baw53

7 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

For drinks, the price of the cruise is adjusted when sailing out of Southampton so that the gratuity is in the total price and not an add-on

I misunderstood your post…you were talking about drinks gratuities , I  thought  you were posting about the cruise gratuities that are added pp per day, which  are optional .

1 minute ago, baw53 said:

Gratuities are not mandatory here in the UK .When booking online we have the option to add them with a ‘ check box’ at the point of sale .( personally speaking we always add them ) ….they used to be included along with WiFi and Classic Drinks but now the full cruise price is  Drinks and Wi-Fi …hence Gratuities now being an option with either Cruise Only or Always Included 

18 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Cruises out of the UK have always shown a higher price as those prices include the mandatory gratuity instead of it being added on at the point of sale like cruises out of the US.  

 The Premium Drink Package will cover the Luminae Signature Cocktails. 

 

Gratuities are not mandatory here in the UK .When booking online we have the option to add them with a ‘ check box’ at the point of sale .( personally speaking we always add them ) 

In the past we have had passport wallets , luggage tag holders  , water bottles ( in regular use keeping drinks chilled but can only just make out the word Celebrity on it ) hubby still uses the little Sea Pass holder wallet on every cruise , had raffle tickets and wine , complimentary  dining as well as OBC ….all with  very small deposits .We are cruising in 2 weeks on the Apex with a Future Cruise booking made in 2018 ( changed quite a few times ….covid etc) the deposit was $50 pp which equated to £85 .

If you have paid  £300 deposit then cancelling, losing your deposit  and rebooking would save you £100…..be careful though if you have OBC with your original booking as the new booking may not be offering it .I have always understood you can only take advantage of price drops if it is a ‘ Future Cruise ‘ booking( which I have taken advantage of many times) 

I noticed that my check in day was showing 1 day earlier on the app than was showing on Manage My Booking on the website)  .It would not let me check in though, did it the next day ( 45 days before the cruise which is usual) …must be a ‘Celebrity Glitch’ 😀

3 hours ago, Scottishclover said:

I’m enjoying your report very much and you and your wife are indeed looking ‘chic’. That’s such a pretty dress.
 

We are doing the Fjords and Arctic Circle cruise this July. Our first Celebrity cruise was on the Apex and we loved the ship. I agree with your comments on the OVC. I travel with 2 vegans and someone who eats gluten free and there’s even plenty of options for them. Looking forward to your report on Flam as it’s also one of our stops. 
 

Regards the card players who linger

( at peak lunch hours!!), I would politely asking them to move on. That’s so rude taking up a table when people need to sit down to eat. 

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise and I hope the weather dries up a bit for you.

 

I am also really appreciating this articulate non biased review too.Looking forward to the Flam Railway review as we are on the same cruise as you in July and booked this excursion ( with hotel stop) .Re the folks playing cards I was told by a couple in the Baico they occupy tables wherever/whenever they can , sitting with one drink for as long as possible as they have booked an interior cabin with no table or comfy seating and obviously no daylight .

There are lots to see and do in Funchal .Most do the cable car and then the sleds downhill from Monte .It’s an interesting place to just wander round but one thing we always do is indulge in afternoon tea at Belmond Reid’s Palace Hotel .If you ask very nicely at reception I am sure they will let you see the Churchill Suite ( providing it hasn’t been booked) Winston Churchill always stayed at Reid’s .

Excellent cruise .I have done it with other cruise lines not Celebrity  …last time was Cunard. I know for sure you will love Madeira  , we have a land based holiday for some ‘Winter Sun’ every January for  3/4 weeks in Funchal .🌞

6 minutes ago, Purplsmurf said:

I would never pay in full unless final payment was due. We do use a TA, but I always put the final payment date on the calendar in my phone and am usually ready to pay it before my TA even says anything. Also, I often go into my account on the website to check prices, sales, shore excursions, etc, and it states on the account when the due date is. 

I set reminders on my iPad calendar and phone 1 day before and then for 9am day final payment due…can’t possibly forget if you do that .( belt and braces approach , never fails😀)

53 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Don't know your route but if you have any left over currency for example Euro, use that for tips rather than change it back. The ship will change/handle any currency for the crew at better rates than they give passengers.

I do sometimes give €’s or $’s  but I usually  hang on to them for our next holiday or cruise to save on buying and cashing them in with varying exchange  rates .

We are in the UK.I booked the “Cruise Only” fare.Don’t want Wi-Fi and we are both TT , will pay as we go for any coffees or soft drinks other than those available in the buffet.Might/might not  take a few cans of Pepsi and a bottle of squash to dilute with tap water to drink in our cabin  .Have ‘Anytime Dining’  .I had the option to add any  or all of the extras ….Drinks,Wi-Fi and Gratuities separately.  I added ‘ Gratuities .They appeared on my invoice and as it is past ‘ final payment’  I have now  paid them in full .I will take cash (GBP) for any extra extra tipping at the end of the cruise.

On 5/3/2024 at 11:43 PM, BuckeyeMark said:

Is this a RIB boat that is open or is it a cabin cruiser? Are there concessions (coffee!) and a restroom? Who's done this trip and can tell me about it?

I found this pic in a Holland America review …..wonder if this might be the same or similar  excursion .

On 4/14/2024 at 10:59 PM, phoenix_dream said:

 

To the OP - surprised the people haven't come out yet to chastise you for wanting to watch tv in your cabin as they usually do - you get lectured about why go on a cruise to just spend time in your room. 

Maybe those that chastise have never been confined to their cabin as we were on our last cruise when we got covid.

8 of our 12 days cruise were spent  reading ( thank goodness for Kindle and ebooks) watching the world go by from the balcony or watching films on the TV.

Make sure you get the right documents from Cunard before you leave the ship if you need to make a claim on your insurance( I hope you never have to ) .I had problems getting the right letters whilst on board .The morning we were due to disembark I got  2 letters pushed under the door at 5.30am , one for me and one for my husband , his had the incorrect dates on.The replacement which I received after numerous phone calls between 5.30am and 8.45am was pushed under the door 35 minutes before we disembarked but it is not clear enough for my husbands' claim as it was rushed and is addressed to Mr&Mrs but only refers to ' guest' ( singular' ) having being quarantined for covid.I am now having to wait for a ' proper' letter from Cunard before my claim can be sorted .

Had an excellent nights sleep in my own bed  after a stressless drive home , hardly any traffic holdups  ….M3,A34,M40,M42 and M6 , journey time of 3 1/2 hours …now looking forward to  Christmas..I still believe I did the right thing after self testing positive and having it confirmed .I like to think I am  a decent human being and could not have mixed with others knowing I had  covid and could give it others that could easily have had it much much worse than I did and become seriously , if not dangerously Ill with it.I  could  have worn a mask , tried hard to keep my distance  removed it at mealtimes but the very thought as the  waiters bent low  over me ….’ did I just give you covid, I know I could have because I have got it ?’No, that’s not the sort of person I was brought up to be.The isolation was tedious , our covid steward was excellent .The management not so.The debacle re getting the necessary documents was disgraceful.We never received one phone call throughout  our 9 days of quarantine to ask after our health or well being ..not 1, not from management nor medical officers.We were given written instructions of what we could and couldn’t do and a thermometer and that was that .The message was clear ‘ get on with it’ .We did.I cleaned our cabin , bathroom and toilet.I changed our bed linen .I asked for complimentary internet , it took a while and several phone calls to get it.That was all we got.Everyone on board had food and drink and free room service so nothing special there.We saw 2 shows , never got an afternoon tea, nor lunch in the Golden Lion .My lovely outfits for Masquerade and Roaring Twenties remained in the wardrobe …if we had received just 1 phone call from someone other than our covid steward throughout it really would have made a difference .I don’t think that’s a lot to ask from Cunard.Oh , I forgot …just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse as 9.30am approached ( the time we were told to be ready to leave ) it did ….we had been forgotten….We waited and waited …I phoned and was told they were busy but someone would come …We waited ….I phoned at 10am ….at 10.10am a young female ‘ maskless ’ crew member arrived and escorted us to the lift 50 yards away.In it there was an elderly lady wearing a mask .She had had covid since last Saturday and she too confirmed that she had not had any phone calls from management and she had been all alone in her cabin.I. could see how sad she was from her eyes.My heart sank , I felt so selfish for complaining about anything as I had had my husband of 55 years with me the whole time .Our covid steward arrived and escorted us down to the  depths of the ship.We 3  walked off together from then on feeling even more alone as there was no further ‘ assistance ‘( lol)  .We 3 collected our cases…the only 3 left in the building…we walked out together , she got in a taxi and we walked through the drizzle the couple of hundred yards to the  only car in the middle of the vast car park .I said to my hubby ‘ Home James and don’t spare the horses’ I never even turned my head to look back at the ship.I can assure you we will never sail with Cunard again , not just because of our covid experience but the cabin is very dated , with a very small bathroom ( don’t bring a cat, you can’t swing it) The TV is just a screen for showing very old films of their choice ,not yours, and is in the wrong place , it is fixed to the wall difficult to watch in comfort…I know, I know ….who watches TV on a cruise? With Saga we could watch all the shows from our cabin …Saga are way, way in advance of Cunard technically, their cabins are sooo comfortable ( and their managerial staff are wonderful too)We do have a Celebrity cruise booked but only held with a minimal ‘ future cruise’ deposit of £85 booked on our last sailing with them .I said never ever again but my hubby says  at least we would have modern technology and comfort in the cabin and the views of the Fjords would still be amazing from the balcony…..the jury’s out! Hope you all have a lovely Christmas ….I know we will .

2 minutes ago, baw53 said:

At last…35 minutes before we disembark .The letters are very basic .They are just a statement of fact on Cunard headed notepaper…., the cruise number , the date we embarked , the dates of our isolation … not in an envelope and not even signed.! 
 

 

My error…I was so relieved to get these ‘ pieces of paper’ …..they aren’t quite right but will have to do as I am losing the will to live …..mine has my full name at the top ,and refers to the ‘ above mentioned guest’ my husbands has ‘ Mr and 

Mrs W ‘  the top and states the ‘above mentioned guest’ …..I give up.I have a long 5 hour drive in pouring rain to negotiate.I need to try and calm down.

At last…35 minutes before we disembark .The letters are very basic .They are just a statement of fact on Cunard headed notepaper…., the cruise number , the date we embarked , the dates of our isolation … not in an envelope and not even signed.! 
 

I should add the importance of the correct days. We can claim £200 per day ….1 day difference for me and 2 for my hubby equals £600 .

I am so angry this morning.I have  been waiting for the vital letter to be able to claim from our insurance company .We were promised it at 3pm yesterday afternoon after our last test.I phoned at 6pm .I was told they would chase it up and call me back .They didn’t.I phoned at 8pm .again I was told …we will chase it up and call you back… told the  letter is with housekeeping you will have it shortly .It never came.I phoned at 10pm ….you will have it in the morning ……2 letters were delivered at 5.30am .Mine states I was placed in isolation on the 15th Dec  and my husband , who has never left my side and was tested at the same time, states he was placed in isolation on the 16th……Totally inaccurate …..were both placed in isolation when we got the results of our test on Wednesday 14th and have not set foot outside of this cabin since then.I phoned again ….wait for it …..’ can you come down to the office?’  ….I am in isolation…..oops , sorry of course you are…..it won’t be a problem to change the dates to correct ones….but….there isn’t in anyone in the Managers Office until 7.30 , can you call back then? ‘ ….we are due to leave the ship at 9.30am ….I am spitting feathers.It really isn’t good enough.We really could do without this stress and aggravation.I am almost 78 and my hubby is 75.I think we deserve better.Be warned …think twice before you cruise .

3 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

So sorry you were positive again, I hope you had better news today. 

Well whatever the news is today it will be a bit pointless getting it.We were hoping that we would get tested first thing in the hope of a ‘ negative’ which would have given us a day to get out of this cabin and stretch our legs and eat at a table .Looks as though we were forgotten .Our covid steward delivered luggage labels and disembarkation instructions which obviously would not be an option for us if we are positive .I phoned the Pursers .Office and was told to disregard the labels and info if we test ‘ positive ‘as  we would be the last off the ship with different labels being issued She took our car parking details and said she would chase up the re test…..phoned me back , it’s ‘around’  3pm this afternoon results after 4pm then , it took an hour last time ….about  as useful as a chocolate fireguard if we are negative…..after 9 days it  would be 1 evening to look forward to.( it could have been a full day with a bit more effort on their part) I was told there are 3 cabins in quarantine as of this morning, not as if they are snowed under ! I did something I have never done , removed auto gratuities but have given very generous tips to the room steward who looked after us for the first 3 days and has waved  when he saw us at our door and contacted our covid steward for us , also a generous tip for the ‘ covid steward ‘ for the other 9…these 2 young men have been the only personnel to ask how we are each day .Not one  phone call from any other staff member to enquire as to our health or well being.

 I also tipped room service well for their dozens of deliveries….these crew members have been excellent( even though the food wasn’t always that great, really looking forward to some HOT food when we get home ) Some advice for you all …..take out the best travel insurance cover possible( we did , thank goodness )  .Travel with plenty of ’  over the counter ‘ medication for colds and flu etc…Anti bacterial  wipes , masks and your own hand sanitizer…non were offered  ( I packed plenty….good job I did ) Load up your iPads with iBooks and Kindle books too.Can’t wait to get home , this will be our last cruise we won’t risk this happening ever again .

Was told by the nurse there are  2 other passengers with covid and 9 or 10 crew.There was a passenger taken to hospital whilst we were in Lisbon ( around 5.30pm) .The ambulance was just below our cabin ( we are deck 5 , mid aft) .I asked  the nurse if it was covid related and she said it wasn’t , it was other health issues.

Both tested positive again this morning.Really surprised as we are both feeling so good, we are eating and sleeping well, no signs of covid at all. I had  showered , dressed , hair and make up done and ready to leave the cabin, even had my phone and room card in my pocket when the phone rang !  ..looks like this was definitely the ‘ cruise that never was ‘ .

I’m quite good at changing duvet covers in enclosed spaces now.It does help that they are delivered already inside out .We have twin beds and hospital corners are proving to be a little  difficult though.😀🛳🛏🛏

Update re quarantine.I thought we would be tested today as it is the 6th day, but apparently the day we tested positive is classed as Day Zero and it’s 6 days from then.Fingers uncrossed this morning now and will be tightly crossed again tomorrow.

We both feel fine and have obviously  had mild covid , only the first  couple of days we weren’t too well .We have had the full MDR menu as well as the full Room Service menu to select from but our choice has been limited to cold food only as once we tried the ‘ hot food’ , it wasn’t , it was barely warm by the time it got here.We were given complimentary Premium Wi-Fi which has been a bonus and help keep us sane .Our covid steward’  has been a treasure even bringing little treats we haven’t requested.