24 Hours to decide on Celebrity Infinity cruise -- HELP!

[Epicureangirl]

I'm under the gun here, so would love your input.

 

I have put a hold on a 10 day Pacific Coastal cruise on the Infinity. I sail mostly with Holland America (but have also sailed Celebrity, Princess & Disney) so this would be an introduction to Celebrity. I'm in my 40's, but I would be travelling with my 21 year old daughter this cruise. She is used to cruising Holland America too, so we don't need a ton of entertainment, though we would be up for a pleasant surprise if their entertainment is good too. What I do want is some good food without having to be at the specialty restaurants every night.

 

Given that Infinity isn't the newest ship on the seas, is it still a good representation of Celebrity? I have been dabbling with trying Celebrity or Oceania (but that is a different conversation and not what I would choose to take my daughter on), primarily for the food. Thoughts? I don't want to spoil my impression of Celebrity just because I chose poorly, if I like this cruise it could be a game-changer for our future cruise plans.

 

 

Thanks everyone.

 

P.S. I do know about the propulsion issues and if it is still going into dry-dock in April, this cruise is in May and hopefully would not be cancelled.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Epicureangirl
P.S. Added.

[Denny01]

We just finished a cruise on the Infinity through the Panama Canal and enjoyed the cruise and the ship. We’ve done the West Coast cruise 4 times and LOVED it. Great ports, and I hope overnight in San Francisco for you.

 

The Infinity has a great Themro inside pool we loved. Celebrity has fine food in the MDR - We always did a specialty dining once or twice a cruise, but the main dining was just fine for us.

 

I’d go for it. And enjoy the ports. If you go to Monterey, do the Aquarium, and just wander Astoria if you can. It’s like stepping back into the 60’s.

 

Go for it!

 

Den

[hcat]

We enjoyed a 7/8 day P C on Infinity.. diff itin. Ship is aging..some sewage issues and AC failures but ship is generally clean, service and food ok, good activities . Nice Solarium pool and Persian Garden

 

We enjoyed the ports but were shocked at the old pier with wooden winding ramps where ship docked in San Fran...

 

No idea how it compares to Holland..

Go for it

[bunnyrab]

We did the Pacific Northwest cruise on Infinity September 2016. Older ship but very comfortable, clean & easy to navigate.

Booked for Panama Canal on her this coming September.

Found food very good & nice selection.

Enjoy.

[bunnyrab]

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Edited February 11, 2018 by bunnyrab
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[Epicureangirl]

For those of you who have done that same pacific coastal cruise, are there any stops where they tender, or that there are additional charges to get into town? Or are many of the ports walking distance into the cities? I have been to many of the cities already, but only have cruised out of Vancouver. I'm trying to factor in where my other expenses might lie -- this time it won't be for Visa's!

 

Cheers.

[Cruzinram]

Go with HAL. Infinity is showing her age and the service was subpar. That said, I am a big fan of Celebrity, I would just say clear on this ship.

[Epicureangirl]

We just finished a cruise on the Infinity through the Panama Canal and enjoyed the cruise and the ship. We’ve done the West Coast cruise 4 times and LOVED it. Great ports, and I hope overnight in San Francisco for you.

 

The Infinity has a great Themro inside pool we loved. Celebrity has fine food in the MDR - We always did a specialty dining once or twice a cruise, but the main dining was just fine for us.

 

I’d go for it. And enjoy the ports. If you go to Monterey, do the Aquarium, and just wander Astoria if you can. It’s like stepping back into the 60’s.

 

Go for it!

 

Den

 

Yes, there is an overnight in San Fran (one of my favourite US cities). I've been to Monterey but not the Aquarium before. Also, Astoria has just been a drive-by so I've never really had a chance to explore it. It might almost be like being a tourist in my own back yard, but that can be a lot of fun too. Thanks for your suggestions!

[rsquirrel]

If you haven't already been try the Disney Family Museum in SF. I did that with my mom when we were on a Disney Pacific Coast cruise.

 

I haven't tried Celebrity yet, but I have a Pacific Coast on Infinity in September.

[ROYALBOY]

We love the Millennium class ships... will be doing Infinity in Sept from Vancouver B2B to Home in Fort Lauderdale.

 

 

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[TFLG]

We were on the Pacific Coastal last Oct. Overall the ship was in decent shape for it's age. We were in Aqua class and ate in Blu and all but one night found the food to be pretty good. If you're a foodie try and go Aqua if you can swing it. The entertainment was also decent last Oct. There were a lot of tender ports on our cruise (santa barbara, monterey, catalina). All the stops were totally walkable.

[bunnyrab]

For those of you who have done that same pacific coastal cruise, are there any stops where they tender, or that there are additional charges to get into town? Or are many of the ports walking distance into the cities? I have been to many of the cities already, but only have cruised out of Vancouver. I'm trying to factor in where my other expenses might lie -- this time it won't be for Visa's!

 

Cheers.

 

Monterey stay left , straight forward & you will come to a nice little town.

 

Astoria had a free shuttle into town & volunteer greeters.

 

San Francisco we rode the cable cars( metal) for $1.00 & if you turn right when coming out onto street from port you will come to Fisherman's Wharf.

If you want to do the Alcatraz tour, when exiting the port turn right. Not very far to check into tour. Must book ahead online as they sell out.

 

Great hours for Victoria. Exit left & walk into town or cross street & take local bus.

 

Monterey & Santa Barbara are tendered. (Haven't been to Santa Barbara.)

 

Celebrity - Royal Caribbean have the best reward programs for repeat cruisers & are inter changable.

Have done many cruises on Holland & Princess also.

Itinerary 1st, cost 2nd. All great cruise lines.

[Want2Cruise 701]

If you need more than 24hrs to decide, I would release the hold and re-hold it as long as the price hasn't increased. This will give you some more time. I have not sailed Infinity or done the Pacific Coastal so I cannot offer any help with that. Good luck.

[astrocat]

Just had a GREAT trip on Infinity Chile to Buenos Aires. The one where the propulsion issue surfaced. It was one of the happiest cruises I’ve been in, and as a result we are booked for 2 more in M class, including one on Infinity. Enjoy!

 

 

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[ecslady]

Yes, there is an overnight in San Fran (one of my favourite US cities). I've been to Monterey but not the Aquarium before. Also, Astoria has just been a drive-by so I've never really had a chance to explore it. It might almost be like being a tourist in my own back yard, but that can be a lot of fun too. Thanks for your suggestions!

 

When I did a Pacific Coastal with Celebrity, we over-nighted in San Fran. The sail in is the best, don't miss it! We had a cabin on the Starboard side and the view of San Fran in the evening was fantastic. Did an evening tour of Alcatraz, then came back and sat on the balcony with a nightcap or two or three. Walked all over San Fran on our own during the day. ....Enjoy.

[aka~pella]

I noticed that when I booked a specialty dining package (or two) with HAL, it wasn't a great value. Celebrity's specialty dining package very much is. Just fyi

[snowowl]

For those of you who have done that same pacific coastal cruise, are there any stops where they tender, or that there are additional charges to get into town? Or are many of the ports walking distance into the cities? I have been to many of the cities already, but only have cruised out of Vancouver. I'm trying to factor in where my other expenses might lie -- this time it won't be for Visa's!

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Epicureangirl]

If you need more than 24hrs to decide, I would release the hold and re-hold it as long as the price hasn't increased. This will give you some more time. I have not sailed Infinity or done the Pacific Coastal so I cannot offer any help with that. Good luck.

 

I feel pretty comfortable with booking that itinerary and ship (and my daughter is keen on it too now that I've told her, she was pretty emphatic about not doing an Alaska cruise so I wasn't sure if she'd take to this one either).

 

Next decision I need guidance on, this cruise is coming close to the 90 day mark where the full payment is due. I can put my deposit down tomorrow directly with Celebrity, but within a week I will need to make the final payment. So what to do here... there can be really incredible deals if you wait until the 90 day ticker starts, I might be a week away from an even better deal. 60 days is when the real magic happens (or they disappear while you procrastinate... :o)., but I'm not sure that I want to delay quite that long unless there was a real likelihood of rooms still being available.

 

One thought is for me to book it at its current price, and QUICKLY transfer the reservation to a high-volume cruise TA if they can give me a better deal or some OBC. I understand you only have this option before you pay your final payment, so I would have about 5 days to get that done. I am only booking an inside cabin so I'm not expecting much in way of OBC.

 

Does anyone know if I could keep trying to put on those 24 hr holds to a room, to try and make it until the 90 days to see if they do another price drop? Or would you try and do a transfer to an agent. I'm not familiar with how much wiggle room there is between the prices posted by Celebrity, vs. what the travel agents could give. I was thinking 10% tops and likely less on such a discounted cruise?

 

Thanks.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Epicureangirl

[Denny01]

The cost of SRs on Celebrity and many other Lines is the same with their website as would be a TA. A TA can give you some OBC or insurance discounts but nothing on the actual reservation.

 

I can’t give you advice on waiting to closerto the cruise to see if you get a better deal. My experience with that itinerary is, it’s popular so SRs May become more limited and could go up in price versus down

 

If I knew well enough to give advice, I’d not be on this forum, I’d be sitting around my mansion drinking $1000 bottles of wine and smoking rolled up$100 bills.....no I wouldn’t but you get the point.

 

If you do make the reservation now, Do NOT go back later to check the price! That’s a great way of spoiling a cruise if you feel as if you overspent. Myself, I feel lucky to afford it when I make it and won’t listen to the ‘boy did I get a deal’, types. Anyone who talks about what it cost them is usually telling a whopper.

 

Enjoy the cruise mo matter how you make your reservation.

 

Den

Edited February 12, 2018 by Denny01

[cruisenowpaylater]

If it is not too late, I strongly suggest that you stay away from Infinity. Just completed a 14-day South America & Antartica cruise and the ship is showing it's age. Lots of problems too with toilet vacuum system. However, their maintenance crew do a good job is fixing the problems quickly. Overall, Dining and Stateroom crew were great. I can't say the same for the officers.

[Epicureangirl]

It might be too late in that I let the cat out of the bag as I told my daughter about it. Now she's excited and the only alternate cruise options I can think of for May are either Alaska (which she doesn't want to do again), and Europe, which will set me back about 3k on the airfare. Not sure if Caribbean appeals either, unless there's a special ship to lure us.

 

There have been plenty of coastal cruises listed, but they're mostly for 1-3 day trips which is too short for me. Even a week is short. I like the 10 day itinerary, it gives a couple of sea days (can't imagine how slow it must travel to accomplish that) as well as the overnight I San Fran. I will take another look, but I don't know if another line (one that would be worth trying at least) is doing a similar itinerary.

 

For timing, my daughter is on break from University May through the end of August and wants to work the Summer. It's hard to ask for time-off from a Summer job, so I need to book us in May or the very end of August so she gets a good stretch of work. August can be tricky with all the younger kids out of school -- things tend to book up until you hit September. Any ideas for alternates are appreciated, but I may still do this one.

 

Officers have never played a factor in my cruises, I honestly think I've only spoken to one in the past to get directions. Which is probably why they avoid the passengers... questions and complaints that they don't want to hear! ;)

[4774Papa]

We have had four wonderful cruises on Infinity.

Never did HAL, since they had a terrible smoking policy that was exacerbated by attracting smokers.

Now HAL has eliminated smoking on balconies. Still, in 2016 we did Alaska and in Denali, we were on the Wilderness tour bus when it picked up about 40 HAL guests. You could smell the cigarette smoke on their clothes. It was a bit sickening, since we could not open the windows.

[ecslady]

While the Infinity is a bit older than the the S class ships, I love the M class ships for their size, the better storage in the cabins IMO, the layout and ambience. You will be on the Infinity in May, after the ship spends about 2 weeks in dry dock to fix the azipod. They may take care of some other issues and at the very least, do a very good thorough cleaning. Staff just doesn't sit around doing nothing during a dry dock.

 

As far as keeping a cabin on the 24 hour hold, you can keep doing it, as long as you monitor when it goes off hold so you can grab it again. Been there, done that.

[Epicureangirl]

We have had four wonderful cruises on Infinity.

Never did HAL, since they had a terrible smoking policy that was exacerbated by attracting smokers.

Now HAL has eliminated smoking on balconies. Still, in 2016 we did Alaska and in Denali, we were on the Wilderness tour bus when it picked up about 40 HAL guests. You could smell the cigarette smoke on their clothes. It was a bit sickening, since we could not open the windows.

 

I'm a non-smoker too, so generally avoid the casino (not hard since I don't gamble) and the pool bar where smoking is allowed. However I haven't booked balcony staterooms because I don't like the smoke and the slamming doors. Now that you can't smoke on balconies maybe I can live with the door-slamming. ;)

[Epicureangirl]

 

As far as keeping a cabin on the 24 hour hold, you can keep doing it, as long as you monitor when it goes off hold so you can grab it again. Been there, done that.

 

Thanks for that info -- I know I will be doing those holds in future. I like that they have that option.