oskarNZ

Hopefully it's okay if I add a quick question to this thread.

I haven't paid in full yet for my cruise. If I ring up and upgrade, will this cost just be tagged on to my remaining balance, or will I need to pay the upgrade then and there? Thanks.

Thanks so much for that info. That is very exciting news. Can't wait.

There is an issue for Solstice in December. She arrives in Sydney on the 21st (sadly I will be disembarking from her) and will be staying overnight. The schedule also has Celebrity Century coming in on Dec22 and so Solstice will be "punted off" to the Athol Buoy. Not sure if passengers will be all that excited about that.

 

cheers

Sadly, I will be getting off the Century on the 22nd. :)

Excuse my ignorance as I know nothing about Sydney, but will the Century go under the bridge as it comes into Port? Also, will the ship put me in a position to take some good pics of the Opera House as I leave and return?

Hi Dionex,

I will be cruising on the Century this December and it will be my 5th cruise (each of which have been with different cruise lines). I booked when I saw how cheap the Tasmania cruise was and the fact that it included the free Classic Beverage package.

Last year I cruised on the Disney Fantasy and I loved every inch of that ship. It was my favourite travel experience to date. But the problem when you find something you love is that other options tend to pale in comparison.

I do have moments of worrying that I will be disappointed in the Century by comparison, but then I realise that I am looking at things the wrong way.

Regardless of what ship I'm on, I really enjoy the whole cruising experience. I have cruised on 2 ships I consider to be a step below the Century (a Costa ship and a P&O ship) and I still had a great time. I probably wouldn't make either company my first choice again, but given the bargain price I paid for both of those cruises, I have no regrets about doing either.

I think I may feel the same on the Century. I've read great things about Celebrity's food and enrichment activities, and I like knowing that I'm going to get to sample the X experience at a very reasonable price. Plus, knowing that I can order a cocktail during daily trivia without worrying about the cost is a big added bonus.

In saying all this, if you love Royal Caribbean for it's active options such as Rock Walls and Ice Skating Rinks you may be disappointed.

Have fun deciding. The planning and research is part of the fun.

OP, how long you need in Auckland depends on your interests.

If you only want to get a brief feel for the city centre, a couple of days will be plenty.

However, if it was me I would allow at least 4 nights, hire a car, and get out of Auckland.

I happen to love Rotorua and I always think it's a shame that cruise passengers get such a small, commercial snapshot of it. I'm not sure who's hailing it as a NZ Yellowstone as I've certainly never heard a kiwi refer to it as that. Rotorua has a whole identity of it's own and is very special. I rarely visit the geysers, yet love the bush walks and beautiful lakes there such as Blue and Green Lakes and Lake Tarawera. For those wanting to try something a bit more adventurous, The Luge is great fun. Nearby Taupo is also lovely.

The Coromandel is an easy drive from Auckland and has a great mix of beaches and bush walks. The Bay of Islands is similar.

Within Auckland itself there are some lovely Regional Parks and beaches, but they are a bit difficult to reach without a car.

PJOZ, That sounds like a great itinerary at a great price.

I have only ever done Arthur's Pass by car, but I adore that stretch of NZ. For that reason I would recommend the Tranz Alpine.

In my opinion, Dunedin is one of the best NZ ports for saving some money and doing your own thing. It is, in my opinion, NZ's most beautiful city. Catch a taxi into the city centre and spend the day walking around. Visit the Railway Station, First Church, the centre of the Octagon, and The University. The buildings are beautiful. Also, if you have time, book yourself onto a Cadbury Chocolate Factory tour.

In saying this, if you have travelled extensively around Europe, the buildings may not be quite so exciting. If so, perhaps consider an Albatross or Penguin tour. The Otago coastline is quite lovely.

Hi all,

I haven't posted on this website for about a year, and browsing through all the great deals people have found over the last few months, I realise how out of touch I am with the amazing deals that are out there. The cruise I just booked seems a bit expensive in comparison.

However, I'm still excited, so thought I would share anyway.

The Celebrity Century Tasmania cruise on Dec 15th is pretty cheap at the moment for those who are able to get some time off around Christmas. This is the start of school holidays for many kiwi families and it can be difficult to get good deals around this time unless they are last minute.

Anyway, the 7 night cruise cost me NZ$1080 p/p for an outside cabin (twin occupancy) and this includes a free Classic Beverage Package. Given that the beverage package costs about NZ$420 p/p when it's not free, I'm happy.

This is a local price. I priced up US agents, including ones that were offering free gratuities along with the free beverage package, and was excited to see (for once) that NZers (and Australians) are getting a better deal. Plus I get to lock in a kiwi dollar price while the NZ dollar is so strong. :D

Dear friends:

 

RCCL is out to sell their cruises and earn money. Don't you think that if they could, in fact sell out a "14 Day Southern Caribbean Cruise" -- they would definitely schedule and market it?

 

RCCL has a global vision. Cruising is not just for North Americans.

 

Winter is high season in Florida and the Caribbean. Winter is low season in Europe. So in Winter most of the ships are in Florida and the Caribbean and only about two ships at any given time are in Europe.

 

Summer is low season in Florida and the Caribbean (except for families going to Orlando). Summer is peak season in Europe. So in Summer peak season RCCL has a great deal of ships in Europe, while still maintaining ships in several cities of Florida, New Jersey, Baltimore, etc.

 

And then you complain about Florida boasting the two largest ships in the world on a year-round basis. Believe me, we would love to have those two ships based here in Barcelona. Unfortunately, they were not really built for European cruising and most European ports would have to be rebuilt to accommodate them.

 

RCCL also takes advantage of the local Asian market and maintains seasonal ships there.

 

And RCCL has been catering to the extremely wealthy and high-spending Brazilian market by stationing at least one, and sometimes two ships to homeport in Brazil during their summer (our winter) season.

 

They are far more diversified than the were years ago and there is something on offer for everyone and for every region of the world.

 

Why is that bad?

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

I fully agree with this post.

If it's any reassurance to those who are unhappy with your options out of Florida, there are some of us down here in the Southern Hemisphere who are very envious of all the options you do have.

You have access to much cheaper cruise fares (due to competition in the cruise market), you have a choice from almost all of the major cruiselines, and your airfares won't break the bank.

I looked at cruises out of Florida as it's my dream to also take my son to Disney World. In the end I decided to book a SE Asian Celebrity cruise instead. My family are paying less for the 14 night cruise than it what it would cost us just to fly from New Zealand to Orlando. :eek:

Over the next few summers (US winters) a number of cruiselines are going to be sending some of their nicer ships down our way (e.g Radiance of the Seas and Celebrity Solstice). I, like many other NZers and Australians, am happy that finally our love of cruising is also being recognised.