Georgia_Peaches

Thank you for this review! We just booked a 10 night Caribbean cruise for November. It will be our first Ocean View category and it's nice to hear that the stewards are attentive, regardless of category. Does Beyond have a World Class bar overlooking the Martini Bar like Ascent? It was one of our favorite places to hang out.

Hair dryer is in the desk drawer. It’s the kind that you have to hold in the button while in use. The shampoo is in a wall dispenser in the shower. I think there is also conditioner in a different dispenser and body wash as well. I usually bring my own hair products and dryer.

I booked on line via the planner.

The discount is 5% whether you book ahead of time in the cruise planner or when on board as a Captain’s Club perk. Something to note is that the price you pay in the cruise planner is entry level, meaning it covers the least expensive item(s) available to make…a paper weight and maybe something else. The price increases with the complexity and size of the item and therefore, there may be an up charge depending on what you decide to make. In my case I made a vase. I was up charged the difference for the vase but given a 5% discount on that difference.

Thank you for this explanation. Really appreciate it!

Yes, they do demos and you can either sign up for a class ahead of time in your cruise planner for a 5% discount or you can sign up on embarkation day. Time slots fill quickly. The first time we sailed on Equinox I poked around and didn't get a slot. I made sure to sign up early on Solstice last year. Well worth it!

OMG @DingoMom! Thank you for sharing...Glad you made a full recovery and I'm certainly sending out positive healing vibes to @calicakes. How dreadful.

Can someone please elaborate further on Club Orange? is this an added perk or an add on pass available on all ships? Advantages?

Yes! I don't recall if I could see the water looking downward but I wouldn't consider that an obstruction bc I don't do a lot of looking downward.

Extremely helpful and just what I needed. Very much appreciate this and your insights about the category as well. Thank you!

Whenever I've booked anything in the cruise planner, regardless of using OBC or my own method of payment, I've received an emailed invoice that indicated the price. Maybe go back in your e-mail? With so many SPAM emails from Celebrity, it can be easily missed.

Quite agree. OP was hoping to reach the Elite level so that they could status match to another cruise line.

We experienced English only out of Miami as well as PC. I believe the other languages were offered on the stateroom television. Perhaps they have toned this down for US departures although, our Miami cruise clientele was very European centric. Had a ball meeting new friends in the wine bar from France and Holland...before too long it was like a game of Pictionary as we drew out pictures trying to communicate...then someone got smart and whipped out their translation app on their phones.

In doing a general search for any cruise line going to interesting ports in the Caribbean for a milestone anniversary cruise, I came across a HA option on Nieuw Amsterdam. In reading the categories of suites available, it seems all are Neptune suites with different letters, which I assume indicate location on the ship. What isn't clear to me is what's included as a part of a suite vs. what's standard in every room. What are the automatic inclusions for booking a suite, ie. drinks package, wifi, grats? etc. And how would you rate your suite experience compared to lower categories? We currently have a 10 night southern Caribbean cruise on hold with Celebrity in a non-suite category because their rates are just more than we want to pay for a cruise to the Caribbean...hence, the shopping around. Thanks in advance.

On a side note, several respondents to this post have indicated they sustained the same type of injury as OP. Curious how this sort of injury is sustained so that I can make every effort to avoid. Sounds dreadful...not to mention extremely disruptive to the normal routine.

Just curious, what steps should one take in the off chance they sustain an injury such as OP's? Besides insurance, I mean. Genuinely curious and not meaning to be confrontational. @calicakes, I'm so sorry about your injury. My hope is that once you fully recover, you plan for this bucket list cruise once again. It will be even sweeter. As for the elite perks, it's frustrating but stick with it and you will get there. Have to agree with another who alluded to the fact that the allure of becoming Elite is greater than the actual benefits. The most important factor here is that you make a speedy recovery and recoup as much of your cruise cost as you can. Take care!

I never thought I'd consider an ocean view category but these rooms seem very spacious and a nice alternative if you don't want to go for the IV's and above.

We just booked cabin 9111 for a 10 night cruise in November. In light of recent threads regarding banging and popping noises (non-anchor related) I wanted to ask if you heard any such sounds during your cruise.

Yes, a cover up is fine. You’ll see lots of them in the OVC. Shorts/swim trunks and t-shirt for men are fine too.

You can get fruit and assorted pastry (not sure if it’s on the all day menu) in the morning which is the only thing I would recommend bc any other hot items never seem to arrive hot.

We enjoyed the glass blowing at the lawn club. You can sign up to make a piece or you can just watch. The artisans are very talented and help you create a beautiful souvenir of your cruise.

Maybe you could request one ahead of the meal?

Seashore, Seaside, Meraviglia. Haven’t ventured on any MSC ships that embark outside the US….maybe someday.

You can book a reservation but you don’t have to. I think some people make reservations because they want to ensure a certain dining room. The menus are the same except for a very small section that is exclusive to just that dining room. If you have a long excursion day I recommend you head to the dining room with the shortest line. edit to say on our sailing the shortest line was usually in the Cypress dining room.

There is no set time/table on e class. You pick your restaurant and your time. This allows you some flexibility and gives you a taste of all 4 dining rooms (if you choose). You can make a reservation for any of the dining rooms in the app but there may still be a brief wait. We loved Ascent! I hope you enjoy your cruise.