Jimbo59

How much did it cost (per day)?

Are gratuities and internet access included?

What else that Holland America charges extra for does Seabourn include?

Lincoln Center Stage on HAL is great for anyone who likes classical music. The production shows on Celebrity don’t make up for the lack of classical music on Celebrity.

And if you like production shows, MSC has different, full production shows every evening.

Humor

There is a basic law of physics: The larger the ship, the smaller the library.

Directly on the Celebrity Website.

If you book with a low $25 or $100 non-refundable deposit and cancel, you will be charged the full regular deposit amount, $250 to $450 per person (or more). They have your credit card info.

I refuse to play Celebrity’s game. I now wait until after final payment date when all deposits become non-refundable.

If you want production shows, try MSC. On Seaside and Meraviglia (and possibly others, I have only been on those two), there are full production shows with singers and dancers every night. They even had an abridged opera show one afternoon.

Some people like the large tables in the MDR because they like to meet other people and enjoy long extended dinners (2 hours or more].

Club Orange might be best for people who want to dine alone, or with one other person.

The best way to deal with Celebrity is to wait until after final payment date when all payments are non-refundable (or refundable via travel insurance ).

Celebrity has a $25.00 per person deposit offer today, but if you cancel you don’t just lose the deposit but 25% of the total cruise fare.

Ca

1 hour ago, loerie said:

Using the  Cruise line consolidator-have been to SA now our 5th time -used consolidators and all was good -this time direct flight by cruise line supplier best price and a Direct flight.  

I’v looked at Cruise Line Airfare. Not any better airfare than direct with the airlines. Is there a consolidator that you know about? Can you tell me the name of the consolidator?

I need advice on airfare from the USA to South America. Prices are high using the three US majors (Delta, American, or United). Has anyone used a consolidator? Anyone used one of the foreign airlines?

OK, so now I need advice on airfare from the USA to South America. Prices are high using the three US majors (Delta, American, or United). Has anyone used a consolidator? Anyone used one of the foreign airlines?

As the OP,  I thank everyone for their insightful comments and advice.

But I see the no-perks price is with a non refundable deposit. So I am going to wait until after the final payment date to book when any deposit becomes non refundable.

So Celebrity has a curious marketing approach. For a cruise over a year from now, I can book with a non-refundable deposit, or I could pay $630 additional per person to reserve a cruise with a refundable deposit and some perks that I don’t want or need. I don’t drink enough alcohol to make the drinks “perk” worthwhile.

I told Celebrity to let me know when I can book with a refundable deposit and no perks. Meanwhile I will be looking at other cruise companies.

See this:

https://vegancruiser.co.uk/category/cruise/msc/

9 hours ago, ArtsyCraftsy said:

 

I enjoyed Lincoln Center Stage on the Eurodam while waiting in the lines that formed nearly every night to get into the Main Dining Room.  Seriously, they were quite good, but I felt kind of sorry for them as the noise from impatient passengers often drowned them out.  They were gone by the time I finished dinner each night (I tended to eat early, finishing between 7:30 and 8:00).

 

I just checked and it doesn’t look like Lincoln Center Stage has been added to the Amsterdam yet, but I’ll pay attention to the Where & When for any classical music offerings.  I like most kinds of music if it’s well done, but my background is in classical music.  I’m definitely looking forward to the Amsterdam this fall (35-day Incan Empires, sailing out of Seattle on Sep 23).  It’s a wonderful itinerary -- an area where HAL excels -- and there’s an active roll call.

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

On Nieuw Statendam and Konigsdam the Lincoln Center Stage is in a separate area.

10 hours ago, diamondintn said:

Please pardon my inexperience, this will be our second cruise. I was planning a retirement cruise and ran across a $25 pp deposit for a 10 nt cruise on Reflection that had just come available. That means that my only risk is $50 if I have to cancel until final payment. Right? My invoice from X has a  breakdown of what is refundable at certain points in those last 90 days after final payment so that's when my risk amount starts to go up. Right? 

Where did you see the $25 pp deposit for the 10 night cruise?

HAL has the Lincoln Center Stage on most ships now. If you like classical (and some pop music) the Lincoln Center Stage is really worthwhile.

2 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

Would you agree that a refundable fare should cost a little more than a non-refundable fare?

 

Even if the internet package or beverage package is of no value to you, when you subtract the value of the OBC and Gratuities from the refundable fare, the net cost is generally only about 5% higher than the non-refundable fare. As an example, for a typical balcony cabin on a Feb 2020 7-night Caribbean cruise, the NR 0-perk fare is $1269 while the R 2-perk fare is $1584 - an increase of $315. The value of OBC and Gratuities is $255; thus the effective cost is only $60 more than the NR fare - a little under 5% - a very reasonable upcharge for the value of a refundable deposit.

 

Presumably, if Celebrity were to offer a R 0-perk fare it would also cost at least 5% more than the NR 0-perk fare. So you effectively already have what you are wishing for!

 

And for those of us that value the Classic Beverage Package, the effective cost of the R vs. NR is actually negative!

For the 14 night cruise I am considering, two perks costs $1260 extra. Tips are $406 and internet for two would be $448. So the two perks are not a good deal ($854 vs. $1260).  

Celebrity offers bookings with a non-refundable deposit or a booking with a refundable deposit and extra cost perks. The cruise I am considering is nearly a year in the future. I don’t want the extra perks, and I cannot commit to a non-refundable deposit this far in advance of sail date.

Why doesn’t Celebrity offer a booking option with a refundable deposit without the perks?

 

Celebrity offers bookings with a non-refundable deposit or a booking with a refundable deposit and extra cost perks. The cruise I am considering is nearly a year in the future. I don’t want the extra perks, and I cannot commit to a non-refundable deposit this far in advance of sail date.

Why doesn’t Celebrity offer a booking option with a refundable deposit without the perks?

5 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Discover-MSC/MSC-Experiences.aspx

Go to msccruisesusa.com ( or your country equivalent) and select “discover MSc” from drop down menu, that will take to the above link. You can the expand each of the experiences using small icon in lower right box for each experience. 

 

Also there are screen captures showing the differences on the first couple pages of this thread.

 

for our last cruise, we booked Fantastica on Sinfonia for better selection (location, size) of rooms and better chance of getting the early dinner seating. The price differential when we booked was negligible ($20-30). 

 

Happy cruising!

For the cruise I am looking at, the additional cost for Fantastica over Bella is $190 per person. What do I get for $380?

Last year, the Fantastica experience include the mealtime drink package. This year it is not included.

What are the advantages of the Fantastica experience over the Bella experience, other than free room service?