Jump to content

cboyle

Members
  • Posts

    1,374
  • Joined

About Me

  • Location
    North Carolina, USA
  • Interests
    Hiking, snorkeling, SCUBA
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Princess
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Mediterranean

Recent Profile Visitors

The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.

cboyle's Achievements

Cool Cruiser

Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. @Peterian, you may want to read the reviews of Ponant's Japan cruises that are here on Cruise Critic (https://www.cruisecritic.com/compagnie-du-ponant-japan-cruises_cl132-de213/mra/). There are only nine and, as typical for most cruises, very mixed. @marooncruiser and I will be taking two cruises on L'Soleal back-to-back in May: "The Best of Japan" and "Cultural and Natural Treasures of Japan by Sea – with Smithsonian Journeys." As is our wont, we will be writing detailed reports after we return and publishing them here on Cruise Critic.
  2. cboyle

    Ponant Bonus

    I think you can only get the First Time Cruiser OR the Referral Bonus, but I think they are the same amount. I think all of the rest of them can combine, but you will have to ask to be sure. I am not an expert on this. Another discount I have gotten is the wedding anniversary discount if you cruise in the year of your 5th,10th, etc. anniversary. I had to provide a copy of my marriage license. I have a Ponant Personal Cruise Consultant who adds extra OBC. Some travel agents may kick back part of their commission if you use them. You need to shop around and ask.
  3. cboyle

    Ponant Bonus

    As far as I can tell, Ponant does not have sales like Celebrity or Princess, where the price goes down as the ship fills up. On the contrary, the Bonus goes down and the price goes up as time goes on, so it is advantageous to book earlier rather than later. Not to mention that the ships often sell out. They do have occasional sales (like the Holiday Sale) that offer an additional discount above the current Bonus. I do not think you could add that to an existing booking, but may have to rebook. If you book a cruise while onboard, there is an additional 5% discount. If you know someone who has cruised with Ponant, they can refer you; both you and they will get OBC. I believe it is the same amount as the New Guest OBC and that you can only claim one or the other. Hope that helps.
  4. cboyle

    Ponant Bonus

    I should mention that there are other discounts, such as for your first cruise, back-to-back cruises, etc. Also, if you have loyalty status with another cruise line, Ponant offers status matching. https://us.ponant.com/benefit-from-the-status-match?_gl=1*18pzext*_up*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiAiP2tBhBXEiwACslfnunedvPTAxXY8dGlNQUz9_EztJ3q5rOUQrpNjVJxhtZraNMHdAmRpBoC_L4QAvD_BwE
  5. cboyle

    Ponant Bonus

    Yes, the prices on the website and in the brochure show the discounted price. https://us.ponant.com/frequently-asked-questions?_gl=1*1pfk0o4*_up*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiAiP2tBhBXEiwACslfnunedvPTAxXY8dGlNQUz9_EztJ3q5rOUQrpNjVJxhtZraNMHdAmRpBoC_L4QAvD_BwE What is the PONANT Bonus? The earlier you book, the more advantageous your rates will be thanks to the PONANT BONUS, a reduction of up to 30% on the price of your stateroom or suite. This promotion decreases as the cruise fills up. Find out more about the PONANT Bonus here. Are the rates displayed on the site calculated based on the PONANT Bonus? The rates displayed on the site are updated in real time according to the evolution of the PONANT Bonus.
  6. There are lots of boots available to try on. Just try several pairs until you find the size that works best with your heavy socks. Don’t stress about this!
  7. Listen to what @81Zoomie said above or what @AussieBoyTX said in his reply to you (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2972324-antarctica-on-laustral-help-needed-questions/#comment-66378058). They are telling it like it is.
  8. We cruised to Antarctica on L'Austral's sister ship, Le Soleal, in February 2020. This was our first cruise with Ponant, so I wrote an extremely detailed (some might say tedious) trip report on our experience. It is posted here on Cruise Critic: www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=680008
  9. We haven't been to Cartagena since 2011 (on a Panama Canal cruise), but this is what we did last time. OCT 7 (FRI) CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA (ARRIVE 8:00AM, ALL ABOARD 1:30PM) We had visited Cartagena on a previous cruise. On that visit, we took the ship’s “Best of Cartagena and Fortress” tour. That tour made photo stops at all the main sights of Cartagena, but did not allow much time to explore the fortress or the city walls. We were the first independent passengers to make it out of the port area. Just outside the shops at the cruise ship terminal are tour guides and a bit further is the taxi line. The posted amount for a taxi to the Old City was $15 USD and the price for a trip to the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas was the same; perhaps you could negotiate a lower fare. The driver tried to talk us into letting him wait for us at the Castillo and then taking us to the Old City, claiming it was too far to walk to the Old City from the fort. However, we wanted to walk atop the city walls to reach the historic section. It took nearly 30 minutes in heavy traffic to make it to the Castillo. The cost to enter the Castillo is C$16,000 pp, which only equals about $8-9 USD. However, if you pay in USD, the actual charge is $10 pp. There is also an audio tour for rent; we did not do that. We bought our tickets and headed up the long main ramp of the Castillo. There are vendors and panhandlers along the way, but that did not pose a big problem for us. Once up the ramp, we climbed all over the various levels of the fort and enjoyed excellent views of Cartagena. We had the fort almost to ourselves; there were only two or three other couples and a few guards scattered strategically around. Eventually, the tour buses from the ship arrived. Even though it was still early in the day, the sun was already getting hot. By the time they made it to the top of the ramp, some of the tour participants looked in pretty sad shape --- and this was just their first tour stop! In addition to great views, the Castillo has a warren of underground tunnels (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_San_Felipe_de_Barajas#The_castle). We explored a few of the shorter ones, and finally found the main entrance by following one of the tour groups into the maze. We took a parallel side tunnel and caught up to the tour group just as they were deciding they did not want to go down the main tunnel and instead wanted to return the way John and I had come. That was probably a wise decision for them as the ramp was steep and slippery in spots. We continued down and down, finally reaching an area where the floor was flooded; we may have been below sea level there. Also, the tunnels were not lighted beyond that point and, although we had brought flashlights, we were not inclined to go wading. We climbed back up, which was actually easier than going down, and explored a bit more. Before we left the fort, we took several pictures with a young man dressed up in a colonial military uniform ($2 tip). He was also playing an eclectic assortment of tunes (e.g., “Sounds of Silence,” “Strangers in the Night,” “Blue Danube Waltz”) on his trumpet. After about an hour at the fort, we crossed the Puente Heredia to begin a walking tour of Las Murallas, the city walls. Although the walls begin right at the city side of the bridge, that section is not accessible. We walked along Avenida Carlos Lopez (a major thoroughfare) to Calle San Pedro Martír, where another bridge crosses from the mainland to the walled city. Here we had to cross the street to reach the ramp to Baluarte de San Pedro Martír (St. Peter the Martyr Battery). Looking back from the battery, we had great views of the fort and also the Monumento a la India Catalina, which stands atop a pillar in the traffic circle at the foot of the bridge. Catalina was an Indian woman who served as a translator for Pedro de Heredia when the Spaniards arrived in Colombia; a smaller, gold version of her statue is the Colombian equivalent of “Oscar.” From here, we walked counterclockwise around the walls to the Old Town. Only about 2/3 of the walls are accessible to walkers and the distance is about 1-1/2 miles. The walls range from 20-30 feet high and 10-30 feet thick, putting you nicely above the traffic and providing good views of the city streets and the Caribbean; there was only one section where we needed to descend and walk a block or so before re-ascending. The walls are punctuated by batteries, each named for a saint, and most have cannons. We passed a derelict bull ring (Circo Teatro), the Fortifications Museum, Las Bóvedas (formerly dungeons, now shops), Teatro Heredia, and other sights. We finally had to end our walk at the Baluarte de San Francisco Javier; the ramps to the remainder of the walls are gated, perhaps because the walls are too close to the Alcaldia (mayor’s office). We walked behind the Naval Museum, the St. Peter Claver Church/Cloister/Museum, and the Modern Art Museum to the Plaza de la Aduana (Customs Square), where we forgot to stop at the Tourist Information Office to pick up a better map than the one we had printed from the Internet. From here, we walked to the Plaza de los Coches, where we would start our walking tour of the historic area. Everywhere we went, there were many pieces of public art --- both historical monuments and modern metallic sculptures. Although there were vendors and panhandlers, we were not bothered excessively. Perhaps they felt that the tour groups from the ship provided easier targets. There are several good web sites with ideas for walking tours and descriptions of the sites of the Old City (www.cartagenainfo.net/mapas/caminando/flash/english.htm, www.lonelyplanet.com/colombia/caribbean-coast/cartagena/sights). People who taxi straight to the Old City are dropped off at the Puerta del Reloj (Clock Gate); this is the only remaining original city gate. Atop the gate is a four-sided clock tower. This gate leads to the Plaza de los Coches, where one can engage a carriage for a tour through the historic area. From there, we walked back towards Custom Square, continuing on to Plaza de San Pedro, and passing the front of the buildings we had passed behind earlier. We had toured the Naval Museum and the St. Peter Claver Church (with the body of the saint in a glass coffin under the main altar) on our previous visit. Now we were in Plaza de Santa Theresa. From here, we walked along Calle Santa Teresa to Plaza de Bolívar and its equestrian statue of the hero of South America. The Palace of the Inquisition, the Gold Museum, and the Cathedral are all adjacent to this square. Turning left on Calle Santos de Piedra and left again on Calle Santo Domingo, brought us to St. Dominic Church, reputedly the oldest in the city. Directly in front of the church is the bronze sculpture Mujer Reclinada (Reclining Woman) by the Colombian artist Botero. She is nude and generously endowed in all dimensions, so she is also known as Botero’s gordita (little fat one). John wondered what the priest must think about having her in front of the church, but I said it was OK because she must be the patron saint of cruise ship passengers. From Plaza de Santo Domingo, we walked along Calle de la Mantilla and turned left onto Calle de Don Sanchoco. That street took us back to the Teatro Heredia and the Plaza de la Merced, which we had seen from the walls. Turning right, we walked along Calle de la Merced, passing Iglésia de Santo Toribio de Mangrovejo. This church is noted for having a canon ball come through a window during an attack on the city during a service, but miraculously no one inside was killed. Turning left after the church, we entered the Plaza de San Diego. This square is surrounded by the Hotel Santa Clara (formerly a Clarist convent), the School of Fine Arts, and many stores and restaurants. From here, we went back towards the Clock Gate, along Calle Chochera del Hobo and passing Parque de Fernandez Madrid. Once back at the Clock Gate, we exited the walled city and walked along the waterfront (Calle del Arsenal) of the old port of Cartagena. There are two large bronze sculptures, Los Pegasos, of a winged horse family at the head of the bay. By now, we were ready to return to the ship, so we found a taxi ($10). Back at the port, we discovered that the park-like area around the cruise terminal contained a number of birds such as macaws, flamingoes, and a peacock. Like any good theme park, the only exit to the cruise ship dock was through a gift shop. Our entire excursion took about 3-1/2 hours and we probably walked about 4-5 miles.
  10. We have used Defrantur (https://www.defrantur.com/ingles/) for tours and transfers in Buenos Aires three times. In 2011, they picked us up at EZE and we did a private tour of BA, tour to the falls, winery tours in Argentina, crossed the Andes on a bus, city tour in Santiago, winery tours in Chile, and were delivered to the cruise port in Valpariaso. During the cruise, Defrantur organized shared (with other Cruise Critic members) shore excursions in BA and Montevideo. Our cruise ended in Rio, so we had to use a different company there for a tour and airport transfer. This is our review of the cruise with all the details: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=80603
  11. We have used Defrantur (https://www.defrantur.com/ingles/) for tours and transfers in Buenos Aires three times. Check them out on TripAdvisor; this was our latest review. I would like to give more than five stars! Opinion about Defrantur Argentina Written opinion February 27, 2020 This is the third time we have used Defrantur's services in Argentina and we are still impressed with them. They serve as a sort of tour consolidator that will organize multiple tours for you and provide you with personal services to get to and from those tours. Ricardo and Laura were a real pleasure to deal with and were always attentive to our requests. They provided advice on what was possible during our short stay and what would fit our time frame. One person handled all of our transportation needs during our visit. Juan Carlos picked us up at EZE airport, drove us to our hotel, and then drove us to/from each tour location we had selected with Defrantur. It was perfect and excellent. He made sure we arrived on time for our early morning departure flight from AEP airport. This was a brief stop for us, but in the past, Defrantur has organized much longer trips in Argentina and Chile and even coastal cruise excursions. Once when we had a medical emergency, Ricardo handled all cancellations professionally and easily. We know we can trust this operation!
  12. We have used Defrantur (https://www.defrantur.com/ingles/) for tours and transfers in Buenos Aires three times. Check them out on TripAdvisor; this was our latest review. I would like to give more than five stars! Opinion about Defrantur Argentina Written opinion February 27, 2020 This is the third time we have used Defrantur's services in Argentina and we are still impressed with them. They serve as a sort of tour consolidator that will organize multiple tours for you and provide you with personal services to get to and from those tours. Ricardo and Laura were a real pleasure to deal with and were always attentive to our requests. They provided advice on what was possible during our short stay and what would fit our time frame. One person handled all of our transportation needs during our visit. Juan Carlos picked us up at EZE airport, drove us to our hotel, and then drove us to/from each tour location we had selected with Defrantur. It was perfect and excellent. He made sure we arrived on time for our early morning departure flight from AEP airport. This was a brief stop for us, but in the past, Defrantur has organized much longer trips in Argentina and Chile and even coastal cruise excursions. Once when we had a medical emergency, Ricardo handled all cancellations professionally and easily. We know we can trust this operation!
  13. AFAIK, no cruise line allows visitors onboard, either at the port of embarkation or a port of call, because of security and health concerns. Princess Cruises used to have a program for a limited number of people to come onboard (for a fee) on embarkation day to have lunch and a ship tour. That program was discontinued years ago. Why don't you call Ponant and ask?
  14. cboyle

    Ponant app

    @tashaaa, have you created a "My Ponant" account? Can you see your booking there? Any shore excursions you pre-reserve should also appear there. I am able to use the same login information for "My Ponant" to login to the app. Then I can see the booking and the excursions there. AFIK, the only way you can pre-reserve shore excursions is to contact your Ponant Cruise Consultant. On our last cruise, her booking engine did not allow her to pre-reserve all of the excursions that appeared on the "My Ponant" website. Fortunately, we were able to book the excursions we wanted when we boarded the ship. I have never been able to open the confirmation, invoice, coupon or credit either. I asked my Ponant Cruise Consultant about them and she had no idea why I see them. I have always received an email with all the cruise documents about two weeks before the cruise. The hard copy plus luggage tags arrives by FedEx a few days later. The main thing we use the app for is to see the dinner menus. As @jpalbny noted, it is very buggy. You don't need to do an online check in. Hope that helps! Carolyn
  15. That is not how it worked on the Crown Princess December 22 sailing. I had pre booked the Crown Grill on the first night for our party of 5 adults and a child and my credit card was charged. The morning after we dined, my onboard account had been charged for 6 adults. Guest Services said there was no record that I had paid in advance. GS had to email the Home Office and the new charge was removed the next day. What a hassle!
×
×
  • Create New...