go.without.you

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We went to the Chefs Table on the Edge in August, but definitely no tours of the ship were available nor were there any organized meetings like the OP referenced either. 

How was the Chef's Table? I have it booked on Equinox in November. How many people? Menu? Wine pairings, where they extra cost with premium bev package? Details please.

I'm on the Equinox 11/19 and they still have Grand Cayman on the itinerary. If they know we aren't going, why don't they update the port info? I've been to Grand Cayman many times and really don't care if we go or not, just would like to know.

It's been a long time since I've had this and I don't know the name but it's basically a banana daiquiri with chocolate syrup - chocolate covered banana? I'm sailing on EQ in November and I'm going to make sure I get one.

My cruise is 90 days from today. I was able to check in at midnight. I was assigned 12 noon check in. I'm in a suite but just in case they stick to check in times I'm set.

21 hours ago, the penguins said:

Fortunately this was before we reached the heights of having a balcony - we had a nice inside down on deck 3. We turned down offers from passengers in 3 different suites to swop cabins. It remains the worst weather we have ever had and the only cruise with a mutiny resulting in passengers confined in their cabins before being removed from the ship.

You weren't by any chance on the Carnival Poop Cruise were you?

Is it better to book your next cruise while currently on a cruise for the OBC, etc? Also, I normally book thru an online agency that gives me other perks, would I be able to transfer it to them? Some advice please. I'm cruising the Equinox in November and I want to book Edge in the spring.

I just booked using OBC for my Nov sailing on Equinox. I travel alone so always look forward to meeting new people.

I just booked the corner aft Suite on Equinox in November. My 1st SV, I'm pretty excited about it but worry about no shade. I'll suck it up.

5 hours ago, wpgcycler said:

Near the top of the dining screen, there should be a tab for "Main Dining". Blu is listed as one of the options in that section. Others here have suggested the menus are not really accurate until very close to if not the actual date of sail.

I can see the menus for all the restaurants except Blu. There is no "Menu" open to click on. 

On 12/4/2019 at 6:11 AM, rollie said:

 

There is a Celebrity app for the Equinox that will have your sailing and menu's.  Very useful.

 

Rollie

The app doesn't show the menu for Blu. Maybe after I board.

No one has commented on the moving carpet. Wondering if anyone used it for fine dining or otherwise?

I actually googled Hoppencrap (nothing came up). LOL. Looks like Edge has some design issues that they need to correct. That table and the chair not fitting under the desk is basic Cruising 101. Guess Hoppen has never cruised before. That should have been a prerequisite for the job, jus sayin.

I love the libraries on board. I always go there 1st to pick out a few books for the week. I also bring my Fire but sometimes it is too bright for me to read from it while wearing sunglasses, etc. They have a great selection and it's wonderful that people leave books behind. The average Celebrity cruiser is over 50 so you would think the library would be a keeper. 

Does anyone have the daily dinner menu for Blu? Sailing on Equinox on the 14th, just curious.

I'm doing another solo cruise next month. My 3rd within 1 year. I love it.

If I want company, I find it. If I want to lay in bed and watch tv for 3 days straight I can (I usually sit on the balcony a lot). My friends always want to do stuff and I just go along with it so they don't go alone. Not when I travel solo! I don't shop or walk around aimlessly looking for seats for someone else. I plop down someplace and when I'm ready to go I just go.

And the staff does treat you better. I don' know if they feel sorry for you or think you are brave. I don't care what anyone thinks.

I've sailed Celebrity for the last 5 Thanksgivings. If there is a turkey dinner offered on your sailing, the people that order it seem to be disappointed. I always ask the waiter each night what they recommend.

I just booked yesterday and it's saying they are not available. I will call, thanks!

I priced out what it would cost for each of the suites before I placed my "average" bids and I was no where close to the actual cost. I figured if they gave it to me for less than full price then it would be worth it. Was worth the gamble anyway.

And think of all that money you just saved and can now use elsewhere on your trip.

Based on what I would've paid to upgrade, that's 2 more cruises basically.

I just received my response for my Move Up bidding for my sailing in 2 days.

I'm in Aqua and bid on Sky, Celebrity and Royal Suites. I bid at the halfway point for each. All declined. No problem, was at least 3-4 times what I paid for the original cabin. Plus I've always done Concierge and this is my first Aqua. Looking forward to Blu!

I sat on a chair that was reserved by a flip and a book from the ship's library. I placed the stuff on the flop chair and sat down. When they finally came along (45 minutes after I was sitting there) I ignored them. They shrugged, picked up their stuff and walked away.

I did have a lady freak on me once and I didn't even do anything wrong. Apparently she had 2 chairs "saved" outside of cafe, where the rail curves to get to the other side of the ship. The people near the edge moved chairs to the other side to make room and we took them, so now we were on the end. I'm sitting there, minding my own, and I hear "WHAT HAPPENED HERE!!!???". I'm like.....what? She was pissed cause she was no longer "on the end". I said really loud, "I didn't move anything, I have witnesses (pointing to them)". They laughed, apparently this was a daily thing for the crazy lady. They set me up. I thought it was pretty funny and kept using the "what happened here" line for the rest of the trip.

We were denied too. Oh well. We’re still cruising. We are in a Celebrity Suite. Placed bids on a Royal and Penthouse. See you Saturday in Michaels and Luminae.

Maybe since you are already in a suite, like they didn't get a decent bid for your cabin so it didn't make sense to upgrade you to the larger one. OR..someone else bid higher (more likely).

1st was on Dolphin in 1988, was a freebie since I was a travel agent. (Those perks all but died in the late 90's once everyone and their brother decided they too could be a travel agent from their house.) They had a private island in the Bahamas, was very small and was creatively called "Dolphin's private island". I think Carnival later bought it. Booked another 6 months later on Carnival...Fantasy maybe??? Hitting my 23rd cruise soon.

Different from now: You had to pay cash for everything, that was a real pain. Digging thru your bag for bills and coins. Drink prices were the same or less than bars on land. You gave the crew tips in cash on the last night. Sometimes it took some planning to have exact change. You would get actual COINS from the slot machines. I remember winning about $200 in quarters the first night. I kept in a bucket and would grab a handful before dinner each night until it was empty at the end of the cruise.

You were assigned ONE table in the MDR and that's where you had breakfast, lunch and dinner. The tables were all 6, 8 or 10 pax. Sometimes there would only be 2-3 people at each table but you had the same waitstaff for every meal. You couldn't get a 2 or 4 top until the 90's. One night had a midnight buffet that was very extravagant with carved fruits, shaped breads, etc. I remember one had 2 cooked lobsters playing volleyball on a field of colored sugar to look like sand - volleyball net was carved out of some food. If you missed breakfast or lunch in the MDR you had the buffet since you had to be properly dressed for each meal. I ate a lot of pizza and burgers since we would stay up late (7am breakfast on 5 hours sleep, no thank you). They wouldn't serve potato chips at the lunch buffet because they would go stale from the humidity outside.

Your cabin choices were inside or outside and the window was about 3x5'. You had to take a ton of clothes and it seemed like you changed 3-4 times a day. For sail off the band would play and there would be a big party. The pool would be filled with helium balloons held down by a net. They would release them as the tug boats pushed us out. They would fill the pool early the next morning using sea water and would change it every day.

I don't miss the smaller ships that were much more rocky than today. One cruise the waitstaff had moistened the tablecloths so the dishes wouldn't slide with the rocking of the ship. Glasses would only be filled halfway or else your drink would slosh out. Good times.

Seriously a 12 pack? That would be gone before the ship untied the lines.

 

Here is what I do. Get a balcony. Bring a very long rope. Hire someone with a boat. They can bring about a dozen cases. When you get to your room, contact them, let them know where you are. When they get under your balcony, throw over the rope, they attach the cases, and haul them up.

 

As for disposing of the cans, just toss them to the cabins next to you, above you, and under you. BTW, if you are a smoker, just dispose of the butts by putting them in the empty cans.

 

Also, if you have any questions on saving deck chairs at the pool, let me know. I use that police yellow tape and just block off a whole row for the two of us. That also works great in all the entertainment venues.

The yellow police tape is much more effective when used with a chalk outline of a body.

To those who have snuck a 12 pk of beer on a cruise ship in a 12 pk soda case, how did you get rid of the evidence? I mean once you are done w the beer you have to throw it away! I don't want the maids to see it and then tell on me! Seriously what did you do do with the empty can? I thought about crushing it and throwing it away at home. What did you do?

2 simple words:

You

don't

I think it's a great idea. They don't want the suites to be empty as it looks bad and if you can upgrade for $1000 instead of paying $3000, why not? Plus I'm pretty sure they save a few suites on every cruise just in case a bigwig comes along (high level exec of company or whatever). Plus that opens up the cheaper rooms so maybe someone wanted to get on last minute but didn't want to pay for a suite. I think it's good business.