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58 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Accesss to Luminae and the Retreat are amenities of a Suite and you would get those under a successful Move UP to Suite. 

Thank you!

I’m considering a Move Up bid from a Concierge cabin to a Suite. My understanding is that (if successful) no perks would be included that normally come with a suite but my question is would we still dine in Luminae and also have access to the Retreat?  I guess I’m not sure if these are considered perks. 
 

Thanks in advance for any replies. 

1 hour ago, dateacher said:

We  stay at the Hilton FLL Marina.  It's clean and close to the terminal and has a nice pool.  They have transportation to the port which we have used sometimes and other times we take an Uber or taxi. You could save money by staying farther away since you have a car.  We don't drive so it's not an option. We always eat at Kelly's Landing because my husband is a transplanted Bostonian and so are the owners.  Great seafood and close to the hotel.

I concur with this poster. The Marina Hilton is a very nice property and our usual go-to in FLL. 2nd choice is the Embassy Suites a block or so away. 
 

if you want to try something different we’ve also stayed in the Aqua Hotel. It’s a couple of miles away and is a chic 1950 remodeled boutique type place about 1/2 block from the beach. 

3 hours ago, Schmoe38 said:

Hi Kurt and Gina

 

Please pinch me…I’m dreaming. Just boarded yesterday and we’re around 650 passengers on board. The staff met us all at embarkation and you could see the smiles on their face through the masks. They are so happy to have passengers back on board and we are so happy to be back on board with them.

 

Service is second to none. The inside of the ship has received a partial makeover that gives it a very fresh appeal.

 

No lines… no crowding at the pool…none of that. We will probably never have another opportunity such as this to enjoy what Constellation has to offer, with such a relaxing atmosphere.

 

Hope you have a similar experience when you are on in December.

 

All the Best

 

Randy and Connie

That's great to hear.  Gina and I were on the Edge about a month ago and had the same experience.  1118 passengers and everything was superb.  You guys enjoy your cruise!

On 11/9/2021 at 11:04 AM, Schmoe38 said:

We’re looking forward to the “well oiled machine” being up and running when we board on Friday.

 

Randy 

Hey Randy, have a great time!  Looking forward to reading your comments.

Kurt

I read recently that the Connie “Revolutionized” refurbishment was delayed due to Covid. There is also major speculation on line that the ship might be sold to another cruise line. Time will tell. 

On 11/5/2021 at 3:05 PM, kweenkmatt said:

We're on the Dec 3rd sailing - looking forward to hearing how it is, plan to watch the sail-away via web cam on Sunday.

We’re on the Dec 3 sailing as well. 

7 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

Happy Halloween!

 

I'm booked on my first cruise post .... *everything* and am still a wee bit uncomfortable dining in close proximity to others.

 

I've noticed on pictures that the two tops in Luminae are VERY close together.

 

How crowded was the dining room on your sailing post restart?

 

Thanks!

We sailed the Edge 3 weeks ago.  Yes, the 2 tops were pretty close.  Maybe 3 feet apart.  I would say Lumine was 60-75% full most nights.  Hope this helps.

On 10/3/2021 at 6:17 PM, MarEll1 said:

Hi All- we will be on the Edge in 3 weeks and love St. John. I booked the half day St. John Champagne Catamaran Sail, but I’m concerned because it is a 45 minute ride from the port to the catamaran. Has anyone done this excursion recently? Was the transportation crowded with passengers not masking etc? Any info appreciated. 

We've chartered to St. John a couple of times.  Definitely would recommend booking your own trip from Red Hook and taking a cab.   You don't need sailing experience - there is a Captain and First Mate.  It usually includes rum drinks, a delicious lunch and snorkeling.  The boats we've taken hold 4-6 passengers.  Well worth splitting the trip with another couple or two.

19 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

how much?

$140 ($70 per set of 2 kits). 

8 minutes ago, Moonarino said:

Going back more than ten years, I used to read complaints from people having had their bags opened by crew, somewhere in the process of baggage being brought onboard. That was when I started putting plastic ties on all my luggage, so I would know if anything had been opened.

 

But our own single experience was last cruise, Nov 2019 on RC Indy, where we were called down because an Xray had shown a suspicious-looking bottle, same general shape as a whiskey pint. We all laughed (3 of our group went down with us to check it out) knowing my lady NEVER drinks more than a single glass of wine maybe 3-4 times a year. It was a personal-care item, a big bottle of her favorite hand lotion with a pump on top.

 

 

Also several years ago there was a debate about whether Port Security scans checked baggage on the way out of the building. Of course everything we carry on is scanned or inspected when we go through security check-in, including luggage if we carry it on. WE are scanned. My question has always been, why should Port Security bother scanning luggage or anything we carry on (and thus clog up security check-in) -- but not the baggage that we check before entering the building? I am firmly convinced that Port Pecurity (not ship's crew) should also scan every piece of checked luggage, for security's sake, and I certainly hope they do, not matter what others have told me.

 

One time (just once) we did get an item confiscated by security -- it was a paring knife my lady had used at our timeshare-stay the night before. She had completely forgotten it was there, and even how/when/why she put it there. Embarrassing for a few moments, but also very comforting that the security folks and their equipment were doing the job.

 

But hair-care devices not included onboard, and a simple must-have/no-blade/not-a-hammer-tool? I would make sure to complain to everybody who would be still long enough to listen or read.

 

I travel with a small swiss army type knife in our checked luggage.  Thankfully it's never been confiscated.  As a side note I never understood the policy of not allowing small knives onboard especially since they have giant steak knives available in any of the restaurants.

8 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

There are many threads and videos about using these kits; start with the one linked below, in the Celebrity forum. (And to be clear, the kits are not "issued" by Celebrity; Celebrity and RCI have merely created a link to one of the on-line vendors, Optum, for folks to purchase these test kits.  They can also be purchased on eMed.com, the folks who actually proctor the tests.) 

 

 

Thanks for the info. 

1 minute ago, Arzeena said:

Kurt and Gina,

Hi from your roll call.

What is the expiration date on the box you received?

12/31. We purchased 4 kits - 2 for the Oct cruise and 2 for December.  

We recently ordered and received our Celebrity issued Rapid Antigen test kits. Since it’s a self-administered test that is “supervised” by a health care professional via video, I am a bit concerned about any glitches that might pop up given the right 48 hour window that we have to produce a negative test. If you’ve used one of these test kits did you have any issues getting a live person on line to walk you through the test?  Thanks in advance!

6 minutes ago, susiesan said:

How long is St. Maarten going to be closed to go off the ship on your own? I don't care about the shopping, I just want to go to the beach. My cruise is not until December.

 

Is this coming from St. Maarten or Celebrity? Can you cite the specific rule from a St. Maarten web site?

 

If this remains true by the Nov. 29 date of the Millennium sailing I am going to cancel the cruise. If St. Maarten can't be visited on your own it is likely many of the other 5 ports scheduled will have the same restrictions. 

It is listed on the Celebrity site but restrictions are imposed by local governments and differ from island to island. It’s a fluid situation so you’ll just have to monitor the situation as conditions change. I’m sure SXM would love to be fully open if they could. 

6 minutes ago, spammie said:

Was there last week on Edge.  I asked the same question on board as I LOVE shopping in St. Maarten.  Then answer unfortunately is NO.  You can not go shopping or wander away from your group if you do an excursion.  Unfortunately we stayed on the ship.  From the deck of the ship it appeared all the shops at the dock were closed.  

For what it’s worth, we had friends on the Edge about a month ago prior to this latest policy. They said about 1/2 of the shops in Phillipsburg were closed and many items were short of stock in the stores that were open. I was hoping that the port shops might be available but apparently that’s not an option either. I agree that it’s a shame and will really devastate the local economy. 

Question for recent cruisers (specifically to St. Maarten):  I'm reading that "on your own" tours are no longer permitted and you might take a Celebrity Excursion if you want to get off the ship.  My question is are passengers permitted to exit the ship and visit the shops only in the port area or is this not allowed either.

Just trying to get a feel of what to expect when we sail in October.  Thanks in advance.

We were just in Rome this May. There are numerous guide services outside of the Colosseum that will allow the group to "jump the line". They use a radio device to conduct the tour. Well worth doing particularly when you are pressed for time such as on a cruise.

When I get a chance, I will post the bar list but free brands include Grey Goose, Ketel One, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich etc

Thanks, I appreciate it!

My wife and I are considering. Paul Gauguin Cruise next year. My question is about the liquors that they serve on board. Does the all inclusive mean only “well” type liquor or are premium brands also available? Thanks in advance for your replies!

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It sounds like you were at the Mt. Gay Rum Distillery which is the closest to Bridgetown and the dock. The beach that fronts it is called Brandon’s Beach.

 

 

 

¾ mile further NW is the West Indies Rum Distillery which sits on Brighton Beach.

 

 

 

I’d bet you were on Brandon’s Beach, however.

Thank you very much. Those name sound familiar now that you mention them.

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Several years ago while on a prior cruise to Barbados I recall that we spent a day at a very nice beach that was located next to a rum distillery. It was right in Bridgetown. I’m not sure what the name of that beach was but if someone knows the name I would appreciate the info. Thanks in advance!

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Has anyone stayed at the Renaissance La Concha? We are booked there for the night of 1 December.

 

Frank in cloudy and cool SBA

Some folks in our party stayed at LaConcha on 11/9-11/11. The place was in good shape as was the Marriott Stellaris & AC Hotel in Condado.

Interesting observation we made while in the hotel casino - they had a slot tournament and the prizes were generators (not big screen TV’s).

There was also a statement in our cruise compass that any large item such as generators that were purchased in the islands must fit through the magnetometers or they would not be allowed on board.

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Might be cheaper but why would it be easier?

 

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Cabs are a tough commodity right now in certain areas of San Juan. It can take a while if a cab has to travel a distance to get there because the traffic lights are not operating. Uber’s are all over the place.

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Are Uber vehicles allowed into the Pan American port area? Thinking it might be easier to catch an Uber rather than a taxi later this morning. Given port security in some areas I wasn’t sure if it was allowed. Thank you in advance for any replies.

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