Abby Normal

34 minutes ago, dcbiker97 said:

Yes I did this in November when we brought 4 bottles of Australian Shiraz. I had the premium package and was never charged corkage.
 

Even in the past when there was a corkage fee for beverage package holders you were never charged at embarkation. Only if you brought the bottle into a dining room. Whatever you read they are misinformed. Hence relying on an official policy. 

 

 

Thank you so much!  I wanted to hear someone’s personal experience, not another lecture on policy.

Yes, I read this, but there is another place on the website that states it’s 2 bottles per stateroom.  I wasn’t asking for a discussion on what the website says, but rather I was asking if anyone has tried to embark with 2 bottles per person.  Have you done this?  Did you take 4 bottles into your stateroom on embarkation day?  Were you charged a corkage fee as soon as you stepped on the ship?  These are the questions I want answered, but thank you for the link.  

Hi All,
There is a lot of confusion over Celebrity’s alcohol policy.  The website indicates that 2 bottles of wine per stateroom may be brought onboard at embarkation, while it states 2 bottles per adult in another place.  Has anyone tested 2 bottles per person yet?  There is also debate as to the corkage fee.  Does anyone have recent experience?  Is it still only charged in restaurants and lounges, or is it now charged at embarkation?  TIA.

Abby

19 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

After 8 years that included a pandemic Celebrity way be very different than what you remember 

They no longer. Have a chocolate buffet at night or the grand buffet in the MDR 

Yes, I’ve been reading cruise reviews and based on those reviews we have decided that we need to lower our expectations.  The cruise industry as a whole is hurting because of the pandemic, so they are making cuts in food quality and staff.  We have decided to not let that ruin our cruise though.

19 hours ago, CruisersTimesThree said:

If you are a suite guest, Luminae is open for lunch on embarkation day. 
Concierge cabin guests have a lunch in the MDR also. I don’t think anything else other than the buffet, mast grill and possibly the spa cafe would be open. Not sure about Sushi on 5, they might be too.

Thanks for the info!  Not in a suite on this sailing, we usually only book suites on Transatlantics.

On 3/2/2023 at 4:25 PM, phoenix_dream said:

I miss it as well,  but don't worry Equinox is a great ship! Just did another b2b on her in January.  I've sailed all ships except the 2 newest and she remains my favorite.  In fact just booked another b2b on her Just this morning!

We love Equinox as well, so I am happy to hear that she is still a great ship!

On 3/2/2023 at 3:39 PM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

I bet it been atleast 8 years since they change Bistro to Sushi 

It has been 8 years since our last cruise, but we have cruised many times on Celebrity.  I really hate that the Bistro is gone, but hopefully we can find another embarkation day quiet place to eat lunch.

On 3/2/2023 at 12:35 PM, helen haywood said:

@Abby Normal Just curious.  Does your screen name refer to Young Frankenstein?

Yes, it does! 😂

1 hour ago, davekathy said:

Now Sushi on Five. 

Thanks for letting me know.

1 hour ago, RTShaker said:

Sad to say it is gone. It was my favourite place for a quiet meal.

Hate to hear that!  It was our favorite place to go after boarding the ship.

Hello All,

We are committed Celebrity cruisers, but it has been 8 long years since our last cruise.  We were searching for a cruise, and for us, the ship is just as important as the destination in some cases.  After reading reviews on the Edge class ships, we decided to book our old favorite Solstice class on Equinox.  We sailed on this ship in the past, but apparently they have changed a few things since then.  Does anyone know if they still have the Bistro on 5 and I just can’t find it, or did they exchange it for something else?  TIA!

Abby

Please allow me to share our experiences with different cruise lines.

We first sailed on Carnival Inspiration because it was cheaper and we knew we wouldn't know what we were missing. We found it to be fun, the staff friendly, and the entertainment just that, entertaining. This was a Southern Caribbean itinerary.

We next sailed on Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas through the Panama Canal. We loved this cruise. To this day it was some of the best food we had on a cruise ship. The staff and entertainment were second to none.

Next was a Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Infinity, which was a great cruise as far as itinerary, staff, and entertainment, but the food was not as good as the hype in our opinions.

We then ventured over to Princess Cruises and were so impressed that we settled on this as "our" cruise line. Four cruises later (and a few years) things changed, and not for the good. After a Baltic cruise where the staff were more likely to run over you than serve you, the food on the buffet was moldy, and upon arrival to our stateroom it was obvious that the bathroom had been "wiped down" rather than cleaned...we were done with Princess.

We went back to Celebrity and have been with them ever since. The food in the MD was much better than our first experience with X, and the food in BLU is fantastic. The specialty restaurants we have tried have also been top notch. If you shop around you can find deals on X that make it only slightly more than a Carnival cruise. The difference in quality and service make it a bargain in our opinion.

I believe that when the economy started to tank, the cruise lines cut staff. This was so evident on our Baltic cruise with Princess because when I requested that the cabin steward come CLEAN the bathroom I was told that it would be a few hours because she was loading luggage onto the ship. Back in the day, a cabin steward greeted you within minutes of arrival to your stateroom. They wanted to know that you knew who they were. This changed (in our opinion) when the gratuities became automatic. That said, once the cruise lines began using staff for double duty they had to know it would hurt their tips, so perhaps that is why tips are now automatic.

We are devoted Celebrity cruisers now, but I would still cruise on RCCL if it were the right circumstances. :)