theriac

I have this cabin on an upcoming cruise and I understand it has a big balcony on the hump, but I'm curious if there is any noise issues as it's a connecting cabin and very close to the elevators. I've been on the Silhouette before but in a completely different area so just seeing how this cabin is. Also if anyone has any pictures I'd be grateful.

Thanks!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

I'm currently booked on the Silhouette for the 11/26/17 sailing and our first port is San Juan. We have an overnight scheduled, but there aren't any excursions listed for this port. Actually when you go to the shore excursion page San Juan isn't even listed. All of the other ports have plenty of options available so it seems odd nothing is there. I like using the excursion page as an aggregate of sorts showing me all that's available for my time there. I'm likely not to book with the Celebrity, but seeing what's there makes research much easier. It has been like this since I booked the cruise so I don't think it's just a glitch.

I guess I'm asking if any of you have seen this before and if you recall when they added the excursions to your cruise. We are a little over 6 months from sailing.

Just re-read my post and I apologize for typos, grammar, and some strange autocorrect in there.

I wrote that on my phone and it certainly doesn't help I have pudgy thumbs.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

I was an avid Carnival cruiser for years until I tried Celebrity late last year. I loved it, and have booked more with my third coming in November.

More often than not the cruise lines will be similar. I understand the boring comment, but I choose to see it as more relaxing on board.

Carnival wins hands down with evening entertainment and even day time activities. The comedians, shows(which aren't good, but consistent), parties, lots of trivia, and arts and crafts it seems like there is always something to do.

On Celebrity there will be some kind of show every night ran at 19:00 and 21:00. Some will be done by the ships entertainment staff while half or so will be guest entertainers that they bring on. No comedy at all like you get on Carnival, they may bring one on as a special entertainer, and they may do a late PG13 style show. Celebrity does parties styled as the silent disco(originally from Bonaroo), you put head phones on and what you want to dance too. Trivia is definitely lacking on X, you may get one at 09:30, you then get one at 15:00 and 15:30 and finally there may be a trivia/game show event at 22:00. You also may get speakers during the day to give lectures on the area of the world your visiting.

Where X wins is in the refinement and calmness of the cruise. They focus on the ports and getting the most out of them. Use the ship as a place to relax and take in the experience of a cruise. You'll offer get overnights and longer port times on X. This is really what has won me over. Instead of feeling rushed to try and do and see everything it's taught me to slow down and just live in the moment, there's no rush. You also don't get those annoying announcements on X like with Carnival. Usually around 10:00 the captain will make an announcement and the CD usually says a few words too. There may, and it's a big may, be one other announcement from the CD. I only heard that twice and once it was just to let us know you could see dolphins on one side if the ship.

The food is very similar with X getting the edge. The passengers tend to be a little older on X so it may not be as rambunctious as a Carnival cruise, but doesn't mean they don't want to have a good time either.

Overall a cruise is a cruise and you make of it what you make of it. If you want to have a bad time you definitely can, if you want to be carefree you should go for it, or if you want sit back to people watch, snicker, and then complain about how the cruise industry is changing for the worse, you will be like 80% of the people here.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

My first cruise was on 1995 when I was the ripe old age of 6. My mom won a cruise on a radio contest for 4 on The Big Red Boat. My parents had cruised once before with my grandparents, but it was a first for my sister and I. We went to Nassau and Freeport and it seemed magical being in a foreign land. Now I wouldn't even consider getting off the ship in those ports, but then it was amazing. I got to have breakfast with Looney Toons, eat pizza and ice cream, annoy people singing karaoke, swim with Sting Ray's. I could do all that at home(except looney Toons breakfast), but it seemed so special. I also remember if you were 18 you could drink alcohol, which was stunning as to a 6 year old seemed Taboo.

I ended up not cruising again for almost 9 years when I went on NCL, and then 2 more until my first Carnival and RCI cruises, but I was hooked from that first sailing on The Big Red Boat.

Now at 29 I sail 2-3 times a year and I love the complete opposite of what I first loved with cruising. Instead I love quiet, and not many kids running around. I like more of a refined experience that will take me to more exotic/worldly location. My sister on the other hand loves all the bells and whistles that come with the bigger more family oriented lines.

I believe The Big Red Boat is now in a scrap yard somewhere, but it was the best place to be in the mid nineties as a young kid. I'll never forget that cruise, unless I get diagnosed with alzheimer's, dementia, or something else like that.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

I hope you enjoy! The ship looks great.

 

I did have to laugh out loud about the live and let live types you mentioned for Carnival. The last time we cruised the Miracle in 2010 we saw a few guys in their white bathrobes walking through the ship during dinner hour carrying beer bottles. Now that's living! LOL

That's funny, I saw people doing the same on the Constellation in November of last year. Sailing from Haifa to Kusadasi wearing white robes and holding beer during the dinner hours. Now that's living!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Lunch and/or dinner(preferably dinner) at the lawn club grill is really good. Go hungry!

Cellar masters is really nice too if you want a quiet evening in what feels like a lodge. It was one of the best places to reflect on the day other than your balcony.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Thank you. I'm assuming the cost was for a couple, not per person. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I know that some limo services are not allowed to pick you up at the ship, so you'd have to schlep all your gear to (at least) the edge of the port. I'd like to avoid that possibility.

It was for up to 3 people, and they are allowed up to the ships to pick up and drop off.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

I used Rome Limo Shuttles and it was €110 from Civitavecchia to Rome in a private car(Mercedes sedan) and they will take you anywhere inside Rome. That may be better than using X to FCO and then the train from FCO to Termini.

Unless using OBC a pretty transfer would be quicker, more affordable, and much more comfortable.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

You have leapt from not having a secure web connection to saying CC servers are insecure? What evidence do you have that they don't hash passwords, because that would be a pretty big accusation to make in this day and age?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I mistyped there as it was getting late, but you're correct the server should be fine, it's the in-between clicking log in and getting to the server that is the issue. Regardless it still isn't good and should be changed for everyone's protection.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Right, that is basic safe computing 101 - different passwords (and names) for different accounts, If one gets compromised, the others may not be.

My point was that there are many ways of being compromised other than simple username/password compromise. And a forum like CC for sharing opinions (and often personal information) may be particularly vulnerable to those who seek to exploit personal knowledge. E.g., simple example really, is the scammer who calls and says "your grandson asked me to call you - he is down here in Texas and was just in a bad accident and needs you to wire him $500." Lets say 1% of the elderly population will fall for that. But if the scammer says "your grandson Larry who was here in Texas on his way to a cruise out of Galveston..." I will bet that the % of believers will jump significantly.

 

So, to your caution about safe password usage I add a caution about mindful attention to possible risks when sharing information on a public forum accessible by anyone.

I'm sure most people would rather wire $500 to a scammer than have their banking information hacked which is what I'm talking about. If you use google chrome it says at the top this site isn't secure when you log in. If you're already logged in you can click the circled exclamation point which says "your connection to this site is not secure." Go to any other site you log into and 99% will have a green "Secure" and a green "https://" at the top left of the browser in the URL bar.

We're both talking about safety that everyone should follow, but password security is much much scarier. I just hope CC realizes this and makes a change. Especially with the contests they run all the time that ask for lots of personal information when registering. This should be a secure site. It can't be 100% as like you have admitted to doing, we can be doxed, but I don't think that is the biggest concern here.

A year or two ago there was a discussion about personal property insurance and about leaving valuables at home vs. taking them with you. One person on CC warned of the dangers of empty homes. Another, lets call him Johnboy, ridiculed that position. Proceeded to brag about how much stuff he had and how he knew it was perfectly safe. As an exercise, a buddy and I took what information we had about Johnboy from the CC forums and looked for him. In about an hour we had found his home address, verified that he is a banker, owns a high-end Mercedes registered in his wife's name, is a member of abc and xyzzy clubs, etc. No hacking involved, just simple google and yahoo searches. Johnboy made the mistake of using the same username here as he does on several other internet user groups and that one mistake made it easy to triangulate onto his actual identity and location. I personally don't believe that there are hoards of bad guys scouring CC discussions of tipping and menus and loud children just so they can steal some personal information and do some harm. But it may happen.

That's not the point, anyone can be doxxed by using usernames, location and other information posted here.

My post is about Cruise Critic in general. It is not a secure website with its servers. Anyone on the back end of not just CC but those who they've contracted to run its servers can get access to your email and passwords used to log in here. With that information you can potentially log into their banking, emails, social media accounts, Netflix.

The point is have a different password for all the different accounts you have and you should be fine.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Your personal information on C C was recently hacked? This is not a secure site, no?

My information has not been hacked.

And CC is not secure a site. That doesn't mean they will get pertinent information, but lots of people use the same password for everything. So, if you used your primary email and password to sign up here it could lead to a nefarious person seeing these vulnerabilities, and getting personal information in hopes of accessing other accounts that could really affect you personally or financially.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

"When logging in or signing up for Cruise Critic, the site doesn't encrypt your information prior to sending it. What this means is that anybody who handles the connection between your computer and their web server(s) can monitor the contents of everything that is sent or received (including your username, password, etc.). Therefore, if you are using the same password on their site as you do on others (e.g. Facebook, online banking, email, etc.), then you should absolutely change it to something unique. Otherwise, any unscrupulous individual could use your Cruise Critic information to try to login to other sites that you might have accounts on."

u/bacondev

Just came across this on another site and wanted to share with all of you to help keep yourselves protected.

Edit- added u/bacondev after the quote.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

As already suggested, look for the hump.

Some variation ship-to-ship so the numbers don't always match, but for example we were recently in 1044, a C2 cabin, on the Eclipse. Quite spacious balcony, room for two lounger style chairs, small table. Third chair might have been awkward though.

Thanks for the photo. I'm in 9296(a C2) on the Silhouette which is a hump balcony. Really looking forward to all that extra space on the balcony.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

This happened to me in October and it was the gratuities that kept reappearing as a new charge. I called(more than once) and was told it's just a glitchy website.

I'd call when you get a chance but I wouldn't be too concerned with it.

I've had the website not show my reservation at all which is a much scarier feeling a month before the cruise.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Would ships doing overnights port in Old San Juan or the Pan Am pier?

This is on Celebrity if it matters.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

I haven't had the pleasure of sailing with Celebrity since I have a Carnival budget. But I visit this board periodically just to read this thread. These anecdotes are amazing.

 

Happy sailing to all of you.

Keep checking out celebrity. I thought I was limited to just Carnival based on price, but now financially it makes more sense and is more convenient book with X.

I booked a 12 night Med cruise in a Concierge class cabin last year with 2 perks(drinks and gratuities) for $899. A similar carnival cruise was $949 for a 10 night in an inside not including a drink package or gratuities.

I took a short cruise on the Silhouette in January for $400 for a Balcony with 2 perks included(drinks and $300 OBC). A similar carnival cruise was $389 with no perks.

Now having sailed with the drink package it's too convenient than buying the water from Carnival and constantly going back to my cabin for some water, but I won't spend the $55 a day for a package ever.

I have an upcoming cruise on the Silhouette which was $1600 pp for a 12 night in Concierge that includes drinks, gratuities, and $500 OBC. A similar Carnival for an 8 night cruise was $1000 per person but is 4 nights shorter and doesn't include all those other benefits.

When all is said and done I love both cruise lines, but with the perks and the way prices are going up X seems to be winning out on price over and over again. As well as the convenience of not running back to my room for a drink all the time.

One area Carnival is million times better and I wish Celebrity did better is trivia. I do miss all the trivia Carnival does during the day as I'm not a pool person.

Keep looking for deals and you will definitely find something. On the surface it may seem more expensive, but it really isn't for me when I break down the cost and what I'm getting.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Not always so easy. I have a 15 day cruise coming up, no perks. No way am I spending $3,000 cdn for the premium package but may have considered the classic if there was a 20% discount on packages. Now that cans aren't included, I won't be dropping that $2,000 on a classic package, we'll be buying our drinks individually as dropping $2,000 on a package and having to spend $4 on a pop is an insult.

The classic non alcohol still includes canned soda so maybe that would be worth it and buying alcohol as you go.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Anyone else catch the language "packages are sold on a per cruise basis, and are not sold on a "per day" basis"-- does this mean cannot be prorated for purchasing later!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Not sold on a per day basis means you can't buy it only on sea days or the days you think you will actually use it. It's the same wording as before.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

You could look at the 12 night Silhouette cruise. It's $200 per person cheaper for an Aqua and visits some of the same ports, and has an over night in San Juan.

It leaves on 11/26 and gets back 12/8

Ports

Ft. Lauderdale

Sea day

San Juan 18:00(arrive)

San Juan 18:00(leave)

St. Marten

St. Lucia

Grenada

Barbados

Dominica

St. Kitts

Sea day

Sea day

Ft. Lauderdale.

I was originally booked on the 11 day reflection but changed to this cruise as it was an extra day, and had a more appealing itinerary.

It never hurts to keep your options open and know what's out there.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

You should read the hilarious soda talk again ;)

 

It is not really about canned soda or fountain soda (FYI I don't care either)...

Celebrity does not have most of the sodas on a fountain! So it is about getting a soda on the package as before or now having to pay for it! That's what the fuss is about ...

And how do we know they didn't upgrade the fountains to have more choices?

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

TIL that a lot of people really care about canned soda opposed to can soda.

I don't mind the change and think it's a huge positive for me personally. If I get a soda at the movies or a restaurant it's always fountain and I don't seem to mind. I just don't get what all this fuss is about with the soda.

I understand being upset some liquors being moved from classic to premium, but this soda talk is hilarious to read.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

I wonder for people who don't drink alcohol, but take the classic package as a perk because of their spouse, if the ship would allow them to downgrade to the premium non-alcohol package. This would include canned sodas and a few other options not included in the classic alcohol package. It would be worth a try anyway.

 

Neda

On the Silhouette in January we did this "downgrade" but they charged $4 per day plus the 18% gratuity. Other people have reported they just let them change at no cost though.

YMMV

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

For real ? Ugh ! So what brand is offered with the Classic pkg?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Evian spelled backwards spells...naive

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app