OuiOnboard

I have to follow my own judgement that X is still adequate for our needs.

Yes, we too like to tip after each segment. It just seems to help keep things simple.

We did Reflection a few years ago and enjoyed it much. Thanks for posting.

We ate at Bistro on Five once because it was included in our Ultimate Dining Package. We won't be going there again.

It is clearly stated on your account what OBC is refundable (OBCR) and non-refundable (OBCN). Just check your account on the TV or ask for a print out at Guest Services.

To be clear, the only way to know for sure that any remaining amount(s) of OBC on your account is OBCN or OBCR is to check with CS.

....Typically we will also spend enough on board to get the full value of the OBC as well, but in May for example we have OBC from onboard booking + OBC from the "10% rebate" program they were running (we booked shore excursions in advance, it's Alaska) + OBC from 1-2-3 + OBC from our TA. We're up over a thousand dollars. We won't spend that much, but some of it is refundable and the rest can be drawn in the casino for a 5% charge. We'll just have to resist the temptation to go to the spa and spend it "just because it's there."

Any non-refundable amounts of OBC included in "the rest" which are drawn in the casino may be billed to your Credit Card or other means by which your account is settled.

......Say you have $300 of unused OBC to spend, can you just go to the Casino Cashier and ask for $300 cash...then walk away and pocket the cash leaving a $300 charge against your shipboard account--thus eating up your OBC?

If all or part of the the OBC is deemed by Celebrity to be an incentive that is non-refundable, then you may walk away and pocket the $300 cash leaving what appears on your shipboard account print out to be a $300 (plus 5%) charge...eating up your OBC. When you check your Credit Card details, do not be surprised to find a charge for any amount of the OBC (plus 5%) you took out that Celeb determines is not refundable.

It is a good idea to check with CS to see which portions of your OBC are refundable or not.

Maybe with the increased gratuity %, waiters and bar staff can be more plentiful.

In our experience dealing with the Specialty Restaurant promo people, those that choose not to negotiate can expect to pay more.

We hope the dining experience in the new restaurant exceeds in every way the expectations of all concerned. It is much, much better to push higher than high as opposed to degrading the dining experience presently available on board the ships.

Might be nice if more people used the search more often, but that might increase the boredom. Besides, X news is a moving target. Old news is worse than no news.

No cell phone...land line only...carry my old laptop to get news, etc...retired before full time connection was required...don't plan to ever get plugged on land or sea.

The cruise line is trying hard to increase the convenience of paying for gratuities, drinks, etc offered by these programs by including them in cruise purchase fees. Increasingly, it seems opting out of these offers to get a more bare-bones price can mean having to choose a lesser cabin category.

Your account must be paid in full before you can board the ship, and before your can disembark. Everything else is debatable.

Ahhhhhh, the suite life. Good on you!

For us, maybe some day, when we no longer have to choose between higher end and longer end. Until then, 1A's and AQ's will have to suffice.

Back in the day, I used to wish for a better grade of ales/beers and DW would have liked a better sparkling wine.

With the 123 pkgs, we no longer take advantage of that expression of Celebrity's gratitude.

Keep your fingers out of your mouth, nose, and eyes and most sickness will be avoided.

And....wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water, particularly after bathroom and before dining sessions and...use the ship provided washrooms and sanitizers when you can and as directed and...do whatever you think will help and...

We have been doing AQ/Blu since 2009 (Solstice), but recently enjoyed 1A/SR pkg combination(Silhouette). We pick the deal that provides us the best dining price/benefit.

Been there. Done that. Can hardly wait to do it again. And again. The sweetness of Eclipse cruising is magnified when we think of the bitter cold/ice/snow back home.

Thanks for a good review and thanks again for reinvigorating my latent interest in science for the sake of science.

A challenge to try them all in one cruise! :D (I did try on my last cruise, too....)

I too will attempt to try them all...my Doc says go for it this coming fall as we have 21 days on Equinox.

Before we retired, we cruised frequently on 7-10 day trips on a variety of lines and ships to many,many places. Now in retirement, we don't tolerate flying as well so prefer to go for longer trips to get away and stay away, to break up the cold Canadian winter. We will continue to use different lines for spicy variety, but we like the package that Celebrity offers and they will probably remain our base for a while.

In a word, we have no fatigue. We love to cruise.

We did the Nov. 30 cruise also. The limited cruising speed was not a problem for us as we didn't go in to Grand Cayman and went ashore at other ports for short visits.In fact, we thoroughly enjoyed the smooth, relaxed pace (~17knots) at which the ship was moving. There were some who felt they were less well served due to complication/cancellation of their excursion plans, etc.

Take that Celebrity!!!

For our part, we are thankful that there are choices, and more thankful that we can cruise at all.

I took my onboard booking of $300 OBC on the cruise I was on then went to the casino and took out the $300 so I can pay for the deposit I just booked. Yea it cost $15 in fees but I now have only $15 tied up in the cruise.

 

Also just booked another cruise on the phone with the $25 deposit so I now have a 7 & 10 night cruise booked with just $65 of my money tied up ($15 non refundable).

 

Not bad.

Duane

Good execution of strategic planning.