phoenix_dream

I agree with you about more things the same than different. But I also think that these menu changes are not the kind of thing you need to wait and see - they are real and they are happening to MDR diners. For some that may be a game changer. I usually sail in Aqua, and suites back when I could afford them, and so far the changes don't impact Blu too much, except for the fact that I often relied on the MDR classics or menu items when I didn't like what Blu was offering. For example, I have been on cruises where I order shrimp cocktail most every day. Now I can't. I am not cancelling any cruises for sure - there is still so much to enjoy and Celebrity staff is outstanding - but for many of us, myself included, the dining experience was one of my top reasons for choosing Celebrity. If they keep chipping away at it I may very well consider other lines, especially considering the very high prices right now.

I don't recall any bathrooms on the sundeck but not 100% sure. The Retreat Lounge is the converted old Michaels Club and the closest bathrooms are the ones by the theater

We can only hope. But as long as bookings stay as high as they are, I predict nothing will change.

It's not necessarily the food itself that is being removed and charged for (although for some of us it definitely is). It's the point that a cruise line that is known for, and advertises itself as, having high quality dining is taking the high quality foods away unless you pay for them. Lobster and filet mignon cost considerably more than hamburgers and for many of us they are a treat we really looked forward to enjoying onboard and for many of us have for many, many years. And many of us (myself included) very, very often relied on the classic offerings when we weren't happy with what was on the daily menu. Some of those are gone, and some are apparently only available every other day. Heck, on some cruises I ordered shrimp cocktail every single night! It's an overall cheapening of the product in a manner that really hits home for many of the passengers, while the prices for the most part are significantly higher than they've ever been - not just a small increase, but often a very large one.

Possible? Yes. But IMHO highly unlikely. If you were on a Caribbean sailing, they might adjust the islands or order of island visits to miss extremely bad weather (ie., hurricanes or tropical storms). But Bermuda is not in the Caribbean and I would be shocked if they put you on a completely different itinerary like a full Caribbean cruise. They also don't change itineraries just for rain or thunderstorms, only severe weather. As to inside vibe when the weather is bad? It gets very crowded inside in all venues, particularly if the ship is full. I've never known them to add activities, but they may adjust some pre-planned outside activities to enable them to take place indoors.

I'm glad to hear about the TVs. We did a B2B on her last year in a suite and while I had no issue with the older cabin furnishings (and in fact prefer some of them to the revolutionized ones) my one and only real complaint was the TV.

Do we have to debate about pettiness on two separate threads? Let's give it a rest. I happen to see this change as way different than the one wine per person. You disagree. That's fine, but it's time to agree to disagree and move on. I may look into Oceania, depending on how my upcoming Blu experience is. I finally achieved Zenith level last year after 30 years and more than 70X cruises and it is very, very hard to give up the extra perks that go with it - can make jumping to other cruise lines way more expensive for me. But not saying I won't.

Think we discussed this on another thread. Have stayed at Hilton properties probably 30 or so nights so far this year and many more last. Was able to get daily housekeeping every single day in every single hotel.

I love it actually! But I realize it's hardly Michelin chef worthy.

Do we have any idea if this applies to Blu or Luminae?

You've got to be kidding me! I've been relatively supportive of the 'they lost tons of $$ in the pandemic so we need to accept some changes' crowd but this crosses the line for me.

Doesn’t track with the article I read. Supposedly this was announced two days ago and passengers were being contacted. Guess we’ll have to see if the article is wrong or the website isn’t current.

The information I am referencing talks about 4 cruises, through the end of November, 11/23/24 to be exact. It didn’t say exact days so I presumed (perhaps incorrectly) at least 7 days each.

Thanks but I was looking for a more ‘official’ list. This one doesn’t even mention Apex. And if what there is, is valid, that’s even more confusing. People are commenting Eclipse needs some updates. But she is scheduled for 2025. Why do Apex first?

You do you, but I have sailed with my adult son in a cabin with my husband and I and we managed. Not as comfortable as when he was a kid, but it worked. Have you considered an inside cabin across the hall just for sleeping and bathing, and he could hang out in your cabin? Or perhaps a Sky Suite (although talk about sky high prices, those are definitely up there!).

Could you share where you found this information? I just posted a general question asking if anyone has a dry dock schedule they could share.

I know they haven't scheduled any more full revolutionizing yet, but does anyone know what the current dry dock schedule is for regular maintenance and such? I was shocked to read on another (reliable) board that Apex is going into a 4 week drydock in October of 2024, with 4 cruises cancelled to accommodate it. She is such a new ship and still in excellent shape! I may be misinformed, but I thought the routine dry dock maintenance schedules were usually only a week or two? Or am I wrong? It just seems odd with several older ships needing improvement (if not revolutionizing) that they would tackle Apex so soon. Perhaps there are other dry docks for some of the other ships for which I am not aware? I tried searching the Celebrity site but came up with nothing. Does anyone have a schedule to share?

We will just need to agree to disagree as to who's being petty. I think expecting them to let you bring on whatever amount of wine you like is unreasonable, as well as naive. So enjoy Oceania. Hope they cater to you as much as you want. I wonder if you've sailed on them recently. People have said they are experiencing cutbacks as well, as is every other cruise line sailing.

So you’ll quit sailing with them because you can only bring on one bottle of wine rather than two? Wow. Treating like children?!?? That’s reading a heck of a lot into it. It’s about $$.

This! I’ve also noticed that many of the bad reviews and super complaining posts seem to be coming from people coming out of the woods so to speak. Meaning, they may participate in Roll Calls or other boards, but I’ve rarely seen them post in Celebrity threads. So they suddenly show up to rant and rave. Where were their posts about the great cruises? Where is their participation in commenting and helping other cruisers? I take their comments with a grain of salt. No, make that a whole chunk of salt. Are their comments wrong or not validated? Not necessarily. But I’ll pay more attention when someone like you or another I recognize and know to be a more reasoned critic posts about their experiences.

I sailed her last year and had a wonderful time. She has not been revolutionized so there is a little wear and tear here and there but I didn't find anything bothersome. And BTW, the beds were very comfortable! I have also sailed multiple times recently on S class ships and have not had a bad cruise yet. Yes, there are some cutbacks as you would find on any cruise line right now. But overall service was excellent, entertainment was good, food ranged from good to very good, etc.. And you are right - no embarkation champagne anymore. But is the line still a cut above Carnival and NCL? No question. Better than Royal? Depends what you like. Depending on the ship Royal may have a little better entertainment experience. But overall I would advise you to relax. And please report back - I have a B2B on Eclipse in a couple of months and would love to hear your feedback as well🙂

I know - how rude is that?!?! For someone using it legitimately, fine, no issue. But trying to sneak in way more than you are allowed by working the system, not fine. Selfish and inconsiderate.

As respects being near the elevator, that's our favorite spot to be. Never had any noise issue due to elevator location.

Unfortunately not everyone is considerate (and yes, I know this can apply to adult behavior as well). On a recent cruise in a suite there was a baby - I'd estimate 9 months or so. He would fuss and cry off and on and the parents just sat there in Luminae with him. I'm not anti-kid. I sailed with mine from the time he was 3, but I was always considerate of those around me. If he started fussing at dinner, he was marched out and kept out until he could calm down. These parents seemed to be of the "I paid for the cruise so I'll do what I want" variety. Thankfully it sounds like the OP is not that type of person.