Wookie01

2 minutes ago, Tyler414 said:

I have dining reservations for March 2024 booked...

How is it possible for some to be making bookings for 2024 while others can't access the system for cruises that are in 2023?
I just don't get it?

2 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

December 2023 is probably too far in the future to be able to set dining reservations 

That was what I thought too, but am concerned that Celebrity told me 90 days prior, while others are reporting dining reservations full at the seven month point?

6 hours ago, dock said:

No spots for any Speciality Dining on our July 2023 cruise either so I’m hopeful we can get into at least one,especially since comments about food  on Celebrity have not been that complimentary. 

I don't understand why dining is booked out so early (7 months away) and yet for our December 2023 cruise we don't seem to be able to access dining reservations at all?
When I asked Celebrity about it they said that bookings should become available at 90 days from embarkation.

There are also many YouTube videos discussing the pros and cons of IV cabins.
One thing that I wasn't aware of initially is that the 'balcony' window can be locked by the bridge, effectively giving you an Oceanview cabin for the price of a traditional balcony 😞

Disregard, posted in error. 🙂

If the train trip is $50 to $65 on non ship days, and $500 for cruises then that is ridiculous.
I am keen to do this trip but if our cruise (Celebrity Edge) offers it at even half of this they can shove it.😠

 

For info I have just received a reply to my enquiry about December 2023, here is the main bits of their reply, I suspect by 'this season' they mean 2022.
 

"We are delighted to advise that The Taieri Gorge Train Tour is definitely going ahead this season. This is now a 5 hour tour from Port Chalmers into the Taieri Gorge (Hindon Station).

 

This includes transfers to and from the train station, and a snack box on board."
 

https://www.taierigorgeshoreexcursion.com/

 

"All bookings are available for purchase direct with the Cruise Line.

 

The Cruise Lines are currently working on loading the tours online and these will soon be available for sale to all passengers. The tour will be available for sale by the time you board the ship (at the very latest) and it will most probably be available for purchase prior to boarding, so please check with your Cruise Line directly.

 

Due to limited capacity this year, the entire train has been allotted to the cruise lines on cruise ship days."

Thanks for the answers folks.

It is interesting, we are in a Sky Suite on Edge, sailing out of Sydney in Dec 2023 and it seems that we do not have access to dining reservations.

On the app I can see the specialty restaurants and view the menus, but there is no option to make a booking. On the Celebrity website under Manage My Booking it says "Advance reservations and purchases may be made up to 48 hours prior to your sail date."

I had also emailed Celebrity to enquire about this, but not heard back when I made this post. I have since had a reply and in the email they say "you can book shore excursion, Dining options, Activities, Beverages Packages, Entertainment  90 days prior to the date of departure."

Strange that the three of you are all able to book well in advance but we can't. I wonder if has to do with us being in Australia rather than the US?

Alternatively could it be because we are booked through a TA and not direct with Celebrity?

Thanks again for your inputs. 🙂

This is all that I can see in the app when I select a specialty restaurant.

 

Hi folks,
I have been looking around the forum but haven't found an answer to this so would appreciate any help available please?

Our cruise is a long way off yet, but I am curious when I will be able to start making dining reservations, either via the app or the website.

I ask because we will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary onboard and it falls on the second night out, so I want to make sure that we have reserved something nice.

Cheers, Graham 🙂

On 11/20/2022 at 11:46 PM, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Google hath failed me on this one...

They would be referring to Nescafe Instant wouldn't they?

Hi all, one of our Xmas 2023 Celebrity cruise stops is Lyttleton and we are considering a ship excursion to Akaroa if it is offered (too early for an excursion listing at this stage).

Bit of an odd question, but if anyone has done this excursion could you please advise if the coach provided functioning toilets?
Asking because ready access would be an essential for us to book an excursion.

Thanks for any help. 🙂

Our cruise is scheduled to be in Dunedin on Boxing Day (December 26th 2023).
Can anyone advise if the town is likely to be 'open as usual' or whether we should expect much to be closed for the festive season please?
Thanks 🙂

I am also interested in seeing a price list please.

Our cruise is to far away to see the pricing information via the "Manage Reservation" steps but we would love to see some indicative pricing so that we can do some advance planning.

We realise that prices may change, but are just after some ballpark prices, particularly for massage services. 

Graham 🙂

Thanks for that.
Yep I understand that it is not set in stone, but primarily port to shore in your experience?
Appreciate your feedback. 🙂

Hi everyone,

 

Probably difficult to answer, but does anyone have any stats on which side of the ship is most commonly facing the dock when in port?

 

Just wondering if there is an advantage to one side over the other if you don't want to be staring at the docks and terminals when in port.

Cheers,

Graham

39 minutes ago, ANNA40 said:

Hi, I don't want to seem picky, but I'd like to explain, as a Catalan myself, that the Catalan for tapas is tapes. Pintxo (catalan pinxo) is the Basque for that sort of snacks fixed with a cocktail stick... Traditionally,  in Basque taverns, you pay according to the number of sticks in your plate. Dinners based on pintxos is very tipycal in the Basque Country, and Bilbao Berria is a Basque tavern...

Thanks for clarifying that Anna40, appreciate the advice 🙂👍

7 minutes ago, Robyn C said:

Hi Graham. Thank you for the information on dining in Barcelona, we have 4 nights there, and will be staying close by, so thank you for the heads up.

cheers Robyn

Hope you enjoy it Robyn, when will you be there?

I will add that we rented from Sixt in Le Havre last year and found them to be excellent.
Didn't have any problems with the booking or after the event charges, and they even upgraded us from an average large sedan into a really nice Mercedes 4 door. 🙂

Always, ALWAYS! video and photograph the vehicle before you start and again on returning it.

1. If staff see you making a detailed record they are less likely to try the ‘damage scam’;

2. If they do make a later damage claim you will have comprehensive evidence with which to refute the claim.

One of our favourites in Barcelona is Bilbao Berria, a Catalan tapas ( pintxos in Catalan) restaurant. It is just off La Rambla near the Barcelona cathedral in Plaça Nova.

Wonderful food, we ate there four or five times on our last visit. We will be back in Barcelona in November and Bilbao Berria will be one of the first stops. 🙂🍽🍷

 

 

Regarding small bills for tipping, keep in mind that $1US is about 17LE, so a $1 tip is huge to them.

 

The usual tip to use a toilet is 5LE, so if you are giving $1 then you are tipping more than 3 times above the norm.

 

This may not seem like much to you, but keep in mind the impact it can have on the local social structure. If someone can earn more from tourists by loitering outside a public toilet with their hand out than they can by honest employment then it can change local practices. Most of the time the toilets are in an appalling condition and often those with their hand out don't actually seem to anything to maintain the facilities anyway. :(

Luxor is very rich in antiquities, so you will have trouble deciding where to spend your time!

 

My favourite was Karnak temple, followed by the Valley of the Kings and Queen Hatshepsut's Mortuary temple. Luxor temple was also very interesting. I did an early morning hot air balloon flight over the Nile West Bank which was fantastic.

 

If you go to the Valley of the Kings they have just introduced a photography pass (previously photography was banned) which costs 300 LE (less than $20US). I would strongly recommend paying for the pass so that you can capture some memories from this wonderful place. Be warned that we saw many people having their phones confiscated and photos erased when they didn't have a photo pass, so get a pass if you want photos.

 

Didn't enjoy Cairo much at all. :(

Too much traffic, too much pollution, too chaotic.

We have just returned after a 12 day package trip to Egypt, which included a 7 day Nile cruise, Luxor - Aswan - Luxor.

 

The cruise was great (Princess Sarah II) and we felt safe and secure the whole time.

 

There is a security presence everywhere but not obstructive. Plenty of roadside check points with armed military units etc, security scanners in all the hotels and tourist sites.

 

Our guide was saying that currently tourism is at about 18% of what it was prior to the uprising and the Arab Spring (about 10 years ago?) but there was still plenty of tourists around, so I am glad I wasn't there when it was at peak capacity!

 

The Nile cruise itself was great, sailing along the river passing lovely scenery and witnessing beautiful sunsets.

We visitied sites such as Edfu and Kom Ombo along the way, spent a couple of days docked at Aswan while we did the local sites and a trip to Abu Simbel, then back via Kom Ombo and Edfu to Luxor.

 

Our river cruiser was the Princess Sarah II and we were very happy with the quality and service. The cabin was quite large and comfortable (the bathroom was tiny), we had a swimming pool, sundeck, bar and shaded seating area on the top deck. There was a lounge/entertainment area with a bar and the dining room on the lower deck was large and comfortable. The ship carried about 150 passengers but didn't feel crowded.

 

So overall the security was present but not oppressive, we felt comfortable and safe while in Egypt. :)

 

If you have questions or would like more info about the cruise or other aspects of our trip just send me a message. :)

I wanted to relive one of my favorite cruises ever so I decided to re-read my review. Since it is almost Alaska season again!

 

I know what you mean Kristin, we did an Alaska cruise in 2013 and loved it!

We have only cruised once with HAL, which was a Vancouver return Alaska cruise in 2013.
Our other cruises have been with Celebrity and in our opinion HAL (Volendam) just seemed tired and run-down compared to Celebrity.
The food quality did not seem as good and the 'experience' as a whole just felt a bit tired and of less value-for-money than our Celebrity cruises.
We didn't think that one star rating difference (5 vs 4) would be that noticeable, but to us it was, unfortunately.

We won't be back on HAL unless the itinerary demands it.


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