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travelplus

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  1. I will tell the Noob sorry printer failed its VeriFly or im getting on the ship without 🤣
  2. Thats fantastic! It would cost us more to take the Carnival transfer from Victoria Station as one would go by cab.
  3. It was worth every penny! They have a professional photographer onboard.
  4. Just completed uploading our negative PCR results and filled out the health questions and are cleared to cruise. We are leaving from Dover UK!
  5. When I book my Airfare using SkyScanner and then use the Airline Direct booking link I ask myself these questions: 1. Is the airfare a price I am willing to part with? 2. Does the airfare include luggage and seats? If I have to prebook seats I am going to do it earlier rather than later to get my prefered seats! 3. How is the itinerary? Can I earn Frequent Flier miles? So for instance we booked SFO-Phuket $980 r/t from SFO in February for a month and that is a good airfare on Singapore Air. I am not comfortable transiting through China nor do I want to fly Air China. Also we can use the lounge for our overnight layover. For Europe I found Vuelling flights from LGW-ORY for $103 and from ORY-PRG for $67 with luggage and seats. Too good to pass up. From PRG-TLV I got it for $200 and this is reasonable. From TLV-SFO I found a good itinerary on Lufthansa /Condor for $980 one way in September around the Jewish Holidays with the Condor flight being in Premium. Other options were $300 more or I could go via Dubai but add uncnessary flying time. The Virgin Flights were with Carnival Fly2Fun and I got it for my Father and I at $570 and my Mother at $470 when she diecided to join on the Nonstop Flight. One ways are $800, Other factors are 2 stops, 3 stops and on SkyScanner they have these ridicousy low fares but you have to self-transfer from ORY-CDG which eats into your savings as well as an overnight at a hotel. So yea t he $400 fare is now suddenly $600 no thank you. We are not by any means so frugal that we are going to sacrfice comfort. I also look at the air craft operating and I prefer the 787 and A350 due to it helping with Jetlag but I do like the Condor 767 with the 2-4-2 and booked the Bulkhead and Row 7 for my Parents. We leave Tel Aviv at 4:40 AM and arrive at 3:20 the same afternoon good times. The United Flight was $200 more with seats at $50 more for good seats. I am not expecting first class I am happy for extra legroom , decent food and included bubbly and other drinks which makes for a relaxing 12 hour day flight. I consider the $170 upgrade which includes a hot and cold meal, drinks, extra legroom, entertainment , Priority Baggage Handeling and Seats to be worth it. Maybe to some its not. Actually the Condor /Lufthansa flight is going for the same cost as other regular cramped seats. 34 vs 30 inches of legroom makes the diference worth it. Plus they give us larger pillows and a good blanket with an amenity kit. There are only 35 Premium Seats. Business Class is way too expensive. Overall there are many factors when booking. I am not necessairly looking for the cheapest airfare. I want the extras SIngapore gives in Economy Class like Cognac in Coach, Inflight Entertainment , good meals and good service. On the longhaul flights I got the row where there is no seat in front of me with extra legroom.
  6. This seat on AA Domestic routes is sold as Domestic First Class and international routes as International Business. Go figure!
  7. Sorry but its incumbent on the passengers to build in buffer time as much as the cruiselines want to help there is a time when its best to arrive a day or two before!
  8. We are arriving on Sunday for a Friday cruise to London. We need to do a COVID test on Tuesday. We find its more relaxing to arrive a few days before to tour the city. We have a private transfer booked to and from Dover. We are flying from Gatwick to Paris when we get off the ship. So we try to make our travel less stressful.
  9. When I came home from abroad last November at SFO I did the interview on arrival. I told the CBP agent that I need a recertification on arrival. I put my name on a list and was the next one. Within 20 minutes my interview, fingerprints and reeentry to the US was complete. My Parents were waiting at the baggage claim and our bags did not arrive. So it was worth not having to go back to SFO!
  10. Singapore Air via Singapore. Using them for our Phuket land vacation in February!
  11. I just got through booking our RT-PCR next day tests for 55GBP $67 each at Raddox Kensington High Street a 1/2 mile walk from our hotel. They have many locations in London and the UK. A very simple process and you pay online using their secure credit card link! https://covid.randox.com/pre-departure/ Hope it helps!
  12. The OP does not have to worry as Carnival purchases the flights in advance and has a special contract with the airlines as they purchase it in bulk. There is a Ticketing By Date and this is negotiated with the airline that is 15-30 days before the cruise or 60 days before. When the cruise and air is paid in full after FInal Payment the Air Department who puts a downpayment on the flight which generates a PNR but no Ticket# like a 24 hour hold on a fare then pays the rest to the airline who then g enerates a ticket#. The OP can call up the airline giving the PNR provided by the Travel Agent or look it up online and select seats and add Frequent Flier#s and Special Meal or Special Assistance Requests. The Ticket# is the solidification of the payment without it a ticket is jut paperwieght.
  13. I booked my Parents and I on Flex Air for our upcoming cruise from SFO-LHR one way as we are doing an extended European vacation. It was less expensive that the Non Flexible Air. We are booked on Virgin Atlantic nonstop. I found out my flights right away soon after paying. If you are on Restricted Air then perhaps you will only know at time of final payment.
  14. If your husband requested time off and it was not approved then send the bill to his job with an itimized statement of damages including this No Show and ask his work for a 100 percent Future Cruise with Air for both of you.
  15. My Parents and I are doing the 9 day British Isles out of Dover on the Pride. We are using the ship as our transportation, some meals and entertrianment. Instead of renting a car or hours on a bus or taking two trains to the destination we are using the ship as our hotel. We got an extended baclony and I personally love the small ships having saild on Royal Caribbena's Serenade as my first ship. My Parents and I are Diamond on Royal and I took a 8 day Mexican Rivera Cruise on the Panorama in a Blacony and loved it. We first booked a Oceanview and then got an upgrade offer for $ 100 for the first two passengers for an Extended Balcony. Then the price came down and we moved from Deck 5 to Deck 7 with cabins above and below near the midship stairs/lifts and got $400 in OBC so I applied it to two excursions, We do not need all the bells and whistels just a Balcony, room service, daily cleaning , good MDR and Steakhouse. We have two sea days which is what I want in an itinerary to do the Sea Day Brunch or Dr. Seuss Breakfast. Point is I plan to go on Celebrity on our next cruise but this itinerary was the one we wanted. We are full vaccinated and boosted and just did the Verifly and will book our PCR test three days before. I like that Carnival requires those to be vaccinated and boosted and tested. while I wish the testing goes away at some point right now I think it still needs to be done. Also Carnival has great comedy which I loved on the Panorama. The Pride is such a beautiful ship and I love classic ships. I do not want loud partiers even on my Panorma Cruise it was calm. I would never take a 3-4 day party cruise!
  16. That is unfair to those rule followers! Now we know why Carnival will increase the package costs. You do know about the Biometrics they use just wait they are going to use the same Biometrics for drink packages!
  17. I drink off ship and then maybe purchase a cocktail or two onboard. I love trying the local beers or whiskeys! On my Panorama Cruise I booked a cooking class to a Hacienda out of Puerto Vallarta and they made their own tequilla. They kept brining us samples and when I tipped the server of our margaritas I told them in Spanish to make it strong and they used some of their best tequillas! In Europe I love having wine or local beer! Its much cheaper to drink off the ship . When a cruiseline has a policy to force everyone to purchase alcohol in a Cabin well then you know its not a good deal! I like the per drink option so what if I pay a bit more? In the end it works out less as my Mother doesn't drink! I can' t even get more than 3!
  18. What I did on my Panorama Crusie is put my shirt on my chair and then swam , came back for a bit then went to the spa. Or I would go up one flight and sit on those comofortable couch loungers one deck up and use that as my area! If I see just a towel and no one there then I am assuming someone forgot their towel and now the chair is mine. I think Carnival and other cruiselines are enforcing the not actively using chair crowd who gets up at dawn and hogs three chairs all day long. If its just one chair why would Carnival take away my items? How do they know I am not giving them money at a bar!
  19. I am the opposite fly to the Ports! Each to his or her own as they say!
  20. I am sorry you are having these issues. Can you see if Carnival can get you on a nonstop AA or Delta flight RDU-LAX? Even if you had to pay for your bags! Also I would not use Southwest on long flights anymore even for their free luggage.
  21. I was able to get a 11:00-11:30 AM checkin time for our upcoming cruise out of Dover. Its a perfect time for us as we have a 8:15 AM private Transfer from our Hilton Olympia Kensington Hotel with Twelve Transfers and we have one back to Gatwick for our flight to Paris. It was around $200 for the three of us. I was wondering how quick customs is at Dover on the return? Thanks
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