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So...it looks like going forward we will have to purchase travel insurance "insurance" (tongue planted firmly in cheek!) to cover the cost of insurance premiums we pay for a policy we cannot use, through no fault of our own.  It appears travel insurers may be the only entity under the travel industry umbrella making a killing in the market these days - millions in premiums paid in and not one cent in coverage to pay out since all cruise lines are reimbursing or crediting refunds.  If the cruise industry can do the right thing, insurers should do the same.  JMHO.

Thanks.  Will check out the air board.

Back in October friends of ours booked a Greek Isles cruise w/air on Edge for late July.  With the final payment date rapidly approaching, last week they called their travel agent to cancel and were told they would receive a full refund of their deposit, pre-booked shore excursions and meal package but not their airfare. Instead, they would receive a credit for their airfare which is valid for one year from the date they originally booked.  In other words, they now have approximately six months to make use of that credit or they will lose it.  Considering the current state of the travel industry, cruises and otherwise, and today's CDC extension of its existing 100 day No Sail Order (pushing it until at least July), the likelihood is they will never get to use that air credit.

Always booking air on our own, we can't offer them any helpful info but I thought I would post to see if anyone had any info that might be useful.  Thanks.

You can probably make it - provided the ship docks as scheduled, you walk off your baggage, Customs has sufficient personal working that morning and the stars and planets are aligned in your favor.  The question is, are you willing to ruin the last day or two of your cruise obsessing over whether you're going to make it to the airport on time?

PokerfaceNJ - not to worry!  We were on the June 16 11-night Bermuda/New England Summit cruise and found little about which to complain.  It was our 39th Celebrity cruise,  5th Bermuda cruise and our 5th time on Summit.  Service was excellent, food was quite good and the recent renovation has breathed new life to this aging M-class classic.  Enjoy your cruise. 

It’s an 11-night cruise. 

1 hour ago, Oville said:

Could you please explain your $700 dollars?  We recently booked a 7 night cruise and the cost for all 4 perks is $560 ($315 for Sail Plus and an additional $245 to upgrade to Sail All).

We booked a veranda cabin and then looked for the perk packages that were available.  Sail Plus was the cabin price plus $700 per person; Sail All was the cabin price plus $1085 per person.

2 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

IF the drink package is off no value, I see the point...to me, it is the value...nice to have options..

I'm all for options but...I don't think it's much of an option at all if you must purchase a perk package in order to get your deposit refunded, should you have to cancel your reservation.

Just booked an 11-night cruise (#39 on X) and checked out the perks offers.  We usually choose two perks ($150 OBC per person and gratuities) since we're not drinkers and have no need for unlimited Wi-Fi because Elite Plus status gives us sufficient free Wi-Fi to meet our needs.   What used to be known as Go Better, Go Best is now Sail Plus (two perks of your choice) and Sail All (all four available perks).  Both options allow for refund of deposit should you need to cancel your reservation.  (It appears X has decided to follow the airline industry with respect to cancellations.  What's next?  Charging for checked baggage?)  Bottom line, Sail Plus is $700 per person, while Sail All is $1085 per person.  Am I the only one who finds these prices ridiculous?

8 hours ago, slugg said:

What is it about Celebrity that’s making you look elsewhere?

There’s nothing about Celebrity that’s making us look elsewhere. X  remains our cruise line of choice but cruising out of NJ/NY is a great plus, considering we live less than an hour from both piers. However, options for ships and itineraries are limited, so we usually go local only when we decide to book last minute.  Since we haven’t sailed NCL in decades, we thought we might try something new.  We’re a bit skittish about NCL, thus, my post. 

28 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

My bottom line is that if you happen to be unfortunate enough to suffer from something that has dietary restrictions, you need to stay in control of your own health and not depend on others to assure your safety.  

Perhaps off topic but...it's quite refreshing to hear from someone who actually accepts  responsibility for him/herself.  What a novel idea. Lots of folks out there ought give it a try. 😊

We're long time Celebrity cruisers thinking about booking one of NCL's ships sailing out of NY.   We cruised with NCL many, many moons ago on the Norway, Windward and Seaward but all things change with time, including cruise lines, and we've heard and read some not so flattering things about today's NCL, in particular with respect to dining and service.  If you've sailed with Celebrity and NCL, would appreciate your thoughts about how the two lines compare.  Thanks.

It appears you have way over-thought my post. I have no interest whatsoever in analyzing cause and effect with respect to why some adults are short-tempered, loud,  rude, accusatory, offensive, obnoxious, racist or use the wrong tongs at the buffet on cruise ships. They just do. Explanations ranging from alcohol, depression, bi-polar disorder, food allergies, obesity and low wages, as entertaining as they may be, are purely speculative and serve no purpose.  Simply put, some adults behave poorly - whether on land or at sea.

Interesting thread!  Cruise ships are mini-cities at sea - the good, the bad and the ugly. Thus, it should come as no surprise that on any given cruise, regardless of the cruise line or the socio-economic status of pax sailing, one is likely to encounter some rude, obnoxious, entitled and/or just plain poorly mannered adults who behave no differently on a vacation at sea than they do at home.  These folks come from all backgrounds and in all sizes and shapes, and are just as likely to be living the good life in the Presidential Suite as in an inside cabin below the water line (😊).  Trying to explain their behavior is futile.  Just think how they behave when they're not away from home, laid-back, relaxed and thoroughly enjoying themselves on vacation!  

We’ve been enjoying specialty restaurants on X since they first appeared on the M-class ships many moons ago and remember Ocean Liners (Murano’s predecessor) on Infinity(?) charging $15 per person.  Compare that to the $65 (Murano) and $45 (Tuscan and Lawn Grill) per person we paid on Reflection in December (no packages were offered) and it’s no wonder the specialty restaurants seem less popular than they used to be and X is more aggressively seeking to fill empty tables. .   

Tommy3Putts, enjoyed your review of Bliss.  Thanks.

17 hours ago, MJSailors said:If you would prefer a cruise from the NYMetro area,you may consider Summit cruises from Bayonne,NJ.

 

Although with the number of Celebrity cruises you have taken, I am certain that you have taken cruises out of the NJ port.

Many cruises out of NY/NJ over the years on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Princess.  Thinking about NCL for something different - but not too different!

Fifty-six cruises under our belt, close to forty of which have been on Celebrity.  We've also cruised on Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Carnival (one and done, a long time ago!).  The last time we sailed with NCL was on Seaward back in the 90s and then shortly thereafter on Windward when it was brand new - so it's been quite a while.  Toying with the idea of booking an NCL cruise out of NY since the pier is very close to home and not having to fly is tempting.  Would like to know about NCL's strengths and weakness and if you've cruised with Celebrity, how NCL compares.  Thanks.

Long time X cruisers thinking of booking Edge but wondering if there are any traditional veranda cabins available.  We're a bit skittish about booking an "infinite" veranda, considering some of the not so glowing reviews of the new balcony design, especially with respect to privacy and light issues.  Also, in theory, "with the touch of a button, your entire living space becomes the veranda" sounds great.  In reality, however, doesn't that also mean that "with a touch of a button", heat and humidity become the third and fourth passengers in your cabin?      

Update - three days since I was told a credit for twice-charged Murano dinner was finally issued to my credit card account.  Still waiting...

Computers are great - until they start doing things "automatically" and "automatically" screw things up.  Everyone blames "the system", no one takes responsibility and more importantly, common sense goes out the window.  Correcting a simple, obvious mistake becomes a team effort in futility.  JMHO.

1 hour ago, jagoffee said:

Congratulations.  Glad to hear it was resolved.  

I hope there was not more one incompetent person in GS involved.  

 

Since the discount only applies to the Elite plus members, it might have been even more complicated.

 

Two Guest Services individuals were involved over a period of five days, in addition to someone in Miami who was contacted by GS to aid and assist in arranging a credit to our onboard accounts for what was acknowledged by all to be an erroneous, duplicate charge for dining in Murano one evening.  Keep in mind, GS was successful in posting the credit in question to each of our three other cabins (which were likewise charged twice for the same dinner), but for some reason, crediting our fourth cabin left everyone helpless. Thank goodness the folks on the bridge are more competent.

We're likewise Elite Plus. The discount automatically showed up on our bill for Lawn Club which we booked once on board but not for Murano or Tuscan which we booked using OBC about six+ weeks prior to the cruise.  We didn't even bother trying to get the discount for either since we had bigger fish to fry.  Doubt we will reserve specialty dining pre-cruise in the future.  It seemed a good idea at the time but proved to be bothersome, especially since we've never had a problem with booking specialty reservations once we board.

Finally!  Just off the phone with a Captain's Club rep who was kind enough to elevate the matter to someone with a sympathetic ear, although despite my asking, she wouldn't identify her department.  According to the young lady with whom I just spoke, our onboard account "clearly shows you were double charged for Murano, once prior to and once again during the cruise."  "It's a simple matter," she said.  "It should have taken Guest Relations five minutes to resolve it when you brought it to their attention."  Hmmm...exactly what I've been saying for weeks!  She promised a refund will appear on my credit card within 3 - 5 days.  We shall see. 

I am more than 100% sure each of the four accounts had enough OBC to pay for the charges before the cruise.  I have a printout from X showing that after each account was debited (pre-cruise) for a Murano charge and a Tuscan charge, there was still $50 OBC left in each account.  Also, once we were on board, additional OBC from our travel agent was credited to each account.  Three accounts were properly reconciled on board, one was not.