yoj13

Can anyone tell me the best way to travel from Miami airport to FL. We will be cruising on the Equinox in November from FL.

Is there anyway that I could perhaps pre book a taxi or shuttle?

I will also need transportation from FL back to Miami airport after the cruise.

The BEST way to do this journey is by taxi which could be pre-booked and waiting for you at arrivals. Our friends have just done it and it was $100 + tip. Not cheap by any means, but after 8-9 hours on an aeroplane and the nightmare of Miami immigration, you may see it as money well spent. There are alternatives of course, much, much cheaper but you would loose all the convenience of the taxi.

Hi

go into your 'My Celebrity' and find your reservation. Click on 'dining' and your will see it all come up. It takes a bit of time as you have to do each night separately, but eventually you will get there. Don't worry if you decide not to go, it won't be a problem. As someone else said, there are lots of tables for 2, just sometimes they are very close together.

Hi,

Very recently we disembarked the Neiuw Amsterdam after a 24 night cruise around the greek islands, turkey, med and Dubrovnik area. There were some super ports of call most of which we had been to before, but none the less still enjoyed seeing again.

We have sailed HAL a number of times and Celebrity even more (42 cruises in total) but there was something about the Neiuw Amsterdam that we just didn't like. Although food and entertainment is extremely subjective, we just felt that something was really missing on this cruise. Sadly the entertainment personel was reduced to just the cruise director as his right hand man had to fly to the Eurodam due to a staff crisis and the food in the buffett was far from HAL's standard -luke warm at best and repeated often. Its actually put us off booking HAL again. We love the S class ships so its back to Celebrity for us.

I no longer ask or really care. They have agreed to a contract and what it is is their business. I pay the gratuities as required and if I feel that more is earned than I will compensate as I feel. How it is distributed doesn't matter.

Hi,

I agree with the above mostly, but for me I do care how it is distributed.

Firstly, it is my money and I am paying my cabin steward, diningroom waiter etc., etc., for their services and I would be genuinely upset if I thought it was going elsewhere and not to the staff I thought it was for.

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Our last cruise (July) on HAL had Marseille on its itinery. The port is some distance from the city centre but certainly not 30 minutes as posted above. Hal were charging $15pp which we thought was outrageous. The hopon-hopoff bus will be waiting in the car park. There will be dozens of taxis waiting also. However, If you venture outside of the gate and fencing, turn left, you will see the FREE SHUTTLE provided by the city of Marseille. when 1 bus is full, the second bus pulls straight up so there is little waiting. Of course the cruise lines tell no-one of this service It starts at 9.00 and takes the port road route. It is very well organised with a dispatcher at the destination. However, it does take a little while longer to walk into the actual city centre, but well worth it. There are little kiosks along the water front with different excursions offered all for a reasonable amount of euros. It is a really lovely city and it would be a pity to miss it.

You will know what day you arrive into Barcelona, so check http://www.cruisetimetables.com and this will show you how many other ships will be in on the same day as the Epic. Having this information will give you some idea of the volume of passengers all needing to go somewhere.

As an example, we have just disembarked HAL's Neiuw Amsterdam which actually overnighted on the Sunday. On that particular Sunday, there were 4 ships in port, Neiuw Amsterdam, Seranade, Liberty & Epic and it was really busy. On the Monday, there was only the Neiuw Amseterdam. There was no queue for Taxis, the Port bus actually waited for passengers, it was a completely different scenario to the day before. Barcelona is a really easy port to disembark, they have it off to a tee. In your case, self dis-embarkation is the way to go and as early as possible. You will avoid the morning peak hour traffic and the airport is not that far away. Do on-line check in the day before and personally I don't think you'll have a problem but Good Luck.

Thank you both for your very quick responses. I booked it online and there was a small choice (probably 4/5) to choose from.

It was only after reading an interesting thread regarding the balconies on Epic that I realised the choice made could have been better. There seems to be lots of availability still, I was just really wanting to know if it was doable and had anyone had any success. Thank you once again.

Following our transatlantic on the Epic in November, we have decided to follow this with a week down to the Caribbean on the same ship. However, we have now realised that our stateroom on this sector of the cruise is a 'hull' balcony and would like to change it if possible. The trip has been paid for in full. Is this something that NCL would consider and if so, is there a fee for doing so? I have searched CC and NCL but have been un-successful in finding any info on this matter.

Very few customers on our NA July 11-Aug 4 cruise recently and I walked through there every evening. In fact, because of low numbers some of the waiters were clearing up in the Lido. (easy to see due to the blue & white striped shirts)

Thank you for your reply and recommendation. I have emailed them since posting and already have the information back from them. Whilst they don't go to PE, they would drop us at Hollywood airport and we could take a taxi from there. Thank you once again.

We will be disembarking the Epic on the 16th November and need to get to Port Everglades. In the past, we have often shared a shuttle bus to Miami airport and if I recall, I have seen some of the drivers offering transport to Fort Lauderdale Airport. From Hollywood we could then easily get a taxi to the cruise port. Hopefully someone has done something similar to this and can advise. Thanks

Hi,

Although we are not new to cruising by any means, we are considering trying Carnival for a change.

The Miami departures for the Carribbean show us that the Conquest or Splendour would suit our dates. We have sailed, Celebrity, HAL, NCL & Princess in the past so which ship do Carnival sailors recommend.

If HAL cancel La Goulette (Tunis) they will be doing themselves and their customers an exceptionally large favour. It is without doubt, the worst port of call I have ever encountered in 42 cruises. I don't usually say 'never ever again' but I would about Tunis. If it does call, stay on the ship is the best advice I can give.

So could someone confirm that during Happy Hour, 1 Beer @$4.95 could become 2 x Beers for $5.95 plus 15% service charge please?

Thank you very much - most appreciated.

We have a reservation on a MM cabin (guarantee) on the Neiuw Amsterdam.

I may well have missed it, but I cannot find where they may be located after scrutinising the deck plans. Can anyone help please?

Don't forget http://www.megatrain.com London - Southampton on train for sometimes £2.00 + 50p booking fee. Very cheap if the timings suit you

Like two previous posters, we were also on the March 2013 sailing of the Eclipse. This dog was not a service animal based on its behavior. We sat in the MDR a few tables away from it. The woman did have it in a stroller, but the dog ate from the table, with the waiters bringing food on regular plates. Whenever the waiters sang Happy Birthday to anyone, the dog went nuts barking and growling.

To us, this was unacceptable.

Like you, we were also guests of Celebrity on the Eclipse Transatlantic. I spoke with Graham about these animals and he said if the relevant 'Doctor's note' was submitted, there was nothing they could do other than allow them to be there.

He went on to say, under no circumstances should they be in the diningroom and when I said they are allowed in, he said nothing and basicly shook his head.

I did not encounter the poodle growling but the yorkshire terrier was on the table in select dining across from us. It was in a tartan doggy bag which was on the spare seat on a table for 4. (3 guests and the dog) The waitress passed by this table with plated food and the dog barked, snapped and only her expertise in handling plates saved the spillage of food. She did indeed get a real fright.

Every time I saw the terrier it was being carried with one of the bathroom towels wrapped around its nether regions!!!!

And as for the people whose dogs have fouled various areas and walked away, words fail me.

Is there anything to stop you using an American TA to book the cruise you are interested in? We have done it loads of times when, like you the discrepancies in pricing are ridiculous!!! Lots of other 'perks' have come our way as well, i.e. OBC, speciality dining etc., Maybe worth a look.

I would like to make an addition to the already excellent advice given by Bobocasey and that is http://www.actv.it and http://www.atvo.it are the 2 bus companies who do the airport to Venice centre runs. Its the No 15 for actv and it leaves every 15 minutes and the run is approx. 25 minutes (depending on traffic) into Piazzale Roma. It is impossible to get lost as the Piazzale Roma is the destination stop. They are modern, low step coaches and luggage is stored in the hold. Fare Euro6 pp. Tickets can be bought online so you don't have to go looking for machines, once you have retrieved your luggage. I don't know how much Celebrity are charging for the trip, but for 7 euros, you can be dockside. It is one of the easiest DIY journeys on the Med circuit.

This time last year we left from Port Everglades. Past experience with the self print ones havn't been the best, so I stuck self adhesive white lables to the top and side of the hard sided spinner case. They are virtually impossible to remove. When I wheeled the case to the porter, he informed me that the self print ticket was useless and the self adeshive ones would not guarantee delivery. Incidentally, they were written in black marker pen and couldn't have been more clear. He then told me they 'wouldn't make it to my cabin' and proceeded to ask me for money. I was shocked and walked away in disgust. Other than a small tip, I was unaware that this was a 'to be paid for' service. This year, I cannot order from Celebrity.com because I am neither an American or Canadian citizen and Celebrity.co.uk can't print luggage labels for a booking made with an American Agent. So, its back to the sticky labels for me and hopefully a much nicer porter.

Hi,

My husband loves to try the local beer from the places that we visit and he buys a couple of cans more or less at each port. Maybe he has been lucky, but he has never, ever had them taken off him on our return to the ship.

Sadly I think the rationale of excursions is how much money they can make for the Cruise company and the kickbacks they presumably get from the "rest stops and shopping opportunity combined" businesses.

 

I don't think it has very much to so with offering a quality product or the interests of the passengers.

 

Even when we paid top dollar for a private car with guide and driver in St Petersburg for an afternoon we were taken to a small shop selling amber and other trinkets. We are offered use of the restroom and a small cup of coffee and, of course, we bought something. Personally I was perfectly happy to leave empty handed but my husband felt too embarrassed so I chose the cheapest pair of earrings that I liked. I still feel a bit annoyed about it to be honest although our guide and driver were excellent.

Couldn't have put it better myself. I agree with every word you have written. For me, this scenario has been coming for a long time. Personally, I think cruiselines are taking their customers/clients (call them what you may) for a ride!!!! They think they have a captive audience and they do, but at what price? People are becoming wiser each time we cruise and I have seen a massive decline in Tour buses waiting at every dockside. Cruise companies only have themselves to blame.

Hi

I have now remembered La Rochelle!!! Actually, it turned out to be a pretty disastrous visit and well you might say how could I forget? The ship is too large to dock in town and berths quite a way from the centre. However, there is a chargeable shuttle on offer by Celebrity and something like $20 pp is ringing a bell. There should have been a public service bus operational but sadly for us, the drivers were on strike and most of the taxi drivers were supporting them so taxis were in very short supply and of course, the queue was very long and at this stage we returned to the ship. People said it took about 20 minutes to get to the centre so you will perfectly OK should nothing untoward happen with the public transport or indeed if you opt to pay Celebrity. The public bus will be much cheaper than Celebrity's shuttle and of course all transport these days cater for scooters, wheelchairs etc., so I would say you have nothing to worry about at all. I have cruised a lot and for a long time and it is my opinion, that cruiselines go out of their way to help those less able.

Sounds like you could be on the Infinity wine cruise but I may be wrong.

Le Havre is quite a long walk into the city centre but doable. We were on the Infinity in September and sadly Celebrity were the only cruise line who didn't provide a shuttle bus. Princess and MSC were in port on the same day and both lines provided shuttles which incidentally were free. Usually its $10 with Celebrity. However, there were some taxis at the port who I am sure would only be too happy to take you. Vigo parks in the Town Centre so you wouldn't require any transport at all to make it to the city centre, but beware it is quite hilly and you would probably be better turning left once off the ship, walk along the front and then turn right where you will find its not so steep. You will know when you get to the centre. Bilbao, free shuttle bus takes you to the port gates. Once there, you can either walk straight ahead (200 metres) turn left and pick up the tram which will whisk you into the centre of Bilbao. Cheap, quick and easy. Alternatively the HOHO bus is waiting at the port gates and will take you into and all around the City for something like Euros18.

Although I have been, La Rochelle is not uppermost in my mind at present, but I will think about it and post later.