CNSfromHI

We did this last year, although there was no shortage of Celebrity (aluminum) bottled H2O on our cruise that we could pour into refillable bottles. At that time, we just filled our bottles directly. I didn't know any better, though, and things might be different six months later! cjr

Just checked the Celebrity Store and there is very little available, but not nothing from what I see. "Gifts & Gear" has nothing, as does "Culinary Delights." "Wine & Champagne" offers one option, however, and everything else offers two. Still, that does seem far fewer than before, but perhaps they're transitioning to a "bunch" of new options online? Celebrity's IT-savvy does seem a bit slow based on myriad comments on this site. 😀 cjr

We booked our upcoming cruise last September but our ability to check-in via the app only started roughly 30 days before we depart, March 27. (Sorry, I can't recall the exact date it became available, but trust I checked the app regularly.) This also happened on our cruise last September, i.e., roughly 30 days before we could check in via the app. In my experience, the 45-day rule isn't hard and fast, so I didn't stress this time the way I did last autumn! cjr

Received my February points today per another marketing email that showed my CC status. No "complaints" about the program here. Fewer opps than in the past? Yes, but I never lose sight of the fact that they're free, and for minimal effort on my part. cjr

We cruised on Silhouette last fall with the basic internet package. I carry an iPhone 12 but, despite turning off "Cellular" in Settings, AT&T absolutely hammered me billing-wise for the next two billing periods for cellular use, which just happened to end/start midway through our cruise. As I discovered afterward, keeping your iPhone in "Airplane" mode is recommended. Otherwise, your phone will keep searching for cellular networks, try to update stuff, etc., even if you think you've turned such usage off. I did not try to make a WiFi call on board but I recommend ignoring comparisons between basic/premium levels when it comes to land-based and Celebrity-based packages. Honestly, using my non-cellular iPad on Celebrity's basic internet package was useless -- at any time of day or night. Even when the Wi-Fi symbol was almost full, which was rare, I couldn't access my email or update anything. After a few days, I just stopped trying. I hope your experience is different but, at the very least, I hope this helps you avoid a nasty billing surprise! cjr

Not sure if your questions have been answered but, for what it's worth, here's my two cents. I do not have asthma but sleep better in a cool room with a fan moving the air about. Our room on the Silhouette last year offered a basic thermostat dial that could be rotated from "the most red" (heat) setting to "the most blue" (cool) setting. We usually kept the thermostat at "most blue" but the A/C system didn't blow the air around at all; even placing my hand at the ceiling vent, I could barely feel air movement. Setting the thermostat did not involve our Sea Pass card in any way. For us, the thermostat also stayed at whatever setting we left it, i.e., there's nothing "smart" or automatic about it. The cleaning staff might change it, but that wasn't our experience and it definitely wasn't affected by our presence in the room. If you can obtain a fan, then I encourage you to do so if it helps you sleep! Hope this helps, cjr

I enjoy watching the docking process, too, @MobiusHky because it's just cool to see how things work and to watch competent people at work. Sometimes I could see the tugs involved, or heavy machinery hauling huge lines out of the water, watch how the Celebrity ship maneuvered/positioning itself, etc. Just interesting stuff if you have that mindset. 🤓 On our first cruise last fall, I found that some ports are interesting and others not so much. It depends on the entry, the berth layout, other ships in port, etc. But, if you're interested in watching, you can usually find a good vantage point on deck somewhere, if you can't see it from your cabin. Time-wise, docking was within 60 minutes, but I'm an early riser and was typically working on my second coffee by then. You won't need to fight through a crowd to get a view, trust me 😆 Hope you have a blast! cjr

We used Heathrow Shuttle from London to Southampton, and then the reverse, for our cruise last autumn. It's a private service but offers several vehicle types; perhaps it will meet your needs? Great attentive service and communication, clean vehicles, professional drivers... very nice experience for us. Otherwise, try to arrange/request everything you can before you board, including a mattress topper and twin beds. You'll find a kettle in your room. As for boarding-day lunch, we kept it simple after a long travel stint (from the U.S.) that wiped us both out, so we hung out in the Retreat Sundeck until departure. Beautiful day in Southampton then, and just relaxing for a while provided the perfect start to our journey. Obviously, you should do whatever you feel like on your departure day, though! Hope this helps, cjr

No, there's no iPhone>Apple Watch ability. What are you hoping you could do via your watch? cjr

Yes. cjr

Guessing, I assume the "small print" covering Celebrity's package drinks at this link is the maximum price included, but not that every drink hits that threshold/costs that much. So, yes, I agree with you that "these drinks can be up to $17" (or cost up to $10 in the classic package). As far as what Celebrity chooses to include brand-wise in each package...? 😃 cjr

Here's a link to that thread I referenced, although others have answered your question about using a drink package in a specialty restaurant in this thread. cjr

My wife and I are not "brand people" so we tend to ask for a gin & tonic vs. a Hendrick's & tonic, for example. That said, when we asked for mixed drinks, I don't recall any server asking if we wanted a particular brand. I guess he/she just used the "rail" version if available. Not sure if drink packages carry over into specialty restaurants -- but I think there's a recent thread about that very thing! [EDIT: I posted a link in #19 below.] cjr

Gee, wish I'd said that. 😃 cjr

Until I just posted my previous response, I would have said yes. Neither my wife nor I are brand-driven so when we (actually she!) strayed into something in the premium category, the drink cost anywhere from $1-$3 on our last cruise. But based on the link in my prior post, it looks like Celebrity now charges $7 per drink for something in the premium category. As I noted earlier, though, on our cruise last autumn, we got know a few bartenders around the ship (Silhouette) after a few days, and at that point, we weren't charged anything extra. We also tipped (extra; we had the gratuities-included option) those who truly gave us exemplary service, so perhaps that helped. cjr

Have you seen this link to Celebrity's drink-package comparison? It lists booze brands by name between the two packages, and across various categories. At the bottom, it offers the "small print" about the up-charge if you cross into the higher category. Does this help? cjr

I feel the same way but have found Celebrity doesn't make it "simple" for some reason. We have the premium beverage package on our upcoming cruise, for instance, but when logged into the site, I still see upgrade options. 🤔 Maybe it's due to the IT stuff not integrating with the website account, app, etc.? I can't recall if the Celebrity app shows your beverage package after you fully check in/board/get underway either. But your Sea Pass card will have it printed on it, and the bartenders you encounter will let you know (politely) if a drink requires a little 💲omething extra 😃 That said, we got to know a few servers at spots we frequented on our last cruise and they didn't bother with making sure our drinks were included in our package (classic, that time) after a few days. Hope you enjoy your cruise! cjr

I was excited that the Celebrity app offered messaging but discovered that users need to check within the app itself to see if they've received a message. No sound, no indication on the app's icon, etc., that I could figure out, so it was clunky and we didn't use it. Otherwise, the Celebrity app offers a lot of functionality/convenience -- not to mention speeding up the check-in process -- and we used it regularly to keep track of our schedule, check our onboard spending, find out restaurant/bar times, etc. Finally, we had the basic WiFi plan and could only use one device per registered guest at a time. So, to be clear, we could each use a device on WiFi at the same time but -- if I wanted to switch from my mobile to my tablet, for instance -- I would need to login to the WiFi on my tablet, which logged me out on my mobile. It's not a big deal, but something to be aware of. Hope this helps! cjr

"Bars" meaning what beverage(s)? If you mean your morning java, then they did for me if it wasn't busy; if it was, I'd pour the cups I received into my container. cjr

Heading to the Caribbean in a few weeks and realize I need something better than a baseball cap to protect my face, ears and neck from this ☀️ so I don't look like this 🦞 on Day 02. Thinking I'd need a full-brim thing in a lightweight color/fabric, and hopefully packable/crushable. All suggestions appreciated! cjr

Thought the same thing. cjr

Yep. If the iPhone (or any flavor) existed in the early 1980s, there is no way I would have agreed to the whole senior-photo studio session for big bucks. Times change. cjr

We were "green" on our cruise last autumn and, to answer your specific questions: We could choose a rough time frame, but the periods covered several hours, such as "10 a.m. to 2 p.m." or something like that. While my bride and I rise early, she takes a bit longer to get ready because she's a work-out nut, so our chosen period started at 11:00 a.m., if I recall. That said, we quickly got to know our (excellent) steward and -- whether we left our room earlier or later than 11 a.m. -- we'd often see him and chat a bit. That surely tipped him off about our room's accessibility, as did the magnetic "do not disturb" sign on our door. Also, my wife likes two larger towels (bath size? body size?) per shower and, the day we arrived, I called the steward to ask for an extra one for her. I never needed to ask for one again 😃 Finally, I must add that "going green" means reducing the cleaning service in your room (based on our last Celebrity experience) from twice per day to once, as you would experience in most hotels. Also, choosing the green service did not preclude the turn-down service in the evening -- at which time our steward would also replace any towels we'd used after returning to our pristine cabin, as well as leave the ubiquitous chocolates on pillows, Celebrity newsletters/announcements on the bed, etc. Hope his helps! cjr

😆 Me either! cjr

@Jim_Iain, you were able to partially complete the "Travel Info" portion of the app's check-in process and then finish it later? That was my experience last time but, for whatever reason, I had to complete everything in that section yesterday because the app wouldn't save my progress... 🤔 Fortunately, my hair looked awesome 😆 but I wasn't planning to rescan my passport or enter a primary credit-card yet. Not a big deal, but I was curious why the app experience changed. cjr