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I'm taking his assertion on faith.

Thank you for this. I copied and pasted your post into an e-mail to myself as a reminder of activities worthwhile considering for an Auckland stay.

No shuttle from cruise terminal to airport. No need to book a taxi; there will be plenty on hand and allmyou need to do is hop in and tell the driver to take you to the car rental centre at the airport. It will probably cost about $20 with tip included.

I like the IV (yes, it's absolutely like sitting in your cabin with the window down) but prefer the classic balcony/verandah. Thing is, Edge class ships are much different than other ships in the fleet and if you're looking at a 'global experience' you may want one class over another.

If a person is running for office and meeting new people while on vacation is that politics?

Judging from the OP's preamble leading up to the question of how to reduce costs, a flight to the departure port and an overnight stay are necessary conditions. Short of taking flights that arrive the day of departure (meaning no overnight stay and maybe some uncomfortable or risky timing) I don't see many 'tricks' that are going to save much on travel. Of course, loyalty deals such as Aeroplan flights and free nights at a hotel are helpful but they all require a considerable investment before there are paybacks.

I use my Canadian credit card and let the bank do the exchange rate on any purchases.

Ah, I see. Good advice from cruisestitch to ensure the accounts are linked.

You won't move to Elite status on Celebrity but you will be able to enjoy Elite perks if you book and board a Celebrity cruise ship. cas-loyalty-flyer.pdf

I had to do a bit of research to understand that one....

Well, no wonder Canadians want to talk about US politics.

Yes, that's true. Is (was) the total fare less for the 14 day version compared to 2x7 days?

Oh.... Don't even contemplate doing this if you're planning on changing cabin category or if the fare or other conditions hqve changed.

I changed my cabin using the chat feature yesterday. I was first in line at 0900 and it took aboout 10 minutes. I wouldn't try this anytime after 0930!!

That's one way of looking at it. Or, more accurately, you will be receiving all the benefits of Princess Plus but spread out over a 14 day period. I agree with you that Princess really needs to rethink the number of casual dinners, fitness classes, etc permitted for longer cruises under the Plus package.

Don't be so sure of that....

Probably just as well you stayed.... you'd have had to get some of that scary 'socialized medicine'!

You're arriving in AKL on 31 December or leaving the United States on 31 December? A two night difference in hotel stay. We are going to Auckland for a non-cruise reason and have chosen the Movenpick with breakfast.

You did say chatting and getting to know your steward. Seems more like a social ocassion to me rather than asking for service/assistance.

Hopefully they're not on Cruise Critic... that could be embarrassing for you.

Yes, Avis and Budget at the same facility on Miami Road. We use Budget.

You sure about that? Let's say the passenger is starting with 13 cruises and 130 cruise days under their belt. If they book two separate cruises they'll end up with 15 cruises and 144 cruise days; enough to move to Elite without having 150 total cruise days.

@SkyRoxie I see you posted about excursions for a May 17 cruise. There is an existing roll call for that cruise and a poster has directed you there. Are you having difficulty getting back to posts you have made? If so, in the big blue bar near the top of the page, click on Activity then click on My Activity Streams then click on Content I Posted In.

As you probably already know from the roll call for this cruise, I recommend Hotel le Priori in Quebec's lower town (my wife wouldnrather stay in the upper town!). Chateau Frontenac is a great (fairly expensive) location also; it is pretty much impossible to avoid hills and stairs in Quebec City unless you choose to limit your sightseeing and/or use the funicular. My personal preference is lower town but everybody has their own opinions.... for sure you'll be much closer to the cruise terminal there if that is a concern.

Budget (and Avis) have a drop off on Miami Road, Fort Lauderdale with a free shuttle to the cruise terminals. We used Budget last December and were happy with our experience. Also, we found Budget had very competitive one-way rental rates.