Milhouse

We're actually flying into Paris this August for a few days in between the Olympics and Paralympics before heading to Rotterdam to hop on our cruise which takes us to Le Verdon Sur Mer but marketed as Bordeaux. We've been to Paris before so we're doing a mix of a few common attractions, past fav's, and new things. And since Le Verdon is pretty far from Bordeaux, we're likely going to save it for future land trip (TBD tho). This is many years ago but we kind of took the train from Barcelona to Paris. It's not a completely fair comparison because there was a train strike in Spain so we have to bus it Montpellier to jump on the TGV. And then the TGV was delayed getting into Paris because of debris on the lines. Even without those issue, it would have been a long trip. With limited time, I'd probably want to fly. We have taken Vueling once from Rome to Barcelona post cruise. Although leg room was limited, for a short flight I think it's fine. I'd only warn that with low cost carriers (LCC's) in general, I'm always wary of delays and cancellations. (FWIW, our flight with Vueling was delayed by an hour.) With limited time in Paris, I'd say just quickly hit a selection of the big attractions and plan a longer trip/stay in the future. There are so many fantastic neighbourhoods. If mobile, I'd agree that some attractions are reasonable walking between them but in the summer, the sun/heat can be a drain. Our last visit was during late June during a bit of a heat wave and we melted. If you can afford to allocate a day, Versailles really is a fantastic attraction IMO, if not just the palace but the grounds also. If going in the summer, also try to plan for sun protection.

I kind of view it a bit differently. Obviously I don't care what activities others want to participate in. But there is only a limited number of activities staff, available space, dollars X wants to throw at activities, etc. While I don't expect every activity to appeal to me, I kind of hope that staff allocate time on some activities that I find interesting (which I usually do).

The Pan Pacific (level 2 and up) is basically above the cruise port/terminal (parking level 1). Both make up part of the Canada Place complex (which also includes the convention centre halls and Port Authority offices on level 1, Flyover Canada attraction, etc). Lately, I've seen signs directing cruise pax to walk on level 1, passing by the convention halls, to the north end of Canada Place to take escalators(?) down to the terminal level. The Fairmont Waterfront is literally across the street from Canada Place. The Fairmont Pacific Rim is one block west of the Fairmont Waterfront and an easy, slight uphill walk to Canada Place/the port/terminal. Taxi not required for these hotels. The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is about five blocks south of the port/terminal. I think taking a taxi from the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver to the terminal would be fine if preferred/needed/in a pinch. But if you are mobile and the weather is ok, it is a pretty straight forward walk (either along Burrard Street which is generally busier but has slightly wider sidewalks or along Hornby Street which generally quieter, has slightly narrower sidewalks, and pass through an urban greenspace) to Canada Place.

Hi B&F! Thanks for the link! We did scan that site a few weeks ago but should give it another look as our cruise is getting closer. We discussed renting bikes and still might. But DW isn't a strong rider (she fell off and twister her ankle during a previous trip) so anywhere we go will have to be pretty easy riding. X did have a transport only option to Bordeaux but it sold out pretty quick. I think X's excursion department has been scrambling/struggling a bit due the change in ports from Pauillac to Le Verdon. Car rentals also seem limited around Le Verdon Sur Mer on top of some additional challenges (limited hours/closed Sunday/day 2, drivers license requirements, etc). If we do rent a car for day 1, it'll be an on the spot decision and likely only to tour the local region versus driving all the way down to Bordeaux.

Having lunch in port is definitely plan A. Yes we love seafood. Identifying lunch options on the ship is just for contingencies. We've done some initial research and a few lunch options in Le Verdon Sur Mer (and nearby Soulac Sur Mer) but they all seem to be a minimum 25-30min walk from the port. Normally, that distance isn't a problem but we're in port at the end of August and are concerned about temperature (and humidity) as there doesn't appear to be much shade along the way. I'm also not sure if there are a lot transportation options like taxis/ubers and buses serving the port area. The ship appears to be over 95% full so those services would likely be in high demand/overwhelmed too. Previous cruisers on other ships/lines have indicated they were offered a (complementary) shuttle to a nearby town of Soulac Sur Mer but X has yet to indicate if a similar shuttle will be available. We'll likely grab lunch in Soulac if a shuttle is available. If we end up on an excursion down to Bordeaux on day 1, we'll definitely eat in town but we'll still likely need to at least grab a light lunch on the ship as timing is a bit off due to arriving in port at 11am, excursion departure times, and the 2hr ride down. On day 2, we have an independent tour (of the local area) leaving the port at 1pm (the only slot we could get). Not sure if timing will work for grabbing lunch off the ship.

FWIW, we booked a September post cruise stay at the AC Hotel Barcelona Forum. It's not really central but it's close to a metro line that should get us to thick of things in about 20mins. Worst case, we can always jump in a taxi or ride hailing which I'm estimating should cost less than 10e each direction (??). Since we've been to Barcelona a few time before, we didn't feel we needed to stay in the heart of it so we decided to save a few points by being a bit further out. We've only stayed at an AC hotel once before in Bologna and thought it was ok; modern. Liked it enough to book the brand again.

TLDR: Kind of. We're arriving at 11am and there's not much around the port area so I was curious if they might serve lunch in the MDR. We're stopping overnight in Le Verdon Sur Mer which is serving as the port for Bordeaux; arriving at 11am and departing at 8pm the next day. Bordeaux is approximately 2 hours by car/bus each way (and extremely limited DIY options). We're debating whether to jump an excursion to Bordeaux or save it for a land trip. Le Verdon Sur Mer is actually a replacement port as the upgrades to dock for the originally scheduled port of Pauillac (which is only about an hour away from Bordeaux) is not ready for Silhouette yet. Anyways, Le Verdon Sur Mer is pretty difficult port of call as the sightseeing options & logistics are kind of limited in the near vicinity. So I was curious if there might be lunch in the MDR.

Yeah, that pocket on the south end of Granville Street can feel pretty sketchy due to a combination of factors. Among other things, there was an overdose prevention site a block east off Granville that concentrated some problems. The lease for that location wasn't renewed in 2023 and ended early this year after residents complained about the lack of ownership of some of the side issues the site was generating. It moved but only a few blocks away. I feel safe enough when I occasionally walk through the area but yes, it can definitely feel a bit sketchy.

On top of sea days, is lunch service also typically offered in the MDR during an overnight port of call? And if so, is there a standard on if it's offered on the first day, second day, or both? I'm mildly curious as we have an overnight again during our upcoming cruise on Silhouette in August. I think the last overnight we had was a few years ago in Istanbul and I vaguely recall having lunch in the MDR during sailaway (ie second day). I don't recall if it was offered during the first day. However, when I look at Silhouette's MDR menu for its current sailing, lunch seems to be offered in the MDR on its first day in Copenhagen but not the second. Any insight?

I'm a bit concerned as our August cruise stops in many cities that have had protests and then ends in Barcelona. However, I'm not concerned about aggressive protests per se but as a tourist, I don't want to feel unwelcome either. I do agree that non-hotel short term rentals contributes to local housing issues as it is also an issue here in Vancouver. Different ways to address it though IMO. And at the risk of making travel less affordable, there probably needs to be more taxation on tourism somehow so that the benefits can be more widely shared.

The Zakynthos tour company we communicated with was Nefis Travel. Again, I can only partially recommend them as their pre-tour communication with us was very good. But as mentioned above, the tour did not occur because we didn't get enough people so I can't speak to the actual tour experience. I do kind of regret not doing a water tour one way or another. YMMV. Good luck on your research!

Ideally, set up data access for your phones and your friends' phones either via free wifi at Canada Place or mobile data off your home carrier (may or may not be expensive depending on your carrier) or via some third party travel sim. Then align on using some third party messaging app like Whatsapp, Signal, Google Chat, etc so you can message each other on the fly. Many apps have a feature where you can send your current location info. Otherwise you can just send a message advising where you are at a landmark/business. Your friend can then enter that landmark/business into their mapping app (like Google Maps) and click the option for routing/navigation on foot (versus car, public transit, etc). The mapping app should then provide a walking route to that location. However, the navigation might get finicky if the destination isn't at street level.

The cruise terminal is below the combined Pan Pacific Hotel (level 2) and Convention Centre East (street level). I'd suggest exiting the terminal up to street level. Inside at the front (ie towards the street) of the Convention Centre East, there's a tourism kiosk which can serve as an easily identifiable landmark but there's no proper seating. There is also a Starbucks at street level with some covered sidewalk seating right beside the Pan Pacific entrance/doormen/bell staff too which might be a good option. Along the west side of the Convention Centre East (along the corridor that leads you to all the exhibit halls/ballrooms), there's the Coal Harbour Cafe which has seating and has washrooms nearby. (The missus says the food is only ok tho.) If the weather's nice, there's also some seating just outside along the Canada Trail promenade. There's also a lower level food court across the street that might be a good place to meet up.

We've had a similar experiences as above during during our last couple of cruises. We did see discounted first night in specialty dining on Solstice on our cruise's planning page on the X website but it was fully booked fairly quickly. However, when we popped into Murano after grabbing lunch on embarkation day, the maitre' d indicated they could get us a table for that night in Murano and TG at 30% off. I'm assuming they initially held back some tables from online booking for status and suite guests. And it was a similar story for TG during our cruise on Connie. However, during our upcoming cruise on Silhouette, I don't see a significant discount for night one on the planning page; only the typical 5% discount for booking pre-cruise. By my count though, this sailing seems to be over 95% full. So there's likely a bit of supply/demand going on.

Popped into Urban Fare on Bute this morning at the end of my walk. They have a small selection.

Urban Fare on Bute which is about a 5 min walk west from Canada Place might. (I have a relative that used to do the flowers at the Yaletown store but it's been years.) I'll try to pop in the Bute store next week to confirm since it's on one of my walking routes.

I think the bigger risk for cancellation is when a hurricane hits the home port and all the issues with it, including storm surge damage. The ship can be delayed in returning to port. Are pax still able fly in to make their cruise? Etc

Open to being corrected but I don't think there's a status level match in the other direction (ie MGM status to receive X status). Instead, you get a range of specific perks depending on your MGM status from nominal (sales/offers on sailings, ship tours, etc) to significant (OBC and free cruise).

I emailed cxc@celebrity.com this past Wednesday about the missing Galapagos PUP's and they got back to me this morning saying they are now in my account. And yes they were. I had checked last night and they weren't. Anyways, yeah, I wouldn't doubt there might have been an issue that impacted a bunch of people this time. Who knows how sketchy the process is to reconcile 3 points to the thousands of submitted CC account numbers? 😀

Some Travel Agencies may book a block of rooms on certain sailings at a discount or perk from the cruise line. (It's kind of like a typical group buy/bulk purchase.) They can then pass those savings/perks onto you for these cabins. However, I'm guessing they should also have access to all available cabins on the sailing but not necessarily with the same discount/perks as the block of rooms they originally committed to. Conversely, maybe another Travel Agency #2 does not have access to the block of rooms that Travel Agency #1 had originally committed to(??).

From BC. The Travel Agency/Travel Agent may pass along some of their commission to you as a customer. Some Travel Agencies, like the aformentioned big box store, as standard practice, pass part of their commission onto you as a perk since it's their marketing/sales strategy. Other Travel Agencies may do so strategically as part of sales promotions, etc. Travel Agents may do so to try to make you a repeat customer. Back in the day, we booked our first cruise via a "moderately sized BC regional" Travel Agency and the Travel Agent gave us a bottle of wine on the cruise because the trip was for a special occasion. At the time, I didn't realize it likely came out of her commission and didn't appreciate that enough. That Travel Agency eventually got rolled into another larger "brand" and our Travel Agent retired. We got assigned a Travel Agent in West Vancouver. We received nothing from her even after booking a a handful of cruises through her and referring friends. I suspect our cruises weren't generating enough value for her (even though we were basically an easy sale: Book this cruise and this category) so she likely focused on giving her other customers booking more expensive cruises, perks instead. We didn't whine about it since it is her discretion but we didn't feel valued as a customer (not just for the lack of perks) so we ditched her and have tested different booking strategies to find somethat that aligns with what we want from the booking experience. For us, that doesn't necessarily mean maximizing all the perks we can but it's a balance/alignment between perks, feeling valued, ease/convenience, if someone has the chops to advocate for us in certain situations, etc. YMMV.

Beat me to it while I was writing this... 😄 Definitely check the maps on yvr.ca as a first step. Since they can be a bit tricky to interpret because of the multiple levels, here's some additional instructions if you are arriving internationally: As you flow out into the arrivals area on the landside, the main doors out will be to your left. Head out the main doors toward the parkade which should be about 50 meters directly in front of you (can't miss it). You'll pass by the taxi rank on your left, cross a few lanes of airport traffic (cars are generally moving pretty slow and will stop), and possibly (if they are working) pass by the Japadog hotdog stand on your left. Before entering the parkade, there is an elevator to your left and (the first of a series of) escalators to your right. Take either (I think... as I normally only take the escalator) to the top. As you walk towards the middle where the fare gates & trains are, you'll pass by the ticket machines.

There is matching from MGM Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy but there are alternative/easier paths for the lower tiers. eg In Canada, you can get Bonvoy Silver via the AMEX Bonvoy card and Bonvoy Gold via the AMEX Platinum. MGM Gold -> Bonvoy Silver MGM Platinum -> Bonvoy Gold MGM Noir -> Bonvoy Ambassador Elite

From the MGM Rewards website: MGM Rewards Member Services: 866.761.7111 (I checked my phone log history and confirmed I called this number when I renewed my status match this past Feb.) They will ask you for both your MGM rewards number and captain's club number and put you on hold for a few mins while they verify your CC status. Pretty straightforward.

This is a bit dated but we to Paradise Beach mid October in 2016 and it was pretty quiet. We grabbed a small lunch at a restaurant on the beach and eventually hiked it over to Platis Gialos and back. It was fine as an activity upon itself to explore the area but I wouldn't recommend it as a way to beach hop. We took the bus to Ornos beach June last year and I thought it was nice. There wasn't a party scene. FWIW, we did see a water taxi stop there. I forget its route and pricing though. If taking the bus, I don't think going to one beach or another is more convenient than another other than time/distance.