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Thank you SinbadThePorter - I'm going to look at all the suggestions I have been so kindly given. Best - Brenda

Wow, that is a unwelcome surprise. That road trip is sounding like a plan. Thank you!!

No problem bhami - We're sailing on Celebrity Edge and the first cruise starts in October 2024. Please ask if you have any questions. - Brenda

Beatleman - At my age, hadn't heard that yet! But alas, we had a home a few years ago in Grand Cayman so are not worried about the driving. But I do appreciate your input and I hope Beatleman means you are a Beatles fan...I certainly am - went to Liverpool for the first time last year and enjoyed everything "Beatles". Yarramar - that sounds perfect, I will pull out a map and see if it works for us. Thanks so much for the suggestions. Happy & safe journeys all.

mauimary - Hi, I hear you! We currently have the same cabin on all 3 cruises so I'll really have to convince myself to get off and skip Tasmania :). I've booked Blue Mountains tour on one of our days before cruise starts - did you like it? I'd love to see a musical at the Opera House - I need to look in that. Safe journeys, Brenda

ddaley822 - Just today I'm getting booked :). I have spoken with the TA from SCarolina and I did like her so I'm ok with how this is going. Maybe she can get me a few of those freebies! We are a long ways off - we don't travel until May 2025 for our first river cruise. We are going Basel to Amsterdam as we plan to arrive 2-3 week prior to the cruise and visit Austria, Germany & Switzerland. We have a few trips in the meantime to keep us busy - we'll be in your area the first week of May with our daughter and then in the fall we have B2B2B cruises in Australia/New Zealand. I'll be looking for your live/semi-live review though :). Wish you were on the AmaSiena so I'd get the real lowdown :). Safe journeys.

Hello - We leave on Celebrity Edge 10/22/24 on b2b2b cruises. The middle cruise is 11/2-11/6/24 and is 3 sea days with 1 day in port at Hobart. We are starting to question if perhaps we should cancel that cruise and just rent a car in Sydney and do a road trip for 3-4 days to return to Sydney on 11/6 to board Edge again for the New Zealand cruise. We prefer not to stay in Sydney between cruises as we are flying over early and will have spent 5 days there already. I'm thinking Melbourne might be too far for the time allowed. Wondering if anyone has any ideas?? BTW, we are 70 and prefer, here in the USA, National Parks & State Parks to big cities. We are not shoppers. We enjoy outdoors/scenery, hikes in the 3miles and under variety and wildlife. Thank you for any thoughts or ideas - Brenda

Thank you all for the responses - AMA solved my problem, well sort of. I tried to book online and for some reason the website would not accept my credit card so I put a 7 day hold on the cruise. In my confirmation email they are referring me to a travel advisor. They did not give me a name but a telephone number, which I googled and is a TA in South Carolina (I'm in Florida). I thought I'd share this info as I found interesting. Be well and happy travels.

Hello experienced river cruisers - We are experienced ocean cruisers in our late 60's and are looking at Rhine with AMAWaterways (either Captivating Rhine or Enchanting Rhine) in May 2025. For our first ever river cruise, we'll do a 7 day cruise then stay in Europe for at least 2 more weeks...but my point? I can't seem to figure out with river cruising if you need, want or should have a travel agent as opposed to booking directly with cruise line?? I understand on ocean cruises they help a great deal with OBC and the like but it is lost on me for the river cruise. I have truly tried to be diligent and do research but I'm missing the boat on this. Also we would not be using the air program with the cruise line. If I want a TA do you let AMA assign one? Do you just google search? Any tidbit of info would be greatly appreciated. And if you have any thoughts on the Rhine in May please share. Thank you so much for your time and knowledge. - Brenda

Hey Jelayne - Does it have to be? We are traveling with friends that would not have access to Luminae and would prefer to stay in main dining. I know that might sound crazy but I choose my friends :). I'm sure a call to Celebrity will likely happen before this is over and it will all get worked out.

I thank you all for the responses. Did some digging on Celebrity website so now I'm REALLY confused :). I understand higher gratuities and that's fine. But the website then goes on to say you don't get "extras"...so do we really have access to Retreat and other restaurants? I'm really just happy to have the room...may not know until I'm on the ship - going to roll with it no matter the outcome. Now if they gave me free specialty coffee that would be a real winner!

Hey dleahy4444 - I'm not going to be much help as my hubby took care of it. I do know he bid a little over $2k to get into the just barely "strong" area of the meter. He doesn't remember what the minimum bid was, sorry. I'd expect everything to be more expensive on Ascent. Our daughter just got back from a cruise on Ascent - she loved it and said it was really beautiful :).

Hi folks - Bear with me please. I've never even bid before so have a few questions for those that know. I was originally booked in a Sunset Veranda cabin on deck 7. I received a move up offer on a Sunset Sky Suite - bid and won. Now we are on deck 12. When I made the original purchase, I prepaid gratuities but did not buy drink package as we are not drinkers. Are there any concerns or changes that I should be aware of? The way I understand this is basically I just got a room change and nothing else, right? We sail RCCL more than Celebrity so really in the dark. We have done Beyond twice though so not total newbies to Celebrity. We are excited to get the extra space and love being in the aft so it's all a win win for us - just trying to be prepared. Thank you much for any information!

I am searching for a "new TA"....I've used the same company/agent for years and now after calling several times and emailing several times, I am getting no response. Odd. I really liked them. Always got OBC and specialty dining. I've given 2 weeks for any kind of response and crickets. I hate starting new but I need to book 3 cruises. After using same agent for years it's just sad to me.

Thanks all - with the help from the suggestions on this thread - I was able to find the cabins I needed/wanted. Now I'm first to admit my TA SHOULD have done this. I found out this weekend he had left on vacation. Seems like he could have told me that as I've been using him for years but alas. I will give him one more chance (he returns today) and if not satisfied, will be looking elsewhere.