kearney

I think that the more formal feel for Celebrity...may have more to do with the way the dining room is set up with nice table cloths and nice glassware. I haven't sailed other lines in recent years..but I thought some cruise lines dispensed with table cloths... does anyone know if this is true? I like the Riedel glassware they use with the thin edges vs the thicker types you often find...just makes the wine taste better. If you notice.. in the Ocean View the plates aren't plastic like on Royal..although the glasses are... but perhaps this is to avoid glass being carried out to the pool area.

That is a good question..with hard drinks DH usually orders a double.. and hasn't had a problem..but the is usually later in the cruise after he has been tipping the server. 🙂  They probably have to ring them up separately.... perhaps if he ordered one and when it arrives immediately order the second... hopefully someone has an answer based on experience.

Okay... I found another link which shows the inside of a forward facing cabin with square window..in this case bed is by the window...my guess would be that the cabins you are considering will have the bed by the bath.. just a guess.. Hope this helpshttp://thecelebritycommitment.com/360/EDGE/Deluxe_Ocean_View/Deluxe_Ocean_View.html

here is the link..where you can see what other categories look like inside http://thecelebritycommitment.com/360/EDGE/Edge.html

This link should help you get an idea on how obstructed various cabins are http://thecelebritycommitment.com/360_Millennium_Class.html

Boy this is an old thread

How about get it braided in a port and cut when you get back home 🙂 

I am not a parent..so my opinion may not be valid.. When I was young, my parents took us to Europe.. this was back in the 50s and 60s... there was no organized activities for kids..but we still had fun. I was probably 6 and my sister 3. I have distinct memories of driving in the Alps looking down at sheer drops off the side of the road of hundreds of feet and small villages in Germany. One memory in particular of watching a thunderstorm's lightening around a ruined castle on the Mosell river and screaming with delight at each strike. Remember kids often have more fun playing with the boxes the toys come in than the toy itself. The question is. how much fun will you have? You may not have much time alone. So you need to check with Celebrity to see if they have any baby sitting options..so you can go to dinner alone a few times. 

54 minutes ago, Purplsmurf said:

I think it is $25…..I have another question that I wonder if anyone can answer. There is no corkage fee for those with a drink package,  but what if one is sailing with no package? My daughter wants to bring some champagne on board and share it with me. She has a drink package and I don’t. Are they going to let me have some? Will they charge me a corkage fee if it’s her bottle? 🤔 

I doubt they would have an issue with who is drinking...by the way...you can have the wine in your cabin on your own..so no fee. That is what we have done...Alas I don't think the cabin attendant would have champagne glasses...but perhaps they do.

1 hour ago, Mr. Click said:

I talked to both. Started with Squaremouth since that was the number on the policy packet to call for claims.  When there were "issues" I talked to both the squaremouth and the issuer and got no help until threats of legal action were put into writing.  "Oh we can't find those papers you sent in at our request a month ago" is not a reasonable excuse in my world.    

 

When I had some refund issues with Travel Guard on policies issued through the trip insurance store I emailed Steve and they got it resolved within a day.  I get that there is a broker and an insurer to deal with and that squaremouth is just a broker but once you take my money I do expect some service from you when I have a problem.... 

That is good to know... the only time I have had to make a claim was with Allianz and that was painless and quick.... thanks for the info

So if you have the classic package no corkage fee..but if you don't what is the fee in the dining room? I thought it was $25... 

17 hours ago, Mr. Click said:

I highly reccomend Steve and his staff the trip insurance store.  During the pandemic we had 4 trips canceled and Steve stepped up big time getting me refunds on my policy premiums because future credit was not a good idea for me. 

 

Squaremouth??? I would avoid them like the plague.  The one cruise we did have to cancel when I landed in the cardiac cath lab 4 days before departure it was a trip we had insured with Squaremouth.   First phone call got a quick response, after that it was "Who are you and what is it you want again???".  Lots of crickets, they lost some of the paperwork we send in at their request.   Made every excuse in the book to delay paying the claim.    Wanted to claim it was a pre-exisiting condition but I had NEVER even seen a cardiologist, had no history of heart problems etc.   Since that mis-adventure I have relied to Steve and his staff and they have been great about finding the right policy for me and dealing with the carriers when the cancelations rolled in.  

 

Oh, yes, the window for buying a policy to cover pre-exsisting conditions runs  from 7 to 21 days depending on the carrier.  

Squaremouth isn't an insurance company... they sell policies from a number of different companies...our last policy happened to be with John Hancock... while I haven't had a claim... I would have contacted the insurance company..not the company that brokered the deal..did you try the actual insurance company that issued the policy? 

6 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

 

Im not sure the pre-discounted gross price really means anything anymore.  It's like the "Suggested Retail Price" 

I drill down an look to see what the end price is made of... when you see a large percentage discounts.. it matters if the price it applies to had changed dramatically... so I like to look at each component including perks...but then I am cheap...and retired with the time to do that..... While you are correct in that the base price is meaningless...the discounts are applied to that. So to make deal look good..they have to raise the base to allow big discount...

More power to those willing to pay $1000 pn pp.... People who are willing to do that..help subsidize my significantly cheaper 1A cabin. If not for them... I would not be able to cruise that often. And since they pay so much more than I am willing to pay...I do not begrudge the extra perks they get..they have paid for them...  A few years ago.. I looked for 7 day cruises on Royal (balcony) for less than $150 pn pp... But in moving towards Celebrity and its longer itineraries and better food etc.... it creeped up... but last cruise was about $188 with AI and next one is about $180. But looking at the price increases over the past month the same cabin would now cost an estimated additional $50-$75 depending on the sale...with AI.

When looking at the 60% discounts...you really need to drill down and look at the pre discounted gross price... I noticed my cabin when up about 45% vs when I booked in Jan

On the provided link... scroll down and in big letters it mentions wifi... within the box by that heading it does mention 90 minutes of wifi streaming.  I like the 90 minutes on Celebrity over the 24 hours on Royal... allows me to check email on several days vs a 24 hour period

I had a nice talk with my doctor about getting a second booster. He told me that he was treating a patient with Covid who had recently returned from a cruise.. was double boosted, tested before hand and masked indoors...  His opinion was that while vaccines seem to help prevent serious disease.. they really weren't particularly effective in preventing illness. He felt that there was no real benefit for another booster ..at least right now...   He felt that even with just the three shots we had good protection for serious illness. After the first shot DH developed sores on his arms that have never completely gone away.. and the first shot was in Jan '21...  I got pretty sick for a few days... so if there is no added benefit.... I am not sure I will go for the 3rd booster. Now if Novavax is available with the latest strain..I might consider getting that...but I have no idea when that will be available.

I found this review with photos of 8103... it is an example of a cabin with a bed by the bath..alas it does not show the bed..but you can see how the slope impacts cabin headroom. Looks like it is the only one with a review.

Usually If you look at the Edge deck plan...you will see notches where the cabin is a bit wider. That is where the bed is. Given the slope... the bed will be back a ways from the window regardless of if it is closer to the bathroom or closer towards the window. I think the spread sheet may have a few photos showing how these cabins are configured. However, for the particular cabins you are considering... the notches aren't clear. You might ask Celebrity directly (ExecutiveOffice@celebrity.com). Normally I wouldn't suggest emailing the executive office..but in the past I have asked similar questions and they couldn't answer. I like bed by the window in most cabins..so we can park a scooter in the cabin... 

Another clue to bed placement is if you see a sofa bed that is by the window.. same if there is a drop down berth.

I have cancelled a few cruises due to changing health protocols around Covid.. we have managed to cruise on one of the last full cruises before the shut down in '20 and just before Omecron or Delta (can't recall which) in early Dec and then managed to get a relatively safe cruise in April. During this last cruise DH really suffered with his bad knees and I had an Afib episode during most of the cruise and frankly was afraid to go to medical.. I am relatively knew to afib so I now realize I over reacted. However the one thing this last cruise pointed out is that if you are older..you have no idea how long you will be healthy enough to cruise. My advise is take it.. and roll with the supply chain issues..if there are any. Yes your favorite brands may not be there.. but it is an opportunity to try some other brand.. you may find a new favorite.. but if it were me.. I would go....

As a note... back before we had AI... I liked to go to the pancake section of the Ocean View Cafe to get a dollop of whipped cream to add to my coffee .. if you do this.. make sure you get the whipped cream and not the whipped butter 🙂 

On 6/26/2022 at 1:34 PM, upwarduk said:

The Classic limit is now $11 and the Premium is $18. 
 

Can you tell me where you saw $11 instead of $9... I only find the $9 price which we experienced last cruise in early May

If you are someone who has strong preferences for brands of alcohol on the Premium list or if you have a sensitive palette when it comes to wine...then the premium package is for you. But if you like a regular cocktail and don't really care what brand it is... then the classic package will do and if you want to try a more expensive drink..you just pay the difference vs classic max..plus gratuity. My husband had no trouble getting regular vodka martinis and manhattans on the classic package. My drink before dinner is Kir Royale...which is Sparkling white wine and creme de Cassis. 

23 minutes ago, jwlane said:

It will be applied to your account when you make the call.  I'd do it when you get the statement preceeding the cruise---assuming it's not within a couple of days of sailing.

Thanks.. I keep forgetting to take advantage of the OBC...

How soon before your cruise do you need to request OBC from BofA? We are sailing in late August.. and this would be a nice touch... Thanks in advance

In going through my parents stuff... I came across a menu from the Captains Dinner on the SS Atlantic for July 30 1958. My family sailed on this ship from Amsterdam to NYC... I was about 5 years old at the time... My first cruise...so to speak. Not as fancy an offering as on the more modern cruise to cruise type of sailings... this was more transportation. In fact we sailed to bring back my Dad's 1958 Mercedes 190 coup. I think we were all sea sick on that sailing...no stabilizers back then.

13 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

And I wonder how short staffed they are, compared to “normal times”? I have read reports here of problems on ships (not just Celebrity) that were only 1/3 full compared to double occupancy capacity. Seems like they could do fine with 1/3 of usual service crew. Are they running below that?

Originally I thought that the short staffing issues were to do with reduced capacity...but I recently heard on the news that the State Department was backed up with paperwork which impacted cruise staffing. So their labor issues are a bit different than local businesses... last two cruises..crews were happy to be there and some delaying end of contracts to help get caught up after not working for a long time. Supply chain issues may also impact drink options and perhaps meals as well. I guess the key is to be patient and flexible and realize that for a while cruising may not be quite up to the standards you are used to... but they will get there... at some point. I hope to still be alive then 🙂 

I found this link which shows the menu at Cafe al Bacio on Celebrity... it will be helpful when looking at the non alcohol coffees and ones with alcohol. https://www.myvirtualvacations.net/cafe-al-bacio--gelateria.html  Doesn't seem to show prices for the ones with alcohol...