MELSMOM47

How about to the airport? Should we pre-arrange transportation?

4 hours ago, Island2Dweller said:

Traffic around Greenwich varies between just about OK (3am on a Sunday morning) and can get to gridlock (any trouble at the nearby Blackwall tunnel river crossing causes gridlock for miles).  Car service or taxi is easier for those unfamiliar with London transport network but won't be quicker than public transport and will cost much much more.

A compromise is to take the Elizabeth line to Canary Wharf, and take a taxi from there.  The Elizabeth line starts at Heathrow so you have no trouble getting a seat, they are full size trains with air con, it's swift.  There are always loads of taxis available at Canary Wharf.

As mentioned above, you can switch from the Elizabeth line to the DLR at Canary Wharf (and it's what I would do) but the stations are not side by side and you might prefer to just grab the taxi at this point.

Thank you. We were supposed to arrive on the day of the Coronation but decided there were too many unknowns. We arrive Monday the 8th at 10:30am which I know is a holiday. I was hoping that would make traffic a little more manageable.

5 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Yes, you can book them in advance via several apps.

 

Eg: https://www.gett.com/uk/city/london/ which is the one we use at work (although this is not an endorsement: Google will throw up many more!)

 

If you don’t book and just jump in a cab at the airport it will be metered and the price will vary according to time of day, traffic etc. But Transport for London, which sets the fares, suggests £52 to £97 for central London. By comparison at this moment Uber is quoting £52.

 

 

Thank you 👍

5 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

Yes. Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 all have their own car parks so make sure when you book your Uber you specify the right terminal. The Uber app should tell you where the pick-up is but it can be confusing finding the right level and zone so do ask a staff member if necessary.

 

I believe Uber drivers have to wait somewhere off airport until they accept a job so don’t expect one to arrive instantly. Black cabs, however, can line up right outside arrivals.

Is there a way to get a quote for a Black Cab?

Thanks everyone 👍🏻 We used black cabs, a car service, the tube and Uber to get around town on our last visit. I’m pretty sure we took an Uber from the airport and didn’t have a problem and a hired car to go back when we left. Just wondering why Uber and taxis aren’t often mentioned. 

I see many on these boards recommend prearranging for a car from the airport. When I look at the difference between a car service and a Bolt for example the car service appears to be considerably more. What am I missing? Thanks.

10 hours ago, SempreMare said:

 

 

Looks like Duxelles to me 

It does look like duxelles but still way too much. 

1 hour ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Since COVID, the tables for two for DV advanced reservations have been severely scarce.

 

As I and others have noted, there were plenty of tables available when on board. Since our cruise in January (probably because of the many complaints Viking has received) the reservation system now allows advanced shared reservations.
 

As other people have noted there seems to be a disconnect between MVJ and what’s actually available on the ship. Loosening up their system to allow shared dining seems to be their short term solution.

 

We have shared reservations for our cruise next month but I fully expect tables for two to be available.

This is what I love about these boards. I have the information to move forward and not stress because I know there are alternatives. Thank you. 

1 hour ago, downsmead said:

On our recent sailing on the Sea, we could only get shared reservations but discovered that each time we were put on a table for two!

That's interesting. 

7 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

If you want to sit around and use the pool there were always loungers available.  It's the loungers that face the water with the floor to ceiling windows that are popular especially on sea days.  Personally I do not tolerate chair hogs.  If I see a chair being "reserved" for longer then 15-20 minutes, I will move their stuff to a counter and take the chair.  Fifteen to twenty minutes is more then enough time to use the restroom or get a drink.  Moving someone's stuff may be rude but chair hogging for long periods of time is extremely inconsiderate.  I have heard of it on the big cruise ships but it is a new behavior on Viking.

Agreed. It’s a huge problem on the big ships especially with groups hogging multiple chairs and even when they are there only one or two are used. When our daughter was young she’d sit on my chair since she was mostly in the pool.
 

These days DH can’t handle the sun so a lounger on the side will be perfect. 

Booked a table for 2 in the Chef’s Table and agreed to a shared table in Manfredi’s. 

12 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

We live in the Caribbean and find the entire pool area much too hot unless the roof is open.  Even on cold weather cruises we find the area is too hot especially if it is sunny outside.  We avoid eating at the pool grill because of this.  On our last cruise (Caribbean & Amazon) the out facing loungers were warm but a comfortable temperature in the early morning hours with the roof closed.  We managed to snag a couple for 2-3 hours and actually sat in them.  Most of the other out facing chairs were "saved" for the first 2 hours while we were there with no one sitting on them.    

Ugh. So if you actually want to sit there you need to go early?

If when making a reservation for either of the specialty restaurants. you accept sharing a table, How many are typically at the table? 4, 6, 8, 10?

On 3/8/2023 at 5:17 PM, KBs mum said:

We joined in with the Sweet Caroline singalong. It is an ashes year, and rugby internationals were on. Americans nearby were aghast when told that in the UK it's usually only sung by well lubricated crowds at sports events

 

 

It’s usually sung by well lubricated Red Sox fans.

I hate knowing the time in the middle of the night 😬

1 hour ago, oskidunker said:

I guess I will order two.

If you like the first one 🤪

10 hours ago, sugarside said:

Long Life Milk is also known as UHT milk in the UK.

Half and half we know as single cream which cannot be whipped unlike our double cream.

Can you get coffee with cream?

16 minutes ago, formernuke said:

yes

😃😃😃

Oh. And is it heated?

2 hours ago, gaeltrav said:

Don’t forget both Dun Leary and adjacent Blackrock have great pubs and restaurants so there is no need to go back into the city centre at night for a drink. IMHO Temple bar is highly overrated and over run with stag and doe groups from UK especially at weekends. The DART is also a very easy way into Dublin and is not affected by traffic

Thank you !!

🤣 I am assuming Stag and Doe groups are what we call Bachelor and Bachelorette parties.

10 minutes ago, JM0115 said:

Typically shut while ship is moving because of the wind. One complaint- can be over air conditioned at times. But usable almost all of the time!

Thank you. Thinking it might be a nice place to relax and read.

6 minutes ago, RBachmann said:

Yes

Thank you 👍

I’ve noticed on the deck plans that it appears there is a retractable roof over the pool. Does this mean it is usable even in cold weather. 

5 hours ago, Nippy Sweetie said:

I asked last time as the coffee tasted odd. Long life milk is common here. Obviously cruise ships can't necessarily count on being able to proved fresh milk all the time.

Why not? Milk and cream are produced all over the world. They have refrigeration, they stop regularly, they aren't far from the places that produce the product and half and half is ultrapasteurized. It lasts at least two months.