Paulras

I'm still amazed that we're only a couple months away from the first refurbishment and still no expected deck plan. 

2 hours ago, miched said:

So you can approach the host at Luminae  and request to sit with another couple and then pay $30 to dine there?  🤔

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

You actually need to be invited by that couple. Can't just randomly walk in and pay and sit with a stranger. 

1 hour ago, davekathy said:

Any where they serve drinks. I don't believe you can from the World Class Bar. I've never had a drink there. You can't use the PBP to purchase from room service or the stateroom minibar. 

WCB takes drink packages. Can't use for room service, mini bar and the wine dispensers in cellar masters. All bars, restaurants and dining rooms take drink packages. Anything you order over $15, you would pay the difference plus 18%.

Is it a charge that posted or just a hold? 

14 minutes ago, mit429 said:

 

Thanks for the tip, I just asked my agent about this and he advised me that it's only for sailings 7-nights or longer (we're on a 3-night then a 7-night), but I will keep this in mind in the future! 

That's what happened to us last year. 4 day followed by an 11 day. We didn't get it for the 4 day but got it for the 11 day. Have your agent call Celebrity. 

Did you ask for your B2B discount? Most agents don't apply it unless you ask for it. $50 or $100 per leg depending on the number of days. I didn't know about it last year but when I found out a few weeks before my B2B, I called my TA and Celebrity quickly refunded $100 on my credit card. 

58 minutes ago, digital_curator said:

Actually, Paul, last year we had 3 because we were on a B2B so I'm not sure if we will have 2 or 3.

 

Looks like DH's tux shirt might have to go to the cleaner's if you are correct though, because he is only packing for 2! 

Ah, that's right. Well someone was supposedly told by Celebrity that Silhouette will have 3 on our sailing. I'm doing the tux twice and a black suit once. Easy enough to get the tux shirt laundered on board.  I actually bought a dinner jacket months ago but finally came to the conclusion I didn't have anything that looked with it so I returned it yesterday. Nice suit is never bad but has to be the tux for NYE!

We've done 5 holiday cruises and all except the 9 day had 3 formal/EC nights. Doing 12 day Silhouette in a few weeks and I'm predicting they'll be on day 2 (first full day and sea day), Christmas eve, and definitely New Years Eve. 

Can we share a 3 device plan if the third person is in another cabin? 

Anyone who's Sapphire have any luck getting them to just upgrade you to Premium beverage package if your reservation already came with a Classic package? The 1 free classic package is a useless benefit if you already get it. 

 

I heard of someone last year who got it without even asking but when I ask Blue Chip, they say No. 

 

There's a 30% sale on the upgrade. Wondering if I should buy it now or "roll the dice" on getting it for free from the casino on board. 

Suggestion. Challenge their first offer for a cruise discount. I called them over the summer and was told $90/night discount for my December cruise. I said I was expecting more since I played (and lost) alot in June. She put me on hold and came back with $270/night discount. That's a huge difference! The discount is based on the higher of actual loss or theoretical loss. But sometimes they only look at one and not the other. And in my case, she didn't look at June's sailing. 

 

Oh and they won't apply the discount earlier than 6 months before your sailing. 

 

Good luck! 

Anyone know who the casino host is on Silhouette? Boarding in about 3 1/2 weeks.

5 hours ago, HawaiiUK said:

We disembarked the Summit on Saturday 😞

We too had an aft balcony. What are you doing 'walking upstairs' to the breakfast buffet?? 😉 I loved our balcony so much we had room service breakfast every day bar the sea day (MDR) and disembarkation day (buffet) so that we could sit out there. But yes, the egg Benedicts and waffles were good, admittedly. 

Personally, I'd go up to the buffet too if it was that close and just bring it back to the room. I have yet to ever have my room service order on any cruiseline come as ordered, with all utensils/condiments, or warm enough. And waiting for the delivery is annoying. I can't sit on the balcony or I won't hear the door. Or it comes earlier than expected and I'm in the bathroom. More of a hassle - never understood the fascination with it.

7 hours ago, Msterry said:

We just sailed the equanix and did a 25 year vow renewal. It was magical. They do have 2 packages. We choose the less expensive one. Dan the cruise director did our vows. I found them on Pinterest. Every thing done nicely. They had a toast wedding cake rose petals all fun. They also made whole cruise special. Decorated door and room. Invite to sail away on heliport and tour of the bridge. I would highly recommend 

Curious about roughly how much that package cost, if you don't mind sharing. And did you have to set it up ahead of time before boarding the ship? 

For those interested, I called Blue Chip today and they still haven't determined if Sapphire and Ruby will get access to the Retreat Lounge on the Edge and the upcoming renovated ships which don't have Michael's Club. I'm amazed that this hasn't been determined yet only 12 days from the first Edge sailing. Hopefully the answer is that we get into the Retreat Lounge.

 

If you're a Sapphire or Ruby, try calling and make it known that this is an important benefit. They told me over the summer that most people didn't use the free specialty dinner and the laundry credit so that's why they got rid of them. I find that hard to believe. But we can't let them take the lounges away too! 

Every watch I've ever been interested in on board was cheaper on Amazon, even after celebrity's "sale". 

I've always gotten extension cords from Celebrity that were way too long for my CPAP. Only need a few feet but I'm pretty sure what they give is at least 15 ft. and a heavy thick one. Actually takes up too much space. Not sure if they're expecting me to use it on the balcony 😀

18 hours ago, actuarian said:

I always bring my CPAP machine plus an extension cord for it and so far (through 77 cruises), they have never questioned it.  However, I keep it in my carry on bag rather than my checked luggage so it gets x-rayed by port security rather than on the ship.  Sometimes the security agents examine the CPAP machine itself but they never even look at the extension cord.

If you contact Celebrity's special needs department and tell them you're bringing a CPAP, they'll have an extension cord and bottle of distilled water waiting for you, no charge. 

23 hours ago, jakesnana said:

I just wanted to make other people aware, in case they didn't know, when you win a tournament (or anything for that matter) in the casino, your "winnings" are in the form of "promotional chips" or "free play" added to your onboard account.  While this, in an of itself, is not a problem they do not advertise it that way.  When I entered the blackjack tournament everything I read and heard stated the "prize" was $500.00.  When I DID win the tournament, the prize was $500 in "promotional chips".  These chips had no cash value and could not be cashed out at the cashier cage.  The ONLY way they had any value is if you played (and lost) them on the tables.  I WAS paid my winnings in "real" chips and got to keep the promotional chips until I lost them, however, that is not the same as having cold, hard cash in my hand.  I paid to enter the tournament with REAL cash and I tipped out the dealer of the tournament with REAL casino chips (I hadn't gone to the cage yet to get my "winnings").  I wonder how THEY would have liked it if I tipped them with "promotional chips"?

 

Additionally, one of my travel companions was in the casino when they did their "hot seat" promotion.  Over the PA they were stating people would win "gift cards", however, when he won he was given money on his account to spend (lose) in the slot machines.  He could not cash out any of the money he won from Celebrity, only the winning he derived by playing.

 

Am I the only one who feels that this is a deceitful practice?

I remember them specifically saying it was promo chips or free play on Reflection in June. Not sure if it was mentioned that way in every ad. 

 

So when you played the promo chips, did you turn it into $500 in real chips? Or more? Less? 

1 hour ago, stephycpd said:

I've been in the Blue Chip Club since its inception and didn't find out about the new changes until today.....just like others, I received no emails or notifications, so I've been reading the threads to try and find out more information.

 

The new changes are definitely a step down for me as a Sapphire level player. My onboard casino credit amount will drop from $1000 to $500 as I've never lost enough to qualify for anything higher under the new system.  I'm also not very happy they did away with the Speciality Restaurants, Spa and Laundry credits. 

Hopefully this thing with the Casino hosts being able to add more perks under the new system pans out. I thought they had that ability with the old program, but I've been on 6 cruises in the last two years and haven't seen much from them. I guess I'll find out in January of 2019 on my next cruise.

 

For those who are wondering about W-2G's for hand pays, I was told they are not required onboard ships like they are at land based casinos. The only time you will receive one at a ship casino is if you win the Jackpot for that particular slot machine.  This was told to me by the casino staff on one my Celebrity cruises last year. I'm not big on the table games so I don't know how it works for them. 🤔

I have several W2Gs this year from celebrity on video poker. Ranging from $1250 to $4000. None were jackpots and was told they had to give the form of it's $1200 or more even though I was playing $25 a hand. Had a couple from NCL on slot machines too. Not jackpots either but over $1200. 

On 10/18/2018 at 5:19 PM, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

Not to take over, but I was wondering if the upgrade to Premium actually makes sense?  We did one of those Go Better offers, so the Classic package was included.  And we have a large amount of OBC.  I figured we'd just pay the difference between the Classic limit and the price of any drinks we ordered over that amount.  Does anyone else have any experience with doing this?

 

Thanks!

Why not just use your OBC to buy the upgraded package? I'd pay extra just to not have to sign slips at every bar! 

Our bag got lost on the day we EMBARKED the ship.

Guest relations on Equinox asked if I was sure that I had the bag with me from Sweden... She lied about several things, was rude and told me how little our missing bag would affect us.. :rolleyes:

Just curious if you tipped the porter who took your luggage? Not starting a tipping discussion here but I always wonder if I forget to tip them (in the US), will my bags end up under the ship instead of on it.

 

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We only paid the difference on our cruise in 2014 so it can’t be that new

You must have had the premium package. That's always been "pay the difference". Classic was pay the full price until about a year and a half ago. Now they're both pay the difference.

 

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Did he call them 2 years ago? That's when they changed it to just the difference

 

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I use Nationwide Travel Insurance. I got medical and evacuation insurance for a full year for 2 people for (I think) only $79. Believe it has a small delayed baggage benefit too. Covers every trip over a certain amount of miles (50?) from your home for a year.

 

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