Cruzin with BQ & CQ

For what it includes, seems to be a modest amount for the upgrade, especially for upgraded wines, but YMMV. Hope you have fun whatever you decide! Have a great cruise!:)

Thanks for this post. I knew nothing about the SS United States and now I can't wait to eat in that dining room. Did a little research just now, very interesting reading about that grand ocean liner.

 

 

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Not many folks know the back story of this once great ocean liner. It is a very interesting bit of our nautical history. I believe, although I could be wrong, that the SS United States still holds the transatlantic record for the fastest crossing, Southhampton to New York. Hope you have a great cruise and a great meal!!

Sue & I did the California to Florida, 15 Day, Panama Canal on the Infinity last November.

 

We had a really great time, I would do it again.

 

The California to Florida had a really nice itinerary.

 

We met a nice couple and they have a blog at:

 

http://cruisethesea.blogspot.com/2013/12/infinity-112213.html

 

And a Picasa Photo Site at

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/markdegennaro/Infinity112213?authkey=Gv1sRgCKvo38qa6NrRvwE#

 

Sue & I are in Photo # 320...

 

The photos are great. We soooo much want to do this cruise. It will be our first of many adventures when we retire in a couple years! Thanks again:D

We were on the Infinity from Valparaiso, Chile through the Canal to FLL last year in an A1 Aqua class cabin, deck 11 aft. Fantastic balcony to view the sites and listen to the almost silent mules escorting the ship through the locks....mesmerizing.

Don't wait for possibility of one of the larger ships in '16. The new, larger canal may not be finished by then. It is way behind schedule for a lot of reasons. Just the scope of the project is daunting.

I don't know which ship is doing this next spring but if it's the Infinity you will have a great time. And the itinerary is much more compelling than the Mexican and Caribbean ports.

Our only regret is not booking a b2b starting in Argentina.

Hey Thank you! This certainly does give me something to think about beyond jus a California back to Florida itinerary.

I so appreciate all your responses! Thanks so much. I have a little goofy thing about wanting to sail on Infinity, and it kind of weird, but I want to dine in the SS United States dining room. Why is that? I had my first birthday on the actual SS United States in July 1953. I so much want to see the artifacts, and some how connect with my past. Weird I guess, but I'm thinking it will be fun!

I also want to see the canal of course!:D

Having said all that, I prefer the east bound cruise. Why? I live not too far from FLL, so it's a short drive home and I prefer to get the flying out of the way in the beginning. Sound familiar?:D

Without a doubt!:D I feel so blessed to have such great access here in FL to all the cruise options. I agree that getting the flying out of the way on the front end is very nice. Thanks again!

What year are you planning, 2014 or 2015?

 

The wife and I are doing the 17 night out of San Fran on September 15, 2015 (Aqua A1).

 

Aqua Class A1 has 1 cabin left, A2 has 12 left.

 

For the $100 difference I would do A1.

 

CaptDave

thanks Capt Dave. No sooner than 15, but more than likely 16. Just doing some advanced planning which is half the fun!

My DW and I are considering a Panama Canal Cruise on the Infinity. We have always wanted to see the canal and the ports on the west coast of Central America and Mexico. But I'm hoping I can get some help on some questions and any thoughts about this itinerary.:)

We live very close to Fort Lauderdale and our preference would be to fly out and then return to Fort Lauderdale, but I'm wondering if there is any reason an east to west sailing would be better? I wouldn't think so, but you never know!

Also, any observations with regard to the ship itself would be greatly appreciated. Not exactly sure what cabin we would book, but most likely Aqua Class, so are some areas better than others? How about the west coast ports does anything stand out?

As always, thank you so much for your thoughts:)

Thanks for the tip. I have been checking via cruise**** but didn't check yesterday and almost missed it. I've mailed our TA and hope they'll be able to act in time. I am from Ireland, but have booked with US agent for first time this cruise and this ability to get reductions when there is a price drop is new to me. Here's hoping.

Let us know how you make out!

Just got an nice price drop on our Nov 23rd Shilouete cruise. Was able to keep the beverage package and OBC from the TA. I think this sale ends this weekend, so if you do have an upcoming cruise, you may want to check your pricing.

I always use a big box TA as well. In addition to the OBC's, the same pricing as the cruise line, I also use the big box store credit card which gives me a 4-5% rebate on the cost of the cruise. Also the service has always been good. The thing for us though is that we can drive to the port so we don't have to worry about missed flights, etc.

For a copy of the Celebrity invoice. I did that and got an actual copy of the booking details. Have a great cruise!:)

Wow that is awesome! So just a thought! Perhaps you could give a contribution to the charity of your choice for what you may have spent otherwise. Sort of paying it forward! But it is nice to know that someone, by their honesty, was so kind.:)

To call the Captain's Club. You will get recognition for your RCCL sailings on your first Celebrity cruise. Not a big deal, but something you may want to look into.:)

I visit several different lines' forums, because I have or will be cruising with them. I think the negativity is very noticeable across the board. When it gets to be too much of a downer, I go to my roll calls.

 

Some people see the glass as half empty, and they aren't happy unless they are finding fault with something. I think recently there are a lot of those type of people posting. The same goes for social media like Facebook...most of the customers who post do so to complain. As an example, over on the Royal Caribbean board right now there are actually people A) Cursing out the cruise line because they don't think the current sale is good enough/cheap enough, and B) accusing them of being racist because the current sale is only for residents of the US and Canada!:eek:

 

My first Celebrity cruise is (finally) a week from Wednesday...my first one got cancelled so this is a replacement cruise. We're very excited to try Celebrity, and AQ, and I'll form my own opinions! I expect it to be like anything else -- there will be some things we like and some things we dislike. I'm sure we'll have a great time though -- we always do!:D

Hey Cindy thank you very much! That's my DW's name! As I always say I've never met a Cindy I didn't like! I hope you have a wonderful cruise! Would love to hear your thoughts upon your return! Have fun!:D

Actually, that's not the case. Yes, there are problems with Celebrity -- just like any other cruise line. But, when you really start looking at some of the negative posts/reviews, you'll find that it's mostly a handful of people, beating the same dead horse. :rolleyes:

 

I like your idea of doing a "trial balloon" cruise, before committing to Europe. IMHO, you should take your November Silhouette cruise, and make up your own mind about Celebrity. One more suggestion -- if you haven't done so already, check out the roll-call thread for your cruise. There, you can meet the folks you'll actually be sailing with. You'll probably find some experienced Celebrity cruisers who can answer your questions. Not to mention, a more positive vibe! :cool:

Hey thank you so much. I guess what I was trying to say is that there seemed to be a disproportionate amount of complaints on this board as to some other boards I have monitored, hence my concerns. Thanks again.

I think you'll find some long time Celebrity Cruisers on this board and sure, things aren't like they used to be but are they on any cruise line these days? Things change, some perceive them as improvements, some perceive them as take aways. We've only cruised with Celebrity twice, once last week and the first cruise was back in 2005. After the 2005 cruise we couldn't figure out what the fuss about Celebrity was and wasn't inclined to book another cruise, we went back to Princess. After last week, we're hooked on Celebrity and booked another onboard. Yes, there does seem to be an awful lot of complaining on this board lately, but we take a lot of them with a grain of salt, somepeople just like to complain and point out flaws. I think you'll have a fantastic time on your cruise.

Hey thanks for your response! So it's not my over active imagination after all!

My DW and I are seasoned cruisers and sail 1 or 2 times a year. We have never sailed Celebrity, so during the 123GO promotion we decided to take the plunge and booked Aqua on Silhouette for November. We wanted to try Celebrity and were hopeful it would provide a pleasant experience.

Naturally, I came over and began following the chat on the Celebrity board to get a feel for the ship, experience on board and overall experience of others. I have to say, I'm more than a little concerned. There is significant discontent with a lot of folks on this board regarding Celebrity. Customer Service issues onboard, problems with the details of the booking such as the drink packages not on the passenger's reservation, decline in food quality, etc. I get that every line out there is making cutbacks, so I'm not going into this blind.

So is this just me overreacting, or are there some serious issues going on. We were using this cruise as a trial ballon for a 2016 Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity, but also want to have a nice vacation in November. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!:confused:

We booked under the 123GO promotion, but it did take awhile to show up. Our reservation was showing as " on hold " for about three weeks before the actual booking appeared. We did work with a TA, so maybe that had something to do with it. Also, I kinda had to hunt around for it, but it was under purchases.

Given what you've said, you are taking the right steps. Hope it gets resolved for you! Like you November can't get here soon enough!:D Hope you have a wonderful cruise!!

Have you actually paid for your cruise in full, or will you be making final payment in the future. If you haven't made final payment, while gratuities are on the booking, you have not as yet really "paid" them. I have the same situation with my November booking, but have not as yet made final payment

A good travel agent will at least give you OBC to cover your gratuities. It all depends upon the cruise and how much you pay for your stateroom.

 

It pays to shop around for a good travel agent.

I've used a club store/warehouse TA for many years and have always done very well.

Maybe something out of New York, or Baltimore? I think there are some itineraries to Bermuda. A pre or post stay in Manhattan could be fun! Just a thought.:)

That's usually how I find specific bars/places to eat with Wifi.

Is it true that AQ class guests get a 50% discount on the specialty restaurants the first night of sailing? We are booked Aqua and will wait to book on board if that's the case. In fact, should I wait to be onboard to book the specialty restaurants entirely onboard? We are planning to do the Lawn Grill and Murano and don't mind later seating's if that's an issue.

Do you just go to the respective restaurants once onboard? Thanks to all for your help!:) First time on Celebrity, but long time cruisers.