How do you handle very long cruises on Celebrity?

[smtcan]

Our longest cruises have been 28 or 30 days.  These have been B2Bs in Europe or Asia, where no ports were repeated.  Favourites have been a port intensive Mediterranean cruise followed by a relaxing Transatlantic and a Vietnam & Philippines cruise  followed by a cruise through the Suez Canal.  The ports keep us interested and we enjoy planning independent tours.  I could not imagine doing B2Bs in the Caribbean and the thought of a world cruise leaves me cold.  I would forget where we had been!

[NMTraveller]

The longer the better for me.  I like 14 day cruises.  I would go for longer if my schedule allowed.  Too bad that Celebrity got rid of a bunch of these.  Anyways being on a cruise is better than being at home.

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by NMTraveller

[MamaFej]

4 hours ago, jelayne said:

If you pick itineraries with a lot of ports that you haven’t seen before, not the same old same old Caribbean, then there is something different every few days.  Itineraries with a few overnights thrown in are also a opportunity to do something new and different.
 

Our longest so far was 35 nights on board with 3 night in the port cities before and after.  While the production shows don’t change the other entertainers do change. The 35 night sailing we were in Blu and there were a number of B2B folks so the Chef had his own special most nights on the 2nd leg.  We have had the Chef special offerings on other long itineraries with a lot of B2B cruisers.

 

The Roll Call activities have complemented the ships activities.  We had a Roll Call wine tasting, 3 sessions of  LCR,  one lady did a couple of dot painting lesions, a book review group, as well as bridge, a group that played mahjong, a group that were knitters.  
 

We had a 45 N aB2B2B  in Asia booked that Covid cancelled.  Unfortunately those particular itineraries are not currently offered.

 

Sigh. 

What wonderful plans we had for those overnights! It broke my heart to have to cancel them. 

 

We have an even longer trip to eastern Asia planned for early 2024, but it won't be the same without you and Greg. 

 

 

[MamaFej]

Our B2Bs included 23 nights on the Connie, 17 on the Azamara Pursuit, and  33 days on the Summit this year. PapaFej and I genuinely enjoy each other's company, and don't feel the need to be entertained every night. We do enjoy sitting in Cellar Masters when it isn't crowded and playing Scrabble, Qwirkle, or cribbage. I work on my cross stitching between turns. I crafted a fabric Scrabble board that uses regular letters, so we have our own set that doesn't require brute force to clean up, like the commercial Travel Scrabble does. The whole thing fits into an airline ammenities bag. 

 

We enjoy the live music in the various venues. The rooftop movie venue at the aft of M class ships is a nice place to relax. 

 

We were in Blu on the first and last cruises of our Summit B3B, and MDR in between, where service was dreadful (it was not the fault of the overworked staff) so we ate most dinners in the OVC. 

 

We really got to know the sommelier in Blu, who also worked for a couple of hours in Cellar Masters in the afternoon. It's quite easy to develop a rapport with crew, especially when you are on for an extended period. We don't drink a lot, but because we were playing/hanging out in Cellar Masters quite a bit, we also got to know the head bartender at CM, the Cellar Master herself, and one of the Assistant Beverage managers. We find that special treats from onshore small businesses (micro breweries, chocolatiers, a hot sauce specialty shop) make lovely gifts of appreciation for the hard working crew. These are in addition to, not in place of cash tips.

 

All told, we spent 94 nights on 5 ships on 4 lines on 5 continents this year. We have 142 nights booked on 6 ships on 4 lines on 3 continents and lots of islands next year, with wo TPs and a TA. Plus, lots of land time overseas and RV time in the US and Canada. 

 

Retirement is fun!

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by MamaFej
Fixed photos of homemade Scrabble game

[LGW59]

7 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

It's always amazed me when I meet fellow passengers onboard who have been on the ship for literally months doing B2B2B and on and on.  I think the longest I've encountered has been 3 months but I'm sure there are longer ones here and there.

 

My longest B2B was 21 days and for me that was pushing it.  Wondering just what people do on those longer cruises to continue the enjoyment?  The production shows stay the same.  The lounge entertainment often stays the same for several sailings at least.  The menus, while offering some variety, stay the same cruise to cruise.  Most activities repeat.  Television is a joke unless you are a news or soccer fanatic.  The libraries, if you are lucky enough to be on a ship that has one, usually don't have much variety of books (I know there are digital books - I just personally prefer book in hand).  I can only do so many crosswords or games of Qwix or Yahtzee.  I get free laundry and am not afraid to wear something two or three times a cruise, but I think I would get tired of wearing the same outfits for weeks or months at a time.  On many of these cruises of which I speak it has been the same or similar Caribbean ports over and over and over.  Maybe if I was a beach fan that would be nice but I'm kinda done with that now that the kids are grown.   And what about family and friends?  I know these days having internet can really help with that but it's not the same as being in person.

 

I'm not criticizing, just honestly curious.  DH would love to convince me to sail longer periods of time but I'm not sure how I would handle it.  Feedback?

Recently did a 14 day TA.  4 ports, then 2 sea days, then 1 port, then 6 sea days.  The first 2 sea days were wonderful, the 6 consecutive at sea were 3 too many for me.  The cruise itself was awesome, the ship fantastic but I realized that many consecutive sea days was a lot for me.  TA was a bucket list and very glad I did it though.  Going forward will do 7 day cruises (coming in May 2023) and add land days before and after.  

[dlh015]

21 days in the Mediterranean. Roundtrip from Barcelona. It was magical. No repeat ports...Turkey, Montenegro, Greece/Greek Isles, Italy, France, Gibraltar...never, ever bored. Hated for it to end. Spent xtra days in Barcelona. Never tired of the vast choices for food...barely spent any time in the theatre. Did some reading, watched some movies, got a little tipsy on our balcony, yakked it up with some folks and crew. Like cruisestich, just lived on the ship when we weren't enjoying the ports. DW felt the same way.

[WestLakeGirl]

It seems that at some point you stop thinking of cruising as being a vacation, a treat, a once-a-year respite from work.  The whole mindset changes. You bring along your watercolor paints or your cross stitching or your jewelry making or whatever portable hobby you have.  Maybe you devote time to read, or stream movies.  Maybe you compose a letter a day to an elected official about some issue you care about.  Maybe you work on your memoirs. I met one man who was determined to become a better photographer and devoted a lot of time to his iphone shooting pictures, editing, and working on his techniques.  You don’t feel that you need to race off the ship to see the sights or go souvenir shopping.  And perhaps when you do leave the ship, you take the time to visit an art museum or some lesser-known attraction of the place you are visiting.  Since you don’t have to cook or clean, time is freed up for other activities. You try new foods, because the buffet has so many offerings and you can have a bite of this or a bite of that just to see if you like it or not.  It’s a very different cruise experience from what it once was when you were new to cruising and felt that you had to hit every beach, every historic fort, every cathedral.

Edited December 29, 2022 by WestLakeGirl

[Jim_Iain]

I have to agree with @cruisestitch and @Northern Aurora

 

When cruising for extended periods we don't experience the cruise in a similar way as those that are just on for a week or so.   We see the cruise ship as our home and often do many of the things we do at home.    That is of course interlaced with ports where we find exciting things to do or find things that the locals do instead of the touristy things.

 

We also eat like we do at home instead of eating huge meals.    Often for lunch we may just have a nice piece of bread with a bowl of soup.   For dinner we also don't go overboard and when dining in Specialty order 1/2 portions.   Last 3 cruises i haven't gained any weight.

 

Walking is a bit part of my life, both ashore an at sea and I usually manage to get in my 10 miles of walking daily.   While walking for 2 1/2 - 3 Hours a day I listen to Audio Books and love both the fresh air and the getting lost in a good book.

 

I usually bring along a  Media Stick and lots of our favorite programs that I can stream directly from my laptop. 

 

We rarely go to the shows any longer as we have seen them numerous times and instead enjoy hanging out in Retreat with other guests and the bar staff.   We also don't participate in many of the activities that are arranged to keep guest engaged.   

 

In between this I am usually busy on my computer doing live posts as well as taking care of lots of correspondence and management activities as the President of our Homeowner Association.    Yes I do even call into and Manage our Monthly HOA meeting via Zoom. 

 

To be honest I've never gotten bored but often by the end of the cruise get anxious to get home and see our family.

[NutsAboutGolf]

Doing something like this, on the highlighted days will be working by the pool by day and having fun at night...

 

[MamaFej]

42 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

It seems that at some point you stop thinking of cruising as being a vacation, a treat, a once-a-year respite from work.  The whole mindset changes. You bring along your watercolor paints or your cross stitching or your jewelry making or whatever portable hobby you have.  Maybe you devote time to read, or stream movies.  Maybe you compose a letter a day to an elected official about some issue you care about.  Maybe you work on your memoirs. I met one man who was determined to become a better photographer and devoted a lot of time to his iphone shooting pictures, editing, and working on his techniques.  You don’t feel that you need to race off the ship to see the sights or go souvenir shopping.  And perhaps when you do leave the ship, you take the time to visit an art museum or some lesser-known attraction of the place you are visiting.  Since you don’t have to cook or clean, time is freed up for other activities. You try new foods, because the buffet has so many offerings and you can have a bite of this or a bite of that just to see if you like it or not.  It’s a very different cruise experience from what it once was when you were new to cruising and felt that you had to hit every beach, every historic fort, every cathedral.

I hear you. We don't vacation, we travel. We enjoy learning about places, cultures, cuisines, geology, flora, fauna, etc. 

 

We have traveled, including cruising, quite a lot in the last 8 years, though we've never been to the Caribbean. We live within 90 minutes of the LA ports, but have only taken a few cruises to and/or from there. We've both flown andcruised to Hawaii and RV'd to 49 US states, and a few Canadian provinces (having cruised to others). We love new experiences and revisiting special places. 

 

I think that for those who enjoy traditional vacationing, the idea of weeks at a time on board would not be attractive. That is neither right nor wrong. My way is neither right nor wrong.

 

It is a wonderful thing that humans have different interests and preferences. It is also wonderful that there are so many options for different types of vacationing and traveling.

 

Cruising is a delightful fit for a variety of ways to get away from home. It is also a wonderful way to meet a variety of people from a variety of backgrounds. 

[RichYak]

I’m finding this thread incredibly helpful. I’m already less apprehensive about my long-ish (for me) cruise in August. Thank you all!

[Ken the cruiser]

 

9 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

It's always amazed me when I meet fellow passengers onboard who have been on the ship for literally months doing B2B2B and on and on.  I think the longest I've encountered has been 3 months but I'm sure there are longer ones here and there.

 

My longest B2B was 21 days and for me that was pushing it.  Wondering just what people do on those longer cruises to continue the enjoyment?  The production shows stay the same.  The lounge entertainment often stays the same for several sailings at least.  The menus, while offering some variety, stay the same cruise to cruise.  Most activities repeat.  Television is a joke unless you are a news or soccer fanatic.  The libraries, if you are lucky enough to be on a ship that has one, usually don't have much variety of books (I know there are digital books - I just personally prefer book in hand).  I can only do so many crosswords or games of Qwix or Yahtzee.  I get free laundry and am not afraid to wear something two or three times a cruise, but I think I would get tired of wearing the same outfits for weeks or months at a time.  On many of these cruises of which I speak it has been the same or similar Caribbean ports over and over and over.  Maybe if I was a beach fan that would be nice but I'm kinda done with that now that the kids are grown.   And what about family and friends?  I know these days having internet can really help with that but it's not the same as being in person.

 

I'm not criticizing, just honestly curious.  DH would love to convince me to sail longer periods of time but I'm not sure how I would handle it.  Feedback?

For us the key as you might imagine is the itinerary, and you can’t limit yourself to one cruise line. For example, we just did an awesome 38 day B2B cruise on the NCL Jade we booked over 2 years in advance. I’ve attached the Live From thread I posted to, but just look at the photos. As you will see it’s all about filling the itinerary with unique ports. 😁

 

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[phoenix_dream]

Thank you all so far for the interesting responses.  I understand about the 7 day versus longer cruise being a different type of vacation.  I do many of the things people are suggesting.  I confess I do miss my TV, and my provider will only let me download 6 shows at a time to my tablet.  Sometimes I am able to download on the ship but usually the wifi doesn't permit.  I'm sure if I were taking the longer cruises in more interesting places than the Caribbean I would enjoy them more.  I also really enjoy getting to know the crew.  There are a number of them over the years that I still keep in touch with via Facebook, as we have cruised many times (69 I think is the current number) on Celebrity.  I also like to meet new passengers onboard as well.  Have several B2B's booked for 2023, but the longest is 18 days, with 10 sea days (Caribbean). Fortunately each goes to the ABC's (or parts of them), which are my favorites.  

[ptcflyer]

My wife and I, mid 50s, have been at sea for about 180 days this 12 months.   We did a 15 day transatlantic on Viking.   A few Celebrity Caribbean runs.  B2B.    And then a World Cruise on Viking for 138 Days.    On the World Cruise, your life becomes on the ship.   I ran a small business while cruising...so internet is key.   Daily blogging,  bible study, bridge lessons, and of course sight seeing via 'Viking tours' were awesome.    We did this as one of the first long cruises after Covid..   So trying to stay Covid free and out of "jail" was a challenge.   We were tested daily.      Next year, we have booked 2 Trans Pacific cruises  (One on Carnival Luminous 22 days -  CASINO FREE DEAL)   The other a Celebrity B2B2B on the Solstice via Alaska, Hawaii, Tahiti, to Sydney.  33 Days  CASINO FREE Deal)....  We are going to then fly to Rome via a week in the Maldives and cruise all 4 segments of the Rome to Sydney Grand Voyage on the Celebrity Edge. 54 Days. .     We call it our "Rest of the World" cruise, as we are gong most places we did not get to on the Viking World Cruise.    This next 12 months will have us at sea for about 120 days.    These cruises are going to be in 7 to 17 day segments.... and this will be very different than a "world cruise"    With the Blue Chip Club comps and discounts, our daily rate for everything will be sub $300 for 2. (including drinks, tips, and excursion budget) , which is about a third of a typical World Cruise Rate.     The key to long cruises is to make friends....   pursue a hobby while on board. (mine is photography)...  Keep healthy by walking and working out....   and with strong internet, I can keep a business running and interact with customers as we navigate the world.    God made a wonderful World for us to explore... and cruising is a great way to see many of His best works of Art.  

Edited December 30, 2022 by ptcflyer

[NMTraveller]

After comparing Celebrity to HAL and Princess, my conclusion is that Celebrity does not have long cruises.

[hawkesbaynz]

@ptcflyer you are living the dream! You will love the Maldives too. Have been there several times😀. 
 

Sometimes I wish I was a gambler but too many stories from my mother of her feckless gambling father who kept them in the poor house. Two of his sons did the same to their families.  I went to Vegas and gambled $5. Am sure I could be tempted not to squander my pension but there is a family gene! 🤨
 

Am enjoying @Ken the cruiser NCL report Athen to Cape Town. 
 

Currently our longest cruise is 14 days but am looking forward to a South America & Antarctica cruise over three weeks with add-ons. Wondering if I will be bored on sea days. Not a crafter but enjoy reading and could manage a couple of hours daily in the gym & walking track. This is on Oceania which has great itineraries but less entertainment than O.

 

Having a dog and limited funds do limit us though. Labrador has a great holiday when we are away as her dog walker stays and she gets to go on all the dog walks and adventure trips at weekends. 
 

 

[the penguins]

4 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

After comparing Celebrity to HAL and Princess, my conclusion is that Celebrity does not have long cruises.

Celebrity does have longer cruises but you have to work at it.

An example: Cruise right around South America boarding in Buenos Aires and disembarking in San Diego i.e. a back to back cruise:

Benefits especially for Elite and above:

1) book as Sail only you get 2 X times all your Elite benefits.

2) if you are a Shareholder you also get 2 times these benefits.

3) air fare often cheaper to book to Buenos Aires and back from San Diego instead of out to Buenos Aires and back from San Antonio in Chile  - the saving helps pay for the second cruise.

However many sectors you do your Elite benefits restart on each one.

 

[the penguins]

6 hours ago, ptcflyer said:

My wife and I, mid 50s, have been at sea for about 180 days this 12 months.   We did a 15 day transatlantic on Viking.   A few Celebrity Caribbean runs.  B2B.    And then a World Cruise on Viking for 138 Days.    On the World Cruise, your life becomes on the ship.   I ran a small business while cruising...so internet is key.   Daily blogging,  bible study, bridge lessons, and of course sight seeing via 'Viking tours' were awesome.    We did this as one of the first long cruises after Covid..   So trying to stay Covid free and out of "jail" was a challenge.   We were tested daily.      Next year, we have booked 2 Trans Pacific cruises  (One on Carnival Luminous 22 days -  CASINO FREE DEAL)   The other a Celebrity B2B2B on the Solstice via Alaska, Hawaii, Tahiti, to Sydney.  33 Days  CASINO FREE Deal)....  We are going to then fly to Rome via a week in the Maldives and cruise all 4 segments of the Rome to Sydney Grand Voyage on the Celebrity Edge. 54 Days. .     We call it our "Rest of the World" cruise, as we are gong most places we did not get to on the Viking World Cruise.    This next 12 months will have us at sea for about 120 days.    These cruises are going to be in 7 to 17 day segments.... and this will be very different than a "world cruise"    With the Blue Chip Club comps and discounts, our daily rate for everything will be sub $300 for 2. (including drinks, tips, and excursion budget) , which is about a third of a typical World Cruise Rate.     The key to long cruises is to make friends....   pursue a hobby while on board. (mine is photography)...  Keep healthy by walking and working out....   and with strong internet, I can keep a business running and interact with customers as we navigate the world.    God made a wonderful World for us to explore... and cruising is a great way to see many of His best works of Art.  

I love your travelling but not so sure about your maths  ( sorry math ). Your daily figure is only achieved by excluding the amount you spend on gambling to get the Comped Cruises. If you included your gambling the figure would be way way higher especially as you must be paying the full price on Viking as they don't have casinos. 

[hcat]

We used to prefer 10 to 12 day itins  but a week is about the max we would enjoy now...We are no longer  interested in long airplane flights, so cruises from  east coast US ports are ok for us. We have cut back on the number of cruises we sail per yr since we retired. Less need to get away and we can  chill out every day!

 

I think our longest  cruise was 15 days RT to Hawaii.. There were many sea days but the time went by quickly with  activities,  spa and relaxation, easy time zone transitions. Have never tried b2b ...

 

 

 

[Plum Happy]

Celebrity has Beyond the Podium speakers on their long cruises on sea days.  There are about two speakers, one talks about the destinations (they aren't pushing anything, no excursions) and someone else does topics.

 

On the Transpacific cruises, there is (was on mine) a speaker who talked about each of the islands we were going to visit and another spoke on another topic (one included the notorious women in the Wild Wild West).  

 

On the Panama Canal cruise I did there was a couple, he spoke about the different wildlife, the animals in the ocean, birds, etc. that we saw out there and she spoke about the island and their history as well as the bygone era of Ocean Liners (just my op - I am aware that Cunard is considered one).  They spoke the two hours before lunch.  This gives yo something else to do other than sit out and tan during the times you shouldn't be laying out in the sun (if that is not your thing).

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by Plum Happy

[chemmo]

Each time we do a longer (or less port intensive) cruise I intend to do all the things I never get around to doing usually including…

 

seeing all the shows

attending the podium lectures

attending cooking demo’s 

reading lots of books

attending a wine tasting….

 

Somehow it never actually happens…

 

We meet interesting people and find we prefer chat to shows.

I highlight the podium lectures/cooking demo’s  then get comfortable on the balcony with my book that doesn’t get read because I am staring at the ocean.

Mean to go to the wine tasting but then find I am enjoying a swim, a chat, a coffee…

 

I guess my instinctive feeling is if you board a long cruise wondering about how you will fill the time then perhaps long cruises aren’t for your mindset. Long cruises to me are all about slowing down, having time to people watch, sea gaze and star gaze….

 

 

 

[countess5]

I think it has been said well here by all. Everyone approaches longer cruises differently. 

We are in the camp that it’s a way of life and not a vacation. Last winter we sailed 49 days in the Caribbean. Visited a couple of ports twice but really never got off the ships due to Covid. Each week we were tested and if positive the sailings were over.

We approach it by sailing on 3 different ships. That changes shows and experiences. This year we have 3 B2B cruises. First on Equinox 21 days then move over to Beyond for 14 days and then conclude with Reflection for 14 days. It’s a way of life for getting out of winter. 

Another way to enjoy is to have friends join you along the way. Last year our friends from England joined us for 21 days. This year other friends are joining us for the first 10 days.

This year thinking about doing a live from, but that is a commitment! @Jim_Iain you inspire me! I know I enjoyed winter mornings reading and living through live reviews when I worked. 

 

Retirement is Fantastic! 

 

Cheers! 

[rcrabb1513]

We did our first B2B to Alaska this past August.  We were away 15 nights including pre cruise hotel stay.  We have dogs and we missed them terribly.  We felt guilty being away from them that long and worried about their psyche.  We were ready to go home after 10 or so days.

 

I know some are going to think we are nuts worried over pets like this.  We are empty nesters and they are 2nd time around "kids!"

 

 

[phoenix_dream]

14 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

After comparing Celebrity to HAL and Princess, my conclusion is that Celebrity does not have long cruises.

No, they don't.  But many of us do B2B's (and then some)  or sideways cruises jumping on another ship while in the home port.  For example, my 21 days onboard was a 10 and 11 day B2B.

 

Not to criticize any of the other answers with good and helpful information, but I was wondering about those who are on the same ship for 6 weeks, or several months at a time.  

Edited December 30, 2022 by phoenix_dream

[Ken the cruiser]

26 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

No, they don't.  But many of us do B2B's (and then some)  or sideways cruises jumping on another ship while in the home port.  For example, my 21 days onboard was a 10 and 11 day B2B.

 

Not to criticize any of the other answers with good and helpful information, but I was wondering about those who are on the same ship for 6 weeks, or several months at a time.  

I have to say after doing the awesome 39-day NCL B2B I mentioned at post #37, we've decided that in the future 30 days is going to be our new maximum cruise length. For us, as we have done 3 of those longer cruises now, to include a 45-day B3B with Oceania in 2018 and a 40-day B2B with HAL in 2019, after 30 days the cruising thrill seems to give way to wanting to go home. As they say YMMV. 

Edited December 30, 2022 by Ken the cruiser