Euros and British Pouinds

How much foreign currency do I need?

EUROS - used in Ireland and France

Ireland land tour of 10 days:  breakfast is included every morning except for day of flight arrival (and you will have breakfast on the plane prior to landing).
Two multi-course dinners are included:  the Pullman Restaurant (this is an Orient Express carriage car) at Glenlo Abbey will include one glass of wine per person; our farewell dinner at Fitzpatrick Castle will be on our final night before transferring either to the airport or to the Crown Princess on 28 May.

You will want to bring EUROS for use in the Republic of Ireland. I recommend purchasing small denominations before you arrive.  A credit card with a PIN will allow you to use ATM machines. Credit cards will be accepted by most large stores, but may not be accepted at pubs or boutique shops or small cafes.

Our GUIDE is Terry O'Connor.  I had the pleasure of meeting Terry last year, and I am thrilled he will be our driver and guide.  Gratuities are 6-8 Euros per person per day, and we will be with Terry 8 days. So you can plan to tip him 50+Euros per person depending on how much you feel his expertise contributed to your enjoyment of Ireland.

Plan to cover your lunches, drinks, and evening meals for 7 nights along with money for souvenirs.  For some people 500 Euros may be plenty, but for others it may not be nearly enough.  How many times will you want a Guinness in the village pubs? Would you enjoy bringing home Irish woolen goods, Connemara marble jewelry, or Irish crystal?

Here is a current conversion chart for the Euro.  I will include a Wallet Card with your documents.

U.S. dollar	Euro
1 USD	0.84 EUR
5 USD	4.21 EUR
10 USD	8.41 EUR
25 USD	21.04 EUR
50 USD	42.07 EUR
100 USD	84.15 EUR
200 USD	168.29 EUR
250 USD	210.37 EUR
500 USD	420.73 EUR
1,000 USD	841.47 EUR

Euro	U.S.dollar
1 EUR	1.19 USD
5 EUR	5.94 USD
10EUR	11.88USD
25 EUR	29.71 USD
50 EUR	59.42 USD
100EUR	118.84USD
200EUR	237.68USD
250EUR	297.10USD
500EUR	594.20USD
						POUNDS - used in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Guernsey U.S. dollar   Pounds Sterling 1 USD 0.72 GBP 5 USD 3.59 GBP 10 USD 7.17 GBP 25 USD 17.93 GBP 50 USD 35.86 GBP 100 USD 71.72 GBP 200 USD 143.43 GBP 250 USD 179.29 GBP 500 USD 358.58 GBP 1,000 USD 717.15 GBP Pounds Sterling U.S. dollar 1 GBP 1.39 USD 5 GBP 6.97 USD 10 GBP 13.94 USD 25 GBP 34.86 USD 50 GBP 69.72 USD 100 GBP 139.44 USD 200 GBP 278.88 USD 250 GBP 348.60 USD 500 GBP 697.20 USD 1,000 GBP 1,394.40 USD

Shore Excursion for Cobh (Cork)

This is a tender boat transfer to the shores of Cobh (pronounced Cove).

For those on the LAND TOUR preceding the cruise, you will have experienced almost all of the Princess shore excursion tours with the exception of Waterford.  My recommendation is to stroll the waterfront village of Cobh, it’s charming, I was there last February.  

Go into the Cobh Heritage Center (very interesting, story told in large murals with talking narration), go into the Titanic Experience next door, and perhaps the Titanic Pub. Walk uphill to the cathedral, or sign up in town for the Titanic Walking Trail.  

IF we decide we want to go back and see more of Cork, we can taxi together to Cork.  No need to purchase anything in advance.  I am sure you will love both Cobh and Cork.  

Cobh dockside

City of Cork

Find more info at these links:

Click here for the Titanic Experience

Click here for the Cobh Heritage Center

Click here for info on the Whistle Stop Road Train 

Titanic Bar & Grill waterside

 

Ultimate Ship Tour aboard Crown Princess

This tour, although pricey, sells out quickly.  If you wish to partake of the few offered, please sign up on the day of boarding at Guest Services.  I've been told the Princess gifts are equal to the price of the tour. Again, inquire on day of embarkation for details.

A Behind-the-Scenes Adventure Princess guests can get an exclusive glimpse at the behind-the-scenes action onboard a Princess ship with the Princess Cruises Ultimate Ship Tour -- a cruise industry first. The tour is offered once or twice per cruise on a sea day, and allows guests to explore the engine control room, medical center, print shop, laundry, photo lab, bridge, and other areas typically seen only by the ship's crew. The final stop of the tour is the ship's command center, where guests will meet the Captain, enjoy special refreshments and take in the dramatic views from the bridge's wraparound windows. Participants will also receive a variety of themed mementos at many other stops along the route.

Shore Excursion - Liverpool and the Magical Mystery Tour

We have the Magical Mystery Tour bus for our Liverpool private shared tour!

Click here for the Magical Mystery Tour video

DATE: Thursday, 30 May 2019

    ARRIVAL of Crown Princess to Liverpool 

PLACE OF PICK-UP will be the pier

    Ship time in port is 8am-6pm  Tour time of 10am-12pm

COST: $25 per person

Payment to TravelBling LLC in advance.

TIPS: extra, not included

GROUP SIZE: 30, bus seats 54

LANGUAGE: English

    We are friends from the USA: California, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts

POINT OF CONTACT:  Karen  Available by TEXT or WHATSAPP when in Liverpool

PLACE OF TOUR FINISH: The famous Cavern Club

    Then walk to Albert Dock for shopping and the Beatles Museum or Tate Museum.  This is a level walking area.  Our ship will be docked nearby.

LUNCH: Festival Food and Drink Grill - Cost is on your own.  I am making reservations whomever is interested.

MORE INFO:

Festival Food and Drink is a unique collaboration between two successful businesses, Bem Brasil who operate five restaurants in the North West and The Cavern Club, The Most Famous Club in the World. A fusion of Brasilian tastes and rhythms together with a blend of Liverpool humour and music history come together to celebrate the world’s greatest festivals.

MENU: For the FOOD PUNS menu click here

 

Guernsey - Shore Excursion for British Isles

Our Day in Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands.

Today is 17 March and I am updating our blog with photos of Guernsey and the Duke of Richmond Hotel, the location for tea after the tours mentioned below on my 6 March posting. 

I want to be sure you make the most of this port of call, as I know we will make wonderful memories together here.  As I mentioned, the city of St. Peter Port is slightly hilly and filled with cobblestones. But this glorious setting should make a bit of caution for the walk worthwhile.  Take a look at these photos.  And while you view them, let me tell you that the Duke of Richmond Hotel is owned by the Tollman Family, those same folks that own the best castle hotel in the world, Ashford Castle in Mayo County Ireland.  So if you wish to consider one of the tours below, I hope you have contacted me.

Tea at the Duke of Richmond Hotel in St. Peter Port, Guernsey

See post update below: the goat farm owner informed us that if the ground is damp/muddy from rain, we would not be able to visit the goat farm. 

I do have a viable alternative, as the Victor Hugo home will reopen in April after a 2 year renovation. Unless I hear from 6 persons otherwise, I will substitute touring his home rather than the goat farm visit.

 

I hope you saw my email this week describing the perfect tour in Guernsey.  Note, this is not a Princess Shore Excursion, so payment in full will be required to I may place a deposit to hold the guides and vehicles.  Should the Crown Princess NOT be able to dock, because of weather or other factors, approximately 75% of your tour cost WILL be refundable.

Payments should be made to TravelBling LLC.

The cost I am collecting is the amount shown in the Options title.  Not the tea nor goat farm. I have rounded the price to the nearest dollar for ease of payment.  This is the NET cost, with no extra mark-up from TravelBling.

Below are your choices, for which I do need reservations in advance.

Here are the details for Private Tours of 6 persons per vehicle in Guernsey.  We could have multiple vehicles of 6 persons.  The PRICE is based on 6 persons per vehicle.

I am estimating, but not yet confirmed, the start time would be  8am or 9am.  Our tenders begin at 6am, so departure from ship would be 1 hour before tour due to capacity crowds departing.

THREE OPTIONS:  all options pick up at the tender pier

• Please review these options and let me know A, B, C, or whether NONE is your preference.

Option A $100pp –  1 tour Priced for 6 persons Tour estimate 8:30am-12:30pm plus tea plus return walk returning to pier approximately 2:30pm	Option B  $100pp Priced for 6 persons Time estimate 9am-1pm	Option C $125pp - 2 tours Priced for 6 persons Same as Option A, except no tea, tour Victor Hugo home
4 hour tour to include 3 visits: The Little Chapel German Occupation Museum Potato Peel Pie Walk Drop-off to Richmond Hotel for afternoon tea or other beverage 20-25 minute walk downhill to pier after tea.	Same tour as Option A but drop off is back at Tender Pier instead of hotel	Revised: 4 hour tour  Same as Option A *10 euro to enter Hauteville House, home of Victor Hugo when he was banished by Napoleon III from France.
Afternoon tea priced separately **We have a discount price if 16 persons reserve tea.  $29pp group price $32pp individual price "based on current British Pound exchange rate"	No afternoon tea	Due to length of tour at Victor Hugo home, tea time is not available. ** see Option A for details
Gratuities separate	Gratuities separate	Gratuities separate

I will pair everyone together who chooses the same OPTIONS, unless you know you have 6 in your group (let me know the names of your 6 persons)!

We have 3 vehicles with 6 persons each: one for Option A and two for Option C.

The prices for these small group tours are FABULOUS, OUTSTANDING, INCREDIBLE.  Look at the Princess tours and you will find the price for EITHER of the first two tours alone are $100 per person. With a group of 20-40 persons. Other tours are up to $179pp.  PLUS we have the added benefit of the Potato Peel Pie Walk, with option to have tea at a beautiful hotel overlooking the waterfront. 

                Should you NOT know about the Potato Peel Pie, take a look at this book and/or the Netflix movie.  Then you will see why our tour is very, very special.  I don’t think Princess is even offering a Potato Peel Walk.

This is the movie trailer link:  Click here for movie trailer

It will give you chills!!

 End of Guernsey post.