Jim_Iain - First Non-Celebrity Cruise in 22 year - Ponant vs Celebrity Comparison

[PaulaW]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

Thanks much.   What is funny is that I was born in Syracuse while my father was finishing his Masters.    I have only seen it once since when driving by decided to get off and take a look around.    5 minutes later I was back on the Interstate.

 

For Port Colborne we have booked the Tour to Niagra Falls and Wellard Canal.   Iain has never been to the falls before so sure he will be amazed.

 

I just looked at a map and I guess we will have to pass through the Wellard Canal in order to get to Toronto ---  My geography can be so bad,  I'm glad you prompted me to look.   

You’re welcome!  The Falls are very impressive. I’m sure you’ll love the area. 
 

I’m looking forward to following along. 
 

Have a great cruise!

[Jim_Iain]

As excitement builds I just heard from a friend in Toronto.    We sailed with them in 2001 and 2002 on Celebrity Millennium and have stayed in touch but not seen them since.    They saw my post on  "that Social Media Site" and we have arrangement to get together.      Will be fun to see them again.

 

I just wrote to ask what would be the most convenient part of Toronto to book a hotel.   It has been many years since I've been to Toronto and Iain has never been there before. 

 

 

[kirtihk]

3 minutes ago, PaulaW said:

You’re welcome!  The Falls are very impressive. I’m sure you’ll love the area. 
 

I’m looking forward to following along. 
 

Have a great cruise!

It’s so funny: one needs live far away from a wonder to really appreciate its beauty!

[Jim_Iain]

8 minutes ago, PaulaW said:

You’re welcome!  The Falls are very impressive. I’m sure you’ll love the area. 
 

I’m looking forward to following along. 
 

Have a great cruise!

Year ago (1969)  I was in Toronto with a Staff Member.   After our meetings I suggested we drive to Buffalo for our flight home and stop by to see Niagra Falls -   

 

Was really disappointing as they had diverted the waters and the American Falls were totally dry.  

[Jim_Iain]

4 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

It’s so funny: one needs live far away from a wonder to really appreciate its beauty!

 

You are so right.    Last year we did a B2B California Coastal with 2 overnights in San Francisco.    The first time we grabbed a train home and swapped out some clothing and the next time we spent the day as tourists visiting all the places we had never been to. 

[Lena11033]

8 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I just wrote to ask what would be the most convenient part of Toronto to book a hotel.   It has been many years since I've been to Toronto and Iain has never been there before. 

 

 

 

lol what's the budget? I had to go to the Google office in Toronto in June (I'm by Detroit/Windsor so day trip is out of the question)  and I think it was about $600 a night (CA$) but also there were a lot of events on.

[RD64]

On 9/1/2023 at 5:17 PM, Jim_Iain said:

 

 

Iain and I will be embarking on our first Non-Celebrity Cruise in 22 years a week from today.  

 

We have been very satisfied with Celebrity and never seen a need to cruise another line because Celebrity was a perfect match for us.   Celebrity has made some major changes in the past 1 1/2- 2 Years and finally reached the point for us to say -  Loyalty is a two way street.    Kinda like catching your spouse cheating we have come to conclude it is  time for a trail separation and possibly a divorce.   

 

It may take me awhile to get sorted out on how I am going to post a comparison between Ponant and Celebrity and Live Post at the same time.    Ponant is a  totally different products.

 

Ponant's Cruise Critic Forum https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/846-ponant/  is also very different to the very popular and free ranging Celebrity Forum.   Ponant's forum is only 15 pages long and there are no Roll Calls.      Most live post only run 1 or 2 pages and have very little banter.   For this reason I want to be respectful of their Forum and at the same time drive some of you to visit Ponant's Forum and understand their product offering.

Like apples to kumquats - two totally different experiences, although I did enjoy seeing Ponant’s (I believe it was) Le  Bellot pass through the Soo locks last week.

[RD64]

42 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

As excitement builds I just heard from a friend in Toronto.    We sailed with them in 2001 and 2002 on Celebrity Millennium and have stayed in touch but not seen them since.    They saw my post on  "that Social Media Site" and we have arrangement to get together.      Will be fun to see them again.

 

I just wrote to ask what would be the most convenient part of Toronto to book a hotel.   It has been many years since I've been to Toronto and Iain has never been there before. 

 

 

Royal York on Front Street

[RD64]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

they sell amaretto flavor candy  cookies and panetone ( ital cake).

 

another liquer I like is Sabra..Israeli..with orange flavor..hard to get where we live so I mske it last as long as possible

 

you are causing me to binge..in my mind!   (not much of a drinker..alc conflicts with my meds..)

 

 

If you are staying in Toronto find a Food Basics or Metro grocery store - lots of Italian Amaretti cookies - better yet - get yourself to Little Italy or Woodbridge and buy the fresh ones.

[Jim_Iain]

Well Alison and I made it home.    Iain baked cookies today so we had a nice snack when we got home.  

 

I spent a couple hours doing pruning of some of the overgrown trees and shrubs.    I wanted to get it done today before the Trash Company comes.  

 

Man of you know how California has so many Micro-Climates.     Our normal summer temperatures are in the Mid to Upper 70's and Ceres where my daughter lives usually runs in 95-105 level.   At least today the temperatures were only in the low 80's.

[Mike981]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

So happy things worked out for you son   I"m sure you are so proud of him.   

 

My son is the youngest of my 3 and he was a challenge and we always thought of him as "Least Likely to Succeed"     He has surprised us and become the one have grown the most and propably the Best Father to 4 kids than I could have imagined.    I am so proud of him.

 

Isn't it fun watching the little humans become such cool big humans?

 

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I have to say that my downfall is Ice Cream and Gelato.   While  I don't drink I love the smell of Ameretto I could just sit there and sniff it for hours... LOL.....

 

I have a friend that only drinks Amaretto and root beer. 🥱

[Bejay219]

Well, these Zeniths just jumped ship for May 2024, from Celebrity Transatlantic (already booked, large suite deposit so can't cancel) to Viking for 29 days to Cunard for Westbound Transatlantic! As we booked Viking, it got easier and Cunard, a piece of cake! Our Travel Agent in the luxury department of a large T. A. said we will be much happier!  We got $350 from Cunard and $400 from the T. A. 

Still sad to think about leaving Celebrity, the crew and Officers kept us loyal, not the Executive Office! 

[Jim_Iain]

46 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

 

lol what's the budget? I had to go to the Google office in Toronto in June (I'm by Detroit/Windsor so day trip is out of the question)  and I think it was about $600 a night (CA$) but also there were a lot of events on.

 

Hotel prices have really escalated world wide.   Not sure of the budget yet.   The first thing I need to find out is what area our friends live in so we aren't way far away.

 

I just took a look on AirBnB and there are some interesting places in the $250-300 U.S. per night range.    We are finding   that to be a sweetspot for us.

 

I was thinking about sticker shock today when my daughter grabbed a sandwich at Subway and for 2 sandwiches it ran $26 U.S.    I guess I just don't get out much.

 

I'll need to get my head wrapped around the US / CA $ rate.    I do remember when they were at par and at times CA higher than the US$

[Jim_Iain]

27 minutes ago, RD64 said:

Royal York on Front Street

I've stayed there a number times on business.    Just checking and they are at $594 US a night before tax and quoting $2,137 for 3 night including Tax and fees.  Ouch.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

33 minutes ago, RD64 said:

Like apples to kumquats - two totally different experiences, although I did enjoy seeing Ponant’s (I believe it was) Le  Bellot pass through the Soo locks last week.

I think last week it was Ponant's Dumont d'Urvell.    Le Bellot did not leave Toronto until Monday of this week.   They are identical to each other.

[Lena11033]

Yeah the prices are painful. When I had to go into Google for work I ended up staying outside the city and taking the train in. $20 in train ticket saved a few hundred $. 
Also as someone that grew up in the UK I find the public transport in Toronto shocking so yeah see where your friends are and base it on that. Getting to the airport after will be easy. 
 

I think when I looked today 1Usd was like 1.36 (never changes like that but I use 1.4 as a round up). 
 

[Jim_Iain]

19 minutes ago, Mike981 said:

 

Isn't it fun watching the little humans become such cool big humans?

 

 

I have a friend that only drinks Amaretto and root beer. 🥱

 

I really wish I could drink.    It triggers migraines and just not worth the suffering.    My doctor finally found a drug (looks like a narccam injector) as long as I use it in a 20 minute window it knocks them out before they begin.  

 

My main trigger is when the Barometric pressure drops suddenly.    Luckily monitoring the pressures on Weatherunderground,  Milwaukee just dropped to a low of 29.65 and a high is building in for the next 5 days or so.

[RD64]

Hotel prices in Vancouver last month were like a slap in the face. On my Alaska cruise I met a woman - born and raised in Manhattan - lives on the Upper Westside, and she said that she was shocked - she found Vancouver to be far more expensive than Manhattan. As a Canadian, I found prices to be in a completely different universe.

[Jim_Iain]

24 minutes ago, Bejay219 said:

Well, these Zeniths just jumped ship for May 2024, from Celebrity Transatlantic (already booked, large suite deposit so can't cancel) to Viking for 29 days to Cunard for Westbound Transatlantic! As we booked Viking, it got easier and Cunard, a piece of cake! Our Travel Agent in the luxury department of a large T. A. said we will be much happier!  We got $350 from Cunard and $400 from the T. A. 

Still sad to think about leaving Celebrity, the crew and Officers kept us loyal, not the Executive Office! 

 

I will be anxious to see how all of us defectors enjoy our trials on other lines.    At this point all I can say if that after you make the first break my eyes are opening to a new world.

[Jim_Iain]

7 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

Yeah the prices are painful. When I had to go into Google for work I ended up staying outside the city and taking the train in. $20 in train ticket saved a few hundred $. 
Also as someone that grew up in the UK I find the public transport in Toronto shocking so yeah see where your friends are and base it on that. Getting to the airport after will be easy. 
 

I think when I looked today 1Usd was like 1.36 (never changes like that but I use 1.4 as a round up). 
 

 

You'll have to come and Visit -   Google's Headquarters is within walking distance (at least for me) about 3 miles away.  

 

I'm surprised to hear public transport is sub-par in Toronto.  I had envisioned it would be like Vancouver.    Iain is of course British and really comfortable with public over there.    

 

You can't believe how BAD public transport is in Silicon Valley.     The only exception is around Mountain View where our good neighbor Google has electric busses originally for their employees but they gave the city a gift and opened it up for anyone to ride for free.

[Jim_Iain]

8 minutes ago, RD64 said:

Hotel prices in Vancouver last month were like a slap in the face. On my Alaska cruise I met a woman - born and raised in Manhattan - lives on the Upper Westside, and she said that she was shocked - she found Vancouver to be far more expensive than Manhattan. As a Canadian, I found prices to be in a completely different universe.

 

Last time in Vancouver I was really amazed at the high cost of Dining and Wine Prices.    I don't drink but pick up the checks so ... my mouth dropped.

 

Manhattan really is a shocker but I found more shocking the size of the room at the prices they charge.  

[LisaLeone]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

Year ago (1969)  I was in Toronto with a Staff Member.   After our meetings I suggested we drive to Buffalo for our flight home and stop by to see Niagra Falls -   

 

Was really disappointing as they had diverted the waters and the American Falls were totally dry.  

Jim, we were living in Grand Island NY that year, the island surrounded by the Niagara river. I remember seeing that and being fascinated. I hope this time will more than make up for it!

[hcat]

11 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I will be anxious to see how all of us defectors enjoy our trials on other lines.    At this point all I can say if that after you make the first break my eyes are opening to a new world.

like climbing out of  rut?

been great til now but time to explore!

[abbydancer2003]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

You are so right.    Last year we did a B2B California Coastal with 2 overnights in San Francisco.    The first time we grabbed a train home and swapped out some clothing and the next time we spent the day as tourists visiting all the places we had never been to. 

Ha.  We did a CA coastal on Princess last year.  In SF, we had friends who'd we met on a previous Princess cruise, pick us up, and they met the challenge of showing us something we'd never seen - who knew there were buffalo in Golden Gate Park?  At the end of the day I pointed out that it's less than 1/2 hour each to meet halfway for dinner.  (And we do that occasionally).

 

By the way, if you get to a Grocery store in Toronto, and they have Dare Maple creme cookies, I'll forever be in your debt if you bring me a box.

[Lena11033]

19 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

You'll have to come and Visit -   Google's Headquarters is within walking distance (at least for me) about 3 miles away.  

 

I'm surprised to hear public transport is sub-par in Toronto.  I had envisioned it would be like Vancouver.    Iain is of course British and really comfortable with public over there.    

 

You can't believe how BAD public transport is in Silicon Valley.     The only exception is around Mountain View where our good neighbor Google has electric busses originally for their employees but they gave the city a gift and opened it up for anyone to ride for free.

that’s really cool. I’d love to see your area one day. 
 

I think Toronto lacked infrastructure. I grew up in London so when my husband (from Toronto) took me on the subway the first time I looked at the map and asked where the rest of it was 😬

But I also spent every summer going from London to Glasgow on train to visit my aunt. Even now I could get from London to the Scottish highlands (Invergordon) to see my family without a car. So to me I have high expectations for certain cities and transport.