I have been to Cartegena last year and will be there tomorrow.
If it is a ship tour it will probably be OK, especially in the old city.
However, lots of pushy vendors and probably pickpockets.
I don’t think I would do it on my own.
Not my favorite port. Wish they would drop it.
Late returning shore excursions caused the delay.
Looks like 3 buses worth.
Guess there are times it makes sense to book an excursion through the cruise line.
If you are near a big city then large photography should also have decent binoculars .
Expect to spend more than $100. Not sure worth spending more than $300.
Get waterproof.
As said before, only really necessary for Alaska or maybe Galapagos or similar.
I have only been on one Oceania cruise, but really loved it. However, I have been going on Celebrity because I think it is significantly less expensive.
Maybe I have been doing the math wrong.
Any thoughts on how you do the comparison?
Move up bids are NOT guaranteed. So, even if they have priority there was no guarantee you would have won.
If you want something better you could always bid for that.
I had a different problem with their accounting system that I had to call to resolve.
Their whole IT system is screwed up.
I think you have to “continuously” check your booking because it can get screwed up at ANY time.
They used to give a small discount for B2B cruises depending upon length of cruise.
Also, make sure Celebrity has the cruises linked in their system.
NOT ALL Celebrity reps know how to do this. I do not believe it is automatic.
Also, at some point while you are onboard for the first leg make sure that the onboard staff know this is a B2B.
It makes things easier for you.
If it is a US port they require you disembark between the 2 cruises.
In the US I think having the gratuities separate from the cabin cost is the same reason hotels are now doing "resort fees." It is a way of making the price look cheaper than it really is.
I believe that if too many people opted out they would just make it mandatory.