CA_Cruzing
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Posts posted by CA_Cruzing
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4 hours ago, newcruiserdave said:
I received my deposit from Celebrity on May 25 for our June 2 cruise ($250 per passenger).
I made several calls to see about the remainder then last week was told that the remainder was sent back to my big box travel website on May 25th. Apparently my TA had no interest in refunding my money. I have spent the past week trying to get action from them. Today they informed me that they indeed have my money and will get it back to me "in the next week or so."
Not that I ever see myself cruising again (all I picture is a floating petri dish) but I'll certainly never use a travel agent whose very name says "con".
the one with cost seems to work well for us; cruising, hotels, car rentals and more.
i've been on this refund, fcc, rebook quest for 3 months now and am down to only receiving back port taxes and fees of $209.xx
stay on your path and see it through. we cancelled on 09Mar for a 13Mar sailing and then the world shut down on 17Mar. talk about being in the apex if this coivd crap.
life will march on. keep your head up high and smile. you're still vertical while others are horizontal with no ability to change that.
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We plan excursions for every port, ranging from adventurous to shopping and dining. It just depends how many times we’ve been to a port and what we seek to get out of in enjoying a port.
There’s so much to do in many places that sharing those experiences with family is why we cruise, to build memories and share fun or relaxing times.
Our kids still talk about the many family vacations we’ve taken and things we’ve done together so my wife and I know we’ve achieved our goal of building family and sharing life experiences.
That means a lot to us and our kids enjoy cruising (and my wife now too) as much as I did when my parents took me cruising when I was a child.
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2 hours ago, helen haywood said:
Harris, may I ask what claims you made to your travel insurance company? I would have thought any claim would be rejected due to cause being a pandemic. I had insurance as well and hadn’t thought of contacting them...
we spoke with our travel insurance company and they are providing a credit in the amount that we paid for our travel insurance policy which can be applied to a future travel insurance policy date TBD.
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3 hours ago, mitz18 said:
Just to finalize mine; Cancelled March 30th cruise on March 9th. Received my FCC on March 28th. Finally received my credit for taxes/fees & prepaid items today, April 6th. For those still waiting, have patience as you will ultimately receive. Stay well.
we cancelled Reflection 13Mar sailing on 9Mar and haven't seen any FCC or refund to CC for any purchases (internet and drinks upgrade packages). hopefully this will resolve soon as we're about to hit the 30 day mark since cancelling.
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20 minutes ago, LSKC said:
An even swap would of had me rebooking instead of taking the $ refund. I really was looking forward to our sailing on the Edge and put a great deal of research and planning into it. If I could of just transferred my booking and the perks that we managed during a sale... i would of. But the prices are inflated currently and I think that has put me off. We will take the cash and probably just go on an easy island vacation - unless Celebrity can entice us back. Fingers crossed!
Current pricing now shown was set in late 2018 for the 2020/2021 seasons. Pricing factored a growing economy and stronger demand. Neither exist now.
Pricing will have to change. See this WSJ article:
”Executives have basically written off this year with cancellations running up to 50% for the busy Mediterranean summer and bookings for next year, down even more.
“Italy is shut off and Greece just said [Sunday] that it won’t accept cruise ships,” said an executive from a major European liner. “The year will be really bad, but the worrying thing is that a vaccine is 18 months away.”
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7 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:
Your comment is one of the BEST I have seen on any forum.
I looked forward to the recovery and all the good offers.
All the captains of all the ships for all the lines have to handle the crew and stay with the ship for a while. I hear they are trying to sail to and from their own islands to let crew off for some fun.
Meanwhile I will watch my DVDs of Love Boat.
As I digest all that's happening in the cruise industry, I think it's reasonable that going forward, health and guest safety checks will be common once the industry relaunches in 30-60 days. As in, guest temperature checks will become common, oximetry tests possibly added to this or on a secondary screening; travel history will be standard with a 2-4 week lookback period for all sailings; new sanitizing standards for onboard and embark/debark terminals; more pervasive on-board hand sanitizing stations/messaging; more frequent buffet utensils changing.
All of this not in a germ-a-phobe way, but a move to more clean public spaces and public health safety. I also think airlines and any any public transit mode will experience these and other changes too.
So we'll move forward with new standards for all to meet or surpass.
And the cruise industry will have to re-attract guests that are less hard-corp than many here on CC. Maybe this whole event takes the industry back 2-3 years in total guests/sailings. With aggressive pricing and incentives, the industry's health will rebound in 24-36 months to what was the new high. Maybe even 36-48 months.
Cruising is still the best value based vacation. It's pretty hard to beat the unpack once and visit many stops that cruising affords. And the consumer has shown an affinity for this style of vacationing.
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Methinks the entire cruise industry in on hold, for now. They’ll figure out what they need to do, adjust course as needed and plan for better days.
The system shock is too soon to act. They need to digest it all and plan for the short, mid and long term of the line, corporation and their guests.
Patience has its rewards. Be humble and wait this out some.
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So my travel decision was made for me today. Doctor advised my wife that we can travel but on return my wife would be subject to a 15 day mandatory self quarantine due to her beIng a classroom teacher and her school district has already closed for this week due to a child’s parent being a confirmed CV case.
Not wanting to be quarantined for 15 days pretty much makes our decision to cancel.
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information on the virus and how it progresses and with supporting statistics.
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3 minutes ago, Denny01 said:
The place to get the best advice on whether you should take a cruise is your Dr, not anonymous posts. We can tell you what we’d do and so on, but you, with your Dr, have to decide if you are more vulnerable.
Not sure what other posters are looking for when they are expecting existing statements to be ‘clarified’. The CDC and the State Dept are very clear:
1 - If you have ‘underlying health issues’ Do Not Cruise.
2 - If you are elderly, Do No Cruise. And yes, there was a whole thread back and forth on what is ‘elderly’. If you are old (I am!) and know you are more vulnerable, and personally/subjectively/I’m-not-an-expert, since I am now ‘more mature’, my ability to fight off various diseases has decreased.......that is life now for all of us, no matter how far I can walk and exercise, I’m still more vulnerable.
Just to make sure, here are the CDC and State Dept posts from their websites:
- CDC posted: To best protect these vulnerable individuals, we recommend individuals with underlying conditions avoid situations that increase their risk of acquiring infections. This entails avoiding crowded places, avoiding non-essential travel such as long plane trips, and especially avoiding embarking on cruise ships.
- State dept post: U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship.
This can’t be clearer. If you feel you are good and healthy and don’t get colds and don’t have any breathing issues or reduced ability to fight off ‘bugs’, then you could consider it. Personally, my wife has heart issues and I have noticed I’ve come down with colds more than I ever have, so we are cancelling our March/April cruises. And this is a guy who was all gung-ho on cruising last week, but not going to fly into Rome mid-April and take the chance on a ship making numerous Italian (even southern)/Sicily/Malta/Sardinia/Spain ports.
Den
We are cruising out of FLL to the Caribbean. A lot different than Rome, for sure.
We’re also in our early 50s, again possibly less susceptible to severe viruses, but who can say for sure.
Hopefully tomorrow will bring more clarity. I don’t subscribe to the sky’s falling mantra. It’s a flu. A wicked one if you’re compromised. Thanks for your reply and input.
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25 minutes ago, SempreMare said:
@CA_Cruzing, you quoted Dr. Fauci's statement on Meet The Press.
I quoted a New York Times article that included what he said on Fox News Sunday.
The paragraph above the quote in yellow was the broader context.
My point remains, the quote specifically speaks to older (undefined, still) Americans to not cruise.
It is my hope this statement and any official position gets clarified very soon.
With X’s enhanced screenings, and increased sanitizing, and the warnings to ill people that they’ll be denied boarding, I’d like to believe that cruising near term is less risky than the Princess incidents which manifested back in January and very early February, before protocols were put in place to better identify and manage risks.
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his quote in full context was, "
Speaking Sunday morning on "Meet the Press," immunologist Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, outlined what Americans at home can do to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has infected 541 people in the U.S. and killed 21 as of Sunday evening.
Dangers are "overwhelmingly weighted toward people with underlying conditions and the elderly," Fauci said. "If you're an elderly person with an underlying condition, if you get infected, the risk of getting into trouble is considerable.
He added: "So it's our responsibility to protect the vulnerable. When I say 'protect,' I mean right now. Not 'wait until things get worse.' Say no crowds, no long trips and above all, don't get on a cruise ship."
specifically, he is speaking to elderly (undefined) and advising them to especially "don't get on a cruise ship;" he did not advise the general public to not get on a cruise ship.
people need to stop taking quotes out of context to support a narrative. if the cruise industry is going to cancel cruises, they then need to do such.
i am not advocating a position of do or don't cruise. make your decisions based upon your health and possibly being quarantined. the information needs to get clearer, sooner than later, and people need data to make empowered decisions.
yup, i'm under the gun to go or nogo this week. i'm sure a decision, either way, will become more clear shortly.
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14 minutes ago, rick160158 said:
The virus is ten fold what they are telling us. The release of the testing kits were recklessly delayed by the government, to keep the numbers down. Trump said anyone who wants to tested can. That’s a lie. A person I know wanted to be tested and it was impossible to be tested. How many more were like her ????
stick to the topic and not politics. settle your score in the voting booth if that makes you feel better.
i am on this page seeking facts and actual developments. we are scheduled to depart 13Mar2020 and I don't know if X will cancel the cruise, or what. if they do, then my decision(s) are made for me. until then, keep in check your politics. thanks.
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Any feedback on Galley Bay Resort and Spa beach for a day-beach while in port? https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g2705982-d150079-Reviews-Galley_Bay_Resort_Spa-Five_Islands_Village_Saint_John_Parish_Antigua_Antigua_and_Barbu.html
We're also looking for a beach to spend the day at while in port this March.
Beachlimerz has around 20 chairs total which sounds like it'll get filled up quickly. We prefer a nice beach and one that's not blaring with loud music and drunk tourists.
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AidaNova is a nearly identical build to the coming Mardi Gras.
Here’s a recent video on the building of AidaNova and the technology in her build out. Mardi Gras will be nearly identical sans customization to the US market where she’ll sail.
Enjoy!
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I live in CA and can offer some input if you’d like. From value price to luxury, I’d be glad to offer some insight without breaking your budget.
Feel free to share dislikes and likes in wine taste profiles and I’ll offer up some suggestions.
And if you’re bringing your own on board, buy some Wine Wings on Amazon. They’re perfect for checked airplane luggage. And you’ll want to have a decent wine opener to keep in your travel collection too. This way you’ll always be prepared and can save on corkage fees.
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I think we spent $10USD each way. We used the cabs outside the port and negotiated our fare. Of course we added a tip on top of that.
Use google maps to map out the drive from port to the hotel. It’s a very short drive.
Getting back from hotel to port was super easy. The hotel is on secure grounds and they have cabs coming and going most of the day.
DO arrive early if you elect to head to Secrets. This way you’ll maximize your day as it ends at a time specific time.
I started a thread in MX Riv when I was seeking an AI Resort for PV. It’s worth reading through if you haven’t done so already.
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5 hours ago, habsfan4ever said:
2 adults, looking at the new resort offering in Bay of Banderas.
We had a great day at Secrets, if that helps you. $75 pp AI. We had a great time and the resort was spectacular.
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21 hours ago, habsfan4ever said:
Cabo- whale watching
Maz - self guided
Port- ??
Feb 29 on Panorama
Adults only or with children?
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We easily ate $50 pp in food while at Secrets. And the drinks only bettered our deal. Steak, shrimp, chicken, fish all prepared to order via our cabana server. You can have alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks as well.
Enjoy whichever you choose! You cannot make a wrong decision here.
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You’re not the first or last to “jump ships.”
We have our first 10 day X cruise this coming March and we’re really looking forward to it.
Without kids in tow it should be a relaxing and less busy experience for us, but not boring either.
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Check Trip Advisor and you’ll find links to charters there too. Most people on cruises do not do day fishing trips from my experience.
And March is whale watching season in Cabo. Now that’s an excellent experience to enjoy.
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They run two day parts, a day session and an evening session. The time limit for the day part is a hard stop meaning it ends at the stated time.
Wife and I did the Secrets day pass in March 2019. We had an excellent time and fully enjoyed the resort, food, drinks and excellent service. We’re even looking at vacationing at Secrets PV due to our experience.
Now Amber is the family side adjacent to Secrets.
I’d advise you to arrive early to secure a good lounger location and maximize your time at this great resort.
Lmk if you have additional questions. I’ll try my best to help.
Here’s the original thread:
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1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:
It is a unique homeport to be sure. Did they add onto space inside the terminal? I remember debarking was fairly unique as well but it has been a while.
Carnival Mardi Gras Update with Pictures
in Carnival Cruise Lines
Posted
there's a video online about the building of the Aida Anova which is a sister ship of Mardis Gras. pretty amazing to see how it was built since they all share the same hull and many features. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excellence-class_cruise_ship