faeriedust101

You can book transfers with Celebrity. Cape Liberty isn't accessible by public transportation.

I'm on the same sailing and I was able to check in about a week ago. It did error out at the end when asking for travel plans, but even without the info it's saying I'm 100% checked in.

Celebrity and Royal have the worst check in of all the cruise lines. NCL, Princess, and Carnival's systems are so much easier to use.

I'm going to try in 3 weeks on the summit. I'm pregnant so no drinking.

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I haven't been on the Summit yet, but I'm booked to go to Bermuda on it in June. I have been on the Breakaway too. For me it was a no brainer to choose the Summit over the Breakaway. It is cheaper and we got more perks. My husband and I don't need all the rope courses and water slides that are on the Breakaway. For what it's worth I didn't find the Breakaway to crowded. I thought they did a good job managing the crowds.

Your credit card probably doesn't cover medical evacuation. I know my Chase Sapphire Preferred does not. I've used travel guard before and it's been fine, but I have never had to make a claim with them either. For my current cruise I just bought the Celebrity insurance. The price was about the same as if I bought it independently and it was easier to just go that route.

There are juices, premium coffee and other non-alcoholic drinks, including bottled water, that come with the classic beverage package. Unless you are a devotee of "premium" or carbonated bottled water, you might want to stick with the classic.

I will if I'm not pregnant. If I am I just want to be able to get the most use out of the package.

You should be able to downgrade no probs, but you won't get any type of credit or refund for difference in price... Good luck!

Thanks! I wouldn't be looking for a credit. I just want to take advantage off all the non alcoholic drinks they have.

I got the classic beverage package for free as a promo, but does anyone know if I would be allowed to change it out for the cheaper Premium Non-Alcoholic Package? I'm hoping to be pregnant for my June cruise and not be able to drink. It would be nice to be able to get the fancier water and Vitamin water if I wanted.

Through a Celebrity website that is used to transfer reservations. It went through quick too, the next day. It can take 5-7 though.

I booked the June 12th Summit cruise to Bermuda last Saturday. What I did to take advantage of the price and offers Celebrity was offering was to book directly with them. On Tuesday I then transferred my booking to a travel agent who gave me free parking in Bayonne (worth about $140) and another $225 in OBC. Not too bad. I got to keep the Celebrity perks of the classic beverage package and $300 OBC. The price actually went up too the day after I booked. I would not hesitate to do everything the same in the future.

I haven't sailed on Celebrity yet, but my upcoming Bermuda cruise on Celebrity was cheaper then sailing the same week on NCL.

Yeah! Normal embarkation tomorrow. Even if the ship can't get out of the channel' date=' guests can board. That will give them beds and meals as well as entertainment.[/quote']

 

 

They will be boarding late. I'm waiting to get off CB now and they're at least an hour behind getting us off. The wind is causing problems with the gangways.

 

 

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Hopefully there isn't a repeat next week. I'm getting on CB next Sunday.

I don't think it's that good of a deal. If you booked before final payment you probably paid around $650 for your balcony. A mini suite is going for $799 on the December 13th sailing. They're having you pay almost full price for a min suite. I'm pretty sure I saw the minis going for $699 earlier today, but I could be wrong on that.

(I'm on the December 6th sailing and I've been keeping an eye everyday on prices for a few months now. The December 13th sailing always comes up when I check.)

In my opinion it's chalk and cheese. But of course that is just my opinion. Others beg to differ.

 

We have travelled extensively on Princess and find the food on Princess, especially on the new ships such as Royal to be considerably better and more elegantly presented than on NCL. The buffet on Royal was superb, whilst on Escape it was very limited and always cold, as was the food in each of the 3 main dining rooms.

 

Freestyle dining was a complete joke on Escape. On the first two nights the queues were horrendous. People were being turned away and there was a lot of disatisfaction. On our final night we did get a table easily at 6.45 but trying to fight our way out of the dining room at 8.45 was bedlam. We had to be escorted by one of the supervisors who literally pushed her way through the angry crowd. The entrance was packed and queues extended as far as the elevators. People were so angry at the huge lines that they were close to losing their tempers. This sort of behaviour is something we have never experienced on Princess, and we've never had a problem with anytime dining.

 

Whilst we found Norwegian Escape modern and beautiful, the interior of ships such as Norwegian Jade is definitely gaudy. Princess offers a more elegant and understated decor.

 

As far as service is concerned Princess is superior in every way, from the service in the dining rooms to the constant and very efficient clearing of the buffet areas not to mention the number of staff ready and willing to assist you.

 

I have to say that the entertainment on Jade was outstanding, but on

Escape the two shows we saw were awful. People were walking out. Nothing like the wonderful and exciting shows we experienced on Jade. I have to say that Princess entertainment is, in our opinion, sadly lacking.

 

But honestly, only you can decide if NCL is for you. Our opinions are just that. It depends what you expectations are.

It sounds like you were on one of the 1st sailing for the Escape. I would guess most of the staff is new on there which might explain your experience. I wouldn't judge a whole cruise line based on a 1st sailing of a new ship.

I haven't cruise on Princess yet, but I really enjoy NCL. The food is good and I like the decor on the ships. Give it a try, only you will be able to determine if you enjoy it or not.

You should check with your credit card you used to pay for the cruise. I know some of the higher level ones provide insurance that my cover this.

I think not being able to fill the ship has a lot to deal with it. I've got a cruise booked for December out of Houston for $650 per person for an aft balcony. That's equal or less than Carnival prices out of Galveston.

My advice is if you're under 21 to not drink on the ship. They have cameras everywhere and there is a good chance you will be caught. If they catch you they may kick you off the ship at your expense at the next port. If drinking is important to you I would advise to cancel this cruise and rebook for when you're 21. Or book an all inclusive in Mexico where your age won't be an issue.

You can buy cancel for any reason travel insurance from other insurance companies too. This way you will get your money back as cash, not as money you have to spend with Princess that has restrictions on it. Travel Guard offers a cancel for any reason policy.

My question is with a GTY and has anyone been in this situation with a GTY before final payment? I'm aware that the stateroom assignment can be anytime including when you board but was wondering if anyone with a GTY has a stateroom assigned before final payment? Thus my question. I'm not sure if calling Princess will speed things up as I'm using a T/A.

 

Tom:)

I booked a Balcony GTY for the December 6th cruise on Caribbean Princess and I was assigned my stateroom on Friday. Final Payment is September 22. I ended up changing it though, all the balconies on that sailing are the same price and I was able to get an aft premium balcony and save $50 a person.

Only go to Newark if you're cruising out of Bayonne. The taxi fare to the terminal will be expensive. Between LGA and JFK I would go with whatever is cheaper. Personally I prefer LGA, I feel it is easier to get into and out of. Some people would disagree with me though. LGA is closer to Manhattan if you are leaving from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

Have you already reserved you timed tickets for Ellis Island/ Statue of Liberty?

How much is Princess charging you for the tour (It may be worth booking through them if tickets are not that expensive)?

I live in NYC and I recommend you take a cab if you're docking in the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. You're right by the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and that should drop you right off by where the ferry to Ellis Island leaves from. In my opinion you will take a lot more time taking the subway. The line closest to the cruise terminal will not drop you off close to the ferry too so you will have to transfer. There should be cabs waiting right outside the terminal. If you find a green one it will be cheaper (they use a meter). You will have to pay the toll for the tunnel and the metered fare.

If you're coming into Manhattan it is possible to take public transportation, but the cruise terminal is still a bit far from the subway.

If you're doing the tour on your own I would give yourself at least 2 hours to get back to the boat. You never know what is going to happen with NYC traffic.

I am about to book the Caribbean Princess as my 1st Princess cruise, is this ship going to scare us away from cruising Princess again? I've done NCL/Carnival/royal in the past

I've cruised Royal, Carnival, and NCL. NCL is definitely my favorite of the 3. I actually liked Carnival better then Royal too. I cruised on the Carnival Dream in September 2014 and overall everything was great. It is my least favorite of the ships I've been on though. I didn't like that it seemed so closed off to the outside. It was the best for smoke though. It was pretty much contained in the Casino.

Obviously I'm not tied to any line, my next cruise will most likely be a Royal. They're the only ones who offer longer cruises out of the NY area in the fall.

How are the virtual balconies on Anthem of the Seas (or Quantum even)? How was it? My husband and I are looking to book the October 29, 2016 cruise and we're debating if its worth saving the $800. We have cruised in interiors before, but our last 3 cruises have been in balconies. Our ultimate strategy would be to upgrade if prices went down after final payment, but we want to make sure we'll be happy if that isn't an option.