BosoxI

Booked my first cruise with Regent:

 

Serene Sunsets

28 nights -- September 12 - October 10, 2018

Vancouver --> Miami via Alaska and the Panama Canal

on the Seven Seas Mariner

 

Deposit is paid, cabin is reserved, added it to my calendar.

 

(Now, gotta go cancel the Oceania cruise ... ) :D

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

I've got to give you credit for pulling the trigger. DW and I have been on about seventy cruises on various lines over the years. We have considerable status on several of them, particularly Celebrity. We have been on Christmas cruises for the last five or so years and have actually booked a December 2018 cruise, far in advance of what we normally do. Celebrity prices have become outrageous. This year I noticed a Seabourn fourteen day cruise which would have made a perfect back to back with our X trip. DW touted me off it for several reasons, some good, some silly. But I now am thinking that if Seabourn/Regent/Crystal have good prices close to departure day in 2018, maybe it makes sense to follow your lead and cancel Celebrity and hope for the best with another line.. We have booked our first Regent cruise for February 2018 in a more modest cabin, as we don't want to break the bank on a new line. Already she is concerned that on Celebrity we have a butler, drinks, WiFi, laundry etc. etc. Why try Regent? We'll see. Our good friends love Regent, so we'll give it a try. I hope you have a great trip, and I hope we do, too. Now if I could just cancel that 2018 Christmas trip, but I think I'll wait until March to do it.

Just to complete the story, my wife wouldn't do fourteen days on Seabourn but jumped at the chance to do ten days on Regent in February. So off we go. Actually, fourteen days would have meant twenty five days in a row in the Carib. A bit much, I have to agree. I'm glad I didn't stop looking, and I'm glad she's happy, Mr. Luxury. :)

I think you will find that cruise lines will upgrade new customers to entice them to become regular customers in the higher category cabins. At least that is our experience. We were upgraded to a good balcony from an ocean view and never again booked an ocean view on any line. Then the same line upgraded us to a suite from a balcony. Uh, oh. Guess what happened. I really believe the chances for an upgrade decrease as a customer becomes loyal to the line. They've hooked him, no need to entice him any longer.

I still take my 'good' jewelery with me when i travel. I like to wear the few pieces i have when I go for dinner. When i am off the ship i leave everything secured in the safe.

Mind you my version of good may well not be what other people think of as good.

My wife has been circling the world for 45 years and has always said "Where am I going to wear it, if not on a ship?" Naturally, on land is a different situation.

I want to thank each and every one of you because each and every one of you has touched on at least a portion of the situation. My wife is quick to tell me "Carpe diem" but slow to carpe the diem, I'm afraid. :) This would have been the perfect cruise, as we will disembark the Eclipse on the day the Sojourn leaves , but even that leads to problems. Luminae versus Sojourn. Large versus small. We've spent more than two years on various ships ranging from the QM2 down to the Pacific Princess, all enjoyable cruises. I'm sure fourteen days on the Sojourn would be, too, but I guess it's not worth the chance. Guess I'll buy that Harley I've had my eye on :) Thanks again for some very good insights.

I am trying to convince my wife to give Seabourn a try but it's like pulling teeth. To keep costs down, I'm willing to book an Oceanview, but the reviews she's found of those cabins are not particularly complimentary. Then there is the food. So many reviewers note that the quality is not that good. Tastes differ but what should I conclude with so many negative comments?

Time is running short if we are to get a cabin. Can some of you recent travelers give a short commentary on Sojourn/food/service and any ideas on life in a forward cabin on deck four. We are not seasick prone, incidentally. She really is reluctant to spend fourteen days on an unfamiliar ship.

It won't have any impact, apart from a small reduction in choice. The R2/TK Grill is a small venue. You will still have three choices inside and outside (+ room service) and wont have any problem finding a table for yourselves or to share with friends whenever you want (within dining times).

Thanks for the quick response

SECRETS.....As a first time sailor with Seabourn you are eligible for $400 onboard credit with a referral coupon. If you look at the "sticky" thread at the top of this board, you will find someone with a referral coupon to give away.

I'm almost embarrassed to ask, but I don't see the sticky. Where am I not looking? s DW and I are very close to signing on for our first SB cruise. Thanks

Seabourn Customer Service told me ( a few days ago), that Restaurant 2 will be converted to TK Grill during dry dock (the week before the Dec 11th sailing of the Sojourn), however it will not be operational until Jan 2018.

My wife and I are considering a Sojourn cruise on December 21. We've never been on Seabourne before, so could one of you experienced cruisers please tell us the effect of not having a venue open? We have no idea of the type food we'll be missing or the availability of dining.

We'll be coming off a cruise having a private dining room, and while we'd love to try Seabourne, we don't want any trouble in finding a place to eat. Thanks for your responses.

Kindle paperwhite all the way. Can hold tons of books, loads of free books on Amazon, or very cheap ones. Can read in the sun, or in the dark in bed as it is backlit, light to carry and slips into your bag.

Kindle for me, too, but I remember on our last cruise on the QM II, the library was the equal of a small town's. Just fantastic, not that this does anyone on a Celebrity ship any good. If your taste runs to history and biography, you might do well on X which also specializes in some very boring political studies

While there is certainly nothing wrong with Celebrity, we've had great success on longer cruises using Princess. I believe they have had month long cruises around South America ending up in the States. That has a particular attraction for me, and as I've always liked their food better, that would be my first place to look for a SA trip. As my wife has never been around the Horn, SA is a very attractive destination. Maybe next year.

One example of necessity to book far ahead is a B2B in the same cabin

That's a bit of an annoyance but not the end of the world. We've done it more than once and, really, going from a suite to a non-suite is the real pain

Take a deep breath and remember Julie is just one person on the Celebrity payroll. If you are still bothered greatly, write a brief but strongly worded complaint to Celebrity corporate offices, noting that 2400 points were not accrued overnight. For every Julie there are hundreds of good workers on Celebrity. By the way what assurance would you have that a Julie won't exist on any other cruise line?

We did a Mekong River cruise this Feb which finished with 3 days in Siem Reap. Our experience was that Angkor Wat is completely and utterly commercialised and you will be sharing the experience with hundreds of others and to see it in 2 days I doubt if you feet will touch the ground. To add to the pain you will be delayed by endless couples who wish to be photographed by their partners posing in every doorway and window you come across. I would say you are 10 years to late.

Angkor Wat is the last substantial stop on my bucket list. I guess I should thank you for your information, but I am a bit saddened, too. This is the way of the world, of course. I found the same situation at the Alhambra. Virtually empty and a delight in 1984 and an overcrowded disappointment in 2012. And then there's Paris and Venice in 1967:D

We've taken approximately 70 cruises and have canceled only one when my sister required serious and unforeseen surgery. We rarely book far in advance, so this change will confirm us even more in a short term mentality. For us I sense a lessening of interest in cruising in general, so the new policy comes at a time when we will be only slightly affected. there's nothing wrong in flying and driving.

We have British friends whom we have met on cruises in December for the last five years. This year they are not cruising, having booked a vacation in St. Lucia instead. The possible loss of their deposit on a suite became to much of a concern. We'll miss them on the Eclipse this year but certainly understand their viewpoint, now more than ever.

One has to realize that the "base" price of all cruises with Celebrity (except transoceanic and repositioning cruises) IS the GoBig/Better/Best pricing (on oceanview and higher). Under the current "The World is Open" promotion GoBetter is being offered at the base GoBig price. Any other fares such as Senior rates, Residency discounts and "Exciting Deal" fares are "tactical" discounts offered only for a limited time period and/or may not be available to all passengers. When taking the extra discount the passenger forfeits the perks afforded in the base fare. If the extra discount is available it is important to compare the true value of the perks you would get use from to the amount of the discount to ensure you are getting the best value. If the perks have no value to you, or have a relative value less than the amount of the discount, then the discounted fare may better, when available.

On the December 2 Equinox cruise you will be taking, we were offered all four perks for $650. We'll have access to some booze as an Elite+ plus 240 internet minutes each, more than enough for us on a seven day trip. We would get $150 OBC each and gratuities. Obviously, the perks are not a benefit for us.

RCCL Grandeur of the Seas is stopping in St. Martin November 5th

 

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/69977-grandeur-of-the-seas-first-cruise-ship-to-visit-on-november-5

Yesterday I received an email from one of the better jewelers there, saying they are up and running

I cannot imagine paying the current prices for a Christmas cruise, but people do. On the other hand I am considering an early December seven day Caribbean cruise. A Sky suite guarantee for $1749 or so. Not bad.

I just received an email from X requesting me to take a survey on my most recent interaction with the aptain's Club. I answered the first question, giving Jo Ann a 10. I tried several times to move to the second question with no success. I quit. Even their surveys don't work

Thursday evening Celebrity announced that on Monday, Martinique would be substituted for St. Maarten.

Interesting. I wonder if that will hold true for all future cruises until St. Martin is back on its feet.

The fall TA of the Constellation in 2014 was scheduled to start in Civitavecchia. Due to high winds, the port was closed. Rather, the TA began in Naples, the last port of the preceding cruise. Lots of bus traffic between Rome, Civitavechia and Naples to deal with disembarking and embarking passengers. Luckily we were B2B, so just an extra day in Naples for us.

I believe we were on that cruise. Somehow X rounded up a fleet of beautiful buses to take us from Civitavecchia to Naples. Really was remarkable how they were able to do that on such short notice.

During the course of my phone conversation with a Celebrity rep, I asked if I could transfer my reservation to a TA. The rep asked how much OBC would I gain. Once I proved the validity of the OBC offer, he was able to match it within $25. For $25 I stayed with X. He sent me an email saying I was entitled to the OBC but it would be nontransferable. No problem. I am curious to see if it shows up automatically when I board or if I will have to show the email to get it. Of course, I have no real use for the OBC and had I transferred it, the TA would have given me a debit card for its establishment. Maybe I outsmarted myself.

Well said...But some people will always find something to complain about. I am thankful just to be able to cruise!

Well, I have a really legitimate complaint. Every time I have my pants or my wife's slacks pressed, they come back with the crease on the sides of the leg, not the front and rear. Invariably, we have to send the item back to have it redone. It is so distressing, I am almost brought to tears. I can't remember if other lines do the same, but I am ready to drop Celebrity and try something different!!!

Funny but true story here.

 

Several years ago (2011), wife and I wanted a specific cruise on HAL. Only thing we could get three months away was a waitlist for the cruise. About 2 weeks before, HAL called us and said we could book. The price had gone up considerably. We declined.

 

 

Then on the day of the cruise, there was a MAJOR blizzard on the East Coast. I called HAL at 9 a.m. and asked if there were any cancellations. There were quite a few. I asked if I could get one of those cabins. I could. I asked if I could get a discount. I got a balcony cabin for 2/3 off!

 

 

We packed a suitcase, gassed up the car, and were at the port in 3 hours. Great cruise!

Our HAL story is a bit different. We wanted to go on a European cruise and HAL had one that sounded great. We had enjoyed our previous trips with them but had to be waitlisted for this one. While waiting, we found a Celebrity cruise that also sounded good, so we booked it. Naturally, HAL called just with a cabin just days before embarkation. Too late. That trip is what got us back cruising with X. Otherwise, we might have been visiting the HAL boards for the past twenty five years.

Question then? When you cancel online do they credit your deposit back to my credit card I used to book it????

They better not credit my deposit back to your credit card. That would surely end my relationship with Celebrity ;p