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kk99

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About Me

  • Location
    Fort Worth, Texas
  • Interests
    Travel,All Water Related Sports
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Celebrity, Azamara, Princess, Royal Caribbean
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    The Baltics

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Cool Cruiser

Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. So, these events happened on the Eclipse 4-22-2023 transpacific, and May 9, 2023 Hawaii to Vancouver sailings. First off all of the crew, and staff were great. I am a very positive person, so these are the things that need to be published on Celebrity’s webpage so that everyone has the same information. Just for background, I’ve cruised a fair amount with Celebrity, over the past 25 years and always with friends and family. I also have been a Ruby tier casino player since they started the revised program several years ago, but I don’t plan on keeping it after this year. I’ve cruised on many lines, usually for the itinerary and value for me. So the activities manager on Eclipse stated that while they will keep trivia (at least on longer cruises) , there would be no more prizes, (fleetwide) after our 2 cruises as it had gotten out of control with the cheating and people confronting the staff about the correct answers. I think this a positive, as those who just want to have fun can, and who needs another deck of cards or cap. People need to be civil, way too much cursing going on. On our first sailing there were 26 Zeniths, and the 2nd leg had 36 Zeniths broken into 2 groups for lunch. A very nice luncheon on both sailings, and everyone got the photo of the groups delivered in a regular paper envelope. I went to the top cruiser event on both cruises, and sat in the back. I clapped for the individuals who got it, and left. Did not see any reserved seating in the front for people other than the top cruiser people. No big deal, just noticed it. I don’t think Zeniths or higher tier casino players will ever regain access to the Retreat lounge that they had pre pandemic. Again Celebrity gets to make the rules of their loyalty and casino programs, but there has been a lessening of both program benefits imo.I rarely go in the lounge especially if I have friends who are not in a suite traveling with us. Casino changes, more are coming this summer. When we were in Hawaii, and the casino was closed for several days while we were in ports, they were going to update to some newer slot, video poker machines, but they did not arrive in time. What they did do was to install in all of the machines, the readers that allow you to charge to your room a maximum of $2000 a day. Before the readers were installed you would go to the cage, and you could charge up to $5000 a day to your room for chips or slot vouchers, if your bank account could support it and you really wanted to bet big one night. After the change, even if you had a previously established line of credit, it was capped at $ 2000 per day. I saw several frustrated table players on the 2nd cruise. New rule is whatever comp play you earned is whatever can only be applied to your next new cruise for an offer or discount. Future cruise sales can take a blue chip club deposit for a sailing, but only for what offers are in the computer for you, up to 9 nights. You get better discounting and longer cruises by calling Blue Chip shoreside if you played a lot according to their algorithm , and also future cruise sales (onboard) cannot price out any Blue Chip discount sailing on a new ship for it’s first year of service. The biggest change, and this is a Captain’s Club issue that affected us, is that if you book a suite through Blue Chip, because say there are only sky suites available at the time of booking, and you later pay the difference to upgrade it to a higher grade suite, even outside final payment, you do not get the points of the cabin you sail in, but at what suite cabin grade you originally booked. It is being treated the same as a move up points restriction. So on our 2nd leg, we all got the cabins we wanted on the day of booking, but on the first leg, we didn’t but paid a sizable amount to upgrade it when a better suite cabin became available to book outside of final payment. One of my friends on the sailing would have turned Zenith on their next cruise, now it is 2 cruises away for them. Celebrity needs to fix their website pages to disclose these changes, and not have people be surprised after the fact. This was an undisclosed change by Captain’s Club, and Blue Chip had no idea about the change. Blue Chip to my knowledge does not have a shoreside manager in place after Patrick Jacquot left the company several months ago, but a call center. The junket side of Blue Chip is more helpful and knowledgeable. So my funny story is that I am taking medications for my immune system where I can’t drink. So we requested precruise and while onboard that Celebrity keep all the alcohol. I think for the 2 cruises between the suite amenities, Blue Chip, a birthday celebration, Captain’s Club and other departments, we got something like 15 bottles which went to the crew bar, with the champagnes going to couples celebrating long term anniversaries. I got a lot of thank you from crew members. Two of us played trivia once in the Retreat and won a bottle of nice champagne. I never laughed harder, and declined that prize. So I am taking a break from Celebrity for several months, as I still have one more treatment, before a fall transatlantic. I do hope they fix the shoreside experience, Blue Chip notices and the Celebrity website to correctly reflect whatever changes they have made or will make shortly. I so enjoy being on the ship but not the shoreside issues both pre and post. I am hopeful that they will add different future itineraries, as I have found places we want to go visit both on land and by sea that Celebrity doesn’t offer. My favorite memories of this wonderful vacation was going to Russell, New Zealand and paying my respects on Anzac Day. My father served under the Australian generals during WWII in the South Pacific. Thankful for everyone’s services. We did all private tours on our cruises, and just had a blast. If anyone needs information or has questions about the ports, just post up, and I’ll try and answer. Here’s hoping your next holiday is a wonderful one.
  2. So if the move up bid you wished to place was an extra $500 a person for 2 people in the cabin for a total of $1000, and you were Classic members, your bid would be $505 a person, if Zeniths at 5% it would be $525 a person, and if you win the move up bid you only pay the extra $1000 for the cabin. You do not get the higher level of Captain’s Club points only the points your original cabin category comes with.
  3. Since cruising restarted, I have sailed 4 times in higher level suites, also as a Zenith member. On each sailing, there was a Zenith lunch for just the guests, with some of the officers or Captain’s Club hosts stopping by at the beginning to take a picture, but not eat with the guests. There is an officer’s cocktail party for the suites, where you can meet the officers, and have your picture taken in the retreat lounge. Zeniths are not allowed in the retreat lounges unless sailing in a suite at the current time.There was no sit down lunch with officers for top suites on my sailings. You can in the RS suites and higher request to trade your 2 bottles of alcohol for one better bottle of alcohol. There is usually a sailaway from at least one port stop on the ships for invited guests which is always nice for picture taking. We have gotten nice flower arrangements, extra bottles of wine from the Hotel Director, and invitations to Captain Club and Senior Officer’s cocktail parties. As a Z no matter what category of room you are in, you get the upgraded toiletries. phoenix _dream when you make Z they will recognize you in the Captain’s Club event, they will give you dining at one of the speciality restaurants, a cake, flowers, a bottle of wine. They used to have the celebrations up on the bridge with Captain & staff. Once they started sailing again, it appears to be more of a low key celebration, just as nice, but not on the bridge. You should email the CC host to ask what the particular ship is doing for your special celebration as there are always new changes. You will get a nice picture for making Z. The internet, laundry & premium drinks are always appreciated perks. As for RS & higher, ask about spa perks, some will let you have a thermal pass included on some ships, and not on others. If you want a party with snacks and beverages in your suite, with some advance notice they will take care of it. You can order off different menus for room service dinners. You can also have someone from future cruises meet you in the retreat lounge to book any future cruises you want without waiting at the future cruise booking area. Your stateroom attendant, butler and retreat concierge will do whatever is reasonably possible to make your voyage a wonderful holiday. I find that to be true no matter what category of room that I book. Happy sailings to all, and beautiful weather.
  4. So, just off Infinity, and I have been on all of the ships many times in all classes, celiac not by choice, and vegetarian by choice. In Luminae they usually use gf Canyon Bakehouse for white toast, and also have gf raisin bread. None of the menus are marked with gf symbols as the main dining room menu is or the labels in ocean view cafe. At Cafe al Bacio, they usually have gf coconut macaroons, no other desserts that are gf, except sometimes in the morning hours a small gf muffin which is okay but not very tasty imo. On the buffet, they will have jello (not vegetarian) and 2 other gluten free desserts that are usually vegetarian with signage. I have never seen gluten free crackers on any sailing. Blu and the main dining rooms seem to have more gf options than Luminae. I always bring gf crackers, gf protein bars with me. The chefs in Luminae, and the other restaurants will make you any basic meat, fish, vegetable or fresh fruit dishes gluten free without bread crumbs, or sauces that may not be gf. There is very good made to order gf pizza and pasta in the ocean view cafe made when you order it, takes 15-20 minutes. At the gelato stand on my most recent cruise, none of it was marked gf. However, they had ice cream in the ocean view cafe and restaurants that was gf. Please ask the chefs, and preorder the night before in which ever restaurant you may be eating in. Tuscan Grille has made some great dishes, and made from scratch gf bread if ordered in advance, same with Murano, and other speciality restaurants. I know they have dedicated toasters for the gluten free bread, and use separate tongs for no cross contamination. They do have gf soy sauce available, and they try hard to please. Still, dining is not why I cruise Celebrity, as there is room for lots of improvement for those who must eat gf, and some of the modifications to menu items would be easy to make in Luminae. I just wish corporate would let those with dietary restrictions give them some ideas for fast, reasonable cost items to be included and enhance the shipboard dining experience. I really appreciate all of the staff on the ships who try and please you. For me, I prefer other speciality dining, Blu, and the buffet to Luminae. Please have your reservation marked with any dietary restrictions, and try and get the same servers for whatever your main restaurant will be, as they will be more aware to avoid cross contamination & not tempt you with amazing, and not gf breads and pastry baskets. Luminae needs to add all the codes for gf, sugar free, vegetarian, and other categories on the main dining room menus. They have had several years to do this, and it would save time when someone is ordering as well. Enjoy your cruise, and have a wonderful holiday.We always do.
  5. I was on that December Apex sailing with friends. When the emergency announcement was made, 2 of my friends got up from the dinner table, as they are universal donors. I followed them down to where the potential volunteers were signing information forms. My friends both had their blood registry cards with them. So many people volunteered, and then they took who they wanted off the list for those who would be a possible donor match. My friends were not asked to give blood, but were asked to remain as backups if needed. (which they were not needed) The person could not have been evacuated safely per the medical team and the Captain or it would have been done in my opinion. No one, had a problem with the ship speeding up and coming into port early so that passenger's life could be treated further at the hospital. I never believe anything on TMZ in this case other than a lawsuit was filed. Whatever the actual facts are, it will come out in a court proceeding, with expert medical testimony. I wish the passenger who underwent the medical emergency all the best for the passenger's health, and thankful to witness the immediate response by the passengers who could give blood to a fellow passenger in need.
  6. It gets even funnier. I got the email addressed to another individual sent to my email who is in the starting tier of BCC for a comp cruise excluding taxes and port charges. So I called BCC to have them send it to whoever it was supposed to go to. Then I asked, if I qualified for the offer. Until December, I am in the highest tier. Nope, it was a targeted offer. 🤣
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