floridafolks

Yes. The opposite platform is just across the tracks, but if you intend to make that transfer it would make more sense to transfer at the previous Simonkatu stop to avoid backtracking.

 

Marimekko has four stores in downtown Helsinki. The flagship store is located on the corner of the Esplanade and Mikonkatu. The address for the store is Mikonkatu 1.

Thank you for the info. The last time we visited Helsinki we were on a crowded tram as it sped by the Railway station. I always thought if we got back to Helsinki that I wanted to get a better look at it- very impressive building.

The flagship store is the one I remember- want to go back again!:)

Yes

 

 

.

 

 

 

Railway station (Rautatieasema/Järnvägsstationen) is 920 m from the Market Square. Personally I should get off here and go through the main shopping district, pedestrian Central Street & Alexander street (Keskuskatu, Aleksanterinkatu) to the Senate Square or Central Street and Northern Esplanade to the Market.

You can also change to tram 2 at the Railway station (same platform - same direction) that takes you straight to the Market Square (stop: Kauppatori)

.

Thank you so very much for the idea of using the railway station to change to tram 2. You say to stay on the same platform to go to Kauppatori.

If I wanted instead to go to Temppeliaukio Church(stop Sammonkatu) , would I just change platforms or cross the street to go in the opposite direction on Tram 2?

Also is the Marimekko store still on the Esplanade?

Thank you for your help.

The Port of Helsinki website is the best source for information on where your ship will dock as the port authority is the party making the assignments. As of today there in fact are no HAL ships besides Prinsendam shown. However those are not alone as there are currently 205 visits listed and the recent few seasons have had about 260 visits.

 

For May 11th there is so far only AIDAmar at berth LHC. Zuiderdam is too big to go into the South Harbor so it will likely end up either at LHB or LMA. My guess is that the Port is still waiting for information on some other ships and will assign berths then in a way that they can fit all ships in.

Jonza,

You were so right- the port website now lists our Zuiderdam in West Harbour LMA. So to use public transportation we just follow the green line to get to Tram 9. To return in the afternoon we have the option of Tram 9 or 6T, right?

Question 1- Is the name of the stop for LMA- Lansiterminaali? If so, then would that be the first stop going into town and the last stop returning from town?

Question 2 -Is the stop name that we use for Market Square(Kauppatori) named Kaisaniemenpuisto? I just want to be sure I get off at the right place.

Question 3 - Can I just buy the all day pass from the tram driver rather than use a machine? Same price 8E?

Thanks so much for your help!

1) I have nothing to add to this trip.

 

 

2) Tivoli is open until 23:00 so you will only get 1-2 hours in Tivoli.

 

 

If you take the train from Helsingør then its very simple.

 

The train takes 45 minutes and departs roughly every 10th minute. (03, 16, 23 etc)

 

The price is 108 kroner.

 

The ferry costs 30 kroner (36 Swedish kroner)

 

But if you buy a through ticket from Helsingborg to Copenhagen it will only cost 112 swedish kroner (90-95 danish kroner)

 

Just make sure you buy it at the train station next to the ferry terminal.

 

 

3) Yes there is free internet, just log on CPH Hotspot.

Thank you so much for your help. Could I also buy the 24 hour all zone pass in the afternoon for 130DKK to use on the train from Helsingor-Copenhagen and then use it the next morning of disembarkation to get to the airport?

I noticed you said in a previous post that there was a taxi rank at Norreport- so would it save anything to take taxi from there back to the ship at Oceankaj rather than getting taxi from Tivoli to Oceankaj?

Is 30 kr the price each way on the ferry?

Could you explain what is a "through" ticket? Is the train station you are referring to on the Denmark or Swedish side?

Thanks again for your help. You sure have given so much help to us!!:)

Our cruise has 3 scenarios involving Copenhagen. Thanks to previous posts 2 should be straightforward, but one is a little involved. Thanks in advance for your help - so here goes:

1. We will be in Copenhagen 7am-4pm on turnaround day docking at Oceankaj. The area we will start exploring first is Christianshavn as this is one area we have not seen on previous visits. So we plan to use Bus 25 to Norreport and then either M1 or M2 metro to Charistianshavn. 24DKK ticket pp. Return to ship via Bus 25 or 27 using Norreport or correct Osterport stop.

2. Now for the trickier part. On Mon May 16 we arrive at Oceankaj at 8pm. We have an overnight before disembarking ship the next morning. With taxi our only option at that time, would we have enough time to get to Tivoli to enjoy seeing it lit up at night. (Years ago we visited Tivoli at night and thought the lights made it feel magical) I am concerned by the time we get off the ship and get to Tivoli that we might not have enough time to make the trip worthwhile before it closes. What is your opinion about that??

So here is where my "out of the box" idea come in. On May 16 we are scheduled to be in Helsingborg from 8am to 6pm before taking the short hop to Copenhagen arriving at 8pm. What do you think of the idea of taking the ferry to Helsingor to visit the Kronburg castle in the morning and then NOT reboard the ship, but just take a train/stog into Copenhagen that afternoon from Helsingor. Then we should have time to visit Tivoli, staying until the lights are on, and then just take a taxi to Oceankaj to reboard the ship. This would give us more time in Tivoli. If this is a good idea, what type of ticket/cost should I get? (I know I would have to get permission from the ship to do this,but I wanted to make sure it was a good idea first)

Also, I could not find the cost of the ferry for foot passengers from Helsingborg to Helsingor on the website.

3. Oceankaj to Airport on May 17 -- our flight schedule allows us to take our time getting there, so we can use Bus 25 to Norreport and then M2 to Lufthavnen. My question is, since we are arriving early for our flight, is there free WIFI at the airport? I could not find any confirmation of this. If we get a bite to eat before boarding plane, do the restaurants at least have free wifi? I have heard that there is very little seating at the airport. Is that correct? After the 29 day cruise, we just wanted to spend sometime catching up on wifi.

Thanks so much for all you have done to help everyone enjoy Copenhagen to the fullest!:)

As Jonza said, the Market Square including the old Market Hall is the most tourist oriented while the Hakaniemi Market is more for the locals. The Hakaniemi hall is bigger than the other ones with two floors (food at the ground floor and other stuff on the upper floor). However note that the Hakaniemi hall will close sometimes in August 2016 for a two year repair!

These pictures showing the merchants might give some idea what to find at Hakaniemi hall even when the text is in Finnish only. http://www.hakaniemenkauppahalli.fi/kauppiaat/

 

The Hietalahti hall might be the least interesting of the trio but on sunny summer days, especially on weekends the flea market outside might be interesting.

 

Regarding the ship, are we perhaps talking about "Princendam" 11 June / 29 July ? Then it is Katajanokka (#5 on the map): http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/matkustajille/kansainvaliset_risteilyalukset

Like the other poster, I cannot find our ship on the Helsinki port list. We are on Holland America Zuiderdam May 11, 2016 from 8am to 5pm.

I see that the Holland America Prinsendam is listed but I can not see any other Holland America ships listed at all. We are arriving very early in the season, so I wonder why we have no listing? Is there any other place to look to get the info? It would really help in planning a DIY day with public transportation to know our berth.

We are looking forward to another wonderful day in Helsinki - thanks for the idea of the market used mainly by locals and the cinnamon bun local specialty idea!

HONG KONG SELF SIGHT-SEEING.

 

Hong Kong has two parts the Kowloon side (on the Chinese mainland) and Hong Kong Island . The Star Ferry links Kowloon and Central and Wan Chai on HK Island as reliably today as it has done for over 150 years . A splendid MTR rail system also cover both sides and provides under harbour links . In addition a network of double decker buses also provide key tourist services.

 

Cruise boats primarily berth at Ocean Terminal on the Kowloon side alongside the Star Ferry Pier, and occasionally at Freight berths in Kennedytown on HK Island . Also a new cruise terminal at Kai Tak on the Kowloon side.

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) is located on Lantau Island.

 

Kowloon side - between Ocean Terminal and Nathan Road is the heart of great shopping for everything imaginable including clothes, watches, electronics and jewellery . Avoid the brand name department stores and search out the great deals with the smaller traders . Nearest MTR is Tsim Tsa Tsui.

 

The Temple Street Night Market operates nightly in Temple St , Jordan on Kowloon side . Nearest MTR is Jordan then a short walk . Temple St runs parallel to Nathan Rd several blocks back towards the harbour .

 

Hong Kong Island : here one finds Victoria Peak, Ocean Park, Stanley, and Aberdeen . Cross the harbour by Star Ferry and soak in the atmosphere of the world’s most exciting city . Step ashore at Central Star Ferry Piers . You will see a bus interchange on shoreside. Take bus # 15 for Victoria Peak, or # 15C for the Lower Peak Tram Station (then Peak Tram) to the Peak . From the Central Bus Terminal inland # 629 for Ocean Park Aquarium (at 0935,0955,1015 only Daily); 6, 6X or 260 for the Fishing Village of Stanley and the famous daytime (from 10am) Stanley Market .

To reach the Inland Bus Terminal after alighting from the Star Ferry walk to the shore line, then up in the elevator to an elevated walkway and head inland . After passing Hong Kong Post Office on LHS look for a turnoff on the right to Central Bus Terminal (Signage is above the walkway) . You go down stairs or escalator to ground level and the Buses to Stanley (and Stanley Market) leave from the street level under that building .)

 

Victoria Peak is best visited at sunset for stunning views across the harbour as HK lights up . Nightly harbour light show at 8pm. For stunning views come down from the Peak at night by bus # 15 . The peak bus terminal is under the Galleria Shopping Centre . If you are bound for Kowloon bail out of bus at Admiralty and take the MTR to Tsim Tsa Tsui or Jordan . If heading back to Ocean Terminal return to Kowloon from Central on the Island by the Star Ferry .

 

For those wishing to visit the Giant Buddha on Lantau Island here’s how to do that as inexpensive day round trip :

Leaving around 0830 by MTR to TUNG CHUNG, walk out the station cross a large open square and head for the Chairlift ( operates from 1000 to 1800) . At Chairlift buy the combined daily Chairlift & Lantau Island Bus Pass . Take the breathtaking chairlift which does 2 x 90 degree turns to NGONG PING . Alight walk through the village shops and climb over 300 stairs to the magnificent Giant Buddha . Return to the lower Shopping area and from the adjacent Bus Terminal take bus # 21 (at 1035, 1120, 1220, 1320 )from NGONG PING to the fishing Village of TAI O . Walk slightly inland to discover the real village and a wonderful range of seafood restaurants where you can take in lunch. Walk back to the Shoreside bus terminal and take bus # 1 from TAI O to MUI WO . (40 minute frequency including 1300 & 1340). Then fast ferry from MUI WO (Hourly departures) will have you back at Central on HK Island next to the Star Ferry Central Piers . If you leave Kowloon on the MRT at 0830 , you will be on the chairlift at start up time (1000), and have time to explore Ngong Ping and the Buddha to make the

 

# 21 bus from Ngong Ping at 11.20 to Tai O . After lunch in Tai O you easily make # 1 the 1340 bus to be in MUI WO to connect with the 1500 fast ferry to Hong Kong island - central Ferry Piers. Back there around 1540.

 

 

Dinner at Lamma Island :

From the Central Ferry Piers adjacent to STAR FERRY PIERS on Hong Kong Island take the HKKF ferry to SOK KWU WAN on Lamma Island . On arrival at Sok Kwu Wan walk to the shore end of pier and turn right for Waterfront seafood restaurants . Return by same ferry to Hong Kong Island after dinner . Ferry times : 1650 from Central to Sok Kwu Wan (Mon to Sat) and return from SOK KWU WAN at 1935, 2105 or 2240

Thank you so much for the time it took to help us DIYers! Would it be possible to tell us what changes should be made to buses/MTR,(etc) if these sights are visited from KAI TAK terminal instead of Ocean terminal? Thanks in advance. This is our first time in Hong Kong and trying to make the most of it- your description has been a big help!

Thanks HKTO. I had pulled "la coruna" off the RENFE drop down menu, but I see they also have "a coruna" so I will try that. I was not actually trying to buy tickets- just wanting to get an idea of the departure times to make sure they were frequent enough to fit into the port schedule without rushing, As you said, it looks like they run fairly frequently.

thanks

After reading many reviews, we had planned to take the train from La Coruna to Santiago. I planned to just buy the RT ticket on day of trip. I looked at the RENFE site to get an idea of train times, but it said there were NO trains for that itinerary any date I tried. Can someone who understands the RENFE site tell me what is going on? I tried a dozen dates between now and my date April 29 and always got the same message. What am I doing wrong? (When check on RailEurope, they say there are trains for that itinerary.)

Thanks for your help. Also any advice on how to make the most of that excursions would be appreciated.

You know guys, I just ck'd my cruise which is Oct 9th 2016. It shows my Mediterranean Romance cruise on there BUT, showed inside cabin for April, and Balcony and Neptune suite for June!!!

I emailed my PCC who was on vacation when I saw Daves report, and just said can we get this promo added on to the other promo of the Explore 4 which we also got when that promo was started. Now I booked this cruise on our last trip on board in March, so we had no promos then. I have no idea how we got this promo from our PCC since we really should not of gotten that promo since it was for the June sailing! Hummmmm? Was it because you had a TA who just was not able to get it for you? I really do not know why we got ours since it is for the Oct. sailing!!! No I feel bad for some of you who could not get it. If I never read your response I would of figured it was because our sailing was part of the promo.

Denise:)

PS I think you should call them and really express that you can not understand why!

Yes I did call them(HAL) directly after having our TA told the 29 day sailing did not apply( we do have the Explore 4--just could not get National Plan a Cruise added. They went to their manager, who went to marketing. They said the 12 and 17 day are included, but not the 29 day combination.-- It just did not make sense to me. When I looked at the selected sailings for NPC on the website, it listed the 12 and 17 day ones, but not the 29 day combo. I thought it was an inadvertant error, so I called. I was told it was not an error- that the 29 day had intentionally not been included-- no reason was given.

I found that for your stop in Copenhagen on 7/24/16 you will be docked at the Langeliniekaj pier, not out at Oceankaj where our Eurodam cruise docked, so you will be no more than 3/4 of a mile from the Little Mermaid! Walk there, then catch the HOHO bus. If you have time I recommend a canal boat ride (100 DKK or about $18 per adult) that you can get at Nyhavn or near the Thovaldens museum.

.

Could you (or anyone) give the website address that tells where the ships are docked in Copenhagen. We will be on the April 18 Zuiderdam sailing and wondered how to find whether we will be docked at the Langeliniekaj or Oceankaj terminal as it will help in planning a DIY day.

thanks

Glad this has worked for many-- no luck for me.

I found it quite odd that is was good on the 17 day April 18, 2016 TA sailing on Zuiderdam and the following 12 day Baltic--- I had booked these two cruises as one 29 day cruise departing April 18 and they said that the National Plan a Cruise was not available on it!!

So if I had booked it as two separate cruises, I would have gotten the NPC promotion on BOTH, but since I had booked it as one longer cruise, I got nothing out of NPC promotion. Just seems odd to me-- even went up the ladder and had them check with marketing to see if it was an error-- but no luck--not good on the 29 day sailing, but good on both the 12 day and 17 day that make up the 29 day sailing.

We had book the cruise for this Oct 2015 that was chartered after we booked. However air can only be booked 330 days out so they notified us far enough out that no one had their air booked. Having flight times unless you actually purchase the air doesn't really count as a flight booked. Also if the cruise company cancels the cruise I think that it doesn't penalize those people in GB, the company is cancelling the cruise not the customer. When the cruise is cancelled, Celebrity offered several other cruise to switch your booking to as well as extra obc.

This does not solve the problem of those of us booked B2B. Many of us do not want to travel that far for one cruise. Now one airfare would get us both cruises, but if the first leg is cancelled, it would take 2 air fares to accomplish the same itineraries.

Personally, I am not so upset about the sailing being possibly chartered-that is their right. I am bothered by the cruise disappearing 3 weeks ago from the website and folks on the roll call being given conflicting info- the responses we are getting can not be all true- they conflict with each other. Someone is not telling the truth, maybe b/c they donot know it.

Celebrity Cruises please give us the straight skinny. We have 2 camps on the roll call - the optimists and the pessimists- so who is right?

 

I think this poster might be from Australia where the gratuities are included in the drink price. If the gratuity goes up (ex: $10 drink before 2/1 is $11.50 in Aus. and after is $11.80 in Australia. ) If the limit is $11.50 then that little extra gratuity has priced that drink out of the package. (I know those aren't the limits but $10 was a nice round number to work with)

This situation was raised earlier and Celebrity Cruises recognized this had potential implication in Australia where the tip is included in the price.

One specific example in Australia was wine had a $10.50 limit which included the tip. This allowed for a pre-tip wine cost of $9.00 which is the limit for the classic package. Now with the 18% tip, the $9.00 pre-tip wine would not be included in the $10.50 limit. The classic beverage info on the celebrity site clearly states that one is entitled to wine up to $9.00 pre tip. Something's gotta give. Already there are very few wines available on the classic pkg, so to lose even more would not be good.

Celebrity Cruises said they would look into it and report back. I have not been able to see any update from Celebrity Cruises as yet.

We are scheduled to stop in Bali on our February 2015 Solstice Top End Australia cruise. I am hoping that those folks scheduled to stop in Bali on Celebrity in January will provide feedback on how the stop and tendering went--cancellation or delays? Were Elites provided priority tendering?

This thread seems like a good place for those comments-- it sure would be appreciated to help us in our planning of the port stop in Bali to know what might be expected. Thanks in advance for your help.

The information I received about this, on another thread I started, is that receiving the OBC for the future cruise on the cruise you were currently on was something that Celebrity tried on a couple of ships for a few months but they have now gone back to the old way of doing it.

 

The way it worked under the new (now obsolete) program was you got the OBC on the current cruise. If you booked it the last day and couldn't spend it it was credited to your credit card. It therefore was non-refundable because you either spent the OBC on your current cruise or it was a credit to your credit card.

 

I'm glad they decided not to continue with that.

When did they decide not to continue it? Are you sure about that?

On July 14th, Celebrity Cruises responded on another thread:

"Special Update: Onboard Solstice, Eclipse, Constellation, Silhouette, Equinox, and Summit, the benefit of up to $500 with a Cruise Now booking is being given to you during your current cruise. Guests are enjoying instant Onboard Credits during this voyage and 123Go for their next voyage. Just something new we've begun to roll out on the fleet. It's going very well and guests are very excited to not only book their next reservation, but to get the instant OBC to spend on Tours, Gift Shops, Spa, Specialty Restaurants and more."

Indeed it was started as an idea on just the Silhouette and Constellation originally, but it has since spread to the other ships listed above.

"The US State Department updated its travel warning for Israel, particularly the West Bank and Gaza. It noted that long-range rockets launched from Gaza have reached cities throughout the country, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem."

 

It's about time Celebrity made their position clear.

 

If there is a travel warning issued by a country, can I cancel my cruise without loss of deposit( I live in UK)

 

Come on Celebrity, it's time an announcement was made!

What is the date of this warning? By posting it today, Aug 6th, I thought you might be inferring this was a new warning.

The travel warning by the US State Department was issued July 21st. Much has transpired since then. We are glad to see that Celebrity has waited to see if the situation might improve and would allow our Oct 18th trip to visit Israel.

I respect that others might want to know "now" but there are some of us on the trip that hope that Celebrity will give as much time as possible before cancelling the Israel posts. We pray for peace in the region.

Does anyone know what the OBC amounts would be for booking a 15 night sailing onboard?

 

I would be interested to know the OBC for each stateroom type:

 

Inside

Oceanview

Veranda

Suite.

 

The sailing we are looking at could also be classed as a repositioning cruise which I believe reduces the amount.

15 night

inside 200

oceanview 225

veranda 250

concierge/aqua/sky suites /aqua class suites 350

all other suites 450

If it is repositioning

inside 50

oceanview 75

veranda 100

concierge/aqua sky suites 200

all other suites 300

I do not want to alarm you, but ....I am on the Sept 23 sailing...but went back on the X website to check for updates, etc. and found that the Nov 1 TA cruise is not even showing up on their website for booking. I hope that is not an indication of when they expect to fix the problem. I have checked this for the past 2 days.

 

So, since you are on the Nov 1 TA sailing, perhaps you have some inside info to share.

It is sold out!! We did get an update that there would be a couple of minor time adjustments in 2 ports.

I would like to know also when they are scheduling the repair. We are on her Nov 16th . Her first sailing out of FLL after her TA. Do you think they would schedule repair before TA or wait to get her to freeport ??

We just got the taxi at the pier. This was roundtrip and the driver arranged a time to pick us up. We allowed about a hour but it didn't take that long. Many people on our roll call had reserved taxis. Our driver had taken a group to Bruge and came back for another. We were a group of 6 and another couple on the pier asked if they could join us.

thanks for the info- Was there any conflict in return time with the driver having to pickup the original group and also your group for return to the ship?

We are from GA and have done 49 cruises. This was one of the best ever. The entertainment was unbelievably good. I think the best we have ever had. Captain Christodouklakis was great. We met him the 1st day of the cruise and he remembered our names for the rest of the cruise. We saw him each morning at the Elite plus breakfast and late in the evening. The HD Daniel Simon, GRM Nick Shrives, and CD Drew were also very visible. They were even meeting tour groups who returned in the rain with umbrellas.

 

There were over 1500 Captain Club members on board this cruise. There were over 500 elites, 183 elite plus and 1 Zenith couple. Rati the CC hostess and her assistant Dee from the guest relations staff were great. The morning breakfast was split. Elite were in Oceanliners and Elite plus in Tuscan grille. This worked very well. We had vouchers for this cruise. They did hold the evening cocktail party from 4:30 to 7 in Reflection Lounge and canapés were served.

 

The guest entertainers on this cruise were numerous and almost all were good. Brooks Aehron, a classical pianist did an evening show and 2 afternoon matinees. He received a standing ovation each time. Neil Lockwood, Elton JOhn impersonator and vocalist was great Other entertainers were White Magic & contortionist-good, Juggler Goronwy Thom-great, Comedian Tony Daw-very funny, violinist-Rafael-good, and vocalist Jacque Scott a west end star was very good. A group of 4 women who did a Beatles Tribute were not very good.

 

The Production shows, although old were quite good. The Celebrity Orchestra just came aboard on this cruise and were good. The string trio was very good. The house band was fair while the Ocean Dreams, dance band was very good. Johnny Mantra, guitarist and vocalist was also good. My only complaint on this entire cruise was DJ and Lady Sax. They played in the evenings in the atrium. The sax player was terrible and they were very loud. You could hear them from the 3rd floor all the way to the 6th.

 

The food was also good on this cruise. Gavin, the chef was seen all over the ship talking to passengers about the food. We did breakfast & lunch in the buffet and there was a good variety. We ate most evening meals in the MDR, There were a few things we didn't like but mostly everything was good. We ate in the Tuscan Grill once. The staff in there was great. Danielle, her husband Vasilica, and Rakeesh served us mornings and were great.

 

There were only 4 ports on this cruise. We took a cab to Rossio Square in Lisbon for 15 E and we had 6 people. We did Paris on your Own with the ship and had a great sunshiny day while it rained at LeHavre. It was raining and cold in Dover and we stayed on the ship. Bruge was our favorite port. We took a taxi for 8 people that was 100E. We wished we had more time here.

 

I will try to answer any questions you may have about this cruise.

Thanks for your review- We will be on the Silhouette Spring TA which will closely follow this itinerary.(No Dover)

Question-- Did you have the taxi prebooked or did the 8 of you just grab a taxi at the pier? Did all taxis hold 8 people? Were there lots of taxis waiting that were not prebooked? This will help us in planning our group to Brugge.

I assume the 100E was for RT? How much time did you allow to return from Brugge to get back to the port on time?

Thanks for your help.

I want to add our recent experience on Reflection TA this past spring. There was NO charge for any Celebrity shuttles. We were told that the decision was made by the Hotel Director Jaime. Whenever a Celebrity shuttle was needed, it was complimentary. (One night we had drinks with him at happy hour and were able to thank him!:))

For example, in Livorno there was no charge for the shuttle into town. On all our other port stops in Livorno with Celebrity we had a charge for the Livorno shuttle.

Jaime did not have any Celebrity shuttles in Barcelona. His rationale was that the port provided busses to the Christopher Columbus monument for a very small charge, so there was no need for a Celebrity shuttle.

We really thought this was a very nice gesture- wish more hotel directors would follow Jaime's lead!

Got off Connie four days ago. We booked a 15 night cruise while on board and received:

 

$250 instant OBC which is credited to our CC if not spent which we did not.

$250 deposit toward the future cruise

Two of the three 123 perks; we selected the $300 OBC and prepaid gratuities

 

While aboard I transferred the booking to our online TA and received an additional $50 OBC plus a roughly $1800 savings over Celebrities quote.

 

The only proviso was that in order to be placed in our TA's "group", we had to pay an additional $650 deposit for the normal $900 for two. Still, we ended up with almost $960 in credit for our 2015 cruise.

 

The only downside was that I couldn't talk my wife into booking a Caribbean cruise for this winter but I'm working on it.

 

The future cruise agent mentioned something about the current 123 program will end at the end of July. Don't know if he meant the entire 123 program ends or the pick two of the three 123 ends. Glad we were able to,get such a good deal.

Way back in post #37 I asked: "Under the pilot program, if you have already been given the OBC instantly, what happens if we change categories later-- are we going to get the additional OBC if we upgrade categories(ex. Veranda to Concierge) and are we going to owe you OBC if we downgrade categories (ex. Veranda to Oceanview)? "

The amount of OBC(now also deposit) is dependent on length of cruise and category of cabin-

We have been asking Celebrity to address this to no avail.

Celebrity Cruises had posted this is a pilot program on Constellation and Silhouette- has this changed?

Does anyone who has been on Constellation or Silhouette recently know what happens if you change categories or transfer to a cruise with a different length than the original? There has to be rules to handle this, but what are the rules??

Otherwise why wouldn't everyone just book a suite onboard for a long cruise and get big$$$ credited immediately and then switch to an inside 7day cruise that is entitled to far less money? They were already given the big bucks for the suite and then transfer to a lower category which should be entitled to far less. This would not seem right. It also would not seem right if someone upgrades from OV to Aqua, for example, and should be entitled to more OBC than given originally. How is the change of category handled?

 

My head hurts trying to figure it out ;). I'm glad we booked onboard two weeks ago

 

You and me both!!! (Especially since my 3 future cruises that I booked 3 weeks ago are for the Silhouette where the pilot program(along with Constellation) is being tested!