Markanddonna

We had two on the Constellation on out TA. To be fair, I didn't attend because the topics were not interesting to me. One was rock music histort but I saw this guy n another cruise. The other was a woman who spoke on crime, like the case of Jan Benne Ramsey. 

Could it be these luxury bags are made by the Chinese companies in Prato, Italy? If you have never heard about this, do some research. Over the past decade, Chinese companies bought out Italian companies. They brought in Chinese workers with Chinese materials. Technically, they are allowed to put "made in Italy" on the bag. 

The New Yorker magazine had a comprehensive article on this scam. There are many other resources to explain this phenomenon. 

No clue about cruise points. No one asked questions...😁

8 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

What’s the perks package?

Free gratuities, beverage package and internet. Very generous, I would say.

On a recent Celebrity TA, passengers with inside cabins were offered balcony and balcony concierge cabins at no cost upon boarding. The only inconvenience was waiting for the luggage to get transferred to the new cabin. I suspect they were attempting to put their special entertainers and high-ranking crew in one of the inside hallways. Or, they suspected they might need them for isolation. There were COVID cases aboard.

These folks also got the perks package gratis. We didn't ask questions like "why?"  

I was recently on a TA on the Constellation. I have only experienced sea sickness one day out of hundreds on previous cruises.

There was one difficult day on this cruise and I knew I had to leave the dining table. I hung in there until the sweet waiter had my sea bass sent to my room. That's when I lost it (the smell). My husband got two packets of sea sickness meds from customer services. I slept well and was a bit drowsy but ok the next morning. So, don't say you never get sea sick. I experienced a medicane with no problems. 

3 hours ago, 9tee2Sea said:

I was on a cruise Feb of this year.  The lady that sat in the front row of the tour bus was hacking up a lung, and her husband could barely walk without gasping for air.  everyone on the bus told her "WEAR A MASK" ( which she never did, at least that day).  On the second day, a lady just walked up to her, shoved a few masks at her and said " Im not leaving until you put your mask on".  The sickly couple put on the masks.  Got checked by the ships DR.  They had pneumonia.  Luckily no-one else got sick from that tour ( as far as I know).  If someone is coughing a lot, just tell them to wear a mask and go see the ships DR.  You can also talk to a Restaurant Officer, and point out the infected person.  Let a higher up from the ship deal with the passenger.  You would think that post -Covid, folks would be more aware of their germs spreading

We just got home from a cruise, and now both of us have COVID. I wouldn't have known I had it since I took a test a few days ago, and it was negative, but I have a very mild, raspy voice that only I seem to notice. No cough or fever. I took a test this morning, and it was positive: my first COVID experience.

We are pretty certain who gave us COVID: the two ladies in the theatre sitting behind us. I now wish I had been more proactive, as you suggested.  My doctor said to pretend I feel sick and just lay around for a few days instead of being very active.

We disembarked from the Constellations on May 2. We had quite a bit of onboard credit to use, so we decided to try the ship's transfer service. There were eight ships at port that day, and we were concerned about the availability of UBERs or taxis.  It worked out very well and cost $$29.95 pp. We made it to the airport for our 1:00 flight with time to spare.

I am currently at the airport on our last leg home on a flight we had to change for a medical emergency. Celebrity air has been great with their help, especially arranging wheelchair assistance at all four airports. I know there are some complications with cruise air, but this experience has us very pleased.

On 5/9/2023 at 2:01 PM, Fedic said:

I live in the Tampa Bay area.  The months we see fog is fairly consistently December through February.  Any departures outside of that time frame, you should be fine.  If you are sailing in one of those months, it's always good to have a backup plan.

Listen to Fedic. Ir is important to follow advice from people who give relevant help.The season makes a difference. I sailed on April 17 this year our of Tampa with only a drizzle. Fog is more of a colder weather issue.

I have only one prescription. All the other supplementals and vitamins are unique. I tend to travel for about a month and carry a seven day organizer and reload each week.  We also carry an extensive medical kit. I have recently added a oxy pulse monitor. 

I didn't book with the offered perks. I can't imagine a $900 pp for 15_days with those perks and $200 pp obc. It obviously got coded differently when the agent gave us the free upgrade. The drink package is wasted on us since we drink maybe one a day if they are free. 

A few months before the cruise, I called to see if I could pay for an upgrade. The cruielune agent said we could have a complimentary upgrade. Nice! Inside to an ocean view free.

Then, I noted we had  an onboard credir of $400 on the booking. iq wasn't going to question it.

When we boarded, we found out we had the beverage package, free gratuities and free internet. How did ths happen? The 15 day transatlantic was only $1800 to begin with for two. So, we got all that for $1800. It was a great cruise, only half full. I'm not going to reveal the more upscale cruiseline's name because I don't want my fellow passengers to be upset. And the ship was only half full! We met another couple who experienced the same thing but they were upgraded at check-in to a concierge balcony! The other couple also had no idea how this happened.

This has never happened before. It was our 25th+ cruise but first time with this cruiseline.

On 4/16/2023 at 5:17 AM, Honolulu Blue said:

1.  Using nonrefundable OBC in the casino varies by cruise line.  It might be a good idea to go on your favorite board and ask about the mechanics there.

 

2.  Another option for OBC is to give some of it to selected crew members that you deem worthy.  You should be able to set it up through guest services once you're onboard.

We filled out the form to give our credit to our servers and stateroom attendant. Then, Celebrity billed my charge card for that exact amount. I put in a complaint, but once you are off the ship, cruise lines tend to forget you.

We got a free upgrade and several wonderful bonuses were added. We originally booked a basic inside. I guess I am magical. All at zero extra cost.

I didn't know we had the classic beverage package but see that we do now that we are on board. Are the gratuities included?

Neither is Israel but the OP is a smart lady and knows that.

My DH got very sick after eating scallops on an MSC cruise. He loves them but that experience teaches you a lesson. One being don't say, "I never...."

Many people tour in Europe before or after their TA and don't want to schlepp heavy luggage around. Most leave their tux, ballgowns and tiaras at home. You will see in casual clothing on dress up or formal nights. 

I noted you want to go to Israel. You may find it hard to interest your kids after three days in Jerusalem. Consider taking them on a day trip to the Dead Sea and Masada. Swimming should be a highlight. I hope your kids are interested in history because the Israel Museum is fantastic. You should do some prep on the basics of Israel's history.  We also took a two-day trip to the Golan Heights to see Caesarea Philippi, which was ground zero for evil in ancient times. We stayed in a kibbutz up there, which your kids might enjoy. There are some great companies that do these day trips. My favorite was Guided Tours Israel. I've used them four times. 

Your kids are the major factor here and you said they were good travelers. I went on a two week cruise and traveled extensively with an 11 year old and her two wonderful parents. The girl was the best traveler EVER and knew how to entertain herself very well. I enjoyed her company. Before we met them, her parents proactively assured me she was a great traveler. I'd say if your kids want to, go for it!

The best videos are shot very early in the morning when people aren't around. I would suggest that to any influencer who is intrusive.

10 minutes ago, zitsky said:

What are the books, if I may ask?

 

I only use Turbo Tax and they are always trying to sell you their Audit Defender.

Poland Under *** Rule, 1939-1941, War and Resistance in the Wilderness, The Young Partisans, to name a few books plus several articles.

22 hours ago, Projunior said:

Self-describe yourself as an influencer. Film your cruise vacation. Post the video on YouTube. Write off the cost of the cruise on your tax return as a "business expense" of "influencing". So clever.

And watch the IRS come for a visit. I did a WWII research trip to Europe for two books and articles. The important thing is to be able to prove you are making money because of this business (writing or influencing.)  Thus far, I haven't been visited. My accountant advised me that you can only do this every few years unless you are making huge royalties, which few do.

12 hours ago, envy4u said:

What private tour is best/recommended to see the most catholic religious sites.

I also would like to see the wailing wall. 

Roman Catholic-oriented travel to Israel is usually arranged ahead of time on tour groups while still in the USA. You can do some research to see which sites have a common interest/understanding with the Protestant groups (Christian travel.) For example, most Christian tours in Israel go to the churches that are Roman Catholic in the Galilee region. The Mount of Olives has several Roman Catholic churches that are visited by both. Protestants and Catholics differ on the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. I personally don't believe either that or the Garden Tomb is accurate (Helena was an incredibly bad archaeologist.) We toured with Catholics in our regular "Christian" groups with GTI and had no issues either way. The only RC site in the Holy Land that is very difficult for me is the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus. Even the Catholic church believes there is not enough evidence but it is a big tourist site. The Apostle John didn't go to Ephesus until 70AD, and Mary would have been a very elderly person 85-90) to have made that arduous trip. There is a church in Jerusalem that claims she died there. I tend to think that has more validity.

I am writing a book on cruising to the Holy Land, but it won't be out until this summer.