caggfamily

That’s too bad. On Holland America your cabin is ready when you board, even at 11:30 so it’s easy to go straight there and unpack or at least drop off your bags.

I’ve sailed on many cruise lines but I haven’t been on NCL recently. If I want to bring my bags on board with me but board before the cabins are ready, can I still drop them off in my cabin or must I carry them with me until the cabin is ready?

I'll be on the Celebrity Apex in July with my husband and two young adult daughters, and one of the stops is Toulon. Celebrity offers a few excursions but most seem to be bus tours and hold little interest. Any suggestions of where to go and what to see while there? I would love to visit a winery, but most of the private tours I've seen are very expensive. I'd appreciate any ideas.

My daughter and her friends will be sailing on NCL for a spring break cruise leaving out of Port Canaveral. As they are driving, they are looking for a hotel to stay the night before that offers free cruise parking at/near Port Canaveral. As they are on a budget, they are looking for a clean, safe, reasonably priced option. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks

We've rented cabanas a number of times, but as we sail on the holidays, we rent for the week. I always tip each of the cabana boys something at the beginning of the week and then again at the end. They work really hard, especially when they are full all of the time like at the holidays. They deserve every penny. Treat them well!

We will be on the New Year's sailing on the NA in a signature suite. My husband uses a CPAP so I'm wondering if there are any outlets next to the bed or whether I need to request an extension cord. Thanks

On 9/6/2019 at 1:58 PM, hiccups said:

We've never travelled without it.  We buy from either The Trip Insurance Store or insuremytrip.com, as for us, it's less expensive and covers a lot more than cruise line insurance.  With elderly parents, we are mostly concerned if an issue should arise with them.

However, I've seen enough significant injuries occur to other passengers on our cruises, including ones that needed evacuation, that I'm certainly aware that could happen to us sometime.

How do you find a policy that covers you if your parents become ill? We are in the same situation but I'm having trouble finding a policy for our Europe trip/celebrity cruise that will cover that

We always reserve retreat cabanas as we often travel with other family members. It gives us a dedicated place to meet and gather. The service is top notch and reminds me of the old days of cruising when there was always someone around to bring you a drink! I always feel pampered and as this area is usually above the pool deck and only cabana guests are allowed, it’s never crowded and not quiet. I found the lido cabanas to be a bit hot but we generally sail to the Caribbean. During peak times like holidays they sell out quickly especially the corner ones which are larger and get a better cross breeze. However, we rented a corner cabana for a 10 day Panama Canal trip last fall and only 2 other cabanas were rented for the week although a number of people rented them for sea days. The morning we went through the canal they hosted an event on the cabana deck for mariner members where she me of the officers joined us. I believe they served light refreshments and mimosas? And those Panama buns that many people enjoy. The on,y downside is that there is only a small elevator to access the deck if you can’t climb the stairs and it was only working about Half of the time  on that cruise which prevented my mother from using it. They did give us a partial refund but it was still disappointing.. still, I love the retreat cabanas. We have a corner plus three others reserved for our upcoming or our New Years cruise.

We will be traveling with my parents and other relatives on a New Years cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam this year, and my parents will be celebrating their 60th anniversary. They’d like to renew their vows at sea. Is this possible and Who do I contact to arrange this for them? Thanks

I was curious about this too. My husband and I will both have the premium drink package. What if we want to take a bottle or two of water with us when in port? Or sometimes we like to have a drink on our balcony? Is it possible to get more than one to take with us or do we have to stop at a different bar along the way? I understand them not wanting people to share. I'm just trying to figure out how we can get the most out of it.

On 6/23/2019 at 9:02 PM, #1TravelMom said:

We always tour with Cool Dave.  We've spent the day with him many times and have never felt unsafe - not even a little bit.  He is very vigilant and stays with the van with our valuables locked inside.  He's soooo friendly and provides great service.  

 

Who did you book with?  If you booked with the ship - please consider cancelling and using Cool Dave.  The tour provider makes all of the difference in Jamaica.  We've been there at least 15 times.  If you go with the ship - it will be on a coach bus full of people.  You will have a strict timeline and be in a crowd of people the entire day.  If you use Dave, the day will be at your pace.  Stop for photos anywhere you like.  Climb the falls on your own - not is a group of 30 people holding hands.  Take your time or race up and climb twice if you like.  His independent tour is fabulous!

We are docking in Falmouth for a New Year's Cruise and I am very interested in booking a private tour to Dunn's River Falls. How do I contact Cool Dave?

Everyone is correct. The Celebrity representative I spoke to when I booked told me there was a convertible sofa and an upper birth. I just called them (again) and this time they said it's a convertible sofa bed with trundle. They split into two beds. Since my "kids" are young adults and are petite, I imagine that will be fine.

thanks to everyone who pointed out the difficulties of having 4 adults in one cabin. however, by booking us into one cabin with the 50% off guests 3 and 4  it was several thousand cheaper than booking us in a balcony and them in a nearby inside which makes this more affordable for us. I realize this will be tight but unlike the many Caribbean cruises we have taken where we spend a lot of time lounging on the ship, I imagine we will be exploring the ports most of the time . It's not ideal, but we will make it work and my husband can always shower in the spa!

We are sailing on the Apex next summer leaving from Barcelona. There are four of us booked in a sunset veranda (two adults, two grown daughters). I believe we were told we would have a convertible sofa bed and an upper berth Anyone have photos/experience sleeping on these? My kids aren't tall, but I'm wondering about comfort. Also, thoughts on 4 of us in a cabin? We normally have two cabins but with the 50% off guests 3 and 4, it was much cheaper for us to share

1 hour ago, hiccups said:

Is the $300 OBC one of your perks?  You mentioned getting four perks for the first two passengers, so just checking if that's what you meant.  So the only thing a TA has been able to offer you is another $300 on an $8000 sailing?

you are correct. i already have $300 obc from celebrity and most other TA are only offering an additional $200 - 300. i'm really surprised. i've contacted 6 or 7 so far.

1 hour ago, ghstudio said:

I have some free time...

 

If you post the cruise you are looking at...date/ship/cabin class....I'll look at the agents I use to see what they are offering.  If I find something that looks better than celebrity's posted fare plus 1 perk plus an additional $300, I'll post it.  CC won't let me post a TA by name but at least you'll know that there may be a better deal out there. Others will probably try as well....should be interesting.

 

(I am not a TA...I have no affiliation with TA's...I just enjoy finding/getting deals).

I booked the Apex on July 4 leaving out of Barcelona directly with Celebrity. there are 4 adults in a sunset veranda. We got 4 perks for first two people and rate was 50% off guests 3 and 4, and we got $300 obc. Thanks

On 7/20/2019 at 6:37 PM, Hlitner said:

Congrads to the OP (we have used a similar strategy in the past).  We suspect your post has the following impact.  1.  Those of us who routinely shop around (and usually save at least 10% on every booking) agree with your strategy.  2.  There is also a group of folks here on CC who seem to have no interest in saving money and will continue to book directly with the cruise line or a specific Travel Agent who does not offer great deals.

 

For several decades we have wondered about that latter group (it is no just with Celebrity but every cruise line) who dismisses the idea of saving hundreds or even thousands on each booking.  We actually met one gentleman on a cruise who insisted that the deals do not exist (he became a believer when I later showed him an invoice).  On the HAL boards there are quite a few who have "bonded" with their Personal Cruise Counselor (PCC)  (a cruise line reservation agent) and happily (according to them) pay hundreds or thousands of dollars more for the privilege  with that cruise line employee.  And they sometimes express dismay that their favorite PCC will lose a commission if the cruiser books elsewhere.  As a stockholder we do salute those willing to pay more to help boost the bottom line :).

 

For those that are interested we simply suggest "shopping around among a few reputable high volume cruise agencies for the best overall deal."  In many cases you will not save money on the actual cruise price, but will get amenities such as on board credits which can be substantial.  We normally advise that one should look for savings in the 7 - 10% range although there are some deals that can far exceed that 10% amount.

 

Hank

I have contacted several different online TAs and no one has come close to offering a 10% discount. no one has come back with a better price, which is fine, but I already have $300 OBC and the most I'm getting is an offer of an additional $250 - $300. For reference, we paid $8K for our stateroom. I really had hoped to do better. I'm not really interested in credit for a big box store - OBC is more important to me for this sailing. Any suggestions?

9 minutes ago, WVU_Neal said:

I almost always transfer my cruise bookings to one of the major online agencies. The perk that I get from them is a rebate of their commission in the form of an OBC. The OBC depends on the price of the fare. On my most recent Celebrity cruise (my first) I received the two Celebrity perks as well as $225 in OBC from the agency.

 

I contact the same agent with all my bookings. She is responsive and willing to check pricing for me even after I've booked.

 

Neal 

Any suggestions for how to choose among them or are they all about the same?

I just booked a cruise on the Celebrity Apex for next summer and have been shopping around to find a good TA. I've tried numerous individual TAs but no one offers any additional perks like OBC so I'm currently looking for on online TA. I know members aren't allowed to suggest specific agencies, but could anyone share their experiences if they've used an online cruises only travel agency? I'd prefer to be able to talk to a TA, not just someone at a call center, and I tried my big box store but they weren't offering that much compared to some other offers I've seen. Thoughts?

1 hour ago, hiccups said:

I would definitely shop around.  For comparisBon, on a cruise where we paid less than $3200, our TA offered us $225.  For a cruise that was a bit less than $12K, we got $400 OBC and $1000 cash back.  IME, the more expensive the cruise, the higher the percentage we receive in OBC/cash back/cash cards (from the big box TA).

By "big box TA" are you talking about members only warehouse clubs or something else?

On 7/21/2019 at 6:51 AM, FreestyleNovice said:

 

Depending on this or next month's offers you mean?

 

Regarding your question; I tend to be a smart cruiser. Most of the times and very happy.

 

 

I see you have been a smart cruiser for some time. How has your experience been with an online TA and what kind of perks can one expect? I paid about 8k for 4 next summer on the Apex in Europe and was offered an additional $500 obc. is that good or should I shop around?

We have been on HAL twice for New Year's - once on Eurodam and once on Zuiderdam. There are a larger number of families on board than non holiday sailings and the caribbean tends to draw more families than other sailings. There are lots of older people, but we found that a large percentage are there with their kids and grandkids, so if your kids are in the age groups served by the kids programs, there should be plenty of kids and activities to keep them busy. We have always enjoyed the New Year's sailings.

We have rented the family retreat cabana (the one that holds 4 people) on our upcoming 16 day Panama cruise. The cost was $899 for the entire cruise which I find to be a bargin. It's cheaper than the booze package we bought :o

I agree that the cabanas are the best deal going. Most hotels charge several hundred per day.

We have rented cabanas twice, once on the Eurodam and once on the Zuiderdam. Both times were holiday sailings with extended family so we rented a few. We had kids, teens and adults using them, and they were a great place where people could meet. They were by far the favorite spot of both my teen daughters as they like to have both sun and shade and not have to get up early to get a good spot. Our stewards have always gone above and beyond and take excellent care of the Retreat patrons. On on upcoming cruise on the zuiderdam, we have the family cabana reserved for our group of four - my parents and my sister and I, and I am excited. The family cabanas go first but if there are only two of you, a regular one should be fine. It won't be the same as the Haven, but I think you'll both enjoy it.

We rented a cabana on a New Year's cruise on the Eurodam and again for a New Year's cruise on the Zuiderdam. We actually rented two each time since we were traveling with extended family. For us, they make sense as a meeting place for small groups because someone is always there and you know where to find people. We saw a few couples with them but mostly families like ours. If you have a Neptune suite and it's just two of you, I don't really see the need, but we love them. No need to fight for chairs, plenty of shade, and people to bring you drinks and food! We have a corner cabana booked for the fall for 4 of us on the Zuiderdam which will be nice because the corner ones are slightly larger.

If you can afford the suite I'd upgrade. We have cruised with my children since they were little, but once they became teens (2 girls), we opted for separate cabins. some people get side by side cabins, while others put the parents in a balcony with the kids across the hall in an inside cabin. All I know is that HAL's cabins are generally bigger than Royal's but they are not large. On a recent cruise, my sister opted to upgrade to a suite for her family of 3. She felt that with her son being 12, there just wasn't enough room in a regular cabin for the 3 of them to be comfortable. The suite gives you 2 sinks which would be very handy imo for a family of 4.