RedIguana

I would suspect if you are having issues with smoke coming through the ventilation and coughing from it in the location you described that it is from the ships exhaust, not smoke from the seaview pool area, especially as your husband doesn't usually have an issue with smoke. If you are physically seeing smoke coming from the ventilation system you are either sucking in a ton of ships exhaust or you have something burning in the ventilation system.

I see they have a no-host mini-bar listed as a perk of the vista suites. Is this actually complimentary or is it one of the charge per item ones that you typically have your steward remove so you can use the fridge? I had no luck finding an answer via the search function here.

Took my daughter on her first celebrity cruise last month. It was easily the worst culinary experience I have ever encountered on a cruise ship, including that one time I ended up on Carnival when we joined friends who were going. She has no desire to ever sail on Celebrity again. Just booked HAL for our annual father/daughter spring trip. I'll wait to book Celebrity again until after I see reports that they have their food quality problems sorted out.

Nieuw Statendam March 10-17, 2024. Looks like I will be on the back end of @LAFFNVEGAS 14 night. This will be the second HAL for my daughter and I. We really enjoyed the Rotterdam 2 years ago.

10-20% cheaper, especially after the recent price increases on Celebrity.

Same, although I use a TA instead of HAL direct for the extra perks. TA calls HAL while I am on the line to check for availability, then books the cabin I want with club orange for the lower meta category price. Pay BC price + club orange cost for AS cabin.

2 years ago on Rotterdam (pre-starlink), the premium WiFi was fine for using WiFi calling on my android phone. I also have T-mobile, but my plan is a relic from 2014, although it is similar to one of their current best plans. I find the WiFi calling more reliable than WiFi text, although the texts will eventually go through. Basic texting was much more reliable than adding pictures, or anything else that tried to convert it into a multi-media message. This is the same trend I have found on HAL, Princess, RCI, and Celebrity, with the last 2 I have taken having starlink. My understanding from reading these boards is that the premium WiFi is required for WiFi voice calls, as the lower tiers block voice. Hopefully if anyone has had success with WiFi calling on the lower tiers they will chime in. I have always had premium on every line I sail with so cannot comment on WiFi calling with the lower tiers. All while in airplane mode, data roaming off.

A little late to the party, but I will chime in. I am an ex smoker who was able to quit do to vapes. I ignore the FAQ's, and go by the contract. Many FAQ's relegate vapes to the smoking areas, whereas the contract will allow it in the cabins. I have never had an issue using vapes in a cabin when the contract allowed it. And in the contracts on various lines that do prohibit vaping in the cabins, they list cleaning fines for smoking, not vaping (nothing to clean from a vape, no lingering smells). I have no desire to ever try and see if a vape will set off the optical part of the in cabin smoke detector, vape clouds are actually cool, not hot, so no chance of setting off due to heat. I doubt cruise lines would ever go to fine particle detectors, as steam and perfume aerosols would constantly be setting those off. In reality, one could always vape in the cabin bathroom with the fan on and no one could ever tell. The contracts do not differentiate between various types of vapes, just calling them E-cigs. There really is a quite a difference in the many devices out there, with what I refer to as vapes capable of producing large clouds of vapor, vs smaller e-cigs or disposables that produce little to no exhaled vapor. With some of the low flow devices out there today, holdings ones breath for a few seconds after inhaling will produce no vapor cloud at all. It is very possible to use a low flow device in any cruise cabin and never have an issue. Personally I use the low flow disposables when I travel now, although I may use my larger device in the smoking section. There is a very interesting divide in the use of E-cigs as a smoking cessation device between the Americas (some south and central American countries actually ban e-cigs where smoking is allowed) and Europe. The Americas tend to have the opinion that it looks like smoking, therefore it must be bad, and will ignore any reputable studies that say otherwise in favor of trash publications that make it look bad, and vaping has never helped anyone quit smoking. Europe tends to acknowledge that there is a huge difference in the harm between smoking and vaping, and that is is a very effective smoking cessation tool. The disparity between the American health system outlook and England's health system outlook are polar opposites. Besides myself, I know of at least 4 other people who have used e-cigs to stop smoking, but I realize my personal experiences don't count as evidence:)

It might look that way for the cheap stuff, but in my area at least the price per glass or bottle is based more on expecting x amount of profit per bottle, usually in the $30-$40 per bottle based on price. So a $10 bottle may go for $9 a glass to generate $35 in profit, but a $30 bottle may charge $14 per glass to generate $40 in profit, and an $75 bottle will charge $25 per glass to generate $60 in profit. This is based on 5 ounce pours. On 6 ounce pours, or 4 per bottle vs 5, profit becomes $26, $26, and $25. 6 ounce pours of Hess Allomi Napa in my area is $14 ($25-$30 retail), and Caymus is $25 to $28. My local Bonefish has 9 ounce pours of Hess Allomi for $19. So once you get above the inexpensive stuff, it becomes 2-3 glasses pays for the bottle. The RCG lines have gone nuts with wine and drink prices, HAL and Princess are still more reasonable but slowly catching up. I think HAL still lets you bring a "reasonable" amount of wine onboard vs the 2 bottle limit of most lines for a $20 corkage per bottle.. If I was cruising HAL without a beverage package I would be bringing a bottle per day and pay the corkage.

One action is performed by a well oiled ships crew......the other relies on HAL's IT department. 😈

Saved about $450 on a 7 night booking a BC vista and upgrading to an AS vista (aft).

I believe I am also going to have to call for health care worker and AARP, even though I had verified before booking. Apparently they told my TA I had to re-verify. TA was able to call and confirm club orange was available before booking though and book club orange at the same time.

They were not available on our cruise. I asked, as I did not see it on the menu.

Just off the Equinox a few weeks ago. Decoy was $19, so a $2.40 upcharge from the premium package. Was not charged the upcharge on a few occasions at one of the bars. It was available in the MDR. Was able to get the premium package for $55 + 20% on Black Friday sale.

I was also on this sailing. Of the 40 something nights since the restart on HAL, Princess, RCI, and Celebrity last year, I have had one MDR meal that I found was really just not edible. On this cruise, 2 of five nights I just could not eat it (the Branzino and Drum). Thankfully they have brought back (kept?, might be just Royal that reduced the nights) escargot and French Onion soup every night, which was very good. First night prime rib was decent, but not as good as in the past. The Steak Diane was not a filet. They listed it as a sirloin cut, I'm just not sure of what animal or lab experiment it was a cut of sirloin from. Mystery meat. Whatever I had the fifth night is apparently forgettable, literally ( I literally don't remember what is was, so must not have made much of an impression). The concierge lunch short ribs was the best meal of the cruise (and that used to be a filet). It was easily the worst culinary experience of the nine cruises I have been on since the restart. I hope it is better for @Arubamoose. I found the one musical/dance show I managed to make on time to be pretty good, worth attending anyway. Not up to the production shows on the voyager class and above on RCI, but about average for the sub 3000 passenger ships. The comedians family show was just OK, his adult routine was much better but not outstanding. The late night adult game show (11 pm last night) was hilarious, but not for the the easily offended (yeah, probably not for the moderately offended either, it was pretty raw). I did not make the last night Christmas show, my wife and one of my daughters who did make it said it was very good. As @The Fun Researchersaid, there was just something off on this cruise (besides the food). Probably due to being a short cruise the week before Christmas. And then there is the story of the wanna be commando attacking my wine class from behind.......

I hang my 8x11 laminated Red Iguana picture on my door with magnets for every cruise.

Any WHTI cruise that you can take with just a BC and ID will only require passport validity for the duration of the cruise.

Have you met me ? Of course my wife needs mothers little helper to put up with me! 🙈🙉🙊

July 31st. 8 am to 6 pm. Any time you want to see Key West port schedule go to the Caribe Nautical web site.

I'll have to give it a try then. I've been a filet (tenderloin anyway) guy for years now. I know some do prefer sirloin.

Well at least Steak Dianne is back on the menu for my cruise next week. But can it really be called Steak Dianne if it is a sirloin cut? I realize it is technically the sauce, but traditionally it is made with filet, or at least part of the tenderloin.

Just compare last year's menus to this year's menus for starters. Although that may be improving again.

There have not been any complaints about the upper level suites. It is wonderful to hear you had a great experience, and Celebrity (the whole RCG actually) does seem to do a pretty good job keeping their ships looking good. The issues are with the majority of us in steerage class, and to some extent the sky suites now. So once you mention you were in an upper level suite, your experience as something to expect (except for shared areas of the ship) are not realistic for 90% of the passengers on board. No butler to compliment, no retreat hosts to take care of us, and completely different food than Luminae. Even before the cutbacks you have an enhanced experience (you paid for it, you deserve it!).

Brought home a Balvenie 16 and a Glenmorangie 19 with the excess 0BC last year. After wife bought some earrings of course.

well if you see someone in a dinosaur shirt the first day say hi! The 11 of you is almost as many as on the roll call....