Banjo

On all my upcoming cruises, except the RCCL cruise, I booked early. Landed hump cabins, good perks & up to now a good price (all have went up).

Since you can get out of it up till final payment, recommend to go for it.

It's been my experience if you book when the cruise is first announced or after the final payment date you'll get the best fare.

Also, it's important to take into consideration perks.

Beanb41 wrote:

 

" As over 80% of passengers now have a drinks package of some form this benefit is becoming redundant"

 

 

I'm curious where you got that number from?

I would also say that's a little high.

If you take a trans-Atlantic (not offered) the figure is a lot lower. Been on 4 and the bars are like ghost towns. Also, you get a older crowd & high number of elites and higher, they simply wait for the happy hours that pack the selected bars.

I never had them on my sea pass card. Always got a sheet of dated coupons on the bed when checking into the cabin. Each night you would separate them and go to the bars they accepted them. The 3 we frequented were the Ensemble Bar, Sky Lounge and Sunset.

Did you hang at the GastroBar?

On the Equinox one of the reasons for our multiple sailings!

Yea, that a nice place to fine craft beers. They have a refrigerator with a glass doors and you can peruse the selection of beers they have.

I had heard they served Rebel IPA by Sam Adams but I am not sure if that is true or any other IPA

Mo

Last October on a Equinox Trans-Atlantic I had a few Rebels in the Sunset bar.

Deschutes Brewery is building a brewery in Roanoke, VA. Reason I know is Asheville lost out :'). We do have Sierra Nevada & New Belgium (just recently opened). Plus numerous smaller craft breweries.

 

 

That is great news. I need to check up on it as Sierra Nevada is still family owned to my knowledge and hope Deschutes is too.

 

Want to make a trip to Asheville next year and stop by Sierra Nevada brewery. We were in Asheville earlier this year and ran out of time. Love the small breweries there. Just have to bring in some food/snacks unless a food truck is outside. :):)

 

ShipShape, for Sierra Nevada you'll need to make a reservation, it's done online and it's free. You'll love the complimentary tap beer in the Tap Room. I have not been over to New Belgium yet, but plan on doing that soon.

Which one? Looks like they have a number of IPA's, double IPA's.

 

My favorite IPA recently is called Fresh Squeezed IPA from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon. Closest place to Atlanta, GA is potentially a bar in Charlotte, NC. Brewery shows a number of locations in TX. So many great beers with limited distribution and I understand why, bummer though. We are finally getting a brewery fairly close by and my fingers are crossed! :)

Deschutes Brewery is building a brewery in Roanoke, VA. Reason I know is Asheville lost out :'). We do have Sierra Nevada & New Belgium (just recently opened). Plus numerous smaller craft breweries.

On a recent Celebrity Cruise I had a Rebel IPA which is a Sam Adams Beer.

Interesting. Does that mean if you pay more for your cabin and it becomes a popular "guaranteed category" with a low fare, you're more likely to get upgraded than if you paid a lower fare, such as those that are offered when the itinerary is opened for booking?

 

Just wondering, because I like to choose our cabin for specific reasons and don't really want to be upgraded.

I recall talking to one person that upgraded on that cruise, they payed an extra fee and moved up to Aqua Class. For me on my trans-Atlantic, I was on deck 6 which had a view of looking over the lifeboat to see the sea. Not a desirable cabin and I can see passengers who payed more wanting out of that room. Probably agreed to transfer to another veranda.

But to answer your question, I don't know.

Now this happened to me, not on Celebrity but on Princess. I was on the Emerald Princess for a Baltic Cruise. I unknowingly booked a handicap room that was an obstructed ocean view cabin. When I arrived at the terminal in Copenhagen to check-in I noticed the desk staff giving me another cabin. When I told her that not my booked cabin she responded, trust me you'll like this cabin. It was a mini-suite. I had no problem with that.

Don't confuse Celebrity wait list to airline standby. Airline standby your waiting for someone not to show up at time of departure. Celebrity wait list, you have a cabin, you just don't know which one.

2 years ago Celebrity listed VERY cheap fares for verandas on a trans-Atlantic cruise 2 weeks prior to departure. We booked wait listed and was told at time of booking, we have a veranda cabin but they just don't know which one. About 5 days prior to departure, they informed me which cabin they assigned. I later learned on the cruise that, because of the low ball fare, they had to up graded a lot of passengers who payed a higher fare.

on a longer cruise a lunch in Blu is a nice change. .

Don't go to BLU for lunch. It's not served.

If joining someone in a suite at a cost of $50.00 pp per meal. That is a lot for bacon n eggs!:eek:

Agree

I do not believe this is accurate. They dropped the fee for suite guests to dine in Blu a couple of years ago. :)

I never stayed in a suite but stayed in AQ many times. Wasn't it prior to Luminae, which only been around 2 or 3 years, suite guests dining room was BLU? I seem to recall this family on a Fall, 2014 Eclipse Azores/Canary Island cruise , with several small children, who was down the hall from us in a suite had both breakfast and dinner in BLU.

Also, since Suite can dine in BLU (space available) can AQ dine in Luminae (space available)? Just asking :D

I've gone on several Caribbean cruises with Celebrity in January, probably count on my one hand how many were on-board.

I think once school is back in session, a few days after New Years, you will see very few children.

We've been on board for two Olympics and Celebrity didn't show anything. I asked why and they said they didn't want to pay the broadcast fees.

I remember I was on a Equinox TA during last Fall World Series. The Cubs and Indian supporters on the ship in the middle of the Atlantic made such a stink that they managed to get it televised.

TAs on Celebrity are always full. The vast majority of passengers are repeat customers.They've never been in the "matching game". They just offer a great experience at a reasonable price. I'm certain that you will enjoy whatever cruise you select.

Same experience. I been on 4 TAs the last 3 years and no perks. Now I have been able to score some very inexpensive bookings. That's the trade-off. Also using Choice Air or miles for your ow flight is a very reasonable way to include seeing some part of Europe. In the past we included seeing Prague, driving around Ireland, driving up see York, UK , etc..

Most of fellow cruisers on these TAs also realized this. Most are older ( I hate to admit I am in this classification) and Elite or higher. Often you may have to wait a little to get in the Tuscan for the Elite breakfast. You will get coupons for the Captains Club Happy Hour and the Sunset Bar, Sky Lounge and Ensemble Lounge will be crowded between the hours of 5p-7p.

I have a count-down clock for nineteen.

I use them as a reminder to do certain things (like book tours, go over my cruise/order luggage tags with Celebrity, do express pass, etc..), make hotel/plane reservations and to remind me when final payment is due :(.

As soon as I return from the cruise I delete it.

Thanks so much for all of the advice you have given us, so many choices to select from! The cruise will be great fun for sure.

Wow! Your post & thread got me psyched. I am booked on your cruise next year. I booked it when it 1st was announced and seemed like that was ages ago. Never been to Hawaii and it's on my bucket list. When you get a chance after you return, please do a review, I be very interested in reading it.

Lynda is the maitre d. Anitsa is the manager.

Lynda is very good. After a day she will remember your name and your preferences on where to be seated.

We are sailing on Oct 9th from Rome on Reflection. Could anyone advise if the above pool is heated like the one on the Equinox? We really liked getting into that pool in the mornings, lovely land warm. Those on the Constellation and Eclipse were not. We hoped they would be but were disappointed to find them cold...!

That's kind like asking, how is the food? Some like it, some don't.

I was on the Eclipse last April and found the water temperature fine. Just remember, sometimes at night the pool is emptied and re-filled. That could make it colder till the water is recirculated several times.

My wife can't see past Blu, even on the first night. The rooms are much and such the same as any other balcony cabin except for the shower. It has to be one of the best showers at sea. After a day out walking around the port or after an excursion there is nothing better than going into the rain forest type shower and then applying the jets to your aching muscles.

Don't know if you have cruised before but the staff at Blu and the room attendants are brilliant. We went on the Equinox two years running and the restaurant manager remember our names not just our last name but our first names. Little touches like that make a holiday.

Hope you have a great cruise wherever your going.:cool:

When your in Aqua, try those high pressure showers in the Persian Gardens. They really help with the aching muscles. :D

No

 

2018 Celebrity Cruises will "homeport" in Dublin Port which is at mouth of River Liffey very close to the city. They are doing work to expand the port so bigger ships can turn and won't have to come in stern first.

I was in Dublin last April, in port was a Grand Class Princess ship (about the same size as a S class ship).

It was docked at North Wall. The ho-ho bus I was on went right by it.

Not if they are doing their job!

A few Celebrity cruises ago I was 5 points from Elite and I went to the Captains Club host and did not get anywhere. Oh well...

We did not receive the welcome bottle of sparkling wine in the AQ - did that change or do we just have a bad room attendant?

 

The new webpage does not list it anymore.

Just ask the room steward, he or she will bring it.That's what I had to do on a recent TA,

I recently had asked the same question, you may want check my post.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2517458