Xport
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They sell them on Celebrity but no discount as I remember. But was told you can use onboard credit if you desire as it is charged to your onboard account.
Celebrity has a cooperative marketing relationship with Apple... Their onboard iLounges are equipped with MacBooks, their onboard enrichment programs [computers/tablets/iPhones/iPads] are geared to use of Apple products, and they do sell Apple computers/tablets/iPods [but not iPhones] and some accessories aboard...
No discounts on purchases but one does avoid sales taxes if applicable based upon state of residence...
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Pool towels are supplied at stations adjacent to both the outdoor and solarium pools without check-out... Once you are through using them, return them to bins provided in the same areas...
On itineraries which feature beach access potential, beach towels will be provided by your cabin steward in your stateroom; you should return them to your cabin once used... Not sure of the charge but there is one if you fail to return them...
Have a great trip!
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I forgot--while trying to edit a minor spelling error--that my web browser and Cruise Critic don't get along!
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I did multiple cruises on Solstice through New Zealand/Australia in 2013 and one of those segments did port calls at Cairns, Airlie Beach, and Port Douglas [though I don't think X is calling at Port Douglas any longer]... All three provided potential to tour the Great Barrier Reef... Celebrity originally offered a tour only from Airlie Beach but, based upon demand, later added a tour from Cairns...
Looking at Celebrity's schedule, it appears--if they do the same tours--that the following cruises have possibility...
Century - 01 December 2014 [Cairns & Airlie Beach]
Century - 11 January 2015 [Cairns & Airlie Beach]
Solstice - 25 February 2015 [Cairns Only]
Solstice - 03 March 2016 [Cairns & Airlie Beach]
Millennium - 13 March 2016 [Cairns Only]
Due to ecological considerations, large scale tourism to The Great Barrier Reef is somewhat restricted... You will board a tour boat--mine out of Airlie Beach held about 300 [we boarded and disembarked directly from Solstice which was anchored off-shore]--for a shuttle [it took more than two hours each way!] to a stationary sightseeing platform at The Reef where there was an underwater viewing area, netted snorkel and dive areas, a submarine that offered fifteen/twenty minute underwater tours, and lunch was served...
I was really looking forward to the tour--it was a Bucket List item--but to be candid, it was a major disappointment as I don't snorkel, I don't dive, and I skipped lunch--not that I couldn't afford to do so--given the crowds... The round-trip boat ride was pleasant enough--the seas and weather were beautiful--but you really don't travel over/near The Reef and my views via the underwater viewing area and submarine were really no different/better than I've experienced at places like Grand Cayman, Sint Maarten, and The Bahamas [perhaps it was the day we were there but those who snorkeled had the same general impression; I did not speak with anyone who dived]... And then, I'd really hoped to do a helicopter tour over the reef as offered on some platforms--the multi-colored, distant waters looked sumptuous--but they were not being offered during our visit...
Those who did the overflow tour out of Cairns seemed to have essentially the same experience but seemed to enjoy it a bit more as it was less crowded...
I was glad to have experienced it--and I earned bragging rights--but, for me, it turned out to be a nice boat ride with too little to do at the platform and not what I'd imagined... I would never discourage you/your family as your interests and mileage, of course, may vary...
The most prominent name in tours to The Great Barrier Reef--and Celebrity did use them [at least out of Airlie Beach; I'm not certain who they used out of Cairns]--is Quicksilver... I might have enjoyed doing the trip more with a smaller, private group--and I did try--but I believe that Celebrity may have bought up all of their limited capacity [which may have been further constrained by the fact that our visit to the area coincided with the Easter holidays]...
Despite it all, my trip to New Zealand and Australia will always rank as one of my all-time favorites... Enjoy!
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I did multiple cruises on Solstice through New Zealand/Australia in 2013 and one of those segments did port calls at Cairns, Airlie Beach, and Port Douglas [though I don't think X is calling at Port Douglas any longer]... All three provided potential to tour the Great Barrier Reef... Celebrity originally offered a tour only from Airlie Beach but, based upon demand, later added a tour from Cairns...
Looking at Celebrity's schedule, it appears--if they do the same tours--that the following cruises have possibility...
Century - 01 December 2014 [Cairns & Airlie Beach]
Century - 11 January 2015 [Cairns & Airlie Beach]
Solstice - 25 February 2015 [Cairns Only]
Solstice - 03 March 2016 [Cairns & Airlie Beach]
Millennium - 13 March 2016 [Cairns Only]
Due to ecological considerations, large scale tourism to The Great Barrier Reef is somewhat restricted... You will board a tour boat--mine out of Airlie Beach held about 300 [we boarded and disembarked directly from Solstice which was anchored off-shore]--for a shuttle [it took more than two hours each way!] to a stationary sightseeing platform at The Reef where there was an underwater viewing area, netted snorkel and dive areas, a submarine that offered fifteen/twenty minute underwater tours, and lunch was served...
I was really looking forward to the tour--it was a Bucket List item--but to be candid, it was a major disappointment as I don't snorkel, I don't dive, and I skipped lunch--not that I couldn't afford to do so--given the crowds... The round-trip boat ride was pleasant enough--the seas and weather were beautiful--but you really don't travel over/near The Reef and my views via the underwater viewing area and submarine were really no different/better than I've experienced at places like Grand Cayman, Sint Maarten, and The Bahamas [perhaps it was the day we were there but those who snorkeled had the same general impression; I did not speak with anyone who dived]... And then, I'd really hoped to do a helicopter tour over the reef as offered on some platforms--the multi-colored, distant waters looked sumptuous--but they were not being offered during our visit...
Those who did the overflow tour out of Cairns seemed to have essentially the same experience but seemed to enjoy it a bit more as it was less crowded...
I was glad to have experienced it--and I earned bragging rights--but, for me, it turned out to be a nice boat ride with too little to do at the platform and not what I'd imagined... I would never discourage you/your family as your interests and mileage, of course, may vary...
The most prominent name in tours to The Great Barrier Reef--and Celebrity did use them [at least out of Airlie Beach; I'm not certain who they used out of Cairns]--is Quicksilver... I might have enjoyed doing the trip more with a smaller, private group--and I did try--but I believe that Celebrity may have bought up all of their limited capacity [which may have been further constrained by the fact that our visit to the area coincided with the Easter holidays]...
Despite it all, my trip to New Zealand and Australian will always rank as one of my all-time favorites... Enjoy!
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I will say, that the sign up process for accessing the wireless network was much easier than on Celebrity where it involves a trip to the iLounge and inevitably dealing with a cocky young IT person (like I don't know how to use an iPad - I teach classes myself!!) who condescendingly tries to explain the process to you.
We were given an access code on the benefits letter we received in our room and used this to log in.
I posted the following here on 2 June after uktog mentioned the internet sign-up process change on Azamara...
"Back in February, I first encountered the simplicity of Azamara's new internet enrollment process and the revised policy allowing roll over of unused minutes if doing consecutive cruises... To my mind, both represented some of the best process improvements I've seen aboard ship in ages and both worked like a charm...
Don't know if Celebrity is following Azamara's lead relative to roll over of unused minutes [wasn't cruising consecutively and never had occasion to speak with the onboard IT Rep or visit the iLounge], but you will be pleased to know that Celebrity was piloting the simplified enrollment process when I was aboard Constellation in April... And in some respects, the process was even easier as all one needed to activate an internet package is the folio number from one's SeaPass rather than a special code from the Loyalty Host or Hostess...
In a company not known for its technological innovation--and goodness knows they have miles to go--it was nice to see some very positive, guest-focused signs of their emergence into the twenty-first century from a systems perspective..."
I'm thoroughly enjoying your review [thank you, Sandi!] and have the sense that--as fellow Celebrity AquaClass cheerleaders--our comparative conclusions are remarkably similar... I'll comment further after you've completed your observations...
And finally if you happen to know... There was a wonderfully attentive and anticipatory bar server--usually assigned to the pool area when I was aboard Journey in February--by the name of Wayan... Whenever he saw me, he was always there instantaneously with a Diet Coke and a smile! I'd love to think that it's the same guy who served as your Steward and that he's since gotten a very well deserved promotion; I certainly commended him and know that others did too...
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But, I have also read about people who have wait listed a cabin and have found out that the cabin they requested became available and was given to someone else.
More than one guest waitlists for the same cabin if it's viewed as highly desirable... At least on Celebrity as I've been told [and as a sister line to Royal, I'd somewhat expect the same practice], the waitlisted cabin--if it becomes available--is assigned based upon the date at which one joiined the waitlist on an earliest/first preference basis...
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Forgot that my web browser and Cruise Critic don't get along well if editing a post...
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No Hong Kong visa required for Canadian tourists.
There were quite a few Canadians aboard Journey earlier this year and surely we compared notes...
There is no visa requirement for US citizens--in Hong Kong [or Taiwan]--either...
Though I know I sound like a broken record, the Visa Central website is a great resource--and you don't need to use their services to access it--in the markets in which they operate... No, I don't work for them!!!
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No Hong Kong visa required for Canadian tourists.
There were quite a few Canadians aboard Journey earlier this year and surely we compared notes...
There is no visa requirement for US citizens--in Hong Kong [or Taiwan]--either...
Though I know that I sound like a broken record, the Visa Central website is a great resource--and you don't need to use their services to access it--in the markets in which they operate... No, I don't work for them!!!
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I have just one question if you would be so kind: the application details I have seen for the UK ask for a letter of invitation. Did you have this requirement? If so, what did you use? Did Azamara provide something?
I retained the electronic copy of my China Visa Application [having delivered it to Visa Central's office in Miami, they checked it over before accepting it] and find that I responded--with success--to item 2.8 [information Of Inviter In China] in the following way...
Name Of Inviter: Azamara Club Cruises [Azamara Journey]
Address: I used the address for Azamara's Corporate Headquarters in Miami
Phone Number: I used Azamara's [uS] toll-free customer service number...
Relationship with the applicant: Cruise Line [self-Initiated Tourism]
As noted earlier, you will certainly otherwise need to provide them with a copy of your itinerary; as the China application also asks "Who will pay for your travel and expenses in China?", I used my Azamara invoice [even though I applied for my visa before final payment, it did show my deposit] to serve both purposes/also considered it as my Letter Of Invitation... No questions...
I will reiterate that Visa Central--and perhaps it's just a bugaboo of theirs--cautioned that every question on the application should have some sort of response even if a question is answered by supporting documentation... I do know of a person whose application was initially rejected for what was regarded as incomplete information though I don't know what specifically was regarded as missing [and I don't know if there is a consular fee associated with resubmission--surely, such a practice would be revenue-enhancing--when an application is initially rejected]...
If in doubt, I'd think of the process as "bureaucratic"; one always needs to justify his/her own employment and, as such, wouldn't expect it to be a "rubber stamp" process...
Have a great trip; I loved China and, once past the gates [they are pretty thorough during immigration reviews], they love tourism... That said, they are not so socially open a society--at least with their own citizens--as one might expect [though I suspect it is getting better]... My trip was cut short by a mechanical that Journey experienced in Tokyo Bay [propeller damage after a piece of steel cable became entangled/caused damage]; when I attempted to send copies of the ship's related communications to a tour operator to support cancellation of my tour plans, the e-mail attachments were censored/removed before delivery to the intended recipient...
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Looking through trips on our October cruise on the Millennium and noticed that we might need a Visa into Shanghai. Does anyone or has anyone had or dealt with if you do since you are on a group tour?
I visited mainland China while sailing Azamara Journey in February [Azamara is a sister brand to Celebrity] and you will most assuredly need to secure a visa--independently--for your visit... There is no provision for short-term blanket visas for cruise ship passengers [as Azamara arranged for us in Vietnam] and there's no provision to secure visas through private tour operators as there is, for instance, in St. Petersburg, Russia...
The application is four pages long [it's available in PDF format], must be typed in only CAPITAL letters, every question must be answered, your travel plans must be meticulously documented with copies of your full cruise itinerary [i used my Azamara invoice; they're not just interested in when/where you'll be in mainland China but also in where else you'll be traveling (particularly if going to Hong Kong or Taiwan)], hotel reservations [if any in China], and flight reservations [if you're flying into and/or out of China], and you must provide passport-type photos [seem to recall they required two but check] as well as your original US Passport [make sure you have at least one free page for their use; they affix the visa in your passport once approved]...
In the United States, you must seek your visa from the China Consulate serving your state of residence [as a Floridian, I needed to apply through the Consulate in Houston; San Francisco--I know there is one there--may serve Nevadans]... And as Sue noted above, Chinese Consulates in the US--as I understand they also do in the UK--will usually not consider an application more than three months prior to first entry into mainland China [Houston was strict about the rule but individual offices do have varying practices; those assigned to use the New York Consulate had a bit more latitude]...
It's a pain-staking process; I suggest you be thorough/complete/compliant from the outset and that you apply on the earlier side of the time corridor used by the Consulate reviewing your application [i'd be working on it soon for an October trip]... I had no difficulty with approval but some reported initial rejection for reasons that some might consider arbitrary/picky...
Azamara has an account with a service--CIBT/Visa Central--that provided us with a dedicated phone line for questions and a small discount if one chose to use their Concierge Service [i didn't]; perhaps Celebrity has an account too... I chose to use Visa Central's standard services--and was pleased with it--but know that [a] there are other services if you don't chose to work directly with your assigned Consulate, and , their service fees--including cost pass-throughs for things like insured mailing and express delivery--can be somewhat high... Their website--and you need not use Visa Central to access it--is a treasure trove of current/clear information [i much preferred it to information at the Chinese Consulate website]--and has the most recent visa application [the Chinese changed it while I was doing my application] available for download... You will also find limited guidance at the US State Department website...
Lots of work? Expense? Yes to both!!! But I'm glad to have experienced mainland China and Shanghai--in particular--is a magnificent/memorable city...
Enjoy!
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But again since you are sailing in May, after Suite Perks rolls out, several of the AquaSuite cabins (a cabin type unique and tested, apparently not successfully, only on Reflection) are being converted to SkySuites, and with that conversion, that number of cabins will reduce the number of guests entitled to dine in BLU, which will help with the crowding at certain periods.
The AquaSuite cabins on Reflection have sold with comparable demand and at comparable [or better] pricing as do Sky Suites... The issue, as relayed to me and as I've personally noted, is that Blu was not adequately upsized [a few tables were added; the space was not expanded] when the AquaSuites and standard AquaClass cabins were added to Reflection's Deck 12 so as to create crowding in Blu inconsistent with the experience on other ships...
As someone who typically sails AquaClass, I welcome the reclassification of the AquaSuites to Sky Suites on Reflection as well as the introduction of a separate dining area for Suite guests in the MDR across the fleet [initially, Suite guests were assessed a minor upcharge for dining in Blu; the practice was discontinued as unpopular and an administrative hassle] to better level out the demand for dining in Blu as it was originally conceptualized/introduced in 2008...
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Is one that is created to allow you to communicate and share information/planning with other Cruise Critic members who will be your ship mates; they too will board Infinity on 23 June...
It appears to be a very active group... Stop by, catch up with what has been posted, and introduce yourself to others who will be sharing your sailing! You'll find your Roll Call via the following link...
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1842641
I'll be eager to hear all about your sailing; I'm doing the same one in June 2015!
Enjoy!
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I assume that you are referring to Celebrity Summit... Celebrity does not have a ship named Sun...
On Celebrity, you can check your onboard account via the interactive TV in your stateroom...
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Sorry, I misread your question... Marinaro's response is--of course--correct...
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Just in case I can't get a washer - do you know how much they charge for the ships laundry? Thanks.
There is no charge! Detergent is also provided...
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Didn't mean to intrude but knew that I'd just read a recent response--two days ago is pretty recent--and thought I was being helpful...
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Will get most meaningful attention if posted on the Roll Call for your specific sailing... That's where you'll "meet" other Cruise Critic members doing the same trip as you are...
It appears to be an active group... You'll find your Roll Call via the following link...
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Post #2676 [and subsequent] on the following thread relative to your recent request for the same information there...
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Instead of going to Kagoshima we are now going to Okinawa and the order has been moved around.
My guess is the Chinese are getting grumpy about going from China to Taiwan directly and we are now having to stop off in Okinawa.
That you may well be right about the cause for your itinerary change and that the substitution of one Japanese port for another is merely a consequence of pier availability to accommodate that mandated itinerary change...
I visited Okinawa while on Azamara Journey earlier this year; the sights are worthwhile and, from the moment the ship docks [with quite a greeting] until the moment it leaves [a group of performers provided us with a memorable cultural show onboard as that evening's entertainment], the people are very warm/welcoming...
For what it's worth, I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Taiwan but suspect that you will have more than ample time--despite your condensed visit--to do the island justice given your on-ship overnight... And personally, I'd relish a bit more time in both Shanghai and the Tokyo area...
Sounds like a wonderful itinerary... Despite the changes, you are in for a treat... Enjoy!
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When we did a b2b we were offered a complimentary dinner in the speciality restaurant of our choice on embarkation night of the second cruise.
I was told by the Hotel Director, Richard, that this practice is no longer in effect...
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That's our experience as well. In fact, at one time, it was confirmed that we are registered for said e-mails but they never arrive.
Perhaps it's a Commonwealth thing. :)
Same issue in the United States! The only e-mail I've ever gotten from Azamara was when Journey's 3 March sailing was cancelled due to propeller damage sustained in Tokyo Bay; I was already aboard ship [though the cancellation was issued by Miami before an announcement was made to those of us who expected to be consecutive cruisers]!
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I believe that many of the Quest cruises in May/June 2015 have been chartered by an Australian TA.
These charters--with customized itineraries appropriate to the occasion--have been created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Anzac Day...
Notification of E-Docs
in Celebrity Cruises
Posted
Though not absolutely essential, completing/printing/signing your Xpress Pass will expedite the check-in process...
Your e-docs are a summary of your cruise itinerary, contain information as to any flights/hotels/transfers you may have purchased through Celebrity, will summarize any tours you may have purchased in advance [through the date the e-docs are produced], specify any trip insurance you may have bought through the cruise line, and summarize Terms & Conditions associated with sailing Celebrity... For the most part--there may be exceptions if you purchased flights/hotels/transfers from Celebrity--they are no more than a reference for you... I don't personally print them but save them to the tablet I use for travel [in PDF format] should I need to reference them; so far, that has never occurred...
Once you get e-mail notice [via Celebrity directly and/or your Travel Agent] that your e-docs are available for you to access on-line--generally about 45 days prior to your sailing date--you will, if in the US or Canada [procedures can vary elsewhere], be able to order luggage tags for mailing to your home... The link for ordering luggage tags--it will not appear until your e-docs are ready--can be found on the same web page at which one starts the online check-in [ie; Xpress Pass] process...
One process/set of documents has nothing to do with the other... And though some think otherwise, one does not have to complete the online check-in process [which is available up to four days prior to sail date; after that, all check-in procedures are done at the terminal] in order to receive e-docs and to order luggage tags...