bighairtexan

One of the best, most complete, well photographed reviews EVER. Concise and informative 5 STARS

OK I have to disagree w/ everyone b/c I'm that kind of gal.

I've had several comped (by the casino) cruises in everything from inside to AQ and I've gotten CC points for the cabin in which I sailed. All I paid was port/taxes. Arguably the casino PAID but I know I didn't and reasonably certain the Blue Chip Club didn't pay what anyone else would pay.

After 3 meals over the years, I decided Qsine was way to gimmicky to me. (which was also my initial response). LPC seems "gimmicky-er" (new word).

My BF gets really snippy when I "nag" him about things like this. I get "You're not my MOTHER. I'm a grown man!" Our last cruise a few month ago, we got maybe a mile from home and I just said "You DO have your passport, right?"

Quietly he turned the car around, drove home, went in the house, came out w/ his passport. I was rolling my eyes so hard that I'm surprised they didn't get stuck that way. :rolleyes:

I've also had the same issue. I usually leave a pretty wide range for dates and ships and sometimes all it shows is a Jr. Suite and we're waaaaay out for a date that usually doesn't sell out immediately. But if I go to a travel agent site I can find plenty of suites.

Also this isn't even consistent. I can get ONLY Jr Suites today and I try tomorrow and have a plethora of suites to select from. Or perhaps it's a "society of suites"?

If I knew it I'd tell ya.

One of them is CelebrityOneTouch@celebrity.com

If that's not the best one maybe they can suggest another.

I have a Princess cruise as well as a Celebrity cruise lined up (and RCI for that matter). I really enjoy both lines or wouldn't book them But for a HONEYMOON? Silhouette hands down.

I've cruised both of them going back to the early 90's and while I used to think Celebrity was shut up for bed by 10PM, it's now seeming to appeal to a younger more lively demographic. So there isn't the same "rolling up the sidewalks at dark" feel. In fact in my 60's sometimes I feel as if I'm ready to look elsewhere for something more laid back and sedate. Most times, though, I am very happy with Celebrity.

But also let me say, not actually KNOWING you, I think you can't go wrong w/ either. But I vote for the Silhouette for honeymooners.

PS: I just caught your ages. IMHO you're EXACTLY who Celebrity is targeting.

Remember when we used to look forward to the "booklet" w/ our boarding pass?

Then we had to get used to the self-printed boarding pass.

THEN remember when we used to look forward to printing out our boarding pass?

I have to say I DREAD even trying to print it for my September cruise. I am avoiding the X website like the plague.

I am loving your photos and your review. I'm pretty much doing the same cruise on Equinox in September so this has been helpful and fun to read along.

And I do believe you may be my sister from another mother. I am as good or better than any driver I know but DO NOT ask me to back up into a little space or a narrow driveway and I'm reasonably certain I too have never parallel parked once I passed my driver's test!! I'll park a block away if the space in front of my destination requires parallel parking!! :D I tell myself I could use the extra steps!!

I think Luminae is totally worth going into a suite. ALL suites can access Luminae on all ships. And all ships have a Michael's Club which can be used by anyone in a suite. It's for drinks w/ some light fare at certain times of the day... not so much a full meal.

If you're in a suite you CAN dine in BLU on a space available basis (but I greatly prefer Luminae and it's the main reason I go w/ suites).

As mentioned, in a Royal Suite or a Penthouse suite, you can eat in any specialty restaurant on an unlimited basis w/ no extra charge (pending availability of course... but if you're flexible on dining times, there's rarely a huge problem there).

Honestly Luminae and Suite perks are the only things that keep me booking Celebrity. Best of luck on your decision.

Citibank Aadvantage Executive card does the same thing along w many variations of AMEX.

I have to agree w/ the above posters. I took my kids on a Celebrity cruise when they were younger/teenagers and they never let me live it down. They were bored silly b/c there were SO FEW kids their ages. Fast forward to their early 20's and by far it's their favorite line.

Maybe for younger kids, their youth programs are better, so I can't speak to that; but my teenagers were very unhappy w/ the teen program so just the 2 of them hung out together. The thing is they didn't hang out together at home (different ages and genders) so didn't particularly want to do that on a "fun" vacation.

I prefer Celebrity (Elite plus) but cruise a lot of other lines too. I'd put Princess as my close 2nd choice. I wanted to do a Pacific Coastal w/ some friends so I'll be on Celebrity in September, Royal Caribbean in October and Princess early next year.

With a portable sitz bath (I am also an RN) you don't need any electricity etc. It's gravity and you fill the IV bag looking container w/ warm water. It's relatively flat so would easily be packable.

IE:

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Smooth-Contoured-Plastic-Yellow/dp/B0009STN88/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1525146012&sr=8-6&keywords=portable+sitz+bath

I agree w/ Pooh. Sure if I drive to a port (that'd be Galveston and RCI) I'll bring a case of water. But to get off a plane and find a store for a case of water? I have other things to do. So I'm happy to pay for the convenience of having a case of water in my cabin waiting for me. UP TO A PRICE POINT and the $20+ is way too high. Glad that it's back to $6.90 and i grabbed 2 cases for us at that point.

I feel as if I'm buying water on the Futures Market!!

Just now able to purchase it for $6.90 for my cruise next March.

My cruise isn't until next March but I was able to buy it at $6.90. thanks for the heads up.

I have a question. My friend and I are doing more or less the same cruise and had plans for The Boatyard. You said it was full when you got there (I have no intention of sitting straight up in the full sun in a hard backed chair). You said you left on the late side. I'm not a morning person so would LOVE to know what you mean by "late" b/c to me late is ... well LATE :D

What time did you leave the ship? I don't care if I'm in the 4th row or 1st but I do want a lounge chair and umbrella.

PS: I'm still laughing about the "cute" wombat baby! Too true!

RN here. GI just refers to gastro intestinal and NORO is a gastrointestinal virus. The main symptoms are gastric: (cramping, nausea, vomiting) and Intestinal (bloating, lower GI cramping, diarrhea). There can be headaches and fever but not always. GI illness is a blanket, general diagnosis. Noro Virus is a specific GI virus. And the usual cause of GI distress, easily passed on, and the most common cause of gastroenteritis (N&V&D). Only the common cold virus is more prevalent than noro in the US.

Count me also as one who almost always comes down w/ something at the end of the cruise or shortly after getting home, whether I drive or fly to port. Mostly I chalk it up to drinking more than usual, eating more and "richer" than usual, sleeping less, doing more. .. the old "burning the candle at both ends." I think my immune system is stressed by the experience.

Interestingly last cruise I never got off at any port. I slept a LOT and mostly stuck around my suite and chilled. One of the few cruises amongst many, where I didn't get sick.

I am scrupulous about hand washing and I use Airborne and take pro-biotics. But I'm going to look into the Halo spray in addition. It seems anything I pick up "around" a cruise seems to take forever to go away.

I signed up for my Connections and it said there were 4 people and the next day I got an email saying Congrats... we'd reached 25. We have a very inactive roll call and I know you can sign up w/o participating at all in a r/c but we don't even have half that number of r/c participants.

Interestingly, all of us on various RCI roll calls ALSO got the letter saying the M&M had reached 25, when that very morning someone signed up and it said 8 people. And one guy who has 4 RCI cruises booked got the same letter for ALL 4 of his cruises. The X letter and the RCI letter arrived w/in moments of each other.

I don't find any rhyme nor reason, and haven't really stopped to analyze it much. I've gotten my assignment almost instantaneously no matter how long out I'd booked. Also I waited and waited for an assignment no matter how far or how close out I'd booked (trust me, I checked MANY times a day... OCD MUCH?) Same on RCI which is the only other line I've done a guarantee. And usually I get what I booked, maybe a slight tick up, and have never gotten lucky enough to get a significant upgrade. I figure I better book the category I'd be happy with. So mostly I don't do GTY anymore.

I have 20 cruises on Carnival and about equal on RCI and more on Celebrity (which is my line of choice). ALL of them IMHO have seen downgrades of various proportions over the years. But after a 10 year hiatus from Carnival, I went on the Breeze in January. That will definitely be my last Carnival cruise. AMONG other things I was really shocked about how poor both service (though it was VERY FRIENDLY and cordial, those folks were grossly understaffed), and food and just the entire MDR experience. I used to LOVE their melting cake. I got it 3 times on Carnival. First it was overdone and beyond melting. 2nd time it was great. Last time I wondered if they'd bothered putting it in the oven at all.

So though I don't LOVE the MDR experience on any of the 4 lines I cruise most frequently (add Princess in there), I find them all better than Carnival and in descending order I'd put them Celebrity, Princess and RCI, but not THAT much different. I found my last Carnival experience to be the worst MDR out of many cruises by a large margin. So go with an open mind and if you like Carnival MDR I think you'll find RCI either as good or better.

PS: I do like the specialties on ALL of the lines and also some of Carnival's included venues like Blue Iguana. I just found their MDR a HUGE downgrade (seriously? You can't put a white table cloth on the tables except formal night?)

I was on her very LAST RCI cruise (it was my first cruise on RCI, though I'd cruised Premier, NCL, Carnival and Celebrity) and at that time I said I'd NEVER do another Royal Caribbean. Luckily I tried RCI again 10 years later and though I'm not "loyal" to any particular line, I do enjoy cruising RCI very much.

For me, the moral of the story... DO NOT EVER cruise a ship's last cruise before being sold off. That and.... it's probably a good idea to give things a second chance.

My SMART check ins tell me to come back 90 days before sailing, not 60. At least they're consistently inconsistent.