ScubesDad

On 5/24/2023 at 1:53 PM, Mark_K said:

Right.  Blu opening early was a reaction to people queuing early, people didn’t queue early because Blu was open.

That is the logical conclusion.  Just as the OP was willing to go early for the 5:30 opening and not for the 5:00 opening.  much ado about nothing

5 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

You may have misunderstood. We DID arrive early once we saw how things were going. Generally we were down there between 5:00 - 5:15. By quarter after or so they were usually already open and I'd say even half-full. 

 

I really didn't expect a defensive attitude to show up on this particular thread, though should have since that's how social media is nowadays. Sorry if I ruffled anyone's feathers who has had wonderful experiences in Blu. There also seems to be somewhat of an attitude against people who want to eat real early. 

Up until this post I was leaning in support of your position; but then you became part of the problem by going early.

Regrettably there is no easy solution to this problem. Open early and you encounter all the issues previously listed here. Open on time with a large line then you have a significant service issue in that orders for each segment of the meal hit the kitchen at the same time and results in slower response time, resulting in a prolonged meal service time.  No win situation.

We all want the window table...but we always can't have it. On our recent April cruise, we witnessed the good, bad, and ugly over the window table. One evening around 7pm a couple were being escorted to their table and they walked past an empty window table. The couple requested that table. The issue was that the table was just vacated maybe a minute or so before and was not cleared and reset. While the hostess tried her diplomatic best to explain, they were not relenting. Finally the hostess requested they have a seat out by reception while they prepared the table...nope they wanted to sit now...finally it took the maitre'd to assure them the table was theirs but they had to go to the reception area to wait. This was in Luminae.

Life is too short to have to deal with these dramatics.  I am on vacation. If someone cooks for me, plies me with wine all through dinner and then cleans up.....I am a happy camper.  Just for the record we usually head off to dinner sometime between 6:30 and 7.. Usually no line at all and we snag a window table about 1 in 3 nights.

If this is accurate, and I contend it is not, then Celebrity will be losing many excellent employees as their contract expires. Having been both a managed employee and an employee manager I am well versed in the problems associated with 100% reliance on surveys to determine employee performances and compensation. The major problem is many clients refuse to select a "10" or top box because they perceive no-one to be perfect. Many of the issues are management related or lack of management as the case may be.

We just returned from a three week road trip which included seven hotels and a few B&B's. Every hotel send out a "thank you first staying with us" email and an invitation to complete a survey. I completed ever request...honestly and factually.  There were some small issues which were dealt with on site; however there were a few that were obviously management related.

If Celebrity is not informed about the good and the bad they cannot reward the good or correct the bad.

I will continue to provide honest feedback when required.

1 hour ago, miched said:

A few years back I would always wear my work clothes on formal night before the chic.  I was never denied entrance or turned away for not wearing the proper attire.

............

 If they knew I was wearing my work clothes would it have ruined their dining experience?  
 

It shouldn’t have because I was “dressed up” according to their rules at the time.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

OMG, love it.  I also worked in an occupation where a suit and tie were the uniform of the day.

I always packed "work clothes" for dinner......

You can stuff quite a bit in the cloth bags. We generally fill out the forms and fill the bag smallest to largest and innecessary use the largest item as a cap over the top of the bag tucked in to the opening and pull the drawstring tight and tie a bow. The contents are not touched until the bag is in the laundry department. Personally  I think it is quite presumptive to expect someone else to pick up your laundry.

The benefits you would receive for the one cruise in December may cost you$100, max $150. Save yourself the expense and use it towards another cruise.

I believe the only Irish whiskey they stock is Jameson. In the past anytime I have asked for something else, ie Redbreast, or Teeling I have been told all they have is Jameson. By default it would be on both packages.

We have experienced both and have a a preference for the med. For us Alaska was a once and done experience.  We did the land tour independently.  we were there in late July and did not find the trip to be overly populated with children; however the demographic mix was younger. The experience is more nature/scenery and history.  For us the experience was similar in many regards to things we have experienced here in Canada.

The med is much more focused on history and culture. We have been several times in the summer...yes August, and are returning in '23 in October. August is the traditional European holiday period and it is hot and busy.  We will probably return to the med and Greece a few more times but definitely not in August.

Our early cruises were in the C1's on the M class across the stern of the ship. The only benefit we considered was the location......looking at the wake. We enjoyed breakfast on the balcony....when it was a real table and late evening after dinner drinks.  The canapés were a liability and we would ask for cheese and crackers. We only attended the boarding day lunch once and found it to be a good activity while waiting for the cabin to be ready.

Is it worth it....that is up to you to decide

1 hour ago, piemom9397 said:

Does this apply if you're in a Suite and want to self-disembark or only if you set your luggage out the night before? TIA! First time in a suite in Celebrity in December--looking so forward to it!

Check with the retreat host/hostess when you get on board.  We regularly sail in suites but are never in a hurry to get off quickly except for a cruise a few years ago. The suite luggage goes off first and is waiting as soon as disembarkation begins. We met the hostess in the retreat and she escorted us to the front of the line to exit. We were picking our luggage up 5 minutes later and one of the first people through customs.

On 5/9/2022 at 3:23 PM, Denny01 said:

Kind of reminds me of a thread where a poster who was mad there wasn’t self-laundry and they wouldn’t use the ship laundry service because they didn’t want their clothes washed with other peoples’…….they said they didnt want to think about what people did in those clothes. 

 

I told them they should Never cruise since the towels they used were all washed in the same machines, and the sheets they slept between were also….and they Didn’t want to even think about what people did between those sheets!!! I kind of ruined the thread for them! 

 

I know, I’ve posted this before, but I just can’t help myself!

 

den

Just to kick this can down the road.......both our kids worked as lifeguards, after their stories I will not get in to the pool or hot tubs unless I do it first thing in the morning, after I know the hot tub was drained and cleaned.

12 hours ago, Bugsy1966 said:

 

With all due respect I think your journey time is a little pessimistic. We've never taken more than 1 hour 15 mins to central Rome and did it in around an hour once. Always around 8.30 - 9.00 in the morning. 

Such a great term, with all due respect.......just did a quick check from Civi to the Termini station Rome..1 hour 10 minutes using the toll road.  It is approx 3 am in Italy and accordingly the traffic is light. Every trip we have taken into the city in the morning rush has been between an hour thirty and an hour forty five.  Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

1 hour ago, sunlover33 said:

 

There is no logic to some of these decisions except maybe in Celebrity’s  best interests.

Therein lies your answer.  The process was developed by the risk management group and vetted by the lawyers to provide a reasonable assurance that they are covered should something go sideways.  As long as people continue to book cruises and passenger volumes increase their actions are being confirmed and validated as reasonable and acceptable.

Currently generating cash flow is their prime concern, and as long as people book Celebrity sees no reason to change.  If new bookings start to decline and people cancel existing bookings Celebrity  will be compelled to investigate and respond.   Complaining is meaningless as it is very unlikely to bring about change, unless it is accompanied by action.

I don't  understand why this discussion draws just vitriolic responses  when someone makes a decision based on the information they have access to. Everyone makes a risk analysis based on their own parameters; some of us are risk takers and some of us are risk adverse. Neither position is correct or incorrect, it is what is correct for the decision maker at this point in time.

In answer to the question asked, yes it is a concern that I may be quarantined in an OV or worse, or I am be dropped in a foreign country and forced to quarantine at my own expense.  I cancelled our June cruise to Iceland because of the hoops we would have to go through.

We cruise to travel, not travel to cruise. We tack a week or so on the front and back of a cruise and spend time on our own exploring.

I developed a plan B. Learned wecan travel to Iceland and back without the needful testing, as we are fully vaccinated/up to date. Travel involves 2 airports rather than multiple airports, so reduced risk of exposure. We booked an independent tour through a tour company which includes a vehicle and accomodation,  we provide our own meals. We set the time and places we want to stop.

We will take tests with us and should we become exposed/infected we can self quarantine as required.  In our assessment significant less risk, greater flexibility, and an added bonus less costly.

I just picked a new destination and kicked the cruise ahead by 6 months.

There is travel outside of cruising.

13 hours ago, keesar said:

 

Be aware that we were charged a substantial local tax because we dined at the LCG while 'not at sea".   Something to be aware of if you are paying the bill.  

 

 

We ran into this on a med cruise. It has something to do with the EU tax regulations and the ship not leaving EU territorial waters.  It was several years ago and the ports of call were all in Spain, Italy and France. Regrettably  I cannot remember the details but the VAT was charged on any ship purchases which were not prepaid.

1 hour ago, mikewomb said:

I would say the issue is what the title of this thread. It can be interpreted anyway you like. I think people are just tired of the whole subject and anyone know what consequences of testing positive on board. I am not sure how you feel this has anything to do with Celebrity’s transparency. 

I guess the issue of transparency lies in the fact that you can talk to 5 different people at Celebrity and get 5 difference answers. Information reported on this thread indicates quarantine on one Celebrity ship is deck 3, another ship is deck 6, some Captains report the cases others do not. While I am sure the master of the ship has significant latitude in how his ship is managed; I would expect corporate guidelines detailing specific procedures for operational functions. I would hope there are specific guidelines in place across all ships relating to Covid issues, however, given the reports of the differences on various ships it does make one wonder. Also, information posted on the website should be consistent.

Wow, what a contentious topic. The crux of the issue is the lack of transparency by Celebrity in what their course of action will be in certain situations. This is not a new issue, Celebrity is known for their ability to be consistently inconsistent.  At the present time their focus is getting as many people to sail and hopefully in the highest profit margin cabins...suites, then Aqua, etc. If they are "forced" to hold vacant high margin cabins empty just in case they will be needed, it will only force the fare to increase to cover the new cost. Complaining does nothing, unless there is corresponding action. To complain about not being happy with the potential quarantine cabin and continuing to book cruises is an implied consent for Celebrity to keep doing what they are doing. If you want change, there needs to be a significant cancelation of booked cruises to show how displeased you are......however, it would be a moot point because as evidenced by the comments in this discussion there are more than sufficient numbers to step up and take your place. Essentially Celebrity can do what they want because there is no incentive to change.

6 hours ago, runningtide said:

Simple. I’m not being tested at home. I’m not worried about being exposed , but I don’t want to waste thousands of dollars on deck three when I’m asymptomatic. I deal in statistics, and if the infection rate hits 10 % , I’m going to pull the plug and try again later. My complaint is that none of us really know the extent of infections on the ships. Celebrity should be more upfront, but I know I’m dreaming. 

2 hours ago, deliver42 said:

Whatever the numbers are on a ship the percentage is still much lower that on land. I'll take my chances on a ship anytime. Been on 2 cruises since restart, and have 4 more booked.

I fully believe the cruise lines are not being transparent with the actual numbers of cases on the ships. It is not in their best interests to do so.  If the cases were minimal they would be broadcasting the numbers at every opportunity. Since they are quite closed about it, I am inclined to believe the numbers are higher.

Not sure I support a theory that the occurrence rate on a ship would be any less than in the general population. There may be some minor mitigation based on full Vaccination, however, Vaccination only reduces the severity of the infection and does nothing to stop the spread.

We are not prepared to risk thousands of dollars to be confined to stateroom without access to the outside. There are plenty of things to do closer to home without the risk of being quarantined in a foreign country.

38 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

And yes, I agree that it is so much more ‘fun’ to be posting about what to wear or more appropriately what can I get away with!  And isn’t it very telling that almost All the threads and posts on this subject are about us men! One reason is I think women have much more flexibility in their dress, and of course are more mature. My wife takes Chico’s travel ‘stuff’, adds a beaded top and jewelry and All is OK. Men? Use to be all we had options for was Tux or Coat and Tie. Now we have more choices, but continue to press on how ‘downward’ we can go. Yup, opinionated. 

 

Back when Coat and Tie were ‘the rule’, one guy posted that since he had to wear a coat/tie to work, he’d refused even though his wife asked him to. I couldn’t control myself and responded: So you’ll wear a coat/tie when paid but wont when your wife asks you? Got it.  

 

And yes, it isn’t just cruising. I live in a tourist beach area so we get lots of various ‘state of dress’ in our top line restaurants. Part of life. But my favorite was a young woman who was dressed To the Nines with a beautiflul long dress and a very neat Slit, and her date? He had on a bike-racing tight shorts, a tight top with a big racing stipe on it and his bike cap. A true statement of what he thought of his date. And no, they climbed into a car leaving so no riding a bike there……yup, I watched. She had time to dress up, but him? 

 

to me, it’s very telling when the woman is dressed up and the guy looks like he just finished playing around in his garage. We men Are able to step inside, change the t-shirt into a regular shirt and actually wear a decent pair of pants. And we men Do know what is appropriate.  

 

And yes, that is all judgmental. But I’ve heard more than a few golf-shirt guys make snide comments about men dressed to the T’s. 

 

I miss wearing my Tux. I loved sauntering up to a bar, pulling my bow tie undone (yup, tied it myself!) and ordering a Martini…..stirred not shaken. My wife would roll her eyes and just say: You Aren’t Bond, James Bond. I still wear a bow tie just for that. 

 

Enough. Fun Thread. 

 

Den

 

Well said. I also defer to how my dear wife is attired, it is a sign of respect for your "date" as well as your hosts. Besides, most of the time she has obtained all the information, and not just heard, dinner 7:30 Saturday.

My preferences tend to be Malbec, Roja, and Beaujolais; however as many of the wines listed are from wineries we are unfamiliar with I will discuss with the sommelier and will defer to their recommendation. I have been introduced to some excellent wines and if I was left to my own decisions I would have not selected. Often the recommendation will be something not on the wine list as it may be an end of bin with few bottles remaining. We generally sail in suites and dine in Luminae, so the experience maybe different elsewhere; however, the approach has worked in the specialty restaurants as well. Worse case scenario you get something you don't  like you can request something different.

We have used Stephano's RomeCabs several times and their service is fantastic. They are punctual, I think all their vehicles are Mercedes..at least that is all we have seen...vehicles are immaculate, and the drivers have a good working knowledge of English.

We generally stay in the area around the Termini station as it is a good transportation hub area, with access to the underground, busses and intercity trains.  Also great restaurants in the area.

On 3/18/2022 at 4:47 PM, Denny01 said:

I agree, but then I thought back on one of my earlier experiences on CC in 2008, and I posted how nice it is to be able to try different entrees on a cruise, and I said ‘you can sample things’. Boy did That get a reaction. More than a few lectured me on wasting food by just ‘sampling’ and one guy went on and on about people such as I who cost everyone money by taking more than I used and so on. It got nasty. His posts were removed and the thread was locked. But he started another one on the same subject and it was removed. 

 

So yes, we see and hear so much of people getting extremely upset over pretty much everything nowadays, and I think it is ‘these days’ too, but then again…..

 

den

I agree wholeheartedly.  This brought back a memory from many years ago when the beverage packages were first introduced. We had purchased the premium primarily I drink quality over quantity. We very seldom attended the elite cocktail hour. Back then it was held in Michael's Club. We would drop in after 7pm for a pre-dinner drink, but this one evening it was just after 6. I had been working my way through a bottle of Midleton the previous evening and thought I would continue...so I handed our cards over to the server with our requests. No sooner had the server left and a "gentleman" advised me I was going to have to pay for that. I acknowledged his comment and assumed that was it. When I ordered a second, he commented again. When the server returned with the drink, I asked him if the bartender would come over when he had a minute. A few minutes later he did, and I asked him, by name, if he was going to charge me. His reply, I didn't charge you last night why would I charge you now. He had been monitoring the room and was aware of our discussion. I thought buddy was going to explode when he thought someone was getting something, for free, and he wasn't.  It took about 5 minutes to get him to understand the beverage package,

To get back to the topic at hand, I am proud to declare that once per day I will wear a lanyard. When I go to the gym in the early morning, my lovely wife has informed me the lovely barrista at CaB doesn't want to see me pull my seapass card out of my sock when I pick up my coffee on the way home.

On a cruise to Bermuda first night trying to find our table in the MDR. Located a 10 top with two couples already there.  We sit down and almost immediately one of the ladies said "I guess you are going to get up and leave us, too?"  Without even thinking, I replied "Why, you haven't done anything to pi$$ me off yet." It turns out about 2 minutes before we arrived another couple had sat down, looked around, then stood up and left.  The fifth couple never showed up all week.  Probably the best dinner mates we have had for dinner. We had great conversations.

On 3/16/2022 at 2:09 PM, WeBcruisingMN said:

Our funny story has to do with the difference in terminology between British English and American English.
 

A few years ago my husband and I were having a glass of wine in Cellar Masters. We struck up a conversation with a nearby couple who were from Great Britain and we were talking about general things. We all had indulged a bit… and pretty soon the wife starts talking about her husband’s “indiscretion” and how everything is fine now, but there were some tense moments there between them. She went on to explain matter-of-factly, that “indiscretions”  DO happen when cruising and that it’s perfectly normal, and a couple just has to ‘move on’.

 

I snuck a glance at my husband and I could see that he was uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going, just as I was…so we tried to respond delicately and sincerely.
 

Then the lady’s husband chimed in and they both said a couple more things about this “indiscretion”, when it FINALLY became clear to us (much to our relief) that they were merely talking about a fight or an argument between the couple…NOT an affair or a cheating situation.

 

We never let-on to the couple that we had misunderstood their use of the word “indiscretion”, but we still chuckle about the incident today. 😝

 

Side Note: our youngest daughter has been dating an Australian young man for four years who will probably become part of our family in 1-2 years. [They met on the dance floor of the Solstice in April 2018, while we were cruising in Australia]. He has spoken plenty of words that we either misunderstand or don’t understand, so now we are more ‘seasoned’ at the differences between our English words. 👍🏻

Love it.

reminded me of a cruise about 15 years ago. We are Canadian, and there was a couple from England and a couple from the US.  There was a communication failure between the UK and US couple due to accents and I can only explain it as a different version of English. We spent the week translating when confused looks appeared. After reading your post I just realized how bad it would have been if we had an Aussie couple at the table.

We have been sailing on Celebrity since 2001, in that entire time I have always tipped out at the end of the "drinking session" similar to what I would do at home. That process has changed over the years as packages were introduced and gratuities were included and for the past 10 plus years we have sailed in suites.

However, I still carry some small bills in my pocket if I stop at a bar for a beverage.

I do not considered a tip at the end of service a bribe. However, if you walk up and slap a $50 down on the bar and declare there is more of the same if you keep me happy, a bribe.

I have never received poor service at any bar on a X ship, however, with the proliferation of packages I have experienced a slowdown in service due to higher demand and fewer staff.  We will usually search out a lounge/bar with music before dinner and I have experienced quicker service on repeat visits  because the server remembers previous visits, and essentially follows the money. Is it a bribe..... we have no set plans to visit any specific bar on a repeat basis, we just go where the pre dinner music is appealing.  We have always tipped the server and will continue to do so.