redjetz

Fine Cut just didn’t cut it with us on our recent Ascent cruise, so we will skip it going forward. The beef simply wasn’t good enough to warrant the cost. ditto the steak I ordered in Eden.

In fact, the beef in Lumiere was not good either. Celebrity must have a new beef supplier or new cooking methods or something. The food in general was good, just not the beef.

3 hours ago, cruisegal1970 said:

 

WE will be cancelling all Gratuities at Guest Relations on all future cruises to balance the books.

Not interested in the moral high ground spurted by the many..... who probably do the same.

No, we do not “do the same”. 

42 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

We've cruised for years with X  (not needing any kind of assistance being younger and able) and haven't found what you describe.  OTOH, we've been respectful of the space required by those who did use a scooter for which they expressed their thanks.  This would be the first time HAVING to use a scooter which we didn't think would provoke negative reactions from some. Perhaps our cruising days will not be as enjoyable so may rethink our options.

My advice is to do what is needed to enable your cruise. People aren’t likely to comment or bother you onboard. My knees are shot and without a scooter, I wouldn’t be able to cruise.
 

Mine is a foldable travel model that I drive right up to the airplane door and through the cruise terminal and around the ship. Very occasionally while onboard I may have a good day and be able to walk with a cane for short distances. If people think I am “faking it” that’s on them. I am finally scheduled for knee replacement surgery this summer and I look forward to being able to walk, pain free. I will continue to hold doors and make room for those using mobility devices, like most people.

Jim beat me to it regarding using a good travel agent to handle all the Celebrity booking glitches. We have saved enormous time and frustration that way, not to mention gaining a good mount of perks and credits.

Same problem. We booked onboard and the reservation was transferred to the big box, but without clear listing of the perks included. We called the big box travel department and insisted we be issued a new invoice that clearly spells out all the included perks. Took the agent a good amount of time with Celebrity to get it done, but they did.

35 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Well if that’s the criteria, then they failed for us.  I wouldn’t call Le Voyage elevated.

Fair enough. And that’s disappointing. I hope the experience is better when we are on our Ascent cruise in April, but given all the changes and issues reported by you and others lately, I will be tempering my expectations.

11 hours ago, agape01 said:

Having dined at a number of 3-Star Michelin restaurants in New York which included the 2-star Daniel's, I would actually have question. .

The reason why the doubts is because the quality and presentation of the food was great and the service was as expected from a 2 star Michelin restaurant, but it wasn't memorable.

It’s my opinion that we go astray expecting Michelin-quality dining on a cruise ship. It is quite difficult to replicate the fine quality on a ship that doesn’t have access to fresh ingredients every day, with a changing cast of chefs and cooks and assistants, and waiters.
 

What we can expect at a venue such as Le Voyage is a dining experience that is elevated above all other dining rooms on board, and not compared to top restaurants around the world - that just doesn’t seem fair. To me, at least.

Agree, any obstructions in hallways is an obvious hazard to everyone.

59 minutes ago, mustgo said:

I would appreciate more info about your scooter.  My husband will probably take his scooter which does.fit thru a door but he has thought of getting another so he does not have to take his regular one.  Also the day might be not so far away that I will need one too.  We are 85 and 87

Hi, mine is the EZFold from 1800wheelchair.com. It is airline approved, which allows me to ride it up to the door of the plane, fold it up and take the keys and they take it there along with the baby strollers, etc. It is a 3-wheel model and can go pretty fast so the driver has to take care, but there are 4-wheel models at that site, too. Their customer service is very responsive.

2 hours ago, mustgo said:

Thanks for the info. Guess we will cancel. There are no available HAs

I have a travel-friendly scooter that gets through the doorways easily; I then fold it up and stand it against the wall. I don’t know if any place rents those but it’s great because I don’t need HA cruise cabins or hotel rooms. 

Sometimes a few of the wines that are listed are simply not available, which is disappointing. But if you frequent the same bars and get to know the bartenders, “sometimes” they will make the effort to locate the unavailable wine in some back storage area. We have always rewarded those bartenders for their efforts 😉

18 minutes ago, PGI GUY said:

. Are we supposed to eat most meals in Blu except for a reservation in a specialty restaurant or can we also go to the main restaurant with anytime dining for a change from Blu? We have the basic drink package, do each of the restaurants have a list of the wines by the glass available in that restaurant? We normally travel with Viking Ocean and would appreciate any tips from experienced Celebrity cruisers, especially why Aqua class cabins are special.

Hi. The ONLY reason to book Aqua class is to dine in Blu, in my opinion. The cabin is the same as a veranda stateroom, nothing special except sometimes less desirable locations. Blu is your assigned main dining room. If you want to dine in one of the MDRs, talk to the maitre’D to see if there is room for you. You can check the app for available wines.

4 minutes ago, Bstein493 said:

Yes, but most of the reviews are about the ships and not the actual itinerary.

Go to the Ports forum and you will find all kinds of info from other travelers. The Destination board has helpful info on ports as well.

24 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

Because there are those that ask me to respond, just as you did now.

You are beating a dead horse at this point. 

20 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

We could no longer dine in the mdr on celeb or the buffet.To get better food you have to book suites. Suites on celeb are more than a regular balcony on O.

And you are still with kids, a class system etc.

Love O, great food, no kids, you are served in the buffet, no one touches the serving utensils  except gloved staff, classy, amazing lectures and activities and wonderfully friendly people.

You clearly have made your choice - we like O as well, when the budget allows - so why do you spend so much time here? I am not being snarky, I really don’t understand why you are here posting.

20 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

It is worth doing it once if you have not been to a dinner projection show.  It is a one and done for most.

Agree with that. Cute for a few minutes of novelty only. YMMV

9 minutes ago, Cruise Gopher said:

I wouldn’t suggest a big box one. If you need assistance with bookings you’ll be dealing with a different call center rep every time you call and may face long hold times etc. it’s just not worth the hassle.
 

Find yourself a dedicated TA who you can email, call, text whenever you need something. 

Everyone’s experience may vary, but we’ve used both a big box travel agent and a private, well-known agency, and been very satisfied with both, even when issues arise. We have tended toward the big-box agency in recent years because they give us an 8% rebate on the total book8 g (including airfare, etc.) in the form of a gift card for their retail outlets. The private agency does not consistently provide the rebate.

Good for you. Good parenting!

6 minutes ago, fishmongerrules said:

i dont have kids. i want to be relaxed like i said on vacation i would rather be in shorts and tshirt. there really isnt many options there was mdr with dress code or a scaled back dinning for the oceanview cafe. also had less people on board so not as packed. i dont mind kids but liked the older crowed with celebrity. it clearly isnt a deal breaker i just dont see the need or it setting "standards".

I very much understand wanting to be very casual and comfortable on vacation, when that’s what I want, I simply don’t choose a vacation that requires a bit bit more than shorts and a tee. There are options other than Celebrity or cruises that fit the bill when that’s the case.

16 minutes ago, fishmongerrules said:

was on celebrity the other week and saw several people come in with tshirts and shorts. i understand people want to dress up or look nice but on vacation i rather be in shorts and a tshirt. should allow it in a section in the back or part of the upper level or something. so i guess its hit or miss. 

I am not trying to get in your face, but why would you choose a vacation venue that has a dress code you don’t support? Why not select one more in line with your preferences? Or at the very least, just dine in rooms that allow shorts and tees? Is it really that hard to set standards for yourself and your kids? I am sincerely curious why that is an issue for you.

2 hours ago, JLS07 said:

Well, the example you listed is about that a typical sea day is for me and the non-alcoholic package plus paying per drink is cheaper.  You are about 14 drinks behind on a 7 day cruise from break even.

 

JL, you can be sure I am satisfied with the package. As you seem satisfied with your approach, so we can just do our own thing.

1 hour ago, JLS07 said:

Where is the lie in his statement?

 

it is about $25 a day for non-alcoholic drinks and $100+ for alcohol. So you have to have 5 drinks a day to cover the difference in pricing. 
 

That is a lot. 

Two things - some people indulge more on vacation without being alcoholics.  Also, included in the package is bottled water, specialty coffees and juices.
 

Easy to have a couple specialty coffees before or after breakfast, a water during the morning, a beer or glass of wine with lunch, another couple bottles of watermelon at the pool, a pre dinner cocktail, a glass of wine wine with dinner. You will have hit the daily limit easily and not be buzzed at all, let alone drunk. 

Most of us wouldn’t do that daily at home, but easy to do on vacation, even if you clearly wouldn’t.

We never take cruises of just 7 days in the Caribbean. The one time we did that a few years ago on Celebrity, we were very surprised by the behavior of a large group of fellow passengers who were just there to party, loudly and sometimes rudely. On longer X cruises, there may be an occasional instance, but normally not.

10 minutes ago, dlh015 said:

I took the Behind The Scenes tour last January on the Equinox. I was putting together a photo album and rediscovered this pic I took in the wine prep/serving area behind the MDR. It seems to me from what I've read here and elsewhere that these bottles of wine are stored incorrectly. Now, it was obvious that they were meant to be stored that way because the hole for the neck of the bottle is at the bottom. 

 

I don't pretend to know a darn thing about wine storage, etc. But perhaps someone can illuminate me about some aspect of this??

 

I'm just curious...please don't beat me up too bad for my ignorance...lol...😁

 

 

 

Hi, dlh. Wine is stored with the neck down so that the wine flows down and keeps the cork wet and expanded, so that it keeps air out, which can ruin the wine. (asking questions is a great way to learn things!)

9 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

Isn't that the truth.  It's all about your expectations for the price you paid.  

Which is exactly why there is so much griping about Celebrity’s cutbacks - they come even as the prices continue to rise. The value equation is off.