Charles4515

Most people don’t eat at the Oceanview for dinner. If they do it may be once a sailing. So only a few will be impacted by the cutback. Certainly Celebrity has factored that in. I don’t eat there because the Celebrity buffet food had become pretty bad. It is only good at breakfast. Breakfast is pretty hard to ruin.

There are Pueblas in Colorado and Arizona that I have been in.

Colorado and Arizona.

All your onboard charges will be deducted fro your OBC until it runs out. I do cruise only all the time as my beverage bill usually have run about $40-$80 and I get specialty coffee free as an Elite Plus and some alchohol too.. I am a lite drinker so the packages are not a good deal for me. I have not drunk soda for 20 years so I don't have to worry about that, I keep track by checking my folio. On the cabin TV or app or guest service print out.

I think they don't want to spend the money. Almost everyone has a smartphone. That is not the case with tablets and most tablets are iPads not Android tablets. What runs on an iPhone will run on an iPad without modification. There is only one hardware maker. So Celebrity only has to test iPhone code when new OS versios are released. It is only incidental that their code runs on iPads because the same code works although it is obviously a phone app running not a tablet app. On Android the Android phone code does not incidentally work because there are multiple hardware makers. They have made a corporate decison only to support phones.

Because Celebrity is not supporting tablets.

But they are not running on iPads as iPadOS apps they are running as iOS apps. Celebrity does not have an iPadOS app. So with some future version of iPadOS the Celebrity app may stop running since Celebrity does not have an iPadOS app. Really it is Celebrity’s decision whether to have an app on tablets. It costs money to support an app. Android is more difficult to support on multiple devices.

I am not bothered that it could happen. Saying it could happen is meaningless. The last time the matter was taken up Homeland Security determined that cruise passengers leaving from an US port and returning to the same port were low risk. There is no indication that they are reviewing the policy. The mainstream mass market cruise lines are not going to require a passport. Certainly the current policies are not written in stone. Maybe Homeland security will change their determination. There have been many changes over the years. You seem to be part of a group of people who are overly bothered that people can cruise without a passport. I don’t think is is wise but a lot of people do unwise things. The fact though is that people can travel on closed loop cruises without a passport.

Certainly something could change the way things are done. It won’t change because OCD Cruise Critic members can’t stand the fact that people can cruise some itineraries without passports and that people actually do cruise without passports.

I met someone at the end of a cruise who always ate in the buffet because they thought the MDR was extra.

Homeland Security is involved. They determined cruise passengers are low risk. As for the European requirement I think likely it is tit for tat. They are requiring them because the US has been requiring them.

They could by they have not. Why did they make the exception? What has changed that they would change the exception?

Why would they make it a requirement?

Why would they?

Personally since I retired I don't know any in that reality. When I was working I knew many in that reality.

The cruise lines won't make it a requirement. They don't want it to be a requirement. They wanted an exception to having a passport for cruises.

I think many of us are so used to taking multiple cruises every year that they don't relize that for many a cruise is something they might be able to do only once in their lifetime.

They are pretty good about accommodating diet in the MDR. The issue I think is with casual style. Since some people live in shorts and shorts are not supposed to be worn in the MDR I think that is a valid issue. If they are not going to serve a full restaurant dinner they should relax the dress request of the MDR. The full restaurant dinner in Oceanview was initiated at a time when there was only traditional dining and to be a casual alternative.

They were full because the prices were lowered to fill them. I always got the lowest prices in December, January and February. I would wait for the last minute to book those months.

They might have the thousands on their credit card and have a debt. I pay my cards off every month but a lot of people carry debt. That is why banks issue credit cards. Because people carry debt. Also seems like a substantial number don’t get insurance. From time to time people post crying they missed a cruise and did not have insurance and ask what to do.

You must not read the tipping threads. Numerous people have come right out and said they remove gratuities bcause they only eat in the buffet.

I got one last year of college because I wanted to travel. I recall you had to put down an overseas trip to apply so I made up one. Always had one after that. Before college our family trips were always camping which I grew to hate. My father traveled the world on business but never took my mother or us. After college I never went camping again. I started right away traveling in US and overseas. I did not cruise though until I was 45. I thought I would hate it.

They might. I never asked. I have only carried my passport off the ship at two ports. Russia since Russia requires carrying it. That should tell you something about Russia. Too bad for the two people on a ships tour that were robbed. Ugh. For the White Pass railway since the train crossed into Canada. They did not ask to see it though. Many of my cruises I was going to beach. I know there are people on CC who take their passport to the beach, snorkeling or on Catamarans. Really odd........but if it make you feel secure to always have it on your person go for it.

With no traditional seating I think they can move more people through the MDR. Plus a lot eat at speciality restaurants and get packages, Blu and suite restaurants.

That is the way it was years ago. The buffet only had a few stations. Salad, pasta and pizza. Then they decided to provide an alternative to dressing up for formal evening and added the grill. So formal dress is gone to a more casual dress evening chic request they probably don’t need the large dinner buffet. I know some liked dinner in the buffet so they could justify in their in their mind removing the gratuities. I guess they are screwed unless they are okay with pasta and pizza every night. I would go to the dinner buffet maybe once a cruise because sometimes I needed a break from the table service but I can live with the reduced buffet.