drakes2

10 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

The last time we did a wine tasting event on Celebrity it was about 6 years ago.  They did have some very pricey wines in the mix.  There was only about 4 or 5 of us at the event.

 

I would ask them what wines they were serving to get an idea.  

Six years ago was way before covid and yes some wines were pretty good as I used to attend all of them on every cruise. Things have changed since including the wines being offered. 

10 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

I would ask them what wines they were serving to get an idea.  

I did ask when on the Apex last year and the answer I got was Amazing!!!  I don't think there was much interest but I hung around at Eden where they did the tasting and saw a Masi and others on the basic package then left. I only saw a handful of people sitting around. 

2 hours ago, zitsky said:

Last time on the Eclipse was good.   Crazy but good.  You won’t get Dom Perignon.  I didn’t learn anything but there were one or two good sommeliers.

I may wait till I am onboard. Its only a 10% saving if booking ahead so no great savings.  I can then see what they offer not interested in trying a Masi or the poorer quality Chilean wines.

4 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

What do you mean by "mediocre";  quality of wine, amount of wine, or description provided by the "wine stewards"?

The wines they usually have at World wine tour are from the basic package.  Usually 1 ounce pours but you can always ask for more however, there are 6 red and 6 white so thats a lot to consume in an hour. 

38 minutes ago, depplep said:

I was just wondering about this as well as we are Elite on Celebrity. I thought this would be an organized event in a lounge with hor d'oeuvres. Has anyone done the Captain's Wine Tasting? I would love to hear the details on that event.

Its ok its free and fun to do on a sea day if you're not busy. I wouldn't pay for it.

18 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Definitely all about the individual bartenders, location of bar, how busy, and of course how YOU treat them. 

The bartender that served me most nights was the sweetest Filipino and seemed so kind.  One night I was in the mood for a glass of pinot noir and he found a bottle of the Elegance which was left over so poured me a glass during the HH. He said most guests don't ask for wine at the Martini bar so it was my lucky night.  I tipped him a few $$$.

I'll be in the Beyond March 22nd 10 nights. Thinking of booking the World wine tour but the last 2 cruises the wine tasting has been mediocre. Can anyone who's been on this particular ship comment? I know it can be a fun experience but I hate to waste the money. 

23 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

DH felt he could make a better steak at home. 

Totally agree. I'd never order a steak on a cruise ship. Can't beat what we make on our BBQ or what I get from my favorite steakhouse on land.

4 hours ago, Liao said:

I'm sorry to hear this, with the cost of the cruises these days, it is very disappointing to have this kind of experience in a suite level.  To me, the inconsistency is what seems to stand out the most though.  There are many reviews posted here telling how great their experience was as well.  So while I'm sure your experience and others like it are disappointing, as I'm sure the ones who post they had a great cruise are accurate for them too.  This is is what concerns me, as I have an TA booked on Apex, a ways off though, but I'd really like to see much more consistency in cruiser reviews before I make final payment.

I did a TA on Apex last April May 2023 fort lauderdale to Amsterdam 15 nights. Cruise and service was wonderful. I was solo in a deluxe inside cabin. Lots to do onboard during sea days. I would never dream of booking the IV especially crossing the cold Atlantic where you couldn't even sit outside.  People who I spoke with did not think it was worth the price. 

18 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

You do know that on Royal they no longer restrict it to the Crown(Diamond) Lounge?

 

As others said it's 5-7 at all bars except for a couple, no restaurants(you can get it at a bar and bring it into the dining room) and not on embarkation/1st day. Most important, unlike Royal, the free drinks is from a selected list, and doesn't apply to all drinks. Whatsmore you can't pay a supplemental for a drink that isn't included, for example you can not order a frozen pina colada from the Elite Happy Hour, and if you do you will pay full price for the drink unless you have a drink package. 

I've even had the odd Cosmo made with GG vodka during HH I guess because the bartender already had it in his hand. Other times he made me a lemon drop but I guess he was just a really nice friendly bartender. This was on the Apex TA last year. 

1 hour ago, Wineaux007 said:

I think World Class Bar is exempt?  What about Martini Bar?

Martini bar for sure and at least you'll get a decent drink even glass of wine. Wine is house brand and if you are a fan of sauvignon blanc there is a pretty decent one from Chile. Can't get HH drinks in WCB

33 minutes ago, Poconolady said:

It is available in all bars, except those  in  the dining rooms.

Any bar except MDR and WCB and not on embarkation day. The drinks are from the HH menu. Just don't get from Casino bar as they use the poorest quality mixers. I dumped my Cosmo from there and got it at the Martini bar.  

10 hours ago, ggo85 said:

IMHO, Retreat is mostly a gimmick. On the non-revolutionized ships, it amounts to nothing more than before they called it Retreat.  It’s not luxury.  And I agree that X doesn’t read reviews.  They look at the numbers and probably penalize the ship, when the real issue is corporate policy. 

They don't read the surveys but the system will hound you consistently and repeatedly until you complete it.

47 minutes ago, doghog said:

Tacos in the MDR? If so, lunch or supper? 

I should have prefaced this by saying it was on a Princess cruise 2 weeks ago and it was on the dinner menu in MDR. Only reason I ordered it was that nothing else appealed to me. It was 2 small tacos that you had to build yourself. Meat was tough and chewy so it became a veggie taco.  They just don't know how to cook flank steak to make it tender.

1 hour ago, RedIguana said:

we are replacing the sirloin with Flank Steak!

Thats what I received on my recent cruise when I ordered beef tacos. Oh well, at least the Guacamole was tasty. Unfortunately they don't know how to prepare flank steak.

On 2/13/2024 at 9:38 PM, kwokpot said:

It's not about the food or the choices but all about starting your cruise in a more relaxed environment than the hectic buffet. The food itself is what's normally served at lunchtime in the main MDR; grilled salmon, pasta, cheeseburger. If you can't make it no big deal. It's not like there's anything unusual or only served at that meal. 

Sorry you had a bad experience. I've had concierge lunch a handful of times and experience always better than crappy flavorless buffet food that's been put on someone's plate then returned to the serving tray. I've seen it all -- no thanks. 

1 hour ago, upwarduk said:

I thought priority boarding had finished.

I just got off a Princess cruise last Thursday we boarded at 11 am within a half hour were at the buffet only a small section was open. Nothing appealed to me so had a bowl of soup. No tables left so sat with others who didn't speak much English.  Finally went to International Cafe and had a sandwich and thats where we had lunch for the remainder of the cruise. 

9 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

I was just wondering about getting a couple of bottles of water to take back to the cabin?

will they give you one or two?

Most bars will give you one and if they do move on to another bar. 

11 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Really?  How so?  Bad taste, service, lack of choice?  Just wondering. 

I enjoy the concierge lunch as I'm not a buffet person. Nice and relaxed and they make great beef short ribs it always seems to be on the menu. 

5 hours ago, Stu UK said:

Received it yesterday. 

Me too

15 hours ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Would like to know the alternative.  I'm trying to envision the 'side roads' to Mississauga instead of the 401?  All N to S are lights and traffic, unless part of the way is 401 to ?

When exiting airport silver dart drive to Matheson which runs through Etobicoke to mississauga.  I live right at Matheson.  20 minute ride. 

2 hours ago, DeckDad said:

I agree the robes in regular cabins are embarrassing. Towels are OK, good hotel quality.

I like the cotton waffle style robes find the other ones too heavy. Towels are great especially on the E class ships. 

30 minutes ago, rodndonna said:

 

I recall liking it because I thought being on a cruiseship "helipad" would potentially be the only chance I would have to do so (with a drink in my hand no less!)

 

You are right though, the "sail away" aspect was nothing I recall as being interesting.

They did have some mimosas and another drink made with blue curacao which was nice. No one really hung around for long though guess they were getting ready for dinner. 

5 hours ago, rodndonna said:

We had a sail away event on the helipad, that was kinda  cool .. the only perk I really recall using/enjoying.

The sailaway is so much better from a sunset veranda balcony especially on the higher decks.  I went to it on the helipad and was disappointed. 

2 hours ago, CruiseMrB said:

Useful (to us):

• Embarkation Day lunch - Can get crowded these days, was better in the past.
• Special Concierge desk - Have used it, works well.
• Cabin location - This has been a big thing for us.
• Binoculars in room
• Umbrella in room
• Cruise card wallet and bags
• Priority check-in

Not Useful (to us):

• Canapes - nice idea, doesn't work for us as we were never in the room when they arrived.
• Sparkling wine - We don't drink alcohol, so I can't comment other than that.

Never Used:

• Enhanced room service breakfast menu
• Exclusive Destination Seminar
• Laundry service
• Complimentary shoeshine service

The times that we have sailed Concierge, it has always been a relative bargain to a standard balcony. Once, it was even cheaper with more OBC because of a special deal through TA.

I'll only book concierge if same price as a regular balcony or just slightly more would not pay more than 100 bucks extra for a 10 night cruise.  I like the embarkation lunch and use the bubbly to make mimosas.