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Never really thought about preordering. After my December cruise, I might preorder Diet Coke and Sprite Zero. On previous O cruises, both were available. They did have diet 7up and Coke Zero.

Relax. Making online reservations can be a challenge. Been there. If you can get a reservation, book it. If not, don’t be upset. Once you are on the ship, visit the reservation desk. They hold back reservation slots from the online bookings. We were on Marina in December. We made reservations online. Thinking about cruising during pandemic, we opted not to share. We were happy to get tables for 2 even if times weren’t great. We like to eat early. However, we are flexible. If we booked a late time, we went to tea for late afternoon snacks. We were also able to rearrange bookings and get additional bookings. Even though we were willing to share a table, we never shared a table.

I understand that Chefs Table has multiple menus. How can you tell what menu will be served when you make advance reservations prior to your cruise? We are traveling with a group. Several of the menus from past cruises that we saw online had food items that some people cannot eat. Allergies, dietary restrictions, and dislikes make some menus distasteful. Should we make a reservation or wait until we can see the menus?

Did it on Summit before pandemic. Blu is a nice small venue with great service. However, we weren’t thrilled with the menus. We often asked for items from MDR menu. Not sure if they do that now. We didn’t like the cabin locations. Aqua class cabins are not in good locations. We did it once. After that we booked concierge class. We like cabins on decks that are between 2 decks of cabins.

We did it in January 2020. 2 couples in a taxi . Driver was the guide. It was an excellent tour.

Done both. Both are great. Why not book both weeks. If you have to make a choice, air fare and connections might be a factor. I have done WS round trip from both St. Martin and Barbados. That was before pandemic when there were lots of good choices for air. Now, air is a different story.

In 2022, we cruised on 3 different lines. There were cutbacks and shortages on all. Sadly even at home, there are items that are unavailable. It’s crazy times. Be patient.

French balcony is a step up from ov. Nice to get fresh air. It’s not as nice as a true balcony. When Vista opened booking, we thought about booking a French balcony. In December we sailed on Marina. We used our veranda everyday. Especially nice to have a private outdoor space to avoid Covid exposure. We booked Vista with a real veranda.

On Marina Dec 2022. Got replacement toiletries as needed. If I asked for anything, it happened. The soap dish near sink doesn’t drain. After a few days, the soap is mushy. Often got a new bar of soap. One strange thing was no choice of scents in toiletries. We got the green. Was told there wasn’t any blue. Also, we noticed replacements were strange. Some had bottles and caps that didn’t match. White scented shampoo in a bottle with green cap or the opposite. Wondering why.

Summer 2022. I saw people wearing everything in the MDR… shorts, jeans, sequins, flip flops, pajamas, bathing suits, hats, etc. there is no dress code! You can wear anything. That includes chic night. For Alaska, jeans are a good choice.

Not worth it. You already paid for dinner in MDR. Eat it. Save your money for a restaurant on land.

Prices are up on most things including cruising. Cruise lines that cut prices may also cut food and services. If a price is too good to be true, look for the reason. There are still some real deals. We got a cheap fare on Windstar cruise in September. It was a changed itinerary repo cruise. However, most fares are increasing. If Oceania cuts fares, expect cruise to be not as good as you expected. On our December Marina cruise, we noticed some changes. Didn’t get tote bag, no choice of scented toiletrie, and fewer beef dishes. Not enough to stop us from booking.

Stay in St. Malo. It’s a charming town with lots to see. I loved it. I was sad on a WS 2018 cruise that was scheduled to stop there, but didn’t. We had weather problems and went to Cherbourg instead. It was a nice town, but not as good as St. Malo. went to Mt. st. michel on a land tour. Mt. st. michel looks great from a distance. Up close it is very touristy with souvenir shops and expensive restaurants. The climb up to the cathedral isn’t worth it. Mt. st. michel was a big disappointment.

Did the hours change for the GDR and buffet? On my December cruise, the line at the GDR at 6 30 was very long. The Florida people complained that dinner was too late. After a few days of lines, there were none. The buffet was crowded.

Tipping is always a topic discussed. On some lines, all tips are pooled. We were told by a Celebrity waiter that they are required to turn in all tips. If anyone keeps a cash tip they could lose their jobs. If I want to give an extra tip to a specific person, I do it privately.

Take care of your kids. Don’t put them across the hall. Pick a cabin that can accommodate 4 people. Eat with your kids, not in Blu. If you want a cabin for yourself, bring a nanny to take care of your kids. If not, cruising isn’t appropriate for you.

Like both Azamara and Oceania. Nothing beats Azamara amazing evenings. Been to some fabulous venues. Owners suite on Azamara is beautiful. However, its location aft has lots of vibration. Food on Oceania is better than Azamara. Prefer Oceania Marina or Riviera over any R ship. We were on Marina in December. It was excellent. You will have a good time on either line.

I have sailed on Marina several times. Most recent was December 2022. Ship is still beautiful. It is well cared for. Our cabin on deck 10 was in good condition. Bed was very comfortable. The public venues look good. I would gladly sail on her again. I sailed on Sirena in 2020 after it was redone. It looked bright and fresh. However, the refit was done sloppily with several rough spots.

Thinking back to December Marina cruise. We ate well. There were lots of good choices. No sweet n low, only Splenda. Diet Coke was often unavailable. No Sprite Zero. They sometimes offered diet 7 up or Coke Zero. We were told that diet soda has to be preordered 6 weeks before your cruise. Never heard this on any previous O cruises. I prefer fish or poultry. The few times that I ordered beef, it was tough. Never saw any solid duck offered. I had a duck entre on Jacques that was shredded. It looked like dog food, but was tasty.

We were in Victoria on a cruise in September. I don’t recall any closures of bars. We stayed overnight. Strangely on the first day at 5 pm, we had to leave the dock and go out of port. Sat at anchor overnight close to shore. There were no tenders. Next morning, we docked again. The shuttle bus was free. We were on Windstar.

Don’t count on reduced capacity. If it happens, that’s good. If somebody wants to book a cabin, Celebrity will sell it. In June, we were told that our cruise was reduced capacity. It wasn’t reduced. It was crowded. Spouse got Covid. Not sure if we will ever book on Celebrity again.

Just read on another forum that the assurance policy ended. Is this true? Couple posted that they were in Tahiti getting ready to embark. Guest felt sick and tested positive for Covid. WS refused to let them embark. They were also told that they would not get refund or credit. If this is true, make sure that you have travel insurance that covers covid.

Love tea Forte. Celebrity is the only line that we have taken that regular serves it at their coffee bar. Oceania serves it in Red Ginger, specialty restaurant.

The listed changes and cutbacks were not in place when we sailed in June. It just seems that there has been a huge number of changes. When I read the posts, it just seems that the experience has changed too much. I hesitate to book another Celebrity cruise.

So many complaints. Has Celebrity really made that many cuts? We were on in June. We didn’t like the crowding. However, the cabins were nicely redesigned. The food in MDR was very good. We had roast beef twice and double lobster tails.. We had a dinner reservation at table for 2 that was kept. Our waiters were very good…prompt and polite. Our cabin steward was excellent. There were shortages in beverages. Overall, it was ok. It was our first pandemic cruise. We were cautious. Even though my spouse got Covid, we had enough confidence to travel again. Nothing is perfect.