Bruin Steve

I'm pretty sure they got bad information. People with All-Inclusive bookings upgrade their drink package or their WiFi package all the time. A lot of TAs AND Celebrity phone reps are just clueless. Call Celebrity directly...and if someone tells you that, ask to speak to a supervisor. Celebrity WANTS you to upgrade. They are not going to make that hard for you. Even at only $6.99 per day, it's still profit for them. Remember, they may be selling drinks for $10 to $15, but the REAL cost to THEM is about fifty cents per drink. Adding $7 per day for an "upgrade" doesn't really cost them anywhere close to $7. And, think about it, if you upgraded on the website and, suddenly, other PAID FOR perks disappeared, they would be spending lots of $$ in Customer Service costs with everyone that would be screaming at them.

Saw it down to $6.99 for my B2B Japan cruises...So, about $400 total for the 24 nights...Makes it awfully tempting... So, I ran it by my wife--mainly because, of us, she's the wine drinker and it increases her wine choices (Under $10 wine is fairly limiting). For me, I drink Anejo Tequila at home--but going classic to premium, though it adds a couple of Reposados, does NOT give you Anejo anyway. So, on the ship, move to bourbon...and though I'd rather have Woodford, Maker's Mark or even Jack, for the length of the cruise, i can deal with Jim Beam or even Canadian...The real place I've noticeda difference is in pre-bedtime liqueurs, where, with a classic package, I'm drinking Sambuca--as Amaretto and Bailey's now require Premium. My wife said it's still not worth it...For the length of the cruise, we can adjust. For comparison purposes, here's the list: https://www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/onboard-packages/beverage-packages/compare-packages

For two of my three upcoming X cruises--my B2Bs on Millennium for Japan, both 12 nights, it's $9.99 per day for the upgrade. Add the additional gratuities and, for the two of us, it's another $565.84 for the upgrade. We decided we can deal with drinking whatever is on the classic package. The entire two cruises in Concierge plus RT Airfare plus 5 nights of hotels in Tokyo plus 17 port or city tours/shore excursions plus meals in Tokyo plus ground transportation is quite enough without adding on another $565. For our upcoming Eclipse cruise to Cabo, we didn't spring for the "all-inclusive", so upgrading isn't a consideration...BUT, being Captains Club Elite+, we get free drinks from 5-7 anyway...and they want, on sale, $41.99 for the classic package...So, to make even that work, we wouldn't even break even at four drinks a night each....And remember, that's not just five drinks each for us...it's five drinks ABOVE and BEYOND those free drinks from 5-7. NAAAAHHHH! We'll just drink freebies. from 5 until dinner, then, if we can still drink, we'll just pay by the drink.

We're doing back-to-back Japan on Millennium in March/April... We're spending 5 nights pre-cruise...and staying at the Keio Plaza in Shinjuku (after speaking with family members who have been there including a nephew who spent a bit of time in Tokyo). The Shinjuku RR station is a major hub for trains and ground transportation and the Shinjuku area is very walkable for tourists. I think it's more convenient for a multiple day pre-cruise to stay closer in to Tokyo and not deal with traveling back and forth from Yokohama. We only have to get to Yokohama ONCE--embarkation morning. We have two tours booked for two of our pre-cruise days...one will pick us up at the hotel, the other has a "meeting point" in Shinjuku, only about a block from the hotel. I don't mind spending a few dollars more for ultimate convenience.

We use Uber often to get to and from the pier in San Pedro...In fact we'll use it both ways home to ship and back for our upcoming December 1 cruise. We've NEVER had a problem. Palos Verdes is actually a street two blocks west of the cruise terminal...but, when you google that address, it takes you to berth 93 somehow. Swinford is actually the street that the cruise terminal entry is on. If I had to input an address in the app, I'd probably just type in "Berth __, World Cruise Center, San Pedro"...BUT... You really don't need the address. Just walk out to the curb outside the terminal and log on to the Uber (or Lyft) app. The system GPS will tell THEM exactly where you are...and it gives you the type and color of car, driver's name and license plate...then just watch for your car. The road in front of all of the berths is a one-way loop. All approacing cars come from your left. The apps also have a feature allowing you to message or call your driver...and, since you can also track where he/she is and how many minutes away, you can also clear that issue up if it says the car is there and you don't see it.

Whoopee! Got the three. Now I need just 1,688 more to get to Zenith!!! In six months, thanks to actual traditional point accumulation, earned by taking actual cruises, I'll be down to 1,538 to go. If I cruise 20 nights a year in balcony cabins, I'll be Zenith by the time I'm 96...Maybe a few more PUPs and I can cut it back to 95. I am SO excited! 😁

The breakfast is OUTSTANDING...both an extensive buffet with great choices and a dessert table...PLUS they have a menu where you can order all sorts of hot, freshly cooked choices. We've had it included every time...but never paid extra...If you hunt around their websie, you may find a link to sign up for the H10 frquent visitor club that offers free breakfast included if you do. Not sure if they always run that deal, but they have for each of our visits.

Flying into LGB, the Golden Sails is still pretty much out of your way. Another consideration might be staying at one of the hotels near LGB (maybe the Hampton, Homewood or Courtyard, all just north of LGB). That area is really not all that exciting either, though there are a few places to eat. You might find a decent hotel price and a free shuttle from LGB airport...and then just the one 16 mile Uber ride to San Pedro the next morning.

My preference is always to get as close to the port as possible--unless flying in multiple days early or VERY late the night before. Getting in at 4:30 pm, you can get to a hotel, check in and have a nice dinner...and a short trip to the pier in the morning. OTOH of course, you are booking your hotel a little close to the date, so prices tend to get higher the closer you get. Still, if you can swing it, stay in Convention Center Long Beach--close to the pier. My "A" List is: Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric at the Pike, Renaissance, Westin, Maya Doubletree, Residence Inn Downtown and, maybe, the Hilton...That list puts you in a nice hotel very close to lots of restaurant choices and very close to the Carnival terminal (the first four closest to restaurants, the Maya and Residence very close to the pier). Try calling the Maya directly and ask if they have a discounted Carnival rate (they have, at times, available only by calling the hotel directly. You can walk to the ship from the Maya. If those hotels out-price your budget (though it may be worth spending a few dolars more for the convenience), then look at Torrance, near the Del Amo Mall. Don't look for bargains in other parts of Long Beach or some of the other neighboring cities--Some parts of Long Beach are just not good neighborhoods and neither are some of the nearby towns. If a hotel rate sounds really cheap, there is usually a reason. Other areas are not bad, but fairly inconvenient for your purposes. Good luck.

I generally agree with Scott here. I don't know which cruise line you are on, but, from your signature, it looks like you consistently cruise on Princess of late. If so, you will be cruising out of San Pedro, not Long Beach. The only real reason for you to stay in Long Beach is to enjoy the Convention Center area restaurants, shopping and attractions (Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific). But, Long Beach is a big city, population of half a million, and spans a wide area. The Golden Sails is nowhere near the tourist area of Long Beach--it's about six miles from Downtown Long Beach and 12 miles from the World Cruise Center in San Pedro--so, traveling from LAX, you'd be going an extra 12 miles in each direction past where you really need to be and getting almost nothing in return. If Downtown Long Beach has something going on which has driven prices up...and if you don't want to be in the more convenient San Pedro (Crowne Plaza or Doubletree), then best to stay between LAX and San Pedro...and, as Scott noted, Torrance and Redondo are much better choices for you. Redondo has a nice and scenic little area centered around King Harbor--though it might, soetimes, get a little pricey...and Torrance, specifically the area around the Del Amo Mall, has often very reasonable priced hotels in a very convenient location and near lots of shopping and restaurants. Either will save you quite a bit over the Golden Sails in terms of transportation costs and travel time...and, dependong on your choices, put you in a nicer hotel.

You might also want to search El Segundo...this is the area immediately south of LAX. Many of the hotels there also have airport shuttles...and there are several places to eat (alas, mostly fast food) near the hotels along Sepulveda Blvd. You may find something in that area more to your liking...and you'd still be mere minutes from the LAX terminals.

It's a special provision exclusively for the World Cruise-- This is from the World Cruise FAQ on the RCCL website: Q If I achieve a new Crown & Anchor Society status during my Ultimate World Cruise or one of the four Ultimate Cruise segments, will I receive my new benefits? A Exclusively for our Ultimate World Cruise and the four Ultimate Cruise segments, Crown and Anchor guests will enjoy new tier status and tier benefits on the day of achievement. So, since they sold 930 passengers on the FULL World Cruise...and those people board on December 10, 2023, by the time we get to July, ALL of those 930, if they weren't D+ before, they will be by July. And, others, who are most of the way there, but boarding some time between the start in December and later--like those doing the last three quarter-segments--will achieve D+ by July. And I'll guess many others, like us, are already D+. By the time we're onboard, I'm guessing there will only be a scant few passengers less than D+... EARN MORE

Ohhhhh....This is all about to get very interesting for us. Last week in August, we were on Quantum...took our daughters and sons-in-laws. We are D+, they are all D. Of course, we had our pre-dinner drinks every night in the Diamond Club. No problem. Of course, there were only 26 D+s and 6 Pinnacles on the entire ship. 220-something Diamonds. However, our next couple of RCCL cruises (after 3 upcoming Celebrity cruises--where we are Elite Plus and they did away with the dedicated lounge awhile ago anyway) are the Europe segments of the World Cruise on Serenade next July/August. Of course, by the time we board, there will be 930 people who will already have been on board for six months--so, if they weren't D+ before, they all will be by then. What use will ANY dedicated lounge be when almost EVERYONE on the ship has qualifying status??? Will they bother enforcing ANYTHING? What's the point? We just want a nice, comfortable QUIET lounge with good service where we can have relaxing pre-dinner drinks and talk to people...

https://aerobusbarcelona.es/?lang=en

I don't recall right now...but it was booked AT the Hilton Copacabana concierge desk in the lobby...They seemed to have an exclusive deal between this provider and the Hilton.

I guess the real questions are what it is that you might be looking to shop for...and where it fits into your trip (Pre-cruise? Post-cruise? How much time do you have and how are you planning on getting there). First, as to "Outlet Malls", it helps to know a little about the shopping mall business. Most large outlet malls in urban areas such as Los Angeles are located in fairly out-of-the-way places--because of non-compete clauses in many department store and other large retailer leases and marketing agreements. The large retailers don't want cut-rate competition for their large stores--so these outlet malls were forced to locate in areas outside of a certain radius of most ordinary malls. So, in the Southern California area, most of the better, larger outlet malls are located far from the port or from LAX--Camarillo, Barstow, Carlsbad, Ontario, Cabazon, Fort Tejon, Lake Elsinore...Check out a map and you'll see how far these places are from where you'll be. Likely not worth the long trip. As to those regular shopping malls, your best bet for a LARGE shopping mall near LAX and the port is the Del Amo Mall in Torrance--about half-way beteen LAX and the port...It is in a relatively safe area--sort of middle class suburbia. At one time the largest mall in the US, it is currently the sixth largest shopping mall in the United States and has a large variety of stores. https://www.simon.com/mall/del-amo-fashion-center https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_Amo_Fashion_Center.

It is "El Corte Ingles"...It's a major Spanish Department Store. At this location, there are some food service options...but it's not what I'd call a major "food court". There is a restaurant on the ninth floor...and the "El Gourmet Club", a few counter service food counters with limited seating adjacent to the supermarket in the basement. It's good for quick bites on the go. For an actual meal, you've got lots of choices all around the Placa and its adjoining streets and down Las Ramblas...everything from American fast food--McD's, Taco Bell, Burger King, 5 Guys, KFC, etc. There's a Hard Rock Cafe on the Placa...Next door to the H10 Catalunya laza, there's a Tapas joint...halfway down that street, there's apretty good pizza place and a BBQ. There are places to eat, many casual and inexpensive in all directions...

I agree... BUT...I'm a very good negotiater...and I made it through to a very good BA representative with a decent amount of authority. And there were some other factors involved in addition to the One World thing. But, yes, the results were highly unusual. Probaly not often duplicated.

We've done 11 cruises post-pandemic (since cruise lines started experimenting with boarding times), four of them out of San Pedro--two each on Princess and RCCL... We've found it to be a mixed bag, but, largely, we've never had to board late. We TRY to remember to get into the system quickly, but, for whatever reason, we haven't always been able to. One cruise, on RCCL Navigator, I messed up and forgot about check-in and ended up with a 1:00 or 1:30 boarding time. No problem, we did as we usually do and showed up at the port about 10:10 or 10:15. We got out of our Uber and handed over our luggage and noticed they were just opening up--the guy waved me in--no one ever asked about boarding times...and we were on the ship by 10:25! Next time on RCCL, we had an early 10:30 boarding time...When we got there, there were lines forming for stated boarding times...and we got on fast. But those with later boarding times still got on quickly--right after the people with the early boarding times. I guess, once they moved everyone onboard, they weren't going to just force people to stand there. The agents were there and waiting for guests, why not just move them along? And, of course, even for those of us on the 10:30 line, no one EVER really looked for our boarding times and we didn't see anyone get held back or turned away.

Just to close the loop: We booked the AMS-LHR-LAX for 60K AAdvantage miles plus $588.90 US for two. After a short discussion with BA regarding our One World status, they assigned us seats at no additional cost--in the "Club Euro" section on the first leg and in standard economy on the second (wish it were the other way around, but beggars can't be choosers). We depart AMS at 11:40 am, arrive at LHR at noon (hour time difference, depart LHR at 3:45 pm and arrive at LAX at 6:55 pm Pacific time. I think those flights minimize the stress. We have plenty of time to wake up at our hotel in Central Amsterdam, enjoy breakfast, check out and get a taxi to the airport. 3:45 at LHR is more than ample time for the little we'll have to do there. We'll not need to worry about passing through ant sort of customs/immigration/whatever line until we arrive at LAX.

First, at San Pedro World Cruise Center, there is no "Long Term Parking" or "Short Term Parking"...It's just "Parking"...It's a single lot, $20 per day. And it's a BIG lot. We have never had trouble finding parking there. Earlier in the day, there are a whole lot of people leaving the prior cruise and getting into their cars and driving off--so lots of spots open up. Even later in the day, a lot of people working at certain jobs on the pier and terminal get off work and start driving off, leaving open spots behind. But, if you want to be more certain of a good spot, get there earlier than your 2:30 time and find a spot as those people from the prior cruise leave. You also might find they will let you on the ship well ahed of your 2:30 boarding time.

I went with the BA flights via LHR. Yes, schedules, gates, etc. can always change...and likely do. But never plan hoping there will be changes for the better...Wqual chance things will change for the worse. 3:45 at Heathrow while not going through whatever hassles those are (whether properly "customs", "immigration", "passport control" or whatever they are...and not having to collect and re-check luggage) is MUCH better than dealing with those things and LIKELY having to hike some distance between gates...in only 2:20. As to the points, little difference to me between 50K and 60K. That money paid? It's actually about 50/50 between taxes and airline fees: Total cost (All passengers) $588.90 Base Fare $0.00 Taxes and Fees $312.10 Carrier-imposed fees $276.00 Whatever it is, it's still around $200 pp difference. Pending confirmation, it looks like I've convinced BA to waive the seat reservation fees (long story) and assign me Business Class seats for the short leg and preferred seat for the second. In the long run, I'm spending many thousands of dollars on 24 nights worth of cruises plus 7 nights of hotels before and after...the flight TO Europe (nonstop on AA to LHR) cost me only 30K points plus $5.90 pp...So, spending another $400 is not my biggest concern. The bigger consideration is convenience. I would have abandoned the entire plan and just booked the KLM nonstop--a flight I've taken a few times in the past--except KLN's current pricing is incredibly high...and I don't have any points to do that one...and I had points sitting around on AA and BA that have gone unused for years--might as well use them.

Just did a little research. Apparently, the flight from AMS lands at Philly at gate A (West) 26...and the flight to LAX departs from C 30...That's about as far away as you can get! lus, the second half, being a domestic flight, gets no free food....though not a big deal, it's something...Leaning further toward BA and LHR...

From my experience, AA tends to release only a very limited number of seats for popular routes as points awards...When they go, they're gone. Eventually, depending on supply and demand, they may release more...but you are taking a gamble waiting. Also, the connections, and times tend to get worse over time. And I believe 25-30K in points is not a bad deal for AA... The $295 pp in addition to the points is due to high taxes flying through LHR--at least that's what they've told me in the past. And, maybe I should have noted that this is for August 22--high travel season. My initial thought is that the simpler schedule--plenty of time at LHR--is worth the extra $412 for the two of us. And extra 10K in points is not a big deal...I have the points. So, $400 for simplicity and a little peace of mind. The next consideration is whether to just pay for seat assignments or wait until 7 days out...being Ruby does get me a six day jump on others... And I don't yet know what BA will charge for the seats...If it's cheap enough in Avios (BA's points) we'll use those...I've had 24,000 of those sitting around that I don't know how I'll ever use.

Probably going to book this later tonight when AA.com posts the flights for my date. Based on what they offered last night for the day before mine, these could be two of the options using AAdvantage points: 1) BA via Heathrow...Depart AMS at 11:40 am...3:45 in LHR to change planes---30K AA points plus $295 pp 2) AA via Philadelphia...Depart 10:55 am...2:20 in PHL to change planes--and terminals...and go through customs(?)...25K AA points plus $89 pp BA vs AA? Heathrow vs. Philly? Customs at final destination vs. Customs en route (and there's also a note about TERMINAL CHANGE in PHL!) Able to pre-reserve seats vs. Pay for seat reservations (cash or BA Avios--which I have) or wait until 7 days prior for seats with my One World Ruby status (AA Million MIle Gold). Any thoughts?