goofysmom99

All the problems I've ever encountered with FBC were because of AA changes. I've opted for Delta later this year. Just don't trust AAs flight changes anymore and they'll be my last choice now (grudgingly still have to use up 150k miles on them).

Since returning from my Summit cruises in February, I've been researching other options for my annual TAs. What I've found is that the premium lines (Silversea and Regent) have low/no single supplements which put them the realm of possibility (I think 2013 was the last time I had a solo discount on a Celebrity TA). The premium lines' all-suite offerings will cost approximately the same for solo as Aqua solo on X. The menus in their restaurants look amazing. I've cruised 90 days on X since the restart and become tired of the menus which haven't changed in ages, except maybe for a few cuts. I'll be checking Oceania next. Point is, I had no idea I could afford the premium lines until discussions like this thread goaded me into looking.

I'll try asking here before opening a separate thread - is there anyone who has firsthand experience with gluten-free (celiac) dining on Silversea? There is virtually nothing on any of the menus posted above. Would that mean that every single meal (except maybe breakfast) would have to be something off-menu and/or preplanned? Seriously considering SS for next year but am apprehensive about every meal having to be preplanned. Are there GF hamburger buns so you can just decide to have a burger? GF bread for a sandwich/toast? I've been known to bring my own but don't know what SS will necessitate. Yes, I read the dietary blurbs on the website but doesn't really describe daily GF life to me. Hoping someone with celiac has experience to share. TIA

I cruised many, many years to reach zenith on Celebrity and have four future cruises, all booked onboard so only $100 deposit each. I choose Concierge cabins for location, however, I'm becoming disenchanted about X's prices. I would love to book a higher level cabin so I could dine somewhere other than MDR and OVC. Checked the prices for next year's 13-night Silhouette TA out of Barcelona. My C2 cabin solo is $2942; A2 $5850; S2 $10134. Factoring in the gratuities I'd pay with C2, it would cost me $2674 more (+$205/night) to eat in Blu and $7205 more (+$554/night) to eat in Luminae. Blu and Luminae have always been lovely, but not that lovely. So I checked Silversea (all suites). A veranda (separate shower and tub) all-in for 14-night TA would be $5813. That's less than Blu and includes butler, minibar, bevs, wifi (not the premium, though), self-serve laundry, excursions, and specialty restaurants (probably left something out). Plus ALL areas of the ship are accessible to all pax, including forward lounge. Even with my free wifi and bev, the C2 (MDR) just isn't worth the price to me. I'm willing to pay more for a better experience but Blu @ $450/night doesn't compare to Silversea's better cabin and benefits @$415/night. Sooooo, it saddens me to say that I'm jumping ship from X to Silversea next year. BTW, on one of my February Summit cruises, I did see a younger demographic. I did notice a few knee-walking drunks but they were happy and harmless. My favorite moment was watching a couple wearing bathing suits (no coverup) walk through Rendezvous to line up for dinner in MDR the first night....and then stroll back through the Rendezvous after being turned away. They both stood in front of my chair to dance to the music and I saw things burned into my brain (they boogied there for the rest of the set - I moved). That was a personal first for me.

Reminds me very much of boys, mostly, in middle school. You can almost always predict who will respond and how. I am able to avoid a certain amount of it now since I finally remembered how to access the "ignore" function here. 👍

Will your next cruise put you over the top?

No, I was in a C1 cabin but have zenith free room service benefit.

I've taken your cruise in the past on Celebrity. Each and every time, the clocks were changed each night to reflect local time. I think you can count on it.

I order room service breakfast on a cruise every single day I can because it's one of my cruising guilty pleasures. I recently cruised on Summit and ordered hot breakfast seven times. On these cruises, I felt they had significantly upped their game since there's now a charge. My food arrived 100% hot, correct, and on-time (well, consistently ~15 minutes early so I added 30 minutes and it showed up when I actually wanted it). The presentation was much nicer, on a cloth-covered, larger tray. Always had a follow-up call to ask if everything was OK. First day, the over medium eggs were overcooked and she called just as I was lifting the cover. She insisted on sending replacements which arrived in maybe 4 minutes, tops, perfectly cooked. Full disclosure, I don't have to pay but if I did, I would still do it (I'd give up drinking before I'd give up hot breakfast). Edit: I asked if there might be a gluten-free muffin possible, and for the first time in 30 years of cruising, I was sent a basket of three muffins that weren't dry and actually tasted good. First for me ever on Celebrity (all previous muffins were dry and quite tasteless, including Cafe al Bacio and Spa, so I had quit asking).

I had it two weeks ago on Summit. It wasn't what I've had on many previous cruises. It was as a not too tender, sorry little hockey puck shadow of its former self. Didn't order it a second time. BTW, that was in Luminae not MDR.

I'm quoting myself, because I wanted to add, if I were booking a regular veranda on Silhouette for the fjords, I would probably book a cabin ON the flat part of the hump this time for better line of sight.

I've done Norway cruises several times (HAL, X, RCI) and would recommend Silhouette. Even if it's yucky out, it's still delightful to watch sail-ins from the Sky Lounge = same view as the bridge essentially. I used my balconies quite a bit but always appreciated having a Plan B.

As long as it's before final payment, if the net price of your cruise drops, you can have it repriced. If your current pricing has onboard credit associated with it, it might not be included in the new pricing, though. It's best to do a dummy booking on the Celebrity website, click all the items all the way through to the page where you'd book it, and you will be able to see what is and isn't included in the current pricing to compare to what you already have. If it's to your benefit, then it's time to call.

Like everyone else has suggested, an ATM is the way to go, but don't get too much since chances are, you won't need it. I've been hauling the same wad of euros back and forth across the Atlantic for years simply because I always use a card (also have a smaller wad of GBPs). This year, to whittle it down a bit, I'm planning to pay cash for my transfers, for sure, and maybe the hotel and I'll still have a few leftovers.

I think I can ring the bell for a price hike. I just disembarked Saturday from nine nights on Summit in a C1 (or Ultra C1 = one of the four in amongst the big suites on Deck 6). This year, for those nine nights all-in, price was $1494 solo w/$100 OBC. Next year, same ship, same dates, same nine nights, almost same ports (dropped GC, added Nassau), and exact same cabin, all-in $3735 w/$500 OBC. That's a whopping 250% increase, to the penny. I reeeally like the people I'm joining who are in the larger suites or no way I'd pay that much to X. While onboard, we checked 2025 to see what we could arrange for all of us. It was even worse so we cried uncle and finally said "no." X reached my breaking point and PH/RS pax, too. BTW, the OBC is irrelevant to me because I only pay for gratuities and on M-class, there's really only Tuscan (don't care for Le Petit Chef). After eating in Tuscan twice this time, I slammed them pretty hard on the survey which I've never done before but things won't change if you don't tell them (the best seared tuna I've ever eaten was on Summit in 2021, and the worst, on Summit in 2023, among other things). Some good came out of researching prices of my future cruises to compute increases = I noticed my Nov 2024 Silhouette TA dropped $595 (almost 17%). It's a start.

Pillows - can be used either as a headrest or a lumbar pillow.

Enormous balconies with both sun and shade plus M-class has aft elevators so it isn't that long trek to the center ones every time. Perfect.

An M-class aft balcony is my happy place. It's one of the reasons I tend to book mostly M-class ships. The view and sound of the wake are hypnotic. Enjoy!

I'm currently on Summit and have been to two successive boarding day Concierge lunches (noon til 2:00). Same menu as always. Ditto for Oct/Nov Constellation cruises. Still a pleasant way to begin a cruise.

Finally made it up to OVC tonight on Summit. The place was busy. The open stations were all at the back, futher back than the aft elevators. Stir fry, pasta station, grill station. Every station was busy, busy, especially stir fry. I had to ask many people if I could get by just to grab a photo. I have to admit I was expecting to be disappointed but happy to say I was not. I think they may have found a happy medium. Pasta station. GF spaghetti carbonara is pretty good. Stir fry And some of the others. I took a lot of pix but there were people in most so won't be posting them. The place was crowded at 6:30.

It's been outstanding! Our friends are in the PH this cruise and we're having a great time. Your ears should have been burning, too. 😉

On Summit and Sunset, Pool, and Mast Bars have been open since early morning. Martini and Rendezvous opened at 3:00. We leave at 5:30. No problem getting a drink in OVC either.

As of current cruise on Summit, price for guest's dinner in Luminae is $30 + $5 gratuity, paid for by the person in the suite (they present a check to sign, like in a specialty restaurant). It's maitre d's decision regarding space availability.

I'm delighted to be on the Summit where the things I enjoy most when cruising are mostly 8, 9, or 10 out of 10. I have noticed a few rough edges on some crew. Last night had to get dressed and head out into the hallway after midnight to find the person making a seriously loud racket for the second night in a row. It was a guy with a mop in the stairwell that's just a few feet forward of the penthouse. He had the door open and trays and dishes were crashing, doors slamming from the kitchen two floors down. He was playing music loudly on his phone, too. Room service has been excellent. I think they may have upped their game a bit since there's a charge now. This morning someone called just as I received my breakfast to see if everything was ok and quickly remade my eggs (they were over easy rather than medium = uncooked egg white) which came lickety-split on a burn-your-fingers hot plate. As I sit here typing in al Bacio, think I'll scan-in the comment QR code and write some room service and crewmember attaboys and then add the noise complaint so someone else can handle it tonight. Except for that, great cruise and no complaints about food so far. Have not been up to OVC at dinnertime, though. Will do that next week so I can get pix.

I'm on Summit right now. Rendezvous Lounge is great with great bar service and waiters. Already found one who's a real keeper. Personality plus. Short ribs at embarkation concierge lunch were terrible. Just awful. One had zero meat on it and the other, three modest forkfuls. Merely fat and gristle and should never have been plated much less served. Carrots were raw, think carrot sticks in gravy. Service was very good as was sommelier. Was invited to join friends in Luminae tonight so didn't check out OVC and MDR, but I will during the next nine days. Edit: In Luminae, I ordered seared salmon from MDR menu and it was delicious.