catspaw1

Thanks for the heads up. My app & trip planner weren't working the last few days. But I changed the PW & it started working. Was able to get the drinks package at 8.99 plus tips - that was down from the 10.99 we booked at. I keep checking every day! Thanks for the savings!

My app & trip planner weren't working either. I reset the PW tonight & it started working.

We have never taken a ships excursion. We are going to Bermuda in July & will only do a ship excursion for the first time ever because we have OBC. It's a snorkeling trip. We are very independent travelers so used to doing things on our own. Have a great trip.

Thanks Octavis. That will be great to know. I will patiently wait. What boarding time did you get?

Love your TR as we are considering a NZ & AU cruise also. How much was the private wine tour? Do they have a group tour also?

WILCO

Yup. We moved to RVC in the 1960's & it's sure different now - too much traffic & no parking.

Thanks. I'll be online right at 1201am on checkin day

Heat. I grew up in Rockville Cente LI. I remember my parents taking us out to see the duck farms on the east end when we were small. Do you remember the big wooden duck I think was in Riverhead?

Ferry watcher. I don't think the cruise lines or the government have done a good job explaining what a REAL ID is. So definitely appreciate your clarifying. I just bring everything! Ever since they went to online documents years ago, I think the cruise lines added to the confusion. I'm sure you get a real hard time when they can't board &:I would not want to be in your place to tell a cruiser that.

No I will take my laptop with me purposely for this & have my cell phone also. I want to get early boarding so I can use my OBC right away to book an excursion before it sells out.

Heat, I'm only stressing as I will be away from home on checkin date & don't want to bring my passport with me while I'm away to checkin. I will set an alarm clock in the hotel to get me up at 1150pm to get ready to check in at 1205am. Thanks everyone.

The Points Guy article did say GE is not in use at cruise ports but I'm sure DHS is considering this. I do know DHS has been short staffed & the agency has been requesting more aide from Congress. An interesting read is the DHS annual financial report.

Ferry watcher, you are correct - many people don't know about GE. I was hoping CBP would start using GE in cruise ports. To recap, GE is a DHS tool to allow travelers a quick reentry back into the US without have to stand on line to clear CBP. It also allows TSA precheck. It cost $100 good for unlimited entry for 5 years. You need to sign up in advance & most importantly go for an interview which is hard to get these days. We have used it numerous times though the years & know from experience, that it's saved us a lot of time. Our international airport in DC is Dulles so we get all the latest here but not all airports in the US have it. Remember you clear customs at your first port of entry in the US. It is not affiliated with passports- that's the state dept.

Yeah, I know facial recognition is the new thing - much faster. I believe the program is still called GE so that's why I used it. I'm a retired Fed - was working at DHS, & CBP was my component, when we rolled out GE. We all thought it was going to be a big hit & it is. Hard to get an appointment now to get an interview for GE but I just got mine renewed. I believe it's still a lot easier to get appointments at the Regan building, home of CBP, in DC in case you can't get interviews elsewhere. We haven't traveled internationally since 2019 when we went to Portugal but are planning on lots of international trips in the near future besides our upcoming cruise to Bermuda. Will probably go back to Europe in the fall on a independent land visit. Next year we are cruising to the Galapagos on Celebrity.

Sorry to read about your sad story but so glad you & Ian found each other. It must have been karma! Enjoy your cruise. I know you said AU prices were cheaper than the US,& you went to an expensive dinner but what would a normal regular dinner at a moderate restaurant cost?

Thanks Jim, I love all your TR & am reading your adventures everyday on your cruise from AU back to the US. Always really enjoy reading about your & Ian's adventures. Hope you have a great trip! Please post how you like the go pro underwater. We are booked with Celebrity Galapagos next year & a bear watching adventure at a wilderness lodge & possible cruise again in AK next year. Want to see your opinion on the camera underwater. Loved your pics & blog on Sydney. Keep on writing please!!!

Not downloading the picture sounds much easier. I didn't think there was a GE kiosk at the port as I'm sure they aren't cheap. But it would be great if DHS would consider doing that- would save a lot of time. I love GE!

I got a professional heads hot picture at a conference I attended. Is that ok? If I checkin just with getting a boarding time, can I input the rest of the documents later that day- less than 24 hours later?

Thanks everyone. DH will not be with me when I check in so I will have to do both pictures later. Sorry I didn't clarify, I knew you needed a CC& I'll input my chase sapphire reserve # to get more points. Do I need my Global Entry numbers? If I remember correctly no, but I won't be home so would have to take them with me. Does your Passport scan on the app or do I do a download? I will be out of town & would rather not take my passports with me but just type in manually.

Do I checkin on the app or cruise planner on a laptop?

Hi all, what time does check in start? Is it midnight in the time zone of the cruise? What documents do I need? Will I just input our passport info or does it scan in using the app? We have Global Entry (if anyone doesn't have that & does at least 1 international trip per year I highly recommend it) so do I need those numbers also? I will be away from home checkin date so want to make sure I have all the data with me. Do I need my celebrity booking number? Can I check my DH & myself on at the same time? We want to get the earliest possible checking time since another couple has concierge class. Do we have 1 person check in everyone from our party? Or best for each couple to check in separately?Thanks everyone. Haven't cruised since before COVID19.

I am so envious of you to be swimming near Mark Spitz! I was on a swim team then & we of course followed him. Yeah I knew Northern CA you can't swim in the ocean due to cold water. I was a water rat also when young- loved to be in the water. Still do. I find the beach mesmerizing & calming. Thankfully we can swim on LI waters from June ( some start in May) through October. I still like to walk the beach in winter though. Am following along with your wonderful trip. Have a great time & enjoy! Really appreciate your posts & look forward to them daily.

Jim, just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your TR. I have read several others & I love your writing style. Keep up the great work. I will look forward to reading about you & Ian's new adventures

Thanks Jim, would appreciate your review of the gopro & housing. We are going to the Galapagos on Celebrity next June & we're thinking of buying it also. I'm an old lifeguard & been on a swim team so am a strong swimmer but no one can out swim a rip current. Try to swim parallell to the shore, don't fight it & it usually doesn't last for long. Happened to us in Cancun many years ago. Remember fins will help you get back to shore. Because most people start panicking, get on your back after it's over & just kick back to shore. Better than trying to breathe through a snorkel at that point. Kick using your hips & not your knees. I grew up on Long Island NY- a few miles from the ocean & we used to go everyday in summer