jenZ

Take screen shots of everything when purchasing on the internet!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

If it is an additional 10% off, usually the math would be $225 less 30% then less 10%. That equals $141.75.

Same price if $225 less 10% then less 30%.

Let us know though if they add the two discounts together to get you 40% off total!

Happy Sailing!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

For low cost or free ebooks: Try subscribing to 'Book Bub' or some other similar services. ( google: free ebook subscriptions)

In a weekly email you get a listing of free or very low cost ($0.99) ebooks for download. It appears that authors promote their books this way for a short time to get reviews to spur future sales.

It is hit or miss re: quality. ( some good, some really awful!) but every genre is usually offered.

Amazon prime members also have access to a few free ebooks, offers differing each week.

While there is risk you may not like a particular book after you download it, at least you can have quantity! And with public libraries, you can only check out popular titles for a short time, which requires downloading just before you go, adding another item to your packing checklist.

Better to have too many than not enough!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

FWIW: we found the onboard Celebrity ATM had the best conversion rate from USD to Euros of any place we tried - bank at home (U.S.) , ATM's at banks in Italy, conversion storefronts ( highest, but 2nd easiest). The next best exchange rate were the airport kiosks.

Plus, you couldn't beat the convenience of getting cash just before you walked off the ship to explore!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Just a clarification on definition of pre-existing conditions re: medications.

IF medications were CHANGED within that 60 day period look-back, then that IS considered a pre-existing condition and any subsequent issues affecting the trip ( cancellation, delay, medical?, not sure) with that 'illness, disease, or injury' is NOT covered.

I spoke to the insurance specialist at Chase Reserve and this is how it was explained to me.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

One more story for your planning: as mentioned, the Bunker Hill monument in Charlestown is a short walk from the Navy Yard where the USS Constitution resides. The walk up the monument is 3xx ( or is it 5xx???!) steps but well worth it with 360' panoramic views and good historical information. The museum is very interesting too, as well as the hilly site.

What I also enjoyed (with insight from a local) was the 'golden hour' : there is an awesome sunlit illuminated view of the Bunker Hill monument from a south side street. It is a hip section of Charlestown with pubs and great chowder and an active local / tourist street scene.

A historical buff's photo op for sure. A culture buff experience not to forget.

However, the golden hour is at the end of the day! (There is an app that will tell you the time for the day you are there). So a back track trip might be in order!

Enjoy your day in Boston!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We flew Westjet for the first time in May, 2 legs from Orlando to Vancouver, routed through Toronto, with the return the same. The rate was almost 40% the price of the next best option, Alaska Air ( best being subjective, and not always the cheapest but the most favorable routing and travel times; but not factoring in the difference for added fees for luggage). We did not book seat assignments in advance but when we checked in at the airport, we received seating assignments for the remaining three legs at no charge. The price was too good to pass up!

And we were pleasantly surprised. Excellent, friendly, humourous, upbeat service. Made the ' bus' experience almost fun. Planes were clean. Did have some baby crying noise, but that is situational and *probably* non-controllable!

Since the long travel time was split almost in half, I didn't fret over the micro inch seat size comparison as I would have if we had longer legs. Of course, those small seats are not the most comfortable. But can almost always get a cat nap in And DH seems to get way more than that!

The only negative: Toronto /Westjet transfer from the international terminal to the national terminal was a VERY long walk. Took us 45 minutes to one hour. The lines weren't long, just far apart and all horizontal walks.

However the upside to flying from east coast through Toronto to west coast: the mountain views were amazing!

Oh, and our return flight was canceled so the only choice we had was a return red-eye with a layover in Toronto in the middle of the night with a return a day later (following morning) than we planned. We might not have minded that flight if it had been an option to select from originally at the price we paid a day earlier. However we had already extended our stay in Vancouver by one day and had booked a non-refundable hotel. So we requested and received a hotel as compensation for missing a half day of work. Took an uber into the city for a French bistro dinner and had a pleasant evening. ( at more money and time than we planned). Guess that is the breaks of booking a great rate 5 months out.

I would fly Westjet again in a heartbeat.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Hi,

 

I'm thinking about booking a Med cruise on Reflection next July and I have a few questions.

 

 

[*]This would be the largest ship so far- previous max was 2000. Do you struggle for seats/sunbeds on sea days?

 

Just to close out answers to all your questions:

Sun beds on sea days:

There are several secret spots on the Reflection where you can have a quiet sun day and there seemed to always be seats available. Some spots do require climbing stairs.

If you want a more lively sun day by the pool and bars/ grilles, then yes, seats are harder to come by. Early and late in the day are the easiest times to find sun beds near the pool that are either more active or not.

What I love about all the S-class ships are the many beautiful and interesting seating ( and walking!) opportunities. If you like exploring ships, you will find them! In fact, I feel there is never enough time to enjoy all these venues once onboard, so feeling the urge to take longer and longer cruises to connect with the sky and sea and seats!

Enjoy your sunny sea days!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

...having a pre-dinner drink at 7:45/8:00 meant that the bars were empty and souless as 90% ate early

We had late seating on the Reflection and rarely went to the early shows pre-dinner. We enjoyed pre-& post dinner drinks in a variety of the bars (depending on weather, live music, and bartenders!) and did not encounter any 'souless' vibes! Never felt crowded, either. The martini bar is the hardest to get seats, however there is plenty of standing room near the atrium railings, so you can still enjoy it.

Happy Sailing!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

My DH and I had no complaints on the mattress quality on our recent Infinity cruise. We both slept well ( as soon as we asked and received more pillows)

Wouldn't say it was a good as a 'heavenly bed' but was much better than a 'La Quinta' bed I slept on recently.

Plus it was better than my brand new mattress that was great in the store but not since we brought it home. Both DH and I have had back issues since we got the new one. Is it because we rearranged all our furniture that day?!!!

The point: who knows what makes a mattress right for anyone? Maybe just being on a floating resort makes for a great night's sleep!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

So I called the Celebrity number to ask how it works. It is a specific department called Celebrity Gift something or other. Can only be used toward cruise booking payments, not onboard ship or any pre-cruise cart purchases ( no excursions, dining or beverage packages etc). So I bought $100 and tried to redeem it as a test.

After purchase a new set of conditions appeared. 'Cannot be redeemed through a travel agent'. First thing the person answering the redemption number, the first thing asked of me after I told her I wanted to apply it to a payment on my current booking, was: did I buy direct from Celebrity? When I said no, she said the Travel agent would have to call the number to redeem it. The reason: the 10% savings would come out of their commission so they have to approve it. It is the travel agent's choice whether to accept or not. Ergo the caveat about redeeming with travel agents.

I think my travel agent would go along with this for me because I brought 7 bookings to her and we got minimal obc. But I am not sure that 10%/$100 savings is worth the hassle or the lost good will or the risk of losing the travel insurance. So I am not going to continue buying $100 gift certificates one at a time and sending separate codes and making special requests!

Also, fwiw- it was hard to find this deal on the open internet. Went to my paypal account- nada. Typed into search bar: celebrity paypal- only the $100. Clicked on the link from the OP and it was still there. Then searched adding 'discount' and found it.

So all in all, quirky to say the least.

It is reusable if you cancel the cruise, however. And it never expires. And when I asked to apply it to my current booking, no questions about that.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

One thing to keep in mind with gift cards, some travel insurers do not consider them "real" payments and will not reimburse you for them if you have a claim. I lost out on $525 in Celebrity gift cards that I had used to cover my deposit on a Baltic cruise a few years ago. The insurer said they only cover payments made by cash, check, money order or credit card. I don't use that insurer anymore and I am more careful about the fine print. Not using them anymore had more to do about terrible customer service on my claim than it did the gift card issue.

Hmmmm. Even if you bought that gift card with a credit card ( via PayPal)? You can certainly show that paper trail as proof of payment. I can see a paper trail issue if you got the gift card as a gift.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Another consideration: it appears that Celebrity's online prices differ for each transatlantic. In other words, the pricing is not the same cost per day. Not sure why. (Probably perceived value of Itinerary). And this variable corporate pricing holds on price tracking websites.

However, the various online travel agencies have group pricing rates for certain popular cruises including transatlantic and those are more consistently the same price per day. And because these pre-negotiated blocks have a limited quantity, when a certain travel agent sells out, their pricing reverts to the corporate price list ( which as you have learned, might have reductions post-final payment).

Bottom line: checking with more than one source may elicit a Price more in keeping with a rate that seems reasonable to you. Then you could have the opportunity to pick your preferred cabin location and category. You gain the early joy of anticipation and planning!

And this may allow for the daily Price checking for an upgrade opportunity or price reductions to be closer to the time of sailing vs compulsively trying to find a better deal before booking.

Happy Sailing!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

How much fun is that: to know where you will be sooner! You will be able to anticipate your cruise with newfound joy!

Happy Sailing!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Lessons learned for us: ( ala Mr Click, some 'dumb' unasked questions cost us money!)

Background: first time unlimited wifi on board. Texting onboard to keep in touch with my traveler DH was a goal.

Outcome: $120 charge from AT&T due to unintended Cellular-at-Sea connections!!! [emoji31]

How it happened: the unlimited wifi disconnects automatically if not in use. So apparently on the two port days where we had at&t service (Juneau & Ketchikan) we forgot to turn back on airplane mode. While we used wifi during the evening, when I woke up I noticed the 'cellular at sea' service. No active internet use but the passive behind the scene activities cost us $! ( actually, I protested to AT&T while in ship and $100 credited to account [emoji847])

Additional steps to prevent cellular at sea from automatically connecting: ( iPhone steps)

BEFORE BOARDING:

1) turn off roaming ( new information learned from AT&T)

2) turn off cellular for each app ( so apps don't refresh or track your location )

3) if you need to use an app while off ship, you may have to turn these back on. But hopefully your muscle memory will help you to remember to turn them off when you get back on ship

4) yes, these are redundant and doing both is overkill. But helpful just in case you have vacation brain and forget to do one or the other!

WHILE ON SHIP: ( do this every time when returning from port)

5) put in airplane mode

6) turn back on wifi (reconnecting to wifi sometimes doesn't happen automatically. You have to go to the ship web internet log in and reconnect)

7) for OCD security, double check roaming is off. ( in case you had to turn it on in ports)

8) yes, if airplane mode is on and wifi is on you don't need to do #1 or 2 or 7 But, refer to # 4. Hopefully you are having a good time and not slavishly worrying about your phone settings!

9) if your are [slavishly worrying about your phone settings], then pay attention to the type of service your phone is connected to ( wifi, 4g, LTE, or [emoji31] cellular at sea)

All will be good! And texting to keep in touch onboard is great. Also love sending iMessage wifi text pics to share the adventure with family and friends.

Happy sailing!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

For quick reference, here is a post I made about clothing and more current weather info:

'Anybody in Alaska Now - 60s and 70s'

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2502051

Also, glad I packed:

--performance underwear ( allowed easy dry lightweight nylon pants for rainy days)

--performance wool socks.

--hat with brim ( for sunny days)

-- gloves and neck gator for Glacier day. ( didn't use much, tho since it was so sunny our day)

-- comfy sweat pants for early morning walking on ship

Things I packed that I didn't need:

-- mosquito wipes ( still too cold)

-- hand warmers (not that cold)

Wish I had:

-- a rain jacket with a more substantial hood ( just took what I had, and it was good enough)

- a couple of warmer shirts: sweaters for on ship. ( lighter than a fleece jacket, so you could step outside for great views and not freeze without having to carry your fleece around )

Dress onboard is definitely more casual but not unstylish, in general. Really, probably anything goes. On chic nights I noticed heels and dresses ( as well as pants) for ladies, and dress shirts and occasional ties and jackets for men.

There were two chic nights, one a late port day. (Juneau?). Embarrassing moment: we didn't realize it was chic night and went to the MDR in our Glacier flightseeing clothes ( nylon pants and lightweight fishing shirts, sans fleece jackets). Figured it out when we were seated next to a nicely dressed couple and saw lobster, beef Wellington and lamb chops on the menu! We apologized to our neighbors- they were most gracious about it, acknowledging they were surprised it was planned for a port day when we sailed at 8:00! Three port days with late sailaways does make planning for dinner harder. We didn't want to plan around dinner so we spontaneously decided where we were going to eat once we returned to ship.

Hope this helps with your planning!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We just returned home today from the 5/28 sailing of the Infinity. Up at 2:00 am PCT for plane this morning out of Toronto so a bit groggy, but reading the forums while I eat lunch- here is a quick response to those leaving soon:

1) ship was immaculate, crew was very friendly and visible.

2) Hubbard Glacier was a great weather day. We saw the top of Mt St Elias which was apparently a very rare event. It is the second highest peak in Alaska. We got about a mile away from the Glacier but saw no calving. We watched from the helipad, which allowed longer and more intimate views. No audio and difficult to get front row photos, however. Think I would watch the approach from the Constellation bar next time so I could hear the narration and then go to the helipad at the closest point

3) The Mickey Live presentations were awesome and available for replay on the interactive tv if you didn't attend live.

4) the music onboard was very good, I thought

5) went to two shows and enjoyed them. The first was a dance show and the second was the Motown show, which was a blast. Live band, three singing/dancing/joking leads. It was not well attended due to the late port day- think it was Icy Strait Point- which was a shame. Highly recommend.

6) I didn't receive notice of the roll call meet and greet. When I went to guest relations the next morning to find out when it was, it turned out to be right at that moment! It was held in Qzine and was a lovely venue and event. First sea day at 10:30 am on our cruise.

7) highlight for us: friendly mother whale and calf hanging around the ship for quite a while in Juneau. Another rare event according to crew. She was there as we docked and as we left. We sat at the Hanger on the Wharf and filmed. We also enjoyed our helicopter Glacier landing in Juneau.

8) more whales: we saw many whales just from the walkway and from the ocean view bar while in Icy Strait Point. AND we saw Orca pods twice: once when sailing the open ocean on the way to Juneau from Hubbard. And once, while dining in the Tuscan Grille at 8:30 or so: one flapped/ slapped his tail about 30 times! Amazing. And quite serendipitous. You have to be a good watcher, which my DH is the best.

9) we enjoyed eating at Qzine on the first night- the view is great and the waiter is fun. The food was good ( our second time).

10) my DH said it was his favorite cruise. For me, I missed the sun and warmth and higher ceilings in the public areas of our S- class cruises- no relaxing balcony time for me. But many beautiful vistas and amazing scenery.

Let me know if you have any specific questions- will try to answer before you leave!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

For easy advance weather planning: for those that have a smart phone you can add in any city using the native weather app. Even Hoonah ( for Icy Strait Point, which is very close to Glacier Bay too) and for Hubbard Glacier, try Valdez.

The iPhone weather app projects out 10 days and on the day of, it has hourly temperature / condition forecasts. I found it very accurate within the week of. Two weeks out ( from the internet) were not so accurate but only by the actual day. The trend was accurate. ( Trending sunny or cloudy? Trending warmer or cooler?)

For our 5/28-6/4 cruise, we were very fortunate that the warmer/ partly cloudy trend extended a bit longer when we were there. We had some glorious sunny days ( albeit a bit cool for my Florida skin!) Even in Juneau and Ketchikan where it was forecast cloudy all day, we ended up with breakthrough sun at the end of the day.

The worst days were the sea days- overcast and gloomy and cold. Not many balcony relaxing days for me, but my DH loved the balcony on sea days. And he even wore shorts occasionally! Me: I wish I brought more warm shirts rather than just fleece/rain jackets. I didn't need my fleece as much as I thought I would- a bit thick when a thinner sweater might have sufficed. My unlined, non-waterproofed rain jacket was fine as a wind breaker. Layers are definitely the key. And my favorite item was my Columbia waterproof boots with light fleece lining. My feet were always cozy and comfortable.

Know thyself when packing!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We are approaching Ketchikan today and it is cold and rainy. Also was yesterday in Juneau ( less rainy, less cloudy, warmer later in the day). Had great weather in Icy Strait Point and at Hubbard Glacier.

However I learned that looking at clouds from below is not the same as looking at the ground from the clouds! We had a terrific flightseeing and Glacier landing tour in spite of the clouds in Juneau.

Enjoy Alaska!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks CEOofVacation & Jade13

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks JohhnnyT. How is the live music aboard the Infinity now? Names sound intriguing! Will they be staying onboard after Vancouver?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Mr Click: did your other travel agents honor the reduced deposit too? Mine requires to pay for the standard deposit at the time of transfer.

And does any one know what happens if the travel agent has a group booking price that is lower than the Celebrity price? Does that $200 savings come off the TA's group rate that is lower? Or do you lose that 'savings'?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Oops!

Here is the ship emergency number I have from a year ago:

From the US- 877-266-1020.

There will be a listing of ships with an additional number/extension to dial. Call will be routed to cabin ( have cabin number handy) and if no answer, the call will be answered by a ship operator, who will bring a written message to your cabin.

Note- this call is $7.95/minute plus long distance charges and requires a credit card in advance.

Happy cruising!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Another possible tactic: If, after final payment, the upgrade Cabin you are interested in is priced at least $1 more than you paid, then you may pay the additional cost in the current price to change to the preferred Cabin. Consider the value of the perks included or not when determining the value of your upgrade. [i recently was able to change to a family veranda by going with the Go Best package. It cost me $322 more but for that cost we got pre-paid gratuities, upgraded drink package, and unlimited internet for 2, all perks I didn't have with the the Go Better package that I paid for. Or, another way to calculate: since we would planning to spend some money for some items, it cost me $129 extra to score the bigger Cabin plus gain $300 OBC for items over and above what I planned on spending. Now I guess I will be *required* to use the spa and eat more at a specialty restaurant! I did have to give up the concierge benefits, however. ]

The options and price to upgrade will vary depending on your paid price and your cabin preferences. We have friends who also were able to upgrade to the family veranda, but paid $610 less than we did, without the extra perks, because they had a less expensive cabin than us to begin with. So, technically the Go Best package cost me $417, to gain the larger cabin and the extra perks over what I paid. I doubt I would have paid that extra ( even though the net increase was only $117, due to the OBC that I would *have to spend*; still, more cash out of pocket!). I am still happy with my original choice because I wanted a sunset veranda for this cruise, and I feel like I got a special bonus to get the premium drink package and unlimited internet! But our friends scored the bigger Cabin with the aft wake view, for less than $200 so they definitely got a good deal. FYI: the family verandas are not released for less than 4-5 occupants until closer to your sailing date- maybe 45 days out?

If you are willing to check prices and availability often, paying the lowest price at the onset could give you the opportunity to score a nicer cabin for a little bit more money. At 70+/- days out, I believe you are past final payment and you can see if there are upgraded cabins at a price you are willing to pay, now. Options closer in may be less money but more desirable locations may be gone. Always a delicate balancing act. My take is that there is peace of mind to let go of the holy grail search for optimal price vs Cabin as early as you can so cruise anticipation fever can take over!

Happy Travels! Enjoy your first Celebrity Cruise!

Sent from my iPad using Forums