TMS9539

Whilst I agree with the above posts all may not be lost! I know it is really frustrating, I think all of us have been there at some time!

 

However, some of the rooms at that price may have just been put on 24 hr hold and reappear after that time period so keep clicking and checking. I would love you to be able to come back on and say you had got lucky!

That's exactly what happened! Was about to head off to bed and checked it again, and the price had dropped back to the $399. So I booked it. Yippee!

I was annoyed with Celebrity, but not so annoyed that I didn't take the deal. :-)

I saw that Celebrity was offering a deal for a 5 day cruise on the Constellation for $399 for a guaranteed balcony. Great, we decided to book it but I didn't have time at that moment. When I went back to it tonight there was the price on the website - still $399. But when I clicked the link to actually book it the price suddenly changed to $709.

So I called. The person I spoke to said that that category had sold out. I asked why was it still advertised on the web site then, and we went back and forth a bit until I asked to speak to a manager. The manager gave me the same speech - the category had sold out. I continued to ask why they were still advertising it and he said well the website hasn't been updated yet. And he got very short and impatient with me.

Now, I completely understand that "you snooze you lose", and if I had gone to book it tonight and the price on the website said $709 I would have shrugged and said oh well, we missed it. But the price was STILL advertised as $399. I really felt they should have honored the advertised price. That's what other companies do. Stores don't change the price just when you get to the checkout line, and that's what I think Celebrity did.

I really enjoyed our previous cruise with Celebrity but this really gave me a negative impression. Needless to say, I didn't book the cruise.

Am I right about this or am I missing something?

Patiently - or not so patiently :-) - waiting for the next installment! I'm enjoying this review so much and can't wait to hear about Venice. I especially enjoy your perspective because I'm also traveling with a friend and we will also go in seperate directions at some of the ports. We have a tour lined up for Istanbul and I'm glad because I do like to hear about what I'm seeing, but you made me realize that it's pretty easy to just get off the ship and wander around. Unfortunately our tour doesn't include the cistern, which looks amazing.

You're also helping me to rethink how I want to do some of the ports. I hate the "drive around, hop out and take a photo, drive around some more" tours. There's no other way to do Rome if you want to see everything, but I've already been to Rome so I don't need to, and will look for something a little more relaxing.

I am so loving this review! Question about the laundry - will they wash underwear & socks or just shirts/pants etc? I don't know how comfortable I would be handing over my dirty underwear anyway, but I am curious because it's a long cruise.

Just loving this review. I'm doing the same cruise next May with a friend and we're really looking forward to it. I find myself checking compulsively for the next post. Can't wait for Naples!

Thanks so much for the awesome detailed review. We're doing this cruise next year and I can't wait to read more!

When we were in Rome a few years ago we took a tour of the Vatican with Through Eternity tours. http://www.througheternity.com We did the 5 hour in-depth tour and it was the highlight of the trip for us. It was hands down the best tour I've ever taken anywhere. Our guide brought history to life for us. It was fantastic. Afterwards we climbed up to the dome of St. Peter's Basilica on our own for amazing views.

I have made an inquiry with Papillon Service for our stop in Livorna next May. They have a tour to Cinque Terre and Pisa. I haven't heard back from them yet but will let you know. Website is papillonservice dot com. Our ship also offers an excursion so if all else fails I will do that.

Thanks for the fabulous review! We're doing the exact same cruise in May 2016. Planning on many of the same things you did (tour to Montserrat with Barcelona day tours, wine tasting in Provence, and ships excursion to Cinque Terra). So it's wonderful to hear about your experiences in advance!

I can't help you with the cruise part - we are planning a mediterannean cruise next year but haven't done it yet. I did spend 5 days in Rome a few years ago though. I would definitely recommend a vatican tour. We did it with Through Eternity tours and it was hands down the best tour I've ever taken anywhere. This was an all day tour, the vatican is hugh (and amazing!). The tour included the sistine chapel. We climbed to the top of St. Peter's Basilica at the end of the tour for the magnificent views. We also took a half day tour with Dark Rome tours to the colisseum and palantine hill. You also need time to wander around and see the trevi fountain, the pantheon etc. IMO, those are the must do's in Rome. I would definitely go a few days early. Of course you could easily spend a week in Rome and not see it all, but if you only have a few days the vatican and colosseum are the "biggies". When I was there I did several day trips from Rome also - to Orvietto, Florence and Pompeii. You will get to Florence and Naples (for Pompeii) on the cruise. Orvietto is definitely a worthwhile day trip if you have the time. It's easy to get to by train on your own. I got a lot of help from Ron in Rome on how to do things, including step by step instructions on how to buy a train ticket at the kiosks at the train station. Very helpful website - *****.

Does Celebrity change the ship time to match the local time? I know different cruise lines do it differently. Princess changes the time to match the time zone, but Carnival doesn't. I haven't cruised Celebrity before so I don't know. We will be in St. Thomas from 8 - 5. Trying to find out it that is the actual local time. Thanks.

I've done it both ways and I actually preferred the ship excursion. When we took the ship excursion we got off the ship and boarded a boat right there at the dock that took us to St. John. Then we got on open air buses for the trip to Trunk Bay. It was really efficient and the boat ride was really pleasant. When we did it on our own we took a taxi to Red Hook, then the ferry, then another taxi to Trunk bay. It just seemed to take forever to get there. However, we could stay as long as we wanted to. On the ship excursion we only had about two hours on the beach.

We were there a few days ago (March 3rd). We went to Royal Palms beach club (on 7 mile beach). We took a cab and it was $4 per person, and took about 10 minutes to get there. Price to get in to Royal Palms was $2 per person and if you want chairs they are $7 per chair, but you can also just spread your towel on the sand. This was one of the nicest and prettiest beaches I've ever been to. Beautiful white sand and crystal clear water. Just lovely. They have bathrooms, outdoor showers and changing rooms. Also a restaurant, but we didn't eat there. They have a pool but it is only for adults. Nobody goes in it anyway. The beach and ocean is all you need. When you want to leave the cabs are lined up waiting for passengers. You might have to wait 5 minutes because they like to fill the van, but it won't take long. I asked the taxi driver on the way about getting a taxi back to the ship and he explained that they would be lined up waiting for passengers and showed us exactly where.

We went to Xunantunich on a Carnival ship excursion. I went back and forth over whether to do the ship excursion to Xunantunich or a private tour to Lamanai. I really wanted to go to Lamanai but in the end I decided not to risk a private tour because I was too afraid of not making it back in time. It was definitely the right decision. We were on the first tender off the ship, and we didn't get to land until 9am - the time that the private tour would have been leaving, so we would have missed it. Also, we were an hour late getting back but since we were on a Carnival excursion it was not a problem.

The ruins were great. I climbed up the temple, my mother did not. I felt like it wouldn't be worth going if you can't do the climb because half of the tour is climbing the temple, and they didn't do an alternative tour for the people who didn't climb, so they didn't get all the information that was given during the climb. They just had to sit in the shade and wait. However, my mom felt like it was worth and really enjoyed it, so it's a matter of opinion.

Climbing the temple was not difficult. They go really slow and take a lot of breaks while they explain things. If you are extremely afraid of heights you might have a hard time, but the physical part of it is do-able for most people I would think. The elderly and extremely out of shape might have a tough time. Views from the top are awesome.

We heard howler monkeys but didn't see them. We did see a spider monkey hanging out in a tree at the end of the tour.

The drive is long, especially the return trip when you're tired and just want a shower. But I think it was worth it. You really get to see a lot of the country. The poverty is extreme. I found it especially difficult seeing all the dogs and horses with a rope around their neck tied to a tree or a shack. Lunch was good. Portions aren't huge but you're too hot and sticky to be that hungry. That being said, the heat and humidity really weren't bad the day we were there.

Overall I was really glad I went. It's really amazing to experience something that was built thousands of years ago.

We booked the sun-n-fun tour with Victor Bodden based on all the positive reviews here. The other two people who were supposed to be with us didn't show up so it ended up just being two of us.

I personally would not do this again. Our tour guide barely spoke the whole day, and when he did we couldn't hear him because the windows of the car were open and he didn't speak loud enough. If we asked a question he answered it in a half hearted way, but he didn't volunteer any information and was obviously just trying to get the day over with.

Seeing the island was nice, the monkeys were cool, and the beach was good, but not great. We enjoyed the day, but we enjoyed it in spite of our tour guide - he certainly didn't add anything to our day.

I guess it's just the luck of the draw as to what tour guide you get, but it seems to me that they must not screen them very well.

That being said, the island was beautiful and I wouldn't hesitate to go back. I just wouldn't use Victor Bodden again.

I have read tons of posts about these two excursions, and I still can't make up my mind. My first choice would be Lamanai, but that is not offered by Carnival and I am not brave enough to go with an independent operator in Belize (too afraid of missing the boat).

So, here's my dilemma - I think I'd prefer Xunantunich for the actual ruins, but I'd also really like to see some of the jungle, and hopefully wildlife - so that makes me think Altun Ha would be a better choice because of the boat ride. Can anyone give me any insight on this? Will we see some of the jungle and/or wildlife going to Xunantunich? Are the ruins at Altun Ha impressive? I keep going back and forth and back and forth.

I've never seen any Mayan ruins, so I'll probably be impressed no matter what. (But I have been to Rome... ruins galore there!)

We have no other plans for Belize so the longer time for Xunantunich is not a factor in our decision.

Thanks.

Princess is my favorite. I agree the overall vibe is much nicer. I was reluctant to try Carnival again after our cruise on the Pride, which I didn't like at all. However, we got such a good deal that we tried again and sailed the Conquest last year - and had a great time. We're cruising on the Glory in March because we got a great deal again. We're hoping to go back to Princess in December, but honestly it depends on the price. We spend a lot of time on the balcony of our cabin so it really doesn't matter what ship we're on for that. I don't care for most of Carnival's entertainment, so that is disappointing, but no matter what ship I'm on, I'm a) warm and b) not at work. Can't go wrong there!

I'd love to give Celebrity a try, but so far haven't been able to find a fare that makes it worth it.

We are trying to choose between these two very different ships. We have never sailed with either HAL or NCL, so no matter what it will be a new experience. From my research so far it seems to me that Nieuw Amsterdam will have nicer cabins and better food & service, but NCL Epic will have more to do and better shows. Am I correct in that assumption? What else can anyone tell me about the two ships?

Price is about the same for both, and both itineraries are good, so it's really just a matter of which ship we would prefer.

Any help is much appreciated!

We're considering a cruise on the NCL Epic, but I know absolutely nothing about this cruise line. What can people tell me about it?

We've previously cruised on Princess, RCL and Carnival. Princess is probably our favorite but we enjoyed all of our cruises. I will be traveling with my 74 year old mother. We go on cruises mostly to relax, so we spend a lot of time on our balcony, but we enjoy a good show and also love to play the slot machines in the casino. We never pay to eat in specialty restaurants - in fact, we often just choose to eat in the buffet rather than spend several hours over dinner.

How does NCL compare to other cruise lines? Will there be more kids than other cruises? How is the entertainment? And the service?

The price for the Epic is similar to Carnival. Does that mean NCL is more like Carnival and less like RCL? Not that it matters, but it's nice to know.

Also, a few questions specific to the Epic: Is the buffet located at the front of the ship? We usually try to book a cabin in the back to have easy access to the food, but if the buffet is in the front we'll book a cabin in the front.

Also, does the ship feel crowded? We haven't been on a ship that big before.

Thanks!

Nimiq & Cleopot - We just walked around the town in Curacao. It was really hot and we should have taken a tour. The town is very quaint and colorful but we didn't do much. We went back to the ship for the evening so I don't know what there is to do in town. We saw no need to pay for dinner when food was so plentiful on the ship.

wDNoble9999 - I believe Italian night was Tuesday, the day we were in Curacao. It's possible it was Wednesday though. I can't remember for sure.

Somebody asked about Noro - as far as I know there were no outbreaks during our cruise.

Beshears - The Unexpected Boys show was a take on the broadway show The Jersey Boys. Music of Franki Valli and The Four Seasons, with some cheesy - but fun - comedy thrown in. It was well done.

Someone asked about the casino - It's very small. That being said, I always managed to find a slot machine to throw my money away in, and they have some fun machines. And then my mom won $1000 on the Wheel of Fortune slot machine. While we there somebody (unfortunately not us) won $20,000 on a slot machine. So some people won. Just not me.

Just off the CB. Had a great cruise. I read a lot of negative reviews here before we left and I really don't get it. The service was outstanding in every way. I think it was probably the best of any cruise I've been on. All the staff was friendly and helpful and our room steward never missed a thing.

We had a mini-suite for the first time which was fabulous. The only problem is now we are spoiled and never want to go back to a regular balcony room! We were in room D633 which was a great location towards the back of the ship but right around the corner from the elevators. Our balcony was open and it didn't bother us a bit. And from the inside looking out it was nice to have the openness and be able to see the sky. The first day or two it was a little hot for a few hours in the afternoon with no shade, but other than that we used the balcony a lot. The last two days were sea days and our balcony was shaded the entire day because the sun was in the back of the ship.

I read several reviews that said the ship was hot. I was worried because I tend to be hot when nobody else is, but it wasn't an issue. Whatever the problem was they must have fixed it. Most places were comfortable. It was a little warm sometimes walking by the exploreres lounge where they display all the pictures, and club fusion was freezing, but other than that, very comfortable. Or I should say, I was comfortable. My mom needed a sweater sometimes.

We didn't do a lot of activities. We went to the Unexpected Boys show one evening and it was really good. That's the only show we made it to, in spite of our best plans. Somehow we just preferred our balcony and a good book most of the time. Never even made it to MUTS. They showed a lot of football and concerts. The evening movies I remember are The Dark Knight Rises and The Bourne Legacy. And I think Moonrise Kingdom. I really planned on going for the Dark Knight movie, but then when it was time to go it was so pleasant on the balcony and I really didn't want to move. Oh well, maybe next cruise.

The food was good. Didn't care for Italian night, but that's probably just us. We ate in the dining room every night except the last two. We had anytime dining and always shared a table. It was very enjoyable to meet and chat with fellow cruisers. However, we were always at a table for eight and dinner tended to take two hours, which is why we opted out the last two nights. Food in the Horizon Court was also good and the last two evening at Cafe Caribe were also quite good. No complaints there. There was one night where the line for the dining room was really long, so we left and came back in an hour and were seated immediately. If you are dead set on dining between 7 and 7:30 you will probably have to stand in line.

Overall, a really nice and relaxing cruise, which is just what I needed. Oh - and my mom won $1000 on slot machine on our last evening which was very exciting.

I'm happy to answer any questions.