walkersandtalkers

On 12/9/2022 at 9:10 PM, edgee said:

If you booked with points most airlines now allow you to cancel up to flight time at no cost and will credit you back the miles or points plus the taxes, so what would be the nature of the loss you are insuring? 

Thanks!  I just checked with my carrier just to be sure and you are right on.....I just need to call and cancel before my flight leaves and will get all mileage and fees returned.  Or, hopefully change flights

Gatwick does not have flights  for our mileage program,  Gracie 115

On 12/10/2022 at 5:34 AM, Gracie115 said:

Definitely hire a private car to insure you get there early enough.  Heathrow is a nightmare, at least it was last May.  It took us over 3 hours to go from walking in the terminal and getting to the gate.  

 

Have you looked at flights from Gatwick?  That's what we plan to do the next time we have to fly out of England.

Sorry.  Not used to this format!  No flights available out of Gatwick with our mileage program.  For sure we will hire a private car and perhaps others can join us out of Southampton MAY 13th, 2023

On 12/9/2022 at 5:47 PM, twincheryl said:

Great news!  Our flight is at 2pm, so if we get a private car by 9am that should be sufficient…

We are considering the same.  What date are you leaving Southampton?

Train is not an option.  We have just spent months in England enduring the multiple strikes + we would have to change trains 3X.  The mock Celebrity Air booking does not show the NS flight we want.  So, we may book a Celebrity transfer onboard or do a  private car.  I appreciate the advice!  (Since we are booking with points, I will check with our 2 travel insurances to see if they cover lost points due to travel interruption.)

48 minutes ago, jwlane said:

Easily.  One way to check is to do a mock FBC booking.  It'll only show the flights Celebrity will sell that fit the ships' arrivals.  We used Blackberry Cars back in May---had to wait more than an hour at Heathrow to check in for our 1:50pm flight to DFW.

I can use points to book the only NS available from LHR to Portland Oregon.  All other flights on that day or the next day are ridiculous!  The flight leaves 3:15 the day of our arrival in Southampton.   Thoughts?

We sailed the Edge TA this Spring and loved it!  But I will say we had a "real" veranda--Sunset.  The food was terrific in Normanie, the ship was spiffy looking and the music stellar.  We had friends w an IV and I will admit that would not be me.....alas, Sunset verandas have to up, up, up.

My DH had a bad attitude before sailing.  We booked it 2 years ago pre-pandemic.  Well, he said it was our best cruise ever!  How is that for positive??

22 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

You are lucky.  I’m pretty sure I applied for mine 2 weeks ago and crickets are chirping.  That said, my cruise is in the spring so maybe they are doing closer in first.

I have applied 2X.  I mailed the first one in Seattle (their headquarters) 9/12.  I faxed the second one 10/13.  nada.  zip from them!  I sail 12/5

2 hours ago, davekathy said:

I'm lucky I don't have to worry about additional calories. 😉  We will also be in the Sky Lounge as its a nice place to have a couple of predinner drinks. CC HH or not. 

Do they even have the Sky Lounge?  Thought the went away with the refurbs

After years of loving a large table in the MDR my DH and I had the misfortune of having to leave a large table not once but 3X! Finally we asked for a 2 top and I told DH not to even make eye contact with the table inches from us.....manners are not what they used to be, and we love people. Now we will always request a 2 top. We love it and it is romantic!

You cannot make this stuff up: someone practicing their trumpet! When asked nicely to cease and desist, the answer was they had called Celebrity and was told that would be fine (!) and that we had no musical appreciation! The good news is the person did quit. And isn't there a practice area for the orchestra??

It would be great if they brought back the salmon for lunch, and the made to order breakfast items.

I LOVED their salmon and ate there everyday! DH would get a hamburger at the Mast grill and we would share. On our January 2018 cruise I asked how I could get the salmon: order it specially in advance at the MDR for lunch OR call room service and order it each day. Takes 30 min and you are wait in your room. Mercy me! Bring back Aqua Spa salmon!! I will admit the room service salmon was delish.

This January my DH and I went on a B2B cruise. The second week, at the Sunset bar, a new drink menu was introduced. I ordered a new specialty cocktail and it was very bad. I asked my husband to return it and get a G&T instead. The bar waiter told my husband," Next time your wife orders a drink, have her read the ingredients!"

I will be in Europe for 2 1/2 months and am planning on having my hair colored on a ship. At least they speak English and can understand what I want. So, if someone cannot imagine why a person would spend cruise time in a salon, this is one reason. Last year we traveled for seven months in Europe and I had my hair done 4 times in different countries with varying results but the search for a salon and stylist consumed a lot of time. Of course I will have my hair done before I leave by my regular stylist! But when you travel for a long period of time, you have to think outside the box. I have learned, however, to make very sure what the cruise salon is charging you, have them write down exactly what they are doing including the price.

Do not laugh, but after I have taken my shower and washed my hair, I put the dirty laundry in the shower with me, squeeze on some shampoo (hey! it is soap), aim the nozzle to the clothes and stomp on them with my feet. (Think grapes.) Then I wring them gently, hang them up in the shower to drain. After I am all dressed, I roll them in pool towels I have brought to the room for this purpose and stomp on them again. Boom.

Nope! It is NUTMEG and it is awesome. Just got off 2 week cruise and had one most every night. It is not chocolate.

We just came back from 2 weeks on the Silly. Staff in all areas has been cut down, from room stewards (they used to have an assistant) to dining staff, etc. I will say the staff that is left is wonderful and they work their patooties off. The martini bar was so crowded that we went to World Class bar for amazing cocktails. I took the advice of a very seasoned, almost Zenith member and tipped $5 initially to someone who was going to be "my"person, followed by $1 tips occasionally. I was noticed and served well. Wine steward, bartender and room steward.

We sat through the video presentation of the Edge when we cruised 2 weeks ago. What bunch of hype. I am wondering where normal cruisers are going to eat and sleep--those of us not wanting an uncharge for breathing. It looks like cruising is going back to 1st class and steerage.

A friend of mine is also on this cruise and posted a video of the rescue on FB...the seas were pretty rough and it took a couple of tries for the tender to off load the passengers. Thank goodness the ship came along! LuAnn

Just reading about the bus disaster carrying cruise passengers. These ships train for so many, many emergencies and, thank God they do! And we whine when we have to do an emergency drill before departure..... Maribeth

We usually get a suite on board so we don't feel like we need anything more than a hotel room for the overnight. We're certainly not going to spend $200+ for a hotel room we're in for maybe 15 hours. We don't need something right on the water and we don't wake up to watch the ships come in -- I didn't even know people did that until I read it here. I don't get it, but that's ok. We don't make a big deal of dinner either. We know we've got 10-14 days on a ship with more than enough food and pampering. We like to relax that night and watch a movie in the room and have a good night's sleep.

 

We usually get to FLL about sunset or a bit after, and we check into the Holiday Inn Express that's on the boulevard a couple of miles from the port. We wake up leisurely and get our stuff together, maybe get something last minute by walking across the street to the grocery store or to the drugstore down the street. Then we pay for a taxi about 10:45 to take us to the ship. We don't take shuttles. We don't need a pool, we don't need anything but a comfortable bed and a very light (free) breakfast in the morning. We typically use our points to get a free room.

Right on! This is exactly what we do....but if we are flying from a potential airport problem in the winter (Chicago, etc), we book two nights for insurance. Easy to walk to a lot of restaurants.

Cruise critic is not killing them....their company's website is.

 

Cruise critic is allowing us to vent and get tips on how to cope with website issues but wonder how many others have` tried the website, been frustrated and gone elsewhere ...???

 

I assume TAs are also not having a great time with it either...

 

Glad to hear issues are being addressed by X

Yes, hcat....that is what I meant! But it does mean that corporate is looking at our posts. I should have phased it as "Cruise Critic posts are hating the web site".

Having been stymied by the new web site, I talked to a patient CC rep who wishes all the management had to take calls for one day and hear the complaints re: web site. She said last week there was a bit pow-pow to make significant changes and she is keeping her fingers crossed. "Cruise Critic is killing us!" She acknowledged the difficulties.

I cannot find anything and go around in circles. Grrrrrr 5 Celebrity cruises pending to deal with!

2016 November Silly out of Civitavechia: VERY large lady in the hot tub holding everyone hostage---blocking the entrance/exit-- talking so loudly you could hear her for miles. She arrived in Rome, took a cab and the driver would not take her "good American money" as he wanted ooo-rows. She was quivering with anger! He asked her to go into her hotel and get said ooo-rows. She was outraged as she gave the hotel $50 of her good American money but only got 45 ooo-rows back! Lady, stay home!! HA!