DaveinCharlotte

I have experienced the same thing...completed forms, came back later, info gone.  Called support line, told "don't worry, the info is still there even though you can't see it."

And in recent months, have not even been able to access info from my account login, only from the e-mail that ACL sends, and usually that doesn't even work either, until I've called in two or three times, ACL sending me a new e-mail each time.

Here's a view of what I see from my account login, after I've clicked the blue View Documents button:

If I were to attempt to complete my forms from here, I would get this error message:

So the only way I was able to get the desired green "Your Cruise Documents are Complete" message in my account was to use the ACL-provided e-mail link, enter my Booking Number, and complete the forms from there.

Terrene Landing is just a boat ramp, 38 miles north of Greenville by bus.  Also about 38 miles northwest of the BB King museum at Indianola. Nothing at Terrene Landing itself, just a small village called Rosedale nearby.  AQV must be using it because of a perceived problem at Greenville (low water? city charging too much?)

First cruises are still way over a year away, so I don't see how there's any way to answer your questions for quite a while.

Glad to hear Uncruise is still in business.  Had a great time kayaking with them in Alaska a few years ago.

On 2/16/2022 at 6:03 PM, antsnanny said:

I found out that a hotel the night before isn't included but still wondering about excursions.   Also, I can't find a list of excursions anyplace.

13 hours ago, antsnanny said:

Im not sure if that holds true for ships sailing out of NY and Boston.  They don't include a hotel the night before the cruise and it doesn't mention anything about complementary excursions either.

 

Have taken two cruises out of Boston and both included complimentary excursions.  Have just checked web for your Cape Codder cruise, and I see that it clearly shows complimentary excursions.  The Boston pre-cruise hotel is not complimentary. 

18 hours ago, georgegirl said:

Finally. Booked our test with Zupmed on the Saturday morning at 9am so at least we won’t lose any time with what we have planned. You can go to airport or have location on Poplar Ave Memphis. Pay when you get there. 

Thank you for the Zupmed lead!  This looks like a great option for those at the MEM airport.

I note that for early Saturday am "regular" tests, results will not be available until Monday evening.  They say they have an "expedited" test that provide results the same afternoon, but this costs upwards of $180 per test ("regular" tests cost $95).

And they said this about insurance, which I admit I don't fully understand:

"Since you don't take insurance, why do you need my card?
While our prices reflect our charges for testing, consultation, and telephone management, the laboratory will submit a separate bill to insurance for their portion of the actual test. Thus, we collect the insurance information for them. (Note: For U.S. citizens without insurance, a federal fund is available for the laboratory portion.)"

The Poplar Ave site is 9 miles from the Peabody Hotel. 

15 hours ago, blctlc said:

I asked what day I would need to take the test in order to make the 2 day period and was told Saturday. When I asked if they had any issues with passengers not receiving their results in time he said they have had this problem and have a contingency if you show that you have made the attempt to have it done in the 2 day period.

Thank you bictic, for making the call and reporting back.  What you asked was exactly what I was wondering about.  AQV's response seems to ring true...surely many results will not come back in time or in the right format.

On 2/13/2022 at 3:26 AM, uktog said:

 I’m annoyed at the very least I’m going to have to lose at least one museum or attraction to somehow fit this test in - and how crazy to heighten my personal risk using a public bus to go and find a test in a strange city. 

7 hours ago, uktog said:

Sorry but wandering six miles in a strange city is a no no for us.

Just a thought:  Would a taxi possibly work?  And, assuming you're taking a taxi from the MEM airport to the Peabody, perhaps your time frame occurs within the normal times for appointments.  Distances from MEM to downtown are about the same whether taxi goes past drug store or not.  Of course, there would be extra $$ wait time -- Memphis taxis charge $20/hour wait time, but test should only take 15 min.

(BTW, I understand your concern about the bus.  After spending 10 or 15 hours in crowded Covid-high-risk airplanes and airports, who would want to add another half-hour on public transit?)  

12 hours ago, blctlc said:

When I spoke with a AQSC rep on the phone about 3 weeks ago she told me that we would be tested the day of hotel check-in which is 1 day before embarkation.

I've got another phone call to make!

53 minutes ago, blctlc said:

I found this on page 2 of my Guest Invoice which makes me hopeful that the lady on the phone AQSC gave me good information.  

Re the lady on the phone giving you good information -- you mean the phone call 3 weeks ago or did you call them again recently?  If recently, what was it the rep said...PCR 2 days prior, or AQV-administered test day before?

I checked Walgreens and CVS websites to see what they offered for PCR testing.  CVS said you could get a test at their store 2115 Union Avenue.  This is about 3.5 miles from the Peabody; Bus #1 (1$pp) would go directly between the two.

CVS says this is a "drive-through test, vehicle recommended."  So maybe it's possible to walk in. There seemed to be a generous supply of appointments available, including Saturdays.

They ask a series of questions regarding reasons for getting the test.  If you answer "No" to all the questions, they say "sorry, not eligible for free test" but offer an option to pay in advance via CC.  The cost is $139.

For most of the questions, "No" would be the necessary answer for most of us, but there are two that seem rather open-ended:

1) Are you seeking a test because of high transmission rates and difficulty maintaining recommended  social distancing? Or,

2) Were you at a place where social distancing was not possible?

If you can answer "Yes" to either of these, the test is free.  Seems to me that being in an airplane for many hours would certainly meet the social distancing aspect.

Both Walgreens and CVS say results can be viewed on an account you would have already set up, or a text message will send a secure link to access the results.  I'm ignorant about how this works (don't even have a smartphone), but I'm guessing since you have to get a test one day before departing the UK, you'd be able to figure it out. 

16 hours ago, amoba said:

Hi DaveinCharlotte,  Can you tell me more about the $1 bus to the airport in Memphis, please?  Where do you catch it and what time does it leave from it's location?  Is it only once a day?

OK, here's what I've found out so far.  MATA's Bus #28 (www.matatransit.com) leaves from the Hudson Transit Center every two  hours at 7:15AM, 9:15AM, 11:15AM, etc.  It is a 30-minute ride to the airport, and cost $1 per-person, cash to driver.

From Beale Landing (I'm assuming that will be the ship's location, but could well be somewhere else), it's a two-block walk east to the corner of Beale St. and N. Main Street.  There is a covered trolley stop there where every 12 minutes a northbound trolley will take you 1.4 miles north to the end of the trolley line at the Hudson Transit Center.  This trip is 13 minutes and also costs $1 cash.

When I used Google Maps to schedule the trip, it said: Leave Beale Landing at 8:35AM, walk to trolley, board trolley 8:43AM, arrive Hudson Transit Center 8:56AM, board Bus #28 at 9:15AM, arrive Memphis airport 9:45AM.  This is tempting, as our flight isn't until 1:00PM, and we only have carry-on luggage.  We could stay on the ship one extra hour, shave almost 3 hours off our long airport wait, and save $54 in the bargain. 

10 hours ago, Babcia7 said:

On the day we disembark in Memphis, the cruise provided shuttle to the airport departs at 8 a.m.  Since our flight isn't until 12:45, we're opting to line up our own transfer to the airport.  I'm sure we have to be out of our cabins early in the morning, but can we remain on the ship for a leisurely breakfast? What time do we have to be off the boat?

Hope somebody can answer these questions, because we've been wondering about this as well.  Our flight isn't until 1:00PM, and the airport transfer PDF seems to indicate that the transfer begins at 7:30AM, with arrival at the Memphis airport at 8:00AM.

The "Elvis" excursions don't arrive at the airport until about 1:00PM, too late for us.  There's a bus to the airport ($1) but would have to leave the ship by 8:30AM to catch it.  I guess taxi is the only option; from what I can find, that would cost $30 w/o tip. 

14 hours ago, Suitcasefull said:

I hadn't realized the cabins were larger!  Is there an advantage to being closer to the lounge?

Well, if you look closely at the deck plans, it appears that the overall footprint for the AA cabins is the same as the balcony cabins.  So when you lose the balcony, you gain the space that would otherwise be the balcony.  Not a lot, admittedly, but then again that goes to show the balcony area isn't a lot either. (Note: the otherwise-identical sister ship Independence doesn't have any of these balcony-less cabins -- all cabins on Deck 2 have balconies, and are priced accordingly.)

On small ships like the Star, there is only one main lounge.  So all of the ship's activities -- happy hour, entertainment, briefings, naturalist presentations, etc. -- take place there.  We find we are endlessly finding reasons to go back and forth between our room and the lounge, so being close helps.  We usually get the cabin right next to the lounge, but some don't like to be this close in case the entertainment gets too loud.  Mostly a matter of personal preference, I guess.

2 hours ago, BaumD said:

Stuck in a window cabin on deck 2.  All balconies are sold out. Hoping for a cancellation so I can move up to a balcony. 

If it's any consolation, at least with the window cabins, you get more room in the cabin, they're closer to the lounge, and they don't cost as much. :-)

When we started our Inland Passage cruise on the Star last November, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to book another cruise in March.  But our usual cabin (AA, by the lounge) and all the cabins on the upper decks were already taken by that late date.  The only cabins open were A cabins on the first deck.  So we took one of those (#108).  Never stayed down there, and not sure we're going to like it.  But we'll see.

Star is supposedly undergoing some restoration work.  The schedule called for resuming cruises in mid-February, with 4 Florida cruises.  The first of these disappeared from the website recently.  The next 3 are still shown.  Fingers crossed. 

On 1/29/2022 at 12:53 AM, Suitcasefull said:

Scheduled for Charleston to Jacksonville this spring.

We'll be on the Star again March 12, a couple of cruises before yours.  Am not sure what to expect.  Will post back in late March.

On 1/19/2022 at 1:40 PM, twototravel said:

All their current ships need an interior facelift so hopefully these new ships will replace all the old ones.

The Independence/Star/Spirit ships are indeed getting long in the tooth, and the Constellation/Constitution ships aren't in such great shape either.  However, the ACL website says the the Pride/West/Heritage/Splendor ships will be getting a "total redesign" for their 2022 seasons.

I like the smaller size too.  Some things I noticed...

- They managed to squeeze in a Back Porch cafe.

- There is a walking track on the top deck (although not all renditions show this).

- The "cheap" cabins on Deck 1 have large (and oddly-shaped) windows

- The light and airy decor introduced in the newer ships (Melody, etc.) has been replicated here.

Got to wondering how the low number of singles cabins compares with the rest of the fleet.  Here's the percentage of singles cabins versus total cabins:

- 4% for Constellation-class ships

- 5% for Project Blue

- 8% for the old Independence-class ships as well as the new Modern Riverboat fleet

- 21% for the Heritage and other paddlewheel ships! 

On 1/10/2022 at 7:31 AM, twototravel said:

Another new ship?

Beginning to think your guess was right.

Hmmm.  Above I opened with "This problem started earlier last year, when ACL stopped letting us update our cruise documents via the Login/My Account/View Documents interface."

So yes, your method once did work for us, but since early last year most of the selections under View Documents remain ghosted.  Only via the e-mail link can I get these to work.

An example:  One of the boxes under #4 Required Guest Information is Health Information Form.  When I click that, I see text saying "we need to know if you have been vaccinated" and a Submit button -- nothing else - no Yes/No or anything like that. Clicking Submit button has no effect.

But when I use the e-mail link, it works correctly:  In addition to the text, there are Yes/No radio buttons for each of us, and clicking Submit works.  Are you saying you can submit your Health Info Form (for example) via online account?

If the forms can be submitted via online account, I wonder why ACL would even bother to send out these e-mails.  Are you saying ACL doesn't send these e-mails to you?  

This problem started earlier last year, when ACL stopped letting us update our cruise documents via the Login/My Account/View Documents interface.  The problem has consistently repeated for out last four cruises:

A few months before the cruise start date, ACL sends us a e-mail asking us to access and update our cruise documents.  This e-mail has a big box in the middle saying "Click Here to Access Your Cruise Documents."  When we click the link, it never works.  Tried it in Windows Live Mail on Win 7 and Win 8.1 as well as Win 10 Mail app, but no luck.

So each time we call in, explain the problem, and the rep sends us a new e-mail.  Sometimes the new one works and sometimes it doesn't, requiring yet another call or even two.  Eventually we get one that works.

The e-mail that doesn't work is from GuestExperience@americancruiselines.com, features a large white panel on a faint light blue background, and the link triggered by the "Click Here..." box starts out "http://link.americancruiselinescom/Is/click?upn=2t....  (Note the odd lack of a period before "com." I attempted to paste this into a browser with the period added, but no luck.)

The e-mail that does work is from CustomerService@americancruiselines.com, doesn't have the large white panel, and the link triggered by the "Click Here..." box starts out "https://traveldocuments.americancruiselines.com/TravelerDocuments.php?hash=QYB....

So my question:  Has anyone else experienced this problem, and if so, figured out a work-around? 

We did the American Star Inland Passage in November, and have posted a Review:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=683951

Things did not go exactly as planned!

We will be going on a Constitution Chesapeake Bay cruise next December, and we will keep your excursion experiences in mind.   We skipped the ARMY museum the last time we were in Yorktown, but we'll be sure to go there next time.  And we probably would have skipped the Harriet Tubman excursions, but if they are still offered, we'll do those too.  Thanks for the great review.

22 hours ago, Joanandjoe said:

We will if necessary; but it's rather long.  J & J

There have been a number of lengthy reviews posted in this forum, and they don't bother me at all.  (The only thing that bothers me is when somebody responds with a two-word response, and they first quote the entire thing.)  Maybe some verbiage could be trimmed off?

(I just submitted a lengthy review on the Star a couple of days ago.  I noticed a requirement that the review not be "a letter of complaint or about a single negative issue," which my review comes close to doing.  So given that, and your experience, I don't expect to see my review for some time, if ever.  If it doesn't get posted, I plan to edit it a bit and re-post it here.)

48 minutes ago, maidaweb said:

Yes, they changed it in March and I didn't catch it.

31 minutes ago, Globalfish said:

They must have changed it later than March because in Sept. 2021 vaccines were still a requirement.

I think you're both right.  In March ACL abruptly changed from a "must have PCR test if not vaccinated" to a "vaccinations mandatory" policy (see cwatts' 3/19/21 "ACL requiring vaccinations now!" post in this forum). Then on April 10 they went back to "PCR OK," but said by 1 July 2021 everyone would have to be vaccinated.  Yet when we boarded the Melody this September, the policy there appeared to be back to "PCR OK"  So the situation keeps changing. ACL should mandate vaccinations and be done with it. 

On 12/27/2021 at 5:55 PM, Joanandjoe said:

Believe it or not, our review still hasn't been posted.

Hmmm.  Staff shortages, maybe?  If you still have the text you submitted, you could try posting the whole review right here.