Queen of the 7 Seas

I am deciding between very similar Southern Caribbean cruises on Princess and on Celebrity. One difference in the on board experience that I've read about is that men tend to wear black tie or suits on Princess formal nights whereas dress is at least one degree less formal on Celebrity. Is this the case?

And while I have your attention, what do you think are the relative advantages of one line over the other? I've cruised 14 times on Celebrity but only once with Princess, and that was back in 2001.

Thanks in advance.

OK, if you use the moniker I'll also call you thinfool. Thanks for the suggestion. The premium for one year is about what I paid for one cruise. It wasn't clear to me, however, whether Medicare counts as primary care for this coverage or Medicare with a comprehensive secondary insurance policy. I will certainly look into Geoblue for our next cruise.

One issue I haven't seen discussed is coverage for preexisting medical conditions. This usually means anything for which you have been treated within a specified time period, e.g., 6 months. I am healthy enough to travel but have a couple of medical issues that are under control but that could flare up enough to require immediate medical care and/or transportation to an appropriate medical facility. In the past I've bought insurance for each cruise and the preexisting condition coverage requires buying the insurance within a certain time (usually 10-14 days) of your first payment including deposit. If you jump on a good fare the premium is usually pretty high even though the amount at risk is low, and you could cancel the cruise without any loss--except the insurance premium.

Has anyone found a way of getting preexisting coverage that can be canceled and the buyer gets some rebate?

By the way, some of the "free" insurances, such as through credit card or from the cruise line may not include preexisting conditions. Check before counting on that coverage.

I agree that there are few good shows on Celebrity ships today, but the very best show that I have ever seen at sea in 18 cruise on 4 lines was on the recent Solstice cruise, Vancouver to Hawaii. The show was aptly called "Euphoria" and did not start propitiously: at the first 9:00 PM show time the stage elevator got stuck in the down position and the performance was canceled!

Fortunately the problem was fixed and on the last night of the cruise the show did go on. There were two kinds of entertainment, both exquisitely staged and performed. There were three aerialists (2 men, 1 woman), showing extraordinarily strength, agility, artistry and grace as they defied gravity and struck wonderful visual pictures high above the stage. When we met two of the performers after the show, they exhibited the same poise and beauty they had displayed on stage.

The second entertainment almost defies description. Large (half stage width or more) inflated white figures--geometric, porpoise-shaped, and dragon-like) moved magically around the stage, with the dragon's head dipping into the front row! Were they real, was it just a projection, or what? It was a thrilling and expertly performed figure dance.

Maybe my description is a bit over the edge because something beautiful and perfect was unexpected on board (although the comedian was really funny, too). If Euphoria is scheduled on any of your future cruises, don't miss it!

If I remember the menus, you are free to order a soup, then a salad, then an entree, then a desert, then even another soup and salad if you want. In fact, some just order appetizers and no entrees at all. Starters seem to mean soups and salads, all encompassing. Order as you like!

Thanks. I wasn't worried about leaving the dining room feeling hungry. (I've both lost weight and gained weight on past Celebrity cruises, depending on how much time I spent in the gym). I was just a bit confused by the layout of the sample menus.

This site has all sorts of menus posted. Here is a link to MDR:

 

http://www.thepreismans.com/alaska_17_menus.htm#main

Thanks for posting this.

However, have I been in a time warp? Starters + Entree + Dessert? What happened to the salad / soup part of dinner? As of my last cruise 2 years ago portion sizes were modest, but big enough, but I prefer a bit more. Will I be holding up progress of my dinner companions if I go back to the future and have a 3 course + dessert dinner in the MDR?

A JOINT THANK YOU TO

Gangway Style ,Purplsmurf ,matondo ,Sandtrap328 ,ClaudiaB ,Hydrokitty ,CruisingUS ,Ma Bell,villauk , and mafig for your valuable comments answering my question. The clear consensus is that midships is best, but rearwards is better than front and that's what we will choose.

This discussion suddenly reminded me of my one bow cabin experience around 20 years ago. This was our second cruise (the first was in 1966, 5 days in the Aegean on the Semiramis, $80/pax). We were in the South Pacific on the Regal Princess, and we had very calm seas. Cabin choice was limited and we were inexperienced, so we wound up in a cabin next to the anchor chain locker. Every morning that we reached another island we were awakened by the sound and vibration of each heavy link as it passed through the chain hole. That's one cabin choice I won't make again!

Thanks again to all.

Please help us with a cabin selection. We are booked on the Solstice Sept. 22 to Hawaii. The first 5 days of the cruise are spent crossing the Pacific from Vancouver to the Big Island. Our choice is between a cabin towards the rear of ship on deck 10 or one towards the front on deck 6. Both cabins are about 25 cabin widths from the bow and stern.

Is a forward cabin subject to that much more motion and pitching than a rear cabin? My TA mentioned that the bow breaks into each wave which can be uncomfortable in a forward cabin in deep ocean waters.

Thanks in advance.

I do the same thing. You can be my neighbour any time!:)

 

Phil

Mine too. I'll contact you before final payment.:D

Don,

Thanks for your comment. My worst shipboard noise problem was on the old Regal Princess on the otherwise fantastic Tahiti to Sydney route. We hadn't realized that the bow cabin was right next to the anchor chain room until that first morning when the ship dropped anchor and every link shook the cabin walls!:(

Sounds like an S-class problem, Dairydawg.

Sorry to hear about it, but I'm booked just a bit past the aft elevator and there I'll stay. Thanks for your comment.

c-dreamer, I couldn't ask for a more up-to-date answer, even if it isn't the one I hoped to read.

I'm looking at shifting cabins from midships rearward, but that sounds like a bad idea.

Thanks for your help.

Wow, Villauk, that was a good complete answer. However, I'm looking at an oceanview cabin and the deck plan shows a bar between the 2 rooms. I always thought that meant a door or double door.

Thanks, Fouremco, but when I last checked the cabin was gone.

I found another cabin, not as great, but is has a connecting door to the next cabin. I'm wondering whether that's a noise problem.

Am looking at an outside cabin on Solstice that has a connecting door. How soundproof are these doors?

Much thanks to SFCACruise, Cruise Raider, and Lovesealife for your comments. I've got to integrate the pluses of a "bargain" Concierge cabin with the possible disadvantages which you mentioned. Still thinking.

Thanks Texed. You're so right--can't tell about the ocean till we're on it.

I am looking at a cabin among the last 15 on Deck 6 of the Solstice. I've never sailed so far back in the rear of any cruise ship and also only once on an S-class. I recall that M-class ships had vibration problems that were very annoying in these rear cabins, but is this the case on Solstice?

And, of course, how much rocking is there that far back?

Thanks in advance!

This is the reply from my TA:

I spoke with Celebrity and this area is used to house the linens and stock replacement of the rooms on that deck.

Did you try superimposing one deck onto the other? It may clarify things a bit.

Thanks again. Yes, It's easy to see what's above interior cabin 1144, It's just a long open space on the diagram. What goes on there? Just storage, a bowling alley :D, what? I've asked my TA to find out and maybe Celebrity will provide the answer, which I'll post.

Check the sticky for your ship and cabin and look for any reports of noise. Also you can go to

cruisedeckplans.com, a free TA site that has deck plans and info about all cruiselines/ships. That will tell you what's in the area you are concerned about. There are stars scattered about the deck plans and if you hover over them there will be additional info about cabins, noisy areas etc. Good luck.

Thanks, that's a great suggestion. I am also interested in 1144 but no stars for either area.

One thing about 1144. It's under a large non-marked area in the center of Deck 11 (Penthouse Deck). What goes on up there, especially during sleep times. Anyone?

Bring earplugs if you are such a light sleeper.

Is that suggestion based on your experience in that or a similarly situated cabin? Otherwise, sorry, that's not an answer to my question.

This cabin is directly behind the forward stairs--with a blank area between the stairs and cabin on the deck plans. What's in that area, or more importantly, is that area noisy?

Thanks from a light sleeper.