6502programmer

July 20, 2015

Don't do it. If your card is next to your phone, card is often gets deactivated. I had this issue few times carrying it in the same pocket as Blackberry.

Cell phones ordinarily don't contain magnets strong enough to demagnetize a mag stripe. Some flip phones might, but those are becoming rarer and rarer. This article discusses the topic in a light level of detail. Usually, corruption of the mag stripe is due to physical damage / wear and tear, not demagnetization. Remember that these cards are targeted to work for 14 days tops, with the majority between 6 and 9 days. durability is not a primary design consideration.

More importantly though, if cell phones did demagnetize mag stripes, why would they sell thousands of variations on cell phone wallet cases, with pockets that hold a card directly against the phone?

July 20, 2015

NO ONE...NO ONE paid for a drink...just handed in their card!!

SEE THE CONSUMERS LOVE OUR ALL INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO AN ESCAPE TO MODERN LUXURY!

Seriously though.. While I'm sure most folks got their drink on via 123Go, it's also quite likely that some purchased the package as well. I'm not a spendthrift, but I'm not a miser either. Even if I only consume 80% of the value of a beverage package, it's worth it to me to never ever ever ever ever have to worry or think about the cost of my drinks, even if I do splurge on a $15 glass of wine.

Also, consider your audience: You're in a bar, likely for a 5p trivia, sitting at the bar itself. This ain't no bush league drinking here. That's the pro's. The only way to step it up is to move to the all stars--10p at the martini bar! :D

July 18, 2015

You never see a chair hog reply on this threads or are they in total denial that they are one!

It's like tip removers / stiffers: They know at some visceral level that the behavior is antisocial and will be scorned by the community. Knowing that, they engage in their behavior quietly and anonymously.

July 17, 2015

I would assume they would get the points under whatever system was in place when they actually sailed, but maybe that just makes too much sense.

I would assume so.. To go back and calculate the points on cruises that were logged as points versus days would be time-consuming. Easier to just look at mom and dad's records and copy over!

14 Dec 2009 = 3 * 12 = 36 versus 60 club points

12 Dec 2011 = 5 * 12 = 60 versus 90 club points

08 Jun 2012 = 3 * 7 = 21 versus 30 club points

04 Aug 2013 = 3 * 7 = 21 versus 30 club points

11 Aug 2013 = 3 * 7 = 21 versus 30 club points

159 points versus 240 club points. Yikes!

03 Aug 2014 = 3 * 7 = 21 points

13 Dec 2015 = 5 * 5 = 25 points

18 Dec 2015 = 5 * 9 = 45 points

Points earned post-cutover: 91

So when my daughter turns 18 a month after we get off our cruise, she will have either 250 or 331 points, depending on how they figure it. If they give the points in place at each sailing, she'll have 331. If not, 250 it is.

July 17, 2015

Hmm. I wonder if our kids will get the points under the old system or new? Either way, I hope it doesn't matter when it comes time for them to apply and they have earned their status under either!

July 16, 2015

They'd make you remove the hat when entering the MDR. It's hapened to me, but I was wearing a fedora.

I have never been asked to remove mine, nor has my son. Upon arriving at the table, we place them under our chair, where they remain until leaving the table.

July 15, 2015

I may be mistaken, but the last time I recall seeing absinthe on a cruise was on the Century in 2010. They had the spoon and did the proper ceremony, but as the only person quaffing on a ship of some 2000, I don't think that made a lot of economic sense to continue.

July 15, 2015

I've asked on my last 4 celebrity cruises if a tie was required on formal nights in the mdr and all have said no but a jacket is...

You are indeed correct, it is not required. The policy doesn't say socks--or shoes even--are required, as long as one isn't wearing flip flops. I could wear sandals and a ratty old ball cap with my tux and still be following policy.

Folks need to stop worrying about what they can get away with and what is just this side of acceptable, etc, and instead consider meaning and intent. No, ties are not required. They are, however, a typical accoutrement to a suit, tuxedo, dinner jacket, or nearly* anything else a well-dressed gentleman is wearing. They want people to be dress to impress. If that's not your thing, there are plenty of venues to accommodate you.

* some military dress uniforms lack neckwear, which in no way takes away from their appropriateness

July 15, 2015

Can my husband wear a lounge suit rather than a dinner suit on formal nights in the MDR ??

A lounge suit, as in a dark business suit, is perfectly acceptable. While the official attire guidance says nothing about a tie, most reasonable folks assume that if you're going to put on a suit, appropriate neckwear completes the outfit.

July 14, 2015

Probably not.. Celebrity's big push of late has been towards all-inclusive pricing. Making the specialty restaurants a la carte is not only a step away from that, but risks gnawing at the fat margins of the specialty dining.

July 11, 2015

If something is "worth it" is solely in the eye of the beholder. That being said, the specialty restaurants have provided some of our most treasured memories of cruises. The French restaurant on the Century and their "Wine Harvest Dinner" is one of the best meals I've ever eaten. The Lawn Club Grille is a highlight for our kids. Qsine is fantastic, but I couldn't see going with fewer than four because of the sharing it inspires. I'm not a fan of the Tuscan Grill, but that's probably just me and a bad experience with the wine steward there. All the other restaurants have refined and inspired food, but Tuscan Grill didn't strike that same note with me.

July 7, 2015

I would love to hear from anyone who traveled on Equinox or other Celebrity Caribbean cruises with the whole family.

Our first family cruise was in 2009 with a then-four year old and an eleven year old. Since that time, we've been on Celebrity fairly regularly. Both kids have loved (almost) every cruise. The only one there was ever a problem was one cruise when a captain's child was a little terror in the Fun Factory, and everyone seemed powerless to stop him. That being said, if "go go go" is what your kids are into, RCCL may be a better fit, but there has never been a shortage of things that were interesting enough on Celebrity to keep the kids interested and entertained. Like villageneighbor said, you know your own kids best, but they will in all likelihood have a great vacation whichever you go with.

I would urge you to reconsider the "will not drop the kids off in the camp" thing. Both of our kids have always been very enthusiastic about going off to the kids programs during the day, counting down the minutes until it re-opened after nearly every break. Family time is important, but it's their vacation too!

July 6, 2015

[quote name='cle-guy']what "services" do you think overnights will affect?[/QUOTE]
Dining rooms, specialty restaurants, shows, bands, activities--all the "fun stuff" on the ship that makes it more enjoyable than a mobile hotel. A lot of the normal stuff that happens at sea typically shuts down when the ship is in port. I know that in ports, some portion of the population will be off the ship during the evening, and that there will be some "adjustment" to the services of the ship during that time. My concern is that they'll be degraded by (hypothetically) 20% when the passenger load is only down by 10%.

Things like closing down the martini bar at 11p because all the big drinkers are off doing that on shore, or having fewer sections in a dining room open (potentially meaning more waiting), or only having one show instead of two. Those are the kinds of things I'm worried about getting axed.

July 6, 2015

[quote name='ghstudio']It would if she actually said that. Please review the chat.......[/QUOTE]
Don't worry.. She did. I know because I was the one who asked the question. I'll believe it when I see it though. My question was more about restaurants and entertainment, not shopping and casino. I'm certain that every reasonable measure to keep the revenue areas operational will be undertaken. Services--Not so much.

July 4, 2015

I think it's a good idea all around. It increases the per diem spend for Celebrity as well as moves the line up the scale in poaching the lower-end customers of the luxury lines. It makes the TA's happy because they get commission on something that was once the domain of onboard spending. It benefits customers because we can decide whether we want to just have one perk or splurge and not really worry about what we will spend on the ship.

I'm price conscious, but if I'm spending $5k on a vacation, I'll spend a little more to go mostly inclusive. If I were looking for the cheapest way of cruising, I don't know that Celebrity would be my first choice. Now if only we could convince them to plow some of that pile of cash they'll be taking in back into activities.

July 4, 2015

I would worry more about deck than side. Make sure you only have passenger cabins above and below, that you're not too near an elevator lobby, and that your hallway isn't a popular cut through. Having sailed in six of them, I prefer aft, but on the S class that means a haul to the elevator. I liked August most because that's when the wildlife was most active. I can't really speak to a repo cruise.

July 3, 2015

Search YouTube for a video about solstice class connecting doors. It has branding on it, so I don't think I should link it, but it is really best to see a video rather than try to visualize how it works.

July 3, 2015

http://www.creative.rccl.com/e-lite/CEL/15045052_Go_Big_Go_Better_Go_Best/15045052_Go_Big_Go_Better_Go_Best.html has a lot of information that is being provided to TA's about the program. TA's will be pushing it because it moves onboard spending to upfront commissionable fare. Downside for us will be that any trip insurance will now be based on those costs too.

Personally, I think it's a great change all around. I would rather spend a few dollars and not have to worry about any onboard costs. With $45 per night, I buy my premium package, tips, internet, and a couple specialty meals. I don't have to worry about price drops and whether I'm going to get the same perks I had before.

July 3, 2015

I'd love to see the dailies in PDF....that makes it easy to zoom in and read them a little better!

Only one of them stored as a PDF.. The rest are PNG's. You can find them here on my google drive.

July 3, 2015

On our last Celebrity cruise, my bag with a power squid was in the naughty room. When I protested that it wasn't an extension cord or surge suppressor, the electrician fiddles with it testing it for a minute, then gave us the thumbs up to keep it.

Now, we travel with two Anker 5x USB chargers. More than enough juice to charge 4 iPads, three iPhones, and other toys as well, plus it's so much neater. Another trick I use is rechargeable battery power pack with 2x usb ports. I can charge that during the day, and then keep my iPad and phone by the bed and charge them from the power pack overnight.