Redtravel

Just back from Breeze. New design is good. We stayed in an older suite because we like the bed close to the bathroom. Older suites got new bathrooms, carpeting, and bedding. The rest is the old furnishings which could use some repairs. Had a drawer come apart. It was repaired. Chairs and woodwork have wear. Need to replace some of the old furniture. Saw the new suites. They are nice. They lack the warm feeling of the wood trim. Still prefer older suites.

Just back from Star Breeze. Food was excellent. We were disappointed that not all venues were open. We liked Veranda, Aamphora, and Candles. As for the new restaurants, we are undecided. We ate dinner at Cuodo 44 once. It was pleasant, but crowded. Too small space. Food was interesting. Wouldn’t return. Not our taste. We were really looking forward to eating in Star Grill. Love the chef tv shows. However, we never got to eat at the grill. It was never open for dinner. Lunch menus were too limited. Veranda had a great assortment of items. Aamphora was excellent. Ate at Candles twice. It was superb. The new head chef on Breeze is amazing. New head chef is amazing.

After final payment, you are stuck. Booking assurance cuts off then. Before pandemic, Windstar was excellent at matching price changes up until embarkation. I had some great cuts that saved me money. However, since Chris Prelog became CEO there have been changes.

No need for any of that stuff. It’s travel. Got a receipt and confirmation for air travel, hotel stays, and some cruises. Some cruise lines have gone all electronic. No paperwork. Show up at the dock. Your reservation should be in the system or on a list. Agent checks credentials and puts luggage tags on bags. Off you go. It works for planes. It works for cruises.

So sorry. Dealing with dementia is tough. Don’t do it alone. I hope that you find a support group or have help with caring for your husband. My dad had early onset Alzheimer’s.

Update. Our actual experience was better than anticipated. When we checked in to fly, our documents were checked by the airline agent….passports, ArrivCan receipt, vax cards, etc. when we landed in Canada, we visited the immigration kiosk. Scan in passports, took photo, got entry receipt. Customs took the receipt. Got luggage and left.

Planes are full. With travel up, expect higher prices. It’s just a case of supply and demand. We were supposed to cruise Jan. 2022 Rt Miami. Bought air 8 months before cruise at a low price. When omicron hit hard, we canceled. Got fcc and air credit. We rebooked for next winter. Air was double what it was. Bought it anyway. Since then, it has increased. It’s now triple the original fare. Add to that airline cancel routes, delay service, add extra fees for seats, etc. inflation is hitting all sections of the economy.

If I had known all the requirements involved in cruising out of Canada, I would’ve not booked until all entry requirements have been lifted. Not worth the hassle involved.

Windstar will book air. Prices are same as what you can get. Plus you pay $50 booking fee. Buy your own air.

For shorter trips, we buy the laundry package. At $8pp per day, it’s great. Makes a great vacation even better. When I get home, just unpack and put clean clothes away. Wish all cruise lines had unlimited laundry.

Keep looking. In 2019 we had a tough time finding a room for night of July 1st. It's Canada day and hotels were fully booked or charging top prices. Look at airbnb. Keep trying. I was able to book a room at a chain hotel using points.

Thanks. It seemed crazy that after testing for the cruise to be chosen for another random covid test when you land in Canada. By the time the results were back, the cruise would have departed.

Only bring clothes that you can send to the laundry. On 18 day voyage, laundry is free. They do a great job. It is usually returned, ironed, on hangers. Same day if you put it out before 9 am. They do laundry everyday. At the end of the cruise, you pack mostly clean clothes.

Helpful. Thanks. Yesterday I was stressing about this. would like to hear from people who have already been to Canada about their experiences using ArrivCan.

Gilbert’s for lobster rolls. Place looks unassuming. Inside is dark. However, go around to the waterside. There is a lovely outdoor deck. I used to live in Boston and frequently went to Maine. Whenever we visit anyone in NE, we try to take a diversion to Portland. Enjoy!

I read that if you drive across the border, you may still be selected for random self testing with a tele proctor. I had hoped that the random testing would stop again.unfortunately it is in place. By next year, anything can happen.

This week I have received a plethora of emails from my travel agent, Windstar and American Airlines. They refer to VeriFLY and ArriveCanada explaining all the entry requirements for Canada. It’s confusing. My spouse and I have read it differently. We are flying in and staying in a hotel one night before embarking on a cruise. I think we have to submit 2 Arrive Canada forms. Spouse says one and done. Also, stressing about the entry random testing. Has anyone had this experience? Please respond if you have experience flying into Canada.

You can bring your own wine onto the ship. We do. There is a small corkage fee. If you talk to the wine steward, you may find a more pleasing wine. On one trip in France, we met the wine steward to A shop where she was doing a tasting. She invited us in to join her. Then she bought what we liked.

Not a problem. We have never had a problem getting a reservation at Candles even if we boarded late. On one b2b trip, we had a full day excursion and didn’t get back to the ship until almost dinner. We forgot about making reservations. Had no problem getting reservations the next day. All of the dining venues are good. Just relax and enjoy.

Butchart is nice. I stopped there on a land tour which included 2 nights stay in Victoria. However, given one day in Victoria, I would stay in town. Visit the museums, see the totem poles, shop, stop at the Fairmount for tea, and enjoy the waterfront.

Reserve tables before sailing. On Summit in June. We reserved a table for 2 when we booked. Glad that I did. The lines at dinner to get a table were huge. There are 2 lines, reserved and not reserved. On the first night we were escorted to a table and asked if we liked it. The wait staff were excellent. After eating, we requested that table for the entire cruise. Request was noted. After the first night, we never waited in a line again. We just walked up and went to our table. We reserved in the select dining area every night 6:30. Many people don’t realize that you can reserve in Select Dining. They line up every night and wait with buzzers. It’s a mess. Pick a time and reserve before you embark. On Summit, they wouldn’t let Select reserve on the ship.

Bathtub space would make a big shower. Hope they leave the small shower too. For those with balance issues the small shower was perfect. You cannot fall down. Overcame the drop soap problem by putting 2 bars of soap in the shower.

All are nice. Sailed on smaller R ships several times on both Oceania and Azamara. Love the smaller size except for the small cabins and tiny bathrooms. The Oceania larger ships, Riviera and Marina, are fabulous. The cabins are like suites. There is lots of space and a gorgeous roomy bathroom. Once we sailed on Marina, we seldom sail on the smaller ships. We only sail on R ships for itinerary.

If I read the Arrive Canada correctly, we have to submit forms twice. First to arrive by plane. If staying in a hotel,. Then we have to submit it again before embarkation. Both are within 72 hours . Since we are staying one night in hotel, I will be submitting both forms at the same time. That’s insane.

Just booked a cruise as a last minute special. Also, not given loyalty discount. The price was good. We are disappointed, but not a deal breaker.