kcdionysus
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Posts posted by kcdionysus
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On 3/23/2023 at 5:38 PM, GSPG said:
I was more of the mind of ‘stray’ missiles. Think Poland had a hit which killed a couple of people, and Poland appears further away ‘from the action’ than Estonia.
That missile was apparently a Ukrainian defence missile that went astray or got knocked off course. It was close to the Ukrainian/Polish border… Tallin is approx 700 miles away from Ukraine’s border. I wouldn’t worry. We went last May and we’re going again this year. Ship was empty probably because of concerns… it was great 😊
Don’t want to alarm you but funny story… whilst we were on our cruise in the Baltic coming away from Tallin, I saw a periscope coming towards the ship from an angle at the rear… twice before veering off. I suspect it was a sub doing practise attack runs. Pretty cool though.
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1 hour ago, TigerB said:
You're welcome.🙂
For parking you could look at Triangle or, as Majortom states, Parking4Cruises. There are other options such as hotels with parking and even the long stay car parks in the town, at a push.
When are you travelling?
Middle of May. It will only be the 2nd time out of Southampton and last year, we tried the MSC Virtuosa. But because of the Ukraine war, and covid, the ship was empty (900 pax vs 6000 capacity) so parking was a doddle.
But thanks again, I’ll look those up and see what’s available.
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1 hour ago, TigerB said:
Last September it docked at berth S167, Stadsgarden.
I think the shuttle bus was £4 for saver passengers. To the best of my recollection, it dropped off and picked up again on Strömgatan, near the opera house.
Excellent. Thanks for that. Right in the middle of Stockholm… which is cool. We were miles away before on the NCL ship.
One other question you might know the answer to… I’ve looked up parking at Southampton departure port via CPS and it’s showing as no availability. Anyone else experienced this? Any ideas where else to try? Has anyone parked in another terminals car park and walked across maybe?
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On 9/25/2022 at 7:13 PM, Red Leicester said:
On Britannia in the Baltics and in summary thus far:
Kiel - no shuttles, docked in the centre, leave the port, head right and follow the blue line in the pavement. No shuttle bus needed and none provided.
Stockholm - shuttle provided and £5 per person each way. Select was free, Mrs RL and me were not charged and are on a Select fare. Journey time was 15 mins and drops off / picks up outside the Opera House. Plenty of buses and coaches, buses certainly accessible to all but could only take one wheelchair at a time.
Helsinki - shuttle provided and £4 per person each way. Select was free, Mrs RL and me were not charged and are on a Select fare. Journey time was 10 mins and drops off / picks up outside Makasiiniterminaali. This is a 2-3 min walk to the market and 10 mins from the main department store. Plenty of buses and coaches, buses certainly accessible to all but could only take one wheelchair at a time.
Cards scanned getting on bus in both directions. Always a bus waiting at port and in the towns / cities. Masks not mandated and no warned by most.
As ever if you are tall and getting on the bus (rather than the coach) then mind your head getting into the back seats and also watch for luggage racks above in any seat.
Do you, or anyone here, know the Stockholm port name where the Britannia docks? The last time we visited Stockholm with NCL, we were docked quite a way away in Nymashamn but based on descriptions here, it seems the Britannia docks actually in, or near, Stockholm itself. -
We generally get the 3 to 4 night specialty dining plan on a cruise especially an 11 night on Constellation which we will taking next month.. However, we are tired of Qsine and will only go to Tuscan once so the package plan is not for us. We actually found that you can get a 20 or 30% discount to Tuscan. Also at Sushi on 5 we ate there and our bill did not come to what we would have paid in the plan and then they gave us a 30% discount if we came back.
Now on the Edge....different story. We are definitely going to use our 5 night plan on a 7 night cruise and we got it at the early price.
It’s another reason why I was asking. We recently went on the NCL Breakaway and there are loads and loads of different dining options (27 I believe if you include all complimentary and specialist restaurants) so when we saw only 2, we were a bit disappointed especially as I’m not a fan of Sushi either so that left the Tuscan Grille. Good to know that Qsine is on there as well.
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Celebrity taught me there's no such thing as loyalty from them so we go where the wind now blows.
Sounds about right....
I don’t think we’re ready for the really small ships though.
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.....I've moved on from Celebrity partly for those reasons even after finally achieving Elite status.
Who do you tend to cruise with now?
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This is why I was asking as QSine isn’t showing on Celebrities own website as being on the Conny
https://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/onboard/food-and-drink/speciality-dining/qsine/
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I know it sounds like a basic question but does anyone know what restaurants are on the Constellation?
When I look on Celebrities cruise planner, it’s trying to sell anything from 3 to 14 specialty dining packages and then lists the Tuscan Grille and Sushi on 5.....but that’s it. Is that right?
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Several years ago RCCL and celebrity instituted a program call Double/Double. That is where they double their revenue and profits. The bottom line is they no longer care about the customer as X once did when under the Greek ownership of Chandris. So understand if it doesn't add to their bottom line, they don't care about you. Simply stated, accept it or move on.
From RCI’s corporate website on their Double/Double program -
Aim to eliminate last-minute discounts, which filled cabins with some customers but irked others who had booked earlier at full price.
By taking a more consistent approach on pricing, Fain said the company may not see the numbers of passengers brought in by late discounts, but “we think it will raise the satisfaction level of our guests and strengthen the perception of our brand superiority.”
Hmmm..... can’t see how this is working when they still discount last minute cabins BUT don’t allow current passengers to pay these advertised rates to upgrade their cabin. Hardly a way to raise satisfaction levels of guests.
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Had a pretty generic response from a complaint I made to Celebrity that didn’t actually answer my questions so I’ve sent the questions again.
It really grates on me. It feels like the admin side of the business doesn’t care a jot yet the operational side do all they can to ensure their passengers have a good experience. I’m not holdIng out much hope that things will change. It’s a shame but I guess I’ll be swerving all RCI companies whenever I can.
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Thanks Dutchclogs, good to know.
OP, I was going to PM you but soon discovered this forum has no messaging function.
If you’d like help, email me at glenn18073@aol.com
I have that address for such occasions where I am posting it in a public forum.
Have at it bot.
Sent you an email
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We have, in the past, cancelled a cruise and rebooked it at a much cheaper price. We lost £300 and saved £2,300 which was well worth it. You just have to do the sums and if you are in pocket enough cancel an rebook but do it quickly.
That’s kinda what we did...... BUT.....
I was pee’d off and didn’t want to deal with X directly so called a TA, told them what had happened and asked for a price. She knocked £120 off Celebrity’s Aqua cabin price, so we booked it and paid grats upfront as well. We only technically ‘lost’ £180 vs Celebrity’s price and they have to pay the TA their commission too. Then I cancelled the original booking.
It’s just an unnecessary nonsensical farce and all it’s done is wind me up to the point where, like with RCCL, I’ll avoid them if I can. I’d rather go with NCL but they don’t go to all the places we want to visit so....
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Sorry for your disappointment, yet the issue gets down to where you book vs when you book.
Both can be an influencing factor over up-grades, specials etc...
This is an on-going issue for passengers who book outside of the U.S. who generally have a more 'liberal' booking, upgrade and specials offers.
A search here will yield a number of posts addressing these issues.
bon voyage
Would I have different treatment as a UK citizen if I booked via a US site??
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With the myriad of choices available, starting to wonder if booking far in advance is wise.
If you book early, you get a better choice of cabin location and dining times etc. and this might be important to some. Some like having something to look forward to. The thing is, I accept that if I book early, the price could go up or down. I wouldn’t complain if my cabin category went down in price as I was happy to pay that price otherwise I wouldn’t have booked it. You pay your money and takes your chances.
What galls me is not being able to take advantage of a general reduction in prices on better cabins. In my opinion, it’s short sighted. If passengers choose to pay to upgrade, it frees up cheaper cabins. Then Celebrity might be able to sell more cabins and fill the ship on last minute bookings if necessary. That’s more people buying drinks and paying gratuities which pays the staff and crew. And if people try higher category cabins and enjoy the experience, it could sell the experience to them and might encourage them to go for these categories on future bookings.
Celebrity’s attitude is so negative and hardly engenders loyalty and trust in the brand.
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We’re booked on the Constellation in an ocean view cabin. We recently looked on Celebrity’s website and noticed the price of balcony cabins has come down so thought we’d treat ourselves to an upgrade. The difference between what we paid and an Aqua class cabin was £119 per person so I emailed first to request an upgrade and price but didn’t get an answer so called in this morning to be told it’ll be £730 each??
When I asked why it was so expensive compared to their online price, I was told it was because our booking is on one promotional offer and there is a different promotion on currently. I said the new offer still included a drinks package so I couldn’t see what was different but the assistant said there’s nothing she could do.
I remember a thread where others had mentioned they had a different response when calling in again and speaking to someone else so I tried again and spoke to a different assistant who quoted me £990 each??
I do not understand how they get to these prices. How can it be £1742 more expensive to an existing customer?? I asked what do I lose if I cancel and she said the initial £300 deposit. So it would be £1442 cheaper to cancel our cruise and rebook than for Celebrity to do a bit of admin on a computer??
I’m not asking for a deal or special treatment.....I just want internationally advertised prices to be honoured. Is that too much to ask? It appears so as Celebrity think it’s ok for us to lose £300 yet still be booked on the same ship on the same itinerary on the same date?? :mad:
We’ve had similar frustrating experiences with RCCL and their advertised prices on various items from cabins to drinks packages. I just don’t get it!! Why are their online/office/sales/admin so bad when their ships and crew are so good?
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We’ve been on both ships and we did enjoy the Harmony BUT we loved the Breakaway.
Better food, better entertainment, much more relaxed with the Freestyle anytime dining. We didn’t have to search frantically for seats in the main buffet dining room on the Breakaway like we did on the Harmony at every sitting.
The Harmony was good and it has a lot of innovative ideas as well as it’s sheer size which are all good as talking points but in our opinion, the Breakaway gave us a better, more memorable experience. I’d go back on the Harmony if the route/price was keen but I’d jump back on the Breakaway in a heartbeat and probably pay more over and above other cruise lines to go on a Breakaway class ship again.
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We were thinking of booking a trip on the Voyager of the Seas out of Singapore next March with some friends so I went online to get prices etc. and the initial search window shows prices for Interior, Ocean View cabins etc. quoting prices for 2 sharing a cabin but when I try to go further with the booking, the screen says ‘You’re unable to select this cruise at the moment’.
Initially, I thought it was a glitch so left it and tried again a few days later but it’s still the same. I sent an online question to RC and got back that they’ve sold out of 2 berths staterooms but if I want to book 3 or 4 to a room, I can? So I tried again online and sure enough, if I select 3 or 4 people, the cabin selection screen comes up and there’s loads of availability in categories 3V, 1V, 1N, 1D, 3B, 3D. These are typical 2 person cabins with the rollerways or whatever provisions for the extra people?
I checked a booking a few weeks after the cruise we want on the same ship and the above categories are available for 2 people to a stateroom?? Any ideas as to what’s going on? Anyone experienced this sort of thing before? I wasn’t aware that cabins on ships were designated ONLY for 3 or 4 people?
It’s yet another problem that I’ve experienced trying to book anything with RC!
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The compensation, I find a bit on the low side for all the upheaval you are going through.
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How long do you have to make up your minds?
Can you still cancel and get your money back?
I look upon such compensation as trying to bribe me, when I have been in such a situation I totally disregard the compensation, I only take into consideration the total holiday cost (flight and cruise) against what to expect from the changed itinerary. The compensation offered is only a small amount compared to the total cost of the holiday.
If I was in you position, I would see what sort of deal I could get from Costa for Mauritius cruise.
Costa will be doing the Indian route 2018/19, the alawys have special offer.
Let us know how you get on.
Well we finally received a refund after months of aggravation....
There was a lady from Cruise Nation dealing with our situation but she went on holiday. So I left it for a 4/5 weeks and eventually emailed her to remind her that we’re waiting for an answer in case she’d forgotten but didn’t get a reply. I called Cruise Nation and apparently, this lady is on ‘extended sick leave’ and has been for weeks so won’t be answering any correspondence? But now they know, someone else will be dealing with it. Basically, we asked for anything in the Indian Ocean and in an effort to be flexible, we could take any date but wanted a different ship. We hoped we might get an alternative offer for the Mauritius cruise but if it was India/Maldives, then fine as that’s where we wanted to go anyway. The reply we got was that Costa wouldn’t offer an alternative, so we had to go for a refund.
We didn’t get any enticement or compensation like future OBC or future discount and considering we hadn’t cruised with Costa before and they effectively pulled our holiday from beneath us on this first occasion, we thought they might offer something to entice us to try them again but alas not?
It also took a lot of chasing to finally get the refund out of Cruise Nation once we were told there wasn’t going to be an alternative offer. It was like pulling teeth. If they wanted to keep our money/business, offer us something else even with another cruise line, if not, just return it. But it was a long drawn out struggle and left me fed up and frustrated. So all in all, not a positive first time experience with Costa or Cruise Nation.
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Your situation is a very different and very difficult, as your cruise has been cut in half and stranded on a desert island. What could the options be?
1. neoClassica sails to Mumbai, even though it has been sold.
2. Costa pays for your stay in Maldives then flies you back to Mumbai for flight home.
3. You can cancel your hotel and flights (maybe compensation from Costa) and choose another cruise.
If I was in your position, I would cancel the cruise (waiting until Costa make an offer - if any), bite the bullet on any cancellation charges and do the 14 day cruise from Port Louis (going to Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Reunion).
The Maldives are no longer a paradise, the ship will be anchored of the capital Male which is a slab concrete 5 sq km big, on the other sides there are the airport island and the land fill islands where the rubbish is taken and burnt and polluting the sea.
Also there is political unrest in Maldives (BBC from 10th. August 2017):
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-40827633.
If it is beaches you want to see and use, I would always recommend the Seychelles or Mauritius.
As a Man of Kent or Kenish Man you will make the right decision.
Let us know how you get on, also if you want more information just ask.
They've offered us exactly the same cruise and package as before but leaving 2 weeks prior and €150 per person on board credit as compensation.
We don't know what to do now?? I keep thinking about what you said as regards Male/Maldives as well as the unrest that's developing there. But we're also concerned about the ship itself now. We haven't sailed with Costa before as we've not heard positive things or recommendations by anyone to cruise with them. But this route and package price was so good, we thought we'd take the chance and experience Costa personally. The NeoClassica doesn't get the best reviews as it is but now the crew know it's being sold off, how motivated and/or diligent are they going to be? Will the service and/or standards slip??
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Your situation is a very different and very difficult, as your cruise has been cut in half and stranded on a desert island. What could the options be?
1. neoClassica sails to Mumbai, even though it has been sold.
2. Costa pays for your stay in Maldives then flies you back to Mumbai for flight home.
3. You can cancel your hotel and flights (maybe compensation from Costa) and choose another cruise.
If I was in your position, I would cancel the cruise (waiting until Costa make an offer - if any), bite the bullet on any cancellation charges and do the 14 day cruise from Port Louis (going to Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Reunion).
The Maldives are no longer a paradise, the ship will be anchored of the capital Male which is a slab concrete 5 sq km big, on the other sides there are the airport island and the land fill islands where the rubbish is taken and burnt and polluting the sea.
Also there is political unrest in Maldives (BBC from 10th. August 2017):
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-40827633.
If it is beaches you want to see and use, I would always recommend the Seychelles or Mauritius.
As a Man of Kent or Kenish Man you will make the right decision.
Let us know how you get on, also if you want more information just ask.
Hey....thanks for the reply.
We booked the cruise, flights and hotels via Cruise Nation as a complete package so not exactly sure who's responsible for what elements. I'm sure we were on a 14 night cruise as I saw it advertised with other agents as a 14 nighter and as separate 7 night voyages so I guess this might determine whether it's cancelled in its entirety or whether the first 7 night element still stands? Ultimately, it's down to Cruise Nation to sort out/offer solutions to us but Costa's decision to pull the ship has created this scenario so I guess they have to offer something to the travel agents selling on their behalf? We only booked this a month ago (early July) and paid a sizeable deposit (almost 50%) so at the time, I presume the travel companies weren't aware that Costa were planning this.
I guess we have to wait for some options to be presented to us first before we can make a decision? But thanks for the recommendation as regards the Port Louis cruise.
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Not sure what's going to happen to us as....
We're booked on the NeoClassica for the 3rd March (Mumbai to Male) and as part of our holiday/package, we're also booked on the now cancelled return leg from Male to Mumbai where we were due to fly home. Flights and hotel at each end all booked via Cruise Nation. I called them this morning and they said they were only made aware of the situation with the NeoClassica on Sat and will get back to us within the next few weeks? Any ideas what might happen in such a situation? The missus was so looking forward to it and no other itinerary includes the Maldives for a few days like this :confused:
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Three little words that I'm sure Royal's team of lawyers make sure are always used. "Up to" and "from". Pretty much allows them to do what they want with the pricing.
Discount percentage is clear cut. Pricing 'from' less so hence why I waited until I'd been on the ship and saw the actual price this package was being offered at to then have an accurate figure to calculate the 20% against and it just doesn't work out.
Like chandom has posted, they're being offered the same discount on back to back cruises yet the actual price after this discount is different on each week?? What are RC playing at?
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I believe it said "up to" 20% off. The current sale is "Up to 30% off" but when I log in my cruise planner it is only 25% off. Also different sailings have different prices for the beverage package. I don't know what makes one more than another.
Red banner on the offer in cruise planner said 'Limited Time Offer. 20% Off. Buy Now'. I took a picture/image of it. And on the forums, people are stating they're getting the correct discount down to $44 a day (if 20% off) and I've read some had incorrect monetary figures quoted compared to the percentage discount offered and got RC customer services to correct them.
Select Price or Saver price ?
in P&O Cruises ( UK )
Posted
I’m seeing a similar situation… via a TA, we choose an obstructed balcony £1550 total Saver fare vs £2926 Select fare equating to an increase of £1376 per cabin with £480 offered as OBC or mixture with parking so nearly £900 extra?
Only our 2nd cruise with P&O but I find this disparity between fares unique. I can’t remember seeing anything similar with the 7 other cruise lines we’ve sailed with?