Lobez

We just did the exact same thing that the OP is asking about. We were in Paris 2 days before our 8/3/14 British Isles Cruise and took the Eurostar to St. Pancras. We purchased our tickets at St. Pancras for the underground to Waterloo and then on to Southampton. The cost for both tickets was about 30 pounds per person. We each had a large bag and one smaller carry on or backpack. No problem with any of the trip. Once in Southampton we took a cab to the Premier Inn west Quay which is a very nice hotel in a very convenient location. I believe we could have saved a few pounds if we booked the trains on line, but overall it wasn't bad.

I'm not sure of your travel plans to Paris, but the underground there is not a good choice with large bags. We did this from The Eurostar station to our hotel and it was a mistake. Cabs are a better option there and we did that on the return to the Eurostar. I would also suggest that you research the Paris pass for your stay. There is lots of info about it on line and this was a very good value for us.

I am doing a 12 day British Isles cruise with 5 days before in London and Paris. I called Verizon and updated my plan to one of their "Share everything" plans where sending texts to an international phone is free. I also added to the plan a feature that allows me to send and receive international texts for free. That costs $5 per phone per month, but they were offering a 3 month free trial, so I signed up and can cancel it when I get back. Voice calls are not included and are not cheap. You do need a global ready phone, but most i-phones and androids will work. Call Verizon and ask about it.

We just returned from a 7 day CB cruise out of Houston. We had a standard balcony cabin and there were the soap/shampoo dispensers in the "spacious" shower. My issue with the dispensers is their placement. They are mounted in the center of the wall opposite the shower controls. If you happen to bring a bar of soap (as I did) and drop it while showering, picking it up can be real adventure. I banged my head on the soap dispensers more than once and hit the dispensers with my elbow on several occasions. I'm not a big person by any means (5'7", 175lbs-pre cruise) and can imagine the problem is worse for larger people. The concept didn't bother me at all, but I think there could be better placement.

By the way, the cruise itself was great and this is more of a comment on the issue rather than a complaint.

I'm just off the April 26-May 3 sailing on the CB, its last sailing out of Houston for the season. I carried on a 12 pack of bottled water and saw a few cases of water being carried on at embarkation. I always do this and have never had a problem.

I can offer some info on the area and transit to NYC for you. I live close by and know the area well. I must warn you to be careful in the area around the Robert Treat, especially at night. If there are events at the Prudential Center or the NJPAC, which are close by, there will be a lot of security in the area. Otherwise, it's not the greatest location. I don't know anything about the hotel, so I can't comment there. If you are going into Manhattan from Penn Station, the best and most economical way is by the PATH train. It costs $2.50 each way, and there are many stops in Manhattan (World trade/ground zero, 33rd st etc) Just google PATH trains and you can see the schedule and maps. You'll be in NYC in 20 minutes or so. There is a Hampton Inn in Harrison NJ that is across the river and in a better location. The Harrison PATH station is close by and is the first stop from Newark Penn station on the way to NYC. Just an option to explore. To get to the Cruise terminal, You're best bet is taking the NJ Turnpike. You can get onto the NJTPKE near Newark Airport. Follow signs towards Jersey City, Liberty State Park. Exit at 14a onto Rt 440 and follow the signs to the Port. We're all watching the Pulaski Skyway closing, but you will be traveling South of that area and on a Saturday, so I don't think that will impact you. Will have more info on that in the next few weeks.

Enterprise has a rental center in Seabrook but is not accepting 1 way rentals when I am traveling. (April 25, 2014). I Found that Budget also has a return in Webster Tx, not too far from the Bayport Terminal. I'm renting an intermediate size car for 1 day, total is $73.70 that includes insurance, taxes and fees. We're flying into IAH the day before and want to explore the area, so the rental makes sense.

Thanks for the great info. Going this summer and will use much of your advice.

Enterprise has a rental return in Seabrook which is very close to the port, however they are currently not accepting 1 way rental returns for the date of my cruise. I booked with Budget with a pickup at the airport and returning to their Webster office. None of the rental centers near the port offer shuttles, so I was going to take a taxi to the port after returning the car. I keep checking with Enterprise to see if their status changes as I would rather book through them with the return closer to the port. One thing to keep in mind is that all of the satellite offices I checked with close at noon on Saturdays, so plan accordingly.

I booked a 7 day cruise for late April 2014. There has been a price drop since booking, and Princess gave me the lower price. They now are offering that same price plus an onboard credit. Will Princess give me that onboard credit if I call? I'd like to hear from anyone with previous experience before I call.

got the Caribe Hilton for 5/1/2010 at $89 on priceline. Started a few days ago at 75 for a 3.5 star category but was rejected. Increased a few times and was accepted at $89 this morning.