goofysmom99

Yes

I have a C2 accessible booked on the 13-night 2024 Silhouette TA for $1818. Added 10 nights of specialties for ~$350 more including tips (OVC for the other 3 nights). Cheap enough and Silhouette provides three good gluten-free specialty options (Tuscan, Murano, and Lawn Club) for dinner. An accessible, which I now need, is SS-sized cabin with a grab rail shower with seat and a curtain. Shower is pretty messy but I make do. I never use a sundeck and as zenith have access to the Retreat so essentially no need for a suite at all. Pretty good deal for under $2200 for 13 nights. I also have 2024 Vista TA booked for same time at a decent price but obviously considerably more than Silhouette. For the difference, I could book two or three additional cruises. Then again, after my most recent TA on the Constellation, I'm not sure I want to book anything else on X for awhile. We'll see. For 2025, it'll be a PH2 on Oceania (I'm on starboard).

Thank you for this! Delighted to hear this! I wrote directly to exec offices while I was still on the cruise. If your F&B Dir is still Abdulnasar Kuttiam, I wonder if he initiated the change or somewhere/someone higher up. Not having them really made for a long 16 days GF in al Bacio.

I'm glad you retracted that.

ALL suites on X below RS, except accessible and 6145/6 on M-class, have bathtub/shower combo. I cannot safely climb out of a tub (CS on Summit is why I permanently limp and need a cane). I don't want to pay for a RS just to get a walk-in shower.

I just finished pricing 2025 Fall TAs on Celebrity and Oceania. My prices are solo, but since they're all 200% supplement, prices for two would only differ by the additional taxes. Apex, 10-19-25, 13 nights, Southampton - Port Canaveral, SS2 (367 sq ft), $10236, $1012 NRF dep. Ascent, 10-31-25, 13 nights, Rome - Ft Lauderdale, SS2 (398 sq ft), $12397, $1232 NRF dep. Vista (1200 pax), 11-20-25, 14 nights, Barcelona - Miami, PH2 (440 sq ft), $9180, $500 RF dep (less $150 admin fee) We all know what we get and don't get with a SS on X and that specialty restaurants are an add-on cost, tips are extra. On Vista (2023 build), tips are extra, a PH includes a butler, wine with lunch and dinner (you can also bring on 6 bottles/cabin), wifi (2 devices/suite), $1000 shore excursion credit (have no idea if this will be of any value to me yet), in room dining from MDR as well as all specialty restaurants. And best of all for me, the bathroom has a real shower! The ship has a dedicated Aquamar Spa Terrace, their version of The Retreat Sun Deck. And an Executive Lounge (Retreat-like spot for the concierge). The biggest selling feature for me was, for $9180 all-in, being able to grab one of the PHs on Deck 7 with the extended balcony, This is what a suite balcony ought to look like! After my last cruise on Connie (disembarked Wed), I knew I needed to upgrade my dining options to Blu, Luminae or another ship! I'm encouraged that O is known for its food. Vista has a hands-on cooking demo kitchen with classes you sign up for. Also has a casino. Obviously shows can't be the same caliber they are on X, especially E-class, however, that's not a big deal to me. I quit going to shows about 10 yrs ago, preferring Ensemble, Rendezvous, etc., before and after dinner. BTW, the O drink package upgrade is $30/person/day. I don't know if the additional $420 for 14 nights would be cost effective for me for one or two Aperol spritzes daily (O drink prices are lower than X), but I'm thinking about adding it. If I do, price will still be significantly less/day for a better overall benefit (to me) than X. So, I booked O. If I need to cancel, I'll only be out $150 up until final payment. That's not much risk in the grand scheme of things. No way I will give X a 10% NRF deposit; that's unacceptable risk. Of course your TA makes more money from a suite; so does Celebrity! If I had a SS booked on X right now, I'd downgrade to Blu; you don't lose your deposit if you merely downgrade but keep the same ship and date.

Do you have the invoice that comes from Celebrity, not the big box invoice? Can you ask for it? It would show what you do/don't have. My experience is that you downgrade to classic bev & wifi but not sure about the tips since you booked onboard when they were included.

Just off the Constellation Wednesday. First time I personally could not get my Roku to work (and I even brought my universal Samsung remote). However, I did not call IT to come to my cabin either (covid).

No macaroons in Cafe al Bacio anymore. They stopped them on Constellation Nov 6th and I was told by F&B Dir that it's fleet wide. "Coconut is expensive." Meaning zero gluten free cookie option at CaB now. Next year, IF I choose X for my TA, I'll bring my own GF Walkers Shortbread cookies. After this most recent cruise, that's a reeeally big "if."

Exactly.

I book through an agency and can book FBC. Does your cruise show up on the website when you log in? If it's there, you should be good to go.

I have had many good and not so good dinners in Tuscan. On a B2B cruises: 1st cruise, best prepared rare tuna I've had in years; 2nd cruise 2 nights later, the worst tuna ever. Chef changed. Currently on Constellation and there's an excellent chef who has made two surprise meals that were fantastic. All depends on the chef.

Quite literally, across the street. Easy for a wheelchair.

I've only gone to MDR twice. Not giving a 3rd chance. Remember the nice soft macaroons in Cafe al Bacio (that happened to also be GF)? Not anymore. And heaven forbid you don't feel well and need to isolate yourself for the good of others. Order soup? How about chicken noodle but without noodles. Think about it. Two slices GF toast and some cheddar cheese, to make a sandwich. They sent this the first time, I sent it back. Second time they cut up more of the same into pretty triangles. Sent that back, too. Third time, they sent real cheese. And it goes on and on. Things I've counted on since 2008 (my 1st cruising as GF) just aren't there. Everything is special request and then doesn't happen. I am seriously angry, PO'd and disappointed. And yes, I met with F&B Dir and Exec Chef today. We'll see how it goes.

On Constellation now, speaking only for myself, ship is fine. Dining (gluten free) has been horrendous. If l were offered a repeat of this partcular experience for free, I'd turn them down. I'll write a detailed review after disembarking Wednesday. They still have a few days to try to get some things right.

Are there two tugs assisting, both forward and aft? Hard to tell on my tablet.

Oops! 😉

Cream of chicken soup has been gluten free on X for at least a decade. Not on my current cruise = now thickened with flour (cheaper). Lots of little things still going on that aren't noticeable right away (been glutened twice).

One of my "maybe" 2024 cruises IS on sale for fare savings of $460 but with no OBC. My current OBC is greater so I won't mess with it. Already applied most of the OBC during a previous flash sale, leaving just enough for gratuities. (Still have 10 more days to go on my current cruise before I decide whether to give X another chance....gluten free has NOT been up to previous standards.)

These were in my cabin upon embarkation in Civitavecchia Monday. Six, and they're oversized. Pink ones were reeeally sweet. White ones were overfilled but tasted better. Think they were ~$18 during a sale, maybe Memorial Day.

Gee, I wonder if the addition of 36 balconies will be deleterious to the vaunted fuel efficiency.

Woo hoo! Sommelier in Tuscan brought a bottle of my favorite to the table tonight! 🥰

They had it on Summit in February too. But seems to be radio silence about VC dinners since spring. And since all the VC varieties appear on the wine list, I doubt the cover story about supply shortage of it. I'm guessing it has just quietly disappeared, along with so many other special things. Oh well.

I think the VC dinner was one of LLP's creations but since her departure, the dinner and the VC & X association seem to have departed, too.

Great!