Took the 14 night Mediterranean beaches cruise out of Southampton on July 24. It was a nice though unexceptional trip. Flew into Heathrow and staid at the Holiday Inn Mayfair in London for two nights. It was a great location and we enjoyed London immensely. We traveled with 4 other family members who chose to stay at a cheaper hotel by the airport and take the train in but the time saved, the ability to go out for a few hours, come back and rest then go out again more than made up for the increased cost.

On Saturday the 23rd has Smiths for Airports pick us up at our hotel, bring us to Windsor for three hours and then to our hotel the Holiday inn in Southampton. I highly recommend Smiths for Airports and used them to bring us back from the ship, to Stonehenge and then Heathrow for a fraction of what the cruise line charged for a transfer for the three of us. 135 pounds vs around $110 each for the ship.

The Holiday Inn in Southampton was a five minute walk to the cruise terminal and a five minute walk to the city center. We walked to the terminal with our bags. It was very handy though I would not have wanted to if it was raining. In Southampton went out to dinner. Southampton is a bit down on its heels but I understand so much was destroyed in the war it lost its traditional charm. Read more