conquesodor

Thanks El Crucero and wrk2cruise for the helpful advice! :)

I'll be on Constellation in 2 months, so I'm tempted to get one of these future cruise deals. A few questions for those of you experienced with this:

Deposits to secure these onboard deals are typically very low, correct? I've heard $100 or less is common.

Are better incentives offered if you book a specific cruise on board, rather than a "future booking?"

How far in the future do you typically have to redeem?

Are you committing to a particular category of cabin?

Is tire deposit fully refundable if you are a U.S. citizen?

Is it possible to apply the future cruise deal to a booking I already made for a 2018 sailing? My TA says they can usually "work this out" with X, even if you need to cancel and rebook.

Thanks!

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On the day in question, I asked an employee, "How do I know which chairs are available?" He looked past me to Mom, sitting in her wheelchair, her hair a crown of silver curls. He asked her, "What chair would you like? Do you like this chair?" He pulled the towels off of two otherwise empty chairs and we sat down.

I want to 'high five' the attendant that helped you.:D

Can you think of 1 single thing people don't complain about ? I can't.

Nope. :rolleyes:

All I know is that my complaints are completely valid criticisms based on rational expectations and objective common sense. I have my doubts on the opinions of others. :D:p:cool:

Yes I saw post 39 and it might be good information but that would be unlike other M-Class upgrades. It just seems unusual to put extra staterooms on the port side of deck 3 in the middle of otherwise public areas. Who would want those? On the deck 3 aft starboard side there are cabins but within the conference area so those cabins make some sense being there. We will find out when we board June 5th right after the dry dock.

My money is on the refurb being just like what was done on the rest of the M class. I don't think there's been any variation so far from one to the next, has there?

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We were just there last week, however we docked in Messina. We did a tour with stops in several other little towns (The Godfather Tour) then Taormina. I think 2 - 3 hours is fine if you don't plan on a lengthy lunch. Keep in mind that the shops all close around 1 pm for several hours (Siesta time) so plan to be there in the morning.

Thanks for the advice. Does everything close or just the shops?

I realize this is somewhat subjective, but would appreciate suggestions on how much time to devote to Taormina, when this will be first time and only day in Sicily on a cruise docking in Catania. Thanks!

I was on the Summit last May and she is a wonderful, classy ship, with a terrific crew. At least some of the negative reviews are from folks who prioritize a ship that is brand new with no signs of wear whatsoever. (probably the same sort of folks who trade in their cars every couple of years because they don't like driving something "old.") If you can live with some graceful signs of aging, you will have a fantastic time on Summit. I would chose Summit again in a heartbeat.

I've been looking at private and ship based tours from Catania that go to Taormina, but also stop at a winery along the way. Several private tours offering similar itineraries specifically mention "Gambino Vini" as the winery, which looks lovely and has many positive reviews.

Does anyone know if this is the same winery that most ship excursions also stop at?

Can anyone offer a review of their ship based excursion that does what I describe?

Thanks!

If it helps, I'll be in Catania on Celebrity Constellation in May and the description of the excursion I am looking at is:

Taormina, Lava River, Wine & Jewels

Explore Taormina, Sicily's village full of medieval charm and character, and enjoy a sampling of its finest wines. Your tour starts in Taormina, where you'll have 1.5 hours to explore this seaside town. Walk its cobblestone streets and tour the ancient Greek Theater. Later, drive to the Etna wine country for an estate tour and tasting. Only grapes nurtured in this volcanic soil can produce the flavors and textures of certified "Etna" Wines.

Explore the mountainside village of Taormina, which many call the loveliest spot in Sicily, at your own pace.

Stop for photos at the Lava River created by the last eruption of Mount Etna in 2002.

Visit a local winery and sample the vintages made uniquely "Etna" by the rich volcanic soil

I've looked at RCI cruises when shopping around, but I have a hard time imagining that I would enjoy one. While RCI's many ships are not all the same, I really dislike the mega-ship concept that they seem to love. What I dislike the most is how they appear to be floating shopping malls and amusement parks, rather than cruise ships. I like cruising (and =X= particularly) because of the unique character and qualities of travelling by sea, and would rather not have that experience replaced with something as commonplace as mall shopping or visiting six flags. The food, cabins, service, etc., could be just as good as =X=, but if the atmosphere is like the Mall of America, I'll be miserable. If anyone thinks my fears are overblown, I'll be glad to hear why.

Thanks Hank and Cruisemom42 for your feedback. I guess I will need to bring both bags with me on my trip. A bit of a hassle but not the end of the world to be prepared. I prefer the backpack for normal days walking around sightseeing, but if I know I'm going somewhere with a security screening, I'll have to use the smaller bag and leave the daypack in my hotel/cabin.

I was at the Smithsonian a few years back and I was told by security there that I couldn't wear my backpack in the museum, but I was allowed to carry it by the handle at my side. Their reason being that they didn't want anyone inadvertently whacking a piece of artwork with a bag on their back. I wouldn't think that's as much of an issue at the Colosseum or Pompeii, but with the sizes of the crowds, perhaps they no longer want to be bothered inspecting that many bags.

For example, here's the text from a tour I just booked for the Colosseum, one of the most popular destinations in the world:

"Please note that large bags, backpacks, and luggage cannot be brought into the Colosseum, Roman Forum, or Palatine Hill. There is no coat check or space on-site to leave your belongings therefore we encourage you to leave such items at your hotel."

So there's no place to check your bag, if it's "too large."

1 - what's "too large?"

2 - and I guess by "backpack" they mean anything worn on the back, including smaller daypacks, and not just larger "backpacks" that you take camping or for "backpacking across Europe."

Can anyone share recent firsthand experience on entering the Colosseum, Herculaneum, Pompeii, etc., and what sorts of handbags, daypacks, etc., are being allowed or disallowed entry?

I've read elsewhere that security has been heightened and things that were previously allowed are being denied. At the same time, there are no facilities to check bags either and there is some confusion on what is too big.

My plan has been to wear a standard sized "daypack" to carry my camera and personal items, but now I'm concerned this won't be allowed. (Lowepro Hatchback BP 150 to be specific) My backup plan would be a smaller camera bag that has a single strap that is worn diagonally across your body, similar to a woman's purse.

Thank you for the step by step instructions and advice! Very appreciated. :)

Thanks for the advice! I've adjusted my schedule to do so tours a couple days earlier and will focus on visiting open air sites on May 1st! I'm glad I caught this before I got there!

I will be in Rome on May 1st and leaving for a cruise the next day. I recently learned that May 1 is a big national holiday and that many things are closed.

If you have firsthand experience being in Rome on May 1, I'd love to get your advice on good things to do that day.

I'm looking to get tickets too and this sounds very confusing. Are these rules for all tickets or just this particular "special" ticket?

I'm going to be there in early May, so I have to wait and buy my tickets on April 18th? And even though it's online, I have to do it during their business hours?

Last cruise on the Eclipse in December 2016:

 

A woman at the Martini Bar (a stranger) telling me about all her problems meeting men and maintaining relationships. She didn't feel that her herpes outbreaks should matter' date=' because "she had so much else to offer"

 

A woman hand-picking olives and whatever else she didn't like, out of one of the dishes at the buffet. She thought nothing of it. That became the end of the buffet for me, other than morning freshly made omelets.[/quote']

Can we all take a pledge to start calling people out who do disgusting things at the buffet?

 

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I too have seen my fair share of rude behavior, which often seems to occur at the Ocean View Cafe. I don't have a good story about that, but while on the Summit last year, my fiance and I had just finished the galley tour and were now in the Tuscan Grille where they had set up examples of the food at the specialty restaurants. We decided to make dinner reservations and walked up to the maitre d' who was not helping anyone else at the moment. We started chatting with him, when an older gentleman came up and excused himself, saying, "I just have a quick question, if you don't mind." Without pausing for our answer, he proceeds to tell the maitre d' that he is "elite level" and wants reservations for later tonight. The maitre d' quickly took the reservation and the guy walks off. The whole thing only lasted a minute, but we just looked at each other in disbelief and didn't say anything. I think we were too shocked that someone could act so rude and entitled. Looking back now, it would have been nice if the maitre d' had told him he needed to wait until he was finished with us, but maybe he judged it was better to deal with quickly and get it over with.

1st off I am 81 years old & a vet. There was this rather good looking young lady ( 30 or so ) lounging on her beach chair by the pool. As I walked to the bar I had to pass her & of course looked ( I am 81 but not dead ) she had a very nice 2 piece suit on which the bittom was pulled down below her belly button & tattoed on her belly was " WELCOME ABOARD " so being a vet I stood at attention & said "PERMISSON TO COME ABOARD " Her husband,friend started to laugh he bought me a drink. Old age has its rewards.

 

george35

Hilarious! :D

 

2) the same fellow who ordered every single appetizer and entre, doused them all in ketchup and then complained the food was not really that great

 

I bet this fellow writes a lot of the reviews on here! :rolleyes:

Does anybody know if the May 2017 dry dock is confirmed? We are sailing Connie on June 5th. It would be great if they added the World Class Bar but I have only seen this on S-class to date. Happy to have Qsine added if that is true.

I doubt World Class Bar is being added to Connie, as this wasn't the case for any of the other M class refurbs.

Some official info on the plans would be nice. I sailed on Summit just after her refurb last year and a lot of us were also very curious about the expected changes. The best source of info eventually came from Captain Kate, thanks to her instagram feed and responsiveness to questions.

The changes are exactly the same as what they did on Summit last year, and I believe what has been done to the rest of the M class, so it's likely the info is correct. I will be on Constellation beginning May 2nd for 10 day western Med cruise, which could be right before she dry docks.

There have been a number of discussions about the removal of the "classic cruise ship" specialty restaurants from M class, a lot of it about how disappointing a move this has been. I will always remember an evening in Normandie on Millennium some years back that was truly special. There was some speculation that Constellation was going to get to keep Ocean Liners because of the negative feedback, which I'm hoping is still the case. At the very least, I've never understood why =X= chose Tuscan Grille as the replacement, which in my opinion is the most underwhelming of the specialty restaurants.

Thanks for sharing so much of your cruise with us. It was great fun reading and following along. I'm sure you're cat is glad you're back, but don't let that stop you from cruising again and doing another live blog / cat blog. :-)

Cheers!

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If you spend enough (too much?) time on here, you will see many stories of people either successfully applying perks or discounts to a previously booked cruise or the reverse - people frustrated they can't for one reason or another. It can get kinda confusing trying to keep track of what your options are or how likely it is that exceptions will be made in your favor.

The official policy can be found here:

https://secure.celebritycruises.com/best-price-guarantee

I think some confusion happens because =X= can decide (more or less at whim it seems) to consider any particular promo as "not combinable" with another promo you have already received.

Despite the fact that =X= is offering perks on many of their cruises through April 2018, there are no perks available for the April 27, 2018 Italy and Greece cruise that I booked a few weeks ago. Because there was no promotion for this fare, I should be able to get the price reduced and/or future perk(s) added at least once between now and final booking.

I may also bring home a future cruise promo when I sail on Constellation this May, which my TA tells me they can probably get applied, although it could require cancelling and rebooking. Apparently, cancelling and rebooking is a frequent work around to many restrictions. Deposits are fully refundable, so I don't see much harm in trying.

You never can tell if a promo that offers perks will also coincide with a price drop, but it does happen.