suzyed

6 hours ago, Kay S said:

I "accidentally" booked a Reserve mini once.  I usually do the minis anyway, and I chose one based on location not knowing it was a Reserve.  When I figured out what I had done, I chose to go with it and didn't regret it.  It's true that the dining is the only real perk (not the cheap wine in the cabin--do they still do that?)  

Yup...still get the cheap wine.

I feel like it varies from ship to ship and one visit to another.  We always enjoy the steakhouse but last fall when we went to CG on the Regal it was the BEST meal ever! Everything was perfectly cooked, the service was stellar and I even aded the lobster tail to my meal....soooo good!! 
Looking forward to the Bayou Cafe on the Coral in June and also trying Rudi's for the first time and oh yeah, the 360 Experience!  

On 5/2/2024 at 2:24 PM, Nattyg1723 said:

This made me laugh so hard 🤣 

 

I totally get it, I am the same way, I never want someone to become incapacitated should they lay eyes on my ghastly clodhoppers 🤣🤣

LOL!  I let the professionals do it...I make a mess of my toes when I try to do it myself!

7 hours ago, kamelia said:

@suzyed  Checked the Living Wine Labels app out earlier today and the mechanics are a bit different, but it does still work.  😊

Cool!

On 5/2/2024 at 10:01 AM, JamieLogical said:

Two days to go!!!! Made a lot of progress last night. First I did all of my laundry and while that was running, my husband and I sat down to go over our packing lists and determine if we need to bring a checked bag. On our most recent cruises, we have flown first class and got checked bags for free, so have been sharing a checked bag. However, this time we are not flying first class and this is a shorter cruise (we have been doing a lot of 11-12 day cruises), so we would like to avoid checking a bag, if possible.

 

So, we reviewed our lists and decided to give it a shot. Another factor is that I had to downsize to a smaller backpack since we aren't in first class. The backpack I've been traveling with lately is huge and may not qualify as a "personal item" on Jet Blue. It hasn't been an issue when we've been flying first class, because I had just been checking my roller bag and only carrying on my backpack, in which case it was counting as my carry-on and I've been putting it in the overhead bin. Since I will actually be carrying on my carry-on-sized roller bag, I don't know if I can get away with bringing my big backpack as my personal item. So, last night I tried squeezing all of my backpack stuff into a normal school-sized backpack. It was a VERY tight fit and some stuff is just going to have to squeeze into my roller bag with my bundle tonight.

 

We'll see how things go with packing our roller bags. If we can't get everything to fit, I am just going to transfer everything into my bigger backpack and risk being forced to pay to gate check my roller bag. I have no issues gate checking my roller bag for free and might offer that when I get to the gate tomorrow, but not every airline lets you do that for every flight.

 

In other cruise prep progress, I painted my toenails last night. That is always a big production that I hate very much, but I endure it so as to avoid causing my fellow passengers to vomit if/when I wear sandals around the ship.

 

The big tasks for tonight are to pack our bundles and clean the house a bit. I also need to stop by the grocery store quickly to get fresh salad fixin's for our lizards. Then all that will be left for tomorrow morning are last-minute toiletries, running the dishwasher, and feeding the pets.

 

I guess I will go ahead and leave my usual PSA about the wonder of bundle packing here. If you don't know what bundle packing is, watch this video. It will change your life!

 

 

I hear that folks are packing clothes in a pillow case and just carrying it on as their inflight pillow!  LOL! I guess it could work but the airlines might be getting wise to it.
We're driving down to our next cruise so we don't worry about luggage at all.

Just a note: You may be charged the $20 corkage fee at embarkation OR in the dining room not both.  So if you pay at embarkation they put a sticker on it and when you take it to the dining room they will note that you already paid the corkage.  If you don't pay ahead of time and you take it to the MDR you will/may be charged the corkage then.
Not sure how you would arrange this for a B2B so that you would get the 2 free bottles on the second leg.   
In any case, although you get 2 free at embarkation (1 per person), if you take them to the dining room you most likely will be charged the corkage....as the 2 free are meant to be enjoyed in your cabin.

7 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Actually, we also cruise with HAL.  Love the Pinnacle class ships, especially Rotterdam.  Variety is the spice of life! lol

Yup!  Actually never sailed on HAL.   Forgot to mention earlier that we sailed on NCL to Alaska twice...it was great!  Haven't sailed NCL since 2010 but we will be getting one of their ships in Jacksonville starting next year.  Might just have to try them again! 

13 minutes ago, voljeep said:

looking forward to the CB out of PC? - not us - we'll wait on SKY P

The SKY  is such a nice ship!!

8 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Thank you!  That explains it perfectly.  If I lived near a cruise port I would be sailing on any damn ship!

And we have 5 cruise ports in Florida!

10 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Yep.  80 nights needed to reach Diamond.   Most of RCI's cruises are 7 days, so 11 cruises @ 7 days and a short 3 day , so it could take a dozen cruises to reach Diamond.  Even if you somehow averaged 8 days with a few longer ones, it would still take 10 cruises to become Diamond and you'd get those free four drinks on cruise 11.

I believe we had 10 cruise credits but back in the day you would get two points for being in a Jr. Suite, so that helped.

5 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Yes, I’m aware of the status matching.  I just never pictured you as a Royal Caribbean cruiser!   To get to Diamond level you would need a few cruises under your belt.  I’m very surprised that you prefer RCI over Celebrity!  Like, I said, everyone has their own wants and needs and that’s a good thing.

We haven't sailed RCI in almost 12 years, but we live in Florida and we would many times spur of the moment drive down to port and take a 3,5,7 day cruise on both RCI and even Carnival!  It was just so easy!  Actually I don't believe Pinnacle was even a thing when we last sailed on RCI.  Many of our sailings were with our family.  We like to try out different expiriences, having also sailed on Cunard 5 times, MSC 3 times. In 2010 when we first sailed on the Ruby Princess we were very pleased with the Princess product.  A few more cruises and we were hooked on Princess with a sprinkle of the others in there!  We just love their itineraries, the price point, the onboard culture, the crew, the staff, etc.  Is it perfect...no way, but we feel at this time it's perfect for us!
BTW, one of my best friends sails almost exclusively on Celebrity but she's a gambler and likes the smoke free casinos.  Not saying there was anything wrong with Celebrity and we may try it again but right now we're content with our choice.

50 minutes ago, ssawjo said:

I was wondering if I booked a future cruise onboard, are there any advantages to doing so?  For example, reduced deposit, OBC, etc.

 

Thank you.

Are you talking about actually booking a cruise while onboard?  Or buying Future Cruise Deposits(FCD)?
We never have booked another cruise while on board but we always buy FCDs.  They cost $100 and are charged to your credit card not to your onboard account.   You can only purchase this while onboard, not after the cruise.
When you book and apply them to a future sailing, depending on how long the sailing is you get OBC. For example, on our upcoming 25 day cruise after applying the FCD we get $150 obc for each one applied.  And we have noted on previous sailings even if the stated deposit is say $250, the FCD will apply.
 

2 hours ago, memoak said:

Watch me. We always take 14-21 day cruises and rarely have less than 8-12 drinks each even on port days 

Go for it!  More power to ya!  

I can only speak for ourselves!  I'm more concerned about the calories rather than getting tipsy!  LOL!

6 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

To be really fair you have only ONE Celebrity cruise to compare.  You would undoubtedly encourage someone who was disappointed in their first Princess cruise to gave it another try.  I’m curious as to which Celebrity ship you sailed on.  You must have been in a suite to have had access to the Elite lounge. 

We have been sailing with Princess since 1994 and Celebrity since 1991.  In the past few years we’ve just felt that Celebrity was a better fit for us.  You prefer Princess and that’s okay.  Everyone has different tastes and expectations.  I respect yours.

 

I just wanted to correct one thing you mentioned.  Elite level complimentary cocktails are available at ANY bar or lounge and are limitless between the hours of 5pm to 7pm.  You do not have to be in the Elite lounge.  In fact, few people do so.  We always have a couple of cocktails at a bar and then we get a couple of glasses of wine to take into whichever dining room we’re eating at that evening. Absolutely no problem doing this.  So, 4 complimentary drinks, or more if you are so inclined, per day.  That is enough to satisfy many people who are light drinkers.  I just wanted to clarify for those who might have been unsure about this benefit.  
 

Elite members also get 1 complimentary bag of laundry for each passenger per seven day cruise.  Free dry cleaning and ironing of two articles of clothing.  And so many more benefits.  It works for us.

 

I wish you many more happy sailings on whichever Princess ship you choose.

Thank you...we continue to sail mainly with Princess. Different strokes for different folks! Thankful we all have a choice!

And no, we were not in a Suite.  Being Diamond on Royal Caribbean grants one Elite status on Celebrity (at least at this time).  As far as the free drinks anywhere during 5-7, nope, didn't know that.

4 hours ago, doghog said:

You can reach Elite with Celebrity taking zero cruises with Celebrity. 

 

Wrong there is a laundry limit. Elite gets 1 complimentary bag, up to 30 items that go in a Wash n Fold bag. Great for underwear and socks.  Aslo 2 complimentary pressed items. 1 complimentary dry cleaned item. 

Wrong on Princess?  No, correct.  On our last sailing we sent out laundry at least twice a week and sometimes multiple bags at a time.

4 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

4 hours ago, doghog said:

Agree. One correction. Only Elite, Elite Plus and Zenith would have access to the reserved lounge during the CC HH from 5 to 7 PM. Suites never have and still don't have access to that CC HH event. Which now is limited to only  2 or 3 evenings, depending on the length of the cruise. Suite guests only have the Retreat Lounge. 
 

 I was just trying to understand how someone on their first and only Celebrity cruise had access to the Elite Lounge.  I know that suite guests can access this lounge if accompanied by an Elite member, as can a non Elite passenger who is occupying the same cabin as an Elite member.  We were on Ascent in January and enjoyed the HH every evening.

I had access to the Elite CC HH because I was Elite on my one and only Celebrity cruise since I am Diamond on Royal Caribbean and they status match.  (As does MSC)

2 hours ago, memoak said:

Watch me. We always take 14-21 day cruises and rarely have less than 8-12 drinks each even on port days 

But 15?

On 5/2/2024 at 11:39 AM, HMSDingy said:

Can you choose glasses on the regular wine list or does it have to be only on the Plus selections. 

Yes, you may.

5 hours ago, kamelia said:

Princess actually had 19 Crimes available in the dining room at one point.  I introduced the Living Wine Labels app to the wait staff so they could hear the prisoner's story.  That may tell you how long ago it was, though, as that function of the app no longer exists.

I didn't know that it no longer exists.

10 hours ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Congratulations, you're really getting your monies worth.

I imagine it is easier to do on a 7-10 day sailing but I can't imagine doing 15 drinks/day on a 25-32 day sailing!  You may have to check in to Betty Ford's when you get home!  LOL!

On 5/1/2024 at 1:22 PM, robbinsca said:

Tried Princess for the first time last year and we were generally pleased. The Plus program is $60 a day, but gave the impression of being all inclusive. Celebrity onboard charges for the same things (drinks, wifi and gratuities) seem much, much higher. 
 

Princess entertainment was problematic- you needed to arrive 15-20 minutes before the show to get a seat. It seemed to be a little more “highbrow” with operatic performances and such. Celebrity used public spaces that overflowed into walkways for games and the showrooms were more of a Broadway/ Rock Concert style.

 

The Princess OV cabin seemed really small. There was not enough room between the bed and the side wall to fit a little nightstand on both sides. Our last Celebrity cruise was in a Concierge Class cabin so it was inherently nicer, but even that was a great deal on an older ship and the cabin price was less than Princess’s OV.

 

Celebrity’s service was a little better, and they offered reserved dining times at large group tables- which DW and I both like. Princess had better quality food outside the MDR and the specialty dining prices were more reasonable. Our friends won a free Specialty dinner on Celebrity, and while it was truly a special setting it was not worth our expense to join them.

 

Overall- I am happy to spend time on either one. I used to be a NCL guy but my choices would be either of these lines over NCL now.

 

 

I kept hearing how I was going to LOVE Celebrity!  I found it nice enough but I didn't love it any more than Princess.  
Every night we went to dinner we had to wait and were given a beeper so we could go and wait and have a drink. 
The Elite lounge free cocktails were nice but 1 or 2 is all you can get in the time allotted. Drink packages eliminated the need for this. 
I'm trying to recall what was better or even equal to Princess?  To be fair I have only been on one Celebrity cruise....but have not been enticed to try them again.  Princess seems to have nicer itineraries and more bang for the buck.

On 5/1/2024 at 9:48 AM, Lady Arwen said:

 My big issue with Princess is that smoking is allowed in the casino and it wafts out into the other public areas.  If you stay in the casino, even for just a few minutes, your hair and your clothes reek of smoke. The bathrooms on Princess, unless you’re in a suite, are tiny with awful shower curtains.  It’s dreadful!  We’re doing one last Princess cruise in August and cancelled the rest.  Just rebooked them all on Celebrity.  We’re Elite on Celebrity, so we get some nice benefits. I really tried to like Princess and gave them a fair shot, but my DH has said enough is enough.  

Because of the shower curtains? Oh and the smoke...ok.  What are the perks on Celebrity beyond what Princess offers besides the free drinks at the happy hour which is included in the Plus or Premier package.

On 4/30/2024 at 9:30 PM, Moondogy said:

After 15 cruises.  Unless you reach Elite status using days rather than sailings.

On 4/30/2024 at 9:29 PM, beltsbear said:

Yes, loyalty on celebrity got us a free bag of laundry each 7 days after just five cruises.  That’s not gonna happen till maybe our 12 cruise on princess. 

Not necessarily...you can reach Elite without having to take 12 cruises if you sail on longer cruises and use days instead of sailings.  Once you get to be Elite you have free laundry as much as you want....no limit.

13 hours ago, HMSDingy said:

Can you choose glasses on the regular wine list or does it have to be only on the Plus selections. 

You can choose from the regular wine list...no problem.  DH drank quite a bit of the Silverado and though I am not usually a rose drinker, I got hooked on Whispering Angel which I found to be quite nice.
For our anniversary in June we will carry on a bottle of Caymus cab from home.