Peaches’Beaches

KSF traditionally excludes summer months EXCEPT for some select cruises out of Bayonne and Baltimore, typically to Canada. This is the ONLY promotion that is not smoke and mirrors. We almost always exclusively sail KSF promomotions and while sometimes the regular fare may go up a smidge, it pales in comparison to the cost savings of KSF if you have kids. It will likely run again the end of the summer. It typically runs 3-4 time a year and lasts about 3-4 weeks each time it runs.

Thanks! I’m watching!

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Thanks everyone, I’ll keep an eye out and continue researching. We will have two little ones so two separate rooms won’t work this time. Crossing my fingers we might score a good deal for Sept 2019.

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Does anyone know when this promotion might come up for sailing during summer 2019? I want to keep an eye out and jump when it happens.

Also, does RCL have “Family Cabins”? Hoping for something that has maybe a separate room from the common space. Or would this only be found in the “suite” category?

Thanks!

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Good choice! Have a great time.

Thank you I am excited!!

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Sounds wonderful. I hope you have a great time. What month are you cruising? Remember that Bermuda is not the Caribbean and air and water temperatures may be cooler than you are expecting.

End of July so I think we will get the best weather. Thank you!

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Hiya, looking for some info if anyone has it concerning the “likelihood” of the Zika virus showing up this summer season in places it previously was.

 

The CDC’s world map currently shows that Florida previously had it, and Bermuda and Bahamas are clear.

 

I’m trying to book a cruise for this summer and am pregnant. Should I just assume that these areas will have Zika again once the travel season is in full swing/mosquitos become more prevalent (??)

 

If anyone understands the science of how it all works in the sense of how the infected mosquitoes themselves get around it would be appreciated.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

 

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After more research I’ve booked a cruise that sails out of New York to Bermuda. Bermuda is safe and I recommend anyone who is looking for a trip on a sandy beach that isn’t a 10 hour flight away to look at this area :-)

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Thank you! He'll only be 14 months, so not potty trained at all, hahaha! I've read that as well about the blow up pool. I couldn't find anything about a kids camp area on this ship--can someone confirm?

I’m positive there are. Even though your son is too young to go alone you are allowed to go with him and make use of the toys and equipment.

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First time cruiser! My parents are generously taking us (my husband and our then 14 month old) and my brother (and his wife and their teenage daughters) on a 14 day transatlantic cruise this fall. We'll be on the Reflection in a 2B Deluxe Veranda Room. Looking for input/suggestions from anyone that's taken this ship with a little guy.

 

 

 

My main concerns are:

 

1) how insanely cramped will the room be with a pack and play in it? I understand that's what Celebrity provides

 

2) how do we keep him entertained for the 7 days we will be at sea with no port stops. I understand that he's too little to go in the pool

 

 

 

Any and all suggestions welcome!

 

Thanks!

I have been on the reflection but not with a toddler. I think your room will be fine. Just move the pack and play during the day and it will be ok. If your son is potty trained fully by the time you sail he can go in the pools with you. If not then I have heard of some parents bringing tiny blow up pools and using them on the pool deck close to the drains etc. Fill it up and have a splash about for some time. I’m not sure if this is allowed by Celebrity but no harm in calling up and asking. They also have a kids camp area for young children (3-5 I believe) that you can bring your toddler to and stay with him while he plays with the different toys etc. Otherwise it will be a lot of “exploring the ship” I would imagine. Have a great time!

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Be sure to research the prognancy limitations of your chosen cruise line. You cannot enter your 24th week of pregnancy any time during your cruise on most lines. EM

Yes I was aware of that. I will be fine at the beginning of the summer. Thank you.

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Although I would never travel to an area with reported Zika cases while pregnant, I think Bermuda would be less likely to have an issue. On my past few cruises to the caribbean, I have received warnings from the cruise lines about Zika. It seems like a safer alternative for a pregnant person going on a cruise in the summer is to cruise to Canada or Alaska. On my last two cruises, there were bugs on the ship. I don't know what kind, but they were there.

 

"There have been six confirmed imported (travel-related) cases of

as of February 2017. Given that we have a population that travels frequently, imported cases remain likely to occur. There is no known local transmission of Zika virus in Bermuda."

https://www.gov.bm/zika-virus

Thank you for the info. You are right, after further research it looks like the only green light that is tropical and not Europe is Bermuda. I’m going to look at pricing and such for cruises that only go there. Thanks!

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Not sure how anyone can accurately make that kind of prediction other then to say that Zika will be just about anywhere in the Caribbean, Central America, Africa, Asia, South Pacific and the Southeast of the USA. Here is a link to the CDC map showing where the virus is a threat:

 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-information

 

 

 

We live in Puerto Vallarta (for 10 weeks a year) where there have been a few (very few) reported cases of Zika. It is a subject not even mentioned in normal conversations down here as its just one more disease risk out of many. Consider once you move into the warmer climates you not only have the Zika risk but also have Dengue, Chickungunya, and many types of parasites.

 

 

 

So what to do? If pregnant, move to Alaska. Otherwise you just have to accept the risk along the risk of anything else. Personally, living here in Mexico I am most concerned with drinking too much Tequilia, falling off one of our lousy sidewalks, and being hit by a bus (we have too many).

 

 

 

But seriously, when our DD thought she might be pregnant we urged her to cancel her annual visit to Puerto Vallarta (she did cancel). And by the way, just finishing up our 10 weeks here in PV and I have not had a single mosquito bite this year (we live in a Condo where large sliding doors are always wide open). The Mexican government has done an amazing job spraying and taking other steps to reduce the mosquito population in the city area.

 

 

 

Hank

But that’s my question. According to the CDC, at the moment Florida and the Bahamas and Bermuda have no threat right now. In your experience you believe that come summer (when I would be going on a cruise) Zika will yet again cover the these areas?

I know you cannot look into the future. Thanks for the info.

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Hiya, looking for some info if anyone has it concerning the “likelihood” of the Zika virus showing up this summer season in places it previously was.

The CDC’s world map currently shows that Florida previously had it, and Bermuda and Bahamas are clear.

I’m trying to book a cruise for this summer and am pregnant. Should I just assume that these areas will have Zika again once the travel season is in full swing/mosquitos become more prevalent (??)

If anyone understands the science of how it all works in the sense of how the infected mosquitoes themselves get around it would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

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I would not travel today in this world without a valid passport. To many things could go wrong that will cost you much more than the cost of passports. If the ship has a problem, weather, security, medical, mechanical etc, and you go into a passport country you have problems. I seem to remember a cruise a few years ago, non passport cruise and the ship had problems and went into a country that required passports. The cruise line flew the people home who had legal documents to enter the country (passports) others had to say on ship and return with the ship.... about two weeks late.

Oh I’m a fan of passports, I have 3 citizenship’s and passports to go with, so I’m fully ID’d lol. I should have been more specific in my question.

I’m Canadian and frequently fly out of Detroit to other US destinations. My 18 month old only needs his birth certificate to cross a land border, and then only his birth certificate to fly within the US. I would like to know if the rules surrounding documentation needed for under 16’s has changed, otherwise I need to hurry up and get my son his passport. I’ve been searching online but US government sites are a nightmare.

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If seasickness is a concern then I agree with others here that my preference would be a 1A on either side of the hump by the rear elevators. I think the ones by the forward elevators would be too far forward. The proximity to the elevators (being close) has never been an issue with noise as there is a partition between the elevators and the hallway with the cabins.

 

I did not know about the partition. Good info!

 

Soooooo are we allowed to bring a lounger on perhaps? Lol

 

 

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Well, I'll put a spanner in the works and say from my experience the 2Cs near the back are the best value. Nice and quiet. If you pick one of the last 10 cabins on each side they have oversized balconies which aren't shown on the deck plan. They look out over the blue roof overhang from below, but your view straight ahead is unhindered. If you are getting a one category upgrade and a 2D price you might score quite a saving too. It's my choice of location if I don't go aft facing and I prefer it to the central position 1As on the hump with the larger balconies which tend to attract a premium and aren't in the quietest spot on the ship. Just something to thing about!

 

 

 

Phil

Do you find movement on the ship at the back much more noticeable? Also, the map I’m looking at does not show front or back, is the top the front and the bottom the back?

I’m going to give Celebrity a call today and see what difference in price we are talking here. I don’t mind a blue roof overhang down below, just need to see that ocean. Thanks!!

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I believe the poster is referring to needing ID that is compliant with the REAL ID act which is something that has taken years to fully implement.

Would this include passports being needed for in country flights? I thought I heard that over the past few weeks.

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By 2019, when you are sailing, the rules for travel documentation may change. They will for air travel, and they may for cruise travel.

 

 

 

The present travel documents may or may not be sufficient in 2019.

Can you elaborate on the changes for air travel please?

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And the TA does not need to be available 24/7 just 7! If you find a price drop in the wee hours of the night all you need to do is place a 24-hour hold on another cabin and call your TA the following morning to get the lower price of your hold transferred to your original reservation.

 

Note: your TA may need to initiate a three-way conversation with you, your TA and Celebrity since Celebrity may need your verbal permission to release the hold to the TA.

Is the 24 hour hold just done online through their site?

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We are in Canada and we use a couple of US based TAs to book in either CAD or USD depending on what the exchange rate is and where the Cruise line has pegged their exchange rate. We have received high amounts of OBC as well as in some cases depending on the cruise line we are using, received substantial rebates. To me it is very much worthwhile to find a US based TA that meets your requirements and transfer your booking to them. I have found that when you book in CAD the OBC and rebates are just the USD amounts translated into CAD and then once on board they are translated back to USD because that is what the cruise line uses.

 

 

 

We haven't tried the big box store here in Canada yet but might check it out in the future. The problem with it is the rebates are in gift cards and i prefer getting an actual cheque.

 

 

 

I will admit that you can experience some frustration if the TA doesn't respond quickly when you have an issue but things do eventually get straightened out. If you deal with the cruise line directly you don't go through that but to me the money i get back is worth small amounts of frustration.

 

 

 

We have walked off the ship with hundreds of $ of unused refundable OBC that we take home anbd have available for future USD transactions.

Since I don’t have a US account or Credit Card I’m glad to hear that I might be able to find an agent willing to use CAD. Thanks!

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Canadian here and like some others, I do not transfer mine to a TA as I've gained nothing ever from doing so. In fact, first Celebrity was booked through a TA and all it did was tie my hands from calling Celebrity myself for anything.

 

 

 

When I did a future cruise booking on my first Celebrity cruise, I failed to realize they automatically tie it to a TA if the current sailing was booked that way. I did not realize until I got back to my stateroom and looked at the paperwork more closely and went right back to their office to get it changed to remove any holdings with the TA. The TA that I booked with left the company and didn't say a word or notify us, which would have been fine if someone else had picked up for her but nope ... we had to fend for ourselves to figure everything out in the last few weeks before sailing. I only discovered by calling and inquiring about stuff.

 

 

 

To each their own.

That is so stressful. I hope you had a great trip regardless. Thanks for the info.

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The big box store's Canadian entity added travel to its offerings just a couple of years ago and we booked through them almost immediately. We had gone to a cruise travel show put on by a TA that we had used on occasion in the past and asked for a quotation for a cruise that we start this coming Sunday. The best they could do is offer us a cheap bottle of wine as a perk. We declined the offer, went home and phoned the big box store's TA. Identical quote for the cost of the cruise, but their perk was a $500 cash card for the store. We booked immediately.

 

 

 

There was a slight accounting glitch at one point when Celebrity inadvertently credited us some money. A quick call to the TA and the problem was resolved.

 

 

 

After final payment, the prices went down. Again, a quick call to the TA and we were given a free upgrade from an SV cabin to a Concierge cabin and kept our Celebrity perks as well as the TA's.

 

 

 

To date, I've found them to be highly professional and very knowledgable, and no other Canadian TA that I've dealt with seems able to match them for perks. As this is only your second cruise and first TA, I don't think that you can go wrong giving them a try.

I didn’t even know they had a travel agency there. Thank you for the great info. I’m going to have a few more calls to make tomorrow because I’m sure I can get a better deal. I’m on the hunt!

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Most of the TAs up here offer peanuts in extra OBC compared to USA ones. The best deal I've found is if you're a member of the big box store they actually offer a gift card for X crises worth about 8 - 9% of the fare. They also provide great service and don't charge fees for changes/cancellations like done of the USA ones.

 

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Good to know! I’ll check that store!

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Travel agents get paid a commission by the cruise line. They have access to all the deals that the cruise line's booking agents have, plus sometimes also group rates. And then they may choose to give some of their commission to you in the form of OnBoard Credit or a discount. To transfer a booking to a travel agent you have to tell the cruise line -- the TA should help you do this [it's in their interest, after all!]

Thank you!

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We’re from Canada as well. For years we booked directly through Celebrity or dealt with a friend who was a Canadian travel agent.

 

We sail frequently with friends who are US citizens. We did not think a US travel agency could deal with Canadians until they told us otherwise.

 

We still book directly with Celebrity and then transfer the booking to a US travel agency. The travel agent arranges for the transfer. As previously mentioned, this transfer needs to be done within 60 days of original booking.

 

The travel agency provides approximately 8-9% of the cost of the cruise in on board credit. This credit is refundable to us if we do not use it by the end of the cruise. Any on board credit offered as a perk by the cruise line is normally a “use it or lose it” form.

 

Keep in mind that once you transfer to a travel agency, you may lose flexibility in terms of servicing as Celebrity will normally talk to them rather than you. Don’t expect your travel agent to “do it all,” because they have others to look after.

Stay in contact with them if you see a price decrease or if you have specific requests. These do not automatically happen on your account. Work as a team with them and you will be happier.

 

For us, this has been a good thing.

 

 

 

 

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Great to know I can transfer to a US agent. You bring up another point that I did not know. I had thought the on board credit could be put back on my card at the end of the cruise if it wasn’t used. Is that not the case?

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Being from Canada, my experience has been for me is that it is cheapest to book direct with Celebrity. I have tried numerous agencies in Canada and $25 obc is about all they would offer. I just email my Celebrity rep every time there is a price drop and she refares it. Our cruise next month we booked deck7 balcony and ended up with deck 10 concierge balcony and saved $120.

 

You have to do your homework and be vigilant to watch prices.

Are you watching the Celebrity website itself? How do you find out if the specific class of cabin you booked (at this point we have 2A, deck 7 midship) has dropped in price? I’ve been using my phone and find that the site is very hard to navigate.

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