PartyAllDaTyme

We're considering NCL for a cruise, and DW is extremely sensitive to secondhand smoke.  I'm aware the policy is no smoking allowed on balconies, but I'm looking for opinions on how well this is enforced.  Anyone ever have a problem with a neighbor smoking on their balcony and NCL was not able to solve the problem?

The cost of flying into and out of Vancouver is often astronomical compared with Seattle. Easy enough to fly into Seattle and take Amtrak or Quickcoach to Vancouver, but it's one more step to consider. I'd still prefer Vancouver and the Inside Passage, though.

I've been told by Celebrity that they decide at some point to make HC cabins available to the general public, but there's no hard and fast rule-- depends on supply and demand for the particular sailing. Weigh the odds that three disabled customers will need the last three cabins at the last minute versus turning away dozens of customers that would have booked it and just wanted a C1, as the OP did. If it's likely eventually going to go to someone who doesn't need it anyway, I'd hate to miss out on a C1 when I didn't wait until the last minute to book it like the person who got it when it was released to the general public a few days before sailing. Not to say that the HC cabins should always be fair game if they're the only ones left-- you have to look at the statistical probabilities, though.

When we sailed with my DMIL who was in a wheelchair, I booked ASAP because I knew there were a limited number of HC cabins available. I know that not everyone can make plans that far in advance, and occasionally due to the particular condition that makes an HC necessary, but unfortunately that's how X's system works.

I am going on the Summit in 1 week , are curling irons allowed ?

Yes, indeed. From "What NOT to Pack" on X's website--

"For the safety of our guests and crew, there are certain items that are not allowed on board. If these are found, they will be confiscated. Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, flammable liquids, explosives, and dangerous chemicals will not be returned. Prohibited items are at the discretion of the Chief Security Officer and the Staff Captain and include, but are not limited to... Candles, incense, coffee makers, clothes irons, travel steamers and hot plates (Items that generate heat or produce an open flame. This includes heating pads, clothing irons, hotplates, candles, incense and any other item that may create a fire hazard. NOTE: The only exception to this policy are curling irons and hair straighteners...."

Yes. From Captain's Club Terms and Conditions--

"After November 25, 2013, Club Points are earned based on stateroom category purchased and length of cruise including Cruisetours when you sail with Celebrity Cruises or Azamara Club Cruises."

So a seven night cruise followed by a seven night land tour would count as 14 nights.

Where did you find this information, it wasn't supposed to be announced today!

Nice to see X has a sense of humor!

I am wondering I they will have a do it yourself option that will allow the meat lovers to slaughter and butcher their own animals. If it is a long cruise one would also be able to hang their on meat and make frequent visits to watch it age.

My understanding is that passengers will be allowed to bring aboard two steaks per cabin on board, subject to a grilling fee of $25 per steak if enjoyed in any restaurant or dining venue (steak tartare excluded). Passengers attempting to board with mutton, pork chops, bratwurst, or the like, will have their meat confiscated and be sent to the naughty room.

My DW says she is used to cruising with a baby. Funny thing is it's almost always just the two of us:rolleyes::D.

A baby should not be in a hot tub or pool because of hygienic reasons. I believe there is an age restriction on gambling in the casino as well, or it brings a whole new connotation to "Baby needs a new pair of shoes!" They do not belong in settings where a crying or fussy baby could disrupt other patrons, where quiet ambience or a vocal performance would be impinged. The simple solution there, though, is if the baby becomes a problem, get up and leave. We raised two children, and that's what we did.

I understand that's not a practical option in a cabin, but that's a different story, since that's living space-- you have to put your head down somewhere. I think everyone's had the experience of a crying child in a hotel room next to theirs-- not really much you can do. When it happens to me, I just realize it's the luck of the draw and thank my lucky stars that I'm not in the same room with them. I figure if the kid's parents are willing to put up with the torture instead of handing them off to a relative for a week, they're more likely to be attentive parents who will see to it that their child's raised right. It's a small price to pay to maybe avoid being mugged by that same kid twenty years from now.

Celebrity is not an adults-only line. True, they cater to older cruisers, but families and passengers of all ages should feel welcome. It's certainly possible the OP could have left the kids with a sitter, but that's their decision to make, based on what they feel is best for their child. Babies are a fact of life, and are sometimes noisy. If I want a cruise that's completely free of the threat of a noisy baby, I'll look for one that does not allow them, or else I won't cruise.

So if you want to bring your baby on a cruise, you're welcome to book the cabin next to ours. Just keep the kid out of the poker tournament.:p

Compare their experience to ours on our first (and likely last) Royal Caribbean cruise. My bag of laundry, which I needed done in time for the first formal night, got lost and was not delivered until the next night. I mentioned that I thought I should be comped the cost of the laundry, and after checking the charge was not on my account the next morning. They snuck it back on the next day, though, and would not take it off at the end of the cruise. Over a $20 issue they were at fault for, they lost a customer that plans on spending two months at sea a year in the (hopefully) near future.

Way to go, X!

That's what the OP is saying. They would have been happy with having the price of the rental dropped to $60, but Celebrity dropped it to $0 and he had the use of the tux for the second night.

From my Travel Guard Policy per my TA:

 

TRIP CANCELLATION AND/OR INTERRUPTION

The Company will reimburse the Insured a benefit, up to the

Maximum Limit shown in the Schedule or Declarations Page

if an Insured cancels his/her Trip or is unable to continue on

his/her Trip due to any of the following Unforeseen events:

 

(i) a Terrorist Incident in a City listed on the Insured’s

itinerary within 30 days of the Insured’s scheduled arrival;

Also note the definition of Terrorist Incident applicable to most states--

“'Terrorist Incident' means an act of violence by any person acting on behalf of or in connection with any organization which is generally recognized as having the intent to overthrow or influence the control of any government, that is deemed terrorism by the United States Government other than civil disorder or riot, that is not an act of war, declared or undeclared, that results in Loss of life or major damage to property."

Language can vary, depending on one's state of residence. For example, wording for New York state residents--

"If within 30 days of Your departure, a politically motivated Terrorist Attack occurs within a 1-mile radius of the territorial city limits of the city to be visited by the program for which the Insured has registered. This coverage applies only if this plan was purchased within 21 calendar days of initial Trip payment."

and

“'Terrorist Attack' means an incident deemed an act of terrorism by the U.S. government."

The above are from the Gold plan.

I think the reason for the reaction to terrorism versus the risks associated with everyday life is the idea that someone is deliberately trying to kill you. Maybe not you specifically, but (with rare exception) the incidents mentioned such as driving, flying, food poisoning, are unfortunate consequences, not the result of someone intentionally trying to do you harm. There's a different psychological angle to it.

That said, the risk of being involved in a terrorist incident is extremely low and would not deter me from traveling.

rdt10 is correct, I looked at what the cost would be for my upcoming cruise, which is 14 nights. You would pay $140 or $20 per day. Get the unlimited if you'll use it more than 2 days.

We have a cruise that ends April 25 in Rome. We then fly to Istanbul for a few days. When the bombings happened there, I checked on my travel insurance, and called them, to see how it should be done if we "interrupt" our trip to come home from Rome. They, of course, gave little information other than to read me the policy, which I had already read.

 

The strange thing is that if we canceled the Istanbul portion NOW, and made arrangements to come back from Rome, it would be much less costly than if we had to do it once we got there.

I recently retired from Travel Guard. For legal reasons, they cannot pre-approve a claim (or pre-deny one, for that matter) but can review the language. For TG policies that cover terrorism, you can interrupt the trip at any point if there were to be a terrorist incident that meets the definition in the policy. Depending on the plan, it would cover losses up to 150% of the original trip cost for both the portion of the trip you lost out on as well as change fees and last-minute airfare to return home.

If you change your itinerary prior to leaving, that would be trip cancellation, not interruption. You're not cancelling the entire trip, of course, but cancelling the original arrangements and substituting new ones, making it a new trip. Trip cancellation is limited to 100% of the original trip cost (or whatever you're actually out), so would not be applicable to the costs of the new trip (change in airfare from Rome instead of Istanbul)-- those are costs associated with the new trip, for which you'd want to get a new policy for.

The key point is that it the terrorist incident has to occur within 30 days of your scheduled arrival in Istanbul, so it wouldn't help you to change your arrangements now, but only if there's another incident on March 26th or later.

Again, I'm speaking in general about TG policies. I am no longer licensed to sell travel insurance, but am speaking from past knowledge.

I don't have any information directly, but I would suspect they would not allow you to simply switch promotions. You could always cancel and rebook, but you would then be paying the current price and you may lose your choice of cabin. (I assume Aussies are allowed to cancel-- I know it's a problem for EU cruisers.)

The unlimited internet package is $299, so your cost would be $240, or about $34 per day if you want to figure it that way. Otherwise, the day package is also $59. If you're going to use the internet for five days or more, it makes more sense to upgrade the unlimited package.

Please note you are not automatically enrolled in Captain's Club. You may need to contact them with your Crown & Anchor info to get enrolled.

Many travel insurance policies have cancellation/interruption protection for terrorist incidents. If there's a terrorist incident in a city on your itinerary within 30 days of your scheduled arrival, you can cancel and get 100% of your nonrefundable trip costs back. If you interrupt (cut the trip short), it can be as much as 150% of your trip cost plus a supplement for return airfare on top of that.

This is general information. Please read and understand the terms of a policy prior to purchasing.

Our first time in St. Martin, we had five ships, including Oasis of the Seas, so more like five and a half. Ridiculously busy, but we did manage to hook up with a couple from a Carnival ship to do a taxi tour.

Edit-- Well, I missed that all four were Celebrity ships.

Bound to happen eventually.

In a heartbeat. Larger cabin, corner aft balcony even larger than the aft C1's. The only drawback I can possibly think of is receiving fewer Captain's Club points, since technically it would be a downgrade. I wouldn't let that affect my decision, though.

Think its from 1886 or so. Designed to prevent passengers from using the ships as short run ferries. SanD-SanF, Seattle-Vancouver etc. I wanted to do Solstice Alaska run then Solstice to HNL. No go. Ended up on mediocre NCL Alaska, then Solstice to HNL. You are legal if you start in Sydney which is considered a distant foreign port.

Pretty much correct, although Seattle-Vancouver would not be a problem. It's more of a protectionist law, designed to keep domestic transportation with US companies. A similar situation applies with airlines-- Lufthansa does not have New York-Chicago flights, for instance.

The Passenger Vessel Services Act prohibits transport of passengers on foreign-flagged vessels from one US port to another without stopping at a distant foreign port along the way. The back-to-back Honolulu-Vancouver-Seattle routing would still be seen as Honolulu to Seattle unless there was a 24 hour stopover in Vancouver (which is not considered a distant foreign port).

The original question was about surge protectors. I agree the need for a surge protector is much less on a ship, but I wasn't going to delve into the OP's need, just address the original question.

Many subsequent posts were about whether or not you could bring power strips. Celebrity says no. If it is just something for plug conversion, I don't believe there's an issue. The Belkin you mentioned has three outlets, though, and I assume all three can be used simultaneously; otherwise, what's the point of having three? If the issue is drawing more current than the ship's electrical system was designed for, how is this not the same problem as a power strip?

If you're okay with Honolulu-Vancouver followed by Vancouver RT, and you're most interested in keeping the same cabin, how about booking the cabin you prefer for the first leg. Then, when the second leg is available, see if you can get the same cabin. If not, compare cabins available on both legs, book the one of those you prefer for the second leg and change the cabin for the first leg.

I've not done a BTB yet, but many cruisers report no issues with having a different cabin for the second leg. You won't need to pack up and go through the boarding process again-- Celebrity will move you. You may need to disembark to go through customs, but then get right back on again.

For safety purposes, power strips, extension cords, or similar items are prohibited from being brought on board.

 

An extension cord may be provided for medical reasons only. For further information, please contact our Access Department at 1-866-592-7225.

I would think this would be the last word on the subject. Their ship, their rules, and we agree to abide by them in the cruise contract. Celebrity may not be as fanatical about it as smuggling booze, but as other posters mentioned, it's a safety issue due to the possibility of drawing more power than the ship's wiring is designed to handle. One extension cord, or an extension cord for anyone with a medical need, not a problem. A thousand extension cords, problem.

A surge protector, in and of itself, would not draw additional current, but where do you find one that's not also a power strip?

It also may depend on where you live. For us in Wisconsin, any cruise will involve airfare. Despite my earlier comment, I would not take another cruise, even a cheap one, for the primary purpose of jumping up another level. What I might do is a back-to-back with a short cruise so I can effectively double my points. Splurging and getting a suite for that short cruise might not cost that much more, either.

I just wanted to mention to people who say it's not worth paying $300 or so just to move up a level that you aren't just getting the higher level, you get to spend a few days at sea, which is always better than no days at sea.