sharonann24

We leave on the Edge next Monday for the Panama Canal/Southern Caribbean cruise. We have an Infinite Veranda on Deck 7, so I will be interested in that experience. We have no specialty restaurants booked, primarily because we are traveling with my father and brother and sister in law, and Dad is old school--MDR at traditional seating time at 8:30 all the way. We have done specialty restaurants on NCL but only when they were included in our reservation, since I agree the prices are high. Don't care about the dinner buffet since we never eat there, but I am glad the breakfast and lunch buffets are still good. This is our first Celebrity cruise and after reading some of the reviews I am getting a little concerned. Keeping an open mind, however since the itinerary is a first for us. I will be reading all week!

We are on the Edge on the February 13 sailing to the Panama Canal. I will be reading your review with much interest since some posts have not been great. This is our first Celebrity cruise (we also love NCL) and we will be traveling with my father (93 plus!) and my brother and sister in law. We have traditional dining--no specialty restaurants at all, but we do have the drink package! LOL. The ship looks beautiful and with our sub zero weather tonight in CT Ft. Lauderdale looks mighty attractive!

Thanks! Pretty much what I thought!

What exactly is "evening chic" these days? We are on the Edge for 11 nights in February and I am about to start my usual packing dilemma! I plan for dresses, possibly light slacks for most nights/dinner. My DH tends to the polo shirts, or a button down, and then usually will bring a jacket. Not sure about the tie. And how conservative are the ports (ABC islands and Cartagena) for day wear? Are shorts acceptable? This is our first Caribbean cruise in about 8 years so I would appreciate any updates.

Thanks again for your input. I know everyone's experience is different.

Good to hear! We leave two weeks from today and I am definitely in "pre cruise" mode! Looking forward to the warmer weather. How did you find the pool/sundeck with regards to crowds?

We are on the Edge and I was wondering about the brand of toiletries they carry. I usually just bring my body lotion and depend on the shampoo/conditioner/body wash on board ship.

Syd Norman's rocked! We are in our 60's and loved that place!

We do have a specific seating time--8:30. I am not sure to which dining room we have been assigned. my father (93 years and counting!) likes knowing the waiters by name. He and my mother were avid cruisers and are probably elite or whatever the highest class is on Princess and possibly RC. I am hoping this will not be a disappointment for him. But, at the very least, we do have the premium drink package, so if all else fails, we can resort to that! LOL. But other than the dining, are there any other major concerns, like seating at the pool? We do have four sea days and I am hoping we can get some time there. It has been awhile since we have been on a cruise in a warmer environment where the pool and outside venues are going to play more of a factor.

We are on the Edge for the Feb.13 Panama Canal sailing from Ft. Lauderdale. This will be our first Celebrity cruise though we have been very happy with NCL, Princess, RC and HAL. We recently took our first river cruise with Viking and enjoyed that as well. Having said that, we will be in the MDR every evening as we are traveling with my father who prefers to hold to the traditional dining experience (same table, same waiter, same time). We typically only go to the buffet for breakfast and occasionally lunch, so not sure how many of the buffet issues will impact us. Frankly, I think with the onset of all of the specialty restaurants on all cruise ships the MDR/buffet service tends to get short shrift and I am hoping this is not the case. We have enjoyed many lovely specialty dining experiences and have also had great MDR experiences as well. Fingers crossed!

I also got the upgrade invite and was looking only because it included the Thermal Spa. We won't be able to do any of the specialty dining options since we are traveling with my father, brother and sister in law and my father (age 93 1/2!) want the MDR. So I am thinking the upgrade money is not money well spent. Maybe the next time when we are alone....

Thanks so much to all who answered. I think the bottom line is that once we bring any purchase home it becomes special and unique, as it is a reminder of our experience.

Yes thank you. That is a family tradition and I plan on continuing it. My own children had boxes of ornaments once they moved out.

So, I am wondering what the prices are like for some of the typical souvenirs at the markets. We are coming prepared with euros since it seems as if that is best for the markets. For example, what would be considered reasonable for a nutcracker, or hats? I plan on doing some Christmas shopping. We also have two toddler grandchildren (ages 15 and 22 months) so I am very excited to see what kind of toys or trinkets I can bring back for them to put under the tree or stuff a stocking. 10 days to our flight and 11 days to the cruise on the Viking Alruna!

I also have been debating the shoe/boot issue. We have lightweight waterproof hiking boots which I have actually worn in lieu of snow boots when we have had light snow or just very rainy conditions. You may want to try EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports). They still have online shopping but many of their brick and mortar stores have closed.

I was so excited to see this link! We leave for Basel exactly three weeks from today. We are on the Viking Alruna from Basel to Amsterdam. We have cruised many times but this is our first ever river cruise and the fact that it is to the Christmas markets makes it all the more special. This is a retirement cruise and a trip I could never have made working full time. The link was very informative and I will look for additional tips and suggestions. And, yes, this is our first winter trip so any suggestions for packing, cold weather gear and clothing would be appreciated. We are from Connecticut so cold winter weather is the norm.