Lastdance

Remember not to go “overboard” with any new resolutions, but hope whatever you decide to make a priority(s) that it brings you the best results. Many thanks to all of you who bring such valuable information with your comments, using this board as a means to provide information and assistance to others. Your information has been valuable to all of us, at one time or another!

The train is a great way to get to Cinque Terre, if that is a mode of transportation you find enjoyable. The ship, if docking in La Spezia, is not quite a mile away, so you can take a taxi or walk. The villages are easily traveled to on the train, but seeing all of them might be a bit rushed. It just depends on your interests, research and mode of preferred travel with the time constraints. Enjoy! We have stayed in Monterosso al Mare twice, but have also visited from La Spezia by train.

Celebrity, I think the ball is in your court. They were wearing your name, so IMHO, there is a responsibility on your part. Hopefully, you are gathering information and context, along with thoroughly checking for the facts.

Share some examples and itineraries…

I am sure those types of ships will not be cruising to European ports any time soon! Honestly, I had no idea something like that was even being contemplated. Maybe it will just head out to sea and stay there for the entire duration! One thing I know for sure, it is not for me😱

Thanks so much for sharing this information! It will be a change for sure, but nothing wrong with that at all. How exciting that you booked Allura(new ship)while onboard. It is so nice to have cruises to look forward to in the future. If my DH can find enough equipment in the gym, he should be fine onboard. Yes, smaller will be interesting too. Thanks so much for sharing your information!

So, pay and pray approach, especially if one books early! I booked a TA/b2b on Apex for 2025. Within a 15 day period this month, the price went up 2,000; gratuities went up another 100 for the TA portion alone! The sky seems to be the limit for sky suites! Just my observation, but the stock is on fire too! (Just my personal observation)

Honestly, I am not having any high expectations on my first Vista cruise; I wanted to try Oceania with an itinerary that took me to Lisbon, so that I could rent a car and drive to Algarve. Only PH1’s were available last spring in the PH category. Everything will be new to us and half the fun will be figuring things out onboard, besides doing my homework now. It certainly isn’t breaking the bank and the price was right for me. I also have a b2b/TA on Celebrity for the fall. My sky suite increased in price by $2,000(Apex)with gratuities going up another $100 for the TA portion. This all happened within a 15 day period this month! Yes, Celebrity has no ceiling at all and the stock is on fire! My Vista cruise is much cheaper too...cannot wait to compare the TA’s for the money, but the experiences will be quite different, I’m sure. It will be nice to experience a change of venue and a new ship at the same time. This will be my first time doing two TA’s with different companies in the same year, to and from Europe! Can’t wait to price airfare🙄! The best. part is that I never book a cruise unless the $$$ is in my travel account! My glass is half full!

Yes, SV’s and Sunset Suits and several others(not Sky Suites) are allowed loungers. Someone had an accident, so the rest of us were banned! that was exactly the news I received from my head butler on Beyond! However...you can figure out the rest!

Lead guy...Retreat Host???

I appreciate information, especially constructive criticism on Cruise Critic, just not the comments of using one’s own perceptions to criticize others. Factual information is extremely helpful, not to mention a good spar now and then. Glass half full here! Just let me cruise in Europe and I am a very happy camper enjoying life to the fullest! The ship and the itinerary are important for my DH and me. QuestionEverything: I booked Oceania before the change, but will not book again if excursions are included, as we do our own. So, I guess I’ll be one and done. Change leads to resilience, IMHO and Life is short! Who better to judge what is important to you than yourself!

A PH1 on Oceania is more like a Sky Suite on Celebrity. I booked the new Vista in a PH1; it does have a special area for Concierge and above on this new ship, but I haven't cruised yet, so cannot share more information. I have always heard the food is excellent in most of the venues. We got at excellent price on a TA from Miami to Portugal. We are also adding time in Algarve! We've been to Portugal before, but never the southern part with all the beautiful cliffs and caves. I paid $350 per day.

We just returned from our cruise on Beyond with great service in every area of the ship, along with the Retreat. I just wasn’t used to being on a Caribbean cruise where it was so crowded in the regular areas, but not Retreat area, as we frequent both. It was an excellent price, but I certainly would not do it again, even if the price was less. I also found out that I missed being on the wake; however, walking from the aft on this particular cruise would have just added even more time to get anywhere for me. The food in Luminae was so blah on 50% of the dinners, as we don’t do lunch or breakfast there because of so much sitting. I am excited to try Oceania, but not 100% on loving it, so will enjoy the new and smaller ship experience, not to mention the food. I think many of us are in transition, and there is nothing wrong with that! I hope your experience is great, so please share!

Thank you for your response, especially the words you chose. We were not using the escalator and never planned to use it. We were using the stairs like we always do. For some reason, I did not make that clear enough, so I apologize. We have never used the elevator because those with mobility aides need it. No one was using the stairs at all; when we went down, others followed. Workers were chanting to use the elevator and were blocking the stairs, along with people trying to get to the elevators. It was a mess. We were just trying to be able to use the stairs, as were others. Celebrity says that this is fine to do. I am explaining this to you because your information is always helpful. Too many people jump to conclusions from not choosing to understand the situation by asking for more information, criticizing etc. That in itself does not bother me, but I wanted you to understand. Thanks! I put on the photo to remind all of us why we cruise…

We all have a right to share information on Cruise Critic; some actually seek to understand, while others like to keep it going by judging using their own set of values. What part of agreeing to disagree came across as argumentative to you??? It helps to remember that when you engage with someone who is sharing information and choose to quote them, they have the right to respond!

The one’s from the cruise based on groups by ages…they were wrong, so obviously just a general rule of thumb, so to speak…I think we have hijacked this thread😜

We also eat early, many times going to bed early too depending on what’s happening. I asked for the breakdown of passengers, but those statistics really seemed off to me. We ate with a couple in their 30’s several nights; they were very aware of the same issues, but still enjoyed their cruise for 9 days in the southern Caribbean. I had my first bourbon and peaches on this cruise; I loved it! The crew is always very diverse, but the more the merrier for me. One of my fondest memories was an 87 year old from London that I met a few years ago. He was such a bright spot. When he stuck his cane in the elevator door and I tried to pull it out, we laughed until we cried…he also had great photos of himself and the queen, as he owned a construction company. He has since passed, but his personality, kindness and humor lives on in my memories. Anyway, thank you again for responding. I am sure that the port/destination had a lot to do with this choice of venue, not to mention specific date. I have a friend who just cruised the same time, so I’m awaiting her reply. Also, a couple years ago, a cruise buddy of mine stopped cruising after her Caribbean cruise; she lives in Florida, but will only consider overseas. Her experience was different than mine though.

No, that was not my feeling at all. It was just a different experience, maybe one that is just not for me personally. I had not cruised the Caribbean for years, so that may have been a huge part too. It just seemed blah to my DH and I. Also it was very crowded, slow-moving and not that spark of diversity and clientele that I have come to enjoy. I am sure others found it just the opposite. Also, I was really excited to return to the Caribbean, but also a little unsure of how I would like it, so maybe the Caribbean is just not for me! I love TA’s, especially with a b2b; some My first two cruises on Beyond were excellent; this was a completely different experience. I am just on the fence about doing another, even though it is on Ascent next year...afraid of a repeat from this year, I guess. Furthermore, this was the first time I was ready to come home. That’s just not me! Thank you for your response.

I am just thinking out loud and my hands are moving on the keyboard; this is NOT directed at anyone, but I am sharing my opinion... Everyone has a right to share information on these boards, even if some do not want to hear it. No one is being made to quote what anyone says, but at least more, IMHO, could be a little less condescending, along with bringing all their personal baggage with it. Don’t like it; don’t comment. Block those who you feel are not justified to make a comment...the world can be a real frustrating place; unfortunately, more so now because so many enjoy the feeling of superiority on this board when they comment and it makes them feel good. Most do not act like that on a cruise, but Cruise Critic is open season 12 months a year! I completely understand people making a statement whether someone agrees or disagrees with it. However, if you are really, really angry, there are better ways to take out that frustration than replying to someone and adding that superiority factor by egging a person on, twisting their information, along with replying to their comment as a king or queen on Cruise Critic! However, bring it on if it makes you feel good! We are all equal and have a right to our opinions and do not need to be reprimanded because we share them. There is a monitor for that! Just because you believe what a person says is unthinkable, the real world is full of people who don’t think like you. That’s why so many have issues with compromising, understanding another’s point of view and sometimes just letting things go...life is way too short. Many of you would be shocked at the amount of people who choose not to utter a word, but read Cruise Critic daily; there are also those who would not. I believe some confuse a person sharing their feelings or situations with those who take it personally, quote and go into attack mode. again, there is a monitor to curtail that and apply the rules.

Congratulations!

Okay…enough, you have refused to understand what I am trying to convey. Hopefully, we can agree to disagree. These people were not crew members!!! They were just singing it out to everyone…I was being sarcastic about the silver hair; people do think you are older and open doors much more frequently too!

That has never been our experience and it is not a rule with Celebrity. We were not rude, disrespectful or yelling…we just wanted to take the stairs and that was our right. The people telling us were just blocking the stairs and we did not want to squeeze through them. I am so sorry I even brought this up on here..but it is important to know that you are allowed to take the stairs; they cannot stop you!!! Age is only a number, not a factor using the stairs. The number of suitcases and using the escalator is, but not the stairs…Celebrity agrees! For some reason those individuals were not understanding the concept of stairs. they were in a trance singing the elevator song. Again, my mistake for sharing all of this. None of you were there, so do not understand the full context of what was happening. I respect that you do what people ask you to do; so do we, but this had nothing to do with that! People behind us did the same and there was no issue; I am sure it alleviated some congestion too! OMgosh…

We just wanted to take the stairs and not the elevator; there is no rule about using the stairs. We were not taking the escalator, period. This confusion resulted from employees not knowing the rules and trying to make people take the elevator because they had silver hair, or whatever reason. This has never happened to us in all the years we have cruised with or without silver hair! Celebrity allows the stairs and does not discriminate against silver hair when wanting to use the stairs, period…these workers obviously did not understand that concept!!! Do you really think we wanted to argue about this? We want to get to our driver who had been waiting for us. We did not yell scream or argue. I said, “please do not stop us for taking the stairs.”