jcc1025

17 hours ago, JoRoy218 said:

I’m jealous! 😉

Have read numerous recommendations to attempt using Long Beach airport.  Very limited flight choices coming from Atlanta and only flights four days/week. Oh well, we’re flying in a day earlier and have an early afternoon flight out post-cruise. Have had two other CA Coastals cancelled in the last 18 months, maybe this will be the lucky one! Thanks for your suggestions! 

Yeah, Long Beach Airport is really nice but unless your flying Southwest its very limited. Coming in a day ahead of time no matter what airport you use will be fine. We always fly in a day early, make sure the luggage make its, have a nice dinner somewhere and get use to the time zone. Lots of good opeions in the Long Beach area. We were so happy when RCCL came back to the west coast so we didn't have to always go to Galveston or FL.. Have fun and happy sailing. 

• We live in Long Beach and making that LAX flight would take some real finger crossing. The maps map say you can make it, but on any given day ahd 405 can be a race way or a parking lot. Long Beach is less riscky pick but fewer flight options depending on your destination. We live about 5 minutes from that airport and when we sail and walk off at about 8:30 we can be home in about an hour. Enjoy your cruise. 

Kind of depends on the time of the year. If your going on in the summer season I would reserve one, but if its during fall or winter not around a holiday you can walk up. We were there about two months ago and you could have walked up and gotten one. 

We are not planning on changing from RCCL. No matter what board you look at someone will be complaining about something and planning on changing. 

16 hours ago, Coralc said:

Is it possible that you could fly into Long Beach? It is a really easy airport, (much easier than LAX) and closer to the San Pedro port. SWA goes there now. ☺️

We live in Long Beach and you can fly in there, it is actually closer to the port than LAX, depending if the cost is worth it you could also fly into Orange County as well, a little long shuttle to the port but still possible if you save enought on the flight. 

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Lol I'd bet you tip well too. .. enjoy.

That works, if you frequent a regular bar and tip, they like cash by the way, it goes a long way. 

Our first cruise was with Nordic Price in 1998, we signed up for C&R on Radiance in Alaska in 2001. By then we had sailed three times prior. They provided credit for the sailings. We always sailed 7 day cruises mostly out of Ft. Lauderdale. Remeber about 2005 on a short Mexico cruise out of LA hearing all these people talking about their high status on C&R. They were doing 3 days out of LA and C&R used the sailing as a measure. So a 7 day and a 3 day counted the same for status. We didn't think that was right and thats about they time they went to night credits. Have always enjoyed the program and the benifits. 

Gray whales will be very comon in Baja and around the Cabo area from mid to late Feburary to April as they start to move north. Humpbacks are in late summer and fall. Blue whales, Fin whales and Sperm whales are in the area but the lower numbers mean you see occassional sighting. I volunteer on a whale wathing boat in southern California and it is always a guess as to when and what you will see but these areas give you a good chance and you will always so other wild life. Remember that dolphins porposies count as seeing a whale. Good luck. 

We have been down there three times in the last year and travel by car occassionaly to Baja. The issues are not in the normal tourist areas. If you are in the areas when the issues have been reported then you should know better and there is not really anything of a tourist perspective that you would want to see. So if you use cruise tours and stay in the standard tourist locations you will be fine. 

• Kind of why your air fare or hotel will be different from on week to another. High demand equates to elevated prices. RC has a very dynamic pricing algorithm, why its good to watch the price even after you purchase because they will adjust to a lower price if the demand has dropped. Your pricing is determined by the demand at the time you made the purchase. We have purchased drink packages a couple of months out and then seen them go up close to the cruise. 

4 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I think rcl has already switched to once a day cabin service unless you are in a suite. 

 

I'm booked on a 14 day carnival going some ports rcl doesnt go to out of Galveston.  Overall right now I prefer royal. 5 drinks and 2 days of wifi, I lean rcl. 

 

Prefer carnival pizza especially their white pizza and prices for speciality, my time dining, agree carnival does this much better. 

We were on two RC cruises last year and had two day cabin service on both. 

Happy Holidays as well. Thank you for the thoughts. We have had the fun of a couple of holiday cruises and they were outstanding. Smooth sailing for all next year. 

We were on this cruise as well and from past experience knew the performer in the Pub, Darla Fox. We were there every night. Several other guest were also there every night and it was the most fun we have had. We are Diamon+ and like the shows but it was a party every night in the pub. It was cool but that's what you get in the area this time of the year. Going to be 81 on Christmas day so its just a dice roll when we sail here in the winter. We have been on the ship a couple of times since they returned to the west coast and really like it, the crew was great. 

We were on Navigator the first week of December. Some passengers were wearing masks as were some crew members, especially in the Windjammer. We had the dinner package so don't know about the dinning room. Enjoy your cruise we loved this ship. 

On 12/14/2022 at 3:24 PM, dunedinmaiden said:

Yes, but don't insult our intelligence by citing sustainability!

Isn't that every public traded company's priority. I worked for one for 30+ years the don't think they are any different than the rest. 

We just got off Navigator last Friday and we had two a day service. 

We also did it through the RCCL web site if you are registered. 

We did it through our TA. We bought the credit, then gave the reservation number to the TA and advised her we wanted to transfer it and she took care of it. 

When you see that the levle of post on this site for most cruises is well below what it was pre covid I don't think you would get the required number for a M&M. We really enjoyed them but do think for the time being you will need to organized sail away's and M&M's on our own. 

Also interesting to hear the cruise director come over the loudspeaker about a half hour before sail away and give the number of people who have not checked in and that the ship can not sail until everyone has checked in. 

We have sailed Liberty four times out of Galveston and really like this ship and the size. The crew, staff and entertainment was great and we would sail her any time. We spent many nights in the Pub with the singer and cruisemates. Happy cruising and enjoy. 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and your families. 

On 11/16/2022 at 2:30 PM, Welly9 said:

She is great, I just checked she was on our last cruise

Fun fact - piano guy at schooner was just ok, but once in a while, she would show up and jump in the schooner later at night and kill it! She made the show!

I think she was on AGT or talked about it or auditioned?

 

You know she is good when some of the other talent on the ship comes to her shows, we had that happen severl times. 

If your sailing after Nov. 28 we highly recommend the Pub. We were on Independence last Aug. and the signer, Darla Fox was in the pub. She happens to live near us in southern California and she was great. We usually love the Pub singers and she was the best. We ended up going there every night and when we heard she was going to be back on Navigator after August we booked a short trip. We have done all the big shows and ice shows many times, like them but a good singer in the Pub or Scooner Bar is a really fun time. 

I thank that Celebrity is, in most cases a little higher price for similar cabins, so you might expect the food to be a little better.