spiritkat090909

We must be on the same flight.  DITTO.  3 minutes earlier... and we officially don't meet the requirement cutoff. AARGH!  It isn't like we can call AA and say your 3 minutes mess things up and get a later flight. Sigh. 

Let us know if you manage to get the Valet. 

In the meantime, I'm hoping for another scheduled time change. Just THREE more minutes!

I'm guessing it is more of a computer issue than whether or not the bags would make it. Of course they would...if the computer would let them enter it.  And really, how will we know if the schedule changes again at the last minute while our phones are off in the middle of the Caribbean on the last sea day? And it probably will.  Just hoping for later, not earlier.

Well...DH & I are both Pearl on our upcoming Equinox next week.  For our Dec NYE on the Edge this year...DH is is still Pearl & I am back to a grain of sand?  Celebrity's casino program is as clear as mud.

3 hours ago, Caroldoll said:

Do you know what the Amex travel benefits will be?

There is a you tube guy ...channel is Ask Sebby... who has made some predictions on what Amex will be doing.  He is really credit card savvy and a point hound.  So far, his rec is Chase Reserve over Amex. 

FWIW... I have had the Chase Sapphire Reserve for about a year and half.  I have gotten my moneys worth out of it, using it for farm business expenses initially to meet the minimum spend for initial bonus (free/using points for first class airfare on this next cruise!) Added TSA Precheck and using for my travel insurance.

I also have the regular Chase Unlimited that I've had for over 10 years and it gets quarterly 5% bonus categories that you can transfer those points to the CSR for a higher usage value.  There are also other options besides the higher %s for dining/travel.  Example:  I like to shop online at Sams (free shipping) and have the heavy stuff delivered to my door (cat food).  By going through the Chase bonus shopping link, I earn an extra % on top of the regular. 

-Penny Pincher 😉

For the ones saying...report back after you have done it...

I DID it! 

FLL to MIA direction, late flight arrival sometime after dark.  First tried UBER since I had a first time user coupon that would have made the cost something like $10.  I got a driver response that the wait would be something like 2 hours!?  Uh..no.  That would be enough time to pick up and return at least one person before me and meant only one driver working?  I think it was around 9pm.

Cancelled.  Or attempted to. AND called and left msg on driver.  He ignored and tried to run the card anyway.  First and LAST UBER!

Requested a Lyft ... 5 mins away. No problem finding & picking up, friendly young lady, nice clean vehicle that was obviously HERS and not some fleet car with taxi drivers hired to run the routes for someone else. Spoke ENGLISH!  Always a plus in Miami. (Had that issue show up on return from cruise later, same trip..problem finding/understanding our location pickup).  Pleasant 30ish minute ride.  I can't remember the cost, but I think it was somewhere in the $35 range?   This was my first Lyft ride ever, too. Cool. That was easy!

Much like a taxi, the experience depends on the integrity of the driver you are assigned.

MIA to FLL return:

I would not do the Lyft on return from port any more.  Just too much confusion.  We were even first off (MSC Butler escort) and not many people yet. Easily seen... we could actually see the driver and he stayed in the outer lane and never even TRIED to get to the curb over EMPTY inner lanes?! So we called. I suppose if the driver had been more familiar with the port and could speak/understand(read traffic signs?) the official language... well, you never know.  In this event, taxi would have been much less stress and worth paying double.

18 minutes ago, louieboy said:

Does anyone know if Southwest Airlines provides this service with Celebrity? 

Yes.  The luggage valet form I've seen said that Southwest Airlines participated and flights must depart before 6pm.

SHIP:  Equinox

• Length of Cruise: 10 night
• Cruise Sail Date: 10/04/19
• Date email offer received: 7/10/19
• Captain’s Club Tier :  Elite via RCCL status match
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA
• Current Cabin: was Aft S2
• Bid?  Yes/No: Yes

If YES -  Bidding Details:

• Cabin Category: RS
• Bid Offer: Fair on Scale
• Notification Date:9/9/19
• Accepted

General Comments (offer details, etc.) Also bid on CS and PS. No PS were available at time of initial offer. 15 days prior to acceptance, there were 2 CS and 2 RS available.

On 8/22/2019 at 9:55 PM, Saint Greg said:

 

I believe they went to sugar straws for frozen drinks and either paper or no straws for everything else. We’ll see on Sunday but I’m bringing my own.

I have decided the straw deal is just a Conspiracy to add one more thing to pack and cut cruise-line costs. 

On 8/1/2019 at 5:47 AM, sparks1093 said:

Yes, copies are acceptable under the DHS regulations which says an original or copy may be used. While it is best to bring the original knowing that a copy is acceptable has saved many cruises. (When we boarded Pride in 2012 I presented a copy of my birth certificate and no one batted an eye at it.)

FWIW...it isn't boarding that is the issue. 

For future cruisers the TECHNICAL detail: 

The birth certificate "copy" must be a STATE issued copy with the current seal (be it raised or colored).  Getting on the ship, you are dealing with cruise line employees.  Getting OFF the ship, you are going through Department of Homeland Security & CUSTOMS officials with the power of a real badge.

Just because someone can slip by once, doesn't mean everyone else will every time. That also goes for the previously mentioned bridging docs of marriage license with the driver license and certified birth certificate. Legality has a specific black and white rule.  The agent you luck out to go through may be a gray kinda person and ready to go to lunch!

When I first started cruising, I didn't use a passport.  I knew I wouldn't be going 'across the pond' and didn't see a need for the expense and TIME required to get said document. Although I have one now, I only got it because I could go through the shorter & faster line at disembarkation. I keep a pic of it on my phone in the event that I were to miss the ship, it would speed up re-issue at the nearest embassy.  If I leave my phone on the ship, I take a paper non-legal photo copy in my beach bag and my drivers license (as required by the ship with my ship card to re-board).

My experience suggests... get the passport if you intend to go on more than 2 cruises in your lifetime. It's just easier.

Overpacker here.  I don't like CAMPING , or flying, and doing without.  I love my 'stuff'.  It seems like I can get my actual clothes into a 19" carryon, but the other things I LIKE to have (don't need, but hey I AM on VACATION!) fill up the BIG checked suitcase.

Over the years, I've ditched the duct tape (used it once and glad to have it, but the odds...), extra shoes in case one pair gets wet...formal wear.

But, added so much more:

2 Kindles (Paperwhite for sun) AND ipad.

MyPillow Travel pillow AND 2 zipper pillowcases. (compression bagged & dual duty on plane)

Noise machine AND Bose headsets AND Bose earplugs.

Sleep mask.

RTIC mug.

Handheld mini-fan.

My OWN Snorkel equipment, if needed for excursion.

Lightweight microfiber towel for excursions.

My own toiletries & the ever increasing supply of potentially needed MEDS.

FWIW, I knew a guy who brought a gallon jar of pickles and a full size can of glass cleaner once. His first cruise. lol 

From my understanding, if ONE of your Move-up offers is accepted, the others are automatically removed and will not be accepted. You won't be assigned two rooms.

From my offer email:

"Only one of your offers will be accepted based on stateroom availability and whether the bid you submitted is the winning bid. "

Finally!  Thanks...post #4 in second result showed 1500 points.  Sigh.  I feel so helpless.

Well I'm just telling you... I was unable to find the carnival casino drinks on us info I was looking for while searching... so since you were able to get it to give you only Carnival info...  perhaps you can get the answer... casino DOU points needed? 

Yes I did use the drop down menu.  Didn't work for me in the above mentioned search, which I still don't know the answer to.  I had many different 'suggestions' in that menu ...to try this AND this...

Glad it is working for you and apparently the majority.  But, it is a major step backwards finding what I need with simple word searches.  If I am in the Carnival board, I don't want the search to include every casino from every cruise line.  Too much to weed through.

Firefox

The old search function worked well. The new-not improved...is beyond MY capabilities.  I get all sorts of things I'm not interested in.  Example... I was looking for Carnival (old way go to carnival board) amount of casino points needed to obtain the DOU aka drinks on us card.  For my sister. Old way at Carnival board search casino and DOU or drinks.    New way, threw me into every casino in every ship and I still don't have that answer...so, I started scrolling in the CASINO board.  STILL don't know the answer and gave up.  Sounds like I should've asked the same search in Google instead.

It really aggravates me now when I see someone smart off...just search!  Uh yeah. I know the data is there, but is like looking for a needle in a hay stack to find these days.

I noticed the same 'cruise math' on the 25% off shore excursion offer I rec'd.  The prices are higher and having booked quite some time ago, it didn't even benefit to cancel and rebook!  Gotta watch the sneakiness-bait.

I have seen it done.  The young woman was obviously suffering from seasickness and being on the deck with fresh air is helpful.  That was several years ago, before the curfew thing for teens and my memory says the ship hadn't stacked and tied down the chairs.  I can't remember the ship name.

DH & I had decided we probably would not be sailing on the Edge, based on reviews and other's experiences.  However, like a real cruise addict, when the casino said...hey free veranda! I snatched that carrot up like a horse who hasn't eaten in a week

Turns out the "free" veranda was a Cat 1A, which has a REAL veranda!!!!  SCORE.  So, trying it out.  As someone else said, the PRICE IS RIGHT.  The date chosen was a holiday, NYE sailing and the prices for paying were in the neighborhood of $3k for that room. NO way would I pay that. Airfare, though...another story.

I suspect the 'cheap seats' room may be like Carnival's Cove balconies... the best deal on the ship.

On 7/8/2019 at 11:21 AM, barbels said:

The furniture in the sky suite screams cheap, cheap, cheap.  Some of it looks like it was picked up on curbside, placed there by someone who was upgrading their furniture after getting a real job.

 

On the basis of these pictures I will never book a sky suite.

Barbara

I agree wholeheartedly.  On the positive side, no matter what was actually PAID for the furniture, it looks like on the balcony end at least, it will wear out quickly!  Probably before the 'Revolutionization' is even finished fleetwide.

I use Gonex compression packing cubes TO the cruise. Rolled up to minimize wrinkling. Somethings bundled, others individually rolled. The FROM cruise packing is too hurried for organization so I actually DO use the clear compression rollup bags that squeeze out the air at the bottom (no vacuum needed) and as long as they don't have a hole in them, they REALLY shrink up the dirties.  Each suitecase has an equivalent size for each side to distribute evenly.

So while pre-packing takes quite a while organizing, post can be done in an hour! Divide out the dirty collection from the popup hamper and while DH is still wandering around the ship doing whatever he does...I'm done. No stress, no mess.  My packing cubes stay clean, my clear compressions can be reused as is next trip.

If you compress, you have to recompress or everything will NOT fit going home.

RE: Ships laundry... only dry clean for me.  Too many disasters with shrinkage and black pants coming back gray with regular laundry service and free bags. ESPECIALLY Celebrity.

On 6/5/2019 at 11:30 AM, mmeg29 said:

Our story is a long one but we were in a Signature Suite for 12 nights ( at a great price) with lots of OBC because we booked while on Edge. I will shorten it dramatically.  First I am not upset about the lack of hot tub in the Retreat as the original announcements from  Celebrity did not mention a water feature, there was never a hot tub shown on the deck plan changes, and the Future Rep told us in February that there were no plans for a hot tub.  If there had been one it would have been a bonus for me.  The signature suite has a tub on the balcony so I can make my own "water feature."  We were upgraded to a Royal Suite with our original price protected.  All we gain is square footage that I can see and I almost upgraded on a rare day when the price was down.  I had my own reasons for wanting the Signature Suite.  This is an acceptable switch for me.  As for those in the Reflection Suite, no one has said what Celebrity did for them, that I have seen, but both women who I have seen respond to this elsewhere seemed quite pleased with the changes.  I am thinking if these women had not been well cared for we would have heard about it.  

Thanks for sharing.  I will try to contain my envy and future disappointment in the lack of Move-up potential.    But, to be fair, I booked a year ago and my S2 is now twice the price I paid.  And I LOVE the fact that Celebrity did the right thing in your case!

2 hours ago, Les43 said:

We have 2 days to go until our cruise on Infinity. Still no news on the Moveup bid 😞. Assume it will be rejected. Anyone had their’s accepted at this late date or had no news either way before boarding? 

YES.  We booked last minute (4/1, 5 days prior to sail date) with a casino offer that was a free outside stateroom.  We got a move up bid email at the last day they were closing the offers.  I was a day late noticing but submitted a bid anyway thinking no way... and I REALLY overbid.  $500pp for AQ.  It was the max offer.  I was sent notice everything was declined on the fourth,  day prior to sailing at 8:10am.  Checking email at airport, I noticed another email sent at 8;12am, saying we HAD been successful and to pick up documentation at the airport in MIA (we were flying FLL).  We just showed up at the check-in, after printing new luggage tags/docs/boarding passes at our hotel airport.  Of course, the cabin steward did not have notice of our Elite status & we missed a few benefits by not knowing this, but didn't make a fuss. He realized when I put our laundry bag with 'free Elite laundry' noted on bag.  Apologized and put the flower vase in room.  We also had an invite to a different person in the room (not unexpected) for something and I'm pretty sure our old cabin had a few things intended for us.  But again... no biggie, we enjoyed our first Aqua Class stateroom and one of us was very happy with Blu.

Bottom line:  I think if you are offered a Moveup and overbid, you go to the front of the bid line and increase your chances.

We went from a free room to one we paid $500pp for.  We were happy to have balcony and Celebrity had a income on a room that was previously dependent on casino losses.  Which numbered in the thousands. 😞

As a bargain hunter, it sounds as if these cabins may become (in time) something that may be offered at something of a discount. Perhaps as a freebie to casino club members. (We have already been offered a last minute inside room on the Edge that didn't work timewise.)  So.... I could not say NEVER would I EVER.

BUT, I love sitting on the balcony each night listening to the waves, the fresh air, while DH is in the cabin doing his own winding down watching some sport/tv junk.

AND  he insists on the balcony (rather than an inside) because he has the unreasonable (IMO) fear of another TRIUMPH event where the ship is dead in the ocean for a week. Odds are that was a one off and will never happen again...but, I have to agree that IF that were to happen, the reason for the balcony ...AIR & PRIVACY, with no electricity.. Well. Just one time I wanted to use my balcony as a real balcony and I was locked out would be IT for me!  OH NO... he didn't! 

So, thinking along those lines... as a super technological ship, what happens if your cabin has a computer issue?  What if someone comes up with the idea of HACKING THE COMPUTER?  Theoretically, they could disable the ship, not just your room/balcony.  Probably NEVER happen.  At least not until things get older and start breaking down...

So.  NOT for us.  Barring  free, because that is how I roll. 😉

On 12/22/2018 at 9:47 AM, itchintocruise said:

I hope I didn’t mislead anyone, but the home boss is 50. I was just trying to be funny. My bad.

I'm awake...and as another 29 and holding... I got it right off the bat (the wink gave it away).  But, I'm detail oriented, ocd..and by the end of the first post decided I had to see how many posts wanted details of how you managed to cruise being a Chiropractor in witness protection and all that.  LOL. Not going on the Horizon...but like your wit. READING. Carry on.

13 hours ago, rolloman said:

Yeah that was my biggest complaint...if everyone has only one entry in the hopper...how in the hell does the same 3 or 4 people keep getting picked at least four times?

 Exactly.  What I saw was that THE name that kept being called on our last Premier from Snowball/Fireball waited until the prize money was big before he showed up to claim it.  My take: the highest roller gets the ball.

The downgrade you mentioned may or may not be a downgrade. The main difference between 8F & 8C will be location/deck. The rooms will be identical unless one is handicapped.