Bobby Dee

I am quite sure that this has been asked many times before, BUT do both of us have to upgrade? My wife drinks about three glasses of wine per year.;)

If you try to upgrade before your sailing, they will, or at least late last year they were, saying that you both must upgrade because you got the classic portion as a part of the 123 Go promotion (or as they document it, the "wave promotion") If however, you were not a part of the 123 Go, you could choose to have only one person in the cabin with premium, and the other with classic or none at all. And just to add a little more "dirt" to the game, I've heard that on board, they will let you upgrade individually regardless of the promotion.

Linda and I were also on this sailing and we had a great time. Sure the weather was lousy at least until the last few days, but who ever said that anyone could control that?

I didn't go ashore in Grand Cayman but tendering in Belize was also reported as being slow. That is something that I've heard at EVERY tendered port on EVERY cruise. No, I'm not going to ask that tendered ports be eliminated.

Our hearts went out to those of you who were on that excursion. Delays are common, and there was one time when the Coral Princess was stuck in the canal caused by a problem with a freighter in front of her. This is an experience and a story that those who were stuck in the canal will retell over and over. And there is a bright side, this was an official Celebrity excursion and the ship waited for the passengers. I was on a ship doing the Greek isles where the Captain bragged about leaving passengers behind at one port.

Yes, I also went to Bistro on 5 upon boarding, and I was told that it wasn't going to be open for lunch at all. Yes, it was because of the inspections and immigration procedures having come back from Europe. We had a good friend who was on the TA and we got a call from them that they were still on the ship at 10 minutes to 11:00. Boarding was delayed but we'd been warned, so no problem.

Who was on board? Damien was the Cruise Director, and Daniel was his assistant. Bruce was the Captain's Club host. We are elite and found no differences from previous cruises in regards to our benefits. We only went to one evening function, since we had the premium package. One disappointment was no coffee or doughnuts at the elite lounge for disembarkation. The excuse used was a refusal by US health department to allow food out in the open. I personally found that to be a lame excuse that was hard to believe, but at that point, I didn't need more food.

We had a great cruise. The food in Blu was great, much better than our most recent Blu experience. I had poached salmon twice for lunch at the Aqua Spa Cafe, but it's not available every day. Maybe because of the lack of sun, maybe because of the pool butlers, but we were able to find chairs in the solarium. The music at the Martini bar was still too loud at times, but the bar was always crowded, so apparently it wasn't bothering everyone. The entertainment was average, or perhaps it's just that we've seen very similar type entertainment on other cruises. I missed it, but DW told me about a great bit by the comedian, changing the words to Santa Claus is coming to town for our more kosher friends. The casino did not raise the table limits at night, most tables were $5. They had a couple of Black Jack tournaments ($25), and regularly scheduled sit and go hold 'em tournaments ($60). The staff was very friendly, and I contributed to their bottom line for certain. There was a "first day" 2 for 1 special for the specialty restaurants for Aqua Class passengers, but you had to ask for it. For everyone else it was 20% off if booked on the first day. We went to Murano twice on the trip and enjoyed it without question. We also had lunch twice at Bistro, and were very happy with the food and service.

I think you can have as good a time as you want to. No one ever likes disembarkation and the lines for customs and immigration. We were off the ship about half an hour later than they said, and through customs about an hour after that. There seemed to be about ten agents processing us. Finding the luggage was pretty easy.

I hope all this helps.

I had a similar situation with a HAL trip a few years ago. Only I didn't find out until at the pier for check in. My choice was pay or don't go. In my case it was about $20 per person.

Common occurrence? No. Does it happen? Yes.

When I was on Reflection (2/2013) they didn't have the Poker Pro tables. Live dealers. Has this changed? I prefer the Poker Pro tables. Faster, no errors.

You know, now that you mentioned it, you may be right. Sometimes I get confused about what is different on the different ships. I know that on Equinox and Eclipse there are two poker pro machines each, but I do remember playing on a live table not too long ago. As I remember, there was only one table and it was near the aft entrance to the casino, while the poker pro machines were just forward of the casino bar, over near the shops.

Are they held in the casino on reflection as they were on century few years back

Yes, they are played on the Poker Pro machines and buy in is $60 (although that was last Spring and that can always change.) They pay two places after a substantial rake. There is a sign up sheet at the cashier's cage and they often fill up, so be sure to sign up early if you want to play at a particular time. They are generally run twice a day in the afternoons, obviously only while at sea.

Good Luck.

Follow up question, are we likely to be able to book Specialty restaurants on board, or is it critical to book ahead now?

I personally never have booked ahead, but then again, there have been occasions where we had to adjust our plans based on availability. If you pre-book, then the cost of the restaurant will be pre-paid. If you have OBC's (On Board Credits supplied as a perk from Celebrity or your Travel Agent), you cannot apply those to pay for the restaurant if you pre book.

We will be first day at sea on Silhouette and now realize our FSU Seminoles will very likely be playing for the national championship. Gotta see it! Please tell me Celebrity will be showing it onboard.

I've seen a couple of BCS Championship games on board. However, two years ago, on the Equinox, they were not planning on broadcasting the game. We found out at the Connections party and a number of us explained to the Cruise Director that this was far more important than the NFL games that they broadcast. He made a couple of phone calls and got the game on board. They even arranged to set up a portable bar and served tailgate type food at Celebrity Central for the game. So make sure that you sign up for the party and talk to the CD to insure that it's going to be on board.

Woops, I just reread your post. You are talking about the second night out. This could be a problem if it wasn't in the original plan, because it may not give them time to make arrangements. That other poster is probably right, but then I did have that experience on Equinox. I'd make a point of seeking out the CD and ask and express how important that this game is to football fans. Often foreign nationals may not understand that college football attracts a more loyal and rabid fan base than the pro teams.

Hi All,

 

I'm a new cruiser but my questions are quite specific to Celebrity so I've put them here - hope that was the right thing to do! My girlfriend and I have booked a last minute cruise trip (Italy and the Adriatic) which leaves 18th November 2013, and, as first time cruisers, are confused...

 

1) I can't find an itinerary which tells me when the formal nights are. My girlfriend in particular likes dressing up formally, and this is a key part of the decision to go for a cruise rather than a city break. Is there a dinner itinerary available anywhere? Or does someone who has done the same cruise know if the pattern is the same each time and when the formal dinners were? I ask because we also want to eat at a couple of the speciality restaurants but I will be in big trouble if we miss a formal night to eat sushi lollipops!

 

2) Because we booked last minute we were only able to book Select Dining (flexible choice of main dining room time each day). We were hoping to share with others (strangers), which seems possible from the MyCelebrity account pages. Has anyone tried this and been unsuccessful? Meeting new people is important for us.

 

3) Is it possible to share with strangers at the speciality restaurants, or will we automatically be put on a table for 2?

 

Thanks for all the help - any particular tips and tricks or advice for the Celebrity Silhouette is particularly welcome!

I don't know why, but you really cannot find out which nights are the formal nights. I've heard that the decision is made on board, but that never made sense to me. I can tell you, however, that they like to schedule the formal nights on sea days; so on Silhouette for a 13 night cruise, you can expect three formal nights, and probably, but not guaranteed, they will be on Wednesday, Sunday, and the following Thursday. However, they also like to schedule the third formal night on the night before the last night out, so it's possible that Friday the 29th will be the last formal night.

When eating with Select Dining, you will be eating with strangers, but unlike traditional dining, they will be different strangers each night. If you want to eat with certain people who you've met on board, then make arrangements with those people to go to dinner at the same time and meet to go in together.

Most specialty restaurants won't put you with others that you don't know. Again, if you meet people who you'd like to dine with at specialty restaurants, then make arrangement with the restaurant to change your reservation to include those people. In most cases, they will be able to accomodate you. Most cases, not all.

I hope that helps. You are going to love the cruise!

I think that both lines are very similar. I've sailed both, but for whatever reason, prefer X. Both have excellent service, in spite of the fact that on both of my HAL cruises we had issues with service, but that has more to do with individuals and not the cruise line. Longer cruises will always have older passengers because more retired people can get the time off.

I think the things that I like best with X are (1) the drinks package makes it feel more like an all inclusive experience; (2) the smoking policy, especially in the casino, is one of those things that you really don't notice until it's not there; (3) the layout of the S Class ships makes it feel less crowded, even on a full ship; and (4) the friendliness and availability of the staff and crew.

Since you are on the Infinity, please try to find out if the SS United States still uses synchonized serving. We've only been on Infinity once, but in my opinion, she has the best specialty restaurant of any ship from any line. Somebody has to be the best. If you choose to dine there, I'll be very interested in finding out your opinion of the SS United States.

Cam anyone tell me how much a margarita is? Wondering if I can get it in the classic package. Thanks!

Yes, a margarita is on the classic package. A margarita made with top shelf tequila probably is not.

Upgraded to premium on the phone with Celebrity for my April cruise, not shown on card, went to customer service first thing on board and they upgraded us and gave us new cards reflecting premium beverage package. Best part of all, when we got our bill at the end - they didn't charge either of us for the 11.50 per day upgrade!!!! Maybe being Elite had something to do with it, not sure. Well worth it to have the package:)

If, as you said, upgraded prior to the cruise, then the land based reps were supposed to charge you at that time. If you didn't give them payment, then that's why your card at check in didn't include the upgrade. Basically, you hadn't paid for it. But if when on board, the purser's office gave you the upgrade, thinking that it had already been paid for, consider yourself lucky. I would imagine that if you were feeling particularly guilty about this, you could try to contact the line and give them the additional money. But I also think that doing so would confuse their bookeeping even more than if you just said thank you.

I feel confident that being elite has nothing to do with it.

That synchronized serving was so neat and done with such flair when we first started going to the SS United States in 2006. When we last went in 2012, I saw it still done, but with less fanfare. It was more like making sure the entrees were served to each person at the same time. I did notice that with the dishes that were cooked tableside, they were covered with the silver domes since the cooking was done there with the sides waiting under the covers. So, when the main protein was done and plated, they were served with the domes and a nice simultaneous reveal. Here's a pic from '06, and Christian, in black, has now worked his way up to Asst. Guest Relations Mgr., currently on Solstice. We're so proud of him!

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Thank you Cindy. I had commented to the Captain that this restaurant was the best sailing anywhere, and he seemed to be very proud of it. I wish they would bring that level of service to all the X specialty restaurants.

We love the SS United States, we go there several times a cruise!

I've only sailed the Infinity once and ate in the SS United States. It was my favorite specialty restaurant of any cruise line and I've sailed over fifty times. But things change. I was wondering, do they still use sychronized serving? None of the other X restaurants seem to go to that level.

 

1. Can you tell us the "regular" price of lunch at Murano and at Tuscan Grille -- for folks who do not have the USDP that you purchased?

 

2. Do you have a copy of the Tuscan Grille lunch menu that you could post here? (Someone did post the Murano lunch menu.)

 

I could be wrong, I didn't think that either Murano or the Tuscan Grille was open for Lunch. You said that someone posted a lunch menu for Murano.

I know that Blu is not open at lunch.

This may seem like an obvious or silly question but please indulge me...I am on a 7 night Alaska cruise in September. Would we be charge 29 dollars per day per passenger for 7 or that pesky 8th day that is really only a disembarkation day? Thanks in advance...Julie

It is just like the drinks package. If you are on a seven nighter, you would pay $29 x 7 per person.

Yep, the drink packages are valid at the specialty restaurants.

Before you order, be sure to check with the server as to what is and is not included in the premium drinks package.

When we were dining in Qsine last year, there were specialty drinks that were not included in the package. And I have since read on here that some of those specialty drinks are now treated like drinks over the max price and you are charged the difference between their cost and the $12 that the premium package allow for.

So things change on Celebrity from cruise to cruise, often I think they change from server to server. This is why I suggest that you check before ordering; if you don't want to be surprised at the end of the dinner.

I don't think this is true. I'm travelling with my sister and 22 yr old niece. My sister and I have the premium drink package (alcohol), my niece does not. She doesn't like alcohol, so we got her the premium non-alcohol package. Absolutely no problems.

This was explained several post previously, but for those who don't read all of the posts on this thread, then; The confusion here has to do with a requirement for the 123 Go promotion. With that promotion, it's true that both passengers in a cabin do have to take the same promotion if it is the drinks promotion. And if one wants to upgrade to the premium package, then both need to upgrade. There are all kinds of reasons why they might want to pursue this requirement, but I'm not necessarily in favor of it. These are restrictions put on by the promotion.

However, if you are not a part of this promotion, and you book the drinks package otherwise, then the requirement doesn't seem to be present. One person in a cabin can have the package, while another in the cabin is not required to purchase the same package. Or, one person can have the premium package while another in the same cabin may chose to have the classic package.

For me, it's the Autumn Breeze. It's not on the menu right now, but most bartenders will make it for you. Based on Crushed Apple and Cognac.

From the sticky above:

-- If booking onboard until 1/27, would the guest obtain the booking onboard OBC PLUS their choice(s) from the 123 promotion?

No those offers are not combinable.

My question is...Are there any benefits to book on board if you plan on using the 123 promotion? Also, I'm a new elite and my next booking will be my first as an elite. Are there any booking benefits from being an elite if you plan on using the 123 promotion?

The Celebrity package includes more. Specialty coffees, bottled water. Makes a big difference for some people in deciding its value for them personally.

Thanks, that's the kind of information I was looking for. And you can only get it from someone who has experienced both.

Bottled water isn't very important to me, but I'd have at least two lattes or cappacinos a day. Having to pay seperately for that certainly does not make it feel like an all inclusive experience.

Royal Caribbean doesn't want EVERYONE to buy a package. It's fine with them that some, even many, do not.

 

They offer it, it is a marketing device (so many people out there whining, "Celebrity has a package, why doesn't RC? They're the same company!), and a passenger can take it or leave it.

I'm one of those Celebrity whiners who will book X over RCCL simply because of the drinks package. No, it's not for everyone, but if you are willing to add the cost to make the cruise feel like an all inclusive experience, then it can be worth the money. But I didn't come on here to try to convince anyone to buy or not buy the package.

What I'd like to know from someone who is familiar with both programs, what are the differences. There is an article on the packages on CC this week. http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1470 and the packages look very similar between the two lines. I already know the Celebrity package and have had both Classic and Premium on X. Can anyone who has experienced both, tell me the differences?

I'm trying to decide which cruise I want to take in January, so any information is appreciated.

My two cents on a number of comments above.

From the post immediately above, there appears to be a number of changes in the spa, but, I know of no differences for the regular AQ cabins between the two ships.

Regarding comments about concern about the ship being crowded, I felt that the S class ships were the LEAST crowded ships I've ever been on, and I don't think that the additional people will create any concerns. There could be a different situation in the MDR, but Blu isn't crowded. The vast majority of tables in Blu are two tops, but are intentionally close together, so if you want to engage in conversation with the table next to you, it's convenient to do so, but seperated enough that it's not required.

I don't know if you are driving to the ship, or if you plan on purchasing duty free alcohol. But, an added benefit of stopping in St. Thomas, is that each person can bring back five liters of duty free alcohol if purchased in St Thomas, as opposed to only one liter if you don't go to St. Thomas.

If it makes a difference, I'm trying to make the same decision, but I think it's strictly going to be decided on price.

Sorry, duplicate post

SHIP: Equinox

CABIN #: 1586

DECK #: 11

CLASS: AQ

AREA: Starboard Side Midships

BED NEAR: Bathroom

QUIET?: Not really. Early Morning noises from the Pool deck above. Banging noises from an unlocated source for a couple of hours one night when trying to go to sleep, required a call to get it checked out. But every ship I've ever been on has had noises.

BALCONY VIEW: Good view. Support Beam for pool deck on right side seemed to disappear when not thinking about it.

BALCONY SIZE: Standard

WIND A PROBLEM?: No

SOOT A PROBLEM?: No

PROBLEMS/COMMENTS: I had no problems with the closet being next to the bed, nor was the overhead storage too high, and I'm 5'6". Room location was ideal, half way between both elevator banks.