ClaudiaB

World Class Bar.  Pre dinner.   You can actually hold a conversation with someone.   Martini Bar, although it's fun and lively, is so loud you have to scream to the person next to you to chat.   I also find the drinks a lot more consistent at the World Class Bar. 

Sunset Bar for an afternoon frozen drink.  

You can spend your on board credit on restaurants, bars, internet, the stores, spa, excursions (but best to do independent in my opinion), and probably more that I'm leaving out.    If it's refundable and you don't use it, it will go back on your cc.   We've never sailed Princess so I can't answer your other question.   

Have a great time!   

Just be sure to spend all your non-refundable credit.   Even if you have to go on the last evening and buy a black Michael Kors bag with a gold chain so you don't lose the OBC.   

7 hours ago, gold1953 said:

Although most tables are 2 top in Blu if you order extra of any course when sharing a table it is good to ask the server not to hold up others food . We have had to sit and wait when we really wanted our main course while others had multiple appetizers

That's very kind and considerate of you.   

I have requested things in both Blu and Luminae that weren't specifically on the menu but that were obviously in the kitchen.   

For example, I have asked for a real side of broccoli instead of just one or two florets.   I have requested other greens as a portion and not a garnish.   I love my green veggies!!  

Also, on many lunches at Luminae I just asked for an entire plate of salad greens with vinagrette, and a grilled chicken or salmon piece on top.   Never have they blinked an eye when I politely asked.    

In Blu there was a risotto that we liked, but we just wanted a little taste, so asked for a HALF portion and then we divided that.   I also remember that we have ordered a few appetizers as our entree.  

I have also, like the cruiser above, asked for a bowl of mixed berries.   As a matter of fact, it's my go-to breakfast on nearly every cruise:   small bowl of berries, small bowl of vanilla or fruit yogurt, handful of granola and I mix it myself.   

I hate to waste food,  so on items that I know are over-served I ask for half:   chicken and waffles that was in Luminae (may still be) I ask for one and one.   I *have* gotten a look like 'are you sure?'  Yeah, just one please.    No bun on a burger, just meat on the plate.    I can't say how many burgers I've eaten at Mast Grill (too many!) and I have never had a bun.  

I do all this ------- and then I can enjoy a chocolate martini guilt-free.   Well almost.  Two?  Then totally guilt-free lol.  

We've stayed in corner aft S1s quite a few times and love deck 11 the best.   

The window washing equipment was a deck or two below if I recall and I have to say that was a non-issue.  It obstructs a teeny part of the corner and honestly during the day it's moving around washing windows.   It didn't detract at all and to be quite honest, I didn't even realize it was there for several days.   I don't remember the deck but it was on Equinox or Eclipse.   

We have loved Luminae.   And we have loved Blu.   And even on some busy tired evenings we've had some wonderful dinners in Oceanview.   You know, if you're out all day in the sun until 5 pm or so and you're exhausted, all you want is something simple and casual.   We don't cruise to "get our money's worth" on food.   We have even been known many many times to skip lunch or breakfast altogether!! We have had packages on cruises where we only ate in specialties.   However, we *do* love fine dining and great food and beverage - and we haven't been disappointed on any cruise except for just a couple missteps.  

Back to Luminae:   they want you to be happy and customizing is easier there because of the size and number of people compared to other dining venues.   One night I really didn't want anything but a big plate full of lettuce with some grilled chicken on it.   I knew they had both in the kitchen.   I asked for it with vinaigrette on the side and it was perfect.    Other times I've preferred a larger amount of broccoli (for example) rather than just a garnish, and they gave me a great serving of it.    I often ask them to change things like the great Luminae chicken and waffles - I ask for ONE waffle and ONE chicken.   Don't like to waste food.  

If it's a really special request, it would be courteous to make that early in the day or even the night before. 

We had a special request one time in Murano.  It was on a cruise where we used our OBC to just eat in the specialties as we had booked a concierge room and we have never been fond of the MDR.   So on our third evening in Murano, we got to talking to the head chef and he told us where he was from.  We asked him what HE loves to cook and eat and he told us.  It was a rice and beans dish and had some grilled vegetables.   We told him we would be honored if he'd prepare it for us two nights later.   He did!   It was so great.  He even sat with us a bit and we got to know more about his family.   It was so special.  

Little things like that really make us miss cruising.   We haven't been on a ship since Feb. 2020 and have no plans any time soon as we're full time caregivers for my 100 year old dad living with us.   But one day we'll step on board again.   We'll be ready, that's for sure!!!!  

We've sailed in both and we prefer sky suite for the larger room.   We do like Luminae a lot, but we also use OBC to eat the other nights in specialties.  We check the menus and decide.   We don't use a butler much and we never really did anything much in the amenities with AQ.  It's all about the room size.   And location.  We prefer corner aft.  

We always walk off with our luggage ourselves because we have early flights.   It's easy.   Just ignore the time they say to line up ( your luggage is what saves your place in line for most people).   Get there at least half an hour before that, maybe 45 minutes.   Some people get there an hour ahead.   We don't worry so much about breakfast, we just grab a muffin at al Bacio or nothing at all and just get something at the airport (or you - on the road).   In most cases we're among the first couple dozen off the ship.   Once we were THIRD off!   Obviously if there's a hang-up in customs you'll wait, but so will everyone in line.    Even if we have a later flight or something, we still walk off with our luggage, and there's no wandering around the terminal to find it.    It's worked for us for many cruises.   We also never pre arrange a shuttle.  Taxis are readily available but for you obviously it's not an issue.   Most people we've talked to don't park at the port but use the very convenient shuttle to the parking place nearby.   It's not a short walk to your car otherwise and it's more $$.   

Either way, have a great cruise.   

Having said all this, we haven't sailed since Feb. 2020 so I have no idea what it's like now.  

We always got a flight about 10 am or so.  We carried our stuff off and lined up very early.  No matter what time they said was the official time to self-disembark, we were there an hour earlier.   Doing this it is possible to be among the first couple dozen off the ship, and if there are no customs problems, you can potentially grab a taxi and be at the airport before 8 am.   One time we were third and fourth off!   We have never pre-arranged a taxi and for sure we wouldn't book a group bus or van because they have to wait for everyone.   Sometimes we'll get a beverage at Cafe Bacio and maybe a muffin and eat it in line, but mostly we just get to the gate and get something to eat like a bagel there, or nothing at all, no matter.  

There is always a later flight we can take if something happens.   It's only about a 7 minute taxi from port to drop off at FLL.  

We have never missed a flight, or even come close.  Once our flight time changed to about 9:20 and we still made it.  We wouldn't have scheduled one that early but as it turned out we made it easily.  TSA PRE helps too.  

However, if timing makes you nervous then get a flight after lunch.  We've been lucky to always have direct flights to either New Orleans or Houston.  

4 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Thanks for the input everyone! I do think I will go ahead and pull the trigger on it. I don't know if I will have an opportunity to try the Retreat again so cheaply and after this I will be able to judge for myself whether the price difference is justified.

Jamie, we sail sky suites mostly, and if we knew of a single in Luminae we'd absolutely invite them (you) to join us.   We have met people before and have gone to dinner together.  We sail just as a couple but love to meet people and share a meal or a drink or an excursion or all of the above.  There's no problem arriving normally as a 'table for 2' and the next night showing up 'table for 3'.   I hope you have a fabulous cruise and come back to tell us all about it.  We don't sail until next June so I'm getting all the scoop reading on here.   

When we aren't in a sky suite or AQ we buy a package of specialty restaurants and eat every night in one.   Last cruise we took was Reflection in Feb. 2020, and we ate 3 nights in Murano.   Dover sole, chateaubriand, and our last night of the cruise we had a special dinner.   We had been visited at the table by the executive chef, as they do, and we were talking.   We asked him what HIS favorite thing to cook is - and he talked about a special rice and chicken dish, with some other sides.  It made him smile talking about his favorite.   OK, we said.  We would LOVE that if you could make it for us on ______ night.   He agreed, and we did!   He came out to sit with us a little bit that night.   It was so good.   I think the chefs must get tired of the same old same old.  We had a similar experience on Azamara Journey a couple years ago, where we talked to the chef and he made us HIS favorites one night upon request.    I'm not saying they can do it all the time, but it is worth asking.   

We love Murano and the service.   My photo here is from a dinner in Murano probably on Equinox a number of years ago.   We've never been able to finish the desserts so we get them sent to our cabin, along with the additional little candies.    Probably because we like the wine pairing and the cheese course!   lol  On nights we eat there and Tuscan Grill we usually just have some yogurt and berries for breakfast, some greens with grilled chicken for lunch -- saving up for the big meal.  

Oh my gosh, that's horrible.    And....that's the same airline we used independently once out of Ketchikan to go to Misty Fjords!   I remember the name well.  Sometimes I've told people DON'T take it.    It was a situation we should have backed out of but we didn't.    It was a typical misty rainy foggy Ketchikan day and over half the airlines cancelled.   But not ours.   I have no idea why we didn't, guess we thought it was ok if they went.  Pretty dumb and we're grateful we are alive to tell the tale. Pilot was telling us there is no radar on the plane but they "talk" to the other planes to see where they are so they don't run into each other.  What???!!!!!!    There were cans and bottles and papers rolling around the floor and seats were dirty.   It was a bumpy ride out to Misty Fjords and when we got on the water it was clear and beautiful but I was so freaked out.   He took a different route back that was shorter because I was seriously upset.   I don't love flying anyway but this had been something I wanted to do and had the weather been clear it would have been beautiful.   It wasn't and they still flew and I'll never do one of those little planes again, clear day or not.  Never.  

I loved your review and happy you had a great time!    We sailed to Alaska twice on Infinity quite a number of years ago and I'm happy to hear Brent Nixon is back.   He was amazing and really made our cruise.  We really paid attention to him:   if he told us to get out of the inside and skip a meal because there would be whales in a certain area at a certain timeframe, we did it!   I think we ate less and drank less on that cruise than any other - we were busy looking at nature nearly the whole time we were on the ship.  Well I probably drank my weight in hot chocolate - it was sooooo cold the year we went.  So beautiful.  

It's amazing with some very careful folding and stuffing how much one can get into a laundry bag!   When the only option is a paper bag I've asked the cabin attendant for a cloth bag - I don't think they really care.  

I tend to bring a lot of things I can wash in the sink and roll and hang.  

12 minutes ago, Crown Vic said:

Everyone has a particular favourite when dining at the Tuscan Grill. DW always chooses the Chicken Parmesan. ‘Yummy’ she says. The restaurant is very pleasant with expansive views of the sea aft of the ship. Personally wish they would change the knives to something that would fit the hand more comfortably.

In any event, no matter what you eat or what you drink, make very sure that you have left ‘room’ for dessert. What dessert? Spumoni donuts of course. Once you try them, you wish you had a smaller meal. You will want a second serving of Spumoni Donuts but it may not be possible to do another helping justice...just enjoy every mouthful. Sinfully delicious! CV

 

 

 

 

I totally agree about the knives.   I think they're weird.  

We have had our dessert delivered to our cabin before.  I never had the donuts - I always mean to, but panna cotta......

I like the goat cheese salad, the filet or the burrata, and for dessert I get the panna cotta which is several little mini desserts that are so good.   I absolutely LOVE the charcuterie and the bread basket is the best on the ship.   Last time (Feb. 2020) the goat cheese salad wasn't on the menu but they said they could do it.   So ask for it!  

My husband gets the caesar salad and a few years ago we ate at TG 3 times on that cruise and they made the salad table side, and the waiter even chopped up the anchovies into tiny bits and it was perfect.  

We have also each gotten an entree and split a 3rd entree.   But.... we said to give us HALF the 3rd entree so 1/4 each.   Although they were hesitant to give us such a small bit, we literally only wanted a couple bites to try (fettuccine).  

We typically sail in an aft or corner aft cabin so the views aren't as big a deal since we have those all day and night in our cabin, but it *is* a lovely venue.   

We always try to book a cruise while ON a cruise because of the extra OBC, etc.   The best we ever did was when we were on a Celebrity Thanksgiving cruise and there was a Black Friday sale.  We booked a cruise and got so much OBC, and then we emailed our online TA that day who also had Black Friday deals and we were able to combine them.   

We've eaten in the Lawn Club twice on Reflection and it was ok.  Both times we ate after 8:30 and the service was slow.   Lots of staff were eating there both times.    Despite the wind barriers it still is very windy.   We won't likely eat there again - the food is pretty ordinary.   We really wanted to like it - we ate every night in the specialty restaurants on that cruise and it was by far our least favorite one.  

Best was the pizza, but we only ate a piece as we were trying to 'save' our appetite for the main course.  

We love love Tuscan Grill and have eaten many meals there on many ships.  We also love Murano.   Not interested in Petite Chef.  We liked Silk Harvest and enjoyed Qsine when we could go with a group.  

It wouldn't be considered custom but I have gone into Luminae for lunch and asked for a plate of mixed greens and a grilled chicken breast or salmon cut up on top, and some vinaigrette on the side.   On both occasions they kept wanting to bring me some extra food, not thinking this was enough lunch.   

Following as we're sailing summer 2022 on Apex.  

We have stayed in sky suites many times.   Our favorite is the corner aft cabins, on the second to upper deck so that there are just cabins above us.   We love that aft view.   It's a good long walk to the nearest stairway or elevator and that's just fine with us because who doesn't need the extra exercise on a cruise?!! It's also quiet and private there.  No one goes down there unless their cabin is there - it's not a place where people will stand and chat outside your room.  

Sky suites are just a bigger room basically but we like the extra space.   We don't take full advantage of the butler provided as we are pretty self-sufficient and I would never dream of asking someone to unpack for me or call to make a reservation for something, or walk (escort) me to the theatre.  We did have a butler once set up a little private party for 6 of us when we met on the ship and decided to have cocktails in our cabin.   You wouldn't want more than 6 or 8 in a sky suite mingling.    We like Luminae and Michael's and look forward to our first time in the Retreat when we next sail next summer on Apex.  

The perks used to be nice but now most people get them.   We are also elite +, and that came with some nice perks which now don't seem that special since most everyone gets them too.   However, we mostly continue to book sky suites.  

I will add one thing.   Last February, right before Covid, we sailed 10 nights on Reflection in a concierge cabin and the money saved from a suite we used to book 9 nights in a specialty restaurant.  By booking that many we got the discount.   We even asked them to cook special things for us since we didn't want to eat so rich every night.  We met the chefs and asked them if they had their own special recipes or specialties from their country and we had the most delightful couple of dinners.   We would do that plan again.   Also, for the first time ever, we had dinner TWICE in Oceanview buffet.  It was much busier and the food was awesome, more than I expected.   I had no idea so many people chose the buffet for dinner.   One couple we met said they'd been on so many cruises and always every single night ate in the buffet. 

There is a support pole or two in the sky suite cabins and regardless of what you might read here, they are not in the way and really after half a day you don't really notice them.  We also had the window washing machine in the far corner once and it, too, wasn't a problem.  It obstructed a bit of the view looking directly down, but during daylight hours most days it wasn't even there - it was down the side of the ship washing windows!   Neither of those things would bother us or even hit our radar.   And the soot that is sometimes spoken about - never have seen it.  

We don't overpack (things you learn after a bunch of cruises!) and find there is more than enough storage space.  I always keep my big suitcase opened under my bed for the dirty clothes. 

We like Michael's Club but we always spend more time in other places - bars - since there are no windows.  At sunset we love the Sky Lounge.  Even though you get free drinks in Michael's, we always have a drink package and spend more cocktail time in other places.  The World Class bar is our favorite.  Better more consistent drinks and not as crazy loud and hectic as the martini bar.   On some cruises we have had 3 meals a day in Luminae.   We have not one negative about Luminae.   I have also had them alter menu items there too.  At lunch I will ask them to just please fill a plate with mixed greens and put a grilled chicken breast on it and bring me a vinaigrette.  They always want me to have more, more - but are always happy to please.  🙂

7 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

Wondering why crew need to wear masks if they are all 100% vaccinated.  Seems like an unnecessary annoyance for them without a scientific reason to back it up.  Also wondering why fully vaccinated people still need to provide a negative PCR test before boarding.  I understand there is still a small chance you may be positive, but the inconvenience and cost also doesn't seem backed by the science.  I know St. Maarten requires one, but I hope this does not continue to be a requirement for everyone once cruises are able to sail from US ports. 

This. 

At long last!   Enjoy every drop!

I participated in a passenger choir with rehearsals every day, on both TAs we took.  So much fun with the vocal staff.   There are art classes and you don't have to be an artist.  All materials provided.   

There are craft classes but I haven't taken  them.   I do cross stitch and a group of us agreed to meet every day at a certain time up in the Sky lounge.   That was fun - - stitchers and knitters and hand quilters meet up in various places.   We played cards and when they had the hot glass show I went to one every day.  

We are not pool people at all but we did go into the indoor pool area to read and dip in our toes.   

We always found at least one of the lecturers interesting.   So between meals (we often skipped either breakfast or lunch on our hectic schedule ha ha ha) and all the above, the days went so fast!    We'll do a repositioning cruise again I'm sure.  Maybe pacific....