Jeremiah1212
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Posts posted by Jeremiah1212
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I just went through this myself. Ultimately I decided we would take a suite upgrade to an S2 for no more than $800 more than we paid for an 1C with Go Best. This would put our cost at about $4000 for a 7 day cruise.
The TA had a cabin available for a short time that would have hit my price point, but of course I thought about it too long and it was gone.
For us, cruises are more of a 'budget' type trip. We save the more expensive vacations for higher end resorts, Europe, Hawaii, etc. But obviously there are a lot of people out there that will spend a fortune on a suite. I'm just not one of them.
All of the non-suite balcony cabins are basically the same size on S class ships. Are you sure Aqua is sold out? We're also doing the Western Caribbean in February (albeit on Reflection from Miami instead) and there are a pretty significant number of Aqua and Concierge cabins available.
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I wouldn't bother with a Sunpass in this case assuming you can still pay cash in Naples. I haven't heard of any plans to change that. The Sunpass is $5 to purchase and a minimum of $10 opening balance if I remember correctly. Not worth it to pay a $3 toll. I would however recommend it if you stay on Sanibel or Captiva. The toll for the Sanibel Causeway is $6 however you can still pay cash there as well.
As a side note, I too would much prefer Sanibel or down in Bonita Springs/Estero area compared to Ft. Myers. Sanibel for the old Florida feel or if you prefer super suburban strip malls, Bonita Springs would be the choice.
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I whole heartedly agree and have also called and written. I'm looking forward to my cruise next week, but am dreading the ending as it will be our first since the demise of Luggage Valet. I clearly remember the days before Luggage Valet when we disembarked with a cattle herd of disgruntled, harried fellow passengers into a vast luggage corral, then into a snaking line through customs, then another at the airport to check in and check luggage. It seems like X is saying "we've had enough of you, get off and leave us alone...Modern Luxury is over."
Well your cruise is over...
I don't have a problem schlepping myself off the ship from steerage with the angry commoners but a simple solution to this 'problem' for so many is easy.
Grab a porter as you come off the ship, check in to your flight from your phone, and ask your cab/Uber/etc to drop you off at curb-side check in. I don't know of any US airlines that do not offer electronic check in, the porter handles your luggage at the terminal, and the driver and/or skycap handle your luggage from car to the counter. It doesn't sound nearly as sophisticated as Luggage Valet but it works.
Or cruise on Crystal and use their Global Express to get you home.
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Cab from FLL cruise terminal to MIA is $27 + tip? I thought it was much higher than that or am I misunderstanding something? Sounds like cab is cheaper than uber?
Port of Miami to Miami airport is a fixed $27. POM to Fort Lauderdale is around $80 without extended traffic delays. However UberX will almost always be cheaper than a taxi no matter the route.
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No first hand experience here, but did heavily consider Divina for this winter.
I think the European based ships are probably different, but I read too many mixed review to sell myself on it. With Celebrity most of the negative complaints are because of overall atmosphere is too dull and boring for people who enjoy a RCL/NCL type ship more. Specifically with Divina, there were too many specific complaints all across the board. Service, food, drinks, etc. We've been to Europe several times and would be perfectly fine a more Euro flare, but at the end of the day I was not sold.
My impression is their overall product is still too European for most US cruisers which leads to more negative reviews from US customers. It will be interesting to see how that changes with more Miami based ships in the future.
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I'm not sure what your dates are, but you shouldn't have any trouble finding something that works.
I looked at a random Saturday in February and can see a 4 hour rental anywhere from $40-$80. Cheaper if you pick up at MIA but there are downtown options. I don't think you would find much anything cheaper than $40 or so even if you got a steal on it. Sometimes ~25% of your cost is taxes and various fees.
I think my "record" for a one day rental on a standard car was $9/day a few months ago but there was another $20 in fees. Remember you can typically book without prepaying and cancel if you find a cheaper rate later on though.
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I would definitely recommend not waiting for a last minute bargain. It will be high season in Miami and hotels are expensive and booked full. I would find one at a location and price you're semi-comfortable with and make sure to book a refundable rate. The cheapest rates listed on the various websites are typically not refundable so be careful.
Depending what your tastes and budget are, I find that price points of the higher end properties don't fluctuate all that much. Low to mid level hotels can have dramatically higher prices during peak times. I like to splurge a little on hotels. If I have to pay $300+ to stay at a Holiday Inn or $450 to stay at the W, Hyatt Regency, etc. I'm going to come up with that extra $150...
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That link will tell you exactly what you need to know. Data speeds are slow on St. Thomas and coverage may be spotty but there is no additional charge. Voice is also included just like you are in the U.S.
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That link will tell you exactly what you need to know. Data speeds are slow on St. Thomas and coverage may be spotty but there is no additional charge. Voice is also included just like you are in the U.S.
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This is weird. I thought it ended already since I don't see that banner on the home page anymore. If someone who didn't know about the sale were to look on the website, they'd never know there was a promo going on.
It is still there for me? Did you just miss it? In that main graphic there are 5 different promos that rotate. It is the first one.
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I think the website is butting heads with itself and can't decipher which promo you're trying to book with...
They don't reference any perks in the fine print on their website for the 10/11 day cruises.
But if you go to the November Offers that expire 11/30, there is a link to a spreadsheet that does include 10/2017 sailings.
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There is nothing on their own website that shows any sales specific to Cyber Monday. The Black Friday sale appears to be extended from Monday-Wednesday by the looks of the dates here:
Royal has info about a specific Cyber Monday sale, but nothing for Celebrity.
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Celebrity's own Black Friday sale will be $25 deposits, one perk and half off the second guest for bookings on 11/28 to 11/30 and applies to sailings between 3/2/17 to 4/30/18.
The current 'Season of Savings' offers run through 12/27.
Various TA's will probably differ. I would check on sales through today and again for new ones over the weekend.
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Wow... that looks extremely dangerous for both the passengers and the emergency crew.
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When we got off the Escape last January, we would not have made it. Not even close. It took forever to get off the ship and we didn't arrive to FLL until after 11am. Traffic was very heavy and the Uber driver ended up taking side streets the entire way. Then you have the pleasure of arriving to the chaos of FLL on a Saturday morning. There's no telling how long check-in and security may take :eek:
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Keep an eye on the Apple Refurbished site and places like Gazelle that sell high quality refurbs. You should be able to find what you need at your price point. If you're already familiar with Apple, I would not switch. Refurb iPad Airs should run around $300 or less.
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On our Liberty cruise a few years ago Vintages was dead every night. It was pretty surprising to me. The bartender was truly terrible. He was way more interested in judging people's lack of wine knowledge than anything else. I figured he was driving away customers after their first glass and they would never return.
They have the Mondavi wine bar on the NCL Escape and it was equally as dead. I blamed that one on it's very poor layout and confused space. Cellar Masters on Celebrity, by all recent reports, is also a ghost town most nights.
Wine bars here are still very popular here on land, but maybe they just don't cut it on cruises for some reason?
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I know The Baths are very popular and a lot of people love visiting. To be completely honest, we were underwhelmed by the entire experience. Would definitely not do it again.
There were several people on the hike through the rocks and water that were in no way phyiscally fit enough to be attempting the trek down. Then there were others that were basically having to hold or carry their small kids. It looked miserable for them. One older man slid down a rock on a his rear and ended up with a nasty gash in his calf. Even on the way back up through the path, people were struggling due to the small elevation change. I usually dismiss the cruise line's difficult ratings on excursions, but I feel they don't properly do this one justice. I'd consider myself in far better shape than most and I still worked up a sweat. We didn't get in the water but there were a lot of kids swimming. It also gets very crowded once a second wave of people and the snorkeling boats arrive.
If you're just looking for a nice beach and swimming, I would suggest something like Cane Garden Bay or Smuggler's Cove. Both are beautiful, easy to get to, and you would have a much more relaxing day.
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Wow thank you so much for doing such a great review! I hadn't checked in since this weekend and I see I've missed a lot. You've definitely got my excitement up for February. Enjoy the day on the ship. We really like staying on board during port days.
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Browsing Caribbean cruise Feb - Mar 2017. Have not sailed with X previously.
I notice some dates where Concierge is less than Veranda, or same price as Veranda.
Why would this happen ?
BTW my impression is that Concierge perks are minimal and suspect better cabin locations makes Concierge more attractive. Is this correct ?
Just saw another instance where Aqua and Concierge are same price. Why not discount both ?????
We're on in February and seeing the same thing. Initially the cheaper standard veranda cabins sell out first then they have to adjust prices to fill the more premium veranda cabins. The TA I used has C3's at nearly $250pp cheaper than veranda categories.
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Definitely ask for a high room with a view at the IC. The views of the port in the early morning are great. We will be staying there again in February when it's our turn to board the Reflection.
We don't share the love of Bayside Marketplace, but there are plenty of options for food and drinks a short walk or Uber ride away.
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How did you set this up on your iPhone?
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203032
It's really easy to do. It may take a while to activate though. Once it's activated you can test it by putting your phone into airplane mode at home and making/receiving a call. It should be no different than a call over a cell connection.
For the less tech savvy people, if you have Wifi on the ship or in port, Facebook's phone feature works quite well too. I find the audio quality is a better using than than Wifi calling at times.
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I would have to save a lot of money to consider adding a 6+ hour round trip drive and the hassle of getting a rental and driving myself. Maybe I'm spoiled since Chicago to South Florida has plentiful options. I don't even like flying into Fort Lauderdale when a cruise leaves from Miami or vice versa :eek:
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We need to know where you will be flying from.
Just for some perspective, you will only get to HNL directly from a handful of US airports.
Los Angeles to Honolulu - 5 hours
San Fransisco to Honolulu - 5.5 hours
Denver to Honolulu - 7 hours
Dallas to Honolulu - 8 hours
Atlanta to Honolulu - 9.5 hours
Newark to Honolulu - 10 hours
When you are searching, all departure and arrival times are given in local time, i.e. leave Dallas at 11am, arrive in HNL at 2pm (7pm Dallas time). To have flight times with the duration you've quoted, you're either being given multiple layovers or flying from Europe. Getting to Hawaii from most US cities can be done with 1 short layover pretty easily.
Cell Phone Package
in Celebrity Cruises
Posted · Edited by Jeremiah1212
It depends on what you want. Passport packages only cover you on land. The Cruise packages cover you at sea and while in port at certain Caribbean islands. Passport packages have unlimited texting while the Cruise packages are fairly prohibitive.
The cruise package with 100mb of data is $100+. At that point I would consider buying a wifi package on the ship.