PiperHolliday

I'm a travel agent that has booked hundreds of Princess cruises and can definitely tell you that it's often 2-3 times more than if I book my clients not via Princess for hotels and transfers. EZ Air, on the other hand, can be awesome and a great discount - so I utilize that quite often. But obviously each traveler should do what makes them feel comfortable. I never said anything about a train. I always set up private direct transfers for my clients. Door to door, no big bus and usually half the cost of Princess. But again...if the big bus is what makes you comfortable, do that!

A travel agent can tell you what the hotels are. But a good travel agent will also tell you it's a total rip-off and will cost you 3x as much as it should. The hotels they work with are also not always the best (always nice, but there's better options out there). Be sure to find a travel agent that not only does cruises but has first-hand experience with land travel in your preferred destinations. You want someone with travel experience, not just booking from a screen experience. They're the ones that will get you in the best hotels for the best price in the best locations - and can set up private direct transfers for usually the same cost as the mass coach bus the cruise lines use where you end up waiting for others. The only thing is that you usually have to pay upfront for hotels booked independently. But I think that's worth saving hundreds of dollars.

Take the boat from the port to Ammoudi Bay, where they'll then bus you up to Oia. On the way back, take the cable car and head back a bit earlier than the masses. There is a booth at the port where you can buy.

Thanks a million!

Can you please share exactly what kind of boots you bought?

Our cruise tomorrow is departing from Terminal C and I have the same questions.

All available Shore Things are already available for booking. The ports you're visiting are very independent-focused ports and you won't find many tour companies that offer shore excursions. Take yourself to the beach - it's very easy. Just do like any local would do and take a taxi or the bus. Honestly, ship-offered excursions are typically the worst way to see a port, in my opinion. You'll have a great time, just research what there is to do at each port and visit the port forums here.

The lineup is not completely loaded into the app until embarkation day and you're connected to the ship wifi.

It depends on the room you have. Some have a Pullman and some have a single ottoman that transforms into a bed. The ottoman replaces the chair in the room.

Did VV not contact you prior to departure to help you arrange the pre-cruise proctored test they cover the cost of?

It does. However, you skipped the most important part. The website states they will provide the test free of charge and will contact you prior to departure with details. It is a proctored test you do online via webcam. This is for Barcelona only. Out of Miami, sailors must procure their own test. The need for testing may soon end from BCN anyway.

Talk to Sailor Services as soon as you board and they'll get you set for all your meals.

I'm sorry you're going through that. I always advise people to avoid third party flight booking companies. MyTrip in particular is extremely bad and often will not respond to customers requesting refunds. In the event that you actually do get customer service to handle your request, they charge $24 per booking to even provide you with service and then $71 per person to request the refund from the airline. And you still pay that fee even if the airline won't give a refund. Just for future reference for everyone, this is all in their terms and conditions, which we all really need to be reading before we give anyone money. And always check reviews on sites like TrustPilot. I always find that booking directly with the airline is best or a trusted travel agent (not a mass online agency). The prices aren't going to be very different and often it's cheapest right from the airline. If you purchased travel insurance, talk to them about the situation. Or at this point, since MyTrips won't even respond, take it up with your credit card company.

Clearing the cache and cookies in your browser might fix it. Or maybe an incognito window? I'll have to remember that for next time. I already knew what I would be booking so I didn't have to encounter that.

Free cruise access keys should be able to be redeemed online. I have done it before, three times. They emailed me the codes. Although, that was not for this situation.

As an agent, I can confirm that NCL does not disclose loads to us. No cruise lines do. They do frequently talk to us about capacity goals and limits but there's no way to actually know loads for a cruise unless you ask onboard. And yes, this includes internal agents employed by the company. Booking systems do not show total cabins available above a certain number and end up listing '10+ or 20+' on categories with a lot of availability. So you can't math your way to a conclusion, either. Agents that know crewmembers, other agents or friends onboard can often ask via those people but numbers are typically only available for the current cruise and the following. Loads for cruise ships, flights, etc are very famously not available to the public and employees that have access to that information can be terminated if they share it. I have personal experience being a former employee with access. Of course people will still break the rules but the majority won't. So take any capacity numbers that don't come from onboard with a grain of salt. OP can try asking cruisers that are onboard the sailing prior to his/hers. That's the closest answer you'll get.

The 200% FVC is on the cruise fare only. If the package was actually completely booked with VV by your travel agency, then the flights and hotel are easily refundable or changeable. But I get the feeling this travel agency may have booked you via another supplier for flights and hotel since VV only just recently got those up and running. That means if those weren't booked with a flexible policy or you don't have travel insurance, that could be a sticky situation. VV is however offering reimbursement for those expenses up to a certain amount but most likely will not cover it all. It's extremely odd to me that your travel agent is refusing to give you information and will take that long to get back to you. I would advise not using them again and possibly requesting they release your booking so you can find an agent that is actually willing to do their job or just handle it yourself. As a travel agent myself, I would be ashamed. By the way, I looked up your agency and their reviews are terrible. Definitely get them to release your booking.

I absolutely, positively agree that Virgin needs to quickly address everything you have said (I really, really wish more suppliers would get onboard with self-automation), but I don't think you need to find my suggestion laughable. The user I directed my post to said he used a travel agent and I was letting him know that was probably the best course of action to get his refund taken care of since I had an easy time. Of course, I totally understand wanting to be in control and have a handle on everything yourself because I can be that way, too! Travel agents definitely aren't for everyone. But I am not your mom's travel agent and perhaps you only have experience with less-than-mediocre agents that only know how to game the booking systems looking for the highest commission and never visit the places they sell. I am mid-thirties, I do not care for traditional cruising. I don't do mega ships. I do not care for large all-inclusive resorts in all the common Caribbean and Mexican destinations. I have experience travelling independently to nearly 100 countries. I do not book Disney, theme parks, etc. I would never consider letting any of my clients set foot on a tour coach. The majority of my clients are my age or younger and enjoy detailed, authentic, custom trips in Europe and Asia. They want the expertise of someone that has been where they are going without paying extra. And someone to take care of issues like this when they arise - faster than they could on their own (I take calls 24/7). There are great agents out there that can be a fantastic tool if you are willing to forget what you think you know about travel agents. Don't write us ALL off just yet. I promise some good ones do exist! 😊 (admin: not trying to break rules - this is not an ad, I do not want more clients)

All promos will transfer over to your new cruise booking.

Should have had your travel agent handle it from the get-go. I've taken care of three bookings already and had a hold time of less than 15 minutes via the exclusive First Mate line.

Good catch!

It appears the whole launch season for Resilient has been axed. - We know how excited you are to join us on board our third lady ship, so it is with a heavy heart that we’ve made the decision to delay the launch of Resilient Lady — which means that your voyage* below is no longer taking place. We are committed to delivering exceptional experiences, however, some of the global challenges still impacting the travel industry like supply chain, crew staffing, and regional issues — meant we couldn’t guarantee the epic vacation you deserve on Resilient Lady. And we don’t want to fall short with your valuable time off, so while this decision was difficult, it was necessary. We understand how disappointing this is, and we apologize wholeheartedly for that. We want to do right by you, so within the next two weeks, we'll place a 200% Future Voyage Credit in your account for any fare paid to double your value. But if you'd prefer, we will provide a full refund to all eligible Sailors, and you have until July 31st, 2022 to get in touch with us to request one. Just follow the link below and head to our dedicated website where you can find all of our offer and reimbursement details and how to access them. While Resilient Lady’s inaugural sailing season is delayed, we can help you come aboard an alternative sailing on either Valiant Lady out of Barcelona or Miami, or Scarlet Lady out of Miami; they’re both getting rave reviews and sailing to some of the most stunning destinations in the world. Thank you again for supporting us, and we hope to sea you onboard one of our ships very soon.

I posted to genuinely offer another viewpoint but all I got was childish attitude. I even stated that it's not an issue if testing is widely available where you are located. Thank you for reminding me why I take long breaks from CC.

Everyone has their own preferences and I'm not trying to say you're wrong at all, but just would like to share a viewpoint I do not see here very often. I do not do free testing for travel, as I realize I'm choosing to travel and I'm spending thousands already, what is the extra $35 (or $400 over a span of a year or two) for a proctored test? I just expect it at this time. In many areas during the pandemic, free testing has been hard to come by. Appointments fill up fast. Not to mention, it's just not ethically responsible for me to take one of those slots from someone that actually needs it because they're sick and can't afford to pay for a test. This has been a reality in a lot of places, although may be better now that things have calmed down. If you don't have to think or worry about there not being enough free tests in your area, then of course this is not a problem. Just try to remember, even if you don't think there is, there's someone in your community that cannot afford to pay for a test. Whether anyone chooses to take that into consideration is their own prerogative. That is a simple setting on your son's computer that he could have changed instead of requiring babysitting and wriggling the mouse. Next time!