Can'tstopcruising

I don't know why, but I did the survey.

For income, I also tried to leave it blank, but couldn't. So I chose a middle number.(Whatever it was).

Also a Canadian, so chose New York.

A silly survey, because no place for opinions.

When they offered the little buffet, we used to enjoy the elite breakfast.

Now that you have to order a plate, it is difficult to get what you want, so we don't go there very much.

It's been many years since we used travellers cheques. The last time, we had to find certain banks affiliated with AMex who would cash them.

We use credit card whenever possible.

We take some US cash for US and for Caribbean cruises.

We take Euros (cash) for Europe. We always have leftovers, which we keep for the next time.

For non-Euro countries, we take very little of their currency if we are there for only one day.

If the OP is going to Canada, I recommend credit card and just use your US money where cards are not taken. That will most likely be for incidentals, and if the exchange rate is poor, it won't amount to a big difference. Have small bills, because your change will be Canadian.

Enjoy, whatever you decide!

Which hotels would you recommend for someone who doesn't have a car

We've been staying at the Westin on the Beach, which is very expensive. Really too expensive for what it offers. Now i see they have increased their resort fee to $45 and it's not much of a resort!

We go for 2 nights, also afraid of snowstorm problems.

There are restaurants nearby and in the hotel and we can easily take the bus to the Galeria where we love the Jan. sales.

No country does sales like the US!

I think also that inside rooms are already priced very low to begin with so people will book them as overall they are less desirable rooms. I have sailed them and am in no way putting down anyone who books them, but they are just not for me. I feel very claustrophobic and can't stand not being able to at least look out and see how the weather and the seas are. I know this is a more remote possibility (albeit not out of the realm of possibility) but I just could not imagine being quarantined in an inside cabin if I or my spouse were to catch noro or another contagious disease onboard. I think I would seriously have issues not being able to leave that room for a few days. Ugh!

99% of the time we book an inside.

It never occurred to us that we may be quarantined.

Back to topic: before the perks were introduced, there was a small difference between the price of an inside and a window. Now, the difference is usually huge.

The most important thing for us is to have a midship cabin. We don't mind insides on Celebrity, which happen to be the same size as the other cabins.

As someone else mentioned, compared to balcony cabins, there are very few insides, so they don't have to promote them.

We often miss shows because we go to dinner at around 7:30.

Last winter on the Equinox, one of the Celebrity singers, Ashley-Amber was so fabulous, they gave her her own show one afternoon. If she is on your cruise, don't miss her.

Over the years, we have seen some very good performers and of course, some not so good.

I wouldn't worry about this too much. I am sure most ladies wear sandals in the evening and that hostess was over-zealous. Some people have to follow rules to the letter, no matter how silly they are.

I would agree that civility should be the norm. However, I don't have a problem with being critical of one poster's facts or opinion, if I disagree, in a respectful manner.

 

This is especially true regarding the food on cruise ships. It is not unusual for the same cruise to spawn reviews that give dining five stars and praise the dining, while others with one star and the food in inedible.

I had exactly that experience one evening.

I ordered filet mignon (this was years ago!!!) and it was very good. The woman at the table next to me, asked how it was. She ordered the same and it was awful.. I am sure that if I had received hers, I, too, would have thought it was awful. In a mdr of so many people, consistency is not a given.

Of course, I agree that we can disagree. But it should be amiable.

There is too much name-calling on these boards.

I think that reflects badly only on the person doing the name-calling.

A lot of us get upset when we "really" know the reason for removing the auto tip. Do remember that some (like me) do depend on gratuities for part of our salary & when I see pax do this, it's really stiffing those who took care of you. We get real tired of hearing about "Well it's not MY job to see that the cruise lines pay you a good wage". I know you're from a generally non tipping culture, but when people are in a region where tips are part of the norm, then they should respect that norm. Simple as that.

You seem to forget that most of the people we tip on a cruiseship are NOT from tipping cultures.

Head office may be in the US, but that's it.

Not saying one should remove tips, just saying most are from very different cultures where tipping is not the norm.

However, I strongly feel it is not my business what another pax tips or doesn't tip. and being rude to another pax because of their views on tipping merely reflects poorly on the rude poster.

We were also at the Domes :) but only for three nights. We had four at the Blue Palace in Elounda. I think you arrived just as we were leaving if I remember correctly. We had high winds one day and one day we hit 35 ...so hot....but I don't think we saw any rain. Can't wait to go back.

I remember now!

Next time, I would like to see Rhodes.

Yes. The Russians and Europeans are heading there instead of Turkey. We had a week on Crete in May (lovely time to go) and both hotels we stayed at said they were completely packed for the summer.

We,too, were in Crete in May. We spent 6 nights at the Galaxy in Heraklion and 10 nights at the Domes Noruz, near Chania.

It was the second time we did a May vacation in Greece. We did have a mix of weather. A heatwave for a few days, some cool and rainy days and some lovely comfortable and sunny days.Loved it. Would do May or October anytime.

YAY...Our Silhouette 1/26/18 cruise has re appeared on the Celeb website.,insides are only categ available. Taking this as good sign we won't be cancelled, bumped or chartered out,,,

Thanks for the good news.

Did you happen to notice the prices? OMG!

Only the most extraordinary circumstances would forcibly bump you. If they are over sold, then they will offer a deal to passengers to move their reservation. If the passengers don't accept, then they will move on and make the offer to the next passenger until they have solved the problem. In your case, it most likely wouldn't make sense because of the ancillary costs. So, you would pass.

 

The other thread, which talks about bumping a passenger, is missing information. I really don't think all the facts are in evidence.

May you be right!

As long as they don't charter the entire ship, we should be fine.

We are also booked on this cruise. If this was to happen we would be truly frustrated and annoyed. Just offering to refund deposits is not ok. Especially if you have airfare booked. Refunding deposits is not much use when you have airfare booked from Australia and plans made a year in advance.

I agree. While not from Australia, our air is over $700pp and we also prepaid hotel. To add insult to injury, we are b2b with the Eclipse Feb.4. So if we are bumped, Celebrity will have to make good on all our extra expenses.

A good 18 months ago this was changed.

We have not prepaid for last 3 cruises and always go anytime

 

Bob

Thanks.

In that case, I guess they will charge daily.

To me, it makes no difference.

Am I missing something here? We have had to prepay ever since Select Dining.

Have they changed that?

No, we fly home on the 14th. That's wild though. I'll take care of it for you :halo:

Aw! We just miss eachother. You will be there before you know it! Enjoy!

Small world :).

We have three nights at Domes in Chania

http://www.domesnoruz.com/

And four nights at the Blue Palace in Elounda

http://www.bluepalace.gr/

 

What about you?

OMG! We are going to be at the Domez in Chania May14-24. Will you be there then?

All inclusive might not be cheap, I have no idea I don't book them but a week on Crete with a private plunge pool was a lot cheaper than a seven day Greek island cruise.

I just noticed that you are going to Crete in May.

We're going to Crete in May!!!!

Where are you staying?

Depends on when the bargain prices hit. I paid $1,499 for our Hawaii Solstice cruise. Current price is $3,799. I'm not saying you can't grab a deal. But how many booked at my price vs the current price, how many book after final payment these days, exciting deals. Just because they eventually sail full doesn't mean their current prices aren't turning people away. Would you pay $3,799 US pp for a balcony for a 10 day sailing? I wouldn't.

We will cruise in winter, 2018

We are booked b2b for 2019 but if the price doesn't go down, we will look for alternatives.Maybe Spain or Mexico.

It was free.

Thank you so much.

This is what is so great about Cruise Critic!

How else would I have known?

On Feb.19th we got off the Eclipse in Miami and Celebrity had a coach take us to the Silhouette at Port Everglades along with about 16 other people. There was also one couple on the bus that was brought to the Oasis OTS. Celebrity did not tell about this, but another passenger told us and we asked guest services. They told us that they had this service.

thanks for this info.

How much did they charge each pax?

Celebrity and RCI used to provide transportation routinely, and also comp a hotel room for you if it required staying overnight between the two cruises.

When we did Ft. Lauderdale to Miami years ago, transferring between a Celebrity ship and a Royal Caribbean ship, they comped a limo for us between the two ports.

Then we heard they changed their policy and stopped doing it a few years ago.

But about a year after that, we read that they had done it for someone.

We don't know if that was another change in policy, an exception, or an oversight??? :confused:

I would suggest talking to the concierge on your first cruise about it. We have found that they are usually very helpful in such situations.

Thank you so much for this information. I had no idea. I will definitely look into it.

I wracked my brain, trying to find a cruise that ended on the same day. I will also check to see if a cruise ends a day early, if they will comp a hotel room. I think the Edge may end a day early, but the Silhouette does have a much better itinerary!

You could probably postpone disembarking until 10 ish, then take a taxi over to the Edge and give them your luggage and be one of the first people in line.

Celebrity used to provide transportation to do this - maybe call a Captain's Circle rep and ask if they still do.

Very interesting that Celebrity will provide transportation.

What about if cruise #1 arrives in Fort Lauderdale and cruise #2 leaves from Miami?