Fir cruise with Celebrity to Panamar Cannal

[friday12]

Hi My wife and myself are going on our first celebrity cruise on infinitry on Oct 11, Can some more experieced people answer some questions I have

 

1 I have read that Tea Coffee and Lemonade are free on board, I have also read a forum which said some fruit juice was free, can any body confirm this, Also I have heard about a Soda Card, can you just get soda with this or does it include other soft drinks (my wife normally only has soft drinks)

 

2 What are the Bar prices like, ie how much is a Large Beer, glass of wine etc Just looking at what I need to budget for and expect

 

3 We have just booked an inside Cabin, but have read that depending on availability you can up grade prior to boarding the ship, has anyone done this, and is it any cheaper than going through your travel agent to do this

 

Any advice on Excursions from other that have done this cruise would be very welcome

[outerspaceguy]

You may have better luck asking this question to your cruise's fellow cruisers...

 

Here's that thread...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=782918&highlight=oct

[fateknows]

Any advice on Excursions from other that have done this cruise would be very welcome

 

I've used the advice of one of our fellow Cruise Critic Members for planning my Panama Cruise. He has a very well written web page with information and I found it very helpful. Here is the link.

 

http://richarddetrich.wordpress.com/canal-cruise/

[sandravb79]

Hi My wife and myself are going on our first celebrity cruise on infinitry on Oct 11, Can some more experieced people answer some questions I have

 

1 I have read that Tea Coffee and Lemonade are free on board, I have also read a forum which said some fruit juice was free, can any body confirm this, Also I have heard about a Soda Card, can you just get soda with this or does it include other soft drinks (my wife normally only has soft drinks)

 

2 What are the Bar prices like, ie how much is a Large Beer, glass of wine etc Just looking at what I need to budget for and expect

 

3 We have just booked an inside Cabin, but have read that depending on availability you can up grade prior to boarding the ship, has anyone done this, and is it any cheaper than going through your travel agent to do this

 

Any advice on Excursions from other that have done this cruise would be very welcome

 

Coffee, hot/ ice tea, lemonade, fruit punch are free. During breakfast there was also OJ available.

Soda card will get you fountain sodas.

[Toothfairy754]

We did the Best of Jamica tour which include Dunns River.. it was an adventure I would not have missed.

I didn't buy any beer onboard and I pre-bought my wines.

Enjoy your Canal cruise we certainly did.

[hancock]

Please sign up for the connections party and join us on our roll call.

 

Coffee, tea, lemonade, passionfruit/guava juice, iced tea are available in the buffet area and at the spa cafe. OJ is available only at breakfast time. All are free.

 

You will have to deal with whom ever you booked. If you booked a guarantee rather than a specific cabin, there would be a better chance of a free upgrade. You can monitor the cabin prices on Celebrity's website. If a better cabin becomes available at a good price, contact your TA immediately. You will have to pay the difference in price.

 

If you decide to get a soda card for your wife, do it the first day, as they will charge you for every day of the cruise. You can't buy a soda card each day. Actually, they will put a sticker on her Sign and Sail card. Ask about what soda is available before you get the card. Also compare the price of the card per day to the amount of soda your wife would be likely to drink each day.

 

As I recall, a glass of wine will start at about $5 & up + 15% tip. Drinks are not inexpensive on the ship any more. Don't know the price of beers, perhaps someone else can help.

 

Haven't done this cruise before so I can't help on most of the ports. ( The comment on Jamaica doesn't apply since we aren't stopping there.) Suggest you check the port of call area here for info. I have been to Acapulco. Plan to stay on the ship this time. I didn't like it.

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

[kitty9]

1. Not all coffee is free. If you go to the Cova Cafe and order one of their coffees, it's extra. A soda card is for soft drinks---maybe a misnomer between the words soda, soda pop and soft drinks---they're all the same thing. The soda card allows unlimited fountain soft drinks, but not any in a can or bottle. Fruit juices in the buffet are free, as is orange, apple, grapefruit and cranberry at breakfast. If you order juices from any bar or lounge, it's extra.

 

2. Alcohol prices are in line with every other line---not cheap. A glass of wine starts at around $7 and up, a glass of beer is about $6.

 

3. Free upgrades don't happen much anymore on any line. If you had booked a guarantee, where you don't pick your actual cabin but a cabin category, can lead to a small upgrade, but the freebees aren't happening. You can go to the Purser's Desk when you first get on board and ask for an upsell, where you pay the difference between your cabin and the one you desire. Sometimes they'll give a slight price break on the upsell, but you should expect to pay the full difference.

[friday12]

<P>Thanks for the Helpfull comments so far, this is very helpfull in deed, another Question What about entertainment on board, Ie what do you pay for and what is included</P>

[hancock]

The entertainment is free.

[Richard in Panama]

I've used the advice of one of our fellow Cruise Critic Members for planning my Panama Cruise. He has a very well written web page with information and I found it very helpful. Here is the link.

 

http://richarddetrich.wordpress.com/canal-cruise/

 

Thank you Fate! Friday, I don't usually follow the Celebrity board, although I have done INFINITY through the Canal and know you will have a fantastic cruise!! Don't be like these folks . . . this was taken in Gatun Locks! This was the "dream" cruise for this couple!!

 

 

Celebrity has a few things the others don't all have . . . like . . .

 

 

Regards, Richard

[fateknows]

LOL. I probably won't be visiting Deck 13. Although I do now know where to look if my DH goes missing.

 

It is nice to hear from you. You've helped so much with my plannig.

[J & G]

You may have better luck asking this question to your cruise's fellow cruisers...

 

Here's that thread...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=782918&highlight=oct

 

Don't want to hijack this thread, but I am fascinated by your screen name.....can you elaborate?

[friday12]

Tooth Fairy Mentioned pre booked wine package for the restraubts, can you tell me more how do I book this, and what is the basic cost

[sandravb79]

About the upgrades: we had booked an oceanview stateroom (can't remember the number anymore, I think on deck 5?), and when we checked in at the terminal, they told us we had changed rooms, got an upgrade, and ended up in balcony room 8180.