Bretty

21 hours ago, bengaltiger1 said:

Our cruise included the classic drinks package and $200 OBC when we booked a year ago. The price has dropped and Celebrity repriced the cruise and gave me the new promotion.  Classic drinks package, $200 OBC and gratuities paid.  It worked to our advantage as the new offer was better and the price dropped.  I am in the U.K. and book directly with Celebrity UK 

I’m pleased to read that as my cruise price has dropped, not by much but worth asking for, plus the extra OBC in the new promotion. I’ve sent an email to my Celebrity cruise consultant to see if I can reprice. I’m waiting to hear back but got an out of office note saying she’ll be back on Saturday. I hope I get good news.

@twodjs thanks, that’s useful info. I much prefer to sauna in the buff sat on a towel, it’s much more natural. I do understand that can be a bit of a culture shock for some - including here in the UK. Throughout much of Europe nude is the norm, including co-ed, and no-one cares. Thanks again.

On 8/27/2019 at 4:38 AM, twodjs said:

Yes, the sauna in the men's locker room area is free to use. Thank goodness they haven't touched it yet.

Are the saunas in the locker rooms clothing optional (as is traditional in Europe) or not? 

Thanks

According to this website most places will accept debit and credit cards with only a small amount of cash needed, especially for the sandworm which is cash only.

https://www.cruiseskagen.dk/

My understanding of the exchange rate being locked in your cruise planner  is that it applies to advance purchases using your OBC.

Aside from that, any purchase via credit card on the UK site should be in sterling and not dollars since X are advertising the products in £ sterling. Strictly speaking, there should be no loss from a change in the rate of exchange as it shouldn’t even apply.

If you make a purchase in $USD, and I don’t see how that should happen if prices are published in sterling, but if you do pay in $ then the exchange *should* be handled by your bank / credit card provider at the prevailing interbank rate plus any foreign exchange fees they might add on. X would not normally be able to influence that unless they are advertising in £ sterling and doing a dynamic conversion to $USD - which they’re supposed to tell you about and give you the choice (and you should always pay in local currency to where you are).

If X have refunded a credit card payment as OBC instead of back to the card then they’re going to do that at their own dynamic rate which you can see on your cruise planner. Which means you’ll lose out and they will make money!

From reading the OPs posts, I’m not sure if she originally paid in $ or £, but it should have been £ as that is how X is advertising and offering their products to the UK market.

29 minutes ago, barbette165 said:

Is there a handy tip / alternate use for Fabric Softener Sheets? Or are they only for a cruise line that provides a self-service laundry?

I use fabric softener sheets inside my suitcases to provide a nice fresh fragrance on my gear. Don’t know if there’s another use for them.

@Tipsy252 many thanks. We’ve a lot to think about and work out what we want, thanks for the info.

@macsford thankfully the cruise in May 2020 skips Warnemunde! Not sure I would enjoy it. The HAL itinerary I was considering did have it though.

thanks again all

@milokama thanks for taking the time to reply, very helpful info. I think I’ve identified the app, which is by the Stockholm metro, so thanks again.

@HelenREMfan thank you also for your tip.

Looks like I need to chat with my OH re St Petersburg. We have plenty of time.

Thank you both

John

On 5/28/2019 at 6:16 AM, milokama said:

We are pulling in to Stockholm now and we've done our research (hopefully).  Public transportation is very easy and the cards seem to transfer between busses and light rail.  We have purchased the tickets and app on our phones and will get lost amongst the Swedes

Hi @milokama this is a great review and thread with so much info. Rather than start a new thread I thought I’d ask you directly about the App / tickets purchased via your phone for Stockholm?

We are doing a Baltic itinerary in May 2020.

Like you my OH and I are fairly independent travellers and like to “get lost” as you put it and immerse ourselves in a place whether visiting for a day or several days. We do very few organised tours (the Alla Tour itineraries for St Petersburg are far too intensive for us so we’re gonna opt for shorter tours via Celebrity I think).

Anyway, so far our cruise planner is only showing one tour for Stockholm, and it’s in Spanish, so it’s likely we’ll just mooch around for the day and pick a few things to do independently. Also, that port day will be my 50th birthday so I’ll be celebrating one way or another lol.

It looks like we might get the Copenhagen Card for that port (our Celebrity cruise consultant recommended it for independent travellers over booking a tour).

So, thanks for an informative post packed with useful info, and hope you won’t mind bumping the post after this time to give a bit more info.

Many thanks,

John

@Captain-John like you I’m a first time celebrity cruiser and so the booking T&Cs are fresh in my mind. Here’s the link you need:

https://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/booking-conditions/

You need sections 1.11 and 1.12

Basically, if you’re more than 56 days from sail date cancellation results in loss of deposit only, and if you want to change ship, sail date etc, there is a £75 pp transfer fee for the first two pax in the cabin.

I hope you find something you can transfer to.

All the best

13 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Darn!  He looks so much like Leon from Gogglebox! 

ahaaaaa… right, I see. Yes there is a resemblance lol, and my DH is quite grumpy at times too (did you know Leon passed away in 2017?)

5 hours ago, canadianbear said:

We are 4* and were very loyal to HAL.  Our TA convinced us to try Celebrity.  The week long cruise had 4 perks included in a Sky suite.  We loved Celebrity when I honestly didn’t think we would.  

 

There were more entertainment venues which we enjoyed.  Celebrity also put HAL to shame regarding our suite service and I let HAL know how it compared between Sky suite v Neptune suite.  Of course, never heard a word from HAL (Not that I expected to)

 

Hope you enjoy Celebrity! 

Thanks. I hope we do too. I haven’t booked yet as been doing some research first but will book in next few days. I want DH to be sure.

Our first HAL cruise to Alaska was in a Neptune. We loved it but didn’t really use the cabin apart from sleeeping and for glacier bay viewing; and we rarely used Neptune lounge or concierge. Spent rest of the time out and about, so we decided not to book larger suites as we don’t use the space - unlike in a hotel where I might crash out in the room for a while, on ship there’s always somewhere nice to relax.

We’ll see how it goes. I’m excited to try something new.

6 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Would love to hear your thoughts on Celebrity vs HAL when you return.  But my most pressing question is.... Is that Leon in your profile pic?

I’ll be sure to post my thoughts.

btw who is Leon? Sorry not sure of the reference. That’s me on the left and my hubby.

I’m new to cruising with only two previous cruises, both on HAL, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience on board and the itineraries. Had the Explore4 promo both times and it worked out well for us, even with one of use not drinking alcohol at all. The pricing was always good with only a marginal increase in fare compare with non-promo fares, so we got good value from Explore4. Overall it saved us approx GBP£800 (roughly $950).

This promo is not so good for us. I’m looking at a 14 night Baltics cruise. I don’t value the internet package - I only purchased it on my last cruise to use up some of my OBC from the Explore4 promo (we had $500 on a 7 day cruise). Since I’m from UK and the cruise is port intensive I can happily manage with generous data roaming on my mobile phone which is included in my contract at no extra cost. It was the drinks package I valued most of all.

So I’ve been doing the math, I had already collected data on prices before the promo launched, and it doesn’t work out for me. The value of the extras, plus what I estimate I’ll pay for drinks, doesn’t really offer an incentive as we only come out approx £200 ($250) ahead. Which started me shopping around.

Lo and behold, I found a similar itinerary on Celebrity, with drinks package, prepaid gratuities and $200 OBC, in a concierge class cabin - which looks comparable to a vista suite on HAL (which is what I would have booked). The saving is £1100 ($1300) per person - over £2k total compared to the current HAL prices (and still offers a saving on the non-promo fares). So it looks like I’m jumping out this time round and trying a new cruise line.

We would love to sail HAL again but it just doesn’t make sense to stay loyal with that kind of saving on a very similar itinerary.

So the Explore4 package is now showing on the HAL UK website for selected cruises.

It is:

OBC up to $800 per cabin

Pinnacle grill dinner

$25 beverage card for kids or 3rd/4th guests

Reduced deposit

Free internet for Verandah & suite guests

What you actually get (per the T&Cs) is:

OBC for inside, ocean view, lanai and verandah on cruises of 7-9 days = $400 per cabin; for 10+ days it is $600 per cabin

OBC for Suites (Vista, Signature, Neptune and Pinnacle) on cruises 7-9 days = $600 per cabin; for 10+ days $800 per cabin

Pinnacle grill dinner for guests 1 and 2

Beverage card only if there are extra guests in the cabin, otherwise don't get it apparently.

Verandah and suite guests get premium internet for guests 1 and 2, which is valued at $140 on a 7 day cruise and up to $700 for 81+ days. ** I can't remember if each guest in a cabin would normally pay a fee for internet if they were adding it to their ship's account and paying, as in 2x $140 for example **

Book by 31 October 2019

I was waiting for the Explore4 as I value the SBP, although my DH doesn't drink any alcohol, only soft drinks and tea, so I wouldn't normally buy the package as that would be a waste of money. I would normally drink 5-8 cocktails during the day/evening on a sea day, less on port days.

However, there is an increase in OBC which covers some of the SBP, and then the internet package which I would value but my DH would not.

I need to think about whether this is for us this time around. YMMV.

I think I’m okay to post this here.

Follow the link, enter your booking reference and last name and the form will appear to fill in and be linked to your booking.

https://book.hollandamerica.com/specialServices/login.action

@km3045 There is plenty to do, and aside from the underused World Stage, the main theatre, there are several other performances each night from the other entertainers, on on my last cruise they were excellent with each having a good following. You should be fine.

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

It's a question for which I will never get an answer.  But, why was the large amount of money spent on this really high tech theater that is so underused?

It’s a good question, it’s such a wasted space that has such potential, and there is no reason for it to be dark on any night either. It was the one disappointment for our trip, but thankfully, everything else made up for it.

I was on Nieuw Statendam last month and they have Billboard Onboard (piano bar/duelling pianos) playing most nights, ranging from 60s through present day. They were excellent. Then there’s Rolling Stone Rock Room which has a rock band which again plays an eclectic selection of music from across the years. They were good but not our favourite. These two sets of performers alternate usually 45 minute sets.

Then there’s BB King’s Blues Club, in the next room, and they play a good mix of blues and soul music. These were excellent and the dance floor was often full.

Lincoln Centre Stage is the classical quintet. We only saw one performance (they were normally early evening) but they were good.

For my partner and I, the main stage shows were weak. They had a selection of performances from a soloist, a trio doing song and dance and a comedian on our cruise. As I say, we felt they were weaker, the performers not as polished, but there was a good selection. The main stage performers I think change more regularly; I know the singer and the comedian were both moving on to another HAL ship shortly after our cruise in May. Didn’t see a production show with dancers but my understanding is that when there is a group like that onboard, they do a dance only performance to recorded music with visual effects. I think that was the issue with what made the performances we did see in the main stage auditorium a bit weak - it’s a large auditorium with a good stage and the video screens covering a large section at the back of the stage, and during the performances we saw by the soloist, comedian and the trio, the video effects were not used. They were just on a stripped back stage and it lacked atmosphere. It was flat. Also the comedian (he was British like me) told very old jokes, some of which don’t necessarily translate well for people non-Brits!

Apologies for the long post, but I hope the info is useful to you. There were no Indonesian themed shows by the crew.

Cheers, JB

I’ve just got off the Nieuw Statendam after a 7 day cruise. Before I departed I could purchase this package for solo use for $139. I decided to wait until I boarded. On embarkation day it was being advertised at $199 for solo use, can’t remember the couples price though. I was told they had limited passes available. I didn’t buy at that price as it was a lot more expensive for the limited use it would get.

I also noted that the following day it was still being offered for sale... at the same price as embarkation day!

YMMV

We have just returned from Amsterdam following a cruise on Nieuw Statendam. At the airport we decided against Uber since there is no official pick up or drop off point, and from experience at other airports, may have ended up walking a very long way. So we opted for a taxi and went to the official taxi stand, being coordinated by an airport employee.

I had read of possible flat rates, but they don’t exist, it’s metered, and our trip for 2 people with 2 cases and 2 pieces hand luggage, to the Mövenpick hotel, was an astonishing €93 euro! Thankfully we were able to pay with a credit card.

The return journey from the passenger terminal to Schiphol, there were signs inside the terminal indicating an estimate of €55, but in reality it was €73.

It wasn’t busy on the roads, the driver didn’t go through the city and the journey was 20 minutes, and it was €73.

Uber was giving estimates of €50-€70.

A taxi or car transfer is far more convenient than train for us so it was worth it, if not cheap.

I’m thinking of taking a cruise around Japan next year. I absolutely love japan, one of my favourite places to visit. 

Great pics, thanks for sharing these. Japanese hotel rooms are typically small though, so we normally use western brands for more room.

Oh, and if you haven’t tried Tokyo banana yet, (your third pic) I can highly recommend it, very delicious sweet snack.

Happy cruising.

6 minutes ago, frankc98376 said:

All the apps, sides, and desserts you want

😎😎 This makes me very happy.

What are the rules re ordering a second appetiser in PG? I know you can in MDR, (and I’m aware there’s a trial on some ships for $10 for a second main course), but am not sure about PG rules / norm.

I’m sailing Nieuw Statendam in a few weeks and I have a favourite appetiser but there’s another I’d like to try too. I couldn’t eat 2 main dishes but could coax my tummy into accommodating 2 appetisers, lol. 😂

The charge for a second main course in PG was on the menu on Nieuw Amsterdam last May, except I think it might have been $10.

I can’t accurately answer the question of how many internet packages you’d need to buy, although I think each user will need one. Maybe someone else can answer that.

I just read this thread:   https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2618576-wifi-two-devices-solution/?tab=comments#comment-56445576

It may not be suitable for YouTube or gaming though as there won’t be enough bandwidth available and is really only for email, browsing and social media.

to use SMS text or make calls your plan with your cellular network will likely not include cellular at sea, best check directly with sprint. The prices for cellular at sea are usually very high so I’d avoid it. If you have WhatsApp you can text using WiFi which will be better so it doesn’t use the cellular network.

Hope that helps.