Ride-The-Waves

It appears that Oceania is scamming cruisers when it comes to their pricing.  Intentionally obfuscating prices and costs, and making it very difficult to select and book.  Horrible practice.  However, it appears they make a lot of money from the practice.

On 5/3/2022 at 8:46 PM, foodsvcmgr said:

Don - respectfully disagree. While Alaska and NZ certainly should be seen in-depth, scenic cruising in such spectacular areas would still have some value.

And a major issue for many, myself included, that differentiates Antarctica from the aforementioned is the prohibitive cost differential between a drive by and an expedition cruise.

Basically a better than nothing proposition than an all or nothing IMO.

Must disagree.  My spouse tells a tale from her childhood of driving past the Empire State Buisling in NYC and her father telling her to "look up and see the building."  Stepping on the 7th Continent is more than worth several conventional cruises.  We sailed on Fram to south of the Antarctic Circle and made at least a dozen landings.  Each one was unique and worth the cost.  "Drive bys" just don't work.

Dined in specialty restaurants three times on our just completed Reflection cruise: Lawn Grill first night discount and twice in Tuscan.  Lawn Grill was great with excellent service despite to heat in the outdoor setting.  Second time in Tuscan was unsatisfactory from a food perspective.  We were Retreat guests and believe the food in Luminae was better than Tuscan and definitely Tuscan was not worth the $106 charge for the meal.  We did tip the server $20 cash.  Next cruise on Reflection we will likely avoid specially restaurants and stick with Luninae.

We have sailed on both Edge and all the Solstice class ships.  Just back from a great cruise on Reflection.  Did NOT like Edge.  The "E"class is dark, confusing and not as "friendly" as Solstice and her sisters.  Just booked a European B2B on Reflection for May 2023.

We have sailed on both Edge and all the Solstice class ships.  Just back from a great cruise on Reflection.  Did NOT like Edge.  The "E"class is dark, confusing and not as "friendly" as Solstice and her sisters.  Just booked a European B2B on Reflection for May 2023.

On 7/5/2022 at 3:28 PM, Graciesmom2 said:

We just returned from Summit, cruise began on June 26. We are both Seniors and we weighed the chance of getting Covid and still went anyway. As we figured, we could get Covid going to Walmart. It’s a chance we were willing to take to have a cruise we had cancelled twice and waited 3 years to take. If we come down with Covid, it could have come from the cruise, from the buses we took, from the ferry we rode, from the rest areas we stopped at on the drive home or the restaurant we got food from once home. We won’t blame Celebrity and we will cruise again ! Life’s to short to hide at home! 

Haven't shopped at Wally's since March 2020 just for that reason.

The usual waiting time is one hour for incoming flights.  Drivers are released after that time.  

Just back from "X" cruise from/to Civitavecchia and used "Bob's Limo" for three trips: arrival FCO to Rome hotel, Rome to the port on embarkation day, and port to FCO on returning to Civitavecchia.  "Bob's Limo" drivers were all on time, professional, good vehicles, and good drivers.  Our flights to and from FCO were all on-time.

Just back this Monday from an "X" cruise disembarking Civitavecchia.  The cruise line wanted flights departing 11AM or later and "forced" us to change reservations to a flight departing FCO at 11:05.  We moored Civitavecchia at 0530ish and walked off just before 0700 to the luggage area in the cruise terminal.  Booked with "Bob's Limo" for pickup at the pier and driver was waiting.  (Used "Bob's Limo" for FCO to Rome hotel pre-cruise and for transfer Rome to Civitavecchia port on departure day: on time and on target for all three trips).  Just FYI, the price for the private transportation was equivalent for Celebrity's price for two.  The real issue is not the drive between the port and FCO, rather the one and a half to two hour experience processing through airline checkin, immigration and security.  Dreadful.

On 6/19/2022 at 6:28 PM, Jim_Iain said:

Basically if it is the last night  of the cruise it would be a waste of time as they wouldn't bother contact tracking.    When we tested positive we had to isolate one day and then escorted off the ship with a team that looked like Ghost Busters. We  had  N95 masks on but the gangway was right into the regular terminal full of passengers.  

That sounds like RCI and not Celebrity.  Have friends who have sailed both.  RCI unceremoniously dumped them on the pier while Celebrity provided assistance throughout.  Also, Celebrity takes cleanliness and mask wearing by crew more seriously than RCI.

Off to get onboard an eastbound 747 (It Never rains in Southern California...) ...and embark a cruise ship in Europe.

Taking full precautions to include pre-boarding testing.

Stay safe.

23 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

One only needs to read all the cruise line forums and comments on CC and not just the Celebrity forum to see that the majority wants to do away with testing. Certainly the large amount of people who used to cruise but wish to but can't  because they aren't vaccinated would also support this trend. What the public opinion of people who don't cruise at all doesn't matter.  To think that majority of current cruisers want to continue testing would be foolish. The major inconvenience, worry, cost, and ineffectiveness of testing is nothing a normal person would wish to continue doing given the choice. Arguing against that would be Damm near impossible. The omicron variant is weak and symptoms are minor if any when factored into that as well. My family is vaccinated and boosted and we all got it a month ago and we had two with nothing more than a stuffy nose and two asymptomatic.  People are over this nonsense unless you are elderly, sickly, and prone to infection .....which the majority of cruisers are not. Keep the vaccine requirements but lose the silly testing as no other forms of vacationing require this nonsense. 

Fully vexed and double booster, as well.

Its also a "major inconvenience" to test for and carry a driver's license.  Have liability insurance.  "Normal"people have no interest in getting on a cruise ship right now.  Only us international travelers do that (we have stepped foot on all 7 continents) - with a few exceptions for the "party" boats.  We have lived in Europe for many years - me since 1949.  We follow the protocols of societies we visit and reside.  We have no interest in catching COVID, whatever the variant.  Its all detrimental to good health.  "Cruisers" are a segment of a society, be in US or other.  These societies protect themselves from diseases and viruses as best the can.  Its what societies elect leaders to do for them.  Until "cruisers" can be isolated outside a given society so that they do not bring back viruses and diseases to that society, maybe eliminating testing might work.  Until then, we live with what is really a non-invasive and non-detrimental process to insure the safety and health of all onboard a ship.

We all need to remember that governments and businesses provide guidelines to customers/citizens which benefit all constituencies.  Just like yelling "FIRE" in a crowded theater, actions detrimental to public health and order come under guidance beneficial to all and are issued for the benefit of all constituents.  NOT wearing a mask is currently deemed detrimental to public health.  Many do not wear one regardless, especially in the US.

Freedom?  I was in Romania shortly after dictator Ceaucescu was executed in December 1989.  The concept of "democracy" and "freedom" was alien to their society.  What few automobile drivers there were felt that traffic laws and regulations not longer matter.  "Freedom" means you are "free" to do whatever you want regardless of harm to others.  The result?  Some horrendous traffic crashes at intersections?

5 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

Those currently cruising and wanting to cruise that would support the stoppage of precruise testing would be in the vast majority. Those who want to continue pre cruise testing including those who would stop cruising if they did would be in the minority. Those few in the aforementioned group who are fearful should seek different vacation plans or stop crusing all together once pre testing stops. 

You know this how? Detailed and accurate polling?  Supposition?  Need to also remember that there are less than 15 percent of all cruisers who read/post on CC.  I would suggest that the vast public majority, based on public commentary that cruise ships are cesspools filled with COVID, would profess that all cruising should be halted until COVID is vanquished.

4 minutes ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

The fault is that it is an extra hurdle that is seemingly not slowing the number of cases on board. I sailed last July with no pre-arrival testing and we had zero cases on board for a 7 day sailing. Compared to now, when there is pre-arrival testing and many ships are having 1-3% of the passengers infected. Case counts were higher in July 2021 than they are now. So then, what is the point of a covid mitigation measure that does not work well?

Operative word "seemingly."

Cruise ships and cruise lines know, accurately, what their infection rates are.  Making those public is detrimental to business.  We were on a Princess trans-Atlantic in March.  In theory, everyone tested negative prior to embarkation.  By the time the ship tested those flying back to the US two days prior to disembarkation the infection rate had jumped to around 20 percent (of those tested) and suddenly new mandates for wearing masks everywhere on board became the norm.

Businesses (cruise lines in this case) must test to both insure the viability of their business and because so many people do not follow good COVID protocols ashore and at home.  Pre-cruise testing does not catch everyone who is positive.  That doesn't mean testing should not be required.  COVID incubation times range between 3 and 8 days.  Better testing would be to require both a PCR test 8 days out and also an antigen test 1-2 days prior to embarkation.  Let the howling begin.

Businesses need to know their liabilities and testing helps.  Cruise lines are not forthcoming with data they collect because its bad for business.  People (passengers) need to know the threats they will face onboard.  This includes threats to health.

Several years ago we sailed Mumbai to the Aqaba through the Northern Arabian Sea.  No one complained about the extra security to protect from pirates.  Same for COVID testing.  Extra security.  😀

5 minutes ago, RichYak said:

You gave us the debarkation requirements for Celebrity and the embarkation requirements for Princess.

No.  Read it again.  Same protocols we are facing to embark Celebrity on Friday in Italy.

Looks like there are numerous posters who are against medical testing, testing to determine if one has cancer, a disease, or whatever.  COVID-19 is a virus easily transmitted between humans of all kinds.  Makes sense from my perspective to know if I'm ill, or not.  Makes sense to practice good protocols to stay healthy.  Testing is one way to know your health,  And, its not just a US CDC requirement.  Flying to Rome today.  Italy requires masking in many public places, to include transportation of all kinds.  Celebrity has informed they require pre-cruise testing to embark in Italy.  We will do that in Rome.  

If one doesn't like ,medical testing, doesn't like to know if you are infected, likes to infect others. then, yes, eliminate all medical testing.  Or, alternatively, stay off cruise ships and keep your infection transmission to your local environment.  

Retch!   "Live" reports do nothing good and are just to stroke egos.

2 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Not really. Hotels by Celebrity usually has the same prices as any other OTA such as Orbitz and Expedia. I checked for my EDGE cruise ex Rome in September and the rate for the FCO Airport Hilton was $70 less than what Hilton sells it for on their own website. Only downside of course is your loyalty benefits (for example Hilton Honors Diamond) don't apply that way.

Just the exact opposite experience.  Celebrity booked hotels are nominally 1.5 to 2 times as expensive for the same room.  Do yourself a favor: book direct or through a hotel booking site.  Don't overpay to have Celebrity do it for you.

Flights by Celebrity is notoriously bad/slow in updating you actual itinerary.  They booked us US-Rome and it was perfect.  Took them 3 months to book Rome-US and continued to defer actual reservations.  Finally able to get them to book us on LH returning.  Then they sent  a note saying that their booking was inconsistent with policies for disembarkation day and rep booked us on AA.  Not a happy camper, but it gets us home.  The conundrum: even after the rebooking Flights by Celebrity continue to show a return flight that didn't connect with anything...the transAtlantic segment was missing.  Good news was the "final" cruise booklet showed the correct flights.  Its not LH, its incompetence at FBC.

Yep - one can experience everything Rome has to offer in 3 days pre-cruise.../s/

If you don't want to go into Rome, try Ostia Antica.  Its the port Rome of Rome starting around 3rd century BC though 4th century AD.  Accord got Wiki:  The site is noted for the excellent preservation of its ancient buildings, magnificent frescoes and impressive mosaics.  Its a fun and interesting place to visit.  Facilities and food available.

Been to Hong Kong multiple times, back in the day when yt actually was a fun place and a managed by the Brits.  Would not go to HK today.

Reflection all the way...  

10 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

 

Interesting, have heard so many negative comments about the IV.  We are booked on the Apex this fall, our 1st Edge class sailing but are in a suite, with a "real" balcony, lol.  It will just be nice to be back on a Celebrity ship no matter which class.🙂

The IV is the best aspect of the E-class.  By far.  The rest of the ship - not so much.  Dark.  Confusing to navigate.  What's with the black forest from the planet Altair?  Dangerous stairs.  Totally over the top expensive shops.  NOT cruising on an E-class ever again.  Solstice and Millie classes🤩

Everybody knows that its POSH: Port Out Starboard Home (from the UK heading to India)

37 minutes ago, Purplsmurf said:

E class ships are actually smaller than S class ships

 

Ships are measure by tonnage.  Commercial ships, like cruise ships, are categorized by volume.  Military ship are sized by displacement.