Duanerice1

I don;t even think about it. Not sure if I've ever booked any travel, other than hotels, that was refundable. I'm willing to take the risk on the deposit and most companies let you apply it to another travel date.

Mariana stole the show. She is awesome..... very dry humor and says stuff you'd never expect...

If you have the option, which I think you said you did, stay the night and enjoy downtown Tampa. Lot's to do. Stress free and lot's of fun. I haven't had an issue with fog but you never know.

Jump on it. I've snagged an Aqua cabin for less than a Veranda before. Grab it while you can because prices can change daily.

Never understood going to GC. Once you see the stingrays... not much else that there islands don't have. And it's one of the most expensive islands in the Caribbean, add to the fact that it's a tender..... Not sure why they stop. Surely there must be better options.

duplicate post

1552 and 1547 have very large balconies as does 1610 and 1605. The first 2 are usually pretty quiet.

Just got off the Equinox Grand Cayman and ABC cruise. One of our best ever. The only thing I'd say is not that great was the entertainment. Some stuff was good.... other's kind of awful. lol The ship is in great shape overall. Little stuff like the wood on the balconies needs a lot of attention but it didn't deter from a great cruise. otherwise she's looking good! Hopefully this will lead you to my review...

Not worth it to us. Your opinion may be different

You know the answer but I'd recommend just going to Hawaii. Pick one or 2 islands and explore. Not going to see much from a cruise. Just my 2 cents. Either way..... enjoy

They did but I've never used them. Since we drove we didn't really need them

Yes, he is right at the port. What i like is the GPS, phone and insurance are all included. He's a nice guy too. Rented from him before.

When we used to bring our laptops, we never locked them up. Pretty safe....

Just returned from 9 nights on the Equinox with stops in Grand Cayman and the ABC’s. This was probably the best cruise we've taken! Just fantastic all around. We’ve been on 5 cruises since the pandemic but none on Celebrity because the prices were out of line compared to other cruises. I kept watching though and found a great price right before Black Friday. We did book one of the large slanted balconies right after the hump. We don’t get the all in because we don’t use the internet and drink very little. As a side note with T-Mobile we got free data and texting in all the ports so that was enough to keep in touch. I haven’t sailed on Celebrity since 2018 (and my wife never has) and didn’t know what to expect due to a lot of the comments on here. All I can say is wow! What a fantastic trip. From the cabin to the crew to the dining to (most of the shows). They haven’t lost a step, except for room service…. Lol. Before the cruise I contacted the Captains Club and they converted my wife’s membership to Elite. Having never sailed Celebrity she could now enjoy the Elite benefits. Since we do not get a drink package it was very nice to have her Elite. We also used both free laundry perks. Embarkation. After about a a two hour drive I dropped off the bags and my wife stayed with the carryons while I parked the car. Port parking was the same price as the park and sail places and I find it much easier. After the cruise I usually just walked to the car then swing around and pick up the bags. We arrived around 11:30 but there were a lot of people waiting. I heard the ship was cleared a bit late but got on in less than 30 min. The cabin was in great shape. We had a 1A with a large balcony with the bed by the door but we now know we like the bed by the balcony. Just personal preference. Next time. Loved the large balcony. We brought blow up footstools and used the balcony a lot. On sea days we spend most of the time out there reading and enjoying the ocean. Not that interested in all the daytime activities. We live in S Florida so sitting elbow to elbow around a pool isn’t inciting… lol. Cabin steward was OK. Nice as can be but wasn’t proactive at all and not so good at follow through. Not a biggie as he kept the cabin clean and was very nice. There is a foul smell coming from the bathroom shower. Not too noticeable at times and other times pretty bad. We kept the bathroom door shut at all times. Overall the food was wonderful. There were 2 nights we ate at the buffet because nothing looked that good on the menu. Found plenty at the buffet. We both thought the appetizers were the stars of the show. Always good and always wanted more than one. Another standout is the bread. How do they make bread so good out at sea? Always have to hold back. Lol. Dinning service was overall very good. We had a reservation for most nights so we were fortunate to sit in the same station all nights. Dinner did seem to drag at times though as there was a lot of time between some courses. They would consolidate orders and go into the kitchen and bring out full trays. That took a while. They probably just have too many tables. A couple of times we just left as it would have taken way too long for coffee and dessert. Love the ‘little things’ that make Celebrity special. Table cloths, real menus and not having us use our phone, separate dessert menu, cold water and ice cold cloths when returning to the ship, honor system for beach towels, shower doors and not curtains, the treats at Cafe Al Blanco, real ice cream, the buffet, elite benefits….. by themselves they don’t mean much but together they make a difference. My wife loved all the little thing as this was her first time. The elite happy hour(s) was perfect for us. Other than the Martini Bar, which we didn’t do to, the bars were pretty much empty from 5-7. One glass of wine for my wife or a mixed drink and she was fine for the night. I don’t drink so I’d grab a water or soda. We would grab a water or 2 to take back to the room. Shows were pretty good. Just wish they’d spend a few dollars and have a comedy show every night. The one comedian they had was great but he was only 1 night. Other times the Cruise Director and activities staff did the comedy events. But the cruise director did all the comedy shows, all the Behind the Podium shows and a mentalist show. As much as we liked him we saw way too much of him. Spend a few more dollars and get some other people in. The big shows were decent. Some better than others. Have never done this but we left in the middle of Elysyium. They just butchered all the songs. Sorry but Aerosmith, Queen, Pink, etc do not need you to rearrange their songs so you don’t even recognize them. Other issue with the show but that’s not for here. Couple of good singers and some that are just OK. The ‘specialty’ acts were great. Also lots of good music around the ship. The ports were the big draw for us (other than getting back on to Celebrity). Grand Cayman. Tried to find a snorkel trip that did not go to Stingray City. Unless we rented a private tour they are not to be found. There is some fabulous snorkeling out past Stingray City but you can’t get there. So, we just walked over to Eden Rock and snorkeled from shore. It’s decent but nothing like we could get out on a boat. It was worth the effort though. The Eden Rock people were fantastic. They don’t care if you use their tables and bathrooms. Wanted to buy a shirt but didn’t see anything we liked. Walked back into to town and shopped our way to the pier. Overall a good day but I have no desire to ever go back. Been many times and after you’ve gone to Stingray City there is nothing unique about it. It’s also a very short day. Not worth the tender process. We went for the ABC’s because the water is so beautiful. Aruba. Since we didn’t get in until 11 am we were just going to go to the beach. But, the winds were 30 mph so the idea of trying to keep an umbrella from not blowing away while the sand was blowing didn’t sound like fun so we just walked around town. Probably half or more of the stores were closed because it was a holiday. Overall a good day…. Curaçao… probably our favorite island. Rented a car from Advanced Car Rental. Think this was the 3rd time using them. $125 for the rental until 7pm. Includes insurance, GPS with all the locations already in and a cell phone to call him if there is any issue. Not a bad deal. We we’re on our way by 8:30. Wanted to get up to see the turtles at Playa Grandi before the crowds got there. Right… last time I was there we had the turtles to ourselves for probably 30 minutes before people started showing up. I guess the word got out. We drove straight up and when we got there, there were probably 100 people already there. A local was feeding the turtles from the dock, for tips, so they were all in one place and it was wall to wall people. Consider they were only in about 3’ of water, we just stood on the dock and watched. So if you're up that way it’s worth a stop but not worth going out of your way. Drove 3 Minutes over to Playa Kalki to snorkel. It was pretty good, especially on the South side of the dock but we’ve been to some fantastic snorkeling spots in the world so we are kind of jaded. The location would have made for a great beach day as they had loungers, some under a pavilion and was kind of small so it wouldn’t get too crowded Next Stop was Kleine Knip. Beautiful beach with great snorkeling off to the right. Just as pretty as can be. Last stop was Playa Lagun. Just a gorgeous little bay. Like a postcard. We went back and forth but didn't snorkel as we had already been in for a couple of hours. My face was sore. Lol. But, I have snorkeled here before and it is great. We use shorty wet suits as we get cold just floating around. They travel the world with us. Lol. Makes all the difference. But, if you’re from up North then you’ll probably be OK. Went back and took a quick shower then went into town. Love the buildings and just walking around. Not sure if we bought anything this time as we were just here a year ago. When it got dark we went back over to see the bridge lit up. Walked across then back to the ship. Very nice evening. My wife would love to spend a week on Curaçao. Stay close to downtown but rent a car for the week. It might be in our future… But…. Not sure why Celebrity stays in Aruba until 11 pm the Curaçao until 10pm. There is basically nothing to do after 6 pm. Sure you can have dinner and drinks but that’s about it. I can have that on the ship. What’s surprising is the shops and casino are closed the entire time. The ship just seems dead…. No energy. Like the casino or not, but that brings out some energy on the ship. Can’t imagine the lost revenue but it must be worth it for them. Why not just go off shore and anchor for the night? I mean the other islands are just a stone’s throw away. Just curious. Bonaire is one of the snorkeling capitals of the world. I’ve been 3 times and have never been inland past the docks. Lol. We took Woodwind again and they delivered. Talk about service! From the moment you step on board they are always offering drinks from water to almost anything. They sail for about 45 min and get everyone outfitted with masks and fins. Once we get to Kline Bonaire they split us into groups and in we go with a guide. Our guide stopped along the way and pointed stuff out and explained what we were seeing. We all got back on and went to the East side I think. Same routine but the snorkeling was out of this world. The coral, the fish… amazing. Wow is all we can say. After we got back on the boat, they gave us a great lunch while we sailed around. Five star treatment the whole way. Great snorkeling, guides, food and drink. The tour was 4 hours and was only $85pp. One of the easiest debarkations ever. We never stopped except to pick out our luggage then just right outside. We were in group 33 and were on the road by 10 We left at pier 25 and came back at pier 18. You have to take a shuttle but by the time we got off there really was no wait because they had 3 shuttles running continuously. I think that’s about it. So glad I didn’t listen to all the complaining. And yea, we were disappointed by the change in room service after our final payment. We use it a lot as we’ll spend all sea day on the balcony. But, wow, just a great cruise overall. So glad to be back on Celebrity. Not sure when I’ll book the next one as I can get cruises a lot cheaper. Yea, maybe not with all the little extras but it’s still a cruise. Since a cruise is not our big vacation for the year it doesn’t always have to be special. Just get us on a ship once or twice a year and we are fine! Thanks for reading.

We used to have Verizon and have used it. $10 and you can call all day. Just turn off airplane mode and you're in. We now have T-Mobile and get free text and data on all the islands so will just call using WhatsApp.

Love that cabin. Great balcony and close to Solarium and gym. This one of the things I like about the S class. There are a bunch of hidden gems for balconies.

We usually book the first slanted balcony. It’s one of the largest and you can still see forward. Just love the extra room!

Amazing how people react to dressing decent. Not dressing up but pants and a collard shirt. That’s all they need to do. Go to a beach instead. And certainly don’t select Celebrity. Heck even on Carnival, which I like, would prefer you to do that. Even teens can do this. Lol. But I’m always amazed at some adults ‘well it’s my vacation’! If you don’t like the ‘rules’ don’t go…. Pretty simple.

So obviously you’re not going to tell him about the non drinking part. 😂😂 have fun!!!

I never used to use a TA because I wanted to ‘control’ my reservation. I cringe thinking how much money I threw away… but I really don’t need to control it. I pick the cabin I want (large balcony) so don’t plan on moving and if the price drops they can take care of that for me. I’ve used a large TA out of New Hampshire for about 10 years now. Minimum OBC I get is around $150. This latest in a 1a cabin I’m getting $350. And I still get the $250 from Celebrity too. So if I booked and left with Celebrity I’d be paying $350 more than I should have. I also used to book onboard if they had extra OBC to do so then switch to the TA when I got home. have fun

Just go real early and do your aerobics. Just don’t do them from 9ish on as it is a place to relax. have fun!!

Just a thought…. You could go without drinking for this cruise. Again…. Just a thought. Lol

Ditto what Jim said. We download emails then log off. We compose the response and next time we sign in they are sent as we are downloading the new emails. We do this once a day and have plenty of minutes. Don’t use them otherwise as we have no interest being online during the cruise.

Yep, my wife is new to Celebrity but will get my Elite status because we are married and live together. Kind of a nice touch.

Not sure why you'd want to pay for AQ if you're not going to eat in Blu. That's really the reason to pay extra. The Spa isn't worth it..... just pay a daily rate when you want to go. Either way.... have a blast!