Jim_Iain

I was thinking this morning that possibly I started a little too early with as much per-cruise information as I had. We fly to Minneapolis on Saturday morning (3 days from today) and our Cruise begins on Monday. Iain was telling me last night that I seem more excited than I have ever been for a cruise. I think he's correct. Until I started this thread it seemed so far away and suddenly Bam..

What a wonderful review. Thanks for taking the time. We took the same cruise last year and loved it. You are in for a treat and will rewarded with many new adventures. I hope you are lucky to see the Northern Lights. They were very active one night on our cruise.

Oh well... you only live once.

I was really surprised at how much of the ship was booked. I guess the adage when you snooze you loose.

Milwaukee is a much larger City than I had envisioned. With a population of 575,000 I had not envisioned so many high rise buildings. Le Dumont d'Urville set off last night about an hours late and their webcam gave a beautiful sunset view. Can you tell - I'm getting excited.

Ponant's Customer Service has been incredible. Unlike many cruise lines where you have to log in and download you cruise documents. 30 days prior to the cruise they called and asked if I wanted documents snail mailed to me or electronic delivery. I chose Electronic which quickly arrived via my agent. The travel documents are personalized and are 88 pages long. The also gave the exact location on where embarkation will take place - A major difference for us is that Embarkation doesn't begin until 4PM - Hopefully our hotel will store our bags as check out is 11:00 AM. Googling showed 500 Harbor Drive as as the whole pier so was a little confused. I'm sure there will be signs or will just follow the others that will be there to board. Last night when Le Dumonot d'Urville was in port I checked out where they were docked - That makes it really clear.

That is one feature I love on CC. Those that are rude and constant wieners win a place on my ignore list.

I was impressed with their Afternoon Tea but the also have an optional one - Godiva Afternoon Tea --- It is with a upcharge but includes Godiva Cakes and two Godiva Chocolates as well as tea,finger sandwiches and scones.

I'm pleasantly surprised with what I've read so far. Some of the quick differences I've noticed between Queens Grill - equivalent CS and Above - fresh fruit daily, two bottles of wine or booze, All Suites (Princess and Queens Grill) have Butler Service, 24 hour Room Service for all rooms. This is based on videos I've watched. I did find out one thing. The super duper fare I got has no perks and both passengers are required to purchase same drink package. I asked my agent about it and he responded. The Labor day sale promotion perks not included. For an additional $1140 you can get Beverage Package ($70 per day per person), Gratuities ($16.50 per person per day) + $700 on board credit. Please advise. I of course said --- Book It.

Differences - Phone Apps - Many on the Celebrity board complain about the App. I guess I have become accustomed to it and really enjoy it. I agree with all the comments that it can be buggy and not up to day until cruise date. Ponant's app is very basic and is more for information than a tool before and while on a cruise. At lest what I can see at this point. The Home Page simply lists your bookings - They then have buttons for Preparation - just boilerplate Your Voyage - Shows the itinerary - you can see daily details of cruise and excursions including price. (You can't book anything on the app) Ship - Boilerplate and list of on-board services More - Ponant Moments - Passenges send in pictures of their recent cruise and are included Glossary - Seafaring terms Glossary - Winds and Tides - Boilerplate explaining how tides work Link to the ships Webcam

I like the idea of them being able to track your sleep pattern. Our fitbit's do that and always interesting to see how much I slept in different states. I'm a light sleeper so my sleep score is always down around 68-72 while Iain is usually in the High 80's to 90.

Thanks Jack - I hate to say in on this thread but really getting more excited about QM2 than expected. I've spent most of the day listening to YouTube videos.

Thanks Geoff and Anita

I use to do the same thing when I first started cruising. For me, I was ok if I took one the night before the cruise and the first day of the cruise. I am no longer affected by Sea Sickness -- maybe due to all the cruising we do. I do however carry some with me.

I would buy now. If the rate is lower than you CC discounted rate you are in great shape. I've never seen it offered on the ship at less than full price with the CC discount already applied within the app.

Yuksel sure did. He is such a good Restaurant Manager. As you know we are late diners and he would come over, pull up a chair and talk.

I can't tell you how excited I'm starting to get.

I predict you will be correct. I find that one usually notice change when they first observe or experience something new but within a day it becomes the new norm. While I love the E-Class I still enjoy the Millennium Class ships.

I find them very comfortable but it had to do with finding the correct size tip. On a plane I usually listen to E-Books and also have a pair of Bose Over the Ear that have incredible noise cancellation.

Yea..... I"ve never had the Drinks & More. Iain enjoys a Grey Goose and Tonic in the evening after we turn in. I usually buy a Premium Bar Setup and they also bring along 12 cans of Tonic.

Yea... love them. My daughter lives in the Central Valley where one of their main crops is Almonds. It's incredible to see in the spring when all the trees are in bloom.

Have to share a picture of Le Bellot with you. Thank you Pam for sending to me. She and her husband live in a small town on St. Lawrence River between Cornwall and Brockville, Ontario. Le Bellot passed their house yesterday and they took the Brochure Quality Picture from their boat. Thank you.. Pam is a long time member and lurker on CC but doesn't post. Maybe we can encourage her to post if we promise we won't bite. I'm amazed at the number of people that write me about never posting. Many are turned off by the snarkyness of some posters.

Difference - Deposit - Ponant requires a 25% deposit at time of booking. Celebrity has recently increased their deposit from $900 pp in suites to 10%.

Really appreciate the offer but definitely wouldn't want to put you to the bother. I'm sure we can find one that may not be as good but will definitely pick one up at Christmas time from our local store. Thanks for the kind offer. Even though we each only won $1 how else could you spend over an hour in the Casino and still come out ahead.

Thanks - makes me feel more comfortable--- I have to say the pictures of the food on Ponant Explorer and Sister Ships has me salivating. I enjoy fish but would probably have gone for the Salad at lunch. I was a Commis Chef (Junior Chef) in a French Restaurant while at University and mostly cook French Style but modify my favorite recipes to a low fat / calorie collection of sauces.