May I first say, this is MY review of MY cruise, I'm sure my views and experiences will differ to others on board, nothing I comment on suggests that my experiences are "the Norm". I have reviewed in the past and have been shocked at some of the comments left by people with different viewpoints, so it is with some trepidation that I write this now, but I wanted to share my opinions to benefit other cruisers.

To start with a quick mention of parking at Southampton. This is our first cruise where we have driven to the port, and I did a lot of online research beforehand about parking options. Even on this site there is not a huge amount of advice available, beyond extolling the benefits of the recommended by cruise companies options. In the end I chose a firm called Stress Free Parking at just over £92 for 12 days (Look carefully on the home page of their site and use the seasonal discount code for an extra 5% off)

They do advertise a valet service which isn't exactly accurate but never the less their service was excellent. About 30 minutes out they ask you to call to advise you are on your way, rather than speaking to a real person you hear a recording which directs you to unload your luggage and drive to the short stay parking, which is only a 1 minute walk away. Read more