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What a wonderful review! I know how long it takes to write a review like this and incorporate photos (which were great, by the way). If you haven't already (and you have the review in one document), please post it in our REVIEWS section of Cruise Critic so others can see it who might be considering Equinox or Celebrity. Here's a link to the Equinox REVIEW section: https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=382 I was disappointed to see the menus in the main dining room, especially the first Chic Evening. Hopefully menus will improve as time goes on. THANKS AGAIN for taking the time to share your review....OH....I loved the Vietnamese Ao Dai. Just beautiful!

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I'm not familiar with Celebrity's transfers for those flying into LAX but your travel agent or Celebrity (if you booked direct with the cruise line) should be able to answer your question. Hopefully someone here on the Celebrity board may be able to provide an answer, too.

At this point, Celebrity isn't close to making the beach part of every cruise. I just checked and next summer when Reflection starts cruises that stop at CocoCay, she's the only ship regularly calling on CocoCay. Beyond has a single cruise next summer that stops at CocoCay. Other Celebrity ships are sailing around the world with few beaches. I think Celebrity is a long way off from only offering cruises that have a beach as part of every cruise.

Let's start with RCI has spent millions upon millions of dollars to revamp Perfect Day at CocoCay. With a few exceptions, there will always be two ships at CocoCay. But if you look closely, it is possible to select a date/cruise when Celebrity stops here with a smaller Royal ship (Grandeur for example). I hadn't been here in years and was actually surprised when we visited. We've been twice now in the past two years. I wouldn't sail Royal again to stop at CocoCay, but we would sail Reflection or Beyond to do so. Here's why: CocoCay has a variety of different areas allowing you to get the type of experience you'd like from a stop at a private island. We've enjoyed two areas of CocoCay.... Chill Island where we rented a small cabana. The second time we bought the day pass at the Beach Club which included a wonderful Bahamian lunch Both were quiet with private beaches and very enjoyable . Yes, we paid for both of these experiences but you pay for any excursion when you are in a port. The key here is that you are not forced to pay if you don't want to and both of these areas limit the number of passengers. Yes, the main pool area and water slides here get very crowded. But we only passed them on our walk to and from the area where we rented. We spent the day(s) pretty far away from them. Bottom line for us.... this isn't a bad thing. We'd sail a Celebrity ship with a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Like any other cruise, if we don't care for a port, we simply enjoy a day on the ship.

Tricia ~ I can understand your disappointment. It almost seems like the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. My suggestion is going back to Guest Services and ask to schedule an appointment with the hotel director (maybe do this tomorrow morning when the frustration subsides). Politely let them know you only want to talk the hotel director and only the hotel director (they'll try to get you to talk to the guest relations manager). While nothing can be done since embarkation lunch time has come and gone, it's the hotel director that needs to hear from you and why it upset you. They are the top person in Hotel Operations on the ship. I don't do this very often but if it's something really bugging me, I will. To some, it may seem silly to be upset, but I get it. If you don't feel it's necessary to talk to them tomorrow, that's fine, too. Just know it's your best option if you want to be heard....in a nice way, of course.

First, I don't think Celebrity is becoming like Carnival. I've been on Carnival once because I always believed you shouldn't say anything about something you haven't tried. But there was literally a passenger riot in the guest relations area (I'm not making this up) and once was enough for me. Celebrity has definitely not gone down that rabbit hole. But, I've been sailing Celebrity ships for more than 25 years and things have definitely changed. You expect change over this period of time and for much of that time, changes were good. I think Celebrity excelled with the launch of both the M-class and S-class ships (you can tell how far back I go). But with the introduction of the Edge class, there was a distinctive change in the ship. Many love them, some don't. We're kind of in the middle but the things we loved on the M- and S-class ships are pretty much gone. We liked the smaller, more intimate lounges where you could listen to music but didn't have to yell across the cocktail table to talk to your family or friend. And choices of cabins with regular verandas are almost non-existent on the E-class ships. The other things that have changed, and I've noticed this fleet wide now (except for Summit when they first came back from the pandemic) is lower quality in food ship wide; cost cutting; the very, very loud music that permeates nearly all spaces on Celebrity ships today; fewer staff (I still love most of the staff but it is very noticeable that there are fewer staff than there used to be) which puts a bigger burden on the staff that is one ship; the unwillingness to enforce any type of rules (chair hogs, dress in the dining room at night....on our last Equinox cruise there was a person sitting below us with ripped jeans, a button down shirt opened almost to his waist and a backwards baseball cap); the endless promotions that want you to think you are getting the best deal ever which isn't true if you pay close attention. The truth is, I don't care what people wear for the most part but if you are going to have rules then enforce them or drop them altogether. For me, it's about respect and that seems to be gone a lot of the time. On the comment that loud music doesn't cause hearing problems, the CDC disagrees. Here's what they have to say: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/how_does_loud_noise_cause_hearing_loss.html#:~:text=Loud noise can damage cells,long as the exposure continues. It's not just cruise ships ... it's everywhere: restaurants, airports, bars, beaches. Even at guest relations, the DJ and/or bands in this area play so loud that you can't talk to the folks at guest relations without yelling at one another. We've tried Windstar and enjoyed it but you have to like small ships. As time goes by, smaller ships seem to be a good thing for us. It's all about how you choose to spend your money and what you enjoy. While we will always love the crew we've become lifelong friends with from Celebrity, we're on a break for now. Time will tell whether we'll be back. To all sailing Celebrity ships, we hope you have a wonderful experience!

I can tell you that the last three Celebrity cruises we've been on have had very loud music just about everywhere - the atrium, the theater, the pool deck. I LOVE music, all kinds of music but it's to the point that is no longer enjoyable. In fact, they are messing with people's hearing and don't seem to care. Another reason we currently do not have another Celebrity cruise booked. Our last three ships were Beyond, Reflection and Equinox in the past ten months. On Beyond (our most recent Celebrity cruise) we were in a forward Sky Suite on Deck 10 and could hear the music from the pool deck on our veranda like the music was coming from next door. It was impossible to sit on the veranda during the day for the loud music. In fact, there would be no way we could sit on the pool deck during the day. Bottom line is everyone who is annoyed by the overly loud music needs to let Guest Relations, know, write it on your ship evaluation and then write again to Celebrity headquarters when you are home. Ultimately, stop cruising with them....that's what we've done until things start to change. Love Celebrity's crew but far too many things have gone downhill. I'm glad some are still finding everything enjoyable.

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Your TA should definitely be willing to check on a price adjustment for going to an all-in fare. If they are not, consider finding a new agent.

I haven't posted a review in a long time because I always try to provide a balanced point of view and honestly, our last several cruises have been well below the standards for Celebrity we've cruised for the past 25 years. I didn't feel I could provide those balanced reviews I was used to. I have sailed Reflection, Beyond and Royal's Wonder of the Seas in the past six months. I can attest that the food on both were well below par. Reflection was in Europe at the end of the season. Much of the time was spent ashore exploring the ports. But we could definitely see the slide in food quality beginning to slip. On Beyond a month later, we were in a Sky Suite so Luminae was our dining room. After two dinners and one breakfast we never went back... the food was the worst we've ever had on a ship. Fortunately, were permitted to switch to Blu and it was a big improvement but we paid to dine in Luminae and none of the four of us had anything worth eating. One specialty dining experience was good (Fine Cut) but the Rooftop Garden was awful. Totally the opposite of the other times we've dined there on Edge and Apex. And we weren't the only ones who felt this way about Luminae. We met several other couples who felt the same way and dined elsewhere. On Wonder, the food was mediocre throughout except in one or two of the specialty restaurants but we weren't expecting great food. We did expect far better food on Celebrity. By the way, I was on Wonder as part of a group fundraiser. No more Royal ships for me....way too many people. Bottom line, for the first time in many, many years we do not have a cruise booked on Celebrity. I don't like where they are headed. I don't like gimmicky sales where prices are raised so 50% discounts can be advertised, etc. I'm a patient person so I'll see where things go with new management but given ships sailing full, I'm not sure there will be many changes anytime soon.

I have moved this thread back to Celebrity since it is specifically talking about Celebrity ships and transfers as this is the best place for one to get information specific to Celebrity in Ravenna. There are no large ships docking in Venice any longer. From the Marco Polo airport (if that is a transfer option through Celebrity) we took a water taxi to our pre-cruise hotel in Venice. That was easy and most enjoyable. So if you can take a Celebrity transfer, a water taxi is a great way to get to Venice. Are you staying there overnight? It is kind of a long way to travel if you aren't staying over. Good luck!

Hi everyone ~ a reminder that you may not pull an article from another website and post the copy and photo here. That is a copyright infringement and it's not permitted. But I do want to comment about the airfare. I'm not sure what airline was booked, but every airline I book with at least gives you a credit now if you have to cancel flights and change fees have been gone for sometime, too. Maybe not all of them offer that but it's best to understand before booking. In this instance, trip insurance definitely should have been purchased as it would have likely covered the cancellation since the cruise was cancelled. Again, be sure to read insurance policies so there are no surprises. But if the airline is giving you a credit for cancelled plane ticket, insurance won't cover that, either.

Can people be a successful agent doing this part time? I'm trying to determine how much time on average is needed to do an agents job. I realize that, like anything else, you get out of something what you put into it but for people thinking about this, it would be good to have an idea of a time commitment. Can someone be successful starting out doing this a few hours a day?

We were on on Equinox and Beyond in summer and fall of 2022 respectively. On Chic night on Equinox, we were seated upstairs and noticed a guy sitting on the first floor below us with a shirt unbuttoned down to his naval and a backwards baseball cap (couldn't tell if he had shorts, jeans, etc. on). I asked a maître 'd if that attire was acceptable in the dining room on Chic night and he told us that they were no longer permitted to say anything to guests about what they were wearing. On Beyond, we dined in Blu so everyone adhered to the requested dress code. I normally wouldn't have questioned someone's attire but I found the person on Equinox so out of the norm. Perhaps it was because cruising was still coming back but on our Equinox cruise in July of 2022, nothing was said to anyone at anytime about what they were wearing. Perhaps it's changing.

I think it's best for you to go to Guest Relations and ask to see the Hotel Director. Explain the situation and that security was present but that you want to discuss incident with the Hotel Directors. Unfortunately today, they do not want crew to tell guests they have to follow rules (let's not discuss that fact) but once you were threatened, you really need to go to guest relations now as request to see the Hotel Director. Do not wait until you are home. We're in the hospitality industry and I always tell people to deal with an issue when it happens and before they depart a hotel (we manage events in hotels) because it's much more challenging once you get home. I feel the same way when we are cruising. Good luck and I hope your cruise is enjoyable despite the issue you've run into. By the way, I would have done what you did....except I'd already be at Guest Relations asking to see the Hotel Director.

Celebrity now assigns you an arrival time at the pier for boarding when you do your online check in. The sooner you check in online, the earlier boarding time you'll be able to select. You should check now to see if your cruise is open for on-line check in. You can do this on a laptop through the Cruise Planner (you'll be required to set up an account). You can also do it on the ap (you'll need to download the ap onto your mobile phone in order to do that). The process is the same regardless whether you use a laptop or mobile phone. Once you have an account set up, you'll be able to select CHECK IN. Follow the instructions to complete online check-in (you'll need your reservation number in order to link the cruise to your account....it will ask you for that). You'll be able to select your check in time at the pier during this process. Hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise!

Celebrity not printing out photos any longer is a major improvement. So much wasted paper over the years for all the guests who did not purchase them. But just because they aren't printing them out doesn't mean you can't obtain a print. You can.....there are digital kiosks where you can order your prints unless they removed these since we sailed in November This process makes so much more sense. You can review all the photos shipboard photographers take and then only print what you like. I take a LOT of photos so I always respected that they had a job to do....as long as they didn't interrupt us while we were eating dinner. With all the cell photos today and better quality photos we can take ourselves, it's hard to justify the costs they charge. I think they'd sell a lot more if prices were reasonable.

No word from Celebrity about brining back Cruise Critic Meet & Mingles. My guess is that they don't have the staff to handle onboard arrangements at this time. That's just my personal guess. No idea if they will bring them back again, either. Wish I had better details to share. If the parties come back, I will post an announcement on the main page.

If you are booking a private shore excursion for your party only, you should have control over what part of the excursion can be eliminated so you are not tight on time getting back to the ship. I've done many private shore excursions over the years and we've never been close to being late getting back to the ship. Every private excursion operator I've used has been more than happy to adjust a schedule for us. I'd talk to whomever you are booking with and see what can be adjusted. I agree with others that you do not want to worry all day whether you'd get back on time. To answer your questions, yes you can join the ship at the next port of call and no, I do not believe Celebrity charges you anything to reboard. Of course, you'd need to contact them if you miss the ship. All the contact numbers can be found in your cruise documents you are sent prior to the cruise.

sea mom ~ you might want to post this question on our Ports of Call as well as here. Here's a link to the page with the Netherlands Ports of Call: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/148-british-isleswestern-europe/

capegirl ~ Celebrity doesn't separate their main dining rooms by class categories. If you want to dine upstairs, stop by the main dining room when you board and make that request.

I doubt anyone can check in before making final payment, regardless of where the cruise was booked.

We only have one experience with Blu (on our recent Beyond cruise). We were in a Sky Suite and had access to Luminae but sadly the food was less than par and we were sailing with guests who had allergies. The staff did a poor job of taking care of them. After the second day at breakfast we visited Blu and ended up eating there the rest of the cruise. The wait staff in Blu was terrific. Food was excellent, our waiter took exceptional care of our guests with allergies and we occasionally ordered an item off the main dining room menu. Our experience in Bu was so good, we'd book an Aqua class room to eat in Blu in the future. Note that experiences differ. I expected Luminae to be wonderful and never thought about dining in Blu. So know that your experience could be different from others.

I just came off a cruise last week and some people were confused because some kept referring to 3 oz bottles only. That's only for going through airline security; not getting on the ship. Over the counter cold and flu medicines are definitely permitted to take on the ship. I always travel with these types of meds and did so long before the pandemic. I've never had an issue getting on a ship with meds in my carry on nor the luggage checked with porters at the pier.