markeb

If you click on the photos, it says surge prevention… it also looks fairly large and I suspect it could pull out of the socket. Not sure it’s a great choice.

You can only book an urgent travel appointment within two weeks of travel, You have to have proof of international travel. It looks like the State Department has stopped scheduling appointments online an you have to call them to schedule. I haven't had to do this. I've known people who have, and it worked. But the appointment only aspect now is a little scary. Especially if there's no location nearby!

Yes. You are correct. Most of us are assuming people understand that, but it never hurts. Almost all (but not all) electronics will accept 110-240V 50-60 Hz input. Most appliances are single voltage (hair dryers, etc.). So those of us suggesting using the European outlet are assuming, hopefully correctly, that people understand the difference.

What are you needing to plug in? If it has a cord with outlets, it’s likely to be considered as a banned extension cord. If it’s surge protected HOPEFULLY it gets confiscated. If you’re charging electronics, get a USB A/C hub with a detachable cord and USB C to lightning, USB C to Micro USB, or USB C to USB C cords. And leave the adapterS at home. The power strips with USB are probably the worst of all worlds unless you’re charging a 15 year old device!

The outlets are generally opposite the bed. The lights are wall mounted and hard wired. I believe the Edge class has outlets near the bed. No outlets on Reflection or Equinox and I assume no outlets for Infinity.

Tipping isn’t really a thing in The Netherlands. The porters are going to be salaried. If you have a couple of Euros, fine. But don’t sweat it.

That would be my understanding as well. For personal and "world events" reasons, it's been 4 years since we were last on Equinox. Way back then, they also had Lagavulin and Oban (Oban priced within the premium package), which are also Diageo brands. Those weren't there this cruise, just Johnnie Walker (also a Diageo brand).

Probably worded that poorly... A power strip lets you plug a hair dryer that can draw the full 15A and a straightener that can draw another 3A or so into a 15A outlet. It should throw the breaker before creating a fire hazard, and hopefully would! (Not an electrician, and I don't know how that whole maritime floating ground would impact that.) That would be another reason to not allow power strips or any other form of outlet multipliers onboard.

We're also just off Equinox, with the Premium Package, and the Retreat. The ship was definitely out of a lot of wines, but they mostly were wines we weren't going to miss, but a lot of people on this thread would and I get that. (Caymus, Mer Soleil, etc.) We were mildly disappointed they didn't have an Oregon Pinot Gris listed on the menu that sounded interesting, but they were out. We honestly didn't pay any attention to price. We had an excellent Italian Pinot Grigio that I'm sure was in the classic package, but it paired brilliantly with seafood. We may have been the only ones ordering it, but they had Cakebread Pinot Noir out of Anderson Valley that was spectacular, in the package. At one point our sommelier asked if we were interested in something out of our package, and since we had a ton of OBC, we were. He described it as a 100% Sangiovese from Italy; it turned out to be a 2016 Antinori Plan Dele Vigne Brunello di Montalcino. Priced at about twice retail, which is about right, and excellent. But they only had two bottles, and they certainly couldn't open it by the glass! (We actually had the second bottle the next night.) I can't imagine management opening bottles by the glass when they only have a handful of bottles of the wine. Should they have more better wines onboard? Sure. Celebrity hasn't done a great job getting its supply chain in order post pandemic. I will agree on the single malts. The World Class Bar used to have Oban, Lagavulin, and probably others. All Johnnie Walker, not even other Diageo brands! (Pretty much everything else was Diageo!) But we enjoyed the cruise, the wine, and the drinks.

It helps that the Netherlands and most of the major wine growing regions of Europe are all in the EU. No import duties...

There has been very little clarity on this over the years, unfortunately. I recall, perhaps incorrectly, that power strips were listed with extension cords at one time. Right before the shutdown, people reported having their power strips confiscated at boarding, with or without surge protection. The current list of prohibited items does not include power strips per se, and I haven't seen a recent post on the subject. If it's for a CPAP or other medical equipment, they'll provide one. If it's to charge electronics, there are arguably better alternatives. If it's for a high wattage item like a hair dryer or straightener, you probably shouldn't be using a standard power strip anyway without checking the rating of the power strip and the draw of the equipment.

There's a total bummer! I'm guessing you were the other couple that Connor escorted out at 9:30 for last call...

I asked this earlier of the OP, but what are people charging? For most electronics, there are multiple, arguably better, options that don't require a power strip. Almost all newer electronics charge with a USB cable, and a USB charging hub, usually a USB C/A hub, is going to take up much less space, use less power, present a negligible overload/fire risk, and charge your items as fast if not faster than plugging into a power strip. And the power strips people have shown are generations old on their USB slots. There's no way on earth you'd want to try to charge a newer iPhone, for instance, on those first generation USB A slots. It would take forever! And if you're plugging your iPhone or Galaxy adapter into the 120V plugs, you've added an unnecessary link in your charging chain. And weight and cube to your packing. There are dozens of USB A/C charging stations on Amazon. Get one with a detachable cord, set the block on the desk/counter top, and plug your devices in using USB C cables (USB C to USB C, USB C to Lightning, or USB C to Micro USB). You can get USB C chargers for almost all phone batteries, usually with spare batteries, for $20 bucks or so. It takes up much less space and leaves the outlets for things that can't use a USB C connection, like hairdryers. This is on Amazon for $69 and will charge almost anything I can think of.

Just off Equinox and can't say I even noticed this. We were so happy with the changing Indian dishes that I never even looked for beef at the buffet! Although I do remember seeing a fair amount of fried chicken one day (maybe more than one day), which seemed a little different. But neither of us was looking for roast beef or prime rib, so I admit we wouldn't have even recognized if it was there or not...

Are we talking for medical equipment? As in a CPAP? If so, you contact the special needs department before the cruise and they'll provide extension cords, power strips, distilled water, etc. It may not be any better than what you'd bring on board, but it's their equipment. special_needs@celebrity.com

What are you charging? Just off Equinox. The 110V outlets are relatively close together and horizontal. That would cover a lowe outlet on a vertical plug, and might come close on horizontal plugs. And some ships have slightly recessed outlets. It has a total of 2.4V USB (no wattage given). Newer phones are 20 Watts or so, so much more power. You’re potentially carrying a device that takes you from 2 outlets to a max of 3, gives you a very slow set of USB ports, and looks fairly bulky. Can you charge everything/most things by USB C/USB A charging hub with a cord.

It all depends. If the OBC is from booking onboard, it may be moveable. But if it’s tied to the suite, it wouldn’t move to a veranda. And it may really be $X/day, and changing the length of the cruise could change the amount. I don’t think there’s one right answer, unfortunately.

I would have to say that @GTJ has given a perfectly adequate description of a perfectly adequate hotel and location … Not quite sure how 54th becomes Central Park, but geography isn’t a strength of most marketing types! if you’re booking a Residence Inn for an included breakfast, I’d call to be sure they have a hot breakfast these days. I’ve found some hits and misses.

On your cruise, but haven’t seen you guys. Sad to say, the Manhattan is MIA on the Equinox. Try the Kentucky Calling at the WCB. Candied cherries. Need I say more?

We'll keep an eye out for you in Michael's (or the Retreat Lounge). We can discuss the bottom of 8th of the 2019 NL Wild Card Game... 😇

That would be in Manhattan, not Brooklyn, the subject of this thread... I'd start a new thread with that question. Yes, probably, lots of other questions. Really a different thread...

A few thoughts. I haven't had Knob in a long time, and really don't remember it well. It wasn't one of my favorites at the time. Buffalo Trace. Nothing wrong with it, nothing great about it. Was arguably mostly a mixer until it became crazy allocated in some markets. I buy it and drink it, but there are others I prefer at the price point. Elijah Craig. Nice bourbon and one of my go to bourbons for general sipping. Nice value point as well. Four Roses. The small batch and small batch select are both excellent, IMHO. I've seen interesting reviews from people who don't care for Four Roses at all, but I personally like it. Woodford Reserve. Woodford and Maker's Mark are strangely polarizing. I tend to like a wheated bourbon, so that's Maker's. Woodford is a nice alternative with a different flavor profile. Need to do a tasting again...

Hey Kate! There's a long list of foods that can't be imported into the US, including Alaska. I found a CBP/USDA document that appears to have been produced by the office in Alaska that has more detail, and contact numbers. The link is directly to a PDF posted at skagway.org. Worth a look. Citrus isn't allowed. Bananas in season may be, if the label is on them. Etc. There are items allowed IF in the original container and clearly labeled as from the US or Canada. A ham and cheese sandwich generally wouldn't be allowed. A sealed package of ham with a USDA stamp or Canadian Ministry of Agriculture stamp should be fine. Seeds and nuts may or may not be allowed (sealed packages generally OK). Things like bread really aren't mentioned (including GF bread). https://www.skagway.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/clerk039s_office/page/28831/uscbp_2019_transporting_agriculture_products.pdf

You can actually pay for it online, but not book a time. I think it's a 5% discount in theory (last time you paid based on what you planned to make, so that's a change as well). It's also possible it's one of those things the Retreat concierge can do as you're sitting in port having your first drink!

I'm not sure the city wants to grow the cruise business. And I don't know how they would in that location. I just pulled up the satellite view on Google Maps to refresh my memory, and it's pretty built up around there. You could go vertical, but that would be a pretty major change. In the current market, I can't see taking a "If you build it, they will come" approach. The current location isn't bad for a cruise stop, but it's certainly not great for a home port. Norfolk itself obviously has the infrastructure to home port one or more cruise ships (they're supporting Fleet Forces Command!). I think they'd have to shift operations down river, but clear of the Navy piers, to really create the kind of facility I think you're talking about.