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Vagabond Knight

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    Looking for reliable transportation (taxi/chauffeur) for Kirkwall, Orkney Islands

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    We'll be on a NCL British Isles cruise in October and have a very short day in Kirkwall, Orkney Isles, Scotland.  The ship will only be there from 6am to 2pm.  Our primary interest there is to visit Highland Park Distillery and we want to be there when it opens at 10am.  We would like to hire reliable transportation in the form of a taxi or chauffeured car for three hours that will pick us up at the port, take us to the distillery and stay there to take us back to the port afterwards.  There's one taxi company that we've tried to contact in Kirkwall, but they never responded and we've since seen a number of reviews that say they're unreliable.  Due to the early ship departure, we don't feel comfortable relying on a drop-off and pick-up later scenario. Any suggestions?  

    Is it time to exit the "X"?

    in Celebrity Cruises

    Posted

    20 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

    I unfortunately see folks acting rudely to the crew on every sailing and don't understand why yet it's a whole different level.  People get "triggered", asking things like "who trained you?", "who's your supervisor?"

     

    Well, some people feel like they have to act all hoity toity, thinking they're impressing friends and others around them, when a bit of kindness and understanding would be much more appropriate. The crew members work their tails off, having to smile through long hours and (fortunately, only occasional) rude passengers.  Most  fellow passengers I encounter on cruises are wonderful, but there are a few who should probably be made to walk the plank (or be made to serve as an "honorary" crew member for a day!).

    • Like 6

    Is it time to exit the "X"?

    in Celebrity Cruises

    Posted

    17 hours ago, QuestionEverything said:

    The beloved Connie is our favorite cruise ship of all time, followed by the QM2.

     

    Serious question... why is Connie your favorite?  We're booked on her for a cruise next spring.  We've been on several other Celebrity ships and were surprised to see how few specialty dining options are available... no Murano, no Porch, no Lawn Club.  Does it have anything in the way of activities or entertainment that the others don't?

    How does Carnival compare to Celebrity?

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted · Edited by Vagabond Knight

    We have sailed both Celebrity and Carnival.  There IS Bingo on Celebrity ships.  There ARE deck parties with bands and dancing, though perhaps not as often as on Carnival does them?  There IS night life... "Silent Disco" is a blast!  Yes, some of the older crowd doesn't stay up late for the dance bands, but the younger crowd parties late.  Like it or dislike it, there are far fewer kids on Celebrity.  There's a kids club and a teen club, but not as many kids/teens in them.  The kids we've seen on Celebrity have been surprisingly well behaved. 

     

    In general, people dress more nicely for dinner and in the evening on Celebrity and honestly, even throughout the day.  There are exceptions of course, but I've never seen someone on Celebrity show up to the MDR in sweats on "Chic Night" like I did on Carnival. You will likely feel like the atmosphere is a bit more elegant and the service is better on Celebrity, and the MDR food and buffet are somewhat better.  Note that there is a lot of complaining on the Celebrity forum about post-Covid downgrades, but I'm seeing that on just about every cruise line forum these days (we're booked on four different cruise lines over the next year, so I've been looking around).   

     

    We thought the "Chef's Table" on Carnival was much better, from food, to presentation, to service, than it was on Celebrity.  Celebrity has a mix of entertainment that ranges from rock/dance to classical style string trios (and you learn which lounge to visit for which type of music).   At least on the smaller Celebrity ships, one thing I find lacking that I enjoyed on Carnival is a piano bar.  Also missing from Celebrity are kitschy types of entertainment such as a hairy chest contest and bellyflop contest (not sure if they're still around on Carnival or not).  Since Carnival tends to be less expensive, you can get awesome cabins for scenery intensive voyages such as Alaska (Vista aft corner wraparound HUGE balconies) for far less than a tiny regular balcony on Celebrity (we did r/t Seattle to Alaska twice on Carnival).  If only Carnival did one-way Alaskan cruisetours... sigh!

     

    You'll see a huge difference in the passengers onboard Carnival ships depending upon the itinerary and the length of the cruise.  Those 3-day Caribbean jaunts to the Bahamas for example, will attract a lot of people with whom you may not want to be cruising, including rowdy bachelor/bachelorette parties, spring breakers, huge family reunions, and groups of friends who are splurging for a wild long weekend of drinking and partying. It's not that you won't see the occasional passenger on Celebrity who's stayed a bit too long at the martini bar, but I'm not sure I've seen any passengers who've purposely tried to impress the others in their group with how drunk they can get.  Go on a longer Carnival cruise (and especially with an itinerary that's NOT Caribbean) and you'll probably enjoy a less annoying crowd.  

    • Like 4

    Does Celebrity do the cruise duck's too?

    in Celebrity Cruises

    Posted · Edited by Vagabond Knight

    On 12/28/2021 at 9:19 AM, Harrylinden said:

    Do people going on any Celebrity ship hide ducks too,or is it just some of the other cruiselines? Just curious!!!  

    It's mostly a Carnival and Royal Caribbean thing since those cruises tend to have more kids on them.

     

    EDIT:  Oh, geez... just realized I replied to a 2021 thread that someone resurrected!

    Does anyone else feel that Celebrity is getting a bit too "spammy?"

    in Celebrity Cruises

    Posted

    42 minutes ago, lostchild said:

    I checked my trash folder history.  When I have 0 cruise reserved and have not logged in on their website for months, I have almost exactly 1 email a day from them.   When I started logging in and check for prices on cruise, I have 1 to 2 emails a day.   After I booked a cruise, I have on average 3 to 4 emails a day.

     

    Well, that's interesting!  I guess it's our bonus for booking.  😉  

    Call me a cheerleader if you must

    in Celebrity Cruises

    Posted

    We're booked on cruises on four different cruise lines over the next year and so I've looked at other forums as well as the Celebrity forum over the past few months.  Honestly, you can find complaints regarding reductions in food quality, cutback of services, and additional fees with just about every line... it's not just a Celebrity thing, it's a cruising survival thing.  It's actually a wonder most of the cruise lines are still around post-Covid, so I assume this will be the cruising status for a while. Will things ever go back to the pre-Covid days of cruising?  Who knows. 

     

    For the most part, I think we just need to readjust our expectations. Stop comparing to the pre-Covid days and instead just compare what's available NOW on Celebrity and on other lines and choose what suits you the best.  You can have a wonderful cruise experience if you put your mind to it, and some of the changes only affect those who get kind of ridiculous anyhow.  Carnival, for example, is now charging for the third entrée in their MDR if you order more than two, and this is upsetting some of their customers. Your THIRD entrée?  Is this REALLY a problem for most of us?  We now pay for a second lobster tail on Celebrity, but although I admit to having two in the past, do I really need that second one after multiple delicious appetizers, a salad, my one lobster tail and sides, and before my scrumptious dessert? 

     

    I did a Mexican Riviera cruise on Celebrity by myself a few months ago and ate in the MDR every night. There were some options missing from past cruises that I would enjoyed, but I found something absolutely delicious to eat in there every night.  If you look for the fun activities and delicious options available to you on your cruise and don't concentrate on what you may have had a few years back, you'll have a wonderful time.  The ships are still the same, the service is certainly not lacking on Celebrity, and there are many wonderful food experiences to be enjoyed.  

    • Like 4

    Does anyone else feel that Celebrity is getting a bit too "spammy?"

    in Celebrity Cruises

    Posted

    I just logged into my Celebrity account to see if I could change the frequency of emails, but it seems like all you can do is turn notifications and offers ON or OFF.  I don't want to turn them off because I appreciate getting an occasional email (weekly would be fine) about a new special offer, but I feel like Celebrity has gotten to the point of spamming me.  I'm getting 2-4 messages a day, and most of these "exciting deals" are the same "sale" that they've been running for months and months and months. 

    • Like 11

    Acrylic nail fill aboard Symphony of the Seas?

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    5 hours ago, jean87510 said:

     I invested in nail glue after my experience plus now because of covid restrictions on nail salons in my state, I learned to do my nails myself.  This way I can fix it myself if anything happens.

     

    Sigh... can you come on my cruise with me?  😉

     

    Well, this is a bummer. I've got B2Bs lined up with Carnival, NCL and Royal Caribbean and I can't find this on any of them.  They do acrylics and acrylic fills on Celebrity, which is what we've been sailing for some years now and was disappointed that I couldn't find those services on any of the ships we have booked for our upcoming adventure.  

    Cruise Insurance

    in Cruise/Travel Insurance

    Posted

    On 4/29/2023 at 2:06 PM, GeezerCouple said:

    Another strong recommendation for TripInsuranceStore!

     

    But *CALL* them.  There is no way the online summaries can adequately convey the details that may be needed for the various "what if's" for each person, for each trip, etc.

     

    And most of the complaints when claims are denied turn out to be because the claim was not for a covered reason.  Steve and his associates can help you figure out what *your* insurance needs are likely to be, by asking some questions or by listening to what you are saying.  And... they can help with claims if desired.

     

    All but one of our policies have been with Travel Insured, and ALL of our claims have been with them.  All of those claims (including some large claims) were paid promptly, without nonsense.

     

    The "deadline" to purchase to get the pre-existing conditions covered can be as short as 10 days; it's not always 20.  Insurance is regulated by the states, so there are differences in the policies or even whether certain types of policies can be sold.

     

    Again, make SURE that you understand what *your* needs are, and speaking with someone like Steve is an excellent way to get a good match with the policy you purchase.

     

    GC

     

    Thank you, @GeezerCouple and others who recommended Steve at TripInsuranceStore.com!   We called him today and were extremely pleased.  He is very easy to talk to, great at figuring out what's needed, and doesn't try to sell you stuff you don't need.  That was a great recommendation!  

    • Like 1

    Suggestions on transfer from Port of Southampton to Heathrow with mini London tour along the way?

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    We will be disembarking the Norwegian Dawn on Saturday, October 14 and have a 4:00PM flight out of Heathrow back to Barcelona. We would like to book a transfer from the port (guessing we'd be able to be off the ship around 9:00AM or before) to Heathrow, but with a mini tour of some of the London sights along the way and arriving at Heathrow around 1:00PM.  Does anyone have any recommendations on services that do this for a somewhat reasonable fee? 

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