TMLAalum

We are seriously considering the Celeb overnight excursion from Dunedin to Milford Sound. However, we will miss the fjords mentioned in this thread title.

I am looking for opinions as to how much we might miss vs. gain by taking this excursion.

Thanks!

Wanted to share some of our experiences that may help others visiting Iceland.

Weather: We had sunny days but the wind was very strong. Do dress in layers. Bring gloves and headgear that covers the ears.

Car Rental: Be sure to check out the windshield of your vehicle very carefully. We rented from SIXT. When we returned the car, the agent took a flashlight and, from inside, found a chip that we had no idea was there. Of course we were blamed and had to pay 751 euro then & there for a replacement. We are seeking reimbursement through VISA. Word of warning is that to be covered by your credit card, you must decline the extra coverages. With the high winds and volcano dust, as well as some gravel on the roads, it might be worth it to take the coverages offered by the rental company.

Speed Bumps: These are prevalent in towns and places along Golden Circle. Take them at no more than 5 mph because they are quite jarring otherwise.

Credit Cards: Our swipe/sign cards were accepted everywhere except at self-serve gas pumps. Just go inside to the attendant who will set the pump and then you can pay when the tank is filled.

Food: The many horses in Iceland are not there only for riding. You will find horse, whale and puffin on the menu at Icelandic restaurants. Lamb is a specialty. Fish & chips are among the best in the world.

Icelandair: We had no problems with 3 of 4 flights on this airline. Great inflight entertainment. The leg from YYZ-KEF was on an older plane with little legroom and seats that could be described as solid as a rock. Excellent service and the usual beverages, such as sodas, juices, coffee are complimentary. You can also purchase tickets for the bus into Reykjavik aboard.

Cannot believe Celebrity will overnight in Cozumel! It seems to me that just about all western Caribbean cruises visit this port- we've been there twice and that's plenty. Senor Frog's anyone?

I do understand disappointment over the changes in itineraries. Not a good move by Celebrity for those who booked based on ports-of-call.

We didn't bother with Oyster cards, but bought the daily tourist pass in London. It took us to Hampton Court via the Southwest rail. Cannot be done underground.

We really enjoyed Hampton Court especially with the opportunity to reenact the wedding reception of "Hen-er-ee the 8th-he-am" & Jane Seymour! The man portraying Henry was excellent.

Wanted to share that our group of 16 gathered from our roll call had an excellent four-hour tour out of Alesund booked through Moereguides: Islands Discovery, http://www.moereguide.com/index.php/en/. Kari was the guide and Odd the driver. The cost per person was 406 NOK. We were blessed with a beautiful day. Alesund is beautiful!!

In Stavenger, we took the Rodne cruise up the Lysefjord to Pulpit Rock and back. Again, great day and a very enjoyable experience. It was Ascension Thursday, so most stores were closed. The Norwegians have a special name for this holy day.

Bergen was pretty miserable- we joined a roll call member who arranged for a guided walk at the top of the Floibanen. The guide wasn't even Norwegian, and the cold, rain and fog prevented us from seeing much of anything!

Geiranger: Yay, we had the Seawalk! Highlight was the waterfall walk while the skies were clear. After our walk we boarded a bus for the Panorama tour that was to have gone to Dalsnibba except the pass was still closed on May 13th. Instead we went to Eagle's Bend viewpoint, along with what seemed like 90% of all the cruisers in port followed by a 90 minute cruise. By the time of the cruise it was pouring rain with limited visibility. The bus/boat tour was a disappointment. We talked with friends who did the RIB boat and from what they said, I would recommend that over the Panorama tour. Public restrooms are limited in Geiranger so plan accordingly.

In all my Celebrity cruises, there have been only a couple of meals I didn't enjoy. As far as Lobster, which is not spectacular in the MDR, I suggest Murano which is a specialty restaurant. BTW all specialty restaurants on Celebrity are "smart casual" even on formal nights. Qsine is my DH's favorite restaurant, but it works better with more than a couple since there are so many food choices that are fun to share. The location of Qsine on the Millennium is wonderful. Since NCL is a favorite line of yours, you are used to paying upcharges for dining aboard unless it's the buffet or MDR;), and since you are foodies, it is definitely worth a dinner or two in one of Millennium's specialty venues.

Depending on your port times, you might consider dining ashore for lunch or dinner to enjoy Alaskan halibut and King Crab!

You will be fine in your little black dress and your boyfriend in a shirt/tie/jacket for formal nights in the MDR, but again, if dining in a specialty restaurant those evenings, smart casual is the dress code.

Our first Celebrity cruise was a 14 night Baltic on the Eclipse. I was so sure I would need to find a laundromat during one of our port days to avoid the pricing for laundry aboard the ship.

I found options in both Stockholm and Tallin, but upon further review, decided that spending time schlepping to a laundromat was not cost-effective if I considered why we chose this cruise and what would be lost if our port-time was spent washing clothes. Tallin was one of our most wondrous ports and I am so happy we spent it sightseeing instead of washing. The laundry in Stockholm would have required a long metro journey followed by a walk to get there.

We've since taken other long cruises on Celebrity. We wash our dainties and socks in the sink and maybe hand-wash a shirt or two. Shhh, but we re-wear clothes such as jeans and slacks. For certain items we pay to have our wash or dry-cleaning done aboard- usually it's paid for by OBC. We've finally moved up in Captain's Club status so now have reduced-price or complimentary laundry, but for our first several cruises we survived as described above.

eandj have offered great advice for traveling for an extended period without having a laudrymat handy. Princess ships do have self-serve laundry, but it would seem to me they'd be a zoo on sea days when most cruisers would want to do their wash.

My new card is scheduled to be sent in July and that's it. The rep did try to expedite it for me by acting as though my current card was compromised so a new one would be issued ASAP. Unfortunately, the replacement card would not have been the new AAaviator MC.

Thank you, Ducklite! I was going to call Barclay's today to CANCEL my MC with them since I've two AA-affiliated ccs.

Instead I will be asking them to send me a new card ASAP so as to have the chip/pin for our upcoming Europe trip.

It will be a relief to finally have such a card considering it was six years ago that we first encountered trouble with a capital T trying to buy RER tix to return to CDG on an early Sunday morning at the St. Michel stop. Thanks heavens for a kind Parisian giving us the euros we needed to have enough coins for our fare.

From your beautiful photographs, it looks as though Alesund is in the same stage of spring as we are with the buds visible on the deciduous trees!

How did you get that photo of Dalsnibba? It looks like an aerial view? We are in Geiranger May 13 along with Harley57 on the Eclipse. We've booked the Dalsnibba bus tour/Fjord cruise combo, and plan on the Waterfall Walk first. Hopefully we'll have the advantage of using the SeaWalk rather than a tender.

We sailed the Millennium last April. Most pax were from the US or AUs it seemed to me. Prior to boarding her in Hong Kong we spent 4 nights there at the Salisbury "Y" with a harborview room. We explored the city on our own via foot, Star ferry, taxi and subway.

The ship overnighted in Tianjin for 2 nights and we spent that time on a private tour with Catherine Lu seeing the sights of Beijing with 20 roll call members. It was a jam-packed 3 days but at a price of $375 US per person we had all meals, sights (except for the Acrobat Show) and lodging at the Park Plaza included. Fabulous!

When we disembarked in Shanghai we had a private tour set up for us and sis/bro-in-law for 9 nights in China. We went to Xian, Guilin, Yangshao and back to Shanghai. Also included was a 3 night Yangtze River cruise on the President #7 where we were among the very few non-Chinese.

Never did I experience pushing, shoving, etc. We were often asked to have our photos taken with the Chinese, especially by the younger generation. By the same token we asked to take photos of several adorable Chinese children. Our Chinese guides were all well-educated and we learned much about the China from them.

Combining our cruise, which included ports in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea and 5 sea days, with our fully-inclusive land tour provided for much-needed chill time given our hectic schedule.

I wouldn't hesitate to travel to China

Hi, can anyone tell me please, if a price drop happens and I have booked a cruise with celebrity direct, do I get the new price difference refunded from my cruise price.Thanks

At least here in the USA price drops aren't automatic. If they were, Celebrity wouldn't be able to stay afloat:rolleyes:!

The policy is that if you find a price drop through your own due diligence, you need to call Celebrity direct if you booked thru them or your travel agent. It might be worth your while to go for a lower price provided that perks you already have with your booking remain the same. Otherwise, do the math to see what is best for you.

Glendalough is not a typical monastery in that there is an intact church, but rather ruins of several buildings spread over a large area. There is a lake as part of the grounds.

Set up in Glendalough's carpark are various vendors. I had to chuckle at the names chosen... named after one of the saints of Glendalough-Kevin's Kitchen!

Thanks for the reassurances! I think we'll heed the advice to spend the night in Toronto and catch a flight back to CLE the following day. I do feel lucky we did get Business seats on a through-flight.

I've posted elsewhere about our outbound flights using AAdvantage miles- 1st and Business all the way- Yay!

Didn't want to miss the chance to fly back in comfort so jumped on the SYD-YYZ routing when I saw it. Didn't see an option for holding tix for 24 hours. I will continue to check the availability on line as well as call UA.

Paying the non-elite change fee would amount to less than the cost of YYZ-CLE flights + hotel.

Feeling somewhat stupid:o....

Well, strictly speaking it's an AC flight with a UA codeshare, which is important since that means you check in at the AC counter, not the UA one.

 

I'm wondering why you didn't book the YYZ-CLE flight as part of your reward ticket? It should be the same or similar cost in FF miles as SYD-YYZ.

 

I'm almost positive that you won't be able to add a paid flight to a awards booking. Personally, I would want a bit more of a buffer, because I don't trust YYZ :rolleyes:.

Had UA offer this entire routing at the 80k level for business/first I would have booked it or even just SYD-LAX or SYD-SFO, but nada was available.

We could spend that night in Toronto, which was my original thought until I found that 8:50 PM flight which'd get us home that night.

Figured that linking the tickets was probably not doable, but again, appreciate the expert flier advice given thus far.

DH & I have booked our return flights via United Mileage Plus from Sydney through to Toronto arriving 4:50pm. Separate reservations since we each used our own miles. Air Canada flights.

There is a UA flight on an AC jazz to CLE departing YYZ at 8:20 PM that I believe is makeable provided all goes smoothly from SYD. There is a stopover in YVR, and this is an early February flight.

What I would like to do is purchase tickets for the above flight and have UA link it to our existing confirmation #. My thinking is that if we arrive late to YYZ and miss this flight, we can be rebooked without charge on a flight the next day.

If this is feasible is it better to call to book the YYZ-CLE flight and ask that it be attached to our SYD confirmation # or could I book online and then have the flights coordinated?

I'm hoping the experts here can help me avoid that annoying UA hold music!

Thanks!

I believe the River Walk is actually the Waterfall Walk out of Geiranger...at least, this is what we plan on doing:

The Waterfall walk

Distinctive waterfall walk in the middle of Geiranger center. This highlight opens in May 2014 and connects the Norwegian Fjord Centre, Hotel Union and the upper plateau in the village. When walking the 305 steps, you will experience plenty of photo opportunities of the stunning surroundings. The Geiranger-waterfall runs steeply next to the stairs and the view along the way are magnificent. The waterfall walk offers the chance to experience nature at its best up close.

Here is a link to a map of Geiranger which shows the waterfall walk on the right hand side: http://www.geirangerfjord.no/town-maps.

We are taking advantage of Icelandair's Stopover program enroute to our Norwegian Fjords cruise on the Eclipse. You can choose how long you want to stay in Iceland enroute to or from the many US airports to most European cities.

This option is more economical than cruises that include Iceland as part of their fjords itineraries. If your time is limited, the sea travel involved in sailing to Iceland is eliminated which is another plus. Plus Icelandair fares are very reasonable!

Category 2D- lifeboats to top of veranda rail but larger, angled balconies:

Portside #6209 & #6207

Starboard #6210 & #6208

Category 2C- lifeboat to veranda deck level, but larger, angled balconies:

Portside #s 6155, 6157, 6241, 6243

Starboard #s 6156, 6158, 6240, 6242

The last 5 or 6 2C cabins on Deck 6 both sides also have slightly larger verandas with a slight protrusion from the restaurants on deck 5 that limits direct downward view to the sea, but no lifeboats below.

We are in 2C #6240 for our Solstice sailing. For our Eclipse sailing, regular size veranda 2B #6222.

We are not frequent fliers, but accrue our mileage mostly by affiliated cc purchases. To get the class and airlines we wanted, we had to have some flexibility in our travel plans, but I'm satisfied with the outcome.

Using AAdvantage miles at the 62.5 level each we're flying to AKL on Qantas, upper deck of a 747 from LA-BNE, then a Jet Connect Business seat over to NZ. Our 2 US legs are 1st class on AA. Long day of travel, but I jumped on this itinerary because did not want to fly Hawaiian air, which was the routing I saw most often offered. We are happily adding 10 days in NZ before our cruise.

For our return flights from SYD, we used United miles at the 80k level. UA is very stingy with their Business seats at this "low" level with no UA availability at that level direct from SYD to the US showing for any dates in the time frame we needed. This morning we ended up booking an AC flight from SYD to YYZ- same plane all the way with a stop in YVR- business (no 1st on this flight) pods. Three downsides are that we are spending a day less in Sydney than we'd have liked, that we'll need to pay for a flight from YYZ back home, and probably need to spend a night in Toronto because there may not be a makeable flight that same day.

I'd been searching on the UA website for numerous options for at daybreak for over a week. The date(s) I most wanted never showed "green", and I didn't want to risk losing out on the comfort of business class or flying via Asiana to Seoul and Thai from there to LAX. We've flown AC in their pods home from BRU and were pleased with the comfort and service.

We are on the same sailing as 2ashevillesailors and have two days in Dublin, we sail out at 9pm on Day 2. Have planned a tour to Newgrange and Trim Castle for Day 1 and an debating about options for Day 2. The operator suggested Wicklow, Glendalough and Powerscourt in the morning with the Dublin sites in the afternoon, including Kilmainham Gaol and Trinity College Library, will that give us enough time in town? Do you suggest cutting out Powerscourt or even the whole tour out of town? While Wicklow is said to be lovely I certainly don't want to miss out on Dublin:D

We've enjoyed all the sights you've mentioned, but over two week-long visits to the Dublin area. Glendalough & the Wicklow Mts. have my vote over Powerscourt, but if you'll not be visiting other mansions/castles/estates & gardens, it is definitely worth keeping on your itinerary.

As to Dublin...definitely Trinity College for the Book of Kells and then I'd suggest wandering that area, which is close to Temple Bar, Grafton St, the river Liffey and Ha'Penny bridge. Kilmainham Gaol is a bit far from center but we visited there via city bus. It sounds like Day 2 would be jam-packed for you, so what about a half-day tour with the afternoon free to explore on your own?

While Powerscourt is lovely, it is not worth losing a visit to Dublin if you've only the one day there. And if you've 2 days in port, I'd suggest a visit to Newgrange, a UNESCO world heritage site, or the Howth peninsula rather than Powerscourt, unless estates and gardens are of particular interest.

The DART gets you to Howth. Does Princess offer tours to Newgrange http://www.worldheritageireland.ie/bru-na-boinne/built-heritage/newgrange/?

Can you tell me what this says:

BESTILLNINGSBEKREFTELSE 08.03.2015...Thanks.

We booked the Dalsnibba Combo tour on 13 May via this English website:

http://www.geirangerfjord.no/english

Originally we booked only the bus tour, but when folk on the roll call mentioned doing the combo with a fjord cruise, too, I contacted the company and had prompt email responses from Katrina to enable us to amend our booking to include the boat.

It seems that every private tour operator includes Kiwi 360 as part of any suggested itinerary out of Tauranga!

If anyone's been there, please share your thoughts, thanks!