terrydtx

I believe this policy has been fleetwide since last October or November.

We do the same thing and use them for the same reasons. We just booked our flights for January to Sydney Australia and we were able to book American Airlines to SYD and Air New Zealand back to Houston non stop for about the same as booking American or United RT direct. No payment for the air until final payment in October. We picked the flights, airlines and our seats by calling FBC. We can also change at anytime if we find a better deal before final payment.

I would too.

The MDR is only open on sea days for lunch.

If Celebrity had only made one deck with IV cabins, they would have been better off, for some who love them and those like me who hate them, by providing a choice for both camps. Without ever testing the concept, Celebrity committed to 5 of these ships. and the current CEO is responsible for that decision. The magic carpet is another poorly conceived idea as you stated.

Actually Celebrity has a 5th E Class ships scheduled to join the ill-conceived IV fleet in 2025. The current CEO was in charge when this new concept was designed and built, which I think will be the ultimate downfall of celebrity. Celebrity is stuck with the concept for the next 15-20 years. I hate the IV cabins, did one and was done with them, I love the E Class ships but will ONLY book a suite to get a real balcony, not a window that opens. Now with current high pricing for Sky Suites on E Class ships we are moving on the competitors. As, I have said many times if it was such a good idea why hasn't one competitor copied them?

You mean Navigator is wrong, its never wrong, LOL

I am surprised more Aqua Class customers do not complain about no embarkation lunch for them since both Suites and Concierge class gets one.

We have been getting the free US government test kits in the mail for months and saving them for our trips this year and next. We will be on a B2B Edge Australia/NZ cruise next January and hope this testing has ended by then.

In August 2021 taxi cost was under $25 with tip for the two of us. Took 15 minutes from airport to Cruise terminal.

We have been on 8 HAL cruises and only made their MDR lunch once, on one cruise we got to the MDR 5 minutes before closing and they refused to seat us. The HAL MDR on embarkation day is usually open from 11:30 to 1:00pm. Last year on the Oosterdam in Trieste we made lunch at noon.

You are correct this has always been an amenity for booking Concierge class cabins. After the restart from Covid in 2021 the embarkation lunches for concierge were canceled, and you should have heard the complaints here in CC. I do not believe the lunch was back until cruises later in 2022, it was available for our August Reflection cruise last August.

The Volendam is a smaller older ship that was refurbished in 2022. We are sailing on her next year for a Boston to Montreal cruise, and because she is smaller, we will visit a couple of ports bigger ships don't. If you want to have a balcony you will need to book at least a Vista Suite category cabin, we did for our cruise next year. The Volendam does not have any standard verandah cabins. Our first HAL cruise was a Panama Canal cruise on the Volendam in 2007.

Find a good local TA that works for you, not the cruise line. My TA allows me to contact her 24/7 by her cell phone and I have been able to book cruises and other trips over weekends too. I have used her for 15 years.

Viking has a very different financing model. Most of their booked cruises both river and Ocean, requires 12 month out final payment which finances their new ship building without adding to their debt.

That is correct, not the cruise line. Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy | PBS NewsHour

https://youtu.be/Zk0esR2s_P8

Houston or Port Canaveral.

Probably will not be any balcony cabins, all portholes.

How about the first moon cruise in the Sea of Tranquility?

Unless you are booked in either Aqua Class or the Retreat with Celebrity, there is nothing "premium" about Celebrity anymore. On the new E class ships only Suites and aft facing verandah cabins get a real open traditional balcony, everyone else gets a window that opens, IV cabins, which cost more than a real balcony on HAL newer ships.

I am sorry but I have to chuckle at people here complaining about HAL prices. We recently booked 2 HAL cruises for Nov this year and August next year because of the great deals they offered compared to Celebrity. No casino deals for us either. Since 2019, we have been booking with Celebrity almost exclusively, except for one Oosterdam cruise last year. Celebrity has been raising prices by 30-40% and loyal Celebrity customers are jumping ship as fast as they can. We are now, for the future, booking with HAL and Oceania as Celebrity's suite and higher-end verandah pricing has gone to the ridiculous. In some cases for similar cruises, a Celebrity Sky Suite cost is much higher than a HAL Neptune suite. Celebrity Aqua class verandah cabins cost more than a Vista or Signature suite with HAL on most similar itineraries. Celebrity's specialty restaurants cost 30-40% more than on HAL, and room service is still free on HAL. I believe if you think HAL prices are high, every other cruise line is also much higher than pre Covid and all lines are reporting big increased booking numbers

This is really a great itinerary and we compared it with Celebrity, Viking Ocean and Oceania. Celebrity only offers round trip from Boston in same 11 days and has 4 less port stops. Oceania had similar itineraries but at double the cost of the HAL cruise. I am with you we are done with the Caribbean for cruising, after our Equinox cruise in June with our granddaughter. Every cruise after is for places we have not been, and we hope will be interesting. We are retired and spending our kid's inheritance on travel.

HAL doesn't have anything close to the amenities of the Retreat even in their highest suite levels. Size wise, close to a Sky Suite is a Signature Suite or Vista Suite. They do have booking options for "Have it All" (HIA) which includes, a drinks and Wi-Fi package, plus a shore excursion and specialty dining package. If you book early, within 90 days of release of sailings, you can get HIA with premium drinks and Wi-Fi package, tips and a OBC. We booked the Volendam for an 11-day Boston to Montreal Cruise for August 2024 in a Vista Suite with the Premium HIA for $4300pp. That includes the Premium drinks, Premium Wi-Fi, gratuities, $400 in shore excursions, 2 specialty restaurants each and $200 OBC. The Vista Suite is 297sq ft in size and the Volendam is an older small ship with 1400 passenger capacity. HAL charges a lot less for specialty restaurants, drink packages and so far, no charge for full room service, including ordering from the MDR menu.

Have you been on any HAL cruise?