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These screenshots look like from a mobile device. I was using the desktop version of the website. Maybe that's the difference.

Maybe a difference in browser? I used Safari and couldn’t bypass that step by using the banner.

When I tried a mock booking the top banner option to Review and Pay was greyed out. You had to scroll and click the button on the bottom and click “Review & Pay” and then a check mark appears next to step 2 in the banner to show you did that step. If you hit the back button to go back and review that customize page, it no longer is greyed out so at that point you could use the top banner, but not on your first click through.

It's a verandah stateroom with some extra amenities (and little more space on the smallest class of ships). We like the embarkation day lunch in the dining room but don't make use of a lot of the other amenities. Here is Celebrity's page which describes concierge class and the amenities. https://www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/staterooms/concierge-class-stateroom

And? The compensation model with gratuities established by the cruise line fairly closely matches tipping expectations in the United States. When I travel, I try to learn the tipping culture of where I visit (in this case the cruise ship) to match expectations in that place. If cruise lines ever change their compensation structure to more closely match different tipping standards such as those of parts of Europe where there isn’t much of a tipping culture, I will adjust what I do when I cruise.

When I have the luggage space, I take my formal gown and just enjoy dressing up without worrying too much about what others are wearing. There are always a few others that do the same so I’m not completely alone in attire.

To me the auto-gratuities are just a cost of cruising. If that auto-gratuity system was abolished, they would raise cruise fares to make up the difference so you would still pay them, just in a different form. And regardless of the compensation system they use for their employees, we, the consumers are paying employee wages. Some CEO isn't out of the kindness of his own pocketbook paying the employees. They are being paid out of our cruise fares and the gratuities we pay. Do I wish tipping would go away? Absolutely. It puts consumers in a role of deciding compensation which I don't think is appropriate. But would eliminating tipping systems change how much I ultimately pay? No. So to me, I don't understand the rationale behind trying to go around the system in place by removing auto gratuities and only tipping who you want to tip. It just hurts the workers you miss and I'm not sure what it actually accomplishes.

I don't know about the Eclipse specifically but they have not added the self-serve beverage cooler to all of the Michael's Clubs. On the Constellation for example, any drinks you want, you need to ask for from a bartender, and although the bar is staffed a lot of hours throughout the day it isn't 24/7.

You can either pre-pay them in your cruise planner (or with your TA if you booked through one) or they will be added to your account daily. It is possible to ask them to be removed and pay in cash but the way gratuities are distributed these days, they include many behind the scenes people that you won't have contact with to hand an envelope. We leave them on for that reason.

I just did a mock booking and at least from my computer, you have to scroll through all the options on this page, with the last selection related to whether you want a refundable deposit, before you can click "Review & Pay".

The options on the customize page are not options you can choose on the ship (early/late/anytime dining, insurance, or refundable deposit). Insurance is one you should be thinking about as soon as you put even your deposit down. Early/late/anytime dining spots fill up so even 6 months before your cruise, you may not have the option available you want. Anyone who wants flexibility to pick their dining times later, needs to book the anytime option at booking. And the choice about a refundable or nonrefundable deposit needs to be made at the time of booking. So all three of the things on that page are things you should be thinking about at the time you book.

I don’t ever put a deposit down on anything big like a trip without making sure I know the deposit and cancellation policy. To me, that seems like a common sense thing to ask about (or look for the terms).

In the past, there has usually been a delay in her social media posts so I wouldn't assume that January 19 is actually the day she filmed that first video.

When is your cruise? Has check-in opened yet for your cruise? It usually happens 45 days before. Assuming you are within that window, are using the app or the website? Have you tried both?

It is my understanding that you cannot switch from a non-refundable fare to a refundable fare. Otherwise, I imagine people would just use that workaround for non-refundable fares. And in this case the cruise has already been cancelled so it is too late to even move it. The agent messed up here in not discussing options before going through with the cancellation. It sounds like they also should have been a lot clearer in the beginning that it was a non-refundable fare they were booking for their client.

I don’t know why they don’t do a better job catching it at the time of booking, but the itinerary you currently have booked is indeed a violation of the Passenger Vessel Service Act which doesn’t allow two different US ports to be your starting and ending points without what is considered a distant foreign port. None of your foreign ports on those two cruises are considered distant foreign ports.

Captain’s Club points towards your next loyalty level.

It doesn't matter how long the cruise is. It's just one night worth of points. So a veranda gets you 3 extra points if you sign up for Go Green.

Luminae will be open for lunch the same times/days as the MDR. Luminae is such a nice environment on the M class ships and they usually will gladly bring you anything from the MDR if you prefer something on the MDR menu (the kitchens are next to each other).

It's one day's worth of points based on your cabin category. So if you are staying in an inside or Oceanview cabin, you get 2 extra points for your cruise, a balcony 3 extra, aqua/concierge class 5 extra, etc.

Celebrity still does twice a day service. If you want something different, you will need to talk to your room steward about what you want. They are usually very happy to accommodate your preferences. Go Green is a program you can sign up for pre-cruise or on the first day with guest services. It is supposed to mean less chemicals and no full second cleaning although they still provide turn down service and will replace towels whenever you leave them on the floor. I haven't noticed much difference since signing up for Go Green (except for the bonus Captain's Club points which are nice).

The week before your cruise they start getting a little more accurate but changes can still happen after you board. The live blog sounds super intriguing.....not sure why you are procrastinating. 😉

Arriving at the terminal 10:51 a.m. would count as early access at the terminal. The FAQ says there should have been signs of where to go for Premium Access, just like there should have been a luggage drop off. https://www.celebritycruises.com/media-assets/pmc/content/dam/menus/en/y7j7/Y7J7.pdf The FAQ do say that these two benefits are not available at every port and lists a few ports but it looks like the Equinox is leaving out Ft. Lauderdale which is not listed as an exemption. You would think Ft. Lauderdale would be the one port where they would have their act together.

It doesn't if your port gets replaced with something else. That happened to me in late 2022. I don't think I've had any recently on Celebrity where we missed a port and it was replaced by a sea day. And no, there is no way to see a breakdown of port fees because they are constantly changing. It's not a set per person fee - a lot more goes into calculating them. What you pay up front is an estimate of what the cruise line thinks will be your share.

She won’t be a new ship again. Any dry dock will be mostly to address maintenance with some possible refresh of certain areas. So if you are hoping for a “new” ship feel, I would book another ship. All that said, I think the Constellation is a great ship.