vms

I've looked on Celebrity's website and I can't find anything. If there is an emergency at home, is there a number for someone to call to get a message to the ship? I'm hoping to spend my vacation disconnected from the net as much as possible.

I'll be on the Millennium, if that makes a difference.

Thank you for the wonderful review! Like many others, this is a bucket list trip for me. It's great to hear all about it, and your pictures really added to your descriptions.

Yes- this is on my cruise bucket list. I've never been to New England or the Maritimes. The history, especially in Boston & Quebec City, intrigues me. I'd love to hike in Acadia and have a true Maine lobster roll. And I'm interested to see if the fall colors can beat what we have here in Minnesota. :)

How disappointing that you couldn't parasail! For some people, this would have ruined their cruise. But not you. I love how you change your plans on the fly and continue to enjoy yourself.

It was great to see a different side of St Martin than the usual city tour, and that rum store with the beautiful painted bottles is now on my must see list.

I'm looking forward to more.

Thanks for the great review Lois! Alaska is on my cruise bucket list and this sounds like it was an excellent one.

Also glad to hear this was more in line with what you expected from Celebrity.

Thanks everyone! I did decide to go with the GoPro Hero4, and have just started to learn how to use it outside the water, before taking it on some dives this summer and practicing with it before the cruise.

Appreciate all the input!

Thanks for an even-handed review! I'm looking forward to sailing on the Millennium in November but I've been a little apprehensive because of so many negative reviews. Glad to hear that you had a positive experience overall.

Your review is delightful so far! Your joie de vivre comes through beautifully. Thanks for an entertaining and informative review. I look forward to more!

Are you saying that a single is charged more than the full price two people would pay? Your $3,000 cabin jumping to $10,000 is simply not credible..

 

This makes no sense at all. If a line offers a "single" at more than twice the per person portion - then you should simply reserve as a double - and have your imaginary roommate simply not show up at boarding.

I didn't take a screen shot, so I don't have anything I can show you to prove it to you, although I did post on the solo cruisers board about the non-deal at the time I saw it. But it does happen that selecting 1 passenger provides a rate that is more than 2x the per-passenger rate.

I did comment at the time that I would be tempted to make-up a second passenger, although I'm not sure how I convince someone else to give me their passport number to make the fake reservation. Instead I chose not to purchase the cruise at all.

Is the cruise line making so much more in onboard purchasing that they're willing to discount the cabins to 80% off list price for a couple in a last minute deal, rather than getting a guaranteed solo passenger at 150% of the normal per-person rate and know that the cabin is sold before final payment? Someone has done the math and it seems that's the side the cruise lines have come down on, at least for now. Only time will tell.

While I don't like it, I don't mind a single supplement. What I do mind is a single surcharge (paying more than 200% of the per-person rate). Pricing a recent cruise, the rate per-person was $1500, but the single rate was $10,000. That's an outlier, but it's not uncommon to see 225% or more, especially on "last minute deals".

I'll trade you the uneaten meals for the lowered onboard spending, but there shouldn't be a more than 200% rate for a single, IMO.

Great review so far! I'm looking forward to this itinerary in 2016, so glad to pick up any tips I can from your report. Looking forward to more!

I've never cruised there, although a cousin of mine just went there on a land vacation and the photos were spectacular.

I find that http://www.cruisetimetables.com/ is a great place to get information about different ports and the cruises that will be going there. It looks like there are several port options in the Maldives in 2016 and 2017. Be sure to use the destinations section as opposed to the ports of departure section, since I don't think there are any cruises that are starting or ending in the Maldives.

Good luck!

Great photos! The colors of the Parrothead and Toadfish are so brilliant.

What camera did you use?

Are you using a color filter of any kind?

I've got 2 solo cruises booked.

Celebrity Millennium RT from Singapore going to Bali, Komodo, Phuket, Penang, and Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur).

Celebrity Summit RT from Puerto Rico doing a southern Caribbean itinerary. This will be the second leg of a B2B with the first leg a mom/daughter cruise with my mom. I love her to pieces, but I'm sure I'll be happy to be solo for the second week. ;)

Hello to all the other solos out there! It's a great way to travel.

Thanks everyone! I never considered this to be something that would fall under "special needs", but it's great that the form has a write-in section that would cover this issue.

As always, this board is a wealth of great information.

What would be the best way to find out what type of laundry detergent is used by the ship's laundry service? I'd like to use the laundry for an upcoming cruise, but I have an allergic reaction to a specific brand of detergent that's very popular in the US. I'd also need to know to make sure the sheets won't cause an allergic reaction.

I was playing around with the weekly "Deals" on Celebrity's site- the cruises that are past final payment. 14 day Eastern Med cruise was showing at around $3000 for a suite. I wondered what kind of single supplement they would charge so I changed the parameters to one person.

:eek: $13,000 for a solo in a suite. $10,000 extra! :eek:

At that kind of mark-up, I think I'd make up a second passenger and then say they couldn't make it when I checked-in at the pier. That is just crazy.

I have no experience with a cruise that long, but I have to say that I'm horribly jealous. I saw that itinerary and it would be an absolute dream for me. Someday with enough time and money, maybe. :)

If you've never done a shorter vacation solo, I'd plan for one between now and then to get a feel for what you want and like. I know some people who are bothered by eating alone, as an example. Know what makes you happy as a solo traveler and then apply it to the cruise experience.

I hope you have a wonderful time!

Thank you for your review! Your comments on your time in Singapore are very helpful, since I will be departing from there in November. It sounds like you had a great cruise.

I cruised the Caribbean in late March/Early April a few years ago. The weather was great, but we did have enough wind one day to prevent our docking in Costa Maya. But the weather wasn't bad enough to scare me away from another early April Caribbean cruise. ;)

I'd be more worried about spring breakers than the weather, to be honest.

I missed Costa Maya on my first cruise due to high wind preventing the ship from docking. It was a bit sad to be so close and hold out hope while waiting to see if things would die down, but we made the best of it and enjoyed our extra sea day.

Your review continues to entertain and inform. Can't wait to hear all about the longest sea day ever!

My first cruise was on the Century. I thought she was beautiful and never felt crowded. My favorite spots were the Cova Cafe and the Martini Bar. I'm sorry I didn't cruise on her again.

Fair winds and following seas to her.

This is a very entertaining start to a trip report- I LOLed several times. Looking forward to more, as I have s-class ship envy.

I'm a novice diver with my open water and advanced open water certificates, but I've taken a break from diving so have no recent experience. I'm planning to get some dives in over the summer before heading out on my cruise.

I'm looking for recommendations for a dive shop and dive sites in Bali. We're there for 3 days, so I'm hoping to get a lot of diving in. It seems that both Nusa Dua and the Tulamben areas would be good for beginners, but would love to hear from those who've been there.