CruisinShips

That sounds exactly like us, lol. We could hang together. 😉 The only issue I'd have with a small ship is we do like to wander around the ship and people watch and check out the different bars and cafes...and I would think the smaller ships would be a little more boring from that perspective.

I heard they are testing out a new policy where Sky Suite passengers will be required to get morning coffee and beverages for upper suite guests.

I just googled starlink and VPN, and it said VPNs DO work with Starlink....

I LOVE it! Charge me even more, please! But seriously, it likely depends upon how much one uses the butler, and the drop-off in service they experience as a result. I pay for suites based on other things that are personally more impactful to my experience than not having a dedicated butler...the Retreat amenities (the larger cabin, Luminae, the Lounge, the Retreat sundeck). The caveat there is on older ships like the Eclipse (which we just sailed on)...Michael's club was a boring dark room, and there is no Retreat sundeck, so we did appreciate the butler more (sailed in a CS).

Apple watches are connected to your iphone via Bluetooth. So if your phone is connected via wifi, your watch just piggybacks off that, and thus won't be counted as a device. Just make sure you have Bluetooth enabled on your phone. Caveat...this assumes your watch isn't one that's connects via cellular.

For those who have been tracking this for a while...on a "typical" cruise booking, does it seem like a noteworthy % of cabins come back immediately before final payment dates, or not really? I know it must vary of course, but what have you been seeing?

My recent Eclipse sailing was sold out (or VERY close to it). My upcoming February Apex cruise seems to only have a couple of cabins left.

That makes sense....thank you!

Yes, I noted that I knew that...it didn't answer my question. I know the difference in the restaurants, but my lack of clarity is that the Celebrity video about APEX dining venues states it (Tuscan) is one of the four free MDRs, but it also says it features Italian foods (and it says Normandie has French food, and Cypress has Greek dishes). But responses here indicated the four are all pretty much the same food.

I'm reading conflicting reports...some are saying Tuscan is just like the other 3 "MDR" venues, and the Celebrity videos and other video reviews call it the Italian venue with pastas and Italian offerings. Maybe someone who has recently been on the Apex and dined in Tuscan can shed some light?

That video makes it look so easy. Problem I had was my internet was so weak on the Eclipse, at one point I got sound and no picture...and that's when streaming worked at all. Additionally, my Youtube TV wouldn't work because it knew I was out of the country. I've since learned some VPN tips on here that I'll try next time, but beware some of the streaming services block you when you're out of the US.

Thanks for sharing that...I wish I had thought to do that during our recent cruise on the Eclipse.

Thanks. So bottom line is there is no Italian food venue on Edge class ships. Thanks for the feedback.

Forget the "lukewarm meals" in the MDR. My hope is that they can't check in with their offices because their "premium" internet sucks, and they can't find anything decent to watch on their cabin TVs during their downtime.

Luminae is our go-to as well, but I am looking for somewhere that has Italian/Pasta choices...

Sorry...I now see there is a complimentary venue called Tuscan. How does it compare to Tuscan Grill on the S-class ships?

We have cruises booked on the Apex and Beyond, and my wife loves her pasta. Do any of the restaurants consistently offer Italian fare? Thanks

Good question. American ESPN (sans cricket, rugby and soccer), TBS, Travel Channel, Food Network, TNT, even Bravo or AMC…and not on a loop lol.

I wonder why people who don’t have an interest in Tv (or my question) feel compelled to say they don’t like to watch tv lol.

I'm not talking about the on demand movies...I am talking about the limited choices of channels and the randomness of the shows they do show on those channels. And with all due respect to those who say "because they don't want you in your cabins"...I don't buy that. You would think with all of the streaming services and content out there today, someone would come up with a way to improve it over the same old limitations we have been seeing since my first cruise many years ago. I know this probably isn't a big deal to many cruisers...but it's just one of those things I wonder about. 😉 Anyone have any insights?

Yes, that's what I noted above. Our cabin (Deck 11) was horrible...at times we had to go on the balcony just to have a text or imessage go through. But in the common areas and on the pool deck it was fine.

We visited Quebec City as a part of a land tour last year...one of my favorite places.

We were on the Eclipse 10/1-8, and it was very sporadic. Very sporadic. It wasn't as bad in the common areas as it was in our cabin (Deck 11). And TV was horrible as well...channel selection was bad (as it usually is, which is confounding and annoying that in all our years of cruising, nothing has changed), but we also had multiple times when most of the few channels were off the air/unavailable.

We did. Fog came and went just in time for our passage under the bridge. IMG_0733.mov

We were fortunate enough to be in a CS, 1618, which has an angled balcony. It was really wonderful and we spent a lot of time out there.