goofysmom99

I may notice this more because I travel solo, but when traveling in suites, I did feel I received better service in the bars. I'm not booking suites anymore but have the zenith black card. It will be interesting to see if it makes any difference when I'm traveling in steerage for cruises beginning later this week. I'll report back and also about the food.

Well that leaves Luminae, Tuscan, or Le Petit Chef. Where did you eat?

I agree. Already got rid of all the stuff; a flood in 2008 that lasted two weeks took care of that. I was thinking of getting the house stuff which I actually need and just taking a drive-to Caribbean cruise instead. So priced the cheapest basic balcony on Reflection in August 2024, prime hurricane season, meaning beastly hot and humid. Ha, ha, ha, ha.....it's $405/night for 8 nights for me solo!! $400+/night??? For a basic balcony in hurricane season??? In comparison, the Iceland Aug 2024 cruise in C2 was $520/night, which, if you say it real fast, makes it sound not so bad. (This week's cruises in C1 solo in prime cruise season are $166/night.) So if/when I cruise next year, I'll definitely be sticking with TAs. And since the weather here is and has been so nice, think I'll spring for the new porch furniture as soon as I get back from my cruises. I can sit out there and either listen to wave sounds through my earbuds or the birds without them, and meditate looking at the lake. (Come Aug 2024, guess I'll just stay inside with the A/C cranked up. 😉)

Someone earlier in this thread questioned what would be the alternative to cruising X which got me to thinking. Maybe not a cruise at all. I've booked a balcony on next year's Iceland/Greenland cruise for a truly eye-watering fare. I was there a decade ago but it's enticing because it'd be so nice and cool compared to Florida in August. Just did a little math and for that cruise fare (wifi and bev are comped), not even factoring-in the air to get there, I could get new patio furniture, a leather recliner, a refrigerator, and really crank up the A/C for the entire month. I booked early because I want a very specific cabin, always cruise X, and it sounded blessedly cool (followed Jim_Iain's live thread last summer). However, quantifying the value just now, with only $100 deposit penalty, I think I may have just made up my mind about that particular one. This was a good thread for me for reasons other than OP's review.

I'm taking two Summit cruises beginning next week where I hope to see for myself how things are. I've pretty well committed to my November TA, but the cruises I've already booked for next year plus a few I was planning to book onboard will be hanging in the balance. I love X but expect a certain value from them, especially at higher fares. We shall see.

That one was worth the watch! 👍

I've found that if I can see land, I've been covered. When I turn off airplane mode AND wifi, T-Mo will warn you if the ship is trying to connect. If you're out on deck, probably won't even occur. Only ever occurs if I'm in my cabin too close to the door. If it does, just tap airplane mode again. I've used T-Mo when traveling on land and ships since 2008. Only had one problem back in 2008 when my number got hijacked in Bermuda during a stop there while on a TA (T-Mo took care of it). That was older technology and couldn't happen today.

I cancelled about a week before the cruise. I also traveled with a friend travel once who had to fly home from Amsterdam on the turnaround day of a B2B. Strangely, her taxes were refunded to my onboard account during the second cruise, not to her credit card. She was fully covered by travel insurance so that didn't matter to her.

Only once have I encountered my solo rate being more (250%) than the usual price for two (100% x 2), before taxes. It was a Med cruise before a Transatlantic. That time I booked for two and cancelled the "other person" prior to the cruise. The 2nd port charges and taxes were refunded to me within a day or two.

Silhouette for Sky Lounge and restaurants. Summit for Rendezvous Lounge, aft elevators, and enormous aft balconies. When cruising restarted in 2021, one of my cruises on Summit had only about 15% occupancy (private yacht). I went to the Rendezvous several times to hear private performances of a really good jazz group. They were private performances because, other than the bartenders, I was the only person there (they played my requests, too)! 😉

My cake on Summit in 2021 looked like Jim's = yellow and blue. Have no idea what it tasted like because I have celiac and CC gal never checked; a GF cupcake would have been OK. 😉 Captain was startled when I declined my piece of the cake that we cut (think wedding cake). Nevertheless, it was a wonderful and memorable day. Afterwards, they kept showing up with more goodies too (flowers, good bubbly, ship replica, photo album, two framed photos, and I think some other stuff).

Congratulations!

As a non-suite cruiser, I've still received various upgraded toiletries although last time it turned out I'm allergic to something in Bulgari shampoo so I'll keep bringing my own. One very nice perk not on the list is the Z concierge phone number for fast solutions to any problems.

OMG, you mean we may actually have to start cruising again for points?? 😱

Not planning to use Flights by Celebrity, but just looked at their options for a November cruise and they all show a $200 cancellation fee. I don't remember that before (but I forget a lot of things). Grateful I have miles for this year since they don't have a cancellation penalty.

I book with a TA and if I opt for Celebrity Air, I add it myself either online or by calling them. I look at the flights they have online, then check airline sites/google flights for other options, then call to see if X Air can get me the flights I might prefer. If X Air is the same price as the airline, I book with the airline directly. I've never involved my TA with my air reservations.

In Miami, the parking garage is quite literally across the street from the X terminal. There's a traffic officer there to make sure traffic stops for the crosswalk The garage entrance is on the back side of the garage, BTW. If you follow the signs (and your phone) as you leave, you can be on the interstate in a very few minutes. Waiting to pay went quickly too.

There's criticizing and then there's harping. There is a difference.

I agree with you but to label couscous as GF is egregious. Wheat isn't one of its ingredients, it IS the entire ingredient. That qualifies as not having a clue what gluten is and what gluten free means. X does very well in MDR. They're going to have to do a whole lot better in OVC (I've had celiac for 20 yrs; cruised with X for 30). BTW, the limoncello cheesecake in Tuscan can be served GF....that's worth the entire price of admission for me. 😉

Don't 100% trust their labels. This picture is from last night's Constellation OVC buffet. (In what alternate universe is couscous gluten free?)

If I'm reading the sign correctly, is it possible they listed Israeli Couscous gluten free? Hope not.

They always tuck a/the QR code somewhere inside the daily around mid-cruise for comments. It's only live for a short while for that particular cruise. I've filled one out on every cruise I've taken since the restart, including our TA (usually praise room service folks by name - we'll see how that goes now).

That's just pitiful and a total wasteland for someone with celiac. Vegetable items (white bean stew) or meatball sauce. I board Summit in four weeks. If this is how it looks there, too, I'll be ripping them a new one on the survey and mid-cruise comments. Mid-cruise comments through QR code are read in Miami. Have you seen the QR code in the daily?

There is a separate room service kitchen and staff.

I often stream, however, there are free programs for transferring DVDs to a thumb drive (ripping). I have 100+ movies on a micro SD card which can be popped into a USB micro SD card reader (looks like a mini thumb drive) for my laptop or put directly into my android tablet. I recently upgraded to a large-screen tablet and a super-slim folding bluetooth keyboard which are lighter than my laptop so I haven't taken that on last few cruises. I watch the tablet directly or connect/mirror to the TV. Nice to have as an option when wifi is out or too slow to stream.