hawkesbaynz

We use hotelsbyday.com and have stayed at DoubleTree By Hilton Miami Airport & Convention Center twice for about $80 10am to 6pm. It has a pool area, bar & restaurant. Also an odd shopping arcade adjacent with lots of clothes and jewelry stores. There is a free shuttle to the airport too. I wish we could avoid Miami airport but there are no direct flights from FLL anymore. Personally I would stay in FLL then Uber to Miami Port. Alternatively direct to a Miami Hotel after the flight. We have stayed at the DoubleTree overlooking the port. There are food options walkable. Prices of the hotels maybe a deciding factor.

We disembarked an Oceania cruise at Buenos Aires Feb 23. The terminal was busy when we got to the gate. A woman was organising the taxis and we were directed to a driver almost immediately. Another chap helped with the baggage (thus tip required). We had a taxi into the city which was pretty cheap. We had an Uber to the international airport. I would like to say from our hotel but we had to walk about a mile to source one as our hotel was near the Presidential Palace (think Evita) which was cordoned off due to the security issues. The taxi was about 40 minutes and ARS 6,304 (which is irrelelevant with the current inflation rates). Be warned if you have much luggage that the vehicles they use are small. We had three cases and one sat on the front seat and I had the carry-ons on my lap.

From recollection the treadmills are under starboard port side. We prefer the bow section on S-class Aqua because of access to the gym and DW likes Spa Cafe. Try to stay under the beauty therapy rooms or Spa Cafe. I imagine under the lessons area on the Port side would be okay until the morning stretch sessions ?8am. Our last S-class was in cabin 1542 on Soltice which was fine. I always check this thread too: https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/863876-s-class-cabin-information-compilation-please-do-not-post-cabin-questions-here/page/123/#comment-61504745

Following too. Usually sail X but actually on a Princess 14nt cruise to Norway next month. Good to hear embarkation was quick. Am told that Princesses have been long/busy in Southampton. Trying out X-class on the Ascent in September. Have driven past Stonehenge numerous times over the years but not been there since a child (when we could climb on it). Must go back.

Recently succeeeded on an upgrade bid for a sold-out Millenium cruise in Japan. A balcony to Aqua class. Minimum bid plus $5 so about £360. We get a little uplift as being Elite too. We were very happy as love Blu and are usually Aquaclass. However the cabin was under the pool deck which was not an issue on this Spring Japan cruise as there was not much poolside activity. A massive overhang above too. Sailed all classes on X but Concierge. Cannot see the point unless you need the points or the cabin is in the place you like. No need for a Concierge and no desire for the special lunch on embarkation day. Suite guests occasionally get reserved seating in the theatre not Concierge. I believe that Concierge maybe beneficial on the next X ship - EXcel (?).

I watched some of the seminar and left in running in the back ground. Found it unwatchable. I wish they would spend less time 'gossiping'. Do I really want to know about their backgrounds and how they met! Galapagos and Flora look great though.

I paid TA the balance via Amex. TA called back and said they had spoken to Princess who will update my account as having paid by end of week. They blame Princess for showing balances on my personal webpage. I cannot see why that would take so long. I’ll wait and see what happens by end of week. Our friends who booked separately had the same experience. I will not be using the ’ to …. and beyond’ TA again

I have evidence on Amex card and from the TA too. Just spoke to them and was given the same promises as I received a few weeks ago… Demanded manager call me back and to speak to Princess to find out why not showing.

We have never booked with Princess via a TA. I have a cruise this mid-June on Sky Princess. I paid the TA early February although the Princess pay-by date was mid March. I noticed early April that my Princess account still stated that I had circa £4k outstanding. I spoke to the TA and they said it was an accounting issue between them paying Princess on invoicing and Princess doing the adjustments. I looked again last week and the same amount outstanding. The TA reassured it had been paid. The Princess agent said it had not been. I asked the TA to check with their accounts staff and get back to me by Friday. They did not. Have emailed again. Unfortunately am in Spain at the moment on leave. Anybody have any experience of a time lag between TAs paying Princess and the money clearing the outstanding accounts. In the past I have booked direct with Princess or Celebrity. Wish I knew about the Price promise when I booked. So much easier direct!

We wanted a fortnight Artic Circle Norway cruise this year. Princess about £1k less and 2 extra nights in comparison with the Apex. Off on the Sky Princess next month. I imagine the Silhouette would have been similar price if she had not been replaced by the Apex. We have done several X but only one Princess cruise. Like them both. Never been on E class but will be trying the Ascent in the Med in September. We have become itinerary based cruisers. Sailed Royal, P&O, Oceania, Marella, Princess. Enjoyed them all but X is our go to if price and itinerary is the same. Trying Azamara for South Africa.

You can bring soft drinks onboard I believe. Take your favourite drinks and ask the steward to clear the fridge. Buy the rest with the onboard account. You can find water available in the buffet and the gym ? spa cafe. We had two bottles of water every day in recent Aqua cabin. My recent Millenium cruise I planned to do Pilates. However not available. It will depend on what the instructors are trained in. I like to use the sauna after the gym when on a cruise. Millenium's sauna was not hot enough.

@Travelling2Some Hah Ha but I imagine you are one of those gorgeous well dressed people we see on the X adverts. Just decorating the ship with your natural good looks and flair for fashion. That will be why they take your custom. Likewise have never gambled on the ships. Went to Las Vegas and am still missing that $5 I frittered away. Happy for people to gamble to their hearts content. Sure it is helping the X profit-loss account and keeps the prices down(!).

We have enjoyed eight cruises on X (just stepped off Millenium after an excellent Japan cruise) but only one Princess cruise (Enchanted). Pros and Cons for both but comparable enjoyment and overall cruise. We have a cruise on the Sky to the Artic in June. The comparable Apex cruise was £1000+ more for fewer days. If the Sky is as good as Enchanted we will go ahead booking on itinerary and price.

We are using the train to get to Yokohama on Sunday. Taxis very expensive for there and Tokyo. On return from the cruise we have two nights in Tokyo. Have booked a taxi to the terminal via Vioator as the Limousine service seems to start too late for our flight. However the taxi service is pretty specific - only two suitcases. Look at the Bus Limousine service as per DaKuna. Stops at numerous hotels encourages:https://webservice.limousinebus.co.jp/web/en/

There is a Princess Sales office in Southampton. My neighbour works there. Worth a try.

Contact a local taxi/tour company to pick you up in a minibus and take you to the cathedral. The driver Could stay with the bags and you can then transfer to the port later. Perhaps have a mini tour of Barcelona. Will cost more but… When we were last in Barcelona we had a couple on our Barcelona tour who were picked up at a hotel, we dropped the bags of at the port, did the tour then dropped them back in time for departures. Tad annoying for the rest of us within extra travel but worked for them.

We use an Uber. Cheaper than a taxi. Usually book a day room in the Doubletreee near the airport via Dayuse.com as UK flights are late out.

Glad you had a good cruise with TUI. We had an enjoyable cruise in East Med on one of their old ships (now scrapped) but really due to the ports and company. I’d try them again but DW not keen. I would have booked the whole package but plan to use Airmiles for direct business class.

Newbie Azamara cruiser. Can you upgrade drinks and pay the individual price. DW is a gin snob and will only drink Hendricks/Botanist quality. On Celebrity you can pay the difference per drink which works at much cheaper than upgrading to their Premium package. She is an absolute dipsomaniac for sparkling water. Happy with supermarket quality at home as long as there are bubbles. Is it included? We have enjoyed port intensive Oceania cruises without packages just drinking gin in the cabin and taking wine to the restaurants and paying the corkage. Bit of a cheek Azamara charging corkage for own bought wine if their wine is poor.

I used a TA who is on that list and got a Much better cooool price than the Azamara website price. When I sail with Celebrity I go direct as receive a decent military discount. However the TAs discount was much better than the usual 10% discount. As for Azamara advisors. Our South Africa cruise had the itinerary changed. I had an email advising me but no updated itinerary (why do that?). I called the office as advised but they knew nothing. Promised to call me back. Am still waiting.

If it wasn’t for these forums I would be unaware that people can reprice their cruises, although unfortunately not in the UK😞. From a Roll Call Princess thread I looked at re-pricing a cruise that had gone down in price several hundred pounds. The TA really did not want to help re-negotiating (not replying to emails or calling back) but eventually I was advised to cancel, loose freebies and gain a couple of hundred when the deposit was lost. I did not bother, but will not be using the TA again. However a Celebrity Roll Call was talking about price hikes for a Med cruise. My cabin had gone up three thousand! I think I gained over all. I recently booked an Azamara cruise at a great price with another TA. I won’t be checking the prices again. Oddly I noticed I have yet to have the Azamara invoice so will hold off booking flights until I have that. The price sounded too good. I often cross check prices with US TAs. Rarely the difference seems worthwhile. I have done once and the currency exchange went against me.

Interesting thread. We were on that Oceania Marina cruise last February. We went to the pleasant town of Castro as there was bad weather at Puerto Chacabuco. The Chilean Fjords were fantastic. Amazing eating dinner on a beautiful Summers evening watching the scenery go by from the window in the Marinas fantastic restaurants. Shipwrecks and all! We passed by a glacier at 5am in the morning. Actually one of the worst days of weather. I got up topside whilst DW rolled over in bed. There were better glaciers in Antarctica for her. We had great weather for the entire cruise including Drakes Passage, Antarctica and Falklands. Enjoy Princess and Celebrity cruises too. Have Azamara booked too. However no line could beat Oceania’s itinerary for SA.

We are using https://www.discover-japan-tours.com/ for a disembarkation tour from the Millie dropping us off in Tokyo city for 85,000 Yen for six of us. They may be able to sort out a tour for you. Not cheap but an inclusive tour unlike the other tours I have booked in Japan with Tourswithlocals etc.

Great review😀. We did the overnight in Hanoi with X and it was massively overcharged. However we had lots of OBC A couple who joined us with Xuan did a private tour, just them and a guide, and it was half the price. Incidentally Xuan WhatsApp’s me today to with HNY. I’ll give him a well deserved plug: https://www.tourwithxuan.com/

Looks like a coffin! Jim I often wondered why you were so loyal to X when you enjoyed the finer things of cruising without the casino, shows & pools. Luxury lines would suit you. We really enjoyed our couple cruises with Oceania and are trying Azamara in 2025. We have three excellent itinerary cruises booked with X ((Japan, Med on the Ascent, New England/Canada) and then will be looking for new adventures & Cruise Lines. We do have an Artic Circle cruise with Princess from Southampton in June. We find Princess just as enjoyable as X but cheaper. Unfortunately the pennies do not allow us to try Regent/Silver sea etc. Cunard seems good value although they seem to have less port time on similar itineraries to competitors.