jonthomas

On one of our cruises we stop in two Turkish ports, Bodrun and Antalya...not overnight, just for a few hours. Are visas needed for that as well?

Beautiful. Thank you for posting. We will be on January 9th.

Because there are those that ask me to respond, just as you did now.

Bottom line, try a different line, then your comparisons will have merit.

We could no longer dine in the mdr on celeb or the buffet.To get better food you have to book suites. Suites on celeb are more than a regular balcony on O. And you are still with kids, a class system etc. Love O, great food, no kids, you are served in the buffet, no one touches the serving utensils except gloved staff, classy, amazing lectures and activities and wonderfully friendly people.

I did not book a GTY, asked for specific cabin in cat b5. O rep came back with a diff cabin. He said the big agencies got the other cabins, he got the last one. Only sometime later I saw it was HC and connecting. He also just clarified that no way could my TA waitlist a cabin in the same cat. The only waitlist is for the higher b4 cat. I have now said too many times that it is time to move on. Will only respond if someone else writes.

Try Oceania. After 50 cruises with C and their class system, gave it all up. Love O, no kids, great food, wish we had done it sooner, great loyalty program, the best of all lines.

You will enjoy all of it, as we have since no longer sailing Celebrity and recently an awful cruise with Viking star. It was no star. Will be on an O ship is Sept. Can't wait.

Perhaps it's just me, but I could not enjoy a cabin like that, no matter the size. Would always think someone else was deprived.

Yes agree with both your posts. We are in a situation that we have been in many times when sales come up. With this one again we have an excellent opening air rate and prem econ at 199. Now it is 649. So when sales come up, we rarely benefit because of the good deal with air. Of course you never know. Keeps things interesting.

Yes, I also told the O rep to book a cat B5, french balcony on opening day. He let us know he booked us a B5 and gave us a cabin number. Only later when I looked at the deck plan did I see it is HC and adjoining. I immediately told him I didnt want that, He said, it is 2 years away things will come up. I thought no more about it. Just heard back from my TA, she has us on a wait list for a regular cabin in the B5 cat, but I thought I could not be on a wait list for that since we already have a B5 cabin. Anyway, many of you must think this is much ado about nothing and you are probably right. Unless you need a cabin like this and are frustrated as to why you cant get it.

With the number of elderly on board and those using wheelchairs, I would think there would be many who could benefit from a cabin like that. I just can't understand any of it. I have two years to resolve this. Others are telling me to move on from this. Is it because they feel it is causing me stress or is it because it looks bad on O? If I don't resolve it in all the time I have, I will cancel. I will not sail in a cabin that can be useful to others. It would haunt me.

I guess they can say everything is a special price. The invoices have all kinds of deductions before arrival at an actual price. Have someone explain to you how it is a special price, don't just take their word for it.

So here is the update. The O rep has waitlisted us for a B4 CAT. It is $1350 pp CAD more than the B5....but that is not even the issue, the cabins are very much forward and I need mid ship... however, having said all that, I am pleased that at least a waitlist is now possible...not in the category I booked, since I would have to let that go... we booked it with excellent air rate and 199 prem econ...now 649.... it is 2 years away...that is all I can do for now... the lesson here for me is to check the symbols on the deck plans...dont assume you are given a regular cabin.... yes as jan said, time to move on....

an optimistic outlook based on facts to back it up....

Yes an optimistic outlook.

yes ultimately will have to do just that.... but not quite yet... I need to know that for now, I have done all there is to do.

I didn't book it . It was assigned to me. Your ugly insinuation is not warranted. If you think that way perhaps that is what you would do. What would be fair to us is to be put on a wait list in that category.

Got my useless answer from my TA...O told her nothing else is available in the two categories. Duh, I had told her that, she just wasted her time. Yes some here will ask what did I expect. She will have to call back and have our request noted on our reservation, so someone will be aware that a cabin like this was given to someone who does not need it. When someone with need requests it, they are NOT told NO but an attempt is made to accommodate them.

Oh there are many reasons why we won't sail Celeb and I have listed them too often...just read previous posts...

As a poster here has said, other lines that she cruises with have figured this out. She prefers O but without policy in place, her needs are not met. Yes ultimately I will have to cancel before final pay, probably giving someone else who doesn't need it, an opportunity to have this cabin.

That's not our experience with kids on board. It was a nightmare, got compensation towards a future cruise. Will never sail celeb again. It has nothing to offer us, giving up the elite plus status. Which is worthless. You get all of that included on O.

Today my TA will be contacting O about us not wanting to occupy an accessible cabin. I don't know what O can do about it. Both lowest cat are waitlisted. They can't put us on a wait list, since we are already IN the cat. Sure they can tell us to book two cat higher at a much higher cost. We were one of the first to book when the itin came out. I needed to act then as soon as I noticed it.

Leaving my email... Here just in case johthomas100z@gmai.com johthomas100z@gmail.com

when in port, a day on the ship is pretty much the same as other days...most of the activities are still on, our meals in the Terrace Cafe are the same...we dont like to have lunch in main dining room... plenty of opportunity to walk on deck, enjoy the pool... if in the Carib and there are 4 ports, we may get off the ship for one of them, just to do some long distance walking... the ship is our destination.... we are just off the Viking Star, 13 days, 3 ports....yes 10 days at sea...horrible food, roof over pool closed almost entire time, no fresh air, even though the weather was glorious...boring lectures, nothing do to on the ship... never again... cant wait to be on an O ship again...