expattraveler

On 5/15/2024 at 4:08 PM, beanpittsburgh said:

Thanks to all for your advice and experiences.   I know we stop in Wrangall so that must be our optional port.  I didn't know about the different itineraries.  Can't wait - I know we will have a great time.

Wrangall is one of our favorite Alaska ports. Not yet commercialized like many others have become. Laid back and easy to walk to many local sights after taking any tours which may be provided. A hidden gem IMHO…

Another thumbs up for Wrangell. Excellent stop!

17 hours ago, hcat said:

thank you...I will have some nice reading to do. 

 

I loved the "Path Between the Seas" about the orig canal ..long book but was very complete...We enjoyed our partial transit but thinking about a full...e to w.

hcat,

Agree with you.  “Path Between the Seas” was long, very detailed, but an excellent read. Read it prior to our canal transit last year on the HAL Niew Amsterdam.

Fantastic review! Thank you for spending the time providing all of the pictures and details while on your holiday!

all the best…

Jim,

Following, and wishing you both a great holiday! Always look forward to you and Iain’s travels.

Safe travels!

Norwaylady,

just finished reading the first part of your b2b after being away for the past week. As always thank you for the detailed live review of your and Mr’s travels!

looking forward to othe next installment on part 2 of your b2b.

wishing you great weather and calm seas!
 

enjoy…

cavaaller,

Thank you for the live report.

Just catching up with you and Norwaylady’s live on her thread after returning from a short 7 day Mexican Riviera on the HAL Koningsdam.

Agree with you and Norwaylady about the M Class ships. Comfortable, subdued and quietly elegant. We were on the Infinity last December for a 14 day Canary Islands/ North Africa out of Barcelona. She was in really good shape for her age even before the recent dry dock/face lift, but appears from you pictures the updates were well done.

Enjoy the rest of the cruise and hope the weather continues to improve!

Onboard Konningsdam and just departing San Diego after an approximate 5 hour delay. Just now leaving dock at approximately 21:30.
 

Unsure for the delayed departure, but not concerned. Good food, drinks and entertainment. All’s good by me….

2 hours ago, POA1 said:

Just a note: You can add Have It All to Standby, but Standby does not pair with any of the community appreciation offers, like AARP, first responders, military & veterans, or the "Who the heck is this one targeting?" University of Washington alums who hold a season ticket to any Washington Huskies sports team. I am not making that last one up.

 

Because the standby booking's can clear pretty close to sailing, you'll want to add HIA immediately. The repurchased items data gets sent to the ship about 3 days prior to sailing, and advance purchases will be restricted after the deadline.

 

Missing the deadline would cause you to have to add HIA onboard, where it's $10/day more. I think that's what was referred to by
@expattraveler

 

After all, that extra $10/day kind of runs counter to scoring a sweet, sweet cruise deal.

 

 

POA1,

you are correct on all points!

On Koningsdan now sitting at the New York deli having a Ruben.  Actually very good!

2 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Congrats! Sounds like a good deal all the way around - standby and upgrade. Thanks for the info - hope you have a fabulous cruise

Haljo,

Yes, IMHO a very good deal. On the Koningsdam for 7 days opposed to being at home and at a great price! 
 

 Thank you for your well wishes!

Just thought I’d report on our recent standby experience.

We live very close to the cruise terminal in San Diego. We had an upcoming week with nothing planned so decided we’d give the standby option a try.  
 

Two weeks ago I spoke to our HAL representative and asked him to be put on the list for the Koningsdam 7 day Mexican Riviera departing San Diego tomorrow March 23. He said I was the first person that asked him to try the standby list so something new for both of us. He added us to the list.

Our HAL representative actually called me this past Wednesday morning and asked if I’d received any emails from HAL about clearing the waitlist? I said I hadn’t checked email yet that morning. He said he checked the booking out of curiosity to see if it had been cleared, and he said “it appears that you’ve been cleared”. He didn’t want us to lose our non-refundable payment if I wasn’t checking emails daily. Very kind of him to call, and the reason we’re very happy with him as our HAL representative.
 

After our call I then checked my email. I was notified by HAL this past Wednesday morning, March 20, that we cleared the standby for the March 23 Koningsdam sailing. I also received an additional email within minutes with an upgrade offer.
 

I called the number attached to the upgrade email. We were offered a few different upgrade options. After reviewing the options with the representative on the phone we accepted a VB on deck 11 for $249 PP.

Since it was so close to sailing I wanted to ensure a few additional discounted items so I called our HAL rep in Seattle and he finalized these items for us before the window closed. 

Notification of clearing the standby was only a little over 2 days before our departure tomorrow morning, but it worked really well for us since we can actually walk to the terminal.

Wishing anyone on standby good wishes for success! 
 

All the best….

Mike,

Appreciate your balanced review. Happy to hear you enjoyed the cruise, and also happy you got back to cruising!

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

If I recall correctly when you check in at the YCat terminal they tag your bags for the terminal and you just give them to a porter.     When the bus arrive at the terminal there are 5 or 6 baggage handlers curbside with white gloves on.    They bow to the bus when it arrives and then unload the bags where you retrieve for Airline Checkin.  

Since we had an extra day in Yokohama we had actually walked down to the Terminal and checked out so we knew where things were laid out.   They really have it well planned.  Not like US Bus/Train stations.

Jim,

Your guidance and advice is, as always, spot on!
 

The buses running from YCAT, or Tokyo Central, to Narita are extremely efficient, organized, safe and cost effective. Our bus from Tokyo Central Station to Narita this past September cost 1300 Yen per person, or approximately $10 USD.

And yes, the baggage handlers do bow when the bus arrives and departs 🙂. Ya gotta love Japan!

On 1/5/2024 at 1:45 PM, TxTeach79 said:

A little “Handle With Care” playing out on 8…. I’d recognize the dulcet tones of North Texas Great Roy Orbison anywhere #GMG

Just finished watching Roy Orbison Black and White Night again. Priceless….

On 1/5/2024 at 1:45 PM, TxTeach79 said:

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

This was a filler cruise in between our Sept, Apex cruise and our Edge B2B cruises next month. Also we used up a FCC that was going to expire tomorrow.

We also prefer longer cruises, but we also do fill in cruises when easily done. We did two 7 day cruises to the Mexican Riviera on HAL Koningsdam last year, and three 7 day Mexican Riviera on the Solstice early this year. We live in San Diego so these were all very easy with no flying. We actually walked across the street to board the Koningsdam cruises, and only had a  1 1/2  hour drive to San Pedro for the Solstice.  Taking another Mexican Riviera on Discovery Princess out of San Pedro in February to see the new Princess ship, and to also compare Princess against the "new" Celebrity product.      

14 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Jim, I can agree with and understand your issues. I sincerely hope some of the Edge issues you recently experienced are fixed before we board her in 2 weeks. The sad thing is that you and Iain have been among the most loyal of Captains club member and got treated so shabby. My recent phone calls with Celebrity Corporate and your experiences just prove my point that Celebrity no longer cares about their loyal customers as they find ways to milk out more profits from the newbies who are booking now. With what few benefits the upper tier of CC have left, they are costing Celebrity more than they want to pay out. We will be Elite+ after our two Edge cruises next month but it means nothing anymore, so we are also going to try out other more premium or luxury lines. I suspect these 2 cruises will be our last with Celebrity.

Terry, et al,

 
Have been fairly loyal to Celebrity, but not exclusive. Very close Elite +.  Unfortunately, loyalty in cruise lines, hotels and airlines is no more. Just look at the devaluation of hotel and airline points since COVID. Pitiful. 
 

Due to the previous distinction we had between Celebrity and the mass market cruise lines we really felt the “Modern Luxury” vibe of the Celebrity product. We were comfortable there.

It appears to us the new corporate strategy of 3 day, 5 day and 7 day cruises to corporate constructed “islands” thrust Celebrity in as just another Royal Caribbean/Carnaval cruise line. Unfortunate, but it is what it is. 

We just returned from a 13 night Infinity Canary Island/North Africa cruise in Aqua Class.
Fantastic itinerary!  Great old school Millennium ship in very good condition with a great crew. Loved the ship and the crew.
 

A couple of niggles: 1) Drinks: after purchasing Premium drink package having to wrestle with bar staff to get anything other than bottom shelf offerings in beer, waters, wines and spirits , 2) Food: we’re not foodies, but food in Blu very substandard (even with option to choose from MDR) to recent Princess, HAL and Viking. Shrimp cocktail appetizer from MDR could have been taken from a supermarket “baby shrimp” can. Lobster night….pitiful . No bigger than a large shrimp, but overcooked and a very bad salty cream sauce poured over it. Opted for Oceanview Cafe four nights of the cruise.

This is the first time in over 10 years where we’ve haven’t booked a future cruise on board, but we do have future cruises booked in 2024 and 2025 on Viking, Seabourn, HAL and  Princess. 
 

Unfortunate because Celebrity was our default cruise line. In the past even if we didn’t have an itinerary which jumped out at us we’d just go on “Celebrity holiday”. Not so much any longer, but  we’re in the twilight years of cruising. I believe corporate are looking down the road and unfortunately loyalty is a thing of the past……for all brands

11 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Sorry I've fallen behind and I think I am two pages in reading comments from all of you.   With two sea days ahead I will surly get caught up.

 

Today was Airlie Beach

 

Airlie Beach is a coastal locality and resort town in the Whitsunday Region of Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Airlie Beach had a population of 1,208 people.

 

 

It is Best known for incredible Scuba,  High End Resorts and Fun Fun Fun

 

Sorry no underwater pictures -  Just a stock teaser.

 

 

We were just aboard at 5:30PM after bobbing on a tender for over an hour... More tomorrow I am due for Cocktails in Retreat in 2 minutes.

 

 

Jim, somehow I cannot vision you providing “surly” replies or comments 😁. Darn auto correct!

We just landed in Barcelona this evening. We will be here, and the surrounding cities, until after Christmas with a Celebrity cruise in the mix.

Continue your enjoyment and catching up with friends on your current cruise. Priceless….

Jim,

wondering if you saw the Cavenagh bridge erected near Clark Quay and the Fullerton Hotel which was fabricated in Glasgow? You may have seen it before in your previous travels to Singapore, but thought lian might have enjoyed seeing it!
 

Was fortunate to have lived in Singapore for four years. As you indicated in an earlier post the humidity and temps are fairly constant year round both in the mid ei, as is the 7:00 sunrise and 19:00 sunset.

Enjoying your travels!

Jim/Iain,

As alway following along. As you’re aware, a wonderful part of the world to travel. Wishing you safe and happy travels, and looking forward to your review!

8 hours ago, Shiba_Lover said:

I doubt this can be solely on celebrity.  Having worked in India, and been through the visa process multiple times, India is very particular. I suspect the ship has extra steps to get everything ready for the passengers getting off ( and making sure to block those that can't).  Every time I had to renew a work visa ( which I know is more involved than a tourist visa) it was torture.

Shiba_Lover,

I agree that Celebrity’s hands are tied when it comes to India visa’s.

I also feel your pain having experienced the torture of obtaining Indian visa’s. I worked off and on in India over a period of approximately 16 years. I believe I had 8 Indian visa in my 2 passports over the years. Each and every time I applied for a new visa it was like I had never had an earlier visa issued, or had been vetted and through the process before. Exasperating!

On 10/13/2023 at 3:56 PM, CorgiCruzr said:

Thanks for that feedback; very useful.  I'm aware of the long distance from Bangkok to the port but, since we'll join the Viking Pre-Excursion to Angkor Wat at the BKK Novotel and be transported afterward to the Viking Orion by them for embarkation, that's already baked into our plan.

 

Now, I'm on the prowl for a cheap (using FF miles) OW SFO-BKK flight...to hopefully save even more. I saw a United one briefly (one stop) but, couldn't pull the trigger quickly enough.  Wish me luck. 😁

For your Tokyo departure departing from Narita you may want to consider the bus from Central Station to Narita. We lived in Tokyo for three years and mostly took the bus from Tokyo Central Train Station to Narita. On our recent holiday to Japan this past summer we again used the shuttle bus. The one way fare is 1300Y per person, or ~$10USD with the current exchange rate.
 

Much less expensive than a taxi or limo, and the busses run about every 20 minutes. Luggage loaded and unloaded onto the bus by staff. Clean, safe and efficient as one comes to expect in Japan!
 

Link below for the bus website:

https://tyo-nrt.com/

if your Tokyo hotel is not too far from the central train station you can take a short taxi from your hotel to the station for $10 to $20 depending on the distance. No need to carry or roll luggage up or down stairs or elevators. Taxi drops you off at the bus station.

Enjoy!!

Just now, expattraveler said:

RCI appear to be purposefully dumbing down the Celebrity brand to the Royal market offerings. Does RCI see Celebrity in their portfolio going forward, or just Royal and Silverseas? Just saying…

Should have read purposely….

1 hour ago, ymncruise said:

If bookings drop, yes. 

RCI appear to be purposefully dumbing down the Celebrity brand to the Royal market offerings. Does RCI see Celebrity in their portfolio going forward, or just Royal and Silverseas? Just saying…

Jim,

Thank you very much for another wonderful review. As always, informative and on point. 
 

Enjoy your time in Toronto, and safe travels home.

All the best….

12 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

Be advised that the process for b2b in San Pedro takes longer than other US ports I've sailed.  They make you get off the ship (which is normal) and then walk in a big circle to get back to the security lines where they make you go back through security again (which doesn't happen at other US ports).  So it takes longer than usual - not outrageously long but longer.  So by the time you do that, not sure it's worth it to go very far. 

San Pedro itself doesn't have much except a few nice local bars and restaurants in town, and a few shops.  There is a free (albeit fairly small) aquarium not too far away you could Uber to.  If you were to try that, make sure to check the opening times - I think it was noon last time we were there. It's next to a little park, but the park is mostly a family type park for kids or picnics.

Agree there’s not a lot to do in San Pedro; however, the battleship Iowa is very close to the cruise terminal. A possibility if you’re somewhat naval historians. 
 

https://pacificbattleship.com/