bayonnejoe

 

nor was it mine. This mismatch has been happening recently.

 

Cool. I think we all got kind of messed up here. I wish I could learn how to quote a small portion of a post without having this happen.

Talk to people outside of your circle of friends. SOOO many americans live check to check

 

That was not my post. I cut down on their very long post to quote them and this what came out. It looked as if I had said it. I believe the exact opposite of what they said.

 

Many of us try a speciality dining venue each cruise and just that one time covers what has been suggested. The conundrum is they are addicted to that revenue/profit and if MDR, with no charge was comparable, well................

 

Hard to believe $50, as my guess, would sway a decision to cruise, but I do know there is the 'straw' or red line or at least you choose another cheaper line.

 

I am 100% certain that $50 (which pretty much everyone would never even notice when booking) would get it done. I think the truth is closer to charging the prices of one the premium lines to get the experience of Celebrity 20 years ago. I have hated the MDR for a long time now (pretty much since Michel Roux has been gone). DW and I dine there once or twice a cruise and book a specialty package, buffet it, or go to Sushi on 5 (used to love Bistro on 5 for dinner when they had the expanded menu BTW) for the rest of the cruise. Something else people forget about dinner on Celebrity. Up until 2005 or so, there was nothing except the MDR. Between 6 and 10, if you did not eat there, you did not eat. (Other than room service). Now you have specialties, the buffet, pizza, and the grill, and Sushi on 5.

 

They know as well as most of us that an extra, relatively minor, few dollars added to a cruise could solve the entire problem of not only MDR quality, but for an extra dollar or two staffing in the MDR could be returned to where your horseradish might be offered before you finished you prime rib.

 

Just curious. How much do you feel "most of us" would consider "an extra, relatively minor, few dollars added to a cruise" amount to? Because for a lot of people, it might be the difference between going and not going.

Why bother, the deal is no different when aboard. There is no advantage in pre booking.

This is not always true. Celebrity just ran a special for 20% off dining, shore excursions, and drink packages. I reserved a nine night dining package on my Equinox sailing for $418 for two.

The packages now allow you to go to any of the specialty restaurants you choose .... it no longer has to be one of each (if that was your question).

They do kind of insist on making that one reservation for you on the first night and it will most likely be the Tuscan. I have read people were successful at making that reservation for the second night and at the restaurant of their choosing instead of Celebrity assigning it for them. I had done that one night and when I boarded, it was set back to what / when Celebrity had chosen ... so double check when you board.

You can choose to start your package on the second night, and should have no problem changing you dining venue if you go to the maître d' at one of the restaurants and make you request. The later you dine, the better chance you will most likely have.

Question: If you pre-book an Excursion or a Specialty Dinner package and then decide against it, can you cancel it prior to the cruise ??

 

Thanks

Yes. Up to four days before sailing.

Chip is the current butler in 6147, however he's going on vacation July 30th. Sorry, no idea who will be replacing him (but I've yet to run into a "bad" butler servicing the PH on Summit).

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I think I was the butler there once. I spent enough time there.

Aware that there is a risk of loss (1 in 37, or 2 n 37 depending on whether it's 1 zero or 2) I believe on land some countries ban the placing of bets like this to stop the laundering of proceeds of crime. I wondered if Celebrity did the same. If not, statistically it seems the best way to get your cash out

I did not know that. Makes sense, though. However, I think with the small amounts of money we are talking about on cruise ships (several hundred dollars at best), I'm sure it's not a big concern. And FYI, was on the Summit in April, and they had taken out the single zero roulette table. They never miss an angle.

My wife and I were quite successful in laundering our OBC on the slots last year. We would play relatively small amounts and just at the point the credit ran out (and you start to play your winnings) we would cash out - take the winnings receipt(s) to the cashier your cash is clean and yours to spend however you like it not at all

 

Not sure if old time money laundering tactics on roulette are barred by Celebrity - I.e you bet identical amounts on red and black or/and odds n evens and just hope The zeros don't come in.

Odds are still in Celebrity's favor here. Or anywhere in the casino, for that matter. Green on double zero roulette will come out over the course of time at over 5%. I'm sure Celebrity is saving money on people using their OBC in the casino, or else they wouldn't allow it.

Yep, I believe this loophole still exists. I've heard that in some cases (non-refundable OBC) they give you promo chips - although I never saw anyone with promo chips on my recent Reflection cruise. If you had promo chips your winnings are paid in regular chips - meaning that you could cash in these chips for cash.

It is not a loophole. As I explained in a previous post, you are only obligated to give the casino as much play as OBC you take out. In other words, once you have sat at any table and played through your promotional chips, whatever you have left, win lose or draw, is yours to do keep. The same goes with slot machines.

Having sailed Celebrity since 1995, DW and I miss the Celebrity of old (pre RCI) as much as anyone. We still sail them almost exclusively for a number of reasons. I still believe they provide an excellent vacation for the price. Just different than it used to be. You cannot have that level of food and service at prices pretty much the same (or sometimes even less) than what they were then. Not everyone has the ability to move up to the premium lines and still cruise as much as they would like to. Anyone can still have the Celebrity experience of 20 years ago. RCI offers Azamara as that alternative. Just not at Celebrity prices.

Since my wife plays the slots anyway we just went to the casino and put some OBC on her card. Used the card in the machines. They also give you a 10% bonus so if you put $400 on the card you get a $40 bonus on the card. Whatever you win you get to cash out. Not as good as getting cash but she would have gambled that much anyway.

 

In the past we would take the money from the casino and shop in ports. Even with the 5% hit it was much cheaper than shopping on the ship.

In reading some of these posts, I think some people would get the wrong impression, that you can only take out winnings. For instance, if you are a slot player (just to use this as example), if you have $300 OBC, and want to use it at the machines, you are only obligated to play $300. Once you have given the casino $300 worth of play, whatever you have left, win lose or draw, is yours to keep. You just have to keep track as you spin. Same goes for the tables.

Some FYI- we are in an OV- deck 3- no robes or slippers, no body wash- just soap bars, shampoo conditioner and body lotion by Gilchrist & Soames in tubes. Internet is much faster than what I'm used to, if you have 'select dining' I recommend making a reservation(s) for at least the first night. The MDR is not open for lunch on port days. If you can- ask for Anish and Singh ( by the back windows) best team- Anish saw us coming in for breakfast today and even though we weren't in his section, delivered our meal- also showed us the next night's menu in order to tweak it- and makes sure we never have to wait for our wine. Singh in the Rendez Vous and Arie in the Cellar Masters are also great.

You should have robes. Ask your cabin steward. As far as waiters, I have never had a wait staff team that is anything but stellar. To call anyone the "best" is somewhat unfair to the rest of the hard working restaurant staff.

The port parking is safe, convenient, and reasonably priced. I don't recall one negative comment since the new garage was built a few years ago.

 

Please do not confuse Parkway Parking with the cruise port parking facility. Parkway Parking is an off site lot located about a mile south of the port entrance off Route 440.

Hahahahaha. Isn't that the brand name for "Sam's Club" or "Costco"?

Yep. Costco.

What are considered nice beside not including torn jeans. Overpriced designer jeans that coat 100s of $$$$?

 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Forums mobile app

I wear designer Kirklands. No one ever batted an eye.

:) How was the food on summit. How many formal nights///are suits or jackert AND TIE GOOD

The food is good no matter what you choose. Buffet, MDR, poolside grill, pizza, are all good. Qsine and Tuscan Grille are a cut above but they are pay. Sushi on 5 is a la carte and pretty good. There are no longer formal nights on Celebrity. They have been replaced by "evening chic". Some people get more dressed up, but it is not required. They other nights are smart casual. You will not feel out of place dressed to the nines or just casual. No shorts or t-shirts in MDR, Blu, Luminae, Qsine, or Tuscan for dinner.

Not removed, but changed slightly. The water features that act like a hydro-message have been removed.

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

 

The bubbling seats on the side are still present.

Onboard two weeks ago. the tubes are back.

Enjoy your cruise!

Good to hear from you. I hope you enjoyed the repo. I hope to exchange thoughts when I get back.

Dark jeans are fine on Evening Chic and on a Bermuda cruise there are few passengers dressing on the formal end of the spectrum.

I am on Summit now, and I can most assuredly say that it is the most casually dressed crowd I have ever seen. On the "evening chic" night some people were a little more dressed up, but not that many, and no one felt out of place, to be sure.

Ill be on Summit in July. IMO, it's better to be over dressed than under. Sounds like you and I pack in the same way!

I wear jeans every night on Summit. Don't let the fashion police affect how you feel comfortable. If you want to dress up, by all means do it. If you want to wear jeans and a nice shirt or top, you will not feel out of place either.

Really? I thought they would be forced to go out of business. As long as people are willing to play a inflated price for a so so product, they will thrive. It will be without help from us though. In the last several years they've taken a wonderful time and turned into a frat party. We'll suffer going back to our 10 days to two weeks at a condo on the beach in Maui. More money but so much more enjoyable.

If things get tight for them and bring quality back to the product, and they say pretty please, we might give them a second chance.

This is your opinion and you are completely entitled to it. DW, many friends, and myself, still consider Celebrity a high quality vacation for the dollar paid, not an inflated price, as they are very much in line with the other mainstream lines.

Will wine by the glass by covered with the premium package if ordered through room service?

No room service is covered by the drink packages.

Bayonne traffic can be BAD. Like parking lot bad. I would not risk arriving in the afternoon. Plus, our last cruise from there the ship left early due to weather. We like to arrive around 10-10:30. Less stressful for us.

Also, I see you are coming from Cromwell. We drive from northern CT and take the Tappen Zee and the Garden State. Just preference but we avoid the NJT.

Bayonne traffic is bad on weekdays because of the construction at Turnpike Exit14A and the truck traffic going to the marine terminals and industrial areas. It is a breeze on Saturday or Sunday which the Summit is throughout most of the summer.