astrocat

We are currently in an aft corner on Solstice. 1198 deck 10. Very happy w the view! 

Hi all,we are booked in a sky suite on an upcoming Solstice cruise. When I checked in, it would only give me a 1pm arrival at the pier. Can we still arrive earlier b/c of suite? 

“So after the 'you've been outbid emails' on the RS bid the past few days, all bids have gone to greyed out expired EXCEPT for the RS which is now greyed out and pending and can't be changed....”

I currently have 3 Moveup bids in for an April cruise and lodged them separately, starting 3 weeks ago. Penthouse, Royal and CS.  I haven’t yet had any ‘outbid’ emails. Is that usual? And if not, is that likely to be a good sign, or bad? 🤔 

22 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Check your credit card regularly.  The charge occurs before any notification from Celebrity.

That’s so useful! 

4 minutes ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

The process is run by a company who specialise in maximising cruise revenue so all the decisions made are on that basis rather than having any logic to the beneficiaries.

 

We are on two b2b cruises this month on the Silhouette. We had. A Corner SS, same one for each cruise, then I submitted some bids. We are now in a Horizon suite on deck 7 at the front for the 4 day cruise and have heard nothing about the bids on the second cruise. There are only 2 RS left.
 

We are either in our original SS cabin or a RS but on the basis that Celebrity want close to £20k or $25k for 10 days it is worth their while not determining the bids until the last minute in case someone with deep pockets decides they want a cruise next week.

I have a bid in a similar scenario to your second one. Our cruise is in April, now just waiting to see and checking emails regularly! 

That's what I want to believe! I think I will ring Celebrity myself tonight. 

Hi all, I am currently considering making our first ever Move Up bid from Sunset Sky Suite to Royal. The SSS is a nice room so I am not desperate but we've previously enjoyed Royal very much.

* If the Royal bid is successful, will it include unlimited dining? Conflicting messages from what I have seen on the board here (that would be a yes), and what our TA has been advised by the regional agent (that would be a no, it's room only)

The advice here seems to be that the unlimited dining is not a 'perk' but was the natural entitlement in a suite so you would still get it. Has anyone got it?

Our cruise is in April and was booked in April last year ... 

Thank you in advance, Astrocat  

Kia ora, we are an NZ family group of 4 adults who will be having two days (X Solstice) in Kailua Kona in April (arrive 7am first day, depart evening of 2nd day). Keen to reach out to a couple of water based companies for snorkel trip - possible catamaran sail - options. Can anyone recommend? I wasn't sure how many of the best companies (there seem to be lots which have good recommendations) are based in the Kailua port, or do you have to travel to get to them/will they pick you up? We have previously snorkeled Kealakekua Bay and am open to trying it again (it was great but quite busy) or doing something a little more bespoke. When I get a better sense, I will also ask on our roll call if anyone is interested in joining us (we generally organise private tours) but touching base with the experts here first! Thank you, Astrocat and family. 

23 hours ago, Phantom_Celery said:

Were you able to go on this excursion? How was it?

Hi Phantom, yes I did all 3 of those - plus 6 Passengers at Rangiroa, and a totally independent one at Huahine --  they were all excellent.

*** there was a bit of sea at Fakarava, and Rangiroa - you do need to be a confident swimmer/ snorkeler.

*** to get on the ships list for Fakarava, I contacted the ship through my TA ahead of time to make sure I was on the list, rather than waiting for embarkation  day. 

*** Bora Bora - Reef Discovery (not booked through the ship, I did it separately as the company offers a longer half day excursion which is BRILLIANT). Highly recommend, it was my 3rd time with them.  

*** Tahaa - stunning drift snorkel through the ship,  and quite easy at the newer location. 

Also see my 'just off the boat' post which describes these a bit more, plus a very pleasant one at Huahine in the Coral City.  Hope this helps. Astrocat 

2 hours ago, Tahitianbigkahuna said:

FYI  ....

 

The demographics are different for the Marquesas itineraries ... in general the ration of French/Europeans in great on the Marquesas itineraries than the others. you may notice that in 2024 there were added Marquesas itineraries as the demand from France/Europe has increased  ... as they travel far they like the longer cruise, the Marquesas. 

That makes a lot of sense thank you! 
 

Hi Sita. The coral we went to in Rangiroa, Bora Bora and Moorea was generally good. Some of it was very good indeed, in terms of anemones etc in the drift snorkel area and at Huahine. 

There are obviously wider overall global issues with water temperatures etc which are extremely complex to solve and comment on but I was pleased, appreciative and I hope respectful of the coral I was close to on this trip eg not touching or standing. 
 

All the coral we saw was supporting good fish numbers which is also encouraging, and there were relatively few urchins. 
 

hope this helps. Astrocat 

We were just there and it was such a shame that "the Avis lady under the tree" is no more .. it was one of the iconic moments of being in FP!  

We ended up taking a tour with Jo's (Luana) as getting to the Avis site would have been a big hassle (as TBK as noted). The tour (only 4 people) was fantastic so that ended up being a bonus. 

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Having been on the ship twice before, what changes, if any, did you notice under the new regime?  Were there any staff from the past that you recognized?  How, in general, did the staff morale seem to you?  Same as always?

 

I'm very glad to hear you had a great time.  We did the 2-weeks Marquesas in, hmm, 2008!

Hi Wendy, there was certainly no step backward that we could see -- in fact some of the experiences seemed enhanced. All the food was good (as usual) but the lunch buffets were top class - rotation of countries (Greek, Indian, US, Mediterranean etc). We loved eating at the Verandah, outside. 

There was definitely a noticeable change in the demographic of passengers. Est. 80% French, 10% US, 10% others. No Aussies that we met, and we were two of 4 NZers. The French / Canadian travellers were fun to be around (esp for World Cup banter). I never noticed staff prioritising French speakers over English / others (this was flagged as a concern in some earlier posts I saw). Everyone still gets the same special PG treatment ( how on earth do they learn everyone's names?!)  

The key announcements were always made in both English and French, including trivia questions ha ha, it was all very well done, and if you embrace the experience your French will improve - mine did!

Yes some of the same team around: eg the Santa Rosa band, our absolute favourites. If I win Lotto I am flying them to NZ for a party 🙂 ... we were in La Palette for them every night, and their Elvis show is a dont miss.  Also Jerry in the piano bar. So good. 

Les Gauguines definitely continue to be celebrated and ran daily culturally enhancing (and fun!) experiences.  

The captain hosted a return cruisers event, at which he talked about Ponant looking to get new ships in the fleet generally but look retain this PG.  

Overall, I left thinking I would rather cruise every 2nd year and make it something special like this, rather than a lesser experience more often. 

Another thing while I think of it .. tenders are a FAQ on the board here. We had zero problems and the PG system was easy to follow.

Daily announcements made it very clear what time the first 'open' tender was going to be (either 0730 or 0800) and that the next couple of tenders would be prioritised for ships tours.  If we were not on a ships tour, we made sure to be on the first open tender. This made it easy to hire bikes on Fakarava for instance (there were a limited number of bikes if not on a tour).

It also made it easy to make all the connections for our non ships tour bookings. 

I don't know how difficult it is for a non ships tour person to get on one of the prioritised tenders but to us it seemed much easier to just get the first one of the day and then no issues!  

Hi both, here you go with some thoughts.  It was a wonderful cruise, the ship looks lovely and the food and beverages etc were outstanding as always (our third cruise with PG but first to the Marquesas so a privilege to be there).

Fakarava – Rode bikes in the morning (not a ships tour, we simply got off early and hired  push bikes). Biked to airstrip and back, viewed lighthouse and beautiful church with incredible shell grotto. Swam off a local beach. In the afternoon, I did the ship’s Pinnacle snorkel (had registered early) – quite robust conditions but the snorkelling is well known to be great, and was.

Fatu Hiva – husband and I did a walk around the village in the morning. Then in the afternoon he did a ships road trip from Hanavave to village Omoa and I did a guided walk to the local petroglyphs. Both through the ship and both were very good. All this which I read was true: “Fatu Hiva is the island of superlatives: the furthest south, the wettest, the lushest, the most isolated, and the most authentic.” Loved this place and the Jurassic Park backdrops..

Hiva Oa – did a ships tour in the morning between Atuona and Taaoa. Visited a fascinating marae, ships cultural guide was excellent. Then, we walked the town, visited market (bought a lovely handmade  pareo), visited Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel museums and resting places.

Tahuata – quiet walk in the morning, visited the church and the local market. I went back in the afternoon and did a more robust hike up behind the village.

Nuku Hiva – this was also the morning of the England – France world cup game .. decisions decisions! We went ashore and watched part of the game, including the first French goal, with the locals at the market.  Very atmospheric. The chef had also come ashore and was purchasing lobster and tuna absolutely fresh from the locals. Had an afternoon swim at the delightful sand beach to the right of the pier area(when you are facing inland). 5 mins walk and totally recommend.  The only real place to swim we saw in the Marquesas and it was a delight.

Rangiroa – unexpected stop which the captain had only announced 24 hours prior (was to be a sea day so a bonus!!) so I immediately contacted and booked 6 Passengers at last minute, and managed to get 7 other people to come with me. We had an incredible time. Bottlenose dolphins in the water. Snorkeling outside the reef was again robust but actually very manageable once I was in the water.  The Aquarium snorkel was calmer and predictably lovely. Very professional and responsive outlet.

Huahine – got a taxi via the tourism office, dropped us off at the Coral City garden (site of old Sofitel) – absolutely magnificent snorkeling and I was the only one there! Hasten to say husband was onshore looking out for me. You do need flippers there as the current was noticeable but a huge number of fish and clear water. Interesting also to see the ruined hotel site and the defunct swimming pools.

Bora Bora – Pure Snorkeling – went independently and not booked via ship as the company’s half day lagoon excursion (had done it 2x previously) visits multiple sites.  Max 8 people. Can’t recommend them highly enough. 3 sites, rays, dolphins, mantas, sharks and the Aquarium site which was spectacular.  

Tahaa - drift snorkel – a truly beautiful snorkel via the ship with only 8 people on the boat. Did the drift 3 times.  A lovely site next to a resort,  not the one I had been to previously, which is closer to the motu. Dropped us at the motu afterwards, after a v interesting visit to Pearl Farm. 

Moorea – got off ship and went with Jo’s Tours on a random chance at the pier. We had been going to rent a car but Avis doesn’t have their ‘under tree’ office anymore which is sad. In any case, Luana was absolutely fantastic as a local guide and shared all her knowledge and insights with us. Visited all the sites, and ate bananas off her tree at home!!  Highly recommend.

Hope all this helps for starters. Snorkeling seems to dominate the above now I read it back, but it's part of a total experience.  I would also want to acknowledge the beautiful Tahitian people and their efforts to welcome at each port. This whole cruise was breathtaking in its scenery and its waterways, however the warmth of the people was even greater than that of the sunshine. 

Astrocat 

A fantastic Marquesas, Tuamotus and Society Islands two week cruise. Any questions, please feel free to ask! 

So happy for you @Retired2016Cruiser!

2 hours ago, Retired2016Cruiser said:

Sounds great! For the Fakarava Pinnacle snorkel, are you booking thru Paul Gauguin or on your own? We reserved  the Tahaa drift snorkel in time, but Fakarava Pinnacles was full when we called. Hoping we can book on ship or find another option. 

I’ve put in a request for fakarava via the ship today. We are sailing in December so fingers crossed! Which cruise are you on? 

Progress being made: planning on a Pinnacle 3 hr snorkel at Fakarava, Reef Discovery at Bora Bora and drift snorkel at Tahaa. Exciting! 

Thank you! Great tips just waiting to see if I book through the ship or independently?  Have managed to create an account on the website but can’t seem to book anything yet 

On 7/26/2022 at 5:38 AM, Sailwithbars said:

 

 

Are you the "Primary" guest on the reservation? I only asked because that's how we were able to access ours successfully. I tried to make an account under my name but couldn't. When I asked my husband to make one under his name, we were able to sign in and our reservation was already listed in the account.

Many thanks for this Sailwithbars .. I couldn't make a new account work either, but have now done so under my husbands name after reading this. THANK YOU.    Now however we are at the stage of no cruises showing up. Ours is booked for December? Am I just too soon?  

Many thanks Wendy, and Elma. both really useful. Am currently having trouble trying to set up a login for the website to consider and book ships excursions so they had better look smart! 

Thank you Randal! I certainly will! 

Kia orana! We are booked on a 14 nighter later this year (December) - it will be our third PG cruise and I am very excited.

Relevant ports of call are: Fakarava, Fatu Hiva, HIva Oa, Tahuata, Nuku Hiva, Huahine, Bora Bora, Moorea. (I'm not counting the motu b/c I know what's there and can alternate snorkeling with sipping cocktails from a coconut.)

I have already reached out to Christoph and Reef Discovery for Bora Bora, are there other off the ship recommendations for snorkeling?

Or any other don't miss excursions at the other venues.    Thank you! 

2 minutes ago, HMR74 said:

The two  I posted above were both USD

Hi, I just wanted to answer your earlier question around mine:

“at 9k a person net, its not a sky suite is it? Unless its a 4 week cruise?

Are  bookings for other than sky suites different.” 

cheers