IslaSarah

This was from the Reflection (basically the same layout as Equinox) cabin 7206. The balcony is the same width but much deeper than a standard rectangular balcony

Angled balconies are usually deeper than standard balconies. I always seek them out!

Am I the only one picturing enforced disembarkation as walking the plank? If they do it in a port instead of at sea you're already ahead of the game! 😉

Even if your sailing isn't available, you can look at dining menus for a different upcoming sailing to get a sense for what is available.

I'm a Gen X X passenger and do carry my phone pretty much everywhere. I solved the problem of opening the cabin door with my phone by buying a phone case with a card slot in the back, so I just have to hold my phone up to the door lock! It's super handy for cruising and decreases the chances that I'll lose my card along the way!

10 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

This is not the case if you call X or wait until you on board (could be the case online, though).  We've successfully added the drink package for one pre-sail by calling and another time waited until day 3 on board and purchased it for just one person and on day 5 upgraded that to premium.  

If you're adding a drink package, for example, in the Cruise Planner after booking a non-suite/aqua cabin without all included, you do not need to have the same option for all passengers in a cabin. However, I do not think you can initially book a cabin with one person with All Included and the second not. 

The Murano Christmas Eve dinner on the Reflection has been in the Cruise Planner dining options for a couple of weeks. It's listed as $130pp, too rich for my blood!

Menu: https://www.celebritycruises.com/media-assets/pmc/content/dam/menus/en/muraxmseve/MURAXMSEVE.pdf

9 hours ago, Arzeena said:

Does anyone have a menu with prices for the Mast Bar or Pool Bar, please?

You can pick a sailing (either a random current one or one you're booked on) in the X app and look at all the bar menus with prices there.

3 hours ago, Redtravel said:

It’s school vacation.  Expect lots of family groups with lots of kids.  We did it.  We brought our kids. Not the best time to travel as a couple.

... unless your couple includes a teacher! I feel like half the people we've met on Christmas/NY and Easter cruises are teachers like my spouse, traveling at their only breaks! I'm counting down until he retires and we can travel at cheaper times of year!

It's become a running joke that we're never going to make it to San Juan, PR. In 2018 on the Equinox a passenger had a medical emergency and we had to change course to get close enough to an island where they could medevac by helicopter. That put us off schedule enough and combined with weather we just had a sea day instead. Last December on the Reflection, PR changed their Covid protocols the day before we were due to arrive, and were only allowing passengers who had a negative covid test within 24 hours, which the ship wasn't equipped to support, so we had a sea day instead. We're booked on the Reflection over the holidays this year and I'm betting that we won't make our December 25th port stop either! 

I was on Reflection over New Years last year and can't remember what exactly was on the NYE specialty restaurant menu (in both Tuscan and Murano that night), just that I didn't think it was worth paying more than double the standard specialty restaurant fee. 

Elsewhere someone shared this PDF flyer about 2022 holiday cruise events, that does advertise "Christmas Eve Culinary specials in Main Dining Room, Blu and Luminae," "Christmas themed buffets," and "NYE and New Year’s Day OceanViewCafe culinary enhancements."

3_28_22_CEL_Holiday_Onboard_Experience_Flyer.pdf

Mocktails would be non-alcoholic non-frozen drinks, like a virgin cocktail.

You can switch to a current sailing's planner in the app, to get a feel for what all is available. IMO it's not quite as jam packed as RCL's offerings, but there are lots of options!

I've noticed that many fares list a disclaimer that the deposit is nonrefundable, or you can pay more for a nonrefundable deposit. It will depend on the terms of your booking. 

Hope you are feeling better soon.

I have a vague memory of searching for an ATM at our first port stop on my 14 night Norway cruise in 2019. I'm pretty sure the only place I used it was for tipping tour guides, and then I wound up buying souvenirs at the gift shop on the pier at the last stop, just to spend what was left. Even places like a tiny ice cream kiosk take cards. 

If you don't already have a tap-to-pay card (with the wifi signal on it), I'd advise getting one because those are what most locals use for everything and signing is a bit fumbly.

I'm always careful to at least bring medications, camera, laptop (if I've brought it), and needed documents in my carryon with me instead of handing that over at the pier, just in case something goes astray between there and the cabin. 

I'm with you on hating the term "bucket list" while liking the concept. I just refer to it as "my list," like "Going to Morocco had never occured to me until I watched the Somebody Feed Phil episode there and now it's on my list!"

It's a long list.

The forts are closed for the holiday on New Year's Day. I know because I'd checked about Christmas day, when my sailing will be there. 
https://www.nps.gov/saju/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

I suffered two separate thumb wounds from opening the water bottle-cans on my last cruise. I'd forgotten until I got water at a food truck recently and it came in one of those and I instinctively flinched while opening it! 

I'd still rather risk the injuries for a resealable bottle!

I made a practice of stopping by a bar when I was headed back to the cabin, to get a can of soda or bottle of water. You do need to say "unopened to take with me" or they'll open it for you. 

In the buffet you can ask a server who's roving to take drink orders, or stop by the bar yourself.

A few pictures from the Reflection Dec 26th New Years sailing last year. Some of the Christmas decorations came down through the week, but it was still plenty festive! There was also a big party on the pool deck on NYE, including two ball drops since we changed time zones that night. 

To clarify, there are two different Binax test options:

"Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card" (note the Ag card) is the test pack that has online video monitoring and provides you an official result that can be used for traveling. There is also the "BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Self-Test" that you just use on your own without a monitor and is not considered an official result. The test kit is the same, the difference is whether someone watches you prepare the test and looks at the result. So you could do a practice test with a "BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Self-Test" from Walgreens to make sure you understand how it works, before using the official Ag card test with the monitor. 

To address the question about the test information noting that you could still have Covid even if you test negative, that's true for any test, since you could have Covid but there is not enough virus antibody on the swab to trigger the test to show as positive. This is more likely if you're at the beginning of the infection and still have lower virus levels.

Welcome to Cruisecritic! You'll be better off posting your question in the general Celebrity forum, this is showing up in the Roll Call section. In my experience, there are generally two show times each night, to accommodate both dinner times. You don't need tickets, just arrive a little early to find seats. 

1 hour ago, canderson said:

Because the question was asked at all, seems likely it was a search related to a contact trace.  

 

That said, we hadn't sailed with X since 2014, and on our November Connie 'restart' cruise, we believe we were able to confirm the identification of certain suite pax.  One day we decided to change up and have lunch in the MDR instead of Luminae.  This was the first and only time we dined in the MDR.  We were seated near the forward waitstation where several of the waitstaff were clustered, and distinctly heard someone say "Mr. and Mrs. Anderson" from somewhere behind us.

 

Like you say, "Crazy".

But didn't you give your cabin number? I had select dining, sailing in a regular veranda on the Reflection last week and we were greeted by name by every server. When you give your cabin number they print a little slip with the table number and I presume your names. 
 

I'm well aware facial recognition is in use, but wouldn't assume your dining room experience is related to it!

You can see the daily main dining room menus and specialty restaurant menus in the X app.