Covepointcruiser

My one complaint with the stockholders benefit is you never receive it or have to fight to receive it.    We are on a transatlantic with no perks.   We asked for the $250 OBC.   They stated we were sailing with a $165 OBC.   We wrote them and said we would rather have $250 than $165.   Still awaiting an answer but we still have only $165.

In contrast, with Carnival stock, you always receive $250 regardless of the promotion on any of their lines.   We have received it on Cunard, Holland American, Windstar and Seabourn.

We enjoyed LPC on the second night of this cruise.   There were only 10 of U.S. Senate we had no problem with getting wines and we did change wines with each course.   The filet was better, no gristle, than the one in Murano.   The rest of the Steak Dianne (sauce and vegetables) was wonderful.   We had lunch in Tuscan and the hamburgers were as huge as when they serve them in the Lawn Club.    We went to dinner at Tuscan.   The service was excellent including wine service.    After the burger lunch we were not hungry but had salads and half portions of two of the pastas.    We hope they be hungry for our second night in Murano.

 We ate in Lawn Club the first night.   It was cold but the food good.   We brought winter coats, gloves, hats for Boston and NYC and used them in the Lawn Club.   We found the beef and lamb there to be much better than on the transatlantic from Rome on the Reflection last year.    We enjoyed the Murano and pre ordered Steak Dianne.   The sauce is to die for, the filet mignon was not of the same quality as the Lawn Club or TPC.    Lunch has been good in Sushi on 5.   It’s a great place for a lighter lunch and they have quick service.

Congratulations on becoming Zenith!

Karen and Jim

Have you tried any specialty restaurants on this cruise?    Do you travel on other cruise lines?    We have lost interest in acquiring enough points for Zenith.   It is such a long way from Elite Plus.    We still cruise Celebrity once every year or so and like the transatlantic from Southampton to US.    We have had very excellent experiences on Seabourn and Cunard.   You can have a Penthouse on Seabourn on a repositioning cruise for the same cost as Celebrity CS or you can sail in a Grill cabin on the QM2.   We met one couple at breakfast who had come over on the QM2 to catch this ship.   They were surprised their drinks were not included as they are in suites on Cunard.   They didn’t know about Michaels Club as no one had mentioned anything to them in a S2.    Hopefully they will be happy getting their drinks at Michaels.

Maybe I’m wrong but I thought all of the RCL ships were air conditioned!    I certainly would understand shorts in outdoor or warm eating areas.     We have found it fairly simple to pack a pair or two of slacks.   They are certainly cooler and not as heavy as denin.    We wear denin and our heaviest shoes when we fly to avoid the extra weight in our luggage.   We are on the Silhouette and it is cold in all of the indoor restaurants, the outdoor restaurants are unbearably cold.   

I remember the Brits used to wear Bermuda shorts in the tropics, even the ships officers.   They wore these cute white knee socks with white shoes to top off the

look.

RCLmust be saving money by keeping the restaurants warm in the tropics.

We loved the Porch because we like to eat a light lunch.   We would have the soup and the tower.   We would always choose what we wanted for the tower, lobster and shrimp.

They als had lobster rolls, fish tacos and burgers.   It’s expensive for lunch but all the specialties were included in the suites above the Celebrity Suite level.   We will only had breakfast in the Luminae, found the service there to be slow.    

We are on the Silhouette right now.    We are taking the southern instead of northern route and will be delayed in each port by one day.   We are also missing a port, Nassau, but no loss there to most passengers.    Passengers are quite upset as they had already bought tickets to Broadway Shows and their own tours in Boston and NYC.   Celebrity has allowed these passengers one call to rearrange tours.

Even though we are on a altered route because of the storm, we are rocking and rolling in 18+ seas and rain squalls.    The captain said to expect the same weather tomorrow.

I am not booking anything in Boston and NYC as our itinerary may change again.   I will bet the only North Atlantic crossing that may not be impacted is the QM2 leaving today for NYC.    She was built for the North Atlantic storms and is storm and usually stable.

If you would rather go through the storm and are already I. Southampton, the QM2 leaves today and her next port is NYC.    She was built for the storms, however, she may still deviate around the worse of it.    We were on her in 45 ft seas and Force 10 winds and she was stable, although all outside decks were closed off for safety.

We left Southampton yesterday and are headed south instead of the northern route.   We are arriving one day late in all ports and we are missing Nassau.   We have 18 ft. seas and she is definitely rolling around.   The captain says the weather will continue to be bad tomorrow.   If this ship was in 35 ft. Seas it would be horrendous.    It is also around 56 F and we are in rain squalls.   So you should still expects several days of cool weather.

Wrk2cruise, are you on this transatlantic.   We did go with you to the Motown show.   Remember how super cold it was?   We have packed adequate winter wear this time so we won’t have to make a side trip to the Salvation Army for hats!

We are on the Celebrity Silhouette 11/3 crossing.    They just added an extra  day for the crossing and have deleted Nassau as a port.   We still have the other ports, just one day late.   Have not heard of any cruise credit for us.

Wrk2cruise, are you on this transatlantic.   We did go with you to the Motown show.   Remember how super cold it was?   We have packed adequate winter wear this time so we won’t have to make a side trip to the Salvation Army for hats!

On 11/1/2018 at 3:07 PM, nikel said:

 

 

And nexus card...best $50.00 investment ever

On 10/31/2018 at 3:22 PM, Jim_Iain said:

I'm sure there would be a long que of immigration officers volunteering for that job for sure.   Unfortunately, I don't believe we will get any immigration officers until we arrive in Boston.

 

@UKPete71may be able to update us on the process.   Did they have different ques for U.S. and International Passport holders.   On my last cruise, In Japan they had the U.S. Passports in one area and other Countries in Cosmos. 

Didn’t everyone get the post from Celebrity??   They stated that there will a delay in Boston because everyone on the ship (including crew) must go through immigration before anyone, including suite guests, can get off the ship.  We are in a suite and have a tour booked to avoid some of the hassles.

On 11/1/2018 at 3:07 PM, nikel said:

 

 

And nexus card...best $50.00 investment ever

It’s a shame UK, Heathrow does not recognize it.   We stood in line for 45 minutes yesterday after arriving.   The UK has their own special entry card  and you must purchase it online.   The line for non-UK passports was extremely long.

My husband always packs a blue sport jacket and a tux.    The navy blue is for the 

smart casual nights.   He also dresses in a sports jacket at home when we go to a decent restaurant and to church.    Other areas in the US are more casual and some retired or young men will only wear short sleeve shirts and jeans regardless of the event or occasion.   Cruising to us is still special as we only go 2 or at most 3 times a year.

Morano is the most elegant restaurant on the ship so definitely wear your best.

We have been on many Christmas cruises.   They do attract a different group of passenger than regular 14 day cruises.   There will be no shortages of teenagers and college aged young men and women.    Back in the day, as young adults, we had more fun than the adults could have imagined.   It was great meeting contemporaries who were from different colleges, cities and countries,

Be mindful that the QM2 does not have the bells and whistles of Royal, Disney or NCL and will always be more elegant.  No wave riders, ice scaring rinks, circuses or anything goes evenings.

If it’s the same menu you get when you sit down to dinner, it is fairly large.   I believe a lot of the wines and some cocktails were at an extra cost.    They were disappointed when we ordered our regular drinks.    I am surprised that they served ice cream sundays in Dallas steak houses.   I thought that was only on First and Business Class on U.S. airlines where they think you will be delighted by this dessert.    I used to prefer a good New York cheesecake but that was when I didn’t worry about sugar and calories.   I now love the fruit desserts on Seabourn, especially the raspberries.

We will see you in Michaels Club if it’s not too crowded.   We traveled in a CS when they shared the benefit of Michaels Club with the Suites above them.   On the Soltice Class, we found the CS small with a tiny bedroom and no dining table.

we did enjoy the much larger balcony but our balcony opened to the bow so we couldn’t use it when we were underway.   We are in a RS and that is a better suite but the balcony is small.   Guess it still includes the jetted bathtub so you can only have one lounger.    We have always cruised with Cunard and have recently enjoyed Seabourn sailing.    The prices are comparable.   See you on board, Karen and Jim

We have also enjoyed Cunard and don’t mind the dressing up.   We have been visited by the upgrade fairy for every cruise except for the two week portion of the world cruise.

note, that when the upgrade fairy visits, there is no extra charge.   We found the drink prices, except for the champagne bar, was $12 or under.   Cunard is very smart.  On our first trip on the QM2 we were upgraded from a regular balcony to a Queens Grill Suite.   Since that time we always spring for the lowest Grill Suite.   They handle the Suites much better than Celebrity.   There are no in-your-face displays of the passengers in the Grill Suites.   On initial embarkation, you are sent to a separate room.   If you have one of the higher suites G-4 and above, there is an additional room within that room.   We notice no other overt shows of the Suite class.    There are separate restaurants for Princess and Queens Grill.   There is also a bar.   We have often invited folks in the other cabins to that bar and it is nothing special.   In fact neither of the restaurants or the bar have a view on the QM2.    In the US, most of the offers we receive include drinks up to $12 if you book a suite.   Some also include gratuities and Internet.   We found the speakers on Cunard to be more interesting.   We especially enjoyed the guest entertainers, James Taylor being my favorite!    You can go online and find out who your speakers are by cruise.   The last time on the QM2 we went through the remnants of a hurricane with Force 10 winds and waves over 35 feet.    The ship handily handled the storm with very little motion or discomfort on board.   As for dress, the women at my table wore a long black skirt and alternated dressy tops so no packing problems.   There is a self service laundry on board with irons so my husband only needed a few shirts.  He doesn’t mind the tux as it is as easy to pack as a sport coat and slacks.

Butler service totally depends on the number of Suites your Butler has.    We were in a RS but our Butler had all of the RSS, CSS and Penthouse on the starboard side of the ship ( many decks).   The Penthouse expected the Butler to be always at their beck and call and the residents were notorious throughout the ship.   If the Butler didn’t answer their call within a minute they complained to guest services.  He brought our coffee and OJ every morning and once arranged a party for the RS guests.   He did pick up our laundry and dry cleaning.    We never sat in the reserved seats as we like making a quick getaway if we don’t like the show.   On the transatlantic last year on the Reflection Michaels Club was often too crowded to have a before dinner drink or have tea.   This is the case of too many Suites for the same size MC.  Because Beverage Packages are not included on transatlantic the crowding was even worse.   Many people were carrying drinks out of MC,spilling them on the way.   You could follow the spills to the elevators.  For good suite service, avoid the Reflection.

I would say skip the Porch.    The passengers who like seafood will fill the tables.

The burger and maybe corn chowder are the non seafood offerings.

This will be our first time using Choice Air through our TA. She was able to get us great rates ($200/pp) O'Hare to London on United. We chose to upgrade to Economy Plus for the leg room. In the past, we have flown on BA and paid for Premium Economy. In both instances, the TA was able to choose our seats.

That is amazing, we paid more in fuel and federal taxes for our one way trip to LHR!

We have always found the public rooms to be too warm. The only places we were cold were the outside Specialty Restaurants in the North Atlantic.

We did a B2B on the Silhouette, in an Aqua and it was under the Solarium. We have done many cruises on S class ships, and have never heard any noise when going through it at night. On the B2B they did the Silent Disco in there both weeks. It sounded like a herd of buffalo stampeding over our head, making sleep impossible. When I went up there to see what all the noise was,and I wasn’t the only one. I was told there were activities all over the ship that made noise. I agreed but said the were in areas designed for the noise and everybody was aware. She just shrugged her shoulders and walked away. The front desk referred me to the cruise director and he couldn’t care less. Just what I expected. I didn’t expect any compensation, just some understanding or maybe an apology.

Don’t bother giving me the “many more people enjoyed in so the inconvience of a couple of dozen made it acceptable” crap.

How many hours did the “Silent” Disco go on? Did it occur every night? Have never been to one but tried once and it was too crowded to participate. We avoid cabins underneath the Solarium because of the movement of chairs early each morning. Only made the mistake once. Now we have the Disco to worry about!

Great to hear. We will be cruising to Alaska next July and first time in Luminae. We don't want to overpack. This will work out just fine for us. :)

Hawaiian shirts on an Alaska cruise? Sounds like an odd choice. Folks wore polo shirts on our Alaska cruise in Luminae and we didn’t see any Tropical Prints but you could start a new fashion trend in Alaska.

On my next cruise if I get into this situation, immediately after they take the list of the attendees I retire to the sunset bar to enjoy the sail away

That’s great, the bar won’t be open until the drill is over.

You will just wait for the bartender to open the bar.