Celebrity Edge Pre-Cruise

Heading to the Edge

Arriving at O'Hare International Airport on November 24th, we were greeted by festive holiday decorations in the terminal.  The skies were overcast, but weather was still favorable for flying.  As always, especially in winter time, we leave a day early, allowing for possible delays. 

The next day, a huge snow storm would blanket the area.  Had we waited to fly until the day of our cruise, we would have not gotten out in time to meet the ship.

Even though Celebrity Edge was embarking in Fort Lauderdale, we flew into Miami airport, because flights were cheaper.  Celebrity had arranged shuttle buses in both Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Hilton Miami Airport - Blue Lagoon

Our hotel accommodations for the evening were at Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon.  The hotel has a free shuttle service to and from the airport, which made it convenient for our pre-cruise stay.   We arrived at our hotel right about dinner time, so after we checked in and dropped off our luggage, we went downstairs to check out our options.

There were several choices including room service, a restaurant (which had been temporarily relocated to a ballroom), lobby bar, and pool bar.   We opted for the lobby bar.   We had eaten late, so we didn't need anything heavy. There were flatbread pizzas on the menu, so that is what we decided to share between the two of us.

Hilton Miami Airport Album

Embarkation Morning

Sunday morning, we made coffee in our room and had a light breakfast.  We knew that shortly we'd be on Celebrity Edge and as is typical on a cruise, the first thing you do is get something to eat (as the cabins are not usually ready).

We headed down to the lobby to wait for the shuttle back to the airport.  There we'd meet representatives from Celebrity Cruises who would direct us to the shuttle buses.  According to the schedule, they were going run every 30 minutes starting at noon.   We got there early anyway hoping they might start early.  We were told to come back at 11 AM, that they might be leaving shortly after that.    When we found out that they wouldn't be early, we shared an Uber with another agent who we met while waiting in the airport. We were on the ship before noon.

November 25-27, 2018   Trade & Press Sailing

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Crown Princess Embarkation

Boarding - Valparaiso, Chile

click images to enlarge

We've been cruising for over thirty years and on more than 50 cruises and we have never seen an embarkation like this before and probably never will again.

As our transfer bus pulled into the pier, we could see Crown Princess further in the distance, no where near where we were being dropped off.  There were porters there to collect any bags that passengers wished to check in.  Since we didn't have anything to check in, we proceeded into the terminal.  It was now 2 PM (we landed shortly after 10 AM in Santiago).  As usual, they checked our boarding passes and passports, gave us the health forms, and we were selected to turn in a control paper which showed the time we entered the building.

There was a long line that stretched the length of the terminal.  At the end of that line there were tables where you could fill out your health form.  The line fed into a maze like you'd find at an amusement park.  We thought we'd never see the front of the line, but after 50 minutes, we had finally gotten to an agent.   We turned in our boarding passes, presented our passports, along with the stamped piece of paper from immigration, completed health forms, and of course the credit card to be used for onboard spending.  Note:  they will keep your passports and give you a receipt.   It is a good idea to always travel with a photo copy of your passports.

So far, this doesn't sound too unique (other than the long wait and most cruises you keep your passport) but the next part is definitely unique.

Boarded a Bus

After completing embarkation paperwork and with cabin key in hand, we were directed to a bus for a short ride to the waiting ship.  We drove through the pier area where we passed by stack after stack of shipping containers and longshoremen working the yard.  We finally arrived at our ship.  I almost forgot ... the cruise line wouldn't miss an opportunity to get you to spend money, so prior to boarding the bus, they took embarkation photos.  Boarding the ship it was time for another photo (for security purposes) taken when we presented our cabin key at the gangway.  Phew, we were finally on the ship.

Hello Cabin

An advantage of getting on board so late in the day, there is no delay in getting to your cabin.  We dropped off our handbags, took a couple pictures of the cabin and headed off for a bite to eat.   We opted for a quick slice of pizza.  Our dinner would be at 5:45 PM as we had early dining for this cruise.



Related Albums:

Crown Princess Embarkation
Transfer to Valparaiso

Note:  we will be adding to these albums as we continue our journey.

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Flying to Santiago Chile

click images to enlarge

JFK to Santiago

The second leg of our flight to Santiago, Chile departed JFK at 9 PM.  Once airborn, total flight time was 10 hours and 10 minutes.  The plane was a Boeing 767 operated by LATAM Airlines, a OneWorld alliance airline.  We had economy seats and had selected two seats in the second section.  The configuration was two seats on each side with three in the middle.  When we had selected our seats at check-in, there had been plenty of open seating in the middle, so we figured we'd be able to recline once we were airborne.   Those seats had filled up quickly but I was fortunate to have the flight attendant reseat me in a row to myself, so that I could lie flat and get some sleep on the long flight.

There were two meals served during the flight.  Dinner choices included a pasta dish and BBQ chicken with rice.   I slept through that meal but my husband had the chicken.  Breakfast was a choice of ham and cheese sandwich or eggs.  We both had the sandwich.


Arriving in Santiago

Once we arrived in Chile the first thing we needed to do was check in with a Princess Cruises representative, who gave us a sticker which we'd need for transfer to the pier.  Then we needed to clear immigration.  We hadn't been given any form, so we hoped that we just needed our passports.  Passports were all we needed to get through customs.  They stamp your passport and another slip of paper.   We thought they would collect that along the way, but they did not. Make sure you don't lose that paper because you'll need it on your cruise ship.

After clearing immigration, we headed to pickup our luggage.  We had checked two bags, a regular size suitcase and a soft-sided roller bag.  Our suitcase was the only bag still on the carousel by the time we got there.  We asked a LATAM agent if there were more bags, but there weren't any more.  We told them we were missing one bag and they said to wait about 10 minutes while they checked.  We looked at various piles of suitcases that were standing around as well as the other carousels, but didn't find our bag.   After 15 minutes or so, we went to the counter and filed a missing luggage claim.  We showed them
our itinerary and gave them necessary information including the description of the bag, the claim

check number, contact information, and our ship name.  We also informed Princess Cruises local representative.

Heading to Valparaiso

Crown Princess was actually embarking from Valparaiso which is 1.5 hours away.  We dropped off our luggage which would be sent via truck.  We kept our backpack and canvas bag, filled with cameras, medicines, and other personal items we wouldn't check, and got on a bus for the trip. It was a scenic trip.  We made one stop for restrooms and refreshments, if desired.

We'll describe the check-in process in another post.


Related Albums:

JFK to SCL
Transfer to Valparaiso

Note:  we will be adding to these albums as we continue our journey.

Click on the image to the right for more Blog posts about this trip.

Additional photos can be found on our South America Shutterfly page

View Our Other Shutterfly Share Pages

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Beautiful Lucerne

Mount Pilatus Excursion Continued
 
Before driving to Basel for embarkation we visited the beautiful lakeside city of Lucerne.

Located in the area of four big Swiss lakes, Lucerne has been praised by Marc Twain as well as millions of visitors who cannot imagine Switzerland without Thorvaldsen's impressive Lion Monument, the wooden "Chapel Bridge" or the finest stores.

click images to enlarge

Free Time in Lucerne

When we arrived in Lucerne, our guide pointed us in the direction of the Lion Monument, shown above, and told us to take a few photos and come back to the meeting point.  From there, she walked us  to the Chapel Bridge and told us we could explore for about an hour before the bus would return to pick us up.

We spent most of our time exploring the bridge, taking pictures of the surrounding area from every angle imaginable.   It is quite a photogenic city.
After completing our quick photo journal, we headed for the shops to get some ice cream and chocolates.

Transfer to Basel

With our sightseeing completed, it was now time for our bus driver to complete his mission of delivering us on time to our awaiting ship in Basel, Switzerland.  We still had about an hour's drive before we'd get there, especially in the heavy traffic near the city.

We were glad that we'd pre-booked this excursion for embarkation day.  The other option was a Zurich City Tour, and since we'd already toured that on our own, this tour was the perfect compliment to our cruise package.

^{Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:} 

Lucerne

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Carnival Conquest Embarkation Day

We've Finally Arrived at Port of Miami

After finishing our breakfast at the SpringHill Suites Miami Airport East/Medical Center hotel we got our luggage and came back down to the lobby. We asked the desk clerk if we could catch the 10:30 AM shuttle to the port instead of the 11:00 AM. She made a quick phone call to Carlos, one of the drivers, and asked if he could do a quick run to Port of Miami at 10:30 AM. He said he was available. We think that he probably regrets that decision even now, many days later.

Thank You Carlos!

Can You Say  Grid-Locked?

Date Start: Sunday, February 2, 2014 @ 6:15 AM (EST) Address Miami & Miami Beach, Florida 601 Biscayne Blvd. Organizer's Website http://www.themiamimarathon.com

What normally takes about 15 minutes round-trip for Carlos to shuttle someone to the port, took more than an hour just to get to the Port of Miami thanks to Miami's finest being out in force rerouting traffic. The race was over, by the time we got there, but barriers were still in place and Carlos was forced to detour several times away from the one and only street that takes you over the bridge and to the awaiting ships.

That probably wasn't the worst of it for him - the road back over the bridge looked twice as bad. Oh, did I mention that the hotel now had both of their vans stuck in this grid-lock with people waiting at the hotel to get to the airport and folks at the airport waiting to get to the hotel? We know that the hotel put some people in cabs to get them to the airport. Hats off to the staff at this Marriott property - they certainly know how to take care of their customers.

As the green SpringHill van drove off in the distance, we snapped the image above to capture the moment of relief as our long journey from snowy Chicago to the Port of Miami was now over.

Boarding Process

We had one large suitcase that needed to be checked so we gave that to a porter and headed into the terminal building.   After showing our boarding passes and passports, we were directed through security and to the VIP check-in room (one of Carnival's VIFP benefits for our status level).

The wait wasn't long since we were next in line.  Our paperwork was processed, our photos taken, and Sail and Sign cards issued.   

We got some refreshments and found seats in the lounge near a family of three and began trading cruising stories to pass the time away.  Before long, they made an announcement that they were ready to board the ship.  A photo opportunity, a few checkpoints, and were were now inside the ship in the lobby.  

Click for Mini-Series Articles / Images

As is typically the case, the cabins aren't quite ready when you board early, so what do you do instead?   If you guessed EAT LUNCH - you were correct.    We'll continue our embarkation day story in our next installment.    Be sure to read the entire series of articles.  We are taking you along for the entire journey with commentary, tips, and of course, pictures.

Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay in Miami

SpringHill Suites 

Miami Airport East/Medical Center

Another key ingredient to attaining that stress-free cruise vacation, during winter months especially, is finding a hotel either near the airport or pier for a pre-cruise one-night or longer stay.   On our Carnival Conquest cruise we opted for a Saturday night stay at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott near the airport.   Note that there are two different locations, so be sure to know which one you've booked.

Arriving at MIA, Miami's bustling airport, we retrieved our luggage and looked for signs which guided us to hotel shuttles.   To be on the safe side, we gave the hotel a call to find out if they were on their way to pick up passengers and found out that they would be there in about 10 minutes.  We told them we were located near the Copa / Delta terminal and they told us to watch for a green van.

Recall that we mentioned two different locations.   The first van that showed up was for their South location and when the driver asked which location we wanted, a quick email check confirmed that wasn't the van for us.

Shortly after that, our van arrived and the driver loaded our luggage and off we went.  It was a short ride to the hotel and after checking in, we went up to our room and dropped off our luggage.   The hotel has a restaurant / bar in the lobby so we decided to stay in for dinner.  We picked two different meals and shared them:   flat-bread pizza and Cuban sandwich.  

For those that don't want to stay in for dinner, the hotel does offer a shuttle to Bayside Marketplace which is near the pier.  We've eaten and shopped there on many other trips and would recommend it to anyone that still has energy to venture out after their flights.   If you don't want to be tied to the shuttle's time schedule, you could get there by cab or Miami Metrorail.

Click for Mini-Series Articles / Images

We inquired about transportation to the pier, and found out that the hotel provided shuttle service for $8 per person.   We selected the 11 AM shuttle and went up to our room to relax.

In the morning we had a full complimentary breakfast and then inquired about an earlier shuttle to the pier.   They were able to accommodate us.  In our next article, you'll find out why that became a wise move.

Royal Caribbean to Retire Monarch OTS

Final Year 3&4-Night Bahamas Cruises Sailing Now Thru March 31 2013
	Royal Caribbean International Monarch of the Seas®
Monarch of the Seas, will be leaving the Royal Caribbean fleet to sail for sister line Pullmantur. Tue ship is the oldest in the fleet, having sailed its maiden voyage in November, 1991. It will continue sailing 3 & 4-night Bahamas cruises thru it's final 3-night voyage March 29, 2013. The ship currently sails from Port Canaveral in Florida. The 2,390-passenger, 73,941-ton ship will enter service for Pullmantur after a significant refurbishment. It will join its sister ship Sovereign (formerly Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas), which transferred over in 2008. Gonzalo Chico Barbier, president and CEO of Pullmantur said "The transfer of Monarch of the Seas will reinforce Pullmantur in our Latin American growth strategy, and help us become one of the most widely recognized brands."  Cruisers on the West Coast will remember Monarch as a main-stay serving San Diego with short weekend cruises to Ensenada, Mexico and Baja California. Many Crown & Anchor members frequently the ship which served as a training ground for crew members. Often the Monarch was the first ship to try something new, so it was a favorite ship of those travelers. It will certainly be missed by those that have fond memories of cruises gone by.
Ship Profile | Itineraries & Pricing | Deck Plans | Dining Menus | Wine Lists | Kids Programs | Ship Reviews | 360 Tours | Photos Ship Profile & Stats Maiden Voyage 1991 (Refurbished: 2003) Passengers (dbl) 2,766 Tonnage 73,937 Tons Normal Crew Size 858 Length 880 feet Crew Nationality International Beam 106 feet Nationality of Officers Norwegian Draft 25 feet Nationality of Dining Staff International Speed 19 knots Registration Country Norway