MJN1

Dr Ron, can we get this thread back to its' topic? 😘 Today, no editing 🥰

"At least I had a window seat this time" WHY - on a Boeing 737 Max??? 😱🫣😳

There should be a bank ATM within 5min from the Port gate

"Usually" SS has two types of airport transfers you can book on board and which are listed on the disembarkation form you receive a few days before the end of the cruise: a) a (big) bus transfer to the airport, usually more expensive than a local taxi (which are sometimes hard to get and I would not bet on in Italy...), b) a private car at a ridiculous price. If you can book (and if needed also can cancel with 48h or so notice) your own private transfer, you can decide later on board as Gourmet Girl suggested. Your TA should also be able to check if SS does offer the bus transfer.

The ports you mentioned are lovely ports you would usually not visit. Cruising without unpacking is a very relaxed way to travel. As you live in the USA you will have to fly into London anyway (not sure where you cruise begins/ends). So why don't make the best of two worlds and add several days in London before the cruise (and forget the other big cities) and then enjoy a wonderful cruise?

It also depends in which country you book/pay. In the socalled DACH countries (i.e.Germany, Austria, Switzerland) final payment for our next P2P cruise is 7 weeks and the deposit was only 20%. Also prices do vary by currency and so do the liabilities/responsibilities (and dsciounts/OBC) of the cruiseline and the TA.

Pepilachat, congratulations and enjoy your cruise! Yes, there will be people rolling their eyes and/or making "smart" (ass) remarks, but you will find those also at any hotel and on every airplane... At the risk of making an obvious comment: a key driver of your enjoyment (or stress) will be the daily rythm your baby has developed by that age, which then allows you to plan around it. So think of it as a luxury hotel vacation and do bring a baby monitor: You then can put the princess to sleep for her daytime naps/in the evening, set up one mobile in front of the baby monitor, connect to the ships internet, make a WhatsApp video call to the 2nd mobile, put the don't disturb sign out, and voila you can go with the 2nd phone and enjoy a break, trivia or dinner on board and can rush back to the cabin once she wakes up. (Just wait, someone here will object on safety grounds...). And/or check if some of the staff can (and is permitted) to babysit.

Lisa, yes, we once forgot the box with the studs for the formal shirt on board. They found it, duly mailed it and charge me something like Euro 80 at that time. They do ship the stuff with Fedex or DHL and that does cost. So the question is, what is the mirror worth to you? The credit card you can get replaced with the same number as mentioned above

Any cellular network plan will be on the expensive side, especially if you are away from land and in the satellite network. Making calls using WhatsApp and the (free) WiFi on board (or a public WiFi system on land) is much better and cheaper.

Another interesting Feature is that you can message other passengers on board via the App. You simply type in the name, even first name alone works (e.g. if there are two Anne on board both will show up with their last names on the screen).

DrRon, if you are still in Yokohama and want to 'fly' an Airbus 320 there is an inexpensive flight simulator within walking distance from your hotel. https://www.yokohamajapan.com/things-to-do/detail.php?bbid=804 I does not move, but is still very realistic! If you are more into railways: https://www.yokohamajapan.com/things-to-do/detail.php?bbid=773

Thanks for reconfirming. Now, the deposit in Euro (for Germany, Austria and Switzerland) is only 20%, thus I could only transfer 5%. Also learned from Paul's copy and paste, that my final payment is due only 45 days before cruise, instead of 150. As Paul said, only trust what you have in writing. SS's response via my TA was basically "Our Future Cruise Consultant explained everything correctly, you simply misunderstood...". 🥴

PaulMCO, many thanks for finally bringing clarity to this question! Thread closed...

Dolcevita Diva, any new insights from your Future Cruise Consultant? I went with mine line by line through the differences between P2P and D2D fares: - the 5% on board savings you get for both. The 5% Venitian Society Sailings and 5% for 100days you only get with D2D. - the % amount for the deposit differs. However, she stated (several times as I wanted to be 100% sure) that "you can transfer the deposit to another crusie 150 days prior" applies for both D2D and P2P. I simply want to have a clear and final answer given that also the repsonses above do differ.

carefreecruise and mchell810, many thanks for your posts. Unfortunately, the Future Cruise Consultant never mentioned the open booking option, despite me asking if there is a SS equivalent to SB's future cruise credit. Yes, the SS way is twice the price of SB and only gives you six months to plan, but it still a reasonable option to avoid the "stress" of planning while on board. Yes, we now have a Voyage confirmation. However, I still can't find the "small print" which confirms that a) we have up to 151 days prior to your Dawn voyage to transfer the voyage to a different date or itinerary and b) that if we make a change, the 5% discount will be applied to the new voyage price. Where is this stated, which would also answer DolceVita Diva's similar question a few weeks ago?