debfed65

On 2/27/2024 at 4:11 PM, princeton123211 said:

No- but its super easy to just grab an Uber outside the terminal. No reason to start a vacation off on a bad foot when you can just have a quick private transfer for $25. 

Is that all it cost to get an Uber or taxi from Pier 2 Cruise Terminal to the airport as well?  We are ending our transpacific on May 1 but do not fly out of HNL until 10pm so we wanted to drop our luggage at the airport storage and then go explore Honolulu for the day. 

Just an add on to what I said before... you can also specify what size glass you want lol.  They are generous with their shots, so if you like it strong the standard glass they use may suffice.  But you can also ask for a larger glass, and ask for the full cold can of soda on the side.  

As I said before, the bartenders are very friendly & accommodating. Just be polite & respectful as we all should be and you will be fine with getting what you like to drink. 

Hello.

You can get any mixed drink made within the classic drink package selection of alcohol.  So Captain Morgan (a spiced rum) and Coke is included as is Gin & Tonic, Vodka & Soda etc.  You need to specify if you want Captain Morgan or Bacardi or Smirnoff etc. by name (or whatever you want from the classic package) with your mix. 

If you order a Bloody Mary or Caesar, you can specify how spicy you want it and if you want Clamato or Tomato Juice.  

You get frozen drinks included (Pina Colada, daiquiri) and also drinks like Mojitos and Long Island Iced Tea, just to name a couple. They don't necessarily show on the menu, but just ask.  They will always tell you if it will be an uncharge to your drink  before they make it for you.

Its very simple and they are very accommodating.

Cheers! 

2 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

A quick search found this.

https://www.vogue.com.au/shopping/reef-safe-sunscreens-australia/image-gallery/95a326d07be17bff7408e544f89985b6

 

BTW, spray-on sunscreens are notoriously ineffective, not to mention very expensive.

 

 

https://www.choice.com.au/health-and-body/beauty-and-personal-care/skin-care-and-cosmetics/articles/aerosol-sunscreens

 

I spend a lot of time on the water and, in summer, always wear a long sleeved "rashie" for sun protection along with broad brim hat and sunscreen.

What is a rashie in Australia?

 

 

 

A rash guard (also known as a rashie or rash vest) is a fitted top made from polyester, nylon and spandex which is typically used during water sports such as surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, swimming or kite surfing. It is also common to wear a rash guard to the beach or by the pool on holiday.

Thank you lyndarra.  Both links are very useful.  I think wearing no sunscreen with our scuba and snorkelling excursions is the best bet. And we also sell rash guards in Canada...BTW love the pic! What a stunning backdrop!

18 minutes ago, beatleman said:

I take it you are referring to the "Reef" brand of suntan lotion, readily available at Chemist Warehouse and most other Chemists, also large supermarkets like Coles.

5 minutes ago, Kristelle said:

the SPF rating system must be different in Australia too - most sunscreens here are SPF 50

Thank you both for replying!  

We also have SPF 50 here - was just wondering if lower SPF were sold in Australia or New Zealand - we can get SPF 30, 50 or 60 in a lotion or spray form in Canada, so I was wondering if there were lower SPF available to purchase while I am there.  

I was also inquiring about ANY brand name of sunscreen that is safe to wear in the Ocean that will not cause harm to the coral reefs.  I can purchase CeraVe Mineral Sunscreen and SunBum brand in Toronto but I was just curious if there was a specific brand made there that would be better. 

Thank you again, your replies are appreciated!

Greetings from Canada 🇨🇦

We are very excited to fly into Sydney in April and staying a few days prior to boarding the Edge Transpacific cruise.

In Canada, it is very difficult to find reef safe suntan lotion.  I assume it is easier to find in Australia - and also a lotion with a SPF of 4, 6 or 8 ?

If anyone can provide any help, it would be appreciated.  We are looking forward to exploring your part of the world and have been on many cruises with some folks from down under and have enjoyed their company very much - you are a very friendly, easy going bunch!

Thanks

22 hours ago, George C said:

Yes we loved that but still needs a taxi to get there .

You can also walk to the old town from the port.  It takes about 40 minutes but it is a nice walk.

Or just take the local bus.  The bus stop is right outside the gates at the port just right turn right about 100 feet from the exit - buy your round trip ticket at the newspaper stand located right there (very inexpensive) and ride with the locals & other passengers - drops you off outside the entrance to old town Dubrovnik. 

Enjoy!

12 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

We stayed at the IHG InterContinental Bali Resort.  We spent a couple of days just relexing at the resort which is right on the beach.  For the third day we had the resort reserve a car and driver for us and went into Ubud.  There is a monkey sanctuary,  waterfalls, art galleries,  etc.  You can tailor the stops to meet your itinerary and interests.  There are 5 or 6 on premise restaurants.

2 hours ago, chemmo said:

Hi Debbie &Ron,

 

We chose an all inclusive option as we were planning on spending a lot of time beachside. I am fairly sure it was the Mecure…It is a few years since we visited. Our hotel was quite busy and had lots of young Australians who were enjoying lots of beach and pool activities. This is not a criticism in any way, simply trying to describe the ambiance. It certainly wasn’t a quiet romantic tropical paradise. However, it had a lovely beach location, friendly staff and was excellent value for money. I suggest you decide what is important to you and do some searching.

 

We found that many of the hotels priced B&B but then offered an AI option. If you price up sodas, coffee, lunch, dinner and a few cocktails we found the AI option was well worth it. We looked at tours through our tour company and then priced a car driver and guide through the hotel concierge. It was fantastic. Our tour guide phoned us at the hotel and asked us what we wanted to see/do, how long we wanted our tour to last…It was cheaper for three of us privately through the hotel than the coach tour offered by our tour company. Definitely worth considering. I would think most hotels offer something similar. We did two one day private tours and visited volcanoes, rice fields, monkeys, temples, local restaurants and by request no shops! A fantastic way to see a lot of a beautiful place with very little effort…

 

Sincere best wishes for a wonderful vacation!

 

 

 

 

Thank you both very much for this information.  I will definitely look into both of these options!  We are very excited to go and explore this part of the world - it looks absolutely stunning 🌴🐠☀️

We have never had any issues taking the train from Termini station in Rome to Civitavecchia many times. We take the Leonardo Express from the airport to Termini, overnight in a hotel close to the train station, take the first train in the morning from Rome to Civitavecchia.  By doing it this way, you are ahead of the rush of people coming in from the airport trying to do the same.  We always have 2 large suitcases with carry on and never have a problem finding a place for our luggage beside us. 

Tickets are easy to purchase at the machine.  You can select the machine to English instead of Italian. It is a minimal cost to do it this way.  A little tip, make sure your luggage is in front of you while at the machine so no-one walks away with it and keep your belonging close to you. There is a shuttle bus right at Civitavecchia train station that will take you through the port gates and right to the ship for 6 euro per person.  

 But I must admit, going from Civitavecchia to Termini can be a bit of a challenge merely because of the volume of people getting off ships and trying to do the same.  We have done it and have found the trick is to get off super early to get the first train. The shuttle bus will be there to take you directly from the ship to the train station for the 6 euro per person.  This only works if you have an afternoon flight or later because you will still have to transfer from Termini to the Leonardo Express to get to the airport.  If your flight is early, you would be better booking a ship transfer or other. 

 It all depends how adventurous you are.  We are neither young nor old lol - in our mid 50's and have never had a problem doing this. 

10 hours ago, chemmo said:

The fact that beaches comes so high up on your ‘likes’ list makes me wonder if you wouldn’t benefit more from a land based holiday than a cruise in this region.
 

We have done three South East Asia cruises and loved them but excursions have been focused on sightseeing…Quite simply if you are travelling so far it seems a waste to not see the fabulous sights on offer. If you opt for beach excursions then you won’t see any of the culture or history of the region…If you opt for sightseeing excursions then you will not have the beach days you love…

 

In addition to cruising we have enjoyed several land based holidays in South East Asia including Phuket, Bali, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong…Both Bali and Phuket have plenty to do but offer fabulous beaches too. You could book a 14 night package holiday in either…Enjoy the beaches and break up your stay with some tours. In addition tour companies often offer city + beach options. We have enjoyed Bangkok + Phuket and Hong Kong +Bali…Either of these options would give you a flavour of the ambiance of the region, the friendliness of the people and the fabulous food too. In our experience these land based breaks have been equally enjoyable to cruising.

 

I know on a cruise forum it may seem odd to suggest that a cruise may not be the best option but it does all depend on what your priorities are for your next holiday…As you can tell from my posts, we are firm cruise lovers but there have been occasions when we have preferred to opt for alternatives. For many people a vacation has to be a balance between seeing the world and offering much needed rest and relaxation…You have received lots of excellent cruising advice, consider alternative holiday options too!

8 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

If you choose an itinerary that starts/ends in Bali you will have some very nice resorts.  When we were there we stayed in a 5 star resort on the beach,  had high end meals (sea bass cooked to perfection), and were drinking coconut milk every day.  The gardens on the property were beautiful.  Everything there is very inexpensive and we paid very little for the extraordinary experience that we had.  We dined on the beach and relaxed.  Want to go into Ubud to explore?  Just have the resort reserve a driver for the day.  Again very inexpensive.

 

In Phuket we were on a boat tour that took us to a small island with a beach.  There was also a beach right by tender exit.  Phuket has many many islands.

8 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Great idea. There's a Millennium itinerary that's starts in Bali and ends in Singapore and is basically the same ports as the itinerary the OP posted but in much better order (Phuket is an overnight and one should stay off the ship in an hotel). If the OP is interested in the ports of the posted itinerary they should seriously reconsider this alternate itinerary with multiple sailing dates. Then they could stay several days pre-cruise in Bali and enjoy the Phuket beaches. 

Edit: Also overnight in Penang! 

Hello everyone,

We are actually booked for this exact itinerary for January 2025, on a b2b with 

Can anyone offer any suggestions on a place to stay in Bali pre-cruise for one-two weeks?

NMTraveller & chemmo - you both commented that you have stayed in Bali.  Would you share where you stayed &/or any other travel suggestions you may have?  Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Debbie & Ron

51 minutes ago, JLMcruise said:

In Moorea it is easy to take a taxi to the public beach. Its more like a grass park with a small beach and a restaurant. We were able just to get a taxi back to the ship without difficulty. We booked a restaurant with a  water taxi included to CoCo Beach. They give you a table with shade and you can go snorkel or swim. Saw lots of sharks and sting rays. Its not the best beach for laying on the sand but it is beautiful! The restaurant has drinks and good food. You should make a reservation to do this. When we where there they would only transport guests who had reservations.

Thank you again for this information!  CoCo Beach looks amazing, I just spent some time on trip advisor and you tube looking at everything as well as their website.  I see where you pre-book the water taxi online on their website. 

 I think we will be tendering into Papetoai in Opunohu Bay.  Was that the same for you?  

Can you walk to where the water taxi picks you up, or do we need to take a taxi to get to the meeting point?

Thank you again,  Debbie & Ron 

35 minutes ago, JLMcruise said:

We did the reverse cruise this October on the Solstice. In Raiatea - the tender drops you off and there is a "Welcome Center" were you can book a taxi boat to the Motu... There is a grocery store not far away if you want to pick something up to eat. Bring water with you and maybe some snacks. There is a grocery store not far away if you want to pick something up to eat and bring it with you. There are picnic tables on the Motu. It is very relaxing and beautiful views. Walk the entire Motu. Not a lot of sea life when we were there.  I had water shoes-  which you will need in Moorea if you plan a water activity there. We had the best free whale watching in Moorea. The mom whales just gave birth and the baby whales were breaching all over. We watched the whales for over an hour from the ship. The moms were slapping their tails on the water to make the babies swim.  We were only in 90 feet of water so the whales were very active on the top the water. Enjoy your cruise!! 

Thank you so much for sending this reply!  That is exactly the information I was looking for. 

What a wonderful story about the whales...a lifetime memory for sure!  I can only hope we will see something as magical as that! 

In Moorea, we are thinking of renting bicycles &/or scooter to explore the island on our own...or just take a taxi to a beach and relax. We have a busy day Scuba Diving in Papeete and are want to go to the market before getting back on board, so these lazy days on a beach sound like a little piece of heaven to me 🏝️

Thank you again, and any other tidbits you would like to share would be welcomed  

Good Morning 

We are very excited going to some of the islands in French Polynesia doing the TP Sydney to Hawaii on Edge this coming April.  They also have a great 14 day itinerary from Sydney round trip this coming January and again in March 2026.  Looks like they only do that itinerary once a season and it offers different ports than the TP. 

I am hoping someone following this thread can help me out with a question.

We are stopping in Raiatea, Papeete & Moorea.  I am trying to find information on doing a water taxi in Raiatea (Uturoa) to Motu Ofetaro just to have a relaxing beach day.

Has anyone done this? Did you pre-book with Te Mara Nui? Does anyone know if you can just get a local water taxi at the pier once we get off the tender, or does it need to be pre-booked?

I did post this on the South Pacific Islands port of call forum but no-one has replied so I am hoping someone here might have some insight.

Thanks!  Debbie & Ron

Hello everyone.

 We are doing a transpacific crossing this April with ports of calls at Raiatea, Papeete & Moorea.  

I am trying to find pricing & information to do a simple water taxi (?) ride from Uturoa to Motu Ofetaro, to go and relax on a beach. 

 Has anyone done this?  Did you prebook with Te Mara Nui?  Does anyone know if we can just book a transfer once we get off the tender at the port?  

This is our first time (but not the last) time in the South Pacific so any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.  🏝️

Debbie & Ron

If you have unused OBC you can gift it to a crew member. It will go directly to them personally on their paycheque (it will show as extra gratuities) and it won't go into the pool to be shared with anyone else. 

Of course, this is over and above the auto gratuities that you have pre-paid (if you have prepaid them).

Simply go to Guest Relations and they will give you a form to fill out.  It is important to go to the crew member(s) and get the exact spelling of their name as it appears on their paycheque.  This part is important.    

Go back to Guest Relations and they will look them up on their computer, show you a picture of the employee to make sure it is the right person and will put the employee's ID number on the form. The Guest Relations staff member will also sign the form. 

You can select a dollar amount from your OBC - however much you want to give away.  You can do this for multiple crew members on the same form if you want to.

2 hours ago, Lastdance said:

The weather is something that only Mother Nature knows, so you take your chances. I have been in Hawaii during November where it rained almost every day, but that was on Kauai. Additionally, I have a Hawaiian cruise booked on Edge for this May that begins in Honolulu and ends in Vancouver.  The E-class ships are my new favorite due to the Retreat areas available.  We have also been on Edge before, so very familiar with the layout.  We were returning from AUS/NZ originally, but canceled due to the high cost of airfare, so carried everything over to our Hawaii booking.  Lahaina was a big draw for us, as we have been there before several times.  Even though it was canceled due to the fire, Celebrity did make other changes to compensate, so not an issue for us.  I would do columns of pros and cons, but if you haven’t been on E-class, you might want to give it a try.  Food is always subjective, but it is possible to have the same waitstaff on either ship, whether in Retreat or not.  Like many have mentioned above, the cabin/suite may make the difference for you...good luck!

Hello Lastdance,

This is totally off topic from the original post, but I am curious what changes Celebrity did to compensate for the cancellation of Lahaina because of the devastation?  We are booked on the TP from Sydney to Hawaii on the Edge this April, and nothing has been offered to compensate for the dropped port.  We simply have another day at sea...there has been an entire thread regarding this on CC.  

Can you please let us know what they offered to you because of the itinerary change?

Thanking you in advance.

We will be on board the Ascent in a couple of weeks, and the Edge in April.  

Has anyone on board noticed what dark rums they are offering on both standard and premium drink package...and more specifically is there any Kraken Rum on the ship?

Thanks!  Ron

6 hours ago, vhojm said:

Hello all,

 

I would not normally take to a forum to post anything about a trip but I feel that there is so much being said about Celebrity that is negative that I would share our very positive experience currently on board the Millennium.

 

We are on day 3 of our cruise from Mumbai to Singapore and whilst early on in the cruise I firmly believe that one can tell how good their voyage will be based on the first few days.
 

This is our 11th cruise with Celebrity and all have been in suites. We were on the Eclipse last December and definitely found it to be not quite to the level of our previous sailings.

 

However, the Millennium has been perfect so far.
We are in a Celebrity Suite which is in excellent condition (when we were on her in 2017 the suites were in a state of disrepair - thank you revolution).

the wifi works excellently and the room is constantly clean and our stateroom attendant Lenie is kind and does a very thorough job of cleaning the room.

 

The retreat concierges Connor and Alex are superb. They are both well-intentioned and competent, a combination rarely found these days.

Marlene, the retreat manager is just wonderful - we have sailed with her before and her promotion was incredibly well deserved.

 

Luminae is being run very well by Soner and our waiter Umesh is a gem as is the sommelier Mark. The food has been excellent with every meal and we have not found that there has been a drop in quality

 

Orlando our butler is also friendly and does his job excellently despite their being less butlers and more work for him to do.

 

i once again find myself thinking that the Millennium and Solstice class ships provide the real Celebrity experience rather than the Edge series which are aimed at younger cruisers who have not experience what Celebrity has been in the past. 
 

People always write reviews and post in forums when everything is going wrong. I just wanted to say something good about Celebrity and the people who make our experience great!

 

 

 

 

Thank you for posting so much positivity!  We are booked on two separate B2B on the Millie next year for the Best of Japan & Northeast Asia and also doing the Spice Route with Bali, Malaysia & Thailand.

Although we are not in a Suite, I would love to see some pics of the ship and hear about the ports of call on the Spice Route!  

But best of all, keep the positive vibe coming!  It's snowy and cold in Canada, so enjoy the weather!

Cheers, Ron & Debbie  

We are on board January 7th so following your live report closely! 
 

We have been on the Beyond a few times, and our favourite bartender was transferred over to the Ascent. 
 

His name is Mauriti and he worked at the Sunset Bar…he’s the best! 
 

Hoping he is on board so if you are at the Sunset Bar, maybe look for him 😊 and let me know. 
 

Are the solo guitarist still playing at the sunset bar?

Thanks for posting your thoughts on everything. These are always fun to follow along! 

Thank you everyone for replying and giving all this wonderful information ….it is appreciated!

Hello!  We are looking at booking a Sunset Verandah on the Edge - does anyone have any input/experience they can offer?  I don't know which deck is best to book.  What is the overhang like from the deck above? Is it better to be on a lower deck or higher or middle? 

Any information would be greatly appreciated!  

Cheers

Ron & Debbie 

Hello everyone! We booked Nieuw Statendam Sept 2025 for the itinerary going to Alexandria, Egypt & Istanbul overnight amongst other ports of interest.  We always cruise Celebrity (love the silent disco 💃its so much fun) but this itinerary was too good to pass up.  Question?  What is the entertainment like on sea days? Are there activities during the day?  Also, I keep reading about the music venues but does the theatre have nightly shows with live productions?  Just curious as we have never cruised HAL before. 

4 hours ago, MOLAcruiser said:

I am not an expert, but since you will be in Australia for at least 2 days and visiting 2 ports in NZ then you need eTA’s for both of those countries. The only time you don’t is if you are simply transiting through an airport and not leaving the airport. That question is asked during the application process.

 

I do not believe Canadians require a Visa for French Polynesia, and not for Hawaii/USA.

 

eTA’s are not Visa’s per se, merely authority for tourists to enter the country. Visa’s are for people moving there. The eTA will be electronically attached to your passport when you successfully apply. Both Australia and NZ have an eTA App to download and use for your application. As mentioned previously, NZ also charges a tourist levy on top of the eTA, much like a toll on a bridge or highway that helps pay for infrastructure. When it works properly, the application should go through and be confirmed quite quickly, as soon as your payment goes through the confirmation should arrive by email if all is in order.

 

if in doubt, speak to your travel agent.

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Yes. 

 

Cruise Lines won't do this for you, but they may advise you.  You are responsible for every country that you are visiting to arrange the Visa or eTA in advance for yourself.  Even if you don't plan on disembarking at a country port, you still have to have the Visa or you could be denied boarding of the ship.

MOLAcruiser and CDNPolar- thank you both very much for this information! I appreciate that you have explained the process in such detail 👍🙂

Hello!  We are booked on a TransPacific from Sydney - New Zealand - French Polynesia - Hawaii this coming April on Celebrity Edge. 

Do we need to get Australian & New Zealand Visas ?

We are flying YYZ - SYD two days before the cruise departure and have 2 port of call stops in New Zealand. 

23 hours ago, StopTheWorld said:

I’m curious if anyone in the UK gets extra OBC from their travel agent? If so can you let me know who you use! 😊

 I am from Canada and would like to know if anyone in Canada gets extra OBC from their travel agent? And just like StopTheWorld said....let me know who you use!!! 😉