Toftwood

For what it's worth I firmly believe that the duration of the cruise is so often the determining factor.  We would never normally consider a cruise that was less than 10 days and as a result have never encountered ill-mannered and poorly behaved passengers.  In contrast, friends of ours have taken a couple of short cruises (5-7 nights) recently and found that quite a few fellow passengers fell short of the mark in knowing how to conduct themselves.  I do also question the integrity of the staff who it seems are happy to serve passengers who are clearly inebriated.  

This makes me sound aloof and above myself which I don't believe I am. 

Sorry but what is the need to supposedly contact her directly - almost any email address anyone has for a person at the top of the corporate ladder will send the message through a series of correspondence clerks and Executive Assistants. I don’t wish to sound negative but if the EAs think it is worthy of LLP’s attention, she will see it.

They certainly did in November when we boarded.  It was a nice start to the cruise.

Yes most certainly.  They are effectively “sharing” their agency commission between themselves and the customer.

The sailings from Venice now appear to be back (on the UK website at least).

I do not carry any jacket/blazer when I am flying to a cruise .....  I might if cruising from a home port.  However, I enjoy wearing some formal trousers and shoes and a nice dress shirt which makes me feel that I am more than complying.

On a recent cruise there was one port where the excursion set off before sunrise!  The Oceanview buffet was open for light breakfast from 6.00 and full breakfast from 6.30.

We very rarely take excursions but it does depend on the itinerary and ports of call. We prefer to explore on our own either on foot if the town/city is easily accessible or maybe a cab. We like to be our own bosses and not have to run to a timetable and doing as much as possible independently, allows us that freedom. There is so much information online such as self-guided walking tours and a wealth of data about local transport opportunities so it is easy to do plenty of pre-planning and devise your own personal excursion.

We were on Reflection a couple of weeks ago and it was all provided in individual bottles.  Clearly some people prefer the products that they, their hair and their body are used to but we were quite happy.  A lot of people comment on these boards that the shampoo does not lather very much – let me assure you that shampoo does not need to lather to be efficient. The only gripe I have is with the high volume of single use plastics - surely Celebrity should be looking to use refillable dispensers. A sailing on another cruise line had White Company toiletries in large pump bottles and dispensers. Much more environmentally friendly.

To the best of my knowledge (and the corporate RCCL newsfeed), Celebrity ships on-sale dates are:

November 19 for Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, South America.

November 26 for Alaska, Pacific, Bermuda, Canada, Panama Canal, Transatlantic, Europe.

December 11 for all Caribbean.

To the best of my knowledge (and the corporate RCCL newsfeed), Celebrity ships on-sale dates are:

November 19th for Asia, Australia/NZ, Hawaii, South America

November 26th for Alaska, Pacific Coastals, Bermuda, Canada, Panama Canal, Transatlantics, Europe

December 11th for all Caribbean 

We have done both eastbound and westbound T/Atl crossings and never experienced anything like this. In the mornings our cabin was done while we went to breakfast and in the evenings it was always done while we were at dinner.

There are “FOC” saunas (separate male/female) in the changing rooms in Canyon Ranch spa area on deck 12. They have showers alongside with shampoo, shower gel etc.   Additionally there is a sauna in the (chargeable) Persian Garden area.

Our cabins have always had a copy of the Bible.

I don’t know if there is a right way or wrong way, but I have registered my wife and I for our forthcoming cruise together on my phone. Both express passes are visible.

captainsclub.uk@celebritycruises.com

I have only dealt with them once recently and they handled my query very efficiently.

You will be charged the “tip” amount applicable to your overspend from your Classic package, so using your example, with an overspend of $4, you will also be charged 18% on the $4 (about 75 cents).

This has been widely reported and commented on, on here and other boards. The Celebrity website has also given full information about the changes.

I am not aware or anyone being “promoted” mid-cruise but there’s always a first-time. Good luck.

In my experience Conde Nast surveys are often US-centric.  Many of these cruise lines have a diverse passenger mix from all parts of the world as well as sailings from all five continents ...... you need a truly global survey to get a picture that is more accurate.

3 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

I'm pretty sure they did this on Edge from what I recall.   Secondo Bacio located in the Oceanview Cafe.

Secondo Bacio is on most of the ships but it is adjacent to the buffet.........a somewhat different atmosphere and vibe to the main location.

1 minute ago, hcat said:

So TA knew something

Your agent clearly did know something, maybe not the finite detail but enough to arouse questions .............

16 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

Again, you don’t know how much I and my card-playing table mates have purchased, or if we are waiting for another order, or if we are taking a 2min break before ordering again, and.........It’s None Of Your Business. 

No “we” do not know what is being consumed and at what rate but the staff do and having engaged two or three of them in conversation on our last Celebrity cruise, they were all anxious about what one of them called overstayers.   When people are going to Cafe al Bacio for a particular “service” that is not available in the same way elsewhere on the ship,  it is disappointing if tables remain occupied for long periods of time by people not availing themselves of the “service”, who could enjoy their hobby/past time elsewhere.

Just now, villauk said:

 

 

Were you in Europe? Is tends to be dressier over here compared to the Caribbean. 

Eastbound T/Atl in April.

When we were last on Silhouette earlier this year, on the Evening Chic nights most people stayed dressed in their “chic” clothes throughout the entire evening.

2 minutes ago, oceangoer2 said:

I can't remember when ANY ship officer or staff member has ever influenced whether I would order a drink.  Perhaps a particularly entertaining group would keep us in the bar longer so that would be worth analyzing, but the officers?  Don't even see them, unless they're around the Martini Bar on special evenings talking to each other and ignoring passengers for the most part.

I do think that some officers and senior staff can significantly change the vibe on a ship. If they create a good feel not only amongst their passengers but even more importantly amongst their crew, you will feel you are on a different cruise. You may stay in a bar longer or stay up later (both equal more money spent).

I have been on cruises where the CD, HD and others have helped create such a good atmosphere that some of the bands and musicians would play late into the evening long beyond their allotted time because their audiences were having such a good time.