mnocket

I'm really disappointed to hear this as we're flying to Iceland next week on Icelandair. I knew their Business Class seats were like US domestic 1st class, but I was hoping they reclined enough that you could sleep without your head falling forward. Mine's a red eye so I really need to try to get some sleep.

I haven't finished reading the thread yet, but I'm confused. Why would you say this can't be confirmed (maybe it already has further along the thread)? It would be as simple as someone who's onboard posting a picture.

Yep. I love the Yacht Club - hate the rest of MSC.

To me too.

Please be aware that the Yacht Club offering is VERY different from the rest of the ship. I would never sail MSC unless I booked the Yacht Club.

And here I thought the cruise line terms and conditions specified that they were not liable for the private tour companies they use for their excursions. Learn something new every day.

If this report is representative of where X is headed, we can't blame it on trying to cater to younger customers. They tend to be as much foodies as we old timers. School lunch food is not going to cut it. Mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables as standard sides will drive most away. Either this report is an anomaly, or X is in greater financial stress than their earnings report indicates.

Private tour operators do all those things except hold the ship - and they do it for half the price. IMHO the "hold the ship" thing is largely a marketing ploy intended to prey on the fears of customers. Yes, many people are willing to pay 2X the price for this "insurance" and I have no issue with them doing so, but I have found a mix of private tours and ship tours, when circumstances dictate, works best for me.

It's fine. It's not going to knock your socks off and probably doesn't measure up to the best of Luminae, but the service is good and I've not had a problem with the food quality.

I'm afraid some Celebrity loyalists are being forced to re-experience the feelings they had when their first girlfriend/boyfriend broke up with them. In this case it's Celebrity saying "I'm sorry, I just don't feel that way about you anymore".

I'm kind of waiting for the mainstream cruise companies to update their contracts to say.... "We promise to take you wherever we choose; feed you whatever we want; and charge you whatever we deem appropriate."

It looks liked you've had great weather! I'll be there in a few weeks and I'm conflicted about how to pack given the outstanding weather I'm seeing current travelers report.

I'm really happy to see your report on Icelandair. I'm flying to Iceland at the end of the month and I also arrive at 6am, which will be midnight for me. I'm counting on trying to get some sleep, but I was worried because others have reported that they had trouble sleeping. Do the seats recline enough that your head doesn't keep falling forward when you nod off?

In the past I've found the problem to be that some wifi connections found in hotels and cruise ships require that after you connect to the wifi you need to use a web browser to complete the authorization process. The kindle has a rudimentary web browser and it can be used to complete the authorization process, but many people aren't aware it exists or that it must be used.

I'm afraid I'm stuck with an overnight to Iceland at the end of the month. Even worse, since I'm coming from Colorado, USA I've got a 7-hour time difference. So basically, we depart at 5PM and arrive at 6AM in Iceland which will be midnight for us. I'd sure like to get some sleep on the flight. We're headed straight to the Blue Lagoon upon landing since I've been told it's great for jet lag and our hotel room won't be ready till the afternoon.

I've read a lot about how to dress for Iceland, but this will be my first visit - so no personal experience. In September it averages 45 degrees F, but can vary considerably. The most frequent advice is to dress in layers. The most important advice imho is to be prepared for wind & rain. This means raingear and waterproof hiking boots. Iceland seems to be one of those places where you can't let rain stop you from getting out and about. It seems the wind makes umbrellas ineffective (I notice I don't see them in photos). I'm from Colorado and it's much colder than 45 here during the winter, but I understand that windchill and rain can make it very unpleasant in Iceland if you aren't prepared. Plus, 45 is just the average and it could be even colder. Looking forward to experiencing this adventure with you🙂

This was also my impression. While I have seen lots of posts by "experienced" cruisers complaining about how many of changes Celebrity has implemented degrade their cruising experience, and how Celebrity, among others, seem to be targeting a younger demographic - I have not seen derogatory comments directed at younger cruisers. The gist of the complaints is that in targeting a younger demographic, Celebrity can "reset" expectations. While older cruiser's expectations are set by past experiences and levels of service, newer (i.e. younger) cruisers don't have these expectations. They are being set by the current experience. This is not a knock on younger cruisers, it is a recognition by older cruisers that the cruise line they love has eyes for someone else.

If this is typical of the reviews, I'd discount them as reflecting stereotypes of cruisers spoken by people who have never actually been on a cruise.

THIS is the answer🖕

Many executives see IT as a cost center, and cost centers are things to be minimized.

Wow, Celebrity must be on the right track. They even have some customers interested in discussing even more things they can charge extra for.

imho one of the things that both Vlogers and reviewers get wrong is that they seem to try really hard to capture images when the areas are empty. I want to see people. I want to see how crowded it is. I want to see the demographics. I want to see how people are dressed. I want to see people having fun (or not), In short, I want to see a realistic representation of what it's like on board.

That's what I feared. I've got $1,000 of OBC and since I'm in the Yacht Club there's really nothing to spend it on other than excursions or specialty restaurants. I guess I'll have to take my chances and wait till I board to book my excursions. Thanks for the reply.

I know that generally any TA provided OBC doesn't become available until you board the ship. My question is... can I make excursion reservations on the MSC website and pay for it once onboard using OBC or do they charge me when I book the excursions - hence I can't pay with my OBC? I'm taking a Norwegian fjords cruise next August and I'm concerned that if I wait until I'm onboard to book excursions the popular ones will be booked. I'm in the Yacht Club if that makes any difference.

The fact is that, like it or not, the changes the mainstream cruise lines are making are working for them. They have made a remarkable recovery from the Covid shutdown in terms of both capacity and revenue. It's also true that many of these changes don't work so well for seasoned cruisers whose expectations are set by the way things used to be. We are collateral damage - unfortunate, but necessary in the eyes of the cruise lines.