mauimary

No it’s not unreasonable to just hit the buffet for dinner. We have done a number of B2B cruises where on the second cruise we tire of the menu or just the amount of time it takes in the dining room so we will go to the buffet. Sometimes we have had an all day excursion so we do not want to take the time to get dressed up for dinner. We actually enjoy the slower pace and the lack of crowds at the buffet. It’s a different experience from breakfast and lunch.

We loved it. Love the Solstice class. Very nice to be able to enjoy the views from the Sky lounge. We love the traditional wood paneled Ensemble Lounge lounge for music and drinks. We have done two crossings on Solstice. Another plus is to actually be able to read. There are also plenty of activities for those that want to do something. NO CONS FOR US.

Many of us do not sail in suites, we eat our meals in the main dining room. We have been cruising for over 20+ years We have been in a suite twice and that’s only because we needed the extra room with two children with us. We are just as happy in a regular balcony stateroom. Even the IV on the Edge Class. Last time we cruised we were in Aqua. Actually did not really enjoy the smaller dining venue Blu as the menu was not the type of food we like. It was far too fussy. Too many seafood dishes for our liking on the menu. We also did not like being at a table only a few inches from the table next to us so we moved to the Main Dining room. We find we do not need a suite to be happy and prefer having all those extra $$$ to spend on excursions. It’s all an indiv choice. I just hate for new cruisers to feel like they need to be in a suite to have a good experience.

I am in the class that takes Trip Advisor with a grain of salt. I feel that the folks who write the bad reviews are more inclined to spend the energy to report back their negative experiences. Some folks are just difficult to please in general. They can also be mad and have an ax to grind. For example hotels are rated all over the board on TA. Hotels that we have found quite lovely are slammed due to one fact or another. I rarely ever consult TA because I believe I can get all the info I need right here on CC. I trust CC to give me much more objective info. I use the Port Boards for info on hotels and tours. Everyone needs to do their own research so they are informed consumers. There is a cruiseline for everyone and you just need to figure out which one is the one for you. Where you feel comfortable. I know those that haven’t done their research and end up in an IV and very disappointed. On the Edge Class we book two years out to get the stateroom we want. We were also actually very surprised when we had an IV stateroom we ended up liking it. This was on the Beyond Transatlantic. The weather was not conducive to a balcony so we saved a lot.

Any idea if he’s going to stay on to Australia?

When I’m Italy we always use Rome in Limo. They are easy and fun to work with and have a stellar reputation. They have tours all over Italy and are used to dealing with cruisers. You can set up your own tour as well as offer you suggestions or you can go with one if their standard tours. Take a look at the Port Boards/Italy and you will find many selections and reviews.

Yes if you really want a 5:30 seating which usually is not too hard. In the summer families are traveling and with kids many want to eat early. The best way to insure this is to show up about 5:15 as there will be a line forming. 7:30 is a very popular time as the early show is getting out and everyone is showing up for dinner. We have found that even though the hostess says it might be an hour we have waited in reality for about 15 min. The less pickier you are on location the sooner you can get in. Move around to the various dining venues. We have found Tuscany and Normandy to be the hardest on our cruises. In our last sold out cruise we had the best experience in Cosmopolitan and we showed up at 7:15 to beat the show!

So why did the OP original question change into a medical and evacuation thread when all he was asking for was a suggestion for how to minimize his loss. He’s not asking for insurance help. Seems to me all of these answers should be posted on the Travel insurance Boards. Yes there is a board!

The OP said they were on the Beyond. Someone else mahdnc stated that Bonaire was out. Agree Harmony is bigger but the OP was talking about the Beyond in the Celebrity fleet. Hence the reason for the Beyond cancellation is not because it’s too shallow.

I would be very disappointed as well. We visited Bonaire in Feb on the Beyond so I know too shallow of a port is not the reason. We loved Bonaire and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Island by golf cart of which we were able to stop and enjoy some beaches. It was great not having to tender.

I read this as the party the OP reserved two rooms. If there is the same confirmation number for both why can’t you move one original into the second room that way an original is now occupying that room. We have booked two rooms the other for a family member who later cancelled out. Same booking number for both. Because it was too late I moved over on paper and we added two more non family members keeping one original in ea. After we were onboard I moved back into the original room. The hardest part was keeping onboard expenses straight. We did not have a travel agent. Agree tricky situation. Probably comes down to if you have two confirmation numbers vs one booking with two rooms.

Since he and his wife’s name are both on the reservation you move one to the other room then add two more people. One in each room.

What we did when this happened to our second room was we moved one person to the second room (person named in reservation) so one original occupied the room. We brought on two more family members. Put one of them in room 2 with family member on the reservation and then put the other one in room one. Once onboard we made the switch. Staff did not care who occupied the room.

Loving your review. Long is good with me. We are on this same cruise at this same time next year so I am all in! I have enjoyed your previous reviews on past cruises. We cruised with our University kids and we really enjoyed their company.

I’m sad this was your last night and you have to get off. I’ve so enjoyed your live blog and all your beautiful photos of the gorgeous blue Greek Seas and of all of you having a good time. Looks like M has had a wonderful time with his Aunt and Uncle. Seven days always is too short and sounds like he found a nice group of kids to hang out with.

We would like to do a more extensive stay and trip in Switzerland and Northern Italy. On our last visit we started in Amsterdam and spent three weeks staying in various cities and towns in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria. It was a lot of on and off the train with luggage but we did it with a rollaboard.

We too absolutely love the solitude of cruising and the pampering. We especially love long cruises with sea days. We also love taking our time and taking the train in Europe. We always try to spend at least three days in a place and side trip out from there. I think we are about ready to plan another train trip. Yes YNP and Grand Teton require a lot of driving and at times just sitting. . Definitely beautiful scenery. Lois It was fun to see your photos. The one Of Yellowstone Falls looks just like the postcard. The river trip looked very relaxing and the water is beautifully clear. Lois glad you a saw an elk. He’s a big guy. Did you see any bear? Definitely can’t miss seeing all the buffs. They are plentiful. We have always wanted to ride the Yellowstone Bus. It is dorky but looks fun. I’m pretty much a lurker but I love hearing about everyone’s local life and seeing all these great food photos. We tend to stay pretty close to Portland Oregon in the summer. We are about an hour from the wonderful beach town of Cannon Beach so we pick a mid week day when the weather is good and make it a day trip. The beaches here are best for weather in Sept and Oct. When it’s hot inland it’s foggy at the beach.

From the looks of your sandals it’s proof you three did some serious hiking today. You certainly deserve some new shoes. Hope you can find a shoe store to find some new ones. Glad you are the hiking type and not the donkey riding tourists. I think it is very cruel the way the donkeys are treated . We will not ride them or a camel anywhere. You are providing your nephew with some of the finer experiences in life. He will remember this trip for many years to come.

That’s what I was thinking. We used it after our Beyond Cruise in Feb from FLL. We had a 5:30pm flight. ✈️

We have previously used the Celebrity luggage program which we found very handy when you do not have a flight until later in the afternoon. The airline will not let you check it prior to 4hrs of flight. QUESTION…. Does this program work if you have a later flight departing from MIAMI Inquiring minds want to know!!!

We’re looking at flying into Miami as there is a direct flight from the Northwest. No good flights from Portland Oregon to FLL using Alaska Miles. Question. How easy is it to get to FLL Hotel from Miami Airport prior to cruising out of Port Everglades. ? Ease of getting Uber thank you in advance.

The Jazz. Trusted and used by us every time we are in Barcelona. Can’t bet it for location so close to the Ramblas.

The manifestations at Fatima occurred somewhere around 1917 from May-Oct. We visited May 2023. It is quite a large site. We were very glad we visited as it was quite moving. Here are a few photos from the Site.

Happy Birthday Alexandra. Hope you celebrate somewhere special for your birthday. You all are having a great start to your holiday. Enjoy seeing all your photos of the pre cruise event.

Can’t beat Luigi for a good party. We cruised on both the Beyond and the Ascent with him. It was one lively Transatlantic April 2023 with him and Dimitrius. Love your dresses Charla and your reports.