Baynanno1

It looks like a much wider selection than that in Michael's Club early last month!

I don't know when you last cruised, but you are not correct. As @TrueCruiseaholic said in the post following yours : "f you wanted a more expensive drink, they will get it for you but you will have to pay the surcharge over the $17 PDP limit. I was on a ship last month and saw another guest signing a drink receipt given to them by the bartender in the lounge. The only explanation is that they were paying for one or more upcharge drinks."

With the Premium Package there is no charge for drinks - as long as they are not priced over the maximum of that package - $17. Anything over $17 will be charged at the difference plus 20% gratuity - so if a drink is $19, it will cost $2.40, regardless of where one is drinking.

@DogLover It seems we are reporting the information we have available. You obviously have more up to date information than I either have on hand, or am able to locate online.

Celebrity deck plans differentiate the two as Sky Suite 1 and Sky Suite 2, so it looks like we and our agents have used the term Sunset Sky Suite for some or all the aft facing staterooms. That is of course unless you have a newer printed brochure than we do that does name all aft facing as Sunset Sky Suites and as is common, the website has not been updated to reflect the change in terminology. Enjoy your cruise!

2153 is a Sky Suite, not a Sunset Sky Suite and is under the Oceanview Bar, behind the Oceanview Cafe. Could well be some noise from above. 8345 is an easy number to remember, as we were in that stateroom last month. We had quite a bit of annoying noise, a "bloop, bloop" sound that was apparently associated with the air conditioning. It was "fixed" several times, only to return with monotonous regularity. Not too much of a problem if one is not noise sensitive. One expects some increased noise and vibration when docking, but we also experienced the same when cruising at higher speeds, during which times the wake was obviously much more turbulent. We would not choose that room again, although apart from noise and vibration, the area is nice as well as the room and balcony being very spacious. Some soot on the balcony, and little shade, which limits use in hot climates.

Like many others, we were also disappointed in the move out of the Premium Package of several of the most popular wines and the subsequent upcharge on those wines. Wines will not necessarily be those on the list. I'm sure the Sommelier will do their best to accommodate your tastes without an upcharge if possible. We are red wine drinkers and were offered a Merlot on the second night of our recent cruise. It was an easy drinking wine, flowing from pre-dinner, through dinner and after dinner back in Michael's Club on Solstice. We were surprised to find when we picked up a wine list while passing through another area, that the Columbia Crest Merlot from Washington State Wineries was included in the Classic Package!

That looks the same as it was for suites in 2022, 2023 and earlier this year.

Regardless of changes, as far as WiFi goes, you will get what you paid for a year ago, as did we on our recent cruise. Gratuities were removed on bookings made after 4 October (if I remember the month correctly). Butlers were removed from Sky Suites and are in the process of being reinstated, although it seems there are less than before. Although you will still have the Premium Drink Package included, drink packages have been recently devalued, with several of the most popular wines moved above their previous package.

Two devices on our recent cruise on Solstice.

Apologies to @abbydancer2003 for jumping ahead of your narrative. Embarkation was a shambles, lacking direction, incorrect information, show us this, that and the other numerous times. Pulling things out and putting them back, several people suffered the stress of temporarily "lost" items going through security. Some direction from Celebrity staff would have gone a long way towards improving the experience of those attempting to board during their assigned time!! Day three now cruising on smooth seas between Singapore and Bali on a lovely sunny day. Unlike the reverse cruise last year (Sydney to Singapore) the casino has not yet been open and will not open until after we leave Bali. It appears some regulations have changed over this stretch of water.

Addressing just the first part of your query : On Solstice last year (unlike our experience on Eclipse the previous year) the first night our baked or grilled fish (can't remember which) came in small pieces swimming in a thin creamy sauce, looking like soup. Subsequently we asked our server to explain exactly how a dish was plated before ordering - more often than not the menu descriptions appear to describe something quite different. He had our sauces served in a jug on the side for the rest of the cruise and we could add as little or as much as we wanted. I hope your wife finds this useful. Enjoy your cruise, wherever you choose to dine.

Your previous post indicates that you did not get a response.

I wonder whether the instruction from upper management was just for queries regarding return of butlers, or for any email enquiry? December 2022 we received an email from the Shoreside Concierge several weeks prior to our cruise and exchanged a few more emails prior to the cruise. I had not received an email prior to our cruise in October 2023, so I used the same email address successfully to contact the Shoreside Concierge. We board again next week and I have attempted to contact the Shoreside Concierge using the same email address theretreat@Celebrity.com followed up several days later with SolsticeRetreat@celebrity.com which was included in a post by an experienced cruiser. I have not had any response from either address.

tire : a verb : to begin to feel as if you have no energy and want to rest or go to sleep, or to make someone feel that way. tyre : a noun : a rubber covering, typically inflated or surrounding an inflated inner tube, placed round a wheel to form a soft contact with the road.

Recently we had no problem on Eclipse, but the first night on Solstice my Grilled Fish came in small pieces, floating in a creamy "soup" or sauce. Not at all like it read on the menu. Subsequently, we asked our waiter for a full description of how each meal was actually plated and more often than not, he arranged for a sauce to come in a jug, rather than drown the food.

Did you get the recent email which included the following : Indonesian Visa Guests must secure any necessary visas and have all required travel documents prior to boarding. Guests who arrive without the proper requirements will be denied boarding. Before entering Indonesia, US and Canadian guests must apply for an Electronic Visa on Arrival ($35 USD) and print proof for boarding day – digital proof will not be accepted at the terminal. Some of our guests can enjoy visa-free entry to Indonesia based on their nationality. To see if you’re eligible for visa-free entry, review the list of countries here. Guests who require a visa must apply no later than two (2) weeks prior to the sail date to ensure timely approval. To apply for an Electronic Visa on Arrival, please visit the Immigration website here. When applying for the visa, please make sure to provide your name and personal data as it is reflected on your travel documentation.

We enjoyed the extra space, but were unable to use the balcony much due to the area in which we were cruising - hot sun most of the day - the opposite side would have been better on that cruise. We did not have a problem with the pole, or if I remember correctly we had two poles.

Even if not getting off the ship in Bali, you need the visa, as you are on a ship docked at an Indonesian port in Indonesian waters. Much better to have it done before boarding. In spite of the fact the visa was a requirement before boarding, about half the passengers did not have their visa when boarding Sydney to Singapore last year. It took about three days for them all to be processed, eventually with the help of Indonesian officials who were brought on board in Darwin. In long, slow moving queues, tempers of some passengers frayed when crew (whose job description does not include obtaining visas for passengers) took quite some time to get through all those who boarded without their visa.

Playing catch up as has often been the case recently with Celebrity, putting out an "innovation" without first proof reading, then realising the consequences of the "innovation" as originally posted and changing the details of the purchase.

Beginning to wonder whether I am on a Celebrity Forum or a HAL Forum!

We have had polar opposite experiences boarding in Sydney. December 2022 Eclipse - excellent, well organised, separate line for suite guests. October 2023 Solstice - chaos - delayed clearance combined with hundreds of passengers arriving well before their allocated boarding time and even before the advertised first boarding time given the crowd already there when we arrived right on our allocated (first) boarding time and no sign of a priority line.

Similar has been reported by several others over the past few months.

Very true! The few hundred dollars paid by one person for this pass allowing access for more than one really is a kick in the whatever for those paying thousands more for suites, where both occupants pay the thousands. 😬

Excellent cruise in December 2023. There's a lot more to an enjoyable cruise than perfection in maintenance.