REEtired

Dear Phoenix 42. I too had brain cancer, had a craniotomy in January 2024.  Had 19 stitches on top of my head!  Under going chemotherapy but all my doctors say travel, life is too short. I was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic brain cancer in 2018 and plan to fight to live another day!  
 

I would recommend an accessible room, either Aqua or sky suite. The tubs in sky could pose a problem for her as they did for me.  We currently have 4 cruises booked, all with refundable deposits, because you just never know. 
 

we sailed in November last year and on December 21 my MRI showed a brain tumor.  Again, you just never know.  Best to be safe, refundable and trip insurance. 
Marie 

Does luggage valet also work for MIA flights?

4 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

We haven't spotted her but at Zenith lunch a couple I was talking to said they saw her dining last night in Cosmopolitan with a large contingent.   

 

They said they had tried to order about 3 drinks on the menu and were told they didn't have the ingredients.   They filled out an attention to detail form and next day they got a call saying the Food and Beverage said he instruction the restaurants to have everything for every drink on the menu.    Probably because of LHB because up until now lots of shortages.

Jim, we will be on board Edge B2B starting February 15, sailing from Auckland and continuing onto GBR for the following cruise.  
 Marie

Happy Birthday Jim and enjoy your day!

Marie

Hi Jim!  Pulling up a chair and looking fwd to another great review!  
Marie 

8 minutes ago, jwlane said:

I think they're Brits.

Hopefully they have a photocopy of their passports to show the people at the Embassy.  We always travel with copies. 

3 hours ago, Ciaranaman said:

We have lots of those signs around. Lots of turtles here 🤣

~Bernadette

Same here in Rehoboth Beach, going south on Coastal Highway. 
Marie

7 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Final stop was the Somewhere in Time memorabilia room

 

 

❤️

Was that cheesecake I saw!!?

Marie

4 hours ago, aml3679 said:

Following 

 

on her in November 

 

Enjoy

Us as well. Will be following along. 
Marie

On 9/8/2023 at 3:46 PM, Jim_Iain said:

 

Ohhh.... don't remind me.    I don't think I need a covid card but will be bringing it along and a number of Covid Tests.....

Yes, do bring tests. When we got home from our Apex cruise last month, hubby said we’re fine. 3 days later….positive!  
Marie

Jim, my all time favorite movie is Somewhere in Time.  The music is amazing. 
Marie 

Hi Jim, looking fwd to your review and comparisons.  We are booked on Silhouette in a SS then Edge next February:March for New Zealand/GBR. After that, who knows. Maybe time to start shopping around.  I’ll follow along on both boards. 
Marie

1 hour ago, goofysmom99 said:

I'm not canceling already booked 2024 cruises (nonrefundable).  Will I be booking anything for 2025?  Absolutely not.  That's a very recent decision.  For next year, I'm doing workarounds of the dreadful MDR food quality by booking specialties for every night, however. I've decided that to continue along that route is silly.  So, they've won and I am moving on.  Resistance is futile.  I will continue to haunt the X boards until my last cruise ends, hoping against hope corporate decides they've cut too far.  Not holding my breath.

Absolutely agree.  Our two SS bookings are non-refundable.  First is New Zealand:GBR and second to Israel/Egypt.  Nothing booked for 2025 since they cancelled Antartica but in retrospect that’s ok.  Marie 

Murano!

43 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

Our Mardi Gras sailing back in '17 was marketed as a Mardi Gras theme cruise however X ran it as simply a sailing that happened to call in NOLA for three days in February.  Very little themed activities or dining.  Fortunately we had well over 1k boisterous CC members on board who created our own fun.  Hopefully X has since upped their game.

We were on that sailing and yes we had fun!

3 hours ago, Silkroad said:

Thanks for another wonderful GSJ, Norris. This one is helpful to us in the near term because we board Apex very soon for both the Norway and the Iceland itineraries. Many thanks to both you and Carol for your dining and layering tips. Based on your recommendation, we’ve booked Welcome Pickups. Your experiences departing Schipol have increased my concern about our flight departing from that airport. We’re flying UA, though not to ORD, and it looks like our gate will be near yours. I’m seeing some late arrivals and departures for our flight numbers. Thanks to you, we know we should allow more time for a passport check and the trek to the gate. 

Cheers!

Michelle

Regarding more time to get to your gate, I’ve read that you can now request a time slot for customs/immigration. They have a separate line but appts are only for 15 minutes. We share your same concern. 

Great review Norris. Question. If your pick up was at 7:30 and it took 30 minutes to get to the airport, then go thru security and passport control, what time was your flight originally.  Thanks and glad you are feeling better. 

5 hours ago, hiccups said:

I sent an email yesterday and got the same reply terrydtx received--glad to see they took out the part about it not impacting cruisers.

Even though I didn't include the date of my upcoming Equinox cruise, the response had our sailing date and reservation number in the subject line.

Same with my response from the executive office. It had our Apex sailing this month and reservation number in the header. 

Just sent my email of displeasure. No regard to those with health conditions. Yeah healthy at sea my a%%. 

Have you booked hotels?  Any suggestions welcome. 

4 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I hope I'm not wearing out my "welcome" here on the Celebrity board...I've got so many questions in regards to how Celebrity does things differently from what we're used to!

 

We've booked an Egypt/Israel cruise that has overnights in both Alexandria and Ashdod (Jerusalem).  We've never had an occasion to do an overnight port before.

How does Celebrity do this?  Do you return to the ship to sleep in your cabin...or (crazy idea!) can you stay on shore until the next day...returning only when the ship is setting sail?

 

There are a couple of VERY expensive excursions that are described as "multi-day" with included hotel arrangements...so it appears that there is at least a protocol in place.  Perhaps this is *only* available to the members of this excursion...?

When are you sailing, September 2024?

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

To be honest if you were to believe everything you read on these board you would swear that Chicken Little was correct and the sky was falling.   I honestly believe there are many on any Social Platform that post anonymously that love to hide behind their anonymity and love attaching others as well as many of the ships. 

 

I have yet to sail ANY  Celebrity Ship and been disappointed in the ships, the crew and the food.   I'm not a cheerleader and do have some differences with Celebrity Loyalty program but it is nothing that would prevent me from sailing any of their ships.

Hey Jim. I totally agree. We have never been disappointed in our almost 30 sailings with Celebrity. Have we seen changes, and cutbacks, yes we have. But have they diluted the experience absolutely not. Have sailed in balcony, Aqua and suites. Service is top notch in any category. We have 6 sailings between next month and January 2025.   
Marie

Any idea when schedule will be available for cruise called the “spice route”.  Perhaps departing from Rome, transit Suez Canal and ends up in Abu Dabi or Dubai. It’s on my list. Thx. 

8 hours ago, 39august said:

Thanks. Way over-priced when the 20% gratuity is added in my opinion. 

Would someone please explain to me why the 20% gratuity is added on just about everything. Is this simply a money grab?  I just don’t get it since I’m already paying gratuities.  I understand the debt but seriously!  Thanks.