smtcan

In the past two years I have had two accidents on holiday -  ok, I am a klutz!

The first was on  Celebrity Silhouette.  I didn’t put the light on for a bathroom visit because I didn’t want to wake my husband.  I slipped getting back into bed and hit my head on the corner of the nightstand.  (That certainly woke him up!). Copious blood, as is usual with head cuts.  I went to the medical centre in the morning and had the cut glued, which I had never heard of before.  I had to sign the doctor's incident report.  The safety officer came to the cabin and took photos.  There was no charge for the medical treatment and wine and strawberries were delivered to our cabin that night.  I thought this was more than fair, considering that it was my own fault.

The second incident was last year at a resort in Zanzibar.  A sudden rain fall made the tiles outside the dining room very slippery.  I fell and broke my wrist.  We went back to our room and phoned for medical help.  A doctor arrived and took me to an off site clinic where my wrist was set.  The clinic spoke directly to our insurance company and the treatment was covered by them.  No one at the resort asked how I was, or seemed concerned about the slippery tiles.  We asked to fill out a report, and we’re given a form, but no one seemed interested in it.  There didn’t seem much point in making an issue of it, although I felt far less at fault than I did over the previous incident.  Thankfully my wrist healed well.

I sympathize with the OP because I am sure it put a damper on their trip.  I think sometimes service depends upon who you deal with at any given moment, rather than being representative of the whole company and staff.

30 minutes ago, Jeep61 said:

Our cruise begins in Hong Kong and ends in Singapore.  We decided to visit Angkor Wat independently after the cruise by flying Silk Air to Siem Reap.  We fly Cathay Pacific from Siem Reap through Hong Kong all on one ticket back to LAX.  We like the idea of the connection in Hong Kong being on one ticket.  The open jaw reservation was not much different from the round trip Hong Kong-LAX.  The strongest determinant in our decision of going post cruise rather than prior since was the lack of backtracking between Siem Reap-Hong Kong-LAX.  Plus, we will be accustomed to the SEA time zone by then, rather than dealing with jet lag and the demands of Angkor Wat.  At our age, comfort and ease are more important than cost for this type of trip.

I agree that Siem Reap is better seen without the extra stress of jet lag.  We had four days in Singapore before our cruise, went directly to Hong Kong airport after  disembarking and flew to Siem Reap.  We returned to Hong Kong and spent one night in a hotel before returning to Canada.  We booked our main flights on points, so this, to some extent affected our choice.

Incidentally, our flight to Singapore was with Eva Air via Tai Pei.  We were unsure about this, but the flight, even in economy, was one of the best we have ever had.  Comfortable seats, good food, excellent service and washrooms that were cleaned after every three or four users - we were impressed.

We flew from Hong Kong after our cruise because the timings worked better for us.  We flew with Cathay Dragon and were happy with their service.  The cost was almost the same as from Singapore - I can't remember the breakdown of flight and hotel, but we paid $1300 CAD for two people for return flights and five nights in a hotel , which included airport pick up and drop off (in a tuk tuk) and daily breakfast.  This was in March this year.  We really enjoyed Cambodia, in spite of the oppressive heat and the temples were spectacular.

We don’t travel in suites, but the enhancements for those who pay for them do not bother me.  I like any time dining, Elite Plus perks and the improved buffet experience.

The smoke free balconies encouraged us to book them again after a really bad experience when we couldn’t sit outside because of a chain smoker next door.  

Sheila

Our taxi driver from the airport recommended a hawker centre near the hotel. He said 'Remember GnC - good n cheap'.  He was right, we ate there twice,  dinner for two with beer was $12.  We tried seafood stir fry and chicken with rice the first evening and enjoyed them so much that we visited the same stalls again for slightly different dishes.

 We always dress neatly for dinner, but I am glad formal wear is no longer required.  We usually travel before and after a cruise, so do not want to take extra suitcases.  Not because of the cost, which is not excessive as part of the overall holiday, but because we like to be able to get on and off trains or buses, or fit our luggage into a small rental car.  On our recent post cruise visit to Cambodia, the hotel shuttle that picked us up from the airport was a tuk tuk which barely accommodated the two of us with our cases.

I can can understand the OP's situation.  Venice is not an easy place to get around with too much luggage.

1 hour ago, gold1953 said:

will be interesting as the companion card says Elite and it gets you in the door . It has no benefits attached.. If cards are not taken when getting a drink in the lounge then  companion will get drinks. If they are then ,,no drinks. Hope to hear from recent travellers

On Millennium in March we showed our cards to get into a roped off section of the lounge.  Once in there, no cards were taken and drinks were unlimited.  In other bars, cards were shown for each drink, but there was no limit on drinks from the Elite menu during the designated hours.

Hope this helps.

On 4/17/2019 at 7:21 AM, Islandbuoy said:

Kelleher.

I knew it began with K, but couldn't remember.  He was on our Millennium Asia cruise last month.

19 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

 

If you think any, or all of the five perks are free, you are just the type of person they are looking for. I was looking at a Alaska cruise on the Solstice, this May, and adding two "free" perks added $650 p.p. to the price. I don't want any free perks as, even though they might be discounted off the normal price, they don't enhance my experience compared to the cost.

I am aware that nothing is free, but when I price a cruise I take into account the cost of gratuities and drinks.  A drink package doesn't have much value for us, but OBC to cover the our (small) bar bill helps as does included gratuities.  If a Celebrity cruise with those inclusions is cheaper than another of our preferred lines we will book Celebrity.  If not, HAL or Princess will get our business if they offer the itinerary we want.

Elite breakfast was in the Tuscan Grill on our March Asia cruise.  Unfortunately it was plated service which we don't care for because of the amount of wastage.  In order to get my choice of smoked salmon and a croissant I had to order  a plate with smoked salmon, bagels cream cheese etc and a pastry plate which may or may not include a plain croissant.  After asking two days running for a custom plate without success, we gave up.  We enjoy the atmosphere but much prefer the buffet set up that we have experienced on other ships, when we could select exactly what we wanted.  We only encountered plated service on one other cruise and were told it was because of US health regulations that they couldn't put a buffet on a carpeted area.  There was plenty of uncarpeted space on Millennium.

We had cloth bags in OV on Millennium last month (after the refit).  It was easier to pack them, no need for reinforcement.

Sheila

We had an issue with ChoiceAir last year.  An ice storm was forecast and we were told that the airport would probably be closed for several days.  We called ChiiceAir to find our options.  They said they would change our flights ( bring them forward a day) and would call back to confirm.  Several hours, no call.  Called back they said they were working on it and would call back.  No call, so called again, they said they wouldn’t change our flights because our flight hadn’t actually been cancelled.

Called AirCanada, they changed our flight right away.  Outcome - we got out just before the airport was closed.  If we had relied on Celebrity we would have missed our TA cruise.  

2 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

End of 2018 yes there were lots of permutations on different ships.  However this new policy HAS been implemented across the fleet in Feb 2019 and this is what you can expect on your cruise.  No you won't be able to order a drink in any dining venue using the Elite benefit.

Apart from only half of the Lounge being roped off for the cocktail hour, this was the situation on Millennium in March.  Although we couldn't order drinks in the MDR, it was easy to pick up a drink in a nearby bar and carry it in, as long as it was before 7pm.

We have enjoyed one Australia/NZ cruise and several Asia cruises.  The reason we haven't repeated the Aus/NZ cruise is that there is so much to see in Australia that we want to take a longer land tour there.  

Although the ports in Asia are often some way from the places we wanted to visit we were able to see many interesting sights on private small group tours.  Most of the Celebrity Asia cruises leave one port and end in another, so we try to have a few days at each end of the cruise.  This gives an overview of several cities and a more  in depth experience in others.

I don't really think you can go wrong with either choice, but my preference would be for Asia.

6 hours ago, gold1953 said:

one other reason . I just paid a large chink on mine as I foolishly booked in US $ Now are Canadian $ is falling and expected to drop a few more cents by the time my payment is due. I left a bit owing just to cover possible price drops even though I know I will be quickly refunded is such happens

If we book in $US we put money into our $US account to cover the cost, then we know what the cruise is costing us in $CAD.  We don't make final payment ahead of time, but we have the money set aside.  We only book in $US if a TA has a particularly good rate and some incentives.

No rose on Millennium last week.

Millennium

NEW*** Revolution (2019 onwards) - Yes 

Cabin: 2012

Deck: 2

Class: OV

Area/Location: forward

Bed Location / View

Quiet? Yes

Balcony/Porthole view. Unobstructed, but rather overlooked when in port

Balcony/Porthole Size: Standard,

Wind a Problem? Yes, No (if no, use comments)

Soot a Problem? No

Problems / Comments: Quiet cabin except that the public address announcements came through very loudly.  We asked to have it turned down, but they were still 'looking into it' when we left the ship.  Otherwise a great cabin.

E

We are finishing our cruise on Millennium tomorrow.  I can answer a few questions.

Only part of Cosmos Lounge is used for the Elite happy hour.  Drinks in there are unlimited and also unlimited drinks are loaded on cards for use in other bars from 5 to 7.

One side of the solarium has sofa type seating and tables and chairs.  The other side has a few loungers.

Elite and Elite + were invited to the helipad for the sail into Halong Bay.  Concierge class was invited too, which made it quite crowded.

We had no AC issues in our Oceanview. Cabin.  The wardrobe was quite adequate for our needs, but I didn’t take any long dresses.  The number of people wearing gowns or tuxes was minimal.  I really didn’t like the provided toiletries, the shampoo and shower gel barely lathered.

I don’t know why the fixed lamp and telephone were on the same night table.  I moved the phone onto the sofa every night  and the cabin steward moved it back every morning.  Thankfully he left the extra cable I had managed to find by lifting the night stand up and pulling.

Apart from these small niggles I liked the cabin.  The bed was comfortable, the decor was soothing and the towels were thick and fluffy.  There were plenty of outlets, two USB and two US by the bed, the same by the desk with the addition of two European sockets there too.  We didn’t miss a coffee table.

All in all, we have had a great cruise.

Sheila

We have sailed in inside, ocean view, balcony and concierge - never in a suite.  We have enjoyed every cruise and never felt excluded or looked down upon because of our choice.  I don't begrudge the suite guests their small private areas, because I know I could have several cruises for the price they have paid for their suite.  Once on board we are hardly aware of the restricted areas.  

Sheila

We stayed in Citadines Shinjuku in Tokyo and Citadines in Kyoto.  Both reasonably priced and close to subway stations.  We toured independently in Japan after a Transpacific cruise and found getting around very easy.  We  loved Kyoto and would have liked more than four days there.

Regarding the JR pass,  we got them because the cost was similar to the return Tokyo to Kyoto fare so any side trips were a bonus.  We took a day trip to Nara from Kyoto and stopped in Hakone overnight to see Mount Fuji on the way back to Tokyo.

Sheila

We were in our mid sixties when we sailed on Xpedition and I was recovering from a broken ankle - I had the plaster off two weeks before sailing.  We were able to do most of the strenuous excursions, the only one I skipped involved a lot of steps.  As others said, the various excursions are clearly explained the evening before.  

1 minute ago, Poconolady said:

Have you noticed much air polllution on this cruise. We are booked for next year in January, reverse itinerary. DH has asthma so concerned about too much “ bad air”.

We are doing the cruise in reverse next week.  We have travelled in the area before and  have not encountered polluted air in Singapore,  Hong Kong or Vietnam.  China is another story all together.  When DH was in hospital in Shanghai (don't ask!), the woman in the next room was asthmatic and had a serious attack as soon as she got off the plane.  She spent a week in the hospital then flew home.  Not a great experience for her. 

We had booked and paid for a private tour in Israel.  When Celebrity changed the itinerary, the first notification we received was from the tour company telling us that a refund had been processed because the ship was not docking.  Celebrity notified us the following day.

Sheila

OP is travelling in early April.

3 hours ago, ghstudio said:

 

One doesn't know what hassling is until you've been to Turkey, Morocco. India.   It's a bit like the drivers in Rome being the worst in the world (my taxi drove on the sidewalk)...until you go to Istanbul (where I covered my eyes).  But then you realize that Turkish drivers are actually wonderful drivers when you go to Northern Vietnam(imagine a six lane road where any lane can go in any direction depending on who's there first).  Do not ever ever ever consider renting a car in Northern Vietnam 🙂

 

No offense meant to those who live in any of the countries I mentioned...this is based on my personal observations.

I loved this post.  In Istanbul a taxi actually drove  us down a street of outdoor restaurants - the customers moved their chairs so we could reach our hotel.  We are heading to Vietnam on our next cruise so will see if that experience exceeds Istanbul.