darkpelagic

3 hours ago, nocl said:

 

 

Probably will not see it, but maybe because the move of the lines to more all inclusive pricing packages are devaluing the loyalty programs more than just the removal of one or two features.

That’s how I see it. They may as well pull everyone back to zero if people don’t cruise. It’s effectively what they’re doing anyway. In a way it’s a freedom - can now book other cruise lines and cruises without thinking of whether I will make a tier or not. I cruise with Celebrity and Princess but Princess had the best perks (and the best ships with Sun and Sea). Not anymore. 

5 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

We were also disappointed that Princess did not do a more comprehensive overhaul of their CC program.  There are too many Elites and there should be more separation between the Platinum and Elite levels.  Here come the Haters!

Bet you weren’t complaining when you reached elite. I think you may be the hater. 

I’d pretty much already decided Princess didn’t have enough loyalty to retain my loyalty but this confirms it. They might have kept it if they kept the sun and sea, but now they don’t have a single decent promenade deck either, so they’re just like any other mass cruise ship line. I doubt I’ll get to elite now. If cruising ever comes back in a decent format, that is. 
 

Reading elites whining about too many elites is like peak capitalism. This is why trickle down economics never works. The rich all want to deal you out. 

Not weird at all given Celebrity's current technology deficiencies -- read the dozens and dozens of reports about how bad Celebrity's IT department is, and you'll see that getting the time frame down from two weeks to one week is pretty much a giant step forward for them <smile>

IT was pretty bad on board. I remember the first times I sailed Celebrity everything in the stateroom entertainment worked. This time not so much. They need to spend some of the money they've saved on downgrading the products on upgrading the IT.

Yeah but unfortunately, this was the closest match on a search. A week is still a bit weird, given today's technology.

Wow, 2 weeks for points to show up? Have they not heard of automation?

Sorry if this question has been answered somewhere - I did a search but could not find it - I have a classic alcohol package and I am wondering if this includes canned soda. I think it used to - from what I remember - but I now can't find it explicitly mentioned on the Celebrity site. Alternatively, does the soda fountain include Diet Sprite? Thanks very much.

Wow that is a thorough post. Thanks very much.

Yes the cruise ship docks on a Saturday. The plane is the only one for that day from Gatwick. I can catch later planes from Heathrow or Luton, but the Luton flight is quite late and the Heathrow flights are all twice the price.

I guess I'll have to weigh up whether it is better to be quick and cheap but stressed, or more expensive and more relaxed.

Hi There,

I am disembarking a Princess ship at Southampton in August and I would like to catch an 11.50 am flight at Gatwick - however, knowing that boats can be late and disembarkation can be awful, I would like some advice on whether or not this is a wise flight to go for and if so, how it is best done to ensure the flight is caught.

I have looked at booking a transfer to Gatwick with Princess but don't seem to find anything online - can I book a transfer at all?

Thanks for your time/expertise,

:)

If you are not sure you'll ever come back to Australia, I'd probably try for 3 days in Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef. Yes, it is horribly hot there (but might not be that bad for you if you go to places like New Orleans a lot - quite similar in that 'i'm walking around under a hot wet blanket way').

The good thing about Cairns over Uluru/Ayer's Rock is that you could do a bit of snorkelling (in a stinger suit or wetsuit) on the Great Barrier Reef, which will be a lot cooler than walking around Ayer's Rock or just about anything else you do there. This watery aspect makes it a better choice.

If you do think you will come back to Australia, maybe leave this for another time and enjoy Sydney and surrounds. There is heaps to do in Sydney and it has excellent beaches.

I went on a 40 day cruise on Princess that began and ended in Australia and the people really were old. I am younger - I was about 42 I think - and we were some of the youngest people on board. I don't have many issues with older people - there was some great company - the only 'problem' is that not many people go dancing of a night. I like seeing older people chilling in the sun. Makes me feel happy.

(I don't have many issues with larger people either or frail people, though I sometimes wish they were a little more realistic about what is possible.)

Anyway, I agree about Australians being a bit on the whiny side. Honestly, some people, you'd think they'd just been sent down to work in the mines or something. This is not just on Princess but also on any other ship I've sailed on with lots of Australians - including younger people. My first cruise ever was with mostly Americans and I really enjoyed the friendliness and smiling. Especially the smiling. I'm a pretty reserved person myself but it's not that hard to smile as if you are on a ship, sipping a cocktail and seeing the world in a really comfortable fashion. At times on more heavily Australian ships, I think everyone around me is having the most stressy day of their lives.

The worst was actually P&O but it might have been because of the contrast between that and the US based Celebrity Cruise I'd been on previously. It was a very marked contrast. I'd been selling cruising to my partner as this fantastic experience where everyone is happy and then spent the first few days adjusting to the sourer atmosphere.

A friend was once late back to the ship - he went to what he thought was the assigned pick up point (it wasn't) and then waited too long for a shuttle. He called and we told him to grab a taxi. He caught a taxi, got to port but then couldn't find the way to the ship and had to be talked to it by a crew member. He was about 10 minutes late, and had I not been an advocate for him with the crew, they would not have waited even that long and they certainly would not have waited a half hour. So yeah, passengers do get left behind. He was so grateful they held the ship that 10 minutes.

But maybe those people you speak of were on a ship tour - I believe the ship is meant to wait for those who are late on one of their tours.

The crew on the ship told me that they could not wait anymore than another couple of minutes due to the tides. Once they pull in the gangplanks, that's it, and the tide dictates when that will happen.

I'm definitely complaining. I liked the old system better. I didn't complain about that one at all. I actually wonder who did (as Celebrity implies a lot of people were having a whinge) and what is wrong with them.

It's the laundry I wanted. Worst thing about Celebrity is no laundry facilities. The internet would be good too, and some of the other things.

I'd sail with them again but I was looking at sailing with them on shorter cruises to get the points up so I'd get better perks for longer cruises. There's not much point in doing that anymore and plenty of other non-cruise holidays one can do within a week.

I am really annoyed about the changes. I would have gone up to the next level on my next cruise and now I won't, unless I fork out the big bucks.

This hasn't done anything to keep me loyal - I am more likely to sail more with Princess now as I am already on a higher tier there. I might sail Celebrity IF they have a decent cruise in Australia again that I can't do with other ships or IF I am in the USA and feel like cruising. So they've kind of lost us. I've sailed twice with them but there's no real point now to selecting them over another line. I really liked their loyalty program and the perks previously.

And to all those already sitting on Elite + after a few sailings and complaining that other people can get to the same level too easily without spending the same - there's a word for you. You know what it is.

I am sailing on Millenium in about 2 weeks in Alaska, mostly visiting Alaskan ports. I live in Australia.

I read on my cruise docs that I should have an 'inoculation certificate'.

Now, I have checked the inoculation schedule for the US and I have had all those shots in the past, have suffered chickenpox already, and I also recently had both a tetanus booster and a flu shot, including swine. I don't have a Hep shot but also am not high risk for this or other nasties.

I rang a local travel doctor and they said sure they could see me and fill out such paperwork and it would cost me $150. Of course, I don't need any shots, just the paperwork. And they would be going by my word because I had all my required shots (ie. German measles, chickenpox, TB etc) many years ago and even my parents have no record of it anymore.

My question is ... do I actually need an 'inoculation certificate' for a celebrity cruise in alaska so that I can board or visit ports?