Conference abbott::cruise_travel

510.0. "Celebrity Meradian and Holland America Statendam" by ZENDIA::FLEMMING () Thu Oct 06 1994 10:44

Well, we went to Bermuda on a (Cleebrity Meriadian) cruise week before last.
I rented the most expensive room on the boat.  They didn't brag much about it
because they didn't have much to brag about.  It was fine; just wasn't worth
the extra bucks I paid for it.  For example, we had a butler but his main
reason for existance was bringing canopies, serving breakfast in bed, and
shining shoes.  Since I couldn't eat canopies, m SO insisted on going to the
dining room for breakfast, and I had a brand new pair of patent leather shoes,
it just didn't turn out that we needed a butler. In all honesty, when you did
need things, he could get them done ad opposed to most cruise personal who
give you the DEC nod and that the last you ever hear/see of them.

Hardest part was going to meals and seeing all of that glorious food but not
being able to eat anything but ice, sherbert, or ice cream and ice cream was
questionable.

I bought a tuxedo and a couple of vests so for the first time, when they said
formal, I was formal.  SO looked fabulous too. Got a really nice potrait
taken of ourselves in our fancy duds and she framed it and we have it hanging
on the wall in the living room.  A touch of class where some was needed.

We saw a years worth of C+ or B minus movies.  All of the stuff that they are
offering up on pay for view cable here including: Getaway, Blank Check,
Guarding Tess, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Ace Ventura, Greedy, Geronimo,
Four Weddings and a Funeral, Clifford, I'd Do Anything, Green Stripes, Big
League II, My Father the Hero, and the House of the Spirits; no doubt others.
Only a couple that I might have rented. They were on in the room on closed
circuit TV.  Also, in the Cinema, we saw Jurassic Park which we hadn't seen.

Anyway, we had so much fun that we booked another cruise (this time on the
Statendam for its fall repositioning from the Mediterrainian) again with the
most expensive room.  This time, I think we are going to get our moneys
worth.  The stateroom includes a private veranda, a living room, a
dining room, a bedroom with a king size bed, a dressing room, a bath with a
shower, a tub, a whirlpool, a pantry so that the butler can fix us high tea,
and even a guest potty.  Also, a VCR, a mini-bar, and a refrigerator.
We are also entitled to a cocktail party and dinner with the captain.  In all
my sailing, I've never been privileged to do that.  We got all this for a
little under half the brochure price.

The itinerary is: Lisbon, Cadiz for Seville Spain, Casablanca for Marrakech
Morroco, Casablanca, Funchal, Maderia Canary Islands, five days at sea, and
then we land in Fort Lauderdale.

Just wondering who you booked this through to get all that at less than 1/2
the brochure price!

Laura

    Getting 1/2 brochure price is not unusual for a lot of cruise cabins,
    especially expensive ones. I've gotten 1/2 off a number of times.
    Depends on ship, when you are cruising etc. The are many agents that
    can round up 1/2 offs or something similar.

    Re: .1
    .2 is essentially right except in this case, it also had to do with the
    fact that the cruise was very near and the stateroom hadn't been
    booked. Sort of like showing up at the dock if you will. In any event,
    it was booked through Admiral Pat's Cruise Vacations.

    The best chance to get 1/2 off type fairs is usually in the middle
    range of staterooms  price wise. The very highest  level  cabins
    can be difficult sometimes especially  on good lines. In many cases
    there are only a few of the most expensive rooms available, so even
    at brochure prices of $5000 to $8000 PER person per week there are always
    people who demand the best and can afford it. 
    
    				Harold