BCHappyGal

I believe it means booked by Dec of 2021 and sail by I believe it is May of 2022 

With the current conditions I have requested full refunds on all my FCC and they agreed for all but 2... should be able to use those 2 in the time frame but not the multitude I was collecting....

WE have sailed on the EDGE twice in an S1 and an S3 (Sky Suites)  and YES I would recommend spending the $$ so that you can enjoy the benefits of the suite class... The Retreat is wonderful,,, and the attentive service of the staff in the Retreat great,, always ready with a smile and your order be it food or drinks...  

Love the Luminea .. enjoy Eden but could not tear myself away from Luminea to try eating in Eden...

Also if you let your waiter know if you particularly want a certain item of food he will do his best to see that you are accomodated (meaning let him know ahead of time)..  I love fresh berries for desert so our waiter made sure I had that almost every night... even remembered from one cruise to the next.

Our Butler was great and made sure our fridge was stocked with the drink of our choice...  

My only complaint was 7 days on teh EDGE was jsut too short consequently I bboked the Apex for January of 2021 as a B2B to give me 14 days... have had to L&S that to 2022 DARN 

I need a cruise!!

I think each of us need to make our own decision about whether or not we wish to cruise once Cruising restarts...  However if we choose to cruise we need to be willing to follow the rules .. most of which have been laid down by the CDC as part of the requirements for the ships to start sailing again...

I for one will be happy to cruise and can live with the ship only excursions for the time being... especially for a 7 day cruise return to a North American port as it means I am onboard for the cruise ship as have probably visited that port several times already...

I will also live with the mask requirement - as it is a requirement here at home so by the time I am able to board a ship I will be totally used to wearing a mask.

Stay Safe

Stay Healthy all

Have only stayed in a Sky suite but have friends who absolutely love the CS but they have only been on the M & S classes of ships...

I have enjoyed the Galapagos aboard the Expedition and it is an all inclusive cruise....

Even when you book the chepest cat of cabin...

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your cruising experience in this the NEW NORMAL ...

I too cannot wait to get back on the high seas but alas not looking like it will be in the near future!

Thank you for taking the time to write the vry factual and interesting reviews

Look forward to the next installment

They announced today that the Canadian Border closure will be extended from May 21st to June 21st....

So our lock down continues...  However I do think this is the correct way to go...

Langley British Columbia (suburb to Vancouver) here

We were in Titusville Florida (our winter home) when all this started... we were booked to fly home on March 20th... and lucily our flight which had turned into a repatriation flight actually brought us home... It waas a direct flight from Ft Lauderdale to Vancouver and the huge jet brougth only 30 of us home... No Problem with Social Distancing!

Now we are back in BC where life is still pretty good... of course because we had been out of Canada we had to quarantine for 14 days... our Daughter did my grocery shopping and delivered ... 

Now however it is just the self isolation and social distancing... Grociery shopping here in the suburbs is OK - only Costco has an unreal line up the other stores it is basically walk in and buy whatever you need.. plexiglass separates the Buyer from the clerks and we are asked not to touch anything..i.e. conveyor belts  Not a shortage of anything really 

Luckily the weatherman has been with us providing mostly sunny mild days so we walk every day... always stopping at our favorite coffee shop for a Latte TO GO of course...  We also walk a zig zag pattern meaning we criss cross the street as we meet other walkers to maintain our social distancing...

On Saturday night we had a Lane Way Social - we all took our lawn chairs and sat at the end of our driveways on the lane and caught up with the neighborhood gossip... Did have to shout a lot so that those on the far end could hear...  

However we are all doing well here in suburbia Vancouver

Cheers

To all and stay safe

Wash your hands lots!

6 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

In whose world does it make sense to close liquor stores?  What's next, grocery stores?  

Come on up north - we are civilized here in BC - our liquor stores are still OPEN...  😜

On 4/11/2020 at 8:14 PM, benjoon said:

We should be on the Solstice currently enjoying the last couple of nights before returning to Auckland. It was very sad at the time because we had the best roll call going. I had made over 120 name tags. I just wasn't meant to be. If the cruise had gone ahead our itinerary would have had to change quickly as a cyclone was hitting Fiji when we were due there and it also hit Tonga when we were due there. So we can look at the silver lining on this cruise as we dodged a bullet.

i WAS BOOKED WITH YOU ON THIS CRUISE  & today would ahve been my turnaround day in Auckland as I should be starting the 2nd leg of a 4 X B2B...  

I was so looking forward to the wonderful name tags you were making for all of us... Hopefully we will meet in the future and I can claim mine...  We are considering booking this itinerary in either 21 or 22... but right now I am jsut sitting waiting for the smoke to clear as they say... I will not book anything until the governments reopen the borders - the ships actually resume sailing (with passengers) - the planes start to fly....

However once that criteria is met I am ready to sail...

Have been aboard for a number of my Birthdays and some anniversaries... I prefer latting X bake my cake rather than do it myself😊

Always get a cake and song but often have received a card and wine or champagne delivered to our cabin  

I love being spoiled!!!

Update from my travel agent. Both the April 10 and April 21 are 11night Around Japan cruises.

 

The problem here is that I wanted to do the last Japan followed by the Transpacific. If they have inserted a charter in there, I won't be able to do that. :(

We too got the BOOT! Booked this itinerary to sail in 2014 and again the Millennium was chartered out so ended up switching to 2016 when the Millennium did the southern route from Hong Kong to Vancouver ... that was a wonderful itinerary and cruise ... if they ever do that itinerary again I will be aboard... However for 2020 I will jsut opt for a totally different itinerary...

As my whole reason (as have done China - Japan - Korea ) was to have a wonderful cruise that ended in Vancouver and I love the Millennium and its fabulous crew! So will ahve to see what they offer in 2021...

Always get the most accurate info here on CC !!!

Rather than book well in advance - usually 2 years - I will revert to a last minute passenger

Too much can change in life for me to book with a non refundable deposit 2 years out...

I rarely booked a cruise that I did not take...

Yes now Celebrity are charging extra if you want your depoist to be refundable... some agencies are not giving you a choice & blaming it on Celebrity ... So be careful

for me from now on it will be last minute bookings instead of my 2 years out as one never knows what life will dish up in 2 years...

Celebrity I do not think non refundable deposits are a good move....

Use the Quick Shuttle Bus not the Amtrak...

Quick Shuttle will be direct pier to downtown Seattle...

Much better option!

Two suggestions to add to above

I would schedule less time for Jasper and allow some time for Vancouver

I would also consider looping thru Whistler as to me Whistler is better than Jasper

Make sure you do the Columbia Ice Fields

Another option for transfer to Seattle is the Quick Shuttle Bus it does 5 schjeduled runs a day and normally will drop you at the cruise ship terminal if you book it that way.

I too recommend you take a downtown hotel - your savings will be eaten up in transit costs and the biggest factor is waste of precious time!

My favorite attractions are Grouse Mountain, Capilaon Suspension Bridge, Stanley park, GasTown, Fly Over Canada & Queen Elizabeth Park

If you have mobility issues I would suggest you spend the money for a tour with a company such as Sea to Sky

that will make best use of your short time here

Ann & Ross - BCHappyGal

Ship - Explorer of the Seas

Deck 6

Stateroom # 6694

Cabin Catagory - Jr Suite

Aft cabin

Quiet Stateroom - Yes but definitely felt the vibration from the props

Balcony view -- TOTALLY OBSTRUCTED and there was a good big 20' from my balcony railing to the rear of the ship so no photo taking from my balcony and no sitting out enjoying the sun as totally shaded -

Size of cabin - large with a big couch & 2 arm chairs + 2 chairs at vanity - lots of storage & a walk in closet

Negative was the night tables were so small that the phone barely fit on one... hardly enough room left for a glass of water and once the glass was there no space left for my eye glasses.

Problems - Jr Suites advertise "pillow Top Mattresses" Our mattress was so old and worn out I would not ask a "dog" to sleep on it... did get it changed after complaining but the mattress was still not good!

Also the bathroom needs redecorating... very old and tired

I paid for a Jr Suite expecting a few extras - all we got were 2 small bottles of water on embarkation day and a plate of cookies - my Husband is Celiac and this should have been noted on his file!

The service in general was good but nothing special...

DO NOT PAY FOR A SUITE ON Royal Caribbean as I definitely feel that is a 'RIP OFF"

Just take a normal balcony cabin - better location and same service

PS

If you pay for a Grand Suite you get a reserved deck chair however it is located next to the smoking area!!!

Thanks for catching my mistake

Pier 66 is Smith Cove and a taxi ride from downtown Seattle - about a 10 min ride...

there is NOTHING at Smith Cove... not even a coffee shop only a coffee wagon outside with pic nic tables...

As to time of boarding totally depends on the cruise line... check your documents..

As to security - always

As to customs depends on what your first port of call is... if it is a USA port no customs

Just got our documents and surprisingly it says check in starts at 10:30am - you better believe I will be there by 10 to be first in line!

Yes we are boarding at Pier 66 ...

Take the train - it is a nice relaxing ride with minimal custom / border hassels....

Yes it may run a bit late but not usually anything to upset you about - especially as you are coming in the night before your cruise...

Enjoy

Just an idea for you

Allegiant air flys Bellingham to both LA & San Francisco

Bellingham is approx 20 min south of the border and motels are relatively inexpensive in Bellingham

You might want to consider adding a night post cruise in Bellingham thus giving you a day in Vancouver to sightsee before heading south to Bellingham

A bus line to check for a charter that I know can deliver you to your hotel/motel in Bellingham is Quick Shuttle...

Thus you could spend a day with them touring you around Vancouver before dropping you off in Bellingham...

Another way to get to Bellingham would be the Amtrak Train which leaves downtown Vancouver at approx 5pm thus you would have a day to sight see in Vancouver

Just ideas for you:):):)

I take it that one myust be D+ to enjoy this perk??? Am I right????

I am only Diamond:')