Boycey

It's definitely Nice (Port Lympia). We just disembarked Quest on Saturday but there is still some residual confusion in the system.  Our private transfer was under the impression the collection point was elsewhere and I had to correct it the day before, and we overheard another group on the quai who were trying to redirect their transfers from Monaco!

According to AZ UK (eventually...)it is possible but depends on local rules etc. They won't commit ahead of time but advise to ask on board. As others have said, it's a great perk and really doesn't disrupt the boarding process, so I hope they continue to see it as one of the measures that differentiate a premium product from a mainstream one.

We have previously made good use of late departure from AZ but not since the change of ownership. Does anyone know if this is still available? Flight schedule means this could be a good option if still possible.

12 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

I can speak for myself. I cruise 7-8 times a year and have 80+ cruises completed, the majority Caribbean. I don’t need shore excursions. I am Zenith so already get Wi-Fi and premium drinks. I don’t need another piece of expensive jewelry or expensive photos. I prefer my spa at home. I may use a little OBC on a specialty dinner or a little gambling, but overall struggle to use that non refundable OBC. Would much rather have a cheaper fare. No offense meant to those who desire it, just explaining why some of us don’t find it a good thing.

Not sure why you’re quoting me only to rebuke me?  My question was to another who’d already answered it in detail and with some clarity, but thanks for clearing up your exalted status. I’m much relieved…

8 hours ago, Malibustacey79 said:

I must admit we are feeling a little apprehensive about the transfer. We have booked flights in a package so I’m assured that the transfers WILL get us there and back in time but we land in Venice (from the UK) about 11.30am on the sail date and fly home about 12noon. 

We have always done this with Med cruises; but never with a three hour transfer involved! 
 

Don’t mind the early pick up on the last day but I’m really hoping we aren’t kept waiting too long for the outward transfer - I assume it’s one of those situations where a few different flights are filling up the coach - can anyone from the UK confirm/contradict this? 
 

 

The coaches bringing people back to the airport arrive from around 9h30-10h00 and then there is a steady flow. These then fill up with guests on their way out to the ship and when we did it last year there was a very steady rhythm.. This year, watching from the ship (we were back to back so avoided the Venice/Ravenna schlepp) the arrivals flowed steadily until late afternoon. I don’t think you’ll be waiting long if at all, and anyway as you booked it all as a package you’re their problem so you can relax!  Hope you enjoy. I’m sure you will.

3 hours ago, OysterD said:

 

I wonder if it's a demographics thing. I'm in my early 40s and cruise with friends and none of us have any interest in cruising the 'genuine 5* lines' even if the price was the same as an equivalent Celebrity cruise. We have no interest in spending a day on board knitting or napping or playing cards, we don't want to eat at 6pm and go to bed at 9pm because the ship is empty at that time and theres nothing else to do. I know those are stereotypical generalisations but the more expensive luxury lines do cater to a much older clientele. I think Celebrity are trying to reach out and attract younger cruisers who do want much of what true luxury lines offer, but without quite so much of the stuffiness and with a bit more of a lively atmosphere. 

 Interestingly, the very same point is often made on the Royal Caribbean board when people ask whether to take the step ‘up’ to Celebrity, and of course it’s not until they actually try it for themselves that they realise how wrong the assumption is.

Virgin could suit? More in line with the demographic you describe and in my experience more lively than Celebrity.

13 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

 

  

Before you get your undies in a bundle, we put 0 value on the drink packages, internet, and obc from the cruise line. This is our opinion only, if you decide to flame me, be my guest, but be prepared for the response.

I get that wifi may not matter to you, and even drinks at a push, but OBC not having value?

Other than that I happen to agree with most of your methodology and though I might come to a slightly different conclusion on the value threshold, I admire your resolve. 

3 hours ago, chisoxfan said:

Agree that the market will eventually sort things out. Like the housing, stock market, and US national debt it may be sustained for a very long time but things will eventually revert to the mean. We have 2 X cruises planned (one in a discounted SS) and feel we are at the absolute limit of acceptable pricing for us. Cruise booking were made 1 and 2 years ago. We have bid on a SS upgrade from IV on Apex and if we 'win' (don't expect to) we would be paying half of a normal suite price (if anyone can figure what that is because it changes like the weather). Even at that price am debating the value prop. Where we planned (and did in past) to take 3-4 cruises a year we have only recently booked all inclusives and land vacations for future travel. Am caually looking at additional cruises but have sadly pushed cruising form the number one 'don't look elsewhere vacation choice'  to an 'outside' option. I just can't push the 'non-refundable' button. While I know we may not be typical cruisers (if there is such a thing) I can't believe it is ultimately positive for the Industry to drive 'die hard' fans to leave.  Experienced the same pattern/outcome with our yearly Disney trips and their pricing and policies may be finally coming home to roost. JMHO

Good points all.  All cruise lines are trying to recover their balance sheets helped by pent up demand but in the case of Celebrity, the price point is nearing the realm of the genuine 5 star lines but the offer, though good, is someway short.  The risk is stalwarts of X who figure why not try the alternatives may not be in a hurry to come back, and the price will have to be the thing that eventually tempts them back. 

Hope the following helpful.

The ship was alongside by 4.30 am, and by 6.30am had permission for crew and passengers to disembark. A couple of Covid cases being transferred to local hotels caused a slight delay, but by 6h45 people were off and in taxis.  

Just an observation for future in Piraeus, cruise port taxis are not anyway allowed through the main gates until 6am, so that’s the very earliest available in any normal circumstances. Hope you enjoy!

Removed

12 hours ago, Quik2flip said:

Awesome! Thank you so much for your reply!

Pleasure. We’re doing the same thing tomorrow morning off Infinity as we have an early flight, so I’ll update you with how things go. 👍

32 minutes ago, crazyank said:

I said nothing whatsoever about how many cruises went out of Ravenna. I was addressing your comment about "nobody wants to go to Ravenna in the first place"  This is simply not true, as thousands of tourists visit Ravenna every year.  Don't post sweeping generalizations if you don't want to be called out on them.

Well we’re on a cruise forum, so i feel entitled to start from the assumption that cruising and cruise ports are central to the discussion, an assumption buttressed by the 45-odd posts that preceded yours, which discuss the suitability of Ravenna as a turnaround port. Not a generalisation at all, but a very specific reference.

13 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Using Ravenna for now is a reality and out of Celebrity's control, so blaming Celebrity is not going to do any good. Either cruise on smaller cruise ships or forget about cruises from Venice, if Ravenna and or Trieste are an inconvenience for you. Last year while in Venice I saw a Windstar ship tie up in the old Venice island terminal.

Bit of a straw man argument as I can’t see who blamed Celebrity? The solution isn’t to abandon Venice as it’s unique and wonderful, but to find a way to get the mainstream ships into the area without causing damage. @JeanieC,Aston demonstrates above that its already possible so no need to ‘forget about cruises (from) Venice.’

18 hours ago, crazyank said:

Only in your opinion

 

Short term?? hardly,  with a new cruise terminal being built and supposed to open next year Ravenna is definitely a long term solution.

 

ROFL,  you really need to get out more.  Ravenna is the destination of thousands of tourists every year and has been for many years. 

I’ll ignore the ad hominem bit and simply ask how many cruises called in Ravenna before Venice closed its doors? Assuming you’re out a lot, as you imply, how many cruises did you personally take there?

Agree wholeheartedly with the OP.  Ravenna is unsuitable as a turnaround port. The main attraction in the North Adriatic is Venice, and Ravenna is 3 hours away at best, and a horrible 3 hours at that.

The Bologna mitigation is a bit of a sleight of hand as it may well be nearer to Ravenna, but no-one wants to go to Ravenna as a destination in the first place. It was never included in any serious itinerary before Venice closed its doors to larger ships, so we must always remember the end game has to be a sustainable facility in Venice, entered and exited other than through the ancient city.  Any development in Ravenna is short term and the shorter the better.

7am latest according to guest services on board, but last year we were in a taxi at 6h30. 

Just to close the topic, according to the captain’s briefing we will make Dubrovnik mid afternoon, so incredible catch back really, though we were seated at the back glass wall of Trellis for breakfast, and judging by the wake we’re going at quite a lick. According to a crew member, so can’t be verified but probably more useful than the theories being shared between us guests, the damage/concern was to the bow thrusters which threatened ability to manoeuvre. If there’s an official statement I’ll share it.
 

in answer to @drowelfthere were 6 tugs pushing the ship at the height of the storm (hale stones literally the size of golf balls) which lasted maybe 45 minutes, then 3 tugs remained for the next couple of hours. So yes, I imagine quite a bill. Full respect to the tug crews as they raced to help and had they not arrived when they did, we would surely have hit the parallel harbour wall. So good for them.
 

Back to my kindle and a sunbed…

Hi all and thanks to the well wishers. We got underway in the small hours after an inspection late evening. We all got a note under the door stating the captain will announce at 10 what effect it all has on the itinerary but so long as we’re somewhere what’s not to love?

Captain has just been on to say (a bit defensively) that the storm wasn’t forecast and rightly praising the crew for the way they reacted.  He says there is potential damage below the waterline and we’re currently moving within the port to another berth where an inspection can be made. Departure should have been an hour ago but now obviously delayed. Let’s see what tonight brings👍

We’re on first day of the second half of a Med back to back on Infinity, and the day has just been enlivened by a 70mph storm coming seemingly from nowhere, which caused the ship to slip its moorings and lean over alarmingly. It took a fleet of 5 or 6 tugboats from Ravenna port to get alongside and push back against the wind to stop us slipping still further. Embarkation has been suspended with reportedly 90 people still to board. As I write there are still 3 tugs pushing us back towards the dockside as the lines were snapped and they’re trying to figure out how to keep us alongside and get the rest of the people aboard. 

1 hour ago, CaptainPedantic said:

We had a similar treat on Britannia in the Caribbean last year, after a 6-year break from P&O. Our flight was the last to leave Barbados so we had time to take a brilliant excursion in the morning, get showered and changed by the gym (great tip!) and enjoy the ship for most of the day. We also had bought the drinks package and this was valid right upto disembarkation.

Btw while I was getting changed by the gym, someone who had just embarked came into the changing rooms and helped himself to deoderant and shampoo left behind by others 🙂 not that I'd endorse that, but if you do forget some toiletries it's definitely worth checking to see if anything has been left.

Thanks CP, particularly the bit about drinks package. We too had the package but just assumed it was invalid as your cruise card would be on the final morning. Good to know otherwise!

Hi Jules57. We came off our first P&O cruise for a long time a few weeks ago, and one of the absolutely stand out parts for us was the embarkation and disembarkation. In Southamptom P&O seem to make a bit of a song and dance of things (or at least they used to) but Valetta was a dream. Airport to onboard ship in less than 30 minutes but the real treat was disembarkation. We too had a late flight and though you have to be out of your room by 8, you are free to use the ship up until your transfer out to the airport.(4.30pm in our case). It meant practically another full day aboard.

Tip if you do stay aboard, you can use the spa changing rooms to shower and freshen just before you leave.

On 4/30/2023 at 7:03 PM, gjw1989 said:

I've been scrolling through this forum but can't seem to find an answer to this. 

 

On Celebration Nights, is it possible to wear a smart shirt with a nice jumper, suit trousers and shoes?

 

 

We’ve just come off Azura and probably the only thing that hasn’t changed in the years we’ve been away is the willingness of one group of British guests to criticise the dress preferences of another. It happens nowhere else in the world and to the extent it happens on other lines, it’s only when sailing from UK.

I do sympathise with P&O as they are trying to ride two horses simultaneously, but the speed with which they’re prepared to jettison other cruising traditions shows it’s all a matter of calculation. The quicker they adapt their policy to have one regime on the ships that attract traditional cruisers and a more relaxed policy on the others - and make it clear that that’s the case - the quicker they will avoid this one anachronistic topic having such an impact on people’s enjoyment - both sides of the topic.

I don't drink alcohol and DW drinks very little, but still we find the package convenient, particularly purchased as part of the all-in offer. 

We get through 2 or 3 coffees minimum plus soft drinks all through the usually hot days and water in the cabin, and though I'm unlikely ever to sit and calculate a ledger, my feeling is the packages are worthwhile.  Convenience has value.

lovely and balanced comments. Thanks very much.

We too like the Princess product, but find a slightly bigger gap between the two lines than maybe you yourself did, but of course it’s all subjective in the end, and post-Covid still very variable.

Enjoy whichever comes next