WarmH2OSailing

As as "senior citizen" that has followed your wonderful review from the beginning, I would offer a couple of observations.  A review such as yours is much like a personal travelogue made public.  (My wife and I have been doing the private version for almost 40 years.). Perhaps twenty years from now, or during some family event that brings nostalgia, you'll re-read your review of this vacation while having a hot toddy on a cold winter's morning.  Your eyes will water and you will be truly thankful that you spent the time writing this fine memory. 

Thanks again, we enjoyed your trip.

On 10/17/2018 at 2:30 PM, JoePDX said:

Glad I purchased our return tickets for the Edge April crossing a few months ago.   I got business class for $1000 pp one way Edinburgh to Portland on Delta our preferred carrier.

Fingers crossed for everyone else that prices come down.   Last I checked they would be a non-starter for us.

Joe

Glad you acted when you did.  I was a little late checking Choice Air for our return from the Silhouette crossing and saw fares from $8200 each...not only a non-starter but a source of deep laughter from disbelief.  I then started doing some research and found the business class variance from the European cities to different ports of entry in the US are massive and fundamentally illogical.  We are now stopping in Boston for a couple of days and then first class to San Jose.  Total costs are about $1,400 ea...a reasonable number.  Let us know how you enjoy Edge and hi to Jeff.

Thanks for the pdf's!  

It looks like there is Trivia on the Edge but only on days 5,6, and 7.  A question arises however when looking at the small print and seeing that a Smart Phone or Tablet is required to play.  Could it be the Celebrity has found yet another way of making money by using minutes from the internet packages?  Or is there a separate wi-fi that could be used with no charge?  

We're awaiting info as well as we are about to take the Budapest to Amsterdam sail in Aug, 2019. Will be following your thread carefully.

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DL, I unsure that typical is a word that can truly describe any sea conditions. Having said that, we took the Eclipse on the same route this past November and the Captain had to struggle to call the seas at 3ft during the noon broadcast. Totally smooth voyage.

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Nice! A couple of modern suitcases and a genuine antique.

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Had to pass this on. Got an email from the Captains Club asking that I fill out a survey on my interaction with a representative via phone. I gave high marks considering my frustration with on-line up to then. I tried the survey and it totally crashed. Started over and it seemed to work if I t y p e d r e a l l y s l o w.

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Use of a tablet purchasing shore excursions runs afoul of entering payment information. One must use the drop down menu for entering the country of residence. However, when you touch the screen to scroll, where you touch becomes your country of residence. It takes a long time to try working around the limitation and get to the US, and then it locks you out. Will try desktop with mouse next time.

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Hopefully you just dropped the "1"...or are there only 4 computers now available in what used to be "e connections"?

Intuitively, I think we'll begin to look more closely at cruise cancellation

insurance, and which credit card we'll use. That offers more alternatives than arguing with Azamara.

Just adding my voice to the frustrated, but it occurs to me that perhaps we should attack the issue at the top and voice our irritation at the annual RCL Board Mtg.

LuAnn, even if you were not calling in the Azores, you would not pay a VAT tax. The requirement is ALL ports. You end in the port of Miami, ergo no VAT.

There is no VAT in Miami. Last I looked, Miami was still in the U.S. Any tax in Florida waters would be a Florida sales tax, not VAT. Any it would cease upon leaving Florida waters.

Remember this is a EU regulation, not a Spanish tax, but if you sailed from Rome under the same circumstances, I suppose you would call it an Italian tax.

We're just off the Equinox, 5-11 to 5-21, Barcelona to Rome. I had a revealing conversation with the Finance Officer running Guest Services on this topic. This situation is not new and has been around for several years.

The Tax is based on the rates of the country of departure (ours was Spain).

It is applicable for all cruises calling only in EU ports.

A stop at non-EU port negates the VAT tax.

We did not have it on the TA from Florida to Spain. A confusing item is that receipts on board, regardless of where we were in the Med always referenced Spanish Waters. That was what prompted me to check with the ship's finance authority. I've no idea what Italy's rates are for cruises leaving Rome, but the same protocols apply. You can imagine how sales in the shops, art auctions, and computers in the iLounge dropped when he tax was seen by the passengers. For those feeling slightly miffed, the choice is to find an itinerary incorporating a non-EU stop, even looking to other cruise lines in some cases. Remember, all lines have to obey this regulation.

I've never received any communication directly from LCV...maybe because I don't book directly with Azamara and use one of the larger web cruise sites. However, lack of follow-through in Miami has become expected and no longer surprising.

Cash...no problem, they're glad to get it

Charged to room...they'll give you a cash advance (charged to your room) minus a fee

OBC...depends on who gives the credit...travel agent OBC will work...Princess derived OBC, nope.

I think we covered the island. He asked our preference and we said we'd like to see a slice of local activities and a slice of tourism...we did! I asked specifically about golf courses and he took me to the Mid-Ocean club. My wife asked about pink sand and he took her and a Baggie down to the beach and collected some samples. He will take tourists where they want to go and provide an "inside" narrative. We enjoyed the time spent with him.

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Just got back from 3 days in Bermuda on the Summit and spent one day taking a 5 hour island with Blue badged taxi driver Lewis Foggo. Very knowledgable, well spoken and tailored our tour to our interests. I recommend him based on our experience. Have him get you to St George in time for lunch. He put us into the Wahoo Restaurant and we had the best fish chowder we've ever had. You can reach him at Lewis_foggo@hotmail.com.

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We just finished the Vancouver to Honolulu run with Rhapsody and have only good things to say about Amit. "Big A" (at 5' 8") was really one of the most proactive Concierges we've had. I wonder if he (they) were twins...he was always available and handled any request we had with aplomb and efficiency. If anyone has his services, they will enjoy their cruise.

WWS

I do not agree with his statements, but the number of friends is meaningless. I have received several friend requests but haven't accepted them. A lot of posters don't have friends showing in their profiles.

Sorry BND, obviously too much tongue in cheek for everyone. Merely a faux supporting supposition for what I perceived as an "unfriendly" post. It's doubtful that I could find "real" friends on my own profile.

Cheers

ALL the cruise lines - and the airlines operate exactly in the same manner.

No matter where this had happened to you, the results would be the same.

 

Smart travelers get insurance. Did you?

 

I was about to ask what you were thinking when you left an ipod in an unlocked suitcase.

But it is obvious that you were NOT thinking.

 

You might consider this loss a "not paying attention tax".

Wow, the tone of this doesn't seem encouraging to any new poster on CC. Looking at the public profile of this one only shows that he's posted over 1100 times...but has not made any friends...ummmm? The OP is, unfortunetly, a victim of cirumstances and I hope that some remuneration is made. In any case, I hope you continue to cruise...too much fun to stop.

Amy,

We've done it. Were we worried about missing the ship...no more than any private tour. However, our ship didn't depart until 9:00pm. We didn't get back until 6:30pm (8:30am departure). A note of caution...we made a stop at some French village for about 1 hour on the way to the Abbey because our guide said that services there really didn't open until 11:00. Would we do it again...probably, but perhaps not with a 7:00pm sail time. Good luck with your cruise and tour.

Wayne

The questions raised above are similar to those we had and experienced before and during our first "Dialysis at Sea" experience. My mother is a 3 day per week hemodialysis patient requiring the normal 3 to 3 1/2 hours per treatment (MWF). I took her on a trip to Alaska using the "Dialysis at Sea" company on RCL's Seranade of the Seas in September 08. On the first day all the participants met and a schedule was given out as to treatment days and times. The schedule held firm for our cruise and everything went as if we were back home and using our normal provider. The staff was excellent and no problems were experienced. Other points to consider:

a. Dialysis at Sea is not covered by Medicare since the cruise ships are not US registered and Medicare is only applicable in the "US". Most people would be surprised at the limitations of insurance coverage, and a check of one's individual coverage is highly recommended. The dialysis cost is over and above the cruise price quoted from the company.

b. The cruise line only provides space in the medical unit for the conduct of dialysis by the experts from "Dialysis at Sea". Otherwise, the line provides nothing special for any of the kidney patients.

c. The prices charged by "Dialysis at Sea" are in line with normal dialysis costs (not inexpensive), and the company only works with their own travel agency...that in itself is a fairly large cost. The company contracts for X number of cabins over the year and the price is fairly stiff. A patient or customer will pay full bore for their cabins, and the price will not go down if the cruise line drops their price. (I've currently scheduled my mother for a March cruise on the Radiance of the Seas, and her cost for a balcony stateroom is $1200 higher than the current advertised price by the cruise line...2 people)

d. Bottom line: Not inexpensive but efficient and gets the job done.

I hope this somewhat helps those who are traveling as, or with, a dialysis patient.

WWS