mac_tlc

Thanks for posting the Luminae menus. I am so looking forward to a couple longer cruises on Beyond next year in order to get to those “second 7” menus. We have had the good fortune of sailing in the Retreat a number of times since the restart, 7 days at a time. It would be nice for them to rotate the menus more often. mac_tlc

It is not on Apex, only Beyond (and eventually Ascent). +1 for Nachi Cocom in Cozumel. mac_tlc

I agree— Wonder and Icon suite prices are absolutely ridiculous. BTW, given my posts on this thread, I got a kick out of your screen name 😂😂. mac_tlc

The fact that a guest has to close up their own bed is ridiculous. Royal has really cheapened the experience lately, too bad the prices have not followed suit. We have two Royal cruises that were booked quite a while ago. After those, none on the books and no burning desire to book more. mac_tlc

I guess we can debate Port intensive, but the Vista cruises I was looking at in Jan/Feb/Mar 2025 out of Miami were. 7 day cruise with 4 stops, 10 day cruise with 6 stops, 12 day cruise with 7 consecutive stops. That fits my definition. True you can stay onboard, but casino is probably closed, don’t know about other venues on O, but on almost every other shop we have sailed the lunch offerings may also be reduced, and possibly fewer activities. This is not to say we won’t give O a go, we probably will in early 2025. I’m just giving you my opinion of what I have found so far. Smaller ships typically tout their ability to go places the larger ships can’t. Usually means more Port days. I also took a look at Seabourn for the h”&$ of it, and their itineraries are not attractive to us. Way too many ports which we have trouble navigating. mac_tlc

Zenith is 3000 points, you have a ways to go, I bet 😜😜. 1000 nights in a verandah 375 nights in a Sky Suite 125 nights in an Iconic Suite all assuming no double point promos, of course. mac_tlc

This is a very interesting thread, so I’ll add our experience. Our first cruise was in 2000 on Carnival. We really enjoyed being on the sea and got hooked. Prior to that we did a lot of Disney World, and still do with the grandkids. We always took our two kids with us, who we 12 and 5 when we started. We loved our Disney cruises, but their prices soon got out of reach for what you were getting —- and my wife likes the casino. We gravitated to Royal for most of the next 20 or so cruises. Their mega ships offered such a wide variety of activities and cabins and there was always something for everyone, and the entertainment was great— especially in the Aquatheatre. Once the kids were in college or moved out, the wife and I discover the Suite Life—- oh boy has that been a costly endeavor. The Crown Lofts and Aquatheatre Suites are fabulous. As we got a bit older, maybe late 50s or so, we gravitated towards Celebrity and love it. If it’s just us it’s Celebrity, if it’s kids and grandkids it’s usually Royal. We really love the Retreat on E-class and have a few more booked— a while ago at reasonable prices. The ships are gorgeous, excellent shows, and plenty of games/trivia. As we look forward, the Celebrity Retreat prices are too steep. So what does one do? Start to look at other suitors. Lately, I have investigated Oceania and MSC Yacht Club. Here is why I haven’t booked either yet: MSC Yacht Club —- I read mostly great reviews —- as long as you stay in YC. Not sure I want to feel that constraint, even though YC is usually 30-40% below an E-class Sky Suite, at least for those I have looked at.May try one out of NY since it’s easy to get to. Oceania — For all intents and purposes, for the comparisons I have made O and X are close to a push. I believe we would only do O on the larger ships. But the biggest concern we have is that O itineraries are port intensive. As life has happened, my wife has more and more difficulty walking any distance. That makes many ports almost inaccessible. Six straight days of ports is not attractive to us. We have looked at a canal transit on Vista that holds some promise and has fewer ports. I find the “hunt” to be more fun that the “kill”, so we will continue investigating. If I could get an X Sky Suite for what we just paid on Beyond a few weeks ago, it would be an easy decision. mac_tlc

Sorry you missed the Azores. When we stopped there we thought is was one of the most beautiful places we have been. mac_tlc

Not everyone can afford the cost or the time to do TA’s, TP’s or European cruises all the time. Flying is a big deal for some. Good to have choices so everyone can do themselves. mac_tlc

When the Solstice came out, it did a stint in the Caribbean year round. We sailed her in April 2010 and August 2010. Then there was a gap until more recently. At least they have committed to have one ship year round. Reflection takes the Equinox's place next summer.

I wish Celebrity left more than one ship in the Caribbean from May - Oct. I’d love to see one in Port Canaveral. mac_tlc

Once Summitt repo’s to NJ, it’s just the lonely Equinox left.😞😞😞 mac_tlc

We usually avoid an itinerary with that many consecutive port days. Not relaxing for us, we like sea days and prefer a sea day between stops. Too much go,go,go. Sure, you can stay on the ship, but casino is closed and on some ships some restaurants can be closed for lunch. This is one reason we have not pulled the trigger on an Oceania cruise. Other than a repo or transoceanic cruise, they stop a lot. mac_tlc

Not exactly. Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Icon of the Seas, will have them —- and also have traditional balconies. If you think the the Retreat prices are high, try a suite on Icon, prices are ridiculous. We have had an IV and got accustomed to it. Especially when it’s hot, we don’t use the balcony much, it was nice to have a floor to ceiling view of the ocean. Also enjoyed being able to raise the shade after waking up and get a great view without having to get out of bed. mac_tlc

Things can change by November, but here they are from 4/2/23. Fun to look at in any event. https://issuu.com/hochmania/docs/anthem_7x_bahamas_pd_2_apr_2023_day_1-merged/1?ff

Icon will be in Miami, but I agree that between the outrageous pricing for Icon and Wonder and now Utopia doing short cruises, I won’t be on any of them. mac_tlc

Enjoying your review! I was excited to see the bourbon selection until I saw the prices.😳 I enjoy Angels Envy and OF 120, but it would be difficult to spend more above the PBP for me. mac_tlc

With the latest change in Royals and Celebrity’s non-refundable deposit policy, we have pulled back on bookings further out in time. It really depends on cabin though. On Celebrity, you can still do a Sky Suite on board at the reduced deposit level, but a GS on Royal requires a full deposit. And groups rarely if ever include suites, so the “refundable less than non-refundable discussion” is not relevant. Personally, we never do refundable. The price difference is usually substantial. We have lost a few $100 amounts but have saved many many times more over time by going NRD. Know the ever changing terms and know what you can (or cannot) afford to lose. mac_tlc

https://celebritybedcollection.com/product/celebrity-cashmere-mattress/

We just got off a week ago and already miss her! We are also E+ with no illusions of ever making Z. Enjoy your cruise ! mac_tlc

Sky Suites near the forward elevators are our preferred location on E-class. Have had them on Edge, Apex, Beyond, and next January on Ascent. Great location. Never had any noise issues. mac_tlc

Ooooh there you go…… We did just book the Fall 2024 TA on Beyond. Two TA’s in one year ?? Hmmmmmm… mac_tlc

We just got off the Beyond this past Sunday 😞😞. Look forward to following along. mac_tlc

I booked the Fall 2024 TA in a SS on Beyond for about $440pppd. Quite a bit less than the 2K/day. Only if you want RS or higher will you be in that range. mac_tlc

I noticed that two of the hosts on Beyond last week rarely left the podium, and always seemed to be typing something. Other than them making an Eden reservation on Day 1, I don't believe we spoke to either of them. Hussein and Joao on Edge were all over the room and we talked to them almost every day. There were two other servers that were very busy and I think when the lounge was very active they had trouble keeping up. We also noted several nights that the Lounge seemed much more crowded than on any of our other Retreat cruises. Our prime Retreat time was 5:15 - 6:15, give or take. mac_tlc