the penguins

We have sat out on our traditional balcony every day for a minimum of 3 hours on every TA both East and West Bound. I just can't imagine doing that on the low backed, non reclining chairs that are a feature of an IV cabin. Nor for that matter would we have space for our lunch which we also have on the balcony. IV's seem perfect for passengers who like the idea of a balcony but don 't actually use it.

X has a unique solution to the boarding day lunch which is offered for example to Concierge Class Passengers. When too many passengers are likely to be too late, on some cruises X simply changes the lunch from the boarding day to a Sea Day (I know it's not the same thing so don't shoot the messenger). Unfortunately you won't find out if your cruise is affected until you board. It's an "all or nothing solution" i.e. however early you board if X has decided to go for the Sea Day option no one gets the Boarding Day Lunch.

the wellness questionnaire can be completed on line the morning you board so it's not an issue.

Be careful if you are considering the train as the Drivers are still in dispute with the management with the next batch of strikes due between the 5 and 8 April. Also the carriages are designed for Commuters with baggage space mainly limited to the end of the carriages i.e. out of sight of the seating, which some passengers may feel uncomfortable about.

I have no idea of how Princess works and they use a different terminal to X. My comments were for how it works on X. If you arrive at around the right time you will be on board in your cabin in about 20 minutes. Unlike on Princess you go direct to your cabin and your room key will be waiting for you. You can leave your carry on bags and use the safe even if your cabin isn't fully ready - it's a great system. Wifi and lighting is often poor in Southampton and it pays to have all your docs printed out and in your hand rather than to rely on your phone.

depends on the port. Southampton for example checks the time. Arrive early and you will be sent to the holding line - no seats and no cover. Other Posters have reported the same at other Ports. Arriving early is at your own risk - if it doesn't work don't complain.

You are trying to book in the peak holiday season so not surprising X is holding out for 3 pax per cabin. Even if cabins for 2 become available you will most likely be on a ship with several hundred kids and in ports that will be swamped. This demand might also be a reaction to there not being an S class ship sailing from the UK. If you really want to experience the Fjords I would recommend you look at Hurtigruten out of Bergen - the 12 night Classic Round-trip covers the whole coast and numerous Fjords.

Confused. I was responding to your " hard to string 2 cruises together in Europe" comment nothing to do with the Caribbean.

depends where you have already been. Easy to join Norwegian Fjords and the Baltic States or Baltic States and Canary Islands or all three. Also from Ravenna Italy Split Dubrovnik etc round to Rome then the Greek Islands. Also options that include Iceland. We used to like HAL when it had the smaller ships but the new bigger ones left us cold.

if it works for you stick with it. Personally the longer my money is in my bank and not X's the better. Thankfully our Elite+ status means we never need a paid for WiFi package, nor a drinks package (we don't drink alcohol) and the thought of doing an X excursion leaves us cold. We book private guides in most ports (splitting the cost with another couple on the Roll Call), pay most of the tips through our Shareholder OBC and invest the rest of our spending money in the Casino. We always eat dinner in the MDR (Select Dining) as sharing tables at dinner is one of the main reasons we cruise. No right or wrong just personal choice.

if the tips go up after you have booked there is always a "period of grace" where you have the option to pre pay at the original rate.

X has lots of longer cruises just not from Florida. See Europe, Far East, Japan and the Pacific etc. Having to join cruises together also has some advantages especially if you are Elite and above as the benefits start again on each sector. Also the Shareholder OBC can be higher.

X will make any of the Cocktails as "Virgin" drinks. Cafe Al Bacio does a wide range of non alcoholic coffees both hot and iced, plus hot chocolate and speciality teas. Various fruit juices at most bars. Ginger Ale is the Royal Brand but some bars ( e.g. Casino Bar) have Canada Dry - just ask. Fruit smoothies.

National Express Coaches (bus) goes direct from Southampton (Harbour Parade not University) to London Victoria. Book online for the best prices. Cost from around £12 ($15) per person. From Victoria take the Tube of Cab depending on where your hotel is. Canterbury makes an interesting day out - train from several London Stations - pre book for best prices. A river cruise to Hampton Court gives you a unique view of London plus the wonder of Hampton Court Palace - full day needed. If you like Gardens then Kew is another great day out - easily accessible by public transport.

The answer is always the same - layers, with the top one being waterproof. Remember there is no such thing as bad weather only the wrong clothing.

Well it kept us amused, gave our brains a workout and all without anyone being rude or aggressive. Plus I now know Anthem has a Deck 13. As an aside when I visited the Engine Control Room on Solstice it still had string of Garlic on a shelf - another tradition to keep the ship safe.

Fact checking is good. MSC owned by Gianluigi Aponte and his wife - both are Swiss. The company is also Swiss. The other lines were indeed founded as you state but are now nothing more than marketing divisions of Carnival (not Celebrity) with very little of their heritage left. Take Cunard: claims to be British but all it's onboard prices are in $. It says it's because it uses the Carnival computer system. Which might be true except that P and O, also owned by Carnival, prices everything in £'s. Take food meals in the MDR all are very much to American rather than British styles - i.e. big on meat and small on veg (both quantity and variety). Used to be famous for it's Silver Service i.e. meat on the plate with the vegetables served at the table. Now everything is pre-plated. Turning to Celebrity these boards are frequently awash with comments that X isn't like it was and how it it is becoming just like Royal. My original post about Deck 13 was intended to be a light hearted comment but perhaps I forgot to add the 🤣 😂

It’s a 100% Swiss owned. It’s about as Italian as Costa Cruises, or as British as Cunard/P and O, or even the famous Norwegian Line Hurtigruten which is British owned. Celebrity has lots of Greek Officers but that isn’t a Greek Line.

Nor on Royal.

Makes no sense as MSC is a Swiss company. However it is true that 13 is not unlucky in Italy. I believe Virgin ships have a Deck 13 but that maybe wrong.

7 and 9 are the usual start times with 9 the most popular time. We eat at 6,30 and see the 9.0 pm show.

Once at sea it's totally weather dependent therefore no way of telling. Perhaps you should also consider that all the time the window is open (even if you close the interior doors) the aircon in your cabin will be off. In port it's likely to happen if the windows are due to be cleaned.

that's sort of my point. I would simply have phoned the Credit Card company, explained the situation, copied them the paperwork from Celebrity and asked for an immediate refund - which it will do with the proviso that Celebrity can issue a challenge within 28 days. The CC Company would then have claimed the money back from Celebrity. We had a complex itinerary involving flights, cruise and The Rocky Mountaineer Train cancelled due to Covid. My TA refused to refund the Train as Rocky Mountaineer were only issuing Credit Notes. I said that as the booking was covered by UK ATOL rules i.e. if one part failed the whole lot was refundable and that my contract was with them not with Rocky. Again they refused. Called the CC company and the refund was made the same day. Needless to say the Travel Agent did not contest the refund.

X's excursions have Zero value for us. My wife has mobility issues and X's big busses and then having to trail along behind a guide make the whole experience pointless. By the time we catch up with the Guide they have finished their explanation and are ready to mov to the next stopping point. Then of course there is the "shopping" break and the Comfort stop with a snack. For us to be able to walk with the Guide (we talk as we walk so no stopping and starting) to have coffee/cake breaks when we want and to have a vehicle with easy access is priceless. Another advantage of booking through TBL which we know others use is that when you share a tour you can set up the payments so each participant can pay their share direct - uiseful when members come from different countries. Choice is always good

upper level on Reflection with access from both sides. You check in each time - if you have prebooked you will be shown straight to your table. If you haven't prebooked you may be asked to wait in a line or be given a buzzer so you can wait in a bar. You may also be seated quicker if you make it clear when you check in that you will be happy to share a table. We pre book and always share ideally on a table for 6 -