fleckle

So happy that you have the official confirmation at last.

Despite the fact that so many of us here on Cruise Critic kept trying to reassure you that you had no problem, unfortunately  there were a few people on this board who had no idea of what they were talking about, but still persisted in giving you incorrect information, causing you needless worry, anxiety and inconvenience.

On top of that, the absurd advice you were getting from the travel agent just kept on making the situation worse and worse.

But to quote a famous saying, All's well that ends well.

Hope you can now have a wonderful trip and put all this unnecessary worry behind you.

But do be sure to get rid of that travel agent before you plan another trip, even if that person is  a close family member or your best friend. 😉

5 hours ago, finny2 said:

Thanks, I am looking for another, but I prefer an agent with experience assisting mobility impaired customers and those are not easy to find. And that's the reason why I want an agent to handle hotels, etc. It's not easy getting good accessible accommodations and transportation.

And in the meantime, she has our booking and so I'm stuck with her.

Here is a link to the forum for

   Disabled Cruise Travel

    (just in case you don't already have it)

The people who post there are very helpful and kind.

It is a great source of information and advice for cruising with just about any kind of disability.  They may be able to provide just what you are looking for.

1 hour ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

My head is spinning after reading this thread.ain

Would we be able to get dinner delivered to our suite?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

Yes, but only if you dress formally. 😁

This thread has certainly been entertaining, to the point of absurdity and beyond.

But then that is what happens on most dress code threads.

Another good analogy is a seesaw (or teeter-totter).

Both ends move up and down a good distance, while the part in the center moves only slightly.

On a cruise ship, the passengers at the front of the ship also get more jarring than the passengers at the back because the front is the part of the ship that crashes into the waves, although they claim that the new design of the Edge class ships is supposed to help reduce that.

24 minutes ago, Lexi and shelby said:

 I have a question that no one has been able to answer definitively. Not even Celebrity!

We like frufru coffee meaning coffee with mocha or caramel mixed in and whipped cream on top. We cruise Celebrity. Last cruise we had the premium drink package and we were never charged for the coffee ad-ons.  The cruise coming up we have the Classic drink package. Will we be charged extra for the coffee add-one?

According to the Celebrity website, the Classic Package includes

    NON-ALCOHOLIC

• Nonpremium bottle water
• Premium coffees
• Juices
• Sodas
• Premium teas

Classic Package

So this triggers the next question:  Which coffees are considered Premium coffees and which teas are considered Premium teas?

Maybe someone currently onboard will take a look at the Cafe menu and reply.

3 hours ago, Gishua_ said:

I confirmed online that it is Crown Bay... Ugh it seems impossible to get near Havensight by 845-9am if we are scheduled to dock at at Crown Bay at 8am. 

Since you will be the only ship in port that day, the tour vendor should really want your business and be willing to accommodate you.

Have you contacted them to find out if they will be willing to pick you up (and drop you off) at Crown Bay that day?

2 hours ago, mayleeman said:

 The OP could also simply call and find a department for X to call.

Yes, Celebrity's Resolutions Department could  have quickly resolved the matter (as others have pointed out) since they are very familiar with this situation and have dealt with it many times before.

But the OP appears to be either unwilling or unable to let them handle it.

An excuse he gave was that Celebrity will not talk to him because he is using a travel agent. 

But he would not ask Celebrity to take the booking away from that incompetent TA,  even though the TA just keeps on making the situation worse and worse for him. 

It almost appears as though the TA has some kind of hold on him, maybe a family member or friend or business associate.

Hopefully someone from Celebrity will contact him soon to let him know that his original B2B2B booking is fine and he doesn't need to change anything (something that many of us here who have dealt with similar situations before already know, but his TA apparently doesn't).

Captain Kate herself has answered this one.

WHAT’S YOUR TOP TIP FOR COMBATING SEA SICKNESS?

Stay occupied to get your mind off the motion. Eat bland food like crackers, bread or plain rice and stay on lower decks towards the centre of the ship.

Source:  ESCAPE Australia

44 minutes ago, travelbug4 said:

Just found a discussion on this subject from back in 2017 on cruisecritic.  So interesting...all of it. 

 

Consensus on that thread (what I read, not my opinion) was that you had to be off the ship for 24 hours (in your case between cruise 2 and 3) or travel on a different ship from Vancouver to LA to not violate the PVSA laws.  Or the plan that they suggested which is to join the ship the next day in Victoria (which I guess fulfills the 24 hour requirement)?..................................

 

 

But the situation there is entirely different from the situation being discussed here in this thread.

Notice the key statement:  " I was booked on a 1-day repo cruise from Seattle to Vancouver, and the following 6-day sailing from Vancouver to LA." 

In that situation the passenger wanted to board the ship initially at Seattle and disembark at LA,  which would be a violation of the PVSA because both are US ports.

In the situation being discussed here, the OP would initially be boarding the ship in Vancouver (a foreign port) so the PVSA does not apply. 

1 hour ago, gatour said:

Based on the email that the OP provided, I think the red-flag was the second and third legs, which is a violation of the PVSA.  I am not sure how the first leg would impact this if taken in conjunction with the second and third legs. 

It doesn't matter how many legs there are for consecutive cruises.

On cruises where the ship does not stop at a "distant" foreign port, (which is the situation being discussed here), all that matters are where you initially board the ship and where you finally disembark.

Since the OP is starting out from Vancouver (which is not a US port), there is no violation of the PVSA and therefore no problem with taking this trip.

The problem here is the source of that erroneous letter.

Regardless of whether it was sent by a company employee or auto-generated, the source should be identified and corrected so that this does not continue to happen to other travelers in similar circumstances.

It is unreasonable to expect the average cruise passenger to be knowledgeable about maritime law.  Most of us had never even heard of the PVSA until we got stung by it ourselves.  Then we ended up learning more about it than we ever wanted to know.

27 minutes ago, Alakegirl said:

Someone is very confused.  The Jones Act deals with cargo, not passengers. tim

 

so, beyond that, you are boarding in Vancouver and disembarking in Los Angeles.  The PVSA does not apply in your case.  They have made a mistake and you are not in violation.

 

VANCOUVER is in Canada and is not an American port under any circumstances.

 

the OP is not going to Alaska

I agree.  If the passenger is initially boarding in Vancouver and the final disembarkation port for the B2B2B cruises is LA, there would be no violation of the PVSA, since you would not be embarking at a US port.

My suggestion to gerelmx (the OP) is to refer this matter to Celebrity's Resolutions department as they have dealt with this issue many times before and should be able to get it resolved correctly to your satisfaction .

Been there, done that. 😁

3 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

We did use our luggage tags for a move from Deck 9 down to Deck 6 on our recent Eclipse B2B.

We kept as much of our clothing as possible on hangars in the closet, which were moved as is, loaded up our suitcases and the stewards did the rest.

 

It's great not to have to change cabins. Since we booked a private tour from San Antonio Chile to Valparaiso I was most concerned about valuables since we had to empty the safe. Luckily for us we stored them with DBiL/DSiL on the turnaround day. Without that option we might have decided to stay aboard that day.

Luggage tags are not needed for changing cabins.

Also, it is easy to make arrangements to move your valuables to the new safe early in the morning before leaving for your tour on the turnaround day.

We, as well as many others, have done it numerous times (without any DBiL/DSiL).😉

The way that you chose to do it was certainly fine, but any newcomers who may be reading this thread could easily get the false impression that changing cabins is a complicated procedure when in fact it is really very easy.

The wonderful staff will make every effort to accommodate any special needs that you may have.

On 7/28/2019 at 10:32 AM, farmermd said:

Has anyone purchased a portable footstool to take on cruises with them? Been looking at some blowup stools. Thoughts and comments?

We spoke with some passengers who had purchased portable inflatable footstools and they were complaining about the nuisance of trying to deflate and pack them to take home at the end of each cruise.

It is much easier to use a large inflatable ball instead (as pictured in post #39).

No need to deflate or pack it.

It is so inexpensive that we just leave it behind after the cruise, or give it away to a child at our last port stop. 

Then pack another one for the next cruise.

Was it Dawes Glacier at the end of Endicott Arm?

They often substitute that when they can't get into Tracy Arm.

I am another one who puts down only the minimum initial deposit required and then pays nothing more until the final payment date. 

There is no good reason to pay any sooner than necessary,  unless I can gain an additional benefit as an incentive to do so.  

A good example is receiving an additional credit card bonus, as others have  mentioned.

But if you watch your timing, you can wait until the final payment date to pay for the cruise and still receive the credit card bonus as well.

5 hours ago, Straughn said:

I am Elite + and am in the process of planning a cruise with a friend who has never cruised on Celebrity. Before I ask my question, I want to be very clear that I am not looking to cheat the system. What are the Captain’s Club events that she can attend with me? We will be sharing a cabin.  I am specifically interested in the evening happy hour and the breakfast, but if there are other events, please tell me. TIA 

According to our experiences, your roommate may attend any of your own eligible Captain's Club events and enjoy whatever food or beverages are given to the attendees at those events.

Some examples would be the wine at the wine tasting;

the tea and snacks at the tea;

the breakfast foods and beverages at the elite morning coffee break (or whatever they are currently calling that event).

But the roommates did not receive the Captain's Club perks that are provided to us via coupons on our seapass cards.

Do see the Captain's Club host, who typically gives the roommate either a sticker or a separate card to use for attending those events.  We have had it done differently on different cruises, but rest assured that she should be eligible for whatever method they use for that purpose on your cruise, entitling her to attend one way or another.

8 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Thank you!  We will be on the Summit, which I've heard still has the original Qsine.  

The key to eating at Qsine is to be selective, regardless of whether you dine there alone or with a dozen other people.

It is a great opportunity to sample lots of different foods, but it is important to eat only the special foods that you really, really enjoy.

They will bring out fillers that you didn't order,  but you can have them taken away. 

Important:  Don't fill up on things like bread, chips, potatoes, soup or salad but save room for the specialties that are unique to Qsine.  

If you take a bite of something and don't care for it,  leave the rest and do not  eat any more of it.

This is definitely not the time to follow grandmother's indoctrination to be a human garbage disposal and eat everything that is on your plate.😃

A mistake that some people make at Qsine is stuffing themselves with fillers, or foods that are only so-so early in the meal, and then finding themselves too full to enjoy the rest of the dishes they ordered.

Qsine offers such a variety of different foods that most people should be able to find at least several dishes they enjoy.   If you pace yourself, you should be able to try all the foods that you order and still have room for dessert at the end of the meal.

40 minutes ago, cruisinsusin said:

Are all the non alcohol containing specialty coffees ☕ included in the elite plus benefit? 

Thanks

It specifically states

  Complimentary cappuccino, latte, tea and espresso 

We were told that the hot chocolate is not included, despite the fact that their hot chocolate is priced lower than some of the beverages that are included.

But free hot chocolate is available up at the buffet.

To me it seems more logical, for the beverage packages as well, to set a price point and include any beverage up to that price point.

But that is not the way they do it.

8 hours ago, keesar said:

 

I wish you a better outcome than me.  I left my eye glasses in a case in our room on Silhouette.  Gave the exact location where they had been left.  I contacted the Lost and Found twice and each time  they said they were looking for them.  I  also did get periodic updates but never got them back.  

 

A number of years ago when we were having dinner in one of the specialty restaurants, I realized that I had forgotten to bring my reading glasses and could not read the menu.  So I mentioned to the waiter that I was going back to our stateroom to get my eyeglasses and would be right back.  He immediately produced a large box full of eyeglasses of various strengths and styles.

Now I think I know where all those eyeglasses came from.......

6 hours ago, angelhelly said:

I am still trying to figure if the classic non-alcoholic includes virgin frozen drinks...

Not according to their website:   Non-Alcoholic Drinks Package | Celebrity Cruises

It lists "non-alcoholic frozen drinks " under     

Premium Non-Alcoholic Package-Starting from $22 p/night

but not under

Classic Non-Alcoholic Package-Starting from $18 p/night

which seems absurd considering that those drinks are essentially just frozen water with some coloring and flavor added.

Then again, they were not letting passengers purchase the $6 smoothies on the classic package either.  So it is not just the price difference.

Their ships, their drinks, their rules  (no matter how illogical they may appear to us).

5 hours ago, angelhelly said:

..... So it depends on which ship you are on and who you talk to.

That seems to be true for so many things.

Guess we have been lucky in exchanging the Classic Alcoholic package for the Premium Non-Alcoholic package at Guest Relations with no hassle at all.

7 hours ago, Mynki said:

A few random questions for members who've done these trips please...

We're seriously considering Alaska with friends next year. We plan on staying in Alaska either pre or post cruise. As a result we will have to sail onboard Millennium for ease of travel as it's the only ship that has one way itineraries and we don't want to have to include additional internal flights. So....

Are there any benefits to sailing either north or southbound?

     It depends on whether you would rather have your land tour before or after the cruise. 

Actually, you can do both -- a Canadian Rockies land tour before or after Vancouver, plus a tour of the Alaska interior before or after Seward. 

  At Hubbard Glacier, the ship was able to get in closer to the glacier on the southbound cruise, which visits the glacier in the afternoon, than in the morning on the northbound cruise when there was fog. 

But there is really no way of knowing in advance what the weather will be like the day you are there.

   

Would you be looking to book any particular side of the ship depending on if you were sailing north or southbound?

    You will have almost non-stop scenery on both sides of the ship from the time you wake up until you go to sleep at night.  That is why we consider it essential to have a balcony for an Alaska cruise.

 

We are out on that balcony first thing when we wake up in the morning and last thing at night, looking out at the moon and stars and the moon glow on the water before going to sleep. 

You will have some magnificent sunrises and sunsets.  We order room service breakfast to enjoy leisurely in our bathrobes out on the balcony, even if we only get coffee, as we watch the arrival to the next port and the docking procedure in the morning.  That is our daily wake-up ritual.

Then we can get a full breakfast later, after we are dressed.

 

Do pick up some deck blankets to keep in your cabin so you will have them for bundling up on your balcony if it should be chilly.  But you may find the temperature in Alaska to be amazingly warm.

 

 No way to tell which side of the ship the wildlife will be on.

Friends or family members who travel together sometimes book cabins on opposite sides of the ship so they can call the other party over when they spot wildlife on their side.  It is easiest to do that if your cabins are on the same deck, close to one of the corridors that cut across from side to side.

Are there any advantages to sailing in july as opposed to june other than better weather? 

   It won't necessarily be better.  We have had some of the best weather for Alaska cruises in May, when the ships are less crowded because there are very few children.  

In early June, schools are still in session in some parts of the country.

 

What's the easiest way to travel from Seward to Anchorage? 

    Probably by train.  The ship usually offers an early morning train, but if you have not visited the Kenai Fjords, I would highly recommend booking a Kenai Fjords tour in Seward for your disembarkation day.  They get you back early enough to catch the 6 pm train to Anchorage. 

    The advantage of getting a rental car is that you can stop for sightseeing when and where you want along the way, but a one-way rental from Seward to Anchorage is very expensive.

    There are also bus transfers that cost less than the train, and some of them make a few stops along the way.

Are there any 'must see' excursions on this itinerary? 

   That is so hard to answer for someone you don't know.  It depends on your interests and your budget.

If you have not already done so, do look through the Alaska forum. 

Here is a link to it:

       Alaska Cruises Q&A: Find Tips & Recommendations

 

Another good source is Tripadvisor

     Alaska Forum, - TripAdvisor

Does anyone have any other tips?

        The usual advice to pack so you can dress in layers, and bring some type of head covering and gloves  and rain gear (even though you may not need them).

Thanks in advance.

Edited to add : I plan on taking a fair amount of hiking and fishing gear so space in my suitcase will be limited. How 'formal' are the chic nights? 

    Alaska cruises have probably the least "formal" chic nights of all.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

3 hours ago, rivieramayalover said:

We will be flying from LAX to Fort Lauderdale for our March cruise. I'm looking at a late night flight that arrives at 6am the morning of the cruise, rather than flying in the day before.

 

Will we go crazy waiting for embarkation? Is there anywhere to wonder around at Port Everglades?

 

Thanks for any thoughts or advice!

As others will tell you, it would be much better to fly in a day or two earlier. 

But if you really can't........

What we do in such situations is try to book a day room at a hotel.

This is typically a room that was either vacant the night before, or had a customer with a very early checkout time, so they can offer it at a good reduced price because they can sell it again to someone else for the following night, after you leave.

Arriving at 6 am,  if you have checked luggage to claim you probably won't get to the hotel until close to 7.

You can have breakfast there, shower, and sleep for several hours.  Ask for a wake-up call for about 1 or 2 pm.

(We also set an alarm of our own as backup.)

That way you can awake relaxed and refreshed, get dressed, head to the pier and walk right on the ship, avoiding the lines and crowds, ready to enjoy your cruise 

(instead of arriving there at the crack of dawn, jet-lagged and bleary eyed, spending hours waiting around a crowded cruise terminal).

However...... if you do that , it is very important for peace of mind to have good backup plans, just in case you should miss the ship.   There is no way to predict when flights may be cancelled, or delayed, or diverted, or an airport may be shut down.

Be sure that you know when and where you can catch up with the ship, and how you will get there, and have a good idea of how much it will cost (or whether you have insurance that will cover the costs).

Don't just assume that you will be allowed to board the ship at the next port because that is not always possible.

6 hours ago, bagendek said:

Thanks to all for the insight. Leaning towards taking the 11:40 flight with the goal of bringing carry-on sized luggage and beating the majority of people to the airport. My boyfriend wanted to book it from the start, and I'm a bit more s.keptical, so trying to do my due diligence before booking. Extra time in Vancouver is definitely being planned, with work schedules it just works out better to do it pre-cruise rather than post................

 

Just a thought -- since you will have extra time in Vancouver pre-cruise, I wonder if it would be possible to get a  Global Entry  "Enrollment on Arrival" interview when you land at YVR, (since that location offers them and they are walk-in interviews that are not scheduled in advance).

That is supposed to be the fastest way to get a Global Entry interview.

The "Enrollment on Arrival" interviews are actually intended to enroll passengers in Global Entry when they are entering the USA, but since you won't have time to do it on your way back home, I wonder if perhaps they would let you do it when you first arrive in Canada.

When we did our Global Entry interviews, they gave us our Global Entry numbers immediately and we were able to start using them right away, before we even received our cards.

9 hours ago, ozark74 said:

Tuscan on the Constellation is on deck 11 where Qsine is on the other M class ships. It has good views if you are by the windows. Much better than the porthole windows in Luminae.

Additionally, that is a location where it is easy to step outside on deck 11 to move around from side to side and take photos from different positions.

Much better than looking out through a dining room window with a limited view and possibly smudges on it as well.

Or you could just plan to be out on deck for sailaway and have dinner either earlier or later.

They may have the helipad open for sailaway as well.