mattersfact2

It's not Bistro on Five anymore. It's now Sushi on Five on all Solstice-class ships. The sushi is a la carte pricing, not the $10 cover charge it used to be.

 

Still good, but different.

Mmmm....Sound DELISH! (And the prices are on point with most sushi restaurants too).

Definitely NOT true in our experience, but on board booking policies can vary between the cruise lines.

I only have experience with Celebrity - they seem to be very generous with their upgrades, on board booking discounts, on board deposit discounts, cancellation policies, and ability to slide the reservation over to a TA.

Case in point....I booked online a few days ago. I already received an email stating that I could have $500 shipboard credit by booking my next cruise on board AND it can be combined with other offers. I will definitely be inquiring about an upgrade to my existing reservation, which will be less than a week old. If they don't, I'll cancel it and book again on board.

I don't think anyone mentioned Coba?

At Coba, there are several ruins in the jungle. You rent a bike and peddle (faster) or walk...then you can actually climb one of the pyramids. You can also see a ball court. Tulum is nice, but if you are there during algae bloom, you don't want anywhere near the beach (and it will smell at that time too), and the ruins are beautiful, but you can't touch or walk into most of them. CI is a long drive to get to, so you spend a lot of your time traveling.

For the time, money, and experience, I would check out Coba.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coba

Here's a tip if you hate your chin or jowls like I do...

Get 2 flesh colored Band-Aids...on either side of your face, just under your jaw, stick the Band-Aids, left and right, and pull them back some to just under your ears. Instant face lift! MUCH more flattering Passport pic too - especially since you can't even smile any longer. :p

You can put what I know about art into a thimble. What is "CP" and why does it matter?

CP - "Cancellation proof. When a limited edition of a lithograph or other press-process print has been completed, the stone or plate from which the prints have been made is defaced ("cancelled") so that no more prints can be made. A single print, the cancellation proof, is then made to show graphically that the edition of prints has indeed been limited in the most definitive way, by destroying the "negative" from which the prints were made".

Basically, if this doesn't exist, then they could be lying about how many actual copies there are.

I noticed the beautiful art on my first Celebrity cruise. I admired one particular painting enough to take a pic of the signature so I could look up the artist. Turns out it was a rather famous one, and I was suspicious about it being on a cruise ship up for auction. Sure enough, it was on my next Celebrity cruise as well - THAT's when I KNEW!

I know that a lot of people do NOT know - these are not originals. These are digital copies with a few strokes of paint layered on top to look like a real painting, and even if they advertise that these will cost you far less than a master (which is true) they are still way overpriced for what they really are. I would still love to have that one that I like so much, though. I bet it will be on my next Celebrity cruise next week! :D

I super coupon! Don't laugh! It's true! My best shopping week was $1700 in groceries for less than $400. By doing this and stocking up, I have reduced our regular grocery bill to less than $150 a month. All of that extra money goes for the nice things in life. :D

If you book the next cruise while on your current cruise, those are usually the best deals, then you can switch the booking over to your TA. If you have a good TA, they will monitor for better deals and price drops, etc, and they have the power to renegotiate your rate/deals.

I'm spoiled - even when I can't afford to be - I still pay more for that luxury.

The only way I would ever do anything less than balcony would be a cruise of 8 nights or less that has a port of call every day so I could get off and walk around.

We are taking a Southern Caribbean in 2018 that spends over 2 days at sea before we pull into Aruba, then after the last port of call, it's over 2 days back to Miami. You better believe we got a balcony, and further, we are splurging on a Royal Suite, because we are spending more than half of the cruise at sea. I am going to enjoy that balcony and the comfort of a living room and balcony hot tub. Now...if I could only get used to the idea of having a butler and that butler unpacking and packing my clothing and delicates.....

Forgot to mention too - I love Celebrity and never cruised with anyone else. It will be hard for me to take a chance with another line. You are treated like first class. Service is impeccable. Food is divine. Accommodations are as nice as any 5 star hotel.

We will also be on Equinox next week - I have only been on the Solstice class ships with Celebrity so far (Reflection, Solstice, and next week - Equinox). The Aqua Class is basically the same as Concierge Class except you get the perks of eating at Blu, which is more or less, healthier eating, and you get spa perks. Otherwise, you get an expanded room service menu, afternoon canapes (which you must order and be present for after day 1), you get some welcome fruit and I think you might get a bottle of champagne maybe (?). You also can order from the pillow menu, but you will need to ask for it. The veranda is nice, and it's lovely to eat breakfast out there. The rooms are surprisingly roomy.

You will get a schedule every afternoon/evening for the next day. If the cruise is at least 7 days (I think) there are 2 dress-up nights. These used to be formal wear, but they have relaxed that to "smart chic". There are shows every night, the casino is always humming, there are art auctions on every cruise (but it's not original art...it's reproduction glicee on canvas that someone added a few extra brush strokes to make it look real) - still, these are a bargain to purchase in comparison to the real deal.

If you don't feel like eating at Blu, you can request seating in the main dining room, or you can go to the Ocean-something or other - buffet, which has a TON of selection. Watch out at lunch time, because the buffet gets crazy busy. There is also a burger grill place near the pool, and a variety of other places to each for an additional fee. Honestly, the food everywhere is good, buffet or otherwise.

There are numerous bars, but unless you purchase a premium drink package, you will have to pay for the drinks at the martini bar and the molecular bar - those are top shelf. A classic drink package will pay for drinks up to $9, which is most of the time enough, and it covers even the fancy espresso beverages at Cafe al Bacio.

Depending on the ship, there may be a glass blowing demonstration that is worth seeing - it will be top deck next to the lawn. Sunset Bar is on that same level, aft (to the rear) and is our favorite place to hang out because 1) it's a bar and 2) it's the only bar that allows cigar smoking.

Near the elevators on different decks, you will find a library, a game area with board games, a lounge area, etc. There are bands playing somewhere every night. There are spots for karaoke. The gym is open all of the time with good quality equipment. The spa offers discounts when the ship is in port - take advantage of them. There is a movie theater and a film every night. There are theme parties. There are contests/games for prizes just about every night. There is an arcade room and a sport area for basketball and other activities.

And there are paid activities that you can take advantage of, like a tour of the galley, a tour of the Captain's deck, a tour of the engine room, cooking classes, yoga classes, dance classes, on and on and on.

You will never get board, and you will never have enough time to do everything. :p

Ketchikan

Juneau

I don't have pics of my previous dresses - they weren't very flattering, to be honest.

I just ordered these to be made for next year's Southern Caribbean Caribbean cruise on Celebrity. We may renew our wedding vows, plus they always have a couple of dress up nights.

I am getting one made in light yellow instead of the pink, so I changed the color in that image.