vjmatty

13 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

One reason is because many itineraries work on a 7 day cadence and there are a finite number of airline seats available. If Cruise #1 departs on July 1, and Cruise #2 departs on July 8, there are 4,000+ people trying to fly into the departure port for Cruise #1 on June 29, 30 or July 1. If the 4000+ people from Cruise #2 want to fly in on those days, they are taking seats away from people who need them for Cruise #1. By making the cutoff 5 days before the cruise, the people on Cruise #2 are not taking away seats needed by the passengers on Cruise #1. And the same thing applies after the cruise. If the passengers on Cruise #1 want to fly home a week later, they will run headlong into the people on Cruise #2 who want to fly home on the day they get off the ship. Maybe this wasn’t an issue when most ships sailed with 2,400 people. But with ships now carrying 4,000-6,000 people, we’ve reached a breaking point. 

This would make sense if it were a 6 day limit. There’s no reason for it to be 5 days, as the cruise would have already departed by 6 days earlier. 

10 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

Princess probably is just closing this loophole then. 

Loophole would suggest there’s a benefit to the passenger which is somehow detrimental to Princess. I can’t figure out how this would be. 

15 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

I understand how to book my next cruise while onboard to get reduced deposit and some onboard credit.

 

However, thinking about taking family on a next cruise and wondering if it is possible to book 2 cabins for a next cruise and get a reduced deposit on both cabins and even possibly some onboard credit for both. I am asking because we have an upcoming cruise in a couple of weeks where we would book for next year.

 

Want to make sure it is clear that this would be 2 cabins on the same cruise.

Long Beach or Long Branch? Sorry just being nosey lol

I have done this, in fact did on the first day of the cruise so I got the free wine. Only one bottle though 😕 They did give me two magnets 😂

I bid with Move Up in my very first Celebrity cruise, but it was only from OV to balcony, was not very expensive, and was in October so not a very busy season. Those lower level upgrades have a much higher probability of success, assuming there are still rooms available, than winning a suite which can cost hundreds to thousands more in order to win. Keep your expectations reasonable and you won’t be disappointed 🙂

I’ve been to Greece pretty much every month of the year at one time or another, and late October into November can be ideal depending on what you want to do.

We just spent a week in Athens this past February, and while it was definitely jacket weather, it was perfect for the Acropolis and other outdoor sites which tend to get unbearably hot in the summer.  We had one day of rain which we spent at indoor museums and lengthy meals in restaurants. October can only be better than this, as it is the end of shoulder season. One recommendation is make sure you choose accommodations that you wouldn’t mind spending a good part of the day in, just in case the weather is bad for a day. 
 

if you’re going north of Athens, pack a zippered fleece and maybe light rainwear that will fit over it in case you get some rain. I was constantly on and off with my jacket in Meteora and Thessaloniki.

If you’re going south, you’ll have surprisingly good weather especially in the southernmost islands such as Rhodes and Crete.  The Cyclades, such as Mykonos and Santorini, will be a mixed bag. It won’t be swim temps but definitely good weather to walk on the beach or stroll the village streets as long as there is no rain. The crowds in Santorini won’t be nonexistent as I don’t think they ever are, but much more manageable than the summer. Personally I think Santorini should be done as a land vacation to avoid all of the nightmare logistics of the cruise tender port, but I won’t unpack all of that right now 🙂
 

My favorite time to visit Greece is October. Less crowded, less expensive, and not unbearably hot.  The southern islands during a warm spell can actually be nice enough to lie out on the beach and even swim if you’re lucky, since the water has been heating up all summer. Highly recommended time of year if your expectations are reasonable.

ETA: As one of the posters mentioned, there will be some restaurants and other businesses closed, but trust me you won’t starve or be bored.  The popular areas get year round tourists and the ruins and other main attractions are always open every season, though may have more limited hours.

1 minute ago, Gracie115 said:

 

 

They are wonderful balconies AND suites. We have 2 trips booked on this class in the next year.  Price is much more reasonable than comparable on X.  We rate the suite somewhere between a CS and RS on X.  No, there is no butler, which we don't care about, the room attendant has always done a great job for us.  No, there is no Retreat lounge with free drinks all day, but there IS a concierge lounge with free cocktails for a couple hours each night.  No, there is no Luminae, but there IS the Reserve dining room for suites and some mini suites, which is very nice with great service.  

 

And THAT balcony is just so wonderful it compensates for pretty much anything that is otherwise lacking compared to X. 

And even without the free drinks, the Plus package at $60 per day which includes drinks, WiFi and tips is such a bargain that you don’t really notice. Much better deal than X’s all included. 

3 hours ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

 

 

I think most of it comes down to the parents...I see a lot of parents who say their kids "don't like" the kids clubs and the parents are expected to entertain their kids for the entire cruise.

 

Not only does that sound exhausting - in my opinion it is teaching your kids to depend on the parents to do everything for them vs teaching them independence and learning to make friends.

 

 

Maybe it’s because I’m a Gen Xer who was raised to be fiercely independent, but I really don’t understand this trend either.  Not only were we expected to entertain ourselves, whether with our friends or without, but there was little or no supervision. Summers meant being dropped off at the roller rink on rainy days or Action Park on sunny days, with parents hoping we’d find a ride home from some classmate’s parent so they wouldn’t have to pick us up. 

1 hour ago, Gracie115 said:

 

Yes, I feel the same way.  The chairs/table look really cheap ....  not really what X likes to call "Modern Luxury"..... lol

 

We have one more short cruise on X this December and then 3 more on Princess.  Suspect we will be going in other directions from Celebrity if this kind of stuff continues to cheapen the brand while the prices go up & up......

 

 

Princess is pretty good about balcony furniture, assuming it’s a true balcony and not a “ledge” as I call the majority of them on Royal class ships. However, inside the cabin is another story. If you’re in a balcony cabin that’s not a deluxe balcony, you won’t get a couch or sometimes even a chair other than the one at the desk.

48 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I don't even know what the fun would be in going to trivia on so many sailings just to hear the same questions over and over. When I have done B2Bs and questions were repeated on the later sailings, I would just not participate because it's not fun to basically win by cheating.

The last cruise I was on, where people were getting a little testy about the right answers at trivia, the entertainment staff had to remind everyone that they were playing for a key chain. Everybody calmed down immediately, realizing how ridiculous they were being. Maybe these frequent flyers are making money on eBay selling cruise line swag.

The most competitive and aggressive trivia I’ve ever seen is on Cunard ships. Their prizes are vouchers, and on the last day of the cruise you can use them to shop for some higher quality items like an umbrella, wooden jewelry box and pretty glassware. Even the T-shirts were decent. I currently have three umbrellas, two boxes and I don’t know how many shirts. I don’t know if they still use that system but those sure were the good old days. 
 

On 6/13/2024 at 10:33 AM, kwokpot said:

100%WRONG and the video is lying. I have been on all ALL E-Class ships, INCLUDING the Ascent in january, and the IV cabins ALL operate the same way There's absolutely NOTHING within the bifold doors that control anything, they are purely cosmetic. What MAY be happening is residual airflow but you can be sure that the AC is SHUT OFF. I don't understand why people enjoy lying and making false claims. I go through this every time I'm on an E-class ship.

“Lying” seems a bit harsh, especially in light of what appears to be confusion over fan vs AC. Not every incorrect statement is a lie, some people are simply mistaken. That appears to be the case here.

I get that many people don’t like IV cabins. I’m not a fan myself and always have to book E class early so I get a true balcony without having to spring for a suite.  Personally I think it was an epic fail for X to try out IV’s with a 90% presence for the first time, instead of 25 or even 50%.  However, if you like your traditional balconies, you need lots of people to like IV’s….at least for the time being until X changes it’s E class model or introduces an entirely new class with fewer IV cabins. So let people like and promote them. It does you more good than harm. 

On 6/12/2024 at 6:21 PM, ScottC4746 said:

So my review of CS Edge 11177 is this:

We went into the reservation dreading what we were going to find.  Once we opened the door, we liked it.  They made the room feel brighter and more spacious.

PRO: Being in Alaska we could "sit on the verandah" and not freeze.  I am sure the opposite is true for the Caribbean where it is too hot and humid to enjoy the verandah.  The room felt bigger and certainly was brighter.

CONS: The cross bar was right in eyesight when sitting. The window was slow to open as was the shade.  Whoever is up first couldn't peek out to see where we were without having to bring the shade up and waking the other person.

 

DECISION:  We will be fine in an infinite verandah on future cruises.

Thanks for a balanced review presenting both the food and bad. Looks like that didn’t save you from arguments, you seem to be getting it from both sides. We sure are a tough crowd lol

1 hour ago, Gracie115 said:

 

How could anyone who claims to be a designer (Kelly Hoppen) claim these chairs are comfortable for anyone?????  They look like cheap dollar store chairs and the table doesn't even rank that high/  Luxury??????????  

Not to mention they’re horribly mismatched with the table. If you look at how ships like the Summit have been “revolutionized” under her direction you will see displays of poor taste, cheap quality, low functioning and lack of comfort. This is just another example of what I fear is yet to come fleetwide. 

11 hours ago, Oville said:

How big is the balcony and does it include a lounger?  I’ve spent many a cruise in Aqua class but never with a lounger.

Elite + has nothing to do with it.

I have had loungers in Aqua class but they were deck 11 aft balconies on M class ships. YMMV. 

5 hours ago, 555 said:

This new Sun Princess is very different to us in many ways, especially the layout of the Eatery. Not providing a coffee/drink station is very strange. It's hard to believe the designers of the ship simply overlooked it. 

I guess we’ll know if it was a mistake when we see whether or not it makes it to the Star 🤷🏻‍♀️

13 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

There would be no PVSA issue *if* the required "foreign port" requirement had already been met.

The other option would be to disembark at the next foreign port. 

13 hours ago, Cruise till you drop said:

I think you’re exactly right.  
 

And another possible reason is to push people towards IV’s as the small dinky balcony chairs take up less room and you still have access to an outside view (just a thought )

That actually makes this move seem more petty. With so few true balconies on Edge ships, it takes little effort to provide loungers on them all. Denying or removing them seems like a very micromanaging type move. 

6 hours ago, Wishing on a star said:

Yes,  the layout is a big personal preference.  Either way!!!

We have not taken the longer cruises with tons of sea days...  We find that we spend very very little time on the sofa.   I like the feel of the cabin opening up out towards the balcony, and not feeling more closed in...  as the room is more narrow where the sofa is at.

DH is usually the early riser...  He can pull open the drapes, and I can already be able to look out and see what the weather and port situation is for the day, just by sitting up in bed!!!

Doesn’t it wake you up if he opens the drapes or goes out on the balcony when the bed is right there? I’m the early riser so I like leaving him in the dark while I go outside lol.

4 hours ago, sultan_sfo said:

We also like Island Princess. We have also experienced "inconveniences" on Island Princess but we did not let them impact our enjoyment of the cruise. For us, Princess was "wonderful" in dealing with these inconveniences. And for those with weak bladders, the Guest Service, (NOT HGM), who have a list of open cabins, will move them to another cabin. BTW, I never believe all the postings on cruise critic.

I didn’t realize OP was offered a different room. 

1 hour ago, mahdnc said:

From what I have determined, Celebrity's Sky Suite is much better: larger, better service, Retreat stuff, Luminae, etc.

1 hour ago, Oceangoer2 said:

I just did a little research....pay a little extra for a Princess mini-suite but it's still less than X charges.  Have no idea how nice this cabin would be compared with eg a Celebrity Sky Suite.

 

 

Includ

A Princess mini-suite wouldn’t compare to a Celebrity sky suite in terms of amenities. I’d compare it more to a junior suite on RC. The lowest level true suite on Princess would depend on the ship.  The newest ship class is Sphere, which includes both the Star and Sun, and their lowest level suites are S9.

Right now their classification system is going through major changes, and long time Princess cruisers are unhappy. I’m sure there are people leaving Princess to try X as well. It seems like the entire cruising industry is making changes that are geared toward a younger demographic and making long time passengers unhappy. Me, I find there have always been things I really liked and things that really annoyed me about all cruise lines. I even have a list somewhere comparing RC/Celebrity and Princess, with the pros and cons of each. Wish I knew what I did with it lol. 

1 hour ago, Wishing on a star said:

As the prev. post mentions, there should be no problem with any number of 'extra people' on the Cabana Decks'..   I do not think they are adult only, so it seems that any children who are in these cabins could also be on the Cabana Decks.  Hopefully not a big problem.  

 

Also, the bed/sofa configuration is alternating...  This makes the cabins fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.  Every other one will be 'bed by the entry' and every other one will be 'sofa by the entry'.

I would choose a sofa by the entry.  The bed will be inset in the widest part of the layout.

This way, the cabin seems more open at the sliding door.  The closets. sofa, and counters would all be together.

It is easy to see when looking at deck plans.    And, there are a lot of photos.

You can also tell whether the bed faces forward or backward when sailing, by where the inset is the widest in the cabin.   That will be the 'headboard'.

 

Unfortunately I need the bed as close to the bathroom as possible. It’s an over 50 thing lol. Plus I like the couch near the balcony so if the weather isn’t great, as is often on transatlantics, I can still enjoy the view throughout the day from indoors. 

1 hour ago, TRLD said:

They never claimed continually flooding 

 

They said 3 different incidents.

 

No hot water lasting a few hours.

A water outage due to a broken pipe length unstated the next day

Toilets not working on the third day again length of problem not stated.

 

While certainly not the best string of events, seems to be more of inconveniences.

Yes that makes it much better 🤦🏻‍♀️

3 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

This is true. It's a very rare night that I don't have to get up and trek off to the bathroom. I'd be a very unhappy cruiser to have to leave the cabin in the middle of the night and find a working public toilet.

Same here…all this “drink x ounces of water per day” has me up at least once, especially if I don’t finish the water by 6pm.  This is also why I don’t like the “bed near balcony” configuration on the Sun Princess. I need fewer steps dammit. lol 

6 hours ago, abouna said:

Still also looking for 14101,102,103,104. Also strange shaped with huge balconies. 

There are posts about all the forward balconies in general on the site that shall not be named, or livre du visage, mostly complaining they were not advised there would be a steel instead of glass balcony. The problem they have is that you can’t see the ocean when sitting down. I’ve sailed in cove balconies on other ships so for me it’s not really an issue.  I think the rooms you’re asking about, if you look at outside photos of the ship, the first two are crammed under the bridge which would make the room dark and obstruct the view. The second two, 03 and 04, appear to be more open and unobstructed. 

2 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

And many other perks too......

Yes, drinks up to $15 and WiFi, two premium desserts per day that look like they were designed by an 8 year old, and two casual dining meals. No charge for room service or medallion activation fee. Two fitness classes, ostensibly to counter the premium desserts lol. 

1 hour ago, memoak said:

So if your home water heater dies how long does it take you to get a new one installed ?  Give people a break. I have been on a ship with no toilets at all for 12 hours not pleasant but it was not a deal breaker

May not be a deal breaker for you,  but for some it would be a bladder breaker for sure.