rinshin

I don’t think this is perceived ageism. It is ageism.

I doubt you will find authentic geisha or maiko in Osaka. Osaka is almost the opposite of Kyoto. Down home, funny, gritty, not much of fine culture but I love the place for that reason and so do many people in Japan. Great with street food. I do not know how long you are spending in Kyoto/Osaka area, but if few nights, perhaps stay a night at Granvia right in Kyoto station. They have many great restaurants in the station itself. For the night, take a cab to Gion area and stroll around the street esp near Kamo River. You may get a glimpse of geisha and maiko going to private tea houses to entertain. Lots of older restaurants, drinking establishments and tea houses in that area. It will be safe. good luck.

Glad you mentioned dressing up as one because almost all you will encounter dressed as one during daytime hours is doing cosplay ie tourist dressed as one walking around. Perhaps in the evening hours there is a possibility to see one or two real working ones in the Gion district. The Japanese walking tour guides with their flags move very fast. And Kyoto is a walking town with some steps, small hills, etc. Best to arrange a good tour letting them know your mobility issues.

Thank you Bacon227 for your observation on your recent cruise in retreat.

Interesting. Business class from SFO to Asia is always higher due to where it is at with Silicon Valley. LAX is definitely more competitive. We always fly out of LAX or YVR because the flights have been cheaper on ANA or JAL. We use our miles to fly from SJC to LAX or SFO to YVR to catch our flights. Using United to Amsterdam on business the price was the same SFO or LAX. So, we are flying from SFO. I don’t find LAX dirty at all. On the other hand, I never use Oakland. Just never feel safe getting there. Only one time we were affected due to weather coming into SFO and that was 3/14/23 from YVR. FAA cancelled all flights due to severe wind of 90 miles per hour.

Got it. Thank you.

Thank you, that helps. I am not seeing min bid and max bid in our offer that I thought I read previously by others regarding move up bids. What I am seeing is a slide with price in the far right corner with ?. Does not show min or max, just the price change as you move the slider. Is this bid amount I am previously reading about?

Sorry if this has been discussed previously. We received our move up email and plan to put in our bids trying not to overbid for what we have already paid versus current suite prices being offered. Few questions please. We have premium beverage package and for our 13 day cruise that was about extra $910 pp. Royal suites and up have beverages included? If yes, will we get refunded if we win Royal suite and up? Other suites, the beverages are not included except in the suite lounge? Your input much appreciated by this elite member who has not cruised with Celebrity in over 13 plus years. We are very behind in everything Celebrity now and feel very much like a new cruiser.

The moveup page has you answer two questions. Last name and reservation number. I complete that and the page returns to the same page like a loop. If moveup offer for a particular sailing has not opened or no move up planned, then it should say something once you fill out the info.

Thank you all. Will have the cabin attendant remove the mini fridge supply and will ask at bars for two bottles of water and few beers for my husband to bring back to our cabin throughout the day. I don’t mind being a 🐿️.

No suite. You have to purchase water with premium beverage package for the cabin? Well, that is not good😂.

Sorry if this has been discussed already. We signed up for premium beverage package and still not sure what is covered. Can we ask our cabin steward to supply us with our daily bottles of non mineral water and mineral water? If yes, how many can we request per person?

Thanks for this detailed info. My niece in Japan has done this twice for the around the world trips utilizing this.

I do not know how this works currently but surprisingly, I used to be able to plug in the detailed complex routes provided with ITA into Travelocity on my own and get ticketed as I normally avoid phone calls if I can help it. But that was almost 15 years ago and have not had to use it that way since then. I still use ITA but now go directly with the airline.

I just checked my business class flight booked and purchased in December from SFO to Amsterdam in May for type of craft and was shocked to find that price has doubled. We travel to Japan annually and use to think that best price was found around 4 months from departure but apparently that is not the case anymore. How far in advance are you finding the best price?

If there were method in place to check if passengers bought premium beverage package when boarding initially, what difference does it make if you bring 2, 4, 6 bottles when checking in? This also applies to during the cruise. Some of these people will be drinking less of cruise drinks.

I will ask for freshly grilled for my husband and me. Not interested in steaming burgers.

So, very true. I have not been on Celebrity ship in about 10 years. My last one was Azamara. Although I am not much of grilled hamburger devotee, my husband is and really appreciate freshly grilled burgers with the wafting grill smell enticing people nearby.

A little clarification please. You are saying that non beverage package person getting inferior service when ordering alcohol? Also, Celebrity staff wants double tipped, ie already included and additional? I am sorry that happened to you. Not right at all.

That is good to know. Thanks.

Not knowing the dates, I put in random date in Dec from RDU for 16 days to DPU business class and it pulled this https://matrix.itasoftware.com/calendar?search=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%3D However, I am seeing around $4900 between RDU and SIN.

Good observation.

Sorry it started out on sour note but I understand your disappointments. I would be too. It is a little thing that makes all the difference. I am hoping the situation improves as it continues.

On United from SFO to Amsterdam RT this May is $4500 for us. We needed two seats and used miles for one seat.

It is what we paid. Always booked through the airlines and its RT from SFO or LAX depending on whichever is cheaper to Asia.