Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Juan Carrión Gañán

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/juan-carrion-ganan-obituary-7dz93p57t?shareToken=2ee46a364ee78537ea80a851292fbcc6

 

[SonjaWinson]

Sorry Karen ... should have answered. I don't want to give advice re hotels we haven't stayed in recently and as we now only stay at the IC on Park Lane which is perfectly adequate. People only advise on what they have experienced soisn't really a good way of comparing so I suggest a decent starting point is TA.

 

There is however a newish and inexpensive Premier Inn just around the corner at Blackfriars. Or almost next door is:

 

https://www.apexhotels.co.uk/apex-temple-court-hotel?rt=google|cpc|APTC01-Apex-TempleCourt-Brand-13052-53516|apex%20temple%20court%20hotel&gclid=Cj0KCQjwub7NBRDJARIsAP7wlT8HX0jVfpY-ggTc4DE811ievZRtva0Ea-w8cMtTVoCryTuKJqkXg94aApkjEALw_wcB

 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186338-d2539103-Reviews-Apex_Temple_Court_Hotel-London_England.html

 

Hi, Jeff,

 

Thank you very much for the helpful information.

 

The Apex looks like a good choice, especially if he can get into the room early so he can change.

 

It's a really quick trip---he arrives early in the morning and flies back the next morning. Now I am thinking I should look into booking a hotel at Heathrow, which would make it easier to get to his flight the next morning.

 

I used to stay at the Hilton that's connected to Terminal 4 via the hamster tube quite a bit several years ago, but the flights that match his schedule arrive at Terminal 3 or Terminal 5 now, so that doesn't appear to be as convenient as it used to be.

 

Time is so tight the morning he arrives, it looks like Blacklane is the least-stressful way to get into London. Thanks for the link.

 

Karen

[MissSophia]

Hi All.......Irma is headlining our news here today and my heart goes out to everyone.

Spins....you sound exhausted, such hard work to ensure all is as safe as can be...thoughts are with you and others facing this also.

 

S 😊

[MissSophia]

Juan Carrión Gañán

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/juan-carrion-ganan-obituary-7dz93p57t?shareToken=2ee46a364ee78537ea80a851292fbcc6

 

 

Very interesting stuff Jeff....a good read thanks. I sometimes can't get my head around how time has passed and also changed since those glory days.....😊

[UKCruiseJeff]

Karen,

 

Think carefully about the choices you are considering, and I wuestion them for two reasons.

 

Firstly there is nothing more stressful than sitting stationary in heavy traffic whether in a limo or taxi. However the Heathrow Express is extremely quick and gets you into the heart of London at a fraction of the cost and from there he can get a cab. Secondly, if you get him a Heathrow hotel, that makes departure easier, but as the Heathrow Express and cab works well both ways he can get there quickly. It also seems a shame that he cannot enjoy a bit of London in his evening, whereas if you lodge him at Heathrow he will naturally head back earlier after his meeting. Also Farringdon and Smithfields is a few yards away. The wedding for Four weddings and a funeral filmed in the church there next door to an old pub. John Betjaman lived next door. You current thoughts imho seems to me the worst of all worlds.

 

Heathrow Express plus taxi both ways, decent hotel in town. Check in online previous night no stress and a look around. Just across the road from his hotel is a "secret" part of London called The Inns of Court. It is where old films are filmed. Gas light London and a wander at night with a meal in s local hostelry would be magic. I took a film director friend of mine there (Lionel Lober? ... you may have heard of him?) as a potential film location and he made stuff there that many of us have seen on the large screen.

 

Think carefully .... and happy to help more if asked.

 

Today's lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Very interesting stuff Jeff....a good read thanks. I sometimes can't get my head around how time has passed and also changed since those glory days.....😊

 

Thanks. What an interesting man. I found myself wondering how the latest generation will produce such characters ....:)

[SonjaWinson]

Hi, Jeff,

 

Lunch looks great!

 

I will look at the Heathrow Express option, along with the availability of a BA or DL lounge with shower so he can change on arrival. Less stress is what we are looking for!

 

Unfortunately, he has to squeeze the trip between two immovable commitments back at work---one on the day he leaves and one in the afternoon when he returns---so he is locked into the flight schedule with no time for sightseeing, except through a taxi window. His hosts have a dinner planned, but he doesn't have any information about when or where.

 

(The person in charge of making the travel arrangements appears to be on vacation, which is why I thought to ask you for suggestions---if no itinerary is forthcoming today, we'll make arrangements ourselves.)

 

Again, thanks for the help!

 

Karen

[jpalbny]

Heathrow Express is a snap, and quite fast. We always use it when going between the city and LHR. Second Jeff's recommendation. And the Inns of Court are pretty neat too. I would stay in the city, no question.

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Karen,

 

As his evening isn't free then your conclusion to stay at Heathorw makes perfect sense. It would have been a tragedy if he spent a precious evening at Heathrow rarther than in the finest city in the world ..... London. :)

 

If it's BA it is very probably T5 and I suggest you look at the Sofitel which is attatched to T5 and a short covered walk. For an airport hotel they have great customer satisfaction. They have rates that are either inflexible ie lower but paid for when you book or slightly more with a 3 day window or a fully flex. By coincidence I booked us there a couple of weeks ago with an unpublished parking deal for a cruise we're taking in 2018 so I haven't been there but have researched it. I'm agonising over booking it for our Vienna trip in December ie previous night and parking, but wifey firmly wants us both to drink on the flight back so I think it's a limmo both ways to and from the airport. They have club rooms if he has time in the evening to enjoy it, although if it is later he can wander over to T5 for a late night pint and nibbles.

 

As his plans for leaving London are imprecise a Blacklane booking is impractical. Either Tube or Taxi plus Heathrow Express seems the best option to get him back to say The Sofitel.

[MissSophia]

Jeff, have stayed at Sofitel LHR and love it...always my preferred choice as it's a doddle...😊

[Lois R]

Irma looks like one of the BIGGEST storms on record:eek:.........she is in the Caribbean now and not sure how much

of Florida is going to be hit.......for those of you who know or don't know.......it is a large state.......about 350 miles

from where I live in the north to Miami..........she looks like she might hit the entire East coast of the state:eek:

[Solo mi!]

Wishing all of you in Florida, and up and down the entire Eastern Seaboard the best. I have family in the Keys and Georgia, and friends in PR. So many people impacted. Prayers.....Penny

[Camillus112]

Thank you, Penny. I left so many friends, cousins and other relatives in PR, but, thankfully, the storm did not hit as hard as expected and, up to now, only one fatal casualty...of course, it is one too many !! Now it will brush Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. There is a lot of poverty in these islands, hopefully they will also be spared of the brunt.

 

We have not heard from Spins lately; I'm sure she and her DH will be fine. Lois, I trust you are prepared. Most probably, if it gets as far north as Jacksonville, it will be mostly debilitated. I have relatives in Tampa and they are somewhat relieved that the forecast now has the storm on the Atlantic side.... but Spins and Lois are on that side and I am not celebrating. Everybody should take care!

[Lois R]

Wishing the best for everyone too. Cam, I am watching the news..........if she is still churning, she will be up in this

area late Sunday/Early Monday.....and they say she could still be a cat 3 at that time:eek:............I have water, dry goods,

etc.......she really is a beast:mad:

[UKCruiseJeff]

L, will you be following Lenny Curry's advice to evacuate?

 

Spins, what is your current state of play and plans?

 

Others ..... regular Coolers or not?

[Lois R]

L, will you be following Lenny Curry's advice to evacuate?

 

Spins, what is your current state of play and plans?

 

Others ..... regular Coolers or not?

 

I live in a non evacuation zone:D.......unless he tells THE ENTIRE CITY to leave.........we have over a million

in population.......that is not going to happen. But seriously, we are in zones.......I am quite lucky......I am in a non-evac

zone:)

[spinnaker2]

In South Florida on the east coast...hot and humid.

Only one window area open to let in some natural light, which we will close later in the week.

We have water, canned goods, a sterno stove, emergency lights. If we lose power we will be hot. After Wilma we lost power for about four days. Cold showers! Loss of frozen food, but a lot of grilling on charcoal.

We have an interior room where we will hunker down.

We are 7 miles from the beach.

We have a single story concrete block home, built to hurricane code.

New roof.

Shutters.

We hope we will be ok.

Now the anticipation.

And right behind Irma is Jose.

 

Seeing the destruction of Barbuda is heart wrenching!

Puerto Rico mostly spared but major power outages.

Turks and Caicos will suffer horribly unless some miracle happens.

[MissSophia]

Spins.....so good to hear from you and know that you're well prepared for what l hope isn't going to be too horrendous for you.

 

Lois...sounds like you're pretty secure up there....l have friends in Ocala so hope they'll be ok.

 

We have some stormy weather forecast here but nothing on the scale of what's happening over there and yes Barbuda has been hit so very hard....god bless them.....and my thoughts are with you all.

 

S😌

[TLCOhio]

In South Florida on the east coast...hot and humid. Only one window area open to let in some natural light, which we will close later in the week. We have water, canned goods, a sterno stove, emergency lights. If we lose power we will be hot. After Wilma we lost power for about four days. Cold showers! Loss of frozen food, but a lot of grilling on charcoal. We have an interior room where we will hunker down. We are 7 miles from the beach. We have a single story concrete block home, built to hurricane code. New roof. Shutters. We hope we will be ok. Now the anticipation. And right behind Irma is Jose. Seeing the destruction of Barbuda is heart wrenching! Puerto Rico mostly spared but major power outages. Turks and Caicos will suffer horribly unless some miracle happens.

 

Appreciate these various and important details from Spins. WOW!! We forget about the heat and humidity there, plus that when the power goes out, it really adds to the misery and challenges. Below is the latest projected path of Irma. It appears headed right exactly at Miami. Plus, places of potential "escape" such as Orlando, would get hit really hard with very heavy rain and strong winds, etc. Where do many people in these three counties of six million people go if you are too close to the lower shore area?? And/or what if you do not have homes built to higher standards/code as Spins and DH have?

 

Have followed with personal interests what has happened to St-Maarten and St-Barts where we visited and enjoyed in early 2015. They both got direct hits from Irma, but they did not receive quite the damage that has virtually destroyed Barbuda. Fortunately, San Juan did not get damaged as strongly and bad with a direct hit. But, that island has been affected and has had other serious economic problems there.

 

THANKS! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 227,169 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

Here is the latest projection from the Federal weather agency.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

[TLCOhio]

From USA Today this morning, they have this headline: “Irma has the potential of affecting every major city in Florida” with these highlights: “Hurricane Irma poses the most significant threat to Florida in memory — and 'this is the kind of storm that you read about in the history books,' said Bryan Norcross, senior hurricane specialist at The Weather Channel. 'This has the possibility of running up the peninsula and affecting every major city in the state.' Norcross said Wednesday.”

 

Watching the Florida Governor doing a live briefing now on TV and he is saying pretty much the same warning for how this storm will affect most everyone in the entire state. Fuel availabilities are a serious challenge now. The state is waiving road tolls, etc., to aid people in getting out. BUT, where in Florida do millions of people go to be safe, plus have food, etc.?

 

Full story at:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/09/06/weather-channel-star-hurricane-irma-may-one-history-books/640611001/

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 52,829 views for these postings.

Edited September 7, 2017 by TLCOhio

[spinnaker2]

Thanks All.

Last minute items now.

 

 

 

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[TLCOhio]

Thanks All. Last minute items now.

 

Great to hear that Spins and DH are working so hard and preparing so well. Sadly, there are many others in these areas not as able and located to be so protected and prepared.

 

From the London/UK Daily Mail this morning, they have many pictures and details from what has hit St-Barts, plus the Dutch colony of Saint Maarten in the Caribbean. Enjoyed visiting both of these scenic locations for the first time in early 2015. Plus, having three days in San Juan during that trip. Below are four of their visuals from St-Barts and Saint Maarten.

 

Their latest story has this headline: “Staring into oblivion: Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos brace for impact” with these highlights: “The category 5 storm - the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic - howled past Puerto Rico with 185mph winds after reducing the tiny tropical islands of Barbuda and St Martin to rubble. They suffered the storm's full fury with 95 per cent of properties destroyed on both islands. Officials said at least eight people died on the French part of St Martin - a pristine resort known for its vibrant nightlife.”

 

Full story at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4860396/Irma-hits-Puerto-Rico-damaging-Barbuda-St-Martin.html

 

Panama Canal? Completed Feb. 28-Mar. 15, 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through the Panama Canal with our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Lots of fun, interesting pictures!! Those visuals start on the second page, post #26. See more at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

 

From the Daily Mail, here is one visual from St-Barts. We walked right by this one historic building. Remember this location and these sights very well in St-Barts!! Next are three of their visuals from Saint Maarten that give examples of the major damages there.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

[Emtbsam]

Thinking of you all and hope the storm will treat you gently. Headed to Alligator Point now.

[spinnaker2]

Safe travels Emtbsam.

[Camillus112]

Thanks Terry for sharing the devastating pictures. I'll pray that Florida gets a waiver from the highest impact and, better yet, be spared.