ATLgirl15

This makes absolutely no sense and I would agree you are being penalized.  Let’s do the math (Based on my Harmony sailing next month using the Royal app).  The combo (1 small, 2 large, 1 dessert) is $39.99.  If you ordered this a la cart it would be about $44 (average small $9 + $15 rolls x 2 + $5 dessert) so it appears there is a slight discount for the bundle.  BUT if the rolls are half the size then it’s actually only $29 ($9 + $7.50 x 2 + $5).  So buying the combo actually costs you more!  And I don’t understand why with the UDP you can go to Chops or 150 Central Park and $65 value is included but at Izumi they give you a smaller portion worth $29?  i do appreciate the tip to swap a small plate for dessert though.

It’s been many years but when we used to sail with someone who was gluten free the favorite was the pancakes in MDR at breakfast.  They use Krusteaz.  Not sure if that is still the case though. Cafe promenade usually had peanut butter cookies.  As mentioned above, she was able to preorder dinner for the following night.  They do this because some meals not marked as gluten free can be modified with the advance notice.  They always had gluten free bread immediately when seated (one of the benefits of having the same server every night). Windjammer seems to have more gluten free options than previously but don’t know about quality.

We’re sailing on Oasis in 2 weeks and just received our welcome letter from the suite concierges.  This is what it says about drinks-only coffee and tea outside of happy hour.  I was really looking forward to bottled water and sodas during the day.  This is our first cruise post Covid and even before that we most sailed Celebrity so we’ve been spoiled with their suite perks.

• Coffee and Tea are available in the Lounge throughout the day. Hors d'oeuvres, petit fours and complimentary wine, spirits, beer, and soft drinks are available for our Suite guests every evening from 5pm-8:00 pm.

We had dinner with the captain on Infinity a few years ago.  It was 4-5 couples and held in Tuscan Grill.  We met first for champagne and introductions in one of the lounges then went to dinner together.  The captain ordered group appetizers and we each were able to order our own entrees.  We had group photos and individual photos with the captain.  everything was complimentary.  It was a nice experience.

we were invited to an officer lunch on Equinox last month but declined because we didn’t feel like dressing up during the day unless it was specifically with the captain. 

Lobster was served on the second chic night.  We did the same thing and skipped specialty dining that night.  

Enjoying your posts!  We were in an Edge villa last year on one of the 3 day preview cruises.  It was so luxurious.  

enjoy the rest of the cruise.  Looking forward to hearing more about it.  I would love to do a movable feast cruise sometime.

I am so saddened by this post.  I first “met” vtcruiser about a year ago before our Edge preview cruise.  I so enjoyed her insight and willingness to share with fellow cruisers.  Whether it was a full blown review or a whimsical survey, she really kept us in the loop of all things Celebrity.  

Visit the host once the casino opens.  They will give you the code for the internet (it won’t be automatic over your elite perk). They will also put a sticker on your seapass card indicating the drink package.  I don’t know about the cruise benefit - I think it’s just when you book a cruise some discount is applied based on previous play.  But it’s not like the old days where you get a certificate. You should be able to call Blue Chip and see what you are eligible for.

Thanks for this info-I was literally just looking for it the either day.  Glad that they are making some changes but they do seem pretty sparse.  One of favorites is actually gone  - the braised beef gnocchi appetizer.  We ended up special ordering it another night.  A little secret that I’m not sure is well known - with 24 hours notice you can special order a regular menu item from a different night.  It’s not guaranteed and I wouldn’t do it often but once per cruise it’s a treat.  

We sailed last year on Equinox with Avaleine (not sure about spelling) as the Michaels club concierge and she was one of the best.  She was leaving after that cruise and not sure if it was for vacation or for good.  We always do the self carry disembarkation and she was completely on top of it.  Our ship came in on time but must not have been cleared for some reason because we were about 40 minutes behind schedule.  She was in constant contact on her radio getting updates while we enjoyed the comforts of the lounge. When it was finally time to go she led us out a “back door” to disembark first.  We were so quick we missed captain Kate’s personal goodbye.

This is exactly why we love Celebrity - while we sail in suites we still enjoy the entire ship. It seems like other cruise lines have such opposite experiences between suite areas and non-suite areas.  

This thread has so much useful information!  Regarding the robes, I can see that some were getting wasted but perhaps Celebrity should put a note in the suite saying they are available on request.  We shouldn’t have to chase them down.  And only Cruise Critic readers would actually even know to do this.  This system will work for us as I am looking forward to mine but my husband could care less.  
 

what a wonderful idea to get the Murano cheese plate to go.  We will definitely being doing this in December.

The attached post has pictures of the new penthouse balcony furniture.  One of the responses posted some pics of the Royal and Celebrity balcony furniture next door so you can really see the difference.  The Penthouse furniture looks classy and comfortable.  I can’t imagine why Celebrity would not have splurged to put the same in the Royal suite-there really aren’t that many.  My thought too was that those planters would impede rearranging the furniture which I have a tendency to do.

I think Key West is just hard place to dock in general.  We sailed on Equinox twice last year with scheduled stops in Key West.  During our January sailing we skipped the port (just an extra sea day for us) because they couldn’t get into port.  Our September sailing during hurricane season was fine to dock.  I recall it was either winds or fog that caused the problem.  

Looking forward to following your trip.  We will be on Equinox in RS December.  This will be our 3rd time on Equinox and we’re curious to see the mini revolution.  

Follow up question for those who have done an MSC cruise out of Florida - what is the smoking policy in the casino?  One of the biggest reasons we love Celebrity is that the casino is non-smoking since we spend a good deal of time there.  It sounds like Wonderman’s casino has a smoking and non-smoking section but I thought maybe that’s just because it’s a European itinerary.  That is actually a make or break situation for us.  We did a Royal Caribbean sail on Symphony last year after mostly Celebrity cruises and it was awful (the smoke, not the cruise). 

Gordoncruickshank - Good idea on looking at late bookings.  We've lucked out in the same manner with some of our Celebrity cruises.

CGTNormandie - I agree the rooms look very comparable to a Sky suite although the bathroom looks a little more cramped on the floorplan.  I'll have to ask Wonderman about that.

SempreMare - those 2 Royal suites on MSC offer much more space.  We like the separate bed area - its not a deal breaker, but some separation is nice.  The main things we like are the larger bathroom and a "work" area.  My husband often ends up working on our cruises (a small trade off allowing us to travel more frequently) so having a desk or table for him that is not shared with the vanity and facing a mirror is a huge factor for us.

Thanks for the link-I’ve enjoyed the initial posts so far.  We have been mulling a sail on MSC but the thing that holds us back is the YC rooms.  They seem to be glorified balcony staterooms.  There are 2 true suites but I can search a 6 month period and not ever find those as available.  I know many people sail in suites for the added perks and the room isn’t the main draw.  It seems like MSC is catering to those cruisers.  But we’ve gotten spoiled with all the extra space and large balconies on Celebrity.  Look forward to reading more of the review.  

Thanks for the pictures.  The Royal suite patio furniture sure is disappointing.  Seems like Celebrity is doing as much as they can to get people out of their rooms.  

I feel like like one of the promo pics I saw had those awesome suite patio loungers up around one of the pools.  Can’t remember if it was an M class ship or not but I distinctly remember thinking, oh, so that’s where they went.  

I remember this!  I was recently sent to the naughty room on our Edge sailing (just my hair flat iron-not a banned item).  But I relayed the rice cooker sorry to the Retreat concierge as he was getting things handled for me.  He seemed stunned and got a good laugh.  

My overall opinion is that Edge is to heavy on restaurants that I would consider "one and done."  The focus seems to be dining experiences and not food.  While this makes a first or maybe second cruise on Edge exciting, its not appealing to repeat customers.  It wouldn't keep me from sailing but it would keep me in the complimentary dining which isn't a great business model for Celebrity.  I was only on a 3 day cruise so I didn't hit all the specialty dining but here are my observations:

DOTE - We were lucky to be able to get in and have good weather and really enjoyed it.  I loved the food but it is limited especially if you do not like seafood.  I'm glad I went, but not sure I would go again only because its a bit of a hassle - you can't book until on board, space is limited and it could be canceled for weather.  If everything aligned then yes I would do it but not count on it.

Eden and Le Petite Chef - we didn't get to either of these but they would also fall into the one and done experiences.  I'd go but given the limited menu not sure they would get repeat business from me.

Rooftop Garden Grill - we ate lunch here on boarding day so we had none of the wind issues others have experienced.  But there is no shade!  We got there early and got the one table that had partial shade.  We enjoyed the food and the view.  But not the sun.  I hope they get some umbrellas or sun shades because we would like to go back for lunch.  We'd go for dinner if the weather cooperated but once again, you can't count on it.

Raw on 5 - we didn't eat here but assume all the DOTE seafood came from here and enjoyed it.  Plus we love sushi on 5.  So we look forward to trying it.

Fine Cut Steakhouse - LOVED it enough to eat there twice.  This would be our go to restaurant on Edge and there are enough options to eat here multiple times.  Service was just as good as the food and we enjoyed the open concept.

Le Grand Bistro - we didn't eat here because we kept doing quick lunches.  The main menu seems more geared toward lunch than dinner but we'd prefer to eat light during the day.  I would have liked to try dinner we happened not to be sailing on the nights where I liked the special offering.  But in addition to the limited menu, nighttime seating is also limited to just the small bistro tables up front since the dining tables are reserved for Le Petite.

I’m a non smoker and I’m even on your side on this one!  If the casino is going to be non smoking (which I hope they will never change) they need to at least make it convenient to duck out for a smoke nearby.  

I think it all depends on the host and how many sapphires are on board.  We did luck out with the upgrade in September but I think there were only about 3 Sapphire/Ruby on board the sailing.  Plus it was shortly after the new Blue Chip rules rolled out and I think the hosts were receiving a lot of pushback about all the lost perks so they were more inclined to do you a favor.  

5 hours ago, villauk said:

According to the other thread,  it was stated that there were 24 shaded sun loungers on the ship.

That sounds very specific.  I will say we encountered shaded seats on deck 5 outside of Eden - lounge type set up and deck 15.  This area is not directly above the pool but off to the side.  Rows of pool loungers under canopy.  

We were at Royal Palms in September on our Equinox cruise and couldn’t had an opposite experience. Maybe it had to do with time of year and lack of crowds.  I know I brought water from the ship and had no issues with it.  We mostly stayed at one of the bar/restaurant tables and rented one chair on the beach for me.  The staff was perfectly accommodating.  Yes the prices were high but no more so than any other port we’ve been to.  We actually thought we would love to come back but by this time next year Royal Palm will be gone so they can put up a big new resort (I want to say Ritz but I don’t remember exactly).