msweebee

We're just off Summit on Sunday. From my very recent experience, I find that Jole (the current Michael's Club Concierge) will do everything in her power to help you, and will fullfill all reasonable requests. Her magic was a great addition to our cruise.

 

Since you board on Sunday, I would expect you to get the email tomorrow, based on our previous experience, she emails everyone (18 cabins) on Thursday before a Sunday boarding.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

Thanks Jenna, I was hoping you would respond. Jole did not respond to email I sent yesterday but did send what appeared to be a stock email that possibly she sends to all her charges. I did receive it this morning (thur) and have sent her a request and a couple of questions. I have read many, if not all, of your posts since you embarked and since and gained much insight on the changes since upgrade suite benefits since last November.

 

Again, thanks to all who replied. Jenna has been so complete in her observations last week that I may not have much to add when I return on

21st but if I do I will report to others who may be interested.

 

Packed and ready to sail, Bobbi

Captain's Club may have resolved issue earlier today and I have sent an email to Michael's Concierge on Summit. CC phone rep was most knowledgeable and helpful.

 

Word now is that "it seems that Concierges are not able to contact all that may be expecting advance contact but they will reach out to you once on board". We will see if I get an answer to my email b4 boarding but I travel with no preconceived expectations any more. Again Thanks for your replies.

Sail in few days on Summit in Celebrity Suite and have yet to receive anticipated contact via email from Michael's concierge and I am wondering if I have just been missed or if practice is not consistent from ship to ship or cruise to cruise. Lots of other e's from X on sales, future booking and info on Summit sailings so I know X has my correct email.:)

 

I have located the email address for the concierges but have been unable to locate the 2 letter code for Summit that would need to precede the email address for it to arrive to correct concierge.

 

Any help or info would be much appreciated. I am currently on hold with Captain's Club and the CS agent is trying to resolve what I had assumed would be handled by Michael's Concierge. Bobbi

Leave on Sunday but both Capts Club and Cruise Enchantments numbers were quickly answered and issue resolved or enchantments booked.

 

Thank you Celebrity for having adequate phone agents. I mentioned I would rather solve/book online and reps both agreed and apologized.

Search for Havana Daydreamin (no g) from fall 2013 NE/Canada cruise. There are many photos of ships common areas, bar and dining venues, etc. Most are without passengers in them and the camera work very good. Pics of ship are not at the very beginning of his "live" review but more towards middle. Another from fall 2013 is the Preismans review to take a look at.

 

Dig around some and you will find probably all the info and pics that you want!

 

These 2 photo commentaries were used when we were contemplating New England and Canada and I have looked at all the Bermuda reviews this summer. Booked it and we leave in less than 2 weeks. Have fun planning!

Thinking of booking a Celebrity Suite 1112 on the Solstice but concerned that there may be considerable noise from the Atrium and also from heavy foot traffic, being near the stairs and elevators. Have read too that noise from the Atrium almost renders the Library useless. Can anyone out there share their experiences please.

 

You received lots of good info in previous postings and I will add my vote for it being a good choice. The location of 1112 is excellent in all regards. We have personally stayed in CS 1112 on Eclipse twice. Although diff ship I checked the footprint of decks of the two and it is the same location on both ships as far as I can ascertain. We have also sailed in CS 1110 (angled balcony - bit larger as I remember)on Solstice, RS 1239 on Solstice and RS 1118 on Eclipse. Equinox was 1110. Each of these cabins are "clustered" near library and elevators and super convenient to nearly everything or at least where we go with a nice walk to either the bow or aft..

 

There was not any excessive foot traffic nor any noise from other passengers that we were bothered by at all; the sliding doors have been silent and kept any noise from the Atrium out of hallway and cabin. The upper library was usually fairly full in Alaska June 2013 and we frequently had quite a few family members gathered there in mid-late evening (game room normally filled also); even the music from Atrium was not a distraction for conversation (when readers were not present) in the Library.

 

It is very true that frequently some passengers either peek in or actually walk in when the door is propped open but from experience we know that the entryways to cabins are well monitored by personnel and cameras. Solstice security asked us to make a through observation of cabin for items we may have left out in view and others locked away. Nothing was missing that we could account for but some action had caused great concern for staff.

 

 

On a side note: If you book, I am confident that you will enjoy the space and perks that go along with but please be aware that all butlers are not created equal and have different levels of service. We are low maintenance cruisers except for breakfast a few days and a special request for afternoon ice or other things that a stateroom attendant would also do. That said we are looking forward to the new utilization Michael's Club in just a few days on Summit in a Celebrity Suite. Michael's was enjoyed on prior cruise in its varying concepts except as a cigar bar...

I think someone will come to your aid soon. I have never posted pics here but know there are members who are on Summit cruises coming up fairly quickly who have.

 

This will bump post up to top again and hopefully helpful person(s) will reply. I am sure many would like to view menus before boarding.

 

Trusting you enjoyed your trip to Bermuda and the Summit. If you got there around 10:30, did you have to wait long to board?

I was able to look at mine this morning but not now:

 

Both yesterday and today I see the message you posted. I can get into shore excursions. I am fairly sure all is fine but cruise is 13 days away and I thought I should verify the reservation while adding a future one. Thankfully I had printed Bev Package and Dining Reservation out previously.

 

I did not bother to add new reservation yet lest it bog down the system more. Email from TA and Amex chg for deposit is sufficient for now for 2016 cruise.

We did dinner once on our balcony served by the Butler and wondered why we waited so long. What a great experience. Even though we had a beverage package we purchased a bottle of wine in Cellar Masters for dinner and the Sommelier comped us on another bottle. We are looking forward to enjoying it again on upcoming cruises. If we can order from the Suite Restaurant that will be an added bonus.

 

Mary Lou

 

We have never had dinner served in our suites (CS or RS) in the last 6 years. Even had problems with getting into Blu the first time we tried so never went back again for dinner (breakfast - yes) so have just been primarily doing Select Dining and Specialties.

 

Last Nov formal nights in Select was such chaotic mess we vowed never again! I had pre reserved all evenings prior to board, confirmed with hostess the first day but still on 2 or the 3 formal nights we waited 30-55 minutes past our predetermined time. Now I can look forward to dining on balcony course by course and will pick up our bottle of wine from CM. Admittedly we do not ask much of our butler and have found several near nonexistent. Thanks again.

We have toured, not with Celebrity, but an independent approved tour guide twice and we were not required to apply for and purchase a visa. It was clear from the start that it was only for the hours we were with our small (14-16) group - you could not go out and roam around on your own. Our two days were long and very excellent in every way. In a few places we could not take a backpack/large bag in so those locations items had to stay on the vehicle with the driver; ours were all intact when we returned other groups were not so fortunate. We were mostly ushered past large groups that were waiting at many locations right into the entrance and stayed together in our smallish tour group. Unlike a large (40-60) tour group, there was no waiting for those few people who can not resist the shopping experience and hold up others on ship's tours. I am not totally against ship's tours but it seems that much of the time is spent waiting by many on the few who insist upon arriving late...

 

Do your own research on tour guides - so much information is available online now vs our first Baltic cruise. Be ever mindful of your surrounding and I would not flaunt jewelry or valuables in most ports. Be aware that many locations (not just in St Petersburg) are not handicap or even walking challenged friendly.

As ShariNJim said, register with the State Dept that you are traveling outside the US. You have quite awhile before final payment is due and I certainly would not cancel at this point in time.

 

Ahhhh the memories Ephesus brings back. Ephesus is one of our top 4 port destinations ever visited via ship and of those 4 you could pretty much shake them up in a bag and they will all come out equal. We did not tour with a Celebrity ship excursion but one that I booked independently (my family and friends thought I was crazy to say the least) that met us at pier in Kusadasi.

 

The tour company indicated that we might feel more comfortable with another couple or maybe two rather than traveling alone with guide and driver so they matched us up with 2 other couples that would be onboard the Millennium. We conversed via email for a couple of months prior to our departure date; I arranged that we met the 2nd evening onboard to get acquainted and the 6 of us got along as well so the 2 days spent with a young Turkish female and a driver was one of our best tours anywhere. We were taken places and granted access/invited to see things that others on ship's tours were not. And although she was not of our faith there was never any negative statements or animosity between any of us. We had recently returned from 21 days in China and I can not say the same about some tour guides during that trip.

 

Port of Kusadasi was clean and friendly to cruise ship passengers. Both afternoons upon being returned to the port I stayed outside in the shops while hubby returned to ship. It was a few years back but can honestly say I felt as safe there as I have in any other foreign port and certainly safer than in several US cities. But always, err on the side of caution; do not flaunt expensive jewelry, be mindful of your personal items that you carry with you, carry your cell phone with an international plan and allow plenty of time to return to ship before its departure. Your option of course would be to stay onboard but in my opinion, Ephesus is not to be missed if at all possible. Bobbi

 

ps: stay out of the rug factories/stores unless you really want one! The salesmanship is phenomenal, so much that I nearly had one shipped back....

Thanks for your reply. I looked this up once b4 on Celebrity website but as the trip approaches guess I forgot about not finding Newark in the mix of offerings!

It is easy to forget about cooler possible temps when coming from the south! Layers make dressing for various temps much easier for sure. Many years ago we were off to our first Baltic cruise - in fact our first European adventure that was not for business. Younger and of course trying to make the most of the trip we started with 7 days in London (4 days at Wimbledon dressed appropriately of course)..... then we went to Paris for 3 days, then back to London for 2 more days and boarded Constellation in Dover.

 

When we left the US the weather was normal to cool prediction for all locations we would visit during June/July. It was warmer than expected both in London and Paris but no problem as Hotel in London was most accommodating in having our laundry done frequently as the long sleeves and sweaters stayed in the suitcase. After leaving Dover the port temperatures got warmer and warmer and the highest temps we had were in St. Petersburg!

 

Thank goodness for FF miles for all of our luggage and for those laundry bag specials on the Constellation. We were new to X at that time and were ensconced in a Concierge Class cabin with no perks but plenty of available credit on our AMEX! Needless to say we did not come back with any Baltic fleece or sweatshirts but added several new polos, and short sleeve shirts to our wardrobe.

 

End Result: Much better at packing in layers 10 years later but still easy overlook items not normally used in FL. Also now know the importance of inquiring about A/C in London boutique hotels.....

Looking forward to boarding in a few weeks and enjoyed your comments. Although doing NE & Canada have Bermuda booked for next summer. Bobbi

Sign up (fee of course), Tag your bags with the tags as delivered, Put out in corridor and next thing you know you are picking up luggage at your destination airport!

 

We have used X's Luggage Valet service several times in the last few years and are curious if program is currently being offered on Summit to Newark airport. We are aware that they do not valet/transfer for all airlines but hoping someone from the Bermuda cruises might remember getting a signup sheet a couple days into their cruise.

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How about "So many Celebrity Perks for me and so Little Time" shirts.

 

Ok, I admit we run out of free internet minutes but I'll suffer through the 14 days in Sept to obtain E+ Perks (won't use that E word) for South America in 2015.

 

Pretty sure that we always get same amount of coupons regardless of length of cruise so my surprise is that I don't recall Elites yet proclaiming there should be more coupons for 14 day than 7 day cruise or more for 7 days than 5 etc. Refreshing that perhaps we are happy to be equal as Elite vs wanting to be rewarded for longer cruises! If there is a discussion that starts over inequity of perks I will be so ashamed that I even mentioned running out of minutes! But perhaps common sense prevails; the reality is that one gets more free drinks on a longer cruise and that is a an additional perk that most all seem to be are happy with!

As the OP who took the photos, let me assure you that the "reality of the situation" is that it was as gross in person as it is in the photos. More so, actually, since I was the one having to step into that shower.

 

As for your squeegee and sham, that's great at home, but of course that's not happening on cruise ships, hence the inevitable need for periodic re-grouting.

 

Last summer (June 2014) we were in a Royal Suite on Solstice and our shower looked very bad plus it also ran over onto bath floor every time we showered regardless of time of day or night. Periodically "stuff" would come up from drain and we would have to turn off water, let the shower drain, then run water slowly and then shower as quick as possible. Spraying Lysol disinfectant was how I managed to mentally prepare myself for showering. Not sure it really disinfects but certainly helped my state of mind as I began to question is it really mold or the "stuff" that came out of drain sometime. Cabin attendant was good about leaving many extra towels but that does not offset having to shower in standing water. Problem was reported all the way up the chain of command and had every conceivable engineer studying the problem for resolution. Drainage was not resolved before we disembarked but grout did get noticeably cleaner by the last day..

 

I commented on questionnaire with regard to the dirty grout and lack of adequate drainage issues. Celebrity did acknowledge and responded in a very concerned manner. November 2014 boarded Eclipse again with Royal Suite accommodations and there was the same dirty shower...... It took most of the 14days to get the grout somewhat cleaner and several trips by head housekeeper and engineering to assess the problem. White caulk was used to hide a good portion of it on day 4.

 

An overflowing or slow shower drain in any particular cabin maybe caused by problem(s) elsewhere within the ships sewage system so you mostly likely will always have to escalate the complaint/issue upward to get the right repair person involved. I believe that butler and attendant may not want to report an issue that they feel they should be able to control and have it reflect upon them poorly. Dirt, that is a housekeeping problem and is their problem or likely the steward(s) before. Many times new grouting is the only real solution.

 

And even though we all know it, it is a fact that politeness gets you further than ranting at your steward or guest services. And incidentally after returning home from Solstice I did not fill out the review from my online travel agent and after a couple email requests they telephoned. I informed them that we did have what I considered to be an unresolved problem but I did not want that portion to overshadow the good during the 7 day Alaskan cruise. I was asked to put the events in writing to them and then they contacted Celebrity with their concern for their customer. Celebrity again conveyed their concerns and apologies to TA and us.

 

M Ships, S Ships, insides or RS you can still have the same poor drainage or dirt. So report it so it can be brought to the proper department and resolved

I just viewed all your photos of X Summit for June 2014 from your link. How nice of you to take the time to make the link available. We are sailing Summit NE/Canada in Sept and although we have been on all S class in past several years we have not been on M class since 2008 and have not been on Summit (or Century) prior although we have loved each of the other M class ships b4 being solsticized. I may have missed photos of Celebrity Suite as I went fairly fast and enjoyed pic of basket/buckets and bowls in Oceanview. I have always disliked the buffet but now I look forward to trying as it is at least a tad different and hopefully some of the lines and confusion will be diminished at least after the first couple of days.

 

If it is ok with you, I would like to reference your photos and port information on the roll call. Many passengers appear to be driving and I have found your info to be most beneficial as we are unfamiliar with Port Liberty. We arrive in Newark at 12:30 day of departure so I will watch for landmarks I saw in your port arrival photos and just hope we get a knowledgeable driver from EWR as timing is tighter than I would like but perhaps Sunday traffic is easier.

 

Any knowledge of luggage delays being the norm at EWR? In all the years it has never been a destination for us prior just always passing through on the way elsewhere... just asking as it seems that some airport luggage is always slow like Vegas and Houston to name a couple. Thanks, Bobbi

We book suites, CS and Royal, for the 2 of us for the increased square footage, separate bedroom, larger bath and because we can. Bookings are now based upon ports visited interspersed with sea days. I do not find the Butler of any real benefit except when traveling with family (in CC cabins) having him set up dining table for 8 for breakfast. I guarantee that any other passengers would not know our stateroom accommodations unless they saw us at door or made note of status on keycard. Look forward to trip in fall on Summit to see how new perks are. We have never eaten dinner in Blu as it was made difficult many years ago and even the Butler could not seem to help. Breakfast though is quite enjoyable.

I am puzzled by the numbers/percentages result as it certainly seems that many many more passengers are disturbed on other threads by Michaels being repurposed. We enjoyed Michaels on both Constellation and Millennium but always found it virtually empty on S class ships except for when Perry Grant it at the piano on Eclipse. Could it be that many of the negative comments about new suite benefits are from Sky Suite occupants since X did not include Sky Suites in the recent suite perks... Please no angry responses, this is not an accusation just noting the high number of suites responses compared to number of other cabins on Celebrity ships

First off, you are quite correct. We were VIP guests, and were told that we could just go to the front; just did not feel right. Crew knew who we were and did nothing to ease this, so we just stood in line with everyone else. We did see others waiving their priority vouchers and demanding to be let off first. Not a pretty sight.

 

Agreed, on Eclipse 11/16-30/2013, we tendered in St Thomas. We did not have early tour scheduled so felt we had no reason to use the Priority Tender Tickets (Elite and RS accommodations) delivered to our cabin. Ours did not have any instructions on meeting place but did see CC host helping passengers with Priority Tickets in Ensemble Lounge at about 9:30 or 10.

 

We wandered down after an early lunch but did not feel comfortable bypassing the line to board tender in front of others. We did not see any crew of staff stationed anywhere other than at exit handing out maps and then manning the entry/exit points. Others did walk to the front of line, some with Priority tickets and others just saying "have to get off now or I will miss my tour". It was not always well received. We waited in line 32 minutes and watched the next 2 tenders jam packed.

 

So if your tender port is St Thomas don't assume you can get off quickly for a private tour. It is a very slow process at best. Most of it went very smoothly but you will always get a few who feel entitled to board tender at what ever time they want. They paid their fare and everyone else better get out of their way - ever seen them???? The same ones who have to jam on to the elevator holding 2 plates of food over their head and are going down 2 decks! After 3 cruises on X in 2013 I have decided civility is sadly lacking in many passengers and it is not the teenagers the mothers would be ashamed of...

Sascol, I think you will find the Solstice in very good condition - shiny new, not exactly but everything was clean and staff was great at end of June in AK. We took 17 kids and g'kids and had RS 1239 and 8 Concierge cabins all on Deck 10. Not a complaint from any of our family and they are a pretty spoiled bunch. All the cabin staff was attentive and there were several teams as I scattered the cabins between midship and forward elevators on both port and starboard. G'kids ranged from 10-27 and their parents from 42-52. I believe every venue in ship was utilized by our family except for Kids Club. I can not say enough about how much they enjoyed the ship. Dinner was late seating in MDR; waiters even handled the 3 tables having a changing set of faces each night and never missed a beat! Hubby and I have cruised X pretty much exclusively since 2005 but for family outing we have chosen RCCL previously but now I think I raised the bar... I think Solstice is still a good choice and you will enjoy the experience; I had never been on Solstice b4 but have been on all other S class and looking forward to sailing on Eclipse on Sat for 3rd time. If no ice on Martini Bar that is a small sacrifice if the Solstice has the itinerary that you are interested in sailing.

Depends on the itinerary. On a port intensive Caribbean cruise we might stay onboard at one of the ports we've been to multiple times. On a Mediterranean cruise there is no way I'd stay onboard.

 

I don't find planning excursions to be stressful. If you book private tours you often deal with large bus loads of people. The only time I've ever had an excursion that was 90 minutes to reach the destination was in Europe (and that was a very scenic drive).

 

Our preference is to book a cruise that has a good mix of sea days combined with port days.

 

My view exactly! Being in FL there has been probably to many Caribbean cruises (I'm not complaining and consider myself lucky)and I don't think there is a port that we have not been to before and some of them a few too many times so we do stay on board sometimes or just take a couple hour stroll! In the Europe, SA, Asia etc we have yet to stay on board while ship was in port. For me it is never stressful planning excursions and that is part of the fun before sailing is making sure that I have explored all of our options. Back in the old days when the internet was pretty new, I booked the most wonderful 2 day tours in St Petersburg and in Ephesus (not on same cruise of course) that were so perfect in every way. Whether it was time spent researching or just dumb luck it has made me continue to look at various options even in Caribbean. We are leaving on 14 day Southern in a few days and I have booked independently in 2 ports (both adventure type) and the others we have ideas but will decide one day at a time....and there are 5 sea days between so plenty of R & R time.

Orator, I tried what you suggested. It is true that if you click Manage Your Reservation and go to the main info page and then select Shore Excursions from the top menu that you get to another page where it asks you to narrow down the excursions by choosing a type or a city....but when you do make a selection and click....nothing happens.

 

If you try to click Shore Excursions directly from the list of your reserved cruises you immediately get the error message.

 

Bottom line...neither option lets you make any shore excursions.

 

Oh well, tomorrow is another day...

 

I was able to complete booking of tours this evening. I logged in and then went to Manage your Reservation for my upcoming 11/16/13 Eclipse. It was no problem and site seems to work just the way it did prior to "upgrade". Good luck to those of you anxiously waiting to look or reserve space for tours on your upcoming cruises. Bobbi

When I was young and cute and a TA....I almost always was invited....now that I'm Old and not a TA....haven't been invited in over 10 years...

Sandy

 

Going back a couple of decades hubby and I were regulars at CT on Princess. We were not staying in suites, only balcony cabins booked w/Amex Platinum that did open many doors when we traveled. At that time I think D/R manger scouted for invitees as we used to laugh that it always seemed to be the youngest blonds along with husband or SO who seemed to be invited to dine with Captain. The tables were round and we had many very entertaining conversations and even were invited to Captains quarters for cocktails on other evenings. Most memorable dinner conversation was with Captain who was from UK but had home in CA a few estates down from OJ and it was during the trial... fact or fiction it was entertaining.

 

I think Sandy's insight is certainly part of the equation on some Celebrity ships since we notice that a fair percentage are younger than the average passenger and cute. I don't believe being in a Suite or having Elite status is a guarantee at all for an invitation. We have been asked a few times (and not necessarily when we were in RS or CS) but we don't find the long table as congenial so we have politely declined the last 2 times so hopefully that leaves a couple chairs available for those who want the experience and FYI don't plan on making it to show before it starts :o) But if you are new to cruising and are invited; go and enjoy as you are in a very small percentage of the passengers who are able to dine with the Captain or Officers. You may even consider putting a dollar in the slot machine just in case your luck continues! Bobbi

 

ps for what it is worth, the other noticeable trait is other guests we have dined with at any Officers table have been congenial and have an upbeat personality. Never have we noticed any whiners, complainers or anyone with a woe is me attitude.

I also see when Eclipse arrives at St Thomas on 11/27/13 Celebrity website schedule now indicates that the Eclipse will be tendered rather than docked. I can not recall that we have ever tendered in St Thomas with the most recent being on the Silhouette on Feb 21, 2013 . Perhaps we will get lucky as I did recently in Juneau 6/17/2013 on Solstice when we docked rather than tendering as we expected.

 

In any event, is there anyone out there who has experienced tendering in St Thomas during the 2012-13 cruising season and remembers the amount of time it took to tender (loading, transit, unloading) to shore? I have a private tour scheduled and my time can be adjusted accordingly but suspect many passengers who booked privately have a time window where they must appear or lose fees already paid. I have "googled" and it appears at first glance that Eclipse should be at WICO (West Indies) but that info appears to be related to T/A etc website and not an official port schedule from USVI. One site appears to show that no cruise ships are in port at ST on 11/27.... and at last count I believe there were 6 scheduled for ST on that day! Is it possible that Host Andy, that I am sure is on this sailing, has any info to share on tendering/docked? I am always grateful when he posts with his accurate info!

 

Ahhh, Been There and Done That many times so if too much hassle to go ashore maybe an excellent time to stay aboard, enjoy quiet time, and reflect on how fortunate I am to be able to cruise on Celebrity (or any ship) before hearing the annoyances of some passengers returning in afternoon, however, I do commiserate with those on their 1st ever cruise and who may be disappointed but they frequently are the guests who are least vocal about grievances! From experience I have learned to stay out of crowded elevators until after happy hour on less than perfect port days!

 

 

Less than 30 days to go - luggage tags have arrived, kennel reserved, mail & newspapers scheduled to stop, a couple excursions booked, specialty and select dining times reserved so the anticipation builds daily!