lexmiller

The only "for sure" way to see Egypt is by booking a land tour or booking a Nile River cruise. Ocean cruise ships are not going there for the foreseeable future due to the activity in that part of the Med. And to see Israel as a tourist would seem impossible period for who knows how long due to the unfortunate strife in the region. So if you really want to go to Egypt, booking an ocean voyage is extremely iffy - be ready to be disappointed. We were booked on the Oct 16, 2023 cruise out of Athens which was supposed to have gone to Egypt and Israel, but became a Greek Isles cruise due to the Hamas attacks - substitute ports were Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, Cyprus, and Bodrum in Turkey. Someone above mentioned a reduction in price for the complete change of plan but there was no reduction, no credit, no recompense whatsoever.

Please keep us posted as to how this goes as I think your point about discrimination is spot on. And let's all keep in mind the article in Forbes, I'll repost the link, that calls Celebrity out for the exorbitant single penalty, worst of all the lines. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2024/01/07/solo-penalty-cruise-line-charges-single-travelers-much-more-than-double/?sh=3142d7275a3a

The Forbes article clearly is pointing the finger squarely at Celebrity for being the only line doing this - unfairly targeting and penalizing single passengers. To charge 44% MORE than the double fare is unconscionable. Post #58, the email from LHB dated Jan 12 posted by @johhnnyt, states that "As of the end of next week, approximately 75% of our sailings will be at the same rate as a double (200%) or under than, giving a discount to singles. This will be throughout all our deployment, all quarters and regions of the world". This means that 25% will NOT be at 200% - they will presumably be HIGHER than that, as they are now. So certain "in demand" destinations will remain out of reach for a single passenger, is how I'm reading this. I'm guessing that the "exotic" itineraries such as Asia, Antarctica, etc will be a part of that 25%.......

I don't think this has been posted, sorry if it already has - but here's a link to a terrific article in Forbes about the single supplement, but specifically how Celebrity is blowing it big time, charging more than any of the other lines - damaging their brand and discouraging loyalty. This was published Jan 7, before the letter posted from LHB. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2024/01/07/solo-penalty-cruise-line-charges-single-travelers-much-more-than-double/?sh=e8285815a3a5

Ah, interesting! It's weird though that the original poster would say that about what he himself wrote?? If he didn't read it (even though he wrote it), then why would he think that we would! Though, I did!

I'm definitely not one of the cool kids as I have no idea what "TL;DR:" means - neither the initials nor the use of the semicolon and colon - clueless! But I do understand "Amazing" and so glad you enjoyed yourself! And indeed, the staff - the brothers as co-captains, Luigi the CD and Flori, Activities Staff Manager - all flawless! The Edge Class ships are our favorites. We sail on Ascent later this year. I know the crew will be entirely different, but we also know that we will have an "amazing" time! Thanks for your thorough report.

That's a loaded question, one that has gotten threads shut down by the admins in the past. Similar topic to politics or religion! 😝

Actually, it was available at CVS here in Massachusetts in mid September. We got it on the second day it was available. We got the flu shot on the same day, different arms!

Yup, you got me! And I'm an English major! I guess I was overcome with someone posting about not using "The"! LOL, good catch! Hear Hear to you!

Here here! I learned this some time ago and I appreciate you bringing this forward!

As has been reported this entire day, Celebrity IS offering 100% FCC - this is a copy/paste from our Oct 16 roll call, from Celebrity: We do apologize for any inconvenience or disappointments; we currently are offering 2 options. Option 1 Re-book another Celebrity Cruises sailing for a later date at prevailing rates. Please know, you'll be responsible for any difference in pricing for your cruise fare, taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items. Option 2 If you wish to cancel, we'll provide you with a Future Cruise Credit to use toward any future Celebrity Cruises sailing. Future Cruise Credit (FCC) valued at 100% of the cruise fare paid on their current booking to book an alternative Celebrity Cruises sailing. If you used a Future Cruise Credit on this sailing, we'll refund any NEW funds paid above the Credit amount, and we'll reinstate your original Credit.

Thanks for your astute observation, so helpful! It's funny as everyone was so concerned about the lack of clarity surrounding getting a visa in Egypt - perspective is everything as well.

Cruise Critic admins get extremely disturbed when you mention Facebook. You by now probably know that Celebrity is offering 100% FCC if you book another cruise at the time you cancel, and 90% FCC if you decide to wait and rebook something within a year. Very generous terms I feel under the circumstances.

Celebrity is offering, for the Oct 16 cruise, a 100% FCC if you rebook another cruise at the time of cancellation. If you cancel and decide to wait, they are offering a 90% FCC, for a cruise booked within a year. This is extremely fair and was the right thing to do.

Sorry, not fair whatsoever. Egypt and Israel for most, are lifetime dream destinations, points of pilgrimages. Nazareth? Bethlehem? The Sphinx? The Pyramids of Giza? OMG! This was our CHANCE, our ONE CHANCE to see these amazing destinations. These sites were the only reasons we booked this cruise. OF COURSE we grieve for Israel, for the unrest in the Middle East, for the lives lost, for the tumult and chaos in the region which has been going on for countless years, the heartache, the suffering, the unimaginable. But it is absolutely ok for us here, amongst our fellow cruisers, to grieve our loss - the loss of destinations which now we will never see. Does us grieving the loss of our pilgrimage destinations mean that we are selfish entitled boors? I think NOT! And I resent your assumption that we are.

This may be happening. Someone on the roll call for the Oct 16 roll call on the site that shan't be named, spoke with Customer Service today, even before Egypt was cancelled, "only" Israel had been cancelled at that point - with an agent and supervisor, who said that FCCs for the Oct 16 cruise are being offered - this is a quote from her post: "Future cruise credits for the total amount you paid for the cruise, to be booked within a year but can cruise anytime". She had not yet taken the FCC, so I do hope she got the name of the supervisor! But this bodes well......

We are actually on the Oct 16 sailing and I have to say, if these substitutions are the same for our sailing, I personally am feeling not so bad......we've never been to Cyprus, and an overnight there will be lovely, and an extra full day in Egypt, definitely not bad. We will of course personally be extremely disappointed to miss Israel, truly a once in a lifetime chance for us - but to not have 3 sea days as a replacement is welcome, considering the tragic circumstances under which this had to be done.

With Israel at war, there is no chance we are going to Israel on the Oct 16 sailing. Never say never, but in this case, never is the word to be used.

Yes, the new plan has been reported above - an overnight in Limassol, then a seaday, then an extra overnight in Alexandria, making 3 full days to tour Egypt.

The itinerary already included two full days in Egypt, docked in Alexandria for 1 overnight, thus MANY passengers had already booked a Cairo overnight, allowing two full days to see the sights nearby. Now, there are 3 full days in Egypt, 2 nights ported in Alexandria. We have a private tour booked through Ramses with an overnight in Cairo. But now with 2 overnights, gosh, could have had an opportunity to go all the way to Luxor on a private tour, but it's just too late to make that kind of a plan now.

Our best to your friends! This was a sudden and totally unexpected attack. Based upon the national news reports this morning, Israeli intelligence dropped the ball big time. Please keep us updated.

As I mentioned in an earlier post on this thread, we LOVE the helipad experience. We've been invited every cruise geesch, for the past maybe 15 cruises if memory serves! We are suckers for it! Some of our favorite photos of us as a couple are on the helipad with the bridge behind us and no other passengers in the frame (we always wait for the deck to clear!). It's just a ton of fun for us, it really is. But pay for it, not us personally, no. But as I stated above in my earlier post, I see why Celebrity would begin to charge - so that passengers without the status can still experience it if they'd like to. It's the same idea as charging for the Behind the Scenes tour and the Art Tour on the Edge Class ships, a revenue earner.......I do "assume"/hope, that invitations will continue to be sent as in the past, but that the charge thing is for those that would not otherwise be invited......I guess we will see!

I am befuddled about the helipad sailaway experience now becoming an event you pay for! I am guessing though that the invitation only sailaways will still exist (I sure hope so, selfishly!) - ie, Elite Plus and Zenith, Suite, Aqua and Concierge, but that this is an opportunity for those who would not have status to be invited, to still have the sailaway experience. The sailaway experience is now presumably another chance for the line to collect some revenue, like charging for the behind the scenes tours, the art tours on the Edge Class ships, etc.....I won't bring up the failed chocolate chip cookie money grab, lol! But I guess I understand the point, considering the trend of increasing costs, searches for new revenue streams......as long as the invitation only sailaways still exist 😅as honestly, we love them! Some of my favorite photos are of the two of us on the helipad with the bridge above us and absolutely no one else in the photo!

I agree to prune the thread is a great idea. But I would like to say a big thank you to whoever suggested staying in Winchester before sailing out of Southampton. July 2024, we are flying into Heathrow a few days before catching the Apex in Southampton, and we are lucky to say that we've seen quite a bit of London, Bath, Cotswolds, etc, on prior trips - I'd never thought about Winchester, what a wonderful idea! We now have reserved a terrific Bed and Breakfast for two nights and are really looking forward to exploring the oh so famous cathedral, as well as an area which is new to us as well as a VERY short trip to the port - only 14 miles.

I'm pretty sure that the new restaurant, Daniel Boulud's Le Voyage on the Beyond and the Ascent, eliminates the Chef's Table dinner on those two ships......