newbie2013

On 5/31/2020 at 2:12 AM, Noreen411 said:

If you haven’t made final payment yet, you can just have your deposit moved to the sailing you want next year.  Then make that final payment next year.

 

You don’t have to worry about lift and shift rules.  You pay the current rate for the new sailing.  You also can choose any sailing you want, any duration, etc.

 

You avoid having to wait for FCCs or refunds to be processed.  You also don’t have to tie up any extra money aside from the deposit they already have.

 

Since you mentioned August 30 sailing, about 3 months away I know it is right around final payment time.

 

Noreen

I'm hoping someone can help... I have a cancelled cruise from April and have my FCC certificates. My Travel Agent has told me that when I want to rebook I need to pay a new deposit that cannot come out of my FCC. I appreciate taxes and port fees are separate, but surely I should not have to pay a new deposit in addition to the FCC held.

I would have thought the deposit should be transferred through to new booking by RCL.... any advice?!

We turned our Hertz in at Crown Plaza. Pretty simple. Yes, a bit of a line, but no one is going to be able to guarantee no line at the airport.

 

 

 

Plus it saved us about 30% on the rental.

Wow! Thanks everyone. You rock! That is all exceptionally helpful and the map and detail from Steerage Joe is brilliant!

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Hi. I see you are from NZ and are this hesitant to drive completely opposite from home you drive at home. There is also Amtrak that runs between Orlando and Fll. I do not know the schedule but you can add that to your options.

 

If you have not already done so, I recommend joining your sailing's roll call. It doesn't hurt to "poll the audience" to see if anyone may be heading south at the same time. It doesn't hurt to ask. Split the cost of a larger vehicle, etc... after all, it is just a 3 hour-ish drive. A lot of us Americans (myself included) are fascinated by British, aussies, and kiwis, and others especially if one of them was offering to pay for the rental that I would have to get anyway, and just need to drive :-)... and have an opportunity to listen to your accent for 3 hours why we pummeled you with our stupid American questions ;-) . It doesn't cost anything to ask, at least.

 

Safe travels and have a wonderful time in Orlando and on Harmony.

 

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Thank you, and everyone else for your kind and helpful suggestions. You are spot on that I was being a tad hesitant due to driving on the “other” side of the road- but have managed some driving around Canada in past years so might give Florida driving a try! GPS is so helpful now, as it takes the navigation stress out of the equation. Really looking forward to trying Harmony- looks fabulous! Many thanks once again.

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While the 50 minute or so flight time is certainly shorter than driving, when you add in the security lines at MCO and the baggage claim at FLL you come perilously close to the 3 to 3.5 hours time you would spend on the road. And depending on the locations of the vehicle pick up and drop off, convenience is essentially a wash--with having control over your luggage the entire time giving the edge to driving in my book.

 

Unfortunately until direct train service is finally realized there are no good public transport options. Driving strange highways is a piece of cake compared to braving the Greyhound Bus in Florida.

Thank you all. That is really helpful advice and much appreciated!

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Not only quite high but I can’t imagne any Uber driver would even take the fare unless they just happened to be driving to Lauderdale anyway.

Thank you all so far- much appreciated advice!

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We are spending a week at the Orlando theme parks in October before heading to a cruise on Harmony. I haven’t been able to find much information about transport between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale and would be grateful for any advice. I know rental car is an option and I might brave it, but does anyone have any experience or advice with Uber (if that’s possible for such a long trip) or shuttles? Thanks so much.

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We are spending a week at the Orlando theme parks in October before heading to a cruise on Harmony of the Seas. I haven’t been able to find much information about transport between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale and would be grateful for any advice. I know rental car is an option and I might brave it, but does anyone have any experience or advice with Uber (if that’s possible for such a long trip) or shuttles? Thanks so much.

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I've never seen reindeer on an RC ship.

Won’t be long before someone brings a support reindeer on board though!!!

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I would like to know, once the Sofa bed has been made up, how much space is left in the Cabin

 

ie: is there still room enough to walk around the sofa bed??

 

 

 

Any pictures would be great of Cabins 8248 & 10216

 

 

 

Many thanks

 

:):confused:

Had a mini suite on Jewel last weekend and plenty of room even with sofa bed down- we could even fit the chairs around it. Don’t have any great pics but will see if I have one that gives some idea... loved the room.

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Thank you for your replies. I do want to say that I tried to edit my post but wasn't able to - I didn't mean to sound as if I was 'bragging' by saying it was our 4th cruise this year. They have all been short cruises, and I only mentioned it so that people knew I had cruised P&O before.

 

Previously we have had the Bianco and Gatsby which we have 'sort of' dressed for. This time it is a 9 night cruise and we have Bianco, Gatsby and what they call 'formal'

 

As suggested we will wear nice smart clothes.

 

Thanks once again for your responses.:)

There will be the Back to School party one night... although not sure how formal that is (unless you go as the principal!).

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That would depend on the bartender. Now you're asking for a non-alcoholic cocktail, which requires the Refreshment package.

Thank you!

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Yes, you can get a soda water with a lime.

Thank you (and I guess that includes a splash of lime juice/ cordial if requested)...

Much appreciated!

We are going on the Vision of the Seas next year and I was wondering you get the sodas from the bar like or if they have a soda fountain where you can get your own soda? It says on the website that a Coco Cola Souvenir cup is included with the package so that leads me to think that you can get your own soda.

.... and does anyone know if the soda package will allow you to order a soda water and lime from the bars (or should we bring our own squeeze bottle of lime juice??).

Many thanks!

Kind of disappointing, since I'm a vegetarian. There's only one choice each night. Heavy on the pasta and creams, light on imagination and interest. I know I can always ask for Indian food. However I'd love to have more choice. My cruising companion is also a vegetarian, so we might be visiting the buffet.

Was thinking exactly the same! "Seasonal fruit medley" as a repetitive starter just doesn't really cut it!

All bets are off!

Just announced... the three officers for Pursuit are:-

 

Senior Captain - Carl Smith

Hotel Director - Ryszard Gusmann

Cruise Director - Tony Markey

 

Many congratulations to Carl, Ryszard and Tony!

Wonderful news and big congratulations to Ryszard and Tony- they both made a recent Baltic cruise with Azamara incredibly memorable (and Ryszard deserves a massive thanks for all the efforts he made in getting Lech Walesa on board in Gdansk). All the very best with their new pursuit (terrible pun sorry)...

Has anyone had any experience with these private tour companies taking the high speed train to Moscow and back for the day. What was the itinerary like?

 

Thanks

 

Todd

Hi Todd, I've cut and pasted our Day 2 (of 3 days) itinerary of the trip to Moscow. It isn't quite as daunting as it looks (honest!) as the Sapsan is such a comfortable and relaxing train journey. The Armoury is amazing! Lunch was self-pay on this day but the place we were taken to was excellent and amazing value for Moscow. Please feel free to let me know if any questions about the tour we did. Cheers, Calum

05.45 Transfer from the ship to the train station in St.Petersburg

06.45 "Sapsan" high-speed train to Moscow

10.40 Arrival in Moscow, meet your guide and driver

11.00-14.00 City sightseeing tour covering major sights and photo stops: Komsomolskaya Square, LubyankaSquare, Red Square, St.Basil's Cathedral (Intercession Cathedral), Christ OurSavior Cathedral, Novodevichi Convent, View point on Sparrow Hills, MoscowState University, Poklonnaya Gora and Victory Park, The White House of RussianParliament, New Arbat Street

14.00-15.00 Lunch (optional)

15.30-16.30 Tour of the Kremlingrounds

16.30-17.30 Excursion in the ArmoryChamber - world-famouscollection of the Russian treasures

17.30-18.00 Time for shopping, souvenirs

18.15 Return to the train station (subway tour)

19.45 High-speed train back to SPB

23.45 Arrival in St. Petersburg

00.30 Return to the ship

That's the link I posted in the first post on this thread !

I really need to get more sleep clearly! Apologies!

She’s not languishing but has been fitted out inside and out and will open as a hotel in the new marina next month. I’m on a Facebook group where people who are in Dubai have put up pictures. The pool has been covered up with wooden decking and the terminal with pictures of her Cunard past is ready. Still waiting for pics of her inside but it’s top secret until opening. Pictures of her in the marina look lovely , like she used to minus the lifeboats which are placed on the entrance to the drive to the terminal. I’m pleased the new owners have done something with her and she hasn’t been broken up or allowed to decay.

Thank you so very much for the update, and I stand corrected! This is the first positive news I've heard about the project in a long time! Thank you.

I found this link from recent weeks: https://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/qe2-undergoes-major-facelift-in-dubai-as-anticipation-for-her-next-chapter-builds-1.630638

If this is the extent of the advance "publicity" for this misbegotten project and it's all supposed to suddenly materialize in two months time, one might be a tad cautious. Personally, I'd rather have had the old girl meet a dignified end at the breakers than being in the hands of complete and utter strangers like this. Hacking off the davits and lifeboats is indicative of their appreciation of "preserving" the ship.

I saw her recently in the distance from

Burj Kalifa in Dubai and sadly she is languishing with all air con having been switched off a few years ago. I would be surprised if she is restored to some sort of glory, which is a sad end for a maritime great. On another note, I understand that a drunken crew party after her last voyage resulted in some of her fine artwork being thrown overboard in to the sea. This included a wonderful woollen tapestry that hung in a main stairwell showing the Queen launching her in the Clyde. I recall this piece of art well from a tour of QE2 and was sad to hear of Its demise.

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You can do it online if you use the new beta version of Cruise Control.... did it successfully a few weeks back for a booking next year. Cheers!

Yes, but you can't do it online, which seems like such a backward step in 2017.

I second that about TJ Travel, and Mikael is fabulous! We did their three day tour which included the fast train to Moscow on Day Two. Busy but incredibly fulfilling and so well organised. The cost was remarkably reasonable and nice to compare and contrast the two cities! Would recommend this tour, but also appreciate that there is so much to see in St Petersburg itself. Enjoy!

We had TJ Travel for a two-day tour in St Petersburg on the NCL Getaway cruise (Aug 15-24) and highly recommend them. The guide Mikael was extremely knowledgeable as his "day job" is at the Hermitage Museum. The tour included all the main sites (Peterof, Winter and Summer Palace, Amber Room, etc.) and a few off the beaten path visits such as the St Petersburg subway (the deepest in the world and quite the experience). Mikael had great stories about all the sites, as well as a fantastic sense of humour as he described history and current life. We also opted for a night tour. There are a variety of options and we chose the "Russian Experience" where we strolled across the Neva River and along Nevsky Prospect, and enjoyed vodka tasting and snacks, with tour guide Dimitry. The cost for the two-day tour was less than half of the same tour if booked through the ship and instead of being packed onto a huge bus with a group of 40 you get a small van and a group of 12-14 (and free wifi). We were surprised not to be asked to pay until the end of the tour where we met Maria the owner and received some final parting gifts including a guide to St Petersburg. We appreciated that we were able to pay by credit card and the shop she works from had free coffee and vodka for tasting. The first day off the ship expect to wait in line as you go through Russian immigration - it took about 20 min to get through. NCL offers priority to its shore excursion guests when disembarking in St Petersburg - that doesn't mean that you can't disembark if you have booked a private tour. They just don't announce the "all clear" for all guests so watch through the windows in the morning and when you see people starting to walk off go join them.

I would say that depends on if you have one or two overnights in Russia. I recently did a Baltic Cruise with two overnights in St Petersburg and did the Moscow trip on the second of our three days in Russia. I agree with previous posters that there is so much to do in St Petersburg- but to add Moscow was a real treat IMHO. The fast train "Sapsan" is wonderful, and it's a busy but fulfilling day. I did mine with TJ Travel, who were excellent, but I know that other companies offer a similar itinerary. I don't know when I'll be back in Russia, so made sense to me! Cheers!

Ok, thank you all.

 

 

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Thanks everyone for their thoughts. It's going to cost AUD $1688 more for the cabin, so it's quite steep. I was under the impression the cabin & balcony were bigger. So that's definitely something to think about. It's 12 night cruise so the extra points will be nice. We don't have to let our TA know till Monday so will ponder it over the weekend :confused:

There is an embarkation day lunch in MDR just for Concierge Class, if you want to avoid the first day buffet madness! Priority check-in for Concierge may or may not be much quicker... the afternoon canapés delivered to your stateroom and the bottle of bubbly on embarkation day may not justify the extra cost....

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Yes! That's the kind of research I like.... will give it my full attention next week on Journey. Cheers! Calum

 

 

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(apologies for duplicate!)

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Epicurious begs to disagree: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/scotch-mist-200083 :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's not just you. On Solstice, we found the service to be incredibly slow, I think because they simply didn't have enough chefs in the galley. The food was good, but not outstanding. And I've always enjoyed Discoveries on Quest (on Journey it was an anomaly, but they had just come off the TA, the Captain gave the order to sail with supplies on the dock and they never reprovisioned; and the temporary Executive Chef wasn't good at improvising; this was back in 2007-8). Food was delicious, service was spot on and I'm looking forward to 18 nights onboard in October to continue my research.:D

Yes! That's the kind of research I like.... will give it my full attention next week!! Cheers! Calum

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