grandgeezer

I'm was in the same boat recently until I got fed up and "unsubscribed" on the bottom of one of their sales ads. No more since then and that's been at least a week.

I get tons of snail mail from Holland America and Princess telling about their great sales to past cruisers. I used to go on the internet and find much better deals, but I stopped because it was too easy.

I get very litlle mail of any kind from Celebrity and that's the line I choose to cruise on most of the time.

We did a B2B on the Allure in October and the menu for the second week was the same as the first.

We used to love HAL, seven of our first nine cruises were on them. Then they started the cutbacks, nothing real major, but a lot of little ones that all add up. We did two Princess cruises but never got the right vibe.

Celebrity is our #1 by a long shot. Being "Elite Plus" helps, but it isn't the overwhelming factor.

So wrapping it up:

#1 Celebrity

#2 RCCL

#3 Princess

#4 HAL

#15 Norwegian (don't want to talk about it)

Last November we got over $400 credited back to our credit card after sailing on the Connie. This past May, we got over $200 credited back after sailing on the Allure. These were obcs we received from our online travel agent.

I've never heard of a limit, but it could be.

I made that statement to show how much we disliked the cabins. I didn't belittle the people who really said they liked it and would do it again. I respect other peoples opinion and would not critisize them for voicing their honest opinion. Maybe I'm in the minority though.

We had a Boarwalk balcony and a Central Park balcony on the Allure, doing a back to back on the Allure. I would take a regular oceanview room any day of the week over these. Too noisy and no privacy. In fact we would stay home rather than staying in these rooms.

I have done three transatlantics on Celebrity and loved every minute of each of them. I've done one Panama Canal on Norwegian, and wasn't impressed with any aspect of it, but that was over five years ago. I found a fourteen day transatlantic on the Epic next fall and it was only about $1100 for a mini suite. That intrigued me so I started doing some investigation on the ship by reading the reviews here on CC. I have read a lot of reviews on a lot of ships and I have never read so many negative reviews. Are these a true representation of this ship? If so, I wouldn't go on it, even for free.

We got off the Oasis on October 19 and it was a nightmare! We were scheduled to get off at 8:20 and actually got off at 9:35. Made it into the terminal and it was a zoo. 50 minutes to get through Customs. 6,000 passengers and 6-8 Custom agents. Luckily we were staying the night in Ft. Lauderdale.

The big risk is, if there is a significant price drop, it's usually for new bookings only. I have read, or heard somewhere, that the cruiselines can tell if you have previously booked the cruise in question. I never book early as I don't have a favorite cabin or location on a ship. 3-4 months out is the longest. I booked the Alure of the Seas this past October when the rate for a regular oceanview balcony dropped $300 p.p., which put it below the neighborhood balcony.

Watch your reservation after the 123 Promo goes away the end of February. I would be shocked if most rates don't go down. I was watching a 13 day Mediterranean cruise on the Equinox, but the price was too high. 123 Promo came and the rate went up over $200 p.p. This cruise you should be able to pick two perks as it starts and ends in Europe. I did almost the exact same cruise, on the Solstice in April of 2012 and paid about half the current rate, without a 123 Promo, so I'm betting the price will come down significantly. If not, I just stay home.

I disagree with the statement of no risk by booking now. If I remember right, the people who book using the 123Promo rate, will have to give it up to enjoy the price reduction. I recall running into this problem last year or so. As they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

These cruise lines have a responsibility to their shareholders to give them a certain rate of return. When they aren't doing that, they have two choices, raise the fare, or cut costs. Which would you prefer??

Celebrity doesn't market B2Bs as one cruise, as far as I know. Holland America does, I've done it three times. I got one seapass card and one bill for each B2B. I didn't worry about the perks, as I have 101 days sailing with them (3Star Mariner), and they don't give anything for free at this level. Discounts on drinks and specialty dining but nothing free.

We had a $7 and change credit when we got off the Connie this spring and they processed it without even bringing it up.

We were on the Oasis, the middle of October, and he wasn't in the show.

We were on the Allure last month, and yes there was some waiting for elevators, getting into Windjammers, and the Main Dining room (for breakfast. As stated elevaors are really busy after shows and parades, and especially after the life boat drill. If you go to the Main Dining room for breakfast, say after 9am. you might have to wait in line for ten minutes or so. Windjammers at lunch can be a bottle neck, say after 12:30. In fact several days we had to wait in line to be seated by staff. Nothing to ruin your cruise though.

I meant my online travel agent. I can't imagine having to contact them anytime but regular business hours. I only need them to execute the paperwork, I do all the other stuff myself.

I know what I want and how to do it. The money I've saved over the 29 cruises makes it well worth while.

We give it to the cabin steward as we find it all most I edible.

I'm amazed at all the people who think that they have to have instant control over their reservation. I have booked 29 cruises, all with online TAs and have never had any problems changing my reservation. Price drop, change cabin, or whatever, I just e-mail them and it's handled. I recently booked a transatlantic , preceded by a 13 day Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity. I called Celebrity and got their best deal. I called my online TA and got exactly the same offer as X PLUS $300 obc and dinner for two in a speciality resteraunt for the Med, and $250 obc and dinner for two in a speciality restaraunt for the transatlantic.

That's about $670 in my pocket for exactly the same cruises and staterooms. But again, I can't call the cruiseline in the middle of the night to make changes. For that kind of money, I think I can live with it.

I'm looking at a cruise to Europe next October. I typed in choiceair.com and it took me to a site called CruisingPower. It is for Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Azamara cruises, but it looks like you have to be a registered travel agent to access it. When did this change? It would become a big hassle, timewise, because I'm always looking for international cruises and I would hate to call Celebrity or my travel agent everytime.

Not sure what you are asking.

 

Prices do decrease after final payment.

 

However, Royal does not give credit of any kind once the final payment date has passed.

I disagree with the last statement. We were going on the Allure in October. There was a price drop after final payment. We were able to upgrade two levels because the price of the higher level was now, the same as we paid for the lower level. All I had to do to get it is to e-mail my online travel agent and ask for it.

Actually if we hadn't booked the cruises well over a year ago and paid for them in October, I may have been inclined to do exactly that. Now that you have dropped the P bomb ...oh, how cleaver of you, you may care to know that their that their Elite level is vastly superior to Celebrity's. If you knew anything about their a Elite you may know that it affords offer internet minutes, unlimited free laundry and a minibar set up, so yes there would be lots of incentive to move over, particularly as Celebrity has done a pretty stupid thing.:D

"Elite" is just a title for a loyalty program. It doesn't mean the exact same benefits for all cruise lines who use that category. I was "Elite" on Celebrity after four cruises and fifty five days. What would I get on Princess? Some internet miutes and what else? I've enjoyed the X bennies for 95 days before I would have reached the top level on Princess. I'm not a Princess fan after two cruises, so their "Elite" category is of no interest to me.

I agree, the "Zenith" level is unobtainable to most people, but I'm happy with X and RCL and will continue to take wonderful cruises on wonderful ships, and oh yea, enjoy all the free stuff they want to give me.

We were on the Allure and the Oasis in October and ate at Chops on both ships. We found the food and service to be mediocre at best. We liked the Samba Grill, on the Allure much better. The Tuscan Grill, on Celebrity Solstice, was better than both of them.

You can cancel any excursion booked in advance up until something like 4 days prior to the cruise and it will be refunded to the credit card you used to pay for it.

When we cancelled a prepaid LAN tour, while on the solstice, they credited our Seapass account on board.

Everybody, or nobody should get extra points. Are they discriminating against us who have done enough cruises to get our levels by the book? I only need 2250 points to get to Zenith and every little bit counts.

Please, don't yell at me as I am not actually complaining about the new system!

 

I would like to find out how many points were given (and I note the word 'given' as in a freebie!) for a TA cruise under the old Captain's Club scheme?

 

I vaguely remember that apart from being an extra point for any cruise longer than 12 nights, an extra point was also given for a TA, too.

 

Could anyone confirm or not for me, please? Or is old-age setting in a little faster than I had hoped.......

 

Thanks!

 

Candelle

I have done 3 TAs with Celebrity and have never received any extra points.