HazyDavy

I've been wondering about this as well.  Recent reviews here and on YouTube are mostly great but all are on sailings with reduced capacity, 700 - 800 sailors.  Just wondering if service and the experience will be the same in late August when I'm sailing when capacity may be significantly higher.

What are the odds they’ll show the Super Bowl on the Journey while we’re docked in Havana?   Asking for a friend...

I heard from Yuri earlier this week from this address:   

www.cubaguider.com

yuri.arcayaborrego@nauta.cu

He responded to me within 2 days from a follow up email I sent him.  He did say that he was “dealing with lots of emails for 
tours happening within the current month”. 

Does anyone have experience with having 3 people in a Club Continent Suite?   

Looking at at some videos online the cabins seem smaller than I thought they would be.  

I know the cabins accommodate 3 people just not sure where the 3rd bed is.  

1 hour ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

We used Yuri but would not recommend him. He told us we would have a private tour in our own classic car, but it turned out that there were about 10 cars in a caravan that went to each site. Took a very long time and there were 20 of us walking around...couldn't leave till everyone got back to their cars.  

 

Thank you. Good to know. 

If you don’t mind sharing, who did you use as a guide in Santiago de Cuba?

I was in 9043 on the Constellation last June.

The balcony was nice. If you're standing at the railing you can be seen from the balcony next door and those down from there looking towards the back of the ship. Otherwise, privacy is not an issue. Actually more of an issue that you can see pretty much the entire balcony of the cabin next door if you're looking back. It was an interesting way to meet the neighbors.

From a cabin towards the front of the ship looking back, they would have to peek around the divider to see into your balcony (as with any other balcony).

Although the cabin was nice, it was a little more shopworn than I thought it would be considering it had recently converted to AQ.

From a privacy standpoint I didn't have any issues with the cabin.

How did you like your room? We are staying in 13508 this Apr. Do you have any pics or thoughts to share? Appreciate your response!

The room was very nice. Good location, great balcony. No complaints. I think I posted a photo from the balcony on another thread. My files on the computer I'm at now are too big to post.

It was a fantastic trip! Enjoy.

Not sure what you thought you were getting but Amex cut way back on its cruise partner benefits last year.

Current program states benefits are only "Valid for new bookings of voyages of at least five nights made through American Express Travel."

Celebrity isn't even listed on the Amex website as a Cruise Privileges Program cruise line anymore. However, that may just be an oversight. In the small print it does provide that:

Card Members receive $100 USD shipboard credit for inside and outside staterooms; $200 USD shipboard credit for balcony, verandah, and mini-suite staterooms; and $300 USD shipboard credit for suites on Celebrity Cruises.

Benefits may have been different when you booked but you'll need confirmation of what they were at that time and that the cruise was booked properly to take advantage of the program. Not enough to have just used the card to pay for the cruise. These are things you should have confirmed at the time of booking not after you boarded.

BTW, when I booked my last Celebrity cruise I was also told at the time of booking that the 123 go benefits were not combinable with the Platinum benefits.

Hope our AQ bathroom on Connie will be better. I am told they have the updated showers (no curtain)and have clean floors. Could someone pls post a Connie AQ bathroom photo?

 

.We had a bathroom like that shown in photo of OP on Summit but that was before it was Solsticized..hope they cleaned those up .

 

that.s why the newer ships are more appealing to us...sometimes when the refurbish they do not change out everything,

Just off the Connie the end of June in an AQ deck 9 cabin.

Lovely cruise, Blu was great and the common areas of the ship overall were looking very good but the cabin not so much.

I don't have any photos but the bathroom wasn't looking good. Everything was operational but the mirror was oxidized around the edges and the floor had seen better days. Disappointing as I thought the bathrooms (and the cabins) would have been refreshed when they AQ'd them but it appears they just added the shower door and shower panel. In the bedroom, furniture was chipped and worn. Nothing that interfered with use or comfort but disappointing nonetheless.

Biggest issue is that this was an Arctic Circle cruise so we had 24 hours of daylight some days and no black out curtains. Sleeping more than a few hours at a time was difficult. Granted, this is something that would not be an issue on the majority of the Connie's itineraries but still...you would think modern luxury would include appropriate amenities in the cabin for the itinerary X scheduled.

Traditionally I have avoided French Onion Soup on cruise ships. In the "good old days" it tended to be a bowl of broth with a cheesy cracker floating in it,

I was on the Connie last month and the French Onion Soup was available every day in Blu. It was actually pretty good. Lots of melted cheese, good flavor broth with onions and bread. Maybe a little salty but I find that to be the case for all soups.

The French Onion Soup in Tuscan was also good.

I think that X may have out priced its specialty restaurants. On my recent Connie cruise they were aggressively trying to sign people up for the specialties, offering 20 - 30% discounts. This could be the reason for relaxing the age limit.

Funny that Disney strictly enforces its age limit of 18 years old for its specialty restaurants (which are very good).

Just got off this sailing. In Geiranger, not only were we treated to the spectacular 360 in front on the Seven Sisters and the Suitor (with musical accompaniment) but we were the only ship in port that day (of at least 4 or more) that was able to "dock" using the new SeaWalk so we didn't have to tender in like everyone else. Kudos to Capt Tasos.

Thank you to the OP for the photo!

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Sorry, I can't answer your specific question but I would think a bus or tram would be the way to go.

I wanted to say though that getting there is early is definitely the way to go. I don't remember exactly what time I got there (it was early) but we had the place essentially to ourselves for a while. By the time we were ready to leave, about an hour or so later, it was getting very crowded.

I-Cruiser:

In Ålesund what do you recommend for light, quick bites of local food? Not full meals but snacks, take out type stuff but local. Will be there in about 2 weeks if that matters. Anything that shouldn't be missed or that is not found elsewhere?

Same for Geiranger, Stavanger, Bergan, Molde?

Thanks.

In these days of skyping, email and cell phones, who even uses phone cards anymore.

I don't work for trinkets or candy....why would anyone think such things would be appreciated. In a service industry where you rely on positive feedback from the passengers, of course you're act like that box of chocolate or your leftover wine is the greatest thing ever.

Extra cash and a positive mention on the comment cards is the way to go.

Baby gifts, really? :confused: Give them something they have to ship or lug halfway around the world.

Poor guy is asking a pretty simple question. He's not asking about packages he wants to know the price of individual drinks on board. What you pay if you don't have a package.

Some of what you are asking can be found here:

http://www.cruisewithgambee.com/2014-celebrity-cruise-drinks/

Keep in mind that these things always change but it should give you an idea.

Also they'll add 15% gratuity to the prices shown for the individual drinks.

If you're booking the Haven for a quiet pool to yourself, you're booking the wrong vacation.

Unfortunately this is true.

The problem, as I see it, with the Haven is that its promoted as a "secluded area of refinement" but the Haven area is surrounded by 2 bedroom villas specifically designed with families in mind. Particularly families with small children. You can't have it both ways. Families have every right to book these cabins, cabins that were specifically designed for them. Children, being children, are going to be disruptive to the calm, spa like, environment NCL advertises. Whether it be at the Haven pool or the Haven restaurant, there are going to be children running around, being children.

So, to the OP, your children (who I'm sure are a delight) are not the problem. NCL's promotion of the Haven as something its not, is the problem.

Fortunately there are less child friendly alternatives out there for those so inclined.

I tried BOTH suggestions( from your reply on the June14 board) and each time what came up? Your post #110 on the June 25 Roll Call

 

 

 

Can you give me a date, message board name and message number for that report?

Braxx

You may have to clear the cookies on your browser. The links are good.

You can also try a google search for: "syrreal june 25 constellation" and that will give you links also.

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From the earlier visit, from what we understand, if OBC is not used, it will be credited to your credit card.

If that's the case, they're just giving you a "free" deposit, not tieing up your money. I can live with that.

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I guess I'm missing something here. It seems to me that if I give X a deposit on a cruise booking, and they give me back an obc, I've already gotten the obc benefit and I'm not out anything should I cancel later.

Under the old system I gave X my deposit and they gave me a promise of an obc on the future cruise. If I later cancelled I got my deposit back but not the obc. So again zero sum.

I'm not understanding what the uproar is about. Is it really that difficult to use up the obc on the cruise you're on....with upgrading drink packages, tips, spa etc.? The obc I'm getting to spend on the cruise I'm on is money that would have been charged to my credit card at the end of the cruise for shipboard charges. Personally I prefer getting money now rather than the promise of money later.

Since they dont charge your credit card until the end of the cruise what difference does it make if you make your onboard booking the first or last day of the cruise? The obc is still going to offset whatever charges you incurred during the cruise when you get your final statement.

Seems a lot of fuss over nothing, or if not nothing, not much.

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I wonder how this works when booking multiple rooms? We have friends on Connie now who are supposed to book rooms for them and their in laws and us for next winter on Equinox. Will they get ALL the on board credit for all three rooms? Not sure I like that

Curious about this as well. Can you book an additional cabin or cabins for people not on the cruise and everyone gets the 123 perks or just those booking on board?

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Cancellation should be spelled out in your reservation confirmation. Yes, full refund if cancelled prior to final payment.

Your TA may have a cancellation fee. If so, get a new TA.

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That's really sad. It's not like this is a brand new ship anymore. No excuse for that.

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I just booked a cruise on Princess/ Pacific Coastal for Oct. I take my 83 yr. young dad once a year and need a cruise that does not have a long flight involved. We live in California so LA or San Diego ports work best. Alaska is out of the question as he is a warm weather cruiser and we have done that 3 times. I am loyal to Celebrity and sure wish they did more 1 week cruises from the West Coast. Made the mistake of looking at reviews on CC of the Crown Princess , not good !

I've sailed on Princess a few times, several ships including the Crown. While Princess wouldn't be my first choice of lines and the Crown not my first choice of Princess ships, Princess offers a decent product and the Crown is certainly not a scow. Some differences to but not much better or worse than the Infiniti or Millennium. Just an older ship showing its age a bit but not run down by any means. Adjust your expectations accordingly and you'll have a great time with your dad.