Costa Rica

[knotheadusc]

Well, we may book a Costa Rica cruise yet. We just paid off one of our cars! :)

[commodoredave]

Ahh, go ahead and book. You'll be helping the economy. And you've just created more room on your credit line by paying off the car.

[knotheadusc]

Maybe when we're on our next cruise. I want to get the 15% discount. :D

[commodoredave]

Maybe when we're on our next cruise. I want to get the 15% discount. :D

 

Smart. No wonder you've paid off your car!:)

[Zimmy]

Maybe when we're on our next cruise. I want to get the 15% discount. :D

 

You can book and then rebook while onboard for a $50 fee. That way if the price stays the same you get the 15% discount. But if the price goes up to more the original price, even with the discount, then you're still ahead. I haven't been watching the prices on any cruise other than the one we're booked for, but the price on that one has gone up twice since it was originally offered.

[knotheadusc]

That's a good idea, Zimmy. I'll have a chat with the spousal unit and see what he thinks. We have to move later this year, though, so it will also depend on how much time off he can get.

[knotheadusc]

American Safari/Un-Cruise also has an amazing looking Sea of Cortes cruise available in the fall... It's about the same price wise and I've been wanting to try that line. On the other hand, Costa Rica is very inviting and with SeaDream, I have a good idea of what I'll be getting...

 

Decisions, decisions...

 

:D

[Jim Avery]

American Safari/Un-Cruise also has an amazing looking Sea of Cortes cruise available in the fall... It's about the same price wise and I've been wanting to try that line. On the other hand, Costa Rica is very inviting and with SeaDream, I have a good idea of what I'll be getting...

 

Decisions, decisions...

 

:D

 

And to further confuse you,:D Azamara occasionally does the Sea of Cortez. We really want to do that with ex SeaDream Captain Tysse on the Azamara Journey. We can get to the Northern Sea of Cortez easily from PHX and it is beautiful. Like you say, decisions, decisions.:D

[commodoredave]

Think I'm going to finalize my pre- and post-cruise travel arrangements on my own tomorrow (Monday) as I am tired of waiting for SeaDream to announce something for the Costa Rica itinerary. Seems they are very slow on arranging this king of stuff compared to other lines we've sailed with. Oh well, they won't be making any profit on us for the land portion of this cruise.

[Zimmy]

Think I'm going to finalize my pre- and post-cruise travel arrangements on my own tomorrow (Monday) as I am tired of waiting for SeaDream to announce something for the Costa Rica itinerary. Seems they are very slow on arranging this king of stuff compared to other lines we've sailed with. Oh well, they won't be making any profit on us for the land portion of this cruise.

 

We also finalized our plans. We had made our hotel reservations but were holding off on plane tickets home since the resort we chose is closer to the Liberia airport than to the San Jose airport. We assume that the SD resort will be closer to the port and therefore will necessitate flying home from San Jose. The hotel reservations are of course cancellable until quite close to the time of arrival, so we were just waiting to see. Then last week American came out with some very reasonable first class airfares and we immediately booked them, since they'll probably disappear tomorrow, if they haven't already. So now we're locked in, and that's that. I'm of course curious to see what SD does come up with, but we won't be participating in it.

[whatnot]

Thanks Zimmy!

I am not doing Costa Rica but will be cheating on SD on a River Cruise from Budapest to Passau and eventually Prague in September. I'd been checking the American Business Class prices fairly often and I was resisting booking. We were gone last week so when I saw your post this morning , I checked and the flights I wanted were actually 25% less than when I last checked. So I booked. Thanks SO MUCH for your post. Otherwise I might have missed the sale!

[JES4845]

I pinged Miami again today as we are also getting anxious about pre-cruise land plans in Costa Rica given we will be there the full week that includes Christmas prior to the SD sailing on Dec. 28. For those of you who have booked hotels/resorts, or otherwise researched same, we would be most grateful for suggestions of where (or where not) to stay. All the best to all on this very helpful SD posting.

[commodoredave]

Pretty much amateur hour by SD on not having pre and post-cruise land options available by now, but that's why they're not making as much money as they could. Guess they're already too profitable.

 

In any event, here's what we have booked for DR:

 

- AA biz class air bought recently on sale as several here have mentioned;

- Pre-cruise Los Suenos Marriott Ocean and Golf Resort in Herredura for 2 nights. Premium Ocean View room for $184 per night;

- Post-cruise Marriott Hotel San Jose for 1 night. Pool view room for $154 per night;

- Private van transportation for two to Los Suenos, then to Caldera to ship, then from Caldera to Marriott San Jose for $350.

Edited March 6, 2013 by commodoredave

[frequent traveler]

Pretty much amateur hour by SD on not having pre and post-cruise land options available by now, but that's why they're not making as much money as they could. Guess they're already too profitable.

 

In any event, here's what we have booked for DR:

 

- AA biz class air bought recently on sale as several here have mentioned;

- Pre-cruise Los Suenos Marriott Ocean and Golf Resort in Herredura for 2 nights. Premium Ocean View room for $184 per night;

- Post-cruise Marriott Hotel San Jose for 1 night. Pool view room for $154 per night;

- Private van transportation for two to Los Suenos, then to Caldera to ship, then from Caldera to Marriott San Jose for $350.

 

I will put in my 2 cents for the 4 Seasons - we did a corporate event there (in fact it was the year after we did SD) and we couldn't have asked for more. For those of you going from December on- that's the peak season and you want confirmed well organized companies. it takes volume and long standing relationships to get priority. We didn't have one complaint about any of the excursions or tours through 4 Seasons and airport transfers were right on schedule and comfortable.

 

FT

[commodoredave]

I will put in my 2 cents for the 4 Seasons - we did a corporate event there (in fact it was the year after we did SD) and we couldn't have asked for more. For those of you going from December on- that's the peak season and you want confirmed well organized companies. it takes volume and long standing relationships to get priority. We didn't have one complaint about any of the excursions or tours through 4 Seasons and airport transfers were right on schedule and comfortable.

 

FT

 

The 4 Seasons looks marvellous. However, we are flying in to San Jose which is quite a distance from that resort.

[JES4845]

My understanding is that SD will have something out in public in the next day or two. I don't know any details at all but I am willing to wait to see what they have to offer. Since we are all SD enthusiasts we want them to succeed and stay in business so we can enjoy the unique product they offer. Like many of you, I get frustrated from time to time about delays such as the one here for the land add ons. That said, it is still many months away, so I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt to see what they have to offer. Then we can make intellignent decisions, go from there, and most of all, enjoy the blessings of being able to do something special that all but a few get to enjoy, so that puts it in proper perspective for me/us.

[Jim Avery]

We are doing the same. Still a long way to go.:eek:

[Zimmy]

Thanks Zimmy!

I am not doing Costa Rica but will be cheating on SD on a River Cruise from Budapest to Passau and eventually Prague in September. I'd been checking the American Business Class prices fairly often and I was resisting booking. We were gone last week so when I saw your post this morning , I checked and the flights I wanted were actually 25% less than when I last checked. So I booked. Thanks SO MUCH for your post. Otherwise I might have missed the sale!

 

I'm glad that you were able to get such a good deal. I'm wondering if the airlines are changing their business model. This is the third set of tickets which we have purchased within the last month where we were able to get reasonable business/first class rates. We were never able to do that before - we either bought coach & upgraded to business with miles, used a mileage ticket for first class, or we flew coach. We've never purchased first class tickets that I can remember. Do you think that the airlines figured out that they were giving away most of the business class seats anyway, either for miles or upgrades, and that if they sold them at a reasonable cost above the coach fare that they could actually make some money on them?

[whatnot]

Whatever their reason, I just hope it continues! I did not mind paying the price I paid considering what you get in return over the price of a coach ticket particularly for very long flights or for a flight with a European layover before a second 3 or 4 hour flight. The Heathrow British Air Business Class and 1st Class Lounges are really very nice!

 

I wondered if AA was running specials because people had waited on buying tickets until they knew more about the AA-US Air merger.

 

At any rate, who cares just as long as we got good deals!

[commodoredave]

My understanding is that SD will have something out in public in the next day or two. I don't know any details at all but I am willing to wait to see what they have to offer. Since we are all SD enthusiasts we want them to succeed and stay in business so we can enjoy the unique product they offer. Like many of you, I get frustrated from time to time about delays such as the one here for the land add ons. That said, it is still many months away, so I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt to see what they have to offer. Then we can make intellignent decisions, go from there, and most of all, enjoy the blessings of being able to do something special that all but a few get to enjoy, so that puts it in proper perspective for me/us.

 

That's true, but the problem is that while we have been waiting for news of the SD land program, there have been a number of appealing deals on air and hotel for CR. As a result, some of us have now booked and are no longer able to participate in the SD program -- which is lost profit for SD. That's not how a smart business should be operating.

[Jim Avery]

The CR pre/post itineraries and transfers have been released. 2day/1 night, 3 day/2 night, and 4 day 3 night variations. Hotels are the Real Intercontinental and the Marriott. We are going to do the 2/1 package as we have already booked air with that timeframe. Have to decide on the hotel. Any advice?:D

[Zimmy]

The CR pre/post itineraries and transfers have been released. 2day/1 night, 3 day/2 night, and 4 day 3 night variations. Hotels are the Real Intercontinental and the Marriott. We are going to do the 2/1 package as we have already booked air with that timeframe. Have to decide on the hotel. Any advice?:D

 

Released where, Jim? I can't locate them on the website. If they are there, please direct this computer challenged person where to look. And I know that I didn't get an email, even though we're booked for a back-to-back.

[Jim Avery]

Released where, Jim? I can't locate them on the website. If they are there, please direct this computer challenged person where to look. And I know that I didn't get an email, even though we're booked for a back-to-back.

 

I received an email this am. I am thinking you will get one today. I have never figured out their mailing schedule.:eek: I would have thought there would be a link on the voyage itinerary but I have not looked there yet.

[Zimmy]

Thanks, Jim. If the email was sent only to those booked for the voyages, it could have come to DH's email and I don't know about it. Both of us receive the general advertising emails. And apparently neither of us receive the emails when they offer special deals. Go figure.

[Jim Avery]

Cant figure it. Sometimes it seems having a TA in the loop affects what you get. I know I have missed some offers as well. At least it is "only" 265 days to go.:eek::D