letsgogogo

5 hours ago, DLWood said:

We’re booked into an AQ room for 9night Beyond out of Rome on 27 May. There are still 43 sky suites and 12 Aqua suites available yet the min move up bid is $1800 pp for a suite.  I see many other trips with much lower mins. What are these ones so high?

I’m seeing the exact same thing on apex for Norwegian fjords cruise this June 18. Over 50 sky suites open and min bid for a 7 night cruise is $1700 pp. Mayne it’s just not worth it for them to have all that extra staff taking care of suite guests who aren’t paying the real money for it. They can move those individuals to provide better and more service for regular class passengers. 

On 3/30/2023 at 2:19 PM, zitsky said:

I just watched part of a YouTube video by some rather annoying guys, recording in one of the Beyond pools.  Do I have to worry about influencers, TikTok stars etc taking over the ship?  I don’t have a problem sharing space but I’m not leaving a space to make it more convenient for them.

I have never seen any influencers on a celebrity ship being obnoxious, presumptuous or otherwise conspicuous.I did see a couple who are avid celebrity cruisers and with a huge online following. They tended to seek out areas to film during times those spaces are empty. For example they were in Sushi on 5 for lunch on embarkation day, quietly filming an interview over lunch. I saw them throughout the cruise and they were never taking up space or getting in others' way. 

Anyone know if this is posted somewhere? Celebrity removed menus from the app I’m assuming because the changes make create expectations which are then unmet. I realize that any lost is going to have some missing inventory but still would like to see the list. 

Can’t comment on Europe but I bought 8 bottles on Summit that I bought in Nova Scotia. I carried it on in a cardboard case box. Security said no problem as long as I was bringing it all home, which I was, but honestly it would not have been enforced. I took it to my cabin. 

On 2/11/2023 at 7:25 PM, buckeye8810 said:

All in all, there’s no reason to pay premium prices for Celebrity anymore, because it’s no longer a premium brand. With the changes they’ve made, it’s not any different than NCL… but there’s no chance I would pay current prices. We felt ripped off, considering when we booked this cruise we were expecting the level of service from years past.

Sorry to break it to you, but NCL these days won’t be like you remember. The global labor shortage, especially in service industries, is not settling down and not anytime soon. Answer this the fact that all cruise lines are recruiting from similar countries abroad, many of which still have delays and restrictions in providing work authorization abroad. No doubt there have been down grades to the level of service and amenities provided on Celebrity. But it’s not that I feel like NCL and celebrity are the same should you cruise on NCL. Take whatever you recall about NCL and downgrade it the same percentage. They are both decidedly worse, but they are still not the same.

I was on summit in October on a ship that was beyond packed. Yes, the staff were somewhat overstretched. But it was by no means bad. In fact, it was actually pretty good considering the circumstances. Your experience may also be just what happened on your particular sailing. 

Is this possible?  When I call I get different answers. Generally I’m told the other party needs to call. Well fine…but if the other party calls, they are also told the other party needs to call. So now stuck in a loop. 

On 2/3/2023 at 5:37 AM, alviriv1 said:

Just booked this one with some friends. 6 ladies and me, Hope this is a gay friendly cruise...

It most certainly is. My husband and I cruised eastern Caribbean on Equinox in early 2019. You’ll have a lovely time. 

Starting this thread for friends who will be on this sailing. New to cruising and Cruise Critic. 

Anne Frank house is doable any day but you absolutely must plan ahead and book a specific time. 

Hello all!  Four friends from Houston, Texas plus a 5th joining from France will be on this sailing. So excited for this trip which will include several days each in London and Belgium before heading to Rotterdam. Looking forward to connecting.

On 9/29/2022 at 6:41 PM, Lastdance said:

I am going to bring some of my own brew, just in case!😋

I bring my own freshly ground beans to make pour over coffees every morning with a pot of hot water from room service. 

On 9/24/2022 at 3:08 PM, RICHARD@SEA said:

There is also a bit of history here as far back as I recall the Commodore Club was the bar for gentlemen of a certain persuasion & the certainly the best dressed 🙂

I don’t think anyone had to persuade me. 

3 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

There are absolutely cabins held back.  There are always maintenance issues but the number is small.  Also there are cabins for entertainers and others.  Today also a few retained to deal with covid when one passenger tests positive and the other negative.  If they separate that requires a second cabin.  Those cabins will not be released.  Period

No idea where you are sailing, but still lots of artificial demand by those using FCCs.  Combine with Aqua becoming very popular along with Suites and a move up bid for those is getting more and more difficult.

My TA suggested I start with the captains club desk. Hoping they don’t just send me to the big line. 

On a very full sailing tomorrow. I bid max on MoveUp for all possible categories and did not win on any of them. Any idea if they hold back cabins in each class in order to handle guest issues ,etc? Or cabins that free up due to last minute cancellations on embarkation day?  How best to approach this. Happy to spend, just need availability. Ideally want aqua which has been sold out long before I booked. But would be thrilled for almost anything that gets me out of our inside cabin. 

4 hours ago, MarinerAlex said:

also ran into some of the same folks all the time, and not particularly the ones I wanted to see all too often. 

This is precisely what has me leery about trying a river cruise. Too much structure, and too much possibility of getting stuck on a trip with people you don’t care for and can’t really avoid. 

23 hours ago, vermonter16 said:

We also spent $130 in the Tuscan Grille and it was not worth $10 more.  Very disappointed and will not sail Celebrity in the forseeable future for that and other reasons.

So interesting. I read such conflicting reviews of Tuscan Grille. Some say outstanding, best meal on cruise. Others like this. It’s just so subjective. I HATE overly cooked mushy pasta. I like it super chewy as it’s served in Italy. Many (if not most) Americans find firm pasta to be weird and not cooked enough. Same with risotto…the Italian way is never mushy or gummy. Every grain of rice should have a barely chewy core. (When I cook, some of my friends do not like this.) Bottom line, not everyone likes the same thing, and it doesn’t make “the thing” inherently bad (or good for that matter.)  I also think reviews online are heavier weighted with bad ones.  Those who enjoy it are on to other fun experiences and less inclined to write about it. 

49 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Typical sea day for us begins with…

Surely you write romcom screenplays for a living.

4 hours ago, wineoclock said:

That’s what I plan to do! 😂

Said Wineoclock 😀

29 minutes ago, miched said:

Have a nooner.  🥰.  Nothing like the rocking and a rolling doing the horizontal bop.  

 

Happy cruising 🤗🚢🇺🇸🌅

Someone had to say it!

12 hours ago, mfs2k said:

Well, take a steak for example. They can’t do much about the length or width because that’s cow dependent. But they reduce the thickness of a steak to make it weigh less and thus reduce the portion size. And there’s a huge difference in taste between a thin, cooked steak and a thick juicy rare steak. Mmmm

That makes sense, it just didn’t occur to me because I don’t generally order steaks out at restaurants. To me, steaks are a very easy thing to make at home well. It is simple food. When I eat out, I want to enjoy things I would never make myself call my things that are fussy or take plenty of technical skill as a chef to do well.

Just now, mfs2k said:

Which wineries near Halifax?  My wife is from the Annapolis Valley near Grand Pré. Wineries there. 

We are visi grand pré and planters ridge. I meant any specific bottles to seek out from the shop you mentioned..

2 hours ago, RickT said:

@letsgogogoThose are good choices.  The Food at Grand Pre is especially good.  Should you wish to bring back wines from other Nova Scotia wineries the store Bishops Cellar is very near where the ship docks. They have a good selection. 
https://bishopscellar.com/?s=&hPP=24&idx=live_wp_posts_product&pg=0&hFR[taxonomies_hierarchical.product_cat.lvl0][0]=Wine&hFR[taxonomies.pa_region][0]=Nova Scotia&is_v=1

That’s super helpful. Any specific recommendations on bottles from either of those 2 or others?

I’m not sure why anyone would balk at smaller portion sizes when you can simply order another ________ at no cost. I think large portions (that aren’t eaten) lead to waste, which is bad for cruise fares, bad for the environment. Given that you can order multiple entrees, appetizers, everything…smaller portions seem totally practical. 

3 hours ago, eltigre said:

After one  cruise where 3 inside cabins across the hall from us were occupied by 12 cruisers who felt it necessary to SLAM doors ALL the time, HOLLAR back & forth in the hallway, discuss removal of gratuities, hair & makeup application etc., leave mounds of dirty dishes along the hallways, the only safe place was on deck. 

Yikes. Nightmare.  What cruise was this and when? Please tell me this was carnival for a 4 night Caribbean cruise on spring break. 

On 9/26/2022 at 3:35 AM, Milhouse said:

I'm trying to determine if I should buy a specialty dining package pre-cruise or during boarding/Day 1. 

If you are buying a multi night package, they are typically cheaper precruise.  Just me, but I tend not to do specialty dining on the first night. Would rather be in the MDR with all the excited cruisers. Just me. But if you get a precruise package, get it for 1 night less than you want, the. You can aLways decide later whether to dine in a specialty restaurant the first nite, knowing that there are always deals for the first night on the ship.