ciaoYacht
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Posts posted by ciaoYacht
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On 2/2/2024 at 4:22 AM, Host Jazzbeau said:
Princess and HAL don't give their Suite passengers the extra love that Celebrity (Retreat), MSC (Yacht Club) and NCL (Haven) do, so you could get the cost down by booking a regular Veranda cabin and paying for specialty restaurants to improve the food. I agree that Glacier Bay should be a must-see on a first cruise in Alaska.
Another suggestion for great glacier viewing is an itinerary that starts in Whittier rather than Seward – you can take the train from Anchorage in the morning (which will send your luggage directly to the ship), then take a Prince William Sound cruise in the afternoon (on a small ship that gets even closer to the glaciers than the big cruise ships can in Glacier Bay – also includes lunch), and board your cruise ship well before final call. We did that on Princess in 2013 and had a great time.
I have not personally experienced suites on any of those lines you mentioned. But I looked into the "suite experience" on HAL and while they don't have ship-within-a-ship concepts like those other lines, they have the separate "Club Orange" dining room for suite guests and seem to offer elevated amenities for suites:
Suite Amenities
- Binoculars for use during your voyage
- Fresh flowers
- Choice of firm, medium or soft pillows
- No-host mini-bar
- In-suite coffee/espresso machine
- Bose® SoundLink® Mini Bluetooth® audio system
- Complimentary mimosa with in-suite breakfast
- Complimentary laundry, pressing and dry cleaning
- Welcome glass of sparkling wine at dinner on embarkation day
- Premium in-room dining breakfast menu
- Premium bathrobes
- Exclusive tote bag
- Use of the exclusive Neptune Lounge and personal concierge service
- Cocktail party with the Neptune Lounge Concierge
- Club Orange private dining venue
- Breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill
- Priority check-in/disembarkation
- Priority boarding for tendered ports
- Priority dining and seating requests
Do I think HAL suites will be as nice as those other lines? Probably not... But the decision I am weighing is with the HAL amenities and the physical suite itself, as well as the chance to go to Glacier Bay - is it worth it to go on HAL vs. foregoing Glacier Bay in the favor of luxury sailing on Silversea?
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I appreciate all the feedback thus far, and the additional suggestions to see some great sights! Still lots to think about and consider. Pros and cons of both voyages I suppose. Seeing "once in a lifetime" things is definitely on my Alaska list, regardless if its Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier. Please keep the thoughts coming!
I have my first Virgin sailing coming up in 2 weeks so I may see how I like the larger ship atmosphere before making a final decision.
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24 minutes ago, barcrab said:
Glacier Bay is quite amazing. We were on a Crystal ship a few years ago and saw Glacier Bay but their itineraries do not include it this year. It is difficult for cruise lines to get permission to go there. Looks like Seabourn goes to Glacier Bay in May which is not a bad time for Alaska. You can go on Silver Nova another time.
Thank you for the feedback. Forgot to mention that my schedule is limited to July 2024 sailings only as that is when I have pre-blocked time off that can't be moved, unfortunately. From https://cruisedig.com/ports/glacier-bay-alaska/arrivals it looks like only Holland America, Princess (would consider but even more expensive than HA for a suite), and Cunard (not really interested in this line) are visiting Glacier Bay in July 2024.
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Hello seasoned Silversea cruisers! I am new to Silversea, I have sailed on Seabourn and Windstar in the past. I am hoping to do an Alaska cruise this summer and I'm interested in the new Silver Nova, it looks awesome. However, from all my research and Youtube cruise video watching, it seems that everyone recommends Glacier Bay National Park as a "must see" and cruises are mostly limited to Holland America and Princess (some others but I am not really interested in Norwegian). I really enjoy "luxury" cruising and have been reluctant to sail on a more mass-market or large scale line. After watching a ton of videos Holland America it does look nice (although I have some reservations about the food) and I was considering booking a Holland America Neptune suite. This would end up costing more than a port-to-port sailing on Silver Nova to Alaska, especially after I add in shore excursions, gratuities, etc... but I would get to visit Glacier Bay. So I suppose my question is for seasoned cruisers and those familiar with Silversea and Alaska: Is it worth it to forego Glacier Bay in order to sail on the new Silver Nova. Would the service, quality, and amenities make up for the lack of visiting Glacier Bay? Or is visiting Glacier Bay a must-see and therefore I should spend slightly more (for possibly a lower quality food, lower level of service) on Holland America? Your thoughts and insight are greatly appreciated! This has been a tough decision for me.
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2 minutes ago, Love dubai said:
Many people would see the offer you received as a bargain. Cost of a Verandah to Signature or Wintergarden can be triple or quadruple on some cruises.
Why would they possibly offer an asking price of $1000? What you think is reasonable, many would consider very reasonable.
It is individual choice if you want to book a top suite and pay for it. If I ever found they were offering an upgrade to one of the top suites for $1000, I would never book their top suites again ( currently have 3 cruises booked in Wintergarden) and I know most of my friends would react in the same way. Seabourn need to balance offering their upgrades with maintaining people who book at full price.
That's great if people consider that a bargain! But if I wanted to pay that much, I would have just booked that suite for less money than the total upgrade price when I booked my original room. It would have been cheaper that way! This is hardly an "upgrade special" - it's more so a tactic to get others to move to higher cost rooms so that they can fill the cheaper "best available" rooms. Let's call it what it is.
From a business perspective, Seabourn can choose whatever tactics they'd like to get the most money out of customers as they can. It would be wise to price these rooms that much if people continue to buy them. But it's not for me. If I want a certain room, I book it... and maybe I can be convinced to get an upgrade if it's truly for a "special" price. Further, with respect to pricing upgrades as a deal, airlines do this all the time. They sell first class tickets for an extremely high amount if you book early, and often offer day of upgrades for much much less. -
I received two of these "Preferred Limited Upgrade Special" emails over the past couple months for my upcoming Sept 3 cruise from Athens-Haifa. The asking price for an upgrade to a signature suite was insane, and per person it was same price we paid per person for the cruise! I could see upgrading with a more reasonable asking price like $1000 per person, but not $4200 per person!
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Does Seabourn do afternoon tea service on emanation day? Second time on Seabourn and have heard people rave about the tea time. But I’m usually off the ship exploring from 4-5pm or at the pool so embarkation day may be a good time to try to make the tea party.
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Does anyone know when travel agent "promotional" credit gets added? I just booked Scarlet Lady for a sailing in February, and the website and app are both showing the current $300 bar tab, but my travel agent had an additional $100 promotional loot. My confirmation email from Virgin shows it, but the website and app are not showing it in the "Add on" section. Thank you!
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Just finished a Windstar cruise and when compared to Seabourn, the entertainment on Seabourn undoubtedly blows it out park. I agree it could use a refresh and they could tighten up their offering, and any of the suggestions would be great. But just looking at quality of performers and options offered, it’s far better than the hat you’d find on Windstar. I found myself longing to be on Seabourn and can’t wait for my upcoming Greek tour this September.
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Not sure but I got the all inclusive plan so I'm not too concerned
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15 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:
Should work fine except where Starlink does not yet have coverage.
Looks like per their coverage map it is available in parts of Puerto Rico (San Juan area) and St. Barts, both of which are on my upcoming cruise. Not sure if this is available on the sea as the map only shows over land coverage.
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Anyone traveling on the Pride have experience with the new wifi service?
Will be traveling soon on Pride and excited to see how this is working out.
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About to go ok Windstar for the first time after only having sailed on Seabourn where tipping is discouraged. I plan to play it by ear and if some aspect of service “wows” me I’ll be compelled to leave a tip, and if not then I won’t. I’m more in the boat of crew fund so all can benefit because a lot goes into the experience beyond the front line employees. I think people should do what feels right to them. This is not the vacationers problem, if staff is “suffering” then it’s a Windstar management issue to figure out.
And agree with others, the tone from Host on America-shaming many of us is not very attractive and I would guess a poor representation of his countries hospitality.
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21 minutes ago, Misty Morning said:
Ciaoyacht,
Like GottaKnowWhen says, the only way to get onshore in VG is by taking the Baths tour. They will not let you out otherwise and some clients found out the hard way on our last cruise in November.
Thank you for confirming. I appreciate that and will book the tour! Sounds like the Baths are a must see and they are high on my list!
It does seem a little odd that they list Virgin Gorda as a stop if in fact they don't allow you off unless you're on an excursion. They should at least note that so people can be prepared.
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Thanks for all the pointers! The photos look awesome, can't wait to check out the beauty of JVD and definitely going to get a hike in before packing on the cals with painkillers, roti, and conch!
Appreciate the advice!
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6 hours ago, minidonuts85 said:
We’re down in the BVI often as we have partial ownership in a property on Jost.
Extremely excited to travel here too! Any hiking recommendations? Looking forward to an afternoon of Painkillers!
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7 minutes ago, GottaKnowWhen said:
I am browsing back through some of our photos from the trip. In this shot, taken from the road along the Virgin Gorda heights we traversed on our way to The Baths, you can see the Star Pride below. The prow of the ship is pointed directly at the Prickly Pear beach where the bbq is held.
Stan
Thanks for sharing! Loved following your trip updates in the other thread.
Very much looking forward to first time on Windstar and hoping we make all our ports as some have mentioned Monserrat and Virgin Gorda are sometimes skipped due to rough seas.
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I’ve read about Monserrat getting canceled and replaced with St. Kitts but have any other ports been canceled recently?
if Virgin Gorda is canceled what port do they typically replace that with? Or is it a sea day?
Traveling on the Pride week of Feb 25 and hoping to make all the ports!
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12 minutes ago, GottaKnowWhen said:
On our recent trip, of the 250 or so passengers on board, about 120 of us went to the Baths. We were grouped, split among several buses, well spread out along the trail, and so it worked out. And we got back to the BBQ around 12:00-12:30, in plenty of time, with a few stops going and returning to take in the views. We returned to the ship early rather than hanging on the beach and then swam for a bit off the ship. A good day!
But I would be very surprised if you were able to explore Virgin Gorda and the Baths on your own.
StanThanks for the info! Why would it be hard to explore on our own? Limited transportation options? Crowds?
Curious if booking the ship excursion is really necessary (I will if I have to). But we are younger and typically like venturing on our own if possible. -
Can anyone elaborate on what time the beach BBQ usually takes place? Just trying to plan out the day and wondering if there will be time to explore Virgin Gorda and The Baths beforehand...
Thank you!
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Not a bad idea if you can swing it! I got insurance through my travel agent and I don't think it has a 'cancel for any reason clause'
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Sounds like all the elements for a perfect party, especially that martini!
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7 hours ago, RMS Olympic said:
Cant wait to feel that warm humid air while eating breakfast out on deck. It is 27 degrees here this morning....and this is Florida.
How is the atmosphere on board? Quiet, festive...very social? Or are fellow passengers just doing their own thing? I realize no two cruises are the same but if the ship is about 250 plus pax, is there a party atmosphere?
Cant wait!
You should bring the party!
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1 hour ago, ryndam said:
We've been looking at this winter's Caribbean itineraries since they were initially released. They were initially offered at a price that we questioned the price/value ratio (for us, at least). When the price-point dropped this week, we booked. The cabin locations were more limited than they were at first-release, but we are pleased with the price we have paid and the location of the cabin. Before booking the cruise, we first checked r/t air costs and pre-cruise hotel stays, since late bookings often incur higher transportation and lodging costs. The stars and the planets must have been aligned this time; we were able to book (surprisingly) very competitive airfares and hotel stays; that clinched the deal to finally book the cruise. We also did not have any other pre-planned conflicting commitments during this selected cruise
It's frustrating to have to engage in a "roll-the-dice" pricing strategy with travel suppliers. We always consider our own price/value ratio when determining bookings. As other posters have commented, once we are satisfied with the value offered, we book and don't look back.
We are excited to sail Windstar again and look forward to our journey next month.
Lesson learned. Will use your strategy next time.
Alaska: Silversea vs. Visit to Glacier Bay
in Silversea
Posted
I agree I am leaning towards Glacier Bay, I wanted to see if people have compelling arguments against that decision or saw fatal flaws with sailing on HAL as opposed to the more luxe option. I also agree with trying things out to see what you like, and so you can better appreciate other experiences. It is just an expensive trial 😂