Tips and tricks

[WinnipegCruiser]

My cousin won a Celebrity Cruise. It will be her first cruise.

 

I have cruised many times, but mostly on Carnival.

 

I have a list of tricks and tips that I have learned from the Carnival forum here on CC, and would like to post it here.

 

Please add any Celebrity specific tricks you can think of, and correct any of mine that you think do not apply to Celebrity.

 

You can order a second entree or second anything in the dining room.

 

 

 

On the formal nights - have your picture taken at each of the

settings...you don't have to buy them...and it is fun to sit at the

photo gallery going through all of the pictures.

 

If you walk around after the late seating on formal nights, the photo

station and backdrops are usual still standing and unattended long

enough for you to enlist a friend or fellow passenger to take a quick

picture with your private camera.

 

If they have the "Galley" tours on your cruise....take it. It is

incredible to see the activity that goes on down there. Sure makes you

appreciate your meal a little more as you are eating.

 

If you want to avoid the little kids during the dinner, take the late

seating. I love kids, but not on vacation.

 

In the morning for breakfast they have those tiny little individual

boxes of cereal. There's Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes, and lots of

other name brand cereals. Grab a few for snacks for you during shore

leave.

 

The Purser's Office will carry stamps of the different countries that

you are going to. I like to buy my stamps ahead of time so I don't

have to find a post office in each port. Makes it much easier to send

the postcards home from the different ports.

 

You don't get much room in the bathrooms to put all your toiletries so

get one of those cloth shoe holders you hang in back of the doors and

all you do is fill them with all your little things that clutter up

the bathroom! Walmart or KMart for $5.00 or less. Dollar store

sometimes.

 

Carry Ziploc bags of varying sizes - from sandwich up to quart. You

just never know when they'll come in handy and fit in the little

compartments of your suitcase you never use anyway.

 

When the lights start to dim in the dining room this means

Entertainment is coming. Make sure you have your camera ready.

 

Bring a thermos style hot/cold mug with a lid and fill with coffee,

ice tea, lemonade or self made ice coffee from the lido deck

dispensers and ice machines. Works great for coffee in the morning or

even a cold beverage while lounging at the pool.

 

If you are cold natured, take a light sweater. It is often colder in

the dining room, casino and the show lounge.

 

Don’t go to dinner early, you will be waiting outside of the dining

room. Wait just a few minutes and then walk down and you will walk

right in.

 

Bring duct tape. If the airline puts a three inch rip in the side of

your luggage you will be able to patch it up.

 

If the port is not a tender port and you are there for most of the day

you can come back on board, freshen up, drop off packages, grab a bite

to eat (it's already paid for) and go back out.

 

If you have a computer, cell phone or anything else that needs power.

Take a small power bar and extension cord since most cabins have ONE

plug, usually far from where you might need it.

 

Bring a light weight folded ice chest, give your steward a $10 bill

and he will keep it in ice all through our cruise. That way the water

you brought on board is cold.

 

Stop in at Walmart, and buy the bottled water (24), also purchase a

xxl insulated mug usually the cheaper the better ( you will probably

just toss it out at the end of the cruise) & a couple of powdered

fruit mixes. Place it in a suitcase, and the porters will deliver it

with your other suitcases.

 

If you did bring that insulated mug, you can make your own really cool

drinks with the stuff they have on the lido. You can mix ice cream and

hot chocolate together for a cool, creamy drink. Free frappuchino? Go

to the ice cream station, fill a cup half way with ice cream then add

some coffee and ice cubes to it.

 

Buy wide ribbon, bandanas or large bows (red, green, yellow, etc) any

color that stand out and tying them on the handles of your luggage

just before you put them outside of your room on the last night of the

cruise.

 

Don't ever pay for Cruise ship transfers from the airport to the port

- taxis are cheaper (especially with 4 of us) and faster and you don't

arrive with a busload of people.

 

There is a mini-refrig in every room. You can ask to have the cabin

steward clean it out so you can put your water in it.

 

A quick hint about buying pictures. The ships tell you that they will

not scan for reproduction, but they will. I don't even have that great

of a scanner and the pictures I purchased came out great. So, buy one

really good one and make copies to give to friends and family if you

want to share. HOWEVER-be careful taking the "professional" pictures

to WalMart and doing a "do it yourself" scan...even though the

pictures are of YOU and YOU paid money for them-they're still

considered "copyright protected"..

 

Bring at least 2 bathing suits so you never have to put on a wet one.

 

You can get to the cruise terminal early. If you get to the terminal

at 11:00 am you can be on board and eating lunch by 12:00. Your room

will not be ready, but you beat the crowds and had time to roam around

before sailing.

 

Plan to do laundry. Usually $2 each for washer and dryer, $1 each for

detergent and fabric softener. You can get the roll of quarters from

the casino.

 

Make photo copies of your passport (inside page with your

photo/ID#/date of issue/exp), credit cards, and air tickets - if

they're not e-tickets.

 

SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN

HAT HAT HAT

 

Pack a 9x12" manila envelope with a piece of cardboard in it to keep

our photos from getting crushed on the way home.

 

Don’t bother with an underwater disposable camera. You can buy a clear

flexible plastic case that will hold most digital cameras. You will

want to see the pictures you take, and make sure they work. You will

not be able to go back and take the pictures again later.

 

There is also a hamper on a hanger at the dollar store...just the

right size for the closet that has the shelves in it. For a buck you

can't go wrong!

 

If you decide to snorkel, you might want to bring dog biscuits to feed

the fish. This way the fish will come to you. If you forget the dog

biscuits, a bun or bread from the ship will do.

 

Suitcases fit nicely under the beds. No problem with storage space.

[trabeler]

Great tips! However two definitely don't apply to Celebrity...

 

Laundry - Celebrity does not have machines available for passenger use. You either have to use the ship's laundry service or hand-wash items yourself in your cabin. The shower has a retractable clothesline that you can use to hang up items to dry. They do not have irons that you can use on board and do not allow bringing a travel iron on the ship.

 

Cereal - Celebrity does not have individual boxes of cereal. All breakfast cereals are dispensed directly into your bowl from a large container, sort of like the bulk food dispensers at some grocery stores.

 

I never tried to buy stamps at the purser's office for the countries we were visiting... hopefully someone will know if that is correct.

 

As to entertainment in the MDR - other than the traditional "baked alaska" parade that they will have on the last formal night, I've never seen any entertainment other than a string quartet or pianist.

[JerseyGem]

How wonderful for your sister! (Is she taking you along?) A Celebrity cruise is a great first cruise. Which ship?

 

Re your wonderful tips: I don't think any X ships have self-laundry facilities, but there could be laundry specials at some point during the cruise.

 

My tip: get her on Cruise Critic and make sure she signs up for her Roll Call! And go to the Connections Party!

 

Any other X-specific tips? I'd love to hear them too. DD is being married onboard the Summit in July 2011; many of the guests have never cruised before. Any tips will be appreciated!

[backyardponder]

Some great ideas here. Some more:

 

Alarm clock...for some reason I've never been on a ship which provides clocks in the staterooms. When I wake up in the middle of the night I want to know what time it is.

 

Envelopes for extra tips (if you are so inclined). Either pack them in a zip lock bag so the humidity doesn't seal them or get the kind with the strip you pull off to seal.

[cruzeluver]

Another that does not apply to X is that there is no self-service ice cream machines. They have real ice cream, and its made from scratch on board, and oh yeah, its divine!!

[eandj]

 

On the formal nights - have your picture taken at each of the

settings...you don't have to buy them...and it is fun to sit at the

photo gallery going through all of the pictures. EEK Really you find this fun? There are always mobs of people and really no place to sit.

 

If you walk around after the late seating on formal nights, the photo

station and backdrops are usual still standing and unattended long

enough for you to enlist a friend or fellow passenger to take a quick

picture with your private camera. On our last cruise, we didn't see anyone able to do this. The company made sure of that. Can't blame them.

 

 

If you want to avoid the little kids during the dinner, take the late

seating. I love kids, but not on vacation. There are MANY fewer children on Celebrity. Virtually close to none unless during school vacations.

 

 

The Purser's Office will carry stamps of the different countries that

you are going to. I like to buy my stamps ahead of time so I don't

have to find a post office in each port. Makes it much easier to send

the postcards home from the different ports. Haven't heard of this on X.

 

You don't get much room in the bathrooms to put all your toiletries so

get one of those cloth shoe holders you hang in back of the doors There is lots of room in the bathrooms. Women were consulted when the new ships were designed and they did a great job.

 

When the lights start to dim in the dining room this means

Entertainment is coming. Make sure you have your camera ready.

X doesn't do anything special other than the parade of waiters and it isn't like on other ships. More subdued.

Bring a light weight folded ice chest, give your steward a $10 bill

and he will keep it in ice all through our cruise. That way the water

you brought on board is cold. Use the mini fridge. Skip the cooler.

Stop in at Walmart, and buy the bottled water (24), . Place it in a suitcase, and the porters will deliver it

with your other suitcases. Skip the suitcase. Put a room tag on it and it will be delivered as is.

 

Plan to do laundry. Usually $2 each for washer and dryer, $1 each for

detergent and fabric softener. You can get the roll of quarters from

the casino. X prices are reasonable and you don't waste your vacation doing chores.;)

Don’t bother with an underwater disposable camera. You can buy a clear

flexible plastic case that will hold most digital cameras. You will

want to see the pictures you take, and make sure they work. You will

not be able to go back and take the pictures again later.Make sure the digital camera is one that allows for the box and you are going to have both eyes on it while at the beach or excursions. We take a cheapie just for the beach time. Too big a chance of it going missing. Then all your pics are gone if you don't download to your laptop.

 

There is also a hamper on a hanger at the dollar store...just the

right size for the closet that has the shelves in it. For a buck you

can't go wrong!No room in closets for that. There's lots of storage in the rooms. If your stuff doesn't fit, you overpacked.;)

 

If you decide to snorkel, you might want to bring dog biscuits to feed

the fish. This way the fish will come to you. If you forget the dog

biscuits, a bun or bread from the ship will do. Not allowed at some locations.

 

.

 

Some of your ideas are indeed true/helpful and not mentioned above.

[bellybutton530]

Just MY opinion, but I think that those of us who have cruised many times should let those who are perhaps newcomers share their ideas without the fear of being berated for doing so.

 

We need to remember that we were all newcomers at some point in time.

 

I personally enjoyed reading some of the ideas the OP had.

[VOLLEYBALLDUDE2000]

A lot of ships do not allow the power strips anymore. Mine got confiscated on the Mariner in March. Had to go to the naughty room with all the booze smugglers LOL

[algorithmannie]

Eclipse had ice cream machines! There was one at the AquaSpa cafe and one at the Mast Grill. It was a nice addition to the real ice cream that is served in the Ocean View Cafe.

 

Thanks for sharing your tips!

[eandj]

Just MY opinion, but I think that those of us who have cruised many times should let those who are perhaps newcomers share their ideas without the fear of being berated for doing so.

 

 

 

Hmmm....where was the poster berated??? :confused:

[We're The Groupnors]

 

Bring a thermos style hot/cold mug with a lid and fill with coffee,

ice tea, lemonade or self made ice coffee from the lido deck

dispensers and ice machines. Works great for coffee in the morning or

even a cold beverage while lounging at the pool.

 

 

Great suggestions; thanks for sharing! To your thermal coffee mug suggestion I'll add that it also doubles beautifully as a martini/cocktail shaker.;)

[Guest maddycat]

Envelopes for extra tips (if you are so inclined). Either pack them in a zip lock bag so the humidity doesn't seal them or get the kind with the strip you pull off to seal.

 

You don't need to bring your own envelopes for additional tips. You can get them at guest relations.

 

I always pack a small round night light (some of the larger, rectangular ones don't always fit in the area where the outlet is located). It helps me navigate when I get up in the middle of the night.

[Redtravel]

Relax Celebrity is a lot more upscale. That ice chest tip is lame. Need ice. Your cabin attendant will bring it as often as you want it. I usually have him fill my insulated jug with ice and ice water. I ask on the first day and it happens everyday. I only use it for off the ship. On the ship, just walk up to any bar and ask for ice water. It happens. Laundry bags are provided. Zip lock bags are great ....also bring 2 gallon size. They worke well for stuffing dirty laundry in suit cases. Sit on them and push the air out. I also used that to bring home large bulky sweaters when I went to Estonia. They compress down to nothing.

[WinnipegCruiser]

Thank you everyone. I am not taking any of the "Celebrity is better than Carnival" stuff personally. It's not like I own the cruiseline or anything....

 

I think this thread could be very useful.

 

Keep it coming!

[scitchr]

Plan to do laundry. Usually $2 each for washer and dryer, $1 each for detergent and fabric softener. You can get the roll of quarters from the casino.X prices are reasonable and you don't waste your vacation doing chores.

 

We have never been on an X cruise. Was expecting washers/dryers. My husband only wants to pack for one week, so he will want to do a load. How much does X charge for laundry services? What is reasonable? We would not want to pay hotel laundry rates...that is not reasonable for us.

 

Thanks for any input to those of you who have done this before.

[cb at sea]

Never needed duct tape or the "over the door" shoe thing...there's plenty of storage, and if you should absolutely NEED duct tape, I bet the maintenance dept. has some!

[dkjretired]

Plan to do laundry. Usually $2 each for washer and dryer, $1 each for detergent and fabric softener. You can get the roll of quarters from the casino.X prices are reasonable and you don't waste your vacation doing chores.

 

We have never been on an X cruise. Was expecting washers/dryers. My husband only wants to pack for one week, so he will want to do a load. How much does X charge for laundry services? What is reasonable? We would not want to pay hotel laundry rates...that is not reasonable for us.

 

Thanks for any input to those of you who have done this before.

 

Here's a link to the laundry prices...

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/beforeyourcruise/faq/home.do;jsessionid=0000sbZQW5XqaaDwiMp70HNPtCS:12hdebdrn?faqSubjectName=Ship+and+Stateroom+Details&faqId=566&pagename=faq_answers

[Z3RACERGIRL]

Hmmm....where was the poster berated??? :confused:

 

It did seem as if you were challenging some of the useful suggestions...

 

I will always take a hanging shoe bag with me for misc items, I don't care how big the bathrooms are. Hubby does not like all my girl stuff cluttering everything.

 

I don't agree that there is ample room for storage or you have overpacked. It is always an issue at some point with added purchases, etc.

 

I still prefer ice to keep cold things cold. The bar fridge is barely cooler than room temp to me.

 

I have snorkeled all over the world and we always tuck a little zip lock baggie in our suits with bread or crackers or whatever to attract the fish.

[Z3RACERGIRL]

Never needed duct tape or the "over the door" shoe thing...there's plenty of storage, and if you should absolutely NEED duct tape, I bet the maintenance dept. has some!

 

CB- never say never ;) about 10 cruises ago, I was waiting for my big suitcase to appear on the baggage belt, and here it comes with about a foot of the zipper gone! Stuff was peeking out and everything. If I hadn't wrapped duct tape around it for id purposes, I would have really been in trouble. That was the only thing holding it together.

[jcrandle]

If not for duct tape, how could we splint up ducts who have broken wings?

[Pablosmom]

did i read correctly that irons are not provided or allowed on the ship? i'll look a right mess LOL ~

[Z3RACERGIRL]

did i read correctly that irons are not provided or allowed on the ship? i'll look a right mess LOL ~

 

No irons on any ships now, fire hazard. I usually suspend dresses in the bath and close door and steam them out . Hubby has the ship press his shirts. Just tell your steward what you need ironed. It was very reasonable.

[Starry Nights]

No irons on any ships now, fire hazard. I usually suspend dresses in the bath and close door and steam them out . Hubby has the ship press his shirts. Just tell your steward what you need ironed. It was very reasonable.

 

I also send DH's suit out for dry-cleaning when I get on the ship, and not before I leave home. It is back the next day, hanging in our stateroom, looking perfect. I just roll the suit (and anything else needing drycleaning) in drycleaning bags and pack them in the suitcase...no need to be fussy about how they are packed. The ship's laundry does a great job, and the prices are about the same as at home, or a bit less.

[srpilo]

Don't forget the nightly sushi bar.. :)

 

 

 

 

Yummm !!!

Srpilo

[dkjretired]

did i read correctly that irons are not provided or allowed on the ship? i'll look a right mess LOL ~

 

Irons and steamers are not permitted on Celebrity ships and from reports back, they are being confiscated.

 

I also don't have my stuff done at home but give it to the laundry when I board the ship...