lalauren

1400 on August 5, 2022 Scarlet Lady Dominican Days

Just over 900 sailors for 5 Day Mayan Sol July 31. Shows are full but overall a nice quiet vibe!

Hubby found this online when researching the same question for July 31 Mayan Sol. Same voyage as you? If so, see you on board!

Dominican Daze

August 5-10, 2022

https://virg.in/omA7

Mayan Sol

July 31-August 5, 2022

https://virg.in/oWKv

Checked for our 8 day ABC and would receive $200 OBC but total fare would go up $900 for Concierge. Happy to keep our previous price from last month's sale instead!

Agreed with the other posters that the cost to upgrade to Elevate right now is a very good deal for anyone who plans to take Celebrity excursions (and enjoys the fuller beverage experience), especially now that the cost to upgrade to Premium from Classic on board has increased. I wonder if this will remain the case after the current promotion.

The tea we recently enjoyed at high tea on the Nieuw Amsterdam was delicious! Does anyone know what type and brand it may have been?

4 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

 

I'll try to after we return on the 22nd. I won't be posting anything here while on the cruise, just before and possibly after.

 

For starters, we were originally assigned a mid afternoon boarding time (Group C) for a 4 pm departure which we didn't particularly like, and then we got bumped back to later in  the afternoon (Group D). That prompted me to call HAL and request an earlier boarding assignment time, which they accomodated. 🙂Now we're happy campers with a (now) final assignment to Group A. 😃

Thank you! We currently have boarding group J but also have a guarantee suite room (for the first time) with the stateroom still to be assigned. Based on your message, it sounds like more boarding group changes could be to come. I may also try calling as we get closer to sail date if the boarding time is still late.

26 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

 

Okay, that explains a lot for me. Many people are reporting a very different (much less chaotic) boarding experience in San Diego where we'll be boarding on 4/13. Happy to hear that your experience was not in San Diego. 🙂

Please keep us posted on your boarding experience in San Diego for April 13! We were just assigned a San Diego boarding time of 4 pm on April 26 on the Nieuw Amsterdam, which seems somewhat late. (The ship is in port all day as part of a longer Fort Lauderdale-San Diego-Vancouver sailing, and it does not leave San Diego until 10 pm.) Would love to get on earlier if it's possible.

In my experience on the Edge this February, I found that you can arrive at any time and stay as long as you'd like. (The reservation time doesn't mean anything.) I'm not as certain about being able to return more than once on a single day, so I will allow another poster to address that. 

There is no feature, such as a pool or hot tub. 

Underneath the bathrobes (provided in the changing rooms), people typically wear swimwear. For me, that meant a one-piece bathing suit. My hubby wore swim shorts and a swim cover shirt. Do wear something! 🙂

Spicy Passion: Luminae, Celebrity Edge, Feb 2022

Kind of tasted like pizza!

5 minutes ago, WhiteSoxFan said:

I'm not really understanding the requirement for a NAAT or antigen test 3 day prior to a cruisers flights departure.  What flight and why would this be required?  I can fly anywhere in the US without a test. Celebrity has said no testing for vaxxed pax.  Is this a a requirement to return to the US?  If so why does it specify before your flights departure, what if you drove to the port. 

 

Everything else is pretty clear.

 

I'm still curious how well Celebrity will be able to weave around their 100% vaxxed above 12 requirement and the ridiculous Florida law.

Hmm...on this other page (https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/us-travel-requirements) it says, "All non-US residents must present a negative NAAT or Antigen test taken 3 days prior to their flight’s departure." Though the PDF says "all travelers," perhaps the pre-testing requirement is only for non-US folks who are flying into US for the cruise. I'm not sure!

Helpful info at https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/healthy-at-sea-protocols.pdf

If I'm interpreting correctly, looks like testing will be required prior to flight but not after the cruise (for vaccinated folks).

Lunch-size croissant from Oceanview

Grandma's cake from Oceanview

Creme brulee

Pistachio creme brulee from Tuscan Grille

Strawberry soup

Hot dog from Mast Grill (really!)

Pasta Carbonara from Tuscan (Edge)

Cheese Saganaki appetizer from Cyprus

And now for the main dining room. I would suggest getting turkey at lunch buffet in order to try something different at dinner. I loved the steak dianne!

I was on the Reflection last year for Thanksgiving and came in without expectations. I was pleasantly surprised! Wonderful lunch buffet with turkey carving station and delicious sides including mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing. Plus adorable turkey themed cakes! The dinner had smaller portions, which included a modest turkey plate (my parents both requested all white meat and were accommodated), a ham plate (with some different sides), or other regular dinner options. Dinner portions weren't huge (not enough mashed potatoes or piles of sides like I'm used to), but there was always the option to go to buffet for family style (dinner, part 2!) or ask the server for more of a favorite dish. Also, the captain made an announcement before dinner to wish all of his guests from the U.S. a happy Thanksgiving (and we, of course, were in the Martini Bar, so there were toasts and cheers all around). 🙂 I'd do it again in the heartbeat. More family time-- plus no cleanup, way less stress, and an oceanview!

Photos below are mostly of lunch buffet. After the menu, you will see the dinner photos.

I totally get that, drakes2. There are definite perks to booking directly. 

Just to be clear (so I'm not bashing anyone), my agent reached out to Celebrity right away (via email), but there was no urgency to the request, so it took a while. 

An update, as promised. I contacted my travel agent and she was able to change the not-so-great guarantee cabin (after it was assigned) to a C3 of our choice! (It took two requests and more than a week for Celebrity to make the change...but our room was still available, and I appreciate the opportunity to change.) Can't wait!

Thanks so much for these details! I'll give it a try and keep the board posted.

18 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

 

--duplicate post--sorry!

That's awesome. Thanks, Jeremiah!

Booked a concierge guarantee IV the day the Veteran's Day sale was announced (for Jan 12 Edge cruise). Room was assigned in about 3-4 days. Right underneath the magic carpet and next to the suite room that juts out. 😞I can't argue with saving about $700 but am kind of bummed to have what seems to be one of the worst possible concierge cabins.

I prefer main seating because it's closer to my usual dinner time (5-6 pm). My hubby and I tend to be paranoid about not missing the ship, so we tend to be back on board with plenty of time to get ready for dinner and enjoy a drink beforehand. I also enjoy the shows or walking around underneath the stars afterward. (I'd probably just be thinking about food all the time during the show if I did late seating.) I also prefer to let my food digest before going to bed (I'm usually wiped by 10 pm).