Pooh8941

I am wondering if anyone knows how the mattresses are in the JS on Serenade, and if they have egg crates.

Have not had the same experience regarding water. Can't get the really large bottles but have never had an issue getting regular sized water bottles on classic.

I just returned from the Independence Summit cruise. I had the Premium Beverage Package and received large bottles of water whenever and wherever I requested them.

In your opinion how was the condition of the ship, and the staff? Another poster posted the ship was not well maintained and had lots of rust and showing her age, and that the officers were very disconnected from the passengers, and it seemed as if they were avoiding the passengers.

I too am just off this particular cruise and I found the ship to be in good condition. No complaints whatsoever. Capt. Kate and her officers were highly visible and interactive with the passengers. Can't imagine this criticism being leveled at the officers. Of special note, Capt Kate is still taking the ship up to the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan before circling back down the bridge. Great experience.

I'm not sure of the sun restrictions with lupus, but I have had a melanoma and have to use caution. I was just in Labadee and wore a sf50 long sleeve shirt and the walk to shore was probably not more than 5-10 minutes--then shade and the trams. Could you be protected with an umbrella? Sure a lovely port and all of the BBQ areas ar shady. Good luck.

Thank you for the responses. Just to say...my point was that due to the current tipping policy I have chosen in the past to "double" tip, but in the future I am choosing to tip for service received and only that. I know there is a complex program for dispersing the tips among the crew, but it is way too complex for me. I intend to reward crew that I see face to face for their service. And I will do so generously. This discussion, to me, isn't about trying to save money when I cruise, but to make the system fair to the cruiser as well as the crew. Royal is the problem.

So. After several b2b cruises on the Allure and Oasis in Grand Suites and prepaying gratuities, and tipping generiously in the Coastal Kitchen and the speciality restaurants (in addition to the surcharge) and never darkening the doors of the main dining room, we are planning on removing our gratuities for the dining room staff on our upcoming b2b. And seldom or never do we eat in Windjammer. We tip generously on a daily basis wherever we eat. I believe Royal needs to address its gratuity policy, at least for those of us who are double paying. JMHO.

Thank you for the link. I have the app.

Greetings fellow cruisers! I have no experience with Urber. We are flying into FFL in March and staying at the Hilton Marina on 17th Street. Can anyone tell me how much approximately it would cost to take Urber vs a taxi? Also, would we find the Urber car in the taxi line outside the baggage claim area, or somewhere else? Would the wait be much longer than taking one of the taxis? Would we need to collect our luggage and then text Urber? So many questions....😊

After all cruising for many years in a balcony and prepaying gratuities, we began booking Grand Suites a few years ago, and prepaying gratuities even though we ate in the Coastal Kitchen for most of our meals, where we also paid gratuities. When we eat in a speciality restaurant, we also leave an additional gratituity. For our upcoming b2b, I am considering having gratuities removed for the MDR each day. Is this reasonable? I am so aware of the needs of the crew and how hard they work, but the accessed gratuities seem excessive when we are daily tipping everywhere else we eat other than the MDR. I would love to hear opinions on this. Of course, we take good care of our stateroom attendant.

Thanks for all the positive replies. We are looking forward to the Summit!

We are booked on the Summit this summer, having only sailed Celebrity once before (Equinox 2015, Celebrity Suite). I am aware that the Summit is an older ship and that it has undergone a reburbishment this year, which appears to be improvements to the large suites and public rooms. I am curious to learn the condition of the balcony A2 cabins, mattresses, bedding, carpet, and sofa. Is there a marginal improvement to Conceirge cabins over balcony? If per chance anyone is familiar with 7166, I would love to hear any opinions. Thank you for input.

Hey, thank you for the good advice. No shortcuts for sure!:)

Thank you for your reply. Makes the choice easier.

I will sailing on the Adventurer of the Seas in 2016 with a friend. We are thinking of staying in Old San Juan for 2 nights before we sail, perhaps at El Convento, which has good reviews. Is the area safe at night for two senior ladies. We love Old San Juan, but want to feel comfortable. We are active, not ancient. :):)

I sailed on the Oasis, b2b, in January, in two adjacent GS cabins and both had comfortable cushions on the loungers. Have GS suites booked on the Allure for upcoming b2b. Sure hope the cushions are there then. I'm eager to hear if you obtain some resolution or honest response to this issue.

Thank you for this review. It has been a real treat to follow along.:)

I just completed a b2b on Oasis in January. Admittedly, I did not eat in the MDR or Windjammer where there are hordes of people. However, we utilized much of the ship in our 14 days and I have no complaints with the service whatsoever. In fact, I was very impressed with the service I received. I don't see how one could ask much more of these crew members. They worked their hearts out for us and we were always greeted with cheeriness and a smile. I think as travelers we need to differientiate between the cruise line and the people who make up the crew. They are not responsible for cut-backs or ships that sail full, week in and week out. I also have great admiration for the officers, who are visable on a daily basis and seem genuinely eager to interact with the passengers. Nothing but praise for the officers and crew of the Oasis from this cruiser.

BTW, my signature is not up-to-date. We sailed Jan. 17 and 24.

Complimentary alcholic drinks only from 1pm on on boarding day in the Suite Lounge with a nice small buffet, and evenings in the Lounge and Coastal Kitchen from 5 to 8:30. None at lunch.

We sails b2b Jan. 17 to 31.

I posted earlier that a friend and I have a GS midship booked Jan. 17, 2015 and 14730 booked for Jan.24. All the traditional GS have been booked, so we were locked into the aft suite with beds that do not separate and a bunch of other features we would not prefer. I have been checking every so often with little hope of being able to change suites. Until this afternoon! The GS suite next door to our first booking opened up! Called TA and was able to change rooms. We are doing the Happy Dance tonight! I had offered to post photos and won't be able to now. Good luck to all who choose these Aqua/GSs. I hope they prove to be better than we expect. They do have some redeeming features that probably would suit many cruisers, esp. those who do not need separate beds.:)

I apologize if my comment sounded like I thought you were complaining- I didn't get that impression at all. I was more agreeing with you! I sensed you had a great attitude about not letting a potential bad layout spoil your trip :-)

Apologies are not necessary.:):):)

One of the problems with communication on the Internet is that tone of voice and facial expressions are absent. Emoticons really don't fill in for these non-verbal ways of communicating.

But thank you for responding.

JJ

It is something many people only dream of. When something isn't absolutely perfect, remember the big picture. You are in a suite on the Oasis. I am sure you will have a spectacular time! :-)

Hi Karen, I do agree that a cruise like this is a dream. As a recent breast cancer survivor, however, I am well aware of the big picture. This b2b cruise is something of a dream come true for me. My point in recent postings is not meant to complain. In fact, I have said just the opposite--that I do not intend to let the cabin layout interfere with my enjoyment of the cruise. BUT: Royal has sold this cabin as a GS with GS prices and a GS photo and it is not a GS nor a GS balcony. I think these discrepancies are apparent to all of us now and this is the reason for this thread. We are all coming to terms with this new suite category and this, too, shall pass.:)

Well I have almost made my decision about whether or not I will keep room 14730 but I have a favor to ask of you Pooh8941. Would it be possible for you to take a picture of the balcony that is accessed from the bedroom? We love to eat breakfast on the balcony and I believe there is plenty of room to do this but I want to make sure. It will also be interesting to see if they have now added pictures and hung the tv's on the wall. From other posts I think they have added a couple of small ottomans for the couch as well. The pictures just posted were awesome but it was the first time for anyone to stay in those rooms so it would be good to see if they are any more completed.

I would be pleased to take photos of the balcony for you, cabin as well but I have never posted photos to CC and don't know how well I would manage that, especially during the cruise. I could send them to your email listed and you could the post them here, if you choose.

I will also attempt a video (stress the word attempt). :)

I read a while back that the beds cannot be separated and asked my TA to check on it. Royal told her they could definitely be separated. Guess I will find out. This cabin has turned out to be a crap shoot. Let's hope for the best!

Thank you for these photos. I am booked in a regular GS on 1/17/15 and 14330 on 1/24/15. I have to say that in no way would I have booked this room if I had seen how it looked, and for the price charged. I agree the furnishings are minimal and, to me, unappealing. Perhaps I will feel differently after I have been in the cabin. I am willing to stay positive and not let this effect my cruise. I hope Royal will make photos available so people will know what they are booking, as they do with other cabins.:)

Thank you both for such a speedy answer! This info puts my mind at ease. Love CC!!!:)

We are sailing Jan 1/17/15 and 1/24/15 in different grand suites. How do we go about moving our clothes on the turn around day? Who should we ask for advice once we are on board? With no Concierge Lounge is there a Concierge to consult with or do we speak to our stateroom attendant? Or Guest services? And, how do we obtain a new Sea Pass card? We did a B2B in the distant past but assume things have changed since then (I.e., leaving the ship and going thru customs, etc.) Thank you for any input.