judla

This COVID testing is really perplexing and stressful.  So the PCR test  kits we purchased at Publix or received from the government aren't any good for the cruise?  We had a PCR test done in December after exposure and it took 4 days to get the results back.  I paid 29.99 for one kit of 2 tests at Publix and the one Celebrity wants us to use is $69.99 for 2 tests?  I am so very confused.

This will be our first time having a drink package (the standard one) and we aren't sure how this works.  Do you get a card they stamp every time you get a drink?  How many alcoholic drinks and how many non-alcoholic drinks are allowed?  We are booked on the Celerity Apex.  Thank you for helping us sort this out.

Can anyone please tell me what is the closest airport to Cape Liberty, NJ?  Also which airlines fly to it?

Thank you all for your replies.  We are going on the Edge and this is the first time we have checked in via the Celebrity app.  Previously all we have ever needed were our passports, e-docs and a credit card.  I guess I will take a copy of our contract from our TA just in case.  The site definitely says "Remember, you must bring your original travel documents to the port".  We have waited far too long for this cruise to forget something like that.

I know this is probably a stupid question, but I need the answer anyhow.  I just completed our on-line check in and it says to bring it plus your original cruise contract.  We have neve done this before.  Do they mean the papers we received from our travel agent?  Thanks for answering my "stupid question".

Do you remember what dock number the ship was at in Civitavecchia?

We bought tickets from Rome to the port on the express train and then from the train station at the port to Florence.  ItaliaRail's web site is very easy to navigate.

Does anyone know where the Edge will be "parking"?

We too purchased tickets online for ItaliaRail both to and from the port.  It was very easy and we have reserved seats.  My question now is how do we get from the port to the train station?  I see there is a free shuttle from the port to the bus stop but cannot find and information on how to get to the train station.  I am hoping we can get a cab or the shuttle will also take us to the train station.  Anyone have information on this?

We are planning a trip to Barcelona and have been told by several people that the crime rate (particularly pick pocketing) is very bad in Barcelona. Has anyone else experienced this? We always try to be alert for thieves but want to be informed before we leave.

Hi everyone! Posted this question a few months ago on the Columbia sub forum, but very little traffic it seems to provide advice.

We are on Infinity on a Panama cruise in November and we are looking for any recommendations from those that have already visited this wonderful city. Am thinking of the Hop On Hop Off excursion through Celebrity, but am open to any suggestions! :D

We saw a thread about this before we visited there. Someone suggested we take a cab that is parked outside the port entrance. It was the best thing we ever did. We paid him to tour us wherever we wanted to go. He was a wealth of knowledge and so personable. Went where we wanted to go then he made other wonderful suggestions. We took as much time at each stop as we wanted. It was so much better than any organized tour and cheaper.

Does anyone know what the onboard gift is for Aqua class? I need a bag to take to the beach and don't want to have to bring one from home if they provide one as a gift. We will be on the Solstice in September.

As many have said before me the luggage tags are available at the end of your e-docs. I was able to print ours but my sister who has a mac couldn't print hers, so I printed theirs for them. I wonder if it has anything to do with the type of computer. We leave for Vancouver next month and am so excited to go.

We have rented cars for all ports. That way we can go where we want and do what we want without a crowd of people. It is a lot cheaper than booking a tour through the cruise. If you are military the luau at Hale Koa is supposed to be great.

I'll be on the Solstice from Vancouver to Hawaii in September! Can't wait! We are in full planning mode- excited for the relaxing days at sea and hopefully some sun & warmth as we get closer to Hawaii! Love sitting out in the sun!

 

 

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We will be on the same cruise. We are getting very excited. Have most ports planned, others we will plan as we go along. Where are you staying in Vancouver?

My SIL has planned a family reunion cruise on Majesty this July leaving from Port Canaveral. Can anyone please tell me what the earliest boarding time is? We live in SC and had planned on driving down the morning of the cruise, but she said you can board at 10 AM. We generally cruise on Celebrity and the boarding time is a few hours later. I don't want to have to pay for a hotel the night before, so am trying to see if that is the correct boarding time.

We will be arriving via the Celebrity Solstice on the islands in Sept. Can anyone tell us if the car rental agencies will pick you up at the port, specifically Hilo, Kona, Maui and Honolulu? If so, which agencies would you recommend?

Does anyone know how to view your final cruise bill after returning home? I think we should have a credit but so far it hasn't shown up on my on line credit card statement. We have been off the ship 2 weeks now.

Considering renting a car to do our own thing in Juneau but when I search for cars on Expedia, it only shows rentals at the airport. However, I've seen several post about renting cars in port, there has to be a close location.

 

Please advise which agency had a pier location, if known.

We just returned from Alaska and rented a car from Avis. We had been on a whale watching expedition and they dropped us off there on the way back. No problem at all, then caught a shuttle back to the ship. People were more than willing to help. So glad we rented and went out on our own. We too, don't like cruise tours, and if at all possible do our own. We drove out to St. Theresa,s chapel and walked around their grounds. We were able to stop and take pictures and move about as we needed. You will have a great time in Alaska.

If is not raining just jeans, tee shirt and fleece. Wore tennis shoes too. If is rainy take your raincoat. Most boats have the option of going inside too.

Well said Onefishtwofish. We just returned from a north bound cruise on the Mille and then another week driving ourselves all over. I packed way to many pairs of capris. It was very good weather and we generally wore jeans, either long sleeved or short sleeved tee and took a fleece jacket with us. If we expected rain we tossed in our raincoats. Did not take heavy hiking boots, just wore tennis shoes, even flip flops a couple of days. We are from SC and it is very hot and humid here, the cooler weather and lack of humidity was great. No suits for my husband on formal nights just dress shirt, no tie and I wore a dress, no heels either. The Alaskan cruise was the most relaxed we have ever been on and good not to have to take things that are heavy and take up a lot of room. I did take a very light weight sweater for dinner as the restaurants tend to be cool.

We are sailing Alaska in May of 2016 on Celebrity Millennium - ONE WAY from Vancouver to Seward - 7 nights with sailing the Inside Passage, Ketchikan, Icy Straight, Juneau, Skagway, sailing Hubbard Glacier and then a 6 night Post Cruise Tours with overnights in Seward, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali (2 nights) and Fairbanks.

 

Why do round trip - one way is the way to go!!!!!!

 

I agree with the one way. On our first Alaska cruise we did the cruise/tour. We loved it so much that this year we are doing a one way from Vancouver then spending one week traveling on our own. I also agree that the best way to start is by looking at the ports, though most of them are the same no matter which cruise you choose. I also highly recommend going to the library and taking out books on Alaska. That is how we decided what we wanted to do on this cruise. Most of it is what you want to do. Everyone has a different opinion. Just start with one port and go from there. It is so much fun to plan the trip and is what I really love to do. We always like to do the cruise part first because when we get off the ship I am always so sad and by having the tour part second I have something to look forward to. As I said it is totally what you want to do.

Thank you for such a positive review of the Millennium We are booked for the same cruise July 17th and were so glad to hear what you did and how the ship was. We do the same as you do, by not booking with the cruise line and have a few of the same activities planned. This is our second cruise to Alaska and we learned from the first what we wanted to do and see and what we didn't want to do. We too have rented a car to drive up into the Yukon. It was the highlight of our last cruise and was one thing we wanted to repeat. We did reserve Harv and Marv again, especially after seeing all those double decker cruise tour boats crowded with people. We aren't big on gourmet food, just want good, well prepared food. We will also dine in Blu. after your review I am getting even more excited. We have also rented a car to use the week after our cruise and travel wherever we want to go. We are using the Milepost as a guide and reference. Have found some very nice cabin rentals to stay in along the way.

This year will be our second Alaska cruise. Going again with my sister and her husband. The first one we didn't know much about Alaska so booked the cruise tour. We got to see a lot but realized that we could actually do what we wanted on and more on our own post cruise. We decided what we actually wanted to see and do and rented a car for 5 days after getting off the ship in Seward and stay a couple of days there driving down the Kenai. After we will go up past Denali for a few days and then to Anchorage to fly home. We got many books from the library and bought the Milepost on Amazon. That way we can stop where we want and skip what we don't want to see. As this is our second trip we have already seen the basics but still are amazed at the sight of whales so are doing the Harv and Marv whale watching. We also rented a car for the day in Juneau and one in Skagway. It was so much cheaper than the tour part and not crowded with a lot of other people. It was actually fun to plan and no long distance charges for phone calls for reservations as Alaska is a state. We did find that a lot of hotels or cabins were already rented when we started planning this in January. You will love Alaska!!!

We also have a rental car reserved with Avis. Tried to go with our AAA agent but they don't have a contract with them. Also there are no discount codes for Skagway, they have a corner on the market and know it. All in all it is pricey but so much or comfortable and cheaper than a cruise tour. We did the same thing on our last Alaska cruise and are doing it again this July.