Barton Seagoon

We got back from the Caribbean last weekend, and while we were on Bonaire we hired one of the golf carts.  We enjoyed having the freedom and the feel of the wind in our hair.  The cart is so small and you are going slowly so you can stop almost anywhere to enjoy the view.  We saw flamingos in the South of the island, and stopped for a drink at Sorobon beach, which had plenty of other golf carts in the car park.

Only two small hiccups.  The roads are very bumpy in places, and after a couple of hours we were getting a bit tired of getting bounced around.  There are no doors or seatbelts in the cart, so if you have a nervous passenger...

The other hiccup was that there are no real road signs at junctions, so we took a wrong turn at one point and spent half an hour trying to find the right way to the beach we were trying to find.

The service given by the operators is excellent.  My advice is to grab your sense of adventure and have a go.

I live in Southampton, and I have used English Rose to get to Gatwick several times in the past.  I recommend them highly.

http://englishrosecollection.co.uk/transfers.html

If you would like to see some fascinating parts of Southampton during your stay, Southampton Tourist Gudes do an excellent programme of guided walks taking in features like the old city walls and associations with famous ships such as Titanic, Queen Mary and The Mayflower.  You can find their web site at https://www.southamptontouristguides.com

I found a brilliant Youtube video yesterday, of Britannia leaving port in Southampton, shot from a drone taking off from Hythe Pier.  The first 3 minutes are a bit slow, but when it gets close up you get a great view of the deck areas.  Really useful as a pre-cruise watch, to get a feel for the layout of the upper decks.

"Barton"

You don't have to start from Victoria.  There is a coach station within Heathrow Airport itself (near terminal 2 and terminal 3), which has a direct service to and from Southampton.

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/airports/heathrow/southampton-to-heathrow

The easiest way to get from Heathrow to Southampton is by National Express Coach.  There is a direct service, and the coach station in Southampton is very close to the docks.  You can easily walk from there to the Ibis or Novotel hotels on West Quay Road.  From those hotels to the cruise terminal will be a 10 minute taxi rode at most.

I live in Southampton and will be happy to answer any other questions you have.  Welcome to my city

Thanks for the tip on the golf carts.  We have just booked one, for our day on Bonaire on the 4th of Febuary.  It sounds like it will be a lot of fun!

"Barton"

Hi Architect,

we are on the same leg Venice to Genoa starting on the 20th. Can you (or anyone else) tell me what nights are the formal night(s) for Oceana on this cruise?

Thanks,

Barton

We really enjoyed listening to Anselmo (and singing along, of course) on Splendour last week sailing around Greece and Turkey. Dropped in on Tuesday, and went back for more on other nights. Best atmosphere on the ship, and a fun crowd to be with.

"Barton"