HappyTvlr

I was on the Solstice in Oct 2013, and while there were no issues with people over indulging there were issues with Celebrity not having enough beer. They had to pull beers from the crew parties, and restock on horrible Fiji beer. It was also next to impossible to get seats at the Martini Bar or Molecular. I am on a similar itinerary (South Pacific) this October and I hope the beer problem has been fixed, but don't hold out much hope for space at Martini Bar since we are on Century and it is smaller and there isn't a Molecular option. I will say that I am a big fan of the package because it is value for money for us particularly when you add in all the non-alcoholic options it comes with.

I was finally able to view the reservation, and it looks to be mostly correct. I changed cabins and the correct cabin appears on my express pass, but not the cruise docs. I'm curious about which luggage tags I will receive.

Celebrity offers Riedel wine glass tastings showing how bad the "joker" glasses are, and then they use the "joker" glasses in the MDR. I was pleased to see that the glasses were slightly better in the MDR on the Solstice last year, but they were still a far cry from Riedel.

Count me in as frustrated that I can not "view reservation". This is day six....

I would opt for a 1A balcony that has a good location over random concierge. The perks are just not worth it in my opinion, and it seems like you are talking about $300. Are you willing to pay that for canapés, a bottle of sparkling and thicker robes? Keep in mind room service is free, and the canapés are pretty bad. The only other factor would be if you are looking to collect extra C' Club points.

On Solstice last year it was presented to us by the sommelier in Cellermasters. It was in the $250 price range, was a set menu that seemed to sample concepts from Murano and Tuscan Grill, and did include wines. I'm hoping it is on offer on my upcoming Century cruise.

I believe so. I got there early while he was setting up, and he was kind enough to get me a red bull.

How frustrating. I got up the morning to find the same message described above when trying to view my reservation. The only good news was that I did get an email with the correct information.

We did a cruise tour to Machu Picchu after our Galapagos cruise and everything was wonderful. We did pay five star prices, but there was no question we got what we paid for. Also, there were only 12 in our group which was fantastic. BTW, Lake Como is beautiful. Enjoy!

You are not alone. I just made changes to my reservation on the phone, and I am dying to see what is going to show up online. It is always interesting and often inaccurate, but the folks at Celebrity always seem to have it just right when I arrive on the ship so I quit worrying about the online info a long time ago. The emails I receive always have the right info so I print them just in case. I do find it ridiculous that the emails are correct, but the online info is inaccurate.

I enjoyed it for reasons listed about the history of the canal. There were great lectures throughout the cruise, and on the day there was regular commentary on the PA. One other thing I enjoyed was the excitement around the ship. A lot of people were up early for the entry, and it was interesting to see all the other vessels waiting to go through. There was also some unbelievably bad behavior by people taking a space on the rail and not budging to allow others a chance to get the experience. It is an all day affair so eventually everyone got a chance, but there were some ugly exchanges. I am happy that I got a chance to go through this canal, and will hopefully go through the new one some time in the future. It was also great to see the construction on the new canal. As of last year they were still predicting a 2014 completion date, but that seemed improbable based on the lack of progress. The other factors that make it a great trip was that the price was reasonable for 15 nights, and the port stops were all very good.

We bought the one for the panama canal and enjoy it. We put it on w/out sound at different get togethers kinda in the background and people enjoy watching for a few minutes here and there.

I discovered the pizza on the Solstice last year and wished I hadn't. Anyone miss the mushrooms they used as a substitute for the escargot? I loved them.

After a couple of days at the martini bar and getting familiar with the staff, they don't even ask for our cards because they have our folio number and name. Same goes for the sommelier in the MDR. I'm just guessing that they get mixed up once in a while, but the skeptic in me also wonders if they are shouting free drinks for customers without the package and just putting them on a card that won't be charged. Either way I'm not bothered as long as I don't get charged.

Well, we did it Aug 3-10, 2014 on Century to Alaska. It was $99 for the week plus 15% gratuity (US $ of course). It was great although we didn't get there every day given our dining time and it's closing time. Most of the time there wasn't an issue getting a bench, but my biggest complaint was that it was never policed. There were people who had obviously settled in there for the day and at one point there must have been six people waiting to get on to the benches and no one who had been there when I arrived was even thinking of moving. Of course, if there are others waiting, I always leave at the recommended 20 minutes to make room for others, but some people never even consider this! Perhaps the sign isn't big enough. We also found that for part of the trip, one of the benches was actually cold. We mentioned this to the staff but I never did find out if it was followed up on. And, given all the safety precautions with hand sanitizer, we also wondered if those benches are ever wiped down.

 

 

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Glad to hear that I am not the only who gets bothered by people not following the rules. This same bad behavior extends to the fitness center where people stay on cardio equipment way too long during peak time when all the machines are in use.

Love the French onion soup and any braised beef dish in the MDR. Do not miss the pecorino mac and cheese or goat's cheese salad at Tuscan or the balloon crepes at Murano. All so very good!

I can tell you what worked for me. I logged on w/my CC number, and then I entered the code PYPBEV (my choice for bev pkg). The reduced deposit and perk came up in the rate. You should be able to find a place to enter the code and update the rate.

The limiting of multiple spaces (Michael's, Blu, MDR) does negatively impact my cruise experience. I have not dined in Blu because I have only been on one cruise with AQ rooms, and I did not like the location of the rooms. My next cruise will be my first as Elite, and I do not plan on going to the breakfast because I enjoy the buffet or the evening drinks because I have a beverage package. I do not think a comparison to hotels or airlines is legitimate because what I am talking about here is that I don't like the changes Celebrity is making. If I just started cruising, then I would just not cruise with them just like I don't cruise Cunard. I think that it is great for the people that this business model does work for, but it doesn't work for me. It is not a judgment about what others find valuable. I am just disappointed because I have enjoyed Celebrity the way it was, and now the changes are causing me to look elsewhere. This is so often the case with many things.

Talk to the cabin steward. There are a variety of fluffy type (cotton/synthetic?) and down. If I recall correctly, we had a variety already on the bed so we just tossed them around between us since all seemed nice enough.

I’m responding because I appreciate the OP’s question, and while the topic has been beat to death I feel strongly about what is happening with Celebrity. I fell in love with Celebrity on the Expedition where everyone had full access to the open bar and all public areas. This was my one and only suite experience on Celebrity, and I did so only because it was the last room available and my dates were not flexible. My second cruise was around New Zealand after back surgery. I needed a holiday, but could only walk short distances. I picked Celebrity based on my Expedition experience. I loved it, and got hooked on being lazy, spending heaps of time with my DH, and eating good food and enjoying countless G&Ts. The real issue for me is that Celebrity is changing, and I don’t like the direction they are going in by limiting public spaces. I am a firm believer that the price of the suite is primarily about getting nicer accommodation. I can easily afford a suite, but never spend much time in the room so could not justify the price. I do not have suite envy, or long for the day when I can afford one. I just wouldn’t use the space. I have heaps of hotel suite experience due to status upgrades, and I never use the space. The same goes with the cruise is that I drop my bags and go exploring. I have elite status, and the answer to the question posted earlier is that yes I will leave Celebrity if they continue to take away what is now public space. I have elite status because I have continued to choose Celebrity because I enjoy the service, food, bars, public spaces, no smoking policy, and general lack of children among other things. I do spend a lot of money on beverage packages, specialty restaurants, wine events, cooking classes, chef’s table dinners, fitness classes, spa treatments and shore excursions. I do not cruise to see different places in the world. My NZ cruise confirmed to me that cruising is a sampler. I have made 5 trips there for self-drive holidays, and the cruise didn’t even scratch the surface of this beautiful country. I travel extensively on land, and I cruise when I have an extra week or two and want to spend quality time with my spouse just relaxing, and eating and drinking too much if I am being honest. As I said, I will leave Celebrity if they continue to change because I don’t like the direction they are going. This doesn’t mean I don’t think they are justified in doing so based on financial decisions, but it will no longer work for me. If I have to pay a higher price for a room that I will not use just to be able to eat at any restaurant or sit in any bar, then I will look at other luxury lines that justify the price with a better total package that addresses my wants and needs.

On Solstice in Oct 2013 (South Pacific), they ran out of nearly all the beer on day 9 out of 12 and had to stock up on nasty cans of Fiji beer. They pulled beer from the crew parties to cover passengers. The Chandon went dry in the MDR about the same time. Had a laugh with the CD (an Aussie), and his opinion was that they didn't factor in Aussies when they offered the 123 perk. It was my first cruise with the perk program, and I was not happy with the shortages or the overwhelmingly crowded Martini Bar. Can't say for certain if the shortages or crowds were a result of the offer, but did not have these issues on previous cruises. I'm not being critical of the offer, but if things are the same on my cruise this Oct (similar route) it may be my last. I like a good sparkling without paying a champagne price, a good beer, and I like sitting at the Martini bar. I paid for the package before the perk, and I would happily pay for it again if it improves my experience.

We have always used the card (premium Alc) on disembarkation for fresh juice and have never been billed.

Would agree waiting if you have OBC to use, but otherwise do it before if you are certain you want it just to save the time when boarding.

There was one guy right outside the exit offering a two hour tour, and we turned him down. He kept trying, and we kept walking and declining. We quickly found a taxi and were easily able to confirm with him that we just wanted a ride to town. Walking around all day we felt extremely safe, and enjoyed a meal in a small highly rated (tripadvisor) restaurant where we spoke no Spanish and they spoke no English. Sorry I can't recall the name, but it was fantastic. I am now studying Spanish. I will pass on one of the best pieces of advice ever given to me about taxis in tourist areas. If you know what your journey is going to be, as in this case it is ship terminal to downtown, you go online and search out how much the ride should cost. Even if this is not possible, you should always come to a clear understanding as to what the fare will be with the driver BEFORE you take the ride. If they are unwilling to set the fare, go to the next guy. They typically don't use meters, and they know what they plan to ask you for at the end.

Oh my. I will quote what the ship's naturalist said over the intercom to passengers on my Alaskan cruise on the Century. "If you're sitting inside looking at this magnificent sight through the window then you may as well be watching TV."

 

Get out on deck and feel the chill and listen to the glacier crack and rumble. Take it all in without a dirty window in your way.

 

If you've seen Hubbard Glacier (or any other) so many times then by all means enjoy Murano.

I agree with this! We couldn't believe they offered a cooking class the day we went through the 3 sounds in New Zealand. I guess there are those who have done it before, but having been there twice each day was different based on the weather and I wouldn't have missed either day!