BarbaraB2

Thank you, Kelly, for doing this. I was hoping someone would update us as the cruise progressed.  It will be bitter sweet since I was longing to be a part of it myself but,  as you know, just cancelled. Have a wonderful time!

51 minutes ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

 

I know you weren’t addressing me but i recommend you check out Trinity reservations for good deals. You can tell from there which ones are reasonably close.  We usually stay at one of the Marriott owned hotels, often the Fairfield.  The Tru hotel is the newest in the string of hotels near the airport.  I’ve stayed in the Springhill and the Courtyard.  I prefer the Springhill but it’s only one night!  
 

The Marriott at the airport has a restaurant onsite, I haven’t been in their rooms though, th restaurant and lobby were up to par several years ago. 

Thanks for the recommendations; I appreciate your input.  I usually prefer a Marriott product and I will focus on these.  

4 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Definitely not Embassy Suites.   

 

Actually many on our Roll Call are staying at Country Inn.   It is right across the street.    Their shuttle driver was nice enough to give us a lift after waiting on the phone for over an hour and no one would answer and no shuttle's.    Country Inn looks very nice and their staff seem respectful and helpful.

I appreciate your input and I will look into the Country Inn. 
LOVE your pictures of Summer in NY City! 

Oops! I somehow missed your previous post about the hotel so I will keep looking!

Looking forward to following along and learning something new along the way.

You never disappoint! Enjoy every minute!

I will be flying into Newark in October and need to make overnight reservations before our Celebrity cruise. Although I have researched hotels in the area I have not found the ‘right one’ and wonder if you would recommend yours? 
Thanks,

Barbara

My TA was able to have it processed within a three week period and it was applied yesterday, the day before final payment was due. However, there were no guarantees that this would happen and it came as a welcome surprise!

We were waitlisted for Anytime Dining several months ago for an October cruise. Final payment is due shortly but, surprisingly, as of today, we are confirmed for it and have been able to make a few reservations. Many dates only have limited late times available but I’m hopeful a few more will open up before boarding. 

Thank you! I am looking forward to it after not being able to cruise since 2019!

To answer your question, no, I would not give up the Sunset Veranda cabin just to save money. The cost was never the main issue; the restrictions imposed on my deposit was. 

 

Unfortunately, the category I booked, Sunset Veranda, is not currently available and I can not  get an accurate price for it. However, with the current promotion, I priced a different cabin to get a ‘feel’ for it. To my surprise, there were several choices in the IV category that were less expensive, and they all included the same options as my original. 

I agree, NRD may be good under some circumstances but it has not been beneficial for me. My money is being held hostage by rules designed to discourage changes. If I had a refundable deposit, and canceled the cruise, I could immediately apply the balance to another cruise (regardless of when it was booked) and  I could potentially even re- price it to a lower non -refundable rate prior to final payment.  I like having more options and less restrictions.

After multiple discussions with Celebrity, I was unable to transfer the deposit and was charged $100 pp to cancel the first cruise. 
My TA is asking for an expedited FF but I don’t expect it to be issued in time to apply to the second cruise.  As I previously mentioned, this is the first and only NRD for me!

Thank you all for your input!

I have two cruises booked for October with the final payment coming due soon. I want to cancel  one and transfer the NRD (minus the $100 pp administration fee) to the other. However, Celebrity will not allow it. Instead, they will provide a FCC for the $700 balance which I assume can only be used towards a new booking only? 
Has anyone had a different experience with this? What are the ‘rules’ for using FCC? Can they be applied to OBC if they get issued before the next cruise? 
Without a doubt, this is the last time I book a cruise using NRD!

Perfect! I would be most interested in the unlimited specialty dining besides the additional space in the cabin. Now, I hope to get the opportunity to bid on it for our October cruise. 🤞

Thank you!

Thank you, Jim. I have another question for you. At the risk of having you repeat yourself, could you please describe the benefits you received when you were upgraded to the Royal Suite? I have read conflicting information about it and I know you have previously reported it but I cannot find it. 

Curious if you used a TA for the original cabin and were able to renegotiate the move-up cabin location directly with Celebrity? 

What determines the time you get? Is it first come or cabin category? What is the latest for a Bermuda cruise?

EXACTLY what I  was hoping to hear…first hand information of Covid treatment onboard the Beyond!! Thank you! Now, at least I can make a decision based on factual knowledge and hopefully those practices  won’t change before our cruise. Coincidentally, we booked a Sunset Veranda also, and I was hoping to be able to stay in it IF we became positive.

Wishing you and your husband a speedy recovery!

There seems to be ‘ample’ discussion about treatment onboard other ships but virtually nothing that I found regarding the Beyond. As others have already reported practices vary from ship to ship and I would like to know specifically about this one before I commit.

2 hours ago, mom says said:

Do, you aren't  asking about how COVID would be treated on board; but are only concerned about quarantine conditions? I think that's been amply covered in the myriad of previous and current  threads by posters who have been in isolation during their cruise.

We have a final payment due next month but before making that decision we would like to know what treatment we can expect on the ‘Beyond’ regarding Covid. I’ve read about the various problems regarding earlier cases onboard other  Celebrity ships ( which I won’t detail)  but I hope corporate has a better handle on it now and has ironed out some important problems. Specifically, are you able to stay in your original cabin? If not, what type of cabin are you moved to?  Where can meals be ordered from…room service or restaurants…and delivered within a reasonable amount of time? Is there a dedicated person and telephone number to help coordinate and facilitate your needs? Are wifi and movies provided? Does Covid medical care continue to be provided at no additional cost? 
 

Booked on the Beyond in October (depending on Covid ). Any news on where Covid patients are quarantined? 

Before canceling check with Celebrity about CWC coverage. Our travel agent assured us that since we booked an October TA last November we will still be covered. We are still not willing to take the risks involved in getting stuck in Europe and will cancel before final payment.

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

All good advise Bo.  

 

Curious if you could either send me privately or on this thread what type of insurance you have.   There are so many options out there and so many that have covid limitations. 

 

It would also be good for others to understand the changing policies of Celebrity and how the Certificate of Recovery (COR) can help minimize the impact or extended Positive Results. 

 

Out of an abundance of caution as we do not fly home for another 5 days (pre-planned) I applied and received a COR yesterday.  

My daughter and granddaughter will be in London and Scotland next week for a visit. I have followed your wonderful and informative live account and have passed on valuable tips to them on how to get the most of their short time there. Should the unthinkable happen  and they need a ‘Certificate of Recovery’ before returning to the US, how do they get it? 

I have two cruises booked for the Fall but I will cancel them both unless Celebrity improves their treatment of Covid cases. I’m prepared to take a risk of getting sick but I am not willing to be subjected to the types of abuse I’ve read about on these boards. Hopefully, ‘Corporate’ will take our concerns seriously and make systematic improvements soon.

Thank you! That’s a relief! Is it possible to try the other ‘non specialty’ restaurants?

Upon reviewing our Beyond cruise summary, to my surprise, I realized that we were assigned the early Traditional Dining 6:00 but I immediately waitlisted ‘anytime dining’.  As Suite passengers I assume we will be assigned to the Luminae. Is it possible to change the time once we are onboard?  I did not realize that the Luminae had Traditional Dining.