Sailing12Away

Not meaning to call the 2 of you out specifically because there were many folks who shared similar sentiments - but why in the world would you assume that because someone else is on the same ship at the same time as you that it means the primary traveler has to change any of their plans or do anything to accommodate the tag along person? When we book trips, we tell all of our cruise friends. To us - the more the merrier. It doesn't mean we expect every person to join us for every meal, every excursion, every entertainment choice, etc. We book what we want, and let everyone else know about the things we would love for them to join us on. If they want to - great. If they don't - that's fine too. Heck, I don't even want to do some of the things my own hubby wants, do you honestly think I'll be able to find 6+ people who all want to do the same thing we do every time? Of course not. But the offer is there, and people can pick and choose if/when they want to join. Our last NCL trip was on Prima with hubby & I, my sister, BIL, their 2 kids, and we had 2 friends as well as my BIL having his in-laws there as well (I think it was his sister's husbands brother.... who knows at that point, but it was people he knew). Hubby and I booked what we wanted for dinner, and shared the info with others. Some people joined us for one meal, some for 3, some for all, and some for none. We met up with folks when we could, and when we randomly bumped into others around the ship it was a fun surprise to see a familiar face. That's it folks. Stop making this into something more than it is. It wasn't a nefarious, selfish, or obnoxious thing at all. If the primary traveler didn't want anyone to possibly tag along at all, they wouldn't share any details at all. You need to advertise your upcoming trips better so that those of us who would love the chance to join you on a hash brown seeking adventure can find you easier.

Epic is a unique ship. It was the first NCL ship we were on, and we'll be on her again for the 3rd time in February. Our first trip was 3 people sharing a club balcony room. My MIL felt more comfortable using the toilet in the public areas some times, or she would just pull the curtain closed for added privacy. The bigger issue was showering - you had to coordinate your plans with your cabin mate. Yes, there is a curtain - but if my MIL was taking a shower we had to either sit in the room for the next 20+ mins, or leave before she got undressed and wait to come back into the room for at least 20+ mins. If only one of us was in the room with her and she had the curtain pulled to get dressed after coming out of the shower, the other person had to make sure they didn't walk into the room while she was standing there in the entryway buck naked. It just takes some planning and communication. Or - you splurge and get a Haven room where you don't have to worry about the odd bathroom situation at all 😉

Doubtful, but if you speak to them and give them advanced notice there's a better chance of them agreeing. Doesn't matter if you have the package or not. It's no different from folks having the drink package and the butler not being able to come and deliver a pina colada to you either. Well, they can, but there will be a charge. So if you do ask, just confirm if it will be included with your package or not so you don't have a surprise.

Enjoy your trip. Overall things were fine, but Celebrity is not as foo-foo as I thought it would be. It's a standard mainstream line no different from NCL, Princess, etc. They just charge more because they think they're fancier 🤣 We did book the 2025 New Orleans Mardi Gras trip with them, but not in a suite. Our personal feeling is that NCL does the suite experience much better than Celebrity, especially when you consider the price of admission for both lines. So we'll continue to follow the itinerary first, and choose the cabin that offers the best value for what is important to us on our trips regardless of which cruise line it's with.

Thank you! I've been trying to find a map with cabin numbers for a while to wrap my head around where everything is. #23 is the Moet bar, correct? And not to be silly, but they actually serve Moet in there? And if you have the PP plan it's all included? Just trying to set realistic expectations for a friend who loves his Moet, so we can try to get a villa as closet to that bar as possible for him.

Ok cheerleader, your love for celebrity is well known. No need to pick apart everything I personally don't like. Their policy is nonsense as there were plenty of people dressed like hobags tonight. But that's ok because the see through white fishnet "pants" with a hot pink thing underneath still counts as pants I guess.

I did, hence the two dresses I brought for the two nights I planned to eat dinner in restaurants that required them. But plans change, invitations pop up to unplanned activities, etc. Length of cruise and itinerary have everything to do with the type of clothes I pack. If yours doesn't then you must be one of those people that bring 2+ cases with you. You do you, but when I need to roll a case for someone in a wheelchair I need to pack light as I only have two arms.

Photos from this morning. Wine tasting was another miss, even the Somaliere said the Merlot was undrinkable. Definitely a fan of the alcoholic coffee creations at Cafe bacio. But not worth more than a 3 person wait and lines are usually long. Hubby said the burger at Luminae was one of the best he's had. Service there has been spot on and top notch, and I love that they bring you the MDR menu with their menu. I've mostly been eating off that one because I'm more simple.

I get it, but my shorts are much nicer looking than my yoga pants. Just find it funny that there's a dress code for your bottom but not your top. People on the bridge tour were in pants with bras. Not sure what else to call them. It was a bra, complete Sue Ellen Mischey. So that's ok, but canvas shorts that go to my knees are not

That's the part I'm disappointed in as well. It's not like she's in a regular cabin and just has bad knees and they would have no idea. She's in a handicap accessible cabin. She has wheelchair portside assistance documented on her account for embarkation and debarkation. She's booked an accessible excursion. She's had to coordinate with them to have the wheelchair brought onto the ship. So they know. I'm not expecting someone to cowtow to her every minute of the day. But despite the cutbacks or whatever they're trying, taking an extra (literally) 5 mins of time to connect with her and acknowledge she may have some extra needs that 90%+ of the rest of us won't have would have made a world of difference. Given the choice of getting dressed and scooting to breakfast and lunch - vs being able to stay in her nightgown and munch in the room, she would have opted for the latter. Not every day, but at least knowing she had the option for when she was too tired. Yes, we told her to call them and get food delivered. But she's even worse than us in the "I don't want to bother anyone" category. They didn't make her feel like it was no big deal, so she didn't feel comfortable asking for it. There's folks from all walks of life from those who want personal escorts to things, fancy food and drinks brought to them wherever they are... and those of us who are excited to see a brownie waiting for us when we get back on board after an excursion and need nothing more than that. For complete contrast - we were fortunate enough to be in a 3br garden villa on NCL twice. It was like that commercial they play here for the Secrets resort.... "everything's included". Of course to be fair, if we were in the Iconic suite I presume it would have been the same. But even the lowest suite on NCL they still say 'yes' to your basic requests way more times than they say 'no'. Or if they have to say no, they tell you other options that would be a yes. Trying to stop myself from constantly comparing the two cruise lines but it's hard not to. But it has definitely made us rethink the March 2025 trip we were thinking of doing now that we know a Sky Suite is more akin to a junior suite on RCC. Yeah... technically it's a suite, but not really. Suite pricing and some perks, but not really. If it keeps moving in that direction it will be almost as bad as NCL calling their Club Balcony Suites "suites". It's a balcony with free laundry and chocolate covered strawberries.... that's it. They do it on purpose to trick people into thinking they're getting a suite experience when they won't.

Another small gripe (complaint) - pants. Everything requires pants. This is a short 4 day cruise to Mexico. I brought a single pair of yoga pants that I wore on the flight down from NY and planned to wear on the flight home. Had to put them on last night to eat in Luminae because no shorts allowed. Have to put them on this morning before the bridge tour as long long pants are mandatory. In my quest to try and pack light I only brought 2 sun dresses and the single yoga pants from the plane. So my yoga pants will be getting another wear today for the bridge tour before I can switch into my shorts. Had to save the 2nd sundress for chic night tonight (verrrrry tempted to skip it completely and just eat in our room, but have been told we can only order from basic room service menu - so less tempting). This alone is why we don't even consider cruising on true luxury lines. If I'm on vacation somewhere hot I want to wear shorts and flip flops everywhere. I get it, a behind the scenes tour, safety, yada yada yada.... but why the pants for just a bridge tour?

So again, for ourselves we're fine. Have sailed in suites on other lines (90% on NCL) so knew a general ballpark of what to expect, when to speak up, what was within reason to ask for. For MIL it's her first time, so reminds me of our first Haven experience on the Jade which was horrible. Not saying Mom's trip has been horrible, but it's just the "you don't know what you don't know until you know it" that in retrospect makes you feel like you missed out on what could have been amazing with just a little more knowledge or better communication. The reason this is such a big deal for us is that this is probably Mom's last vacation. Her health continues to rapidly decline from a degenerative disorder, she's no longer able to be as independent as she was just a year ago, and without the electric wheelchair there's no way she would have been able to do anything at all. So those little touches of her not having to go wheel herself to so many different areas just for a light snack or bottle of water are a big deal for someone who can't move around as easy as the rest of us. Having a quiet place to just sit and relax was important, but there's no working elevator to get there for her. I laugh because people on CC love to fault NCL for nickel and dimeing, yet with celebrity the water bottles and cans of coke in my room are at a charge but if I can carry them myself from deck 4 to restock the fridge on my own they're free. As I said originally, I've found most cruise lines to be more similar than different depending on what is important to you. So my fault for not realizing the butler service had changed from when we booked originally and that mom would specifically have to request snacks in the room to save her a trip down. My fault for not communicating better to my own butler that when I said I enjoy BLTs, chips and cookies that it didn't mean I wanted all three of them together every single day (he must think we're the most annoying typical fat American gluttons - we've been skipping lunch though). My fault for not pushing the issue more with MIL that she should call them to get some meals in her room. And my fault for not clarifying with the concierge sooner. Traveling with someone in a wheelchair is just a very different experience for those who have not had to do it. Trying to navigate the walk (drive) even from the elevator to the retreat lounge when the casino is hopping is sometimes daunting. Not every guest is patient or kind when it comes to elevator etiquette. To celebrity's credit, MIL had a great excursion yesterday on her own. She booked an accessible Mayan experience and ended up being the only passenger. We thought they would cancel it, but they let her go. Had a van with a wheelchair lift like her Access-a-Ride back home. Crew helped her get off the ship with the wheelchair. And she had a great day exploring Cozumel which made us happy. At first she was going to just stay on the ship but we kept telling her to call celebrity to ask about accessible options and they came through. So I think that alone made the whole trip worth it where she can officially cross Cozumel off her list of places she's been. We're skipping breakfast today to try out some lunch options instead. Running out of options to try for drinks though... No more decoy wine on board, no more Chambord, and the amaretto bottle was getting pretty low. So challenge accepted that we can kill that off today. Have the blendique wine experience later this afternoon, but for now just enjoy the sunrise.

Dinner in Luminae tonight. Not the best filet I've had but not the worst either. A bit too purple in the center for my liking but I was full anyway at that point. Flagged down the concierge in the lounge and she confirmed in a sky suite there is no butler. Your "retreat host" acts as your butler, and if you want something you have to ask for it. She's saying they removed the regular snacks (she kept referring to it as the tea time snacks) because of food waste. I tried existing to her though that when we booked 6 months ago that was not their policy and no one told us it had changed, so how was my MIL supposed to know what she needs to ask for when she doesn't know even what is available to ask for? Few minutes later the head butler visited us to say she absolutely can order eggs Benedict for breakfast (we were told no), so now they're being extra accommodating to her to make up for no snacks or anything in her room the last two days. So still confused, and will find a polite way to let them know how they missed the mark with someone unfamiliar with the suite life on celebrity.

Voyager of the seas, not sure why I called it Navigator. The name is on every life boat in front of my face. Bartender in the Retreat lounge is accommodating to funky requests, they just have low or no stock on some spirits.

RCC crew at work, vs the touch ups needed on Summit.

Lots of tequila. We overpaid for what we bought, but it was one of only a small single handful of tequila bottles that don't burn at all and at home we only have Don Julio 1942. So now we're adding a chocolate, coffee, mango and 10 year aged to our collection. Was expecting them to take the bottles from us when we got in board but they didn't say a word. Docked next to RCC Navigator of the Seas with three carnival ships at the other beth today. RCC crew is doing touch ups on the balcony while guests are at senior frogs. Celebrity should take note as I sit here and stare at the rust on our ship. Nearly every cabin on their ship is a balcony, whereas the carnival ship that came in first this morning only had a handful of balcony cabins. Got the official invite for a bridge tour tomorrow morning so that will be interesting. Have a friend in our cruising group that would have loved it before he passed away last year, so going in honor of him and will be sure to ask about the rat guards.

Chose to do the salsa making and salsa dancing class today in Cozumel. Great experience, small group of only 11 of us. First stop was in a local market to grab the ingredients, then to Playa Mia resort. Made two salsas and a guac, had a sampling of snacks, endless margaritas and tequila shots, now relaxing in the pool. We have access to the lunch buffet too and more cocktails if needed. I took a dip in the pool to cool off, drying off now then going for a free tequila tasting to try out chocolate and cinnamon versions. I'm sure a bottle or three will come home with us. Access to the beach and pools and non motorized sports is included. So a great little trip and we'll be back at the port around 1:30 with a 5:30 all aboard. So time to check out the shops near port too.

Celebrity Ascent just passed us by lit up like it was nobody's business. My phone photos don't even do it justice how bright it was, they're partying like rock stars on that magic carpet.

Room service menus for @oteixeira Premium drink package includes stuff up to $17. @oteixeira

No, I think it was something else. He's still at the show (or more likely, at a bar). I'll ask him when he's back in the room. He never brings his cell phone with him and these cabins don't have a portable room phone like NCL does.

Another question for the Celebrity regulars.... I've now come to know that not all suites are considered equal in terms of what you get, but I guess I had incorrectly assumed that even the lowest Sky suite was still given butler service and some snacks and things. Was that an incorrect assumption? Our room and my MIL's room are night and day in terms of the service. We hadn't been in the room much on day 1, but had a note from our butler waiting for us asking to call him so he could introduce himself and chat about our preferences. MIL had a general business card on the desk with the butler's name and phone number, but still on the evening of day 2 hasn't seen them once or heard from them. We had egregious amounts of snacks in the room this afternoon - she hasn't gotten anything at all. She doesn't need anything per se and will certainly reach out and call them if she does, but this is her first time in any type of suite and we had hyped up what the experience may be like (our fault). Outside of access to Luminae and the lounge, she has a lovely large room and that's about it. Her wheelchair can't go to the sundeck (elevator is still broken and way too many stairs for her to navigate), and even with her own room and the lounge she needs someone to hold the door open for her to get in/out (another odd thing to me, I'm used to accessible rooms having an automatic door so wheelchair users can be independent). I double checked the Celebrity website and it looks to me like she should have somewhat the same type of stuff we do, so not sure if this is just another odd fluke. Amenities below are for our room and I have to laugh at some of them - but what in the world is "Stateroom Automation"? I'm spending a solid 10+ mins each morning rolling up the blinds to look out the windows.... is there a hidden button to do it for me that I haven't discovered yet? And in-suite specialty coffees.... I don't even have a coffee machine, so where in the world would one get these magical coffees from?

Dinner at petite chef was cute, but service was off. Only had my water refilled once and asked 4 different people for more. Didn't get our cocktails until the second course, so glad we didn't pair for the wine pairings. Somaliere said it was the first time it was fully booked in the last 3 months, so maybe that played into it some. Shorter cruise, less opportunities to go. FYI, they can't customize meals. Asked for my short rib without mushrooms, it was loaded with them. Meat was too fatty for my liking, but the rest of my family enjoyed it. Grabbed some vitamin waters and sodas from the lounge, toasted to a friend 🐀 (IYKYK), and now I'm back in the cabin to finish work from this morning while hubby checks out the show tonight solo. 8am excursion tomorrow, so early night for me.

NCL does the ship within a ship concept for their suites which I prefer. I don't want to have to go to multiple parts of the ship to take advantage of the perks that come with my room. Personal preference, but to us it's more conducive to forming and building friendships when it's easy to bump into new friends rather than by chance across the whole entire ship. One of the main reasons we like taking cruises is for the people we meet and the stories they have to share. It's just easier when there's a central gathering spot to potentially bump into them again. The wine tasting was not what we signed up for. They "ran out of space" for the one we booked so they offered us to switch to the wine & food pairing or nothing at all. We didn't book the food one because we knew I wouldn't eat most of the food (I'm a PITA with being a picky eater). The wines were very underwhelming and not even consistent from guest to guest. My first wine was nearly clear in color it was so light, hubby's glass had a distinctly yellow color. 2nd glass mine had strong fruit scents - his had nothing at all on the nose. Outside of saying which grape it was, no info was given about the actual wines we were drinking (brand, region it comes from, etc). When they said a pairing was supposed to be good it was not drinkable to me. When they said the pairing was poor, I actually enjoyed it. So either my taste buds are broken or my glasses had the wrong wine in them. Lovely chat with some of our table mates after the tasting ended then new friends from yesterday saw us and invited us to join their table to chat as they finished their sushi. Lost in conversation again about future trips we're planning, then ran into MIL as she was finishing her adult coloring just outside that area. Came back to a ton of snacks in the room from the butler (NCL suffers from the same affliction, just because we tell you we enjoy xyz didn't mean we want both x, y, and z all at the same time). Tried not to overdo as we're headed to petite chef at 6. Had met the director of housekeeping on the helipad yesterday and she sent flowers to our room which was a surprising nice touch.

Guests of NCL, be jealous. I have hash browns currently on celebrity. We're stopping in Cozumel tomorrow if anyone wants a black market trade. I need some lotion and a shower poof - will trade for some crispy greasy potato triangles. Also waved hi to anyone on board the Joy as she passed by us this morning.

Managed to get some work in, then wandered the ship a bit. Sorry but NCL wins for the private pool and sun deck. With them it's all contained in one area. On celebrity you have to go through all the public areas before you get to the quiet parts. Plus they have a pool, not just hot tubs. Wandered a bit before our wine tasting. Pro tip: the zero proof cocktails at the sunset bar can have liquor added... Major plus for celebrity is that you have hash browns for breakfast. Search the NCL boards to see how lucky you are. Waved hi to our favorite NCL ship the Joy this morning as it passed by.