Question about Celebrity cruise sailing at midnight

[BarbaraP]

Has anyone ever sailed a repositioning cruise that not only sails at midnight but doesn't arrive into port until 6PM? And I'm being told by others that boarding will not begin until 8-8:30PM.

My Dh and I are sailing on the Infinity 9/19/2008 out of Vancouver on a 14 day repositioning cruise of the PNW. The problem is what do we do after noon check at a hotel until we can check in and board the ship?

Has anyone ever done this before. If you have a Celebrity pre-cruise hotel with transfers when do they take you to the dock? Do they handle your luggage and you are free to walk around town/Canada Place? Any info/suggestions appreciated. Barb:)

[chrismch]

We're in a similar position and I would suggest that you check the info with the port of Vancouver and have your TA follow up to confirm your port location and times as you get closer to sailing. Celbrity will still proably have their shuttles closer to check out than sailing.

 

In 3 wks we sail on Infinity. It ends its previous cruise in Vancouver in the am drops off pax and then sails to Seattle to pick up everyone on our cruise. So far the info given to pax has been extremely misleading - from being originally told by customer service that we could board the ship mid afternoon when it won't arrive until at least 8 pm. We've also been told 2 different pier locations with customer service giving us the good news that we will be boarding in the downtown pier which is close to everything when our boarding docs tell us that we are boarding on the other side of downtown in a more industrial area. In addition they are stopping shuttle service from the airport at 2 pm when the ship isn't scheduled to leave until 1 am. And docs say our lifeboat drill will be at 11:30 pm!

 

Good news is we can drop our luggage around 3 pm and then take a taxi downtown with our carry ons and taxi back later when we can actually board.

[cruisequeen10]

Last year my niece and I went on the Mercury's wine cruise Nov/07. The ship was to begin boarding at 8pm and leave Vancouver at 12 midnight. Well the ship arrived into Vancouver at 6:30 p.m. and we boarded shortly after 7 p.m. Because we live in Vancouver and close to the pier, we arrived at the pier at 4 p.m. When we went to check in, most of the passengers were already there. I think the ship was supposed to arrive earlier, but was delayed. We had a great cruise and would do it again.

[SydneyD'Augstralia]

We're in a similar position and I would suggest that you check the info with the port of Vancouver and have your TA follow up to confirm your port location and times as you get closer to sailing. Celbrity will still proably have their shuttles closer to check out than sailing.

 

In 3 wks we sail on Infinity. It ends its previous cruise in Vancouver in the am drops off pax and then sails to Seattle to pick up everyone on our cruise. So far the info given to pax has been extremely misleading - from being originally told by customer service that we could board the ship mid afternoon when it won't arrive until at least 8 pm. We've also been told 2 different pier locations with customer service giving us the good news that we will be boarding in the downtown pier which is close to everything when our boarding docs tell us that we are boarding on the other side of downtown in a more industrial area. In addition they are stopping shuttle service from the airport at 2 pm when the ship isn't scheduled to leave until 1 am. And docs say our lifeboat drill will be at 11:30 pm!

 

Good news is we can drop our luggage around 3 pm and then take a taxi downtown with our carry ons and taxi back later when we can actually board.

 

We were also booked on the May 9 Infinity until we received all of the above confusing information, as well as it becoming a six day cruise.....we ended up canceling and booking the Oosterdam on May 10.

[BarbaraP]

Last year my niece and I went on the Mercury's wine cruise Nov/07. The ship was to begin boarding at 8pm and leave Vancouver at 12 midnight. Well the ship arrived into Vancouver at 6:30 p.m. and we boarded shortly after 7 p.m. Because we live in Vancouver and close to the pier, we arrived at the pier at 4 p.m. When we went to check in, most of the passengers were already there. I think the ship was supposed to arrive earlier, but was delayed. We had a great cruise and would do it again.

 

Karen thanks for the info. Hopefully the Infinity will arrive early from Seattle as yours did. Boarding at 8-8:30 PM seems so late to me and the thought of the muster being at 11-11:30 PM is way past my bedtime. I want to be on my balconey in my jammies for sailaway!!! LOL Barb ;)

[gracecarmo]

Barb: when we were on a cruise once, out of Caracas the ship did not leave until well after midnight. (waiting for a late planeload of pax).

 

The muster was held the next morning at 9:45 am. I don't know for sure the rules of when the muster should be held, but I recall it being within 24 hours of sailing.

 

Let's hope that may be the case for this cruise?

[Host Joe]

I am on this cruise as well and wondering how they will handle dinner that evening with boarding so late? I am guessing an open seating?

[gracecarmo]

and it will probably last all night!:D I forsee that they will have an open seating and it will go on and on and on.....

 

Yes, it could get quite confusing. Ourselves....well, we will probably opt for a nice seafood lunch in gastown at the "Brewery", and be quite satisfied.

 

Then, there's always room service!:)

 

also: the sushi bar with a nice glass of wine.