kbert92069

My wife is in a wheelchair. So I can fly to Quebec CIty and embark there or fly less expensively to Montreal and take the train.  YUL airport to central Montreal train station? is it easy?  and at the Quebec City end is it easy?  Would the train be okay with a wheelchair?  Is it a nice train ride?

Thanks,

Karl

I appreciate everyone's responses.  I have a passport and a global entry but recently sent the passport back with my renewal application and I have no idea how long it will be before I get it back..

Thanks,

Karl

There are numerous cruises round trip to Alaska from Seattle.  I know they stop in Canada due to the rules but if I don't get off the ship in Canada do I still need a passport?

We want to book 5 rooms on a Celebrity Cribbean cruise for a family get together.  We have never done this so are looking for advice on how to get the best price and/or advice.  Should we call Celebrity directly or use a travel agent who specializes in groups?  

Karl

I have never been on RC but am elite on Celebrity.  Historically we cruise with older people but the families we wish to cruise with for a reunion include teenagers on up.  We need a ship that has lots of activities that they'd enjoy.  i haven't paid attention to roller coasters aboard ships or fancy water slides or go kart tracks, etc. so I'm looking for thoughts and suggestions.  SInce we plan to pay for all this cost is important too.

Karl

So last minute packing advice needed from winter experts as I am headed to Viking Ocean "In search of Northern Lights cruise next week   I am trying to decide what to pack.  Should I choose water resistant fleece lined "snow pants"  or water proof insulated bib overalls with built in gaiters.  The former seem like they might get too wet in the legs while the latter are bulky and heavy and perhaps too warm over a base layer. No room to pack both and the really cold excursions provide winter wear.

42 minutes ago, Azulann said:

Yes, you can use your shipboard credit to pay for gratuities once on board. or anything else on board that strikes your fancy.

Welcome  to Viking forum and your first Viking Cruise. Where are you going ?

Headed In Search of the Northern Lights on the Venus in February

I have searched but can't find the answers for this Viking newbie.  What's the benefit of prepaying gratuities?  I know I can use shipboard credit to prepay gratuities but if I don't prepay can I still use that credit to pay them while onboard?

Thanks.

5 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

The prime (or master) reservation record will (obviously) show all the flights in the booking, regardless of which airline(s) you're booked on.

 

In addition, any individual airline's reservation record often includes the previous flight/journey and the following flight/journey, even if those flights/journeys are on a different airline and the prime record is held by a different airline or reservation system. This is because the airline may need to know where you've come from, or where you are going to, so it could be important for the airline to have ready access to this information.

I think this help me understand that there's a "master" reservation.  

I thank everyone for their replies.

So a new experience for me was using Viking Air for a cruise off Norway next year.  Their itinerary shows Delta over and American for the return.  When I log into AA I see all flights listed and this is confusing to me.  Will I get AA miles for the Delta legs or do I need a Delta flyer account?

Thanks for everyone's responses.

Karl

54 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

No, you need to print them out from the last page of your edocs.

When we sailed last November they sent luggage tags to us here in the US.  I no longer have a color printer.

If so, where you you request them?  It seems to move around for each new cruise we go on.

We are on the Beyond Oct 3 for 9 days.  Under the new rules no testing required.  Okay.  But then we are B2B on the following TA leaving Barcelona for 12 days.  Testing IS required for this sailing under current rules.  How is that handled by Celebrity?  Do we need to bring our own self tests aboard or with Celebrity test us or will Celebrity waive that testing requirement since we are already aboard?

So we've never done a B2B cruise or a TA before so any other thoughts on what we should expect are welcome as well.

2 hours ago, trtog7 said:

We did that cruise in Jan 2022. It was wonderful. My husband uses a walker and had little trouble on the streets etc but then again we are from Canada and used to winter.

The one problem he had was one of the nights looking for the lights his wheels froze.

Hope he has large wheels because they will work better

Thank you so much for sharing your experience.  My wife's walker is what they called "Euro style" so yes, it has big wheels. 

We are scheduled for Viking Ocean "In Search of the Northern Lights" cruise in February.  I don't know yet for sure but we may be likely to encounter snow and or ice in the Norway ports.  We have no experience using a rollator in either. What is the likelihood of success with access for someone who uses a walker/rollator for stability?  Any possibility in the snow?  I have no idea. Does anyone have experience with this they'd be willing to share?

My DW is perfectly content to stay aboard to see the sights from the ship but I'd like to know what thoughts experienced people have about the possibility of going ashore.

Karl

We are scheduled for Viking Ocean "In Search of the Northern Lights" cruise in February and I am wondering what the ports are like in winter for walking around.  Specifically Tromsø and Alta as they are closer to the Artic.  Are the sidewalks typically clear? icy? slippery? snow covered?  I know the weather can vary but in many places being close to the sea tempers the weather.

What about the ports themselves?  Can we expect icy walkways?  How about areas to meet tour busses?  

What is the likely access for someone who uses a walker/rollator for stability?  Any possibility in the snow?  I have no idea. Does anyone have experience with this they'd like to share?

I had heard somewhere that Viking keeps a block of rooms open in case any people need to be quarantined wouldn't the aft portion of deck 3 be good for this?  Is there a typical room section where entertainers and lecturers stay?

6 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

What time does your cruise arrive? What are the flight times? That information would make it a lot easier to answer your question.

Disembarkation from a TA will take longer than it would for a typical closed loop cruise because of customs and immigration checks.

I'm sure it was just a typo, but the correct code for Newark International is EWR, not EWK. EWK is an altogether different airport .

Opps,  yes, that should be EWR.  The TA arrives 5am which I'm guessing let's people off beginning around 7:30 am.  We won't be self disembarking so later in the morning for us.  Yes, customs is an unknown time frame for me.  Hopefully someone with experience can comment.  This is planned for October.  

Out of JFK I have an 11:30 am and a 4:55 pm.  Out of EWR one nonstop at 7:40pm and then flights with stops at 9:35, 10:30 and 5:30.  At least in JFK we could wait in a lounge.  

Not East coast knowledgeable person here so I really don't know.  I will be disembarking from a TA at Cape Liberty.  I will be flying back home to San Diego that day.  We like non-stop and business class for longer journeys.  I note the there are more times and flights available from JFL than from EWK in Newark.  I would like help deciding the relative merits of either.  Newark is closer and thus a lower Uber fare but seems like a longer wait in the terminal for my flights.  We are mobility impaired so not ones for public transportation.

What's the safest flight departure time from Newark vs safest departure time from JFK.  Thanks for your help.

Karl

Our Panama Canal cruise will be disembarking in San Pedro and we need to find our way to San Diego afterwards.  Any good ideas?

Are there any major car rental agencies that service the port where I could get a one way rental?

Karl

On 8/10/2021 at 4:27 PM, Jim_Iain said:

Let us know if the email works.    I tried it previously and never received a reply.

Over 24 hours and no reply.  Disappointing.

20 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

Japanese people own far fewer cars than Americans, relying on public transit far more than you do. As a result, there are far more taxis in Japan than in many other countries.

You will be surprised at how nice the Japanese taxis can be; spotlessly clean, drivers in coat and tie, lace doileys on the seats, automatic doors, telephone charging stations in the back, televisions, etc. These taxis are also not cheap. You get what you pay for.

 

There is some Uber in some parts of Japan, but those taxis are more expensive than regular taxis.

 

In most ports there will be plenty of taxis at the pier. In the bigger cities (Tokyo, Osaka), many drivers will speak a bit of English. You should be prepared to show them a map or a Japanese translation of where you want to go. You should also learn just a bit of Japanese language to make it easier.

It is unusual in Japan for a taxi driver to offer a day long drive or tour. This sort of thing is best arranged in advance with a tour company.

 

Japan's public transit is the best in the world. It is remarkably easy and inexpensive to take a train or subway to just about anywhere. You should do a bit of research on this before you go.

If your smartphone has GPS and maps, your travels will be far easier.

Translate.google.com is not very precise with Japanese, but it can be very helpful in getting around. In most cases it can get your basic message across.

 

All helpful information. Thank you.

We have never cruised around or visited Japan.  In many places we've cruised there are taxis waiting at the pier which can be hired to take us to a destination or even drive us around all day.  Does this happen in Japan?  We are looking at Celebrity's 14 day around Japan next spring.  The specific ports are Shimazu, Kobe, Kochi, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Hakodate, Aomori.

Secondary question would be if these hovering taxis exist what's the likelihood  the drivers speak a little English.

Third question: have people had success with Google translate in Japan?

Thanks,

Karl

22 hours ago, Silkroad said:

I found this information on Celebrity’s web site under “Contact us”:

 

Air Arrangements Email Address:  air_sea_cci@celebritycruises.com

 

I hope this helps.

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  I thought I had looked everywhere. I will try that out.