Wickets

Good news was  just to book.  Finally found someone at Celebrity that had a clue.  You can book direct with their broker, but not with Blue  chip.  Web site it travel cruise care.com. No spaces spell correct hates me.  Will not cover cancel for any reason since we are three months after booking, but will not need it.
 

We bought insurance for evacuation and lost bags coverage. A copter ride is apt to cost $50k, airline lost bags for 4 days on our honeymoon years ago.  I looked at so many choices this afternoon, I have lost track.  Most require insurance to be bought at time of booking to get best coverages.

We bought insurance for evacuation and lost bags coverage. A copter ride is apt to cost $50k, airline lost bags for 4 days on our honeymoon years ago.  I looked at so many choices this afternoon, I have lost track.  Most require insurance to be bought at time of booking to get best coverages.

We were suggested to take cruise care out when booking our “free” blue chip cruises two months ago.  I looked at our booking to see if check in had started and was able to do that.  I then noticed a balance due of $58 for the cruise.  In calling blue chip club, they were not sure of reason, but saw that $58. refund  was issued over the weekend.  I was then told that we could not use cruise care on a blue chip reservation. They had not noticed second leg of B2B, but now showing as credit.

I was then told to contact Aon and would be able to do payment and get coverage. Four calls and over an hour later I was told I could not cancel after 10 days, policy was valid. Explained I was not trying to cancel, but trying to buy. Gave up trying to explain due to language issues, and will try checking again in several days.

In the past we have used yearly GeoBlue for insurance for multiple trips per year, but looks like we are too close to sailing date.

Just got email, This might be good sign.  Four of the R ships back together.  Glad to see smaller ships still sailing.

We did the tour early this year and enjoyed it and the walk to see the penguins very much.  It was about a mile out, but we started seeing small groups right after starting the walk.  Very easy walking even with temperatures in the high 80s the day we were there.  Good bbq lunch at the building in earlier post. Saw llamas (or close relatives) on the way out, as well as stop at lighthouse.  Interesting seeing fiberglass lighthouse and sea lions sunning themselves.

Skagway tours

We did a Dyea Dave private tour with White Pass rail back two years ago. Best tour in over 20 cruises and we were planning on doing it again last spring before everything was canceled.

It was early May and first run for the train. We stopped side of the road to watch bear other side of guard rail watching us. Driver was amazing spotting wild life. Snow drifts that were cleared for train were crazy.


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Smoked Zacapa

We visited their tasting room several years ago. High point was the smoked xo. The used a smoke gun and larger glass dome to make a straight liquor that even my wife liked. It was cheaper at large chain liquor store at home, and we did not have to carry it. Did buy rum filled chocolates.

Last time we were on Celebrity, the 23 was listed smoked at World Class bar, but did not have a smoke gun board.

Volcano was smoking and rumbling when we were there, erupted with loss of life a couple of weeks later.


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We tried everything we could to upgrade the land portion of our June Alaskan cruise this January and February.  We had just the suite cabin we wanted, but were told it was wait listed on could not get it back.  There were plenty on cabins available for inside and ocean view so the other excursion were not sold out.  The on board sales person on last cruise did everything she could to knock the ABX three day excursion packages.  We canceled 10 days ago thinking we would see if cabin opened up after final payment. Checked this morning, and we are not the only suite to cancel.  I hope customer relations is happy with their iron clad rules and empty cabins!

After 23 cruises, the Grinch has finally struck and stolen our door decoration.  I was nice seeing all of the decorated doors around the ship early in the cruise.  My wife spent hours making a very nice embodered Xmas tree with lights for our door.  This morning when we got up it had been stolen.  In talking to room Stewart, we are not the only ones even in our small section of the ship. We have since heard that this has been very common in talking to guest relations and other passengers.

This very disappointing, hopefully someone will turn these items in and we will be able to claim from lost and found

Getting into chefs table can often be difficult on shorter cruises.  They do not offer it every night.  Back to back people can sometimes cause it to be sold out before new people get on.

Is this a departure day tour?  The canceled all of the transfer tours on our April Italy cruise and left us chasing transfers and tours. Much cheaper doing shared limo and hop on hop off

Just did Spain France and Italy 7 day cruises, France was my favorite for sight seeing.  We did private tours in Provence and really enjoyed them.   Crowds were much worse in Spanish and 

Italian stops.

The issue we had was there was no none EU stops and we were charged VAT on ship purchases. Extra 20-22% adds up.  Not sure if purchasing upgrade packages before board helps or not.

The hats are now generic.  I have my inaugural season Pursuit hat, a Journey hat, and Pursuit hat that is now my wife’s since she shrunk it.  They expensive unless you have obc to spend.

I would be afraid of trip size if tours were included.  We did ship tour for sherry tasting on recent Spain Tour.  As we were leaving tasting, a group from Viking that looked like 100 people came around the corner with one guide trying ride heard on them waving Viking logo flag. Not sure if river or ocean cruise.

Only surveys we have received are post cruise.  We were invited to focus group about LVC program while in Miami between cruises. Program is getting to be useless with changes to veranda cabin status.

We did chefs shopping tour in market in Kotor with Chef Daniel. Sampled everything in market.   We then had tour of the town with local guide.  Went back to ship for quick lunch and guide met us for van ride to winery for tapas and tasting.  When we returned to ship, Daniel had prepared fish that was still moving when he picked it out in the morning along with other local dishes.  Local wine that the wine steward had chosen was served with each course.   This was better than chefs table.

West bound is much easier on the body.  We have done two east bound on Celebrity and one west bound on Journey. The 23 hour days get to be a real pain after 3-4.  We really enjoy the sea days and did not get any more bored on Azamara than on Celebrity.

posted to roll call, thanks Bonnie

During recent ten day Caribbean cruise on Journey, that we told would get a chance to try new menu on the four day Cuba. At last minute, Miami pushed out the change.  Chef did do  his favorites for us last night.  Wife loved the shaved salad, my favorite was the lobster ravioli.  Hopefully will be in place for our April cruises on Pursuit.

We waited 5 days for answer on this to be told that we were not set up for email.  Just off 14 days on Journey where nothing was mention on this. We received 12 emails while on board, but not on mailing list.  

Still not heard about Azamazing Evening on France cruise that is less than month off.

Not sure where cruises without outside intertainment sailed.  We had steel drum player on stop in Bermuda on Journey TA last fall, and something every sea day.  We were never on board during afternoons on recent Greek Island on Pursuit so don’t have comments on that cruise.  I can understand not doing much if everyone is ashore.  On two long Panama Canal Cruises, afternoon sea days had something unless rough weather. If we were in port late, they brought in local groups on outside stage in evening.

The Azamazing evenings for  Spain intensive before this cruise and the Italy cruise after this have been up for months.  We are on all three. Is this the first time they have done this cruise?  

There were last minute changes on our Greek island cruise last fall.  Azamara had not noticed there was going to be over 12,000 in Santorini with us even though it was listed on the port load sites.  Many did not have time to switch around to new private tours. They also did not notice that we could not go directly from Europe to Cuba until just before our TA sailing last fall. We lost Halloween overnight in Bermuda, and went full speed to Key West where we had to clear Custom before sailing for Cuba.  

We just canceled an Alaska cruise.  If they are just doing Alaska this year, how much can we trust their planning with excursions and the cruise in general?  We love the ships but the support is really letting them down

No evening listed for March 1 Journey cruise yet although rollcall post on December 8 has it listed.  We had booked $520 all day chefs experience,  but look like I will need to cancel and wait for refund.  

April 6 and April 20 are listed for Pursuit, but not April 13 France intensive.  This makes it very difficult to plan.

It was turned off while in Havana when we were on Journey last fall. Told it was government regulation, but not which government.  We lost overnight in Bermuda at last minute and stopped in Key West instead because of US rules.  Cleared Immigration twice.

Any update on the issue?  We were on October Greek isle cruise and were 6 hours leaving port one night.  Captain sailed at what he said was full speed of 19.6 knot all night and made up lost time.  Aft cabins real shook forum this.  Of the Journey, we did 20.5 knots one night and did not notice anything close to vibration.  Looks like Carnival really did not take the best of care of Pursuit.