PandaBear62

To be specific.......at the a-la-carte venues, you could order 2 appetizers, a soup and a salad (for example?) Or, at La Cucina, a soup, a salad, a pasta, main course and all the desserts? I'm not saying I could even eat that much, I just want to understand the promotion. Thanks.

Okay, I'm laughing right now, because dh and I LOVE Steak 'n Shake! I'm sure it's because they aren't around us, so we think it's a treat. We are scheduled for the Haven in July 2023 and you can bet I plan to eat there on the first day lunch (hoping that's still free by that point.

Just off our first Celebrity cruise. We booked Le Petit Chef and enjoyed it. However, as many have said, the price makes it "one and done" for us, unless for some reason we had a lot of nonrefundable OBC, or we're traveling with others who want to try it.

I’m currently on my cruise….day 6 so halfway through. My raincoat is awesome, but does need to be shortened. The long length was awesome in Bar Harbor when it poured rain, but my husband almost stepped on the bottom when I was going up the stairs of the trolley. So I’ll take it to be hemmed when I get home. It was great that it was a size bigger than I needed, because wearing my coat underneath was no issue. Otherwise, my choices have been fine. I haven’t been cold on ship or on excursions. I’ll update again after the cruise is over.

I found a pair (Athleta Brooklyn) at Savers in my size so bought them. I figured I could try them out that way. ($10.99 and 30% off for senior day) I LOVE them! While I will probably watch for sales, I would definitely like another pair or two for travel!

I am at the airport ready to go! I changed a couple of items. I removed the capris and added a pair of fleece joggers. I took out one top that was to wear with the navy color and added a black soft fleece blazer and a navy sweater. Meant to add magic gloves but forgot….oh well. As I think I already mentioned, I prefer sleeveless or short sleeve tops with a lightweight 2nd layer rather than long sleeves. So now I have the two lightweight cardigans, the blazer and sweater., in addition to my coat and raincoat. I’ll report back how it worked.

I have been checking the weather every day. Today I noticed the temperatures are almost all lower than they were. Most temps were in the mid to high 60's, but now we're looking at lower 60's and high 50's with more chance of rain. I'm going to wait until tomorrow and check the weather one more time (we leave Monday) and make any final changes to my packing.

Our cruise goes all the way to Quebec City. The cruise leaves this Wednesday (Sept 21). We have lots of rain currently projected. I agree, I feel cool on the ships. I wear a sleeveless or short sleeve top with a lightweight cardigan pretty much all the time. I have them in navy and black and think I may throw in the red, just to have an extra!

Sherri, We must be on the same cruise!

I typically bring a swimsuit as well. But I know I won't swim unless its really warm and with so many ports won't use the thermal spa. I took the swimsuit on my 10 day Alaskan cruise in June and in just stayed in the suitcase. I think I will add in some magic gloves, though, They take up so little room. I don't wear hats....I use the pashmina to wrap over my head and around my neck for warmth, though and my jacket and raincoat have hoods. I may bring one more jacket. I have a fleece style blazer. I do have the room. But I think my current coat and the long rain coat will be pretty warm. I'll think about it. The sleeveless tops are really a preference. I wear them with the sleeveless cardigan I mentioned so it's really more like a layered long sleeved top. (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B089GDT39J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1) Thanks for all of the suggestions!

That's crazy....weather.com says the high today will be 70 with a low of 61 and my phone app says a high of 70 and low of 52. Who to believe?? Should I trust these weather apps?

Leaving soon for a twelve night cruise of New England and Canada. We’re departing from Boston and returning there as well. We are flying in a day early. I wanted to spend more time in Boston, but we had an event we really needed to attend, so that changed our plans. I prefer to travel with a carryon and personal item. This trip is slightly more difficult as Celebrity has no self serve laundry and I think their laundry service is quite expensive. So the only laundry I may do is hand wash. My bags are a Travelpro rolling 22” suitcase and a Kipling Sasha tote. Because we have the extra night in Boston, I am packing what I need for that day and the first day of the cruise, such as clothes, sleepwear and toiletries, in the carryon. That way I won’t have to deal with the carryon. The clothes noted below include what I am wearing on the plane, as well as packed. Bottoms: 1 pair black ponte knit slacks 1 pair floral pants (black and navy) 1 pair of black joggers 1 pair of black and white lightweight pinstripe pants 1 pair Athleta Brooklyn navy blue pants 1 pair navy blue capris (a similar fabric to the Athleta pants) Tops 4 sleeveless blouses 3 short sleeve blouses 2 short sleeve tees (1 nice, 1 nice fitted performance wear) 1 long sleeve tee/tunic ¾ sleeve blouse Dress clothes 1 pair “dressy” black pants 1 dressy top (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09N7CJSJR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1) 1 dressy shell. I will admit I haven’t traveled with a “sequiny” top before. I folded it inside out, so it won’t snag any of the other clothes. We’ll see how I like it. Misc Clothes Bras 3 Underwear 11 Socks (I brought a couple “knee hi’s”, ankle socks, shoe liners) A nightgown Black pashmina Shoes Sneakers May jane style sneakers Misc iPad mini Kindle Electronics cords and chargers Toiletries Umbrellas (2) OTC meds such as bonine, ibuprofen, etc Outerwear Black very lightweight ¾ sleeve open cardigan (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B089GDT39J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1) The same cardigan as above in navy blue. Aqua Sheen vintage raincoat. This was actually my moms and was purchased (I think) in the 1970’s (from what I can research). Rain is projected for many days in port, so I am thinking I may need it. It’s really lightweight and is very long on me (almost to my ankles). I may get it shortened when I get home. I’m going to try the length on this cruise and then decide. The raincoat fits great in an EnV bag (9x4) (https://envbags.com/collections/pouch-sets-1). As an aside, the three pack of these bags are $12 and are awesome. I also am bringing this coat. It’s basically a ponte knit type fabric, so not super heavy, but does go below my rear end. I think it will be the perfect weight for the weather. I didn’t bring a swimsuit. Not warm enough for me to swim and I am not booking the thermal spa, as we have so many port days I didn't think I’d use it enough. No dresses either because I thought I might get cold. I will be doing a little sink washing. However, I don't anticipate having to do a ton. I have almost enough tops to wear one each day. I expect to re-wear tops worn on travel days (just sitting on a plane) or ones worn on sea days again, not very active), plus a some undergarments. My suitcases are not jam packed. I actually have room in both the rolling carryon and my personal tote. However, I also brought a packable tote, to be used on excursion days and if I need the space for the trip home. It’s unlikely I will, as I am not a big souvenir shopper. Typically, I purchase a couple of key rings. I take off the key ring part and use a ribbon to make the decorative part a mini ornament. I have a small Christmas tree (tabletop size) that I call my “travel tree”. I put all of these “keychain” ornaments on it. The other thing I often buy is a reusable grocery type bag. We have to bring our own bags where I live, so it’s another great souvenir, as I use them regularly. Both are great, as they are small and lightweight. I’ll try and follow up after the cruise and share how things worked.

I am on my first Celebrity cruise next month. I have sailed RCCL, HAL, Carnival, Princess and DCL in the last few years and Princess and DCL since Covid. So I am familiar with cruising in general. 1. Does Celebrity (Specifically Summit) use cash for the casinos? We were surprised in July to discover the slots used the medallion to gamble and not cash. 2. What's the dress code like for gala/formal nights? Similar to the other mainstream lines or more formal? I typically wear nice silk like pants and dressy blouse and nice flats, or a "going to church" dress (ie, not a cocktail or formal dress) and find I fit in with probably 60-70% of passengers, with maybe 10-15% much dressier and 20-25% much less so. 3. We have the Dining Anytime. Can we ask to be put at a table with others? Or will we always be seated as a table for two. Thank you for any information you can share.

I am typically someone who packs a 21” carry on roller and a personal item tote. For this trip, we were driving to the port, so I could realistically bring whatever I wanted. However, I know myself, and I don’t like being overwhelmed by clothing choices when I travel. I also don’t mind doing a quick load of laundry, especially with a cruise with as many sea days as this one. While I adore dresses for warm weather trips, I didn’t take any on this trip, with the exception of one as a cover-up for my swim suit (I wasn’t if I’d use the Enclave or hot tub, but wanted to be prepared in case I did). I'm also not a big "souvenir" person (I am trying to de-clutter my house, not add more to it!). So I don't need room for extra "stuff". The items I typically buy are these: **small sized keychains (I take off the keychain part and tie a ribbon and use as a Christmas ornament on my small, tabletop "travel tree") **a foldable tote for grocery bags. We live in an area where you have to bring your own bags and I enjoy using bags that have a place I've traveled to **occasionally, a very small (think 3"x 3") painting on canvas that can go on a shelf. **small food items My bags were a Travelpro rolling carryon and a Kipling Sasha tote. Our cruise was 10 days round trip from San Francisco. This is what I packed: Bottoms: 1 pair black ponte knit slacks 1 pair floral pants (black and navy) 1 pair of black joggers 1 pair of black and white lightweight pinstripe pants 1 pair dressy black pants Tops black and white stripe long sleeve tunic Black and white polka dot ¾ sleeve blouse Blue and black sleeveless floral sleeveless blouse Red short sleeve swing tee Blue short sleeve swing tee Black ¾ sleeve swing tee Gray ¾ sleeve tee Royal blue short sleeve tee 2 “dressy” tops 1: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09N7CJSJR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1 and 2: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SF3VRTC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1) Misc Clothes Swim suit Underwear 6 Bras 3 Socks (I brought a couple “knee hi’s, 1 pair wool socks, and 6 pairs ankle socks) Cold weather clothes Soft gaiter Magic gloves Black pashmina 2 pairs black tights 2 under tees (performance wear) Outerwear Black very lightweight ¾ sleeve open cardigan (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B089GDT39J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1) Lightweight DCL windbreaker with hood (https://www.ebay.com/itm/175349639392?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=175349639392&targetid=1531876733918&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9032171&poi=&campaignid=15431381266&mkgroupid=128740829685&rlsatarget=pla-1531876733918&abcId=9300764&merchantid=114692613&gclid=CjwKCAjw6MKXBhA5EiwANWLODCMlrBxD0RkVJ2GY1mO9YBltd6B3phtzf8HyZac9b_CRHe4kppLXZRoCZX4QAvD_BwE) A down jacket (not that great of quality, but used it on last Alaskan cruise) Shoes Sneakers May jane style sneakers Arch support slip on shoes (think skechers style but more arch support) Dress flats (with arch support) Misc iPad mini Kindle Electronics cords and chargers Games (Code names, 3 decks cards, Left Right center, Yahtzee) Toiletries Umbrellas (2) OTC meds such as bonine, ibuprofen, etc This included what I wore the first day. So between what I wore and and what I packed, it all fit in my carryons. Our weather ended up being quite temperate, so I only wore the tights and undershirt once. I also ended up not booking the thermal spa and didn’t go to the hot tub, so didn’t use the swim suit or cover up, but I don’t regret carrying these items…..you just don’t know. Because we were were a group of 7, I did a lot less "solitary" time. I also could have done with one less pair of shoes as well, but again, had it been really rainy I might have needed the second pair for excursions. I wore everything else. I could have easily left out one pair of pants and two tops, but the variety was nice. We did one load of laundry on about day 6. I had nice clothes for formal nights and felt my level of “dressiness” was on par with about 60% of passengers. I’d say 20% dressed very casually on gala nights and maybe 20% were much more dressy. I wore my black flats but added shoe clips (one night rhinestones and the other night a flower) so I felt that added an “extra” dressy touch. I brought back one shopping bag, a couple of keychains and a couple of candies. What I would do differently: I’d probably pack one less pair of pants and two less tops and bring two or three more lightweight cardigan style outerwear. I found I liked a second layer I could wear over my tops and most of the time, that’s all people saw. I would have preferred the variety of the cardigans and wearing the same tops. I liked slipping my feet into a lightweight pair of shoes after excursions, but I could have done without them if the packing space was tight. Otherwise, I was pleased with what I packed Please feel free to ask any questions.

I just came back from a 10 day Alaskan cruise, using a carry-on. It wasn't that difficult, but I always do carry-on sizes, even if I do ship through a bag. These two websites have some helpful ideas: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/ https://herpackinglist.com/ If you google: "packing in a carry-on for an European cruise", you will be astonished at the number of articles!

I think I screwed up. This is the patters for day 5 (Juneau)

The mine tour from Juneau. I don’t have any of us planning for gold.

Day 5: Juneau, Alaska We were up early today for Juneau. We had a car rental through Juneau Car Rentals. It’s been somewhat a comedy of errors with this. They no longer have their lot near AJ dock, so have been making do in terms of car pick up. I received a text the day before the my credit card was declined and realized they had my old number from a card that was compromised. We texted and got that straightened out. We were “upgraded” to a 12 passenger van, which was not an upgrade for us, as we wanted a conventional minivan but this was our only option. So we made do. For those who may not be aware, this is not Avis or National….our van had over 150,000 miles with scratches and paint missing. It ran fine and we got where we needed to go, but it wasn’t pretty! I had already explained this to our group, but they were still a little surprised. We docked right near the tram, so got off the ship and it was a very short walk to Taku fisheries where our car was parked. We were on the road by about 8:15 to Mendenhall Glacier. We went to the visitor center and made the hike to Nugget Falls. It’s two miles round trip. During the hike there is a plaque in memory of Romeo (https://protectallwildlifeblog.com/2019/11/08/a-tragic-wolf-called-romeo-loved-too-much-and-he-deserved-better/) After Mendenhall glacier we drove to the Alaskan Brewing company and had some beer and food from a food truck (Wild Alaskan). The brewery opens at 11 as does the Wild Alaskan food truck (which isn’t really a truck, it’s permanent ). The pizza truck doesn’t open until 12, so we missed that. We then headed to the Goodbelt tram, where we picked up our tour of the AJ mine. This was chosen by one of the guys in our group. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but he really enjoyed it and I think the kids in the group did too. This tour is offered by the ship but we booked directly with the company. We parked the car at the marine parking lot (which is where we dropped off the car too) and went to the Red Dog Saloon. Our friends live near a town that also has a Red Dog Saloon (no relation) so we had to go there. We listened to music a bit and then back to the ship. I had noticed last night when we got our patter that Don Friesan was the comedian in the theatre. My husband really likes him so we wanted to make that show. So I napped for 45 minutes and then headed to the show. He was funny and he’s a “clean” comedian. He has one more show the second tk last night and we plan to go to that as well. We then headed up to the Adagio lounge and enjoyed a couple of drinks and played cards. The lounge has last call by 10, so we finished our drinks and headed to the International Cafe for a sandwich while some others headed to the casino.

Dinner in Main Dining room day 5

Day 5 Glacier Bay patters

Dining room day 4 Icy Strait Point

We’ve been up there multiple nights and no music.

Patters Day 4

Day 4: Icy Strait Point, Alaska (WLD Dock) I am realizing I am just so tired on this trip….is it the fresh air? I didn’t have the best night (I have insomnia) but dragged myself out of bed so I could go to Tess’ presentation in glaciers. She is definitely quirky and wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I have enjoyed her. Sadly, I felt the glacier presentation really missed the mark. It was kind of “all over the place”. We then went to play Bingo and once again, didn’t win. But we continue to get closer. People around us won for the second time…..what???? Why not us! I went to the buffet for the first time for lunch. We wandered around outside for awhile and then back to the room for a little rest and getting ready for our Wildlife excursion in Icy Strait Point. It was quite disorganized getting out for our tour. There were three tours leaving at different times but that was never mentioned. So people were in wrong groups and had to leave the bus because the tickets weren’t checked when people boarded. But, we took off and made the drive to a boardwalk area. The tour said there was a walk of 800 yards, which seems about right. Unfortunately, our wildlife sightings were very limited, so my opinion of the tour was rather poor. But that’s how it goes. We bought donuts at the stand ($7 for a dozen and you can choose 2 flavors). Then we went to a bar right near the donut stand and had a drink. We hit the shops and then took the gondola up to the ship. We just went to the buffet for dinner because we didn’t want two hours in the dining room. I ate, stopped by a bar on the way to room for an amaretto nightcap and headed to bed

I apologize for the delay in answering this, but wanted to have more experience with the package before I did. Keep in mind, I’m not super picky and don’t have specific liquors I want to drink. The wines choices were most confusing, as there were wines not available on the menu and wines that were available that weren’t on the menu. But there were always multiple choices and we were given the specific wine (winery). We were able to have all the mixed drinks we wanted with the plus passage and most of the specialty ones at Adagio. I never felt we were limited. Draft beer was limited but they did have bottles. I only had beer the first day or two because we were enjoying all the mixed drinks. The regular package worked fine for us and I’m glad we didn’t upgrade. I do have dinner at Sabatinis tonight and may decide to try a more expensive wine and pay the difference, as a treat.