cruisinabout

Thanks for this - very useful tips.

Last week we decided to book a cruise last minute when we saw one of our favourite Aqua Class cabins available. Because the cruise is at the end of October we paid in full and took advantage of the Bev Package offer. To our surprise a day or two after we booked a new offer of pick two - Bev Package, OBC, or Internet- was offered for the exact same price as we had booked. After several calls to ask if we could have OBC given it was the same price our request has been declined. This has left a bad taste in our mouths! We have seen on this site that Celebrity will match price changes etc if you call them, but they are now playing hard line. Disappointed Celebrity, we have been loyal customers, we have two back to back cruises booked in the Caribbean, also Aqua Class, early next year and almost Elite + members. We highly recommend Celebrity to friends and family who are thinking of cruising. But will reconsider our options now (2 more cruises to go) and in the future.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/company/customer-support/best-price-guarantee

Looks like you might qualify under "request to add or change an added value offer" as long as the change was within 48 hours of your booking.

Try this one. Seems to point to the local port authority where available and better reflects recent port changes than some of the usual websites:

whatsinport.com

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This fare card was posted in Feb 2017:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147277-d2169479-Reviews-Playa_Porto_Marie-Curacao.html#photos;geo=147277&detail=2169479&ff=242802778&albumViewMode=hero&aggregationId=101&albumid=101&baseMediaId=242802778&thumbnailMinWidth=50&cnt=30&offset=-1&filter=7&autoplay=

Hi there. How much is a taxi fare to Porto Marie beach from the cruise port in US dollars? And are there many there to bring you back? I will not have a phone to call to request a pick up from the beach. Thanks

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147277-d2169479-Reviews-Playa_Porto_Marie-Curacao.html#photos;geo=147277&detail=2169479&ff=242802778&albumViewMode=hero&aggregationId=101&albumid=101&baseMediaId=242802778&thumbnailMinWidth=50&cnt=30&offset=-1&filter=7&autoplay=

We just did this on the Reflection - it was 29.00 per person per day. You must purchase it for the entire length of your cruise.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2326994

duplicate post

The current price is 30 dollars per person/per day. And, if available, can only be booked on board.

Some of the folks on my roll call are signed up for this free walking tour of the Gothic quarter:

http://www.runnerbeantours.com/

Go check now and then at your original cabin. If your luggage is there, take it to your new cabin. :D

We love this location. This is where we try to stay if we book a C3 cabin on one of the S-class ships. We have stayed in 1042, 1040, and 1038. All were very quiet both above and below.

We try to book as high a cabin number as is available in this section without booking the very last cabins before the hump (1042 and 1073.) People in the next cabin, on the hump, have to crane their heads around the corner to get a forward view and sometimes can't avoid looking straight onto your deck or into your cabin. It wasn't a huge deal, we had one of these cabins once and now just try to avoid them if there is good cabin availability.

The stairs and elevators are close, but quiet, and except for the MDR and specialty restaurants, this location puts us near most of the areas we like to frequent. We don't think it's too bad since it's also a bit of a walk from the far aft cabins to the MDR and restaurants.

I tend toward motion sickness and perhaps have just been lucky so far, but have stayed in this location on 3 different S-class cruises (with 1069 upcoming) and have never had a problem. We've not stayed in the most forward cabins so cannot speak to those.

I've had an insurance agent tell me to enter the destination at which I would spend the majority of my time. For example, on a recent South Pacific cruise the most frequently visited destination was French Polynesia though it included several different islands.

That said, I usually just enter my final destination/point of disembarkation.

Trying to decide whether or not it's worth the effort to apply for DH and myself.

Have any of you with either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry approval been waved through without having to remove your CPAP machine and have it swabbed.

Thanks

This sounds fabulous! Would be interested in more details...where did you get the ferry? Did you prebook transfers to get to the hotel, or did you get a cab? etc..

You can see the ferry dock from the ship - about a 5 minute walk. The trip to Moorea on the fast ferry takes about 30 minutes and yes, there are taxis waiting when you arrive. Or, as Tikiintahiti mentioned, you can pre-book. You can also arrange transportation directly through the Hilton (I assume you can do the same for most of the hotels.) There is also the local bus (Le Truck) which is very inexpensive but stops at every location it serves along the coast. We chose a cab as we wanted to get to the hotel sooner and to make an ATM stop along the way.

If you decide you want to overnight off the ship, have your T/A put in your request to the cruise line, or, call the cruise line directly if you've booked on your own. My understanding is that permission from the ship's captain is required. That said, I never did get written approval of my request and, when I checked my status upon embarkation, customer relations had no record of my request.

Celebrity was most accommodating but the request to disembark, then reembark at a later date is basically a one-off and not accomplished without some confusion. So, if you decide to overnight of the ship I'd simply advise that you be proactive and double-check every step of the way.

Obviously it wasn't too much effort or we wouldn't be planning a redo.

Cruisinabout- thanks also-we have looked at those overwater bungalows-they look amazing. Was the snorkeling good there?

We also enjoyed eating at the creperie on the pier in the evening while watching the sharks swim back and forth in the water below us.

We found it a very laid back and romantic (albeit pricey) experience - can't wait to go back.

cruisinsusin - DH and I took the ferry to Moorea and stayed overnight in one of the overwater bungalows at the Hilton. We purchased late check out for the next day which was good until 4:00pm and allowed us to get in some extra snorkeling. Once we were ready to leave, the hotel concierge called us a taxi for the 15-20 minute ride to the dock on Opunohu Bay where the ship (which, by the way, is visible from the hotel) anchors off Moorea.

Our tentative plan is to do this again in April since Moorea again follows Papeete on our itinerary.