gumshoe958

Best ship, or just the pushiest waiters? 😂

They want you gone asap to make way for the next lot. Encouraging folks to hang around the port all morning would cause even more congestion and create major parking issues.

Yes, they do. But they probably feel they can’t when Carnival has (the far superior and included in your fare) Guy’s Burger Joint.

Absolutely fine. The drive takes between 90 minutes and 2 hours.

Reservations should open up at the beginning of May. Maybe the 1st, maybe not but certainly within a few days. You can book the two main theatre shows, the aqua show, the ice show and the comedy. There are multiple performances of each, all at different times on different days.

Uber does not operate in Inverness or Invergordon. You’ll need a local taxi or, much cheaper, regular local buses from Invergordon into Inverness (roughly every half hour, takes about an hour). There’s also an infrequent train service. Urquhart castle is also accessible by bus from Inverness. Cawdor castle (which I suspect is what you meant) is not so you’d need a taxi.

You should be able to, yes. Any day now.

You should be able to make reservations via cruise planner from around the beginning of Feb. Maybe the 1st, maybe not, but around then. You should be able to book for Mamma Mia and Blue Planet in the main theatre, plus the Aqua and Ice shows and the comedy.

For any Tap Factory fans in the UK, they’re touring the country next month.

You can prebook Ubers but in this situation it’s easiest to just summon one on demand on the app when you’re ready.

Symphony is a fantastic ship, you’ll love it. I’d get My Time Dining if you’re planning to see all the shows (Hairspray, Flight, the Aqua show and the Ice show) as they’re all on at different times on different days and don’t always fit around traditional dining very well. You should be able to book shows on the cruise planner at the start of the month prior to your cruise (so November for a Christmas cruise).

Starbucks opens far earlier than 11. I’m not sure exactly when but I think it’s around 6.30. Maybe you just looked at the opening times for embarkation day? As you point out though, you can’t use vouchers there.

You are correct. Reservations for next month should open up any day now, if they’re not already.

Yes, and even then it’s subject to availability (ie not guaranteed).

It’s an older crowd on Jewel with entertainment targeted accordingly - just a nightly theatre show, a small cinema and the standard live musicians. No dedicated comedy club. Far fewer casual eateries than on Carnival - there’s no equivalent to Guy’s burgers, Blue Iguana, the BBQ place or the pasta bar, although I think Royal’s buffets are better. If you like smaller, older, more traditional ships you’ll be fine but if you prefer bigger ships with lots going on you may find Jewel a bit dull and old-fashioned.

Zeebrugge and La Spezia being two.

Not a chance. This one is nowhere near sold out and the CEO who signed it off is long gone.

I bet they do. Guaranteed big tips for just doing their job.

Not if you’re sailing solo. If you’re solo it’s 2 and 3 respectively.

Option 1 may take a bit longer but it’ll probably be a lot cheaper.

It will indeed be very busy. You’ll certainly have time to walk the Royal Mile (with Holyrood at one end and the castle at the other) and take in some free Fringe street entertainment en route. But whether that’ll leave you enough time to do the Royal Yacht justice is debatable - although on the plus side it’s very close to Newhaven so convenient for your ship.

Only those in the know would use the Deck 3 cabin corridor as a rat run as the Queens Room/G32 end is semi hidden behind a corner with a solid door that gives it the appearance of a crew-only area. Of course there are those in the know but in my experience not enough to cause a problem!

If they had, I suspect the answer would have been “don’t”. Royal should stick to what they know. You don’t see McDonalds experimenting with fine dining. This feels like a vanity project for Michael Bayley before he retires.

I assume the WC was Michael Bayley’s baby and he got the blessing of Richard Fain. Now Fain’s gone, Liberty’s in charge and they can’t sell it out, I’m guessing it’s being seen internally as a big mistake that won’t be repeated. If anything this should have been a Celebrity thing, not a Royal one.

Yes, as long as you disembark promptly (before 8am). Southampton to Heathrow is roughly 90 minutes by car if there’s no traffic, more if it’s busy.