TMLAalum

@JDPCruisers Come on over to the roll call! August 28, 2024 Boston to Quebec - Celebrity Eclipse Roll Calls - Cruise Critic Community Via land, we've been to Quebec and look forward to returning. And though we've been to Nova Scotia, including the Cape Breton Peninsula, and PEI, we've not spent time in Halifax, Sydney nor Charlottetown so we are anticipating new sights. So far, we've not booked/planned excursions, but I have found the Canada/New England Ports forum here on Cruise Critic to be chock full of information including links to private tour operators in each port. Aside from possible hurricanes, one other negative about the timing of this cruise is that it's too soon for fall foliage. As to the Eclipse, our first Celebrity cruise was on her when she was a baby and since then we've sailed her @ 50 additional days, last in 2019. Hope she's holding up well.

I don't fault Celebrity for cancelling ports that are in a war zone or those that may be impacted by terrorist acts against foreigners given a volatile situation in a given area. Your money or your life? I know my answer to that question!

Book your air r/t to ORD from your nearest airport arriving early the day you fly out and the morning after you return from Europe. Spend return night in hotel w/ free shuttle to/from ORD. Or, if you do drive, find an airport hotel with a park/fly package and spend the night you return from your river cruise there.

Just a note on Avalon's Happy Hour- for an hour before dinner many alcoholic beverages are now offered gratis! There is still a charge for some cocktails/premium liquors, but my daily Manhattan was free, strong and delicious!

Has anyone found a sugar shack experience that can be booked independently of the cruise ship? This would be for early September.

@testerlady We are debating about the 8/11/2024 on Emerald Princess since Newfoundland is on our bucket list and Celebrity cancelled their St. John's port stop due to "traffic congestion". So we cancelled the 8/16/2024 Iceland-Boston cruise that stopped there. Ironically enough, the Princess cruise, which was also scheduled to be there that same day as the Eclipse, now seems to have switched St. John's NF to St. John NB! But Princess still goes to Corner Brook and St. Anthony's NF + 3 stops in Greenland. However, 9 sea days is a lot for us and it could turn out to be even more given sea conditions and tendering. But that Princess itinerary is very intriguing!

No need to go thru security to go to hotel, correct? Only to return to Terminal 8?

Thanks to a previous query that was answered on this forum, we plan on spending some of our 5+ hour layover enjoying the Sunken Lounge at the hotel. Their website is unclear re :our situation. We arrive from CLE at Terminal 8 at noon. AA #44 to CDG departs from there at 5:35pm. The hotel website's FAQ spoke to international travelers having to go thru customs, but domestic transferees only thru security again. Domestic-domestic-international pax were not addressed. I am thinking for us, we leave Terminal 8, take the Airtrain to Terminal 5, walk to the hotel for lunch, then take Airtrain back to Terminal 8 where we do need to go thru security as we did out of CLE. Correct?

Are there other perks included in the Viking Seine River night excursion aside from the limited # aboard? You can DIY with several companies: Cruise on the Seine in Paris | Boat tour, lunch or dinner | Bateaux Mouches® (bateaux-mouches.fr) Bateaux Parisiens - Online exclusive price Vedettes du Pont Neuf: Paris Seine Cruise since 1959 Nightime is ideal for a river cruise on the Seine! Friends are doing a champagne and macaroon cruise with this company: Canauxrama: Cruises Canal Saint Martin and Seine in Paris

We've never cruised Princess, but the Emerald has an itinerary to Greenland/NF/NS that really appeals to DH and I, except for the 9 days at sea. Weather would likely be too chilly to spend much time on the outside decks to enjoy MUTS. What enrichment and other activities could fill our non-port days? Thanks.

@ksloanbrown Welcome to Cruise Critic! Your 1st post is especially appreciated since we follow you on the Avalon Expression in 24 days! Please start a new thread about your cruise on the Expression! Any tips, insights and your overall impressions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

We always specify “COLD WASH ONLY”. Never had shrinkage.

Please join our roll call for this cruise! 16 August 2024 Iceland to Boston! - Celebrity Eclipse Roll Calls - Cruise Critic Community There will likely be opportunities to join private tours organized by roll call members.

Nice to hear about honoring vegans and vegetarians with expanded options. Not so nice hearing about the other "V" group receiving expanded options.

Re; Cafe al Bacio- I get cafe americano there. Heard back from the vrbo in Sarlat la Caneda- no coffee maker. I mentioned Aeropress to DH and he told me he is already in possession of a small press that might work for us. We would then have to bring a small bag of our favorite- Seattle's Best #5.

@BuckeyeMark We are doing carryon only for our upcoming land/river cruise in Europe. How small is the Aeropress? I couldn't find dimensions/weight on their website. Staying in vacation rentals for 9 days in France and Switzerland, that most likely only have kettles. We are bringing Tasters Choice Dark Roast packets along, but to get a palatable cuppa takes two each! Luckily the river cruise has a 24/7 self-serve coffee/espresso machine, and our Lucerne hotel has a Nespresso in the room. And at last we've reached E+ so we are set for Cafe Al Bacio for next year's Celebrity cruises.

If you are on an itinerary that favors British Isle cruisers, an electric kettle may be available, or maybe on any sailing your steward might be able to bring you one. Starbucks Via is pretty good in a pinch-especially if you are up at 5:30!. The quality of OV cafe coffee varies. Room service coffee might be better, but Cafe al Bacio is the best and would be included in the classic beverage package, but I don't recall how early it opens.

@wgerr Can you please start a new thread with your experience aboard the Avalon Expression Basel-Amsterdam? We are on the same vessel (IDK if the correct term is boat or ship for a river cruise!) starting 8/29 from Amsterdam to Basel. Any tips, comments, excursion reviews will be much appreciated! Our fingers are X'd for adequate water levels on the Rhine for you and us!

Just reading the questions makes me not want to go there! Nor does the "teaser" photo that pops up here on Cruise Critic.

We took the Celeb excursion to Tulum. Lots of upchucking on the way to the mainland, thankfully not out of our mouths. Way back was calmer. Glad we got to see the temple there. Another port on that cruise was to Belize and we opted for the Celeb excursion to Xunantunich, which provided an uncrowded experience exploring the Mayan ruin there including the opportunity to climb to the top.

Did you and/or your wife visit the casino? If so, do tell about the vaping experiment currently being tried on the Eclipse.

@3CanadianBears Ours are included, but we booked through a local, brick and mortar Travel Agent. So check into using a TA near you. As an aside, DH and I visited Ottawa for the 1st time on the last Sunday last month. Had a guided tour of the Senate, went to mass at the cathedral, lunch at Bite Burger and then the Byward Market. Enjoyed our time except for the smoke. Between the smoke and rain over the next few days in St. Hippolyte we shortened our trip, only to come home to smoky NE Ohio

I did get a reply which had my next cruise Eclipse 16, 2024 in the header. Being a couple of an age in which poor health can preclude cruising and our lives are statistically limited, I am wondering if Celebrity is giving any credence to all the protesting emails they receive from us senior citizens. Here is the response I received Thursday: Thank you so much for this valuable feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to contact the Executive Offices at Celebrity Cruises. This test is currently taking place in the casinos on the Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Eclipse through August 20th. It is a test at this point, and all feedback is being taking into consideration, so again, thank you. As a brand we will continue to keep our guests as the main focus, and you taking the time to reach out is truly beneficial and appreciated. Again, thank you so much for the feedback provided regarding our recent change.

This was my email to Celebrity which hasn't warranted a response: To Whom It May Have Power: As a RCCL shareholder and Celebrity Elite Plus cruiser with B2B sailings booked for 2024 on the Eclipse, which is one of the two ships which are now permitting "vaping" in the casino, I am appalled by this decision to "test" this health-impairing potential policy change. Please stop this short-sighted, dangerous "experiment" now.

Just sent my compaint off. I didn't include any info other than my full name so it will be interesting to see if the executive office digs deeper to make contact by phone.