BosoxI

I am booked on the Summit leaving on 6/17/18 for Bermuda. I have an OV and asked my TA to contact Celebrity to see how much an upgrade to a balcony would be. She did and they gave me the opportunity to move up for $900 per person. I thought for a minute or two and respectfully declined.

 

I am surprised they were not embarrassed to offer that. Kind of makes me wonder about this cruise line. This is my first time sailing with them. I guess if they had one room left I could see it but it looks like they have many balconies open.

 

The balcony rooms with the same perks I have are selling for $150 more PP today than OV level 7 (my room).

Well, here's another piece of unsolicited advice about the Summit. If you want a decent meal, you'll have to eat in the Tuscan Restaurant. The food in other venues to really lacking . Very disappointing to say the least.

Here are the costs to make the 9.5 mile trip:

Private taxi: $69 plus tolls

Shared taxi: $20 p/p

Gypsy driver $55 +

Uber $17.38 total

I carefully chose the perfect S1 on the Eclipse months in advance of the cruise. At check in we learned that we had been upgraded to a Celebrity suite. My wife was overjoyed, as this is one of her favorite cabins. I was somewhat happy but a bit saddened to lose my handpicked favorite. But there was nothing I could do at that point. I should have put a "no upgrade" on the S1 but seeing my DW so joyful lessened my disappointment

We are back from the cruise on the Summit and I want to thank all who encouraged me to take 9156. I don't think I've ever had a better cabin in any class. It was simply magnificent. The balcony was huge and really quite private as only the far end could be viewed from above. We actually had breakfast there most days, something we rarely do in other cabins/verandas.

The service on board was excellent, the crew friendly and helpful.. Our one meal in Tuscan was simply excellent in every way, save the temperature of the red wine. The ship will have a much needed refurbishment next year but it was clean and everything seemed in good working order. Two comedians were very amusing and the other entertainers provided the usual screaming performances.

I have expanded this post because I want to touch on the one negative we encountered. The food was very bad in the MDR and the buffet; in 70 cruises I don't believe I've ever had worst. Poorly seasoned, bland, tasteless. Typically overcooked, dry items on the buffet. The head chef is Indian and I would have thought he would be a master of properly seasoned food. Not so. I jokingly told my wife the hors d'oeuvres in the Elite lounge would be the best food we would eat that night. Sadly, that was more truth than poetry. Even the curry sauce at one meal was lacking taste. Not to belabor the point but the poor quality of food kept this from being a wonderful cruise.

I think they're better than some suites!

Thanks to all of you for your good advice. I have made the switch to 9156, DW is less enthusiastic than I, so my fingers are slightly crossed.;)

We have a choice of a Summit cabin FV 8183 or 9156 which I believe is under the Ocean View bar but on the outside. Opinions would be greatly appreciated

2 weeks ago Uber XL was $100 but after 9 p.m. the rate dropped to $63. The driver says it's all a matter of demand and time of day

DAY 10 (Fri 30th March)

 

At sea again today.

Woke up late and spent a fairly lazy day.

Lunch in La Veranda - a delicious buffet spread of hot & cold dishes as usual.

Then we both attended Bill Fowler’s fascinating lecture on “The Fishing Crisis in the North Atlantic” which was all about the catastrophic depletion of Codfish caused by over-fishing.

 

Dinner in Compass Rose with an American couple who we met previously during a pre-cruise safari. It is so good to meet up with old friends on Regent cruises and to hopefully make new friends as well.

 

The show in the theatre tonight was “Broadway in Concert” - songs from the shows performed by the singers from the Production Cast, backed by the Regent orchestra. They are all superb singers and it was a packed house for a very enjoyable show.

 

DAY 11 (Sat 31st March)

 

 

Dinner in Pacific Rim was exceptional and we just made it to the theatre for David Nevin’s show.

What a talented singer with such a varied repertoire. His performance was made even better by the duet he sang with his girlfriend (another very talented singer) who had just joined him. She boarded in Madeira for a holiday on board with David; they had been away from each other for 2 months.

We were on the Explorer in February and heard David Nevin perform. He was in much better voice on this cruise. His girl friend screeches. What more need I say? The duet performers ( Five O'clock Somewhere) were terrible and I walked out, as did others. Finally, a pianist named Linda Gentille banged away all evening, so much so that my ears were ringing. Worse yet, she added so many grace notes and glissandi that the songs were virtually unrecognizable. Very disappointing, as she had received a big build up.

The performances on the February cruise were outstanding across the board, and I actually was looking forward to each night's show. On this TA, however, they fell flat except for the house singers and dancers and an amusing evening with John Lenahan. The enrichment talks were excellent, as were the service and dining.

Your review is excellent, Flossie,, a perfect blend of opinions and experiences, plus the pictures. Thanks

We learned a lesson on our current trip to board the Explorer TA. We left home and flew down to Atlanta when we realized getting to Miami was to be very iffy, so we rerouted to Ft. Lauderdale and boarded the next flight. Upon reaching MIA we went to pick up our luggage only to discover one of three bags was there. The other two were at FLL. We were a day early so we had time to retrieve them via a round trip Uber ride. We had done these changes in the past and our luggage always went straight through to its original final destination. A big lesson learned for us which, fortunately, cost us only money. From now on we'll always check for our bags at the intermediate airport before traveling on to our final stop, if we unexpectedly have to change flights.

 

The waiters in Blu can also be harassed but on a lesser scale. On two occasions, however, DW and I left that restaurant because we were completely ignored by our waiter. Blu can be deafening and we always seek a table in the rear section, away from the windows, though this might require eating earlier or later than what we would prefer.

 

 

What ship was that? Thankfully, we haven't had that experience in Blu! BTW, I think we're on the same cruise in December. Have you signed up for the Connections Party?

 

The last time definitely was on the Eclipse. I'm not sure about the first time but it might have also been on the Eclipse. Yes, we will be on the same cruise unless Regent lures us away.

Thanks, you've confirmed my gut feeling

In a heartbeat!!! For BLU alone. Much relaxter, more personal and not as loud as the MDR.

Briefly, eating in the MDR is like eating in a barn. Harried waiters half running through the aisles carrying loaded food trays sometimes over the heads of passengers unfortunate to be seated on the main aisle. It is not a pleasant experience unless one can get a table a bit off the beaten path. But we find the food is usually quite good and the menu expansive.

The waiters in Blu can also be harassed but on a lesser scale. On two occasions, however, DW and I left that restaurant because we were completely ignored by our waiter. Blu can be deafening and we always seek a table in the rear section, away from the windows, though this might require eating earlier or later than what we would prefer.

Luminae, I am afraid, is a bit overrated. This past December saw me ordering frequently from the MDR menu while asking myself "Why am I paying for a suite, if I am going to eat from the MDR menu?" The Luminae portrayed before it had opened is not the Luminae available today, but it still is a pleasant experience in some ways.

I don't want to hijack this thread but would you recommend Sun transfers or a taxi to get from the cruise terminal to the airport. We've always used a taxi but it's been awhile since we've been in Barcelona

Can someone tell me what Promo codes 2C and 3T represent? I have waited on the phone for more than an hour today to address another, unrelated situation but when I received confirmation, these codes appeared and I just don't want to pick up the phone again.

Speaking of food, I had a problem with swelling , as I usually do on any cruise line. It seemed to be worse on the Explorer, though, to the point where I had to struggle to put on a shoe and a ring which usually is a bit loose was fitting perfectly. Some of this I bring on myself, as I am a glutton for cheese and there was plenty to be had. I tried to drink lots of water and on the next cruise I'll try sweating it out. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. What do others do?

What you need is a good TA to whom you can transfer your booking. You are missing out on discounts besides the B/B ones.

Really? Of course I've transferred the booking. What other discounts have I missed?

On our first night in Pacific Rim on the Explorer I ordered the soft shell crab appetizer. It was excellent. Before my main course was delivered, I asked the waitress if I might have a second order of the crabs, even if it was delivered after the main course. The second order was equal to the first. On our second foray in PR I benefited from my first experience and ordered a double serving of the crab right off the bat. I hope they're available on next month's TA. They are that good.and, as my wife won't touch them, I don't have to share even a bite! :)

Is this something new or did I miss the boat, so to speak? We've done a good number of B2Bs, all with no discount. On the two we booked for December, the X agent offered a small benefit on each of the two cruises. It's not enough to get excited about but I do appreciate her offer, as every little bit counts these days

I have a friend who constantly over tips. He must cruise a lot on Celebrity, as he would fit right in based on some of these comments.

That all said, I really wish X would start listening to all these issues and fix them. So many of us have top statuses and only book top suites and do not want to leave...but nothing is making me/us want to stay either.

If you are booking only top suites on Celebrity, you surely have the wherewithal to book on true luxury lines.

It's hard to tell, maybe impossible, what cabins are available. I just made a reservation on a different line after checking to see cabins in the category I desired. There were six of them showing. When I called my agent, she said there are nine available. I chose a cabin from one of the three I didn't even know existed five minutes before.

On another occasion I booked a guarantee because no cabins were showing as available but many were available in the next highest category. I felt confident I would be assigned an upgrade at a great cost saving. Not so. The next day my cabin came through in the category I paid for which was perfectly fine with be, just a tad disappointing. These cruise companies know what they're doing alright :)

For the past six or seven years DW and I have cruised on the Eclipse in December, always a B2B and sometimes a B2B2B. This year we had to switch to the Silhouette, a ship we've traveled on but not recently. It is disheartening to read so many negative experiences by so many experienced Celebrity cruisers who are paying good money for a premium cruise. This year the prices of an S1 cabin have risen so high that we booked an A1. Honestly, the product is not worth the cost and I sometimes wonder who is paying such outrageous prices for a suite. For a while I thought it was I, perhaps tired of the whole cruising experience after seventy or so. Now I can see that is not the case, as so many others are having the same difficulties. Luminae has disappointed us and we have twice walked out of Blu because of a complete lack of service. So what's left? We are now cherry picking cruises on a luxury line when we see prices that pretty much match Celebrity's for an equivalent suite. Actually, not an equivalent suite, as the new line is all inclusive-tours, booze, access to specialty restaurants and wonderful service plus magnificent bed linens that even I noted as being wonderful. I am surprised to learn how much I appreciate not having to pull out a card to prove my status in a bar. A small thing, I know, but a really nice benefit.

We won't cancel the December cruises just yet, but doing so is very possible and I don't think Celebrity will miss us. Not when they can market to new customers who think they are getting a quality product or at least a step up from what they are used to.

[quote=

If you upgrade to A1 and get a cabin on deck 11 there is no overhang for the balconies along the sides. You are completely exposed to the elements.

Happy cruising 🚢🚢🇺🇸🌅

Those are my favorite cabins and if memory serves me, 1114/15 or so have larger balconies

I was just going through the newest itineraries today, and while I didn't see a Northwest Passage trip, I did notice a lot of unusual ports on this one:

 

http://www.seabourn.com/details?voyageCode=6935

 

So if you just want to cross Nunavut off your bucket list, that would do it!

Reading that itinerary confirms that I would have made a lousy Viking.

A trip to and lunch at the beachside bar at Nibet Plantation resort is a good way to spend a short trip. Nisbet is the family home of a Fanny Nisbet, the wife of Lord Nelson who married her whilst stationed on the islands - she is buried in the UK.

 

The view from the Great House to the sea is one of the most atmospheric in the historic Caribbean.

Now that sounds familiar