miched
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Posts posted by miched
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Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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I think the question is maybe mostly used for the cruise trip insurance and also air travel thru the cruise line. Residency could also be used for maybe sales tax charged by your state or the laws that they have regarding the contract.
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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4 hours ago, Liao said:
Gratuity/tipping threads seem to cause a lot of confusion and debate. In my mind, as a guest in Retreat, ALL of my tips are included and have been prepaid by me. Anything over and above that is 100% discretionary.
It deends on when you booked your cruise and the promo perks you received.
I have cruises booked in a SS where I have the perks of premium drink pack, premium wifi, gratuities, and OBC. Those were the perks when I booked the cruise.
If I book a SS now it includes the perks of a premium drink pack, and premium wifi. These are perks of a promo and not amenities of a SS. No perks of OBC or gratuities are included. I will be charged the daily rate for the gratuities
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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5 hours ago, Mark_K said:
On the other hand, the drinks served in the Retreat Lounge are separate from the drink package, and is there no charge for a gratuity to be attached to. Something to keep in mind.
I don’t know how they get paid but they like being there. And yes I think most guests tip them during the cruise. 125 suites at an average of $10 per suite/ cruise not bad and is probably tax free.
I know they like being there because on one cruise the BT told me that it will be their last day there because a customer complained that they had to wait too long to be served and they were sad because they really liked working there. There may be more to that but I was only told their side of the story. As someone said no matter how thin you slice the ham there is always 2 sides.
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Another hotel to check out in Key West is the Mansion on the sea. It is at the end of Duval, near the ocean and has a beach Very nice place
https://www.themansiononthesea.com
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2 hours ago, GenerationX said:
It was definitely much more chill and less crowded than the tourist bars. The patio was nice and the food menu looked really good too. Storm season-willing, Kati and I are talking about doing a land trip to Key West this fall with one of our other girlfriends since she had to miss this stop. I’m putting it on our list of places to hit for dinner.If you have any other recommendations for great more local vibe eats around the island, please let me know!
Here are a few that aren’t tourist traps. They are very popular but not known to the turkeys as they aren’t on Duval.
Blue Haven
Moon dog cafe
Kaya restaurant
Give them a google and check out the reviews. They are all about 5 star rating based on the reviews. May have wait to get seated depending on the time.
if you want a really nice place to stay check out Santa Maria Suites. It is at about one block from the end of Duval that is near the most southern marker . Very luxurious and not cheap but still cheaper than a suite/day pp on Celebrity and with 2 to the room you will still have a lot of money left to spend on more food and drinks than you could indulge in. Plus you could buy liquor at a store to have in your room or at the pool or beach. Liquor prices in Fl are very cheap at Total Wine or Costco The hotel also has a manger’s reception.
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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First Flight was formerly own by Kelly McGillis and called Kelly’s. I guess she sold it and it was renamed First Flight. It was always a must stop for the craft beers and HH. It is a little out of the way of the main drag and not really a tourist trap like Sloppy Joes, Green Parrot, and Hog’s Breath.
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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5 hours ago, DaKahuna said:
I knew about the drink gratuity for the packages, but I was talking about the daily gratuities. The Sommelier is not in the pool that you pay on a daily basis because they are part of the beverage staff.
The question was about the waitstaff in Luminae and you mentioned the Sommelier not being included.
I am trying to clarify to them that the sommelier gets tips thru the drink package for the drinks you order from them. If you don’t have a drink pack the server gets that gratuity that is added on every drink you purchase.
They don’t need to be tipped extra but as you suggested if you felt you got great service give them a token of appreciation at the end of the cruise or add to it on the receipt you sign.
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:
It includes the waitstaff in Lumine but not the Sommelier.
However, we have always had such great service that we give additional tips to the Luminae waitstaff at the end of the cruise.
Indirectly it does include the gratuities to the Sommelier. In a suite you get the premium drink pack and that includes the gratuity on every drink. The person that serves you a drink gets a gratuity that is covered by the drink pack. If you don’t have the drink pack and order a drink they get the gratuity that is added on because the gratuity package doesn’t cover the gratuity on the drinks
Some of the other things that aren’t covered by the gratuity package are the additional charge for drinks over the drink package limit, spa services, specialty restaurants. There are also some services/classes in the gym that they may try to sneak gratuities on or buying products in the spa area.
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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How much has a Zenith member saved by booking a suite or reimbursed for a 7 day cruise with the new benefit?
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There have been some promos where you were entered into a raffle for a free cruise and maybe some if purchased early in the cruise. I think the drawing included entries across the entire fleet during a period of a few months. They did that to avoid the big rush at the end of the cruise. I haven’t seen it lately and never seen any winner posted.
I think I also got a bottle of their cheap sparkling wine one time
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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There have been some promos where you were entered into a raffle for a free cruise and maybe some if purchased early in the cruise. I think the drawing included entries across the entire fleet during a period of a few months. They did that to avoid the big rush at the end of the cruise. I haven’t seen it lately and never seen any winner posted.
I think I also got a bottle of their cheap sparkling wine one time
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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- Set your phone to a city that is in the time zone that you want to change to. Your watch should change when you do that. A lot easier than waiting for it automatically because as others have mentioned that the ship will decide what time zone to use and it may not be the correct one you are in. Try it at home instead of waiting to do it on the ship.
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They will do this so that so the passengers will get use to the change before it is needed. EG. They are at sea the day before a port. They will change on the sea day instead of when arriving at the port because it doesn’t affect the passengers if they get up a hour late for breakfast but it could if that happened in the port.
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Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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19 hours ago, GenerationX said:
Nope I’ve not given up on MSC at all! It’s just been the case that the past few cruises the dates and rates ended up working out better on Celebrity. Yacht club prices have jumped quite a bit in the past year too.
I’m looking at Seascape vs. Ascent for booking my winter 2025 solo cruise and will probably be making a decision in the next few weeks.
Funny you mention that horse. Are you familiar with the Clydesdale breed? I’ve wanted one ever since I was a kid. They’re massive and very expensive around here to get and keep up and they really aren’t bred for any of the riding disciplines that I do.
But I don’t care. When I retire I shall be the crazy grey haired lady showing in the hunter/jumper ring on a big ole tank of a Clydesdale!
You live near St Louis so you must know that Clydesdales can only eat the brewers spent grain from Budweiser, and drink their beer instead of water. That is what makes them so large and why they are they are used to promote the brand. 🤪🤗
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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NO. Way over priced.
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Did you give up on MSC? 🤷♂️. I thought that was your new favorite cruise line from your previous cruises and threads
Based on your comment about loving horses do you have one of these? Every farmer should have one of those breeds.
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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On 6/11/2024 at 1:55 AM, Melissa at Mohair Meadows said:
We are booked in July. Where is the best place to view the Statue of Liberty when you sail out of New Jersey?
You can also see the statue when docked. It isn’t far away. Be sure to also see the Teardrop that in in the park next to the ship. Very interesting history about it. Give it a google
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If I am reading it correcting you were sailing with a party of 6. If you were all dining together at a the same table it may be a reason for the slow service. We have learned if we wanted coffee to be served with our desert we would have to order it with our entrees. If not the coffee would arrive after we finished our desert.
It does seem as if the food quality is going downhill. Even in the speciality restaurants the food wasn’t what you would expect for the extra cost.
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅 -
Up Sheetz Creek, the River Styx, and the Grand River in Detroit MI after sailing thru the Rouge River.
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I think that you are supposed to use the age of the person at the time they will be sailing and not at the time of booking.
If there is a different in cost it will probably be caught somewhere in the system.
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The bench is great for laying out on the balcony and other types of workouts with partners. 🥰😱
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I just did another mock booking for the exciting deals. 75% off of 2nd guest. Did one for a SS with 2 passengers and the same cabin for only one passenger. Amazing that the price for one was less than double.
Maybe they corrected their algorithm.
I also added the gratuities. The cost for 2 is double than one. I would think that for one it would be more than 1/2 for additional amount for the attendant because cleaning a cabin for one is the same as it is for 2. As the bed is still made up, the lav has to be cleaned and etcHappy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸
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Sailed in all classes of Celebrity in suites and our last cruise was on the MSC Seahore and then a E class in a suite. Celebrity is a day late and a dollar short especially when eliminating the Butler. I understand that Celebrity is trying to bring back the butlers.
The only advantage to me that Celebrity has is the elevator system and when not in the retreat areas it is mostly civilized. The elevator system on MSC sucks and when not in the YC area it is total chaos.
Even with that for the value MSC wins but not for long
The starting prices for a suite on Celebrity is getting out of my price budget and MSC is catching up. MSC YC doesn’t seem to be the bargain that it was. If I continue to take cruises and not in a suite it will be with Celebrity.
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
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21 minutes ago, abbydancer2003 said:
Thanks for this, we're in sky suites, so I'm sure the Retreat staff will take good care of us.
Although, maybe we'll go to the b2b lunch, since it will be my 5th embarkation day lunch, and probably 7th or 8th for that particular suite menu.We were in a Suite and had the same suite for both. The Retreat Lounge gets jammed packed. We had a rather “late” breakfast in Luminae and then went back to our suite. We stayed there as long as possible. Ask the hosts or butler when you really need to be there.
Even though we been to Luminae many times for embarkation it beats the lunch in the MDR. We did that on a B2B in Aqua. The MDR can be very crowded, with slow service and a very limited menu. Nothing special. I would take the Celebrity burger without a bun or the Lobster roll with double lobster and no bun. We have done that. We have also asked for and got different sides. If you are doing a B2B, ask for the same server if you liked them and greased their palm a little extra on the first cruise they will really accommodate you.
On the last day during breakfast I seen a lady sitting next to us have a lobster roll. I am sure that she requested it the night or day before. Ask and you may receive
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
Wine by the glass at bars
in Celebrity Cruises
Posted · Edited by miched
Depends on what you like. It is best to visit every bar and ask what they have in stock. It changes from cruise to cruise and also during the cruise when they get restocked by the wine brought on at the cruise port. The WCB, Martini, and Craft bars all serve wine and so does Cafe al Bacio. There are also bars in the Buffet.
if you like a certain style or type of wine ask as they might also have a bottle left over that they no longer stock.
Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅