AnnaNicole

I hope so too. The reality is my parents are elderly and my niece has been battling stage 4 recurring melanoma for the past year. I don't take anything as a given any more.

Thanks for that info. I live in a state with REAL ID. I did not know I could forgo the birth certificate. I also have Global Entry. Is that sufficient for use alone too?

So...I can cancel all pre-cruise purchases (drinks, gratuities, shore ex, etc) up to the day of the cruise but I may have to call Celebrity if it is very close to departure? I don't expect an issue but life happens so I want to be prepared.

If I book drink packages, excursions, etc pre-cruise, are they refundable in the event we are unable to take the cruise? I seem to remember in the past they were only refundable if you cancelled a few days before departure. I could not find the current policy.

They don't. It's the honor system.

Agree. I would suggest making an attempt to get a passport for that exact reason. I just renewed my passport. I paid extra for expedited service and shipping (5-7 weeks). I sent my passport application express mail on July 26 and received it yesterday. It took three weeks.

It depends where you are cruising to/from. LA cruise port requires proctored tests.

Actually, I am driving cross country and arriving in LA several days before the cruise. My husband is flying in on the Thursday beforehand. Neither of us is planning to bring a laptop. I ordered government COVID tests. I plan on bringing them along in case we decide to do online testing. Testing at CVS is our plan. It doesn't make sense that the British passengers on the same cruise are not required to have a Covid test done.

Here, here! So incompetent given the financial stake of its customers. Flights. Hotels. Etc *sigh* You show up at the cruise terminal with an expectation that may or may not be correct. UGH

So weird. I just found both links on the same site. If I click the link to Los Angeles cruises I get the same as the American info. If I click Health and safety I get the same guidelines you posted. Both on celebrity.com/gb. Quite the contradiction. I hope they change it for Americans too.

We took the train. It was cheap, easy, and not too far from the pier.

From Los Angeles too? We are taking a 7 night Solstice Mexican Riviera cruise on Sept 24. We are flying in to LAX on Thursday so we can take the COVID test on Friday. We are fully vaccinated. Hopefully, we will have a negative result and not waste money on airfare and hotel, if we can't board. We wanted to take a Tahiti cruise, but we were unwilling to take on the financial risk. Why would Celebrity have different testing requirements for Americans than Europeans boarding the same ship at the same time? EDIT: I just checked Celebrity UK site. The testing requirements are the same for everyone cruising from LA and all American ports. Testing Requirements Vaccinated Guests For all sailings 5 nights or less, no testing is required. For all sailings 6 nights or longer, vaccinated guests must present a digital or physical copy of a supervised and negative COVID-19 test result from a test taken within 3 days prior to sailing. Antibody tests are not accepted.

If you have a veranda cabin with no perks and bid on a Solstice Sky suite, would you get the all-inclusive premium beverage package, gratuities, etc that are already included with the Sky Suite?

Have a great trip!

Thanks. I can book the appointment in advance. The cost is ridiculous. I was told my insurance will cover it. I also ordered some government tests in case we decide to go the online route.

Thanks. I just texted my nice who lives in LA. She said drive through testing sites are everywhere. It might be easier to just go in person since we will be at a hotel.

Can the test also be done in person? I might do that the day before the cruise in Los Angeles. The two day window is hard because we will be driving/ flying the day before.

Where did you find the link for the particular port and date? We are leaving out of Los Angeles (Mexican Riviera) and I am seeing conflicting information.

Same. We will be flying to Los angeles late Thursday night for a Saturday cruise in September

I am confused. For a 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise out of Los Angeles, We can take an at-home test and bring the results? The actual test? Or take a photo and print it out? Or just a photo on your phone?

For us, we stopped buying souvenirs years ago. We've been to 40+ countries due to business and leisure travel. We still purchase an ornament from every where we travel for the first time. Ah, the memories when we are decorating our Christmas tree. 🙂 I don't re-wear dirty clothes. I pack lightweight clothing that rolls easily. I wear cotton shirts, gauzy shirts, and lots of simple dresses. I can layer when I need to. I try to bring only a couple of pairs of shoes, in addition to those on my feet. My husband wears fine dress polo shirts, casual polo shirts, cotton shorts, linen shirts, and cotton slacks. He packs one pair of dressier shoes and another casual pair. He doesn't mind wearing his dinner slacks twice. He usually wears his sport coat on the plane. No tuxedo.

My email had an offer code. Book by Aug 3. I picked a few dates and got a confirmation email the next day. USE OFFER CODE: 2208MEXRIVEMV

We are booked too!

Really? Maybe I am thinking of other lines, but I am almost certain we were required by Celebrity on our Alaska cruise to buy the alcohol package for both. If this is true, I am going to have my TA reimburse me for past Celebrity trips. LOL Here's something I found on a limited search. https://www.cruzely.com/everything-to-know-about-cruise-line-drink-packages/#does_everyone_in_the_cabin_have_to_purchase_the_beverage_package Does Everyone in the Cabin Have to Purchase the Beverage Package? Often yes, if one person in a cabin buys the package, all adults will need to as well. That said, the rules do vary depending on the cruise line you are sailing. Carnival requires that each adult in a stateroom purchase a drink package if one person does. So if a husband purchases the package but the wife doesn't drink, she must still purchase the drink package as well. Royal Caribbean requires adult passengers in a cabin to all purchase the package if one person does. Norwegian Cruise Lines requires each adult in the stateroom (and additional staterooms if you are traveling under the same payment method) to purchase the same drink package. Princess does not specifically say that all passengers in a cabin have to purchase the drink package. Other sources confirm that other adults don't have to buy the drink package. Celebrity Cruises spells out detailed terms of their drink package, including age restrictions, and that packages may not be shared. However, it does not state that all adults in the cabin have to purchase the package. A phone call to the cruise line confirmed that you do not have to purchase for everyone in the cabin. MSC Cruises requires each adult to purchase the drink package if one person does. If you are traveling with a minor, then they will need to have the non-alcoholic drink package. Bottom line: Except for a few cases, you should expect everyone has to buy it if one person does.

Thanks. I read it. Things are always evolving, it seems. We have been on around 30 cruises over the past decade or two. I try to stay current but admittedly, have fallen short and cutting to the chase by asking her.