AlbertaCruisers

Future cruise desk cannot cancel existing reservations, but you can have two reservations on the same ship for a period of time.  I had a cruise booked, then the deal was better on the ship, I booked again, same people, same ship, same sail date, but different room (of course).  We were on the ship for 2 more weeks after I booked and then we I got home, I called in to cancel the first booking and was able to grab that room for the new booking I made on board (as it was the same category).  The guy at the future cruise desk seemed a bit worried about me having two bookings for the same cruise for the same two people for more than a few days, but in our case it was almost 3 weeks before I dealt with it and I did not have any issues.

We book onboard all the time in Canadian and the deposit is $100 CAD each and it goes on the card in CAD.  Just make sure to be clear with them you want the booking in CAD.  The entire booking is then in Canadian dollars and cannot later be changed to USD. 

The onboard credit is still given in USD on the booking, same amount as for other USD bookings (if you don't use it before, it will be the USD OBC on your account on the cruise, and if you use it in advance, when you go into the planner it converts the USD to CAD at whatever the current rate is and once you make a purchase, that is the rate it is locked in at (if you have any OBC left)).

On 2/6/2023 at 6:51 PM, kwokpot said:

We will do that on the Solstice next week. This might be something else that we've been missing!

If you look into this on the ship and you are eligible, can you please let me know what they tell you about the terms.  I'm interested in how far out they are booking now.  Thanks!

15 minutes ago, Projunior said:

@OrcaGirlsaid this on her current thread:

 

"Like others have mentioned, I had sailed ONCE on Celebrity like 5-6 years ago. I probably spent under $100 on slots, my husband maybe a couple hundred on table games. We are not big gamblers by any means. But we started getting the emails with free cruise offers last summer, and who am I to say no?"

 

Not sure who is in charge of marketing at BCC, but this does not engender warm feelings in an Elite Plus Amethyst level BCC member with 17 Celebrity cruises who can't even get a single email from BCC. I guess BCC has concluded that they don't need enticements to get me to sail on Celebrity. Nothing could be further from reality. Time to play the field. We are already Platinum on Princess and there their Players Club treats members with respect.

As a note, have you tried calling Blue Chip Club directly?  I have been getting a lot of email offers recently, but I didn't last year, so I called and asked what they could do.  They base it on the play on your last cruise and I always had some type of offers available, even if I hadn't gotten an email.  The only thing is that when you call in, I was told they can only offer comped cruises up to the end of June right now.  If you want anything later than that you have to pay a casino rate (which they can quote you as well).  If you call Blue Chip and are looking into this, make sure to press 1 as it would be a new booking you are looking for and the wait is generally shorter.

4 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

This is an example of how annoying Blue Chip Club is. We've been sailing on BCC comped cruises since before the pandemic and on Celebrity never received any onboard card to book a free cruise. He does get all the emails and paper mailings from BCC and that's how we book our Celebrity comped cruises.  In fact we booked the Inaugural sailing in Dec. 2018 of the Edge based on a last minute BCC email that came less than two weeks before the cruise date! In fact we had to apply for downlining to disembark the cruise early since we had other Christmas plans but we wanted to be on the inaugural cruise of this new ship. 

As a note, you can check while you are on the cruise. On the one cruise last year, we didn’t get a postcard in the room, but we went to the future cruise desk and we were on their list and could both book cruises and they told us what we were eligible for. 

We are getting lots of emails from them, but those cruises are all in the next 6 months and I like to plan further ahead. 
 

As a note, not really relevant, but we were already Elite plus before the pandemic on fully paid for cruises and we did gamble some and got nothing for that. 
 

1 hour ago, kwokpot said:

That's highly unusual for BCC. My husband has been with BCC for years and has NEVER received any kind of onboard offer for a free cruise on a Celebrity ship. That's not how they do things.  Also maybe you didn't explain it thoroughly but I'm not understanding what exactly was the offer on the card? Your statement is a bit contradictory and maybe for brevity sake you omitted some details. Can you explain further? Did you meant to imply the card said you had a comped cruise offer and you went down to the Next cruise office and got a quote on a specific cruise you wanted to go on and it was a good discount but not fully comped? 

Maybe this has changed since the pandemic.  We used to only gamble in Vegas and very little on any cruises (as we had no luck).  Then, on our December 23, 2021 cruise my husband had a good win and we played a lot (hours each night), still went home up and made it to Sapphire.  On our next cruise on April 24, 2022 (or it may not have been until the summer cruise, I don't remember for sure?), we both received postcards in our room on the first night noting that we could go to the Future Cruise Desk to book free cruises, they were both for free cruises up to veranda cabins.  We got postcard offers like that again on our July, September, October and November 2022 cruises.  The more recent ones said they were for verandas, but when I asked for the price to upgrade to Aqua it ended up Aqua was included for the same price.  All of the onboard bookings included a $10 per person per night booking fee (it shows as cruise fare, but they called it a booking fee).  We booked 8 cruises so far through the onboard process all the way out to November 2023 (most were 10 or 11 day sailings) and all the most recent ones are now in Aqua.  Each time, I had called Blue Chip club before leaving for our cruise, and our offers through Blue Chip were for 7 day cruises only leaving in about 6 months from the call (most recently they will only book out to June 2023) and if I wanted anything further out or a longer cruise they would give me the Net 60 deal plus an extra discount based on our play on the last cruise.  For me, even with the $10 per person per night booking fee, the onboard offers were much better and more flexible.  I'm hoping they keep providing the onboard offers as I have cruises booked in 2024 with refundable deposits that I would like to replace with the comp'd ones!!

In order to be able to pick your check in time without going through all the other information, I think you have to do it in the app.  When I logged in online, it wanted me to put in all my information first.  In the app, you go to check in and the second option is for you to pick you boarding time.  Someone in my group picked their boarding time when check in opened on January 20 and just recently finished putting in all the other information and  it worked fine.  Remember if you have multiple people to scroll down to pick a time for both people.  Also, if you log into the app it will tell you the day check in opens.  Finally, if you have issues with check in when it is supposed to be open, I suggest logging out of the app, fully closing the app and then logging back in (I had an issue and doing that worked for me and for someone else on our cruise).

That will be January 25, 2024.  Check in opens at 45 days before the cruise.  When check in opens that note changes and you will be able to click to start check in.

No priority embarkation for anyone but suites since the restart in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale (at least up to Oct 2022, our most recent cruise). We are Sapphire and Elite Plus and it doesn’t matter. You sign up for your check in time when check in opens and you go at that time. In Fort Lauderdale they seat you inside based on arrival and start with the earliest first once boarding starts.

59 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Just to be clear BCC comped cabins aren't eligible for bidding upgrades. 

There was a change last year and they are now eligible (I know they were not originally eligible).  I have never received an email or been able to do it myself, but for my 3 BCC comped cruises at the end of last year, I emailed the move up email (from the celebrity move up webpage) with my name and reservation number and for each one I received a link, in a few days, with the offers to move up.  We were in Aqua in each case and the amounts seemed to be the same as I hear from people with paid cruises, but we never tried to bid, as we were happy with our comped aqua cabin and decided to not spend anything more on the cabin.

For the person that asked what is included to an upgrade, that will depend how the upgrade is done.  There are casino rates that sometimes include perks and I believe some that don't, you should ask BCC when you are asking about the upgrade.  If you do the Celebrity Move up process and are successful to get a suite, you get access to the retreat and Lumina, but you do not get the drink package, wifi, prepaid grats and OBC that come with an original suite booking (so, if you have no perks on your existing booking, you will still have none in the suite - I believe except with respect to some higher level suites that suggest in the move up email and website when you look at pricing that you do get those perks).  If you have, for example, classic drinks, basic wifi and some OBC on your existing booking, if you are successful on a move up bid, those stay with your booking.

I believe the code is specific to the person.  My husband's code was different than mine.  The code would be on the email or the mail offer you noted that you received.

Just follow the signs or ask where the Uber pick up is. It is normally the same area as the private pick ups. Terminal 25 is well marked. We just came out of terminal 19 and it was a bit of a mess, and not as clearly marked as terminal 25, but we just waited at the private pick ups area and it all worked out. I’m not sure about terminal 29 specifically.  I’ve never had an issue getting a Uber in a reasonable time period at Port Everglades. 

We are on the Equinox now. The first cruise was 10 days. We took a picture of our negative tests and had them on our phone. We were never asked to show them, other people were asked at check in. We stay on for the next cruise, which is 9 days. They had the back to back meeting yesterday and no mention of tests at all. We are on the last sea day now. I will come back and let everyone know if anything changes. It may be different if the second leg was 10 days. 

4 hours ago, Floridastorm said:

In the Celebrity protocols it states that masks are required in the terminal building when checking in and prior to boarding. Is this still their policy? I know that no masks are required on board at least for 9 day cruises and for folks that are vaccinated.  

No masks were required in the terminal or during check in or prior to boarding on the Equinox on July 30 or the Infinity on Sept 3 - both out of Fort Lauderdale.  I thought I saw the policy changed and no longer said masks were required in the terminal (something like they would advise passengers if some locations required mask in the terminal)?

They took the estimated schedule off the Celebrity page a few weeks ago.  I'm not sure if that means they already know it is going to change or if it just should not have ever been posted on the website.

All I see now is:

If he is Sapphire (I'm Sapphire and have done this a few times), he will not have to pay to upgrade and will get the high speed stream wifi for free.  When he gets on the ship he should set up his wifi account and see if there is a casino option for the packages to pick once he gets to that step.  If the one included in his cruise package is the surf wifi, it will show up as an option as well and there will be paid options.  If he doesn't see the casino option (sometimes the Casino host has it on in advance and sometimes they don't), don't select any packages and go down to the internet person set up to help people the first day (usually near guest services, but not guest services itself).  He will show them his seapass card that shows he is Sapphire and they will add the casino stream wifi package to his account. 

Once he is connected he can test it by going to youtube.  If he cannot stream videos on youtube they likely accidently have him the surf wifi.  If he can start streaming videos, even if it isn't great, he has stream.

As a note it is better to have your wifi account set up first before you go see them, as the casino package may already be on there as an option to select, and, if not, the internet guys need you have your wifi account set up in order to add the casino wifi package, if it wasn't already set up as an option to pick.

It was always hit and miss on the Summit from San Juan before the pandemic. Sometimes we had to walk off and sometimes it was in the sky lounge. We were told one time it depended on the customs guys and what they wanted. 

18 minutes ago, NJRonbo said:

 

Congrats!

My girlfriend is most excited about Aqua class because she wants to use the Spa.

Me?  I like not having to deal with MD and have an exclusive, more intimate area to eat (Blu).  I think the service will be far better there -- especially with the staff getting to learn your eating habits.  I also like the fact that on most ships, you can eat off the MD menu so really, no need to go to MD at all.

The only downside is that Aqua cabins are on the 9th deck which is VERY noisy since it sits below the pool and horizon court.  It seems most people pick either the aft cabins or under Solarium for silence and view.  Could have gone to deck #11 in Aqua Class but those rooms are smaller and then there are noise issues from evening activities.

Have a great cruise!

As a note, we were on Infinity in 1104 in Sept and I loved that location. No noise, close to stairs and elevator and right by the door to go out on deck. I didn’t feel the room was smaller than others we have been in on M Class ships, but it was our first time in Aqua on an M class ship, so we have never been on deck 9. 

1 hour ago, NorthStarStateCruiser said:

Thanks for these data points. Out of curiosity, what was the method of upgrading for those two reservations? Call and upgrade or Move Up bid?

In both cases I called and upgraded.  The first one the prices came down to a point I was comfortable with.  The second there were no Aqua cabins available and one came available so I called and upgraded.

Once I had a regular balcony and had all our dinner reservations booked in the main dinning room (7:30 select dinning), and when I upgraded our cabin to Aqua I automatically received a notice that all of our dinner reservations were cancelled.  I believe that was a while ago.  It was either last summer, just after the restart or before the pandemic.

For our upcoming November 3, 2022 cruise, we were originally booked in a regular balcony and I again booked all our select dinning times.  I upgraded a couple of months ago and I just went in and all of our dinner reservations were still there.  I just cancelled them because we upgraded to Aqua specifically to eat in Blu.

1 hour ago, Smmessineo said:

I'm another disgruntled regular Celebrity cruiser We visit the casino daily. Since restart we have been considering devoting more of our yearly  gambling budget to raising our level in BCC to get a free cruise.  But after reading about the people who aren't gamblers getting these offers, while we get nothing,  we are pissed. We'll be gambling less on Celebrity. I'll launder my  OBC through the slots, but won't spend any more money there.  

I can't be the only person thinking this way.

 

As a note, if you actually gamble on the ship you don't have to wait for the free cruise offers.  Try calling into blue chip and see if you are eligible for anything.  You may have offers and if not, ask them to look at your play on your last cruise.  If you are going on a cruise soon, stop by the future cruise desk and ask if you are eligible for any free cruises through Blue Chip Club.  A couple of cruises ago, we got a flyer in our room and went to the Future Cruise desk and booked a 10 and 11 day back to back for March 2023 free.  Our last cruise we didn't get a flyer in our room, but the Future Cruise Desk was able to book one for us and the ones on the ship have been the best offers we have gotten so far, we were able to choose really any cruises through all of next year (other than no Edge class cruises at that point).  Before the cruise, when I had called Blue Chip Club, I could only get a free 7 day cruise up to April 2023, but on the ship I got a 10 day cruise for the end of 2023.

1 hour ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

So they *are* available for drop off - just not to stay in.

 

To me, "not available" means you can't go into the stateroom hallways at all until they are cleared.

Agreed, they used to be not available.  It is so much better to go and drop your stuff off and not drag it around until rooms are fully available - as it used to be.

11 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Are you sure about this? On our February 2022 Reflection cruise the paperwork pictured below indicates the cabins are accessible and available from the moment of boarding on embarkation day;furthermore, there's no qualifier stating the cabin is only available for dropping off hand luggage, which implies you can occupy the cabin. 

The last few times we have boarded the Equinox, Constellation and Infinity from Florida there was a sign on our door that said you were welcome to drop you bags off and put stuff in the safe but asked that you not to remain in your room. In all those cases there was announcement around 1:30 saying rooms were now ready. This has been the case for us since a few cruises before the Pandemic and all we have been on since. 

14 hours ago, broberts said:

Presumably one has to remember to declare winnings over $10K upon disembarking as well as subsequent entry into Canada?

You for sure have to declare you are carrying more than $10K when entering Canada. I did that coming home from Vegas. They looked at it and asked how I got it. I showed them my handpay sheet from the casino and was on my way. No issues. The guy was funny though, mentioned he thought $10K would look bigger! As someone else said, just watching for proceeds of crime. I would just have proof of the win with you. 

In Vegas, as a Canadian, for a handpay of $1200 or more they holdback 30% and give you a form (W something?). At the start of the next year you can claim it back if you can prove enough loses.  I have done it a few times and it isn’t too hard yourself, with help of information online. 
 

On the ship, Celebrity for sure from my experience, you just prove you are Canadian and they give you the full winnings.