Sammigar

We are on the Silhouette sailing Dec 8 and we booked the catamaran to Nevis thru the ship. It was $109. Not sure exactly when we purchased, but it must have been some time in early October, as soon as they offered the St. Kitt's excursions. There didn't seem to be too many excursions, so I wanted to snag one as I believe there will be 5 ships in port at St. Kitt's that same day.

The MDR lunch is basically an abbreviated dinner menu and the lunch does take as long to eat as dinner. If you like a long, leisure lunch and what's on the menu, that's great. Last cruise, the entrees were a choice of salmon or lamb. One definite nice thing about the C class lunch is that you drop your bags at a special area near the door of the MDR and don't have to worry about them until you're cabin's ready.

If your itinerary includes tender ports, the priority disembarkation perk is really nice as you go to the front of the line.

We did not find the afternoon savories appealing and asked our steward not to bring them.

The fruit is apples. Three apples. Three green apples.

What we do like about C class on the Solstice class ships is that they are well located. Everything you want to do on the ship, you can get to quickly and not feel like you need your hiking boots.

Hope the info helps. Good luck and have fun on your trip!

We are Embassy Suites fans as well. Everything close at hand, including the port. In the morning, they have cooked to order omelettes and other hot breakfast items. Great way to start cruise day!

With the package she doesn't need to think about it. Mudslides abound.... ha ha ha

 

Have a blast.

You make me laugh. We always skip the traditional dinner deserts. I opt for a desert coffee from Cafe al Bacio and then we go to the Sunset Bar so my DH can get a mudslide. That's just how we roll.

Since you haven't done a drink package before, take a look back at what you spent on drinks on those cruises. If you have to drink more than you normally would to break even on a drink package, it's not a deal. Also, when booking a cabin that includes perks, take the base price of the cabin, add your perks of choice from the standard price menu and compare that to the price of the booking to see what you're really saving by booking the cabin with perks over booking the base cabin and purchasing packages separately.

We've only done 3 Celebrity ships - all M class. My happy place is the thalassotherapy pool, so as long as I've got one, it's going to be my favorite ship and all 3 had a thalassotherapy pool. Our next cruise (coming up soon!) will be on the Silhouette. I'm looking forward to experiencing a different ship layout and features and will see if I can come up with just one favorite or if I will then have 4 favorites.

We were on, I think, the Summit. They hired this comedian I hadn't a clue who he was, but he supposedly did a bunch of comedy shows and plays Vegas regularly, so we were looking forward to having a great show. That guy was so crude and so not funny that we actually got up and walked out and we were not the only ones to do so.

With the last refurb on M class, they all have the big screen and lots of loungers for movies each night. One night is a theme movie and has a dinner that goes with the movie. The other nights it's a fairly recent movie. During the day, there's a screensaver that plays and the area is for quiet conversation and naps (the loungers are pretty comfy.) It gets pretty breezy and cool up there in the evenings, so they have the big fluffy pool towels for you to keep warm. One inconvenient thing is that the restrooms are pretty long walk, so plan ahead.

Thanks everyone. We've never used Uber before and I had no idea it would save so much over a taxi. Are the cars typically midsize or bigger? Or can that be requested? If so, I think that's the way we'll go.

I thought the difference in coffees were what gets added. Things like lattes and capucinos are included in the classic package, but desert coffees - where they add other fancier ingredients like chocolate chunks, whipping cream, nuts and such are not included.

Are the shows consistent thru the fleet? We've seen excellent shows on M class ships - Broadway, 70s, a Billy Joel sound alike, illusionist, etc.

I think your problem is you look for a big box TA. Instead, find a singular person to handle all your travel. Then, when you book on board and transfer the booking to your travel agent, she (or he) can work their own magic and score you things like additional OBC, less expensive travel insurance and other little goodies.

:confused: We will be flying into LAX a few days before our cruise in 2018. The plan is to visit Disneyland and California Adventures, staying in a hotel along S. Harbor Dr (not a Disney Hotel). Since we've never been to California before, we plan to use the resort trolley bus instead of renting a car.

I don't really like the idea of having to go back to LAX to catch a shuttle to the port so, what are our options to get from our hotel in Anaheim to San Pedro and what type of cost are we looking at?

A Google search indicated a taxi ride would cost just over $100. That seems excessive. Looking for something a little more cost effective.

Any links and cost estimates would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

.

Yes, the website seems to be designed for use with a phone or tablet rather than a laptop. I find it easier to browse with my phone, but book with my laptop.

We loved eating at Aqua Spa cafe and are looking forward to it again next month. Celebrity has already ruined Bistro on 5 for us. Please don't make changes in Aqua Spa!

Couldn't agree more.

The best news for me in all of this is that Celebrity apparently is planning to retain the "M" Class ships rather than sell them off as the Edge class ships are introduced. We just like the size and feel of the "M" class. Hopefully this means Celebrity may be adding West coast itineraries as well.

I also believe that Celebrity can find plenty of unused space, as mentioned above, where they can add to the suite experience without detracting from the rest of the clientele. There used to be waterparks and slides on the Summit, and those were removed without a great deal of fuss.

We also like the laid back type of R & R offered on M ships. I realize the bigger ships offer bigger/better/more of everything and that a lot of people need that stuff to enjoy their vacation, but that's not us. We like to go on vacation to get away from all that. I really enjoy the subdued, quieter M class ships and I don't believe for a second we're the only ones, because the itineraries on the M class ships book up.

Since we'll take a taxi/uber to and from, we're fine with the change and glad to get the $50 OBC.

Here's the email from Celebrity regarding the changes to embarkation/disembarkation:

About your upcoming travels

Dear Guest,

We look forward to welcoming you aboard your 9-Night Southern Caribbean Cruise departing from Ft. Lauderdale on December 8, but first we have some important information to share with you.

As you may know, we’re building a transformative new ship, Celebrity Edge, that will revolutionize the way you experience the world. A ship this stunning deserves a terminal to match,so Port Everglades is building us one. This construction is due to begin in December and will result in some changes to your embarkation and debarkation process. To make your experience as carefree as your vacation, we’ll have extra Celebrity staff on hand to help you every step of the way.

Embarkation

• If you’re being dropped off at the port with your luggage, there are no changes to your embarkation process. Simply proceed to Terminal 29.

• If you’re parking at the port, please drop off additional guests and luggage at Terminal 29 first, and then proceed to the Northport Parking Garage to park your car.

• There will be complimentary shuttles back to the terminal from the parking lot.

• Please arrive at the port with ample time to accommodate these changes.

Debarkation

• Everyone will go through customs screening aboard the ship.

• All luggage will be transported to Broward County Convention Center. You will not be able to carry luggage off the ship yourself.

• We’ll transport you to the convention center to pick up your luggage.

• Transfers, taxis, and ride-sharing services will be available at the convention center.

• If you have an early flight, please let Guest Relations know early on in your cruise.

We understand this will be a bit disruptive, and we apologize for any inconvenience the terminal construction may cause. We truly want every moment of your vacation to be extraordinary, so we’ll do everything we can to make getting on and off your ship as easy as possible. And, to show our appreciation for your patience and understanding, we’re providing you with $25 per person to spend on board any way you like.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-280-3423.

Sincerely,

Celebrity Cruises

 

Why do they need to when so many other cruise lines already offer them? Notably, Holland America and Princess who are considered Celebrity peers, already have that covered.

Celebrity has it's own brand of off the beaten path and different with it's Galapagos cruises, which, I'm not sure, but I don't think Holland America or Princess offer those kind of itineraries.

We're on the Silhouette in early December and will still use Everglades Cruiseport, however, with a bit adjustment. Here's the email from Celebrity:

About your upcoming travels

Dear Guest,

We look forward to welcoming you aboard your 9-Night Southern Caribbean Cruise departing from Ft. Lauderdale on December 8, but first we have some important information to share with you.

As you may know, we’re building a transformative new ship, Celebrity Edge, that will revolutionize the way you experience the world. A ship this stunning deserves a terminal to match,so Port Everglades is building us one. This construction is due to begin in December and will result in some changes to your embarkation and debarkation process. To make your experience as carefree as your vacation, we’ll have extra Celebrity staff on hand to help you every step of the way.

Embarkation

• If you’re being dropped off at the port with your luggage, there are no changes to your embarkation process. Simply proceed to Terminal 29.

• If you’re parking at the port, please drop off additional guests and luggage at Terminal 29 first, and then proceed to the Northport Parking Garage to park your car.

• There will be complimentary shuttles back to the terminal from the parking lot.

• Please arrive at the port with ample time to accommodate these changes.

Debarkation

• Everyone will go through customs screening aboard the ship.

• All luggage will be transported to Broward County Convention Center. You will not be able to carry luggage off the ship yourself.

• We’ll transport you to the convention center to pick up your luggage.

• Transfers, taxis, and ride-sharing services will be available at the convention center.

• If you have an early flight, please let Guest Relations know early on in your cruise.

We understand this will be a bit disruptive, and we apologize for any inconvenience the terminal construction may cause. We truly want every moment of your vacation to be extraordinary, so we’ll do everything we can to make getting on and off your ship as easy as possible. And, to show our appreciation for your patience and understanding, we’re providing you with $25 per person to spend on board any way you like.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-280-3423.

Sincerely,

Celebrity Cruises

 

If you can't see it, just highlight it. It's there.

And here's the first part, before the "learn more":

I can save you a bit of time. If you click the link you're taken to Celebrity's page where you can click the link for the standard package "learn more" button, which will tell you:

Standard Package

$45 USD/per night*

Enjoy all the spirits listed in the Standard Package.

Well spirit brands

A selection of wines by varietal (i.e. Chardonnay, Merlot, etc.)

Bottled water

If you can afford it, why not try it and then see what you think.

We "poor folks" just get a regular balcony, and are happy. :)

Have to agree with this sentiment. We always book Concierge, but if we had the money to book a suite, we'd definitely do it. The extra space seems like a nice perk in itself on a longer cruise, and the amenities not available at any other level, make it desirable as well.

Well, I've got a desktop with Windows 7 Professional on it. It's a dinosaur (just like the site) - and the site works fine on it. A little clunky going from the reservation to excursions (shouldn't have to re-enter all cruise info when I only have one cruise booked!), but it finally gets there. But trying to even log on with my tablet is useless. So frustrating!

That's the same issue I had a couple months ago. I'm not experiencing that anymore. I wonder why it's still happening for you? Weird.