fizzy1

 
Will be getting the best cover possible, I think I will also be self-isolating for two weeks before my cruise as well!

My favourite  quiet nook on QM2 is the library and if you're especially lucky, the alcove nook is THE quiet nook to chill, with a book, or knitting as I saw on a couple of occasions when just going to change a book.

We are booked for a double TA and Fyjods cruise next August.  With luck and a Vaccine we suspect we will enjoy the QM2. This will be our first Cunard cruise.
 
As we have viewed YouTube QM2 videos it seems that there are never crowds during the day.  Also, the pools never seem too crowded.  We have read that passenger size vs public spaces is why it looks less crowded.  
 
What are your experiences?  Is there always a quiet nook to hang out at?  Is that covered pool uncrowded? Also, should we assume the outdoor pool will be heat by just the sun?

After many cruises on NCL, I decided to jump ship and try Celebrity. I'd like to think it's because I'm eminently more sophisticated, worldly, cultured, and debonair than I was but nah! I'm the same old me and NCL prices are off the wall lately. So much so, my FCC's are patiently waiting a future price drop from NCL. 
 
To the Edge I come! Well, hopefully and fingers crossed.
 
Stay safe everyone and wishing you many journeys in the months and year ahead. 
 
Solocruiser MA aka Philippe

That  is the same with us.  We dated for 5 years before we got married.   We don’t buy any presents for each other, cards and etc same as you.   We do buy gifts for our children and naturally grandchildren.   
 
We tell them not to buy us anything as we don’t need or want anything.  We have too much as it is.
 
We buy and have the pizza as a tradition because that was what we did on our first date and could afford on our first anniversary.  
 
When ever we go on a cruise, trip, and sometimes out for dinner and etc we will look at each other smile, laugh,  and  say Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday, Anniversary and ....    It makes life much more simpler and holidays more enjoyable. 
 
Happy cruising [emoji305][emoji568][emoji560][emoji631]

 
 

You'll have a wonderful time!
As a start, by train from Southampton Central, the cathedral cities of Salisbury (about 30 minutes away) and Winchester (under 20) are both filled with enough activities to keep you occupied all day, and still allow return to the ship in plenty of time.  
Portsmouth, where you'll find the remains of Henry VIII's great flagship the Mary Rose and Nelson's Victory, is an equally fascinating destination, less than an hour by train.  
Tour companies run daytrips to sites such as Stonehenge and Highclere, where Downtown Abbey was filmed.  And in Southampton itself there's the excellent SeaCity Museum, plus the West Quay shopping centre for last minute necessities.
London is huge, and as one of the world's great cities, cannot even be scratched in the time allotted. 

Why couldn’t you celebrate your anniversary?    Were you separated?  

I celebrate everyday with my wife as it is always a special day.  A so called mile stone doesn’t make it any different as everyday is precious.
 
My wife and I have been together over 55 years.  No parties, and no
extra ordinary celebrations on our anniversaries.  We do have a tradition of getting a pizza and dividing it down the center and saying this half is mine and that is yours because that is what we did when we were dating.  Only difference now is we only have one slice each  instead of eating all of it along with 2 pitchers of beer.   

The main thing is we are still enjoying our time together. 
 
Life is great and best when simple.  I am sure you will look back and realize that your 45th was the best and always remember it. 
 
Happy cruising [emoji305][emoji568][emoji631][emoji560]
 

Like you replied to me, we are both on the Feb 2022 Millennium cruise and I am certain that will go and have minimal restrictions. The vaccine will be widely available by June/ July 2021, plenty of advance time for us. Should be a very good 10 days.


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Beyond that point , I just cancelled my 1/30 out of San Juan and they asked me why. I said leaving the ship only on the cruise line excursions and masks required everywhere but eating and my state room isn’t my way of cruising the Caribbean. Next cruise is 2/23/2022, 10 days on the Millennium. I may book in later March a Windstar cruise out of SJ. Different protocols. 

 

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We have just booked that cruise too !!!!!!! It sails Feb 21st

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I know most of us on here are chomping at the bit to get on a cruise, otherwise we wouldn't be on Cruise Critic.  I see a lot of people willing to go ahead as soon as the lines start cruising.  But as anxious as I am to cruise and looking at some of the great deals out there (sadly not Celebrity), I still can't pull the trigger and book one.
 
I'm not cruising until things get back to "normal", whatever that is going to be.  I'm fine with lot's of disinfectants, staff serving me at a buffet, etc.  But I'm not wearing a mask on a cruise or not being able to go to a show because of social distancing,  or sit in a bar, etc.   I'm not going to take a ships excursion or not be able to walk around in port on my own.  Oh and it's not about having to wear a mask, social distancing, etc. as I abide by those protocols now.  It's not that I'm afraid to catch Covid (but don't want to, lol).  But that's not a cruise I want to be on.  
 
If other people want to cruise, more power to you and I hope you have a blessed time.  It's just not the vacation for me right now.  If the cruises were half price..... I might consider but not sure I'd even go then.  Cruises will get back to somewhat normal.  It's not if, but when.  It might be 6 months, might be 2 years.  And yea, there will probably be some protocols in place but not much.  Six months after most of the population has a vaccine, most things will be back to the old normal.  People tend to forget......
 
We are leaving next week for 8 nights in a cabin outside of Blue Ridge GA.  Lot's of hiking, sitting in front of the fireplace on the patio and just exploring the area.  
 
Be safe all with whatever you choose to do!
Duane
 

My opinion is that cruising will not resume in November and that cruising in December is iffy.  We cancelled our December cruise before final payment.
  

I'm not sure if this subject has ever been discussed, if so, excuse me.
Is acceptable or not to take pictures of your meals in Buffet/MDR/Specialty Restaurants ?
 

After looking at this we plan to cancel our cruise. I am mostly concerned about being quarantined if a waiter, room steward, trivia partner, etc. tested positive during the cruise but am also choosing not to sail due to the mask requirement. For me personally it would be a depressing vacation to see everyone constantly in masks and, also, to not be able to expore ports on our own. However, I am sure others won't mind the restrictions and will just be glad to cruise. 

We have a March 2021, 10 day cruise. Would you sail next March the way things are if they get the OK, or Lift n Shift before this option may end on Sept 30 ?

Thanks to all for some very good advice and the social distancing aspect of disembarking from the ship. I think I will reschedule our flight into the afternoon
 
Thanks to All
 
Grahaminca

My TA  hasn’t  gotten an official notice yet, I  just looked at the global suspension notice that they just posted.

Unless you don’t plan to cruise again until after 5/4/22, you can cancel now and get your entire deposit returned as a FCC.

LOL-- Either you are the person that told us or overheard the conversation or figured it out on your own when you saw all 2600 passengers  " race " to the entrance when they called the first group. 

 

Hahaha !!! Could have been us !!! Just cancelled our Dec 4 th on Refection. Been saving up for 2 years !, just rebooked for sim itinerary on Millennium for Feb 2022. Cunard just cancelled our Oct 2021 too . Change of route . Just got deposit back today . Only took 3 weeks

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While we did Concierge Class only once, we didn't feel the extra cost was worth it.
A few tips we received from more experienced cruisers than us--- that might not work in the future:
1- Arrive whenever you want and when they call for your Status Level to go on board, just walk on. Nobody checks.
2- Instead of racing up to the Oceanview Cafe, they have a very nice lunch at the Spa Cafe. We enjoy lunch there quite often during the cruise and avoid the " Circus " in the Oceanview.
 
 

Last year we had a deck 8 unobstructed balcony on our two-week TA and enjoyed it. Port side immediately aft of the last lifeboat. To your question about pool traffic - we didn't notice much at all. We liked the proximity of the aft pool bar, You should note that the steakhouse is on deck 8 aft and, when it's open, you are not supposed to access the outside deck through the restaurant. It's easy enough to go down to deck 7 and back up to 8, though.  We also liked being one deck above King's Court - I'm not much of a breakfast person, so getting something light from the buffet is fine for me.

Unfortunately as things start to open up, looks like the numbers start going back  up!  I don't think we'll be as excited about cruising now, as we did back in 2003!  It's just not the same feeling about cruising, [emoji19]

Expanded openings with restaurants, gyms, schools, etc.


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Since a lot of people seem to have a preference about whether their beds are near the balcony or bathroom in the non-suite cabins, I am starting this thread to help people answer that question for their booked cabins or to help choose a cabin.
 
Some may ask why should I care? Some cruisers prefer one or the other and choose their cabins accordingly. I'll list a few advantages and disadvantages of each and I'm sure others have pet peeves or things they enjoy about each type.
 
I have stayed in both and have pet peeves about each type and am not sure which I like better. Here are things I have noted or have heard from others:
Bed by the Bath:
Positives:
-cabin living area has more open feel, with couch near the balcony - isn't broken up by bed (some are wondering if this may be even more of a positive with the infinite balcony, which can stay open to add more space to the cabin)
-couch by the balcony to sit and look out at the ocean
Negatives:
-bed by the bath also often means bed by the closet, with a tight squeeze to access the closet
-have to squeeze by the bed to enter the living area (room only for one person and we always need to pass through to go the other direction at the same time :D).
 
Bed by the Balcony:
Positives:
-easier access to the closet
-can get around cabin more easily since don't have to squeeze by bed as much (except when going to balcony).
-better view of ocean from bed
Negatives:
-less open living area, especially when infinite veranda bifold doors are open
-couch not near the balcony for seating near the ocean
 
How can you tell if a cabin has the bed near the balcony or bath? The individual cabins on the Edge deck plans are shaped differently, depending upon where the bed is positioned. They usually switch the position in every other cabin. Please note that Celebrity can change the order at any time since the ship is still being built, but at this time, these are the latest plans - you can zoom in on them to see the bed position:
 
http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/EDGE/17055722_CEL_Deck_Plans.pdf
 
When you find the cabin you are looking for, look for the bump out in the wall - that is where the bed will go. Check to see if it is closer to the balcony (see picture below to identify balcony) or bath (bath is next to the hallway).
 
If you have a difficult time figuring it out, just ask on this thread and someone here will help you out. :D
 
I'm sure others have things to add to the positives and negatives that I haven't thought of here. What do you prefer?
 
 

 
 
Some examples:
 
 

We are also on the 12/4/20 sailing and I spoke to a person from Celebrity the other day and said the sailing was still a go.  Looking forward to it..  I did book an oceanview (now I am hoping for an upgrade) - I can't see why that would not happen

We stayed in Cabin 7171 on the Millie and the balcony was larger than normal. It’s a 2A category. Not sure which sailing date you’re on but the Feb 7th sailing has Cabin 7177 which does have a larger balcony. The cabin we had is not available on that date. I like the aft cabins now as they’re quieter but your location of 7100 is very good. 

Feb 21st 2022 .There was not a lot to choose from !!!! We like midship and 7100 was as near as we could get

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