Jim_Iain

37 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Easy answer any flight change from arrival in day of embarkation and day of disembarkation is a deviation. 
 

and you can deviate I believe for 30 days and you don’t have to fly in Cape Town. You can fly to johansburg or other cities if you choose. No telling the cost difference though. 

Thanks.... I guess we will just have to start out figuring out if this cruise is for us and then calculate the deviation cost vs booking on our own.

On 6/13/2024 at 4:33 PM, Stefken said:

We have been assigned the Victoria and Alfred Hotel. We are doing pre cruise Safari, from Johannesburg, before joining cruise in Capetown.

 

looking forward to Safari and cruise.

Are you doing a Safari on your own or through RSS.   We are starting planning for a May 2026 CPT to MIA via Lisbon and would like to do a week tour in advance to Victoria Falls and a Safari. 

Trying to figure out if that is possible using RSS flilghts.    Really new to RSS so apologize if a stupid question.  I don't yet understand their flights and "Deviations".  

I've been reading this thread for the past couple hours.  Excuse me if it has already been asked and answered but wasn't able to find it via search.

We are looking at booking our first Regent Seven Seas cruise from Cape Town to Miami via Lisbon for May 2025.   Ideally we would use RSS Business Class from San Francisco.  

Ideally we would like to fly to Cape Town a week early and take a side trip on our Own  to Victoria Falls and a Safari.  Is this possible or is this considered a deviation?    I've traveled on business worldwide my entire career and very comfortable booking our own air but their prices look better than what I project at this time (that far out). 

I wanted to get a general idea of options before calling RSS.

On 5/21/2024 at 2:20 PM, FetaCheese said:

All of those marketing materials/mailings/magazine ads -- must be working.  Also, from reading here on CC, many X, HAL, Princess refugees.

 

Thanks for your posts.

Or it may be that some of the cruise lines like Celebrity have forced some of their top end cruisers to find a new home with some of their failed initiatives over the past 2 years.   e.g.   Me

5 hours ago, Kordy said:

 

It may appear that it does, but I don't think this actually works!  When I tried it on my iPhone 15 (also have an eSIM), it seems to let you "connect" to Wi-Fi, but there is no actual Internet connection being shared.

 

Can you actually confirm that the client phone is receiving Internet and can really browse the Internet?

 

Everything I know about Apple and iOS makes me think that the ONLY way to share an Internet connection is from a Cellular connection ONLY (via iOS Personal Hotspot feature), rather than share or offload an existing WIFI connection to other devices.   I am not aware of any workaround to make WIFI->WIFI sharing being supported on iOS.   It works on Android flagships!

You are 100% correct.   I had not tried connecting and testing.    I just did and as you experienced I can connect to my hotspot but there is no connectivity.    I also tried pinging my router and Google and get a failure.  

4 hours ago, david63 said:

Do people still use that outdated form of communication?😂

When I see my grand kids in action I swear they are texting each other while sitting next to them.

1 hour ago, Covepointcruiser said:

You will need layers when you walk the promenade.   Sometimes they will block the doors if the wind is over 50 or 60 miles along the deck.   Even in the worst weather folks find a way outside and I watch them walking.   We always get the spa pass and use the loungers to watch the deck and the sea.   In December we watched the folks walking with hail all over the deck, it must have been slippery.   The spa lounge is on the starboard side near the gym.

We usually travel with a Rain Slicker that is so waterproof it gets toasty, Puffers, Sweaters and sweat shirts.   Have sailed Iceland / Greenland and was perfect.  

Iain's a smoker and is accustomed to braving the outside smoking areas.   If it is cold and windy - he's on his own.   I do enjoy walking but am accustomed to finding alternatives e.g. the gym elliptical when they close the decks.

I posted the complete set of new Menus .      This was from Apex when they first released them and I don't believe they have changed since.  

Days may shift due to the cruise schedule so the can align Chic nights with the better menus. 

Just now, zitsky said:

I don’t mind waiting for an hour.  I’m just not sure if there is a bathroom I can run to.  Considering I may be standing in the sun and drinking water, that could be an issue.  Every terminal is different.

 

Just be cautious of hydration.    I went mountain climbing and a combination of a new BP Med that I became allergic to and the high temperatures I became really dehydrated and took me about 10 day to recover. 

5 hours ago, D&N said:

Perhaps for an overnight bedroom temperature or in gym during a workout.

For us and the cats that would be good reason to leave home!

Living in the SF Bay area --- that can be our regular temperatures outside in the mornings.   We can be like the UK but no rain.   The afternoons  usually aren't much hotter than 24.

5 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

ah yes, but is that male perfect (~19C) or female perfect (~23C).  The old office AC controls warfare...

You were never in my office with three ladies that were going through that time of life and turning the air conditioner down.   They would actually joke about it and we all were accommodating.

That is the reason that we always dress with layers.   I also bring layered clothing on cruises.  

12 hours ago, vieux_carre said:

Cellular carriers differ with what they will and will not allow.  Additionally, there is the variable of if you have an eSIM or a physical SIM.

 

With the above caveats noted, I was able to do the following on my iPhone 14 Pro with an eSIM:

I didn’t put my phone in Airplane Mode.  Go into Settings, then Cellular.  Under my carrier name, I was able to toggle the first option “Turn on this line” to the off position.  This effectively disabled the cellular portion of my phone.  I was still able to then set up a hotspot and share my existing WiFi connection.

 

This may or may not work for you - I suspect that I have this ability since I am using an eSIM that can be switched off in software.  If your iPhone service is based on a physical SIM, try removing the SIM and see if you can set up a hotspot.  With the eSIM turned off or your physical SIM removed, you won’t incur any marine roaming charges.

 

I do realize that this scenario does not address the original question of being able to message shipwide, but does answer the recent point of setting up a WiFi hotspot from an iPhone to share the ship’s internet package with persons within range of your hotspot.

Thank... I definitely learned something new.    Just tried on my iPhone Pro Max with an eSim and as you said you can setup a hotpot over WiFi.     I have traditionally just setup one on my PC so we can connect multiple devices while in the room.  

Agree it would be useless for the OP as if they are sitting within BlueTooth range they could just talk to each other via voice.

I have an AirTag in my car and it is incredible.    I can't tell you how many times I didn't pay attention to where I put my car in a large parking lot.   Find me sends me directly to my car.

I'm not sure if it is just good mapping in Silicon Valley but at Kaiser Medical Center they even shows the parking spaces and lanes on the map.  

3 hours ago, zitsky said:

I’m not worried.  I’ll still have my gold Amex in December.  That will get me in!  😂

 

I don’t want special treatment.  I just want to follow the rules that Celebrity sets up.

 

Is the earliest boarding time 10am or is it 11am?  Or is it different in every port?

Usually the 10AM or 11AM is only Checkin times ---- Usually boarding doesn't begin until about 11:15.   That is pretty much world wide but can be later in some ports.

15 hours ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

I actually found the QR Code for this in the daily program but the QR Code was broken so it couldn't be used...who knows how long it's been broken, but it was for our sailing.

 

I mentioned the internet in the post-cruise survey but I'm sure they're well aware of how bad it is and they're okay with it.

Not sure if it is the same situation but for some reason, I have never been able to access using my PC.   It goes to Microsoft Office.     When I use my Phone it connects immediately.

Also on one cruise, it was broken.   I wrote and attention to detail letter addressed to Hotel Director =  First line ---Attention to detail is to fix your broken Attention to Detail Form.   It was fixed within hours and my other issues were also fixed immediately.

On 4/28/2024 at 7:14 AM, marne-c said:

 

In the Istanbul port, the issue was Turkish visas.  Oceania had (correctly) advised pax that B2B passengers needed them, but all others did not.  However, the embarkation staff at the port wouldn't process anyone without a visa, which only were available online if (a) you had a smartphone that (b) you knew how to use, to (c) pay online with a credit card while (d) in a tent with hundreds of annoyed pax trying to use (e) primitive WiFi with dialup-speed throughput and the bandwidth of a string telephone for the entire tent.  Oceania personnel did come down from the adjacent ship to correct the issue,  even when alerted to it by boarding passengers.

 

The Callao port for Lima, Peru is a container port.  Its infrastructure is not designed to handle cruise ship embarkation (or, from what we heard from other pax, disembarkation, or on/off transit of passengers for port-stop ShoreEx.  Embarking passengers not on Oceania hotel packages were dropped off at a seemingly random side street a mile or so from the port entrance.  There was no Oceania signage nor Oceania personnel.  But there were a small group of very well-meaning teenagers hired by the port trying to assist the arriving, disoriented pax.  One nice young girl spoke some English.  A few police loitered nearby.  Scores of passengers, all with full complements of cruise luggage and many with walkers or wheelchairs, packed onto the sidewalk awaiting buses to the port.  These didn't come for well over an hour, as more and more pax arrived. (Fortunately, there was no rain that day, nor hot sun.)  When two buses did arrive, the more able pax pushed through the elderly and less aware pax to toss their luggage into the bus' lower compartment and jump onboard.  Over half the crowd didn't fit into these buses, so they remained on the sidewalk dazed, confused and angry.  Oceania could have, should have had signage and personnel at this transfer area,  But no.  (Amazingly, things went waaaay downhill on the bus after departing for the port blocks away.  That was not an Oceania issue, but having an Oceania rep on the bus would have helped to explain the situation and to communicate to the ship the extent of the snafu.)

 

My thoughts, @QuestionEverything:  If you are going to embark in Istanbul, get a visa online before heading to the port.  With decent WiFi in your hotel room or at the airport pre-cruise, it's a 5 minute task.  The cost is a fraction of your cruise fare.  Do this even if Turkiye's rules say you don't need one.  And just don't embark, disembark or leave the ship for a port stop in Callao, Peru.

 

--Marne

Good news is Turkey dropped the visa requirement in 2024. 

Another big fan of AirTags on all bags and backpack.  I normally have to adjust settings or every time I leave my cabin I get a reminder that I left my suitcase behind.

It will vary by Ship and Location.    On most ships they will be shown at the Casino Bar with multiple Screens as well as on your room TV.  They have also been known to broadcast in the movie theater.  On S-Class and E-Class they often broadcast on the Big Screens.    Ships with Craft Social will also be showing. 

8 hours ago, 39august said:

But were these pics taken on a European cruise?  I would guess not. 

I've been in Europe on Halloween and the pictures represented what the decorations and costumes were like.    I didn't hear any complaints from Europeans.  

Same is true with Thanksgiving.   While a U.S. Holiday they still decorate for it and usually have a Thanksgiving Dinner Choice both at the Buffet for Lunch as well as an Entree in the Dining Rooms.    We have probably been on Thanksgiving cruise annually for 20+ years all over the world.  

On 6/6/2024 at 4:23 AM, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

I definitely wish it was as advertised. 

 

I haven't come across the daily feedback form... Is that in the app?

Look in the daily and you will find a QR Code for Attention to Detail or Comments.   It is posted daily.

Sign me up for this great adventure.    I'm sitting here pre-dinner salivating from all of your food porn.     Keep it up

Let the adventure begin.  Thanks for taking us along.

It really depends on what classification of room you are in and the class you are bidding.   It will vary by the sailing so their is no one answer.

First start by understanding what you paid and what the cost is for the room you are bidding on.   Also so you can check how many cabins are open.

Next read the First sticky at the top of the Celebrity Forum on Celebrity Move UP.    Others will post what the Minimum and Maxim of the bids they received and then come back and report whether they won or not.   They often also indicate what their winning bid was.

From this you can get a good idea of the potential for an upgrade and an idea of what the odds of successful bid will be by price.

From this you can decide if it might be appropriate for you and your budget.

6 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Bailey's Irish Cream .. my preferred way to fix shipboard coffee. 

I only wish I could have it.   I love it but Alcohol is one of my Migraine triggers and just not worth it.

Have you ever had Sheridan's.     It is made by Bailey's and is a split bottle of Dark Bailey's and a Light almost White Cream Bailey.    When you pour it -  it forms a layered Bailey.   I believe they sell it in the Duty Free.

Might be nice on the side.

6 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

That would be fine for lunch (and breakfast) on any day, including embarkation day. A light jacket may be helpful if you find the a/c a bit chilly. Also bear in mind that if you were looking to do fish and chips in the Golden Lion, being a Grills passenger means that on embarkation day you should be on board before 80% or so of other passengers, so it may be the best day for it.

Perfect -  I feel so much more comfortable knowing that we won't be under dressed.   Living in Silicon Valley dress can be very casual but at the same time no one would blink an eye if you walked in wearing a Tux.  

I'm really excited to bring my Tux along.   I bought a nice Versace Tux just before many cruise lines droped Fomal nights and I've only gotten to wear it a handful of times.   I always enjoy dressing for the Opera and other festive events but the opportunities are really disappearing.

We will probably be eating in Queens Grill to sort out our table.   While we love Fish and Chips - we will be spending a week in Lymington post cruise before driving to Scotland for a week to Visit Iain's Family.  

We discovered Lymington a couple years ago after being tossed off a Celebrity Ships on a B3B after testing positive for Covid.   There is a fish and chip place across the street from our AirBnB and a fantastic Cornish Pasty shop next door... can't wait.

9 hours ago, D&N said:

Yes.

You can run one plan with the other device linked by bluetooth/WiFi hotspot, but not if you're in different places.

 

Edit: And of course you'd need to text by WhatsApp or other message service. A phone text will be charged through the satellite system.

Unless you know something that I don't,  I'm just a Grey Haired  Silicon Valley Teckno Nerd Haker.  

I don't believe you can setup a HotSpot using Wifi.   For some reason Apple only allows HotSpot using Cellular.    I've also tried on a Android and worked the same way.   You can however setup a hotspot over Wifi on a PC and both connect to it but won't help outside the room.

Give it a try -  Put your phone in Airplane mode -  Connect to WiFi  -  you will find Hotspot is Grayed Out and Off.