CCC's

Wonder when they'll be retired to the "Tuscan Grill" :eek:

That was soooo funny. I am glad I did not have a mouth full of tea or I would have sprayed it all over my laptop. !!!! :D

PS. Love Tuscan Grill - best steak I have ever been served and devoured.

Have had success with my email to Captains Club re: being moved from set dining at 8.30pm to Select Dining. It took approx. 1 week for Captains Club to work their magic but checked my booking yesterday and noticed I am now on Select Dining.

Thank you Captains Club. Definitely worth the effort to contact them. And thank you to all cruisers who suggested I contact them.

Excellent outcome for all patients and their families. And a big TICK to Celebrity and their staff for the wonderful care given during the emergency medical incidents.

But, when the words 7 million was quoted - now that was enough to bring on a heart attack! But a quick conversion settled any shock experienced. Phew, dodged a bullet.

cCC's. Contact Celebrity (through Captains Club if you're a member) or through the normal Celebrity number. request the Select a Dining specifically for medical reasons. You'll still have to go to the Select Dining a Desk on embarkation & set up your specific time.

Excellent idea. I am a Captains Club member and I will get onto this today. Wish me luck. I know I can obtain a letter from our Dr. if that is required.

Hi, FLECKLE. I have just received an email from my TA. They have emailed the full invoice from Celebrity which shows both my "free" perks, i.e. Classic Drinks Package and Prepaid gratuities. I also have the TA's invoice as well which shows both free perks.

However, regarding the Select Dining, I have been waitlisted as they are completely full. But I am hoping that we can squeexe in closer to the sailing. It is for medical/medication reasons which requires my husband to have his evening meal about 6.30-ish, not 8.30+. It was also explained that since January 2016 you no longer have to prepay your gratuities to be eligible for Select Dining, and that probably explains why they are currently full and I have been waitlisted. And that is the main reason I chose the prepaid gratuities so I could choose Select Dining.

But I have over a year to pull all this together.

Hi BAGWHAN. You did snag a fabulous deal. All four "free" perks. The best I could get was only two. My booking was for a SV cabin on deck 8. Did you book a suite ??

I think your TA has to make the change. If you call Celebrity they will likely tell you to contact that TA. There are certain rules regarding TA bookings, and Celebrity says they are careful about honoring them. Which drink packages did you receive?

 

Congratulations - it sounds like a great cruise! :)

I have emailed my TA and asked for confirmation as well as ensuring my "Perks" will show on the Celebrity website booking. Once I see both Perks there I will be happy.

I received the Classic Alcohol Package for two persons as well as the prepaid gratuities. Only booked three days ago and was quite happy with the deal as I thought that the special Promo might have ended on 28 February. But I did specifically ask for them both when I 'phoned my TA and if they were not available, I probably would not have booked.

Also got my cabin of choice, being a SV on level 8. I took on board (pardon the pun) that my cabin is a long way from the elevators, the verandah can be out in the sun for good part of the day and maybe a soot problem, but I am happy to have the extra walking (burn off the calories), and sailing to NZ I might enjoy a little more warm sun during the day - with not too much wind.

This is my third cruise on the Solstice.....I think I am becoming addicted !

Thank you. I know what I will be doing when I have a spare moment to dream of my cruise next April 2017.

I have recently booked on Solstice for April 2017 (Sydney, NZ, return). My booking is through an online travel agent and I received free perks of - paid gratuities and Drinks Package. However, when checking my booking through the Celebrity website it shows my dining as being waitlisted for the 8.30pm sitting.

I would much prefer Select Dining so I can choose when I wish to eat. Do I need to contact my Travel Agent to change my booking to reflect the prepaid gratuities and preference for Select Dining, or wait until I am on the ship and make changes then? Any suggestions would be welcome.

Hi Willma, Yes I did check the "Sticky" before I finalised my booking and it is a positive review of the cabin. However, checking other threads on this and other SV cabins, mention was made regarding fumes and/or soot. I can handle the soot but I sure hope any fumes would be minimal. Also, is the veranda in full sun all day or only part of day. I am not one to sit out in the blazing sun so would definitely welcome some shade. Also, my understanding is that the SV veranda is not as exposed to windy conditions as cabin verandas along the port and starboard side of the ship, which is a definite plus.

So, end result is, there will always be pros and cons with each cabin and as you are on a wonderful cruise on a beautiful ship you are already a winner !

Thanks for your feedback HNL-SYD and lola2013. I know my trip is 14 months away but I am really looking forward to my 7 night South Pacific cruise. It will be our third on the Solstice - first trip near the front of the ship and 2nd trip (last November) was mid-ship. So, I am really mixing it up, and any feedback/tips are gratefully accepted.

I have just booked an SV cabin 8344 on the Solstice leaving Sydney for the South Pacific in mid April 2017. I have checked the CC threads and found various feedback on these Sunset Veranda cabins - some good, some not so good. Also, most were a number of years old.

I would really appreciate any recent comments on these cabins, in particular cabin 8344. Many thanks for your help.

Go back to your TA and ask for a printout of OBC that you have credited to your account. If they say they cant provide it ask why because they have access to it. I have used Australian TA's in the past and never had a problem. The trouble with going to Guest relations on boarding is they probably wont be able to help for a day or two afterwards when all OBC will show up on your account. I can only assume that it comes in electronically from Head Office

I have emailed my Australian TA this morning requesting a written confirmation of my $US300 OBC. I will pursue this until I have full guarantee of the OBC.

Thanks everyone for your advice regarding this matter. Better to clear up any possible "problems" before they actually present themselves.

Your TA has access to your account and can see if all OBC has been credited. AS for a printout of your OBC account. Take it with you. It is unusual if you have a "Celebrity" printout that Guest Relations don't get it sorted. They have a great deal of discretion around these matters

Hi. My only documentation is from my TA's "Booking Confirmation" which was emailed to me when I booked. There is no current mention in my online Celebrity booking regarding this US$300 OBC. I am considering checking with Guest Relations when first boarding and if there is a problem I can still 'phone my TA immediately and get it sorted before I leave Sydney. Well, that is my plan !!

Just read a cruise review on CC whereby the cruiser was not allowed OBC which was supplied by their TA (Australia). They went to to Customer Relations and were advised that Celebrity Solstice would not honour that OBC and they need to speak with their TA when they returned home to Australia. They had verifying documentation detailing the OBC given but still Celebrity would not budge.

I have $300 OBC from my Australian TA to be used on Solstice departing Sydney 26 November. Should I check immediately upon boarding with Customer Relations that they will honour the OBC ?? I have docs. from my TA outlining the $300 OBC.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Tuscan Grille is $45/pp USD. There will no longer be a pre-cruise discount.

 

Exception: Guests who pre-book their specialty dining reservations for the first night of their vacation will still receive a 20% discount. When pre-booking, guests will pay the full price but will get the 20% discount applied as an OBC once onboard.

Hi Celebrity Cruises "Official". I have booked and paid for a first night dinner for 2 (Tuscan Grill) on the Solstice leaving Sydney 26 November. Exactly how do I get this 20% discount you refer to.....Do I need to ask someone? Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Thank you QE 2 Fan. Great photo showing just how magnificant she is.

Does anyone know how the Celebrity Solstice docks at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Sydney. It was in Sydney port last Wednesday 21 October and I am curious as to whether it docked bow in or stern in.

Thank you for your responses. My daughter in particular is very keen to do this workshop. We will make enquiries as soon as we board. Only six weeks to go !!!!

My daughter and I will be cruising on the Solstice leaving Sydney for the South Pacific (8 days) on 26 November. Anyone know whether there will be a Reidel workshop on this cruise?

I have used AirBus Airport shuttle in the past and have no complaints. Their website https://www.airbussydney.com.au/. Charge $16 per adult from Sydney airport to city accommodation.

Thanks for your replies. I have checked and I do have a confirmation email from our TA stating we have paid in full. I am just a little nervous that the TA will be a little tardy in transferring the funds to Celebrity. I will check my online reservation over the next few weeks to make sure all is OK.

I have booked a cruise on Celebrity Solstice departing Sydney on 26 November 2015 through a travel agent. A week ago I made the final payment to the travel agent. When and how will this payment show on my actual booking with Celebrity?

LOL. I wondered about that explanation, too. They couldn't adequately sterilize the trays? Now I'm worried about the plates.:eek:

 

I'm considering eating directly from the buffet ...

That is soooo funny. But thank you for making light of this whole discussion. Storm in a teacup as they say. My advice, you are on holidays, go with the flow, and always remember - there is plenty of food for everyone and the lunch period is spread over possibly 3 hours. My plan of action is, if too crowded then I go have a delightful cocktail/smoothy etc, sit in a nice quiet area elsewhere for a little while, then come back after the main crowd has been fed and watered. No stress, just bliss.

We cruised on Celebrity Solstice in November 2013, Sydney to Auckland. We used the Britomart Transport Centre lockers, which are quite large, very easy to access (see instructions from previous post) In fact, it is only a few minutes walk from the ship itself. As we disembarked at about 7.30-8.00am in Auckland we walked past the I-Site Visitor Information Centre and it was "closed". So, I would recommend going straight to Britomart. I can't quite remember how much it was but we used coins, so take some with you.

The info regarding the docking procedure at the newly revamped Circular Quay, Sydney cruise terminal was supplied by an avid cruiser who actually works at the cruise terminal. As they say "straight from the horses mouth" and info you can trust.