kluv2cruz

Does HAL use cards for room access? Will they punch a hole so I can attach a lanyard?

Do you know if the bikes are cleat compatible or only basket style?

4 hours ago, voljeep said:

hopefully someone onboard now will continue to update the Ruby happenings here on CC

There is another CC blog that has MANY posts - « Covid outbreak on the Ruby ».

Maui - Lahaina wharf - does anyone have an update on when it will be open for ships tenders? It looks like celebrity eclipse is scheduled for Lahaina in May 2022 but before that ships are docking at Kahului. I googled it and can’t get a current construction update.

We’re a little computer challenged at the moment. I track in notes on my iPhone but gosh there were so many cancellations and rebookings and life was also happening all around this… so yes, a spreadsheet would be better than iPhone notes!

Sheepishly, I now realize we received this as a credit on our charge card 2 mos ago. This arose originally from a couple of years ago when I paid a deposit of $960 for a Celebrity cruise that was subsequently canceled re COVID. At the time, they gave us 1.25, or $600 each FCC. I moved it 3 times to different canceled cruises. The last move was to a cruise in 2022. In the end, DH isn’t able to go on this cruise so my friend is going with me, and DH’s $600 ($480x1.25) was moved 2 times more to future cruises. Reality is DH won’t be sailing Celebrity (we’re west coast Canada so very few affordable Celebrity sailings to chose from, and well, work gets in the way) by Dec 31/22 when this falls off the table. So, I now remember somehow my TA was able to get his $480 refunded. My $480 is on this cruise with my friend. Thanks all… a good exercise in thinking through what could happen with expiring credits.

Thanks all. 

Thanks all… i do have a Canadian TA. And I think even if I book a sailing then cancel, it falls off the table. I don’t think husband will get on a celebrity ship before expiry and they won’t let me use it on my upcoming celebrity sailing with a friend as it’s in DH name. I have some work to do - need to pin down exactly how it arose. I know it’s flowed in and out of about 3-4 cruises which is muddying things. Thanks. 

Thanks fouremco and bennybear. Fouremco, I had so many cruises cancelled and transferred to other cruises then canceled etc that I’ve lost track of the source of the original FCC. Before I reached out to Celebrity, I wanted some facts because I know they’re going to say I need to use it by Dec 31/22, or lose it, and that’s not the answer I want - it’s only $600 thank goodness, but I’m pretty sure it’s a deposit I made on a cruise for DH and I, and that’s the hitch- I don’t see him sailing Celebrity by Dec 31/22 (too darn $$$). Fouremco, I was going to reach out to Gabor too! Thought I’d ask here first.

I am on Koningsdam in April from Vancouver to Hawaii and back. Someone has asked on our FB page:

“what does a woman pack & wear for this many days”?

I’ve done a similar itinerary a few times so have some ideas but I thought someone from this sailing might provide some wisdom of what they brought, what they shouldn’t have bothered bringing, and what they wished they’d brought, including shoes? I know we’re all different but it will be helpful to hear some ideas! TIA!

Does anyone have wisdom about Consumer Protection and whether FCC are like a gift certificate or canceled airfare that’s gone into a travel bank which is illegal to have an expiry date in Canada?
 

Seems to me this is my money I paid for a cruise and it can’t just disappear with an expiry date, but I don’t know where to look for information to support this. I’m in BC and I know BC consumer protection act prohibits gift cards from having an expiry date.

Thanks for any wisdom. Mine are Celebrity. Cross posted in Celebrity area too.

Does anyone have wisdom about Consumer Protection and whether FCC are like a gift certificate or canceled airfare that’s gone into a travel bank which is illegal to have an expiry date in Canada?
 

Seems to me this is my money I paid for a cruise and it can’t just disappear with an expiry date, but I don’t know where to look for information to support this. I’m in BC and I know BC consumer protection act prohibits gift cards from having an expiry date.

Thanks for any wisdom. Cross posted in Canadian cruisers area.

Thanks so much for doing the live from. Very enjoyable! Glad you mostly liked Princess. If you’re back in Cabo, similar to Stone Island, but not as gobsmacking, walk walk walk til the end of Medano beach - you can do this by walking the boardwalk til you get to the beach then continuing along the beach, or you can head inland about 2/3 of the way along the boardwalk. Walk til you get to Tabasco’s @ Pueblo Bonito Rose Resort. Beautiful view back towards Cabo and the ships, great medium priced food & drink (not as cheap or as yummy as Stone Island). Fun atmosphere. 

19 hours ago, MishelleMcc said:

First 2-3 chilly....  here is what we experienced in 2019"

 

Here were the temps per the Patters:

SF embarkation:  54 f

Sea Days:  61, 61, 63, 72

Honolulu:  77

Kauai:   75

Maui:   79

Hilo:  79

Sea Days:   75, 73, 68, 63,

Ensenada:   64

SF:  63

This is super helpful and is a common question. What time of year was this sailing?

8 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

It has been corrected by HAL .We booked Club Orange for our 18 night Hawaii cruise aboard Koningsdam  Jan 31 ,2023 & total cost was $540  .The up grade from a VH to a VA handicap was well worth the CO upgrade alone plus the CO perks 

$540 per person or total for both of you? My TA quoted me $35 /day so that would be $630 for you 18 night Hawaii. Hmmnn, seems like my quote was higher than yours. But then yours appears to be $30 x 18 = $540. Right?

2 hours ago, janetmojo said:

Next stop was to upgrade our beverage package down with our friends at the Martini Bar.  Honestly this probably wasn’t necessary but I like Patron silver and I can be picky about wine.  It wasn’t cheap but it is cheaper to upgrade onboard I believe.  I was quoted a price online of $12 per day and onboard it was $10 per day pp.  But still 2 people, 15 days plus gratuity…$$$$. Worth it for our premium drinks ;). 

Did you end up paying extra land tax on the upgrade given you were still docked?

We enjoy Blu - we’ve almost always been greeted by name (which now on Princess with the medallion they can do too!), and because of this we too made it a game to remember their names and greet them each morning and evening. I think the food is similar to the MDR it’s just so much more personal. They remember you like beef medium rare, and extra vegetables. They remember you always have fresh squeezed at breakfast plus a latte. And, if you’re a wine drinker (we’ve always had the drink package), and like more than a glass, usually, you don’t have to beg for the sommelier to come to your table - they remember what you like and like a good host, make sure you have as much as you like. When we’ve had lunch in the MDR and decided on wine with lunch, you have to flag the bar server down, then you get the standard small bar pour, then you’re unlikely to get a 2nd glass, unlike Blu where you just get more poured if they see you want more. They walk around with multiple bottles in their hand! It’s like going to a nice restaurant every day for breakfast & dinner. You sit only with your travel mate so if there’s just 2 of you, sometimes you strike up a convo with your neighbours and sometimes not. 
 

We do use the heated beds a bit. I also like the spa waiting area chaises longues right at the front of the ship. Quiet, calm, great view, and a great place to read a book and snooze, repeat. And occasionally folks come in before or after their treatment and that’s fun to be a fly on the wall imagining about that $200 massage or couples mud treatment etc.

You also get preferential boarding but as we’re both elite that’s less of a feature but until we were elite, it scooted us on to the ship a bit quicker.

3 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Sushi on 5 is "Ala Carte" just like a sushi restaurant at home.

 

Your premium beverage package should pretty much cover almost any drinks in any venue on the ship ( except the most expensive Spirits and wines.

Including warm saki in Sushi on 5! Yummy! And, sushi on 5 is very good. Try it for lunch!

I’ve had my coupon book show up 2nd or 3rd day. Has anyone been able to get the BOGO first night dinner after when this has happened?

We’ve done vallartafoodtours three times, most recently New Years Day! And we stopped along the Malecon and the last “food” was tuba. I’ve had it twice on the food tour now and it’s interesting and a good cultural experience. Chunks of apple and walnuts too! I highly recommend the food tour which takes you to about a dozen food carts and vendors and explains a lot of culture and history of the area. Yummy too.

I was there over New Years and twice walked the blue line to the large indoor market in old town near the church- there and back, and walked to the water shuttle to Stone island. The terrain seemed very unfriendly to a scooter. The blue line does go down the middle of the Street and the many expat volunteers advised walking on the street not the sidewalk as the sidewalk was extremely uneven. There were times however with traffic that I had to hop up on the sidewalk and then back down onto the road. There were also large potholes in the road. As you get close to the market/church there are street vendors selling food and a variety of items with buyers gathered around that would make it very difficult to either be on the sidewalk or going around roadside. Plus lots of traffic once you get closer to the market and church. A bit of fun mayhem. The market is narrow between aisles and crowded but awesome!

Going to stone island involves an uneven surface sidewalk followed by gravel driveway with potholes and then getting into the boat - not for the faint of heart. Not crazy, but I did accept the hands offered me. The beach is rocky and a teensy downhill then a stunning soft sandy beach that goes on forever. Stone island is actually a peninsula I believe so you can get a cab or Pulmonia to there. Lots of restaurants and beach vendors and places to rent horses, quads, banana boat rides, etc.
 

There is a little market right where the ship docks with shops, and a little bar and music and place to sit under a lovely shade tree. When you go out onto the street side, there are lots of ex-pat volunteers. One of them will be able to advise you maybe better than me - maybe there’s an alternate path to the market & church that is more scooter friendly. The Pulmonia’s are quite fun and can give you a good affordable tour around.

Re complaints - good point!

Have you noticed when you’re at the international café that you never smell coffee? You know when you walk into a yummy Coffee shop the smell is divine. Are they using real beans to make a latte/cappuccino? I know it tastes fine but curious why it doesn’t have that divine fragrance.

I highly recommend visiting mauiwine and trying their pineapple wine. Seriously. It was very good and if I hadn’t been told it was pineapple I wouldn’t have known. It’s on the other side of the road to Hana... if you want to drive it in reverse from Wailea. Unexpected location. Lovely place across the street that serves burgers of meat from a variety of animals raised locally and great picnic area.

Before a Seattle cruise if you’re near Pike Place Market, check out DeLaurenti Food & Wine... very helpful staff and lovely store. Be sure to go upstairs by the wine!

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They do carry a nice selection of various Alaska Brewing company offerings when they are up there. Just off the Regal. Guinness and New Castle were available as draft in the Wheel House. Heineken and New Castle were in the aft bar behind Horizon Court.. and that may have been the extent of the draft beers. No real craft beer. In some of the islands they have "Virgin Island" varieties' date=' and the Island Hopping IPA is OK... if you look at the fine print you'll see these St. John Brewing Company selections are actually made in Portland, ME.[/quote']

 

 

 

Guinness on tap? Or draft in a can with the widget?

 

 

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