barb-ottawa

If my husband and I were to purchase a beverage card prior to boarding, is it possible to get two cards with our names on them but with purchases applied to the one account? For example, we may not be together all the time and may want to purchase drinks separately. Or we will need to buy two separate cards? Thanks.

Definitely a sideways cabin. We have sailed on the Gem three times in 9623. It's midship and in a perfect location. Very quiet. Sideways cabins have a different layout with a MUCH bigger bathroom.

Just priced out the Book & Go package from Ottawa for March 2016, which we did this year for less than $3000. The same package for an inside cabin for the same time on the same ship is $5006! I expected an increase with the drop in the Canadian dollar, but this is way beyond ridiculous.:eek:

We always book inside cabins and whenever possible, chose a sidways cabin. Cabins are laid out differently and appear to have more space. The bathrooms are definitely bigger. If you're going with inside - take a sideways for sure!

 

Onboard wifi prices:

 

Comparing this to Quantum they had unlimited for $10 per day per device, so it was $160 for 8 night only on two devices. This I assume is for any number of devices. I will let you know if I can be simultaneously on my ipad and iphone.

 

 

 

 

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Am I mistaken or has the price of internet gone up? I seem to recall paying less than $60 for 100 minutes.

Doesn't make sense to me why Select Dining cruisers have to pay up their gratuities up front. What does the type of dining have to do with the timing of payment for gratuities - neither will be distributed until the cruise is completed.

We were on the Silhouette the week before you - it was our first cruise with Celebrity. When we ate in the MDR, we always sat at the same table served by Dennis and Dejan and I agree with your assessment that Dejan was a star. He made every meal as much fun as the meal was good. My husband and I remember him fondly and often laugh when we recall his funny stories. He certainly made a favourable impression on us and added to the enjoyment of our Celebrity cruise.

After 9 NCL cruises, I took the plunge and gave Celebrity a try last month. While I love the informality of NCL, they will have to go a very, very long way to compete with the more "upscale" lines. Besides the cleanliness of the ship and the level of service that was head over heels above NCL, the most notable difference was the ability of all levels of staff in every function to communicate with guests. On each of my last two NCL cruises, I became increasingly frustrated with the language barrier in the dining room. In addition, Celebrity staff seemed to genuinely love their jobs whereas the majority of NCL staff seemed to be just going through the motions. This was not the case on my first 7 NCL cruises, but was very apparent on my last 2.

I purchase Global Allianz travel insurance (trip interruption/cancellation) through my Mastercard. I pay an annual fee of about $90 and it covers any trip that I pay for with my Mastercard. I recently had to cancel a cruise one week before departure due to the death of my mother and my claim was settled and paid in full with no problems within a couple of weeks. I recommend them and will continue to use them.

Of our nine NCL cruises, 7 have been in an inside cabin. Price is one consideration, but we definitely love the inside cabin because it is quieter and darker for sleeping. Being in an inside cabin encourages you to get out and enjoy the rest of the ship. We particularly like the sideways inside cabin if you can get one.

It was mentioned that on formal nights, men are required to wear a jacket to the MDR. If one doesn't dress up, where else can you go for dinner other than the buffet on formal nights?

Thanks for all the great information! Looking forward to our first Celebrity experience on March 21st.

Have sailed with NCL 8 times and will board a Celebrity ship (Reflection) for the first time in a couple of weeks. Not familiar with anything Celebrity and have been reading reviews here like crazy, but am getting more confused. We are just in an inside cabin, no aqua class, no M class, no royal - just plain old cruisers. Will it be made clear through the dailies what is available to us "regular" people? We used to enjoy having our breakfast on the NCL ships in the Great Outdoors - an outdoor area overlooking the water just beyond the buffet. Is there something similar to this on the Reflection? We have the classic beverage package - is cappuccino and lattes included at the Cafe al Bacio? Is there any restaurants other than the buffet and MDR that do not cost extra? Thanks!

8 cruises and the first 2 were in balcony staterooms. Because we had problems with noisy neighbors in balcony cabins, we went with an inside cabin on our 3rd cruise and have not looked back. We much prefer the quiet and darkness of an inside cabin and prefer to spend our time and money elsewhere on the ship!

After 8 cruises on NCL, my husband and I are taking our first Celebrity cruise on the Reflection in March. Would appreciate any tips offered with respect to hidden treasures or things not to miss on the Reflection. Thanks!

We are going on our first Celebrity cruise in March with the classic beverage package. Am confused about the inclusions as regards specialty coffees. Are lattes and cappuccinos included in the classic beverage package?

Have sailed 3 times in a Gem sideways cabin and it is our preferred choice. Not only does the room seem bigger, I believe the bathroom is bigger - no cramped toilet area. We always look for a sideways cabin on any jewel class ship we are sailing. You will like it!

We've done three cruises on the Gem in sideways inside cabin 9623. We heard no noise behind the cabin. It was extremely quiet - moreso than the balcony or oceanview rooms we have sailed in.

The OP specifically states that before the UBP was purchased, it was confirmed on the phone with an NCL rep that it included the wine machines. Once on the ship, a waitress near the machine also confirmed that it was included in the UBP. Perhaps next time, the OP should get a notarized statement from NCL!

Good grief - NCL obviously screwed up in this instance and their customer service has dropped the ball. Why is it so difficult for NCL cheerleaders to accept this shortfall? This overcharging after the cruise happened to me, but I was persistent and got the charge refunded. I don't know what is more head-scratching - the poor customer service received by the OP from NCL or the treatment that anyone with a negative comment about NCL receives on this board.

That's great news! Hopefully they replace the ice cream machine and toaster in the Great Outdoors!

They don't have banks in Connecticut?? :confused:

Sideways cabins are the BEST. After two bad experiences with balcony cabins, we went inside sideways and have never looked back.

Been on the Gem many times and love the Great Outdoors for breakfast. Tell me, have they replaced the toaster yet? It's been on its last legs for a couple of years and every time we go on the Gem, it's the same old toaster.

Very sad news about Michael Blackwell. Also, Sinan has left NCL and joined Celebrity on June 1st. He will be greatly missed.