2theship

We always sail AQ and will eat in a specialty restaurant once out of every three or four cruises. With the possible exception of Qsine, which is cute for a few visits but we're over it now, I don't see anything all that special about the specialty restaurants. I'd rather wait until I'm home and eat at a locally owned steak house, Italian or Chinese restaurant where they care about our return business.

I like the fact that in Blu, the entire staff gets to know us and will greet us whether or not we're in their section that night. There have been a few entrees that were less than stellar but, overall, we've been very happy with Blu.

We currently have three sets of tickets on Delta, one set purchased through Viking Cruises, one purchased on our own and one through Princess EZAir. All of them have the same mangled names. At least they're all mangled the same way, I assume the names as shown are attached to our frequent flyer numbers.

I can't remember ever being able to stay in our cabin later than 8:00 a.m. on any cruise line. No matter how early we leave, we take everything with us because I'd rather roll my carry-on with me than attempt to get back to the cabin later. Our preferred breakfast on disembarkation day is the MDR where we can enjoy a leisurely meal.

You won't be under the pool, you'll be under the gym, just at the part where the beauty salon ends and the treadmills start so it's hard to say if you'd get a lot of overhead noise. We've often stayed in that same group of cabins, only a little further aft because we like to avoid being under the overhang and the pool. You've got an easy trek to Persian Gardens, there's a spiral staircase almost outside your cabin door that will take you there. And then there's Blu, our primary reason for booking Aqua Class. The biggest downside is the lack of a bigger balcony but personally, I'd go for Aqua Class.

My pet peeve is people who cough into the air.

Once I had finished getting my breakfast in the buffet and had set my plate down while I got my coffee. Someone came by and coughed right onto my plate. I just walked away, leaving my plate behind. I could not think of anything else to do. Besides, I needed to get a new breakfast plate.

I highly recommend getting a international driver permit. 50% of the time the car company isn’t going to ask for it. However if it’s the law it could be used against you to void insurance coverage if your in a accident.

Very true, I had completely forgotten that DH had gotten an international driver permit. He did it at AAA.

We chose to rent a car in LeHavre because we wanted to visit the Bayeux Tapestry and could find no tour that would accomplish that. The car rental was easy but I'll warn you about a couple of things.

First, we were all experienced standard transmission drivers but in recent years have only driven an automatic. However, since we would be driving on highways, we decided that it wouldn't be a problem. It wasn't except for the fact that it was impossible to find reverse on that car! DH had to keep fiddling with it until it would magically find reverse. I even bought data for the day on my cell phone so I could search for it - and I found hundreds of questions about "how do I find reverse on this car?" with little helpful information. Renting an automatic will solve that problem but you should reserve it early since most of the cars are standard.

The car rental company will give you lots of information on finding everything you are looking for in the area. The road signs are great and the highways easy to navigate. However, once you get back to LeHavre, you finally appreciate how massive the port area is. We had nothing to tell us how to get pack to the car rental return. It's a huge industrial port with roads leading in different directions and no cruise ship in sight. We were so anxious to get where we were going in the morning, we didn't pay enough attention to where we were coming from. Fortunately, as we were leaving the gas station at the port, a Princess bus drove by so we followed it home.

Whenever we plan a day on our own, we leave a big buffer of time for our return. That day we needed it. It was worth it because the Bayeux Tapestry is stunning but, next time from LeHavre, I'm taking a tour.

Wait until you are onboard to decide about upgrading your drinks package, you may find you don't need it.

You can find a good cappuccino at Cafe al Bacio on Deck 5. The price is included in your classic drink package.

All things being equal, our experience is that it's easier to get to LaGuardia. But, you have to consider which airport has the best connections to your destination and that could be something different. They're all big, busy airports.

I checked Celebrity’s website. It is the Persian Garden Spa Lounge. Is this near the pool on the outside?

It's forward of the Solarium Pool, which is enclosed. Exit the pool near the forward stairs/elevator lobby on the starboard side and you'll see the entrance to the Spa. Check in at the spa desk and they'll direct you to Persian Gardens. As mentioned before, on M-Class ships, PG is totally indoors with no outside view.

Several threads have included arguments about which cruise line is cheapest whether the perks like free booze are making X more expensive than other lines. So just got fun, I did a QUICK Overview comparison on a cruise we actually have booked on X.

Thanks for going to the time and trouble to put all of this into a post. There are so many variables that I find it impossible to compare apples to apples when considering cruises. Anymore, we just stick to Celebrity and Princess because of our loyalty status with both of them. It just makes the decision process easier.

How funny. My TA cited access to the Spa Terrace as a benefit.

We’re on Deck 9 as we were upgraded after final payment. I would have preferred deck 11 if it were an option.

Your TA must have meant the Persian Gardens. While I agree that PG on M-Class ships like the Summit don't look as spectacular as the ones on S-Class ships, they are worth checking out. Instead of the the tile loungers on S-Class, there is a heated stone bench with a nice curve to fit your back - a rolled towel, readily available on a nearby shelf, is good for making your head comfy. So, you're sitting instead of reclining but you're still relaxing. I think that the sauna, steam and inhalation rooms are far nicer on the Summit. Since it doesn't have the eye appeal of the other version, people don't tend to plant themselves on a lounger for an extended period and it's much less crowded.

If they happen to be adjacent balcony cabins, you may be able to open between the balconies, effectively creating connecting cabins. This only applies to Solstice Class ships but if you're on one of those, it can be done.

Next time, get a massage!!!:)

I won't even get a massage on a ship. I have some wonderful massage therapists here at home who know me and my needs. They never try to upsell me and I get get two massages here for the price of one on a ship. Besides, I don't want to take time out of my cruise to hang out in the spa.

We once started a transatlantic from Rome in December. I took a winter coat for the Mediterranean ports but never really needed it. The crossing was terrific.

Two things to consider if using a TA. Do they charge for any changes to a reservation and do they charge for a cancellation?

If they do, it's time to shop around for a new TA.

These days, texts and emails seem to take care of our communications needs but your situation may be quite different. I used to use an app called Viber that allowed me to make phone calls over wifi; the connection was outstanding. I've never used the wifi calling on my iPhone but I think I'll give it a try on my next trip just to see how it works.

When we were travelling with our kids in the cabin, back in the days of the little envelopes for everyone, we tipped significantly more than the suggested amount because we were a lot of work. No matter how hard I tried to keep up with things, there was always a lot for the cabin steward to do. Additionally, the dining room staff always went over and above to make sure the kids had what they needed and made our dining room experience great. Tip what you are comfortable with and let it go at that.

Is this instead of the gratuities that Celebrity bills to your account or in addition to them?

Are their any cabs available at the pier? I have difficulty walking anything over 2 to 3 blocks. I can do it but causes very much pain. The first morning we are headed straight to Cafe DuMond and after some treats there walking another 2 blocks to catch a private tour. I was wondering the distance from the SHIP to the Cafe. Thinking of getting a taxi for that part so to start out on good footing. Thanks for any help!!

There will be cabs at the pier exit. I was very serious about my earlier comment that the longest walk is from the ship exit to the pier exit. We were traveling with someone with health issues and that part of the walk just about did her in. There seemed to be ample wheelchairs available and staff to push them, I would highly recommend that you request one to get you out of the terminal then grab a taxi to your destination.

FYI - You have to have exact change to board the trolley

Unfortunately not. They are old style streetcars.

It may not be true for all of them but I'm pretty sure that we rode one from the pier to the French Quarter that had a wheelchair lift on the side.

Finding out that I had this option the day before the cruise would be of no value. Since we always fly in at least one day early, I would have already printed my Xpress Pass by the time I received the E pass.

Did a transatlantic from Southampton to Miami on the Eclipse a few years back...the only rough ride was through the Bay of Biscay off the coast of Spain....(and it was rough for about 10-12 hours) ....crossing the Atlantic in November was a piece of cake!

We did the same trip on the Eclipse a while ago and had the same experience. At the hot glass show they told us that they didn't even schedule shows while sailing through the Bay of Biscay because it's always so rough. Other than that, it was smooth sailing.

Is an overnight tour in St Petersburg necessary because of the distance from the dock to the city? How long does it take to get from where the ship is docked to St Petersburg? Thank you.

It's been a while for us but the dock isn't far from St. Petersburg, it's just that there's so much to see that even with two days you miss a lot. I also think that some people travel down to Moscow overnight.

so479, this is what I travel with and have no problems.