rockmegently

I pick a later flight just to ensure I can take advantage of this service. I am on the Equinox right now and was disappointed to find out it was cancelled. Like you folks, I have always had to ask about it.

I found out that RC- parent company still offering this service, so I emailed CC and CS for an explanation of the reason for discontinuing of this program.

I will post what they have to say. ;)

Thanks Isabella!

I hope they bring it back. It makes for a stress free disembarkation.

We have heard various "explanations" from Celebrity.

 

I was told my a Michaels Club concierge that Celebrity didn't cancel it, the contractor did.

 

I was told by Captains Club CSR that Celebrity cancelled it because they got too many complaints about poor service.

 

I was told by a shoreside Concierge that it was cancelled because not enough people signed up.

 

Take your pick 😳

Lol 😅

Does anyone know why Celebrity has cancelled the luggage valet program? I found it to be a great service for disembarkation.

We just got back from our cruise and spent a 1/2 day at Rendezvous. We had a wonderful time. The resort is beautiful and not over crowded hence the limit on passes. The beach is very nice as well. We would definitely return. If you're a couple this is definitely a great option to consider.

The ship will also store your partially used bottle if you so desire. We bought a package and typically have one glass with dinner. The bottle then lasted us two meals.

I received an email back from Aisha at Irie Tours. They were very gracious and have offered a partial refund. I wish I could now delete my negative post.

Thanks for your review of the tour. The refund does not make up for the poor service or for not meeting their commitments.

I'm glad you can't delete as your review was factual and valuable to us all. ;)

I don't recall seeing any either. It is a beautiful beach though.

Got our full refund cheques today

very pleased with the service ..took 3 weeks from when they received our paperwork till we got the refund

 

Will use them next trip after I check all the fine print :)

 

Lyn

Good to hear it all worked out!

http://media.thestar.topscms.com/acrobat/8b/96/372e1cea40ffb82d128d83b0d373.pdf

Very informative. It gives a good overview of what's out there. Thanks for posting.

Gs like thousands gangster talk :-)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

Lol, I get so many acronyms at work the easy ones go right over my head:)

I was at Buck Island last December and wrote about it in my blog if you want to read about it and see plenty of pics: http://travelshopgirl.blogspot.com/2012/01/buck-island-half-day-sail-st-croix-usvi.html

Thanks for the great blog! Very informative.

Our case was similar. The ship back tracked 2 hours through the Gulf of Mexico to meet a helicopter out of Florida. What unit of measurement is a gs?

Just curious, who would airlift you off a cruise ship?

According to Klfrodo in an earlier post only the Coast Guard or Navy will complete an airlift. We were on a cruise a few years ado where a passenger was airlifted off due to a medical emergency that couldn't be handled on the ship.

Anyone have any online promo codes they've used recently for either cozumel tours or dolphin discovery directly? I'm looking to book the manatee encounter.

 

Also, anyone remember the cost of a cab to get to Chankanaab? I know I should agree on price before I get in, but if I have no idea what is the correct price, how can I agree? LOL

I think it's been about 3 years since we were there. I believe it was $10.00 one way back then. If memory serves me correctly the prices are posted near the taxi stand.

Due to the hazardous nature and specialized training required, I don't believe there are any private companies who evacuate passengers off of cruise ships. All evacuations are only for severe emergencies and if required are performed by Government navies or coast guards.

If you are evacuated by the US Coast Guard, there is no charge.

I appreciate the clarification. Thanks!

Just wondering which policies cover air evacuation off of the ship if required? Many of the policies I have had a look at are questionable with respect to this item. Have any Canadians confirmed this item in their policies or had the unfortunate need to be reimbursed for this item?

Thanks.

I am licensed to sell RBC travel insurance in Canada. Generally, we don't recommend cruise line insurance. In rare instances it works for the client, but on the whole, third party insurance is better. It covers more risks. You need to read the fine print of the cruise line vs third party policies. I have made claims with RBC without any problems.

Hi Dirtgirl. I'm not sure if you are still following this thread. I had a look at RBC's online travel insurance package. It doesn't appear to allow for air evacuation - except if the physician believes you should be flown home. I don't think that would qualify for evacuation off the ship. Following is the text from the website:

Ground ambulance

This insurance covers you for local ground ambulance service to a hospital, physician or medical service provider in an emergency. We will pay for local taxi fare in lieu of local ground ambulance service, where an ambulance is medically required but not available.

Repatriation of your remains

If, during your trip, you die from a medical condition covered under this insurance, the insurance covers:

• the transportation of your remains in the common carrier's standard transportation container to your province or territory of residence, and up to $5,000 for the preparation of your remains and for the cost of the common carrier's standard transportation container; or
  
• the transportation of your remains to your province or territory of residence and up to $5,000 for the cremation of your remains at the location where your death occurred; or
  
• up to $5,000 for the preparation of your remains and the cost of a standard burial container and up to $5,000 for the burial of your remains at the location where your death occurred.
  
• If someone is legally required to identify your remains, this insurance covers the cost of a return economy air fare on a commercial flight via the most cost effective route and up to $500 for commercial accommodations and meals for that person. That person is covered under the terms of your insurance during the period in which he/she is required to identify your remains, but for no longer than 3 business days.
  

Return to your province or territory of residence

If the physician treating you recommends to us in writing that you return to your province or territory of residence because of your medical condition in order to receive emergency medical attention, or if the medical advisors of Assured Assistance Inc. determine that you are able to and recommend that you return to your province or territory of residence following your emergency treatment, this insurance covers you for one or more of the following, when preauthorized and arranged by Assured Assistance Inc., when medically essential:

• the extra cost of a one-way economy air fare on a commercial flight via the most cost effective route to your province or territory of residence to receive immediate emergency medical attention; or
  
• the cost of a stretcher fare on a commercial flight via the most cost effective route to your province or territory of residence, if a stretcher is medically necessary; and
  
• the cost of a return economy air fare on a commercial flight via the most cost effective route and the usual fees and expenses for a qualified medical attendant to accompany you, when the attendant is medically necessary or required by the airline; or
  
• the cost of air ambulance transportation if it is medically essential
  

I'm trying to find appropriate insurance for an upcoming cruise in February. Air evacuation off the ship is one of the main risks I would like to see covered.

I may be missing something from the policy or RBC may have other policies more appropriate. Could you share your thoughts.

Thanks.

By pretty deep water do you mean over your head water depth where you are treading water the whole time?

There are really two sections. The first section is right off of the pier. The water is about chest deep as you stand on an underwater ledge. It is from here you do things like the dolphin kiss and shake the flipper. The second is where the exciting stuff takes place. For this you swim out about 30 to 50 yards from the other area into the bay. Yes this is well over your head but you have a life jacket on and the trainers are keeping a watchful eye on you. My dw had no problem and she is not a swimmer.

I'm not sure what all is offered now but when we went for the one event you swam out with a flutter board, pointed yourself back towards the main area, and the dolphin came up behind you and pushed you in (very fast) with his nose on the bottom of your foot. For the other event you would swim out, put your arm out, and the dolphin would come up beside you so you could hold his dorsal fin and he pulls you back. It is incredible!!

For adults and older kids I think it is fantastic. Personally I would be reluctant to take younger children in unless they are fearless in water, fearless around strange animals, and you're content to have them do just the flipper shake and kiss as they won't be able to do the swim out. The terrified child I saw was about 5 and his family and the trainers spent a considerable amount of time trying to convince him to swim out and interact with the dolphin.:( Of course when this happens the adults aren't having a great time either and the experience is a bit pricey if you're not having the time of your life. Of course every child is different.

For our family - 2 adults and 2 teenagers, it still stands out as one of the most memorable things we have done.:)

I also think Chankanaab is worth going to (or at least it was before all the hurricanes) even if you don't do the dolphins and I would return in a heartbeat.:D

I should qualify that by saying it is not a great beach for kids (or anyone for that matter) to just run out into the water. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, it has a fantastic sand beach but the water entry requires stepping down through steps cut out in the rocks. Good for snorkeling - bad for just running in.

My answer is "I'm sailing in" which is true in a bigger sense. I sail a Cat thru BVI several times a year and regardless of the type of boat we basically are sailing (as in set sail). Unfortunately, they put us in a position of having to scoot the truth in order to have a great family experience.

Ok, I'm jealous now:cool:

I have a picture of our approach to Jost Van Dyke from a catameran ride we took last year after sailing in to Tortola on Celebrity on my computer desktop. The island was gorgeous!! Sailing the BVI on a catameran sounds amazing.

As for Chankanaab, the impression I got from the posts here is that the issue is with Carnival - some sort of exclusive deal made with the park for their passengers. We ran into a similar issue in Belize where we went on a "Raiders of the Lost Mayan Caves" excursion (we were also sailing with Carnival at the time). We could only take it if we booked through the ship even though the business offered it privately. However, in that case I didn't mind as the drive to the venue was quite far and the risk of missing the ship was higher than I'm comfortable with. If you're coming in on a private catameran to Cozumel, you shouldn't have an issue.:confused:

Another great reason to NOT book on the ship is the flexibility it will give you at this park. Chankanaab is a beautiful beach and a great place to spend the day without being rushed back to the ship. The taxi ride is very short so missing the ship is not an issue. The beach is man made and built on a coral base. This means a great beach with good snorkeling. It's a bit tough getting into the water due to carved out steps in the rock but once in it is devine.

We went a few years ago when there wasn't all this hassel about being a Carnival passenger or not. The dolphin experience was incredible and the professional pictures we purchased were worth every nickle (to us) given the huge smiles on all of our faces (including our teenagers:)). I locked up my camera in one of their lockers and brought it out later when I went snorkeling.

I'm glad I didn't fool with it as it would have distracted from the experience. You are in pretty deep water and for much of the experience you have to swim out into the bay for the dophin to do it's pushes and rides. For this reason I suggest caution when bringing young children. They won't be able to participate in the exciting events and may be frightened when doing the dolphin kiss or hand (flipper) shake. During our encounter, there was another family that had a young child and he was scared through out the event and was not up to the swim out into the bay.

Thanks for the response Globaliser. Much appreciation goes out to the folks on this thread that have spent a considerable amount of time sharing their knowledge and enlightening others such as myself. :)

I've read this thread with great interest. Thanks for helping me make up my mind about purchasing cruise air - not!

I have a question on consolidator tickets. If you purchase air from sites such as travelocity, orbitz, etc. do you end up with consolidator tickets or regular tickets? The first time I ever heard the term was reading through this thread.

Thanks.

Johnny-

How long were you at each stop. We love the rays, but also really love to snorkel.

Thanks!

I didn't time it either. I would say it was a good hour though. Chip didn't rush us and let us come in when we wanted to. However, I'm sure there was an upper limit (had to catch the ship) - I just don't know what it is.:rolleyes:

Send Michelle a note and I'm sure she would be happy to give you some specifics.

We sailed with Chip last month with just my family of 4 on the catamaran. As mentioned in the above threads, the tour was fantastic.

My wife and I did Stingray city booked through a cruise ship about 5 years ago. Generally your first experience with something is superior to your second and the second is a bit of a let down as you're always comparing but in this case the second was far SUPERIOR:D Someone above mentioned the squid bucket. That little bucket made all the difference in the water. The stingrays knew lunch was in that thing and they weren't leaving. They were with us for at least an hour bumping us, letting us pet them, and feed them. On the cruise ship, once our little piece of squid was gone, the stingrays were off to other boats looking for lunch - not much interaction.

All the positive comments above echoed true for us. Quick confirmation, pickup at the ship, small group size, lots of squid, sailing, personalized service, fruit platter and a very relaxed time. Payment was at the end of the tour - mind you before you got to shore;)

The reef snorkeling might be intimidating for newbie snorkelers as it is open water. However, if you're comfortable in the water you shouldn't have any trouble. Let Chip know and he will be right there with you. He appears to be a very strong swimmer. This is one of the advantages of a smaller group size - personalized service.

During the snorkeling he tried to find an eel for us but the little guy was shy that day and didn't come out. No matter though - the coral and fish variety were very nice.

One thing that might have been a bit different for us was that many tours that day were cancelled due to rough seas. Chip told us what was up and gave us the option of cancelling or going out to the sandbar and checking it out first hand. We opted to go thinking we would at least get a nice boat ride even if we couldn't get off. As it turns out things were fine when we got there and Chip was suprised that recommendations were given to cancel. It worked out great for us as there were only a couple of other boats out there - mind you they were packed like sardines:cool: Having said all that, Chip would have cancelled as well if he had a larger group. With two adults and two teens comfortable in the water he knew he could keep track of us and keep us safe if things were a bit rougher than normal.

I picked Stingray Sailing based on recommendations on this forum. My main reasons for going with them vs some of the other recommended operators were:

• You get to sail
  
• Small group sizes
  
• You get to feed the stingrays
  
• Only two stops - not rushed
  
• Reef snorkeling
  

Everyone's different in what their looking for but if the above is on your list these guys are definitely worth considering.