scdreamer

I would likely only want WiFi in order to stay in touch with my family. No need to stream videos or follow social media. I would imagine I could get by with enough time to download my emails every other day or so. Read them and write responses without being online.

Maybe it would be better to just buy minutes and then try to use them during off-peak hours?

IMO - Hey, it's 2015! Get with the new century, cruise companies - and provide internet access as a matter of course, included in the fare. :rolleyes:

Thanks for that information. I looked on the Celebrity website to see if I could figure out what an internet pkg/minutes costs, but it seems you have to be registered for a particular sailing to view the prices. We haven't quite committed to the Transatlantic sailing we are considering - so does anyone have a ball-park figure for the costs. Both pkg and minutes?Thanks!

Is it possible to have internet on a TA - internet that is capable of basic function with reasonable speed?

Also - I am seeing the cost for internet on Celebrity seems high, but there may be a new system in the works that will be more efficient and priced lower?

Or is that just wishful thinking?

Thank you to everyone for the positive responses - it sounds unanimous that there is plenty to do on a TA.

One more question - are there formal nights on a TA? If yes, how many?

We will be traveling by train and rental car throughout southern Spain for about a month prior to this cruise, and I'm wondering about lugging along formal attire, especially for my husband. I realize we can opt for a more casual setting on formal nights if we wish ... but just curious.

We are considering a transatlantic on Celebrity Equinox in October 2016 - Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale. When we board the ship we will have been traveling on our own in Spain for about a month - seems like a nice way to get back to the US without the usual associated jet lag.

We are fairly active - enjoy walking, etc. and I'm wondering what there is to do on the ship for the six-in-a-row sea days. I know there is a gym, so that would help with exercise, but what about other activities and/or things to do? We like to read, so that would be something we would enjoy - also anything educational - are there any lectures on a transatlantic?

I guess I would hate to find myself living from meal to meal :o

How do you like to pass the time on a transatlantic? Or has anyone done it once and thought "never again?"

Haven't sailed X for a few years - last time we sailed, there was a promotion called 1-2-3 where you could choose perks including paid gratuities, beverage pkg, etc.

Wondering if there is anything like that coming up.

Also - do they ever offer these promotions on Transatlantic sailings?

A "drastic reduction" nor a "dramatic reduction" is likely for this cruise. There are very few cabins remaining as it is and you are still more than 6 weeks out.

 

If you are as flexible as you say, why not take a look at Princess website under the heading "Cruise Deals" and click on "Drop & Go." I think there is also a place on the website where you can sign up for offers for these types of sailing.

Our flexibility is connected to the nearby port. Last minute airfares do not exist :rolleyes:

"It is better to pick a date and a price that works for you and book it.

Also, since you live so close to the port, schedule a BVE and buy some Future Cruise Deposits ($100 is your total deposit plus you will get some OBC depending on cabin & length of cruise)."

I have no idea what a "BVE" is.

I do understand what you are saying about the potential for prices to go up and for cabin choices to decline. But - we are really somewhat lukewarm about this cruise, so if we wait and we don't find a fare or cabin choice we like, that's okay.

Normally, if we were excited about an itinerary or particular date, we would purchase our cruise in advance. This is more of a maybe-yes-maybe-no kind of thing for us.

Apologies in advance if this question has recently been answered - I did not see it when I searched.

My husband and I are considering a ten-day Mexican Riviera itinerary on Grand Princess - departing from SF on Dec 10.

We are pretty much on the fence about going or staying home - of course a huge price reduction could convince us ;). We live close enough to SF that it would be easy to drive to the port, and as we are retired, our schedules are extremely flexible.

So ... being less than two months out from the sailing date, what are the odds the fares will come down dramatically closer to the departure date? I understand it will have a lot to do with capacity and sales, just wondering if any other cruisers have had good luck waiting until the last minute -and also when exactly is the "last minute?" I know the golden days of showing up at the terminal and getting a berth are long gone - how much prior time for security, etc is required?

Not a "theft" story, but a cautionary tale.

We were heading by hotel shuttle to the airport, prior to flying to a foreign port to begin our cruise. The airport shuttle stopped at our terminal, and the driver gave us our bags.

After waiting in line at the airline ticket counter to check bags for about 15 minutes, we were first in line, when we heard a harried voice calling our last name. It was the shuttle driver, who had given us the wrong bag! Yes, one of the identical bags actually had someone else's id tag attached, and it had only been luck that caused that passenger to check the bag (our bag!) that was given to him when the shuttle arrived at his terminal.

It was so lucky that we hadn't already checked the bag through and gone through security - what a mess that would have been.

Now I ALWAYS check the tag on my bag, no matter if there is a distinctive ribbon or any other marking. That was a very close call!

I rarely drink martinis, but if I do my favorite is a Dirty Vodka Martini. It has olive juice and olives - I am definitely a "salt person," so this one tastes pretty good to me.

We sailed on the June 21 Baltic itinerary on Eclipse out of Southampton.

Should preface this by saying we had not previously been to any of the ports on this itinerary, although we have traveled extensively in Europe and elsewhere, and are not timid about setting out on our own. That said, we also like to know a little about where we are, so had booked a couple tours in advance.

Also - we sailed in late June, just as the summer solstice is at its apex, so the sun was basically up all night as we moved north. When I say anything about scenery at specific times, keep that in mind.

We rented a flat in London for eleven days prior to the cruise, and found taking the train from Waterloo station to Southampton the morning of the ship's departure a breeze. We booked our tickets through MegaTrain http://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx and were able to get a price of £16 total for two tickets. If we had been willing to leave earlier in the morning (about 7 a.m.) we would have only paid £1.00 each!) It's a really great way to book, and it was easy to take a taxi from our flat to the Waterloo station and then another to the cruise terminal for a total additional £10. Our luggage (of which we had a lot) was no problem, as the trains are not at all full on a Saturday morning, and we just stashed it in the seats directly behind us.

For anyone who has not been on the Eclipse, you are in for a treat. The ship is absolutely beautiful. This was our second Celebrity cruise and our first on the Solstice class, and we were wowed from the moment we stepped on-board. We arrived at the terminal about noon and check in was easy and fast. Our cabin was ready by about 1:30 p.m. with luggage not far behind.

We had a concierge class cabin, 1186 on the 10th deck, aft, and the cabin was spacious and airy. Everything has been designed for maximum efficiency. Storage is one of the best features - we didn't even use all the drawers and shelves, especially in the bathroom. Shower was also very spacious and had easy to use water pressure and temp controls. Bed was very comfortable. Everything was always spotlessly clean, and our cabin steward, who was quite unobtrusive, took care of making up our cabin twice a day. We had earlier requested a fan be put in our cabin, as we like to have good air circulation when sleeping. Celebrity had emailed to say they couldn't honor that request, but when we opened the door, there was a perfect box fan sitting next to the sliding door to the balcony. We were happy to have the fan - as at times it seemed the A/C didn't stay as cool at night as it did during the day. Nothing major, just our preference. Other items we were glad to have were a few magnets for posting notices we wanted to keep - on the cabin's metal walls. There is so much paper being delivered to the cabin every day - much of it not anything we were interested in, so we made a point of throwing most of it away as soon as we looked at it, and saving anything important (dinner reservations, our tour info, Captains Club events, etc) to the wall with magnets. Really helped reduce clutter, and we bought local magnets as we visited ports, so ended up with some nice and practical small souvenirs.

We had select dining - most evenings we shared a table in the MDR. We thought the food and the menu selections were very good. The service was also excellent. I see so many complaints about this on the regular forums, and it really surprises me, as I thought everything was great. There were a couple times someone at our table didn't care for what they had ordered, and it was immediately and cheerfully taken care of by the service staff. I never observed anything that was less than wonderful service. We had wonderful interactions with our fellow passengers, some really fun dinner conversations.

We ate in the specialty restaurants two evenings. Qsine was great - lots of fun, and the food was delicious. Murano was just okay - the service seemed just a little "off" and the food wasn't really much better than what we experienced in the MDR, in my opinion.

We had the premium drink package - had upgraded from the 1-2-3 classic offer. We enjoyed some nicer wines than we might usually sample - we liked the calm atmosphere in CellarMaster, and also the specialty coffees and the fresh OJ in the morning. It was very nice to be able to get bottled water whenever we wanted it, especially when going ashore. We had a couple martinis at the martini bar one night, and it was fun to experience the frosty ice bar, but we are not huge cocktail drinkers, so didn't go there again. Also had one drink at the Molecular Bar - mine was like a chocolate milkshake, very yummy, but once was enough for me.

We skipped most of the shows - did go to one comedy show with a comedian from Wales, and we were completely lost. I know he must have been very good, as there was a lot of appreciation from the audience, but the UK references were mostly not relevant to us as Americans. Speaking of the UK - we loved sailing with all the Brits! It was great to meet and talk with other passengers who had so many cultural experiences to share with us. We were on-board for Fourth of July - LOL, that was interesting ; ) And we had a few English people ask us if the Celebrity Cruises are advertised in America - they seemed surprised we would know about them.

Okay- now the ports:

Port hint: The Guest Services desk (not the Shore Excursion counter) has the best port maps and they will hand them out to you if you ask. We didn't find this out until our second or third port, after another passenger advised us.

Bruges - We shared a pre-arranged taxi into town with six others. Arrived very early on Sunday morning, nothing open at all and the streets were deserted for the first couple hours, but it was a pretty city in which to wander about. Unfortunately, we didn't have a good printed walking guide with us, so we didn't know much about what we were seeing. We took a canal boat ride - lined up about a half hour before they opened for tickets, and were glad we had, because by the time they opened at ten o'clock, the line was very long. We liked the narrated boat ride - and learned a little more about the city that way. We shared a small meal of pommes frites at an outdoor restaurant, and wandered around until it was time for the taxi to pick us up. By then, the city was bustling with tourists. If I were to do this port stop again, I would bring along a printed walking guide, especially since the time there is so short.

There are very few ATMs in Brugges - we finally found one so we could get some Euros. It's right next to the Pizza Hut (yes, and that's probably one of the few chain restaurants in the Old Town)

Warnemunde - We had prebooked a "Friends of Dave" tour with others from the CC Roll Call board. It was called "Magical Mecklenburg" and it was wonderful. Dave is a great tour guide, very personable and has a lot of knowledge about the history of the area, and he only does a few tours, so it's important to book it early if you're interested. There were about 22 people on our tour, and we visited Schwerin, and a lovely castle. A huge and authentic German lunch was included, as well as a later visit to an amazing pastry shop. We were glad we had not opted to try to go to Berlin, as we met a number of passengers much later that evening who were returning from that excursion, and they all looked very tired - almost like wilted flowers. The two we spoke with said they regretted having tried to do that in only one day, way too many hours in transit they said. We stayed in Warnemunde village for a little while after we got back from our tour about 6 p.m. - lovely little seaside resort town, with some nice bars and restaurants on the waterfront.

Stockholm - Definitely get up and out on deck early for the sail-in. The archipelago is spectacular, about two or three hours of the most scenic waterway and islands I have ever seen, starting about 4 a.m. We didn't do a tour here. We went to the Vasa Museum and thought it was well worth it. We had walked into town, but bought tickets for the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus when we were in the city - it is very expensive, the buses were packed and running much slower than we had been told (about 40 minutes wait at the bus stop) and we discovered we could have easily walked to where we wanted to go. In fact, we did walk after just one bus ride. We met someone else later who had also used the HOHO bus and he said it was so crowded, he and his wife couldn't get to the exit door for their stop twice. Not advised.

Helsinki - We loved this port! The Finnish people are so friendly and they just seem to be very happy that tourists are there. Most everyone speaks English. We didn't have a tour, but had a printed walking guide, and we were able to get around easily. Don't miss the market - especially the indoor market in the red brick building that is just a little removed from the outdoor area. Beautiful churches and parks, easy to walk around.

St Peterburg - We did an SPB two-day deluxe tour. We had only eight of us on the tour - had booked with others from our roll call, and paid a little amount extra for a smaller group. Well worth it. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we liked her very much. So much to see - it is a bit overwhelming to do it in two days, but we felt as if we had a good overview of the Royal city. We had a trip to Peterhof, two boat rides, the Hermitage, a number of churches, and two restaurant lunches. The opulence of the former Tsars and Emperors/Empresses is over-the-top. We really felt as if we were in the stereotype of RUSSIA. It was very clear that there would be no straying from the tour itinerary - we were herded everywhere, and when we asked if we could have a chance to go out on the streets (there were some pretty city squares and charming parks with lots of people), our guide said, "Yes, we will see for tomorrow," but it was obvious that wasn't going to happen. And it didn't. I am sure it is company policy and has to do with Russian regulations and their ability to procure our visas. But it would have been nice not to have had such a cookie-cutter experience, although to be honest, we were busy every moment, so there wouldn't really have been time to deviate. The only Russian people we saw close up - mostly in official positions such as museum guards, etc. - were so grim and unsmiling. The few shopkeepers we met (at approved tourist stops) were friendly, though. It was very unlike the people we had seen in other ports, where we had more freedom to move about. And the Immigration officers going in and out of the terminal checkpoints! Well, just don't try to make an small talk is all I can advise.

As an aside - I started reading Robert Massie's Catherine the Great just before we reached St. Petersburg, and found it a great companion to this visit. It's not an easy book to breeze through, but as I continued reading over the course of the voyage and plane ride home, I felt a greater understanding of Russian history and the background to all I had seen. Highly recommended.

Tallinn - This was the only port day when the weather wasn't the best. It was foggy and a little drizzly. There were six cruise ships there on the day we arrived, and the little medieval town was completely overwhelmed. It was literally swamped with tourists and tour guides. Interestingly enough, this was the only ship tour we booked, as we hadn't wanted a repeat of our Bruges experience. We had a walking tour - it was almost impossible to hear or see the guide - not really his fault, because there were about ten other tours and their guides alongside everywhere we went. Tallinn has more souvenir shops than any other place I have ever been. In fact, I don't think anyone even lives in the Old Town, because every square foot of space is relegated to the sale of souvenirs and Baltic amber. And the tourists were jammed in like sardines. We split off from the walking tour about halfway through, wandered around for about an hour dodging souvenir shoppers, and then took a taxi back to the ship. If you are there on a day when there are fewer ships in port, your experience should be much better than ours was.

Copenhagen - Another port we really enjoyed. Lots to see - and a fairly easy walk in from the ship. Hint: If you want to see the Little Mermaid statue without a zillion camera wielding tourists jockeying for position , stop by on your way back to the ship. We had booked a "free" walking tour (similar to the Sandemans we did in London), and met at the assigned time at the City Hall steps. The tour was fine for about an hour, and then we again split off on our own (after giving the guide a nice tip of course). We were with another couple we had met on the cruise, and they knew of a small local brewery on the other side of the river from the tourist area, so we set off for a long walk there for lunch and some brews. It was worth it - we got to meet the brewers and see how they made the beer, before trying a number of brews and having a nice Danish lunch. Then we walked back into town to the Rosenborg Castle. The Danish crown jewels are there, the castle's historic public rooms are also open, and there are some beautiful grounds - including the King's Gardens. It was lovely, the richly appointed but more tasteful royal rooms were a nice change from the overly gilded opulence of the Hermitage. I accidentally left my credit card at the ticket desk, and the staff searched for me well after I had made my way out of the ticket area and into the museum - I really appreciated that.

Sea Days - These were my least favorite. I like the ship - and we did go to almost all the lectures, but I get a bit restless when I am not in port, especially at the end when there were three sea days close together. There were a lot of "shopping" activities, and Bingo, of course ... neither being my cup of tea. The Solarium was always filled to capacity, and even though we had good weather, it was too chilly to be out on decks for long when the ship was underway. We lolled about in the indoor sea-view lounge area on the top deck, reading and dozing, more or less finding ourselves wandering back and forth from our cabin to the public ship areas, living from meal to meal. We walked on the track on the deck, but it is cool and windy out there in the Baltic, even on nice days. I wish there could have been one of those sea days scheduled in between the earlier five port days in a row, but I understand they have an itinerary to follow.

We had a wonderful cruise - I am hoping we can go back for the Norway itinerary in a year or so - we like to travel overland, so we'll probably do a few other trips before we cruise again, though.

SHIP: Eclipse

CABIN #: 1186

DECK #: 10

CLASS: Concierge

AREA: AFT Starboard

BED NEAR: bath

QUIET?: Y

BALCONY VIEW: fine

BALCONY SIZE: normal for its class

WIND A PROBLEM?: no

SOOT A PROBLEM?: no

PROBLEMS/COMMENTS:Fairly long walk to and from the elevators - but we didn't mind at all. Storage in cabin is really good, especially in the bathroom.

We were just on Eclipse, June 21 Baltic sailing, and they were charging $6.00 for a bottle of Evian that was placed in the cabin.

There was one evening we really wanted some bottled water - we had the premium drink package - and because we had already changed clothes to go to bed, my husband called and asked room service if we could have water delivered to the room. They said to go ahead and use the water that was there and they would not charge us, but in the end it was a $6.00 charge on our account. (Since there were some other erroneous charges we had to spend a bit of time clearing up, we ended up just going ahead and paying the $6.00)

We just returned from the Baltic aboard Eclipse. We made friends through our roll call with two couples who had children - an almost 12-year-old and a 15 -year-old. Both of the kids seemed to be having a good time. We went on some shore tours with them, and when they were on board I think they took part in the shipboard programs set up for their respective age groups. Both said they were having a great time.

We also occasionally saw groups of children with the ship program "counselors," and they always seemed to be having fun.

I, too, think most people want to do the right thing. It only takes a few bad apples to spoil things, though.

On Millennium to Alaska a couple years ago, we found a pair of men's shorts left under a lounge chair near the pool. It was early morning, and clearly they had fallen there and the owner was long gone. Looked in the pockets to see if there was any id, and found a wad of cash, but nothing else. We turned the shorts and cash in to guest services - I am hopeful the owner got everything back. :)

Saw this on the news tonight. Makes me feel that the cruise ships are probably one of the safest places for avoiding noro, as they have an awareness and are taking extreme measure to keep it at bay.

In a thread last month we were reminded not to wear camo clothes on some Caribbean countries.

Wish that rule was everywhere!

We really enjoyed the lectures given by the naturalist on our Alaska cruise. I was hoping there might be a historian lecturing on our upcoming Baltic cruise. Not really interested in anyone who might be a shill for the shops, though.

We have sailed only once before with Celebrity - Alaska - and were very impressed with the lectures that we attended. The speakers were very informative and interesting.

Will there be lecturers on a Celebrity Baltic cruise?

I just read a rather alarming account by a recent traveler to SP regarding the pickpockets and thieves that are there, particularly at the Hermitage. It appears they target tour groups, and many tourists have been victims without noticing a thing until later.

We are experienced travelers - have so far avoided problems such as this in extended stays in Rome, Paris, Athens, Lima, Mexico City to name just a few - but normally we leave our actual passports behind in a safe place when we are on the streets. We generally carry a copy.

My question is - if we are on an organized tour in SP (we will be taking a two-day SPB Tour), is it required that we carry our passports off the ship with us?

I don't want to be pick-pocketed at all, but losing money or even a credit card would not compare to losing my passport!

I would imagine that on a six-hour tour there will be at least one break in which to get something to eat. Depending on where your tour is, local offerings are often a highlight of a shore visit.

Let us know what Just Airports is like.

 

We know Smiths. They don't charge in advance either.

 

Keith

I will come back after our trip and report on this service. It was recommended to us by someone who has used it a number of times. They also said Smith's was good, but my understanding is that Smiths is based in Southampton, so not the most cost effective for Heathrow to London.

This is what I found online as far as reviews. Don't know if it's okay to post here, but figure they will take it down if not.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/just-airports-wembley

We checked with Smiths and also with Just Airports for a private car service from Heathrow to our flat in central London. Both have good reviews, and both were very responsive via email. Just Airports is about a third less expensive than Smiths. An estate car for two pax with four pieces of luggage will be 43 pounds plus 6 pounds parking fee.

justairports@btinternet.com

You can reserve a car, and you don't pay until the pick-up at the airport.

We are looking for a tour that will take us from cruise disembarkation at Southampton to our Heathrow airport hotel, where we will spend the night before flying out the following morning.

Ideally we hope to arrive at our hotel in the late afternoon or early evening, after a day of sightseeing.