CruiseDad-NYC

Hi, there - I started drinking non-alcoholic 0/0 beer last year in solidarity with my wife, who had to stop drinking alcohol because of some medications she is on. I was shocked at how good they are now and how many choices there are. Taste-wise, I can't tell the difference and don't mind not getting a buzz off them, which I have actually noticed is a plus for me. You can bring non-alcoholic beer on board and keep them in the refrigerator in your cabin. That's what I did on my B2B Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona last fall. I brought 2 six packs that cost me about $5 each, which is less than the price of a single non-alcoholic beer on the ship. I will be on the Eclipse again this spring and will do the same. Good luck to you and enjoy your cruise!

People here seem to think that if you remove the "gratuities" that have been billed to your account - which the cruiseline freely allows you to do - that the hardworking staff do not got paid and have worked for free. That is simply not true. The hardworking staff are paid a guaranteed amount by contract. The cruiseline uses the "gratuities" to pay the staff salaries. If the amount of the "gratuities" does not meet the amount budgeted for crew salaries, the cruiseline makes up the difference. If it exceeds it, the extra amount go into a bonus pool pursuant to which staff can make a little extra - not much. If you really want to pay a "gratuity" (i.e., a paid recognition of good service) pay the individual in cash. It is up to you whether you want to pay the optional cruiseline gratuities to your account, and if you wish to pay them and reduce the cruiselines' obligations to pay the crew, you should feel free to do so. But, the crew get paid the same either way. They are not not paid if you don't pay them. It is a money grab by the cruise line. If you really want to reward crew for good service, pay them directly. They will receive this money in addition to their contracted salary.

This can be annoying and shouldn't happen. It happened to me twice on my recent Edge B2B cruise. We are Captain's Club Elite members and get selected free drinks between 5 pm and 7 pm. When I checked my account on the last night, I saw that I was charged $10.40 for 2 bottles of water that each should have been free, particularly since I clearly said each time that I was served the water that I was taking it as part of the Elite benefit. By the time I figured it out and went down to Guest Services and waited in line and explained the situation and they looked it up, 45 minutes had gone by. It may seem minor, but that's 45 minutes on vacation that I shouldn't have had to spend, particularly when Celebrity tacks on a 20% service charge to everything. You just have to be careful or otherwise be prepared to write off the cost of getting it fixed.

I just spent 2 weeks on Edge (i.e., Barcelona to Rome for 7 days and 7 days back to Barcelona) this month. This was my first Celebrity cruise since a 2019 cruise for 10 days from Venice to Croatia and Greece and back. I have sometimes wondered whether the food is better on European cruises than US cruises just because Europeans wouldn't tolerate lower food quality that Americans seem to be OK with. I will say the food on the Edge was just very excellent all around - from the Oceanview Cafe to all of the dining rooms and Spa Cafe. Fruit and vegetables were particularly fresh. Just as good if not better than 2019. (Bar service and drinks, however, were another story - very poor this past trip). I had been a little wary based on the attempts Celebrity had made in January of this year to lower standards (which seemed to have backfired). But, we were very happy based on the 14 days on our 14 days this month on Edge. I will say, however, that we were very unhappy on the 2 cruises we took last summer and fall on the RCCl Adventure of the Seas (i.e., Celebrity's sister brand). It was so poor that we are now open to other cruise lines than after approximately 20 cruises over 20 years (we had previously only been on RCCL and Celebrity).

Thanks for the comparison with Princess, a cruise line I have been curious about but never sailed on. I have only been on Royal and Celebrity (and 1 Mein Schiff) for the 20 cruises I have been on. With all of the cuts post pandemic (particularly on Royal) I am open to trying other cruise lines whereas I wouldn't have before. Your perspective confirms what I have read elsewhere. Alaska is definitely on my bucket list!

That is a good idea - the next time I go back to Santorini (and I am sure I will), I would do a cruise excursion that does not require the cable car (and I might consider a catamaran or sailing excursion if they have one).

This was my experience as well. I have taken 3 trips arriving back in Cape Liberty over the last year. Twice it took us almost 2 hours to get an Uber/Lyft, and we walked off early. Once, we pretty much had no problem. Getting off was no problem, it was getting an Uber/Lyft that was a problem (and the taxis were a total ripoff). Not a huge deal for us, because we were just going to Long Island. But, if I had a flight to catch, I would consider pre-reserving your ride if you could.

I hear you about Santorini - an absolute madhouse the last time I was there, right before the pandemic. I ended up getting separated from my family for over half an hour because of the crowds. Stunningly beautiful place. Too many people! Glad you had a great time overall, and I agree with your assessments on the other ports as well.

Thanks very much for this report, which I am reading with great interest. I am doing this journey in September as part of a B2B on the Edge from Barcelona and can't wait. In La Spezia, I am thinking of taking the boat to the furthest village and then walking between a few and then taking the train or boat back (if it is hot and super crowded, I might not need to see all of them, even though I am really looking forward to going there - I think it depends on the crowds). I am curious to see what you did in Cannes and Palma, as I hit those parts as well (in addition to Valencia, Ibiza, and Portofino). I could use an Aperol Spritz and some fresh pasta now! I hope you have been having a wonderful trip!

I have a CPAP, too, and have brought it on the last 7 or 8 cruises on RCCL and Celebrity. I always request the cord and distilled water before hand. I probably get it 50 - 70% of the time. For the times that I don't, I just ask the cabin attendant on the day of embarkation, it has been there before bed time without a problem. It is super common and not an issue for the cruise lines. Don't worry about it, and have a great cruise!

Clickbait heading topic. No chaos - surprise! Sorry I gave in and clicked!

I have a CPAP, too, and have brought it on the last 7 or 8 cruises on RCCL and Celebrity. I always request the cord and distilled water before hand. I probably get it 50 - 70% of the time. For the times that I don't, I just ask the cabin attendant on the day of embarkation, it has been there before bed time without a problem. It is super common and not an issue for the cruise lines. Don't worry about it, and have a great cruise!

Thanks for the update. Did you keep the bike in your stateroom or was it kept in the hold? And was it an e-bike or a regular bike? I have a Jupiter foldable e-bike and not sure if the battery would be allowed or not. Thanks again.

The OP's original question: "Will the higher prices per fare and unpopular changes in the MDR have you considering changing lines?" I went on 20 cruises over the years only with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. I would only sail on either two lines. I sailed twice in 2022 on Royal Caribbean, including my most expensive per night cruise ever. The quality just wasn't there in the food at all and overall experience, so while Royal and Celebrity are still of high, but qualified interest, I am now open to going elsewhere, particularly after I read about the further cuts on these boards. If the caliber of the cruise experience has dropped, why not be open to other lines?

Angie - with all kindness, I think it is very unkind to drop off a 3 year old (a 3 year old!) at a loud, crowded, bright venue with the expectation that they could sleep while you are off having a good time. It feels rather selfish to me. At that age, a child should be comfortably in bed and not in a loud, unfamiliar environment without a parent nearby. Your beloved child will grow up fast enough for you to enjoy your cruises (trust me - I have traveled with my children from when they were 3 and 5 to now 18 and 20). Be with them now when they really need you. The kids clubs are for fun, not child care.

Oasis has an accessible Family Balcony cabin that sleeps 6 people, I believe. It is a very large cabin. The bathroom and balcony are wheelchair accessible and there are bunk beds.

I have been to all of the ports you listed except for EPHESUS. The photos taglovestocruise posted are perfect examples of why I would select Santorini to stay on board if you are looking for a port to pass on. It's a shame, because it really is beautiful, but the crowds make it a real challenge. With as many ships as are going to be there when you are, it is going to look like those photos. There is also going to be a long line (e.g., an hour + ) to ride the gondola down. We walked down (my wife and I plus 2 teenage boys). There is donkey dung and the stones are slippery. You have to be pretty healthy and fit to do it. It was a semi-minor annoyance for us, but older and less mobile people had a hard time and were unhappy and some got hurt. If you decide to get off here, I would do a ship's tour (or other tour) that picks you up at the dock where the tender drops you off to see if you can avoid the gondola right. We were on the first one up at 7:30 am or so. But, coming back was a different story. Sorry to be negative about what would be an incredible port if it weren't so crowded.

Thank you very much for this very excellent blog! Great text and photos. It caught my attention a few weeks ago, because I had never heard of Ambassador Cruise lines, and I have been checking in since. Looks like an older ship that has been nicely updated and has very good food and excellent cappuccinos and a very interesting itinerary. (I sailed from New York to New England, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia last month and am curious about Canada and the ports you visited). I haven't been on a transatlantic yet or on a voyage that long (2 weeks is my longest), but someday! Thank you again and all the best!

Thanks very much for posting about this cruise. I had noticed the itinerary (and the prices) and it had really caught my attention. The timing wasn't quite right for me, but I was really tempted! Mexico, Panama Canal transit, Cartagena, and the ABC islands are pretty good ports, plus a refurbished Millennium! Has the internet continued to be OK? I am curious because I need it when I am not officially on vacation and would like to spend more time on ships if I can (I work remotely). How is the food? The drinks? Enjoy!

Thank you for the detailed and very interesting review, which I have been following. I had not been aware of this cruise line (I am in the US), but intrigued by the itinerary and the length of the voyage - how nice! For an older ship, it looks to be beautifully maintained and updated with great food and entertainment. Thank you again and enjoy your voyage!

Thank you. I had seen that thread and the Caribbean Princess on the wave tracker, where it had experienced seas in the 4M range. The Aurora weathered seas more than twice as high. Quite an experience, I imagine!

I was on the Adventure of the Seas from 9/1 - 9/10 (i.e., a 9 night voyage from Cape Liberty to New England and Canada). My wife and I had an interior gty fare that was $252 per person, the lowest I had ever paid for a cruise and which we had purchased in early July. My Royal Up email had a range of $170 as the minimum to a high of $900 for a balcony. I originally bid $200 but then got my interior cabin assignment around 8/1, and it was an interior corridor cabin at the very, very back of the ship. It looked to me that the ship might be full, since there didn't seem to be many balconies available. This was a 25th wedding anniversary trip, so I increased my bid to $400 per person. I found out 8 days before my cruise that it was accepted, and we got a terrific balcony cabin midship on deck 7. So our total base fare for the balcony cabin ended up being $652, which I thought was excellent for a 9 night cruise where balconies were going for about $2K per person when I booked. I would have been perfectly happy with an interior cabin (we were just happy to go away on another cruise), but we really did love the balcony and made good use of it.

I noticed on a wave tracker that the Aurora has been passing through bands of Hurricane Fiona and the seas have been over 10M and currently 9M+. Curious if anyone on board can describe here what it is like and how the ship is handling the storm. I know ships are built to handle it, but that is pretty rough! Thanks and all the best.

The Song of America was my first of 18 (soon to be 19) cruises with Royal/Celebrity. I went with my grandmother in the fall of 1991 (and, yes, I got Crown & Anchor credit for it). I remember thinking that the ship didn't seem that fancy, but still had a really great time. My grandmother and I got along really great, and it was a perfect vacation for the 2 of us to take. We ate at a big table, and there was a very nice young couple my age who was there on their honeymoon, and I hung out with them a bunch and we kept in touch for a couple of years afterwards. I earned my Ship Shape T-shirt and had it for many years. I remember having to work for it harder than I expected and thinking how cool it was doing early morning yoga on the large, aft teak deck. I remember there was a lavish Midnight Buffet that felt really exotic. Actually, everything felt really exotic, because I had never been to the Caribbean before. I thought the Crown Lounge was really cool and special (even though it pales in comparison to anything you would see on a ship today). I remember choosing this voyage over the newer Monarch because this one had a stop at Labadee, which I was really curious about. Unfortunately, there was political unrest in Haiti, and that stop was replaced with an additional sea. The cabin was small - the twin beds were in an L (one length wise and the other horizontal under the porthole). The bathroom didn't have a separate shower stall or tub - a nozzle and a drain and the water went all over the bathroom if you weren't careful. All in all, a great time. I get wistful and excited whenever I see it under its new name. I saw it with my wife and kids as the Thomson Destiny in Barbados and under the Celeystyal brand in Rhodes. Happy memories that still have me cruising on RCCL 31 years later!

+1 My teenage son (vaxxed and boosted) got Covid on the Adventure of the Seas and was sick for 10 days. He started up with a fever the day after we got back last month from a 9 day trip sailing to the Caribbean. My wife and other teenage son (vaxxed and boosted) did not get it. I started showing symptoms 6 days after we got back and presume my son exposed me to it because I hadn't left my home. I felt sick for 4 days (fever for 24 hours; achey, sore threat, headache) but never tested positive over a week of daily testing, so I assume I had an immune response and may or may not have had it (e.g., it could have been some other random cruise ship bug). Just be careful and try to have your kids avoid crowded indoor spaces without masks if you can, because Covid is on board all of the ships. Have a great trip and enjoy the ship and the wonderful itinerary - you are going to great ports!