MissCakeyBun

A cup of tea and a chat sound great and another plus for St. Albans ! :D

 

 

 

As I mentioned in my other post, we are looking at August 19 (Saturday) for our day trip out of London.

 

 

 

Where in the USA are you planning to travel, if you don't mind me asking?

Please do contact me and I am more than happy to meet for Tea and Chat on the 19th if you do choose St Albans.

As for where we are travelling in the USA?

We fly from Sydney to Hawaii spending 10 days there

Hawaii to Seattle for 8 days ( staying with friends)

Seattle to Orlando for 16 Days ( I've never been to Florida or any Disney park )

We then drive to Charlotte NC ( staying overnight in Savannah on the way) stay with family for a week

Then Drive up to Richmond for 3 days

Then Washington DC for 4 days

Then Gettysburg got 3 days

Then across the states as in the pictures.....to Denver then monument valley, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Monterey, Santa Barbara, LA all by car about 5,500 miles

Then fly to New York for a few days before flying home.....including the Time we are in Australia and New Zealand we will be away from home 5 months

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Can I suggest you go to your GOVERNMENT WEB SITE http://www.australia.gov.au/

The will have the most up to date and relevant information for you

Or of course the Western Samoa government website. http://www.samoagovt.ws/

Here is the same for Tonga

http://www.pmo.gov.to/

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Also how are you planning on getting to places as if you have a car it opens up a lot more places.

Please google these for more info

British Royal History.....Hever Castle, or Warwick Castle

If you like military history Duxford RAF Museum or Bovington Tank Museum

If your into historic houses.....Blenheim Palace or Hatfield House

Abbeys......Canterbury or York

And last but not least Stafford upon Avon but that's a bloody long way for a day trip but very pretty ( quite a tourist trap tbh. But still worth a visit)

If you like St Albans it's very close to Hatfield where you can visit stunningly pretty and very historic Hatfield House http://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/

I live between the 2 and more than happy to talk real details if you would like. However as we are off travelling Australia and the USA for 5 months from November we may not be about to join you for a cup of tea and a chat xx

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We were hoping for a relaxing day - a break from the big tourist areas. Heard that St Albans has a lovely, historic Abbey, some Roman ruins and artifacts and on certain days, a nice market. And wasn't too far out of London. Sounded very appealing, especially toward the end of a three-week trip.

 

We like history, art and exploring new places. My husband walks with a cane, so hiking and beaches are not practical. Towns and cities afford places to stop and rest so it works out for us. I'd like to see some place beyond the major tourist attractions.

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

St Albans sounds like a good fit for you but it's very hilly and to be honest the Roman Ruins are not very exciting.....please don't think it's anything like Pompeii. If you google Verulamium Museum you will see what I mean.

The Abbey is beautiful and very historic with a wonderful tea rooms in the building next to it. A link here https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/. Will help you.

I think if your husband is able to cope with some cobbled streets and the stroll down the hill and back up to the Abbey you would enjoy it.

When are you thinking of visiting out of interest?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

It is actually just outside London, about half an hour on the train.

Believe me it's in London I go there regularly......Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the borough of Richmond upon Thames, London, England, 11.7 miles (18.8 kilometres) south west and upstream of central London on the River Thames.

It's not central London/ City of London but it's still in London

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

St. Albans is very pretty but not much there other than the abbey ( I live very close so feel free to ask questions ). Can you let us know what your interests are that would help xx

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Hampton court is in London [emoji6]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I pray you never need a accessible cabin

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You mean you don't eat them? Shame on you [emoji12][emoji12][emoji12]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Don I totally agree, my adult daughter had a disability and I've lost count of the times she has not be able to book accessible rooms due to able bodied people booking them as the rooms are larger ( and in the case here booking cos it's cheaper[emoji35]) due to confidentiality TA's and those like me who book online will only see that the room is booked not that it's booked to someone selfish enough to book it cos they want a big cheap room! I would not be able to ring up and say is the person in the room disabled? If so how disabled......it's not a casino game where no legs wins over one leg ffs! Get a grip and leave disabled access rooms for those will very real need for them. It's selfish and utterly appalling to do this to someone who can not make use of s standard room

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

For those outside the US we in the UK can get this too just download the form and send of copies with proof if service like this

And it's a goodun. We just got AUD$100 OBC for our cruise in December.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Ive just booked 70% of our tours with Viator and saved about 40% on the individual prices Princess are charging....including guaranteed refunds if you cant get into port etc

Check them out maybe

My Mum flew back into Heathrow from Uganda (Via Brussels) on Tuesday and for those coming in to the uk (including british nationals) it took a lot longer than normal to get through Customs, they spent more time checking each passport etc. Leaving Brussels also took longer as it was a proper pat down if you set off the detectors, bless her at 71 with 2 replacement knees she always sets them off but the security officers were very kind and thorough checking her down. they were also very strict about checking hand luggage and she said that lots was being hand checked after scanning etc. She was quite confused at the time as she had flown overnight from Uganda and hadn't seen the news at that point....but more than happy to be checked a dozen time if required for safety, as I'm sure we all are.

We live near London Luton Airport and there has been a marked increase in police in the local area around the airport too.

https://instagram.com/p/BSfk7EQlHqu/Hi we won't be cruising for the whole time it's a 2 week cruise at the start.

My packing planning is going well I made my own packing folder and got all the dresses and skirts tops and cardigans into the folder on the left. I also wear very full Petticoats on a daily basis and these2 pictures show before and after vacuum packing with a roll vacuum style bag.

We are off to the States on Thursday for 10 days so having a packing trial run

This will make you all laugh ladies I'm 48 and English and wear "tights" (pantyhose) everyday as I wear skirts and dresses everyday.

I feel a little naked without them to be honest 🙂

I do make some clothes but my dresses and skirts are from a few different online stores, Lindybop.co.uk (they have an american online store too) CarolinaDress Room and dolly and Dotty are the main ones I will post a photo of me in my coat this Christmas and one of another of my dresses on my Instagram page if you would like to see? My name on Instagram is the same as on hereLife is too short for boring clothes

Thanks so much for your help with this now to wait the 200+days till we cruise lol

We are travelling with Princess, i think I will get very well acquainted with laundromats across the world :-)One trick I have learned from our many previous trips is that rolling rather than folding is brilliant as it keeps the creases down and waves room. I also love vacuum pack bags. also washing by hand and rolling in a towel to squeeze water out then pop on a hanger and when they are nearly dry smooth into shape and blow with a hairdryer....worked well when in Australia last year when i couldn't access an iron either.

Interestingly my dress folds up to the size of a paperback it's cotton and my petticoats go in vacuums bags to zilch. We do travel a lot (Italy, Denmark, USAx2, and the start of this trip this year) so used to packing and packing clothes I will enjoy wearing. It's the extended time that's the concern. I'm thinking of buying a few more mix and match items closer to the date and buying a coat when I get to Orlando or North Carolina along with jeans and jumper or 2. That way I don't drag them round Australia lol.

I will do ladies, I am off to America in April and in September so going to use that as a dry run so to speak :cool:

Thanks so much ladies. I think it's just the thought of one suitecase of clothes for 3 n 1/2 months that's freaking me out. Sadly shipping ahead to Australia would be prohibitively expensive from England. A small box around the size of a box of cereal with Christmas gifts cost us £42 :-(

Maybe Ive totally got the wrong end of the stick here but it seems to me from what I have read if I buy the AIDP on board ship in Australia its a fair bit cheaper than if I pay in advance? I know this sounds strange but this is what we read.given the cost of the IABP in advance of sailing?

The top one is the non australian sailing the bottom one is Australian sailing :cool:

All-Inclusive Beverage Package Take advantage of our All-Inclusive Beverage Package which includes any individual beverage item, such as soda, water, cocktails, spirits, wines, beers, coffee and tea, up to $10 (retail value). Bottles of wine are NOT included in the package; however, when purchased in bars, dining rooms or specialty restaurants, will be available at 40% discount from the menu price. Applicable to all bottles below $100 retail. Note: This package is available for consumption at all bars, public areas and dining venues (not room service and excludes mini bar items). Terms and conditions may apply.

Package is NOT available for purchase within 3 days of sailing. Package is NOT available for voyages 2 nights or fewer.Item #0530$57.45

per person/

per day*

All-Inclusive Beverage Package - Australia On select Australia voyages. Enjoy the convenience of our All-inclusive Package featuring any drink up to $14 including cocktails, spirits, wine, beer, bottled water, sodas, specialty coffees & more! A 40% discount on bottles of wine (below $100 retail) is also offered on bottles purchased in bars, dining rooms or specialty restaurants. Excludes in-room services, souvenir, mini-bar and vending machine items. Terms and conditions may apply.

All-Inclusive Beverage Package is only available on voyages 7 nights and longer. Purchase price may vary due to currency exchange rates.Item #2419$59.00 AUD

per person/

per day*

Thank you very much that's very kind of you

Ladies wear what makes you happy and say "go away" in polite terms to anyone that even looks at you funny. I spent to many years hiding in jeans and t-shirts and jumpers......last year I bought a dress I had fallen in love with and a little girl ran up to me in the street and said pretty lady pretty dress and I cried. I now wear dress skirts and blouses and shrugs and cardigans with 1950's petticoats every day. I'm sitting in a coffee shop right now wearing a beautiful skirt with a print of Tibetan prayer flags and yaks with houses and mountains....has anyone laughed at me or looked and me strange? No not a one and I've had several compliments. I'm 48 and a larger lady....I often wear sleeveless dresses and cropped cardigans as I'm getting hot flashes and it helps lol. No sideways looks or comments on my less than toned arms or plumpcious curves.

Wear what you like and feel happy in your skin

ok so I seem to be worried so far in advance my husband thinks I'm demented!

In November we are starting a very long holiday that involves quite a few flights between 4 different countries and I will only be able to take a very limited wardrobe.

We are cruising Sun Princess Sydney-New Zealand-Sydney starting 9th Dec for 13 days with 2 formals. However prior to that we are flying from UK to Sydney (spending a week in Sydney) then after the cruise we are spending Christmas and the New year with Family near Melbourn before going inland for a few weeks to visit family (driving) then we Fly to Hawaii for 10 days.....then to Orlando for 2 weeks then Charlotte NC for a week before up the coast to New. YOrk for a few days then Milan for a few days then home.....so winter-Summer-New Zealand!-Summer-Summer-Spring-Winter-Winter-Spring!!!!

I have no flipping idea what I will take as it will be boiling in the outback and freezing in New York. Oh and I'm limited to about 32kg in one case and 20kg in another.

What would you ladies say are essential for a cruise in the way of clothes ? I'm normally a dress lady as you can see by the attached photo....I wear dresses skirts and blouses with petticoats etc. I'm a larger lady so not comfortable in shorts

Any and all suggestions very very welcome