Spif Barwunkel

Celebrity cruising, post shut down, how’d that work for you? Quite the year was 2022, first full year back with higher prices, less perks and rewards, understaffed ships, poor quality food, less than ideal customer service and more. There were objections, rejections and defections from Celebrity cruisers. Was this typical of any normal cruising year just exacerbated by the virus overload, or did many cruisers indeed experience quite the radical change from our normal, pleasant, familiarity with the X brand? I’m not sure that we can blame Celebrity for all shortcomings – if any – that might have occurred during our booking/cruising activities. Perhaps our impatience and expectations had something to do with it. Might we share some of the blame? Happy cruising to all in the new-year and for your cruising dollar in 2023, does X mark the spot?

We sailed on Reflection May '22 in Europe, for the 4th time. We sailed on Equinox Dec '22 in the Caribbean, for the 1st time. Reflection seemed a little off in May, especially the food. The previous three sailings, pre-Covid, were great in all aspects. Equinox might very well be our favorite X ship to date. It seemed she took her presentation up a notch. Both being Solstice Class ships, there is not much difference to us. You base your experiences on services provided and the way in which they are. Every ship and its crew will have the occasional off day. We have had good times on Reflection and given the right itinerary we will certainly enjoy her again.

navybankerteach said "As a side question: do you really believe that cruise ship management, once advised by their customers of perceptions of unsatisfactory service, would fail to react in any practical fashion?" I would hope that management would react in a practical, logical and productive way. That being said, my cabin steward has no more knowledge about my tipping intent than you do. Fortunately, that makes for a much more enjoyable and productive cruise for both of you. Now, nbt, I realize that you are a fan favorite on this thread, and I wore out my welcome long ago. Our back-and-forth banter serves only as self-indulgence. So, as not to be considered a "thread hog" I am going to take a repose and give others the chance to provide more meaningful repartee.

I did say "with the exception of very few" and "I will certainly give way to the many tipping experts." I stand by those statements, realizing of course that sometimes even the experts are full of baloney. I do understand your narrow-minded persistence and obvious disfavor for me and my comments. Since I am no expert, I am good with it. Do continue to be vociferous in your fulmination, that's what experts do.

At the risk of sounding fatuous, again, does anyone else realize how absurd the above post sounds? I will certainly give way to the many tipping experts on this thread - of which there are many - but why would any employer even consider such a ridiculous and non-productive action? That question will segway perfectly into my next comment and the meat of this thread. With the exception of very few, no one on the ship knows your tipping practices, not at the beginning, not at the end. Not unless you tell them, of course. That from the reigning tipping topic amateur. Hypothetically, what if they did know. Would it make a difference in their service to you? Would you feel played and placated in order to compensate for the "non-tippers" or would the crew efforts be genuine and self-fulfilling? Would it matter to you, or are you satisfied with being just another source of income? Note: Font size and number of words have been approved for human consumption.

First off, let me preface my remarks with the following. Whether or not I remove pre-paid gratuities, tip extra, or try to finagle your pre-paid tips into my account in order to help pay for my onboard expenses is totally irrelevant here. I am offended by the cruise lines asking me to pay up front for services not yet rendered then giving me the opportunity to remove them. How ridiculous is that? I grow weary of cruisers lamenting the trials and tribulations of the woeful crew and how it is my responsibility to lift them from the doldrums. How notional is that? And, although it is not as prevalent, I do not appreciate being solicited to give high ratings. How condescending is that? Yet, I continue to cruise, which brings me to the socioeconomic reference and cruising whether or not one can afford it. It is the “desire” to tip, not the amount one tips. You cannot segregate tippers and non-tippers in to separate categories. How segregationist is that? My point to all of this is, tipping is not required by law, maritime or otherwise. It is not a rite of passage to tip while sailing the seven seas and partaking of the services provided. It is not up to me to satisfy your concerns about whether or not your favorite crew member is fairly compensated. I do not care what the crew knows or doesn’t know. Most importantly, I make the choice how much money to spend and who or what I spend it on. Each crew member makes their choice as to whether or not their work environment and the process in which it operates, is satisfactory to them. We all have choices, don’t we? How great is that?

We drove past the Gardens but did not stop You could inquire as to that possibility. There is a ship's tour that does include the Gardens.

Ni Made, pronounced 'knee mahdy' and Roberto were our wait staff in BLU. We made sure that we dined at one of their tables at dinnertime. It seemed that the wonderful hostess, Yanessa, knowing our preference, made sure that a table was always left available in their section no matter what time we arrived, (usually between 6:00 to 6:30. We also took good care of her. If these fine people had been up for adoption, proceedings would currently be in the works. The tour does include food tasting, but not in the sense that one might assume. You do not go from town to town, eating place to eating place partaking of the fare. Christelle provides the finger food, and drink, consisting of local favorites and offers participants the opportunity to partake at some of the photo stops. You are certainly not obligated to indulge, and she will certainly not be offended if you do not. On occasion, I chose not to partake. This is a scenic island tour of Martinique provided by a knowledgeable, vivacious young lady who is proud of her home and heritage. The snack food is her extra added attraction.

I will begin by stating that we prefer tours that focus on showing off the beauty of the islands, including the gorgeous beaches, lush forests/gardens, quaint towns and prominent landmarks. We are not into beach-lounging, diving/snorkeling, or deep-sea fishing. Hence, our shore excursions are driving experiences of 4 - 7 hours in duration, various numbers of people and several stops with photo ops. That suits us. With that in mind, these are the ship's excursions that struck our fancy. All were very enjoyable, and I will list them in order of preference. St. Lucia - The Islands Delights Barbados - Barbados Highlights St. Kitts - Two Island Triple Play Antigua - Scenic Antigua and Beach Read the descriptions of these - and others - on the Celebrity site under excursions. Hopefully you will find the one(s) that works for you.

The Zacapa Old Fashion should not be ignored, whether or not you drink alcohol. Indulge yourself.

Google "Karambole Tours Martinique." Click on FORT DE FRANCE - Karambole Tours. All the info you need to know. There are no other guides, Christelle is the one. Six hours, no more than 8 people, lots of goodies and a beautiful island to enjoy. She fills up fast. A credit card is required to hold your place, but no payment is charged until after the tour. You may even learn some French along the way. My DW and I tried the kissing. We are now fluent.

Good to know, six-seven. We will board Infinity for the first time in February 2023 and brave the fickle, sometimes angry waters of Drakes Passage and Antarctica, like many before us. If she presents herself as well as Equinox did, and rough seas abound, perhaps my outward satisfied appearance will mask an otherwise scaredy-cat behavior.

Yes, Celebrity did provide shuttle service and it went smoothly. I just prefer doing my own thing upon final debarkation. No shuttles, buses or taxis.

Safe and sound, back at the compound, following a near-perfect cruise on the Equinox. I say near-perfect because I do not believe that there can ever be...you know. The only slight inconvenience was, upon our return to Port Everglades, we did not dock at the same place from which we commenced our cruise. For those of us with personal vehicles parked at terminal 19, there was no easy way to perambulate. I'll not mention that because some of you would jump all over it as cause for negative cruise reviews. Briefly, here are some of the many positives. Captain and crew were extremely helpful and visible, going above and beyond on many occasions. Entertainment was exceptional with Kudos to the CD and his staff for putting it all together. With few exceptions, we ate BLU food only and very much enjoyed the presentation, the flavor and the attentive service of the wait-staff. Pictures of food do not excite me so you will not get any here. Bar tenders and servers, at all venues, provided an enjoyable experience. With the exception of Martinique (private excursion) all bookings were ship's tours, and all were very satisfactory. Cabin service and cleanliness, spot on. If I have forgotten anything, consider it near-perfect. Naturally, I speak for DW and myself only. Of our many Celebrity cruises, Equinox may very well be our favorite ship to date. This sailing was our first time on board. For those of you booked on future sailings, I wish you the most pleasant of cruises.

Cruise ships sailing on the sea, uh huh Cruisers they cry woe is me, uh huh A stinky wet towel a messy room, uh huh Happiness has turned to gloom, uh huh And the beat goes on, the beat goes on Drums keep pounding rhythm to the brain La de da de de, la de da de da...

Hey, if you are going to be annoying, go for the largest audience possible and make it the most worthwhile.

We have experienced both and we enjoy both. It is the tour description that attracts us and with that we are not put off by the number of people scheduled to participate. As members of a large X group, we have traveled in concert with a smaller X group to the same destinations. Other than numbers, the only differences might be a meal, a tasting or other amenities that will account for the higher price. Naturally, 30 to 40 people are more of a logistics concern than 12 to 16 folks. We have played the waiting game on both. The tour guides can make or break any tour, no matter the circumstances. Unless you just don't like being around a larger number of people for several hours, as a captive audience, disregard the numbers and focus on the itinerary. if you are gregarious, patient and understanding that will work for you while enhancing the overall experience, LARGE or small.

Grey Goose seems to be the most used premium vodka on X ships. I like Belvedere and Ciroc and find them at the bars as well. Have also seen Absolut and Titos. Always ask for your preference, nicely. They can only tell you no. Specialty Martinis and larger glasses can account for the higher price.

I know that you spend many days cruising the Caribbean between January and the end of March. An excellent time to enjoy the Southern climes. Safe sailing to you all as well.

Don't step aboard Equinox looking for an "overwhelming" experience in order to compensate. No pre-conceived notions but rather open-minded expectations will serve you best.

Thanks for dropping by and wishing us well. We are very much looking forward to Equinox, the Southern Caribbean and the good folks who will be cruising along with us, including passengers, staff and crew. You know, if you guys, along with Walt and Bev, did some last-minute juggling and hustling you all could join us on the 12/12 sailing. Kind of a preview of what's to come on Jan 30.

Take what you read and heed with the proverbial grain. It's not bad or good because I say so. It won't tickle your fancy, scratch your itch or ruin your day because Marvin and Maive could or could not decide what the hell an IV is all about, or how to navigate the maze leading to Eden. I have heard that bacterial fermentation is more prevalent on "M" class ships while 'S' class vessels are now wooing "old money" and the senescence that goes along with it. So, where do you go? What do you do? I say, go where you wanna wanna go, do what you wanna wanna do. All the while knowing that CC posters indeed control your destiny...if you let "em.

Nice! Hopefully, the enjoyment of the first leg will continue to build right on through the completion of the second leg. You do realize that you now have a hand in how ship-shape the shape of the ship will be when we step aboard on 12/12.

DW and I will board Equinox on 12/12, the first time on that ship. The Southern Caribbean itinerary is great and presents some of that region's most beautiful islands. We have spent land vacations on all, but Martinique and we look forward to returning to some of our favorite places, while enjoying the amenities that Equinox has to offer. Seems as though Equinox has started you off with a "cruising high." Good to know. I'm sure that it will only get better.

Because one is Elite, why should one get anything at all? That is a valid question and not as easy to answer as you might think. Would you cruise with X as any status if you got nothing at all? On the other hand, would you cruise with X if you got everything you thought you deserved, even if you didn't?