debshomespun

We will be visiting Phuket in November on a 5 day, 4 night land trip from Singapore. Can you let us know what you did in Phuket while visiting there? We plan to go to the Big Buddah, and to explore the Phi Phi Islands. Did either of you go there? How about any of the Temples, or the Nightlife (if you were there in the evening).

We will also be taking a 14 night cruise in Asia on Celebrity Millennium. Looking forward to seeing the part of the World. Sounds like you both enjoyed your cruises very much.

Thats terrible. How can 400 obc be sufficient? You would lose money rebooking your flights. The change fee is 150-200 per ticket per person. Really sorry to hear you go through this. I think I would be in tears. I hope if theyre not able to offer you a room they will refund your money and offer compensation for the hotels and flights you already booked!

 

I never worried in the past about booking a GTY but now I'm having second thoughts

Original Poster got assigned a cabin on deck 8. So they will be sailing on the Serenade tomorrow.

I only bring nice sandals for my Caribbean cruises, plus my athletic shoes. If the CC hostess turned me away for wearing my nice blingy sandals, I would go back to my cabin and put on my athletic shoes, and return. Would really be in great fashion then!

That's a great deal! BTW, do you have any perks with the Resident or Senior discount?

We were on a RC ship several years ago, and the cruise following ours was a "clothing optional" cruise. Several of the crew told me they would shrink wrap the theaters to protect the seating. I'm not sure if this is correct or not. Just what they told me.

The kids will love the Oasis class ships. There are so many things to do including the aqua theater show and the ice skating show. The kids can ice skate too, be sure to bring long pants for them to wear.

The Broadway shows are good, along with the Comedy club show. A nice variety of great entertainment.

There is also a big variety of free places to eat. The Park Cafe has delicious roast beef sandwiches on a Kimmel wreck bun, made to order salads and a variety of desserts. There is the Boardwalk Dog house, Sorrento's for pizza, and the Cafe Promenade, and the Wipe Out Cafe.

Also has the flow rider and zip line to try. There's the Central Park and Boardwalk with the merry go round. The kids should love it, and you too. We have gone twice on Oasis and once on Allure.

Celebrity does have better foods in the MDR, but the entertainment is lacking along with things to do on the ship for the kids. RC Oasis Class ships are a wonderful at sea.

We also went in our own in September from Oasis. You can see the ship from the beach area. It's in the distance. The seal show was really good. We went early, got there at 9:00 BEFORE the ship's excursion and had our choice of chairs. We sat along the beach at a palapa and they come and wait on you. We had drinks with nachos and salsa. Left our towels on the chairs while we went to the seal show. No problem. We also walked up and down the beach for a while. And the have a nice walkway through gardens, a Zipline (we did not do this, and it's extra) and you can go over by where they swim with the dolphins. We also each had a massage which was 2for 2, $30. for 30 minutes and included a cold bottle of water. Was a fabulous day and it didn't​ cost near what the ship excursion was, and we both got a massage.

When we went to leave, there were taxis waiting to take us back, and there was another couple leaving going back to the ship. Saw their towels and asked them if they wanted to split the taxi, so was half price taxi ride back for us. All you have to do is be sure your WATCH is the same time as Ship time, then plan to be back at least 1 hour before your scheduled time. No problem at all.

We did Machu Picchu last year, on our own. When you go up to Cusco, you can either leave large luggage at hotel in Lima (then you must return to that hotel to retrieve) OR, you can leave your large luggage at your hotel in Cusco (the option we did). The reason is, when you take the train up to Machu Picchu (this is the only way to get there, other than the hike, and in that case you would only want your back pack and tent, LOL), you can only take carry on size luggage. They do not allow large luggage, there is not room. We took the VistaDome both ways. I'm not sure if you can take the larger luggage on the Hiram Bingham.

Machu Picchu is definitely a MUST SEE!! Also, do a tour of the Sacred Valley along the way. It is a great place to visit. Cusco is also a quaint little town. Visit the Craft Markets, very interesting to see the locals with the wares. There are some really great deals there.

We just had 6210 on the Equinox and loved it. It was such a great location. We didn't have any surrounding noise. The balcony is extra large. There is a lifeboat halfway across the bottom half of the balcony, and the white holder sticks up a little higher right in middle of the balcony area. BUT, the size of the balcony more than makes up for this. We had 8 people on it for a party while we were sailing up the Mississippi and was plenty of room.

We have 6210 booked on our Eclipse, and 6240 on the Reflection Jan/2019. For the money, these are excellent locations, and very large balconies.

Typically, Choice Air has much better pricing for International flights than for domestic flights. Occasionally, the domestic flights can be less.

We have had some seat assignments when we booked with Choice Air, and some not booked. I would just go to the airline and pick my seats. When we flew Qatas to Sydney, if I wanted to pick seats, I had to pay extra. I did, then Qatas switched the type of plane, and our seat assignments were changed, and I wasn't happy. Lesson learned was to not pay for seats.

I was also on the cruise. I felt Celebrity also missed the boat with helping passengers get in the spirit of Mardi Gras. I personally spoke with John the cd just after the CC Meet & Mingle. I told him we were going to have a parade around the ship at 1:00 on Sunday afternoon while going up the Mississippi River. His attitude was he could have cared less. He said this was Celebrity's first time there, and he was the CD as his girlfriend lives in NO, and he has spent time there, along with Mario (one of the officers) who lives in NO. I didn't go to the lectures about NO. I have been to NO 5 times, but this was a first for Mardi Gras. As for the local entertainment having been brought on board while in port, this is pretty common for cruise lines. We have been to Hawaii and the South Pacific, and on those cruises, there was local entertainment brought onto the ship. We also missed it, as we were off the ship. I think it is the cruise lines way of bringing local entertainment to the ship for those either not able, or not wanting to get off the ship.

I also spoke to John at the sailaway party from NO. I voiced some of my opinions as to how Celebrity could make it a little more themed cruise. Upon embarkment, Celebrity handed out beads, as mentioned before about 200, and I know passengers that arrived at noon did not get them. John said it was because some passengers asked for 2 pair. Even so, it they handed out even 1000 in the first hour, there was still another 2000 passengers. That was such a lame excuse. I rarely saw him out and about the ship, other than just before and after the shows in the evenings in the theater. He did show up at 1:00 at the Gastro bar, but didn't come along with us. Guess I should have talked to the assistant CD, Justin. I think he would have come along with us and enjoyed our company!!

We also sailed on the Infinity last year for the Rio 3 day stay during Carnival. Celebrity didn't do anything pertaining to Carnival, there were no decorations on the ship, no special food served, just the normal cruise things offered.

I think the passengers make the cruise what it is. We had a fantastic time on the cruise, met lots of great people, and made new cruise friends. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in NO for Mardi Gras, but would not go again. Just one of those things we can mark off the bucket list. For anyone thinking of going in the future, definitely go and have a great time. There was definitely a huge police presence in NO, and we always felt safe. We did take extra caution, didn't take credit cards with us, very little cash, and kept to the main roads. We were out til midnight Sunday night, having spent the last couple hours on Bourbon street and enjoyed the festivities. Also, got tickets for the Monday night and

Tuesday parade for grandstand seating at Layfaette Square. I wouldn't bother getting any grandstand tickets. The parades are all over, and very easy to see them, and still get lots of beads and goodies.

Bob, do you know which RC ships you can currently use OBC pre cruise to purchase excursions, or specialty restaurants reservations?

Thanks for your replies. I'll talk to everyone in our group and they can decide what to do.:)

Hi,

 

I have been doing some research about Boracay as we are on Constellation in Feb 2018. Is it correct that we are tendered and do we get dropped off by a jetty near Caticlan Airport? I was wondering how easy is it to get to Boracay Island as we want to go to Station 2 (that's where we have been told to go) can we go straight there or do we need to get a tuk tuk to get there?

 

Thanks

Here is a website that may be of some help: Hope this helps you out.

https://www.whatsinport.com/Boracay.htm

We will be in Boracay this November.

Has anyone used Mystic Man lately, we are looking at their private Catamaran excursion. They will pick up right at the port, sailing along the coast. This was their response from my inquiry by email:

Thank you for contacting us. We have a 42ft catamaran available at US$110 per person for your group of 10. The price would be for the boat inclusive of lunch, snorkel gear and beverages ( local beer, sodas, bottled water, rum punch).

We normally pick up at the cruise ship boat at around 8:30am and sail south all the way down to Soufriere. There would be stops for swimming and snorkeling along the way as well as sightseeing and since it is a private charter, everything would be at your own pace.

We have been to St. Lucia several times and done both land and sea excursions along with beaches and looking for something different. Thanks in Advance.

I do not have a casino rate on my upcoming sailing, but I do have one on my other 3 sailings. The rep from Casino Royale told me that he would put me on the VIP list for all 4 of my sailings and to introduce myself to the host each time. Does this mean I will get the sticker for free drinks? I'm trying to decide whether or not I should purchase the drink package pre-cruise or pay as I go. Also, if you do get the free drink sticker, does it effect the value of any future cruise certificate you may receive for this sailing? What types of free drinks are served in the casino? Are they available anytime or do you have to drink them in the casino?

On our Serenade 2/3/17 sailing, we had a letter in our cabin stating we should see the Casino Host for VIP Status. We visited the host before dinner, and he told us DH wold be entitled to free drinks, and we could both get cash from cashier without the 5% charge. Asked us to return after dinner, as he was rather busy. We returned, and he told us on our last cruise (9/10/16 Oasis) DH had only gotten 300 points, and he should have had at least 1000 points to qualify for the free drinks. DH told the host how smokey the casino was, on both sides (smoking and non-smoking) and he is highly sensitive to smoke. Casino host reluctently gave him the sticker for free drinks. He could go to the casino bar any time they were open, and get any drink he wanted. He did not have to drink it there. A couple times, he got a mudslide or pina colada, and brought up to me on the pool deck. He would always tip the bartender in cash when he got a drink. While in the casino during slotplay, the bartenders would give me a free drink too. They offered me free drinks even though I didn't qualify.

At the end of the Serenade cruise, DH had exactly 1000 points. (Its funny, on the 2nd night of the cruise in the casino, they had a drawing, and DH won 500 points, lol.). DH could get $20. free play for his 1000 points, OR a Casino Royale Polo shirt for 800 points. And, for the 1000 points accumulated from playing the slots entitled him to a certificate for $200. off his next cruise (to sail within 1 year). The certificates were to be distributed to our cabin the last night of the cruise. Low and behold, we never received ours. I think the Casino host was mad at us. The casino cashier had told us on the last night they would either be sent to our cabin, or mailed to our home after the cruise. After we got home, I called Casino Royale, and they found our certificate. Not sure if he will get the free drinks or not. We are sailing on Mariner 4 nights in Asia for our next RC cruise. There is no way he will get the 1000 points to keep his status. We do not have anything else booked on RC at this time.

Also, I think once or twice, we would stop at the casino bar and get drinks, then take into the theater for the show. If we wanted a can of coke to take to the room, we could get an unopened can.

At the en

You might get more responses if you post your questions on the Jamaica Ports of Call, located here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=111

If you have an 8 hour port stop, it would be almost impossible to go to Dunn's River Falls, and the Blue Hole (they are in different areas of Jamaica) And, go shopping, LOL. You cold do 1 falls, or the other and shopping, and that would be about it. Have been to Jamaica multiple times, Dunn's River twice, the Blue Hole once, and shopping many times.

Chocolate Martinis!! The best!!

We have been on 1 week cruises, and I have seen the sheets changed about midweek. You can ask your room steward to change them when you want them changed. A little $$$ will go a long way with them.

We were just on the 2/20/17 11 night sailing Equinox and left on 3/3. I am usually cold on the ships in the MDR, theater and hallways. Not this time. Temperatures were very nice. A couple nights, I brought a shaw/sweather, and never needed it, even in the theater. Many of my outfits did not have much of a sleeve to it, if any. I was surprised at how nice and comfortable it was for me, as I am usually cold.

We loved the Equinox. Enjoy!!

I was hoping someone else would have jumped in and answered your question as I do not know the answer as we did not play at the casino. I looked through our "Today" flyers and the only reference I could find was, "Get more credit for your Dollar with our Slot Packages, up to 15% extra credit. Available from the Cash Desk, limited time only." I would assume from that blurb that US dollars are used, but that is just a guess. Perhaps you can post a question on the board and get an answer.

 

Jack

Thanks Jack, you answered another question that I didn't even ask! DH usually will use some of our OBC for his slot play, and it's nice to the the extra 15%. Was just on the Equinox, and he was able to play through the OBC and get cash out of the slots dollar for dollar. He did a great job!

Linda, thanks also for your reply, I was assuming everything on board the Celebrity ships would be in US$$$. That is what it was in Australia while we were on the Solstice.

We cruised the Infinity in Jan/2016, 14 nights to Brazil and Rio for Carnival. Before our cruise, we spent 6 nights in Buenos Aires. While there, we did a side trip up to see Iguazu Falls. It was definitely a sight to see. We also booked through 01 Argentina with Pablo Polito. We found a great price ($940. US$ per couple, air/hotel/transportation/tour of both Argentine & Brazilian sides). Their link is here: http://www.01argentina.com/sitio/eng/tours/iguazu_falls.htm. We opted to stay at a 3* hotel, the St. George. The hotel was wonderful with a great pool. Their buffet breakfast had many items to choose from. We flew in on day 1, and had the afternoon to do what we wanted. On day 2, we toured the Argentine side. We had free time also to look around at the falls. We did the water boat under the falls on our own, and really enjoyed it. The next morning, we went to the Brazilian side to tour. We all had our Brazilian Visa's as our cruise was going to Brazil. We loved our time in Iguazu and it is one of the most sensational places to see. Definitely worth the time and effort. All transportation was included in our price, other than from our hotel in BA to the airport and back.

Celebrity was selling their own excursion, fly up in morning, view the falls, and fly back that same evening, all for a whopping $1100.00! pp!! 1/3 the time there and 2.5 times more in price.

Sailor Jack

Can you tell me in the Casino on the Millennium, do they use US $$$? We will be on the Millennium 11/12/17 sailing out of Singapore round trip with several sea days, and DH likes to play the slots in the Casino. Thank you so much!

The Equinox has a great Mexican section for lunch. Great nachos and all the fixens!

Lunch did not start until noon each day.

Also, the Aqua Spa Cafe (in the Solarium) had a great breakfast selection of pre cut fresh fruit (Papaya & blueberries every morning for me), smoothies, mini muffins and other fresh fruits. For lunch, they had a nice selection of salads and healthy foods.

If you gamble on slot machines in the casino, you can put some of your OBC on your card to use in the slots. No fee. BUT, you can only play this credit. Any of your winnings, you can cash out. While just on Equinox, DH put $200 on his card and got $240. credit. He did this twice. He was able to cash out over $400. of winnings, so he turned our OBC into cash. His sister wasn't so lucky though. She didn't turn much of her OBC into cash.