Georgia_Peaches

Although pricey, we really enjoy Eden. Your drinks package will work in the Specialties. If you try Eden, I recommend you get your own crab cake. Don't let your waiter convince you that you can share. This happened to us and for what we paid to dine there, I deserved my own crab cake! I will add that a close second for us is the Rooftop Garden Grill. The food was great, lots of variety, and outdoor dining was a nice change of pace.

This is an interesting topic because up until very recently recently my experience has been that outside OBC, like from a TA or in your case, a pre-purchase did not show up on the account until after embarkation. However, the last two cruise I've been on with Celebrity, the OBC from my TA showed up in my cruise planner after I made final payment. I inquired about this with my TA the first time it happened because when I logged into my planner there was $600 that I wasn't expecting. So the long answer is, I guess it depends. Since you're gifting OBC, I would call Celebrity and ask when it shows up.

We actually enjoy the PI very much but I'm with @morpheusofthesea, I'm not in love with the Ocean House menu. I would definitely entertain the idea of spending the morning on the island and then returning to the ship for some nice tacos...I guess it's not cost effective to keep the venue open or you bet it would be!

If anyone can make this happen, I feel certain it's you! Here's another vote in favor of keeping Hola Tacos open on the PI day! Tell them Georgia Peaches thinks it's a good idea too and between the 2 of us, I think we can get this done!

Oh Jim...this is going to be good! So looking forward to following along. Safe travels!

@GPPhilly thanks for the tactful answer to the clientele question. I was curious because we will be on the Meraviglia over NYE and our party is a group of 10. We are civilized folks and seasoned travelers but I can imagine how our group might be perceived as 'loud' while having a drink in the TSL. While none of us are so rude as to shout across a restaurant, I do have some concern about our presence.

Wow! That's quite an age spread. As a 50 something, I try very hard to use couth and grace whenever I'm in public. Unfortunately, the older I get the harder it has become for me to hold my tongue when witnessing bad behavior.

And I learned something new! So thanks for asking the question!😊

Never heard of this either. Have you looked on YouTube?

There is definitely an atm in the casino but I have no idea what currency is dispensed on a Med cruise. I assume it’s USD.

They had a banner in the wine bar advertising the event. We had to inquire at the cocktail bar in the area of the wine bar and in doing so, we met the sommelier who signed us up on the spot. The cost was $99 pp. Included cheese, nuts, dates, crackers, champagne, and 6 wines.

It seems that way. But honestly, I prefer to be asked. Asking makes it feel as though it is indeed an earned perk. I am glad to read my experience is not the norm.

Wow...I'm starting to question if DM and I were actually at the correct Elite breakfast location. 😂 Seriously though, even as recently as August when I took my mom on her first Celebrity cruise, nobody asked me for proof of my Elite status. This was in Tuscan. Strange.

No, I'm afraid that area is an upcharge. I like the space a lot but it seemed under utilized, likely because of the added cost. However, we tried some nice wines and you can just get sample sized pours, which cost less. Additionally, when we sailed on Seashore, there was a food and wine pairing tasting event that was held in there and it was the absolute highlight of the cruise. They were generous with the wine pours and the group was capped at 16 people, so very intimate.

We will be on Meraviglia for NYE cruise and I really appreciate your review. Would you mind expanding more on the clientele? You mentioned they were rude...was this in the YC or in other areas of the ship?

Well there's "we're out if it" and "we're out of it and we're not getting it anymore'...but don't tell!

Well do tell..when is the next installment of 'Observations from the Poop Deck'? You know its bad when DH asks about Morpheus's next cruise...😂

As I said, my experience is that they barely, if at all asked for proof of status. One time I was asked for my card, the other times I participated in this perk, I was not asked for proof of eligibility (different sailings). Hopefully, I represent the anomaly. 💁🏻‍♀️

Do they have their own stateroom and a separate booking number? My understanding is that if you are traveling with someone in your stateroom who is not at the same Captain's club tier as you, they are able to join as your guest as they are on your booking. Separate bookings do not apply. Perhaps it's different if the bookings are linked? You can always email the captain's club concierge for clarification. Also note, in my experience they have been very relaxed in actually verifying the Elite level in that they have only asked for one card, if at all.

Personally, for a Rome based itin, I wouldn’t worry too much about the ship because you won’t be on it much. I suggest you pay closer attention to the ports of call to make certain it’s stopping in places you want to see.

You should, IMO most definitely shop around. I’m fond of the Celebrity product as a whole but have absolutely no allegiance to the brand. I go where I can get the most bang for the buck and these days it’s not on Celebrity. With 3 MSC and 1 Regent cruise on the books, I will only squeeze something in with celebrity if I can find a last minute deal or a really good casino offer. And one of the things I love most about Celebrity as it relates to casino offers is that even the ‘cheapest’ accommodation is pretty darn nice!

Sounds like you are off to a fabulous start! Looking forward to following along!

Another reason for one to just buy what they can afford/want from the outset. Sounds like MSC are streamlining their prices to reflect the going rate regardless of how one tries to approach obtaining the next highest category...bidding, onboard purchase of an upgrade, or original booking.

You forgot sore tooth kit. I was once on a cruise where I met a fellow passenger who lost their crown while on board. They had nothing for the pain. Once home, I added a toothache kit to my first aid travel kit.

That's awesome! I bet you were pumped. We booked the last YIN on Meraviglia for NYE cruise out of Brooklyn. I would love to upgrade to the Deluxe balcony but since almost half the cruise will be in cold weather, I think we will stay put. Our YIN price was $4500 for a week. Our travel companions all have YC Deluxe and they are paying $7700 for the week. I can't justify a $3k upgrade at the moment but will watch to see if those cabins come down in price. I wonder why they would sail with 4 empty cabins...not enough people participating in the bidding process?