floridafolks

Years back, Celebrity used to have 4 males  in a capella groups that sang around the ships. Our favorite of those was Lemon Squeezy.

On 5/8/2020 at 6:00 PM, GOTTODOIT said:

We were booked on the Norwegian Jade 18th March cruise which was cancelled.  I was the Leader organiser of a small group tour of 14 persons to Luxor from Safaga Port.  Some paid deposits and others paid the full amount.

Has any other groups received their refunds.

Our group has not received any refunds.  Emails have been sent and mostly they have been ignored.  Received one email that said I had been refunded which I promptly replied to informing them that myself and our friends had not been refunded.

I have received emails from the other participants saying that they too have not been refunded. Everyone has sent emails to Ramses also.

I appreciate it is difficult times but being fobbed off is not acceptable.  Give us a truthful time frame and we will be patient but do not ignore us.

Some have rebooked for next March cruise but will not be booking with this Company if they are going to treat their guests like this. 

Anyone else experiencing No refunds from this company.

You asked if any other group has received their refunds- 

We were booked on an overnight group  Luxor tour with Ramses from your same March 18 Jade sailing. We  notified Ramses of the cancellation as soon as we became aware and we received full refund on Mar 15 th.  We were extremely pleased with the prompt reply and refund. 

2 hours ago, blag said:

5

I am not sure where you got this info. As a British expat living in Italy, I am not aware of this! 

I was referencing the link that the mice gave in post #27. It was about Spain, but at the top of that article was a link regarding Italy. I clicked and read it and found that info under Italy’s phase 3.  I also said IF that comes to pass that would be significant.

1 hour ago, the mice said:

LakeSideKen, that is exactly my point.   If you read what I said:  If this comes to pass, it does not look like our June 20 cruise on Journey out of Barcelona would happen"  

 

But I found it ironic that RCCL has listed their expected sailings out of Barcelona in an article in Cruise Industry News.  Obviously, that information was provided by RCCL before this article in the Spanish press.   And, AFAIK, there has not yet been an official announcement by the Spanish government so this is a bit of speculation.   That's why I said "if this comes to pass."

 

Personally, I think it highly unlikely that cruising in the Med is going to start mid-June for any number of reasons.  Opening up the local economies of France, Spain and Italy will be enough of a challenge without dealing with cruises, but again, this is my personal opinion.  Since our June 11 cruise has been cancelled (as well as flights, etc.), I am hoping that our June 20 (part 2 of a B2B) will be also be cancelled because 1.) I don't want an FCC and 2.) I cannot see how the onshore experience will be anything like what we would have experienced pre-COVID-19.  

the mice -- what I find the most troubling is when I click on the link at the top regarding Italy's reopening plans-

At the end of phase 3 it has: Beyond March 31: The last step will be to reopen the borders and allow travel --  that is March 31, 2021! 

IF this comes to pass, then that would be a big impact!

17 hours ago, Baynanno1 said:

We have received email notification of FCC (as requested) for our cancelled 28 March cruise. 🙂  Not the usual certificate, but a couple of boxed lines containing the details across the body of an email.

 

We do not have any idea why, but the amounts we each received were quite different, by $$$$, but added up to the correct figure less fees, charges & ports. No sign of those on our credit card. 🤔

 

And nothing at all on 17 March cruise, cancelled four days before 28 March was cancelled . . . mystifying! 😶

Since you are one of the few sailings that has actually received FCC, would you be so kind as to answer a few questions please-

1. Did the email come directly from Azamara or did it come via travel agent?

2. Did it come with directions on how it can be used- new bookings only? Sail by date?

3. Is there a certifiCate number and expiration date for usage? 
 

I agree that this all is mystifying. We were on Quest Feb 20 sailing that did not go according to plan. Captain sent letters on Mar 8 detailing FCC and Azamara notified our travel agent on Mar 9 that FCC would be forthcoming. To date, we have heard nothing from Azamara regarding FCC. We all are just waiting patiently- The FCC is currently worthless to us as long as they have the over 70 permission slip requirement. I would like to know the expiration date for FCC in hopes the over 70 restriction will be lifted before the FCC expires. 

Also we were told in the letters that flight change fees and visa fees could be submitted to AzamaraCustomerService@azamara.com. We have heard nothing back from that either. It would be nice if we even got an automated response acknowledging they received the request and are working on it.  

We did get our port fees credited to our onboard account before disembarking, otherwise we would be waiting on those too. 
 

4 hours ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

If it does remain a permanent requirement, we will not be cruising either as we are both well over 70 and my DH has chronic bronchitis, so there’s no way a doctor would sign the current letter.

I responded to the survey. I found there were places where they asked for explanations and I was able to state the reason for not choosing Azamara for future cruises is the requirement for doctor’s permission slip needed for over 70s. I was hoping if they hear that enough maybe they would suggest to CLIA to reconsider.

2 hours ago, blcruising said:

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. Celebrity is taking the Norwegian position of no refunds, right?

 

Cunard pulled out of Singapore yesterday.

 

The 17th Jade sailing was originally a Hong Kong departure then changed to Singapore after the govt closed Hong Kong. We will see if they forge ahead from Singapore or play follow the leader and release a third new embarkation port.

No - celebrity is being extremely fair  - feb  15 cruise previously embarking in Singapore cancelled- 100% refund and 50% FCC. Norwegian was about last to pull out of HK and looks like  may be last to pull out of Singapore.

On 12/7/2019 at 4:52 AM, happy trailer said:

 

 

 

👍👍👍

I would like a local's advice---how would one use public transportation (train/bus) to travel from Haifa Port to Jerusalem?

Our cruise ship arrives 6am April 1 and departs 9pm April 2, so  there is plenty of time for the trip---thinking of either staying overnight in Jerusalem or returning late April 1.  We  have been to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Dead Sea, and Galilee before on tours- we enjoyed the tours, but there was so much more I would like to see in Jerusalem. We would like the freedom to visit on our own time.  Is it feasible for a tourist to attempt this?  If so, what is the easiest itinerary to take- station names, etc.

Any help would be appreciated.

1 hour ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

The company is called Wadi Rum Tours. Their website is wadi rum tours.com and the email address is info@wadirumtours.com.

Saleh works with an ex BBC journalist called Tudor Lomax and it was he that replied to my email.

 

Thanks for contact info 

1 hour ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

Private tours can be cheaper or better value than ships tours.
We’ve booked an all day private tour from Aqaba to Wadi Rum. The ships tour is £100 pp for a 5 hour panoramic drive into Wadi Rum and lunch.
We have been able to book a private tour (just the two of us) which includes a taxi from Aqaba to Wadi Rum and back (1 hour drive each way) plus about 8 hours in a 4wheel drive vehicle seeing whatever we want to see, including lunch for about £200. Same price as the ship’s tour, but tailor made to see what we want to see, and for much longer.

HGC,

First, thank you for all the helpful info you continue to post on Azamara board.

We are looking for a private tour from Aqaba to Wadi Rum including R/T taxi. (we have already been to Petra)  Could you share the company Contact you are using. If you prefer, I could list email, but others might be interested too.

4 hours ago, Norwaylady said:

Good morning from Gibraltar!
Sun is shining and Reflection is treating us well👍🏻

 

Armed and ready, off it went to future cruise the first day. 
1. No problem to book Azamara, but OBC 200 or 300$ that’s another thing.

200$ is what we get. 
according to future cruise it’s only 300OBC if you book on AZ. 
So since we book onboard X, we only get 200 OBC. 
I had a print screen of the AZ homepage were information about this was written. But it was just shuffled away and told that on X you only get 200$ OBC and it doesn’t matter if you book early or late on your cruise. 
 

But the positive thing is that we are now officially book on Suez Canal 2021👍🏻

This too was exactly what happened to us- the Celebrity system pops up $200. Future cruise on Celebrity did not understand what I was talking about even though I had printed out the details.  I just called the LCV department when I returned and gave them sailing date and booking date to show it was during first half of cruise-- they sent it off to someone and voila- in a couple of days, the extra $100 showed up!  It was a very brief phone call and no hassle. Very impressed with Azamara and how they handled it!

IMHO do not waste time or effort on current cruise-just enjoy your cruise and make a quick call when you get home

11 minutes ago, CA Oceanfront said:

Has anyone had any experience in trying to obtain the B2B discount after final payment date, such as getting it in the form of OBC?

For my upcoming B2B, I asked about getting the discount AFTER final payment. The TA called Celebrity and I was given a $100 credit back on my credit card for each cruise.

1 hour ago, snowglobe said:

Just noticed a Double Upgrade promo on several sailings.

You may want to revisit your bookings... it could work in your favour. 

If my original booking was booked onboard with Discoverer Plus 7% discount, would I still get to apply this if I refared? (I am before final payment and my sailing offers double upgrade promo)

I know I need to call TA when she opens on Tuesday, but thought some experienced travelers might get me answer sooner- thanks

5 minutes ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

 

Thanks, will check both places!!  Haven't seen them at either of those before so obviously didn't look well enough!  

Yes, they are usually poured out in a big bowl next to the soup with tongs for serving.  But, if  they do not have them out, just ask.  One time when no chips were out, they went back behind the scenes to check. They came out with a BIG bag and told me to take the whole bag back for the cabin and enjoy throughout the cruise! One example how Celebrity aims to please!

We did B2B in Mar/Apr 2019 and received the post thank you offer after both. The offer is good for booking within 60 days- we used them both when booking a B2B for this Sept/Oct with a big box TA. Often in the past the post thank you offer did not combine with our other offers, but this time it worked for both cruises!  ( I have no idea why we get the post thank you offers after most all of our Celebrity cruises)

27 minutes ago, laurieb said:

I applied as soon as we booked, which was May of 2018; we're Discoverer

Thanks for sharing. I was not sure if folks needed to be at the very top level and apply a year in advance to have a chance. I now think I should apply- who knows- we might get a surprise. 

Enjoy!!

18 hours ago, laurieb said:

Just got the call to upgrade from a verandah to an N1; we're about 5 weeks out.   So excited!!!!

Congrats and enjoy!  May I ask how far in advance of sailing date did you apply for upgrade and what level are you in LCV? I ask as those seem to be 2 factors involved when upgrades are available. Thanks for info

I am glad to find this thread to know that I am not the only one disappointed in LCV response - both email and phone.  I have 20+ cruises in Celebrity, but only one on Azamara, so I did not know if this unacceptable service was normal. I am glad Bonnie is checking on it- hopefully they will respond to her.

i am currently on hold - 57 min and counting so I have plenty of time to write this post. BTW I was on hold yesterday. 52 min and gave up. Today I am determined to see how long it takes.

How frustrating!

1 hour ago, prim8keeper said:

 

Thank you for this. We are actually on Equinox next month so this gives me some hope that things can go smoothly.

 

 

 

I went armed with data, expecting an experience like Phil described.  I was actually shocked that it was so smooth and easy. I dealt with Margarita on Equinox.  As I am not as familiar with Azamara cabins, she even suggested which cabins in my category we might like better and why.  -One of my best onboard booking experiences!  Good luck.  

2 hours ago, prim8keeper said:

Has anyone had any luck booking an Azamara cruise on board X to get the reduced deposit and discount? It seems like sometimes the future cruise office struggles just to book X cruises. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

I just did it this month on Equinox. When my loyalty number was entered, the computer automatically gave the reduced deposit, onboard booking bonus OBC, and  % discount appropriate to our loyalty level. (Celebrity and Azamara use same loyalty number)

18 minutes ago, sippican said:

Our cruise willl begin in Shanghai. We are arriving three days early specifically to be able to see the Terra Cotta Warriors. China Highlights (highly recommended here on CC) has arranged a tour as follows: Flight to Xian from Shanghai, Tour of Xian, including Warriors, overnight in Xian, early flight back to Shanghai the next morning. The tour is all-inclusive with transfers, flights, guide, hotel, etc. 

We had originally looked at flying direct;ly to Xian ourselves, but the price of the flight and schedule were not nearly as comfortable as the tour package from CH. We will get into Shangahai late afternoon, and stay at an airport hotel.

We also did not want to take away from our time in Beijing to travel to the Warriors (nevermind the exhobitant price that X was charging). China Highlights was so good to work with that we also booked them for Beijing. We were able to find others from our roll call to join us on both tours, which reduced the price.

You may also want to ask on the Asia forum in the ports section.

 

 

Sippican,  I think you will be very pleased with China Highlights.  We used them on our precruise to visit the Warriors before boarding the Millenium in Shanghai. We were fortunate to find great flight to Xi’an from US on our own using frequent flier miles and stayed at Hyatt two nights on points. China Highlights handled all airport transfers and tours including wonderful meals - great service and fair pricing.  We often DIY, but having China Highlights handle everything from touchdown to takeoff in Xi’an made for a memorable, stress-free trip.

54 minutes ago, caymancouple said:

I need to know if anyone has figured out how to see the Terra Cotta warriors in China while on a cruise?  I know I could book a tour of China and view them, but I really would rather do a cruise and see Beijing and the Great Wall and Shanghai..... but really it is the Warriors I would like to see.  Any one figured  out how to do this?  Thanks 

We flew direct on United from SFO to Xi’an to see the Warriors Pre-Cruise. We then flew to Shanghai and spent a couple nights there before boarding our cruise originating in Shanghai.  I did not think it was viable to see the Warriors during the cruise.  - Pre-Cruise or Post- cruise would work best.

We are taking a Millennium cruise next year and have arranged our own trip to Angkor Wat from Hong Kong after the cruise. A four night trip with non stop flights and a highly rated hotel is costing us under $900US for both of us. A precruise trip from Singapore would have been slightly cheaper, but the dates didn’t work for us.

That is exactly what we did last fall. We disembarked Millenium in Hong Kong and arranged our own flights and hotel -4 day/3 nights Loved it! We did have private driver and guide arranged through Sam Sophia for touring and airport pickup and drop off. We stayed at Park Hyatt and could walk to Pub Street. Great and easy trip to plan on your own at fraction of cost of ship tour.

We live in central Florida. We have done one way rentals up and down and it can sometimes be cheaper. And even if about the same price, we don’t put wear and tear on our car and we don’t risk getting dinged etc.

 

But we also have parked at the port and it is very nice and easy.

We are in Central Fl too and use one way rentals too. We use Avis and is way cheaper than paying for parking. They now even have shuttle to/from port from their in town location. We usually go a day early and drop off car and stay at nearby Hyatt (using points-free) then Uber to port.

Since you will be driving into Miami the day of cruise, I would try and stay beyond Orlando area. I live in Orlando and it is so congested in the morning and many of the hotels are near I-4-- which is a nightmare -being remodeled to have Lexus lanes- avoid if at all possible!

I think MJSailors(Post 6) had a wise idea. At Exit 152 on the turnpike on Okeechobee Rd in Ft. Pierce, in addition to the Hapmton Inn, there is a Holiday Inn Express. In the morning you can then check traffic report and decide whether to take I-95 or Turnpike to Miami depending on traffic/accidents.

Here is a link to find hotels along the Florida Turnpike:

https://turnpikeinfo.com/lodging.php?road_name=floridas-turnpike&state=florida