KellyCz

In the planning stages for our first Celebrity cruise, so I'm trying to understand the various charges. I noticed the note about a 20% service charge being automatically added to your bill. Is this waived if you have the drink package? (Same question for the martini bar.) And thanks for sharing all these details. SO helpful, as we're looking at the same ship and itinerary for next summer!

Is it less expensive to upgrade on board or pre-cruise?

As someone who's new to Celebrity, I appreciate this advice.

Following, as we're looking at this same itinerary for 2023. Did you get the all-included fare and then upgrade to the premium drinks package? If so, can you tell us the cost of the upgrade?

It's true, and the facebook groups are even worse. If I listened to all the complaints and negativity, I never would have taken my 7-night cruise on MSC last month. Had a great experience and am now looking at Princess or Celebrity to Alaska for 2023.

This is very helpful, given that we are looking at Alaska for 2023 and were just considering Flights by Celebrity vs. booking directly with the airline. Booking directly it will be!

Suite 11009

Day 7 Our second sea day and our last full day. After our daily laps on deck 15 and buffet breakfast, we made our way to the spa. The treatments were fabulous. I had my first-ever hot stone massage (amazing), followed by a 20-minute facial. We switched it up today, having lunch at the Black Crab, since we hadn’t done that yet. We spent most of the afternoon lounging by (and occasionally cooling off in) the Garden Pool. Sunning, reading, and sipping strawberry daquiris made for a very enjoyable afternoon. Sadly, we had to start the packing process before dinner. We were all sorry to see the trip come to an end. During pre-dinner cocktails at the Divina Bar, the cruise activities staff entertained us in the atrium. Later we saw them again at the cruise variety show, which had the feel of a summer camp counselor’s skit…lighthearted and fun. We all enjoyed it. Overall, it was a wonderful vacation. We hope to cruise again soon!

Day 6 Cozumel. The day started with a tiny, cute towel bird from our room steward, Jon. He left several throughout the week. Another excursion today. This time we joined a tour group to learn about three local industries: honey, chocolate, and tequila (quite the combination!). Our guide was another Luis (same name as yesterday), but he was much more charismatic. He entertained and educated us during the drive and took great care to be sure everyone in our group was getting good service at our various stops. He took photos for many of us and seemed to enjoy his job. We tipped him well. Our first stop was the Mayan Bee Sanctuary. We learned about bees as we walked through wooded trails and viewed several hives. NOTE: If mosquitos like you, bring insect repellant. We brought repellant wipes rather than a spray. Easy to pack, and less disruptive to other people and your surroundings when you apply. We forgot to bring them to Costa Maya and regretted it. Before we entered the wooded area of the bee sanctuary, we swiped our legs and arms and got no new bites (whereas we all got a few the day before). Then we sampled two types of honey. A local artisan has a shop at this site displaying his hand-carved jewelry. He does nice work. I bought a pendant. We made a stop that wasn’t listed in the itinerary at a beachside open-air restaurant. Nice opportunity for photos of the beach and sea, followed by cold drinks and a large plate of nachos. Plenty of seating and tables in the shade under a large pavilion. Then it was on to the Mayan Cacao Company. Very enjoyable live demonstration of chocolate making in its purest form: crushing the cacao seeds on a metate, adding a few simple ingredients, and working it into a paste. It didn’t taste like the chocolate we’re used to, but it was tasty and a unique experience. In the shop, we purchased some sort of blended chocolate ice drink (delicious and refreshing!) for $5 each. Then we sampled various flavors of the chocolate bars they market under the Mayan Cacao Company brand. Now THESE were tasty. Because of the heat, we opted not to buy any to take home. Our last stop was a bit of a disappointment. I mistakenly thought we were going to see how tequila is made, but it was just a visit to a retail establishment for a very brief talk, a sampling of three types of alcohol (only one tequila), and the opportunity to purchase bottles to take home. We don’t like the hassle of transporting bottles home, so we didn’t buy any. All in all, we enjoyed the outing. Bought a few souvenirs back at the port shops before heading aboard. After dinner at (you guessed it) the Black Crab, we watched the evening show called Grande Amore, an Italian tribute. It was decent; not great. The late-night comedian, however, we didn’t enjoy at all. We just didn’t find him funny. Oh well, you can’t love them all.

Thanks! Hoping to finish it soon.

Day 5 Costa Maya. We took an MSC excursion to the Mayan ruins. Met our group (11 total) in the theater and then headed out to a van for the hour+ drive. Our guide, Luis, was personable and knowledgeable. We enjoyed walking around the ancient buildings and partially excavated ruins. A highlight was seeing a few spider monkeys in a tree near the base of the last building. Back at the office/gift shop area, I was happy to find clean, well-kept restrooms. The only downside to this outing was the prices in the gift shop. I haven’t been in Mexico for 20 years, but I was shocked when I asked for the price on a few trinkets. I was quoted $20 and $25 US dollars for small souvenirs. We passed on those and bought $2 ice cream bars instead. Reasonably priced and refreshing! Skipping the souvenirs was a good call, since we paid $5 for the exact same items in one of the port shops after returning. Despite reduced capacity sailings, the port was bustling and crowded, so we wore masks and only stayed a short time before returning to the ship. The evening event was White Night, so we all wore something white and had dinner at the Black Crab. We were really loving the service (Mr. Mike, would you like your usual cabernet? Regular drinks from the bar for you, Miss and Mrs.?) We could get used to this! After dinner, we went to the White Night Party on deck 14 (actually viewed it from deck 15). It was fun until the rain came; then everyone moved to the disco, where the music got way too loud for the 50-somethings among us, so we only stayed for a few songs before heading off to bed.

Oops...I must have had a copy/paste error in the last paragraph of my previous post. Here's what it was supposed to say: We enjoyed our 50-minute massages so much that we booked another appointment for the next sea day—this time an onboard special of 100 minutes of massage and facial for $139. (Note that booking onboard brings with it a 15% service fee.) We spent some time in the thermal area, but it wasn’t for us. If you like steam rooms and saunas, you’ll like it. We preferred to use the hot tubs around the ship instead. More lounging at the Garden Pool, and then it was time to dress for Elegant Night. We dressed nicer than usual, but I wouldn’t describe it as elegant. Next time, I’ll bring something fancier. We had drinks in Divina Bar on deck 5, where our now regular bartender, Frank, entertained us with a few card tricks. Then we walked the 30 steps to where the photographers were set up near the staircase. We had loads more photos taken, and eventually went to dinner at the Black Crab. Later we enjoyed the music of Russ Clark in the Atrium. ---

Day 3 A second day on Ocean Cay. More time at Lighthouse Beach and Lighthouse Bar. Lunch at Seaker’s. We walked further around the island today, enjoying the view. Also did a bit of souvenir shopping in the island shops. Back on board, we lounged at the Garden Pool on deck 15. Bartenders came by frequently to bring us strawberry daquiris and Coronas. Got some great parting shots as we sailed away from Ocean Cay. We stayed very casual and had dinner at the buffet, followed by relaxing in the covered section on deck 14. By this point, we were all convinced we were living the good life and that we would most definitely cruise again in the future. Exhausted from all the sun and cocktails, we went to bed early. Day 4 Sea Day Our first sea day. Started with cappuccino in the Pizza del Doge and a walk around deck 15. A perk of our Aurea package was a massage and access to the thermal area. We enjoyed our 50-minute massages so much that we booked another appointment for the next sea daylked the 30 steps to where the photographers were set up near the staircase. We had loads more photos taken, and eventually went to dinner at the Black Crab. Later we enjoyed the music of Russ Clark in the atrium.

Thanks. We did! Already planning our next cruise.

They have designated rooms for men and women. The quiet relaxation area with six lounge chairs is coed.

Good point. Yes, we had the Easy Plus beverage package.

Day 1, continued. We had lunch in the buffet, then another drink in the Garden Bar on deck 15. (If you like Bailey’s, I highly recommend the Frozen Toblerone! My first of many throughout the week.) We were able to access our room by 2 p.m. Watched the safety video and then went to our assembly station to check in with a staff person. The whole process, including the video, took less than 15 minutes. For the sail-away party on the pool deck, staff was trying hard, but not many people participated. It was still fun. That evening we had dinner at The Black Crab, followed by a show, “Top of the Rock,” in the Pantheon Theater on decks 6 and 7. I think this was the best show we saw all week. It helps that we knew every song (classic rock). Mostly singing and dancing, but at one point a man performed some pretty amazing acrobatics with fabric ropes suspended from the ceiling and a giant hoop. Day 2 My husband and I walked laps on deck 15 and watched as we docked at Ocean Cay. Then we had cappuccino at Piazza del Doge on deck 6. Around 8:30, my daughter joined us for breakfast at the buffet. We all love breakfast, and we were not disappointed. The selection was extensive, including made-to-order omelets, which I always enjoy. After breakfast, we made the short trek to Ocean Cay and set up camp on Lighthouse Beach (first beach to your left as you leave the ship). By this time, most of the chairs and umbrellas had been claimed, so if you want to use this area, I recommend disembarking earlier. We did find a few stray chairs (folding chairs—no loungers in this area except the bean bag style) and one bean bag lounger and dragged them to a shady spot under a couple of trees. Our daughter was perfectly happy with her bean bag out in the sun. I read a book in the shade, and my husband wandered off to the Lighthouse Bar. I eventually went there too. It was a great spot. Plenty of shade at the bar, cold drinks, and just a few guests. We met some nice people and chatted over drinks before going to the island buffet restaurant, Seakers. Food was good. Birds were pesky, but manageable as long as you didn’t leave any food unattended. After lunch we moved to South Beach. Ah, real lounge chairs! We stayed there for about an hour before being chased aboard by some threatening storm clouds. Before dinner at the Black Crab, we had a drink at the Divina Bar on deck 5. It was in that area that we saw photographers and ended up spending about 30 minutes doing a photo session near the crystal staircases. It was a lot of fun, and we got some great photos. (See my other post for details about this.) We really appreciated the Aurea benefit of a flexible dining time. Being bound to either 6 or 8:30 p.m. wouldn’t have allowed us to be so relaxed about our schedule. Dinner was delicious and the service was excellent. Shout out to our waiters, Jerald and Alex. They quickly learned our preferences and were great about bringing off-menu items for our daughter, who doesn’t eat meat. We attended the show (Graffiti), which was okay but not as good as the previous night. Not wanting to change back to more casual clothes, we decided to watch the lighthouse show from the ship. I’m glad we did, as it was brief (~5 minutes) and didn’t live up to the hype, in my opinion. Watching from the rail on deck 15 was sufficient for us.

We also pre-purchased a photo package, which I described in this post.

Our Aurea package, booked in November 2021, included the Easy beverage package, My Choice dining, a massage, and access to the thermal area. We upgraded to Easy Plus prior to cruising for $70 per person.

We took a family vacation aboard the Divina last week. First cruise for my husband and daughter (age 21) and second for me. (My previous was accompanying my mother-in-law on Oceania Nautica.) We’re from the Midwest, so we flew into Orlando the night before and stayed at the Radisson Resort at the Port. Very convenient to the cruise terminal, and they offer reasonably priced shuttle service to/from the airport. We’d stay there again if cruising out of Port Canaveral. Day 1 We arrived at PC at 9:40 a.m. (our assigned time slot was 9:30-10:00) and went through the check-in process in about 20 minutes. Then we sat in a waiting area until they called us for boarding about an hour later. Walked onto the ship at 11 a.m. Our first impression: everything was clean and sparkly (especially the crystal staircase!). Staff was friendly and welcoming. We took ourselves on a tour to get oriented and took photos of lounges and the main pool area on deck 14, where we eventually settled at a table and ordered our first beverages. I had booked an Aurea suite (11009) so our daughter could use the sofa bed and we’d have a door between the rooms for privacy. Throughout the cruise, we never had issues with motion despite being very near the front of the ship. The bedroom was spacious, and there was a walk-in closet plus two more single-door cabinets with clothes rods in the main room. Plenty of storage for the three of us. In the main room, we had to wedge the chairs and table between the sofa bed (once opened) and the counter. This left only about six inches of space to walk around the end of the bed to get to the balcony doors. In the end, it didn’t matter much because the balcony is very long and narrow, widening barely enough to fit two chairs and a small table. It was a tight squeeze, and we never sat there. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t have patio doors in the bedroom and extend the balcony access there. Then it would have been a very generous balcony, but it was closed off with a metal barrier before that point. Aside from the balcony, we were happy with the room.

Thanks. We were not in YC; we had an Aurea suite. Booked in November when the free massage was still included in the package. We had a wonderful time! I’m planning to write a full review over the next couple of days.

I returned yesterday from my first MSC cruise (second cruise ever; first was Oceania). It was a wonderful trip! I wanted to share some details about the photo package on board. I traveled with my husband and daughter (age 21), and we preordered the 10 photo package for $100. Not knowing what to expect, we figured it would be candid shots around the ship on various days. Also assumed it would be digital images. On our way to dinner on day 2, we saw photographers on deck 6 near the crystal staircase. We approached them and were whisked into a 30-minute photo session! My husband and I went to one side with a photographer and our daughter went to the other side with another. Then they put us all together. Then took some mom/daughter and dad/daughter shots. It was fun! The next day we were able to view the photos in the gallery on deck 7. There were upwards of 40 photos, all printed out in either 8x10 or 11x14 size. We went through and weeded out the ones we definitely didn't want. They held the rest for us until we were ready to make our final selections later in the week. On Elegant Night, we did another round. Got some great family, couple, and individual shots. And the family Christmas card photo is already checked off my to do list for this year. 🙂 There were some photo package specials during the cruise, but I didn't see any less expensive than the pre-cruise pricing. We had so many great shots that we ended up buying 10 more for $120 on the last night. Could have paid $110 during one of the specials, but we were waiting to see if there might be a better option. $220 for 20 prints from two separate sittings seemed like a good value to us. Very nice professional photos--much better than any we took of ourselves on the staircase, plus they put us in front of various backdrops as well. The only negatives were (1) a tremendous amount of wasted ink and paper from the thousands of photos that were not purchased, and (2) we had to be careful getting the prints home--especially since we chose four of the larger size. (They put them in an envelope, but no protective cardboard around them, and then in a large paper bag with a handle. I hand-carried it on the plane and got them home undamaged.) Digital format would solve both of those issues, and I understand digital are offered on other MSC ships, so we'll go that route if we have the chance in the future. Also, we saw photographers on Ocean Cay and in the Black Crab restaurant, but we didn't choose to be photographed there. I hope this is helpful to someone. QUESTION: Is this "photo session" style also done on other cruise lines?

No charge. We just left the Divina yesterday, and had capuccinos with chocolate croissants several mornings/sandwiches and cake one afternoon/late-night desserts two evenings. No charge for any of those visits at Piazza del Doge.

Just returned from the Divina, and can confirm that Miami Vice and Mudslides were both included in the Easy Plus package. Also the Frozen Toblerone, which was a favorite of our group. Cheers!

You can also get pastries and sandwiches at the Piazza del Doge on deck 6. Open from 6:30 a.m. to midnight.