omeinv

1) You booked through a travel agency, and then were disappointed when Celebrity expects you to service the reservation through the agency they had paid a commission to service your needs. 2) You wanted a bargain price on an unsold room, but Celebrity would have several reasons not to sell you the higher category room at a fire-sale price: They don't increase actual passengers aboard, since you're vacating a room to move; therefore no increase in onboard spending. If they sel you a room at a price low enough to make you happy, it devalues the category. This is akin to why airlines don't allow passengers to move to empty Economy Plus or First Class seats. Others have paid full price. If they learn that they could have gotten the same thing by waiting and paying much less, that devalues the product. The cruise line has to consider this while customers usually do not. The fact that you're "Elite" is taken into account if you make a Move Up Offer, beyond that what effect would you hope for? While many go on about the value of their "loyalty", the fact is generally the more experienced cruiser spends less on board than the first timer. Witness the fact you had used your knowledge of the next sailing's capacity to try to angle for a deal. The new cruiser likely wouldn't have known to question the next sailing's passenger count. Harris Denver, CO

Well then, they must like you better than me. Harris Denver, CO

It is generous (webinars are historically 40 or 50 Power Up Points); but remember 10 PUP = 1 Captain’s Club Point. Harris Denver, CO

It is the regularly scheduled dry-dock, done roughly every 5 years. This will be Edge’s first. Harris Denver, CO

The included gratuities cover your dining and stateroom staff. The drink package includes gratuities for all drink service. With the premium package it's not common to have any drinks not included in the package, but if you did there would be a 20% gratuity added to the additional charge above what the package covered. Harris Denver, CO

@mljatsea First, you may be able to get the same cabin. Keep watching for the cabin you want to open up. It happens more often than you would think. You theoretically can be wait-listed by Celebrity, but having done this many times, I've always seen the cabin open up before they contacted me. The process of moving cabins is very easy if you do need to. You do not have to remove anything from the ship with you other than your passport and a "Transit Pass" you will be given on board. If your turn-around port is not in the US, it will likely be even easier. You can leave everything that is on hangers, on the hangers, and put your remaining belongings in your suitcases. Your stateroom attendant will take care of moving it to your new cabin. In a US port if you want to go out on the port day, you can leave the ship at any time, you will have been given your seapass for the new cruise in advance. As you leave the terminal you'll go through US CBP, so you'll need your passport. You would not be able to re-board until boarding the new cruise has begun (11:00 AM or so). That Transit Pass you were given serves to get you past the queue of new passengers, and with those two extra step, it's just like any other port day for you. If you choose to remain on board, you'll be asked to go to a particular place on board, and then at the right time (probably around 10:30 AM), you'll be escorted off the ship to present your passport to CBP, then you are escorted right back on. Harris Denver, CO

Yes. I’ve not noticed any difference between GTY and particularly booked cabins when it comes time for move-up offers. Harris Denver, CO

I had a cruise canceled due to COVID. I was already in Santiago, Chile, and about 18 hours from boarding time when the cancellation notice came. Six hours earlier we had been told the cruise was still going forward. The compensation choices were a full refund or a future cruise credit for 125% off the fare paid. Additionally we’re received $300.00 USD for documented non refundable expenses (my flight back to Denver was about $1200.00). A full cash refund or FCC for more is all that can be expected in this case. Could Celebrity do better? Sure. But you acting like they’ve not been fair is disingenuous. Of course by writing this post I’ll probably have to give up my retirement and start work with Celebrity. I hope they let me tele commute. Harris Denver,CO

For a suit to be successful, the first thing one would have to prove is damages. Since one option being provided is a refund, the only potential would be for the incidental or consequential damages resulting from lost non-refundable expenses. As Celebrity offers to sell these services in a manner in which the customer would be protected - Flights by Celebrity - they would be absolved of responsibility. Disappointment, hurt feelings and a desire for a different outcome are not recoverable. Harris Denver, CO

@Bruin Steve On a somewhat unrelated Japan issue, could you send me an email? My email address is in a link in my signature. Thanks, Harris Denver, CO

@kebrown They both have identical balconies, and are the type with the largest balcony. I was just in 1601 a couple weeks ago for the Mexican Riviera. Harris Denver, CO

@GeorgiaRetiredCruisers It's a game, following the general format of the TV game show (I think you can see it on Amazon Prime if you're curious). The gist of the thing is this. One person is selected by the number printed on one of their cards. They choose one box of twenty. That becomes their box. There is an amount of money in each box ranging from 1 penny to 1000 dollars. Now that they have theirs locked in, the open remaining boxes. As they open boxes and reveal the amount each contains, they are periodically offered cash based on the odds that their box contains a better amount of money. As a simplified example, suppose I had chosen box number one, and had opened nine more boxes. In the course of opening those I've revealed all the nine lowest amounts. Leaving the 11 highest amounts (from $40.00 to 1000.00) in play. My offer would be pretty good, and about the median of the remaining amount (lets say $310.00 for example). I could then continue to play, or accept the $310.00. This is the reason for the name Deal or No Deal. If I open three more boxes, reveal the top three amounts, my next offer would be considerably lower, but still based on the median of the potential amounts in my box. At each of these decision points I decide whether to accept the offer. Finally, it gets to the point where there is my box, and one other, and only two possible amounts. I'm then given the option to keep my original box, or switch to the other. It's fairly entertaining to watch the contestant deal with the always present demands of fear vs. greed. Meanwhile, everyone else's card can win prizes based upon matching the amount in one of the 20 boxes on your card with the box displayed on the screen. Finally, after two rounds of contestants playing, another randomly selected contestant gets a chance to win either money or a free cruise depending on a wheel spin. Harris Denver, CO

You'd have to cancel the Zero-Proof, which will result in a refund, then purchase the package you wanted. Harris Denver, CO

@jbrinkm You seem pretty clear on the process. Certification requires Class instruction (folllowing e-learning on line), Pool instruction, and then four open water certification dives, where you demonstrate your ability to apply what you've leaned int he class and pool in the "real world" of open water. Those certification dives can be done in a variety of ways: by the same instructor that conducted your class and pool training, by a different instructor at the same training center, or on referral. Probably most divers complete their certification dives on referral. I think your idea of doing your class and pool where you live is better than doing the entire course on vacation, for a couple of reasons. First, you'll then have a dive shop at home to deal with for further training, and equipment and advice. This is valuable and generally your instructor will know more about your specific desires, and thus will be a good source of info and advice. Second, if you do your whole course on vacation, presumably you'll be spending money to go someplace you want to be; and yet you'll be spending probably 6 hours in a class, and another 10 in either a swimming pool, or in the ocean in "pool-like conditions). Realistically this means at least two days of your vacation lost to class and pool work. Training standards require that no more than 3 training dives can occur in one day. Consequently, almost all the time the certification dives are conducted two one day, and two another day. They really don't take significantly longer than any other two dives, and in some cases even less time (for example when I do certification dives locally, the water is cold, and there's nothing to see, so the dives go quickly). When you go out on referral to tropical places, you can expect to be there each day 4 to 5 hours comfortably. You'll always need to arrange your referral dives in advance, both so the operator your going to expects you, and so you can obtain the necessary paperwork from the shop you did your class and pool training at. As I write this there is a move afoot to cease the "Universal Referral" process. This had started pre-COVID, but was then not implemented. It's getting back on track. What this will mean as it takes effect will be that your instructor that completed the class and pool training,and the instructor that conducts the open water dives, will need to be in current status with the same training agency (PADI, SSI, NAUI, etc). At this moment (April, 2023) there's still flexibility, but the idea is that other agency referrals will be gone by the end of 2023. This will mean it will streamline things for you if you make sure the shop your going to has instructors from the agency your class and pool training was under. This is typically not too hard, as even if the shop you go to identifies as being affiliated with one agency it's common for them to have multiple affiliations; or at least instructors that remain current with other agencies. Of course if you are doing your dives in two ports, you'll have to pay attention to this twice. You mention doing two of your dives locally and two while on a cruise. If you're going to do that I'd strongly recommend doing all four dives at home, and then going on vacation as certified divers. Regular dives tend to be to better sites than cert dives, and you'll have more fun to simply go on a guided dive, rather than be concerned about your skills demonstration. Here in the Continental US, there aren't a lot of inland dive sites that would be described as pleasant, but there is some advantage to experiencing the less than ideal conditions those places present. I often point out to my students I certify with local dives that they have already experienced visibility some instructors in the tropics have never seen, and there is value in that. Harris Denver, CO

It would be too small indeed, as there are typically hundreds of Elite Captain's Club Members on a cruise. More than that, I can't see Celebrity taking what is currently space that is neither making or losing revenue, and converting it into space that would generate costs, all to give people who prove by their presence they do not need further enticement to cruise. Considering Celebrity removed Zenith Captain's Club members from the retreat, I hardly think it's likely they'll create a dedicated lounge for any level of Captain's Club members. Harris Denver, CO

@mac66 makes a point I likely did not make clear: The refresher course is conducted entirely in the pool or confined water, and runs a max of 3 hours (usually less). And again, if you've lost your C-Card, it's likely possible to verify your certification through the training agency (e.g PADI, SSI, etc). Harris Denver, CO

I use a CVP, and find it's a great help. You have a primary point of contact at Celebrity, but if you want to make a change you can deal with anyone at Celebrity, and don't particularly have to contact the CVP. This is super helpful if you see a price drop or upgrade opportunity after hours or whatnot. Also, having a CVP is helpful for future bookings, as you'll have that relationship in place already. Harris Denver, CO

@chrism23 As long as you have your certification card, you should be looking for a skills update; what PADI calls a "Recactivate" course, and SSI calls a "Scuba Skills Update". Most operators will require this if a diver has not had any logged dives in the prior two years. Here's the PADI information on it: https://www.padi.com/courses/reactivate Here's the similar SSI course: https://www.divessi.com/en/get-certified/scuba-diving/scuba-skills-update A common issue when divers come for an update is that they cannot locate their certification card, and if it was issued prior to a certain date (that date varies by agency) dive shops cannot locate it in the agency's on-line database. At that point the only hope is to contact the agency and have them conduct an internal search. If you have your physical certification card (either original Open Water Diver, or the Advanced Open Water Diver), then they won't need to locate the proof of your certification. I've had several people want to do an update, but without being able to associate it to an original certification it cannot be done. In that case the only option is beginning again, as you were told. Another common concern that comes up at a higher rate for update courses is that to participate a student needs a current medical form, and in many cases it will require a doctor's sign-off. Student's fail to plan, and thus arrive for a scheduled update, and are not allowed to complete it for lack of a valid medical. The point is allow time to locate your certification, and to be seen by your doctor. Customers failure to plan for these issues is the most common reason - by far - that they cannot complete an update they want. A less common issue, but one that occurs, is that the student cannot demonstrate competence with the required skills after the update course. In that case the instructor does not sign them off, and they are told that they must begin again with a full Open Water course. Chrism23, I have to say the tone of your post has reasonably inspired @Bobroo's concern. I'm hoping this is a case where the written word may not be the best medium. But, just in case I'm going to address some of the issues you've raised. If I fail to make a friend, I'll survive. A PADI Advanced Open Water certification is a bit of a joke in the industry. A diver can attain this by completing a grand total of nine dives, never once out of sight of an instructor. I imagine it was presented to you as something of an achievement; but please understand it's not going to sway anyone's opinion of your diving knowledge or ability. If you're hoping to convince someone that you should be allowed to dive, telling them you've dived "near 200 feet" is an awful way to do it. If I were working for the dive operator you'd approached, that would definitely tip the scales against you if I was having to make a decision. You're stating emphatically that you dived well beyond the level of your training, and to a depth where oxygen toxicity becomes a concern. If you said this to me, I would have been the fourth one to tell you "no". Finally, a "resort course" is a term for a "Discover Scuba Dive". This is an experience dive, with an instructor (not a divemaster or assistant instructor), it's depth limited to a maximum of 40 feet, and requires some simple classroom and confined water instruction prior to that. If someone is spending a couple of days, it's likely they're completing the full Open Water Diver Course. The full course requires about 16 hours of class and pool (or confined water) instruction: and then four open water certification dives, conduced on separate days. If done at a dive site, it's fairly easy to schedule this to take two full days,and then a morning; and even possible to do everything in two days. Your post sounded condescending since it seemed to assume anyone who attains their certification in a different manner than you're used to is a "Bozo". I'm going to guess if your dive center is offering the Open Water course as a six-week program, it's likely one three-hour session per week, for a total of 18 hours class and pool. I trust you see how that could be turned into a two-day course, since less time is lost to things like set-up and breaks when the sessions are longer. Presuming you can locate your certification card, I think you should be able to find an update course. If for whatever reason the first dive center you contacted doesn't offer this, hopefully there's another close enough to you that you can make it work. Even though your original certification was PADI, you can do an SSI Update, and it will be equally valid. Best of luck, and I genuinely do want you to be able to get back in to diving (safely and competently). Harris Denver, CO

Nassau: I haven't dived there. The only operator I've heard of is Stuart's Cove. The consensus is the diving is somewhat so-so, and if Start's Cove isn't running it as a ship's excursion it's a long way back and forth, and that's both expensive, and risky for missing sailing. Puerto Plata: There are lots of dive operators listed when you search, but they all turn out to be a great distance (like $100.00 cab rides away). Because of this we didn't pursue diving there. I'm thinking as more and more cruises start going there, some diving near by may start to develop. St. Thomas: There used to be a lot of dive operators close to the ports. It seems like COVID has culled the field there. We were there a few months ago and dived with JJ Divers. It was only fair to middling diving, and fairly expensive because they charge $60.00 round trip for transportation from the port and back. That's considerably less than a taxi would have been. You will get to see the island that was once Jeffrey Epstein's infamous private island, if that's of any interest to you. https://www.stthomasscubadiving.com/ Now things are getting better: St. Croix: We usually dive with Nep2une. They are a half block from the port gate, and the diving is great. They have a boat that's a reasonable size, so it's definitely not a cattle boat. St. Croix has really nice diving, so I think you'll be happy, (https://n2scubadiving.com/). I've also heard good things about STX, which is also very close to the port. (https://www.adventuresindivingstx.com/) Colon: The last time I dived there we went up to Lake Gatun. That's no longer an option,a nd not something a normal person would probably want to do. That being said there is reportedly a lot of good diving there on Caribbean side, and no shortage of Dive Operators. Cartegena: I haven't dived there since 2015, but I liked it. We dived with Buzos de Baru, and they made it easy. They gave us very clear directions for a short cab ride to a dock near the cruise port. I wasn't expecting much, but the diving was better than anticipated,and it was a fun day. (https://buzosdebaru.com/) Puerto Limon: I've never heard of any diving there. We did river rafting instead. Harris Denver, CO

It's always been that way. Harris Denver, CO

Indeed it is a medical condition. But bringing it up at this stage would be advising Celebrity of a medical contraindication to cruising, which would allow them a perfectly valid reason to cancel the reservation. Imagine if I booked a room close to the elevator, on a transatlantic cruise. Then for whatever reason Celebrity has to move my room to a different one, far from the elevator. If I then say that I need to be close to the elevator because I have a cardiac condition; they would have every right to say - based on the new information I provided - I was unfit to travel; and cancel my reservation. My point is that alleging a medical necessity can be a route to unintended consequences. Harris Denver, CO

That's a horrible idea. If one alleged the "medical grounds" you suggest; it would open the door to cancellation without the OBC, as the passenger has volunteered they're unfit to travel. In any conversation like this one must be very aware of unintended consequences. Another example is saying "I'll contact my lawyer". Many companies have a hard and fast rule that the moment a customer threatens legal action, the customer service staff is to cease all conversation. Generally staff are more than happy to comply with this rule, as it lets them stop dealing with a difficult situation. Harris Denver, CO

Happy Divers Aruba. Jeffrey there has a lovely operation. Maximum six on the boat, and diving at the better sites, with usually the second dive at the Antilla wreck (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Antilla_(1939). When I last spoke with him, they're no longer providing port pick-up and return, but a taxi would be no problem, as his boat is docked near major hotels. (https://happydiversaruba.com/). Tell both Jeffrey and Hans that Harris sent you. They'll probably charge you extra. 🙂 Harris Denver, CO

@goldenfarm Easy! CURious2Dive. Hans will pick you up at the port, take you on two great dives, and return you. His shop is in the Jan Theil area, which is where all Curacao's famous dive sites (Caracas Bay, Director's Bay, Tugboat beach, etc) are. You won't be part of a huge group, probably no more than four divers. The prices are great, and nitrox is avaialble for a nominal extra fee if you're nitrox certified and want it. (https://www.curious2dive.com/en/contact/) Harris Denver, CO

I dived there several years ago (2017 now that I look at my logbook). We went with Grand Bahama Scuba. I remember it was a lengthy and fairly expensive cab ride from the port, and that the diving was lackluster. Something common in the Bahamas is that there's been a LOT of feeding of fish by snorkel operators and feeding of sharks by dive operators. Consequently there's been changes to the wildlife behavior. I remember fish biting at us on our safety stop because they'd grwon to associate people in the water with feeding. I would not recommend Grand Bahama Scuba particularly, and as I recall, the other options were also quite a distance from the port. If this is your only port for scuba, or none of your others present a better option it's probably OK, but if you've got other ports to dive, you may want to give Freeport a pass for diving (and I almost never give a port a pass for diving). Harris Denver, CO