dock

When you book it will add on the tips before check out.

Thank you. I did notice the Boat day with a stop at a beach and then return to the tender port. I can’t imagine this many people on the island so we’ve decided to book this tour of the caldera and then spend the rest of the day onboard.

@the more ports the better, the Santorini Private Boat tour , did y’all stop at Nea Kameni for beach time or a hike. It’s listed on our cruise excursion. Thank you.

Hi all, on our day in Santorini there will 7 ships, totaling over 11000 passengers. We’ve been twice before on a cruise and once as a land trip. We had planned to go to do a beach day but with 7 ships I’m a bit concerned about line ups to get back on board. Is it best to consider this a Sea Day and just stay onboard? Has anyone been to Santorini when it’s this busy? Thank you.

Will be following along and looking forward to reading about your observations as we are looking at other lines. We have a cruise on Ascent (Retreat) booked in Feb’24 and then Oceania Vista in July’24. O cruise for 10 days with equivalent type of stateroom etc worked out cheaper than 7 days on Ascent. We have never done Edge class or Retreat so are looking forward to the cruise but for us it’s time to start looking at other options. Thank you for taking the time to post.

Thanks for the tip. Got 2 Excursions on our Feb’24 Ascent cruise at 45% off but I noticed Eden and Le Voyage were not listed as options to book so I cannot compare prices now as opposed to when I booked it.

Do return and keep us posted. We have same flight booked in Feb’24. Thank you.

Not sure if you’ve gone already but we’ve just returned from a land tour and I would not recommend the ships tour. Book your own GOT your. We used Dubrovnik Walks - smaller group unlike the huge ship tours we saw. Also did the Eco-Tuk tour which May a good option to start with as they will pick you up at your ship . Great tour. Goes up Mt. SUD. 2 hours. I would ask for drop off at Old Town and then have a lunch break and then do GOT tour. Or do GOT first thing in am before it gets too hot and then Eco Tuk pick up at Old Town. Amble Old Town after.

@mahasamatman, we got off Equinox 2 weeks ago and MDR was really bad imo. Been cruising with X for decades . While we’re not brand loyal , it was our favourite line. Rated food a 2 on the survey. Poor cuts of meat, no flavour, cold Escargot, items missing from dishes. We were limited to a few SD places and once onboard woudve gone more than twice but times available didn’t suit. OVC for lunch was a 10 imo. Great Indian and Italian food. We did the buffet twice at night as food in MDR just didn’t hit the spot. Crew were wonderful. Will be trying E class and will see therafter.

@bnurick appreciate the comparison. It got me thinking about our Winter’24 cruise. I booked an Aqua Sky Suite but when cf to a CC ( AQ C is sold out so can’t compare) it’s a good C$3000 more , even after I’ve factored in updating WIFI , more Specialty Dining etc. We booked NRD so are staying put for this cruise, but have decided on O for our summer ‘24 cruise. Price points were very comparable to Retreat. Moving forward though, I’ll be more inclined to book AQ Class on X (we like Blu) and do more Speciality Dining. I can forgo the Retreat deck and lounge.

Personally, I’m unlikely to tip anymore than already prepaid. The lack of transparency is more annoying than the actual loss of the personal Butler.

Does anyone know if they will lower price or provide OBC as we’ve paid for a service they are not providing and gratuities for said butler was likely factored into the price point as well? I don’t really need a butler but find it annoying to pay for a cabin, only for it to be downgraded. Is it a possibility that Aqua Sky Suites would be denied Retreat access as well? Thank you.

Enjoy. Looking forward to following. On our first E class in Feb’24.

Sawubona @Hambagahle, Our Feb’24 Vista cruise listed the classes a good 10 months out but our July ‘24 Vista cruise still has no classes listed so I’m assuming it’s very variable or if port heavy then there’s probably no cooking classes.

Wow, that looks gorgeous.

Hi, Has anyone used the Executive Collection option to book excursions.I’m curious as to how it worked and price point. Our cruise goes to Heraklion ( Crete). Ive done Crete on a land based trip so was hoping this time to go to the leper colony . Access is via Plaka ( Agios Nikolaos) which is about 50 minutes away from Heraklion. Thanks for any info.

The Cruise Excursion was ok. It was informative but there just isn’t a lot to see except the different beaches. No forts , viewpoints , monuments etc . The next time , I would book the ST J on Your Own excursion through cruise and go to a beach. We would be content to let cruise transport us from A to B so as to eliminate taking a cab to Red Hook ferry etc. It’s just convenient. You walk off the ship and to the ferry a few minutes away and on the return the same thing.

Just got off Equinox on Sunday. We had no problems with Premium anywhere on the ship.

@horseymike, check the daily planner. We noticed Bingo on the last Sea Day . I’m not not sure if there were other days. Played in the Eq Theatre. We didn’t win but it was great fun for the entire family. I hope it’s making its return.

Me too @Georgia_Peaches lol. We also take family pics while on a cruise so I need my hair done for the pics lol. Over the last , almost 3 decades now we’ve taken pics and it’s great to see how the kids and now grandkids change from year to year. These pics are also how we found out that it was time for my DH to invest in new ties. He had been using the same 4 ties in rotation for about 10-12 yrs lol.

I’ve never booked treatments or cuts or colours etc. I always book Blowdrys.I factor it in as the cost of any holiday,cruise/ land based. At least 2 per week on a 7 day. 3 if 8-14 days. Some pay for cigarettes , some pay to gamble , some pay for alcohol , I like my hair Blowdried.(don’t smoke, don’t drink ) I’m a once a week to the salon gal even at home. I feel better about myself if my hair is done especially when it’s hot and humid . I’m aware I’m paying a premium and I’m okay with that.

The Blowdry was well done and I was made to feel “bad “ and “cheap” that I complained and they only worked for tips. Im also used to tipping 25 % for services. But eventually as mentioned I wasn’t falling for the sob story of only working for tips as the protestations seemed exaggerated for someone who only worked for tips. But you’re correct retrospectively I shouldn’t have tipped extra. Mea culpa . Lesson learned! Buyer beware is the message I’m trying to convey and be prepared with all your paperwork as I’m sure this hasn’t happened to me only. Ultimately I just wasn’t going to be browbeaten into the upcharge. Personally , I don’t purchase products onboard as the mark up in my experience is phenomenal. I’m happy with the outcome though as we got the refund and that’s what was the outcome I was looking for.

Concierge lunch was offered on Embarkation Day but we opted not to attend. We did the St John Highlight. Retrospectively I’d do the On My Own. The Highlight Tour was nice but apart from driving around looking at the different beaches and with a short beach break, there was not really much else to see. I’d book just the transfer through the cruise line and once there take a Safari Cab go to Maho Beach ,spend a few hours and take a Safari back to the ferry. Maho was awesome. Water was perfect. There’s a food truck and beach bar and taxis come and go.

Totally agree which is why I’ve given a detailed account as I realise there will be some subjectivity in hair length and which is why for the extra C$7 she booked as per Long Hair and not medium length. By no stretch of the imagination is my hair long. Lol. Sorry to belabour the point but lesson learned. Always keep copies of their prices and take with you. It just left a bad taste.

I booked 3 Wash and Blowdrys at C$62.48 to be exact,per. Even though my hair would be considered Medium length - falls at my shoulder ( price was C$55 per), our assistant booked the Long hair price as hair length is subjective and she wanted to err on the side of caution. Tip was 18 percent. This was fully prepaid. I also tipped more on board. However , I wasn’t prepared to capitulate and pay US$69 for a C$62 service clearly listed on the Celebrity App and Not listed as “ From C$62” Of note , prices had not increased from when I booked and the service is currently still listed the same. I have no extensions, weaves etc that would warrant any additional charges in real time. If the stylist felt I was “underpaying “ then my point was it should be taken up with Spa management as they shouldn’t post prices on the Celebrity App and then change prices arbitrarily. I have to wonder though if they work on commission or get a percentage of the service and not only work for tips. I did ask to speak to the Spa Manager but the stylist did not wish to pursue that option.