valancy1

My sister and I will be on a transatlantic soon. Wondering for those in the know, what activities you find fun to do on all those sea days.

Yes they can. But currently there are no protocols requiring anything at the cruise lines.

Here's how you do it. If you're willing to do the math, sometimes you can save a nice chunk of change by adding Club Orange. For the sake of this conversation, we will talk about a 7-day cruise. Most popular category is the verandah so we will work with that, but this works with insides, Oceanview, and suites up to signature. Let's say the lowest price verandah (VH--obstructed by lifeboats) is running $1,299 a person and thisnis double occupancy. But you want a V (midship) or a VB or VS to face backwards and those are running about $1,899 pp. $600 pp difference before taxes and fees because that's a wash. Add Club Orange $25/pp per day for any sailing 13 days or less, and $15/pp per day 14 days and higher. For 7 days it is $350. Book VH for $1,299 pp=$2,598 Add Club Orange for $350* Total before taxes & fees: $2,948 Cost of a VB as listed above $1,899 pp = $3,798 With Club Orange you get an upgrade complimentary with your upgrade. So once Club Orange is on the booking, and it is paid in full, any Vereandah category in this example would be yours to choose if it's available to be sold. So you take that VB aft-facing stateroom for $2,498, a $1,300 savings for the same experience! You still get the dining, priority embarkation/ debarkation/ tendering, your Club Orange line at guest services andnl shorenl excursions, and all the other stuff, but the upgrade... Note that Club Orange is capacity controlled so if they are full, you'd have to be willing to think through a plan B. Club Orange must be paid in order to choose your stateroom. No one can use Club Orange to upgrade to a Neptune suite and you can't go from an Oceanview to verandah. You have to stay within the meta in which you booked. You can use this on casino offers as well.

I hope someday we will cross paths. If the VS is sold out, and budget allows, look at the AS suites as on the pinnacle class ships, they share aft facing space with VS's. Or splurge on an SB Neptune (watch for sales and play even a little bit in the casinos for upgradeable offers) with that amazing corner wrap verandah in the back. Deck 6 even has an adjoining verandah so a family can really share that space.

There's no need to bring it. But if it brings you a level of peace to do so, it takes up no space. There are no covid protocols anywhere, so just do what will bring you the most settled feeling. No judgment.

No. You can use it for every cruise bit the AARP number has to be validated each year on the anniversary of your initial AARP validation if that makes sense

The $50 is AARP because that is variable. The $100 is military appreciation because that's always $100

Educator code? Guests don't see it as a code, but an offer. If an offer is applied, you shouldn't see an "offer" or "code" once applied. It should just show on your booking as obc.

Aarp can be applied once. Military can be applied once. But BOTH can be applied to the same person.

100%

Or get yourself a personal cruise consultant and they will help you through the whole process from booking to boarding.

It's called Early ticketing. They should read disclosures to you as well. After final payment is made they usually do it about 75 to 60 days prior because they are working on that schedule for all bookings, I'd suppose.

You'll do it through the Navigator app on board. Example, a surf internet for 7 days is 119.99. Purchasing the premium internet on board is 159.99, so I am sure you pay that difference for the 7 days.

If the cruise was booked prior to the AARP offer, that should be the only reason* it would not be there. This offer is combinable with all the appreciation on board credits. Those of you who are being told differently need to press your agent a bit because they are combinable with practically everything. Here is what AARP does not combine with: • Any Grand or World voyage • Casino fares • Association (AAA, American Express, etc.) rates • Virtuoso benefits • Book onboard/FCC offers • Bingo/ charity offers Note: there was someone earlier who said their agent told them it was one or the other (education or AARP). Unless the above criteria is part of the mix, then no, you should have both. Having said that, though, 2 educators cannot each get an education appreciation bonus in the same booking. Same with first responders and military. One per stateroom.

Casino offers are a mystery.

If you want them ticketed, then ask for early ticketing. Or pay for restricted air, and they would then be ticketed. The purpose of flexible air is to reserve the flights, not ticket them until closer to sailing. Having sold air for a long time, I'll say that no matter who you go through, there are certain carriers that won't even show a seat map until the ticket is issued with a bona fide ticket number. The purpose of flexible air is to hold the space.... without penalty until final payment, and closer to the time of sailing, issue said tickets with the airline. If you don't like that model, then consider asking for early ticketing or purchase restricted air or purchase yourself. Airlines cannot help you (generally speaking) when a third party owns the reservation. Will you occasionally get a person that might be able to assist? Yes, but don't be upset when they don't. The booking number/ record locator/PNR is merely a placeholder so the airlines knows inventory. That's it.

The only thing is that Flight Ease guarantees you get to the ship. So if something happens and you miss the ship due to an airline snafu, they will get you to the ship.

Early booking bonus.

Not so. There are too many variables to even adequately approach this. This is not hard and fast... caveat emptor.

It's unfortunate you were told this. You can upgrade to Elite beverage package PRIOR to sailing. There is even a pre-sailing pricing. You can't "build" a package. You can have the Have itnall and what it contains. But you can't ask to please give me prepaid gratuities as example. The only way to get the Elite bev package as part of HIA is book something that is still in the Early Booking time frame. Which, for 2024, is quickly approaching its sunset. There is still an early booking window for 2025. Nothing with Elite is available in 2023. When offers are posted, *every* one has terms and conditions. Read them because all stipulations are there.

Yes you can. There are certain extra promotions that do not allow it (casino rates as example), so ask your PCC. But AARP and Education *generally* can be put together.

My experience: I was on a sailing in Alaska. I spent a little in the casino. I just got an offer with a select sailing list with a comp interior room (cruise fare reimbursed as obc...still have to pay tfpe's) and a little bit of casino cash. I'm pretty happy that I spent money there. We are going to Hawaii for a steal.

How about getting pricing for a non HIA rate (like maybe a mariner rate or the standard refundable depisit rate and then do the math in your head for adding it at $50/day compared to the actual HIA rate). That's how you can see if there's a better way to get the same thing, either for same money or a bit of savings.