Elite + Saying Good By

[mcrcruiser]

After many wonderful Celebrity cruises , we decided not to fly  .Living close to the San Diego port  & only 1.5 hours from the San Pedro ,Ca port ,we find that our cruising has been with Holland America & Princess  .Thus eliminating flying . At the age of 80 it is just too much to endure the stress of  the airports  .A side benefit what we save on flights we now can enjoy  on board  benefits 

 

  For those able to cruise on a Celebrity ship have a great time as we did in the past 👍

[varoo]

33 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

After many wonderful Celebrity cruises , we decided not to fly  .Living close to the San Diego port  & only 1.5 hours from the San Pedro ,Ca port ,we find that our cruising has been with Holland America & Princess  .Thus eliminating flying . At the age of 80 it is just too much to endure the stress of  the airports  .A side benefit what we save on flights we now can enjoy  on board  benefits 

 

  For those able to cruise on a Celebrity ship have a great time as we did in the past 👍

 

[jelayne]

Hope you enjoy many rest cruises. We are doing 2 cruises out  of San Pedro this fall, hopefully you will find some cruises on X that work for you 

[PhoenixCruiser]

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas will be sailing out of San Diego next May 19th.

Be sure to check out the before and after sailings to Alaska immediately after the itineraries are released for the best rates.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[varoo]

1 hour ago, mcrcruiser said:

After many wonderful Celebrity cruises , we decided not to fly  .Living close to the San Diego port  & only 1.5 hours from the San Pedro ,Ca port ,we find that our cruising has been with Holland America & Princess  .Thus eliminating flying . At the age of 80 it is just too much to endure the stress of  the airports  .A side benefit what we save on flights we now can enjoy  on board  benefits 

 

  For those able to cruise on a Celebrity ship have a great time as we did in the past 👍

 

It is your choice, of course, but it certainly is not necessary to limit your travel options in this way.

 

Many in your age group, and even older, enjoy easy, stress-free travel through airports by using wheelchairs and other methods of ground transportation provided for those who need them, free of charge. 

The only additional cost involved is for tips.

 

My own elderly mother used to complain about the "stress" of airports until she reluctantly (very reluctantly) finally agreed to start using the wheelchairs and carts provided for passengers who need them. 

 

Once she became aware that the experience could be so easy and stress-free, her entire attitude changed, and she again enjoyed air travel. 

No more standing in lines, no more schlepping luggage, no more hiking down long corridors.

 

It opened up so many possibilities for her that never would have been available had she persisted in restricting  herself to only the few cruise embarkation ports close to home.

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by varoo

[mcrcruiser]

7 minutes ago, varoo said:

 

It is your choice, of course, but it certainly is not necessary to limit your travel options in this way.

 

Many in your age group, and even older, enjoy easy, stress-free travel through airports by using wheelchairs and other methods of ground transportation provided for those who need them, free of charge. 

The only additional cost involved is for tips.

 

My own mother used to complain about the "stress" of airports until she reluctantly (very reluctantly) finally agreed to start using the wheelchairs and carts provided for passengers who need them. 

 

Once she became aware that the experience could be so easy and stress-free, her entire attitude changed, and she again enjoyed air travel. 

No more standing in lines, no more schlepping luggage, no more hiking down long corridors.

 

It opened up so many possibilities for her that never would have been available had she persisted in restricting  herself to only the few cruise embarkation ports close to home.

 

I have used wheel chairs  & I do  understand your points  . However ,one must  evaluate  the extra cost with the hassles even using a wheel chair  . Still too many hassles .We have done 84 cruises ,so we are not missing much . 

 

 Saving hundreds or even thousands in flights including transfers ,we can now put more of that savings to our on board enjoyment & tours 

 

 Every one has a different slant on their wants & needs 

 

 

 

 

[mcrcruiser]

16 minutes ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas will be sailing out of San Diego next May 19th.

Be sure to check out the before and after sailings to Alaska immediately after the itineraries are released for the best rates.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

We sailed on Serenade of the Seas years back twice , A very nice ship  ;but ,we are getting better value by sailing with Holland America  who really is closest to Celebrity in food ,service & amenities on board

[mcrcruiser]

PS we have done over 40 Celebrity sailings 

[grandgeezer]

We too are getting older and are seriously thinking about only cruising from the west coast as we live in the Phoenix area.

We have a cruise, leaving from Miami, on MSC Seaside, in October and it will probably be the last one from Florida. We usually have to go a day early and because of me being 6'4", we usually book economy plus or exit row seats. Air fare, hotel, extra meals, and extra shuttles will run us over $1500, do that 2-3 times a year and it adds up. Flying to San Diego or L.A. runs us about $400 and because it's only about an hour flight, I can handle regular economy seats. We are able to go same day and there is no other hotel, meals, or shuttle cost. When we first started cruising, our first dozen, or so, cruises were from the west coast and never had any hint of problems going same day. We usually take one of the earlier flights so there is little chance of weather delays for planes coming from the snow and cold, as the plane is sitting there when we get to the airport.

[chemmo]

2 hours ago, varoo said:

 

It is your choice, of course, but it certainly is not necessary to limit your travel options in this way.

 

Many in your age group, and even older, enjoy easy, stress-free travel through airports by using wheelchairs and other methods of ground transportation provided for those who need them, free of charge. 

The only additional cost involved is for tips.

 

My own elderly mother used to complain about the "stress" of airports until she reluctantly (very reluctantly) finally agreed to start using the wheelchairs and carts provided for passengers who need them. 

 

Once she became aware that the experience could be so easy and stress-free, her entire attitude changed, and she again enjoyed air travel. 

No more standing in lines, no more schlepping luggage, no more hiking down long corridors.

 

It opened up so many possibilities for her that never would have been available had she persisted in restricting  herself to only the few cruise embarkation ports close to home.

 

 

Varoo, I totally understand the OPs decision. I have had several flights in recent years with some mobility issues. We have had one or two very good experiences (Orlando, Sydney) but others have been stressful and indeed physically damaging as by the time I have arrived at my destination I have been in pain and exhausted. On long haul we have booked business and on all occasions we have registered special needs but it certainly hasn’t been stress free.

 

A couple of examples,

 

Barcelona Airport,  one cart takes you so far and then you are left on hard and uncomfortable seats at a station waiting for another cart. No drinks/food nearby. People in this area were becoming worried as their departure times became nearer.....One elderly lady was in tears, her travelling companions (daughter and young son) had been told to make their own way to gate as only one travelling companion was allowed with each disabled guest. We were waiting forever, finally taken to gate where we were left. Sign came up on monitors for a gate change, no staff about...I ended up ‘hobbling’ to the new gate. Not a great distance but far enough to cause discomfort.

 

Mallorca Airport we saw a member of staff as we got off the plane. She told us it was only a ‘very short’ walk out and could we manage or we could wait and queue for a chair (lots of guests waiting).  It was a short walk but then there was an enormous queue for showing passports I asked a member of staff for a wheelchair and was told I couldn’t get one there....

 

Fort Worth, waited for 20 mins after a long flight. The pusher said there was no business lounge and just wanted to take us straight to the gate. Fortunately we knew there was and insisted on being taken there as it was a couple of hours until our connection...

 

Atlanta, we were told that a cart would be waiting for us. It wasn’t, we were provided with a cart eventually but the staff didn’t have any record of our request and were initially reluctant to help us...

 

Manchester (UK) landed after a long haul flight, no wheelchairs waiting, flightcrew phoned, waited about 25 minutes before chairs arrived.

 

I report this not to worry those travelling with mobility issues but to add some ‘balance’. We continue to fly to cruise some of the time. If the experience is good we are thrilled but it isn’t always....We have sometimes chosen a ‘less good’ itinerary from Southampton rather than fly. I would add that compared to some needing mobility help I am not that bad, I can walk short distances.

 

We fly into Orlando again soon. We have chosen an expensive direct flight over one with a connection to reduce difficulties. Our last experience in Orlando was very good, I hope this one is too.

 

OP, sincere best wishes for many more wonderful cruises even if they can’t be on Celebrity. We are also E+ and I can see us in the future cruising exclusively from our home port too, we are fortunate that Celebrity has a Summer presence.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by chemmo

[G.M.T.]

5 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

After many wonderful Celebrity cruises , we decided not to fly  .Living close to the San Diego port  & only 1.5 hours from the San Pedro ,Ca port ,we find that our cruising has been with Holland America & Princess  .Thus eliminating flying . At the age of 80 it is just too much to endure the stress of  the airports  .A side benefit what we save on flights we now can enjoy  on board  benefits 

 

  For those able to cruise on a Celebrity ship have a great time as we did in the past 👍

I wish you all the very best in your flying retirement and enjoy your "local" cruises.🍹

[vickykay]

Enjoy your west coast cruises.   Will miss seeing your posts on these boards.

[hcat]

We think you are making a good decision about eliminating the stress of flying if that makes life easier for you .  As you mentioned,  there are  a few ports you can reach by train/ bus / limo  as well, and we have noticed  a few more X itins have been coming along that leave from the west coast.

 

In the past, we enjoyed our Coastal Calif  itin  on Celebrity,  another  one from Seattle that covered the inside  and outside passage north  including Astoria Ore,  Nanaimo, Victoria, BC  ;and a roundtrip to Hawaii  from San Pedro.  No matter what line you choose, you should be able to enjoy cruising without long flights and travel stress or boredom.!  

 

Although we still fly , it is much  less frequently on longer flights for us to the West coast or Europe...just a big hassle.   We try to keep flights non stop or ones that  easily connect,   and are lucky to have a small local airport nearby that is stress free. We plan on  doing more east coast cruising from Bayonne on reno Summit and .can drive there,  and also cruises from  Florida, where we stay for the winter.

 

Good luck in your travels! 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by hcat

[CAicruiser]

OP is not stopping cruising,he just jumps ship to another cruise lines for whatever his reasons mentioned.

[jimbri]

Enjoy your future cruises.  I'm sure you will have a great time!

[lolane1]

7 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

I have used wheel chairs  & I do  understand your points  . However ,one must  evaluate  the extra cost with the hassles even using a wheel chair  . Still too many hassles .We have done 84 cruises ,so we are not missing much . 

 

 Saving hundreds or even thousands in flights including transfers ,we can now put more of that savings to our on board enjoyment & tours 

 

 Every one has a different slant on their wants & needs 

 

 

 

 

 

I so get what you are saying.  Having a very elderly mother, I realized a long time ago that my travel days would get limited at some point.  This is one of the reasons I haven't waited until I retire to travel.  I would never want to give up cruising and am lucky I am near a port.   Like you, this will be a plus in the future.   Good luck and happy future cruising.  

[deliver42]

Best of luck to you, and happy cruising.

[vtcruising]

I tried to talk elderly relatives into flying to FL to see a daughter. They live on their own and walk every day (he was downhill skiing a couple of years ago) - it seemed that they could do 4-5 hrs of flight and could use wheelchairs. They explained that it wasn't the flight itself, but everything that went with it. They said that flying has changed over the last several years (they used to travel extensively) and the issues include security lines, flight changes, delays, cancellations, gate changes, etc. They felt that, in addition to not having the stamina, they weren't sure that they could negotiate all the nuances as well at their age (I'm not saying the OP is at that stage, but just saying that, like them, these people recognized their limitations).

 

I started to think about it and realized that they were absolutely right. Over the last few years of flying, we have:

-had a storm coming in and had to do a complex rerouting of our flights before the cancellations were announced

-had a flight delayed a couple of times and eventually canceled at 10 PM - had to stand in line to rebook something for the next day while scrambling to find a place to stay 

-had multiple gate changes that I got notifications for via my phone and maps to find the new gate - they have a flip phone and no longer have internet access

-had seat changes without our knowledge and were split up and once, instead of bulkhead were placed way in the back middle seats

 

Sometimes all the stars align and check in and flights are easy, but many times there are unexpected changes that we have learned to take into stride and negotiate, but there will come a time when the balance will change and we won't feel comfortable flying to FL for cruises. We have a Plan B that involves moving closer to the ports. 🙂

 

Happy Cruising - will miss your Celebrity posts!

Edited August 10, 2019 by vtcruising

[hcat]

Fully understand OPs point..and glad they hace found an alternative...

 

We have changed  our  vacation pattern after various winter weather upsets requiring  last minute  change of plans . Very stressful and costly to re arrange flights, hotels etc...but have not missed our ship yet!  (Fingers crossed)

 

 We  now only cruise to the  Carib  in winter season  ( for my b day) if we are already in Florida.  Next   we are trying  Nov cruises in 2019 and 2020.Less chance of snow, slight chance of late hurricane.  Also adding  a spring cruise from Bayonne now that Summit is updated a bit.....driving to port.

[TeeRick]

10 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

After many wonderful Celebrity cruises , we decided not to fly  .Living close to the San Diego port  & only 1.5 hours from the San Pedro ,Ca port ,we find that our cruising has been with Holland America & Princess  .Thus eliminating flying . At the age of 80 it is just too much to endure the stress of  the airports  .A side benefit what we save on flights we now can enjoy  on board  benefits 

 

  For those able to cruise on a Celebrity ship have a great time as we did in the past 👍

Best of luck to you and you will certainly have good cruise options on those two lines on the west coast.  And perhaps someday celebrity will home port a ship there!

[Blazerboy]

I'm not yet retired, and already changing the way we travel. Fewer red-eyes- too taxing on me, and fewer economy flights- too taxing on knees and back.  Just returned to the West Coast from Florida on Sunday, and realized that even extra cost exit rows don't help with seat comfort on "the backside."

 

We've talked about the same kinds of changes OP is considering, eventually, including a Florida Condominium for part of the year,  Local cruises are not as easy an option from San Francisco, limited to Alaska, Hawaii and California Coastal, and mostly on Princess.

 

We hope that we won't really face this for 20 years, but, as one poster said, it's why we travel so much now....I won't be able to be hiking the hills above Kotor or the Carpathian Mountains without new knees!😉

 

We are also feeling that the ship is more the destination, so itinerary will matter less and less.

 

Wishing smooth sailing to the OP, and glad you've found an alternative that works.

 

Andrew

[davekathy]

Hope our age and heath is never going to get in the way of cruising for us. We have to fly to all embarkation ports.

[maggie.1008]

I totally understand the PO`s concerns. We live on the west coast and have done the Pacific Coastal, Hawaii and Alaska cruises more than I can count. I really don`t care for Princess or HAL. 

My DH was an airline pilot and 9 years older than me. He is sick and tired of airline travel on long flights. 

We are going on Oceania out of Miami in November and that will be a long day. Our small Palm Springs airport is very limited where you can fly to. 

In April we will cruise  from Honolulu to Vancouver on X again. We love sea days and this is our only option. 

I wish X would have more cruises out of the west coast. I envy those in Florida and Europe that have many choices. 

Cheers, Heather

[mahdnc]

11 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

After many wonderful Celebrity cruises , we decided not to fly  .Living close to the San Diego port  & only 1.5 hours from the San Pedro ,Ca port ,we find that our cruising has been with Holland America & Princess  .Thus eliminating flying . At the age of 80 it is just too much to endure the stress of  the airports  .A side benefit what we save on flights we now can enjoy  on board  benefits 

 

  For those able to cruise on a Celebrity ship have a great time as we did in the past 👍

 

Although they don't have nearly as many cruises under their belt, my parents are in the same position where they have given up travelling by air.  Because they live in Kentucky, that means they have stopped cruising altogether.

 

Anyway, good luck with your future cruises with Princess and HAL.  Maybe someday Celebrity will do round trip cruises out of San Diego or LA in the future.

 

[bEwAbG]

OP posts a variation of this same thread every few months and then invariably ends up booking a cruise that involves a flight

 

It is an important thing to talk about in general, though.  I had a friend early in life who insisted we go and do as much as possible as soon as possible so that we don't look back on life with regret.  Too many people say "I'm going to see the world when I retire" and then life doesn't turn out that way.  My own mother thought she would be RVing around the country but her husband had a major stroke about 3 months after she retired, so she's spent the last several years as a full-time caretaker and only managed to squeeze in one vacation away from home since then.