Xport

21 hours ago, chemmo said:

From luggage drop at special delivery (RS) we were taken through an empty security up to the suite lounge and by the time my son had got me a glass of water we were being escorted on board...

My experiences at Port Everglades Terminal 25 suggest that, while the suite boarding lounge is open to all suite guests, only those who occupy a "top" suite or who are Captain's Club Zenith members--regardless of stateroom category--are escorted aboard...

Sorry, another duplicate...  Don't know how I did that!

5 minutes ago, Xport said:

 

Sorry, duplicate...  Don't know how I did that!

1 hour ago, vtcruising said:

I know of at least one specialty on X that charges for a second entree (Fine Cut Steakhouse).

My last two cruises were aboard Edge and I've dined in Fine Cuts three times now...  One entrée was more than sufficient for me [and the food was wonderful] but, having read on the Fine Cuts menu that they do assess a charge for an additional entrée , I was reluctant to say that Murano [I'll next dine there in December while on Reflection] doesn't do so too...

9 hours ago, VegasGuy29 said:

We booked Murano for the first night on an upcoming cruise. Can you order multiple appetizers or entrees like the MDR? 

I am certain that multiple starters are not a problem but am less sure that multiple entrees--as others have mentioned, they are very substantial as are the multi-course meals in total--for a single guest are an option...

By all means ask...

The menus in the specialty restaurants—Murano is one of them—do not change from night to night...

7 hours ago, RICCruisers said:

Unfortunately Reflection has not been Revolutionized so the Celebrity App is not available for your cruise. The App lists all of the menus for ships that have been Revolutionized and most of the time they are correct. 

While you are correct that Reflection has not yet been revolutionized, the Celebrity App is indeed functional on Reflection as the application was tested on the ship before Edge went into service.

Sailing on Reflection next month.  Used the streamlined check-in process—Xpress boarding pass is on my phone—and the menus (at least in placeholder format; I’ve never found them to be totally accurate until aboard) and booked tours and other Cruise Planner purchases are available for review via the App too.

1 hour ago, villauk said:

 

 

 

Yes, I know but it reads that Elite Plus is equivalent to Diamond on Royal, and the same for Zenith.. No mention of diamond should be under those headings if it is an equivalent as it suggests to members, if you were looking at it coming over from Royal, that at Diamond level, they could be Elite Plus or Zenith, which isn’t the case. 

While I agree that the explanation could be clearer and the display could be labeled better, the use of Captain’s Club tiers in the left column (bold print) with subordinate outline structure covering “equivalency” in the Azamara and Royal Caribbean loyalty programs below each Celebrity tier, it is implied—we read right to left and top to bottom—that the chart is prepared from the perspective of Captain’s Club tier status and not vice versa for those who are seeking “reciprocal benefits” on X based upon Crown & Anchor status...

Haven’t looked but my guess is that there is a similar chart on the Royal Caribbean website which displays “equivalency” on Celebrity and Azamara based upon C&A membership tier.

Once revolutionized, my understanding is that Millennium and Solstice class ships will still not—unlike Edge—have a pool on the Retreat Sundeck.  Weight is apparently an issue and I believe the best one can hope for is installation of a hot tub in that area...

Following Edge design, Apex seemingly will have the additional pool at the Retreat Sundeck when she enters service next year...

1 minute ago, rayandbelle said:

thanks xport my profile states i am from Aus 

was just frustrated that they change things

cheers ray

No problem, Ray...  Just wanted to be sure that you get responses from those who are qualified to render them in a context applicable to you as “home” is not always apparent (when I access via my computer I can see that information in the post if the member has provided it; if I access via my phone, location is never listed in the post and is only available via the profile if the member has provided it)...

Cheers!

It is important to note that your Cruise Critic profile suggests that you are from Australia.  
 

When assessing responses you receive here, it is important to note that laws,  terms/conditions, and administrative practices can vary from market to market.

1 hour ago, K12Guy said:

Why are they called 'Sweet Sixteen' when there are actually 32? Sixteen on each side.

 

Because there are sixteen of them total...

Not all of the 32 2-C balcony cabins on Deck 6 Forward (Millennium Class ships only) have the expanded verandas that have caused those with larger balconies to be nicknamed Sweet 16 staterooms...

To the best of my recall, the Sweet 16 cabins are 6016-6030 on the starboard side and 6021-6035 on the port side...

In my experience—I’ve sailed Edge twice— the app has not been accurate as to the MDR/Blu menus (didn’t follow Luminae), activities, or entertainment until aboard the ship...

Possible menus have changed?  Sure...  But I wouldn’t personally consider the app to be relatively definitive until you access via the ship’s intranet...

Last I saw him, he was serving as Casino Host on Edge for the April/May 2019 Transatlantic...  Have no idea as to when that contract might have been ending, his subsequent plans as to future ship assignments [they sometimes transfer between ships during a contract], or where he expected/hoped to be assigned assuming that he would return for a subsequent contract...

On Edge, Luminae now offers the same array of “always available“ MDR items as are also offered in Blu...  Luminae on Edge does not offer access to the full MDR menu...

10 minutes ago, phillygirl2400 said:

Hi. We just got off the revolutionized

Summit. Yes, there was a clothesline in the shower. 

Millennium Class ships--Summit is one of them--have always featured a retractable clothesline in the shower...  Glad to hear that they've been retained following "the revolution"...

Solstice Class ships--Silhouette is one of them--have never featured a retractable clothesline in the shower [nor does Edge].

It seems to me that you may have asked this question here on Cruise Critic before...

Celebrity has not altered its dress code--it is common across the fleet [including Equinox] other than for cruises in The Galapagos--since formal nights were discontinued and evening chic nights were implemented several years ago.

Following is from the Celebrity website...

-----

"Onboard Dress Code

Q.

What is the onboard dress code?

A.

Formal Night gets a modern luxury reboot. Say goodbye to Formal Night, and hello to Evening Chic. It’s your time to shine—your way. Get glamorous. Get chic. Be sophisticated. Now, on up to two nights on every cruise, Evening Chic activities have been introduced, and Evening Chic attire has replaced Formal attire. While dressier than Smart Casual, Evening Chic is intended to be less dressy than Formal attire.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

·        A cocktail dress

·        Skirt, pants or designer jeans with an elegant top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

·        Pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt or sweater

·        Optional sport coat or blazer

Evening Chic means that you can get glamorous and be sophisticated in your own way. If you would like to still wear a tuxedo or formal gown on Evening Chic nights, you absolutely should.

All cruises that are 7 nights or longer will feature two Evening Chic nights. Any cruise 6-nights or shorter will feature one Evening Chic night. All other nights of the cruise will feature Smart Casual attire. Celebrity Xpedition will continue to feature casual attire for the entire cruise.

Smart Casual attire can be enjoyed every other night of your cruise.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

·        Skirt, pants or jeans with a casual top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

·        Pants or jeans with a short sleeve sport shirt.

Note: T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurant at any time. Shorts and flip-flops are not allowed in the evening hours. The dress code will be enforced at all restaurants. And guests are asked to follow the Smart Casual or Evening Chic dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances. The daily program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk, will be your guide to the correct attire each evening."

-----

Evening dress on Royal Caribbean tends to be more casual than it is on Celebrity... 

2 hours ago, DrKoob said:

 

This was an interesting statement to me since the Silhouette and Reflection are basically identical ships? Reflection has a few more staterooms but that's about it. Did you mean that you had sailed on Silhouette somewhere else?

You are correct, Jim...

Silhouette and Reflection are of equal length [1047 feet]; Reflection is two feet wider than Silhouette [123 feet versus 121 feet beam]…  That minor difference certainly would not influence navigational/docking ability in Norway [or, for that matter, virtually anywhere else]... 

At double occupancy in each stateroom, Silhouette's guest capacity is 2886 and Reflection's guest capacity is 3046...  Most of that additional capacity resulted from repositioning the pool area from Deck 12 on Silhouette [one flight below The Oceanview Café] to Deck 14 on Reflection [immediately adjacent to The Oceanview Café] so as to create space for more staterooms on Deck 12 as well as the addition of a handful of suites that were carved out of the port side of Reflection's Sky Lounge...

10 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Thanks.  They were one of the cruise lines that said that they had excursions for 3 different levels of walking.  This may be our ticket.  I have never river cruised.  How do I educate myself on river crusing?  What are some of the better itineraries?  We would probably want something that was around 2 weeks long, but could be on different rivers.

Prior to doing my river cruises in May/June 2017, I found the River Cruise forum here on Cruise Critic--the "sticky" threads at the top of its home page [varoo has pointed to one; there are others], related discussion threads [such as this one] among members, and reviews--to be educational and infinitely helpful...  With that background, I then scoured the websites of those river cruise companies that had greatest conceptual appeal to me [I'm an avid Celebrity cruiser; was looking for a line I thought comparable] before selecting AmaWaterways from itinerary, reputation, inclusions and price point perspectives...

You will find that there are cruises of varying durations/routings and, if so inclined, most--perhaps all--river cruise lines offer land-based extensions in tandem with the cruise itself...

In my case, I was looking to do my "roots" trip...

• We [I did the first part of the trip with good friends I met while sailing Celebrity; we've traveled together often since] chose to customize our own land tour [ten days in Poland and The Czech Republic] before cruising...
• On embarkation day for the first seven day cruise [the Danube from Vilshofen (Germany) to Budapest], we met the Ama land tour group  at their hotel in Prague for transfer to the boat [with a tour and lunch in route]…  Ama sells such transfers separately upon inquiry; it was easy and perfectly/professionally orchestrated [same Cruise Manager directed both the land-based extension and the cruise itself]...
• On disembarkation day, we stayed on in Budapest for one additional night before my friends flew on to Amsterdam for an ocean cruise to Norway [I'd done a similar trip two years earlier] and I flew to Zurich for my second seven day river cruise [the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam; also with AmaWaterways]...
• After two nights in Switzerland on my own, I again met the Ama land tour group  at their hotel in Lucerne for transfer to the river boat in Basel...

Based upon itinerary offerings, I believe that Danube and Rhine cruises are most popular but your destination goals may vary...  I know that I really appreciated and enjoyed my time in places like Salzburg, Bratislava, Vienna, Strasbourg and Cologne as well as a  number of smaller charming towns and wonderful scenery along the way...  I've visited virtually all ocean ports in Europe--many more than once--but these were very worthwhile destinations I would not have otherwise had ready opportunity to visit other than by packaged or self-constructed land tour...  

Finally it seems to me that the "gentle walker" [no direct personal experience other than to know that Ama did indeed operate such groups consistently on their most popular tours] in your group may appreciate the easier navigation around the much smaller river boats [one of my cruises had ~ 140 guests, the other had ~160 guests]… And tour busses were parked for loading and unloading at the boat immediately adjacent to the gangway...

Whatever you choose to do, I hope you find my experiences/thoughts helpful...  Haven't yet returned for another river cruise or two--other plans--but most assuredly will do so... 

Best wishes...

As an alternative to an ocean cruise, you might consider doing a European river cruise...

Excursions  are included and--at least on AmaWaterways [I think very highly of them]; other river cruise lines may well have the same practice--groups tend to be small and tours are offered at a "gentle walker", "regular walker", or "active walker" pace...

You'll find mention of those options here...

https://www.amawaterways.com/explore/included-tours

44 minutes ago, beloum said:

I know, especially during peak months, cruises are usually sold out.    I was just wondering how common it is to offer last minute rates on unsold cabins right before cruises?    If so, is there a special place on their website or somewhere else to look for these?    Also, if they do offer them, usually how good are the deals.  Thanks in advance.  

Every Tuesday morning, Celebrity publishes a listing of upcoming "Exciting Deals"...  You'll find it here; the weblink does not change from week to week...

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Exciting_Deals/XcitingDeals_cel_tues.pdf  

Cruise Critic’s parent—TripAdvisor—is often the more comprehensive  resource in addressing inquiries such as yours...

Just looked and they do have suggestions as to things to do/see on St Vincent...  At times, reading tour descriptions can be a springboard to your thinking even if you choose to explore on your own...

To the best of my knowledge, tourism at St Vincent—particularly by cruise ship—is relatively undeveloped compared to other Caribbean destinations...

48 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Interesting - I would love to see pictures. Do you think it could be because 10222 is on the end of the bump out? I think Kearny’s cabin was on a bump out end and she reported that it was a little different in some way. I hope to be able to see one of those on my next Edge/Apex visit. 

 

Im a traditional balcony person too, but enjoyed trying 2 nights in an IV. They do have some advantages. Mine had a great view. 

Sorry for my posting error immediately above...

The view from your IV is comparable to the one I had from 9236--that cabin is a bit aft of yours--in terms of field of vision...

You may be correct that the limited view from 10222 relates to the cabin's position at the end of the "bump out"; I couldn't see to 10220 [the A1 cabin immediately forward of mine] or 10224 [the A2 cabin immediately aft of mine; I wasn't particularly expecting to be able to do so when I booked long before I understood the IV concept]...

Sorry, I took no photos of the view from 10222; there was nothing I wanted to memorialize!

 Very uncharacteristically, I've not booked Edge or Apex in the future...  I'm not fond of Sunset View and--given my loyalty--have virtually no reason to book a Suite as I most often travel solo--don't need the space--and I'm one of the few who doesn't prefer the Luminae menu [for me, it was usually a very expensive way to access the MDR menu on the pre-Edge ships] versus the offerings in Blu... 

14 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Interesting - I would love to see pictures. Do you think it could be because 10222 is on the end of the bump out? I think Kearny’s cabin was on a bump out end and she reported that it was a little different in some way. I hope to be able to see one of those on my next Edge/Apex visit. 

 

Im a traditional balcony person too, but enjoyed trying 2 nights in an IV. They do have some advantages. Mine had a great view. 

52 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

This is the bed by bath or balcony thread that explains how to tell by the deck plan that I started over a year ago before the ship sailed. Since the ship sailed we have had a few reports of the deck plans being inaccurate. I started a list - it is in post #76.  One of them is on the port side so far, the balance are starboard.

 

Thanks for the 2 additional cabins - I will place them on the list.

 

 

vtcruising…

Edge is beautiful but there is another quirk that may or may not have been noted here...

If it matters--it really bothered me--the views from the infinite verandas [Zenith member/Celebrity cheerleader but not at all a fan of the concept] whether the top window is up or down--can be very different based upon location versus ship superstructure...

• In 10222, the cabin [while no different in size] is recessed such that the view to the outdoors--up, down, or sideways--is extremely limited/akin to looking through a tunnel...  I couldn't, for instance, see the nearby Magic Carpet if I looked forward; all I saw--other than if I looked straight ahead--was wall...
• In 9236 [just a few cabins forward from 10222 one deck below], the view in any direction was not similarly encumbered...  That said, I suspect I will always prefer a traditional balcony and what is, to my mind, a much better connection to being at sea...