MamaToMany

Why not? I occasionally leave my family home and sail solo. A quiet breakfast on my verandah is absolutely lovely, and I enjoy having it delivered right to me!

So- my Move Up page changed today. Two of my bids show that they are expired, and one shows pending. All are greyed out and cannot be changed any longer. Is it possible that I won my move up for the one that still shows “pending”? Haven’t seen a CC charge just yet, so unsure if this maybe means good things… ETA: This is for my sailing leaving 1/21.

Thanks! That was what I was thinking and hoping.

I sail on Apex on Saturday 1/14. As I browse the cruise planner in the app, I see one show (Rockumentary) on one night only in the theater for the entire week. I see one show in Eden on one night as well. There is some live music showing in different venues, mainly Eden and Grand Plaza. The vast majority of the “entertainment” looks to be DJs. Is there a chance the planner is still just incomplete? On the X website, I see so many more shows and entertainment listed than I’m currently seeing. Or is this another cutback?

I love, love, love your trip reports!! Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us yet again. I board Apex on Saturday, so your fabulous writing will get me through the last few looooong days in fine style!

Exactly. That’s really all I’m saying. So many changes only 2 weeks from my sailing feels pretty awful. I’ll absolutely let management know what I think about all of this when I’m onboard. NICELY. I’m sure they are hearing a lot of negativity right now, and I don’t want to be a rude jerk and ruin someone’s day.

That version of pork and beans sounds like it could be tasty! Now that banana stuffed chicken? Oh dear.

I sail this Saturday. So no, I won’t get my money back. As for my comment last night, I was being over dramatic and regret it. But it doesn’t change the fact that when I booked my sailing, I was sold one product and now I am getting something quite different. In general I’m pretty easy to please- good food, clean ship, plenty of sunshine and comfy places to read a book are all I need. Feeling a little like the good food thing may not be *quite* on point this time around…

So I get chocolate on my pillow, but almost zero dinner at night? I call BS. How is that anything resembling good business practice? (I booked free room service, full Oveanview Cafe hours, and much more. Its all gone.). What I bought and what exists now are two VERY different products. And that’s not in any good way.

I do all the cooking, and love NOT having to. And yes, it’s a reasonable selection, but they’ve removed quite a few things I was specifically wanting to try. Again- will it wreck my cruise? No. Am I allowed to be bummed out? I think it’s reasonable.

That Alex menu is definitely pared down from what I see on the app. Where will it end? I was so excited, and now I find myself increasingly bummed out. Will it be fun? Absolutely. Any day on a ship is a good day. But these changes are adding up and collectively SUCK.

Yes. I somehow missed it. My brain remembered it being near the bottom of the entrees section, and that is where I was looking. It’s interesting that there is no mention of an up charge yet, isn’t it?

Deleted. Wrong info.

That is BS. What an absurdly small choice of items. I plan to write and email and say as much.

I agree with everything you have stated. Way back in early September I booked a B2B starting 1/14. I was truly looking forward to experiencing a slightly more upscale cruise experience, as I have only cruises NCL and Royal before. The last week, when I should be getting super excited, I have instead been reading negative report after negative report about every cutback under the sun. I’m still going to enjoy the heck out of my trip, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that some of the shiny has already worn off and I’m not even on board yet.

It has changed in my app for my 1/14 Alex sailing. Only continental breakfast is free, everything else is $9.95 with an 18% gratuity added.

Hmmmmm. I guess I must have misunderstood when reading other trip reports, etc. Thanks for the info. Paying the overage for a few will work just fine.

On my upcoming Apex sailing I have the Classic package. I’d love to taste some of the martinis at the martini bar, and have read that the bartenders will make various martinis in smaller glasses to fit the classic package. Can someone speak to this? Do I simply tell the bartender I have the classic package and then ask for a smaller size? Will they only make certain flavors? Do the bartenders hate making the small ones? I’m not sure it’s worth it to upgrade myself to the premium package, and I’m also willing to pay over the classic price if that’s easier. I definitely tip bartenders and will stick with awesome ones as I find them onboard. All info is gladly appreciated!

When I read in the drink package of my cruise planner, it has an entire “zero proof” section listed in the Classic Package description. There it says it includes coffee, teas, premium bottled waters, juices, etc. It seems like this has gotten really confusing after all the changes! I’ll be curious to see how it shakes out on my sailings next month. I have a B2B on Apex. On the first leg I have the premium non alcoholic package (purchased before all of the changes) and on the second leg I have the classic package. Planning to be flexible and see how it goes. Hoping the new descriptions are accurate and I get my coffees and teas with the classic package, just as described in the new wording. I know they were previously included, so I’m hopeful Celebrity wouldn’t have just stopped including them for me after the fact. It seems like all should be well.

Our family booked a spring break cruise on Allure this March. We found that for us, flights into IAH were quite a bit cheaper than into Hobby. The drive from IAH to Galveston has been stated to take anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes. We booked a hotel in Galveston the night before embarkation and have scheduled a ride service to pick us up at the airport on arrival day and also take us back to the airport to return home. For our family of 6, this is running us right about $400 round trip. Our hotel does not have a port shuttle, so we will need an Uber to get to the port on embarkation day as well. Because we need two rooms and are on a budget, our hotel choices were a touch limited. I think the logistics of having the port so far from the airport have made planning feel a little more complicated so far, but still quite doable. Hope some of that helps a bit?

Choir of Man and Kinky Boots are excellent! Yo yo a showing of Choir of Man early in the week, because I guarantee you’ll want to go back a second time.

Thanks! I wasn’t sure if I’d goof things up if I clicked on the links in the email. Silly, but there you go.

I was able to bid for upgrades on my upcoming January cruise. I realize it’s likely too early to see anything, but can’t seem to figure out where to check the status of my bids. Can anyone help? Thank you!

How’s the mocktail scene onboard Celebrity ships? I’ll be sailing in January on Apex, and have the premium non-alcoholic drink package. I can’t currently drink for medical reasons, but still love to sit at the bar and chat or get drinks by the pool. I’ve seen the small mocktail menu offered on Apex, but am wondering if bartenders are fairly agreeable to mixing mocktails, especially if given full creative license? I always tip, and try to find a bartender or two who make tasty drinks. Any pro tips from the experienced Celebrity crowd? Thank you!

Have a blast! As a fellow Celebrity newbie, I’ll look forward to hearing what you think of the experience. What ship are you sailing on? I’ll be on the Apex in 88 days…