MisterBill99

This is a perfect example of overanalyzing. Credit card rebates and rewards for opening a credit card are not currently taxable. I've never heard of anyone getting a 1099-MISC for credit card rewards, even if over $600 Rewards for opening a deposit account (checking, savings) ARE taxable. The $600 limit you're discussing with your ticket resale has nothing to do with either of these. And anything over $600 was ALWAYS taxable income. Just most people never reported it since nothing was sent to the government. And presumably you would only have to pay taxes on the amount above what you paid for the tickets.

The 10th is a Sunday. I'd do it on Friday the 8th just to be safe.

There are some interesting 7-night cruises out of San Juan. The Miami cruises aren't exciting.

We got $600 of "bar tab" when we booked a 7-night cruise. Got another $100 and $10 a day of "coffee money" when we status-matched from Celebrity (plus 10% off our cruise). I got $600 "sailor loot" aka OBC for using a MNVV (My Next Virgin Voyage) certificate that a TA that specializes in VV sold to me, and it also got me $300 off the cruise in addition to counting as a $300 deposit. Only got $100 sailor loot from the TA, but I now have $700 in each bucket for the cruise. If you are the sort of person who gets $100 per day worth of value from the drink package, then maybe it won't work for you. It is going to be more than enough drink money for us.

Glad to hear that you booked it. When are you staying? I'll be there at the beginning of February. As for OSJ, the Sheraton is obviously convenient (if pricey), especially if you're on Virgin and your cruise ends in the downtown pier. As for restaurants, we ate at Jose Enrique the last time and loved it. They have a reputation as one of the top restaurants on the island. I just found this place which looks excellent also. It looks like you need to appreciate good (and unusual) food if you're going to eat there. They do a $75 5-course menu. Cocina Abierta If OSJ, Marmalade is the top place, but they charge $135 for their price fixed menu.

I hate people who use that excuse for sending garbage emails and then telling you to delete it if you don't like it. I expect garbage posts on social media cruise groups. Not on CC.

Apparently it was supposed to be someone's idea of a joke, which causes over 100 of us (and counting) to download it and waste time looking at it. I don't consider wasting my time to be funny. And before someone says "but it says 1998", that piece does not show up in the download name of the post.

And if you read the Celebrity social media groups, there are MANY current (and loyal, Elite and up) Celebrity customers who are booking VV cruises to give them a look, and it's primarily because of the food (not the tattoo parlor or drag brunch). I'm one of them. My wife was apprehensive at first, but now she reads me posts that she's seeing daily from people doing the same.

What bothers me is that this is presented as some sort of upgrade. It isn't, unless you consider putting things back the way they were before they broke them an upgrade. It reminds me of the "New Coke" debacle of decades ago. Make a chance and screw things up, then take credit for putting them back the way they used to be.

The video is in the first post. And they sent it in an email on Wednesday.

Were there problems in Luminae? You seem to be thinking that they're upgrading the food in the MDR, when in reality all they are doing is rolling back their poorly thought-out reductions which they discovered they could not get away with.

What do you suppose happened when Virgin sent out the email a few weeks ago referencing cutbacks on other cruise lines that everyone knew was referring to Celebrity?

Sorry, but what are you going to see if you're hidden away in The Retreat? Were the menu choices ever reduced there? If I am mistaken, I will be happy to admit that I'm wrong.

When I looked, it seemed like the 2023 menu was 4 the same every night and 3 unique. But I guess that I could be wrong. Either way, the new "upgrade" is merely fixing the self-inflicted wound.

Have not been on HAL for almost two years, but the last time we sailed the choices had been reduced and appetizers started repeating after three days. Has it improved? We're doing a Virgni cruise in February, and MSC Yacht Club in March (but an inside cabin, for a price comparable to a Celebrity balcony) and the food on both is supposed to be excellent (especially Virgin).

And making it seem like an upgrade without acknowledging that they made a major mistake by reducing the choices. But weren't the everyday classics still there, just listed under the daily menu to disguise the reduction in those choices?

The outlet stores aren't going to be any cheaper than at home, and to honest it will probably be more since Puerto Rico sales tax is 10.5%. And then you have to fit it in your luggage for the trip back home. In general, outlets are not a bargain anymore, anyway. But that's a different topic.

That is unfortunate for you. We ate there last time we had a port visit in San juan and really enjoyed it. We're taking a cruise out of SJ in February, and are staying a couple of nights in Condado before the cruise, and Jose Enrique is actually walking distance from the hotel. But there are also several other highly rated restaurants in that area. And Uber is cheap.

Win-win with the random act of kindness :).

It could end up being cheaper to take a tour than to let them go shopping for the day. Note where it says, "I'm interested in keeping costs low." in the first post. Maybe do the free Old San Juan walking tour at https://www.osjfreetour.com/? The meeting point is under ten minutes from the pier, but it starts at 10am, so you'd need to get off the ship within the first half hour. The other option is just walking along the water towards the forts. There are a bunch of carts selling local food and crafts along the way. Even if you're not into history, the forts could be interesting to see.

Agreed, Uber is the way to go. When we were in SJ a few years ago on a cruise, I asked a taxi driver for the price to a restaurant not in OSJ and was told $15. Uber cost me $6. We're going to be there again in February (this time for a cruise starting there) and priced Uber to my hotel in Condado from the airport and then to the OSJ pier, and each was $10-15.

Those were the days.

I booked the Coral Princess Hotel in Condado. It's reasonably priced, gets good reviews, and Uber from the airport and to the port are cheap. And there are excellent restaurants in Condado. Booking directly with them allowed me to get a refundable rate (no need to pay in advance) cheaper than the other sites. Coral Princess – Hotel

And miles are typically worth around two cents, so that's $500. Not bad. Perhaps, but take a look at how many FF miles the previous poster got.

What sort of crazy hotel discount did you get? I'm staying in Condado (Coral Princess) for a couple of nights, since I was unable to find anything reasonably priced downtown, got a good price and they have very good ratings. Not a big deal since Uber is dirt cheap.