Educators2

In the inaugural season of the Constellation, many moons ago, we took this excursion through Celebrity to Normandy. Without a doubt, it was among the very best excursions (ship or otherwise) that we ever took. The visit to the cemetery was very emotional and the stops at Normandy Beach and the visitors center were outstanding. I do not recall feeling rushed at all. It was our first cruise on Celebrity, our first Meet and Greet (very small group with cruise director who read all the posts on the forum) and I recall that excursion vividly to this day.

I am a NYTimes subscriber and did not see any “fake news” or inappropriate reporting in the print edition article about cruising in today’s Business Section. We have been on close to 30 cruises and would not cruise now because of the rampant virus. If you choose to cruise knowing current conditions, you have the freedom to do so. However, the article states the facts of what is happening on ships when a person tests positive. The long threads from cruisers on the Celebrity forum who are in “isolation” cabins repeat the same information as this article reports. I did not find the NYTimes article hyperbolic at all. Even the Today Show this morning reported on cruising during these trying times of Covid giving weight to both sides.

We did both of these cruises in the early 2000s. The fjords was in August when the Constellation was new. Iceland was on Holland America (with Perry Grant).  Both my husband and I thought the Iceland trip was far more interesting. The fjords have snow in June, not August. Just our opinion. 

I canceled March 10 for the May 28 Summit cruise. We received the 75% due to our credit card today, April 7. So, it took four weeks. I don’t see the Future Cruise Credit on my account. I am sure it will be credited. Where do I look for that?

We canceled on March 10 when we were in the 75% back. The credit card was credited today, April 7. We did not call anyone...travel agent, credit card company or Celebrity. Don’t know about the Future Cruise Credit. Where would that be. I am confident that we will have the credit.

Everything is very confusing. We are also on the May 28 Summit sailing but cancelled on Tuesday. Our travel agent told us that we would get back the 75% and 25%, $900, would go to FCC. We had a non-refundable deposit and four perks. We also had our own travel insurance. So far, no money is on our credit card. The travel agent emailed insurance to see if it could be applied to a future cruise. Haven’t heard anything. We like sailing out of Bayonne and don’t know what cruises we would take in 2020. Hope people stay safe and healthy.

I canceled this morning and got 75% back to credit card and 25% future cruise credit. Haven’t seen the money on my credit card account. Guess I was lucky.

Just to update. When I called Captains Club, they were willing to tell me information about perks but would not email me the booking confirmation. I will get that from  my travel agent. Thanks again.

I was looking online for the booking information in my cruise planner. I will try Captain’s Club or contact travel agent for the paperwork. Thanks for all the replies.

Thanks. I tried calling but they are closed for New Years Day. I’ll try tomorrow.

Hi,

Is there any way to access my perks in the cruise planner? I see onboard credit listed but not other perks. Alternatively, will Celebrity email me an amenity confirmation or does that have to come from travel agent?

Thanks

Many thanks to goofysmom for suggesting the “no thanks” option to get a price for the refundable deposit. I was able to lower the price of my cruise in May 2020 to Canada by $120 and get an additional perk.

I did try the suggested websites but could not find refundable rates. The difference in price between refundable and non-refundable was $400 for a balcony cabin on a 9 day cruise.

Thanks again...great workaround for a mock booking.

I am considering the Surf package but play Words With Friends. Can you play that game with the Surf package or do you need the more expensive package? We will be on the Summit and are Elite so I know there is a 30% discount.

Thanks.

We always use the laundry benefit. Never a problem. Keep in mind you must send out second bag three days before the end of the cruise. 

I purchased an iPad mini on the Summit in 2018. It wasn’t the newest model but it was priced fair and with onboard credit, it is fine. I don’t do major gaming or anything like that. With on board credit it was free, much better than ship models, caps, etc.

The store is hit or miss with what they carry. Ask the first night. We had to wait a few days. They told us they had four. 

Can you play games like Words With Friends with the surf package? Thanks

Yes, I have had problem for days. I tried other cruise lines and could not load any of the major lines..Royal Caribbean, NCL but Crystal and Oceania loaded.

No problem at 8am EST. Thought it was just my iPad and PC.

Roll calls and other forums, like Cruise Fashions, also loaded.

Frustrating.

About 10 years ago, we booked air through NCL for a Mediterranean cruise departing Barcelona. There are many non-stops from JFK (New York) but we were booked on connecting flights both ways.

On the return, through Charles de Gaulle, we had a 45 minute connection. No one would change it. In the end, there were about 30 cruisers on that connection and we all made it. Not worth the worry.

I did other European cruises with NCL after that one but did my own non-stop air. I did not care if it cost more.

The first class onboard is free. Others are $10.00.

On our recent Canada and New England cruise, the host arranged a galley tour. There were two buses for the Lexington/Concord tour. Last year, it was a tour of the Harvard College Museum.

Ask your independent travel agent if they participate. We heard about a month ahead.

To Allentownahoy..I had to ask about the availability of the mini. They weren’t in the shop but they checked and found it. I have a mini4 at home and for my purposes, the mini 3 with 1/4 the memory is just fine.

Hope you can get it.

I purchased an iPad mini3 with 16megabytes of memory for $249 on the Summit in July. I know it is old but I had a lot of onboard credit. It works fine for me and syncs with all my iPads, iPhone, etc.

Rather have another mini than go to the spa.

Just a quick heads up...

If you are driving and use the Bayonne Bridge, check for closures on weekends. It was closed today and I did not check. Cost us about 15 minutes drive time.

Still arrived home by 10am with great memories.

We are waiting to disembark. Enjoyed a quiet breakfast at Cafe al Bacio. Self-disembark was called at 7:30 am.

Thanks to Sherwin, our waiter at Select Dining, who arranged a birthday cake for my husband. He was surprised and the cake was delicious. Last year, they just said, Happy Birthday.

Thanks to all fellow guests who contributed to my live update.

Our last port stop was a beautiful Newport, Rhode Island. We have visited there on our own so I researched and found that the Newport Art Museum was a half-mile from port. Since my mobility isn’t great, it took about 20 minutes but was well worth visiting if you don’t want to just shop. The museum is housed in the Griswold mansion—he was a shipping magnate —and had diverse art exhibits including contemporary art. The city area near the port was very lovely and upscale.

Tendering is a big concern here. If you left around 9am, there was no wait at all. When we returned at 1pm, there was a long wait for a tender. The ride back to the ship is about 25 minutes. When it came time to disembark the tender, I knew I could not make it up the step in a bobbing boat. I did ask for the two portable steps to be brought over and even then, I needed a lot of assistance to get onto the ship.

Getting ready to drive home tomorrow...only 45 minutes.

It was a great itinerary and a very enjoyable 11 days.

Susan