swjumbo

18 hours ago, TeeRick said:

@swjumbo Are you talking about tomato slices for sandwiches?  Or actual whole tomatoes?  I think I have only seen chopped tomatoes at the salad bar.  Are you looking for small cherry or grape tomatoes?

Yes. And again all the veg seems to be chopped but everything else is great!

The previous cruise on this ship was challenging (apparently) with demanding passengers and unruly kids and the next one is a 4 night booze cruise so the staff are enjoying the relative calm on this one!

The ship looks amazing, passengers are enjoying themselves and the weather is unexpectedly warm and dry.

2 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

I don't understand, what would one do with a whole tomato? For a salad, I would expect it to be cut into a manageable piece. For a burger, I would expect to receive a slice.

It’s the small cherry tomatoes or even a small whole beet but everything is chopped. As I said it’s first world problems!!!!

Chemmo, we’ll do that for you in Tuscan this evening! X

It’s like the Independence for Scotland referendum.

Keep asking the question until you get the answer you were looking for!

Greetings fellow X Fans from the Silhouette in Norway.

Ship is full to bursting with hundreds of children on board but they are all extremely well behaved as the kids club hosts are superb.

They even had a pool party for the older ones yesterday evening in the Solarium pool. Amazing idea and not a water slide in sight.

The main point of this post is just about the food.

We only do specialty dining and have loved Murano and Tuscan but fellow guests are complaining about main dining.

The buffet hasn’t changed but (this is a first world problem and we are privileged to be here) all the vegetables are pre cut and there are no whole tomatoes to be found!

We even tried Lawn Club Grill last night and the salad bar is greatly diminished with no round tomatoes!

The portions in Tuscan are definitely smaller and we had to ask for more veg and our beet salad starter had one small beet cut into quarters. 
The staff, as always, are exceptional and we still love Celebrity! X

6 hours ago, prmssk said:

If you are not a suite cruiser who can afford Azamara, Oceania, or some of the other more premium lines, then your options are all going to be pretty comparable to Celebrity so which you prefer of those comparable options greatly depends on which specific aspects of the cruise you enjoy more.

 

I would put Celebrity, Holland, Princess, and Virgin on roughly the same level (maybe Disney too but I have no interest in that many kids or Disney).  We've done both Celebrity and Princess lately and much prefer Celebrity but that may just be our personal preference.  We hope to try Holland someday soon.  I don't know if Virgin is quite our vibe but it's not off the table as an option for us.

 

Another one you might consider is MSC.  We haven't sailed them yet but have two Yacht Club bookings coming up.  My understanding is that the ships are a lot bigger and the standard cabins are likely a pretty big downgrade to Celebrity but Yacht Club is a lot more affordable than the Retreat and I've also heard good things about Aurea (probably the most comparable to aqua class).

 

I suggest trying something different.  I've never had a truly bad time on a cruise and each one we take on a different line helps me better narrow exactly what I enjoy most when cruising.  Every line has a little different pluses and minuses.  

Have a look at a YouTuber called Gary Bembridge and his opinion on Yacht Club.

Makes for interesting viewing!

We’ve cruised both P&O and Cunard.

You will love Celebrity and it is a massive step up from P&O.

Absolutely get the drinks package. You’re on your holiday so why fret about looking at prices.

One final request. Don’t tell other P&O guests about Celebrity! 

29 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

With many of the posts on CC, it seems a boisterous maelstrom of personal affronts and self-degradation, all in the name of loyalty, or the lack thereof. It is certainly everyone’s right to personalize the nature of Celebrity’s new promotional strategies, if indeed they feel it is not intended to include them. But why would one feel that way? Why put oneself in a position of lesser importance and decreased desirability when that is not the intention?

 

A 75 year old cruiser who is relatively healthy has 10 more good cruising years, maybe. A 40 year old cruiser who is healthy has 40 more good cruising years, maybe. Senior cruisers are not a Celebrity liability and the need to expand product awareness with different modes and methods is necessary to enhance product awareness and appeal, to all generations. Don’t take it personal.

 

Us versus them has a negative connotation and no one should step foot on a cruise ship bearing that mindset. In my case those “them” folks include my three children - all in their 40’s – and seven grandchildren, ages 12 to 26. I will happily cruise with them and all others of their generations, on Celebrity, Royal, et al. That is not a statement which seeks approval and appreciation it is a statement of fact.

 

DW and I are cruising b2b in May 2024 from London, 19 days on RCCL. The ship has bumper cars. I love bumper cars and I will seek to attain the title of “Bumper Thumper”, leaving kids quaking in their shoes, young adults quivering with fright and older cruisers wishing they were like me. I could just stand by and watch. I choose to clash with titans, of any age.   

 

Southampton perhaps and not London?

43 minutes ago, chemmo said:

There frequently seems to be a Mr and Mrs Grumble in the Retreat lounge…My favourite memory was of a couple complaining to the concierge that their visit to Lisbon hadn’t been that good ‘…because everyone spoke Spanish’…?!?! It would have been funny enough if the lady had said Portuguese!

 

Sincere best wishes to you and your family for a fantastic cruise on Silhouette, our favourite ship. Such a pity she is not cruising from Southampton next year.

 

PS please don’t send the ‘young at heart’ oldies like myself off Celebrity and onto Saga!

Chemmo

We do seem to cross paths and one day I hope we might even be on the same ship!

Also, looks like it’ll be the last time we’ll be on Silhouette from Southampton which is very sad. 

The ‘Saga’ comment wasn’t directed at you! Lol

To everyone else…… could it be that Celebrity’s advertising has always been geared towards the same age range and it’s just us who have become older? 😉

Well done for starting this thread.

I have cruised with Celebrity since my kids were babies.

They are now 10 and 12 and we’re on the Silhouette next week, yay!

Celebrity is for all ages. 
My DH and I had an enjoyable 20 minutes a few years ago listening to an elderly couple complain to the Retreat Host about everything. It was actually quite funny because it was so ridiculous.

If the oldies aren’t happy the there’s always Cunard, Saga or Holland America but nearly everyone I’ve met, regardless of age, just enjoys cruising.

Keep going with Celebrity and have fun!

Methinks it might be over!

I always enjoy your comments so just being nosey.

Where you off to?

Having done all classes on S and E ships we won’t do suites unless it’s an amazing offer.

With all the upselling and bidding for the Retreat their areas are always busy. We ended up in the regular hot tub outside of the Retreat Sun Deck on Edge as it was empty compared with the constant full hot tub for suite guests.

Luminae has, on both classes of ship, been ok but on one Silhouette trip we ate in Tuscan every night.

Concierge Class? Not worth it.

Aqua? Absolutely because of Blu but only if we get a successful upgrade bid.

The long and short of it is that a regular cabin with a regular veranda and a drinks package should suffice.

Be nice to all staff and there will be no need for anything else. The occasional tip will also be gratefully appreciated!

Then you can look at the suite guests being escorted off the ship at the end of the cruise knowing that you’ll be on your next trip very soon because of the money you’ve saved and they probably won’t!

10 minutes ago, Joker54 said:

Thank You - it was very interesting and I enjoyed a few of his other videos. You have saved us a cruise we probably would not have enjoyed. We are both retired and our kids are in their 40's. We have no problem with children and are happy many cruise lines cater to families. Also happy a few cater to those of us who prefer a more quite cruise experience. Hope that isn't offensive to anyone.

 

Just wish Regent hard larger suites - oh well.

 

For the money a high end suite costs, one could get 2 biz class airline tickets to most anywhere in the world, spend 2 weeks in a 5 star hotel like the Conrad, dine in some amazing restaurants and still have money left over. Which is how we traveled for years and to many far away destinations. We only started cruising in 2016 enjoying the "we only have to unpack once" vacation.

 

There are pros and cons to both types of vacations - cruising or flying to a destination

 

Cheers

Thank you for your thank you!

We love Celebrity but tried Cunard last year.

It was enjoyable and we were in a suite but our main complaint was that we were still a tad on the young side for it but when we retire we’ll be back.

Gary Bembridge is also a fan and his videos about Cunard are most informative so it might be worth considering.

6 hours ago, Joker54 said:

We have several cruises on the books but only 2 are paid in full. The deposits on the others are minimal so we can walk away without a huge hit.

 

We are booking something in MSC Yacht Club in December to give them a try.

 

We are b2b on the Equinox in Oct so between those 3 cruises we hope to be able to make an informed decision. The cruising industry is ever changing so who knows.

Have a look at Gary Bembridge a youtuber who recently sailed in MSC Yacht Club.

It makes for interesting viewing.

9 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I asked for an email address and this is what I get.  You just can’t get good help these days.

You need to get yourself a butler! Lol

I’ve just looked at the Celebrity website and butlers are still included in a Sky Suite. 

Is it definite that this perk is being taken away?

8 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

They should have benefits when sailing with you for sure. But after they are out of your household? As we discussed the benefits are forever. It seems like an entitlement but it seems a lot of people these days feel entitled. I don't make the rules Celebrity does. So if they want to give out freebies that is the way it is. I don't really think we need to argue about it because I don't make the rules and as it is your children will have CC benefits.

HA! Totally agree. Lots of entitled people out there and especially in the travel industry.

You’ve made me chuckle!
 

2 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

If Celebrity wants to give out legacy benefits or Elite Plus benefits for life well it is their business. People are earning Elite Status not even sailing with the PUP points. Doing quizes I don't blame anyone for taking advantage of legacy status for their kids, (it is not like getting into college) or status when they don't even sail. Not my problem. 

 

I don't cruise for the benefits, I cruise often on cruise lines that don't give them out like candy, probably because they don't need to. I have taken too many cruises and in the course of time reached high status in loyalty programs but that does not move me to book more on Celebrity than other cruise lines. If they want to give me perks, fine, but they won't cause me to book Celebrity more or less. 

And why, if I’m paying full fare for my kids, shouldn’t they have CC benefits?

On 7/27/2023 at 1:55 PM, Charles4515 said:

Most airline loyalty programs I am in if you don’t earn points in any two year or 3 year period you lose your points and you have to earn your status yearly. None of the cruise line programs I am in work that way. I am Elite Plus even if I take zero cruises from now on. 

On 7/27/2023 at 1:41 PM, Charles4515 said:

I don’t think that kids should get Captains Club status based on sailings the parents booked and paid for. They should start at zero at age 18. 

Why shouldn’t they get the benefits? I’m paying full price for two adjoining cabins which have one adult and one kid in each.

Also, with the comment about being Elite Plus for life, that needs to be stopped too. If you’re not cruising regularly then you shouldn’t be using my lane to get fast track check in, drink my cocktails at and Officers’ party nor delay my free laundry.

There must be a minimum amount of nights cruised per year to keep your status.

11 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Here is your view of the spouting whales and dolphins on E class.  Enjoy the sea life 🙂 🙂 

 

Totally agree with each and every comment you have made. 
Also it’s interesting to note that the post above this is in loud, bold font. Pretty much sums them up and their love of Edge.

We also are losing our beloved Silhouette and getting Apex here in the UK next year. Not something that we’re looking forward to and these are certainly first world problems.

IV’s aside, Ben and David who we follow on YouTube commented on the Wonder of the Seas that there were no sea views either.

On 7/26/2023 at 4:20 PM, NorthStarStateCruiser said:

Answers are in post 7387.

 

No one likes a cheat.

 

On 6/21/2023 at 11:44 AM, Because_I_Said said:

I bring alphabet fridge magnets and post quotes on my door each day. Perhaps a few have clutched their pearls as they walked past but more stop to take pictures and have a laugh. It's a vacation. Have some fun. 

Sooo much naughtiness to be had here.

The removal of one letter on the second pic would have me in stitches!!

Love the coffin dodgers and Pinnacle comments.

Celebrity is a different class of cruising.

Think ‘W’ Hotel or JW Marriott at sea.

RC could be normal Marriott.

Carnival probably Courtyard by Marriott.

I am fortunate enough to be able to visit many cruise ports and on days off I just go to look at the ships and have observed the following about the passengers.

Cunard:    Advanced Years

Carnival:  Party and Loud

Celebrity:  Well heeled (not on short trips though)

P&O: Budget Brit’s Abroad

RC.  Familes

MSC and Costa:  Lots of foreigners

HA: Slightly younger than Cunard but not much.

You’ll love Celebrity. If you have kids they’ll love it too. In contradiction to other contributors kids don’t need slides, race tracks etc. If your kids are of normal intelligence they’ll enjoy quality time as a family and the opportunity to meet new friends.

An ‘expert’ gave his expert view on another thread and told us that if it was cloudy you won’t be able to see them!

Really? Lol

On 7/1/2023 at 7:19 PM, Keys Kathy said:

Europe is not known for its meat!

 

I’ve just googled best steak in the world.

Conde Nast or Elite Traveller would disagree with your informed opinion.

Why not book two suites? 
Then you’ll definitely all have access to the Retreat.