Elusive_Cruiser

We just got back from a cruise visiting Grenada last week.

We did an island tour with Vaughan Francis of Tropical Adventures and had a fantastic day. He was a great guide and very knowledgeable about the island, the plants and the birds.

The tour we did was the 'Grenada in a Nut(meg) Shell Tour.

We visited the old Rum Distillery, the Diamond Chocolate Factory and the Nutmeg Processing Plant.

Also included in the tour was a lunch at a local restaurant. There were lots of delicious, local dishes to try (fish, chicken, vegetables, rice and beans, salad etc .....) and homemade lemonade.

 

As we arrived at the Nutmeg Processing Plant there were some local ladies who had spice necklaces and baskets of spices to sell.

There was a shop after the tour and we did buy nutmeg jelly there, which I haven't tried yet.

We waited and bought 2 spice necklaces from the local lady outside for $5

I gave one to my daughter and have the other hanging in my kitchen.

I send an email to Vaughn a few hours ago so still waiting to hear from him. How big was your group? And, how long was your tour? What did he charge? We're going to be 8 travelling in January 2018. We're in port for 11 hours. Any suggestions?

We are stoked that this service is back. Tried to use it a couple of years ago, but our flight was only minutes away from cut-off (yeah, don't bother getting into that discussion with Guest Relations!!) . We plan on using this 'no brainer' service in a couple of weeks. If United changes our flight time, I will be righteously PO'd :eek: as we are onside by minutes!!

My reading of this situation is that chairs with just a towel on them are available. If the towels are neatly folded they have been placed there by the pool attendants preparing the chairs for use. If the towels are spread out and/or rumpled they have been left by a guest. I’d be surprised if anyone went to the pool/bar/lunch without leaving some small personal item on the chair if they intended to return. Manners would dictate that guests place their towels in the used towels bins when they are finished with the chairs but you would be surprised at the number of people who don’t do this. I am always grossed out when I have to remove someone elses sweaty towel before I can use the chair :(.

I believe that if someone, whether a 'hog' or not, will leave a personal item if the intent is to hold the space. As I am on this forum, and have extensively read posts, I have an educated opinion. My DH however, not so much!

Scenerio: We go out to the pool deck. Find a couple of loungers that work for us. Place our 'stuff' on it. Go to the pool bar (priority). Settle in. Sixty minutes later, we move on. DH just gets up and leaves. Me.... I remove the towels and place them in the bins. The difference in behavior? I'm a cruise critic addict. He is not. He does not understand how if he leaves towels on the lounger it's like 'saving'. He's not mean, or trying to be a jerk. Yes, I do clean up after him :)

A 67% increase is a big 'ouch'. Time will, however, tell, what a good or bad decision this is on Celebrity's part.

 

All I have to say is that I thought I was being a bit of a freak by booking an Alcove for a sea day for our Jan-18 cruise. We're traveling with two other couples and I thought this would be a nice surprise and a great way to spend the afternoon lounging with them.

 

I would not have spent $250+ for this.

I should mention - we booked an Alcove 2 yrs ago on the Silhouette, for a sea day on our way back to FLL. There was only one other occupied. It was quite windy, which seems to be the norm when sailing to Fort Lauderdale. Our attendant was awkward. The banging noise of the awning in the wind was a test on my OCD! However, I loved this concept enough to book again. I'm looking forward to trying this experience again, but with a group, rather than with just the 2 of us.

A 67% increase is a big 'ouch'. Time will, however, tell, what a good or bad decision this is on Celebrity's part.

All I have to say is that I thought I was being a bit of a freak by booking an Alcove for a sea day for our Jan-18 cruise. We're traveling with two other couples and I thought this would be a nice surprise and a great way to spend the afternoon lounging with them.

I would not have spent $250+ for this.

Not the last time I checked (Jan-16), but you are more than welcome to bring your own. Drinking a DT myself, at this moment!!

Elites can get 30 percent off other internet packages in lieu of free 90 minutes. You have to to go to the iLounge to get the promo code.

Did not know this - thanks so much for the info! We're elite for the first time on our upcoming cruise and have gotten the unlimited package in the past - felt like the 90 minute benefit was going to be a waste. Very happy to hear it is not :)

This brings up another interesting element, as a staff member - on longer itineraries, you have less turn around days. So, on 7-day cruises, you have the stress day every 7 days, on 14-day... well, you get the point. So, do the more senior staff get the longer itineraries?

Thanks to all for your comments/experiences/comparisons. This really is a personal choice with each option offering different benefits. At the end of the day, the only real benefit for us was the larger room, but we don't actually mind the smaller cabin on the ship.

 

And now we know.... we'll stick to cruising, but hopefully some insight has been given to those looking for different options and options.

 

:)

ummm...er.... make that options and opinions :D

Thanks to all for your comments/experiences/comparisons. This really is a personal choice with each option offering different benefits. At the end of the day, the only real benefit for us was the larger room, but we don't actually mind the smaller cabin on the ship.

And now we know.... we'll stick to cruising, but hopefully some insight has been given to those looking for different options and options.

:)

I don't understand these types of comparisons. For me, different types of vacations fit different needs.

 

If I want to totally relax, unwind and do absolutely nothing, an all-inclusive resort is just perfect, and there are plenty to be found that offer far superior service, food, premium brand alcohol, etc. than Celebrity. It reads like the opp picked a mediocre resort and now grossly generalizes by proclaiming that cruise ships are better than land vacations. Yeah right.

 

If I want to relax, be pampered, but also explore different cities in different countries combined with some beach or pool time, some entertainment, etc. I book a cruise. That can be on X, but if I want more luxury, there's better to be had as well (for a price of course).

 

If I truly want to get know a country, its culture and its people, I book a land trip. A week long city stay in Rome, a road through Norway, two weeks in US National Parks... all unique experiences that a cruise ship can never deliver - no matter how deluxe it is.

 

To claim that the one is better than the other is absurd in my opinion. They are all great ways of vacationing and fit different needs at different moments in time.

 

And PS. If you are going to complain about people's language skills, don't travel - period. That's just offensive.

You completely missed the point of my post. I admit to being completely ignorant - I was sharing MY experience. I was comparing a Caribbean cruise to a Caribbean AI, and my expectation and experience.

No need to be rude.

Yeesch.... now I recall why I don't share.

Really does depend on what you want and expect. I recently posted my experience with a land-based AI. The responses I saw were very enlightening. Our travel experiences are so very subjective.

We've been on Celebrity, Princess, HAL and Carnival. We would go back to any except Carnival. But if you are young'ish and foot loose and fancy free, Carnival may be best for you.

What we do not understand is why anyone would go to Punta Cana who does not want a beach/pool vacation. That is what this area is all about. We did not say it in our earlier post (although we dropped the hint) but it sounds like the OP chose a vacation that simply did not choose their "wants" or "desires."

 

When folks ask us for travel advice, our first question is "what do you want out of a vacation." If they say they want to just veg out at a beach and not worry about where to eat or where to find a drink...we suggest AI's. If they do not want a beach vacation we would never suggest an AI.

 

Hank

Those are very fair comments. And to be honest, we simply love cruising and did not expect the AI to be 'us'. I did say, however, that we were gifted travel vouchers and that is why we decided to try the AI experience. While we did love the extra space afforded by a land hotel, we'll trade that for a ship any day!

Regarding the OP, I am confused as to why someone would visit another country and be upset that the locals do not speak the language of the visitor's home country (in this case English)? I seriously don't understand this philposophy and it actually makes me sad.

If we leave the resort, we expect to deal with the local language. But we were in a resort that caters to tourists who are primarily English speaking North Americans.

We took a dune buggy trip through the countryside and brought gift bags of school supplies/treats/toys for the kids. None of them spoke English and I knew that they would not. My cultural lesson was that the kids did not know what a 'high five' was. :eek:

But, granted, this is my own ignorance - I 'assumed' that being in a resort of this type would be similar to being on a cruise and if I asked for directions I would be led up the correct path. :)

If Celebrity is a perfect fit for you, take a look at Palace resorts in Mexico or Jamaica.

 

Sun Palace or Isla Mujeres Palace in particular. Adults only, top notch food and service (dare I say better than Celebrity?), top shelf liquors including flavored alcohols, plus full bar in your room with full bottles (Tequila, run, whiskey and vodka) plus beers, wines, soda and juices, 24/7 extensive room service - and no room service charge during late night hours, excellent service, etc.. Both are smaller properties, which allow for more personal and excellent service....

Both are near to loads of activites if you want - ruins, shopping, snorkeling or diving, sightseeing, etc or enjoy all the resort has to offer. Daily and nightly entertainment if you want or quiet pools and beach if you don't. Demographics range from newlyweds to 70s, generally well traveled folks who are looking for easy relaxation..... Worth checking out.

 

For ultimate luxury in AI - check LeBlanc. Same family of resorts, but true 5* luxury. Amazing property. Gourmet dining - even the comfort food is outstanding, excellent service, butlers for every floor, padded loungers with silver ice bucket service even just for water! But for your wine bottle also, all food is basically cooked to order, buffet has multiple cooking stations plus usual small batch buffet items, and so on...no megaphones to be found anywhere...

 

AIs can be a great value if your main goal is mostly relaxation - they're easy, everything's included, multiple dining choices, etc.. They're not cruises - and comparing them doesn't really do either justice. We do both, along with DIY vacations - it totally depends on what we're looking for in our trip.

 

Give it a go, if you don't enjoy it, at least you know from your own experiences rather than someone else's comparison. AI resorts come in all shapes and sizes and price and quality ranges, just like cruising...so research is key to find one that's a good fit for you...

 

Happy travels, wherever they may take you.

Where were you when we were researching? :D

We've considered trying an AI but not sure what company would be a good fit for a 60's couple not interested in water sports, being surrounded by kids and not surrounded by hedonism types. Cruises, and Celebrity in particular, are a perfect fit for us, but I like the idea of plunking down for a week for a change and never getting seasick.

 

What was the demographic of your AI?

We were in an adult only AI, but the resort next door was the family resort. We had full access to their facility, but they did not have of ours. Many of our amenities were actually next door (Casino, many restaurants, bars). We actually paid extra to be in the 'preferred' section of our resort and we found that in this area, the age demographic was older. Our pool was much quieter than the main pool (that's where the party typically was in the afternoons!). The main pool area had the Carnival atmosphere - while our pool area was more Celebrity style.

We’ve 10 cruises under our belt. We are late 50/early 60. We’d never done an AI. As we had been gifted some generous travel vouchers with a TA and I could not part with control of our cruises, we decided to give the AI a try. We were at Secrets Royal Beach in Punta Cana. I did google, to find peoples comparative experiences, and since I could not find anything, thought I would share ours.

- Our 3rd floor ‘garden view’ was way above the garden (and trees). Our actual view was the building across from us. We ended up upgrading to an ocean view suite. VS. SHIP VERANDA – WE GET A GREAT WATER VIEW AND SOMETIMES A PORT VIEW.

The ocean view suite – there was LOTS of beach activity, which included megaphones. We were also on the flight path for the helicopter tours, which were very popular, as well as many airborne motorized dingy-thingys. VS SHIP - AGAIN, FACING THE WATER, NOT MUCH NOISE

- - Guest are not on the same schedule. We met a lovely couple poolside on our 1st full day. Alas, they were leaving early the next day. We enjoyed dinner with them, and having them educate us on what to expect for the next week. EVERYONE ON A CRUISE STARTS AND FINISHES AT THE SAME TIME.

- - The gathering areas were all at the swim up bars. Other than the main lobby bar, there were no casual sitting/bar areas. All the bars, which were outdoors, had concrete, non-movable seats. CELEBRITY S-SHIPS HAVE MANY MANY SITTING AREAS, WITH VERY COMFORTABLE CHAIRS – BY THE POOL, CAFÉ AL BACAO, AFT BARS….

- -The liquor choices were quite limited unless you wanted to pay extra. I’m a wine drinker. My choices were a ‘red’ or a ‘white’. There were no flavoured alcohols (such as Mango Absolute, my favorite!) and only a few beer choices. VS SHIP – WITH THE PREMIUM DRINK PACKAGE, SELECTIONS OF WINE AND HARD LIQUORS ARE EXTENSIVE.

- Food was average at best. There were a number of restaurant choices, none requiring any upcharges (French, Asian, Mexican). My favorite meal the entire week was the eggs benedict, which they did very well. Everything else… meh.

- Service was also average. In one of the restaurants, every time I ordered a drink that was not wine, it took forever to arrive. A couple of times we were done eating before it showed up. Staff were generally helpful, but there were MANY who did not speak English. Often the servers had very bad English as well.

- Signs are posted regarding chair hogs – anything left on chairs prior to 8am are removed. After that, anything goes. Needless to say, by 9am, there are very few available loungers, either at the beach or around the pool.

All in all, we would never trade our cruises for land vacations. If one is inclined to enjoy laying on the beach all day (which we are not) it would probably be fine. We’re more ‘people watching’ people, so the lack of public sitting areas was a disappointment. And while this is supposed to be an upper scale resort, I would compare it more to Carnival quality.

Happy to answer any questions!

I highly recommend taking the ship excursion ferry over to St. Johns. As others have mentioned, the ferry leaves a short walk from where the ship is docked – no fighting traffic before or after. Tons of cabs if you want to do your own thing once there.

Warning: You may get wet :D

We've only done traditional once, to try it, and had a good experience - great tablemates - but didn't like the 'commitment'.

We were Select on our last cruise (Equinox - Feb-15) and our cruising friends had reserved for 6pm each night. I wasn't thrilled about being on a schedule (they assured me we could blow off the reservation if need be) and it ended up being the best dining experience we've had yet. Our first night we were completely 'wow'd' by our serving staff & sommelier. Requested same table for next night. The hostess knew by the 3rd night to 'hold' our table for us.

Those with reservations entered on one side of the dining room. Walk ins entered on the other. We never waited more than a couple of minutes.

We've never tipped extra in the dining room, but we sure did on this trip. Is our dream to have a repeat of this in February!

Having a great hostess is the key, I believe, and I now wish we would have tipped her additional as well.

The "Conciegre" for the "Conciegre Cabins is the same Conciegre that is available to all passengers. At Guest Services use the shortest line.

Thanks for your response.

So, what is their function?

We always book a Concierge cabin (for the location, not the perks! :)). There is usually a couple voice messages left on our phone in the first couple of days from the Concierge, but I've not really paid attention. I noticed on our last cruise that there is a Concierge desk at Guest Services. Is this the same? When I go to Guest Services, should I be lining up to see this Concierge (short/no lineup) and if so, for all my GS needs?

Pardon my ignorance - I've googled and tried to search here but haven't found the answer.

Thanks for the replies. I didn't realize this was a first for Celebrity. Guess that is why I haven't been able to find reviews, ha. I will keep checking after the 2017 cruise. I think we will put a deposit down for the 2018 cruise, sounds like prices only go up. :)

Not only will the prices go up, the best cabins will get booked early (if not already)

I may be wrong, but I believe the upcoming February 2017 Mardi Gras cruise, with two overnights, is the first time Celebrity has offered this itinerary. We were fortunate to be one of the first to book, one day after release. Today, the available cabins are at prices we would never pay!

The cruise critic roll call is the craziest I've ever seen with over 4K posts.

I note that for 2018 they changed the ship from the Equinox (my fav) to the Reflection (never been) and from 11 days to 10.

If you are interested, I would book now, as the prices seem to do nothing more than go up. Then watch the reviews from the 2017 cruise and decide. I would expect there to be lots of reviews :D

Did your drink package cover the slush drinks? If so which package did you have?

Yes, it did. We had the premium package - not sure if the Classic package would cover this, but I think so. "All Frozen Drinks $11" - we always have the premium, not sure about the classic limits.

I thought all the Solstice class ships were pretty much alike. Thanks for your response.

I only know that the Eclipse, Equinox and Silhouette are sister ships and very similar and I've been on all three and can confirm this! Having said that, I went to book a C1 aft cabin on the Silhouette, thinking it was the same as the Equinox, and it was not.

There are subtle differences between all the sisters - while the ships basically look the same, they are clearly all not from the same parents :D