Cruzin with BQ & CQ

Hope it meets all your expectations and more! Fair seas!

90 days -- are you going on a special cruise like Australia, South Pacific?

No just to the Caribbean. That's what the TA requires. I think it gives them my money to A) make money and B) get the money to the cruise line in a timely manner. In any event, it is a small concession considering the OBC they provide.

Also some TA's have final payment dates that differ from the cruise line you may be sailing on. I guess that gives them some time to get the payment to the cruise line by the final payment date. Our November Cruise on the NA has a final payment date 90 days before embarkation.

After many years of wanting and wishing, my DW and I are going to take a west to east Panama Canal cruise in 2017. We live near Port Everglades which will make the trip home pretty easy. We also plan to spend some time pre-cruise in Seattle checking it out as we have not been there previously. The itineraries are not yet available, that I'm aware of, so we'll see what ship we end up embarking upon.

But my question is in regards to cabin location for purposes of viewing the canal. Typically we like the aft balconies, but is there any reason we should not select one for this trip. We certainly do intend to be on deck upon entering the canal, but I'm also guessing it will be with about 2000 of our new found friends ,and we may want the luxury/convenience of our balcony. There are a lot of unknowns for us about this cruise, so any of your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks and fair seas to all!:)

Responding to the OP....

We always pre-book excursions and specialty restaurants before boarding. On one occasion our Mariner account didn't reflect these expenditures as extra credits. I made a quick call to HAL and the extra cruise credits were added immediately. So by all means keep a record of what you have spent online so that all those expenditures are included. (That only happened once. All other times the totals were spot on.)

I'll keep that in mind. We have already booked quite a few things already. I have the transaction history from my credit card account.

I'm wondering if anyone knows if the purchases that I make online prior to the start of my cruise count toward the bonus days for purposes of Mariner credit. Typically I've already got $200-$300 before ever leaving the port. Not a big deal, but just curious. Thanks for your help!

I've sailed both ships. Aqua Class on the Reflection and a balcony on HAL. The difference in cabin space is noticeable, plus there is an obvious difference in passenger capacity. I think dining is comparable, although Aqua has it's own dining room which was very nice. But I do think the specialty dining fell short of HAL's venues. It was one of my disappointments with Celebrity. I think it's a matter of space versus ship style. We sailed on Reflection last November but we are booked on HAL for our cruise this November. Both provide a good experience, but we prefer the more subdued ambiance we find on HAl.

I guess it depends what you like. The suites are mid ship, but if we do book a balcony, we like the aft balconies but to each their own. The aft balconies are also a little bigger, inside and out.

Have taken it many times. Sure beats I95. Not sure what's prompting the question, but I assume it's to go to the port in FLL. We always get a roomette which allows at least a little sleep lying down. You'll get a ok dinner, and a continental breakfast. It's kinda fun watching the world go by from your chair without the stress of driving. Not sure where you live, but it is much easier than driving. It is more expensive north to south in the winter time than south to north the same time of year. We use it to go see family up north in the winter time, but usually drive home back to Florida. The logistics are usually good, but there can be delays, so I don't think I would plan to arrive the day of your departure.

I think I might try the Signature Suites. Very spacious, and large balcony to boot. The Neptune Suites are even better, with more perks but pricier. We have stayed in both, but the Neptune Suite was an upgrade, so you need to figure out if it's worth the difference. Either way both are very nice. Enjoy your cruise whatever you decide!

We've had a stateroom on the stern several times and always did enjoy them. Until we had smokers on one side of us...and our balcony became unusable.

 

As another poster noted, there is no air movement back there so it can be difficult.

I happen to enjoy a cigar, but I never, ever smoke on our balcony. I think it's very unfair to our neighbors, but it can happen on any cabin location. I don't want to start a smoking thread, but I do wish smoking was banned on balconies. It seems only fair. But the aft locations are great. It's sometimes the luck of the draw, regardless of location.

You may find that people either love them or wouldn't book one again. We happen to love them. The advice not to book under the pool deck is good advice. We always go deck seven by booking far in advance. The cabins are more spacious and we love the view and the short walk up to the pool and buffet.

Can't really speak to configuration of the new ship, so maybe others can help with that. In any event, have a great cruise however you proceed!

Just sayin': We did a San Diego to Fort Lauderdale full transit of the Panama Canal on the Amsterdam just last December and liked it a lot. Both FLL and SAN are very nice embarkation/debarkation ports due to their close proximity of the airport to the cruiseport. The Amsterdam is a great ship to do this cruise on as all the steamer chairs are available on the lower promenade deck (i.e. no dreaded lanai cabins). Also there is some real nice steamer chair open seating aft on the navigation and veranda decks. The food/service/entertainment on the ship was good too. The 'banana republic" Central American ports are different; however, I enjoyed them.

Hey thanks! I did not really think about a smaller ship. But on some levels it makes sense from the standpoint fewer passengers and perhaps better vistas. Thanks again!

I'd vote for that. In one trip you get to combine a natural wonder with a man-made wonder.

 

Plus the cold-hot packing is a great mental challenge. :)

Yikes!! I hadn't thought of the hot-cold packing challenge!:) DW already kills me now for a one week cruise in the Caribbean. I'll need to hire a someone to lug all the bags!!

We just got off the Noordam from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver on Saturday. We cleared customs in Victoria, BC, our last port. When we arrived in Vancouver we just walked off the ship.

 

Vancouver is a gorgeous city to sail in and out of. If you don't want to fly in or out of Vancouver Quick Shuttle offers many trips a day from Sea-Tac airport to Canada Place. You would not have to get an airport shuttle. The service is excellent with pick up at the pier and airport. Their buses are very nice. It's another alternative.

Thank you so much! I see that you live in Vancouver and it fits the conventional wisdom to terminate your voyage close to home! I'm thinking that I would be best served finishing in FLL as we live so close. Some of the HAL itineraries begin in Seattle but have a first stop in Vancouver. We are very much interested in seeing both cities. Thanks again!

I am from the Seattle area. I retired last summer and DH & I were planning to cruise the Panama Canal last fall from Seattle to Port Everglades. I was talking to my boss who has been on many cruises and she offered some advise that you might consider because it would apply in your situation. You ALWAYS buy stuff when you are on a trip like that. If you fly to Seattle & purchase along the way, you won't have to worry about dealing with overweight or extra baggage charges to get home. Getting from the airport to the port is easy, but you might prefer arriving a day early for sight seeing (and less stress). In our case we flew to Florida and just returned home a couple weeks ago, it was great!

Awesome! Sounds like you had a great time! Whatever we decide, we will certainly spend some time prior/post to the cruise doing some sights. Thanks for your thoughts.

Would recommend landing in Ft Lauderdale in case you purchase souveniers. You will not have the hassle of airline issues for weight restrictions, fear of breakage or loss, timing, etc. It is so much more relaxing to drive your short distance home vs. hassling thru the airports. The Canal is one of our favorite things as find its engineering and simplicity amazing and it is still functioning well even after 100 years! Yes you lose time going west to east but I would choose that over a flight at the end of a wonderful cruise. Either way, you cannot go wrong!

You make a good point. We thought about it in those terms as well. HAL has one itinerary that is an Alaskan cruise prior to departing off to FLL. I have been to Alaska fishing, but my DW has not been there, so that would be very cool! Again, in the thought process and wanting to maximize our time on many levels. Thanks again!:)

Cruising eastbound you will loose 3 hours between west coast to east coast, so that's 3 days of your itinerary that are shortened. Conversely, westbound itineraries have 3 25-hour days making it more relaxing.

 

We also enjoyed a partial transit from the west side and overnighted in Gatun Lake next to the Atlantic locks. You get the same number of locks as a full transit, and two transits of the Culerba Cut plus time to watch the ships in the lake. It was a much better experience than the word "partial" might indicate at first glance. I don't know if HAL still does this itinerary - it was 21 days and had a very relaxed rhythm, a day at sea, a day in port.... but this would require more flying for you; just a thought because you are in the data gathering stages. Enjoy! m--

Hey Thanks for your thoughts! We are kind of leaning towards the full transit as we have not been to Seattle or Vancouver and would like to explore those areas as well. Additionally we've not been to the Pacific side of Mexico, so it will fun to check that out. Thanks for letting me know of the other options.

My DW and I are planning a retirement cruise on HAL in about two years. Can't wait! I know this may be something asked before, but is there any difference east to west vs. west to east. There are some great itineraries either way, but I thought some of the seasoned cruisers may shed some light on the differences.

We live about an hour and half from Port Everglades, so we can make it work either way, but I'm also curious if it's easier to leave/return from Seattle rather than Vancouver due to immigration issues, additional expense for international air travel and baggage restrictions.

Many thanks for your thoughts and help!:)

Don't know why not. I would try in any event.

I have to book directly with HAL (part of the problem in the first place) due to a 200 per person credit we were given for a previous issue we had on another cruise. Thus I don't have a TA working on behalf. I will keep you posted what happens. Thanks for the responses.

You should be able to transfer your booking to your TA in any event. That way you can take advantage of any perks your TA may have to offer. In any event, best of luck!:)

We very much like the aft cabins for the location and the view. We are booked in 7139 on the Nieuw Amsterdam the week of Thaksgiving. Two decks below the pool deck and have been there before, and it's very quiet. Also only two flights of stairs to the pool and buffet. Could be what you might be looking for, in any event have a great cruise!

Personally, we like the aft cabins. Like looking at the wake from our balcony. In fact, we are booked in an aft balcony for November on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I like the location on the HAL ships as it's close to the aft pool and the buffet, but a little bit of a walk to the front of the ship.

We have never had the issue with the smoke, but I've heard that can happen, but sailing in March I think you will be fine. Have a great cruise and enjoy your stateroom!!

I'm guessing that this has been asked before, but if we wish to tip in the specialty restaurants, do we tip each person individually or will the tip be shared with the entire staff? Don't want to stiff anyone! Thanks

DW and I are departing in three weeks. It is one of many cruises we have taken, but our very first on Celebrity. We will be in Aqua Class on the Silhouette and I'm wondering about a few things. What are some of the things we should absolutely not miss. It could be food, drink, ship related or anything else. Conversely, is there anything we should definitely take a pass on.

We very much appreciate your help. Also we plan to follow up upon our return with our impressions.:)