lorimay

Someone on another recent thread said that they were not allowed to bring a case of water as part of their luggage as they had in the past. The porter refused to accept it. This was for the Summit leaving from Cape Liberty. I know RCCL has now limited you to 12 bottles of soda/water as carry-on only, so maybe Celebrity is going this way also. Anyway, you can bring the case of water but just be aware they may not allow you to bring it on board.

I gave non-monetary gifts to my cabin stewards on two cruises. Both attempts fell flat and stewards looked at me like I was crazy.

Years ago (before the days of everyone having cell phones) I had read that the crew liked to get pre-paid phone cards (remember those?) so they could call home when in port. So I bought a pack and handed them out on the first day of the cruise. You know, the advice that you should tip on the first day so you get better service? I got a polite but unenthusiastic thank you and a strange look from each person and that was the end of that.

A couple of years ago we took a Christmas cruise. My kids were still teens so I wanted to make it still feel like Christmas so I had a little Christmas tree and some decorations. My tradition is also to give tins of homemade cookies and candy to all my friends and neighbors. So I brought along an extra tin for the room steward and handed it to him the first day. He looked puzzled and tried to give it back. I explained it was for him and he looked very confused. Finally, the next day he did thank me and say that he and his roommate shared the goodies and enjoyed them. I realized that giving him the tin of cookies did more for me than it did for him.

We always tip extra for the people who give us good service at the end of the cruise and everyone seems to understand that, so I've given up the "extras" and am sticking with cash.

2 hours ago, Jeremiah On a Cruise said:

I can't answer anything specific about Fun Factory, since my kid's haven't attended in a few years. However, we cruised a lot with our kids and I can give you some general advice.

 

1 - What do we need to do in advance to get the kids enrolled in Fun Factory?  Is that automatically done based on age? 

Your kids will get special wrist bands with their muster station as you come onto the ship and information about when/where to do the signup will be there - and also in the daily schedule. You won't miss it!

2 hours ago, Jeremiah On a Cruise said:

 

4 - The X website cites "family events" such as archery tournaments, cupcake decorating, etc.  Are these family events included in the patter?  If so, does the patter call them out as a family event?   Does the Fun Factory have their own schedule that is available?

In my experience, every cruise line not only has the events for the day posted at the club, but also there is a separate list of events for kids that gets delivered to your cabin in addition to your daily schedule. I think the events vary depending on the number of kids in the club but my kids have done everything from "talent" shows to scavenger hunts to video game competitions. 

2 hours ago, Jeremiah On a Cruise said:

 

8- Do you find any of the production shows inappropriate for young kids (6-8)? 

One of my kids never liked the shows so he would go to the club. But the other loved the shows and thought it was a treat to go with us. I have never seen a production show that was inappropriate for a child that age except the comedian. However, if your kid is not a sit-still kind of kid the people around you might get annoyed - so sit in the back.

2 hours ago, Jeremiah On a Cruise said:

9- What's the etiquette in the MDR?  Our kids are normally good in restaurants, but we also pick kid-friendly restaurants at home.  I don't think of MDRs as especially kid-friendly and it's very important to me that we not disrupt other passengers.  If they start to get riled up, is leaving early and having the ordered food delivered to our room an option?  

The MDR is loud, so unless your child is a screamer most people won't be too annoyed. However, it's so crowded and busy kids have to remain seated. One of the last cruises I was on a family let their 3-4 year old wander and the waiters were none too happy. However, we found that the waiters are very kind to children and really look out for them. They bring the kid's food right away to accommodate them. Because dinner service lasts a long time, we would do early dining, let the kids eat off the the kid's menu, and then one of us would take them up to the club when it opened at 7 and come back and finish. Sometimes the kids preferred that. Also, at least once every cruise we would take them to the buffet early and have dinner at a specialty restaurant once they were in the club.

2 hours ago, Jeremiah On a Cruise said:

10 - Does the ship offer pool toys such as kick boards or anything like that?  If not, is it common or accepted for us to bring them?  On a related note, does Celebrity offer lifeguards at any of the pools?

On RCCL they have racks of swim vests for kids. I don't remember seeing that when I was on the Infinity earlier this year. And I doubt that they offer any pool toys. The pools just aren't big enough.

2 hours ago, Jeremiah On a Cruise said:

11 - What else should I know, or can I do to help our kids have an awesome time?  I've heard the first night is vital as an icebreaker, but anything else that we can do to help our kids have the time of their lives?

Remember that the staff in the club are paid to keep your kids happy and treat them well. We never had an issue (except once on HAL) with the staff in a club. My kids always felt special. They work hard to include everyone and keep them engaged. My kids are not "joiners" and were always pretty shy with other kids, but they loved going to the club. Expect that after a few days the kids might want to take some time off and not go every hour that it's open. We also never left them while we went ashore - I am admittedly overprotective and never felt comfortable doing that. But I always trusted the staff - even when they went on an adventure around the ship or up to the buffet they were very careful with the kids safety. Your kids are the perfect age to enjoy the cruise and the best part is you get some alone time too. Best of all worlds! Have fun!

On 6/23/2019 at 10:15 PM, chdheart said:

What would be a ballpark figure for 2 using Uber or Lyft from the Doubletree to the port?

Thanks!

Here's the best way to get an estimate for Uber. The Lyft prices would be similar. The price does change slightly depending on time of day and traffic.

https://www.uber.com/us/en/price-estimate/

I was talking to my husband about this and he too remembers that there was no balcony. I'm sure at the time I chose that suite because my kids were little and I had a deathly fear of them falling overboard. But I remember loving the suite and would love it even more now with a balcony. My parents had the adjoining CS  and it was very convenient. And this was the days before all the suite perks there are now. All we got was a lunch and some afternoon canapes. The butler service wasn't much. Some day I will try it again! Thanks for confirming that at one point there was NOT a balcony!

Looking at the current deck plans for the Celebrity suites on the Summit it looks like they have balconies. But we were in a Celebrity Suite (on the hump) way back when the Summit was new and I would swear we did not have a balcony. I can't remember what year it was, but we cruised on Summit in Alaska. I remember sitting in the window watching the scenery on the Inside Passage. What year did they reconfigure the cabins - or am I living an alternate reality? Thanks!

On Infinity the bathroom was older looking but we did not have rust-colored water, water that smelled "off" or highly chlorinated, or any other issues. And the cabin smelled "normal" - not like cleaning products. In fact, we had cruised on an RCCL ship the month before and the cabin had a very metallic smell that did not go away the whole trip and made me nauseous. I did not experience that at all on Infinity. As for the stains on the couch, I tried to remove them with a anti-bacterial wipe and could not get them to come out. So they were permanent. No clue what they were. But it was only a few spots and while I was a little grossed out, it wasn't enough to bother me the whole cruise.

We were on the Infinity in April for a short cruise. Our cabin was immaculately clean but there were some stains on the couch and the bathroom looked old and worn. The decor is obviously dated - lots of mirrors, burgundy and gold. Everywhere we went was clean and maintained although the furniture in many places was showing its age. Many of the chairs in the Constellation lounge were threadbare as were the seats in the Celebrity theater. But they were adding new outdoor furniture while we were aboard. 

We had been on Summit previously and really like the size and layout of this class of ship. Big enough but not huge, easy to navigate, enough private spaces. One criticism is that the spa is lacking in "relaxation" spaces. I booked a facial and didn't even get offered a locker in the locker room - had to change in the treatment room - and there was no lounge to sit and wait for your turn. There were some chairs by the fitness rooms but I was not offered time in the Persian Garden (which seems like a nice idea but there is no view or anything - I found it a little claustrophobic when we toured through there).

If you keep in mind it's an older ship and come with expectations that the decor will not be new or up to date you will enjoy it. The service and food are pretty much the same no matter what ship you are on. 

I hope these are not stupid questions. We are on the Summit in July to Bermuda in a Concierge cabin. We cruised earlier this year on a weekend cruise on Infinity also Concierge but it was so short we didn't really get to experience anything on the ship (no CC activities at all). The only benefit we got was the embarkation lunch (didn't get the wine in our cabin or any afternoon appetizers). My question is about the actual "concierge" part of the concierge cabin. What does the concierge actually do for you? We are low-maintenance, self-sufficient people. We already have specialty restaurant reservations. Anything else the concierge can do for us that I should be aware of? We are only CC Select. Are there any CC events we might get invited to? One final question - we will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary on the cruise (we took a RCCL cruise to Bermuda on our honeymoon). The anniversary is noted in our reservation. Is Celebrity likely to acknowledge it in any way? Thanks so much for your input!

If you had to choose between Tuscan or Qsine for a special occasion dinner, which would you choose? Last time we were on the Summit it was a new ship and they had a very fancy formal French restaurant. That’s long gone! Thanks!

We are scheduled to leave on a cruise tomorrow and unfortunately we may not be able to go on the trip. We are within driving distance so we probably won't make the decision until tomorrow morning. No insurance because it was only a 2-day and it was so cheap. I'm not worried about the money or any kind of refund, but was was just wondering if it is better to call and inform Celebrity we won't be there or just not show up. Or does it make a difference?  Thanks for any advice.

Coincidence? I posted my question last night and today got an email from Celebrity with a list of concierge class benefits. Anyway, thanks for all of the great information. I’m liking forward to not having to deal with the buffet the first day - probably the biggest perk for me!

We are on a cruise next week in a concierge class cabin. I have not received any communication at all about the benefits, including the embarkation lunch. I only know about it from this board. Will they give us information at check in or will there be something in the cabin? Thanks!

We were on Coco Cay earlier and rented a bungalow (not a cabana).  We were able to get in the front row because we went to the Excursions desk immediately when we go on board the ship and almost all of the bungalows were still available. We were not in a suite and I reserved online about a month before the cruise.  We really enjoyed our experience.  The couch was really comfortable and having the curtains to block the sun made a huge difference (we both like the shade).  There are two loungers with cushions outside the bungalow so you can be in the sun if you want. There are only six people allowed per bungalow and they were checking wrist bands and challenging people who did not have them.

The food was so-so (next time I might go down to the buffet instead) but the bathrooms are really close and there is a nice small bar right there - and they will deliver drinks to your bungalow. We also got four large bottles of Evian in a cooler. The beach itself is very nice but the water is not - it's very shallow for about 100 yards out and while they appear to have cut down the seaweed, the bottom of the water is really uneven and full of holes.  It's not a beach for swimming for adults but a great place to take your floating mat and float. If you want a shaded, quiet place to relax but don't need the extra amenities of a cabana then a bungalow is probably right for you.  You could also do a beach bed as they are very similar but with a solid bed and not a sectional couch and coffee table (and no loungers).

We were just on the Mariner in a spacious ocean view balcony.  There was a three seat sofa (long enough to lie down on comfortably) and about two feet clearance between the end of the bed and the wall.  I would say while it wasn't really  "spacious" it was larger than the other oceanview cabins we have had.

We just did the three-night on Mariner.  They had a 70's dance party in the Promenade one night and an 80's dance party the next night.  I didn't see anyone dressed up for those.  The second night was a "wear your best" night - no formal night but I did see people in nice clothes and a lot of women in dresses. 

I haven't cruised Celebrity in a few years and wondered if the embarkation process has changed like it has on RCCL.  We went on the Mariner last week from Miami and there was no line and no counter for check-in, you just went up to an employee standing next to the rope and showed your SetSail Pass (like the Celebrity Xpress) on your phone and they took your picture.  That was it.  For disembarkation they did facial recognition so it was also very easy.

Will the terminal for Infinity in Fort Lauderdale be the same process?  The Celebrity app isn't supported for the Infinity but I did finish online check-in and can see my Xpress passes on the website.  Will there be waiting in line at a counter?  Just wondering how much time we will need for check-in.  Also, we're Select.  Is there a special line?  Thanks so much for any information!

We were on the Mariner last weekend.  The price was $11.50 per person and did not include shakes or drinks.

We just got back from a short cruise on Mariner.  We had a deck 9 balcony cabin and we were really disappointed that every single time we went out to enjoy our balcony there was someone (usually several people) smoking on their balcony.  Does the no smoking on the balcony rule ever get enforced or is this just a wink and a nod to smokers who know they can smoke there without any consequences?  We were leaving Miami and one guy even threw his cigarette off his balcony right in front of everyone.  The person in the next cabin stopped when we would come out, but there were people above and below us smoking every time.  Has there ever been enforcement of this rule?

We were on Coco Cay on Saturday and they are making fast progress on the pier. They appear to be putting the last concrete sections on the end of the very long pier. The footing got the foot bridge is done on the pier side and the had the form completed on the island side. I think it’s plausible that they could have the pier done by the end of May. They were putting roofs on buildings and landscaping was in in several areas. And there was lots of work going on on a Saturday. 

We just got off Mariner. Windjammer was full but not crazy on the first day. Promenade cafe (pizza) had long lines all cruise. Bars - Boleros was packed all the time, none of the other bars were very crowded except the pool bars which was mobbed all day. Shows- didn’t see the comedian or the headliner, but the production show was so bad it was laughable. The performers tried but singers weren’t really good and the whole premise was stupid. Ice show was good and well done. Best music was the group playing in the Promenade. They were really talented.  Food - best experience in many cruises with food and service in main dining room, but our meal in Jamie’s was just plain awful. I have never in my whole life sent back food because I didn’t like it and I almost did that night. No excuse in an Italian restaurant for the pasta to be so over cooked it was gummy. Chicken was all bones and no meat. Jamie’s was near empty every night. 

We had Promenade cabins a few years ago right across from the Ben and Jerry’s. I did not find the noise from the promenade a problem at all. You could hear the music from the nightly partys and parades but that ended pretty early. However, these cabins were the noisiest we have ever been in because of noise from our neighbors.  And not just from a connecting door or particularly loud neighbors. It just seemed the walls were thinner and the construction different than outside cabins. Never again!

4 hours ago, bkeller0731 said:

I booked 2 beach bungalows for my family of 12 for Cococay for 3/6/19. I know only 6 can be in each bungalow and get the preordered lunch. But can others who have not reserved a bungalow pull up the free chairs or just come sit in the sand around us? I have friends who didn’t book a bungalow but they want to come hang around my family. Is this possible or are they not even allowed on the beach around us? 

 

I think you got the answer from people who have rented bungalows recently on Coco Cay. I just wanted to add that I have a bungalow rented for an upcoming cruise and if the person next to me showed up with 20 extra people to hang out around their bungalows I would not be happy at all. Part of the bungalow/cabana experience is the relaxation, peace and quiet away from the crowds. 

1989 Nordic Prince, NYC to Bermuda. It was our honeymoon. This year we celebrate 30 years!

We had a balcony guarantee on Mariner next month. Documents said deck 6 GTY. There was a price drop after final payment so I called TA who was able to get us deck 9 mid- ship best category balcony. Not really an upgrade but better than I thought we might get.