ChucktownSteve

The credit card handling is outlined on your Xpress Pass when you go to print it out. Here is what my Xpress Pass says as it relates to other countries.

For Non-US Issued MasterCard or Visa Cardholders:

If you use a MasterCard or Visa card issued outside of the U.S. which is billed in the following currencies: AUD, CAD, CHF, DKK, EUR, HKD, JPY, MXP, NOK, SEK, GBP, we offer a service where the full amount of your charges are converted, at your election, to the currency of your card by our conversion agent, Global Card Services, Inc., using the exchange rate in effect at the time the amounts are charged to your card.

Please select your preferred currency conversion from the options below:

I choose to pay my onboard changes in the currency of my card. I choose to use your currency conversion program.

This currency conversion transaction is based upon wholesale exchange rates collected from Bloomberg plus 3 percent international currency conversion fee. My choice to have charges billed in the currency of my card is final. I accept that the exchange rate used will be the rate in effect at the time the amounts are charged to my card.

I choose to have my credit card issuer convert my onboard charges to the currency of my card in lieu of participating Celebrity Cruises currency conversion program.

If I opt for my charges to be converted by my credit card issuer, or if my card is not billed in one of the billing currencies listed, my charges will be processed in the onboard currency (USD) and the issuer of my card may charge a service fee for currency conversion.

He much do shuttles generally cost from Charleston airport to the cruise port? We will be returning a car the day of our cruise.

The flat rate from the Airport to the downtown peninsular (which includes the cruise terminal) is $14/pp. The Charleston Airport Association of Taxi & Limo Drivers has a long line of vans all the time at the airport as you exit the baggage claim area and cross to the center island.

They are required to have the appropriate licenses and insurance to be able to operate at the airport as opposed to possibly some Uber drivers which I'm sure a few people will recommend.

http://www.charleston-arrives.com/

Good/Bad/Ugly - cruising out of Charleston in Sept 2016 and would love some tips/advise.

 

We are Platinum' date=' so i don't know if that helps with anything with the long, dreaded lines that i have heard about parking there.[/quote']

 

Parking is controlled by the port not Carnival so your status won't help until you get into the terminal. A tip; worry about things you can change. :D Just think; you'll be on the ship soon. Repeat; you'll be on the ship soon. Start getting into vacation mode.

The Charleston CVB web site is good. You may also want to check out stay123.com I'm using them in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami in two upcoming cruises. I believe they have a couple of properties in Charleston too.

Are you driving in or flying? Do you just need a shuttle or a hotel with parking during the cruise & shuttle?

You'll find a wealth of information about hotels from the Charleston Convention & Visitors bureau. http://www.charlestoncvb.com/plan-your-trip/lodging~123/

They also have lots of coupons on their site.

I suggest you take a carriage tour downtown. Considered the two most reputable are Palmetto Carriage and Old South Carriage. Don't take one without using a coupon!

Waterbug has a great suggestion about the fountain at waterfront park on Concord at Vendue Range. If you're eating at Shem Creek as she suggested...I like Water's Edge or Shem Creek Bar & Grill. Here's a link to Trip Advisor's Shem Creek restaurant listings. https://www.tripadvisor.com/RestaurantsNear-g54354-d103516-Shem_Creek_Inn-Mount_Pleasant_South_Carolina.html

Patriots Point has a hotel concierge program where they offer $3 off an adult admission coupon. Ask at your hotel desk or concierge.

Huh. Very interesting. Thanks, ChucktownSteve, for clearing up the shuttle mystery for me.

You're welcome. Hope you have a great cruise and don't forget to enjoy Charleston on either end of the cruise! :D

question - I see posts about Charleston that reference a shuttle. Is the shuttle mandatory? My husband and I are driving and staying overnight and ubering to the port for embarkation. Can the uber driver drop us near the ship so we can walk, or is there some place that we are required to go to get on a shuttle before going to the ship? I don't get it.

The free shuttle is part of the security check in process and is mandatory. The Uber driver will need to drop you off at luggage drop off inside the Union Pier gate. If you walk up to the port area from downtown, you will still be required to wait in a parking lot within eyesight for the shuttles to pick you up to drive you to the terminal a few hundred feet away.

The terminal is within walking distance but they check to see that you have your passport & cruise document before they let you board the shuttle. No terminal walk up is allowed. That check point is similar to the airport tsa check point before you go through security.

 

The original poster said herself that the mishaps were minor. She paid an enormous (in my opinion) up charge to be in a suite. Celebrity provides a list of extra amenities that one can expect when on travels in a suite. The OP didn't receive them, even though she was proactive prior to embarking. She should ask for it to be corrected asap. Why should she wait until the next day?

 

I don't know how many of you travel in suites (I do not, I travel CC or Aqua, because that is what I can afford), but you simply should not throw stones at someone who does and then belittle them for expecting what they were promised.

I agree they were entitled to all of the amenities listed for the suite.

However if the items were so minor to the OP and they had a fantastic butler, why couldn't the butler have addressed the issues instead of going to the Hotel Director to make heads roll? Or were they just trying to impress their first time X cruising companion.

If the OP's original post was done tongue in cheek, I wished they were more clear about it. :)

I may be mistaken, but it was my understanding that charters are far more profitable (aka lucrative) than regular fared cruises. On charters, there are no perks, they don't have to discount and the whole ship is booked. Azamara doesn't have to worry about empty cabins loss of revenue. No free liquor or free gratuities but revenue generating.

What's the downside for Azamara other than a few upset passengers who are offered OBC and an opportunity to switch to a similar cruise?

Wouldn't it depend upon which country your friends are from and whether US visas are required for those countries? You didn't mention their nationality. If they need to have a visa, they can book prior to having the visa but better have it at boarding.

Thank you for a most comprehensive and thoughtful review. You had many excellent observations and points of interest.

We sailed Summit with Kapt. Kate last fall and thought she did a very good job then. We'll be on Summit in a couple of months but she'll be on vacation when we are.

I do have a question though. If you were offered a 30 or 50% discount at the specialty restaurant, would it have been worth it? We've never done one but were expecting to try it on our upcoming Summit cruise.

When we boarded the Constellation in February as an AQ passenger, we were offered a 50% specialty dining reservation the first night. We didn't take advantage of it because we had never been in Blu before. So if they offer it on this embarkation, would you feel it would be worth it to try?

Our cabin will be on Deck 11. Is the movie on deck 11 or on deck 12? Oceanview cafe & sunset bar/oceanview bar are on 10 right?

Got it Steve. I was looking at the 'brown' buildings of the visitor centre (old station?) and not the multi storey car park! Do you know if thats just a place to park 'through the day' or can you stop the night? I imagine its the former.

 

Thanks for the vote nbt...the natural bridge is on our provisional list!

 

Simon

Since you've given up the RV idea, you won't be very comfortable sleeping on the concrete paved parking garage. But at least you won't be restricted to the ground floor only. :D

We're going to be on the Summit again in two months. This time instead of an OV we'll be in AQ1. Never did a suite. But I doubt I would adopt their attitude even when things aren't exactly as expected.

I just re-read the OP after reading all the other comments, my immediate thought this time was a quote from "Alice in Wonderland".

"Off with their heads!"

You can upgrade your drinks package though once you get on board. :p That way if you drink enough, you won't mind being in the "cheap seats". Enjoy your cruise. Any day on the ship is better than a day at work or on land.

We do not have an OBC. My biggest question is regarding the currency the excursions are charged in, if purchased on the ship. If when you book an excursion onboard, the charge is forwarded to your OBC, then I guess my question is really what is the operating currency on the ship in general?

I've read on CC where some Canadians have pre-purchased OBC at a good exchange rate. I don't recall many of the details but that may be an option for you.

Hopefully a Canadian who's experienced with that will help you.

This really should't be a big deal. It's just like most insurances. You have your primary insurance and then everything else is secondary (dental, eye). First you submit to your primary (in this case it's your personal medical ins.) then to your secondary(in this case your trip insurance carrier). Whatever primary doesn't cover, your secondary should cover up to their coverage limits. If your primary doesn't cover the claim at all, the secondary will, again up to its limits, but they first require you to submit it to your primary to see what they will pay if anything.

 

We have to do this all the time with our dental. Even though we know our primary medical won't be paying for the services, we have to submit to them as primary as well as to our secondary dental insurance. It still gets covered by dental, it's just a process they require.

Since you're a young, attractive woman, Primary vs. Secondary may not be a problem. (Thought I would throw in the attractive part even though it has no bearing on a claim. :D ) However since many people who cruise are on Medicare and Medicare doesn't pay for out of country claims, having to submit to them even though you will be denied will greatly lengthen the claim process. On a small dental claim that's not a problem. Different story on a big medical bill internationally.

Also some travel insurance policies will assist getting you admitted to a foreign hospital for treatment without you having to shell out big bucks out of your pocket for initial care. I don't know of U.S. medical plans that do that.

Hubby and I are cruising for the first time ever and we are booked on Celebrity Silhouette April 9-16th/17. I am from Canada. I have been looking at potential excursions on the Celebrity website. They are priced in Canadian dollars. I am assuming, that once on board, the price of tours then will then be priced in American dollars. Just wanted to confirm one way or the other, as the Canadian dollar is very low at the moment, so if thats the case it would be worth my while to purchase excursions before going.:):)

It depends upon if you have any On Board Credit that you may want to use for the excursions. If you pre-book, you pay cash. If you book on board you can use OBC to pay for the excursions. However if it's a very popular tour, it may be sold out before you board the ship. In that case, if you really want that tour, pre-book it for cash.

RallyDave,

Your point about the U.S. government is well taken. However I found the following on the U.S. Department of State web site:

United States Condemns Terrorist Attack in Istanbul, Turkey

Press StatementJohn Kirby

Assistant Secretary and Department Spokesperson, Bureau of Public Affairs

Washington, DC

March 19, 2016

The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack today on Istanbul's Istiklal Avenue. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and our hopes for a quick recovery for those wounded. We will remain in close touch with Turkish authorities during the investigation.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/03/254850.htm

Maybe he didn't get the "memo" when using the word terrorist? :rolleyes:

Thanks for the info Steve. Had a quick look on Google Earth at the Visitor Centre. Do you know how you get into the RV park? The only bit that looks accessible is a long building which is apparently for buses.

 

Simon

The RV entrance at the parking garage is the same one the cars use on Mary Street. It's half way between Meeting Street and King Street. If you're looking at Google Maps, it's the double wide building. The entrance is just to the right of the bus icon.

The parking is as you first enter on the right side, ground floor. As you leave, you just pull around the U to the exit booth. It's basically a U turn in inside the building before the open part which is for pedestrians and the elevator.

The bus shed at the Visitors center is for guided tour vans and large coach buses while they purchase their touring passes and their riders go inside the visitors center. This building is between Ann and John Streets.

The CARTA DASH stop for all downtown routes is at the end of the Visitors Center on John Street across from the Hampton Inn.

1 1/2 years ago we had to cancel because I needed emergency back surgery and had purchased a policy through Insure My Trip with TravelSafe. Dealing with TravelSafe was worse than the surgery and recovery combined. It took over 4 months and over 100+ pages faxed (some of it multiple times) to finally get my money.

 

With TravelSafe you are NEVER able to speak to the agent handling your claim. It was the worst customer no-service I have ever experienced.

 

Since then I have purchased through the Trip Insurance Store and find Steve knowledgeable and helpful. If needed, he becomes your advocate for any claim you file - unlike Insure My Trip where they only sell the policy and then you are on your own.

 

JMO

I second what you said about TravelSafe and their claims company TripMate. They are the worst. I will never buy any policy administered by TripMate again.

A simple cancelled flight that resulted in a no show at the embarkation took THREE months and countless follow-ups. It took two months just for them to confirm the flight was cancelled. Then it took another month for them to confirm with TravelSafe that I did indeed purchase their policy even though I submitted the insurance policy receipt and the credit card bill with appropriate charge.

After that I went to Steve at the TripInsuranceStore like you did. Steve recommended that I pay a little more and make the travel policy primary. Glad he suggested it. I have purchased three policies so far and referred my sister to him. She had a small claim that he helped her with. She thanked me for referring her to him.

I didn't book any travel insurance with my cruise is there some basic coverage included in all travel?

It may not be too late for you to buy travel insurance. It would depend upon where you live, the trip and existing conditions. I suggest you visit the Cruise Critic Insurance forum to see if you might get help there.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=635

Just checked my trip insurance policy. My Travel Insured policy is pretty straight forward on the terrorist issue.

Under reasons listed for cancellation: "a Terrorist Incident that occurs within 30 days of Your Scheduled Departure Date in a city listed on the itinerary of Your Trip;"

Their definition: “Terrorist Incident” means an act of violence, 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, by any person acting alone or in association with other persons 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 other government.

My Travel Insured policy is pretty simple. Under reasons listed for cancellation:

"a Terrorist Incident that occurs within 30 days of Your Scheduled Departure Date in a city listed on the itinerary of Your Trip;"

In a Global Alert policy I have, it says this:

"If within 30 days of Your departure, a politically motivated Terrorist Attack occurs within a 50 mile radius of the territorial City limits of the City to be visited as shown in Your itinerary and the United States government issues a travel advisory indicating that Americans should not travel to a City named on the itinerary."

Fortunately I have the Travel Insured policy for our cruise embarking Istanbul next year. No State Department declaration needed.

Crowds. Istanbul is full of them, and I would not go there [been once, saw the sights, didn't like the pushy carpet salesmen who wouldn't take no for an answer, won't go back even if it is declared 'safe']. But Ephesus is clean, pretty, not in a town, full of Greco-Roman history, and our guide was a delightful Turkish woman. The point I keep stressing is that whenever there is an attack in Istanbul, it gets reported as "Turkey is unsafe." Istanbul is no more Turkey than New York City is the United States.

 

As to your cruise: if I were in your shoes I would seriously consider cancelling that cruise, or at least I would buy my airfare from the cruise line and fly in the day of the cruise and go straight from the airport to the ship. But if that cruise stops at Ephesus (Kusadasi), I would plan a private tour and enjoy it.

Thank you for your input. I am so looking forward to cruising Azamara thus I'm not eager to cancel. The only part of the cruise that I'm really very concerned about is the Istanbul embarkation. The remainder of the 14 night itinerary is fantastic.

The cruise is stopping in Kusadasi so I'll look for a private tour.

Using ChoiceAir to arrive the morning of the cruise and going straight to the ship sounds like the best option in a bad situation if AZ doesn't change the embarkation port from Istanbul like they did this year.

Maybe I should look on the bright side if they keep Istanbul and the ship has low occupancy, perhaps I'll get a suite upgrade. :-)

Sad for the people hurt in Istanbul, but we just had a lovely day in Ephesus. Our tour guide said they are really hurting from the loss of tourists, but we saw nothing here that would give us any safety worries.

Jazzbeau,

Yes very sad for the families & friends as well.

I'm curious, if you don't mind my asking, what would you see that would give you safety worries? Is there a way to predict a terrorist attack?

Our cruise next years is still scheduled to embark from Istanbul.