lizinindy

23 hours ago, markeb said:

 

Have you bought concert tickets with dynamic pricing lately? The algorithms are pretty amazing. And the prices are pretty wacko. But people pay them.

 

If a cruise is in demand and the analytics say it should sell out at let's say 110% occupancy, then that cruise is going to demand a  higher rate for a single cabin than another cruise that's looking at 95-98% occupancy. And yes, the analytics are almost certainly that good.

Wow--you're crediting the Celebrity IT Dept. with a lot of brainpower and finesse! Ha ha! I still wonder if someone just clicked the wrong button!

I'm curious as to why the price is double on some cruises and more than double on other cruises. Since Celebrity's IT dept. isn't exactly tip top, could it possibly just be an IT glitch that's setting the price incorrectly? I can't figure a scenario where the revenue algorithm selects certain "ships?" or "itineraries?" that would trigger a more than double rate. Just a crazy thought...but we know that IT dept. is kinda wacko!

21 hours ago, goldsmip115 said:

Please be sure to ask Laura to tell you how many loungers she has on the verandah of her iconic suite.  I would do everything possible to get that question in.  Maybe many guests trying to bring a lounger from the pool area to where she gives her talk would send a very strong message.  Just a thought…..

The iconic suite on the Apex had day beds and high end patio type furniture, no "loungers" like on the other balconies. But the plastic hot tub is very very slick and easy to slip on as is the marble floor in the iconic master shower. Danger! Danger! (and weird decorative pots glued to niches in the shower wall that catch water and are unable to be emptied!)

Here’s a solution:

On many of our cruises, I see multiple stacks of unused loungers as you enter the pool area from the buffet. Maybe we should just abscond with one, head down the elevator, and scurry to our cabin!

Did I miss the Le Voyage review? Love your writing style!

On 10/19/2023 at 3:40 PM, Toofarfromthesea said:

People always complain that ship space is taken up for this or that.  And generally those things are not things that passengers can unilaterally provide for themselves.  Those pictures show that a lot of ship space is taken up by these libraries.  And my personal experience is that the libraries don't get used by a high parcentage of passengers.  So I renew my opinion that it makes no sense for HAL to maintain ship libraries, for a relatively few passengers, that take up significant ship space when everyone has the ability, albeit perhaps not the inclination, to completely provide unlimited books for themselves.  I'd rather they use that space for a lounge.

 

As to technology, virtually everyone has a smartphone, even if they don't have a tablet or kindle.  And there is a kindle reading app available for any smartphone.  And with scaleable typefaces, even a smartphone provides a very useful and useable reading environment.  And if you judiciously download a number of books you don't need an internet package.  And if the cost of the books is an issue, Project Gutenberg has over 60,000 free downloadable books.

 

So, I maintain my opinion that it makes no sense for HAL to continue to devote a significant amount of ship space to these outdated libraries.

EXCEPT--maybe the library is quiet for readers. Try to find a spot anywhere on the ship that doesn't have music playing. I tried and couldn't find one on the Nieuw Amsterdam..and they had no library when we cruised this past February. There were a few German language books on one or two shelves but that was it. I remember sailing on the Eurodam years ago that had a very large library area in the front of the ship with beautiful views from the giant windows and the coffee bar right there. It was always filled with people lounging in big comfy armchairs. What a relaxing spot! Yes--it took up real estate but it had people enjoying the space rather than big empty forward lounges with constant music we found in February.

We absolutely loved the coffee/cappucino machine with a pastry and fresh fruit in the mornings and we usually found plenty of delish items for lunch so it was well worth it. Also met so many lovely people to chat with and those concierge helpers were the best. I think you'll love the lounge. The only weird thing they do is make you pay for drinks if you don't have a drink package. Having been to the Edge class retreat lounges on Celebrity that are 4 times as large and with free drinks, I wish HAL would rethink this charge.

It’s available at Cafe al Baccio just to the right as you board

Shutdown starts the day we fly from the Midwest to LAX for the Eclipse cruise on Oct 1st

Fingers crossed the TSA and air traffic controllers show up on Sunday. Flights booked through Celebrity. If we don’t get there in time to sail, would Celebrity give us a credit for a future cruise?

Yes--booked a sky suite, bid on a celebrity suite, and got the iconic suite!

3 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

YouTube does this all for free.

WOW! Really? Why, that’s the most amazing information no one knew about ever!!!

(I guess publishing snark is just too hard to resist for some)

How about a nominal fee for classes like-"how to use your phone or iPad" "watercolor for beginners" "how to knit (or crochet)" "using photoshop" "make a bracelet" "Tablescapes" 

I see people saying--"I didn't get a move-up offer."

Never wait for an email invitation. Go check it for yourself on the website and see if you can put in a bid.

No pinnacles on HAL in the neptune lounge that I know of on my NA cruises...only Neptune Suites

A quiet place with no music..couldn't find a single spot on our NA cruise...had my book in hand and wandered endlessly looking for quiet

Be aware on the Apex, the loungers are open to the walkways within the spa area and, as such, lots of noise from people who forget to use their indoor voices. The S class loungers are in a separate room. We thought it was a bad design on the Apex.

We were so much warmer on our aft balcony compared to our friends in balconies on the port or starboard sides

On 5/25/2023 at 1:54 PM, mizLORInj said:

 

Oh does that mean we'll be hearing the door open and close while the steward is in that closet early in the morning? 

 

Also, these are all connecting cabins; hopefully it's quiet.  We had connecting cabin on Beyond in Feb and heard nothing from next door.   

Never heard a thing!

Only the balcony is wider, not the cabin. It's because there is a cabin steward closet that ends before the balcony.

Spent a week in a sunset veranda on the Reflection last month. Loved the cabin but I hope yours has the bed next to the bathroom. I didn't care for the bed next to the balcony. The balcony can get hot during the afternoons with barely an overhang. There will be soot specks so be careful and brush off the furniture before you sit down.

The Edge class has infinite verandas, not like S class verandas

Easy peasy if you're disembarking at 25 and going to 21--it's just across the street. If you have to go to say, 29, there's a port shuttle bus that stops at the entrance to the Palm garage (just across the street and down a little from 25). The shuttle can take you and your luggage. Free..but we give a tip.

If it's 19...walk through the Palm parking garage and you're there.

Check out the port map on porteverglades.com to get your bearings.

For Elite breakfast in the Tuscan on the Reflection, no one was ever at the front desk to ask for proof of status. We always just walked in and sat wherever we wanted.

Just a heads up—the heated loungers on the Apex are open to the traffic flow of the spa with people talking and not using their indoor voices. The S class is much quieter