doublej

Just got back Monday from a 5 day out of Galveston on Independence to celebrate my 65th birthday( my Medicare cruise!) First cruise since Feb 2020.  Was going to be just DH and I.  My dear friends had other plans!  I was totally surprised and tearful to discover 9 additional shipmates!   It was awesome and we celebrated huge! Truly a birthday I'll never forget!  A great time was had by all.  Now, on to Symphony in November for DHs 70th! Feels like coming home to be back on board! 

Has anyone taken their rapid antigen test at the Miami airport?  Wondering how everything went.  Cruise on Nov. 27th, flying in on Friday, Nov. 26, day before is Thanksgiving.  Many local facilities closed.  Home test might need to be ordered.

Guess we'll buy home tests for Nov.27 cruise.  Day one before the cruise,  we'll be flying into Miami and Day 2 falls on Thanksgiving.  Ugh!!!

Thanks to the OP for the heads up! My wonderful TA was able to get me $339 OBC applied to our Oct cruise! 

My Explorer out of Galveston for Sept was also cancelled on June 4th.  Booked New cruise on Independence for October.  Plan was to use voucher toward cost.  I'm still waiting on RC for certificate #s.  And amts. However, had to make my final payment today from own funds.   Not real happy when RC said certificates would be issued by July 2.  

Can anyone that's been to Costa Maya in the past couple of weeks (Sept) tell me if the little pier shuttle train has been transporting folks to the Port area? If so, was it running at ship arrival? 

On 9/5/2019 at 2:43 PM, Host Clarea said:

 

Call C&A if you cannot get it to work after trying the usual: clear cache, clear cookies, private browsing mode, different browser.

On 9/5/2019 at 1:31 PM, workstocruise said:

Has anyone else experienced a problem with checking in and printing boarding passes?  I got an email from Royal saying I could begin the check in process and I attempted to do it last weekend.  Well after I entered all my info and clicked on continue, the crown and anchor symbol pops us and just keeps on spinning.  I’ve tried every day since and still no luck.  We don’t sail till November so have plenty of time but was just curious if this is normal.  Haven’t sailed with Royal since 2012 and I think they mailed everything to you back then. Thanks.

Did you ever have any luck? I've been trying for 6 days. Called RC this morning but they were no help

Could one "grab and go" a beer or soda from the Diamond Lounge fridge at anytime or just during the evening social time?

You can check out Tropicante at www.sandalsandskis.com . Email Steve and he will reserve you a table or lounger in the shade or sun at no charge, but tables are available on walk up basis, too.  Make a small purchase while there.  See more on his fb page, Trip Advisor, and youtube.  They'll be waiting on you  to arrive  and will get you a taxi to return to the port.  Great way to spend a few relaxing hours and not blow the budget.

Steve will reserve your table for free, no additional entrance fee.  There are some of his guys waiting with signs with your names on it as you arrive. Let him know if you want shade, sun, table, loungers, etc.  Please make a purchase while there, no minimum. You can see a menu on his FB site. or web site.  We usually get a bucket of beer (don't forget your koosi), maybe a drink,  and plate of nachos to share and end up with a bill around $40 . Not bad for a few hours of relaxing on the beach.  There are vendors but they will move along if you tell them your not interested.  They'll get you a taxi when you're ready to leave, but confirm the price. Can't offer information about other activities.  

6 hours ago, Ashland said:

I believe it was 10%...but this small amount wasn't the reason we chose the tour.

Thanks. We've already booked their tour. It gets good reviews on Trip Advisor.  Now to decide on lunch location!

On 4/26/2019 at 9:20 PM, Ashland said:

The "trolley" seats didn't appeal to me either and why I booked directly with ANP...comfortable padded seats....and a discount for lunch at Testa's.

 

Lunch at Bar Harbor has plenty of great options...I wouldn't book just because of an included lunch...but hope you enjoy what you've decided will work for you.

 

Our next trip there in October (Snowbird RCI cruise) we've booked with some roll call member's with At Your Service...this tour sounds great and we're looking forward to it and another chance to visit this amazing little town.

Do you happen to remember how much the discount at Testa's was at the completion of the tour? 

We will only be in New York one day, Wednesday, June 26th, prior to leaving on a cruise from Bayonne on June 27th.  After our tour is over around 4:00pm, we'll probably explore a bit longer, then head back to Jersey City before it gets too dark.

We will be staying 2 blocks from the PATH station near Journal Square in Jersey City.  We will need to be at the Winter Garden Theater, 1634 Broadway, NY. for a 10:00 am tour.  What is the easiest and least expensive way to reach our destination?  We are both 62+ in age, good health, and able to do some walking if needed.  However, coming from an extremely rural community, we are totally inexperienced with commuter trains, transit, and subways, so using these methods of travel will also be an adventure!  Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Does Celebrity provide a shuttle to Quincy Market or any other location for its passengers from the port area?

Just talked with Angel at Machu Picchu. He said we can park as early as 9:30/10:00 am. He also said to watch the roads because some might be closed due to parades, especially some of the side streets, safe bet is to travel on the Expressway if possible.

Will be on Summit Independence Day cruise in June 2019. Will the ship take a quick loop around the Statue of Liberty before leaving the port area? 

Just off Infinity 9/9/18 and stayed in Ocean view cabin 3134. We loved it! Friends were in 3124 and enjoyed theirs, too. The cabin is about 18% larger than the regular ocean view cabins and has about a 5' round window. These windows are the size of the ones in the dining room. They are very convenient to the aft stairs to the dining room or the martini bar, etc. on deck 4. We were never bothered by noise. In fact, there is a constant "hum" which provided a nice white noise for sleeping. We've got one booked for Summit next June 27, 2019 for the Independence Day Cruise. Big savings over a balcony.

Thanks Martincath! I knew you'd have plenty of insightful answers! Our Airbnb is established, legit, with no worries! We haven't booked the Coal Harbour tour time yet; I was thinking maybe doing it on Sunday morning after we drop off our luggage. I'll check the bus loops for most convenient stops as you suggest. QEP will probably be a nice way to end the day Friday. After a full day of travel and 2 hour time difference, we`'ll probably retire fairly early. Coming from a rural "2 traffic light" community, Sky Train will be an adventure, too! Thanks again for your input!

DH(67) and I(62) will be arriving by plane in Vancouver 8/31/18 to stay 2 nights prior to a cruise departure on Sept. 2nd. We hope to be at our ABnB near Commercial Drive by 2:30pm. After settling in for a bit, we'd like to venture out for the rest of the day and take advantage of the remaining daylight. Places we want to visit while in Vancouver are Granville Island, Stanley Park, Gastown, and possibly QE park. We've already purchased HO/HO tickets (good for 24 hours) as well as a hour boat tour of Coal Harbour. We're up for some walking but not riding bikes. My questions are: What is the best approach for the afternoon and evening explorations? Should we immediately access our HOHO tours? I'm aware they stop running around 5:30pm. Do you suggest we hop off, explore one or two stops? Take one route in the first afternoon, then taking the other the next day? Sometime during our stay, we'd like to eat at Cactus Club. Finally, would purchasing a day pass be beneficial? Are they good for 24 hours? Guess I'm just trying to figure out which is the best way to spend Friday afternoon and evening then we can go from there to plan Saturday and Sunday morning. I'd appreciate any suggestions. I'm so excited about starting our vacation in Vancouver!

Car rental prices are quite high on cruise days. A taxi may be economical. Contact Royal or Mom's Taxi of Astoria. They can give you an upfront price to the Fort..and also a recommendation for a return.

Not interested in a rental car. I've contacted both Royal and Downtown Taxi services and both are able to take us to the Fort. Royal has only minivans, so they could probably handle our small group for approx $25 each way. Since I have some ship on board credit to use, I might reconsider taking the ship's excursion and see some other sites, too. Still trying to plan, but cruise is quickly approaching!

Our cruise ship will stop in Astoria on Sept. 4, 2018. What is the best/easiest/cheapest way to get from the cruise pier to the Lewis & Clark National Park/Fort Clapstop area? We'd rather explore at our own pace, rather than a ship excursion. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

As mentioned above, Our interior cabin 8525 in April was just a bit larger than our ocean view in January. Loved having the long couch. It's under part of the pool area so we heard some muffled musical beats in the afternoon but not in the evenings. It never was a problem. I wouldn't hesitate to stay in these cabins again.

Did ship dock at International Pier in Cozumel? Saw news that it docked downtown. Wondering what the reason might have been.

Sorry I don't have a pboto, but a Love Connection is very refreshing. It's a layered drink of pina colada, strawberry daiquiri, and mango puree. Google a photo, it's really pretty.