Semi Retired

10 hours ago, MarkedAngel said:

Oh I totally understand and that's why several times it was asked when royal planned to build a few new smaller ships with he answer hmm that sounds like a good idea so is something in the works possibly. But the Caribbean currently makes them a ton of their revenue and I'm sure this move was made to cater to the older royal or the kid free crowds that don't want an Oasis class or Icon ship with over 2k kids on it.

I read a news article a couple days ago, RC stating they are considering a new build of a smaller ship. I know they have/had plans for Grandeur upgrades, but maybe they are changing their mind. I did stress to Micheal Bailey(in person) that it is way past its prime and was not enjoyable last Feb cruise we did on it (as a wheelchair person).

On 7/14/2023 at 2:01 PM, Teeara said:

I'm thrilled to see Allure in dry dock in 2025, amplification or no amplification.  Can't wait for that WB TA in the fall.  

Me too!! Hopefully most of the ppl from the original sailing will come onboard.

On 6/9/2023 at 5:04 AM, jonthomas said:

Still not a low price with breakfast.

Adante Hotel

Has anyone used Cruzin' Transportation with Kim? I spoke with her and seems very nice and knowledgable. Just wanted to know if reliability is good. We have an extensive transfer intinary. 

I hear of how little availability to get to the new cruiseport in Brisbane. No such thing as a shuttle-for-hire? Taxi service limited? Anyone have better insight on this? We sail in April 2023 for a transpacific.

And what about ppl that don't have a cell phone?

48 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

We're cruising out of Sydney in February.  I know we have to have a Covid test before boarding.  Obviously a PCR test isn't going to work, coming from the US, as they have to be 48 hours before.  I have read that the rapid antigen tests are available at supermarkets and pharmacies.  Any idea of prices?

 

Are these available to purchase by non-Australian citizens?  Is there any way to get a test that isn't a self test?  I have doubts about being able to do it right on my phone.  

 

Also, it says 24 hours before.  Does that mean that, say we board at noon, we would have to have our test no earlier than noon the day before?  What happens if boarding is delayed and the 24 hours is up?  I guess we could just take the test as late as feasible the day before.

 

Thanks!

You can take a self test with you. Do it there, take a pic of results, or even take the test stick to show at port (ugg, that what they suggested).

34 minutes ago, Ozwoody said:

You do not offend people by asking questions, people make replies, which get replies, you then take from it what you will. That's the point of forums.

Have a great trip.

 

Regards

A couple on that latest "cruise in the news" stated wife got sick, told to stay in her cabin, while hubby stays there and able to go about his day onboard. 

I know RC has cases on cruises I been on (6 in past year), and they have a lower deck of quarantine cabins, where the ill are sent to for rest of cruise, getting room service and free internet.

2 minutes ago, perfect match said:

I was looking at the pictures of your surprise snacks in your cabin, and it was apparent that your cruise director is impressed with your review! The note on the bottle said it was your cruise director Mike. I believe that Mike S is still on Wonder, and it doesn’t surprise me at all that he would do something like that. We met him on Symphony before the pandemic and both DH and I were very impressed with him. 
 

I tried to quote just the picture from your post, but I couldn’t get it to work. It was all or nothing and I didn’t want to quote the whole long post, so I gave up and didn’t quote anything. Go back and look at your of the bottle with the bow on it.  Oh, and don’t ask me to spell Mike’s lengthy last name. I’d fail miserably!

Mike was on Odyssey before this. He is Canadian.

Was hesitant to follow your journey because we had to cancel last minute due to hubby getting a mystery health issue. He is immune compromised and in an electric chair. But now glad I am because it helps feel like we are there. Thank you.

We also had 2 sailing/ship shifts to get on the Wonder. Happy Sails to you🌊🙂

Some cruiselines do care and want to sail with happy cruisers and crew....RC and NCL formed a Safe Sail committee to spearhead the start up, with 4 members that are or were with CDC, 2 members that were with WHO, and 1 that was in office with Bill Gates. It doesn't matter if cruisers are in cabins next to each other...there is a wall. It does matter for crew to not share a cabin, which is why there is consideration of having them in lower deck cruiser cabins. Fun Fact: ships can sail with 2/3 capacity and still make money.

I'm seeing it on all my 2020-21 bookings....ppl are cancelling or shifting and the cabins aren't been put back into inventory. That is how they are reducing pax. No one is going to get booted. Then I would think they will hire back less crew and give each their own cabin to minimize germ spread, using ones on decks 2,3, and maybe 4 (depending on size of ship.

Is Daytona Beach a good choice? Is it any closer than Disney/Universal for travel in traffic to make back to ship?

What is best to do when visiting as a port of call? Is there transportation available to hire if want to visit Universal? Have a folding electric wheelchair.

What can you do for a reasonable price and limited time when a ship visits as a port of call?

A couple years ago, we were booked on Infinity and 2 months before cruise date, we were given notice that our intinery changed from Pacific coastal to Alaska...total different, not where we wanted to go. Told we would be given 50 OBC. I did my research and found out they accepted an agreement to have the ship docked in San Fransisco as a floating hotel for a Tech Convention. Hotels were filled and a company chartered the ship as a hotel for their employees to attend the convention.

For our cruise in Nov. 2020, under excursions, the daybeds are shown twice. One as South Beach Daybed and the other as just Daybed. Are they putting more in another location? Would it be better than South Beach? And, the price shows price as "per adult", which total would be over 500$

Can anyone clarify for me?

5 hours ago, awhcruiser said:

Care to share with the group?

That post was over 10 years ago. I don't think you'll get a response.

Im looking for our 1st Celebrity cruise as Diamond. I'm confused on if we are able to enter a club lounge for the happy hour drinks and access to a specialty coffee machine for our latte and mocka (or even access all day?). I did look at the loyalty program emenities on Celebrity website. No tik beside clubs, but tiks beside happy hour/3drinks on card and "coffee bar" (?). Can anyone claify for me?

There's a free luggage valet service. It’s called Port Valet and it will allow cruise guests disembarking their ship after a cruise and heading to the airport to go “luggage free.” You don’t have to carry around luggage if your taking a post-cruise day tour or just exploring on your own around the Seattle area for the day. Your luggage heads straight from the ship to your airline at the airport and is checked in.  

 Because Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (also known as Sea-Tac) and the Port of Seattle are run by the same authority, this can help expedite passenger service between the two. Thus, the group is able to offer the courtesy Port Valet service as follows. 

Passengers complete an enrollment form onboard their ship.

You'll then receive airline boarding passes and luggage tags in your stateroom or suite onboard.

The ship’s crew will pick up the luggage the night before disembarkation. Guests can look forward to a hassle-free disembarkation the next morning.

Luggage is sent from the pier to Sea-Tac Airport via a secure truck and delivered directly to the guest’s airline. So there is no need for the passenger to check those bags at the airport.  

When guests arrive at Sea-Tac with boarding passes in hand, they simply proceed to the security check-in to reach the gate.

Cruisers can track their bags at portvalet.maketraveleisier

Participating airlines include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Horizon Air, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines.

The only fees that passengers would pay would be any normal baggage fees an airline may charge for either checking a bag or excess baggage.

On ‎3‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 10:38 AM, TFhs said:

I have just googled 'fold and go' to see what this one is like.  From what I see this a powered wheel chair and not a mobility scooter.  Is this correct?  

Correct. My husband rented a scooter and then bought one of these chairs. He is thrilled with it! Much better than the scooter. Turns on a dime, less space taken up in elevator, comfortable to sit at a table or in the theatre, can put aside if he wants to sit in a dining chair or theatre seat, batteries are only 6 pounds (3 each) to make it easy to bring on cabin plane (because they are lithium) when he folds it for it to be stored in the belly when he rides right to the plane door, it is a total of 53 pounds, have never run out battery in ports and if it does then I can free-wheel push him like a regular wheelchair.

will get back to you for March. will be there next week.

On ‎2‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 4:11 AM, reedprincess said:

Crime has not taken over close to port. At all. There's been a very few isolated incidents in the last couple months - in each case, the perps were caught within hours or a day or two and charged.  

I wouldn't walk around Castries as it's not a pretty or quaint place to stroll through - I don't even go there unless I have to for some government reason, as that's where most of the offices are. There's very little to see, etc.  The out lying areas are much nicer and offer more of what the island is all about 

Vigie Beach and Boardwalk are part of Castries - perfectly safe to explore and enjoy - great local food and drinks chairs, shade, swimming, restrooms, etc. 

There's a lot more to the island than the few highlights seen in Cosol's tour - perhaps consider some if the other areas. 

Enjoy your visit. 

Thank you for your clarification. Yes, I did mention the limited port sites and that most benefits to see are on a tour of the island. I saw it...it was lovely...so I will spend time on ship this time.

On ‎2‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 4:11 AM, reedprincess said:

Crime has not taken over close to port. At all. There's been a very few isolated incidents in the last couple months - in each case, the perps were caught within hours or a day or two and charged.  

I wouldn't walk around Castries as it's not a pretty or quaint place to stroll through - I don't even go there unless I have to for some government reason, as that's where most of the offices are. There's very little to see, etc.  The out lying areas are much nicer and offer more of what the island is all about 

Vigie Beach and Boardwalk are part of Castries - perfectly safe to explore and enjoy - great local food and drinks chairs, shade, swimming, restrooms, etc. 

There's a lot more to the island than the few highlights seen in Cosol's tour - perhaps consider some if the other areas. 

Enjoy your visit. 

2 women from ship robbed in Serenity Park, 4 blocks from port, last month. And 4 days before that, locals were robbed at gun point.

We have done Western once (too humid), eastern 4 times (a bit drier heat, but still too much for me), and Southern, ABC islands, twice (Love! its just the right amount of breeze with the warmer temperature, making it seem cooler). If you prefer leaving rom American port rather than San Juan, do this one out of Miami or Ft Lauderdale that RCCL does as a 10 or 11 day on a Radiance class ship. Southern is good any time of year, with tempuratures staying around 83 degrees, but feel cooler because of breeze.