LiveToCruise99

Celebrity tries to spread out the check in time to help avoid long waits.  If everyone ignored their check in time it would/could result in bottlenecks and long waits.  In all honesty, I suspect there would not be an issue however if they chose to, they could have you wait until the earlier check-ins where completed.

Mine are gone too but there's a message.  And the message says

"Sorry, we’re unable to display your loyalty tier and points right now. Please check back later."  

Give it a day or two.

This is disheartening.  I sail on the Equinox in 2 weeks.  I just reviewed the menus on the app. What a disappointment!  I paid way more for this cruise than ever before and just before we sail they take away many of my favorites.  What's left is a very poor selection of cheaper meals.  I'll try to keep an open mind but I'm not happy.  ARE YOU LISTENING CELEBRITY??  DO YOU CARE?

Many of us remain isolated, feel disappointment in canceled cruises and worry about ever cruising again.  I'm in that boat (ship??) too and wanted to throw something out there.  Presently when I see the ads I dream about a future cruise and I'd love to book one or two or more but don't want to lay out $960 CAD (or similar) for each cruise deposit.  IF the deposit was only $25 I'd book a few for down the road when the world gets back to normal.  I know the cost is still the same overall but it is the layout of a deposit I may or may not get back.  At least I could dream, and research, and dream.  It's a nice diversion from the current world.  Opinions?

I understand you are scared and feel a bit betrayed but consider the alternatives.  I too left an 11 night Celebrity cruise earlier this month and traveled home from Florida.  We were scared the last week on the ship that someone might become ill and we would be quarantined and couldn't get off.  Fortunately the ship was cleared and we headed to the airport.  Then there was the fear we might come in contact with Covid 19 going from the ship to the airport, at the airport, on the flight, etc.  We were never so glad to be home.  And we self quarantined for 14 days thereafter which has fortunately now ended but our community has asked all citizens to self isolate until further notice.  Workplaces are closed, schools are closed and only essential services are open.  We are asked to stay 6 feet away from anyone we might come in contact with.   We consider ourselves to be very lucky to be home and to be healthy.

So for the alternatives.  What if our ship were to be quarantined and refused disembarkation, then what?   Would we be confined to our cabin for weeks on end, only to end up with Covid 19 anyway?  And if we did get it and became really sick, what then?  I don't think the ship can handle it, the hospitals can't so why might the ship?   And how long might we be talking, 1 month, 2 months?  And if I had to be hospitalized I'd much prefer to be home.

I'm grateful to Celebrity for doing their best to  get me back to port so I could fly home.  My biggest fear, outside of picking up Covid 19, was not being able to get off the ship and go home.  I know you don't feel grateful given the news but when you think of the alternatives it might help.  I truly hope you and yours stay healthy and safe.

Very nice.  I was particularity surprised at the cabin changes (or limited changes) as I expected a complete overhaul.  I'm glad they left some of the nice features i.e. overhead cupboards, granite counter tops, existing desk, etc.  Also, I noticed the balcony table is table height.  Is this a change from the other remodels?  I think they were the same size but shorter.  Thank you for posting.

I'm curious if the Captains Club list of drinks considers sparkling water (Perrier or Pellegrino)  as bottled water.  I've never asked for this but wondered.  Does anyone know? 

We will be in Honolulu for one day in early November.  We are thinking about using the trolley to do our sight seeing.  I'm always concerned about how busy it will be and how much time might be wasted waiting for the next trolley or transferring and worrying if the next trolley might be full.   Has anyone taken it who can tell me how busy it typically is at that time of year?  I think we are the only ship in port that day.  How long do you have to wait between trolleys?  And lastly, I can find all kinds of offers to sell me a daily pass but I thought I read you could pay as you go.  And if so, how much is it each time you board?  Thank you.

Thank you everyone for your responses.  It sounds like it might be doable.  We'll go with a plan A and a plan B.

We are booked on the Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Gardens tour through Celebrity Eclipse.  We've been looking at the tourist map for Mendenhall and see that there is a hike to Nugget Falls that takes about an hour.  Has anyone who has taken the ship's tour, remember the time allotted at Mendenhall and if there would be enough time to do the hike?  Thank you.

We are presently booked in a 1C on the 8th floor but would move to any forward cabin from the 6th to the 10th.  After seeing the response from bengaltiger1 that you were able to mock book a 3+ cabin, I went through another mock booking and sure enough all the cabins have been released.  Yeahhhhhh!  And I've called and been moved.   I guess I wasn't patient enough.  Thank you to everyone for responding.

I'm the OP and thought I would check back in with an update.  We are now just over 30 days to sail date.  I have phoned Celebrity and I have emailed my Celebrity cruise planner.  When doing a mock booking, there are only 2 cabins for 2 people and both are bed by the balcony.  We want bed by the bath for a couple of reasons, one being medical.  There are hundreds (yes hundreds) of 3+ occupancy cabins most of which are beds by the bath.  Even as late as Friday last week they were still telling me that the powers that be would not release them yet.  This is mind boggling to me.  I've booked a 3+ (bed by the bath) cabin many times prior and have 2 future cruises with this layout.  I just don't understand why this cruise is so different.

7 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

What ship is this? With the reduction in cabins that will accommodate 3-4 people, they may be taking Royal's approach and holding those cabins to make it easier for people that truly need the extra beds. I agree RC's policy is annoying, especially when it comes to their aft cabins, but I get it.

It is the Eclipse for the June 16, 2019 sailing.  I keep checking each day.  I've called twice and I'm told to keep checking back.  I understand the desire to fill cabins to the max but two couples sharing a balcony cabin is way too crowded (in my humble opinion) so filling them is doubtful.  And on that date kids are still in school so filling them that way is unlikely too.  I just wondered if the policy had changed.

I too have booked 3/4 person cabins prior but this particular one seems to be handled differently.  Even the Celebrity customer service rep was surprised but was unable to offer an explanation.  This has left me wondering if there has been a change in the way they hold rooms.  I even wondered if it might be because of the "bidding" system on cabins 30 days prior to sailing. 

We're 63 days out from our sail date and looking to switch from a 2 person cabin (usually bed by the balcony) to a 3-4 person cabin (which has the bed by the bath).  There seems to be a lot of cabins available in all categories but they are only open when you indicate there are 3 or more people in your booking.  The number of 2 person cabins remaining are very limited and are in the higher priced categories.  My question is:  Does Celebrity have a set time to sailing or cabins still vacant when they typically release all cabins regardless of potential occupants in order to fill them?  

I'm sure someone has thought of this but I haven't seen anything so I'll say it at the risk of repeating.  I know there is a general dislike of the new IV rooms and most don't want to see the S class ships converted from a true balcony to an IV BUT.....What if they could turn ocean view rooms into IV rooms?  I think most of us would agree that we'd prefer and IV room to an ocean view.  Any thoughts?

Dining is very subjective so many will disagree with me but here goes.  We enjoy the main dining room and do not book the other venues.  To sit down in a massive beautiful elegant room with linen tablecloths and napkins and clean cutlery for each course is a wonderful way to dine. It feels special to us.  We've dined on prime rib, chicken cordon bleu, lobster, escargot, wilted spinach goat cheese salads, fancy pasta dishes,  etc. etc.  A sommelier will serve us wine and make recommendations.  Some wait staff are better than others but that goes elsewhere too.  Our main experience is outstanding service.  And we like that by the end of the cruise we know our wait staff and a bit about their culture.

To us that $100 (more or less) can be used to go out to another nice restaurant at home when we're back to reality and cooking our own meals.  If money were no object we might feel differently but cruising is a lovely luxury by itself.

Having said all that there is one small exception.  We usually go to Sushi on Five for lunch one day.  It provides something we can't get anywhere else on the ship and it lets us have a leisurely meal while the buffet is still crazy and it's too late to for the dining room which closes at 1 or 1:30.  Cost wise between us it's $25 or so.  The a la carte menu provides wonderful shareable items and two trays of rolls and a tray of dumplings will fill us nicely.

One other thing.  If you have a set time for dining and you happen to sit with some wonderful people it's hard to give up a night of their company to go to another venue.  Upon occasion we have had the most fabulous table mates and dining with them each night was part of what made that cruise special.

Whatever you decide, enjoy it!

Thank you everyone.  This has been most helpful.

I'm trying to get a sense for the differences between the ocean view cabins forward/center and the ones aft on deck 3, starboard side on the Millennium.  There seems to be larger round windows for the 17 cabins aft by the conference rooms versus the ones forward/center.  I think these cabins were added during the 2013 renovations.  Can anyone tell me If they have stayed in either or both and what they can tell me about any differences, especially in the windows?  Thank you. 

I love this perk.  It's a little thing but It's so nice to see it there when you come back in from a long day.  I know it was there in June on the Eclipse.  I hope they keep it.

Here's another way to have a foot stool. One of the square throw pillows can be slid above where the legs come together on the outdoor table. You can cover it with a towel to protect it. It's cushy and comfortable. Although not huge we've been able to successfully share it.

Here's a couple of things we learned with any of the packages. If you have both your card and you spouse's card you can order 2 drinks. Plus you can get a bottle of water along with a drink per card. And as a separate order, you can also ask that the cap be left on a bottle of beer so you can stock your fridge but only one per card.

Science doesn't lie.

 

You don't get sick by going from a hot outside to an air conditioned inside. You don't get sick from an air conditioner (with some rare exceptions, but then almost all the passengers and crew would be sick).

True. But when you are very hot and sweaty and suddenly you have a cold breeze blowing at the back of your neck (tour buses especially) and you can't easily get away from it, your neck becomes cold and before long you feel chilled and your neck and shoulders cold and stiff. Once your muscles are cold and stiff any bug you might have been exposed to seems to set in. I think it is like the excessive drinking and excessive eating weakens your body, so does getting chilled from air conditioning.

Two things. First, we were door slammers on our last cruise and I apologize profusely. It was the only way the door would close. We'd try to push it gently but it wouldn't close and when you pulled it back far enough to make it close, it slammed. I tried everything - sorry, sorry, sorry. I would have been annoyed by me too.

Secondly, I hate it when people come into the theater late, fumble to get in place and then proceed to talk back and forth for several minutes. Dirty looks don't seem to help in a dark theater.

Our cruise ship is docking in Ringaskiddy in early June. I'm assuming the ship will offer a shuttle into Cork and wondered if anyone has done this prior? Where did the shuttle drop you off in Cork? Thank you!