Jeremiah1212

It's actually the opposite. TA's can hold unsold group allocated space until 150 or 120 days from sailing. If the situation occurs that TA's are holding all of the available inventory (such as this case) Celebrity will require the unsold cabin allocation to be given up so they have inventory to sell.

Correct. A little earlier than normal but they can do it at any time, especially if all available inventory is held by TA's.

Just off Beyond which was my first experience on a sold out sailing since 2019. I think I've sailed Celebrity now 6 times since the post-covid restart. My experience was much the same as yours. The areas that were congested with lines (rather - those that can recognize a line and didn't walk up and shout orders but that's another topic), was the same as always. Cafe al Bacio moved very quick. The buffet was a zoo like usual but emptied tables were cleared very quickly. Martini Bar was busy but seemed to move faster than my last experience on Reflection. Pool Bar was normal. Additional help was brought in at bars during really busy periods. Guest Services almost always had every station staffed. There was just no noticeable reduction in staff. I did not overhear much complaining on board at all, aside from the usual. There is a big difference in validity and perspective to these horror stories that unfortunately scare people off.

It’s at Raw on 5 again tonight but it looks like it’s open for drinks for anyone wanting to go. The weather is perfect this evening, albeit a tiny bit windy.

Not always. Currently on Beyond and definitely watched the MC go past my balcony down to deck 5 last night

There is no guarantee you would win a bid, any bid. If a balcony would become available due to a cancellation or someone else moving up from that balcony category, then Celebrity has people willing to pay on standby to fill the cabin. If there is zero movement and no cabins become available, the MoveUp bid is rejected.

1. Visibility - it has you talking. 2. Email is relatively cheap - it's not worth the the energy to customize the output based on booking info. 3. Bookings with air/hotel/etc. add-ons have an exponentially higher retention rate than a cruise only res.

It may be dated info but at one point TBL had at least a 20% commission since they are acting as the broker. They're going to make money off the booking somehow. Viator (owned by TripAdvisor who owns Cruise Critic) has even more fees and is a little more sketchy. They allow vendors to adjust their commission to boost their ranking in the search results among other things. Basically the big guys eat the little guys.

Money. Gifts, t-shirt’s from home, religious stuff, candy…all super awkward and a bit tone deaf IMO. These people are paid to please and act appreciative. They aren’t your friends. They aren’t going to call you out on a strange gift before it goes into the trash. This thread gets even more strange. Virtue signaling is not a gift. Money is!

Day time isn’t much different but during the evening people dress nicer in general. T-shirt’s and gym shorts seem to be the norm on Royal. You won’t see much of that on Celebrity. You would have to get approval from Celebrity to purchase only 1 alcohol package. Classic standard price is $89/day and premium is $109/day. The Zero Proof package (soda) is $30/day per person. Plus 20%. You would be adding around $2300 (without getting WiFi) by not doing All Inclusive. It may not make sense.

We stayed recently at U Visionary near Trevi. It just opened in the last year or so. Very very dark rooms (which were great for sleeping off jet lag) and very large room and bathroom, especially by European standards. Breakfast was included on site. They will arrange any transportation you need. Would definitely stay here again.

I also try to find a well vetted local and book directly. You pay a huge premium for Viator and ToursByLocals. Last time I booked a Viator excursion in Greece, I found the guide's info afterwards and learned the he would have charged about 70% less than what we paid. I refuse to do big motor coach tours with groups.

Thanks for the observations. We get on Sunday on what appears to be a sold out sailing. The 12th is also heavily booked and the 19th is also nearly sold out. It's probably been a while since anyone on board is used to consecutive heavily booked cruises. They will find their groove again.

She's confused. That's just not how it works. Press her on providing the specific numbers available and see if she can find out. Or she's extra confused and doesn't even have SV's in a group (which would be more likely). I don't know how she plans on making a reservation with no cabin selection.

It's not a GTY SV. There is a lot of misunderstanding about Celebrity groups. The TA also sounds confused. The TA can see which cabins are open. I'm not sure why they would have told you that. Example: If there are 20 SV cabins, 15 are sold to customers who sold through booked through Celebrity. If the TA held 5 SV cabins in a group, there would be no more available inventory. There are 5 cabins open but technically they are allocated since 15 customers booked and the TA is holding the other 5. You could choose any of the 5 that the TA holds. That's somewhat of an over-simplified explanation. For this type of group the TA is not holding specific cabin numbers. They are just holding a predetermined number of cabins within a category.

There's the interior hot tub but you don't really have any view if you were sitting in it. The window that looks out onto the balcony is about all you can see. We would not use 90% of the space in either suite. My only real feedback from booking it for others was when they were on day 5 and didn't realize the primary bedroom could be closed off from the living area. Kind of awkward when sharing a $35k suite with friends 😬

You can step it up even more. The Penthouse and Iconic Suite (which may run $70k+ a week depending on the date) are both larger and more expensive than the EV. No matter how you cut it, despite the sheer pandemonium from some on this site, Celebrity is not a buffet chicken finger short of going under.

it’s possible they pull back on specialty dining staff on the short 4 nighters. Those attract a different group of first timers, budget conscious, etc who won’t typically splurge on extras. FWIW aside from Murano I don’t think I’ve ever been in a completely full specialty and that goes back well before COVID.

Taormina is a great little town although it's apparently experiencing a little boom since White Lotus was released. A private transfer is a bit pricy from Messina. The train down is also very easy and far less expensive. Istanbul also doesn't really need a tour if you want to visit the previously mentioned mosques. Istanbul is a massive place. Do some research to see what interests you. Ephesus is fantastic. A private tour there is 100x better than a coach tour. We paid $140ish for 4 people with a guide and a driver for an all day tour. Kasudasi itself has some pretty good restaurants along the waterfront. Plan accordingly if there are multiple large ships in Santorini the same day. Unfortunately the crowds can really change the experience. Naples can be a starting point that will allow you to see Capri by ferry, Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, Sorrento, etc. or just explore Naples. Unfortunately you can't do it all. Do you research to see what appeals the most. It's a really great itinerary but with the number of ports involved you definitely have to spend some time researching and planning.

My personal opinion would be in a Sky Suite (or maybe even Celebrity Suite) - no. An upper level suite - more likely for the right price. Especially if you have been on an E class ship and enjoyed the suite experience, a non-revolutionized S class just doesn't stack up.

You aren't able to do this. The easiest solution is to make the reservations for four then go to the dining room once you board and speak with them and adding the additional couple.

🙄 excuse the typo. very few people pay attention to the check-in time.

There is a Vacaya charter that week.

Looking at the German T&C's, 30 days is normal. I'm relying on Google translate but it definitely says 30 days. Try checking in on the app. It will either let you or it won't. You'll know instantly. Let's be realistic. Lately very few people pay attention to the boarding time.