skittl1321

no the Hal excursion is from Cozumel Thank you !

 

From Cozumel they will take you by ferry to PDC (unless they fly). Coz is an island, you have to get off the island first.

We just got back (so a late September, early October trip). The naturalists called the water "refreshing" I called it "freaking freezing". I was very glad to have my 3mm full wetsuit. Our ship provided shorties which most people said were okay ("after a few minutes you can't feel your legs anyway").

 

Most naturalists wore wetsuits even, just a few did not.

 

I'd deal with the hassle of bringing one if you are going this time of year.

I just finished my first cruise with Celebrity. We were on the Xpedition, so I know it is not a typical celebrity experience, but still a Celebrity cruise. This post is a bit of a rant, but also sharing my experience.

 

We had flight issues due to the Chicago Air Traffic Control fire (in that, our flights were canceled entirely) and needed to contact Celebrity to 1) alert them that we would not be arriving Friday and 2) Figure out what we were supposed to do on Saturday.

 

We contacted the phone number listed in our cruise documents as "Emergency Travel Team" and were shocked at the poor customer service we received from them.

 

The very first issue: They had never even heard of the Celebrity Xpedition.

 

I know that when calling the regular reservation line, it is recommended to ask for the Xpedition desk, or the Galapagos desk. Is the Emergency travel line just the same line to customer service? However, even when we asked for either of these desks, they still had no idea what we were talking about.

 

I finally just said thank you, hung, up and called back again. The second representative we still had to explain the Xpedition was one of Celebrity's ships and it sailed in the Galapagos, but once we told her Galapagos, she was able to connect us to the Xpedition desk, where a rep thanked us for telling her we wouldn't make it in Friday, told us that no transfers would be provided Saturday (we were a bit miffed that she said "since you chose to deviate from the booked package", we certainly didn't choose that! but of course, the air issues were not Celebrity's), but our room would not be canceled when we didn't show up, so we would have one on Saturday.

 

On Saturday, once we figured out what our flight was, we called again- once again the rep hadn't heard of the Xpedition, but was able to pull up our reservation to note our flight number. Since we didn't expect transfers we had no idea why they needed it, and since we were in a dreadful hurry (the plane was about to leave!) we were very frustrated with the number of times we were put on hold, since he wouldn't transfer us to someone who knew about the ship. (We were trying to figure out what would need to be done with our bags to get on the charter flight- since the group's bags were already collected.) In the end, we had to hang up before getting an answer.

 

So that makes 3 representatives of the "emergency travel team" who had never heard of one of Celebrity's ship. What kind of emergency team is this? Why does Celebrity provide such a useless phone number in the cruise documents?

 

 

So that this is not all negative: I am happy to report that when we got to Ecuador, we were able to borrow a cell phone to call the Ecuador Celebrity team, who told us someone was waiting for us at the airport! What a welcome sign the X symbol was. We thought she would just show us how to get a taxi, but we actually got a private 1 hour transfer to the hotel! She thanked us for letting her know we wouldn't arrive on Friday, because apparently their procedure if someone doesn't arrive, is to come back to check every flight that arrives from the expected country until the traveler is found! Very opposite what Celebrity USA told us.

 

Now I am trying to see if Celebrity will give us any information about the "value" of the part of the pre-trip package we missed so we can submit to trip insurance. For some reason on the cruise invoice though it just lists it as one total price, so I'm not sure how to go about getting anything reimbursed, since it doesn't even look like we booked pre- and post- cruise tours. (Since it is just the 10-day vs. 7-day option.) I might just have to say I booked a 10-night, and missed 1, and see if travel insurance will give me 1/10 of the price!

It is a 3 hour drive from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza. A bus might take a bit longer than a car. You will first need to take a 45 minute ferry ride to Playa del Carmen. Of course, depending on when you dock, you may have to wait for the ferry as well. The ferry is a short distance from the cruise pier.

 

It is a LONG trip from Cozumel...

 

Do you dock in Progresso? That makes getting there a lot easier. (It's about a 2 hour bus ride.)

I can't say for sure, but it seems that Sand Dollar is often used by many cruise lines.

 

I know you didn't want to be told it- but of all the places to dive off a cruise ship, Cozumel is easily the first one I'd book on my own. The service of the valet ops in Cozumel is fabulous, and it is SO easy to do Cozumel on your own.

 

I'd just stock up on the chocolate covered strawberries on board...

A suite might cost what the xpedition did, but that's way too much for our back up...

I think you could still have an awesome time without booking ahead of time.

 

The only thing I'd be concerned with is actually booking the cruise. It's only 2 days away. I think I would call Royal right now and find out if it is even possible.

 

It will still let me book on the website today, at least get all the way until they ask for a credit card.

 

Hopefully it will still tomorrow. We met a couple on our first cruise who booked the day before the cruise, and that was well post 9/11 restrictions.

Advice: GET ALL THE INSURANCE.

 

Also read up a little bit on the internet about what to do if you are in an accident in Mexico, just to be prepared. These things are handled very differently there than here.

The issue is that there is so much to do that planning helps you get in as much as possible in a week's time.

 

I'm spending today looking at the ports I haven't been to and the ship's amenities so I at least have an idea of what is offered.

 

I really really hope I don't have to use this plan though.

We've had the travel day from hell today (in that, after 6 hours at the airport, we came back home- we are missing our pre-cruise tour in Quito), and I am trying to figure out all my back up plans if tomorrow is the same (which would result in no Galapagos cruise for us- if we don't get to Quito tomorrow night we miss Celebrity's charter flight Sunday morning to meet the ship). I guess in theory today is that "extra" day you plan for, but it sure still sucks to miss. I'm devastated and don't want the whole vacation to go this way.

 

We didn't make it out of our own airport today, but tomorrow if we do fly out the first two flights, but miss our international I'm trying to figure out what I can do. If I get stuck in Miami tomorrow, there is an Allure cruise on Sunday that we could leave on. I don't know too much about RCCL, but it seems like a lot of things on the Allure need to be pre-booked.

 

Could I still have an enjoyable cruise if I've booked NOTHING ahead of time?

Or would it not be worth doing?

You will need to pay your taxi in cash, but I had no problems at all paying Chankanaab with a credit card. My credit card covers any fraudulent purchases, so I have never been liable the time that has happened. But when it has happened- it has always been in the US, not out of country. Your card is just as likely to be stolen at the starbucks on the street corner in your hometown as it is at Chankanaab.

 

I make sure to find a card that has no international transaction fee, or a very low one. The exchange rate on the card is generally better than what the place in Mexico offers if paying in dollars (though Chankanaab will use a current exchange rate and not the 10:1 taxis and street vendors use.)

 

I agree - take small bills, 5s and 1s. Also, make sure they aren't too wrinkled and not torn- some places won't accept worn out bills; it isn't their currency, so they don't have to.

You are on a CRUISE SHIP. It's those sea days that have the real feeling of being on a cruise. Otherwise, you might as well take a train or bus to the next destination. :D

 

I don't like sea days. I am much happier when the boat serves as transportation overnight, and I get to a new location in the morning than I am when the boat slows down to artificially increase the time between destinations.

 

It would be very difficult to take a train or bus around the galapagos, or from St. Thomas to Tortola.

 

I suppose I could take a plane each night between destinations but I sleep much better on a cruise ship than a plane, and the cruise is much cheaper.

 

"Real feeling of being on a cruise" is what YOUR feeling of being on a cruise is. It isn't what everybody feels. Some of us feel that a cruise is a means of transportation. I definitely agree with the person who sees sea days as wasted vacation days. I equate them to a day on a land vacation where I never leave the hotel. (Which except when sick, I've never done.)

I'm not 100% sure (as I didn't try to get there from shore), but my experience is that you can't get to Paradise Reef without a boat (or a long swim...and you'd need to know where you were heading to to find the reef and not just blue.) It isn't shore snorkeling. It is a very very short boat ride from the marina though, and many operators will take you there. You'd need a taxi to the marina, however- but some snorkel boats may pick up close to the pier, skipping that step.

 

Paradise is also in the Marine Park, so you'll need a wrist band to show you've paid the $2 per day marine park fee. (Sometimes tours don't actually give you them, but if they see the park police coming, the wrist bands come out fast!)

 

 

Just a note: they are currently doing construction in the Paradise reef area, to expand the Carnival pier. Part of this construction destroyed a section of the reef (they moved some of it up North) so Paradise isn't as big as it used to be. And depending on the direction of the current, you have to be very careful to make sure you don't find yourself too close to the cruise ships. I don't know that I'd want to be there without a guide (though the two dives I did there were almost no current, but it is variable).

 

Edit: This thread has directions of how to get to Paradise Reef from the shore: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cozumel/25523-paradise-reef-cozumel.html

However, you are still in the marine park, so by law must have a marine park guide, and it really isn't something you'd be able to walk to from the pier, you'd still need a taxi.

If you use it 50 times a month, I'm not sure how you could possibly connect it to Nachi.

 

I've had my cards hacked a number of times, then go years and years without a problem. You just never know.

 

(And many MAJOR stores in the USA have had problems with credit card numbers being stolen, so it is more likely to be Target or Home Depot or something similar IMO)

The only AI I've had experience with in Cozumel is Sunscape Sabor, but I don't think they watered anything down, as most drinks were extra strong that they weren't enjoyable.

 

They easily could have. All the alcohol was in white plastic containers that said "Rum" or "Tequilla" on them. Nothing was in an original bottle.

 

 

It wouldn't really surprise me if some AIs did this, especially those with the water parks. It seems like there has to be some liability associated with over-serving customers and then sending them out to play in the ocean. Even if it's in Mexico. If the drinks aren't as strong, people won't get nearly as drunk while they "get their money's worth". Plenty of people clearly still manage.

We were in cozumel for a week last December. The water temperature was about 80-82. It rained for almost the whole week though, intermittent some days and non-stop on others.

 

It was only cold in the water when it was raining, because you could feel it on your legs and back when snorkeling. (For scuba it was fine, and once underwater you had no idea.)

Carnival will let you bring a bottle of wine on during your initial embarkation (maybe you can bring for both cruises if you do b2b? I don't know) but they do collect any alcohol, including wine, brought on at various ports. Unless you manage to sneak it pass the scanners- you can't buy wine in Cozumel to bring back to enjoy on the ship. It will be returned to you at the end of your cruise (again- maybe you get it back and can have it for the second cruise, but if they have their act together, you wouldn't get it back until after the second one.)

However since the OP visited in January this year I guess they either took the tour or not. Not sure why this thread was suddenly revived.

 

Haha! oops- didn't look at the dates when I replied.

If you check yes to anything you need to always have a current doctors release to dive anywhere..

 

That's actually not true. A number of dive ops use a waiver that is not PADI's medical waiver; therefore even if you have those conditions you don't need a doctor's signature. (The op I'm booked with in Cozumel said you only need a doctor's signature to take a class, not to dive with them.)

 

If they use the PADI waiver, you would need one if you have one of those issues. Which is why being handed the form on the boat really isn't useful if it ends up being the PADI one and you didn't bring your doctor's form with you.

If it is raining that bad your ship will likely not arrive in Coz; as mentioned above, most of the rain in Coz is finished in about 15 minutes - for me a perfect time to enjoy the swim up bar (you can't get any more wet! ;))

 

This might depend on the season. We were there in December last year for a week- and it rained at least 6 hours every day, and all day two of the days, often heavily. There weren't any tropical storms in the area.

 

In April, we had only a 30 minute shower.

Earlier this year Princess delivered the dive waiver form from each operator on the first day of the cruise to our cabin with a note to please fill out each form and return to the excursion desk.

 

That doesn't seem very helpful if you need a doctor's signature. They really ought to make the form available ahead of time. Do they require that if you have certain medical conditions (like most dive charter's do) or do they just require a waiver from the diver?

Fabulous to see they made an actual donation too.

 

I think the non-ship group who did this in business suits had it the toughest. Hope they had a change of clothes at work!

[quote name='JLee1973']If you purchase cheers for a seven day you are looking at $800 for two people, one night at the steakhouse for two $75. Then excursion credits and various other things it is very competitive.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk[/quote]


I don't think it is very competitive- it is $900 per person: $1800 total for 2.
If you use EVERYTHING offered, it could be a good deal, but if you weren't planning on buying 25 photos, don't buy internet minutes, you don't care for ship excursions, or you wanted to eat in the MDR or Buffet some nights, it likely isn't. What NCL is doing is roping you into doing things you wouldn't have normally done- the markup they get on them is lower than if you purchased ala carte, but the total profit is higher than if you didn't get them at all.

However, if you are booking a high level suite, I think there are some cases where it is essentially free, or barely any additional cost, when you take into account the 10% discount on your fare. Then it is a really good deal.

Do you need an actual beach entry, or just sand between your toes and loungers to soak up the sun?

 

If you like snorkeling, I recommend Money Bar, which has a rocky shore entry. They make fabulous food and wonderful drinks. You can use their facilities without a fee. They also offer massages.

 

On both our cruise and our land vacation, we never saw young kids there.

I cannot recommend Scuba with Alison highly enough.

We booked a day off a cruise with her, but enjoyed our certification dives so much we canceled the cruise and went and dove a week with her. Her service was phenomenal. And her boat captain is great too!

 

We used her rental gear and it was excellent quality in great repair. The regulators tasted like fresh detergent too :) Her rental gear has an Aeries computer on it, included in the price.

 

Never more than 8 divers on the boat, and she can accommodate groups that also have snorkelers (though we never had this on our trip).

 

She (or most other small dive ops) will offer much more personalized service than a cattle boat from a cruise, so even if you don't use Alison, I wouldn't use the cruise op.