Banjo

I was on the Constellation last month. I know I had a drink prior to leaving Tampa and when docked in Key West, don't recall any added costs. I did have a drink package.

I used Uber to catch my Tampa departing Constellation cruise from a airport hotel just a few weeks ago. Was at the hotel under 5 minutes and had me at the cruise terminal drop-off in around 20 minutes. Worked great and it was under $20. 

On 2/28/2023 at 5:42 PM, kannna said:

Waffles can be found premade on either side of the buffet

 

BUT

 

The best waffles are waaaay in the back of the buffet at the grill where you can get them fresh out of the waffle maker. They also make fresh toast and eggs there 😉

Thanks, will be on the Connie Monday. I will check that out.

I been to Labadee just once on Celebrity. It was back in 2015 and was on the Silhouette.

I liked it. Did the boat tour they offered. It was nice and relaxing. Also did the zip-line they had.  It was good, reasonably long and thrilling. What I liked about the zip line it went across the water, so no fear of the line snapping and  me landing on land 🙂

I did not partake of the buffet. Cannot comment on that. Just had a beer.

Looking forward to doing it on my upcoming Edge Suez canal cruise in November. This cruise has a good number of sea days.

Talk about the good old days, about a decade ago I did one on the Emerald Princess. They gave you a bath robe. Really nice heavy one (the kind you get in Aqua and suites). Still have it and use it.

Now on Celebrity it seems out-of-pocket tipping become a lot less.

I been on 3 cruises with Celebrity since covid decreased, all on Edge class ships. On all of them auto tips were included in the price of the cruise. We rotate between the 4 MDRs, so never see the same waiter or asst waiter.

Only steady staff member was the room steward. Always throw him/her a few bucks depending level of service and if I had any special requests.

6 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

No. The MDR tea is gone.

Just saw your post, so they did away with it. Oh well.

I have not been in awhile,  but the Elite or higher used to or still has a High Tea on a sea day.

Problem is they had it around 3pm, ruin dinner 😞

I recall back in 2014 I booked a Black Sea cruise out of Istanbul, I believe it was on the Summit. The cruise included several stops in Crimea. It also was cancelled because of the Russian takeover of Crimea.

When we sailed last March on the Caribbean Constellation cruise we had 850 passengers. Capacity is around 2100. I have to admit, it was kind of nice.

On that cruise I booked 2 cruises at the Future Cruise Desk. An October, 2022 Edge Trans-Atlantic. They had one Aqua Class cabin available and pickings in the Veranda Class were slim. We selected a Veranda Class cabin. Also booked a Edge October, 2023 Suez Canal cruise Rome-Dubai. Again, pickings were slim. The Celebrity agent said this was a very popular cruise with its itinerary. Because of cost on this one I selected again Veranda Class.  

I did ask the Celebrity agent about capacities saying "this is great for me but is it good for the industry"? She noted that Tampa has been very slow because Celebrity is new out of Tampa and the capacities have been picking up. Celebrity Caribbean cruise leaving from Ft Lauderdale/Miami have been much better. I did talk with other passengers that did this Constellation cruise several times in November/December/January/February and they also confirmed the numbers have picked up saying back in November it was around 300.  

I am glad it's picking up. I hate to see this industry die. I enjoy cruising.

Yes. That is all I got for a March 18th Constellation cruise.

Go to Walmarts.com. Fill out the questionnaire indicating when you like to have it done. Did mine through the drive-up window and had the results within an hour.

8 hours ago, Homosassa said:

Cruised on the Constellation in February.

 

She is in beautiful condition.

I just got off her last Monday, I thought so.

I was on the Constellation for a Mar 18 Caribbean cruise, we only had 825 passengers. Max for this M Class ship is around 2100. 

I did book a Trans-Atlantic October, 2022 Edge cruise at Constellation's Future Cruise  and was informed Aqua was sold out. Also the Veranda choices were limited.

Go figure.

I haven't brought wine on board in years due to AI.

A few years ago I was on a trans-Atlantic which stopped in Madeira. Went on a wine tasting tour and bought a bottle of Madeira wine along the way. Upon boarding security took it. Celebrity was decent in that 2 days prior to docking in Ft Lauderdale (the end of the cruise) they let me get it so we could enjoy it with dinner the final 2 nights.

Concerning a corkscrew, one is usually in the cabin refrigerator. Not great but will work.  

I only experienced Mass once on a trans-Atlantic and I have done 9 TA's with Celebrity. It was back in 2015 and we had on-board a Swiss missionary priest that was returning home from Central America.  He did daily Mass every evening in the small conference room on sea days-which we had a lot being a trans-Atlantic and Sunday's Mass in the theater. He had no affiliation with Celebrity other than being a passenger and Celebrity gave him access to the rooms. I did get to speak with him on tours of Fatima (the ship, which was the Silhouette, stopped in Lisbon) and Santiago de Compostela (the ship stopped in Vigo). So I guess by chance you have a priest that is a passenger and he is willing to do it you will have Mass.

Back in March, 2020 I cancelled a trans-Atlantic cruise scheduled the following month in April. I booked it back in October 2019 on a Celebrity Cruise and transferred it to my TA. With the booking I was given cruise credit and used that to book some tours.

My credit card did not start to show credit till September, 2020 (after several calls to my TA) and came back piece-meal with credits on my credit card showing up on different days. No notification on what credit was for what.

I did put a deposit for a Asia cruise in July of 2020 for a April 2021 cruise. One day in October 2020 I see a full credit on my credit card with no email notification. Few days later I found out the cruise was cancelled.

I have not cruised since that October, 2019 cruise. I am looking at a 10 day Constellation Caribbean cruise for March (really aching for a cruise) but I don't plan to book it till the end of February to see how this whole Covid thing works out. 

Like the Peabody in Memphis, have them march in the Grand Foyer.

Any recommendations for limo service from a hotel in central Florence to Civitavecchia  Cruise terminal?

We would require something more than a car being it would be 2 couples with luggage.

Appreciate any suggestions.

About 9 years ago I took the ships tour (great tour) on the Emerald Princess. When it was finished, along with other stuff, I was given a robe. Nice plush robe, still have it and use it.

I always wanted to take Celebrity's tour. Either it was fully booked or something came up. Does Celebrity do the same with getting a robe?

Also BTW, you get slippers also in Aqua Class which you can keep. They also come in a sealed plastic bag. I don't care for them because they are too loose. So we just give them away at Christmas. 

41 minutes ago, RMS Olympic said:

It’s sad to hear people make rude comments concerning someone else’s appearance. But then again that’s nothing new. One too many times in my younger cruising days people made comments concerning my formal attire on formal nights. Usually....hey, it’s not costume night buddy.

I was in my Marine Corps dress blues or dress whites.

Unfortunately I could not respond in the way I wanted to.

One time it was on Seabourn....so cash don’t guarantee class.

So for the edge...I’m going tasteful yet comfy.

Now where’s my lemon drop martini😛

 

I think it's fantastic you can still get into your dress blues. I would compliment you on that.  I only wish I could.

On 8/18/2021 at 7:13 PM, cangelmd said:

? You mean it’s the only one to offer Simply Sail, right. We have TA booked for fall of 2022, and it’s leaving Europe last time I checked, 😉

Right. The other 5 offer the perks.

I booked a "Simply Sail" trans-Atlantic Edge cruise for October 2022. It was the only one of the 5 other trans-Atlantic crossings leaving Europe in the Fall of 2022. 

I just made Elite+ (so I get the benefits offered) and I never sailed on a Edge class ship yet, it was the logical choice. 

Happy Celebrity introduced this.

I have to be honest, we are elite+ with about 20 Celebrity Cruises and I have to say kids are rare. So no complaints about unruly kids. 

My experience with our son, in the 90s through early 2000s my job had me on the Gulf Coast so we took a lot 4-5-7 day cruises from New Orleans. That was with NCL and Carnival. Lots of kids, so he had a great time. Later when he was in college we always took him on a 7 day Caribbean Christmas break cruises. Those cruises were with Princess & Celebrity. On these cruises he was too old for the kids/teen clubs so he had to extend himself to find things to do. I recall on a Princess cruise he did find a group of fellow college kids and they had good time. I have to commend the Princess recreation staff on one particular cruise, seeing this group they initiated activities for them. On the Celebrity cruise, I actually felt sorry for him with no one his age on the cruise. Did not even see that many young kids. He was forced to hang out with us which I realize was not what he hoped for on his Christmas break.

3 hours ago, Tony UK said:

Maybe issues like people feeling the need to reserve tables etc demonstrates the need to change to something new. We stopped going when we witnessed such excess, getting servers to deliver mulltiple rounds of drinks at once, tables full of glasses, people drinking to excess very quickly, people asking for whole trays of canapes for their group, and leaving most of them.

It spoiled what we had previously felt was a really nice friendly event.

Time for a change!

 

On my last cruise, Solstice Honolulu-Sydney 20 day cruise, September, 2019, they already opened the HH to all the bars except the World Class Bar & maybe another one-don't recall. It pretty much killed attendance at the Sky Lounge. At least on that cruise. Recall Marie, our Captain Club Hostess, going from table to table during the Elite breakfast asking to give the Sky Lounge a try for the HH.

Since the sky was blue and the Pacific was calm on that cruise we always opt for the Sunset Bar or the Ensemble Lounge if we liked the entertainment that night. 

I do have to admit, on earlier cruises we enjoyed the Sky Lounge. Met and conversed with a lot great folks. Some we are friendly with today. Do miss that.

2 hours ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Is there actually tables for two in S class Oceanview buffets?
Just asking.

The middle tables are probably tables for two but they have always been pushed together to make a table for four.

 

Unless you take your coffee outside to the tables by the aft handrail.

Yes they have tables for 2. On S & M class ships (not sure Edge class ships since my 1st cruise on them with the Apex was cancelled) look along section with the long couch sitting (opposite the oceanview window tables) and you will see tables for 2 if they did push the tables together.