johno1234

OMG sounds like fun, I can't wait for this!

Watching this.

Business/first class seats are more profitable for airlines, so wouldn't surprise me if the cruise lines are finding the same thing.

But X are really risking alienation of their customer base if they go too far. If I feel like the available space as a non-suite passenger is noticeably reducing I'll avoid them and go elsewhere.

Upgrade to the Premium package from the Classic. They had a 35% discount once you board, but you have to ask for it. Most offer it for the regular fee, but we asked for a discount, so we both upgraded.

Cool - but is that just a one-off ship thing or is that available on all X cruises?

If you are paying for it, it is not a privilege.

Heh, that's so good I'm waiting for an opportunity to use it!

I have book thru shoreexcursioneer.com before (not sure if that is who you mean) and will do again for cruise in May. I also have booked directly with the company-say the barn for horse riding. I rely on trip advisor and this site a lot on reviews to make sure.

That's a useful website! I like that it knows all the cruise itineraries.

However... everything it shows has a super special price but when you book the price is much higher and this is before you even enter the date. For example there are various jetski/snorkel tours with "special deal" $89 advertised but when you click into it, the price is $119 and more.

Am I missing something, or is it a bait-and-switch scam?

https://www.amazon.com/Compatible-Panoramic-Traditional-Prevents-Tubeless/dp/B00ZSFDCV6/ref=pd_ybh_a_5?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=C3HW7EHQV6GBJJ4HKCNS

Seems to be a big thing... are they as good as they look and a must have for keen snorkeller on a Caribbean cruise?

Sorry. I thought I was responding to the OP.:o Peace.

Heh! I've been mis-quoted a lot worse! :)

But on a cruise ship it bugs or rubs you the wrong way.:confused: You don't have to take advantage of the perks you paid for. All about choices.

Huh? It was the OP who said that. I said "No more than..."

No more than it bugs me when I walk through business class into my cattle pen for a 12 hour flight!

What is IDF?

Israel Defense Force - i.e. Israeli military i.e. mess with them and they will mess you up.

Sure! I can tell you what we have received so far. I know there’s a website page that lists everything, but the internet is just “okay” from here. I might be able find it later.

 

-We got 4 bottles of water when we arrived this morning.

-There’s a phone with a direct connection to the bar steward. If you have a drink package it will apply and they bring you anything you want from the bar.

-They bring any food for free from the room service menu, and will bring food from The Porch or Lawn Club Grill for the normal cost of dining there.

-Early afternoon you get a fruit plate with melon, pineapple, grapes, and berries.

-Also early afternoon you get a cheese plate. Looks like cheddar, blue cheese, Brie, pepper jack, and (maybe) baby Swiss. Also has dried apricots and more grapes. Plus crackers.

-You get a bottle of sparkling wine on ice (with glasses).

-A plate of strawberries delivered later in the day.

-There are four pool towels in the alcove for your use.

-There are two large chairs (one has a large ottoman/footstool) and a lounger-style sofa.

 

I will update if I remember anything else, or if anything else comes up!

 

 

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When I first saw the "Alcove" deal I though "why bother" but am now reconsidering for the sea days!

Do they get booked out/Is it necessary to get in early to book them?

Here it is for Day 2 (at Sea):

 

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Aha! So there *is* a behind the scenes tour! Thanks for posting!

Have read several media reports about this cruise. There was a family group of about 26 feral animals who had been aggressive and causing scuffles including among themselves from the day the cruise started, and they were also threatening and abusive to others. Their behavior included scuffling with themselves and others in public spaces including in front of frightened children.

I believe that Carnival security failed initially by failing to clamp down on this behaviour on day one.

When the final mass brawl broke out it looks like there may have been some loss of self control by security but without knowing and seeing the full situation we can't know. I do believe however, that if the security people saw an individual as being a direct threat to their own and other's safety, for example they possess a weapon, that they may have been justified in kicking a person on the ground to incapacitate them and prevent them from getting up and using the weapon. We just don't know.

I feel very sorry for anyone else on that cruise and it reinforces my own rule about not going on any cruises of less than 7 days. The shorter ones have a habit of being drunken party cruises.

Soot is no longer an issue on any X ship. The stacks were fitted with "scrubbers" to eliminate it. Learned this last month during a bridge tour... Captain Kate explained it.

They do bridge tours? I was just trying to find such a thing without any luck. On Carnival its a bookable excursion that always fills.

How is the Celebrity bridge tour offered?

I bet after the cruise you won't care about the website issues! ;-)

Personally I'm not bothered - I don't feel the need to use the website as the TA is accessible and emailable. Why use the website when I have a TA "servant" to sort stuff out for me?

Again, I have to ask why you don't get a good TA? They don't cost anything to work with. The price is the same whether you use a TA or book directly with X and they will sometimes have access to fares and cabins you can't even see.

I would say *always*, not sometimes, if they are hooked in with the cruise line. In particular, it seems you can never find interconnecting cabins with the online sites but if you go through a TA they can access them.

And they seem to be able to add in discounts and perks not available online.

ChoiceAir is contracted out so it is not really a Celebrity website. That said it has worked out for me several times. Lower fares and several times refundable. Particularly on International Airfare or flying on mulltiple airlines. So when I am doing my air I always check it. Sometimes I have to call ChoiceAir but it has been worth it.

That's good to know. Our next cruise is a too far out to get airfares but will keep an eye on it. Our flights are long (Auckland - FLL with at least one stopover ) and they are expensive.

Which just goes to show what remarkable value cruises are. Even in the days of "cheap" airfares, you can get a luxury 11 day cruise including food and booze for similar price to a couple of 17 hour plane rides with no bed and awful food.

Haven't used the Celebrity Cruise website - did our bookins through a TA. But did try to use their "ChoiceAir" website and it looked like something I might have knocked together in 1990!

I'm forming the opinion that the cruise line and 3rd party websites are only good for checking prices. Everything seems to work better using a TA or cruise line rep.

The one time it is imperative to use Choice Air is on a TA cruise where you need a one way fare. For 2 separate cruises I could not find anything close to the fares I got via the cruise line for flights to Civitecchia or Barcelona. The only thing even remotely close was to book a round trip fare and not use one of the tickets.....but even that was more than I got via cruise line booking.

Tried a one way - just came out half of the return. I'll get our TA to see if he can do better. I'll probably just buy this flight with points anyway but would have saved them for another day if the ChoiceAir deal was super good.

Looking at AKL(New Zealand) - FLL flights, the ChoiceAir options are slightly more expensive and only include 2 stopover flights. Finding myself elsewhere can save a couple of hundred and get one stopover flights...

I think it's important to note.... Your service does NOT get worse if you don't tip. I think when people state they PRE PAY a room steward/server/bartender and ask or expect to be treated well in the days ahead, that X newbies might assume that service goes down the tubes unless one DOES tip ahead of the end of the cruise. ie: if you don't tip for the morning coffee delivery or your room steward for remembering ice, you aren't going to be ignored the next days.

 

We have been impressed by some staff and traditionally offer a thank you envelope at the end of the cruise. And we have always been treated with respect and good service during the days and evenings onboard prior to that thank you envelope.

 

Tipping is a personal philosophy and choice. As mentioned, no right or wrong answer to the "what should I tip" question.

We've done this with stewards too... no point tipping ahead of the service, may as well see how it is and slip an envelope at the end. As it turns out, we've yet to have anything other than great service.

Having read hundreds of tipping threads, I can tell you that the only "standard" is the recommendation that you tip what you believe is appropriate. There is no requirement to tip anything extra, though many (most?) of us do, but we all have a different viewpoint on what constitutes acceptable/very good/exceptional service and the appropriate dollar value. Bear in mind too that some passengers are more affluent than others and can simply afford to pay more.

Our upcoming cruise has prepaid gratuities and beverage package. So does that mean that the barman that makes my martini gets personally tipped out of that prepaid fund? Or do the prepaid gratuities get sprayed around all the staff (which would defeat the purpose)?

Same for the steward - does he get paid out of my prepaid gratuities?

If the answer to the above is no, then I'd feel I should tip them which makes prepaid gratuities pointless?

Sorry if this a dumb question!

Never been on Jade, but get the impression that many extras on megaships are of more attraction to the kids - stuff like flo-rider, ropes courses, water parks etc. Not so much of that on the Jade but DW and I more interested in the gym, pools, dining, shows, restaurants and excursions.

Plus you don't need a taxi to get from one end of the ship to the other!

It's not so bad that it ruined our trip - but it would be better without the bothersome interruptions. But if you are in a roped off area then they can't bother you.