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Taxis between airport and Paris city locations are a fixed rate. Drivers will try to use the meter unless you say that you want fixed rate.

If you have SSBP, does it include liquors in your cabin fridge?

I have been in cabins on decks 4,5 and 6. All are good. Saw the deck 3 cabins on my recent Breeze cruise.They are all completely new spaces created from the former Aamphora dining room. They are midship and low. Great location!

Windstar ships are small. If the motion of the ocean bothers you, you may not enjoy WS. More than once we have bounced in high seas.

We loved HS ice cream. Best ice cream that we ever got on a cruise. We tried every flavor offered on our 14 night trip. Some good, some great (Vietnamese coffee), and a few that we didn’t like. Hope that HS I’ve cream is available on my next I cruise.

Last minute deals do exist. If you wait, you may get one. You may also be out of luck. If you are flexible with dates, you might get a deal. On popular routes, cabins can sell out. If you are set on taking a specific cruise, look for a special code. Get on email list.

It depends on the flying distance. For shorter distances, booking your own air may be less expensive. We got our reservations yesterday for a cruise next summer. I was able to access the reservations online using the My Viking Journey. My seats were ok for 3 out of 4 flights. I changed the seats on the 4th flight online. It was easy. I always check making my own air arrangements before signing on with Viking Air. So far, Viking wins even if I want to extend my stay. Extend my stay either before or after by paying the deviation fee. Often like to arrive early if the cruise departs from an interesting place. There have often been some trips that we extended after the cruise. We still got Viking Air. We booked our own hotel.

Viking Air works. For most trips, their price for air is less than you can book independently. The included transfers are very convenient. Usually the times and connections are reasonable. Occasionally you may have an early morning flight after disembarkation. Viking air tries to book you on flights that get you to and from your cruise without long layovers. Once you get your flight scheduled, log onto My Viking. You can change seat assignments.

We cleared at Ha Long bay quickly. We had to buy a Vietnamese visa. Ship sold them onboard. We just showed our passport and visa to the officials as we left the ship.

Once you sail on Oceania, you will not be happy on X.

Nice that WS finally got a better wifi. The old one was awful. WS needs to upgrade themselves to include internet complimentary for all guests. It's the way we communicate. It is not a luxury item. For many, it is crucial. I sail on other lines that include internet in their fare. The cost of WS internet is absurdly high. When I sailed on WS, I use my AT&T plan in ports. Not ideal, but refuse to buy WS internet.

They do care. My spouse got Covid on cruise. Thought it should be noted. I wrote to LLP to alert them to any crew that might have come in contact with us. They called and asked for more details. We spoke for a long time.

The buffet is an option when you get to the MDR and have to wait in a long line to get a table. Those wait lines can get very long. People road and are sometimes nasty. Buffet is especially good if you still want to social distance. It is also a way to eat outside if weather is good. We loved eating in buffet in scenic places. Nothing can compare to a dinner in Alaska on deck looking at the glaciers. Main reason to keep the buffet as a good option for dinner is to spread people out. Covid is still out there. Dinner wait lines are a ripe host for Covid. Those buzzer boxes that they give out when you are waiting for a table are filthy. There are many good reasons to eat dinner in the buffet. celebrity isn’t listening.

WS is delightful for people who don’t need lots of entertainment. No glitz. Great food, attentive service, and no crowds. It is relaxing.

Been on 11 WS cruises. On one cruise there were 2 teenagers. They sat in their cabin and watched dvds. Ordered popcorn from room service. On warm days, they went in the pool. They were bored. WS attracts mostly older people who don’t need entertainment. Going to Alaska, the best bet is Holland America or Princess. They get into restricted areas like Glacier bay.

Bermuda is beautiful. Fly in and stay. I have flown in and also cruised. Cruise is not a guarantee that you will get to Bermuda or will stay for the listed time. On 2 Summit cruise s, we left early. Most recent in June, our itinerary was changed cutting our time in Bermuda to one quick stop. Also, if ship docks at Kings wharf. It is not a convenient location.

When we get back to the ship after a full day excursion, it’s nice to just go to the buffet. MDR may have a wait. Buffet never has a wait. On some cruises, the evening buffet is often better than the dining room. Oceania buffet serves the same menu as the dining room. Buffet has more choices including sushi, grilled meat( steak, chicken, lamp chops) and cooked to order fish. Lobster tails are served every night. No limit, no surcharge.

You can take the complimentary bottle to dinner. No corkage charge. However, if you don’t finish the bottle, don’t let the crew store it for you. Take it back to your cabin. On Marina in December, we took our bottle to Toscana. We let them store it. We had more than half bottle left. We watched then write our cabin number on the bottle. Went to Polo where we asked for our bottle. After a long time, the waiter returned empty handed. He then asked what did the bottle look like. He quickly returned with a bottle that looked like ours. Looked strange that there was far less than we had left. when we drank it, it tasted awful. No way that it was our bottle. After that we took any bottle back to the cabin. We also noticed lots of people doing the same thing.

Rent a car in St. Martin. Eat dinners in Grand Case. There are many excellent restaurants. Some of my favorites are Bistro Caraibe, Auberge Gourmand, Siga, and le Taste Vin. The lo los are a nice inexpensive Caribbean fare.

Celebrity post pandemic doesn’t look like it used to be. Last cruise in 2022 on Summit was Ok. It was our first time cruising since the pandemic. Our expectations weren’t met. We had classic drink package. We aren’t big drinkers. We were amazed at how many times we were told that something wasn’t available….Diet Coke, Canadian club, ginger ale. Getting bar service was also a challenge. Food in MDR was good. Prime rib twice was excellent. Now I am reading about the 2023 changes. It doesn’t sit well.

If vibration annoys you, avoid aft cabins. The worst is at the stern. Also, avoid tables in GDR near the stern. On Marina recently, one night we ate at a table far aft. Food wasn’t very warm. Add the vibration. Worst meal of the cruise.

Chic nights? I have asked many times. Nobody knows what is expected. On last X cruise, people wore wide array of clothing from dressy to sadly slovenly. Many people wore shorts in MDR including chic night. Since nobody is told to leave, the new dress code is wear whatever you want.

Oceania is amazing. It is a big jump from X and HA. Marina is beautiful. We were on in December . In 2022 we took 3 cruises….Celebrity, Windstar, and Oceania. It was nice to sail again. Celebrity was very crowded. Spouse got Covid. Windstar was nice. We seldom rebook onboard. However, while on Marina, we booked another cruise on Vista. Have a great time on Marina.

There are cruise lines that don’t allow you to use OBC for gratuities. Be careful. Read the FINE print. The first time that we had it happen was a real shock. We just assumed that we had enough OBC to cover posted tips. Wrong. We got charged for the tips and were left with no way to spend that OBC. That was before accounts were posted daily. Now I read everything and also ask guest relations. Look at your onboard account daily. Often find mistakes.

Could this be a way to make the Captains Club disappear? If there wasn’t a Captains Club or a loyalty program, would you still sail on Celebrity? Loyalty programs can pose lots of problems. If a cruise line is truly amazing, you would rebook because you had an amazing time. I am elite plus with about 1200 points. I took 3 cruises in 2022. Only one was on Celebrity. For me, while I like getting some loyalty perks, it isn’t the reason that I choose a cruise.