carolynrose,
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Originally Posted by You
My husband and I are going with my elderly parents on the Infinity out of San Diego. I have read several reviews that concern the poor conditions on the ship. However, I also read that the ship was in dry dock in Dec. so maybe these problems were taken care of. Has anyone been on the Infinity since it was drydocked?
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I was aboard GTS
Celebrity Infinity for the westbound Panama Canal cruise over Halloween of last year, and she was in excellent condtion. All of the public spaces and my cabin were very well maintained.
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Originally Posted by You
I need help with cabin selection: balcony or oceanview, front/aft/middle of ship, deck.
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I generally find that cabins located amidships on decks between the Promenade Deck and the pool deck seem to provide the convenient access to all of the public areas of the ship. And I usually opt for the economy of an inside cabin, but your preference may vary.
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Originally Posted by You
Also if anyone has ideas on shore excursions we could book on our own. Thanks so much!!
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The ship's shore excursions generally offer good value, and they are totally seamless in that they leave from the pier and return to the pier. Here are a few additional consideratons.
>> 1. The cruise line vets the operators of its shore excursions very thoroughly to ensure that the operators are reputable, the equipment and transportation are safe, the itineraries match the descriptions, and the guides are both knowledgeable and fluent in English. If you book an excursion on your own, you may find unsafe vehicles, unscrupulous operators, and poor guides, especially in Mexico and Columbia.
>> 2. The cruise line protects you in the event that the ship arrives late or cancels a port of call. If you book an excursion on your own, you probably will forfeit the price if you miss it due to such circumstances.
>> 3. If you book an excursion through the cruise line, it will leave from and return to the pier. If you book an excursion on your own, it will be your responsibility to get to and from the operator's departure point. This may require a taxi ride that costs more than what you thought you were saving.
>> 4. If you book an excursion through the cruise line and its return is delayed beyond the ship's scheduled departure due to traffic, weather, or other unforeseen circumstances, the ship will either delay departure until it returns or make other arrangements to get the affected passengers back onboard. If you book an excursion on your own and its return encounters similar delays, the ship will not wait. If you miss the ship, you will have to pay your own way to the next port of call and pay for your own accommodations and meals until you rejoin the ship.
The roads in Mexico, Central America, and South America are not up to the standards of those of the United States and Canada. Many of the major "highways" are two lane roads that wind through the mountainside, accidents and storms that block them completely are commonplace, and detours to get around such obscacles can be quite long. For this reason, I recommend booking excursions that go any distance from the port of call through the cruise line in the strongest possible terms.
Having said that, several of the ports of call have tourist areas right at the end of the pier. On your itinerary, this is true of Cabo San Lucas and Huatulco, Mexico, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and Georgetown, Grand Cayman.
Have a great cruise!
Norm.
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Celebrity Infinity through Panama Canal
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