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Diddn

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  1. Hi, Aida IS different to Royal Caribbean and MSC. During opening times at the buffet restaurants, white and red wine as well as still water will be served by carafes, brought to the table. Soft drinks, sparkling water and beer you will get at a service station - self service. This is free of charge for everyone, regardless of a drink package. You may enter a buffet restaurant only for a drink, but only during opening times - refer to the daily programme for specific opening times.. I'm not sure which drink package you mean. Looking after the price you stated, it should be the alcohol-free package. You get drinks at all bars, and "some" drinks in "some" serviced restaurants. Drinks which are included, are marked in the bar menues. Others have to be paid by showing your card. Be aware that each of the serviced restaurants has a different drink menue, i. e. fountain water is included in the package, but in some serviced restaurants they offer only bottled water, which is not included in the package. The is no 15 % (or whatelse) surcharge on any bill. All prices are final without anything added thereon. Breakfast ist usually buffet style. It MAY be offered a breakfast with table service at the steakhouse and/or the French Kiss Restaurant - but that is to be paid, and seats are limited. If you want to choose that, I suggest to buy it in advance to get sure to get a place there. Wellness: Entrance to Fitness and some courses are free of charge. Sauna is to be charged and should be reservated (and paid) before by booking given time frames to use. Sauna is nude and mixed, pools are swimwear required. All reservations can be made via MyAida or by your travel agent as well as you struggle with the language. All reservations must be paid at the time of the reservation. If you wish to cancel, you should do that until four days before the cruise starts and the payment will reimbursed. Best regards Diddn
  2. From 16 to 24 years of age Aida Cruises offers a reduced price (25 % for "Premium" bookings) for the cruise. That is the reason that there is only the alcohol free drink package included. This can be upgraded for those at least 18 years old. Costs are a bit more than 100 € per week. Ask your travel agent for doing it in advance, or upgrade it by visiting the front desk on board. The second option only works at the embarcation day, so you should prefer the first option. Pending on local law it may possible that serving alcoholic drinks may be restricted during port times, for all or e. g. for those under the age of 21. More regarding that topic should be found in the informations you will get together with your booking confirmation or with your cruise ticket. For that, it could be a good thing to wait for the upgrade until you get all documents for the cruise to avoid paying for nothing or less than expected. Diddn
  3. Hi robinsandiego, just looked into the booking system of Aida Cruises. Exept of the christmas and new years eve cruise, starting at La Romana in the Dominican Republic, all cruises of Aida Perla are only bookable together with air transport from various german airports. My experience says that Aida Cruises will open for cruise only bookings, if that happen at all, only shortly before the start of the cruise, but never before they have sold the last seat of the airplanes they usually have chartered in full for passenger's transport to the Caribbean. Totally non-german-speaking passengers are very, very rare on board. (Sometimes there are some belgium or dutch people where at least one in the group has some knowledge about the german language.) Keep in mind that everything on board is usually held in german language only - announcements, entertainment, all information about living on board and regarding the ports. Just the bar menus and the menus in the specialty restaurants are bilingual in german/english. Crew is speaking english as well.
  4. Let's try a bit of math... Maximum capacity is 166 guests, while usually (especially this year) mostly are 130 - 140 guests are on board. After about 15 cruises with Star Clippers, in my experience about 20 % are travelling in organised groups or with family members or friends. 110 guests are remaining. Overall, about 30 % are native english speaking guests, interested on english narrated tours. Maybe a bit more on your cruise, and maybe some of other mother tongues could be interested. So, a maximum of 50 people are left. Back-2-back-cruisers are not much (last cruise we had 2 on board, the only time we went B2B we were 3 in total). Then there are only 4 - 6 people left. That are 2 - 3 couples, and you are already one of them. And this is very optimistic counting. It is more likely that you will be the only native english speaking couple doing these two cruises B2B. The stop in Athens inbetween is ideal for sightseeing in Athens to avoid an additional night at pre- or post-cruise-stays. I will bet none of all the B2B-cruisers is interested to spend this day out of Athens. And guests who will board the ship at 4 p. m., if they are already in Athens and not flying in the same day, will surely not bring their luggage early in the morning to the port, just to leave Athens for that day. They rather want to have a relaxed breakfast at their hotel, strolling a bit around in Plaka or in the Acropolis area, having a light greek lunch, packing their suitcases and going to reach the boarding of the ship just in time. No chance to attract them. (By the way. We did so in June, and during our stroll through Plaka, we randomly met the only four B2B-cruisers from the cruise before and our cruise in a street café - we recognised them by their shirts and bags. Yes, the sloop shop has nice shirts... 😉 ) People whose cruise ends and leave the ship at that day are heading to the airport or to their booked hotel, at least to store their luggage there to have their hands free for sightseeing. (That may even be the reasons for you not to organise this specific excursion on the day of embarcation or debarcation.) My bet: You will have a wonderful excursion on your own. Enjoy it. You are doing the same like most other guests: You will have a wonderful individual vacation with a great sailing adventure, together with some nice other people, who even look to realise their independent plans around the cruise.
  5. As I remember, the need of a covid19-related travel insurance was announced since the announcement of the restart. In addition we have got a specific notice from our tour operator about two months in advance to our cruise which we had booked about two years ago. I arranged with them that we sent the proofs of existing insurance in advance and they confirmed that their coverage is sufficient. They even forwarded them to Star Clippers and there was no additional check of the travel insurance for us at the time of check-in.
  6. Old Port is only to be used by tenderboats. If the ship is alongside at new port, a "water bus" (boat transfer) will be offered by locals, running at least every 30 min. in both directions. In addition, taxis are available near the pier at new port. Relax, calm down, act spontaneous and enjoy your vacation on board and at Mykonos town.
  7. -Had a telephone conversation about that matter just yesterday with the tour operator where we booked, as we are travelling in June. Medical insurance is needed, which includes Covid-19 risks. Now I have asked the insurance company of my existing medical insurance for a confirmation letter (which especially confirm the included coverage of Covid-19 risks) and will send it in advance to the tour operator to verify that this is satifying the needs of Star Clippers. If that would not be enough, I will arrange a new (additional) medical travel insurance with the inclusion of Covid-19 risks which is actually at about 30 - 35 € per person in total (german insurance market, a bit higher for people older than 65). Sorry, I have no clue about costs in the US.
  8. Relax. Ports on Star Clipper's itinterarys are usually small. So there is plenty of time to visit the ports and even the surroundings. Most on your cruises are small islands. So it doesn't matter, if the ship arrives half an hour earlier or later. Arrival times are always pending on pilot's availbility. They often using simple fishing boats, and fishermen are not always on time. Also take some some time into counting for tendering, if the ship will be at anchor. There is still enough time for everything. If hiring a professional local guide in advance on your own, they usually have their focus on the actual arrival and departure times. (If not, I would suggest to choose another guide!) Once again: Relax and enjoy. Only the times for muster drill (and the check-out time, of course) are fixed and mandatory. All other (where, when and what) is depending on weather, waves, wind, local authority's decisions and your own preferences. I am sure that you will have a great time on board as well as on shore.
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