phoenix_dream

All that being said, these days specialty restaurants are selling out fast. People tend to have more OBC due to upgrading to Elevate and so on. On our recent cruise on Equinox Murano was fully booked and we never were able to get reservations, and that is with the ship 2/3 full.

We finally got our new assignment and it was the cabin we wanted (although I would have preferred to keep a mid-ship cabin but there just aren't any S1 mid-ships on Eclipse), and then we saved about $800 thanks to the notice from Jelayne about price drops. I'm wondering if maybe, just maybe, we were a little too quick to judge Celebrity's actions as far as putting the sailings out to the public. Maybe in point of fact Celebrity had put aside a certain number of cabins in the various categories to hold for transferring passengers. There would be no way to know that necessarily by looking at the website. We'll never know for sure. But I recommend those still waiting and concerned about assignment maybe hold off a bit before you cancel if you can (not sure what the last date was when you had to decide). You may end up being pleased with what you get like we were.

Apparently Eclipse cancelled their 5/22 cruise for a 7 day dry dock to remove the barnacles. Sad for those cruisers and probably good news for the rest of us with pending Alaska cruises.

I certainly wouldn't want to be taken off the ship to be treated on some of the Caribbean islands or ports I've visited lately!

I am so sorry for those whose cruise on 5/22 just got ruined, and at the same time so relieved for the rest of us with upcoming cruises scheduled. This certainly seems like something that could have been recognized before she even started sailing again.

Yes, that is what I mean. Caveat - I am basing that comment strictly on reports on these boards from people who have gotten ill onboard recently, including those who say they asked about those drugs but were told they didn't have them. I have not personally experienced that situation, nor have I asked Celebrity about it. But there were enough posts that unless something has changed very recently, it seems they don't have them. I don't know why, or when/if they would plan to obtain them. Seems like a no-brainer to me, especially given the age of many of the people onboard.

Oh Gosh, could you please delete these photos. Those of us with Trypophobia are freaking out over them. I'm serious. It's all I can do to write this post.

I have been on 8 Celebrity cruises since the restart, most of them as B2B or consecutive cruises. I confess during the first half of each cruise I get a little nervous about possibly being quarantined in an outside cabin for days on end. On some of the cruises we had to wear masks (my 21 days on Connie) and on others not, or only in certain areas. The masking wasn't that big a deal, but the concern about quarantining certainly was. Being 70 years old, despite being vaxxed and boosted, I also worry a bit about being sicker than "mild" although overall I have no underlying health conditions of which I am aware. I would feel better if they had appropriate Covid anti-virals onboard but I understand they don't. I also would feel better if they allowed people to just quarantine in their cabins like they do for noro. Being able to have a balcony IMHO makes a huge difference to both physical and especially mental health. At the same time, I confess I was a little nervous on Connie sitting on our balcony directly under the deck used for quarantining sick passengers, which also had balconies I know the odds of transmitting that way are slim, but still.... But the biggest reason I am considering cancelling an upcoming cruise is due to barnacles. Eclipse has been cutting the Alaska port calls substantially (see related posts) and as this cruise has already been lifted and shifted twice, I don't want to go to Alaska to just sit on my balcony. I'm fine with doing that for Caribbean islands I have been to dozens of times (a beach is a beach is a beach) but in Alaska I want to get out and experience the beauty. If they don't fix that issue I will likely cancel.

Don't know where you are getting your info. You absolutely are moved to quarantine cabins on these itineraries if you test positive. And if you cruise Alaska out of Vancouver you need a test to fly home. And if you test positive and have not completed your quarantine you will be quarantined in the Caribbean or Bermuda which are foreign countries if you are a US citizen before you can fly home, after testing negative.

I saw on a FB page the information about the above Alaska cruise. In my opinion this is a huge change to their itinerary and the offer of $100 OBC in no way adjusts for that. I realize on any cruise we understand that itineraries can change, but this is way beyond that. People are flying from overseas or from far distances in the US) for once in a lifetime trips to Alaska and many of the ports have been extremely compromised. If I were them I would be very, very unhappy. Besides better compensation for them, which I assume they will fight for, Celebrity owes us as future passengers (and I am one in July!) an explanation as to when/if this will be fixed. My cruise was a lift and shift (twice) and if that remains the schedule I will be requesting cancellation. I don't want to have to wait until a week or two before sailing to find out if we also will be affected. It's also very disconcerting that Celebrity apparently (basing on posting above) told people Alaska cruises would NOT be affected. I am hopeful this was just an honest mistake and positive thinking, but at the end of the day it was wrong. Any further updates for those of us on upcoming cruises will be greatly appreciated!

thanks. Need to check my flight time. We are returning the next day, but not sure what time.

Suites Concierge's are great and can do a lot for you, but they can't make the internet any better. So I would definitely recommend doing some research and having a back-up plan. Also, people have mentioned on these boards that sometimes tests are flawed (not often but it can happen) so if you go that route make sure to have some extras just in case. Maybe not an extra for every person as you have a big group it sounds like, but at least a few extra on hand.

I fit the criteria either way. I'll go back and check that other section. Very frustrating that they can't have all the info in one place.

Why are you seeing so many older folks onboard RCI? As a senior myself (but loyal to Celebrity) I think there are several reasons. One is that even if you don't see them together all the time they may be traveling with their families. But I think the other two reasons are more likely. The first is that Royal is the one who is always advertising on TV (at least in my area). Many people don't bother to do research they just see something and go for it. They don't research other cruise lines to determine the best option for them. They're retired, they want to try cruising, so they go with what has been presented to them the most. The second is that they are (as a friend of mine would say) "Loyal to Royal". They started sailing Royal years and years ago and never tried another cruise line so they don't know any better, and don't want to know any better. They are comfortable because they know the product so they know how to handle life onboard a Royal ship. Frankly, that's how I feel about Celebrity and why I am reluctant to go back to trying other lines like Holland, which many say is very similar. Obviously these answers don't apply to everyone as people are all different regardless of age. But I think these reasons are the most likely.

I clicked on the link provided by a poster above, and I see nothing about them providing the necessary testing if one booked before November of 2019 as long as flight is within 24 hours. Am I missing something? Is this in another part of the website? Please clarify as I certainly fit the criteria as my cruise has been lifted and shifted twice. TIA

I think that is a good idea with caveats. On our last couple of sailings to Alaska we have had the absolute worst internet of any cruise in recent times. If you are counting on that and can't get good internet, or maybe sign on and get cut off mid-test you are in deep do-do if you don't have a back-up plan.

We sailed on Apex, but it was in a suite so I can't comment on the IV. That said, as people who spend tons of time on our veranda, I don't think I would be happy with an IV. We also felt that while Apex was stunningly beautiful, we really preferred the more comfortable feel of an M or S class ship. So much of Apex seemed to be designed to create a 'WOW' factor, rather than to create space and furniture that people would actually be comfortable in. We also felt the entertainment (production shows) was also designed more to create awe than to necessarily entertain to our liking. I will say, however, that the Rockumentary show was possibly the best of any show I have ever seen on my 65+ Celebrity cruises! I also agree that Celebrity is very much focused on the suite life these days. Not sure how much that actually takes away from the non-suite guests (except for loss of space) but it certainly is more pronounced on the E class. And that is good and bad. The suite venues (like the lounge and deck) are larger and nicer than S or M class. But they are also much, much more crowded.

A lot depends on the capacity of the particular sailing. I have sailed recently on a couple cruises with less than 1,000 passengers and they were letting many people in ahead of their time. They did it in order, but once the appropriate time line entered, they just kept letting other times in. I expect this to change as capacity increases. Do not try to board earlier than 11:00 in Tampa. They do not even open their gates until then, and on our Jan. cruise no one except suites boarded before 11:30. That may have changed since then but FYI

There were on the cruise we disembarked Sunday, except for the first night when there was only one. I have experienced that on several of the 8 cruises I have been on since re-start.

I agree. Unfortunately not always possible and/or practical. Just got off a cruise on Sunday. On our second to last day, sat next to a table of four. One of the women had watery eyes and a reddish nose. I overheard her companion sitting next to her asking if she was feeling better. Then a few minutes later the woman across from her (and therefore right across from me), also with watery eyes and a runny nose, kept blowing her nose and stated she thought she was coming down with a cold. One of them even ran back to their cabin to get medication!! I only hope they really had allergies or colds and not Covid! (so far, so good for me and DH). We were too far along in our meal to realistically move, although had it been at the beginning of the cruise I would have asked to be moved anyway to avoid being isolated in an outside cabin for 7+ days! How incredibly rude and inconsiderate! I did mention it to the maitre d and said that I felt awkward mentioning it but felt he would want his staff safe, and if he needed to admit them they should be seated away from others. Saw them the next morning sitting in the center of the restaurant. Ugh! The next morning a woman a table away from me picked up her napkin and used it to blow her nose. How crude and disgusting! Then the waiters pick up said napkin, and then deliver your food and so it goes. If anyone wonders how/why Covid still spreads on ships despite precautions these are two good examples.

We have had the restaurant adjust it multiple times in recent months with no issues

Good luck with that. Our big box TA is way worse than Celebrity since the pandemic

The bottom line and most positive point I think is that even on the worst recent cruises generally 97% or more of people did NOT get Covid19, and on most cruises way higher percentage than that. And even though of course some test positive after, and some are asympomatic, and some just not reporting, it is still lower than going about your business at home unless you spend your life shelteted in at home.

They're doing that on some sailings for suites as well. Not right.

True, but some of us are in cabins with more limited availability. For example I believe all (or certainly most) of the S1s on my sailing were sold out. I'll likely need to take what I get, and considering they have open bookings now there may not even be enough S1s left to move us to.