jcrandle

It has been reported on Cruise Critic that in the event a pax is left ashore, the ship's officers endeavor to check the stateroom, including the safe, to try to locate the passport. In that event, the passport is left with the ship's port agent. The port agent's contact info is usually published in the shopping maps that the ship provides.

As I said, I have no direct knowledge of this, as we have never missed a sailing, but perhaps others with definite knowledge could comment.

My cardiologist is of two minds about steak and eggs. On the one hand, she is very concerned about the cholesterol and plaque implications on the arteries. On the other hand, her husband is really salivating about a new Ferrari. :D

You read personal emails at work? I am shocked .... shocked!

And, if you pick a homeless person to reboard the ship to avoid the PVSA, be sure to find one that looks very much like you, as the security folks always appear to be VERY careful to match the stored photo to the person boarding.

DW finds it difficult to sleep without a fan (no editorial comment from me), but I can report that she found a small (4 or 5 inch diameter) fan that can be powered by a USB power supply, and included the AC/USB adapter for less than $14. Since it could be powered by a computer USB, it could be argued that it is NOT AC (OK, I know the computer power adapter is A/C) .

Anyway, it is cheap, works, lightweight, and goes in the DW's luggage, so we are both very happy!

For Buffs fans, it is recommended that you pack a $20 bill and a clean pair of overalls, and change at least one during the cruise!:D

Due to the Costa Concordia disaster, the requirements for the muster drill under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention has been changed to specify that it MUST be held prior to the ship leaving port.

Most cruisers realize the necessity of the muster drill, and all of us would be well advised to treat it with great seriousness.

Celebrity really does itself a disservice by their "guess" speakers policy. I'm not sure if they are uncaring,incompetent int their outreach, or paralyzed by fear that if they announce a planned group of enrichment speakers, if some calamity should prevent the program from occurring that they would be sued and found liable.

However, one of the many questions that pops up on CC is regarding speakers and topics for the enrichment series that are offered on some of the longer cruises. I have never seen any official announcement by Celebrity, and any announcement and discussion is usually posted unofficially by one of the contracted speakers.

Celebrity would do well to take note of this, as it could well increase interest in bookings on these cruises.

I believe that it is the required reporting, with the news media visibility that give the impression that noro is rampant on cruise ships. If the same reporting were required of child care and nursing homes, I suspect that cruise ships would rank a distant third.

if you would like a ceiling view of the MDR, just mention my name to the dining room manager and opt for the liquor package, and you will be very happy!

Congratulations on discovering the B2BWB plan, specifically the Back-to-back with break itinerary. This is an excellent way to maximize vacation time, while reducing the airfare component.

I will say however, that this is usually easier to accomplish on Alaska cruises, where you have the opportunity to take a Northbound cruise to 'Seward/Whittier followed by a drive/train in Alaska, followed bya a reverse to Seattle/vancouver, but no warm beaches there.

The European choices are also more difficult, no warm beaches, and the East/West Transatlantics are separated by 5 or more months, making you European summer very extended (Though to some of us that would be a wonderful problem to tackle).

If you have the time off work, you might consider a Panama canal cruise, followed by a layover in Florida or Souther Cal, with a return Canal cruise..

There could be some South American cruises that offer the opportunity to have a week stay before hopping back to the US.

In any case, I think you have a great plan, but will have to wait for the confluence of positive Karma, and do a lot of research to come up with the solution, but it is a good problem to work on.

Very often, some of the same dishes offered in the MDR will be on the buffet. Some items don't lend them selves to steam tables, and some will rarely be available if at all (lobster tails, escargot). In making the MDR/buffet descision, one must consider 1) the time to enjoy a dinner in the MDR is probably double that in eh buffet; 2) The presentation and timing of the dishes is likely to be classier in the MDR, though the ttime between courses is not under your contro' 3) the salad bar in the buffet gives you more control over exactly what is in (or not in) your salad; and 4) quality of food in the buffet may be inferior to that served in the MDR, simply because of the delay between preparation and serving.

That said, for parents with young children, the buffet may be the best solution, because of the control you have over your time between courses. Also, for those who do not want to dress up on fromal night, but refuse to pay the luxury tax of the specialty/Blu restaurants the Oceanview might be a best fit.

Whatever your choice on any night, I think that Celebrity has lots of good choices, and you will enjoy your cruise.

I chuckled when I saw the question about the definition of "smart casual." I worked 30 years for a corporation that required conservative suits, white shirts and a tie. At least when I joined, hats were not required. In the 1990s, the dress code was being relaxed for internal events, where customers would not be present. In an internal forum, someone asked what was an acceptable dress for "smart casual:? The response was, "If you don't know, you probably should wear a dark suit, white shirt, and tie!

Maybe it is just me, but so many of these dress postings are not "What is the norm?", but rather "What can I get away with?" I almost feel like responding, "Wear a dark suit, a white shirt, and a tie" and let the flames begin!

I usually have to go to the Men's room first, but at my age, that's no surprise!

Yes, in theory, but not in practice. The peak power draw for rooms is most likely in the morning when hair dryers are being used....and that's without any power strips. If you think about what people want to plug in, everything these days is low wattage...irons, hot plates and similar aren't allowed. So if I plug in three chargers/radios/...., I am probably not drawing 1 amp total in the room (1 or 2 watts). The ships electrical system certainly should not have a problem.

The hair dryers, I believe, are on the 230 volt supply. It would be unusual for a single circuit breaker to protect a 230 and 120 volt supply in a residential setting.

Greetings

 

Our upcoming cruise was booked where Celebrity provided the beverage package and the TA added free gratuities. Since we opted for Select dining, the gratuities were prepaid and the TA will credit us OBC for the same amount. Any remaining OBC will be refunded to my card at the end of the cruise. We have advanced the amount of the gratuities, but that is of no concern to us. Others may not like to tie up the money for the 90 days or so.

 

Waiting till on board to switch to Select may not be the best option. Select has become very popular and may be full prior to sailing.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

As you said in your post, on our recent sailing we were awarded prepaid gratuities, yet when we opted for select dining, we were required to pay gratuities at final payment. When we boarded, we had a card that indicated we were assigned to fixed dining. I went to the dining room manager to get the seating changed, and he told me that I would have to prepay the gratuities.

I told him that I had requested Select, and had already prepaid the gratuities. He then went to a computer terminal and checked, and made the change immediately. Our prepaid gratuities were added to our account as a refundable OBC, and we received a credit a couple of days after the cruise ended.

Celebrity has a port agent in every port that can receive and forward packages to the ship. That said, there is the possibility of a delivery failure, even with the most reliable shipping service. There is also the possibility ov a missed port due to mechanical or weather reasons.

With those caveats, you can call Celebrity and ask for the precise shipping information of the port agent that meets your time requirements.

As a secondary option, the ships physician can often arrange to have the port agent procure the medication, and have it available. The only issue with this is that it might not be covered by your insurance, so you might be out the full cost of the meds.

Good luck, and have a great cruise.

I'm reminded of the famous line uttered by Humpty Dumpty from the Alice story

 

"When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean......"

Perhaps it depends on what the definition of "is" is?

This appears to be very inconsistently administered by Celebrity, or perhaps more accurately the purser on different Celebrity ships. We have had refundable OBC remaining on the Eclipse and the Reflection on our previous cruises, and in each case, the balance was refunded to our credit card a few days after disembarking.

I always carry a pen knife basically to use the tiny scissors, the nail file, and the toothpick. Here's a picture of this dangerous weapon.

 

http://www.swissknifeshop.com/swiss-army-classic-sd?zmam=18093142&zmac=25&zmas=1&zmap=SA53001&gclid=CMyphtfNwrsCFYtQOgodvy0AFQ

 

I spent 26 days on Reflection on a recent B2B Eastern Med/TA. On day 3 while coming back from a shore excursion, I made the mistake of emptying all my pockets of all metal, my cell phone, yada, yada, yada. Security confiscated my pen knife because they felt it was a dangerous threat.

 

I pleaded my case with the security person to no avail. I even offered up the 5" sharp pointed steak knife that I had used for dinner the night before in Murano. :rolleyes: I guess common sense didn't prevail. They didn't confiscate my cork screw which had a blade used as a foil cutter -- about the same size.

 

It was just such a hassle getting it back after the end of the cruise.

The difference is that they know that the steak knives that Celebrity provides are so dull that you couldn't cut hot butter with them!:D

It's a Japan cruise? Perhaps you just don't have the "yen" for it!:D

Good luck on getting a fare reduction through your TA, as in my understanding, Celebrity does not allow TA's to rebate directly. My TA told me that the rebate could be applied to airfare, or merchandise, like an IPAD or laptop. I'm not certain that the airfare had to be purchased from Celebrity, gut it might have been easier to show that the "no cash rebate" was honored if the trans went thru Cruise Air.

I'd contact the TA again and get a better differentiation on what is allowed. You may need to speak to a manager at the TA, or have a conference call with Celebrity, as not all TA's may be aware of all the ramifications.

I'm sure that the captain of your aircraft will be able to tell you. I'd be amazed if any of us cruisers can tell how your plane will be routed by air traffic control.

There are TVs in the cabins? Wow, now I can catch up on all of the "I Love Lucy" reruns I missed!:D

I recently read that McDonalds in Paris was offering escargot, thereby expanding their menu to include slow fast food.:D