Toofarfromthesea

Live update:

I went through the Stockperks process, got the "your verification has been accepted", did the redeem perk step, got the "forwarded to HAL" message, got the "your OBC has been awarded message".  But I pulled a HAL invoice and it wasn't showing up.  Pulled another one 2 days before my 1/13 embarkation, and nothing.  So, first day on ship I went to guest services (long line but not for me -- thank you Club Orange) and showed the rep the email that gave the award.  She asked to forward it to a ship email addy and said that it might take a couple of days because it was the weekend, but that she would get back to me by Tuesday.

Sounds like the perfect setting for an unhappy ending.

NOPE, got a phone call in my cabin this morning that it was straightened out and would show up on my statement later today.  Just checked the statement on my cabin TV, and there is was.

So if yours hasn't shown up yet, take hope.

I've had it in the past as part of global entry, which I've let lapse.  I am on a test trip to see whether I'll be travelling much in the future.  If I decide I will I'll probably get it, but not global entry since IAC, I don't expect to do much, if any, international travel.

51 minutes ago, Smokeyham said:

We recently booked a Cunard crossing that will cost us US $6,574 for the basic cruise fare.  Our travel agent is giving us a US $200 on board credit.  She wasn't able to get us a break on the cruise fares.    Seems like a pretty meager reward, but I wanted to see what others think. 

 

For reference, at the current rate of $14.50/person/night this will cover the cost of gratuities.

 

 

Have you checked other ta's?  Have you out the cruise out to bid?  That's the only real way to find out.

And even if you ARE on vacation, you're not doing it wrong just because you're not doing it the way some internet jockey says you should.

Last night was my boarding day and I opted for Pinnacle Grill. I eat late, 8:30, and it was almost empty. 

11 hours ago, Host Kat said:

CruisePlum is NOT a TA and they do NOT book cruises. From their website:

 

 

If you decide to book a cruise found with their search engine, their site takes you directly to the cruise line site for booking. They are just a search engine such as our very own Cruise Critic Find a Cruise.

 

However, Cruise Critic Find a Cruise does accept paid advertising from multiple sites. Our partners who list cruise pricing are required to provide prices for cruise only, per person, double occupancy, and are based on specific cabin types and sailing dates and may not be available for all cabin types/sailings. Taxes, fees and port expenses are not included in the price shown. Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only. Fuel supplement may apply. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Department of Transportation. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. In addition, average cruise prices are updated nightly. Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions. Cruise Critic is not responsible for content on external web sites.

 

Therefore, removed posts in this thread regarding CruisePlum have been restored.

 

Happy sails to all,

 

Host Kat

Thank you.

4 hours ago, stoddaj1 said:

Thank you. Just finished our check in but our boarding pass says "to be assigned" as our boarding time.  Guess we can go when we want?

 

No.  The time will be added later and may then change further.  My advice is to use the boarding pass on the app on your phone.  I boarded today and they definitely seemed to appreciate that over paper.  And those who had printed their boarding pass prematurely before they got their barcode had to go to a different, slower, line.

1 hour ago, Hobar said:

@Toofarfromthesea Thank you for the detail of your experience.  My mom will have her rollator so hoping it is as easy as you had it when we embark at San Diego in March.  Enjoy your cruise.

It was my pleasure.  And thank you for all of the encouraging information you gave me upthread.  I hope things go as well for you and your mom.

As the one who started this thread I think it behooved me to report how it went as I sit here in the Oceanview Bar.  The executive summary is, like butter.

I took a cab from my hotel.  They kind of shunted us off to the side so I was never where the luggage drop off was,  but that was ok because all I had was a carryon.  I got out, and saw a port employee.  I asked him where the wheel chair assistance was and he directed me to a podium under a red/pink umbrella, about 30 feet away.  I went there and a very nice lady helped me.  At first she wanted me to wait outside, but when I explained that I couldn't stand for long she checked in the terminal and they let me in and I was able to sit.  After about 15 minutes a port employee came with a wheelchair and got me loaded up.  He took me through the check-in and then left me in an area with seating with other wheelchair folks.  They hadn't started boarding yet, but I could see a brigade of HAL employees lining up with wheelchairs.  As soon as they started boarding they came and loaded us up.  Less than 10 minutes later I was on the ship.  The rooms weren't ready yet so they dropped me off at an elevator and said to wait at the Lido buffet.  It was too early for lunch so I just hung around there until the rooms were ready.  It couldn't have been easier.  All my fears were unfounded.

Depending on the size of the pour I may drink doubles of rye and water on the rocks.  But I doubt if I'd have more than 3 of those, plus maybe a glass of wine at lunch and/or dinner.  Even at that I'll be fighting falling asleep.  Maybe 2 lattes and some waters and I should be able to make it.

38 minutes ago, WingerSupreme said:

 

Yeah, definitely a "live and learn" moment.

 

Although, the cruise my wife and I are looking at transferring to has come down in price (a LOT) since we initially booked our current cruise, so even if I had shopped around at the time, I would not have been looking for this cruise specifically.

 

As it stands, I still have full control over my cruise, Celebrity has not transferred it over yet (I did receive an email that the process had started, but there have evidently been issues). Financially, I have full control and could cancel the Celebrity cruise for a full refund and book the Princess one my wife and I are looking at. This is more of an ethical/moral question.

Personally I wouldn't give a second thought to canceling the Celebrity and going with the Princess.  You say they have put a lot of work in in getting it transferred, but the truth is they were doing that work for themselves, not you.  And it's not as if you have a prior relationship with them, or they were providing you much of a deal or perks over the cruise line deal. The transfer would make them money, not you.

The most I would do is let them know I've decided to change cruises and give them a chance to match the offer on the Princess cruise.  I might not even do that because the only time I've had a problem with a TA was with a solo agent.  That made me realize how precarious it was to book with a one man shop for such a significant purchase.  In my case the guy got sick and went incommunicado without making any provision for another agent to take over the booking.  So I ended up having to go to the cruise line and it was a middle level hassle to get control of the booking back.  Live and learn.

27 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Just a quick note.  You are not allowed to mention specific TA names on CC.

 

DON

FYI, CruisePlum is not a TA, it is a cruise database.  You can't book through them and the prices they show are the cruise line prices.

27 minutes ago, aimcat said:

 

 Thought of that but he doesnt have a passport and might be pushing it to get one by Feb

Maybe next time.

A Cancun all-inclusive might be worth looking at.

3 hours ago, albingirl said:

Because I have booked first. Added CO later. I know, dumb move.

No, not dumb.  Knowledge of this is just emerging.  You can take advantage of this next time.  It was only blind luck that got me my first OC upgrade that was worth around 1,000.

3 hours ago, albingirl said:

Like others, it's all about the dining.  The main dining room is annoying for me.....noise and hustle bustle.  I book the cabin I want, so I don't use the upgrade, but for others, that's advantageous. But a serene dining experience is heaven for me.

My booking plan allows me to get the upgrade benefit from club orange AND end up booked in the cabin I want.

I'm old enough to remember when we did all of our long distance calling after 11 PM because the rates dropped.

6 hours ago, cruisinsince75 said:

Thank you!  We are on a 14 day TA crossing, so it seems to be worth the money.  I will reach out to HAL.  

14 days is the sweet spot.  For a 14 day cruise it is $270 while for a 13 day cruise it is $325.  Weird pricing inefficiency.  I have to believe there was an MBA involved in creating this structure.😉😘

6 hours ago, Petersonfcu said:

My wife and I love the Club Orange dining experience on the Pinnacle class ships.  We are uncertain, however, how to best use the in-category cabin upgrade that comes with a Club Orange purchase.  Does anyone have any thoughts on this?   Which Pinnacle ships and associated cabins offer particularly good value for using the Club Orange cabin upgrade option?  Depending on the itinerary and of course the fare we might buy anything from an inside cabin up to a signature suite.  Thanks!

This is my plan the next time I book, with the questions I will ask, in order:

1) is there still club orange availability

2) is there XX category cabin availability (where XX is the category I want located where I want)

3) is there YY category cabin availability (where YY is the lowest cost cabin in the same category as XX.

If all the answers are yes I'll book YY with the regular deposit, purchase club orange and pay for it immediately, and since club orange is paid for, immediately upgrade to XX.

22 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

I don’t usually but two places I order at a counter and they bring the order out to a table. The one of them a kiosk not a person and they bring the food to a table. Would you tip?

No.

35 minutes ago, MWarren3549 said:

Tip jar at Starbucks DRIVE THROUGH!!!!  OMG it is out of control. 

I have a personal policy of never tipping for counter service.

2 hours ago, GeorgeL said:

We noticed that Club Orange seems very popular but what was your reason for booking Orange? It seems to offer not much beyond a separate and smaller venue than MDR.

I am curious what the reasons were for people who have booked Orange on past or future cruises.

I booked the cheapest solo Oceanview and by buying Club Orange (for the small dining room) I  was pleasantly surprised to find that I could upgrade to a much better and larger Oceanview that would have cost about $1,000 than I paid if I had booked it originally.

51 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

But that of course was when sales tax was added (as it is now), not the hypothesis given that the price should show the total price including sales tax.

Isn't including the tax in the price the way VAR works?  I know that when I bought a mid-level cue from France the price I paid turned out to be less than listed because I wasn't subject to VAR so it got backed out.

Personally I view including the tax in the price as just another way the government anesthetizes us against seeing the tax, just like tax withholding from our paycheck.

Alcohol is practically a universal solvent and should work very well as a detoxicant.  😉

6 hours ago, Kristelle said:

 

Well it isnt me - since   I already said I researched what to do in Hawaii and have not been nor at this stage intend to go, to mainland USA

 

That hasnt been my experience of forums - at least not in full context - people might start sentences with that -and then "so I'm not sure what to do in X place". I've done that.

Rather than I refuse to tip in places where tipping is expected - obviously quite different.

 

Perhaps you are seeing differently - perhaps confirmation bias is at play.

 

 

I'll just note that I never said you were one, and also note that I probably have seen more in the 5-1/2 years I've been here than you may have seen in your 7 months.

As to confirmation bias, that runs both ways.