12 minutes ago, Bimmer09 said:

Norton and Norris agree!

Thanks for a well-considered post.

"make hay while the sun shines" applies and especially to bucket list cruises. At most we have only ever taken 2 cruises a year and will never be invited to a "most traveled" lunch on a ship. We love our land travels too, especially to Europe.

I hope you stay following and appear in my next cruise. It will be on the Princess board starting January 1 2024. The link will appear on this review.

Norris

Norris.

Whoops. WWND= What Would Norris Do. It is totally unclear what Norton might do. But, I encourage him to follow your postings. Looking forward to your January 2024 reporting.

Jim

Norton,

So glad you are home and on the mend. Your travel reports have long been an inspiration for me, not only to travel more, but to enjoy and take note of all the wonderful details of my travel. I have had many WWND (what would Norton do) moments where I take travel lemons and try to make them into Norton style lemonade. 

To have your hospitalization inserted into this travel review, combined with your ability to report that serious event with typical humor and insight, creates another lesson for me. As I start to think about whether I have the time, energy and finances for another cruise, my WWND voice tells me that tomorrow is not promised. A hospitalization for illness is a real possibility as we otherwise enjoy our lives. WWND: Travel when you are healthy. Don't overlook any detail. Make those around you smile. And, document it so you can share with many others thereby making it enjoyable for as many others as possible and helps them with there travel  planning.

Get well and back on the road as quickly as possible.

53 minutes ago, USC Adventurer said:

is azamara relaxing the pre cruise testing from copenhagen.  my ship sails on august 25th, 2022

Azamara has not changed, to my knowledge, its current policy which is:

Pre-Arrival Testing

All guests are required to have a negative PCR test 3 days before their sail date, or a negative antigen test 1 day before their sail date. We accept at-home test kits which are proctored and certified by a medical provider. Guests without proof of a negative COVID-19 test may purchase an antigen test at the embarkation port for $59 USD. Guests who do not have proof of a negative COVID-19 test will be denied boarding.

Saw this on another board and thought I should post here.

"MIAMI, July 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) (the “Company”) today announced it will no longer require guests to complete pre-cruise COVID-19 testing unless required by local regulations. This policy will go into effect across Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises beginning August 1, 2022. The pre-embarkation testing requirement will remain in place for guests currently traveling on voyages departing from destinations with local testing regulations, including but not limited to the U.S., Canada, Greece and Bermuda. The relaxation of the testing policy is in line with the rest of the travel, leisure and hospitality industry worldwide as society continues to adapt and return to a state of normalcy. The Company continues to strongly recommend all guests be up to date on vaccination protocols and test at their convenience prior to travel."

3 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

Just got this for our Alaska cruise on Millennium also.  Ugh!  I guess I prefer a very cautious approach but those of us flying in a couple days before, potentially in hotels without cars, may really find this a challenge!  I thought I would not have to worry about this being fully vaccinated, but now we join the ranks of the non-vaccinated scrambling for quick turn-around tests.

The ships will be a safe harbor with the 95% vax rates and the documentation of no antigen before boarding. I am ready to sail again after a long wait. Small price to pay.

2 minutes ago, bloomcruisers said:

 

Who has verified this denied priority boarding. Please direct to the confirmed report.

I do not have the answer to your question. However, when I view my Xpress Pass for upcoming August sailing of edge the following comes up above that pass in bold large lettering I think it trumps statements about boarding on the web site that preceded it. 

"Follow these steps for boarding so we can stay healthy, together.

Day before your cruise: Answer your health questions in the app
You’ll save time and avoid unnecessary lines and interactions. Once you’ve signed in, we’ll send you a notification when it’s available.

Boarding day: Honor your arrival time
Everyone will receive a wellness check before being cleared for boarding. Guests who arrive outside of their arrival time will be subject to a longer wait before being able to board.

Onboard: Get connected
The mobile app helps you make the most of your cruise vacation from the palm of your hand. So once you are onboard, connect to ship Wi-Fi (for free, no internet package required) and stay in touch while touching less."

I wonder if the perception that people posting on CC are predominantly booking in suites is due to the fact that many recent postings have been about Edge and Apex. Those Edge class ships have a Retreat area that was incorporated into their original design with a dedicated sun deck and lounge in addition to Luminae. Combine what is perceived to be a better suites only area with some desire for a real balcony,  pandemic related abundant FCC and the also pandemic associated psychologic desire to be pampered after missing out on some cancelled cruising experiences and suite bookings might currently be higher. There have some postings that even with reduced total capacity on the latest Edge sailings the suites have almost sold out. I think it might be a bias in recent postings which slants towards an over representation of suite occupancy amongst those on the Celebrity CC board. Maybe it is a form of recency bias?

I am on a 7am AA flight to DFW so I might head to the Fairmont. Maybe I can check my bags and enjoy the waterfront first, though. Thanks for all the input. Very helpful!

Does anyone know if the Pan Pacific would be a good hotel choice to stay over night awaiting an early next morning flight after I debark the Quest on 7/2? Seems convenient. Thanks.

On 12/2/2018 at 8:47 AM, ecslady said:

You  stated that the room steward brought you your key cards.  When did he do that?  Did you have to go find him? As soon as I get to the cabin, I like to drop my stuff and go out exploring. Would I need to wait for him to come with the cards?

Does anyone know if you can use your phone app to access your room while you await contact with your room steward?

Docking at Fort Lauderdale. 

Per Captain’s 10 am announcements, Reflection docks 12 noon Sunday for Med evac then sails until scheduled 4 am Monday 11/5 arrival. 

I now see this on a different thread:

"durante

Cool Cruiser

[/url] #3

280 Posts

Joined Mar 2009

Posted August 7th, 2017, 01:11 AM

"There has been a lot about the delays in the news over the last week, and sorry you got caught up in it. I have read that people are being advised to allow at least 4 hours before their scheduled flight departing Barcelona.

I had some concerns that flights arriving into Barcelona on the strike days would be similarly affected as we flew from Heathrow to Barcelona last night, Sunday arriving just after 10pm, however there were no queues whatsoever. Plenty of other flights also arriving at that time of the night, so it's difficult to predict what others might experience, but best to allow that extra time for departing Barcelona."

Based on that experience,I was hoping that it would not affect arrivals but it certainly makes it hard to plan. Thanks for the replies.

I am scheduled to fly to BCN tomorrow for a cruise and just got an alert from American Airlines that "A possible industrial action in Barcelona, August 11-16, may affect your upcoming travel plans." They go on to say I might be able to change my plans without a change fee. I see that airport security has been staging slow downs creating long security clearance lines with some passengers missing flights and that they may proceed to a full strike. Would that affect an in bound flight?

Some raw data below regarding rooms with occupants eligible to eat in Luminae on Reflection vs. Edge

 

REFLECTION: 108 Suites

This is a list of all the cabins and suites onboard Celebrity Cruises's Celebrity Reflection. Please click a cabin number below for more details about that particular cabin. Please note, cabin decor and size may vary among cabins in these categories. All descriptions are general as it relates to a particular category.

 

 

Number of Decks:13Number of Categories:33Suites108Balcony Staterooms1183Oceanview Staterooms70Inside Staterooms154Total Number of Staterooms1515Accessible Staterooms30Connecting Staterooms269

 

 

EDGE- 146SS+2PH+6EV+2IS=156 Suites; and perhaps 24 rooms that connect to suites= 180 rooms

52. HOW MANY STATEROOMS ARE ON EDGE?• 1,467 total staterooms• 146 Sky Suites• Two Penthouse Suites• 6 Edge Villas• Two Iconic Suites• 918 of these rooms are Infinite Veranda Staterooms• 16 accessible Edge Staterooms with Infinite Veranda• 16 single Edge Staterooms with Infinite Veranda• 104 Aqua Class Infinite Veranda Staterooms• Two Accessible Aqua Class Infinite Veranda Staterooms• 284 Concierge Class Infinite Veranda Staterooms• Six Accessible Concierge Class Infinite Veranda Staterooms

If the above is true: Reflection with 108 Suites and 92 Luminae tables

Edge with maybe 180 Suites/rooms and 170 tables.

Both with a close to 1:1 ratio?

Some raw data below regarding rooms with occupants eligible to eat in Luminae on Reflection vs. Edge

REFLECTION: 108 Suites

This is a list of all the cabins and suites onboard Celebrity Cruises's Celebrity Reflection. Please click a cabin number below for more details about that particular cabin. Please note, cabin decor and size may vary among cabins in these categories. All descriptions are general as it relates to a particular category.

Thanks :). Is that larger than the current Luminae on S class ships?

I think the seating on S class Luminae is 92 as per an article quoted below. So, the increase to 170 seats in E class is significant. Of course,need to compare the number of guests eligible to eat in Luminae for S vs. E.

"In a word, the ambiance at Luminae is "rarified." Its opulence is emphasized through its decor: rich golds and blacks with lots of mirrors and lights, befitting its name. The 92-seat restaurant is only available to suite passengers."

If you are in connecting cabins and the reservations are linked, you can all enjoy the perks of The Retreat. The following was in a press release:

 

As an extension of the suite design, Kelly Hoppen MBE was at the forefront of creating The Retreat, an exclusive area for Suite Class guests which includes a private restaurant, pool area and exclusive lounge. There are few (if any) onboard spaces at sea that are as stylish, sophisticated and that rival any high-end resort.

What’s more, for the first time ever, guests in a non-Suite stateroom that are connected with a Suite will also enjoy all the benefits from The Retreat’s luxurious amenities...

That is great to know. Thanks!!

I see that S3 staterooms, at the Magic Carpet, link to lower category rooms. For instance on deck 9 S3 room 9200 links to Cat 12 inside stateroom 9202. S3 comes with suite class acess to THE RETREAT. Cat. 12 does not. If I book the S3 with DW and book my 20 something daughters in the connecting 9202, do we have to separate when I use THE RETREAT (Lounge,Luminae,Sundeck)? Seems to defeat the family connecting rooms concept.

Great video, Bill. How did you get to stand at that balcony? Did that require purchase of tickets before the cruise? Is it better to watch at street level or balcony? I see you did both.

Do you agree with my comments regarding grandstands and the parades? Please give us your expert opinion. :D

Dragon, Thanks for the great thread!! I am booked for 2018 and am new to NOLA and Mardi Gras. Are you aware of details regarding or anyone who did the Celebrity Grandstand excursion? Can it possibly be worth the $$ ???? Location good, bad??

Yes. We have been very pleased with the excursions and the discounts offered.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Good to know. Thank you.

For the first time I transferred a reservation to a big box TA for an upcoming March 2016 Azamara cruise. Today I received this email from the TA which I have redacted to remove anything that would identify the TA or the shore excursion booking company they use. Have people used this service. Is so, good outcome?

"Dear ------ Traveler,

With your cruise departure date drawing near, we invite you to visit the website of our independent shore excursions supplier, ______.

Pre-booking your shore excursions can save you time and money. _______ offers independent excursions in most ports around the world, with prices that typically are lower than those offered by the cruise line.

When you're ready to purchase a shore excursion, enter your itinerary information and begin shopping. Should you require assistance, Shore Excursions experts are available at ---------, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Eastern Time. At the time of booking, please provide your ------ Travel coupon code: ------- to receive your --------- member discount.

------------ requires reservations to be made at least three days in advance of your ship's departure, so that they have the ability to ensure all of the arrangements are confirmed and finalized. Reservations made within three days will be charged a $25 Expedite fee.

To inquire about trip protection coverage for your added shore excursions, please contact your travel insurance provider.

We wish you a wonderful cruise vacation.

Need help? Call -------- toll free at -----------."

Host Anne, Thanks so much for all the great info! I will be tendering from the Azamara Quest to St.John in March. Would the tender be to the Cruz Bay ferry terminal dock? If so, from there I was thinking of walking the Lind Point Trail and choosing between Salomon Bay, Honeymoon and Caneel Bay Beaches. Any thoughts?