ptrpanpens

The Tuesday specials may be at 200% but often they are such cheap deals it can still pay to book them. I have not seen any Europe cruises at less than 200%, but on the bright side, you have the room, bathroom and closet to yourself.:D

The Intercontinental is very close to the port' date=' and convenient to the Bayside Marketplace (less than 5 minute walk). Toro Toro restaurant is also right in the hotel and excellent for dinner. We got a good rate that included breakfast.[/quote']

 

Really liked the Intercontinental. Saw Reflection from my window. Got a great rate through Hotwire. Highly recommend the hotel.

In November 2013 I took the Adriatic cruise on Silhouette. A 2b cabin cost $2,200 for the 13 night cruise. Now it costs as much as double that price for 11 night adriatic cruises in an inside cabin. Even with the occasional price drops the cost is still way over what I paid. Plus I got the 123 benefits for that price.

However there are still good deals to be had on some cruises especially transatlantics if booking after final payment. Also the holy land cruises came down to rock bottom prices last year as have some of the Alaska cruises this year. So it is hit or miss but for the popular Mediterranean cruises or cruises like Anarctica it looks like prices have increased significantly. Being flexible and monitoring prices diligently is definitely the key to great deals.

We've been on 3 other Celebrity cruises. Two on newer ships, Equinox and Eclispe, and one with the Constellation. I love the newer ships best but the Connie had been "Solsticized". Which meant the common areas had been improved and Aquaclass added. The ship showed it's age in the cabins but nothing major. We thouroughly enjoyed being on the Connie. Infinity was solsticized in Nov. 2011.

 

I've heard the refurbish for the Infinity is scheduled 2017 but couldn't verify that just now.

 

We too have booked an aquaclass at a cheaper fare than balcony. The only concern I have for Aqua is that on this ship aqua is on deck 9, under the pool and solarium. I've been under the cafeteria before and it was noisy in the AM when they slid the chairs around. Hoping that won't be a problem.

 

Thanks for the photos Miaminice! Gives us an idea what to expect. I think we'll stay with Aqua for this trip dispite the overhang... June

I was in Aqua class recently on Constellation and the overhang did not bother me at all. I liked the shade. I cropped out the overhang if I needed to when taking photos from the balcony.

BTW, I am on your Infinity cruise around the Horn in january. See you there!:D

Well a poster mentioned that some suggestions could me made (even tho I'm not the OP). I want a cruise on a "premium but NOT luxury) that starts or ends in Istanbul. It needs to be in May or late Sept. / Oct. Not a Holy Land or Black sea itinerary. This would be for 2016. We had planned to do a Venice to Istanbul HAL sail in Spet. 2015 that I was so excited about but now for personal reasons, I don't think it will be happening. So if anyone can hook me up a similar voyage, I would be much appreciative.

Too bad you dont want the Holy Land cruise. I took it from Istanbul last year and it was the best cruise I have ever taken. israel is unbelievable. I plan to go again on the same cruise next year after spending a week in Istanbul. I think the cruise right before it October 10 begins in Venice and ends in Istanbul so that sounds like it would be just what you are looking for.

Also AA has pretty decent availability at some times of the year for one way flights to Europe at saver rates for 20,000 miles. The trick is to get a flight that is NOT on British Airways so you dont have to oay the outrageous fees.:eek:

Thanks. I assume this was an international flight? I usually book air very late so the only way I would cancel would be if I were canceling the cruise. I never book air before final payment. I have gotten some excellent deals by procrastinating.

Does anyone know what happens if you cancel a choice air fare that states "refundable with fees" rather than "non refundable"? I would like to hear from someone who has actually had to cancel one of these fares and how much they were refunded. Also, do they actually refund the balance after the "fees" or must you apply it to another fare on the same airline, like the airlines require.

Will choice air put the amount and terms of the refundable fee provision in writing? they dont put anything else in writing so I am skeptical.:confused:

Hi All,

trying to decide which one for a post cruise stay of 3 days. Probably can't go wrong with either, but, the more I read the more confused I become, as usual. :-) We like close proximity to sights and restaurants, quiet, charm and good service. Does anyone know about the difference between double, superior and deluxe rooms at the Sirkeci mansion? Thank you in advance.

 

Judy

I loved Sirkecki Mansion and highly recommend it. The double room I stayed in was on the third floor with a view of the Palace gardens and overlooking the street. It is a very wonderful area, more convenient to both the the Galata bridge as well as Topkapi Palace but only 10 minutes walk from Sultanahmet, very easy. I could barely hear the call to prayer in early morning. The views from the roof are of the Bosphorus, rather than hagia sophia, which may matter to you, but they are still very nice. I preferred the area to the much more touristy Sultanhamet as it was quieter at night. There are hundreds of shops all around and they are brightly lit up so walking at all hours is very safe there. I was by myself and walked around to the shops as late as midnight.

Where Sirkecki Mansion separates itself are the outstanding private tours they give to their patrons. You can check out the website but there is a food tour, a tour to the Greek district, and a tour to the back streets of Sultanhamet as well as wine tasting and a cooking class. I think all but the food tour are free and the food tour cost is minimal. Our guide, Okay, who works at the hotel was excellent and you really got to see lesser known parts of Istanbul you will not see otherwise.

I am so extremely picky about hotels and this one is one of the best anywhere especially for the price. The staff is unbelievable as far as customer service goes. You can pay extra for a larger room with a balcony on a higher floor, but i found the double to be fine for my needs. If you are particular about bedding, the beds were extremely comfortable with duvets, no bedspreads and high quality linens. The pillows were so comfortable i wanted to purchase one!:D

It also has an on site pool and hamam if you re interested in that. Honestly, I dont think you can go wrong at this hotel.

Any experience booking Buenos Aires hotels through third party booking sites? I normally book through the hotel because I have gotten better rates and better service that way. However, in BA the rates through third party booking sites are much cheaper than booking direct through the hotel.

Has anyone had this experience? Or does anyone have any feedback about booking through the third party sites versus direct through the hotel. I am concerned that the hotel may not have a room for me if I dont book direct through them, but I dont want to pay twice as much as I have to either.:eek:

Any advice about how to handle this would be greatly appreciated.

Two specific hotels I have been looking at are the CasaSur Art Hotel in Recoleta and the BoBo Hotel in Palermo.

I recently booked a single inside cabin with no problems, although I was able to eventually upgrade after final payment. Call Captains Club and ask them to work with the resolution desk and it should be possible unless things have changed in the past 6 months.

The Casa Sur Art Hotel is in one of the nicer areas of Buenos Aires. The Alvear Art is on the periphery of downtown. It's within a couple of blocks of a very comfortable, residential area as you pass Santa Fe...but the area back the other direction toward Cordoba is not as nice at night.

 

Both hotels are convenient to some tourist sites, and only a short, inexpensive cab ride from others...a necessity in Buenos Aires, since not all sites are in one neighborhood.

 

I think for a woman traveling alone, the location of the Casa Sur Art is preferable....although for one who is picky about a hotel, the Alvear Art is one of the best in Buenos Aires.

Thanks, I agree with you about picking the better area. the Casa Sur Art looks nice enough although I suspect I would prefer the Alvear Art if it were in Recoleta. I like to walk alot and only take taxis when i have to, so the more central the location, the better. Also, I want to feel safe walking around at night within reason, of course.

Another excellent choice. In the same price category, the Alvear Art Hotel downtown is a fantastic hotel.

Is the location of this hotel as good as that of the CasaSur Art hotel? I am a female traveling alone and want to be in a central and very safe area (well as safe as i can be).

It looks like Recoleta is a very good area and the CasaSur Art Hotel is reasonably priced. But the Alvear Art hotel also looks very good as long as the location is close to the major sights.

I am very picky about hotels so dont mind paying more for what I want, but this is my first visit to Buenos Aires so I don't know exactly what to expect.

Thank you again for all the help. I agree, "record" is open to interpretation.

Although I have been a little upset with Delta lately, so I might not chose them so quickly. But basically, when a price for business is as low as Aeromexico, it pays to try and make it work.:)

Thank you for this excellent review. I see that the layovers at MEX are 3 hours at least and it sounds like I will need them.:eek:

You are correct that the LAX to MEX segment is on a 737 or 738.

I will pay special attention to the flight times to MEX. Some may not be overnight. In any case as long as their record is fine I am OK for those prices.:)

Aeromexico has extremely cheap business class fares to south america right now. I see that the flights connecting in Mexico City use the 787 Dreamliner which is supposed to be very nice.

Has anyone flown this route with aeromexico and if so, what did you think? I am looking at flights from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires connecting in Mexico City and return from Santiago to LAX through Mexico City. The fares are under $1900 for business class RT which is much cheaper than any other airline. United wants over $4,300 to fly there.

Thanks for any help.

Many of the better hotels will provide transport from the airport. I know my hotel, the Sirkecki Mansion provided free private transport with a four night stay and with less nights, the cost was nominal. It was easy to find the driver outside the terminal, even though Ataturk Airport is really chaotic. He drove me to the hotel quickly with absolutely no problems and even gave me a night tour through sultanhamet with Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque lit up. I am surprised the Neorion does not provide this service as it is supposed to be such a great hotel.

Do not use a taxi if you can help it, as they rip you off and often cannot find the hotels. (Or act like they cant).

Thank you, for taken the time to give us all this great information. This is just want we needed to know. This Hotel has excellent reviews so I know we will be very happy there. I am also extremely picky with the Hotels we stay in.

 

We are going to book either the Double Deluxe room or the Junior Suite both have king size beds. Do you remember the type of rooms you have stayed in? Hotel has sent us the prices for both rooms and your right it's not inexpensive.

 

Again Thanks!!!

As I travel alone, I book a double room for single use and it would be too small for you. However, I have always been upgraded and last year they gave me a double deluxe room because I was having trouble accessing the safe in my room. As I said they are extremely service oriented.:D i thought it was very large and am sure it would accommodate you. Of course a suite would be nice if the cost isnt prohibitive....maybe you can get a view of the fountain.

Have a great time in Rome. There is a very good restaurant just up the street. I forget the name but it is one of the highest rated on Trip Advisor so you can find it by looking on there.

Pushka,

Love your photos. Curious to know which mosque that was in Istanbul. i visited 8 mosques but missed that one.:) i want to get there next visit.

IMO Athens is interesting but mainly for the Acropolis. IMO city itself is disappointing and not comparable at all to Venice or Istanbul, both of which are incredible. Santorini is beautiful of course, but my personal favorite Greek island is Rhodes. Love Lindos and the island is less touristy. But for views you cant beat Santorini. Also highly recommend Malta, It is beautiful, especially the sail in.

Try to get a cruise that departs from Istanbul and plan to spend at least 4-5 days there as there is alot to see and the city is fantastic in every way. You will be extremely sorry if you just stay for the overnight the ship is there.

We also used Overlord tours and they were great. However, would strongly recommend holding the number of people to 6 or 7 max. 8 people means 3 in the way back, 3 in the back, and 2 in the front with the driver probably using a 5 speed stick shift. Anybody average size or bigger, it gets awfully close up there.

 

We've done enough private tours in Europe that we will never be in one of those mini-vans with 8 passengers again. Any tour I organize, I cut off with 6 maybe 7 people. Costs a little more per person but a bit of comfort is worth something as well.

 

Tim

Hi Tim,

Totally agree with you. If two people have to sit up front they will be VERY uncomfortable even if they are skinny!

Best to cut all those French Mercedes vans off at no more than 7 unless you want to be squashed. Not worth the savings, a minor factor considering the cost of the vacation.

I highly recommend Jacques Perreau if you can get him. Usually he is booked at least a year in advance. He has a very personal connection to the war as he was wounded by shrapnel as a young boy living in Caen and almost died. Like others on this board, I thought Normandy was one of the best tours ever.

Anne

The Barocco is my favorite hotel in all of Europe after 40+ years of going there. I would never stay anywhere else in Rome.

It is very convenient to the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, as well as Via Veneto, Borghese Gallery and gardens in the other direction but requires about a 10 minute walk to get to them. It sounds like you wouldn't have any trouble with that.:D

The service is superb and the staff goes way beyond what is required. I am extremely picky about hotels and, other than small bedrooms, typical for old buildings in Europe, IMO the Barocco is absolutely perfect. There is a gigantic breakfast with everything you could ever think of, including eggs, bacon, omlets, frittatas, as well as cheeses, pastries, breads, cereals, etc., anything you could want. Most days I was even too stuffed to eat much dinner.

Finally, this is the most immaculate hotel I have ever stayed in and the beds are so comfortable, not thin and hard like many of the hotels in Rome.The sheets are highest quality and there is not a speck of dirt anywhere. I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough and feel certain you will not be disappointed.

BTW, The side street it is on is very quiet, too, and you can get a room with a view of the Bernini Fountain. In my opinion, the location is great, as long as you can manage a 10 minute or less walk to the sights listed above. Also convenient to the Forum, Colosseum, etc. although they are a slightly farther walk away. Piazza Barberini is very central to many things plus it has a metro stop right there to get to other sights like the Vatican.

PS, I am sure you saw that the hotel is not inexpensive but is worth every penny and then some...IMO.

I had a credit card compromised by an RFID remote reader somewhere on Las Ramblas in Barcelona a few years ago. The credit card never left my wallet but when I checked my email that night there was a notice from Capital One that my card had been frozen and to call them. Luckily I had other cards but only took out the Capital One card when walking around Barcelona.

I always use RFID blocking wallets now just in case. It doesnt hurt...:D

Take the savings and save the FV for anther cruise.:D

That is alot of savings plus you will be more comfortable.

Was underwhelmed with Blu on my last cruise on Constellation to the Holy Land. A whole group of us in aqua cabins chose to eat in the MDR select dining and had absolutely no trouble getting a table. Perhaps my expectations were too high for Blu but I found the food really not any better than the MDR and the selection was less.

I would try Blu again if the price was right just because this cruise may have been an anomaly. Most people love Blu but there were many on our cruise who could take or leave it. In fairness, the food overall on Connie on this particular cruise was mediocre, so I ended up losing 7 pounds. Always a silver lining.:D

BTW, In my opinion, the food in Blu is not lighter fare, but has different offerings, special sauces, etc. so I guess you could call it more gourmet. But each to his own...if you want to watch what you eat, the aqua spa cafe is much better.

I usually walk in the late afternoon when everyone else is getting ready for dinner or at the Elite cocktail party. Between 5 and 6 pm is an excellent time with very few people out and good for reflecting about the day.:D i just cant seem to get up early enough to be out there at daybreak.