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My head is now spinning, lol. I saw the split-ticketing option on Trainline but didn't quite get how it worked so thanks for the detailed explanation. Our London hotel is in Lambeth so much closer to Waterloo than Victoria station. Still, with all the other complicating issues we may just opt for the National Express bus to eliminate uncertainty and possibility of having to switch trains or deal with replacement buses on part of the route. Thanks again for all the input.

Thanks for the advice... and for confirming I'm not crazy. I'll keep an eye on things for another week or so and if prices remain high I'll book the National Express tickets as suggested.

Looking to book train tickets from Waterloo to Southampton for our upcoming cruise in mid September but the prices seem very high... 41 GBP per person compared to 14.50 for the same trip the day before. Are prices likely to come down, or are they higher because of more demand for that date (it's a Sunday)?

Some people who visit Petra don't get much further than the iconic "Treasury" building, but there is so much more to see at the site. For example, the monastery is even more impressive... but requires a much longer walk (or camel ride) followed by a lot of steps (you can opt for a donkey to take you up and down). Once you reach the top you are rewarded with a massive building carved into the rock as well as incredible vistas from the mountaintop. Well worth the extra time and effort IMHO but there's no way you could do Petra justice if you tried combine it with a visit to Wadi Rum.

We stayed in Jaffa following a cruise that ended in Haifa and the trip from the port couldn't be easier. No shuttle is required, you can walk from the cruise terminal to the train station in less than 5 minutes. Trains leave every half hour and you don't need to buy a ticket in advance. If you want to go to Jaffa, get off the train at Haganah station which is a short cab ride to the centre of Jaffa.

In our experience, tender times can vary substantially from port to port and cruise to cruise. A general rule of thumb: When the tenders are operated by the port (i.e. Santorini), things go very smoothly since they are so used to doing it. When the ship handles the tenders, it seems to come down to the experience of the crew. On our last cruise aboard the Epic, tendering in Patmos was a nightmare (disorganized, lengthy delays etc) which we attributed to the fact that the island is not a frequent destination. Smoothest tendering experience ever was aboard the Norway which carried its own tenders that could each handle 500 passengers... but now I'm dating myself. 😉

We have a cruise booked out of Southampton in September. Rather than just fly into London pre-cruise, I thought it would be interesting to explore some of my family history in the Scottish borderlands and Penrith where my father was born. However, I've had no luck finding a tour/transfer from Glasgow airport to Penrith (with or without stops) that doesn't cost a small fortune. Have contacted Rabbie's Tours and another tour operator specializing in clan history and haven't even received a response. One Penrith-based car service told me they won't quote on trips this far in advance. Renting a car is an option but I'm not thrilled at the prospect of driving in the UK. Before I give up and book the flight directly to London I thought I'd turn to the good folk on these boards for help.

We're looking at the Premier Inn (based on recommendations on this board) and there seems to be a 150 GBP difference (based on a four night) stay between the County Hall location and the one at Waterloo/Westminster Bridge. County Hall is the more expensive option... is there a reason to choose one over the other? (better location, amenities)

We're on the Nov 3rd sailing and so far we haven't received a letter indicating it's closed. Fingers crossed!

Last time we were in Santorini we took the ferry to Oia from the tender port below Fira. I think it was about 25-30 EUR and that included a shuttle bus from Oia back to Fira where we caught the cable car down. As Mapleleaves notes, the ferry will not depart until it is reasonably full (even though they will tell you it’s leaving “in a few minutes” so you need patience or good timing.