sailco

Have you posted on the Royal Caribbean board? 

6 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, it should not have happened. That's one of the reasons I posted the article here after reading it on FB. RCI deserve as much negative publicity as can be generated.

 

Now if another of the cruise companies currently in Australia was smart they would contact Prof. Yerbury and offer him a replacement cruise at a discount, and make sure the media heard about it. 😈

Professor Yerbury has issued a statement saying it was such a mammoth undertaking he doubts they could or would, ever try again. 

I just feel so angry that something like this could happen. Not just as a frequent cruiser but as someone who has worked in disability support. THe effort it must have taken to organise and prepare for this. It was a cruise for 9 family members who had all taken time off work and two carers. 11 people in total and Prof Yerbury had travel insurance!

14 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Communications snafu? Insufficient planning and/or follow-ups? Who knows but it must have been gut-wrenching for this guy and his family to have their embarkation denied.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-10/royal-caribbean-accused-of-rejecting-customer-due-to-disability/10887634

Heard his wife interviewed on ABC Radio this morning. One of the standout things she said was that the female doctor stood BEHIND Professor Yerbury and refused to move to where he could see her. The doctor also stated that the carers weren't even trained nurses. So much for 25 years experience in caring for special needs patients and being a constant carer for Professor Yerbury at his home. Obviously there's been a huge breakdown in communication somewhere but surely a fast track could have occurred while they were at the dock.

It may have been "I still call Australia home" originally written and recorded by Peter Allen.

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

The cabin description on my booking said there was a tub.  I don't know if there is any way to tell.  There are not enough cabin pictures on cruisedeckplans.com to make any guesses.  I found pictures of one cabin on deck 12 and two on deck 13,plus the four I took on 14.  EM

Check out theweb site in my post above. I've only just discovered it, but it has everything about individual cabins, decks, facilities, the lot.

If you phone Celebrity they should be able to email you the correct tags or blank ones with the ship's name and space for you to fill in your cabin details. It can't hurt to try. Good luck....and congratulations🥂🍾🎉

This website has everything you need to know about your chosen cruise ship. https://www.icruise.com/ships/msc-cruises-msc-seaside-staterooms.html

On 2/24/2019 at 3:18 AM, XLVIII said:

We're on Divina now. Purchased 3.5 GB for $70 (pre cruise). Good for email, Facebook, Google and WhatsApp. Don't think you could watch videos. We've been checking email, whatsapping and googling each day and seems fine for us. Nice that it's by GB and not by time. Haven't had any problems connecting. 

Many thanks for the explanation.

Which ship?

We've also had an Italian excursion cancelled for May but it's the Infinity, not Constellation and we got our refund within a couple of weeks. It sounds like Celebrity are having issues with the tour supplier.

But you're having big problems. Have you phoned Celebrity? 

Embassy Suites by Hilton.

The debark excursions operate in exactly the same way as a regular ship's excursion. You go to a muster area, usually at 8.30am and debark the ship as usual. You take your luggage to the bus and it is securely stowed underneath including your wheeled carry on bags. You can leave any other bags eg backpacks on the bus during stops because the driver will stay with the locked bus while you are sightseeing.

The excursion usually lasts about 4 hours and you tour the city with a guide before being dropped at the correct airport terminal. You will be asked a couple of days before debark the time of your flight and which terminal.

The debark buses are never full generally about 20-25 passengers so it's very comfortable. Some of these excursions are excellent, others are a bit so so but it's a lot better than hanging around the airport for hours.

19 minutes ago, Reina del Mar said:

 

This is exactly what we would like to do.

Have done when arriving Fort Lauderdale for a late Miami flight.

 

But..

Please do you know if it is available with Princess when disembarking in Hong Kong ?

Nothing showing on shore excursions/ disembarkation tours on Personaliser..and only few weeks till travel.

 

Many thanks.

It seems unusual that nothing is showing on the website. I'd phone Princess and ask. We've sailed with Princess a lot and they always offer a debark to both city hotels and the airport. Hope it works out for you. Have a great cruise.

2 hours ago, MarkusToe said:

Last time it was related to social media or internet all, not in size.... 

If you book media, there is no acess to other Internet.... 

Would you mind explaining the media package please. Does it mean you can check email (multiple accounts) and something like facebook?

11 hours ago, Reina del Mar said:

 

Thanks...although we have visited Hong Kong  previously, we find it too hectic..so a tour would be good.

 

Do you recall what you did with your suitcases please ?

 

many thanks.

Suitcases and wheeled carry on luggage is always stored securely under the bus. You can also leave backpacks etc on the bus at the stops because the driver will stay with the locked bus just like a regular shore excursion. We often choose to do a ship's debark tour because we can have a bit of a look around knowing our luggage is secure and we won't have hours to hang around an airport or hotel lobby.

We did a debark tour with Celebrity a week before Christmas 2018. We rode the Peak Tram, stopped at Aberdeen and had time to browse at the Stanley Markets. Along the way we saw the beaches and elite areas of Repulse Bay. It was a very well organised and very thorough tour if Hong Kong Island and one of the best debark tours we've ever taken.

You are asked what language you use when you book an excursion. This happens whether you book online, via the phone or onboard. Where possible, you'll travel with a group if English speakers if that is your preference.

My pleasure. Have a wonderful visit!

2 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

 

Great time to go. Between the rains, so quite green, and it’s “lion season”. Plenty of resident animals and none of the hordes of people trying to follow the migration. 

 

Thank you. It's just what I needed to hear!

10 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

Hi Sailco...Last time we were there we were tendered.

 

Two questions please!

 

Firstly, once docked do you have views?

Secondly, is there any transport from the dock to the town? We are not as mobile as we used to be and a 1-2 km walk both ways would be too much for us.

 

We visited Halong Bay some years ago and loved it, returning on Eclipse 2020, can’t wait!

Once docked there are lovely views of the old and new town on both sides of the ship. The lights at night are beautiful if you're lucky enough to overnight.

The trolley mentioned above is actually two small trains of 3-4 carriages each. It travels along the wharf and drops you at the edge of town where the waterpark and cable car station are. There are some shops and free wifi.  The cable car crosses the Bay up high above the bridge and would have amazing views I imagine - we didn't ride on it.

30 minutes ago, Mercury said:

Hi Sailco, I'm not sure what your ships's itinerary is. Will you be making your way to South Africa? 

There will be plenty of opportunities for amazing safaris at more reasonable prices. If you are able to extend your stay in South Africa after your cruise, you will have many choices of safaris in the Northern/ north eastern part of South Africa. There are many places to visit where you will get a wonderful safari for 2 nights for 2 people at less than 1800 Australian dollars including all meals and game drives.

If money is not an issue then I am sure the trip from Mombasa will be very special.

Our cruise is Mumbai to Cape Town but unfortunately we need to be back in Australia within a few days of arriving in Cape Town. I've held a lifetime dream of experiencing the Serengetie/Masai Mara migration and have missed out on previous visits to southern Africa. It's pretty much the wrong time of year but......

9 minutes ago, Mercury said:

It's such a pleasure Tampa girl. It's going to be a fantastic experience to be on a 80 day cruise. I hope to do that one day!

Happy to help with suggestions anytime. I should be on the cruise critic boards more often over the next 6 months as we are doing a cruise from Copenhagen in September. 

Oh I can help with Scandanavia and the Baltic.  If you have any questions please ask!

Just adding....your TA may not be aware of the new dock. We were on the Millennium in December when she was the first ship to dock at the new wharf. The distance along the wharf from ship to 'township' is 1-2 kms. There will definitely be facilities for wheelchair users and I recall seeing the wheelchairs going up and down the boarding ramp.

As an aside, be up early for the wonderful arrival. It takes about 3 hours all up from the time you enter the Bay until the time you dock. The views are fabulous from both sides of the ship and there's plenty to see. Enjoy your cruise.

We're seriously considering an overnight shore excursion to the northern Masai Mara in January. It's exhobitantly expensive although understandable given flights and accommodation at Neptune Mara. It departs from Mobassa. We have previously visited Chobe in Botswana and Etosha in Namibia and loved the safari experience. Thoughts anybody? All comments or advice gratefully received.