Smmessineo

Thanks for your comparisons. We will be on the Equinox in a few weeks and I'm interested in comparing it to our cruise on the Equinox last December, a fantastic b2b before the food complaints and menu changes began. Then we are on Ascent in January, followed by HAL Rotterdam in March ( first time we're not cruising on Celebrity in 7 years . Booked it this week so we can decide if HAL is a good backup plan if X keeps sliding ). I think I'll be experiencing three entirely different food experiences!

We did a b2b on Equinox in December 2022, he was on, and gave a bunch of different presentations. It was great!

We're on the Equinox October 22, I'm interested in seeing if X feels different since our last cruise, the Equinox last December. But I think our best comparison will be I've got 14 days on the brand new Celebrity Ascent in January, then 9 days on the Rotterdam in March. From everything I've read, I'm guessing HAL will be at least a good option to mix in with our Celebrity cruises ...and maybe even a replacement. I'll miss the martini bar though...

Hi everyone! I'm a Celebrity regular, we have 8 cruises booked with them from now through spring of 2025. I always keep an eye on other lines, but no matter how great ships look on some popular cruise lines ( like the Carnival Celebration) there's always downsides that keep us from sailing with them. Too many kids, too many teens, too many obnoxious adults, lousy areas for us degenerate cigar smokers, too huge ships, etc. But thanks to research and helpful advice on the smoking thread here, I booked the Rotterdam for March 29, 2024. We sailed on HAL Westerdam to the Baltics back in 2005 and it was glorious! I don't know why it has taken us so long to rediscover this line. Honestly, Celebrity is worrying me with cuts to MDR menu and rising costs of sailings and drink packages. I'm looking forward to reading this board and finding out more about Holland America. I always love to learn everything I can about my upcoming cruises , all the best food and drink items, the secret spots, that sort of thing😀

Thanks to @RuthC and @HELENPSL for giving me good info! I just booked the Rotterdam for a 9 night March 2024 sailing. Looks like a beautiful ship and the seating for smokers definitely looks pleasant.

I asked a question here some time ago and got helpful answers. Now I'm ready to book and would like some more info. Pictures of the Sea View bar on Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam show some nice cushioned seating . Do both these ships have the same amount of this good seating? Is smoking allowed only near the bar or down the length of the pool all the way aft? Thanks for any help !

Thanks for answering my questions! It actually made me go look closely at the Celebration and her sister ship the Mardi Gras. I might have to check it out if I find a good deal.

How many .kids are on the Celebration on a 5 or 7 night cruise? How nice is the smoking area on the Celebration? How's the drink package? How are the inside staterooms? Those are important to me and I've seen some ships that I recognize as great..but not great for me.

What a great explanation! My husband and I agree. Celebrity still gives us OUR best experience. I'm sure some people are losing what really matters to them, but we feel like we get a lot of things we love for a good price in today's vacation market.

Our first Celebrity cruise was on the Century, a 5 night Caribbean in maybe 2006. We were fairly new to cruising but had great experiences on Princess and Holland America. Let's just say we were underwhelmed. And we had a suite for the first (and last) time . We wrote off Celebrity for years. Then in 2010 we tried the Millennium out of San Juan 10 nights . And fell in love with Celebrity! We tried a few other lines after that, but now we are exclusive to X. And we've liked or at least been neutral to the changes they've made over the years.

Last week I booked guarantee inside state rooms on Equinox December 0f 2024 and March 2025. The December one got assigned days later. It was great because there were a ton of rooms open to move to. Called and had room changed easily . Why did i change it. Well we've never had a bad stateroom on Celebrity, until last December, inside 3148 on Equinox, where every 1/2 hour or so, it sounded like a waterfall behind the wall by our headboard. Some internal pipes or crew area.....we were graciously moved after a day. Of course my guarantee for December2024 was assigned that exact stateroom. What are the odds 😂

I'm looking forward to visiting Coco Cay. I was always jealous that Celebrity didn't do private island days. Looks like there's plenty to do without paying extra. I'm not booked for a Coco Cay sailing until March 2025, but I'm tempted to find an earlier one that fits our schedule.

One of the reasons my husband and I cruise is to enjoy a variety of alcohol all day every day in a safe environment. We're in our late 50s . We drink very little at home, so we actually go into training 😂 a week or so before a cruise so we are prepared! We have had moments of silliness over the years, chatted with people more than we normally do and occasionally fallen asleep in a chair at the Sunset Bar. Our main fun is that at late night disco or full moon parties, I dance for him, not in the middle of the floor but in a seating area, not infringing on anyone else, though I'm sure people get a good laugh if they see me. Have we been out and out drunk? Yes, at times, but I believe if staff recognized something of concern in our behavior that we didn't, they'd politely and discretely cut us off. I've only witnessed one drunk getting openly approached by security and removed from a bar. He was loud and aggressive enough to make people nervous. I'd like to think that's the definition for staff..If it's drunks having fun amongst themselves without threatening or sexually harassing staff and strangers, just leave them be.

I would cry, too! My husband and I never go out to eat at home, so we love the experience of the MDR every evening, just talking and enjoying the food. Please tell her this is not the norm. We had a bad experience on the Equinox years ago....new wait staff, food wasn't great, bar service nonexistent. We thought "uh-oh, Celebrity is going downhill". We sailed on her again two months later and it was glorious, as it usually is. Sometimes a bad mix of staff, bad ideas by management and bad luck all come together. I hope you are enjoying the rest of the cruise and that wonderful stateroom!

On S class and E class ships, one side of the Sunset bar is designated smoking. I haven't seen signs on any outdoor areas, but he daily program usually has info on the first page explaining the smoking areas for that sailing. Thanks @WrittenOnYourHeart for explaining it more fully....I was typing too slow😀

Never assume. My husband and I are daily cigar smokers. We cruise exclusively on Celebrity , and one of the biggest reasons is the smoking policy. Celebrity provides wonderful outdoor spaces, on S and E class, where people can smoke while not forcing it on non-smokers. And we love that the casino is smoke free. I cringed when I saw this test program being rolled out. It is unfair to nonsmokers, divisive , and makes some nonsmokers become hostile to even the smokers who are quite happy with our peaceful little out of the way spots. I am concerned that with enough backlash from this stupid test, the executives might even take away some of the nice outdoor smoking areas. So yeah, I'm writing to Celebrity.....to tell them this vaping indoors was a bad idea.

Just a heads -upthat a Captain's Club status mix up may be more involved than it seems. Our long time CVP with Celebrity is no longer there, so my recent new bookings are with planners that you get by calling in. Excellent service , but they don't know us, so things can be missed. 2 days ago, I booked and it never showed up in my account on the website. So I studied the emails, it showed my husband correctly as Elite and me as Preview. The cc number for me was not correct, either. I called up and they discovered that somehow there's a second membership with my name and address but entirely wrong birthday, which I had been booked under. The CC agent said " that could've been a problem". She couldn't delete that membership, but deactivated it and changed my reservation to the proper membership number. Good old celebrity IT excellence😂

Me too! Thanks to @Jim_Iaingreat travelogue this summer, I booked 2024 b2b2b IcelandGreenland and the Canada run following them. Celebrity should be giving Jim a commission. 😀

Right now on Equinox, the planner describes smoking areas and does not limit cigars to Sunset Bar only.

I ran into Eddy Jenkins today ...he was greeting people as we disembarked in St. Lucia , saying "welcome to Alaska, have fun in port!" Unfortunately, he is disembarking after this voyage and Pete is coming on as Cruise Director. It was busy and I didn't get to follow up with his return date.

As cigar smokers, we love the smoking area at the Sunset bar on all S Class ships. It always surprises me how many people just gravitate to the Mast bar smoking spot , which is always packed, with uncomfortable chairs and full exposure, while the beautiful spot at Sunset, with cushioned big chairs and an overhang and bar, is half empty. Maybe i shouldn't advertise it though....

He has done one on pop music and one about things to see while cruising. Looks like one on Wales and one on ship life are coming up. We've watched them on when replayed on TV. Fun events!

If I catch him anywhere, I will ask. I want to compliment him on the entertainment schedule, so I will try to find him.

We're on it with you, we're B2B ! Great itinerary. In St. Maarten today, first port (not on the 12/12 cruise). I had forgotten how hot that sun is is S Caribbean , I'm a Floridian and my morning hike today wiped me out

I'm on the Equinox December 1-12 cruise. My experience so far is the staffing level is great. At bars there are always multiple bartenders and roving waitstaff. The entertainment is fantastic. Eddy Jenkins is cruise director There are multiple performers of various styles, so always live music to be heard if you read the planner. The headliners are super. A Buddy Holly tribute band The Rave-Ons is here now and Ashle Amber Harris (Whitney Houston ) is scheduled in a few days. The few issues/complaints we had were resolved quickly.