johhnnyt

15 hours ago, chicagopaul said:

I couldn't agree more. I'm guilty of forgetting too smell the roses while they are still in front of me, and instead reflecting on their beauty after they bloomed. Caught my self twice (once on a excursion, once while dining) on my last cruise. Thanks for sharing that!!😁

 

 

Moment of reflection on the Eclipse

 

This is more personal related, but I think it may be a reminder we all need at times. Yesterday we were in Le Petite Chef for dinner. We had a wonderful private table for 2 (I think our RS room number helped with this). Last night I was a little tired, just wasn't feeling all that great. I think it was a combination of a little excess drinking the previous night and my sleep clock being off. In any event, we were waiting for the 3rd course to come (the filet) and I found myself thinking "I wish the food would just hurry up so we can go." As soon as I had that thought I had to mentally slap myself in the head. Here I am in a wonderful restaurant with Edward, a great table for 2, having very good service (and what ended up being a very nice steak) and all I want to do is hurry up and go? Next week when I'm back at home I'm going to be wishing that I could be back on the ship. 

 

So like I said, I mentally slapped myself for thinking that thought. I enjoyed my steak, enjoyed the dessert with some coffee and remainder of the meal. We even got to meet the chef for Qsine (well Le Petite) toward the end of the meal. 

 

We're all guilty of sometimes wanting to rush through things because maybe we're not feeling well, maybe we're a little tired, or maybe we're a bit anxious. I can definitely speak to the anxious part as I've had anxiety issues for years and they're not always easy to deal with. But despite any of these personal tribulations it is so important for us to still live in the moment. Enjoy that moment, don't rush it, don't wish for it to pass quicker. 

 

Thanks for letting me share that with you and lets get on with the cruise! I will post photos of yesterday's lunch and dinner as the internet improves. Tonight we are eating earlier than normal (7:30 tonight) in Tuscan since we have the early helicopter tour tomorrow (well what I hope is a helicopter tour tomorrow!). 

3 hours ago, Fishkillbill said:

 

Do other cruise lines not help passengers in the manner outlined here? 

Not sure, but I do know about 8-10 crew are trained on each ship to be "Care Team" members, this is above and beyond their onboard function. Care teams on every RCCL ship/brandm, not sure what the other ones do.  I met two of the Care Team on our Eclipse cruise (one in guest relations, one a restaurant manager), and learned a bit about it after this happened on Eclipse. They are generally people that speak several languages and then undergo specialized training so they can facilitate between port agents,  Miami office, and the ships and the needed off ship facilities (hospitals, police, immigration etc).

      BTW Bill I do think it's funny that you are in Fishkill , and I'm the next town over in Wappingers.....small world sometimes

22 minutes ago, kathynorth said:

 

Bob, lots of us have the same questions as you! Now that we're moving along age wise, I'm thinking we need to be sure we have adequate med and evac insurance for out of country trips. It would be great is someone could direct us to a clear source of info on this important subject. I've read through a couple of threads, but didn't see any pointing to a reliable resource.

This might help

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherelliott/2018/08/18/the-best-and-worst-travel-insurance-companies/#5424d3ee4fc2

18 hours ago, Silkroad said:

Thanks for starting this thread. That’s a frightening scenario for anyone, especially someone far from home. The poor guy was very fortunate to have friends who knew CPR and reacted swiftly. And what a blessing Celebrity’s policy must have seemed  to both he and his wife. Hopefully, he’ll recover completely. 

I wish I could say any of us did have some CPR training, but the reality was a few of us the generalities of it, and got real lucky.

1 hour ago, Ravbo said:

Thanks for sharing.

Medical and evacuation insurance should be of primary importance when traveling to foreign ports.

Most of our travels to date have been to Caribbean, Hawaii, Alaska and Panama Canal so I have NOT paid as close attention to the insurance as I should have. My bad.

Our future cruises will be further away.  I am now paying very close attention to the the medical and evacuation insurance requirements I think I will need for these future cruises.

Medical limits can be very critical especially if hospitalized for a period of time and/or needing serious operation/medical treatment.

Is medical insurance primary coverage?  Secondary coverage?

Who pays at time of service?  If you have to pay and then seek reimbursement, this could be a lot of money up front (possibly ten of thousands of dollars).

Evacuation insurance is also important.  Evacuation to where? closest hospital in a foreign country? Back to home country?

Who makes evacuation decisions?  Doctor in foreign country?  Insurance company?

Also again who pays at time of service?  I have heard of evacuations costing $10,000 to $50,000 or more depending on situation.

I will also be researching Med Jet Assist.  As I understand, if hospitalized and stable, YOU make decisions on evacuation (not insurance company) as to where and when (ie back to your home country, city etc.).

Understanding this insurance BEFORE you need it is imperative.  I MISTAKE COULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE.

Safe Travels,

Bob

I agree with you Bob, I know he didn't have any evacuation insurance but it did become a topic for all in our group a few days later. I know this year I bought a annual medical travel plan through Allianz ($50K evacuation/$500000 medical), hopefully I'll never need it, but the $250 a year seemed reasonable. 

5 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

Thanks for sharing your story.

Nice to know Celebrity is there to help.

Hope your friend recovers quickly.

Thanks to all for the good health wishes, he's a good man and has a long road ahead to good health, just glad he's home.

Generally I think we all are much more Celebrity Critics than we are Celebrity Compliments, so thought I would share this. To me it's one of the reasons why Celebrity keeps my loyalty. It shows me again and again that sometimes it's the things you DON'T see/affect you that matter the most

Celebrity Eclipse March 24th Sailing

Day 3 of a 15 night cruise (next port Lima Peru ~.1.5 days out))  about 10-12 of us had gotten together in a smallish conference room for a small celebration. During the get together one in our group started convulsing and stopped breathing & he turned blue. Luckily no one panicked and we took the right steps

• We called the emergency number on the phone
• We flagged down a nearby ships officer who used his mobile to alert everyone that needed to be notified 
• We cleared the room of chairs and got the man on the floor and started cpr, and after about a minute he started breathing again

Within about 2-2.5 minutes, about a half dozen senior officers , a doctor, and a nurse arrived on the scene with a gurney to move the man to medical. We would find out that the plan was to move him off in Lima, Peru. Until then he would be kept stable and monitored in the ships hospital. We were just glad he was breathing and even making jokes the next day, even though he realized how serious it was.

      Celebrity has a policy of "No one is left behind" so a member of the specially trained  "care team" was left with the afflicted gentleman and wife in Peru. She arranged for a hotel for the wife (The care team member stayed in an adjoining room at the hotel), and stayed with her for the next three days, providing comfort and translating everything since not a lot of the people in the hospital spoke English, and neither of the couple spoke Spanish.

      She would tell us later on that Erica (the Guest Relations Care Team Member) was their "true angel", and they really don't know what they would have done without her. The human resources manager on Eclipse (Kathleen I think her name was) also checked in with all of us individually to see how we all were doing after it all happened, and to see if we needed anything.

      The couple was medevaced home  and Erica returned to Guest Relations after 4 days in Peru. He still has some medical battles ahead at home, but the whole team both onboard and shoreside showed genuine compassion, and really treated them both like they were family members, not just cruisers. When I returned home I was recounting the story to a friend, and she said "when I hear of a company go above and beyond obligations, and treat people like that it restores my faith"

3 hours ago, jelayne said:

 

How long did it take?  We applied for renewal in late February and were charged the fee immediately, it has been 7 weeks now with no word.

I would def check the website (if you haven't), as I didn't receive anything by email or mail, the only way I found out was checking the website

2 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

 

You don’t seem to understand, federal law states that restaurant owners, hotel owners, etc can’t ask for documentation and can only asThe handler is responsible for the care and supervision of his or her service animal. If a service animal behaves in an unacceptable way and the person with a disability does not control the animal, a business or other entity has the right to ask that the dog be removed. A business also has the right to deny access to a dog that disrupts their business or poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others. For example, if a service dog barks repeatedly or growls at customers, it could be asked to leave.k two questions. Florida law cannot supersede federal law therefore a hotel owner in Florida is forbidden to ask for documentation, therefore unless there is another way to prove the dog is a fraud, the Florida law is virtually toothless.

But as a friend told me that works for RCCL told me they can ask

 (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?

and

(2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

         And if they lied about those facts, and its found out once onboard they can leave the passenger and their pet in the first port, and/or ban them from any cruises on the RCCL brands for violating the terms and conditions of the cruise contract

Also according to the ADA it's not a carte blanche policy. The handler is responsible for the care and supervision of his or her service animal. If a service animal behaves in an unacceptable way and the person with a disability does not control the animal, a business or other entity has the right to ask that the dog be removed. A business also has the right to deny access to a dog that disrupts their business or poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others. For example, if a service dog barks repeatedly or growls at customers, it could be asked to leave.

2 hours ago, trucker den said:

My cousin has a support animal because of his PTSD from Iraq. The dog went through the required training and is a certified service animal. Now with that being said. The dogs is not well behaved and a butthead. More training needs to be done with these animals. No one questions a seeing eye dog. Why? because they are always well behaved. They go through months of rigorous training to get their certification not just a few classes. 

And that's what I liked about the Florida law, if you really need a dog (like in your cousins case) for true medically therapeutic reasons  and a (non internet) medical doctor agrees, you're not going to be fined for pulling a scam

Nice to see more and more states taking this route, I think FL would be the 23rd state to start fining people for this nonsense 

https://people.com/pets/florida-fake-emotional-support-animals/amp/

1 hour ago, NLH Arizona said:

And now what people will do is lie and say their dog is a service dog.  There needs to be a registration system for service dogs, because these people have no shame and don't want to pay to leave fluffy home while they cruise.  

 

BTW, I've had dogs all my life, my Sadie just passed away this January, but I've always boarded them or left them with a pet sitter when I cruised and that was even when I had three Old English Sheepdogs at one time.  

The good thing is there is a program in place that prevents people from just calling their animal a service animal.Since you have to notify the cruise line well in advance. They can legally ask

Can you confirm that the dog is required because of a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act?

What physical service tasks has the dog been trained to  perform?

On 2/6/2019 at 8:22 PM, chaswill said:

We just completed our cruise on the Edge, 20 Jan - 27 Jan, and spotted a small dog being carried around by a passenger.  She took it in a small bag to a show in the theater and into the cafe!! We questioned a staff member at Guest Services and he said they have to go through a lot of paperwork to bring a dog on board and are told that some ports will not let animals off the ship. He said that there was a place on deck 5 where the dog can do their ‘business’. IMHO, I think this is setting  dangerous precedent after what has happened with the airlines.

In August of 2018 RCCL and all its brands banned ESA's (Emotional Support Animal) of any kind. Anyone who had booked before then are still allowed to bring their pets on so that's probably one of the earlier booked pets . Anyone who requested to bring one after that date was told NO, not allowed. 

       Service animals are still allowed (A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability), just no longer ESA since people were abusing the intent of the policy and taking pets on vacation with them.

        Watching a service dog work is truly amazing if you've never seen it. Like a well oiled best friend/coworker helping when needed, true professionals, and grateful for those that train and work with them.

3 hours ago, scottygirl said:

I had better luck calling Choice Air.  They actually found flights on a "different system" for our cruise to Hawaii.  Might be worth a call. Not sure what the "different system" was so I can't help with that.

Same here, the one way flights to Rome were coming up high $2400 in biz class , $900 in economy, called Choice Air and found them to be less than half the price. Someone at Celebrity told me since Celebrity awarded a new vendor to  handle their Choice Air program, these glitches in pricing have come up quite a few times, so best to call and verify.

On 3/5/2019 at 1:27 PM, chicagopaul said:

Final Recap:

 

I ended up typing a full description of the ship, but I started thinking that many of you have seen plenty of photos and reviews so there really isn’t a need for me to describe in detail every nuance of the ship. Instead, lets just make this simple and focus on my thoughts, my perspective.

 

I loved the aesthetics of the ship. I found the new decor throughout to be absolutely beautiful. From the interior hallways, to cabin corridors, to the outdoor decks. I found the hallways on the common decks to feel wider. This definitely helped when large groups were walking through. But just as important it gave the ship a nice open, airy feeling. Now I know some people were complaining about the colors and clean lines; saying it felt too modern. When I was looking at some of the renderings and even photos, I did have a similar feeling. It might feel “cold.” But in person that is not the case. The grays used are not harsh grays, they’re warmer than you might imagine. The 3 story atrium where the Martini Bar is located looks beautiful. Some may think the tall ceilings above the bar make the space feel too open, but I didn’t get this feeling.

 

I loved our cabin look. The colors were beautiful. The bathroom decor was gorgeous in my opinion. I felt like I was in a very nice hotel. A few things I did not like about our cabin. There was no coffee table. While we didn’t order breakfast or any other room service this cruise, if we did, there definitely would not be a place to eat it if it was just dropped off. Our butler could easily roll in a table for room service, but if you just want something quick, the lack of a table presents a problem. The bathroom had wonderful storage throughout. There is a nice little vanity section on the side. While I’m not putting on makeup, I can see how this is nice for those who do. Personally I used it to place items while I was getting ready such as clothes, watch, ring, etc. What I did not like about the bathroom was the shower curtain. We did experience some leaking onto the floor. They put a plastic strip on one side of the shower, but the other side still has a leak. The shower curtain was also looking stained at the bottom since it is relatively long. I loved all the space in the shower, but they need to figure out a long term fix for this. While it is a bit annoying for us, it’s not that big of a deal. It is a bigger deal for the room steward and ongoing maintenance of the bathroom. I wish they would have just done away with the tub and made a large walk in shower with a bench and a glass door. This would be great for someone like me, but especially those who have mobility issues and don’t want to step into a tub. Though I will say the tub height was better than stepping into the tubs in the S Class sky suites.

 

Staying in a suite we definitely appreciate the Retreat deck. It was absolutely beautiful. While the layout took a little while to get used to, I did love the retreat dipping pool and the bar area. There were not a lot of places for shade, but  plenty of sun. The bar however was shaded and there were some tables by the bar in the shade and a few couch areas fully shaded. We had one day when it was very windy up there, but besides that it was not too windy. The views when pulling in and out of port are incredible. So if you’re in a suite this is the place to be, especially when sailing into San Juan.

 

The Retreat Lounge is much larger and brighter than Michael's that is for sure! It never felt crowded. There seemed to be plenty of bar servers but we didn't spend much time in the lounge. They always had small pastries and cheeses in the morning for breakfast. The coffee machine always seemed to be working. While there is a bar outside, there was no bar inside to sit at and I do wish there was one, especially for the evening. Though the bar servers can get you anything you need. The best part of the retreat lounge were the large windows.

 

I loved the new main pool. I think the set up, with some loungers in the water is beautiful. It was very crowded on the last sea days with most if not all the loungers completely full. What I did like about the area is while it was very crowded, it did not feel overly crowded. I think it’s because there are different heights to some of the decks. For instance you need to step up to get the pool bar and pool area, etc. It helps break things up a little and in turn I think makes the space look larger??

 

More to come…..

As always great insights. Really enjoyed following along. I have mixed feelings on the table in the room though. I actually liked having the rocker, even it though is a bit bulky. I just don't know where they would put a table though and would interfere with the nice sight line to  the sea from the bed. Not sure which is a better option.

Liked the Retreat Lounge as well, feels much more open  with its angles and sections and less "woodsy" than the other Michaels Club

I am curious to see what they do with shower tubs though. I was in a forward suite 9180 so really didn't see any water leaving the tub area, but seems like a common occurrence from quite a few threads. Will keep my eyes open to read if they try a fix to it before Apex

Thanks Again

45 minutes ago, hcat said:

We noted EDGE  pros and cons  after our 1/27  Eastern itin.... not a perfect ship but has excellent potential. We enjoyed it..and are not inexperienced cruisers esp with X by any means.

 

Some will like it and some not,  but one's preference does not depend on prior cruise experience in our opinion...

 

Looking forward to a 10 day ABC itin in NOV...

I agree, I think sometimes the most honest criticism can be found from people that have never cruised before, as they haven't been tainted on what is considered normal.They are more likely to see things objectively rather than subjectively

On 2/25/2019 at 1:38 PM, Littlegov said:

Johnny, what makes you think you are the only one who’s review is valid and that those experienced repeat cruises opinion do not matter. Usually, experience is a good thing .

If you  DON’t  know any better and are inexperienced, you may love this ship.

It certainly is the most beautiful ship I have been on including top notch hotels . Service excellent and food is ok.

On the rest,  I totally disagree with you. The ship is completely impractical. Does not flow easily. Have to go down to go up. Very few indoor place for evening activities,so after you see the loud repetitive evening shows, and spend one night in Eden, you need to go out doors to resort deck, or Roof top garden. Both are  beautiful , but do you really want to be outdoors in the middle of a windy ocean .

in practicability ,although new and inventive, ridiculous. Those that designed this ship probably never sail on a CRUISE ship. The furniture although beautiful, in many areas are uncomfortable. Martini bar is so loud that when you are in Fine Cut Steak house, you can’t hear yourself think. Another poor design. 

I will pass on discussion of IV. Other than to say how dare they pass this off as a balcony. If you want  to pay for a window that opens up, you should be aware of what you are getting. 

Then there was my outrageously priced sky suite.  No shower door or curtain. Flooded my floors after every shower.  Small safe, could not put two I pads in it. 

No footstools , or lounge on balcony. What were they thinking. 

I could go on and on. 400$ cabanas hardly ever used ,taking away from passengers who want shade around the pool. Smaller menu in Lumanae, where MDR was too far to get food from there.

no danceable music before and after dinner.

I do not mean to BASH Celebrity.  It is my favorite cruise line and live in fear ,they will ruin the S Class. Hoping they will read all the bad reviews and do something about it.

I also feel people have a right to find out for themselves, but buyer beware of what you are getting.

This ship has been booked for a few years, but in going forward, they will be getting less bookings as word gets out. Most people I know have cancelled their future cruises on this ship.

Have you noticed the intense advertising campaign?  They are on TV, and new sales every day. 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, Edge might have a few minor flaws, but no doubt be ironed out by Apex. I'm really looking to my second sailing on Edge on November 1st for the TA. Fantastic ship, design and crew.

23 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

Thank you for your input and it does sound as if you were thoroughly dis-appointed in your sailing and The Edge. Most people I know have not cancelled any future bookings, as of yet.

 

No need to apologize for the bashing of X, it happens here frequently, to be sure. We are accustomed to reading such venting posts.

 

Each of us have different expectations, some higher, some lower and some none. Ours is to have a great sailing and fun with friends, regardless.

 

As for advertizing, in our viewing area Princess and HAL are doing likewise... especially Alaska sailings, so X does not have the corner on television adverts, at least here.

 

bon voyage

You are right Bo, I think it's one of the downsides of CC that valid points (like shower design in aft cabins) get watered down (literally in this case), by user specific complaints rather than ones that might affect a greater audience

42 minutes ago, emjcruisers said:

Thanks for your detailed review. We look forward to the Nov 1 Transatlantic 

Ellen (emjcruisers)

I'll be on that same cruise with you on November 1st, hope you join our roll call (If you already haven't)

1 minute ago, Bo1953 said:

j - Thank you for posting this, but I would not have further dignified the detractors as it is obvious that there is no knowledge of what it takes to achieve such a status OR such a person, different from them, can undergo the rigor and be one of the best at their chosen profession.

 

bon voyage

Good Point Bo

I know I can only speak from my own experience, but when Captain Kate was brought on in 2015 I was surprised, and although I never have sailed with her, her peers unanimously speak highly of her. I have spoken with three other Masters and two Staff Captains (both qualified as Masters obviously), and all five told me the same thing.

       She earned her position, it wasn't done for  public relations or any other reason, other than she was the best qualified person for the job. If anyone knows the facts they do, not us. 

On 2/23/2019 at 7:01 PM, cruiseflyer38 said:

As I understand it Capt. Kate was brought into Celebrity and was able to bypass perhaps 30 long service Staff Captains who needed fifteen years to get to the top. I do not say Capt. Kate does not have the ability I just state that she is a Celebrity Captain only because she is a woman.  Did she ever serve as a Safety Officer or Staff Captain on Celebrity. Not to my knowledge.  After two weeks on the Edge she can have it, I do not think we will ever be back on that ship.   I expect to see Edge prices fall dramatically and Reflection and sister ship rise in unison.EdgeReview190217.odt

well, here's a brief synopsis of her experience before/including joining Celebrity, just like any other Captain, she served in all the subordinate positions before receiving her Masters status. 

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

As always, I congratulate Captain McCue on her success at Celebrity.  And while the NYT article correctly identifies her as the first US woman to Captain a cruise ship, it really annoys me that many times she is noted as the "first US female Captain", which is totally incorrect, and she herself does not acknowledge the ground breaking done by her predecessors.  The first US female Captain of an ocean-going vessel was Lynn Korvatch, who assumed command of a Matson freighter in 1988, thirty years ago, after 12 years at sea.

Good point. I know having served in submarines, they only recently (~10 years ago) began integrating women into service on submarines. A friend who was Commanding Officer of one of the first subs to integrate women into the ships company told me he really expected more problems then what they actually encountered. The problems they really encountered were minimal, and the integration continues to go smoothly. Doing the math on rank, that means we could see the first Submarine Captain in the next 5-10 years.

Good reading if you haven't seen it. I think it's also an informative way that the article is written. I met quite a few people over the years that were not sure of the work/path involved to become Master of a Cargo/Cruise/Naval ship.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/25/travel/captain-kate-mccue-women-celebrity-cruises.html

I remember meeting Captain Leo on one of his first sailings (on Summit), so was so happy we'll be sailing with him on EC on March 24. I was fascinated by his back story, and the community work he does at home in Greece during his down time. 

Don't miss Impulse in the Grand Plaza, best band I had heard on Celebrity in years. One interesting thing to check out while they are performing. I found the acoustics much better upstairs than down below by the Martini Bar. The band sounded near perfect upstairs while down by the Grand Plaza heard a lot more reverb and bass. 

Can't wait to try Edge again in November

Not an excuse but its not like it failed, and it it happens on every cruise line. It happens, i noticed the inspection was performed 12/9 after they had just completed those five 2 and 3 day cruises. I'm sure after doing them the crew had to be exhausted doing embark and debark almost continuously for two weeks

Plenty of time to pack, I'd pre-order your Iphone 25 Now

13 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

Interesting

Was it a refundable airfare?

We booked Biz class with Air/Celebrity and had to pay in full at the time of purchase... 6 months out.

Did it online. 

Never occurred to me that the fares via speaking with someone vs the website would differ

Thanks for the tip. Will try calling to check for the next one.

$1081 for biz JFK-FCO is a great fare

 

Was a refundable (refundable with $200 fee)

From what I was told this was a VERY recent change (able to pay at final payment for cruise date)

Normally I would do it online,but have been getting same fare for same 6 different airlines for this route (tried it 3x over a period of a month) and that made no sense since the airlines were different alliances ($2451 for biz) , and a friend who ran into same issue suggested calling them.

Agree was thrilled with $1081 for a lie flat sleeper seat on Delta

Our Sr Officers Party for Elite guests was held at "The Club", which is the largest venue onboard. Was just like any other ship with all the Senior Officers lined up to greet. I think it was held the 5th day