mahdnc

Looks like you're on Deck 8. This past April, we were in that corner cabin next to you.

If you are referring to the ship-wide letter that I posted, if you read it closely, it doesn't say exactly that because it is possible that the shorex was purchased with non-refundable OBC. In that case, the shorex will be refunded as non-refundable OBC to your shipboard account and if it is unspent, it will not go back to your credit card. If you bought the shorex with refundable OBC or your credit card, then you are good.

You are welcome and you are going to love your cruise! Hopefully you will see Ko Samui which is a wonderful island (I have read). If you have any non-Ko Samui questions where I can help, let me know. Otherwise good luck and have fun with the planning and the cruise. David

Wow. A standing ovation from the balcony, I suppose!

We had a tender port that was cancelled during our Solstice sailing last Dec for which we had a Celebrity shore excursion booked. Our shipboard account was credited for the amount that we paid for the shorex (link).

It’s a shame if the loungers are removed. A bigger shame though that the FVs have been converted to suites. Constellation FV 8166. Oct 2022 TA.

Yes, I also would like to see the Caribbean 14 nighters come back.

I am sorry, but I don't know when nor how long the program ran for.

We have always seen that the age limits were strictly observed. If the sailing has a small number of kids onboard, the age groups may be partially merged (groups with different age limits).

We booked the 11 night package which gives you 2 nights in Quito. I can tell you that there is very little to miss out on from a Celebrity standpoint if you fly out early. Basically you are on your own when it comes to activities. The only thing planned by Celebrity for the 10th night is dinner at the hotel. We were originally going to use the full day that we had at Quito to take a day trip outside of the city such as Cotapaxi, Mindo, etc. Unfortunately I got sick and needed the two nights at Quito to recuperate enough to be able to fly back home!

I’m so sorry that you’re not feeling well, Lois. But it’s good to read that you think you will do Celebrity again. I’ll change the picture I posted to this:

You never used the term “nonstop”. I think you said something like “without a layover” which I mistakenly took to mean the same thing. It’s the same mistake that people make when they think a direct flight is nonstop. All nonstop flights are indeed direct. But not all direct flights are nonstop. Again thank you for the earlier correction. And thank you again for posting your informative trip report. David

Thank you for the correction. I obviously misunderstood your statement in your post.

I can certainly understand your suggestion and why you said it!

Celebrity has occasionally provided Elite status matching to passengers from competing cruise lines. Airlines have done similar things.

I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy your Flora trip! @waterbug123 reported that they were able to independently book a commercial nonstop flight from UIO to GPS (see the bottom of this post). This was the first time that I have read that. She also reported that it is possible for "cruise only" passengers to book a seat on the charter as long as they purchase their international flights through Flights by Celebrity.

Some relatively recent threads which you might find useful:

We completed a Galapagos cruise on Xpedition in late November (Southern Loop). Gratuities are included in the cruise fare and/or tour package although some passengers will give extra at the end of a cruise. We booked it through our travel agent whom we have been using for all of our cruises. Their commission can run 18-20% so it was a nice reward for all the service that we have received in the past. On the other hand, some agents are known to return some of their commission back to the customer. Most of the time it comes back in the form of shipboard credit which is not as useful for the Galapagos since almost everything is already covered when you are on board. However one well known big box retailer that has a travel agency business is known to give back something like 8% (or so) back to the customer in the form of a gift card which can be big bucks. Those are some considerations. My general advice here is if you use an agent normally, then book with your agent and if you book directly with Celebrity go ahead and do that. Your big decisions will be: 1. cruise tour package or cruise only? 2. which ship? 3. which itinerary? You can save quite a lot of money if you go with "cruise only" but you to put together the air and land arrangements yourself. We had quite a few passengers on our Xpedition sailing who chose the "cruise only" option. We were willing to pay for the convenience of a cruise tour package. It is expensive but Celebrity does an excellent job with the "off-the-ship" part of the trip--you will not feel short changed. Celebrity charters a full size Airbus passenger jet through Avianca for the UIO-GPS flight and back. The flight is only for Celebrity passengers--no one gets a middle seat and a nice lunch is served with real plates and metal cutlery. Here are the current advertised Galapagos promotions which are combinable with each other: 1. Galapagos Flights on Us 2. Galapagos Loyalty Savings 3. Galapagos 20% Savings Offer Here is some more information about the Galapagos that Celebrity has published that may help you make a decision: 1. hefty 68 page Galapagos brochure 2. 13 page brochure that gives more detail about the shore excursions. Written for Flora, the excursions will be very similar for Xpedition and Xploration. 3. Galapagos FAQs 4. Xpedition Itineraries

That is what we have done--ask your stateroom attendant for door stops. We have always received wedge door stops made from wood. They were used for the interior doors of the cabin.

To me it would seem that Celebrity has an advantage in having a diverse 3 ship Galapagos fleet. However, Celebrity would love to transfer Xploration's 16 passenger Galapagos operating permit over to Xpedition to boost her permitted passenger capacity to 64. It would save a lot of operating cost. However the Ecuadorian government does not allow for that. BTW, Xpediton's current captain (Nathaly Alban) was previously a captain on Xploration (press release).

Any further insight while you were on board about the lack of a 2026 season on Celebrity's website for Xploration and Xpedition?

Thank you for posting your trip review. Good to read that you made it back home safe and sound with wonderful memories!

Lois, If you have to think about it, well then we know what the answer will inevitably be....

Can't be because the Millennium UV cabins (formerly known as FV) have not been converted into suites.

Thank you for sharing the letter. I am sorry you were impacted.