Wiltonian

I'm not about to start grilling my TA who IMHO did an excellent job just because people here want an answer. I may want to use them again.

So, you're not really interested in getting an answer to your complaint at all. The whole cake disaster may well be because your TA who "did an excellent job" actually did nothing of the sort, but rather failed to book a special package, just hoping that Celebrity would do something.

Pitiful.

Stuart

Having wondered round Southampton once last year of an evening the most up market place to eat I saw was McDonald's

Perhaps you should have started a thread like this one, then.

The first port of call had to be cancelled due to high winds which meant the chef had to quickly find meals for 4,000 people which he hadn't expected.

What made me suspicious was that it departed from Athens, yet the first port of call was made out to be Marseilles. That's a pretty strange itinerary. Two sea days? Three? No Greek islands and no Italy?

Dramatic licence or a unique itinerary?

Stuart

Goodness me this 'peacock' thing is getting out of hand. If you read my OP you will see that I said 'WE have to dress up like peacocks'. I was not insinuating that OTHERS were peacocks. Get a grip!

No; it was indicative of your attitude to formal dress. And there's no need to tell people to get a grip - whatever that means in this context.

What a ridiculous comment. I enjoy wearing a nice dress. I don't do it very often these days. But some don't, doesn't make us peacocks, whatever that means.

I agree that doesn't make us "peacocks" - but that was the phrase of the OP.

In the position of the OP, I'd cancel. You can 'get round' the formal nights, but the attitude implicit in the language of "peacocks" suggest that it will not be a happy experience, being surrounded by "peacocks' for seven nights as you try to work out just where you can go.

Unfortunately, people have replied to the post you made on exactly the same issue, albeit with little information, less than two hours earlier.

My understanding is that while the saving on actual wine cost is limited - around 10% on smaller packages - the big saving is on gratuities, which are avoided. Also, you may benefit from a better $/£ conversion rate.

Stuart

I always compare prices between UK and US. For our next cruise I've booked with a US agent as they were offering a reduction for seniors which made it cheaper than in the UK. I've not come across any UK agents offering senior's rates.

 

After paying our final balance, I learned that there had been a substantial price drop on unsold cabins and asked the US agent if we might benefit from that. We were subsequently offered a double upgrade and two additional perks. I've not experienced UK agents doing that.

They're not allowed to: Celebrity UK are far less flexible and helpful than Celebrity US.

Stuart

Many UK cruisers use a US TA to book Celebrity cruises at US rates. Princess doesn't allow that. Not sure about Cunard. Someone must have tried it.

I guess the issue with using a VPN for UK cruisers to appear to be US-based, and using a US friend's address is that the Cunard site may detect the "nationality" of the credit card used.

Stuart

We don't need interpreters; Celebrity need enforcers. Simply no point having any code if it's not enforced.

When the cabin is assigned. check the location and configuration with the plans. If you do not agree you can call to request a change to the cabin you choose from the same category assigned.

This is true from the US, but definitely not from the UK, where you have to accept the initial allocation. Not sure about other countries.

Stuart

We have, but mostly it was suit & tie on the more informal nights.

Specifically suits rather than smart jacket and trousers?

Stuart

I suspect that a fairly strict dress code could become a +ve selling point for Cunard as other lines, like Celebrity, become less formal.

Using phones at anything but the most informal meals is plain rude, and my 20-something kids say exactly the same, Similarly, insisting on wearing scruffy clothes in a smart environment is just plain ignorant. I'm tired of people asking on CC boards what they can get away with. You can't legislate for behaviour like phone-use, but you can for dress codes. The problem is that cruise lines rarely enforce the codes consistently. It's a shame that people who like a setting with a nice ambience don't seem to realise that what they wear and how they behave affects that ambience for others. Or, perhaps, they're oblivious to such things.

I share your concern, and will not apologise for it!

Stuart

So, potentially withholding a dollar a day is showing "an utter lack of moral compass"? Right. Of course it is. Indubitably. Undeniably. Sheesh.

Principle.

 

Fares.

 

No, it’s definitely not rocket science. It’s just doing the right thing, which seems to have gone out of style, along with spelling and grammar.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

What a clever person you are, and now the whole world knows, which no doubt pleases you greatly.

Stuart

But, don't forget that Exchange Controls were still in force at that time. At the time of abolition, the limit on foreign currency was, if memory serves, £300 under EC12. In 1972-73, it may have been even lower - I remember a £50 limit in the late 1960s but I have a vague recollection (probably false!) of an interim figure of £100 per person per annum. :)

I had, of course, forgotten. In those days, I was a student camping in France, and the limit wasn't an issue! ;-)

Stuart

One more biggie for me is Scotland and Ireland and that would also have to be 1 flight back and forth.

Pat

How about Cunard NYC-> Southampton, round Britain with Celebrity or Princess, or. . . and then Southampton->NYC?

Stuart

There is a matter of principal here; had Celebrity randomly said that all cruise fairs already booked would increase by $15, then we'd all say that they can't do that. In practice, the same is happening here. I have no doubt that the crew deserve the gratuities, but Celebrity are seeking to exploit our sympathy for them by this example of bad management. They need to fix gratuity levels for cruises before those cruises go on sale. It's not rocket science.

FWIW, in the EU, which currently includes the UK, this increase would be illegal and unenforceable, as a breach of the sales contract - and any small print to permit it would probably be ruled to be an unfair contract clause.

Stuart

But Celebrity are not rushing to the bottom with regards to pricing. Some of their 2018 European pricing is simply ridiculous, especially when the current offer comes with pseudo-free perks. Typically, 50-70% higher than in recent years, and more expensive than some other 'at least comparable' lines, like Cunard.

Stuart

Yet another reason for booking with a refundable deposit. So far ahead that we can cancel should the $ get out of hand by the end of 2018. Remember the good old days of 1.90 to the £.

I can just remember 2.40 to the £. 1c = 1d! (1972-73 and 1980, though I know p replaced d in 1971)

Stuart

Sorry if this is old news to Cunard old-hands, but I've just learned something about amending bookings which surprised me - pleasantly.

We booked for a Oct 2018 cruise last April, Ocean View, Early Saver. Since then, prices have gone up quite a bit, but just recently fallen back towards but not reaching the price we paid.

I rang to ask if I could switch to an obstructed view balcony at the price currently on the web-site, where atm the Cunard fare is less than the EB.

The lady informed me that I could only amend paying the price for the new cabin which was in force at the time of my original booking. I had no objections since it is lower than both current prices.

This ability to buy at the price when you first made the booking is not advantageous if prices have fallen, and the rule probably exists to stop people re-booking at a lower price. But when prices have increased, the rule benefits the customer.

This may not seem remarkable, but my past experience has been with Celebrity, who a couple of years ago stopped all rebooking, even to more expensive cabins, other than cancelling and losing deposits. So, I'm very pleased.

Stuart

The refundable deposit has always been a factor for us when booking a long way out and now that Celebrity in the US is applying the same restrictions ( apparently you can choose a refundable or non refundable deposit so not quite the same) the attraction is not quite the same. However we have a cruise booked from San Diego to Vancouver in 2019 where the fare is pretty much the same UK or US but booking with our US agent we are getting 2 perks and $300 OBC. UK, no perks, no OBC and this is a refundable deposit deal.

You are, of course, bearing the risk of changes in £/$ rates increasing the effective cost - as well as the risk of a stronger pound making it cheaper. If we knew for certain which way the rate would go, we'd be having our PA's PA type these messages for us! ;-)

I feel everyone should be made to wear buttoned long sleeves or be fined by Celebrity. ;)

And what is wrong with keel-hauling? ;-)