a group of 4 so I posted on our Roll Call and another two couples shared the shuttle which collected from 3 hotels for €185+ tip this was a private shuttle.

Going back from Civitavecchia to 2 hotels in Rome for 4 cost €130 + tip and this was to be a shared shuttle not just for us 4 but there was no one else in it. For the shared shuttle there were two pick up times, 7 or 7.30 cannot remember which and 9.30 we took the 9.30. The private shuttle we could pick any time so organised it for first hotel pick up at 10am and we arrived at the ship at approximately 11.45. We were onboard having coffee by 12.15!! Look at their website for prices. We found them to be excellent. Didn't fancy pulling heavy suitcases through the cobbled streets of Rome and on and off trains.

Mary

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Hi All

We're also just back from our 9th June sailing (Hi Kerry) as we stayed in Rome for 5 days post cruise. It was a great Cruise and the ports of call as Pete has so excellently given us his reviews were spot on.

All onboard purchases from the shops, including photos are subject to 22% VAT as Pete has previously mentioned, it is well highlighted in all the shops.

We had the classic drinks package which was included in our cruise price. All drinks purchased without the package are subject to 18% tax. We did buy a couple of drinks that were on the premium package and only had to pay the difference in price plus 18% tax. Last year we would have had to pay the full price of the premium drink plus tax.

If we didn't have the package included we would have bought it prior to the cruise that way we didn't have to worry about another bill at the end if the cruise. I heard that the bottled water was $3.50 per bottle that alone woukd have added up to over $10 per day for each of us and we drank a lot of it onboard and took a couple of bottles on our shore trips. The cappuccino's at Cafe al Bacio are excellent and you can get a carry out as we did on numerous occasions prior to our shore tours. Also, on the morning before we disembarked, we had a leisurely coffee whilst waiting for our taxi. Coffee isn't free there, but it is in the Ocean View Cafe as Kerry has previously mentioned.

So, you're probably looking at least $20 plus for two drinks alone, it can quickly add up.

Make sure to bring plenty of light summer clothes as it was extremely hot in all of the ports.

We walked down the steps in Santorini, it was an experience, I was going to wait for the cable car but as the rest of the group walked down, I did also. It took us approximately 35-40 minutes. I had sandles on and changed them to to runners, as I had brought them with me in case I did end up coming down the steps. The steps were inclined to be slippy in parts due to all the footfall on them. Also, trying to avoid the Donkey droppings which was worse when the poor things were gathered together in the sun waiting to be hired. Our guide told us that up to some years ago they would have been killed at the end of the season but there is now a lady who has opened a sanctuary for them.😢😢😢.

I wouldn't do that again, you should have seen the state of us by the time we got in the tender due to the heat, those cold little towels the Celebrity staff gave us as we got on the tender were a godsend.

The connections Party as Pete had mentioned was on our first sea day on the Monday at 10.15 in Cellar Masters but not all of the CC members received the invite, it should be in your cabin when you embark. Also, the clocks going forward another hour probably didn't help as quite a lot of CC members didn't turn up probably about 18 out of I think 70 ish on our roll call. If the invite isn't there enquire at the Guest Relations Desk on Deck 3.

The chic nights are normally on the sailing days so our first one should have been on the Monday but it was held on the Sunday instead, we were speaking with the Maitre D

and he said it was because the menus were printed with the chic night on the Sunday so it was held on the night we had visited Malta.

All I can say, it was a great experience, you will all have a marvellous time!!😁😁😁

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We're tendered at Mykonos onboard Celebrity Reflection at the moment.

Tender took us into Mykonos this morning and dropped us at the pier, the crossing only took about 10 minutes, then we just walked around town for an hour or two and got a taxi to Ornos beach approximately 10 minute drive cost €15 and another €15 for the return journey back to Mykonos. Went onto the beach and hired two sun loungers for €20 for the two of them, spent a couple of hours there and then taxi back. There is a local bus that will drop you off at the beach. Return bus is every half hour, had just hailed the taxi when the bus arrived.

When coming back to catch the tender don't wait in the long queues, walk up to the pier and the Celebrity personnel will be there waiting for you on the pier itself. There were two other ships in today, Costa & MSC hence the long queues.

Just waiting for sail away now!!!

Hope this helps.

Mary

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Thanks again Pete for a great insight on Santorini especially Drosos cafe, we'll be definitely giving it a wide berth.

We're as far as Heathrow, waiting for the 12.45 flight at the moment!!

Mary

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