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ChucktownSteve

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About Me

  • Interests
    Investing, cruising, volunteering, former scuba,
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Regent, Azamara, Oceania, HAL & Celebrity
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    St Petersburg, Russia

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  1. I don't think they will do that either. Besides the OBC, my credit cards give me 3% cash back on travel and my TA gives me a 10% rebate after the trip. I'm not concerned about bankruptcies. I'm more interested in the health and repatriation coverage with all the other things they cover. Credit cards don't usually give you the full coverage.
  2. I HOPE so! Our May 2025 Med cruise would make it more enticing to pay early.. I'm only getting about 5% annual interest on my cash in MM's. Time, Value, MONEY.
  3. We think alike. I've also pointed that out. It's cheaper money paying off more expensive debt. I pulled the trigger on the 10% promotion today for our 12/9/24 cruise. We each received just under $500 additional OBC pp. Since all the specialty restaurants are included in our suite and we already had $900 total OBC, I suppose the spousal unit is going to get a lot more Mary Francis bags.That is if there are any designs left she hasn't already bought. rofl. While others have pointed out their concerns about cash flow, it doesn't bother me as long as they remain in business, give me a great cruise and the crew are still motivated towards pax enjoyment. My trip insurance covers me should they not make it, so I'm out nothing financially. However I can't see a venture capital company wanting to run down the company to devalue it. Doesn't make business sense to me.
  4. We did the same thing in Vancouver. We used Uber which was much faster and cheaper than a taxi. But we arrived before the bus full of transfers. Btw our luggage was still picked up from our hotel room and transported to our suite.
  5. Hope it wasn't commando. 🙄
  6. We were in a penthouse C suite on the Mariner with a two category upgrade promotion. I liked it because it was about 148 more SF than concierge for the same price. Enjoyed the butler but could live without too. We followed that up with a Splendor 16 night Concierge suite which was also very comfortable. Last month I booked a penthouse C on Grandeur for Feb 2026; again with a two category upgrade promo. So I'll see if I'll like that ship's penthouse better. I'm curious if there is much of a difference between the two penthouse suites (same catregory) on the Splendor and Grandeur. Though regardless of the ship, my DW, will not like a very forward accommodation. We did that once. I learned that lesson from her. lol
  7. Agree. My comment was more directed toward people who believe the promotion is about financial instability instead of a smart business decision due to relatively high interest rates from inflation. After all, isn't the investment company, Sycamore Partners, about generating cash flow revenue and profits while still providing an excellent product?
  8. One thing some people appear to be missing is that Azamara isn't really giving up 7 or 10% cash. You get OBC. Considering the cost of goods for that means they're generating real cash flow early for a greatly reduced out of pocket cost later which is use it or lose it. I hope they stock the shops with tons of merch. Since cruise lines usually double the supplier's excursion cost, that's still 50% on the dollar. Much better cost of money than borrowing.
  9. Thank you for an excellent review. It hit all the points someone who hasn't sailed Silversea might like to know. The follow up with extensive details and pictures were unmatched from many blogs. The itinerary was incredible. I am a little confused though. I've thought that Azamara falls into the Premium cruise line category while Silversea and Regent occupy the Luxury category. I haven't sailed Silversea yet but was interested in finding something with them. Now I'm not so sure I would want to after having sailed Regent a few times and reading your review. I would have expected Silversea to be at a higher quality level and price point. However food is also an important part of cruising to me. That's why I was surprised when you said you "went on this cruise thinking 'all Silversea has to be is Azamara with better ships.' At the end of the cruise, I’m not sure it hit that level. Certain things were better than Azamara, but others were worse." You went with lower expectations and they still missed the mark in an important aspect. Although Silversea appears to be an overall good cruise line from your review, the takeaway for me is a confirmation that my three upcoming Azamara cruises are a good value choice for quality. Thank you again for your viewpoints.
  10. Thats why I asked if my cruise qualified for the promotion. one of the reasons I don’t want to pay tooooo early is because my trip insurance broker only writes the covered amount for just the deposit. Then as I pay additional amounts towards the cruise needing the coverage, I have to pay the additional premium which is several hundred dollars or more depending upon the balance due. two extra months earlier isn’t that big a deal.
  11. We were on the Navigator and the aft suites had a lot of vibration and noise. But I was told many people love that ship. Seems similar in size to the Voyager but can't say. I'm sticking with the Splendor, Grandeur and Explorer going forward although Mariner was nice too.
  12. I just spoke with an Azamara rep who said I have 91 days to pay the balance to receive the 5% promotion. However I must use it on the cruise I'm paying for. She said it will probably be a long time promotion because it's been very popular. I understand that comment plus $4.95 will get me a bitter cup of Starbucks coffee. Drink mine black.
  13. If you liked the info I supplied and you're going to book a Regent cruise, I can get you $250 off the booking if it's within 14 day of making the reservation. Let me know. I'll tell you how.. steveL50 hotmail.
  14. So it just shows to go ya, Celebrity IS more expensive whether its a standard veranda cabin or Resort Suite.
  15. As a caveat,I'm not sure if those crew numbers are still accurate for Royal Caribbean Group's lines. They may not be based upon recent crew cut backs; increasing their bottom line the past couple of years during/post covid. Look at the uproar over Celebrity's attempt to change to a butler group instead of the promised/booked personal butler. Also I'm not sure Silversea Medallion suites include the specialty restaurant or excursions since I have not experienced that line. I've found that the smaller ships tend to be more port intensive which is what I prefer in an itinerary. The more active in port I am, the less likely I wish to stay up later for "entertainment." Part of the intangibles proposition for me, as Markeb mentioned, is the caliber of other passengers. Meeting and making new friends is much easier on the intimate ships. Billc23, the way to determine PSR: Passenger Space Ratio = Gross Tonnage (GT) divided by the number of passengers. Thus Regent Grandeur = 74.39 and Celebrity Ascent = 43.12.
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