sippican

31 minutes ago, clojacks said:

That has been the total opposite of our experience through about 15 bookings with them. You know, even Mercedes puts out a lemon every once in a while. An agency that big, is also going to occasionally have agents that don’t measure up to the vast majority of the rest of their staff.

That's great that you have had a satisfactory experience. Have you needed to work with  them through this situation of cancellations, refunds, FCCs, etc.?  The bulk of dissatisfactions seems to be from clients needing help with unusual situations or changes, or those surprised by extra fees.

Just be aware that you can get the same  service and comparable pricing through agencies that don't charge additional fees as this one does.

2 hours ago, 4774Papa said:

Yes,

You may thing sports are unnecessary, but sports mean a lot to most Americans.   Coronavirus is not a threat to young people.  I seem to really that there have been one fatality for people under 22 in the USA and that was a person with underlying conditions.

 

As for catching the virus, that can be closely monitored with testing.   As for transmitting the virus to Seniors or those with underlying condition, that can be handled very easily.   It is very likely that schools and Universities in most of the USA will open in the Fall.  With your logic, Universities should not open until  (???).  Yes, tell us when you think schools and Universities should open.

I am a senior, and I'd like to be able to go out and about confortably at some point. So please tell me your plan to address transmitting the virus to me? Which you claim above can be handled very easily.

2 hours ago, Swampbabe said:

Sales tax, hotel taxes, rental car taxes are generated from the tourism industry and we depend on it. Not sure what you don’t understand.

You cited "the Mouse" specifically. I was looking for verification that Disney (as opposed to other theme parks, beaches, spring break, key west, Gulf Coast, Miami, snopwdird migration, etc.) contributed the major portion of ad valorum taxes in the state. Just curious.

25 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

If they " really " need their money back that fast, why are they spending it on cruising ?

Many people that book cruises are not in a position financially to weather two or three months without income, and an uncertain financial future. 

Consider yourself fortunate if you are one of those who are financially all set. I remember well the days when we'd scrap and save for that one special vacation, even when we were living paycheck to paycheck.

26 minutes ago, vkb2751 said:

We have been using the wrong TA all these years, it seems. They are not responding to emails and if they do they give the standard response 60 days for refund without reading our email! It is the famous agency in New Hampshire. Never had any complaints in the last 9 years.

That "famous agency" from NH may have a good reputation for getting the lowest price, but does indeed not have a very good reputation for much else. They are one of the few who charge customers for booking changes and cancellations. Many report difficulty receiving personalized service and timely communication. (FWIW, most agencies can match the deals they offer.)

49 minutes ago, Swampbabe said:

The fact that we have no income tax here has nothing to do with snowbirds. It’s been in the Florida constitution (no income tax) since the 1920s and our biggest source of income is the Mouse, not grumpy old folks from up north.

Not to hyjack but I find your statement fascinating. I had learned that Florida receives over 50% of its state revenue through Ad Valorum taxes; sales, tax, excise tax, property tax and licenses. Can you cite me your source please?  

 Another Grumpy Old Folk from up north.

On 5/12/2020 at 7:35 PM, ECCruise said:

Speaking from a town totally dependent on tourism, there is a positive and negative association with tourism.

In our town, the majority of residents would be more than happy to see tourism deflate by 25% or so.  And my guess is that many of the Galapagos Island residents would feel the same way.  As with many things in life, what makes something good also makes it bad.

 

For many islanders, the pandemic has left them to meditate on their relationships with nature, industry and travel. Some wonder if they should continue to remain so dependent on tourism, while others say it highlights the need for self-sufficiency.

For Cardoso, the answer lies in the story of the finches, penguins and tortoises who share the islands with them.

“We have to put in practice the lesson of our history,” she said. “We have to adapt.”

I think that comparing tourism income from Asheville to the Galapagos (if that was your intent) is a difficult concept. (FWIW, I had no idea that Asheville's main income was tourism.)  Places on  mainland continents have a huge pool of possibilities for change that those living on isolated islands do not, which really complicates the dilemma.  Having visited the Galapagos I was very impressed with the management of these beautiful islands, but completely understand the desire to maintain that delicate balance. 

Interesting that the OP is very busy replying to posts on the Princess forum, but hasn't come back to this forum yet.

4 hours ago, oceanlovinmama said:

Cruiselines have been doing the best they can.  They didn’t realize that they would be shut down for so long and the amount of refunds requested.  Most of their employees are working from home and because of the levels of security that need to be in place to deal with credit cards, most cruise lines have a skeleton crew.  Now with the country opening back up that will change.  BUT when you work with an agent and do a chargeback, the cruise line can come back to the agent for that payment and any commission that was given to that agent, that was protected because the cruise line cancelled, Will now be recalled.  We work on commission only, and that money comes AFTER you travel.  We have had no income for the past two months and probably won’t for the rest of the year, now we have to give Our commission back AND possibly be on the hook for thousands of dollars we don’t have.  Please think about your agent!

Sorry, but you have no right to advise people on what to do in regards to their cruise payments. They have every right to file a dispute with their credit card company if they feel they need resolution (I believe that is what your are referring to as a "charge back" ?). It is true that there is no rhyme or reason to the refunding process; some take days, some weeks, some over a month. Since you posted here on the Celebrity board I assume you are aware that they have been generous enough to protect commissions.

Many are suffering economically and need the money they have paid on a trip to simply make ends meet. It is selfish of you to make a judgement that you need the money more than someone else might.  Heck, I just gave my commission on one cruise to a young lady who had booked with me but needed to cancel. She certainly needs it more than I do. 

All travel professionals do not feel the same way your do.

I just saved $900 on my 2021 Antarctica sailing. We still have the 4 perks.  As mentioned above, you do need to enter your loyalty number and apply.

On 5/8/2020 at 4:15 PM, Orator said:

The key fact is that YOU cancelled before the announcement was official.You lost the game of chicken. Since you cancelled before Celebrity they own you what your contract requires.Surprised that your TA didn't charge $100 cancellation fee as they normally do. 

Really sorry that this happened to you. celebrity might have done some goodwill, but they are not required to do anything.

As side note to the OP's issue, most good TAs do not charge a $100 cancellation fee normally.

There are two S1s on the M class ships that are substantially larger than all of the others - 6145, 6146. They are next to the PH suites and were designed to be added to them as an extra cabin if needed. Three passengers woiuld be comfortable in them. We loved 6145. They get booked very quickly.

38 minutes ago, raudacruise said:

I had a window washing device on deck 9.  It partially blocked my side view.  I never saw it move.  (The photo sure looks like the device is on deck 11.  Makes me think it could be almost anywhere.)

 

The S1 balconies on Reflection’s deck 6 are ridiculously tiny.  The chairs only fit sideways.  Avoid at all costs. (Not an issue on other Solstice class ships.). The balcony size increases as you go up, so the deck 12 balcony is the largest.

 

I’d actually like to try deck 12 once to see if the noise is tolerable since I prefer shade. No shade on the other decks.

 

The pole didn’t bother me.  I’m kinda surprised I never crashed into it.

 

I LOVE the side porthole. Really brightens up the cabin.

 

 

 

I think the window washers can slide up or down from deck 11 to maybe 8; due to the aft design, it goes straight vertical, so further from the corner suites, the lower it goes. We have stayed in S1s on decks 7, 8 and 9 and have never noticed a difference in balcony size from deck to deck. I cannot speak to deck 6. They were all gloriously spacious.

Many report the noise from above deck 12 doesn't bother them a bit. Worth a try if you like shade, but I love the sun. There can be shade on the other decks, sometimes even total shade, depending on the time of day and the direction of travel, but certainly not reliable.

So nice to have choices.

Whenerver possible we sail in S1s on the Solstice class ships. Some like the deck 12 ones because they have the overhang, offering protection from sun, rain and gawkers from above. Others avoid them because of the overhang and noise from chairs and the Oceanview Cafe (we do not book deck 12).  The window washing equipment is usually stored a deck (or two) lower, but can be moved anywhere, up or down. In the photo you get a better idea. We also avoid deck 6 because of the restaurant below, it juts out a little. So that leaves our very favorites on decks 9, 8, 7, in that order. Remember there is a pole in the center of these suites. You can also find videos on Youtube of many cabins. If the suites are out of reach, our next favorite cabins are the SV that are fourth from the starboard side on the S class (actual cabin numbers very). The balcony is so much wider than the others (see photo). 

A good travel agent will regularly check prices for you (and can view all available rates).

I have not received a FCC number, or a certificate. How long does that take?

I don't believe this is a situation unique to British Airways. We purchased over $7000 in Business Class Seats from Qantas. They only wanted to issue travel vouchers good for one year from ticket issue (which would take us to August of this year).  They finally agreed to refund (since they eventually cancelled the flight), minus penalties. Told us the refund wouild take 8 - 12 weeks, and we are still unclear of the amount. They would not even take our call until 72 house before the scheduled flight, and never responded to e-mail contact. 

We also had business class tickets from Honolulu to Orlando on American Airlines, they cancelled the leg from Honolulu to Dallas, burt since they are still flying the leg from Dallas to Orlando, they say our flight is not cancelled so no refund. We did purchse this particular flight from Chase Travel Rewards with points, and Chase intervened on our behalf, and refunded the points.The representative from Chase said that American told him we only purchased a flight from Dallas to Orlando!!!

My point is, these are difficult times. It is new territory for everyone, partuicularly those in the travel industry. To warn against dealing with one company in particluar does no good whatsoever. We are all wallowing through the crap in one way or another.

3 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Not so fast.  Working now with a large experience travel agency which has apparently switched loyalties from the customer to the cruise line.  They work on commission and canceled cruises mean no commission.

 

FWIW, the RCCL compnay is protecting commissions - if the cruise is cancelled, the agent/agency gets paid.

On 4/20/2020 at 10:33 PM, az_tchr said:

George - Not sure of the whole picture.  You did not share all the details.  As for Cruise Air refund - the airlines changed their policies on March 1st.  You likely have a credit instead of a refund.  Fully understand there are no flights to Scotland today, but when you cancelled there were.

 

 

 

The airlines can change their policies all they want, and many are being duped into accepting credits or travel vouchers instead of refunds. 

According to the DOT, for any flight an airline cancels into or out of the US, the passenger is due a refund. I have just been successful with an American Airlines flight (they only cancelled one leg, so told me I wasn't eligible) and Qantas. It was a time-intensive battle. FWIW, those complaining about Celebrity's slow response, Qantas told me 8-12 weeks. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-03/airlines-ordered-to-pay-refunds-for-flights-canceled-by-virus

You'd need to view the poll results as more indicative of the age of Cruise Critic members, rather than a representation of actual cruising demographics.

On 4/14/2020 at 3:13 PM, bluecruisin said:

Could you please tell me how much the beach club cabanas cost? Thanks

it varies from sailing to sailing. You can check prices in your Cruise Planner on the excursions page, for a specific date. For our August sailing, the regular beach cabanas are $1399 for 8 people. The floating cabanas are $2000. The price includes exclusive entrance to the Coco Beach Club, special lunch, etc. The cabanas are significantly larger with more/nicer amenities than those in  other locations on the island. 

12 hours ago, Lolou127 said:

Thanks everyone, the X website doesn’t seem to differentiate between SS1 and SS2, I was concerned that the aft suites would be more prone to movement but would the fact they’re on lower decks negate that?

The S1 and S2's are differentiated by the colors on the deck plans. The S2s are a lighter blue than the S1s (see above).

1 hour ago, conbon78 said:

We just returned from the Celebrity Eclipse that departed 3/1/2020. I had a hard time finding good information on this port, so I wanted to provide some insight and feedback. There are 3 main excursions to do in this port: Peninsula Valdes, El Pedral Lodge, Punta Tombo. We did Peninsula Valdes and toured with Babel Viajes.

 

Peninsula Valdes - things to know before you go:

• It is a 1 hour drive to the visitor center. There is nothing to see at the visitor center, but it is just a stopping point for bathrooms as there are NO areas to stop once you enter the park. 
• Once you leave the visitor center, it is another 1.5 hours (on a mostly gravel road) out to Caleta Valdes, which has 3 areas to stop. (Total of 2.5 hours of travel time from the port). This is where our excursion and all of the Celebrity excursion buses went.
• Try to go at high tide. It was low tide when we went and everything was super far away and we didn't really get to see much. Also, the season to see the majority of whales/seals/penguins, is not in March. In fact, the whales are not usually around during the cruising season, so it is unlikely that you will see them.
• Puerto Piramides was very pretty, but the shore excursions do not go here as I don't think the buses would be able to go on the roads surrounding it.
• Overall - this was the WORST shore excursion I've ever been on. We basically saw absolutely nothing and spent a lot of time to get there. We would look at the elephant seals that looked like rocks that were far away. Nothing was close up or close by. Do not go to the peninsula to see penguins as the other options have way more penguins. Bring good binoculars if you want to "see" anything. My recommendation is to avoid this excursion if it is March (and/or any other time of the cruising year) as it was awful.

 

El Pedral Lodge:

We did not go on this excursion, but everyone onboard that did - raved about it! It was 1.5 hours driving (about 30min on gravel) out to the lodge, but the penguins were all over and came right up to them! We saw a lot of pictures and it really looked fun. We were super jealous we did not do this.

 

Punta Tombo:

People onboard that did this felt similar to how we did about Peninsula Valdes. It was a 2 hour bus ride each way (not on gravel). In March, the penguins have mostly left, so they didn't get to see many and they were not very close by.

 

Onboard, we debated with other passengers about who had the worst excursions (Peninsula Valdes v. Punta Tombo). Puerto Madryn as a town is really awful as well. There was basically nothing to see, no where to shop, and all around not great place. However - IF you want to see penguins, I would recommend El Pedral. We did a penguin tour in Punta Arenas, but I think it was still better at El Pedral. I hope this review is helpful for someone because I wish I had not wasted 5 hours of my life in a van on a gravel road.

Thank you for your review. Sorry your experience was not at all what you had hoped for.

This validates my decision to visit El Pedral next January!

14 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

I agree that is what has been happening.  My point is that now that it is confirmed that they are keeping their commissions, it would be nice if we were able to keep our equivalent.  I know it won't happen but I think it should!  With all the FCC to be used, you can bet there will be few if any deals to be had next year on cruises, including from the TA's.

Your TA has complete control over offering you OBC or other incentives on your new booking. 

As far as deals and promos - that's in Celebrity's hands. I expect some good offerings down the line. Remember - you can take advantage of price drops up until final payment.

52 minutes ago, henry1005 said:

The 125% FCC might be a good deal for some of us with cruises previously booked  with excellent rates/perks and final payment still due.  It's really a matter of individual comfort with risk and reward...we chose the 125% FCC as we will have an extra $1k for future travel.  I choose to believe RCCL (Celebrity) will be around for many years to come.  For others, the refund is the way to go.

 

There isn't one answer that fits everyone so I find it troubling when so many are urging everyone to take refunds vs. FCC...this might be the best answer for your circumstances, but not for others. 

I agree!

125% of our cruisfare in a suite, equals an attractive sum to apply to our two existing bookings in 2021. Heck, it might even be a nice upgrade. Add that to the 125% of our onboard expenditures and it becomes very attractive.