neverenoughtime

Can anyone who sailed recently confirm that water/coke/beer is available for free in the Suite Lounge from 11 - 11? 

Can I book the dining packages once on board? Or do they have to be booked in advance?

If we're Elite Plus on Celebrity, what are we on Royal??

Thanks for the info,

We just did the transpacific on the Millenium. All drink packages were buy one get one the first three night of the cruise. Sometimes it pays to wait.....

Hi. I am a Yokohama native, so I am happy to help you. Probably the easiest and most economical way is to walk from the pier to the "Nihon Odori" Station of the Minato Mirai Line, which is about a seven-minute walk from the pier. The path to the station is very clearly marked, but if you ever get lost, just grab someone on the street, and say slowly, "Where? Train? Nihon Odori Station?"

 

When you are on a Minato Mirai Line train, you have several options to go to Tokyo. You can stay on it (a train for Shibuya) until the end of the line, and you will be in one of the busiest and hippest areas of Tokyo (about 40 minutes' ride). Or you can transfer at Yokohama Station, which is the fourth stop from Nihon Odori, onto a JR Tokaido Line that takes you to Tokyo Station (about 25 minutes). You will be one short stop away from Yurakucho, which gets you into Ginza.

 

The bullet train is actually a tougher option. The Shin-Yokohama Station where the bullet trains pass through is about 25 minutes away from Nihon Odori of Minato Mirai Line, and you would have to make two transfers to get there. In addition, the segment between Shin-Yokohama and Tokyo is actually the slowest-running part of that bullet train line. In other words, you would not experience what the bullet train is most famous for (speed) by taking it from Shin-Yokohama to Tokyo.

 

If you have a particular part of Tokyo that you would like to visit, please let me know. I will give you the exact routing accordingly.

This is an almost 10 year old post! Can anyone confirm if the advice is still accurate?

Not during the booking process. Once you have a confirmed AA record locator (six letters) - and using Choice Air this might not be at the same day at all - you'll need to phone American and get the JAL booking record locator, which will be different from the one AA gives you. You'll then go to the JAL website and pick your seats using their locator. Not complicated.

 

http://pointmetotheplane.boardingarea.com/2015/05/22/jal-seat-selection-japan-airlines/

Thank you.

We're flying ATL-DFW-NRT. The first leg is operated by American and the second leg by JAL. Choice Air has two listings for the flights, both designating Code shares. If I buy it with the JAL listing it's $300 more than if I take the exact same flight but with the AA listing.

If I purchase the AA designation, will I be able to reserve seats on the JAL leg at the time of booking? We're flying Premium Economy and we want specific seats together.

I'm not use to seeing different pricing for the same flights based on Carrier coding. Thanks for your help!

Hope you have a wonderful cruise. We'll be on her the end of October! We just heard from someone who is on the Infinity and they report that there are upcharges for certain dishes on the Tuscan Grill menu in addition to the Specialty Restaurant fee. Do you see anything like that on Eclipse? Thanks for checking!

We're taking the Eclipse across this Fall. The ship first hits US waters in Boston where we all have to clear Customs/Immigration. Then it goes to NY, Bermuda and Nassau before we disembark in Miami. Will we have to clear Customs/Imm a second time in Miami? I'm asking because we're trying to catch a 10:00am flight out of MIA and I'm sure we can do it we self disembark at 7am. NOT sure we can do it if we have to go thru Customs a second time. We're seasoned cruisers and travel carryon only.

Does anyone have any experience with a second Customs check?

What is the noise like in the cabins on any floor surrounding the Centrum? How late does the music generally play? Can someone who is a normal(not light) sleeper, sleep thru it with earplugs?

First of all, please check Trenitalia for schedules and accessibility. They have a website in English. I was still playing able bodied when I took a train out of Livorno to Pisa (November 2001). Later, October 2010, I checked out going to Florence from Livorno on the train. At that time, the train schedule was not the best for us, so we just wandered around Livorno. I note the dates because things are changing constantly.

 

I assume you are talking about going to Florence from Livorno. The train stations are fairly easy to get to in both towns, so the issue would be the schedule and accessibility. The shuttle bus from the ship into Livorno was wheelchair friendly.

 

Between the ship (Civitavecchia) and Rome, you can take the train. Again, I'd suggest you find their schedule on Trenitalia. In Rome, the ho ho buses pick up near the Roma Termini and have a stop at the Coliseum (Colosseo). Should be able to get precise details on the respective websites. Would not recommend attempting to get around on their own with limited time. If they took the ho ho bus, they should be able to see a tad bit more.

 

There should be a shuttle in Civitavecchia to the edge of town. From the drop off point, the train station is just a few short blocks southeast. We did not have any problems getting on and off the train there. Do not remember if they used lifts or ramps. There is an accessible route. Google maps show the train stations.

 

Not knowing exactly what time they would be able to leave the ship could hinder purchasing tickets in advance. Returning to the ship could be more critical. Some trains in Europe have limited wheelchair space. Thus advance tickets should protect you. To get precise info, do not be bashful about writing for info. They were very helpful when we planned our trip.

 

If they board or depart the ship in Rome (Civitavecchia), I'd highly recommend that they book a hotel for a couple nights in Rome and devote some quality time wandering around.

 

We did not take the metro in Rome because only limited stations were accessible.

 

Hope this helps,

Betty

 

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Thank you. I really appreciate the info. I'm going to repost this in a new thread, so it's not buried under the mobility scooter title. Hopefully some others will add to your info and this will be a good reference! Who is the "they" you reference in paragraph 5?

Scooter travel - Milan, Florence, Rome - February 2013.

 

Milan - The metro was under major construction so we gave up on the idea of getting to Duomo di Milano. Just waited at the train station for our train to Florence. I was advised by the cathedral that it is accessible and that there is a small elevator to the roof.

 

Florence – Traveled all over the city on our scooters. Did not use any other form of transportation. Yes, we experienced the usual cobblestones and had to pay attention to our routes, but did not experience any problems getting around.

 

Rome – Had contacted the various ho ho buses. Being off season, one agreed to transport both of us at the same time if possible. At that time, all ho ho buses only had a space for one scooter and we do not like to get separated. First day: Took the ho ho bus from Santa Maria Maggiore to the Vatican. On our return, we decided to do extensive sightseeing. The streets are not the best for scooters or walking. Unexpected problem was the fact that the city had relocated the ho ho bus pick-up points and we could not find the one we wanted. So we scooted back to our hotel (near the train station). Rome was not really wheelchair friendly. We did ride in the street a lot. We also took the ho ho bus to the Coliseum and onto another major site from where we continued our adventure on the scooters to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and back to our hotel.

 

Traveling on a scooter in Rome is doable with extreme caution. The main routes had curb cutouts or access to the sidewalks, but be ready to ride in the streets. Also, allow additional travel time for any detours or back-tracking.

 

For anyone going to cruise out of Rome, I'd suggest a flight arriving in Milan early morning. Take the train to the central station. Take the metro to the Cathedral and central area. See the sights, return to train station for afternoon train to Florence. Spend a couple days in Florence and then the train to Rome. Two or three days in Rome and again on the train to

Civitavecchia. Book all your train tickets with Trenitalia (Sale Blu) directly as soon as they open up for purchase (best prices).

 

Other than the discomfort of the bumpy streets, it is an easy trip. Just be cautious and pay attention to your surroundings.

 

Betty

Betty,

I'm helping a friend plan a cruise and her husband is newly diagnosed. Lets assume he will be in a wheelchair when touring Florence and Rome. Can you offer any advise on getting from the ship to Florence and back if they do NOT take a private tour?

Again the same transport advice for Rome. Their top priority is to tour the Coliseum. Is it possible to take the train in a wheelchair? I remember a big staircase in Civitavecchia - is there an elevator hidden anywhere? If they transfer to the subway at Ostience, is it wheelchair friendly?

Thanks for your suggestions. Any budget friendly advice is appreciated!

Regardless of whether or not this is offered, the only certainty is that the cost will too much so you will be much better off taking the Alilaguna or simply walking. Or if you have a party of 4 or 5 or more (or coordinate one via your roll call), even taking your own water taxi may make more sense! :)

I'm asking because my friends who are on the RCCL cruise have limited ability to walk. The last time I was in Venice, there was a VERY long walk thru turnstiles to the parking lot leading to the people mover. Celebrity at the time, offered direct access to St Marks from basically the bow of the ship. It was more expensive, but if you can only walk so far, it's worth it.

Does RCCL provide a direct water shuttle from Brillance OS to St Marks Square? If so do you know the cost?

Thanks!

I book air at the last minute on choice air all the time and have not noticed much, if any change in the fares. In fact, twice I have gotten cheaper fares at the last minute. Once I scored business class OW FCO to JFK for $830 on Lufthansa. To make things sweeter, Celebrity was running a promo and I got $100 extra OBC for booking air.. So dont automatically assume fares at the last minute will be more expensive.

 

I am flying out of LAX so I realize fares in other smaller markets may change more due to supply and demand but you won't know until you check it out.:D

Ditto, I'm on the much talked about Silhouette 4/23 sailing. Not only is the price $600 less ( and I thought I got a great deal when I booked) but the Choiceair price for my Delta flight from Atlanta is $100 less each too. Next year I'm holding out!!

Yes, it's happened to us too. Several months before final payment I noticed our deposit was refunded to our credit card. I called the TA who had no record of anything, the TA called Celebrity who claimed they had no idea what happened. They reinstated my exact reservation but never offered an explanation. It's very frustrating and always makes me wary of any dealings with Celebrity

Haven't been to Kotor. but the sail in to Oslo is every bit as nice as Milford, maybe better. Our sail in to Oslo was mid morning, it was fantastic!

Thanks! Do you remember about how long it took?

Is the sail in to Oslo anything like the sail in to Kotor or Milford Sound? I'm hoping for one of those picturesque experiences you see in brochures. Any chance??

We'll be on the Silhouette in late April sailing from Southampton to Oslo/Skagen/Copenhagen/Fredericia. Will there be whale watching opportunities at any time along this itinerary?

Thanks!

I did purchase tickets thru choiceair. The Delta flight was listed three ways when the flight choices first displayed. I chose the option with DL in the flight number and had no problem immediately upgrading to Eco Comfort on the Delta website.

Thanks for everyones input and happy Cruising!!

Is it possible to book a Coach international ticket on ChoiceAir and afterwards go to the Delta site and upgrade it to Economy Comfort?

Currently the price for a multicity on CA is $200 less than the same tkt on Delta. But if I buy a Eco Comfort ticket on CA its more expensive than adding on the upgrade on Delta.

Any advice based on previous experience is appreciated!!

Between the metro and the bus, which do you recommend? We're on the Reflection next month. Thanks!

So it appears that my cruise may not be stopping in Istanbul. I'm disappointed for so many reasons, not the least of which is that I've been looking forward to restocking my supply of 7 spice mix that I picked up years ago. Does anyone know if there is a spice market is Kusadasi??

My spice mix came in a long cellophane package. Each spice was layered from lightest to darkest to make seven distinct layers. As a bonus, would anyone know what the seven are?

Thanks for your help!!

Easiest embarkation ever

 

15 minutes

 

Ship in top shape staff even better

 

Luminee is so good I don't know how to explain it. It's true . The hamburger is the best I have ever had on a ship ever.

 

Crowd very young with 80 honeymoon couples adding to the demographics

 

Marlene the Captains Club rep fabulous

 

Love to say more about the ship and crew but time for a beer

 

Donald

Donald, Have there been any ports where the Captain Club members were invited to the heliport for the sail in/out? Thanks and Happy Sailing!!

You could do the SPA, you could buy some jewlery too.....you could

buy a new purse, you could buy some clothing.....there are a lot of

shops on the ship;)

We bought a waterproof camera from the photo shop with our SBC. Comes in handy on the cruise and later!