Camelia-

How interesting. I was on the Oceanos a few years before it sank…we cruised to Israel, Egypt, Greece and Turkey. I was so sad to hear that it had sunk… I never knew too many details except about the bravery of the guitarist and the cowardice of the captain and his officers.

Hi everyone, Just curious - has anyone had their upgrade bid cancelled - the reason given was that there was a change in the booking ..when there was no change in the booking? I hoped that it might mean good news but I checked the booking and confirmed that nothing has changed!

One person Canadian according to the personalizer..which is definitely not close to $60 US..even with the exchange..

I wish it were for two but nope..she would be charged $120 per person… that’s why she is debating..she is also considering the beverage package instead of the plus since she doesn’t drink alcohol and is happy with the mocktails etc…

I asked her to look in her look in her Cruise Personalizer and she told me that if she wants to upgrade she will be charged $120 per day for the Plus Package. Obviously it’s to her advantage to wait to board and take the risk and pay the amt in AUD. Also, this is one of the few times where the Canadian dollar is slightly stronger..so that’s another plus..doesn’t happen too often!

That’s why it’s so confusing..she is being quoted the Canadian amt if she pre purchased but it’s hard to get a straight answer about what the charge will be in AUD when she boards, It’s hard to decide whether it’s worth booking (and paying) in advance or whether it’s better to wait until she boards. Of course there is the added possibility of price increase too…

Yes she booked in Canadian so she would be paying for the gratuities as well. I think she would prefer not to deal with the USD exchange!

Thanks so much…this will give her an idea.. she will have to add the gratuity as well to calculate the total price..

Hi everyone, My sister (who lives in Canada) is boarding a cruise in New York ending in Sydney Australia. she’s been told that the currency on board will be in AUD. She is thinking of getting the Plus package when she boards but isn’t sure how much the daily amount in AUD would be. I know that it’s $60 USD. Would anyone who has taken the package on an Australia cruise be able to tell me how much they paid.? Come to think of it how much would she be charged for the daily gratuity I wonder? it’s quite confusing when trying to figure things out with the exchange rate etc and of course he,s paid for the whole cruise in CAD, thanks in advance!

That is the best attitude to take really..we did the same. We wore them inside..especially in the theater and elevators but didn't bother when we were on deck. It's all about cutting down the odds and honestly there are so many people who are likely to cough without covering their mouths that it's dangerous out there. I think everyone should do what feels right for them. The funny thing is that we would get really strange looks from people as we entered the elevators..someonce actually asked us why we were wearing them and when I told her that it was for her protection since I had a bit of the sniffles she was quite happy with that.

Recently off the Enchanted and there was a small corner of the Pastry section which was dedicated to Gluten free bites all day.

I'm not sure what ship you were sailing on but a couple of months ago on the Majestic..it was ALWAYS empty and we could just walk right in! I was wondering if they were even going to keep it open because of this!

how wonderful that you will be back on a ship again! Thanks so much for letting us know..I look forward to happy reading...meanwhile enjoy Alaska...and of course..the Rockies!

Yes I was on the Royal in May and this was my experience too…the coffee was tasteless..just coloured water really …quite disappointing.

I’m intrigued by the steamed green veggies..would that be spinach and broccoli? I know bout the steamed veggies option but never thought of the greens! I love your list…I always make a habit of asking for sauce on the side so that I can control how much I use…

Thanks very much!

May I ask where you can check the status of your bid to see if it’s pending? I put in one bid for the first time and received the confirmation email but now I don’t know what comes next..wait for another email accepting or rejecting the bid? Thanks!

I’m glad that you were successful! Did you have to wait long for an answer? I’ve heard of cases where it was accepted two days before the cruise..

Just curious…is there a way to monitor your status once you put in the bid? I know they send you an email if you win the bid so you can pay for the new cabin but if you don’t do they let you know or are you in “limbo” until sail date? thanks!

Thank you all so much for this information. It does look like a change of seats is in order….

Hi everyone, A little while ago I asked on behalf of my cousin who was trying to book a flight from Toronto to Barcelona using her aeroplan miles. You gave such wonderful advice which I passed on to her and in the end she ended up booking a flight with TAP Airlines for Nov 10-2023...business class with just a 3 1/2 hour layover in Lisbon. She was super happy and she used less miles as well. She's managed to confuse herself (and me) when she checked out her seat. Her ticket tells her that the plane will be an Airbus A321Neo. The seat she chose was 05F. Is this a lie flat seat? It also looks like there is a seat beside her which she thought was not going to be the case. If it IS a lie flat seat that would mean that, she would have to wake her neighbour if she wanted to use the facilities! (She has only once been in business class on Air Canada where the window seats were all singles so I guess she assumed ,,,obviously a mistake...that it would be the same.) Unfortunately she booked over the phone and didn't have a seat map beside her when she chose the seat. But I was doing some checking there seem to be so many variations and seating plans that we're not even sure that she's looking at the right seating plan!! Sometimes too much information from Mr. Google is not helpful and is just more confusing. I thought this was the best place to get some clarification since you are all so helpful! IF she wanted to change seats..is there a preferred one she should look for on this model plane? Once again...your advice and feedback is very much appreciated!

Hi everyone, You were all so helpful in answering my last question that I hoped you might clarify something else for me. Based on your comments my cousin has decided on two possible flights from Toronto to Barcelona. I know most of you thought that Zurich should be her first choice but she found that there was only an hour and a half layover so that seemed much too short a time. She is considering: a) one flight connecting via Brussels with a layover of 4 hours and 45 minutes or b) flight connecting through Frankfurt with a layover of 3 hours and twenty minutes. Not really sure what is a realistic layover time frame..she doesn't want to wait longer than she has to but of course she doesn't want to have to rush especially in light of possible late arrivals. Also..both say mixed cabins if choosing Premium Economy and I know what that means but how do you know which flight will be economy? I would expect that it would be the shorter flight but just not sure..she really wants to use her Aeroplan miles and will have to find out how many miles she will need one way for PE or Business class. Appreciate knowing your thoughts...with thanks..

Thanks very much for that explanation.

May I ask what the difference is between First Class and Business Class? I assumed that they were the same but while searching I sometimes see them as two separate options so I'm a bit confused! Thanks!!!

She is planning to arrive the day before the cruise...hopefully that will be enough buffer...I can only imagine the stress that those people suffered and how relieved you much have been to not share it...!! It's always great to remind ourselves because it's tempting to want to save on the cost of the hotel room but definitely not worth it..besides arriving early just starts your vacation earlier and your first day on the ship won't be so exhausting!