TheHawk1

3 hours ago, Bubbeh said:

Known here as 'budgie smugglers', for obvious reasons.

Oh no, you mean I will have to experience this on next year’s Australia/New Zealand cruise too? I thought it was only European cruises where I need to keep my gaze at eye level at all times 😁

1 hour ago, Ergates The Ant said:

I’ve never seen a man in a thong on a cruise ship! However, European men often wear fitted bathing suits, like underpants? Speedos? In fact, in France, long swimming shorts used to be banned in public pools , as deemed unhygienic. I don’t know if this is still the case?

Speedos, thongs, all the same to me, as little is left to the imagination and something that's difficult to unsee.

I realize you're asking about evening wear, but be prepared during the daytime to see lots of thongs at the pool, even on the men. Unlike their North American counterparts, European men don't believe in wearing board shorts.

Senior discounts are an urban myth.  If Holland America offered them, the line would go broke.

I agree that Royal could use more variety in their ships.  While I love Oasis class, it's size is restricted from so many ports that their itineraries have become overly repetitive.

But I don't think going all the way back to Radiance class size is the answer.  That's too small with not enough amenities or activities to do onboard.  Something closer to Voyager class would be better, which would be similar in tonnage to Celebrity's new Edge class ships.  Big enough to still offer some wow factor (remember that old RC slogan) while small enough to visit a wider variety of ports would be the sweet spot.

Decide what is most important to you to see in each port and focus on that.  Do not attempt to see everything on one cruise, as it is not possible and you will leave disappointed.

I actually did this itinerary two years in a row, first on Wonder in 2022 and then last year on Symphony.  This allowed me to split up my check list and capture most of the port highlights between the two cruises... although it was a rather expensive way to accomplish that 😄

There is no such thing as a virtual veranda on Celebrity that I'm aware of.  What Celebrity offers is a infinite veranda, which is a cabin with a large picture window where the balcony would normally be, in which the top half of the glass window moves up and down.

Royal Caribbean uses the term virtual balcony to describe interior staterooms that have very large lcd screens on one wall, that show real time virtual views from a camera on the exterior of the ship, to simulate what you would be seeing if you had an actual balcony. Two completely different things.

1 hour ago, cricketgirl said:

People seem to either love or hate the infinite verandas.  We MUCH prefer the infinite verandahs to a traditional balcony.  If hot or rainy, simply close the IV and you can still sit in the balcony chairs and use the extra space in your room, and also look through the floor-to-ceiling view of the ocean.  With a traditional balcony if hot or rainy you just don't go out there (i.e. less room in your cabin) and have to look through sliding doors, the balcony area with (unused) chairs, and also the balcony glass rail to see the ocean.  There may be times in inclement weather when the IV is locked and cannot be opened, but these are times when the weather is bad and we certainly don't want to be standing outside on a balcony in those conditions anyway.  Sometimes they are locked when crew is cleaning the glass, but only for an hour or so and this is typically while you are in port anyway - at least from our experience.  The IVs also provide privacy where a traditional balcony does not - no one can peek around and see you with an IV.  If not extremely hot or cold, you can sleep with the balcony down and hear the ocean and feel the ocean breeze all night - we loved being able to do this! 

 

Don't let others scare you off because we are all different, just know that positives for some are negatives for others.  Be sure to google infinite verandas and watch a couple videos to decide if these are right for you.  They are certainly not right for everyone, but we LOVE them! 

Yes,  you're allowed to love the IV, just like some people inexplicably like escargot.  But we can all agree they're not for everyone (on both counts).

What is confusing is why Celebrity decided to build a class of ships that had so many IV's and left people with so few alternatives. If you want a traditional balcony on E class, you either pay sky-high suite prices or you be the first to reserve one of only 36 Sunset Veranda cabins when sailing dates are released. Hopefully they will re-think this design with their next class of ship.

On 4/27/2024 at 8:18 AM, QuestionEverything said:

100%, I agree.

I will not patronize any ship that does not have a great forward view for all passengers.

I think of going through the Panama and observing the mules working and the lock staff.

I think of being in the Sky View on the Millie watching Venice rise out of the sea!! Oh my.

Humm, would not see that on Celebrity's newer ships.

The Connie is my favorite ship on the seas, next to the QM2.

Easy for me to eliminate many ships from consideration - size and forward view.

Have great travels D. B.!

 

That’s your criteria for a good ship, a forward view? I never even considered sailing on Celebrity until they introduced Edge class, as their older ships are too small and dowdy for the type of vacation experience I would be looking for. With Beyond being close to Royal’s Freedom class, it’s the perfect sized ship with enough amenities and passenger common areas to not feel bored for a week. To each their own.

As for forward view, have you tried leaning over your balcony railing?

15 hours ago, cbfb said:

What’s annoying is that it is not happening on all ships in all cabins. We were on Beyond in January in a SV cabin. Were told no it’s a safety issue. After we got off I saw a video of someone on our cruise in a SV cabin with loungers. Our friend were on accent in March in SV. They had a lounger on their balcony.  Makes no sense! 

You're right, it is totally inconsistent.  Apex SV had loungers and I would have certainly complained had they not.  Enough with the lame "safety issue" response from the crew.  Celebrity needs to fix this fleet wide and put at least one lounger back on all SV's, to eliminate the situation of have's and have nots. 

Have been on Sky Suite on Edge and Sunset Veranda on Apex (with SS booked for next year on Beyond).  I enjoy some aspects of the suite experience on E class, particularly the larger cabin and bathroom, the Retreat Sun Deck (still chair hogs, but of a higher calibre 😄) and the additional perks (premium drink and wifi package, but cost is embedded in your price).  I am not a big fan of Luminae's menus and prefer to move around to various ship bars rather than use the Retreat Lounge. Having priority embarkation and first in line for leaving ship at ports is also a benefit.

The cruise in a Sunset Veranda turned out to be just as enjoyable, i.e. the cabin was standard but nicely appointed and the balcony was larger than SS balcony (note, I would never book an IV cabin). We had a very attentive cabin steward who met all our requests and didn't miss the butler.  I liked the variety of moving to different MDR's and specialty dining.  When you pay for a suite, I feel obligated to get my money's worth from Luminae, rather than pay for additional restaurants.  I missed some of the VIP treatment mentioned above, but it also didn't cost anywhere near the same price, so the trade off was worth it, depending on your expectations. I don't believe there would be much difference between Apex and Beyond, in terms of the non-suite experience.

7 hours ago, hcat said:

We saw no one in shorts at dinner men or women.  I presume it  follows  X dress code..It is not Fine Cut or EDEN,  but not the buffet either.  Men were in khakis and polos or Carib style shirts ..ladies.  sun dresses, or  capris..nice tops..  sweaters needed if a cool nite.

 

btw there is no stuffy dress code on Celebrity anymore..just nice resort , country club standards. ..most men own khakis at least ...save shorts for the buffet or pool deck

You're right, the dress code isn't stuffy, I was only trying to be polite and not hijack the OP's review with another clothing attire thread. The more appropriate term would have been pretentious or archaic dress code.  Now I know which side of the debate you're on.

On 4/20/2024 at 7:00 AM, hcat said:

We ate at the Rooftop Garden Grill  on ASCENT. Had to ask the adjacent Pickle ballers to stop their overtime play..Plink Plink.

 

..It was a beautiful night.  calm waters, stars etc!  Service and food were very good but it was a very casual venue with tables closely situated and a few large groups.

 

We would skip it next time.except maybe for lunch..if no Pickleball.  I recall  lunch portions were huge on other ships..

So "casual venue" means we can skip the stuffy dress code of the dining rooms and actually wear shorts to dinner?

Thanks for the informative review... gave me some good ideas for our cruise.  I booked the Edge cruise that goes from Sydney to Auckland but drops you off there, rather than return to Sydney.  When you said you wished you had more time in Auckland, now I know I made the right choice, as we can stay in NZ for a couple nights post-cruise, before flying home. 

18 hours ago, Salt Lifer said:

I fully get it.  I just like the soup and figure it'll be a year or more u til I can get it again so I might as well enjoy it.  Plus, the serving is rather small so it doesn't keep me from eating other appetizers, too.

 

My husband gets the French onion soup every night, too.  We are creatures of habit. 😉

It's your vacation, so do whatever makes you happy.  Enjoying your review btw.

3 hours ago, spiff2 said:

I will be on Ascent in November and if I haven't gotten anything else out of this report, I have got to try some of that soup.

With apologies to the OP, no matter how good it is, I can't imagine having the same thing every night.

Yet another web site bug brought to you courtesy of the Celebrity IT dept.  I've had the same password for years and now had to change it just to be able to access my account.

14 hours ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

We just did the checkin for our May Silhouette cruise embarking in Amsterdam…which is 6 hours ahead of us. Checkin begins on the 9th at 12:01am Amsterdam time so 6:01pm today for us. I went into the app and was able to get my preferred checkin time of 11:30 (earliest available) without adding any other documents such as passport etc. Was able to do this for all passengers in my booking so basically DH and myself. @catspaw1 you shouldn’t have any trouble getting an early boarding time without entering passport or photo if you’re online when checkin opens. Good luck! 

I did the same thing for a recent February cruise and 11:30am was the earliest option.  I doubt  many people beat me to the punch at 12:01am, so thinking that Celebrity may not be offering any earlier boarding times, except to suite passengers.

That said, a couple recent threads on CC indicate that many people don't believe assigned check-in times apply to them and just show up for embarkation whenever it suits them. So staying up late to secure an early time may not be that worthwhile in the future.

22 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Oh. I'd only heard "lido" in reference to the pool. Hence my confusion. Especially since Celebrity doesn't use the term for the pool deck. I've only seen it on Princess.

They used to call the pool area the Lido deck on the old Love Boat TV show 😁

3 hours ago, Lastdance said:

Which other lines have better gyms?  Thanks for your review!

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class have better gyms than Celebrity, probably because they are larger ships and have more space to work with. I find there are too many cardio machines on Edge class, especially treadmills, and not enough resistance machines or free weights. But you can make do and it’s still better than no gym at all.

Now that you've completed the first part of your trip, wondering what your thoughts are about the demographic and "vibe" of an Australia/NZ cruise?  We find European cruises to be very different from your typical North American Caribbean cruise, e.g. people eat dinner later, they stay up later, they don't believe in the concept of waiting your turn in a queue, etc.  Just wondering what your fellow passengers have been like in this part of the world?

1 hour ago, 563toM said:

We just got off Apex and are very glad that you enjoyed your cruise because we did not.  I have a food allergy and in the Oceanview Cafe there is usually a paper which names the dish and the 4 allergens of gluten free, lactose free etc.  For our entire 7 day cruise there were many dishes that were missing the label entirely or it was not marked gluten free when it was.  We talked to both the workers and the Chef and were told by several "yes, we know the label is wrong but it is gluten free".  For the entire cruise we were told it would be corrected, it never was.

 

We have cruised on a few other Celebrity ships and received great food and felt very safe that the food being served was gluten free.  We will not return to Apex as staff generally were unhappy, both crew and supervisors wouldn't look at us and would hardly return a greeting if we greeted them.

Just got off Apex three weeks ago and couldn't have had a more different experience.  While there were certainly varying degrees of friendliness and customer service from the staff, we did not sense a general unhappiness amongst the crew nor encounter anyone who didn't say hello or or ask how they could help us. 

I would think Deck 12 could be noisy on E class ships, from the activity right above on the Sunset Bar.  I was on Deck 9 on Apex and didn't hear any noise, either above or below.

3 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

 If photographs are really important to you, book your cabin class accordingly.

Does the ship not turn around and go back the same way out of the sound? I’ve booked an SV and am expecting to get good views and pictures on the return portion? 

We did this last year with on Edge with no issues.  When you're on a 10 day cruise, the formality (some might say stuffiness) of Luminae can get to be a bit much, so a break every few days is a nice change. We visited both Normandie and Cypress, enjoyed the meals and fine service.  In fact, when we requested a window table one night in MDR, we heard the hostess on her walkie talkie say "VIP needs a windows seat" and we were seated in under 5 mins (we did have a reservation for that night).  It made us feel special... what's not to like about that?