spiritkat090909

If the OBC is on your ship account, all you need do is download the amount you want to play to a machine, play for a while and cash out. Take the voucher to cage and exchange for cash. Maybe divide the amount between machines and days. Or if you want to try the table games, they charge a 3 or 5% fee (can't remember which, its waived for upper tier blue chip club).  I don't think the machines are charged the fee.

NEG is enough.  As long as it says correct date and your name, too!

3 hours ago, go.without.you said:

.... Edge Luminae doesn't allow you to order from the MDR menu so I'm going to miss that (escargot....don't judge me)...

 

 

In November 2021... Luminae on Edge DID have escargot on the always available verbal menu every day.  Additionally, I remember creme brulee, caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, & french onion soup.  Oh...and the steak of the day with baked potato.

Gift cards become quite the challenge as a method of payment when refunding. As long as you go and don't have to change anything...great savings! But...if you have to cancel anything or change a date...a big mess. They are handled by a separate department that has an even longer hold time for the agent when you call in. Add 30 mins minimum hold time AFTER you get a normal agent.

In the past, if you used a gift card for online miscellaneous extras like gratuities or shore excursions, for example, and the price went down, you could cancel & rebook.  NOW you don't dare. I'm waiting for a gift card refund on a cancelled booking with lots of 'stuff'.  I expect to sail on the next booking before the 'stuff' portion is refunded. A cancelled shore excursion on that record was done about 30 days ago...no gift card refund yet.

When they DO come, they will be in individual fedex envelopes (in our area).  I've had as many as 10 arrive at the same time. Super waste of postage.

I'm seeing ports look like a ghost town. I don't expect just walk up options, unless it is a taxi ride.

My plan:

Snorkel through ship at Belize.

My fave non-cruiseline option is Nachi Cocum AI Beach club for $59pp, plus $20ish taxi ride. I book through islandmarketing dot com.   I've read a few tripadvisor reviews saying it isn't what it used to be...but what is? Nothing appeals through cruiseline in Cozumel.

Mahogany Bay, Roatan...the just get off the ship and walk around port/hit the cruiseline beach.  Easy on/off and come and go.  Use free chairs, but buy the aerial ride pass.

Casino rates are tricky. Doesn't sound good for YOU.  If she cancels, and her insurance covers, she will be fine.  But, YOU will have to cover her share of your room. That is why no-shows are frequent with casino rates. The only 'fair' thing to do is when she cancels, pay you half of the difference in fare that you will now be responsible for.

I'm still unclear on the allowed on the balcony issue.   

From reading between the lines... it sounds like the balcony door was left OPEN, which triggered the phone call from guest services.  If I am ON the balcony, I close the door behind me...and I would never hear a phone call from guest services telling me to shut the door/don't use the balcony. 

But...maybe I'm just not understanding? Certainly, someone could have a paper rule list stating...not allowed to open the balcony door, were that truly the case?  I think I have to call this one missing info. Especially since I read of another case where quarantined pax were communicating on their balconies.  Whether or not you get a balcony quarantine...another story.  Luck of the ship/draw.

Thanks to the P-man and company in quarantine.  I can now make an informed argument to DH that we WILL separate, should the need to quarantine arise! (My cruise addiction exceeds my Blue Chip Club one.)

But...in spite of the bumps, and there were some big ones, like dollyD...yikes!... Celebrity seems to have handled their quarantinee's better than Carnival, NCL, and even the RCI's pinnacle weekend cruiser. Reading these experiences has been enlightening.

You can't go.

I did this for a Feb sailing...  

Mine is booked under casino rate. Called to double check and agent recommended not cancelling pax and doing a no-show. The rate was higher, we would lose the casino rate AND freeplay.

I took it upon myself to go in and change the name to Noshow Mylastname. From TBA Mylastname. I also took off prepaid grats. Probably a needless step, but I wanted to make sure that there was an indication that I had called/cleared it ahead of time. Which I read is unnecessary.

No.  And I keep getting unbelievable, too good to be true offers from Carnival to make a deposit. Really? They have got to be kidding. No... you can't keep my deposit for years. It's like a cash flow source.

The only thing I have found to help with sand fleas...is to soak in a tub of BLEACH water.  A cup of bleach to the tub filled. It kills them (& eggs) & keeps them from reproducing.

I would be nervous too.  If it is the official STATE ISSUED copy, it doesn't have to have a raised seal. If it is just a copy you did yourself and notarized at a bank... no good.

I'm confused.  Has there been a change in classifications?  To my current understanding there are AQ Aqua Class infinite balcony staterooms, A1, A2... and then there are Sky Suites, S1, S2, and S3.  Are there now Sky suites that include Aqua class amenities?

What happens if you test positive?  That's a mighty big FCC.

I am planning on the emed testing at home...and here is how 'easy' it has been so far:

Not.

Setting up the accounts with emed and Navica...confusing with both of us having our own Qcodes in the same login.  I tried setting up 2 logins, but I'm guessing that my computer cookies had something to do with it and they both redirected to same log in.  But, both names are there and we will find out ahead of time at 'dry run' test how this works. Murphy's law and issues to now has convinced me to test both of us a month prior to Nov sail. Fri test for Sun departure.

Next issue...my Samsung Note 6 that I love and swore to never upgrade because I hate the loss of stuff and learning new tech...doesn't have the system requirements to TEST on the Navica ap!  It's only 2 years old.  Sigh.  Try something else.

My desktop computer...apparently doesn't have webcam.  No prob...ordered a plug n play thing from Amazon.  Sat around for a couple of weeks before I decided to plug it in and see if I could figure out how to use it.  How hard can it be? (Like peeling a mango apparently.) WHAT?!  No microphone and ...okay a few hours of banging around and found that....but: my Amazon Skytech NEVER found the webcam.  Try DH's...plug...no play.. I GIVE UP on that.

Ipad...its a 6th gen.  It has a built in webcam.  It MIGHT work, but is more than 2 years old and if my phone isn't tech spec up to date, the odds of that ... NEXT.

Today, I'm going to buy a NEW PHONE. At the STORE. Samsung Note 20 Ultra.  Tried to order online yesterday and everything seemed to go well until I got a message with a link to click to scan a picture of my id.  I did that for other software apps, should be no problem. Except that I kept getting a message that said. "no camera permission.  Please fix  and try again. Constraints could not be satisfied."  I turned on permission for EVERYTHING on EVERY Ap..still nothing.  Called and got shifted to a chat helper...no help. He told me to do everything I had already done.

My frustration level is beyond comprehension.  I am not an unintelligent individual, although questioning my limited technological PROGRAMMING skills! I'm just a USER.

While I'm at the ATT STORE, buying a phone and having THEM transfer data...ugh...apps n passwords...long day ahead of me... I've decided..new IPAD for DH while we are there.

If those don't work, and the protocols don't change back to a more reasonable THREE DAY test requirement that labs can handle, I don't know what else I can do. Local test option is not guaranteed and antigen not offered within a 3hour travel radius. 

Just stay home forever, I guess.

Oh, but it is so easy! 😉

Good question.

Wouldn't fit in the quart liquid bag sealed...but, I'd think it would qualify under medical exemption stuff.

As long as you don't have a new TSA agent, probably fine in carry on bag, but I'd probably put in a gallon ziplock and put in the gray bin visible.

I had already checked in for a Nov cruise for 2 cabins and thought I better double check.  My phone, Samsung, was still showing my express pass and time, but there was a new section that needed to be completed.  A picture of vax card.  So..I added that and went to DHs phone, iPhone...and it showed check in after 9/30. Although it had already been done. 

I had PRINTED boarding passes when I had completed the first time, for all 4 of us. So.. 11:30am check in is confirmed!

Went to the website and I could see the other cabin still showed the info I had previously entered. But, no request for pic of vax card.  Ditto for mine.

So...the app is being updated to add more stuff and the website isn't from what I can tell.

I would be hesitant, particularly for a Sunday departure, due to the 2 day pretest requirement on a holiday weekend. 

  In fact, I wouldn't bother to look to see if the dates would work and just presume it's too much trouble.  Therefore... supply and demand=lower price.

Answer to my own question.... no to reprice.  Technically, if booked at casino discount, through their department, you can only upgrade after final payment and the best price guarantee does NOT apply.  However, I have heard of many, and was told by a different agent last month, that you could reprice for onboard credit if the price dropped, even after final payment.  This new guy was going to 'go to bat for me', however I just chose to UPGRADE to a higher category (S1) and instead of onboard credit, I got a smaller amount refunded outright.  Works for me.  SO many details and workarounds one has to know about. Sharing.

Anyone have experience through the casino Blue Chip Club getting adjustments?

I've noticed that the extra discounts available on the main website are not always showing  (lovely IT) when you call to book direct with them.  I had already decided that booking myself and then calling to have the last play discounts applied is the way to go. Next time.  But... if I upgrade to the next category?

I'd rather not keep holding (disconnected after the first 20minute hold)...now on an hour...if the answer is 'get lost'.

On the Edge Aug 14 sailing in Luminae I asked for a glass of the Montaudon and was told the contract had ended and was replaced with the...

Brut Cattier.

Since no one has replied...I remember reading

fasttestnow

1-833-830-8383

For those who say there is no need to stress... Let them eat cake!

Antigen & PCR tests are "apparently" readily available in the BIG cities.  If Marie Antoinette is not in the castle and lives in the village, small cities/towns...she "might" have the choice of a faster Antigen test,  or her result may be delayed from 12 hours to longer with a PCR.

If Princess Antoinette is visiting her parents on the FARM outside the walled villages...she will NOT get a choice.  She will only have access to a PCR test!  It will have to be hauled to the nearest village...and there is no guarantee how long that horse has to ride to town and back.   😉

5 hours ago, Cruising is my passion said:

I cannot locate anything within Healthy At Sea regarding your observation that as of 8/2 Celebrity went to negative Covid test within 3 days of embarking rather than 72 hours. Can you find it and submit it here? Thanks.

Post #458 at  the bottom has the pic of the suitcase where I saw the 3 days notation.

US Travel Requirements as of August 4, 2021

Travel requirements vary by homeport country. Be sure you’re aware of both homeport country and Celebrity Cruises vaccine and testing requirements as they may differ. We will continually evaluate and update these requirements and protocols as new information becomes available. Booked guests will be advised of the latest requirements leading up to departure.