MamaFej

40 minutes ago, tgg said:

 

It was a very short term offer and, as far as I know, had never been done before or since. I also don't know if it went to a targeted list or whether it was a general offer. I don't know what the consumer website was showing at the time. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Thanks for responding. I imagine it was quite short-term, indeed. 

2 hours ago, tgg said:

I too jumped on the 10% bonus offer. It paid for all our shore excursions.

 

When I got the offer, I thought it would be 10% off our remaining balance. When I read someone's post about getting 10% off on the total cost of the cruise, I had our travel agent check. YUP. Great deal.

Wow! Was your TA able to get you 10% while the consumer website was showing 5%? I ask because it is showing 5% right now. We are about to book 3 cabins for B2B Perry Golf cruises in August 2025. 

All three couples  are getting 5% on money in CDs right now, so we weren't going to pay off early, but 10% would be a game changer. 

13 hours ago, Teryle said:

Just used JS6 for Zurich to Paris. With discount, past guest and a coupon 

saved 1/2 the cost. Yea!

7 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Try and do the Zermatt extension. The trip on the Glacier Express is fantastic.

I agree with @OneSixtyToOne.  We did the Glacier Express from Sr. Morirz to Zermatt in 2022. It was phenomenal!

I had wanted to do it for years. When it came time to book, Hubby dragged me, kicking and screeaming, to Excellence Class. I thought spending the extra money was crazy! After all, we were there for the scenery, which wouldn't change based on the carraige in which we rode. I was wrong, He ws right. The Excellence Class experience, including a 7 course meal served over the course of the 7.5 hour ride, paired with wine, was utterly amazing! It was a splurge I will not forget. Really awesome! 

The scenery will be tremendous, no matter which carraige you book. If you have the means, you may want to consider the Excellence class experience. Be sure to have at least a couple of days in town at each end, if you ever ride the Glacier Express. 

6 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

Like this one from Viking? My #1 bucket list cruise to do. 36 days, Amsterdam to NY. 

 

 

 

This looks great!

Viking had a great itinerary that included quite a bit of Eastern Asia, the Bering Sea, and places we've never been in Alaska, on the way to Vancouver earlier this year. We had seriously considered doing it to get home(ish) from Asia, but we really wanted to be back for the Total solar Eclipse, which we viewed from the top deck of a cruise ship off the coast of Mazatlan. 

I'd love to do one of  Viking's Longitudinal World Cruises someday. Those itineraries look amazing!

17 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

I really wish they’d start marketing those as longer cruise options. Don’t make me do the work, actually sell them as a long journey that I can do with one booking.  

I definitely understand this mindset. However, it's nice to throw some land time in between cruises, as well. Earlier this year, we did two cruises for 24 days on, 12 days off, then 24 days back on the Millennium in eastern and Southern Asia. Last year, we did 15 days on, 11 days off, 24 days on, three days off, then 18 days on the Eclipse. Yes, it was definitely more work. but we enjoyed our land time immensely. 

Sometimes, we combine different cruise lines with a variety of land activities (train journeys, road trips, etc.) 

So, I really like the longer itineraries, but I like to be able to visit places more in depth, as well. 

I promise to be patient waiting for my laundry, and will happily have mine de-prioritzed in favor of folks who earned their laundry perks via actual nights sailed on SS, rather than through matching.

Hopefully, they are anticipating the increased demand, and rearranging staffing as appropriate. 

6 minutes ago, takemewithyou said:

Were you then given a membership number for Venetian Society?

If so, I can not see how to do it.

 

I already have one, due to an Antarctica expedition in 2022. My TA is doing something to make sure that everything is connected, but he needed me to do the status match myself first. It might be easier since I have a SilverSea cruise coming up? 

In any event, I will be seriously looking at the possibility of Galapagos on SS now.

59 minutes ago, ropomo said:

I must be missing something. When I go to celebrity, click on my points, it shows my Celebrity and RCL status, but I don't find anywhere on the screen to link to Silversea. Any help would be greatly appreciated. It also does not acknowledge Silversea on their status match info page.

I couldn't do it from the webpages for either X or SS, but I got it done on the app, after a misstep. See post #24. Good luck!

I was having a heck of a time getting my statuses matched. I updated my Celebrity app, thinking that would help. Nope. 

Then it occured to me that I needed to close and relaunch the app. That did the trick. I feel rather silly for missing that step, but it's done now, and we will get laundry on our Arctic expediton cruise in 9 days. Yay! 

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

That’s nice.  We’ve already used Kensington for an extensive private tour of Kyoto, Tokyo, Takayama and Hakone.  We were quite pleased and will probably create another itinerary with them.  It’s fully customizable.

We used Kensington in India. They did a fantastic job.

On 5/31/2024 at 1:24 PM, Gourmet Gal said:

Well, the decision has been made now that my DH has tested positive for Covid.  This is the second cruise he’s contracted Covid and luckily he’s not very sick this time. He developed a cough in the last few days of the cruise - there were more and more coughing people onboard as the cruise progressed, unmasked and not even covering their coughs.  There were some people who clearly embarked with some sort of illness and obviously were not truthful on the health questionnaire.  We masked when concerned about the amount of sick people around us and we both had Covid boosters several weeks before.  Disappointing.  I think we’re done with cruising.

I'm so sorry.

On some of our recent cruises, we've noticed a number of people who seem extremely determined to make others as sick as they clearly are, instead of resting away from others and getting better faster. I absolutely cannot understand that mindset, but it seems pretty common. 

We are heading back to Norway for the third time (first for the "kids") on Saturday and will board an expedition ship a week later. I'm SO excited!!! Svalbard, here we come!!

1 hour ago, rodndonna said:

 

If I am lucky enough at 82 to still be able to swing a golf club, there will be no effort required to convince me to go on a Perry Golf cruise! Its sounds like a wonderful way to make memories with your family,

 

Dad golfs at least 3 times a week. PapaFej golfs with him when we are actually home or RVing nearby. When we leave for our next cruise trip on Saturday, we will have spent a total of 52 nights at home this year. 

The golf is a real budget-killer, but Hubby spent decades working, on average, 70-90 hours a week (fire investigator) and he has earned the right to go play. I just wish he was into something less expensive, like bowling... or Frisbee. 

On 6/1/2024 at 11:02 AM, cruisestitch said:

The Captains Club Concierge doesn’t have much authority in these situations.

Yup. I've missed four webinars while onboard Celebrity cruises. While it is frustrating, I really can't complain about being on a cruise, and I was still earning other points the old fashioned way. 

I can't imagine ever making Zenith, anyway, but I still do the PUP activities when I can. 

On 6/1/2024 at 12:56 PM, rodndonna said:

 

Indeed - best not to just not think about "value" when it comes to "cruise" golfing  and why it would be a "one of" ... very hard to justify (even with my lackluster golf game allowing for plenty of shots!).

 

PapaFej gets much more value out of golfing than my dad and brother do. He takes significantly more strokes per round than most folks. 

Nonetheless, it looks like we have finally convinced my dad to do Perry Golf cruises. He's been reluctant to be a "third wheel" traveling with us, no matter how many times we've told him he won't be and that lots of single folks cruise. He can afford the single supplement. He is now seeing someone and they are on a four day road trip. They are taking an Alaska cruise in August. If all goes well this week, I think we will be putting down deposits on cabins my TA friend is holding for us on B2Bs next year. We will be on a Perry Golf cruise, not golfing, in February, so we will get to see it from both sides. 

Anyway, here are some links that @rodndonna and others may find helpful. I believe these links meet the intent of the rules here, as they are informational, do not promote a TA (at least we are booking through our own), and are links, not "articles." If they are not okay, I imagine they will be removed quickly. My intentions are good. 

Perry Golf Cruising     

To find the golf pricing, go to the particular cruise you are interested in, scroll down, then select "Pricing" from right side of the horizontal menu.  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>⬇️

For our cruises, there are 5 rounds of golf for $4745, and $5745 for 6 rounds. Both are 12 day cruises, and include the Experience More package ($300 Shore Ex credit, Internet for ONE, and Premium beverages for two. No, I don't know why both people don't get internet, but that's what it says in multiple places).  Yes, it is VERY pricey. This is about making memories with my 82 year-old dad and my brother and SIL. Our family has decided that this opportunity makes sense for us. It will not make sense for everyone. 

Perry Golf What's Included

Perry Golf Cruise FAQs

I'm not sure where I've seen it in writing, but I know I have seen that non-golfing companions are invited to onboard social events for the golfers such as a welcome aboard cocktail party. The cocktail party is mentioned in this video. 

Your timing is good, @rodndonna, as I've been doing research for this the last few days, and the links were handy. 

8 hours ago, canderson said:

I've even had SS washed undershirts come back on hangers!

 

We had that on Azamara, as well. 

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Galapagos was so great (we did it on Celebrity Xpedition back when that ship had 100 pax) that it is the main place DW wants to revisit.  This time I'd like to add Machu Picchu, which Celebrity offers – but I don't see it on the Silversea website?  

 

[Tauck does offer Galapagos on SS Origin + Machu Picchu – but we will probably do their other version on Isabella II since that ship has a glass-bottom boat and we don't snorkel]

Thank you for this! 

One of my dearest friends also happens to be my travel agent, with whom we often travel. He did Galapagos on an Agent Rate on the flora, and loved it! He did Machu Picchu on his own on a different trip before flying down to do Iguazu Falls, then boarding a Celebrity ship in Buenos Aires to go around the horn, up to Valparaiso while we were in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific using up 2020 and 2021 Covid credits... otherwise, we probably would have been with him. 

All that to say that we are definitely open to a variety of Galapagos options. It is a high priority. 

Almost a year ago, a rather rare (1/5000) genetic heart disease caught up with me. I had been lucky until then, but I'm 98% positive that Covid finally made me susceptible, as I have obviously had the gene my whole life. It usually hits folks in their teens to early 30s. My cousins were 17 and 29. My late brother was 25, I was 56. Not everyone with the gene gets the disease. My 81 year-old mom does not have the disease, but she has literally sat in a recliner for most of the last 20 years, "living" in fear. I refuse to do that, I'm not sure that Machu Picchu is even still a possibility, but I'm hoping! A year ago, I was averaging walking 7.5 miles a day, and could do 9-11 mile hikes with 1500 foot elevation changes with no problem. I took a 5 mile walk every night after dinner. Then, BAM! I could barely walk from my bed to my couch, then I needed 20 minutes to recover. I've gained over 30 pounds in the last 12 months. It is not pretty! 

Anyway, I have NO desire for sympathy. I can afford to cruise. Very few of the 8+ Billion people on the planet can say that. I have never had to worry if I can feed my kids. I have never had to worry if I can find shelter. The only nights i have gone without running water and electricity have been by choice (I love camping).

PLEASE do NOT pity me! 

All of that is to say that I will add Tauck to our list of vendors we are considering for the Galapagos. 

Thank you!!!!!

We will also be seriously looking at Galapagos expeditions on SS. With the 10% discount and the 5% book on board discount, we might be looking at doing the Galapagos for my 58th or 59th birthday, instead of waiting for my 60th, since booking for then won't be availble yet. 

I suppose there is noting wrong with moving a milestone in order to save money. 

2 minutes ago, Emdee said:

Laundry is a game changer on an expedition. Though in the case of the Endeavour we noticed that there was hardly anyone in the laundry room and the Crystal built ship had an excellent laundry room. The previous year we were on the Cloud and we gave our clothes for washing  a lot as the laundry room wasn’t great. 
Enjoy your trip on the Endeavour ….such a fabulous ship. 
 

Thank you.

This is Hubby's 60th birthday trip, and we are taking the adult offspring with us. They have all been on 2 Celebrity cruises, and are Classic Level, so they won't get the laundry benefit. It's nice to know that they will have a good laundry facility to use. I'll appreciate using it for the things I prefer to wash myself, such as things I don't want to be machine dried. It will be nice not to have to wash some things in the sink. 

15 minutes ago, late2cruisin said:

I agree that it's a great perk and we use it frequently. But it's wash and fold only, so the clothes are still a bit wrinkled and there's no place onboard to iron them yourself. I'm assuming on SS that the clothes we send out will be washed and pressed? That will be really nice!

That would be nice. Since I'm doing an expedition, I'm less concerned about wrinkles. Still, clean and possibly wrinkled clothes are better than not having the benefit, for sure. 

7 hours ago, pghflyer said:

The issue is nothing is ever really "free", they just hold or raise the cruise prices, or reduce / eliminate OBC, or don't offer drink package discounts, etc.........so if you happen to not want the "thing" they are using to support their price, you are actually paying more.

I totally agree, that's why I called "free" airfare "included." Viking doesn't do this out of a sense of generosity. 

I was trying to come to the defense of those opposed to it. I don't think they are being contentious. I think they are being honest that it doesn't work for them. No one is happy about paying extra for stuff they won't use. 

I'm happy that it does work for others. I can no longer sit without my legs elevated for a flight from  the Southwest Coast of the US to Europe. If I could, or I were flying from farther east, included airfare might work for me, as it can have a lower overall cost than purchasing the cruise and economy airfare separately. Instead, I look for lower cruise and/or accommodation prices and points and miles deals when I can't find good cash deals for airfare. 

Different things work for different people. 

Oh, as a point of clarification, one does not need to be a Zenith to get laundry benefits on Celebrity. Zeniths do get unlimited laundry. However, Elites get one bag each, and Elite Plus folks get two bags each. There are also dry cleaning benefits.

For us, that is a fantastic perk, especially since X does not have self-serve laundry facilities. 

On 5/31/2024 at 4:56 AM, Neilio said:

No different than what hotel chains have done after acquisitions. In almost all cases an integration of systems, policies and perks takes place. The bottom line is that the corporation needs to grow their revenue and earnings. Cost cutting and synergies are a natural outcome. I can still stay at a St. Regis/Ritz-Carlton and use my Marriott Bonvoy benefits that I accumulated via stays at a Courtyard. The proof will be if the cruises are full and demand keeps growing. As many previous posters have noted the age demographic for most of these luxury cruise lines (exception being Alaska and Expedition) is 70 years plus. The cruise lines must find ways to attract and maintain a younger clientele. Happy Sailing to All.

This is an interesting perspective. Thank you for that. I definitely leverage points and miles earned on the less expensive rooms and flights for nicer rooms, upgrades, and BC on longer flights for special trips. I've never considered it "travel hacking," but playing the game well, while following the rules. 

I'm feeling less guilty over what seems a like really unfair benefit for folks like us. 

We've earned E+ status on Celebrity, with most of our points earned since the restart. 160 of those points were extras granted with the 2x points promotions just as European cruising was reopening. 

When the sale of Azamara was announced. I jumped on a B2B I'd been hemming and hawing over. Knowing that it would grandfather us into the same level (Elite/Discoverer) helped me get off the fence. Then, the programs took longer to sever than originally planned, and we unexpectedly got points on two early 2023 Celebrity cruises, moving us up not only to E+ on Celebrity, but also D+ on Azamara.I know from reading here on CC that we were far from alone in getting unexpected points. 

Now, we will get the 350 night benefit on SS, on only our second expedition cruise with them? That seems to definitely tip in the favor of folks moving up to SS. 

I appreciate the folks saying that this is good for the company and for shareholders (including us). I think they are right. It does, however, feel we are getting a better deal than we deserve. I can certainly understand any resentment some X cruisers are feeling about Royal cruisers, and that some long-term SS cruisers are feeling about Royal and X cruisers. Of course, if this program helps keep SS up and running in the face of growing competition, I suppose it benefits them as well. 

We tend to do itineraries of 10-17 days, and have never even been to the Caribbean, so I suppose we aren't the "typical" cruisers. I've never been interested in Royal. However, if we ever have grandchildren, that could change, and loyalty benefits might sway us.

In the meantime, I am super grateful to have the laundry benefit on our upcoming Arctic expedition on Endeavour.

I don't see "free" (included) air as a point of contention. I see it as something that works well for some, but not for others. 

1 hour ago, Haelmai said:

Y’all, as a new Azamara cruiser, I love this spreadsheet so much. Thanks for all the comments, time, and effort you all put into compiling it! Can’t wait to set foot on the Journey in Athens on June 15th! You guys are the best!

Thanks, especially, to @Grandma Cruising, who maintains this spreadsheet, and generally helps us all stay up to date on all things Azamara. 

There are many helpful folks on this board. I appreciate them, too.