redhead9

2 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

I recall having to go through a special inspection in NZ because of a factory sealed can of academia nuts from Hawaii.

I’ve known a lot of nuts in ‘academia’, too. 
🤣

Did you find the need for cash (US$ or pesos) in Buenos Aires or could you use credit card mist places?

We expect to use Uber and the subway, primarily.

We are on this trip in two weeks, so following along with great interest!

In my experience, if you move an onboard reservation, you keep the OBC for booking onboard, which is based on length and type of cabin. 
But if there was additional OBC due to a promotion that was in effect when booked, you will lose that, if no longer offered. 

And here I thought it somehow involved red wine....

35 minutes ago, Blue Lagoon said:

Power bars are a no-no.

Oh, power strips!

For a second, I envisioned them confiscating Luna and Clif bars....😉

I was also erroneously charged for the minibar last month on the Connie.
It was on the final bill after returning home.

Yes, they reversed it, but does seem like a lot of ‘accidents’. 

I am a very picky water drinker, and I think the water on Celebrity is excellent! Have been on Connie and Edge this year. 
I prefer it to the metallic taste of their canned water. 

Save money and plastic/aluminum and bring a refillable container. 

We got off the Edge on Monday and didn’t get Covid, but got the usual ‘cruise crud’. Mostly cold symptoms.

But I must say, I didn’t see a lot of hand washing or Purel use in the buffet. Although someone usually stood at the entrance, they didn’t insist; no ‘washy washy’, as in pre-Covid days. Makes no sense.  
The Edge has great hand washing stations right at the entrances, and most still walked right by.  

As far as free drinks, when the waiter comes, mostly he asked what drink package we had, and we said ‘none, just Blue Chip Club drinks’; usually he also asked for room number—no cards. 
Beware, though, because I had one single drink charged to my acct from Casino Bar, which we never used ourselves, so had to be an ordered drink. 
I called Guest Relations, who said they’d call casino. 
Charge wasn’t removed, so called next day and was told it was a premium drink (only classic are free). 
Since I only order one type of cocktail, I could adamantly say ‘no, I only ordered ____, and it’s on the classic list’, and it was removed.

But, most folks might not be so sure at the end of a week, so beware of what you order. If it’s not a classic drink, they won’t warn you, and you will be charged.
Not sure how they can do that without having you sign something though. 

IIRC, the mayo is in a big jar, that you pump out into a condiment cup.

This might be a stupid question, but is the medallion waterproof? Do you wear it in the pools and hot tubs?

We’re on next week. Can’t wait!
Are the buffets still self-serve, or does someone scoop it for you? 
Also, is the mini-suite balcony larger than regular balcony?
 

We've sailed on Celebrity about 6 or 7 times in the past 5 years, and it's now easier to avoid gaining much weight, if any, since we're familiar with the food. We know what we really want to have, and what isn't as good as it looks, so we're much more selective.

But I think my best advice is to only take a literal 'taste' of dishes at the buffet. I like to try a lot of variety, but often only need a bite or two to be satisfied. Or I'll know what to go back to get more of, if it's really worth it. Hubby and I share a lot, too; especially with desserts. Again, a bite is usually enough.

Alcohol is a bigger problem, since with the drink package, we do indulge more than at home. And some coffee drinks can be a lot of calories, as well as juices and sodas that I may be more inclined to get since they're 'free'.  We're now getting more selective with beverages, too.

On the last couple of longer cruises (more than a week), we found that we 'hit a wall' at about day 9 or 10, where we're sick of most of the food and not as apt to overindulge.

On 9/7/2019 at 9:44 AM, calicakes said:

I don't know if this is true, but I wonder if the Oceanview desserts come in frozen and are defrosted.  There are a lot of mouselike things/cheesecake type desserts.

Were you on a Disney cruise....?? 😉 (sorry, couldn't resist!)

I loved our first Mediterranean cruise, and felt it was a great overview and first European cruise. It was R/T from Barcelona, and hit a couple of stops along the French Riviera and several stops along Italy. We spent 3 nights pre-cruise in Barcelona and really enjoyed that city immensely. 

We have since been to Greece, and the Greek Isles and also LOVED that trip (including Ephesus in Turkey). Santorini was my absolute favorite--you're sailing inside an ancient caldera and looking up at the white-washed buildings atop the 900 foot high walls of the ancient volcano! Amazing scenery! 

In both cases, the shoulder seasons of April/May and Sept/Oct are quieter and less expensive (and less hot!)