ggo85

We have done the highest level suites on RCCL, Retreat on X, Crystal, and Silversea. We are done with RCCL for a couple of reasons. First, too many kids, which is their demo. This isn't to start a kid-bashing thread, just that we like fewer and RCCL has many on most sailing. Second, once you leave your suite, the experience is mass market. The ONLY thing we enjoy is reserved pool deck seating on many ships. To be fair, we haven't done the new mega-ships. We also like smaller ships so not even going there. We've probably done 10 cruises on X, all in upper level suites. Retreat (or just suites b4 they called it Retreat) used to be OK, not so much today. We are doing our last X cruise in June. Just did one on Reflection a couple of months ago. Cabin size is great. Amenities (free speciality dining, included beverages, internet etc.) are great. Butler was above average (we've had great to terrible). However, once you leave your suite, it's chaos. We really noticed it this cruise on Reflection -- seemed that there were crowds everywhere. Not a luxury experience and not pleasant for us. And the cost was very, very high even when compared to luxury lines. Retreat used to be a "deal" b/c you got a huge cabin and decent amenities for less than luxury lines. No more. Biggest benefits of the luxury lines (our view -- others may disagree). First, you pay up front -- there is little to no effort to separate you from your money once on board. Even in the spa, they aren't supposed to push products. No (monetary) BINGO, gold by the inch, $20 watch specials, art auctions, etc. etc. Also, you never sign for anything. You want a drink -- go get one. You want to eat someplace. Show up (or make a reservation). There are no crowds, no lines. And nearly 100% of passengers are seasoned travelers. Doesn't make them better or worse, just seasoned. Much more space per passenger (nothing ever crowded) and MUCH more personalized service. Finally, most sailings have very few kids. Downsides (for some): limited entertainment. No big production shows. No rock climbing walls (yeah!), slides, putt-putt, ice rinks, etc. No "Central Park." Costs are in line with (can even be cheaper than) upper level suites on mainstream line. We did Crystal pre-bankruptcy and are doing it again later this year. The ships are older (but just recently fully refurbished) and cabins smaller than you'll get on X or RCCL for same price. However, the service is SO personal, in a very good way. After the second day, the pool deck guys recognize you, know where you like to sit, and when you show up. They have your chairs already set up. They know what you like to drink and ask you if you'd like a "Diet Coke like yesterday." They typically give you the same wait staff in the dining room, so they too know your preferences (i.e., ketchup with hash browns). Butlers are amazing. After a couple of days, the crew calls you by name. Have done several SS cruises. Lovely, new ships. Butlers IMO not as good as Crystal across the board but still better than X. 6-7 dining options for lunch and dinner -- wide variety and all very good Included excursions that are actually quite good. Other nice things, when you leave ship for an excursion, they have umbrellas (as needed), water, towels, etc. available for the taking. Pool deck chairs have plush cushions and they are always plentiful, even on sea days. IMO, it's almost impossible to replicate the luxury ship experience on a huge ship. Mainstream lines are trying, with varying degrees of success. IMO, X is not succeeding, which is why we're moving on. But others may have a very different view, and we respect that.

The suite deck furniture on Reflection looks great but very uncomfortable to sit in. Hard to decide which chairs are worse. We used a chair as a footstool. We love sitting on our balcony. Moving on from X. It’s that much of a dealbreaker for us.

Could eligibility depend on the circumstances of original booking? Special sales or promotions, for example.

Babies can arrive early or late. The child will be your grandkid forever. Unless your own child really needs you specifically to be there for some reason at time of birth, why not enjoy your planned cruise and see your grandchild right before or after, as needed.

We were in a RS last month. Got email, no call. Everything we requested was accurately done. You can get “last minute” reservations at specialty restaurants. Depends on venue and, I believe based on experience, your suite level. Murano might be hard to get reservations with minimal notice. Others, not so much.

I’m going to assume what the OP posted is accurate. Fully understand the disappointment and X should have handled it better. As someone said, some comp that would mean a lot to passengers but costs little to X goes a long way. Also, the response. “We are SO sorry this happened,” etc. goes a long way. But it shouldn’t ruin a cruise. A CS is still sweet, and you have lots of extra money to spend on something else.

The goal is to get you to purchase something of reasonably high value. Shoe inserts. Acupuncture. Specialty facial treatments. Teeth whitening. How hard a sell, I don’t know.

I think they’re good for a city overview. See where things are, etc. The narration isn’t great as compared to a “real” tour At some stops you may wait for up to 30 minutes. You probably can get off at one stop in a day and still finish the tour. My personal view is that HOHO is better if you are staying in one place for several days vs. the 8 hours on a cruise port stop. Or, if you arrive in the departure port a day early and want to kill time until your hotel room is ready. We rode HOHO for several hours in Rome (where we’d been several times). Pleasant just to ride around - better than sitting in the hotel lobby.

The OP asked for options for Japan. If the goal is to get there in the cheapest way possible, lots of options make that possible. No question X and others will be cheaper than a luxury line at probably all levels below Retreat. Thus, if cost is the primary motivator, X is the better option. If you're looking at the Retreat level (even the entry Sky Suites), some luxury lines will be priced competitively given their "all inclusive" approach. At that point, one needs to decide whether they want the "large ship" mainstream line experience or the small ship, luxury line experience. There are pros and cons to each; the decision really depends on the experience an individual cruiser is seeking.

SS dining beats X hands down. More options. Better food. Far, far fewer people competing at each venue. No extra cost for any venue for lunch and most dinner options have no added cost. The reasons to book Celebrity vs. SS for Japan include: (1) better, more and more varied entertainment, (2) more options for shore excursions (but also more people), (3) many more activities on board, and (4) probably the cost, depending on which cabin you would book. Also (may or may not apply), better for kids b/c there is more to do, probably a "younger" crowd, and less formal dress code (newer SS ships have a more relaxed dress code, "older" ones are still pretty formal as compared to X.) It really depends on what's important to you.

Bermuda weather can fluctuate greatly. I was there once in late March and highs were in the low 50s. Highs can also be in the 70s at that time of year. It's a lovely place to visit, regardless of the time of year. You won't "freeze." However, if your intent is to sit on the beach, you might (or might not) need a heavy sweater. We did a TA from Ft Lauderdale to Lisbon in late March (no stop in Bermuda). We could sit in the sun in a bathing suit for the first 5-6 days. The next 2-3, we could sit in the sun in shorts and a sweatshirt. The last few days, it was really too cold to sit on deck, even in the sun. Got to Lisbon and it was hot and sunny! That's one reason TAs are often cheaper than other cruises -- weather can vary greatly in the months they are the most common (March/April and Oct/Nov).

I always do a massage and sometimes a facial. For me, it's part of my cruise enjoyment. I have the time on the ship to do them without feeling I have to "run" to something else. On X, I'm usually spending OBC that I need to spend somewhere, so no out-of-pocket costs. Quality varies . . . which is true on every ship and every line. Recently on Reflection, my deep tissue massage was ok. Not memorable as good or bad. The facial was one of the best I've had -- really noticed the difference in my skin. That has been the exception (for me) as facials usually aren't very good. So you never know. As comparison, I was on a luxury line last year and the deep tissue was actually a (bad) Swedish massage (yes, the massage therapist knew it was supposed to be deep tissue). I complained (first time I've ever done so, but it was a terrible, terrible massage by any standards). I was comped 2 absolutely fantastic massages (and I'm a tough critic). Different therapist, completely different experiences. I agree that the product pitches suck; however, I believe they are under tremendous pressure to upsell. I usually take the written material and say, "I'll consider it." A couple of times I've purchased stuff (more on the massage side). It's high quality but I end up not using it when I get home. This time, she suggested some facial products that get good reviews on line. The Amazon prices are the same as being offered on the ship, so if you're tempted and have OBC, it may be worth it. I would "consider it" and check prices first. As for whether it's worth the money . . . you will spend more than in most locales in the US (though major cities / high end spas are VERY close in cost). You don't know the therapist, so are taking your chances in terms of quality. However, you may have lots of OBC, you may have extra time, this may be something that makes a cruise special for you . . . or not.

IMO, specialty restaurants can and do vary by ship (and probably when you cruise as chefs and servers will change over time). Historically we'd never particularly liked Tuscan. However, on this most recent cruise (several weeks ago) on Reflection, it was our favorite. The reasons: spacious seating (not close to other tables), wonderful cut of filet (could almost cut it with a fork), great food, attentive service -- and of course a great view. BTW, we found in Tuscan that they will make half (appetizer) sizes of pasta, etc. Just ask. We weren't in love with Murano. The lobster tail was TINY (suggest having as an appetizer). My warm goat cheese tart really wasn't very good. Service was ok but the room feels a bit claustrophobic. Our finished plates sat in front of us for at least 15 minutes. It seemed over-produced. If you love caviar (we don't), that's one reason to visit Murano. At Lawn Grille, we were SO close to the other tables -- literally 6 inches away. They didn't get our order right. They forgot to bring my potato until I asked twice. Service was sketchy. Food was good, but not memorable. On other cruises, we've loved this venue. The above was on Reflection, not the ship the OP asked about. The point is that food and experiences are subjective, and every ship is different. Look at the menus. Evaluate your OBC. If you're paying "real money," decide which experience(s) and food is most to your liking.

I’d describe main entertainment as more cabaret than production show. A couple of (decent) singers, maybe 2 dancers. Not the production shows on RCL or X. For us, the downside is no alternative groups. There is usually a violin or piano player. Talented, but music to slit your wrists to. Probably a trio, but IMHO, OK but not great. You don’t choose SS for entertainment. Just saying.

Consider ship vs. ports and overall experience. We looked at X for Japan but are doing Silversea. We recently did HING Kong to Singapore on SS and loved it. The smaller ship means less competition in port. Also, smaller ships are often able to dock closer to the city. It’s a trade off with the advantages of large ships, such as entertainment, etc. I think you’ll find smaller ships tend to call in Japan.