DarrenM

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

This is too much stress. Just think about it this way: the classic package gives you a $10 discount ($17 discount with premium) on each beer/wine/cocktail you order. Worrying about what is or isn't "included" aka less than $10 is too much work.

 

If you're going to be drinking mostly premium cocktails with top shelf liquor, or regularly ordering premium water, then it probably makes $ense get the premium beverage package. Otherwise, stick with the classic and drink whatever you want.

This is how I view it.

I am on holiday. The last thing I can be bothered with asking what brand of alcohol is in every drink.

13 minutes ago, RICCruisers said:

Eden is a unique restaurant. They have their own menu of drinks and all are priced over the Classic and almost all are priced over the Premium package. And in my opinion, all are not worth drinking. In addition to the ones listed, you can receive any type of drink you prefer. Most regular cocktails like martinis, cosmos, gin or vodka and tonic, rum and coke etc can all be ordered from the Classic package as long as you request it to be made with brands available in the Classic package. If you choose “top shelf” liquors then they will be over the Classic. You should always tell the bartender which liquor you want and ask if it’s included in whichever palate you have. 

This seems like a hassle to me, when I am just out enjoying myself, and lets just say, getting rather tipsy.

I always get the premium drinks package, so I am not going to tell the bar staff, to make my drink with cheaper alcohol.. I am having too much fun to care either way.

Others have mentioned Eden, and their cocktails. I loved them last year on Beyond. And could have sat there all night supping away. The easiest way to view it for me was that a premium drinks package allowed me to have any cocktail upto $18. A few were $20. This meant we had to pay the $2. This doesnt bother me in the slightest, and was far preferable to asking them to make it with cheaper booze.

and those vloggers I mentioned are very experienced vloggers too. They have got it very wrong as well.

and to be brutally honest would anyone genuinely know which brand of Rum had been used in a cocktail when mixed with other alcohol and fruit?

I know I wouldnt, and I wouldnt care either.

34 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

That is not correct.  Refer to my first response and the attached pdf describing the classic v premium packages and you will see that the packages are not cocktail based, but are alcohol brand based in terms of what brands of each type of alcohol is included with each.  The classic is more well brand oriented and the premium is more top shelf oriented. The bartenders will make any cocktail you want from each package and the only restrictions are the brands of alcohol included. 

 

If you ask for a cocktail that may require a specific brand and it is not included in the classic package, they simply charge an upcharge for the out of package brand.  And the only difference between the US and UK packages that I am aware of is the target drink price threshold with each package, with the UK being slightly higher

Not saying this is wrong, as I genuinely dont know, but when on Celebrity Beyond last year, the drinks menus just had a price next to them, for example, one cocktail in Eden was $18.

I ordered two, and when the drinks were made handed my passcard over to pay, or check against drinks package. They didnt ask to see which package I had prior to choosing the brand of alcohol to put in.

Seems a rather complicated way of organising drinks to be honest.

Was different when ordering from a waiter. Obviously.

But I prefer to go to the bar. Its the british in me.

17 hours ago, LindaConn said:

Going on Constellation in May,2024…looks like minimal drinks are covered under the Classic Drink Package which we have….does anyone know know which cocktails are covered…and are the basic wines…white, red, rose and Prosecco covered…keep seeing different answers to these questions. If you just want a cocktail , can you order, for example, a classic cosmopolitan….and will they make one with cheaper vodka…I see posts where cruisers say the bartenders shake their heads when asked…true?

I recently watched a vloggers video onboard Celebrity Infinity where they had the classic drinks package and tried a bar crawl drinking only cocktails.

There was only one cocktail that appeared to be included in their drinks package and (May be wrong here) I think it came from the casino bar.

To fully enjoy the cocktails on celebrity ships I highly recommend upgrading to the premium drinks package.

We found, at their prices, we were £1000 in credit at the end of our cruise. We drank a lot though. To be fair, they are just too nice to.

14 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Oh...regarding formal night, there won't be.

 

Celebrity has Evening Chic. Not sure what night it will be, but it's not "formal night".

This

There are no formal nights. Thankfully.

dont most folk go on a cruise to avoid shopping?

5 hours ago, Sandie5 said:

I didn't want to bring back souvenirs of my trip to give others as it would be meaningless. So instead I bought some treats from one of the cruise shops. As I'm crossing borders getting home (US to Canada), I'm a bit wary of bringing food though. However snacks should be ok?

 

What kind of gifts have you brought back from your cruise?

We don't. No point.

Not sure my 2 sons would appreciate gifts from a cruise ship.

5 minutes ago, K32682 said:

 

"Best vegetarian burger" falls into the category of damning with faint praise. 

 

The reason you probably couldn't get one last year is lack of demand. If you know anyone in the casual/QSR dining space they will candidly admit these offerings are there more for political reasons. Despite the media hype they aren't as big sellers as the vegetarian mafia would have you believe. 

Oh completely agree.

We were sat with4 americans nightly who asked us how we managed to get burgers, and only when we told them they were vegetarian burgers did they realise.

They looked at us like we were mad.

We arent vegetarians, but those beyond burgers were fantastic. Better than any real burger I have ever eaten.

But there wasnt many other folk eating them in the MDR.

Actually just remembered.........we werent in the MDR. We were in Blu on that trip.

Maybe thats why? Memory like a sieve.

Just now, DarrenM said:

been waiting days to do this.

On 3/19/2024 at 9:54 AM, Tractor-Boy said:

What is the best cruise line for a very active couple in early 50s?  We would like Adults only and most likely a Caribbean Cruise. 

 

Have spoken with Viking Cruises who were helpful (maybe a little bit pushy on the sales side book today for best offers etc) but there customer service seemed very knowledgeable. Have since done a bit more research and there Trust Pilot reviews seems dreadful which is a bit worrying. Also not sure if they aimed at people who are a bit older than us? Also seems a lack of entertainement at night.

 

Also looked at Virgin Voyages but most of there Caribbean Cruises were very short only 6-7 days. The ships look very nice with loads of food and entertainment options but the one pool with everyone crammed in did not look great.

 

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. 

Would suggest looking at Celebrity, with a word of caution.

Their ships are not geared towards children at all, and I guarantee my two would have been bored out of their minds.

Yet weirdly, on Beyond last year, there were hundreds of kids on board. It was strange. I wasnt impressed.

Yet on reflection the year before, hardly any. Which was nice.

I am doing a very similar Itinerary this May on Constellation. 11 nights. The extra day being a sea day at the end.

I will report my findings in about 2 months time. probably too late for you then.

I have been on Reflection, Edge and Beyond, so am curious as to how I will find the smaller ship.

12 hours ago, clo said:

I only remember having one dessert on probably any cruise and that was the creme brulee at Jacques one of the specialty restaurants on Oceania.

 

 

so good you had it twice?

13 hours ago, clo said:

Operative words "to me" ? I can eat three meals a day and not overeat. Quality over quantity.  At home if we buy an 8oz steak that's two meals for the two of us. One a ship, it's the same. We share pretty much all the food. That way we can have more things, not more OF the things.

But but, I cant stop eating eggs benedicts in large quantities at breakfast.

I accept I am odd though. At home I dont follow rules about timings of breakfast lunch and evening meal.

I just eat when i am hungry usually.

and thats usually in the morning, about an hour after getting up, and when alcohol has been consumed. Sometimes on a cruise that can be the same time. 😁

13 hours ago, clo said:

So YOU don't "cook and wash" at home?????

No of course not. We have staff that do that.

Please dont tell her I called her staff.

22 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Actually, the foods we eat on a cruise are not the same as at home. No kidney bean burgers, black bean burgers, lentil patties, or lima bean loaf that I remember on a ship.

 

Now lima bean loaf is interesting. Her youngest sister told me about it, lima beans, peanut butter, bread crumbs, and milk are the ingredients. When I was told about it, her sister was making fun of it, but then said, you'd probably like that. And we still eat it.

On Celebrity reflection 2 years ago we had their Beyond Burger numerous times in the MDR. Best vegetarian burger I have ever eaten.

Strangely, when on Celebrity BEYOND, last year, we couldnt get e BEYOND burger at all.

Very odd.

On 3/17/2024 at 3:32 PM, klfrodo said:

I'm not sure the exact answer you're looking for. I can tell you that it's at the bottom of a steep freakin hill.

But, if you go to google earth or google maps you can see the circular drive way next to the ticket office. And then a little bit further away you can see the parking lot where the busses park after dropping off the passengers.

I must have paid more, our tour bus took us right to the top of the acropolis last year.

We didn't need to leave the bus.

OK sorry. That was a joke.

There's a drive way and car park at the bottom of the entrance. You get dropped off there.

It's quite the climb and queue after that.

Mind you, I eat so well at breakfast that its just not feasible to eat lunch as well.

So more often than not, lunch is missed ready for the evening meals 4 courses.

Unless I partake in very early alcoholic beverages then the munchies strike, so afternoon pizza is usually consumed.

I don't usually do this at home either.

I generally cant be doing 3 meals a day though.

That's just extreme gluttony to me.

I would need to be running 10km daily to counteract the fact that I would look like Augustus Gloop by the end of the cruise.

46 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm a fancy food lover. When I go on vacation I don't want to eat things I can easily make or get at home. Give me eggs benny for breakfast, vichysoisse for lunch and caviar, foie gras, beef Wellington for dinner. 

 

I'm not referring to you, but I think some people enjoy posting about how they stick to their Spartan diets while cruising -- only lean meat, grilled, veggies, oat milk, no desserts, blah blah blah.

 

I eat enough plain chicken and salads at home.

 

If that's what they want to eat, I'm all for it. Just don't appreciate those who post here as if enjoying somewhat less healthy food is beyond the pale while on vacation.

This.

My breakfast whilst on board was almost exclusively eggs benedict.

Never eat this at home. Its cereal with oat milk.

Mind you, at home I don't have half a dozen cocktails per day either.

Honest.

I have no issue with Vloggers at all. 

Some are really good, and dont video people indiscriminately.

Ben and David, the ones in question on this thread, are very very good. Well they are from my part of the world afterall, so they would be. They are very entertaining.

I watch a lot of their content as well as another 2 couples from the UK. Couples that are around my age bracket.

I dont blindly follow them though.

One of the couples from the UK love ballroom dancing, and loved the Cunard ballroom nights(Not sure what the actual names are for these nights)

I actually couldnt think of anything worse than ballroom dancing so will swerve this completely. Not turning into my parents just yet thank you very much.

So its all good info.

3 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

 

Then that is between you and the cruise line and is no one else's business.

But how would anyone know, when they make their ridiculous complaint about someone else not adhering to the dress code?

leigh1107 wont be carrying a neon sign highlighting their permission not to comply.

2 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

Some people however sweat the small stuff. For people with a rigid and authoritarian outlook not following the dress code annoys them greatly and they are annoyed equally at the line and the passengers who do not share their unbending adherence to guidelines. 

 

A rule that is not enforced nor carries consequences falls somewhere between a request and a recommendation and if the people who wrote the rules don't think they are important enough to enforce then they are not important enough for me to follow.

 

 

This amuses me no end.

I get it, that some folk want to "dress up" when they go somewhere posh. And posh places sometimes have a dress code.

What amuses me on a cruise ship though, is that they arent going anywhere posh, or certainly no posher than the place they went the night before, when they wore jeans and polo shirts.

They are going to exactly the same dining room as the previous night, but on this particular night they get severely triggered by other folk not wearing a tuxedo.

You arent going to Ritz in London.........just the dining room.

Also, I would rather be sat near a couple with great hygiene in jeans and polo shirt, rather than someone in an ill fitting tuxedo, that hadnt been worn in years, and smelled of moth balls. I could have taken photos of this very thing about ill-fitting suits, had a felt the need to do so or wanted to, last year on Beyond.

And some folk wouldnt look good in a £1,000 suit or dress no matter how hard they tried. Thats just a fact.

33 minutes ago, George C said:

Less than 4 hours, you can see the ship right past the bridge 

I was going to ask, what on earth is that ship doing on the bridge?