tgmtgm

On 9/21/2022 at 7:22 AM, barante said:

Not having heard from Princess regarding our Oct. 28 IAD-LHR flight, I called them. They told me to talk to United. Except that United says they cannot do anything because we have not been ticketed.  (Princess said they don't issue tickets). United told us to go to the airport with our reservation number.

   Is it this simple?

Call Princess EZair and demand your flights be ticketed immediately. Until you have that 13 digit sequence of numbers attached to your reservation, you don’t have any assurance of being on that flight. 

Email or call the casino department and ask that they forward you a “special services gifts” summary for your casino comped booking. 

3 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

Just print out the page which has the flight information as well as the fare construction.  Give that to your TA.

 

If he's really a TA, he will know what to do with that.  If he is instead an order taker, you'll know that by the blank stare you receive.

That’s what I’m hoping doesn’t happen. I haven’t used a TA in years, and usually just book things direct. We’ll see if they know their p’s and q’s. 

I’m looking to book a one way BNE/LAX business class flight on Fiji Airways for next October (transpacific cruise) that I’ve priced on ITA/Google. I have a substantial travel credit with a local brick and mortar TA that I would like to apply towards said flight. My question is: Do I pass along to the TA the fare basis codes found on ITA for the flight, or is there more to it? Do TA’s still use CRS’s like Amadeus anymore, and is that the format where fare basis codes are inputted? 

Thanks for any insights.

Thanks for all the feedback. I decided to go with the Lufthansa option via Frankfurt. Selected a seat on the upper deck of the 747-800, which has been a something I’ve always wanted to try. The return flight is on KLM nonstop AMS-LAX.

Tony

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

Assuming that the cruiseline provided ticket was in a mileage earning bucket.

 

I'd likely prefer KLM.  Gotta collect the Delft houses.

I have no idea if the fare is actually mileage eligible. It’s not a priority for me anymore since redeeming miles has become so convuluted and difficult on just about all FF programs. 

I’d never heard of the Delft houses. Thanks to Uncle Google, I now know their history. Thank you for that interesting nugget of insight. 😁

Tony

What would the consensus be? LAX to Stockholm. Return flight is from Amsterdam non stop on KLM. Crystal air department has some very reasonable fares, with the Lufthansa flight commanding an $80 premium over KLM.

Thanks for any insight you all might have. 

Tony

6 hours ago, taznremmy said:

Thanks for the heads up tgmtgm!  Just put down my deposit.....great price. 

Your’re welcome! A friend of mine also booked. I know it’s not a screaming bargain, but for the ship/date/cruiseline, it’s a substantial savings!

Tony

Celebrity is currently offering solo Infinite Veranda staterooms on the inaugural sailing of the Apex April 5th 2020 for $2929 all in with choice of two perks. I’ve booked mine- get em while they’re hot! 😎

Hi Tony,

 

I have cruised on Crystal several times and have had an entirely different experience than Dancer Bob! I wonder when he last cruised on them? I think the service and crew are just great.

 

They no longer have "formal" nights, but "gala" nights when men are not even required to wear jackets or ties. However, if they want to wear something fancier such as a tuxedo, they would certainly not be out of place. (basically the only requirement is no shorts, ball caps, ratty jeans and tee shirts in the main dining room for dinner!) The comment about the night buffet being a "waiter with a tray of sandwiches" doesn't even make sense because they don't have a "night buffet". There are waiters going around to the bar/lounge areas in the late evening with trays of hors d'oeuvres.

 

 

 

 

 

Food Choice? The food is very good with only rare missteps. You can always ask for something different if you don't like what you ordered and they are good about customizing your meals however you would like.

By 2019 both ships will have been updated and have open seating in the dining room plus four specialty restaurants open for dinner. The Trident Grill is open from morning to early evening for casual food (burgers/wraps). There is also the Bistro that serves snacks for a light bite and drinks until evening (10:00-11:00 pm-ish?). Heavy drinking? Certainly not the focus any time I was on board. Entertainment? Yes, and a pretty good variety in my book.

 

Finally, I have told many people who asked about my experiences on Crystal (I have always been solo) and the main thing I tell them is how friendly and interesting the fellow passengers I have met are! The guest lecturers and entertainers I have met are sociable and friendly too. I'm sure there have been some passengers who are into wealth/status comparisons but I have not felt even a hint of that.

 

I really enjoy Crystal and am guessing you will too! Have a great time!

 

~Nancy

Thank you, Nancy!

Faith in my fellow cruisers has been restored thanks to your thoughtful overview! 😉

Tony

I was disappointed. Advertising yourself as six-star implies a very high standard; Some things were done very well but others were no better than a mass-market line.

Nightlife was anemic, mostly heavy drinking, (Transatlantic, your itinerary that might not be as important).

Food service was very regimented. Great if you liked what was on offer, but not much choice if you didn't. For example, formal nights were formal, no casual option; The night buffet was a waiter with a tray of sandwiches.

 

Nobody actually asked "How much do you make" but it didn't seem very far from the surface.

Oh wow. Sounds like you didn’t like have a very good experience. Thanks for the insight though. I’m going into it with an open mind, and hope to be impressed. 😉

Tony

Super excited to have booked my very first Crystal cruise- Baltic Vistas, July 17th 2019, 12 nights from Stockholm to Amsterdam. This has been a bucket list itinerary for me, and spends 3 full days in St. Petersburg, Russia. Anyone who has sailed Crystal as a solo; How was the experience? Any other solos to interact with? I’m not a wallflower by any means, and enjoy my own company, but not knowing the onboard dynamic makes me wonder what to expect.

Thanks. 😁

Tony

All of us solo's that just grabbed that MSC deal will have to meet at the YC bar and hoist a drink in Tony's honour. :)

Thank you for the kind gesture, but certainly not necessary. I'm just giving back to this forum that's helped so many solos find great deals. Plus, I snagged a spot myself. Couldn't pass up such a rare opportunity! 😛

Tony

Heads up to anyone wanting to experience MSC's Yacht Club. Currently there is no solo supplement on the November 30th 2019 sailing of the MSC Seaside from Miami. YC Deluxe Suite is $2097 total solo. Normal price would be over $4k. Still a few cabins available, and only a $99 refundable deposit. Good luck!

Tony

Crown is now listed on the Premium package [emoji22]

 

 

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So is Jack Daniel's.... 😟

If this is a true "technical stop", then there will be no new passengers joining for the next leg of the trip, nor will any passengers from LAX be leaving the flight. But, if people are joining the flight, how will officials at the final stop be able to differentiate between those taking a "domestic" flight and those who are "international" (boarded in Los Angeles).

 

Seems that MF (Xiamen) is selling the TAO-XMN segment, so this isn't a purely technical stop. I suspect that all passengers will have to leave the aircraft, process through Chinese immigration and reboard for the domestic segment. What the process for baggage is, I have no idea.

 

I believe that the use of "operational stop" is intended to cover any number of items, as it is not a term of art in the industry.

 

Also, since you didn't specify a date in April, I took a random one in the middle of the month. It shows a 1:50 connection time, not 1.5 hours.

 

And, of course, the ultimate answer is to check with the airline directly.

April 26th is departure date. Sorry about the stop time- it is indeed 1 hour 50 minutes. Just laziness on my part in not laying it out correctly.

I've flown dozens of international flights, but never one involving an "operational stop", hence the confusion. If as you say the ongoing flight is being marketed as a stand alone flight, then rational thought would suggest that those passengers who boarded in LAX would be required to clear at least immigration. Looks like the luggage question will have to be answered by the airline.

Thanks for the feedback from everyone.

Tony

Since OP is doing a Yangtze River Cruise, I'm sure he has all the needed documentation for the extended stay in China. An operational stop could be for refueling or for the initial entry immigration screening. Either way it shouldn't be a problem. Are you concerned about the short duration of the stop? If you are screened, so is everyone else.

Yes, China visa has been secured, so documentation isn't a concern. I'm just wondering if I'll have to claim my luggage and recheck, or just an immigration procedure. Not too worried about the 1.5 hour duration.

Thanks.

Hoping the knowledgeable fliers on here can help me with answer without calling the airline. 😬

Booked a great business class fare on Xiamen Air for a Gate1 China tour w/a 4 day Yangtze cruise next April. The outbound flight is LAX-TAO with a 1.5 hour operational stop before continuing on TAO-XMN. Flight no. (858) and aircraft (787-9) remain the same on the second leg. Will I have to clear customs and immigration during that stop or in Xiamen?

Thanks for any insight.

Tony

I have been on this itinerary a couple of years ago and they was a nice mix of nationalities. I was told by a B2B cruiser that the cruise before had a much larger number of US citizens, and that many dissembarked because they were concerned about security issues. It was a lovely itinerary with an interesting display of enhanced security because of a pirates risk. I am certainly coming back.

Thank you, travelberlin. That was my assumption as well in regards to security issues. I don't pass judgement on anyone and their level of comfort in traveling to certain areas of our great planet that at times seem draped in turmoil. I travel with an open mind and try to experience a destination beyond the negative headlines. Otherwise, life would be too short and very boring. Lol

Tony

Hi tgmtgm, just wondered if you have signed up on the Roll Call for this cruise?

 

 

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Howdy! Yes, I've signed up for the roll call. It's rather meager right now, but that's to be expected. Hopefully it picks up with participants between now and next year. 😉

Tony

Hello tgmtgm,

All of our voyages have a broad mix of nationalities. It's hard to predict what the final percentage of each nationality will be on 10/13/18 when the Azamara Quest departs Pireaus on the 18-night Voyage of Discovery. But I'd venture a guess that there will be a large contingent from the UK aboard, as well as many other European nationalities. Not so much because Americans are fearful but because Europeans are much more familiar with these countries and seas, having centuries of trade, and friends and family who have toured and brought back their travel stories. Plus the travel distance is easier for Europeans than for Americans. But in spite of all this I'd also guess Americans will make up at least 50%, since the US market is still the largest cruising market.

I hope you'll come back on this thread in 2018 and let us know what the final breakdown of nationalities is. (It will be published in the Daily Pursuit onboard.)

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/voyage/1539403200/18-night-voyage-of-discovery

Thank you for the quick reply! I look forward to the varied types of nationalities onboard, as well as experiencing Azamara's style of cruising. 😃

Tony

Greetings! Excited to have booked my very first Azamara cruise. 😀 Going solo in a minimum category balcony cabin due to the reasonable single supplement offered. I was wondering since this particular voyage encompasses a region of the world that many of my fellow Americans are fearful of, will I be in the minority of represented nationalities? Not an issue whatsoever for me, but curious none the less.

Tony

Azamara is currently running 25% single supplement pricing (inside, ocean view, balcony, and suites) on several of their itineraries for 2017/2018. I booked the 18 night "Voyage of Discovery" from Athens to Dubai sailing Oct. 13th, 2018. Granted it's not the bargain basement pricing everyone touts on this thread, but for anyone interested in trying out a high end cruiseline as a solo, it's worth taking a look at. 😎

Tony

Hi Tony,:) wish I could go but it is too late in the month:(

Hi Lois! I thought of you when booking, but then realized the cruise ends too late in the month. Unfortunately, it's a repo cruise, so no other alternative sailing dates. Bummer. 🙁