eladi

On 1/19/2024 at 4:37 AM, G2G said:

I totally agree. I checked out a solo fare and it worked out around 125%. I don’t understand whether solos pay 100% more ie 2 fares or one fare. I can’t be bothered to ask my agent to check it out. 🤦‍♀️

Did not know about the 5% off email, but I did both see and check this "100% solo supplement" offer out.  It does mean 0% extra solo supplements (solo pays same price as double occupancy), but it comes with "caveats."

After having a long discussion with a travel agent, this is what I found:

Cruises that qualify for these discount are listed as having a 100% supplement (so this is one where the price is JUST 100% of price (no extra supplement beyond that for having only one person).  Other discounted cruises are listed as 125%, 150%, 175%, etc)

However this does NOT include other fees.  The problem is, these "other fees" may or may not be adequately described in your bill.

One of these "other fees" is called NCF (Non Commissionable Fare, I think).  I've heard of these fees for years,  This is the part of the cruise price on which your travel agent does NOT get commission.  It is a variable dollar (or applicable currency) amount the cruise lines almost always add to the price of your ticket over which neither you or the agent have control (except by picking a different cruise).

Without this particular fee, that 0% supplement for a single fare is easy to see.  However, when you pay the final price, all of a sudden, the numbers look higher that you've calculated they should be, even after subtracting taxes, extras, etc. That is, at least in part,  the work of that NCF.  This will almost always be the case whether or not you use a travel agent.

I looked all over for this early 2014. I got some useful information, but this is what I SHOULD have been told.

The airport in Copenhagen is about a 20 minute drive in very little traffic. In the spring of 2014, it cost about $65 - 70 to go from the cruise port to the airport. Many DO take credit cards, but it REALLY helps to have one that is a debit card or a credit card for with you know the PIN.

(Note -- for US travelers, while you CAN enter the airport much earlier than the flight, be prepared that your gate information that is usually posted on those ubiquitous overhead screens usually does NOT appear right away. I remember my gate and flight information appearing less than an hour before the plane left. That was a little disconcerting, but everyone else seem fine, so I "did the Danish," and flew out with very little effort.)

There are other ways to travel between the cruise port and the airport.

For instance you can take the train or a bus to the port, and walk or take a taxi the rest of the way. The train ride from the airport to the stations closest to the cruise ports was very smooth, fairly intuitive to a non-Danish speaker, and a bit lest than $15.

But until construction is finished, consider using a taxi for at least part of your trip. According to my taxi driver to the air port, ours was the first boat to use the new berth ("freeport"), and it was the one furthest away (from everything). I think that area will be great once all the building is done, but until then please note the following:

1) this is the current website for the port:

http://www.cmport.com/

You will have to spend some time interpreting this.

2) There are multiple port sites. In 2014 there was massive construction at the newest port. Naturally, that was were my ship was.

3) The nearest train stop was Nordhavn. (I unfortunately got off at the stop before Osterport (not far from the Little Mermaid statue), which felt about 1/2 mile (about 1 km away)).

4) The bus is an alternative to the trains, but it does not currently run on Sundays.

5) It was Sunday. It was also about a 1.5 mile (~3km) WALK from the Nordhavn train station to the cruise port. (which means for me it was about 2 (~4km) miles with a rolling suitcase and a "beach bag")

In May 2014, it was a long mass of broad winding and half finished roads, gravel, cobblestones, missing sections of sidewalk, slanting side walks, and just plain dirt. Did I mention the weather went from gray, to light drizzle to light rain?

5) It took me about 2 hours or so to walk. But honestly after the first 30 minutes, I didn't want to know anymore -- looking at the time just made my bags heavier and harder to manipulate.

Much later on I was able to look outside the ship's windows to figure out the path I took. I couldn't see it at first because was SO out of the way. Unfortunately at the time, it was the ONLY way to walk or drive, as I found out later by taxi and shuttle.

After the construction is done, it will probably be a LOT shorter, but until then, plan accordingly.

What I did learn about my trek to the ship:

Yes, it's good to pack for mobility.

Yes, you can walk 2 miles with luggage, if you have to.

Yes, cobblestones can really rattle your rolling suitcases.

Yes, computers can operate with cracked screens.

(and Yes you can replace them by yourself using Youtube and about $75.)

Yes adventure sagas are good if for nothing else that to alert visitors to forums.