LGW59

I have not done the math, but if only one person in the suite drinks, perhaps more cost effective for that one person to buy the drink as you go plan.

That is positively a definite maybe

The rep they spoke with at Celebrity knows where they are going and gave them the answer based on that.

Ahhh OK, while I do hope they were able to keep it themselves, I 100% agree on them assisting each other, especially the bread basket and water teams, they seemed to be all over the dining room.

So the envelopes I handed my head waiter and assistant waiter (had the same for all 14 days) is pooled rather than them keeping it individually?

These are costs for 2025, so IMO, if anything they will only increase in the next 2+ years. Bottom line, if it's a cost that is comfortable for you, book it.

IMO, if the cost right now is something you are comfortable with, do it and don't look back. The price fluctuations if you chase them can drive you crazy.

I can assure you that nothing has changed since any of the previous tipping posts you have last read. All I can tell you is the way that I do it is the right way, everyone else is wrong. 🙂

Often times they do IT work on weekends, Oceania was doing the same thing last night, for both existing and future reservations.

To be fair to Celebrity, Oceania also makes both in the cabin purchase the bev package. The difference though is that unlike Celebrity, it is not automatically included in a suite (Retreat) so we don't have to buy it/worry about paying for something we never use, Celebrity does not allow people like us that never use it to remove it. Oceania also includes all non-alacoholic bevs for everyone, wifi is included too. 10-12 drinks/day, well I have to say I do remember those days, but thankfully they are now a distant memory! I love Celebrity product, esp Edge, we just figured we wanted to try something new and see how it works out for us.

they are fine

death by one thousands little cuts!

welcome to Celebrity where a $ale is always so $pecial!

Really makes it a no brainer

I do have to say that cost/bottle tipping % does drive me crazy, though neither of us any longer drink alcohol. The same amount of effort goes into retrieving the bottle, opening the bottle and pouring each glass. Even when we drank, never ordered a $300 bottle was more in the $75 range but still...I wonder if there is a real school of thought on this in the industry, I'm going to do some research.

I had premium wifi and it was s-l-o-w, though I think right after my cruise ended in Nov they upgraded to starlink on Edge

It is probably like most other big expensive cities. MANY restaurants here now have rather than increasing the indiviual price of menu items just add to the bill an "inflation surcharge" which is usually $7 additional line item on the total bill. I do not tip on the surcharge or the meal tax, my tip is strictly on the food and beverage total. Also a lot of small shops, especially coffee and fast food, after we insert the card to pay they flip the screen over to us and to get to the final total we have to either select "no tip" or the option of 15%, 18%, 20%, 23%...I HATE this method. If I go to a coffee shop and all they do is fill the cup and I go to a stand and add the cream/sugar etc, I'm doing most of the work. That said when we go out and sit in a nice restaurant for dinner I am a good tipper provided I also get good service, but I am not an always automatic x% tipper, it depends on the level of service recieved, better service, better tip.

My husband is Chinese and he too cannot wrap his head around the tipping philosophy in the US, it just drives him crazy. We have reached an agreement when we go out to eat at a restaurant at least...if we eat in Chinatown, which we do frequently, we do not leave a tip and he says noone does (it still bothers me not to) but when we go during the Chinese New Year we do bring the infamous red envelopes and give them to our servers, which apparently is customary. When we go to a typical Boston restaurant, we do 20% (wink wink) or at least he thinks it's just 20%.

I was very recently on a TA on Celebrity that stopped at Gibraltar. I was totally disappointed with it. I know they have the rock and the monkeys...but I thought it was dirty, rundown and as I was walking just kept thinking WTH is the appeal here? After 90 minutes I went back to the ship.

which has more affordable rates. Definitely agree Celebrity rates are high. I am taking a Med cruise on Oceania in May (other than Rome & Venice/Trieste) they go to ports that Celebrity does not or perhaps cannot. Either way, the cost difference was substantial for the same class of suite and on a brand new ship. Even when adding in for Retreat prepaid tips. wifi, prem bev package (we do not drink alcohol) the $$ difference is still several thousand dollars. A win-win to us as we go to ports we know we will love in Greece & Croatia and save some of that retirement $$. I have to say though that I LOVE Celebrity and was just on the Edge TA and everything about the cruise was A+++, truly the food, suites, service, entertainment, gorgeous ship, love the layout design etc. But for our hard earned dollars if we can get a similiar product on Oceania and save $$ = more vacations. We shall see.

Sounds like a very good plan and I bet both you and the grands will all have a great time, a good plan for all interests! Enjoy the EV, was in one for 2 weeks on the Edge TA last month, was really great.

Aus and NZ just lifted their very similiar "draconian" covid restrictions as well. China has not announced that 2023 is or is not the end date. After the Spring Festival/Chinese New Year, they will make further determination.

I've not been on Royal in several years, but last time I was, I truly felt like I was at a shopping mall a few dyas before Xmas, really the best way I can describe what it was like to me. Now friends we were with, who did have their mid teen kids with them, they thought it was fantastic.

we use Allianz as well. If you look at all of the coverages in the cruise line policy (especially med evacs and/or serious med condition) really do an apples to apples comparison, to us it's a no brainer as the cost diff with private insurance, while just slightly more and coverage is WAY more, really well worth the peace of mind. Get a quote do a comparison, it costs nothing to do that.

Much appreciated, thank you!!