Any Family on Summit T/A April 18-30, 2009?

Hello!

Just checking to see if there will be any family on the Summit's spring crossing next year. We were weighing doing the March Atlantis trip but we can do a Sky Suite for 12 days for only $35 more per person versus the Solstice charter. We are thinking we can turn it into a 2 1/2 week vacation and add some time in Barcelona on the end. I was able to score free award tickets and I have a tone of hotel points so thinking this is doable!

Anyone else going?

Bob

I posted just before you in the mainstream thread...my partner and I are booked, and friends may be joining us. We are doing it because the rate was so cheap...we're in an Oceanview. Hoping that the air deviation doesn't cost any more than the change charge. We don't have enough air miles left...having spent most of them for business class seats to Sydney in November :-)

Hello Guys:

Add one more to the roll call. Actually, I'll be cruising with 2 other friends. Just booked yesterday although I had the reservation on hold since last week pending the last word from my friends. Looking forward to exchanging posts here as well as meeting you guys on board. I'm sure that there will be more joining in as the date gets closer. The prices are great for this crossing. There will always be more on board than there will be here in the roll call.

Juan

So nice to know you're "family"! That will make this cruise even better. I may even have to make you a martini now ;-)

Michael

Michael:

Yes, I am "family." I had already seen this thread so I knew about you. Since it looks like you make good martini's, I will make you the official Summit Martini Bartender. I say go ahead and bring all of the supplies. I guess Happy Hour will be in your cabin unless you take over one of the bars. We could name it Michael's Bar (not to be confused with Michael's Club).

Juan

Celebrity will have the sniffer dogs out looking for the vermouth stash...I can see it all now :-)

Hmm.... We'll have to find a way to get around those sniffer dogs! Is it April yet?

Juan

The funny thing is, we have two vacations planned before the cruise (including one next week), but the cruise is the one I'm really excited about. Maybe because the other two vacations are places I've been, and the cruise is something completely different...

I know the feeling. Some times I have a non-cruise vacation coming up and as much as I could be looking forward to it, it is the cruise vacation that really makes me anxiously await the departure date.

Heeyyyy!!!! Just made my 1000th post!

Glad to see there's an FOD contingent on board.

I've done mostly Pied Piper trips and (for a variety of reasons) grabbed this one. It was a wonderful deal.

Look for me in cabin 6143.

At this point, I'm flying in and out on Celebrity's same-day flight plan. I might decide to do custom air for a day or two in Barcelona, but that's TBD.

Cheers,

David.

Hello David:

Welcome to our group. So we will be sailing on the Summit in April and then on the Solstice in November. 2009 will be a busy year.

So what can you tell me about PP? I am looking at their TA from Southampton to NY on Jan. 2. I am not decided yet. But I am wondering what I can expect. Are you happy with their product?

Thanks,

Juan

I've had experiences all over the map with PP.... I've probably done 12 or more cruises with them since 2000 so I think I've had a fair sampling of their itineraries, their groups and their service.

If you write me privately by email (this screen name at yahoo dot com)

I'll happily fill you in.

David.

Hi David, glad to see you here. Someone else for martinis perhaps :-)

Looks like the Martini Bar may be where the FOD Cruise Critic get togethers may be. Great place for gathering for cocktails.

Juan

And, with the time we have, I may have to work my way down the list.... just the vodka side for me, though. :-)

At $10.50 a shot, I hope they have "non-premium" martinis as well. I've never enjoyed paying "South Beach" prices for drinks... which is probably why we drink more in Ft. Lauderdale

We just booked the April 18 sailing. I'm glad that there are so many "family" onboard. Looking forward to see you guys on the ship.

Henry

At $10.50 a shot, I hope they have "non-premium" martinis as well. I've never enjoyed paying "South Beach" prices for drinks... which is probably why we drink more in Ft. Lauderdale

Martinis are not cheap on board Celebrity ships. I've had them cheaper on other lines but then you get a smaller glass. I booked this cruise while on board another cruise so I have an OBC that will help soften the punch on my wallet. Looking forward to all those drinks! I may have to be dragged out of there some nights.

Henry, welcome to the group.

Juan

Yes, the martinis add up, but fortunately at 4 oz a piece, I can only drink a few each evening. LOL

For folks who don't know, there's an additional source of OBC - the shareholder benefit. If you own stock in RCL, you can send some proof to shareholder relations and get a nice little OBC. The stock yesterday was trading under $22, and you need to own 100 shares.

$250 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 14 or more nights.

$200 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 9 to 13 nights.

$100 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 6 to 8 nights.

$50 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 5 nights or less.

http://www.rclinvestor.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=103045&p=irol-shareholderbenefit

So, if you do a couple cruises a year (particularly those of us on the T/A kick), you can get back a $400 tax-free dividend pretty quickly.

I intend to buy myself some stock for my birthday in a few week, so I'll have it before my September cruise.

Welcome aboard Henry!

Seeing how this is my first Celebrity cruise, I don't know that I'll be able to scrounge up an OBC...maybe I can convince my Travel Agent to give me one since I brought him some business when our friends booked with him.

Thanks Michael. This is my first Celebrity cruise too. I have been travelling on Princess because of anytime dining. But I'm looking forward to try out a different cruise line. Are you staying in Barcelona after the cruise? They charged quite a bit for deviation. But I can't go to Barcelona just to go straight to the airport. Any tips on the hotel, anyone? I'm torn between Hotel 1898 and Grand Hotel Central.

I can hold my liquor pretty good. I can usually have 5 or 6 martinis and not feel a thing.

David: I was aware of the benefit of having shares but I was not aware of how generous the OBC could be. I may have to think about it to add funds to my martini tab.

Michael: You can still buy 100 shares of RCI stock and and get $200 OBC. I got my OBC because I booked this cruise while on board another cruise. This is another way of getting an OBC.

Are you not on vacation this week?

Henry: I have been to Barcelona a couple of times. Two hotes that I have stayed at are Hotel Regina off of Las Ramblas and Plaza Catalunya and the Hotel Royal right on Las Ramblas. Both of these are 4 star (first class) hotels. While I have heard of the hotels that you have mentioned, I have not stayed at them so I cannot provide additional feedback on them. I do believe that they are first class hotels. You could look them up in Trip Advisor to see what others have to say about these hotels.

Juan

PS Happy 4th of July to everyone!

Hola Juan, and a Happy 4th to you also from the Left Coast. Watch those martoonis they get lethal after a while Hugh:)

Thanks Juan. I'll check out the two hotels you mentioned.

Juan,

Except I don't have 2K sitting around to buy the shares.

Vacation begins promptly at 5 pm today (or as soon as I get my last project done), we leave for Boston in the morning.

Henry,

I've been to Barcelona once, and we stayed at a B&B, so I can't speak to the hotels you mentioned. We are staying on for 3 nights afterwards. Have not reserved a place to stay yet. We probably won't until 1st of the year.