Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 15, 2023 Author #601 Share Posted April 15, 2023 Arrived Portland, England - Cold (40's to 50's), but blue skies. Many people go to Stonehenge Here is where we moored in Portland - along the left side Shuttle buses will go to Weymouth and Portland Castle - no one is allowed to walk out of the secure port facility. Stonehenge is about 90 minutes away We will be checking out some of these local restaurants Other things to do - we will be checking out the Helter Skelter 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 16, 2023 Author #602 Share Posted April 16, 2023 (edited) Portland, England 15 April 2023 This morning we were greeted by a beautiful blue sky and bright sun. While it was still in the forties, it was forecast to get into the fifties, and all the sunshine would make it feel warmer. The dreary gray skies from yesterday were gone, and this would be a fantastic day weather-wise. We were required to clear United Kingdom immigration which would take place on deck three in the Main Dining Room. The guests on each deck were called in turn, starting on Deck 10 around 7:30 am and working down to the main deck. The decks were being called quickly, so we gathered the immigration check didn't take long. Our deck was called within the first fifteen minutes, but we didn't leave our room for another thirty minutes. There wasn't any line and we didn't have to stop walking the entire time, except for a brief pause when the immigration officer looked at your open passport, welcomed us to the UK, and waved us on. Ships staff put a small sticker on our keycard as we left the MDR, and we were free to go ashore at our leisure. All the floors were called by 9:00 am, but by 9:30 they were still looking for a handful of guests and guest entertainers and started calling them out by name. We were moored at a port that didn't allow passengers to leave on foot, so we had to board a double-decker shuttle bus that stopped at the nearby Portland Castle and a final stop in Weymouth, about 4 miles away. The Weymouth Shuttle stop is about 1/4 mile from the Weymouth Town Lift Bridge, a pedestrian bridge that crosses Weymouth Harbor and connects Weymouth to the communities south of the harbor. As we walked toward Weymouth, we crossed Hope Square, where you will see a large sign for Brewers Quay which used to be a shopping mall but now appears to be closed. There were some friendly town ambassadors here to offer assistance and we spotted a few items that had been "Yarn Bombed" We continued across the Weymouth Town Lift Bridge and walked along the harbor's north side toward the beach. The town was bustling with locals and visitors. We learned that this was the first nice day in a while so everyone was out and about. You could spot the locals easily as they wore shorts and T-shirts while the tourists were bundled up. Once we hit the beach, we headed north on the Esplanade to the Helter Skelter amusement ride on the beach where we would meet Susan for lunch at the nearby Rockfish Seafood Restaurant which served Fish and Chips in addition to a variety of other seafood. The Beatles made Helter Skelters famous in their 1968 song but term became infamous for its association with Charles Manson - more HERE and the Tate–LaBianca murders in 1969. Rockfish Seafood Restaurant was fabulous and we enjoyed our food sitting in their outdoor patio. There are many choices for Fish and Chips in Weymouth, but the Rockfish Seafood Restaurant was the only one we spotted with outdoor seating right next to the beach. For the next two hours we strolled along the Esplanade up to the Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock where we turned inland and looped back to the Shuttle Bus via Park and St Thomas Street. The weather was a little chilly, but the bright sunshine made it feel much warmer. We had fun on our leisurely walk and stopped in to a Wilko Store, a chain of locally owned department stores and looked around for anything interesting and unique. Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock We returned to the ship around 4 PM and we learned that Portland Port prides itself on providing a memorable send-off with a musical “Bon Voyage” and a 3-shot salute from the Nothe Fort Victorian Artillery Brigade. I returned to the dock to get some photos of the Rock Choir, led by Stacey Hobday, and some close-up shots of the saluting cannon. Back on the ship, we watched the canon move into place, and they observed as our mooring lines were cast off, and they fired the first of three shots as we moved out into the harbor. Cruise and Travel Director, Ian, presented the EXE Talk "Cycle of Life" on the World Stage instead of an entertainment show. EXC talks are well done, and Ian does a good job reading a script from the teleprompter, but these shows are better suited as daytime lectures than post-dinner entertainment. Edited April 16, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin 13 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakridger Posted April 16, 2023 #603 Share Posted April 16, 2023 15 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said: EXC talks are well done, and Ian does a good job reading a script from the teleprompter, but these shows are better suited as daytime lectures than post-dinner entertainment. Completely agree with this!! They should only be presented in the afternoon. ~Nancy 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAL Sailer Posted April 16, 2023 #604 Share Posted April 16, 2023 On 4/11/2023 at 3:48 AM, The-Inside-Cabin said: We bought terrific pastries from Casa Piriquita Casa Piriquita has been in business since 1862 We have wonderful memories of the Casa Piriquita -- and especially their Queijadas and Travesseiros de Sintra -- while on a shorex in Sintra during our Caribbean to Europe honeymoon cruise 28 years ago this week. Oh, those pastries... Thanks for the memories. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 16, 2023 Author #605 Share Posted April 16, 2023 Great day in Dover, UK today. Visited Dover Castle Dover Castle from Ship Approaching Dover Castle from Shuttle Stop Ready to head up to the top! 120 steps! White Cliffs! We are heading back to Dover for dinner at The Elephant and Hind 13 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BetsyS. Posted April 16, 2023 #606 Share Posted April 16, 2023 Thank you so much for your great reporting and beautiful pictures! You are both photogenic! Love the photos with scenery as well as the tuxedo pictures! Years ago on the Veendam there were lots of tuxedos on formal nights, but I have not seen many since then. Thanks for keeping up the tradition! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 16, 2023 Author #607 Share Posted April 16, 2023 Table 89 (partial) had a great pub dinner at Elephant and Hind in Dover! 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 16, 2023 Author #608 Share Posted April 16, 2023 I had never heard of SMOKED HADDOCK CULLEN SKINK SOUP (thick Scottish soup originating from Cullen served with diced potato, and leeks) until I spotted it on tonight's menu - and I decided to give it a try. Very good! 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea42 Posted April 16, 2023 #609 Share Posted April 16, 2023 1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said: I had never heard of SMOKED HADDOCK CULLEN SKINK SOUP (thick Scottish soup originating from Cullen served with diced potato, and leeks) until I spotted it on tonight's menu - and I decided to give it a try. Very good! Oh that looks good! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zelker Posted April 17, 2023 #610 Share Posted April 17, 2023 7 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said: Great day in Dover, UK today. Visited Dover Castle Dover Castle from Ship Approaching Dover Castle from Shuttle Stop Ready to head up to the top! 120 steps! White Cliffs! We are heading back to Dover for dinner at The Elephant and Hind Hi, guys. Will be there in May on Zuiderdam, as HAL cancelled Zeebrugges and replaced it with Dover. How did you get to/from the castle? Thx. Barb 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 17, 2023 Author #611 Share Posted April 17, 2023 (edited) 4 hours ago, zelker said: Hi, guys. Will be there in May on Zuiderdam, as HAL cancelled Zeebrugges and replaced it with Dover. How did you get to/from the castle? Thx. Barb The town provided a double-decker shuttle bus from Terminal 2 to Market Square and Dover Castle for 8 pounds or 10 USD (all day ticket) - It was pretty crowded and ran about every 30 minutes. You could walk to Market Square (1.7 miles) - Dover Castle is walkable if you have the energy - and its uphill. When we left the cruise terminal at 10 am, the bus was almost filled, and there was probably another bus load waiting, and we might not have even gotten on the next bus. There was a taxi stand across from the bus, and a driver offered to take the 3 of us to Dover Castle for 10 pounds. We took the taxi, which was way faster as we didn't have to stop in town. The taxi driver, Ramzi, gave us his phone number (44) 77 34 531 717, and we called him to pick us up at the Castle when we were finished. We called him again to pick us up at the ship to go to town for dinner. The shuttle buses quit running at 6 PM, and we were in port until 8:30. I would contact Ramzi and set something up if you want to save time and avoid the shuttle bus queues. Not sure if he is on WhatsAPP Buy your tickets to Dover Castle in Advance at save time and 10% HERE Once off the shuttle bus, there was a long line to buy tickets at the castle. We walked to a special advance ticket line - they looked up our name - didn't even need our e-tickets. Dover Castle exceeded our expectations - very nice day. Edited April 17, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 17, 2023 Author #612 Share Posted April 17, 2023 (edited) Nice day in Zeebrugge, Belgium We took a taxi to Bruges (100 Euros RT for 7 people) - 30 minute drive Cannot walk out of port - shuttle to cruise terminal - HAL offered a free shuttle to Blankenberge, a few miles away. Cloudy and Cool - no rain We did the 30-minute canal tour - 12 Euros Did the 35-minute Horse Carriage tour - 60 Euros for 4 people - Ask if the narration is included - we got narration for free - another couple was asked for an extra tip if they wanted narration...I am sure if you ask first - you will get narration for the standard price of 60 Euros (this is regulated like a taxi by the city) Got some great waffles Some pretty good fries Stopped for hot drinks on arrival Fun day - more later Museums closed on Mondays Edited April 17, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLouisCruisers Posted April 17, 2023 #613 Share Posted April 17, 2023 Just an FYI for future travelers to Zeebrugge, in 2019 we took the free shuttle to Blankenberge where we bought 2 train tickets to Brugge. It was a wonderful, clean train and only an 11 minutes long ride according to Rome2Rio. Trains run hourly. An inexpensive way to travel there. https://www.rome2rio.com/Train/Blankenberge/Bruges Love, love, love Brugge and especially the canal boat ride. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir PMP Posted April 17, 2023 #614 Share Posted April 17, 2023 French fries with ketchup? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJSULIBRARIAN Posted April 17, 2023 #615 Share Posted April 17, 2023 Seeing the Brugges waffle brought back great memories of DH and I enjoying coffee and waffles there. Thanks for posting that photo and all you have written for us. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 17, 2023 Author #616 Share Posted April 17, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Sir PMP said: French fries with ketchup? Of Course! HERE Edited April 17, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted April 17, 2023 #617 Share Posted April 17, 2023 On 4/16/2023 at 6:01 AM, The-Inside-Cabin said: Portland, England 15 April 2023 This morning we were greeted by a beautiful blue sky and bright sun. While it was still in the forties, it was forecast to get into the fifties, and all the sunshine would make it feel warmer. The dreary gray skies from yesterday were gone, and this would be a fantastic day weather-wise. We were required to clear United Kingdom immigration which would take place on deck three in the Main Dining Room. The guests on each deck were called in turn, starting on Deck 10 around 7:30 am and working down to the main deck. The decks were being called quickly, so we gathered the immigration check didn't take long. Our deck was called within the first fifteen minutes, but we didn't leave our room for another thirty minutes. There wasn't any line and we didn't have to stop walking the entire time, except for a brief pause when the immigration officer looked at your open passport, welcomed us to the UK, and waved us on. Ships staff put a small sticker on our keycard as we left the MDR, and we were free to go ashore at our leisure. All the floors were called by 9:00 am, but by 9:30 they were still looking for a handful of guests and guest entertainers and started calling them out by name. We were moored at a port that didn't allow passengers to leave on foot, so we had to board a double-decker shuttle bus that stopped at the nearby Portland Castle and a final stop in Weymouth, about 4 miles away. The Weymouth Shuttle stop is about 1/4 mile from the Weymouth Town Lift Bridge, a pedestrian bridge that crosses Weymouth Harbor and connects Weymouth to the communities south of the harbor. As we walked toward Weymouth, we crossed Hope Square, where you will see a large sign for Brewers Quay which used to be a shopping mall but now appears to be closed. There were some friendly town ambassadors here to offer assistance and we spotted a few items that had been "Yarn Bombed" We continued across the Weymouth Town Lift Bridge and walked along the harbor's north side toward the beach. The town was bustling with locals and visitors. We learned that this was the first nice day in a while so everyone was out and about. You could spot the locals easily as they wore shorts and T-shirts while the tourists were bundled up. Once we hit the beach, we headed north on the Esplanade to the Helter Skelter amusement ride on the beach where we would meet Susan for lunch at the nearby Rockfish Seafood Restaurant which served Fish and Chips in addition to a variety of other seafood. The Beatles made Helter Skelters famous in their 1968 song but term became infamous for its association with Charles Manson - more HERE and the Tate–LaBianca murders in 1969. Rockfish Seafood Restaurant was fabulous and we enjoyed our food sitting in their outdoor patio. There are many choices for Fish and Chips in Weymouth, but the Rockfish Seafood Restaurant was the only one we spotted with outdoor seating right next to the beach. For the next two hours we strolled along the Esplanade up to the Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock where we turned inland and looped back to the Shuttle Bus via Park and St Thomas Street. The weather was a little chilly, but the bright sunshine made it feel much warmer. We had fun on our leisurely walk and stopped in to a Wilko Store, a chain of locally owned department stores and looked around for anything interesting and unique. Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock We returned to the ship around 4 PM and we learned that Portland Port prides itself on providing a memorable send-off with a musical “Bon Voyage” and a 3-shot salute from the Nothe Fort Victorian Artillery Brigade. I returned to the dock to get some photos of the Rock Choir, led by Stacey Hobday, and some close-up shots of the saluting cannon. Back on the ship, we watched the canon move into place, and they observed as our mooring lines were cast off, and they fired the first of three shots as we moved out into the harbor. Cruise and Travel Director, Ian, presented the EXE Talk "Cycle of Life" on the World Stage instead of an entertainment show. EXC talks are well done, and Ian does a good job reading a script from the teleprompter, but these shows are better suited as daytime lectures than post-dinner entertainment. Very helpful post on Weymouth, thank you 🙂. And your restaurant sounds great. I have been checking out it’s website 😉 Last time we were in Portland we did a Jurassic coast tour - Corfu castle, etc. I’m back in October so I think after our tour in Abbotsbury there should be enough time to visit Weymouth for a bit and the restaurant (I’m eying their tinned fish - especially the cuttlefish 😉 ) I hope you don’t mind if I share part of your post with my roll call? Thank you 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir PMP Posted April 17, 2023 #618 Share Posted April 17, 2023 46 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said: Of Course! HERE But when in Belgium: 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 17, 2023 Author #619 Share Posted April 17, 2023 8 minutes ago, Sir PMP said: But when in Belgium: I will have to give those a try. Looks delicious 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 17, 2023 Author #620 Share Posted April 17, 2023 44 minutes ago, kazu said: Very helpful post on Weymouth, thank you 🙂. And your restaurant sounds great. I have been checking out it’s website 😉 Last time we were in Portland we did a Jurassic coast tour - Corfu castle, etc. I’m back in October so I think after our tour in Abbotsbury there should be enough time to visit Weymouth for a bit and the restaurant (I’m eying their tinned fish - especially the cuttlefish 😉 ) I hope you don’t mind if I share part of your post with my roll call? Thank you 🙂 Please share! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted April 17, 2023 #621 Share Posted April 17, 2023 5 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said: Please share! Thanks! No thank YOU 🙂. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare whogo Posted April 17, 2023 #622 Share Posted April 17, 2023 3 hours ago, Sir PMP said: French fries with ketchup? Waffles instead of mussels? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted April 17, 2023 #623 Share Posted April 17, 2023 25 minutes ago, whogo said: Waffles instead of mussels? I was told many years ago never to eat mollusks in a month without "ber" at the end. So even though I love, love, love mussels I would have enjoyed some Belgium frites with amazing dipping sauces. JMO. Cherie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 18, 2023 Author #624 Share Posted April 18, 2023 5 hours ago, whogo said: Waffles instead of mussels? DIdn't see many mussel places - waffles, chocolates or frites were about every 10 feet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted April 18, 2023 Author #625 Share Posted April 18, 2023 Arrived in Amsterdam a few minutes ago - 7:30 am local - We enjoyed Amsterdam Rolls early - 6 AM! Crow's Nest Here is how we got turned around and then backed into our berth across from the Cruise Terminal In the turning basin Approaching Cruise Terminal 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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