kathynorth

As posted previously, be sure to visit the Ports of call, Alaska page. We've taken 2 Alaskan cruises: 1 land/cruise with celebrity and 1 round trip on HA. IMO if you're able to take the time to include a land portion then that's preferable. Decide on how much time you can take, then whether just cruise or to include land potion, then consider ports of preference, and then match these to ship itineraries.

Hi Richard,

We just returned from a Panama Canal cruise that had stopped in Puntarenas. We got some of the coffee. I regret not bringing back more. It is excellent!

I had with me a copy of your post and even showed it to him. He did not like to be called 'Old Gringo Guy' LOL

Thanks for the tip!

Gisela

So is it okay to bring ground coffee through US customs? I frequently hear of people bringing food items into the US ports, but I'm never sure what's okay and not, but I'd love to bring back coffee.

Your chosen itinerary starts and ends in Rome, which is one of the most romantic cities I've ever visited. Try to arrange your trip so you have 2-3 nights before or after your cruise in Rome. There are lots to do on board, but these busy Mediterranean cruises are really about the ports. Ephesus (Kusadasi) and Santorini are also on my top 10 list of all time favorites. It's easy enough to arrange for private group tours in Mediterranean ports. These are usually a bit longer and a bit less expensive than ship tours, plus fewer people. We always introduce ourselves by posting on the roll call for our cruise and find others with similar interests to share tours. Since it' s your Honeymoon, you may want to consider purchasing a specialty restaurant package. This could help you to build in some privacy during dinner to balance your main dining room experience. The 1,2,3 special will run until the end of Feb. You can get the classic drink package plus free gratuities for Mediterranean cruises.

My cruise has a stop in Colon 9am-7pm. Is it possible to visit the Embera Indian Village from this stop or is it too far.

We recently returned from a canal transit on the Celebrity Infinity, which included a port day in Colon before the transit. We arranged a tour with Roberto Whitaker and Robtad's Tours. In fact, I formed a group of about 24 on the roll call board and everyone raved about how good he was. I recommend him highly. His contact info is: e-mail: robtads2@hotmail.com; phone: (507) 442-2499 office; (507) 6725-7563; mobile.

 

Roberto was born and raised in the Canal Zone. His first language is English. He does tours on the side; his primary occupation is as an engineer with the canal. He knows his stuff and is incredibly nice.

Does Roberto have a website that explains what's included in his tours, cost, etc? It tried to google Robtad's Tours but a different vendor pops up.

Hmmm. We have always been among the first off the ship and the shuttle has always been waiting; we usually try for the 8:03 train. How early did you go?

Well, lucky you to always have a shuttle waiting. I can't remember what time we left the ship, but it was as early as we could get off in August 2011. It was our first time in Civitavecchia and we were anxious about finding the ticket counter and train station, so we followed other people who were headed toward the gate.

Why would a staff member get something from a guest's drink coupon? Where do people come up with these things, peyote?

It's been reported somewhere on these boards that wait staff are credited for the # of drinks they serve during the Elite Social hour. Someone also posted that wait staff submit used drink coupons for credit toward # of drinks served. Maybe this statement was in reference to that discussion.

Was there a reason you did not take the free shuttle to the port gates?

 

The walk from the gates to the train station is about 10 minutes, 6 blocks or so, in a straight line--

Yes, we had researched the train schedule from Civitavecchia to Rome and found that if we waited for the shuttles runs to begin then we would have missed the first express train. We were eager to get into Rome as early as possible so we could see as much as possible. We walked to the gate, bought our train tickets just outside the gate, but then needed to walk quite a bit after that to the train station. We did take the free shuttle back from gate to ship since we weren't in a hurry at the end of the day.

Hi Thom,

How far the walk from the Station to the gate of port for the shuttle bus?

Or how long it takes to walk?

On one of our cruises where Civitavecchia was a port stop, we made the walk from ship to gate. It was longer than we expected it to be and we definitely wouldn't want to do this with luggage. The good news is that lots of the cab companies posted here do have the proper license to be permitted through the security gate. Just be sure to confirm this when booking. Our last cruise started and ended in Civitavecchia. We were dropped off right at the cruise ship luggage drop off and picked up at the same spot.

There are lots of private transport options that are far better than using the cruiseline option. We used Jump Limousine for transfers last July/Aug and found them to have the best rates. They charged us 140 euros for 8 passengers with 1 lg/1sm bag each for each of our transfers: Rome to cruise terminal and cruise terminal to airport. I'm sure you'll find lots of options by asking for suggestions on the Italy board or by posting on your roll call.

So, I have been on about 8 cruises including RCCL, Celebrity, HAL, and Carnival. We have an upcoming cruise on Celebrity.

 

Here is my problem: In the last year or so, dining in the MDR takes absolutely forever with pretty mediocre food. We wait twenty minutes for appetizers and they are just so-so. Then another thirty for the main entree and it is also just fair. It is like eating at a decent medium priced restaurant in any big city. But, it takes over an hour and a half to 2 hours to complete your meal.

 

This just seems fake to me. The cruise lines are still acting as though dining in their beautiful dining rooms is still elegant, yet they are serving fairly cheap food. So, then they have pay restaurants that used to be a nominal charge up to $45 a head on Celebrity. That is lame.

 

I still enjoy cruising but the dining is pretty fake and weak.

We also have grown tired of long MDR meals. We find the food to be fine, but there has been a few times when someone at our table had a problem with their order, which then threw off the timelines for all of our meals. There have also been times when the meal ran so long that we had to rush to make it to the show and times when we were so late that we had to skip the show entirely. We've tried select dining, but felt we were rushed with our meal. When we sailed on NCL we experienced long waits for tables. We've now found our balance by booking in a Celebrity Aqua cabin so we can eat in Blu. This allows us to choose our dinner time and we enjoy our meals in as long or short a time as we like. We also like to dine in at least one pay restaurant each cruise. We had the best meal ever at Murano on Reflection last August and thought it was well worth the extra $. I just wish the pay restaurants were a bit lower cost so we could eat there more often.

But think about it. If they lessened the sting, then there would be many more Elite and Elite+ and that is exactly what (and why it was changed) had been complained about by many Elites...too many Elites. These Elite folks that complained, wanted it to be harder to reach the levels, because they said it was too easy (even though it was just as easy for them to get points) and there were too many Elites making the events crowded. Celebrity just did what many (according to Celebrity) had been asking for for years.

By lessening the sting I was referring to people who already had cruises booked, but were unable to rebook without penalty for the 25 bonus points. Celebrity already acknowledged they needed a buffer and introduced the bonus points program, but there was no way that someone within the final payment period could access this. I'm suggesting that if the new program implementation was better planned these situations could have also been accommodated. IMO, the issue presented by some of the more vocal posters isn't really about the revamped program, but more of the feeling that they aren't being listened to.

Of course they want to keep the Zenith pool small. Those benefits are substantial and they should be difficult to attain. If Zenith was easy to attain, who do you think would be paying for those benefits. I wonder if people ever realize that any of these programs or promotions, like 123 are paid for by the consumer. There is no free lunch.

 

They have provided a level above Elite that is attainable that gives more benefits. I would think that would make most people happy. Remember, everyone was Elite after a relatively small, number of cruises and now there is something more to work toward.

I didn't mean to come across as complaining. My comment was focused on what Celebrity could have done to lessen the sting for those who were upset. We enjoy Elite benefits and feel they are generous compared to other lines we've cruised. We'll also appreciate the bump up to Elite+ when we reach that level, which we also feel is reasonably attainable. However, the very large spread between Elite+ and Zenith leaves me with the "unattainable" perception when calculating that distance. With the current program a cruiser would need 600 cruise days in CC or above to reach Zenith. It appears that lots of people have realized the same and are frustrated by this.

Don't wait until you're seasick to start taking meds. This is what I do: I buy an inexpensive packet of Bonnine at home and take one tablet an hour or two before I board (and yes, even though the ship is docked). Then I take another tablet before I go to sleep and continue to take one tablet every night at bedtime.

 

This method works much better for me than "the patch" which has some weird side-effects.

This is what I do, but I usually start the day before my trip since I can experience motion sickness in the car or when flying. I take Bonine until day 3 and don't seem to need it after that. I also take ginger tablets with me, but never seem to need these. These are said to have soothing properties. Flat ginger ale and green apples can also be helpful. On a recent cruise I went with my sister to the medical center. There was a box with packets of Meclizine sitting on the table. The person at the counter told her to take a packet a day to last through the cruise.

Not the only thing, they could have allowed those who had booked and paid to have options.

1. cancel without penalty or
   
2. receive whichever was the higher status between the old tier credits or the new points.
   

I sort of agree with this. The bonus point promotion seems like it was an after thought in response to complaints that Celebrity admin must have felt had some merit. They could have somehow expanded that promotion to include the after final payment cruises. Maybe bonus points could have been accrued by booking on-board amenities from time of program implementation until Feb, at which point people could have rebooked without penalty for the 25 bonus points. I'm sure that Celebrity could have come up with something creative.

Right now we're 2-3 long cruises away from Elite+, but are 69- 7 day cruises in CC or higher to make Zenith. I realize they want to keep the Zenith pool very small, but IMO that seems to be too far.

Very timely info for us. We are hoping to book a cruise using an old open passages and get the 1,2,3 go and captains club upgrade. There is a resident fare being offered. Is that doable?

We were just able to book a cruise within a group rate, received one of the 123 perks, were given the cabin upgrade, reduced deposit and the 25 bonus points. We were told we couldn't access a senior rate.

Thank you for your help with this!

FYI, if one wants to reply with the same message to several posts it is easier just to use multiple quotes by hitting the "+ button next to the quote one.;)

Thanks Bob, I'll try this next time! :)

The current bonus points program is about to expire. I think this was a positive move by Celebrity to take the sting out of the long anticipated, but sudden implementation of the revamped Captain's Club program. This made me wonder how bonus points might be used for future promotions.

I think that Celebrity should offer bonus points for booking early. This incentive would balance the negative feelings that people get when they book early and miss out on new bookings only specials. This could also provide balance to the booking process and reduce the need for Celebrity to fill large #s of empty cabins via last minute deals and sudden price drops.

Do any of you have ideas on how Celebrity could promote cruising through bonus points?

And this (to confirm) from the Captain's Club site:

 

After November 25, 2013, Club Points are earned based on stateroom category purchased and length of cruise including Cruisetours when you sail with Celebrity Cruises or Azamara Club Cruises. Celebrity Cruises makes it possible for you to earn up to eighteen Club Points per night.*

Thank you for your help with this!

Kathy, I was able to find the response from Celebrity to the question on facebook. Hope it helps.

 

• 
  Celebrity Cruises Hi Richard - your Cruisetour will earn Club Points per night based on your stateroom category of your cruise. For example: If you have an 11 night Cruise+tour and on the cruise you are staying in a Sky Suite - you would earn 88 Club Points (11 nights x 8 points/night). ~ LM
   
   
   
   
   
  

Thank you for tracking down this info for me!

I'm sorry if this question has been asked and answered, but couldn't find anything via a search.

Do any of you know if the land portions of cruisetours will continue to count toward CC points? If yes and if different cabin types impact the # of points earned how many points would the land nights be worth?

We took a northbound Alaska cruise on the Millenium a few years back. It was one of our favorite vacations ever. Some people feel that starboard is best because of the consistent view of the mainland, so if there were lots of choices I'd go with starboard. However, there are lots of times when the ship was so far off shore that you can only see the outline of the shoreline, trees, and mountain tops. We had a portside balcony and had great scenery on that side too, which is an advantage to sailing through the inside passage out of Vancouver. If I found a sweet 16 on a date that worked for me then I'd grab it, even if it's portside. When you visit Hubbard Glacier the ship turns around, so you can see the glacier from both sides of the ship. You'll probably want to be topside for this anyway. Traveling in and out of Icy Strait Point and Juneau are your best chances for seeing whales. Whales can't tell which is the port or starboard sides of the ship, so there is no advantage in this respect. We were lucky and saw whales from our portside balcony.

LOL. This entire discussion along with the great picture of lounge pig just reminded me of the old adage 'pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered'. Anyway its called the Rule of Me. And I doubt there will ever be a perfect resolution to the issue at hand because their will always be self centered individuals that are completely oblivious to others.

 

Any idea that deck chair occupants (people actually utilizing the chairs) need to surrender their occupancy for others' use is absurd. IMO, If people are sufficiently motivated to get up at wee hours of the morning to stake a claim on a desirable chair location and then do indeed proceed use the chair continuously then I am 100% fine with them doing so. Me, call me a slug, but I lack the ambition to want to bother rolling out of bed at the crack of dawn to scramble for a deck chair. But I can't count the number of times I have witnessed people planting their flags so to speak on chairs in the early AM and then disappearing for prolonged periods to prepare for the day and eat a leisurely breakfast while waiting for the sun to reach its perfect angle. Those type early bird chair squatters are problematic and I think that crew should remove their towels and belongings. The idea that individuals should feel entitled to stake their claim on chairs for prolonged periods when they in fact are not or will not be using them is pernicious. Whatever reasonable efforts the cruise staff can make to free up those chairs up I applaud.

 

Just came to mind also is the several experiences on cruises where I have seen family groups control large blocks of chairs by working in shifts - grandparents, parents, children and extended family members all seemingly working out carefully crafted time share schemes in concert to ensure their chairs are effectively reserved for their exclusive use the entire day. What say you about that strategy?

So, it's okay for dozens of people to drop belongings on loungers (usually ship towels and books from the ship library) in the early morning hours, then show up after noon; sit in the sun for a bit, leave for where ever and never return? Meanwhile, other cruisers walk in circles trying to find an unclaimed lounger. I find this to be one of my most frustrating experiences with cruising and definitely think Celebrity should enforce a polite 30 min limit.

I think time share schemes are ok if the loungers are being used. However, if they are vacant for long periods of time the coordinator of that "group" should be informed that there is no saving loungers for use at a later time. I've seen people save a block in the sun, plus a block in the shade facing the pool, and a 3rd block alongside the windows.

We've stayed in Aqua and eaten in Blu on several cruises. Shorts, t-shirts and sandals are fine for breakfast.

This is Celebrity's description of smart casual for evening:

"Smart Casual and Above"

Ladies: Skirt or pants (no holes, rips or tears) with a sweater or blouse.

Gentlemen: Pants (no holes, rips or tears) with a sports shirt or sweater. Shirts must have sleeves.

There is no mention of footwear.

Yes the safe does hold an iPad.

Yes, they do fit in the safe.