ChucktownSteve

The two 2,900-guest, 117,000-gross-registered-ton ships, developed under the project name EDGE will build upon the modern luxury experience of the brand's Millennium and Solstice class vessels. Kel:)

Let's hope that they truly build upon the modern luxury experience and it's just not marketing rhetoric like they're doing now.

If you would tip extra in the MDR why not in Blu? If the service warranted it then yes, we would tip extra.

I understand. My question wasn't whether to but more to get a consensus of what amounts various people do.

We have an upcoming AQ cruise that includes Blu. Do you tip extra? Who do you tip and how much? (position not name) Please mention if you're referring to a 7 night or 14 night cruise.

I was wondering if there is an amount that would be insulting to the recipient?

Thank you in advance for your opinion.

P.S. UK cruisers, we already know a lot of you feel they're just doing their job and shouldn't be tipped extra. ;)

How much does it cost to park at the Charleston terminal?

$17/day

Charleston Port cruise parking info

Vehicles displaying a valid handicap placard or license plate with ID are free. The handicapped person must be with the vehicle.

I just got an email with the exciting deals.

I just received an email also but nothing seemed Xciting OR exciting. Guess I'll wait until business turns bad to book another cruise.

Too bad. I really wanted to book another cruise before next spring.

The excitement is waning?

Can't find them either.

Appears to have taken a long walk off a short pier. :D

So Lisa Lutoff-Perlo was serious when she said they weren't going to discount any more?

I keep looking for the current "Exciting" Deals (Wasn't it "Xciting" before?). All I keep getting is 5/17/16 – 5/18/16 but today is 5/23. Has anyone found the current deals?

Just returned from a cruise on Constellation and on reviewing our information noticed that our seapass had a B2 code on the card. Not sure what this is as our booking information had us as C2?

I believe that's your muster station not your booked cabin category.

We have done 15 cruises out of Bayonne and only our Summit Canada / New England cruise last September went by the Statue of Liberty. That was Captain Kate's first official sailing where she took over as Captain.

 

OP have a great cruise and take care of the ship. We sail next Sunday.

Here's a picture from that sailaway to NE/CA, CruisingChick :)

Steve wrote:

 

"Based upon what I read, they've removed or are removing Cafe al Bacio from Classic. That's an outrage if so."

 

Where have you read this? I agree it's a very bad thing if it turns out to be true!

This is the description on the web site that has no mention of premium coffee in the paragraph. But then I further clicked on the classic package PDF where it does say premium coffee included. Guess I just didn't click enough to find it.

Classic Package

Throughout your cruise, choose from beers up to $6 per serving, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs and frozen drinks up to $8 per serving, and wine-by-the-glass up to $9 per serving. Plus, with purchase of this Classic Package, you can enjoy a 15% discount on all wines by the bottle purchased on board, even our prized Reserve Wine list and Rare Wine list.

*Starting from: 55.00 USD Per NIGHT

Based on what i read, just well drinks, house wines and no access to Al Bacio (no fancy coffee)

Based upon what I read, they've removed or are removing Cafe al Bacio from Classic. That's an outrage if so.

As I've predicted before, the standard pkg will probably soon become the freebie perk causing a cash upgrade to classic or premium.

Maybe Celebrity Cruises will cut and paste what's on the X web site so that will clear up the confusion between Standard, Classic & Premium liquor packages. :rolleyes:

Has anyone heard whether Celebrity limits your pickles to two jars per cabin? If so, is there a limit on the jar size; 16 oz or 32 oz?

cruisestitch: Saving "Celebrity Cruises" the trouble of cutting and pasting from the Celebrity website: Good one! ROFLMAO!!!!

What's to say you can't move two wine bottles to your large suitcase that goes through the porter? Put two in a carry on and two in the porter handled suitcase at the port.

When we embarked in Charleston for the Mercury a few years ago, we put two in each carry on. We were not stopped.

I expect the situation will be dependent upon how diligent the port security personnel are.

Take the interstate! I've driven I-26 between Charleston and Columbia more times than I care to count and as Steve said, it's BORING. But it's also efficient. Get behind a slow truck on a back road in SC and you're done. Not to mention the speed traps in and near the little towns and crossroads you'd have to go through on the back roads.

I agree with what you said, but he's more likely to get behind a slow farmer than a semi on the back roads. It really depends upon whether sddsddean is more interested in speed or seeing the back roads of SC.

Thanks Steve. I'll just take time out to go through all that info before I come back to you with more questions and comments. First thing that struck me; I was going to take I-20 to Augusta and come down 78 to Charleston to 'cut the corner'. Is the interstate route quicker/better than doing this?

 

Thanks

 

Simon

Interstate is very boring. You could do that but 78 is two lane road with small towns. So if you're not in a hurry and want to see rural SC, that would work. Or look at google maps for I-20 to I-520 around Augusta then Hwy 125 to Allendale where you pick up Hwy 641 & 64 to Walterboro. Then in Jacksonboro pick up US 17 to Charleston. That route is more direct than 78.

The speed limit on the interstate in SC is 70mph. You could go 80 and have vehicles pass you.

Although I do not often have dinner in the Oceanview Cafe, but they grill fish, chicken, and steak. The fish was pretty good.

Yes but it's all overcooked and sitting for awhile in the pan. If it were fresh grilled that would be a different story. I've only experienced M class so far which isn't freshly grilled. I missed the aft station. grrrr

But it is still better than Carnival buffet I've experienced.

Hi Simon,

You'll enjoy Charleston. It's only a five hour drive from Atlanta. You can take interstate 20 to Columbia, SC and I-26 east to Charleston. (TSA checkpoints at major airports are taking about 3 hours right now)

Staying downtown Charleston, you'll pay for parking at most hotels. The Town & Country Inn in West Ashley as mentioned, has free parking if that matters to you. It's not a chain but a recently remodeled good independent property.

You may want to check out the King Charles Inn located on Meeting Street in downtown. It's only a couple of blocks from the Market area and tons of restaurants. They have free parking.

I can give you lots of touristy info for Charleston since I had a company in that arena for 14 years. You may want to check out the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau web site. They have coupons and tons of good information. If you visit the Myrtle Beach Chamber website, you'll find a coupon for $5 off each adult at Patriots Point which you mentioned.

You can also take the Fort Sumter tours boat from Patriots Point.

You can take the Charleston Water Taxi from Downtown Charleston across the harbor to Patriots Point. Patriots Point charges $5 to park your vehicle. The water taxi cost is $10/pp all day. The CARTA DASH trolley system is free to ride around downtown.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to give you my opinions if you contact me using my handle at outlook dot com.

If you're interested in visiting Monticello in Charlottesville VA, the home of Thomas Jefferson, a good route via the Blue Ridge Parkway would be to take I-26 from Charleston to Asheville, NC (about five hours drive) where they have the Biltmore House.

I hope this gives you some ideas that will make your visit most enjoyable.

OK I get the concept of going to different bars, but all of the "purchases" will still show up in one main account. I have read that after about 15 minutes they don't question it, so is that the minimum length of time I should leave between purchases?

I didn't have a problem with walking from one bar to the next and getting a drink. Or if I had tipped the bartender during the cruise, didn't even have to go to another bar. There's no hard and fast rule.

Regarding the question about the water. Only one per card at a time BUT you can ask for the large bottle of water which is the liter size...equivalent of two smaller bottles.

For things like this, they are supposed to take your information and then ring it up once the ship is out in international waters.

 

If the promotion is not around in early June, I will just upgrade myself as my wife will stick with the classic package. I've got a substantial amount of Celebrity OBC I have to spend.

Not in FLL. There were table tents all over saying you will be charged the tax while in port. I normally could have waited but we didn't sail until hours later due to power loss in the terminal that day.

I hope it lasts through mid aug. ;)

When I upgraded earlier this year in FLL, since we hadn't left the dock, I was charged local sales tax on the upgrade amount. Is NJ sales tax charged for the upgrade purchase while still in port?

AFT - DECK 14 (2 UP) Oceanview Bar

Sounds like a long walk forward to the elevator, a short ride and a long walk back to the oceanview bar. Or one deck up to the pool bar between the two elevator banks.

great thanks for the replies. I didn't know if it was frowned apon taking drinks back to your room or asking for unopened bottles!

 

......now I just need to locate the closest bar to my cabin.....:)

If you're in an M class ship AQ on deck 11, walk as far aft as you can. There's a doorway to the 15 steps down to the sunset bar. voila. :D

You may get a crab or two if you're seated with the wrong people at dinner. :D

Cruise Critic's worst nightmare! A dress code thread for doors!

ROFLMAO :D

On the same cruise I've seen door decorations on deck 3 and deck 11 AQ class. I didn't think less of them. It in no way affected my own cruise enjoyment. If it did, there would be something seriously wrong with me. Well besides that. :p