Stem to Stern

Thank you!! I had no idea regular calls could be made on the ship’s WiFi with the correct settings enabled. Can incoming calls be received as well?

Welcome to Florida!! You are already cracking me up with that sharp-as-a-tack tongue of yours. Hopefully Sweet Mama will be able to find something to read in the vacant library. Enjoy your precious mother-daughter time. I talk to mine on the phone at least once a day, but usually twice. I tried to convince her to join us on our 4-night Tampa Bay Bucsapalooza Cruise, but she took a hard pass.😂 It would have been fun to cruise with her, but I will just have to settle for living vicariously through the two of you. And when I want to relive your memories over again in the future it will be so easy to conduct a Cruise Critic thread search of “Sweet Mama.”😂 Is rocking Captain Kirk at the helm?

Ha ha ha!! Thanks for the heads up. I wouldn’t miss a Captain’s Log, but apparently I did. I always get some great snack ideas from her.😂

How weird! I would have considered packing up a few of those lobster rolls to go.😂 @Ellesor826 , we will have to watch out for this on debarkation day on Beyond. 😉

Good morning! What was the show in Eden called? It looks like you had a fabulous seat. What time did you have to arrive in Eden to get a good seat? I don’t want to miss out on any worthwhile shows on my next cruise. Thanks!!🙏

Thanks for posting! It looks like your vacation is off to a fine start.🍷😜 If you get the chance, please give Bug a scratch under the chin for me.😻

Charla, Hope you felt all the Birthday Love!! …from your CruCrit followers!⚓️🤗🤗🤗⚓️

I have the arbitrary mystery $50 in the planner on two of my bookings. But I haven’t a clue why and I am not going to question it. Sorry I could not be more insightful.😄

My pleasure.

Ridiculous pricing. Solution: Book at the cruise only price. Buy WiFi on the flash sale and pay for drinks one by one on board as you go. Bring one bottle of wine per person on board with you and refill your wine glass in your stateroom. Drink in port. 😎🥂

Hi!! A few random notes for you…. Finding travel agents that offer group pricing can involve some research and surfing. Cruise Critic is not the place to find them since specific mention of travel agents or agencies or websites is not permitted. Get quotes from a number of different agents for a particular sailing that you are interested in. Compare their offers against pricing on Celebrity’s website. Possibly let the agents know they are competing for your business because sometimes they will match another agent’s offer. Join and follow private groups on social media that relate to Celebrity and The Retreat to find travel agents offering deals. Sometimes these groups are moderated by travel agents, so they post deals in the group. By using a TA you will relinquish control of your booking, but that has never been an issue for me. Ask friends, family, and fellow cruisers who they book with. If an agent that you have reached out to for a quote responds timely, thoroughly, and professionally to your emails and messages, that is a good sign you have found one that is eager to earn your business. I never book direct unless Celebrity’s direct price is astonishing. If I book direct I transfer the booking to my preferred travel agent within 30 days for additional on board credit from her. Hopefully this helps and falls within Cruise Critic guidelines.

Enjoy Bimini and your final evening on board!!

https://www.winespectator.com/articles/rest-awards-entry-guidelines Thanks Mark. Providing link to application process just for reference.

I am pretty sure the restaurants that receive these awards make the submissions themselves. Our local newspaper recently disclosed this fact in an article they did featuring the local restaurants “awarded” by Wine Spectator. I wonder who at Celebrity is responsible for making their submissions.

You chose a wonderful ship and itinerary for your sister’s first cruise. Going forward we are mostly sticking with the verandah accommodations like yourself leaving cash in the cruise budget coffers for additional cruises. Some of the jumps in price from verandah to aqua and aqua to retreat are insane as @Georgia_Peaches just provided an example of. (When I booked three months ago, nearly two years out, I splurged and snagged the last non-accessible entry-level sky suite on the 4/4/26.)

I follow Captain Kate on Insta too despite the naysayers shouting, “Who cares who the captain is?!?” We experienced Good Crew Vibes on our Equinox ABC cruise with Captain Kate at the helm. Sure there are other great captains that set a positive tone on board, but I found the atmosphere on board her ship to be markedly positive and fun. Everything funnels down from the top. I am very much looking forward to watching her daily Captain’s Log again and sailing with her in September. 😄

Staying on topic…last I checked pricing on that sailing had not yet gotten too hateful. We could have quite the Cruise Critic meet and greet on board. Will this be your first MSC? YC I presume.

I know!!! 🤩 The stars aligned. You have to! It’s fate! Book it!

4/4/2026 Silhouette Come join us!!!🤗 Looking at other lines for sure. It is always good to have options.😉

Same. Supply and demand pricing. Some sailings are filling up causing prices to rise. Over the last few months we have made all of our bookings for mid-2025 through early-2026. This is a new concept for us. Our booking habits have quickly become akin to the philosophy of choosing preferred itineraries in our preferred stateroom categories at the best prices. More often than not this involves booking far off into the distant future. I am now looking to complete our travel planning for the remainder of 2026. I am grateful for group pricing with refundable deposits on most of our selections.

Thanks. Sometimes we do this on the other classes. I will have to investigate the seating options in the rear of the theater on Beyond. Beth, feel free to consider this a subliminal request.😜

I had no issues browsing my planner earlier this morning, but I found absolutely nothing that would prompt me to book or reprice.