DaisyFire

The Smashy Japanese from Sushi on 5 (although I think the name has changed now) Jalapeno infused Grey Goose, fresh lemon & cucumber juice, agave syrup, basil. on the Premium package.

Yum! I'll have to try one in 59 days! :)

I'm going to suggest an alternative....book a 1A cabin....many of which have significantly larger balconies. (get the first one off the hump if you can). Most of the concierge perks really aren't worth much...they are more marketing than really big deals. It may sound silly, but the biggest difference is that 1A's don't have a foot stool on the balcony. Other than that, the cabins are identical. I think your choice should be between a 1A and an Aqua class cabin...the big difference being that aqua class folks have their own very good dining room which really makes the cruise seem like you are on a smaller ship. Excellent breakfasts, good service...worth some extra. Of course how much extra is a personal decision....we're comfortable paying about $200 more per person on a 10 night cruise...others give it different value.

 

You'll have a great cruise no matter which cabin/class you pick. Enjoy

I have found that most times when comparing prices, the 1A comes in at nearly the same - or sometimes even more than - the C3 or C2 cabins. And as a relative newbie in the Captains Club point category - those extra 2 points per day really are helpful. Maybe once I hit Select, then it won't matter so much to me, but there are several perks at the Select level (invitations to special events, etc.) that have me booking either CC or AQ class cabins to help me get to that level. (Suites are just not in my budget...)

True, but unlike the Oasis, reservations aren't needed either. I've never seen anyone unable to get a seat.

 

Mike

Yes - good point! And one I meant to make... thanks for catching that. :)

CB - I love the reference... side to side - so clever!

Undrwtr1 - I would suggest that you check out some of the Reflection cruise reviews that are currently circulating on this board. That will give you a real sense of what a cruise on that ship will be like. What I love about these reviews is that they provide perspective from two different generations - both are very enjoyable reading...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2447364&highlight=reflection

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2442584&highlight=reflection

And as for the lack of ability to make reservations for shows before boarding on Celebrity, that's because there are no reservations taken for shows - period. It's first come first served. (Unless you are in a suite and then there is a reserved section for suite passengers on formal/chic nights only.)

Enjoy your 'at-sea' vacation!

Only had one cruise where the first 3 days the sommelier in Blu kept saying no Pinot noir in stock within limits of Premium pkg. Aft the 3rd day I wrote a attention to detail card-problem solved. Think the sommelier was new & screwed up; every evening after I wrote card the Sommlier was going out if his way to get us wine, refilling before it was needed, checking to see if it was to our liking.

 

Leaving today for a B2B and enjoying the wines.

Jelayne - Enjoy your cruise and your wine!

My experience was as recent as March 2016 on the Eclipse. We loved our sommelier in the MDR and found his pairings to be spot on and his service to be excellent. It was the highlight of my trip. I will caveat this with the fact that I generally purchase wine in the $13-20 per bottle range for my 'at home' enjoyment - and have a couple of easy drinking favorites in the $10 range. I do have a couple of $30+ bottles in my wine frig - for special occasions.

I didn't think to write down or snap pics of the different wines that I was served - but will try to do so on my upcoming cruise.

In case it is helpful... here is a link to the Cellar Masters menu posted from a recent Eclipse review.

http://thepreismans.com/eclipse_so_car_menus.htm#cellar

Thank you so much!! I just checked your site the other day and saw that this was on the 'upcoming cruises list' and made a note to check back... Now I know what I will be doing tonight!

Thanks again!

Over$5000

Yes - but to be fair, the over $5000 price tag included the perks and the current price in that context is actually more now than it has been over the last several months. (I am on this cruise and monitor prices almost daily.) . So for those not sailing solo - the price was around $2500 per person for A2 with Go Better. It is now around $2800 (See price breakdown below.) So if you waited, and you wanted the perks and are not sailing solo - you would actually be paying more, not less.

The advantage I see to the non-perk pricing offered now is that it levels the cabin categories. All AQ cats are listed at $1699 per person without perks...GTY, A1, and A2 are all the same price when they take the perks off (I found this odd...) And of course the current sale where solos pay 150% vs 200% is an advantage for solo travelers that they didn't have before now.

Current (as of 5 minutes ago) 14 Day Eclipse April 2 cruise pricing in Aqua with (2) perks:

GTY $2149 pp

A2 $2749

A1 $2949

The reality is that there is no magic formula - wait or don't wait - it's up to you. There are many factors to be considered - from flexibility to other travel costs such as airfare and hotel.

Those who have the flexibility and who travel many times a year and can book one or two cruises in advance and then shop around for bargains are in the best position to find the best deals. One day - I hope to be there too :D For now, all I can do is shop in advance and keep checking for price drops as frequently as possible. And even now, after final payment I check regularly... still hoping that those suite prices will drop and I can get one of those 'deals' :D

Hello my dear Margarita!

Hope you and Hutch are well!

So very Jello-us that ya'll are going in April.

 

Celebrity, system limitations, several months :eek: business as normal! :D

 

EW

Yes - those 'dry' spells can be hard to take... but you will be cruising again before you know it :)

And one day I am sure the stars will align and we will find ourselves on the same cruise! :D

Excerpt from Classic Package description listed on the Beverage Package section of the Cruise Planner for my upcoming cruise:

It is worth noting that the classic non-alcoholic package does not include the frozen non-alcoholic beverages.. for that you need the premium non-alcoholic package.

However, the Classic (Alcohol) Package does specify that frozen drinks are included up to $8. I doubt it matters if the drink does or doesn't have alcohol in it.

There in lies the catch 22.

 

If it is a sold out tour, and you cancell, if there are any wait listed pax they will be in line and get first chance for any openings. You would be put on the back of the wait list, not able to instantly rebook.

 

You can Roll the dice and hope it does not pre sell out.

 

On our November cruise there is a tour on a cat that our Roll Call booked all the slots for the AM & PM snorkeling sail 15 months out.

 

Catch 22

Hey EW!

I was on the phone with the Captains Club booking a specialty dining package for our upcoming April cruise and mentioned that I'd book other items as well but wanted to use OBC so I would wait. She told me that Celebrity is trying to work things out so that they can allow folks to use their OBC to pre-book items for their cruise vs. waiting until they are on board. She said it is actually a system limitation and they are working on making changes so it may be several months out... just passing it on :D

Thank you - seems to make financial sense to include drink package in offered perks (value of classic is $770 per person on 14 night).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

The value is actually $770 + $138.60 - since you would have to pay the gratuities if purchasing directly.

You said that you had snagged a "go best" promotion. As I remember it, that included all 4 perks. You are now looking at a go better which, at the time was only 2 perks.

 

First question, are you loosing 2 perks?

 

Second question - go big, better, best is no longer around - replaced by a similar promotion, the Sail Beyond which ends today, to be replaced by another promotion tomorrow which isn't quite as good, unless you book Concierge or Aqua or Suites.

 

Are you going to certain that you are going to be able to keep your all of your perks. My experience is that when you re-book a new category it's with the current promotions.

 

This has always been fuzzy for me and never worked to my benefit so I'm certain that you will get additional comments from others that could be more accurate.

I don't think the OP is changing his/her current booking. The CC with Go Best was their last cruise and now they are looking at booking one in the near future and I would guess that there is a significant difference in Go Better vs. Go Best pricing and they want to assess which way makes the most sense for them.

I review pricing on my current cruises every day - and yes, there are still Go Better/Go Best offers out there. I am checking cruises in 2017 - so perhaps it's not available for 2018 or 2019 cruises?

I think user is MVPinBoynton (sorry if I'm wrong)

 

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Forums mobile app

Not sure what the user name on CC is - but if you go to thepreismans.com you can easily find the 2016 Silhouette cruise under Recent Cruises. At the top of the review page you will find a link to the menus.

Or you can just use the link here directly :)

http://thepreismans.com/silhouette_ta_16_menus.htm

Just saw the following posted as a reply on another thread - and it seemed appropriate for this one as well...

Here you go

...

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thank you so much!! I'm building a spreadsheet of the nighttime events based on all the dailies. Assuming things are pretty static in scheduling (I can't imagine that they move too much around or it would make things very confusing for the staff...) It will help me plan my restaurant reservations and dining times in advance.

I'm not sure this has been asked, as I haven't read thru every post on this thread. If I pay for an upgrade from classic to premium package say for 10 days and after day 2 I find that the classic package would have been all I required, am I able to get a refund on the remaining 8 days paid and return to the classic package ? Thanks

I do not believe so. Fine print from the Celebrity Beverage Package page:

"Packages are sold on a per cruise basis, are not sold on a per day or any other basis, and no refunds will be issued for unused amounts."

While you can wait to upgrade - and the price will be prorated accordingly, once you have upgraded there is no turning back.

Oh my goodness... I am so sad :(

I just ran out of entries to read after spending the last 2 hours (that I was supposed to be using to finish a paper for my technical writing class) reading post from #1 to #112. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute and am looking forward to finishing your cruise with you. We are sailing on the Silhouette in November - which I understand is much like the Reflection - so am definitely much more excited than I had been previously.

Thank you so much for sharing!

To answer the question about how soon... since deposit is fully refundable up to 80-90 days out, and you can always amend booking if the price falls before final payment, I would say sooner is better if you want to be certain you get the cabin you want. (Only reason to hold off is if you'd rather not tie up the money needed of the deposit just yet.)

The cost is $11.80 per day to upgrade from CLASSIC to Premium.

 

Since there's a $20 difference per day difference between standard and premium, I think the upgrade price would be $20 plus 18% or $23.60 per day to upgrade.

I would expect you are correct. The cost to upgrade is the difference between the package prices plus the 18%.

Standard package is $45 per day and premium package is $65 - therefore the cost to upgrade from standard to premium is a per day charge of $20 + 3.60 ($23.60 as noted above.)

Class package is $55 per day - thus the difference of $10 + $1.80 ($11.80 per day) to upgrade.

Check your reservation to see what type of package was included as a perk to know how much you will have to pay to upgrade.

Might sound dumb but we've never had a drink package before. Where can I get a classic package glass of wine? And am I allowed to bring it back to my room?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You can find wine in most every bar and restaurant on the ship. Each usually has a menu listing their wine options - and basically anything $9 and less per glass is covered on the classic package. If you look at many of the cruise reviews posted on this forum, you will see that many people have posted pictures of various menus. This will give you an idea of what is available.

And yes - you can get a drink or glass of wine and take it back to your cabin any time you want :)

mimibecky,

 

You can upgrade the Classic Beverage Package to Premium for less than $100 (we did that last February when we sailed the Silhouette). The Premium package covers martinis in the Martini Bar, but the Classic does not.

 

The Lawn Club Grill, The Porch and QSine were my favorite specialty restaurants on board. I can't wait to try Sushi on 5---they've changed it since my last Silly sailing, when it was Bistro on 5. Playing Bocce on the Lawn is awesome fun!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Just to clarify - upgrading to premium is 11.80 per day (includes tax/tip) from the day you upgrade going forward. So if you are on a 10 day cruise and you upgrade on embarkation day on board (or prepay before boarding like I have done) - it's 10 x 11.80 or $118. 7 day cruise would be $82.60. If you wait and upgrade on day 2 of your 10 day - it would be $106.20.

There are lots of threads on the celebrity board about whether or not it is worth it to upgrade... lots of folks weighing in on both sides - and it really depends on your drinking habits/preferences. For me, it's worth it to upgrade just for the wine. I like having a wider selection and enjoy having the sommelier do wine pairings for me at dinner. (This is much harder to do with the classic package as there are less options.) That alone is worth the $11.80 per day to upgrade for me. For others, its the martini's available at the Martini Bar - one specialty martini a day is more than the $11.80 - so it's a win there as well.

And, if you really aren't sure - you can wait a day or two before upgrading. Try staying within the limits of the classic package and it if works for you - no need to upgrade. If you do decide to upgrade, you only pay for the days left on the cruise.

Really enjoying your live review! And thank you so much for posting the dailies! We are on this same itinerary in April and I like being able to get a feel for the activities and the timing of them with the different port/sea days. I have gone through each of those posted to glean what I can, but can't seem to find the one from Day 4 - January 25 - Bonaire. Perhaps I missed it in my review of your posts - but if not - would it be possible to post this Daily as well?

Thanks so much!

Marguerite

Since you've already had your socks blown off - I'll take my hat off to you for your fantastic review!

I've now officially caught up from the beginning of the thread and am adding my thanks to you and Carol for taking pains to make this a truly excellent review!

Looking forward to living the X-life vicariously over the next several weeks. I've never been on the Reflection... though I will be on her sister, the Silhouette, in November. Our first S-class cruise (on the Eclipse) departs in just over 60 days and I am beyond excited!!

Keep the C2 and buy the 7 day Speciality pkg for $29 a day.

Agreed. Currently have a similar situation on our April cruise ($1600 - but for 14 days) and while it's tempting - I am making my decision based on the lowest category I may (likely) get. If I'm not willing to spend that money for an S2 - then I won't book the GTY. I can dine in any specialty restaurant I want and get lots of spa services for the difference in cost if I am so inclined. :D

So today was a pretty laid back day at sea for us. After breakfast in our cabin, Carol went off for a manicure, pedicure, and hair styling at the spa for a few hours. Mike and I did a stroll around the ship before winding up at the casino where I won that jackpot I posted earlier. Tina and Barbara spent the morning relaxing in the Sky Lounge but said they got chased out of there by a loud art auction. Cindy and John spent a chunk of the day relaxing at the Solarium. In the mid-afternoon Mike, Carol and I headed back to the cabin and just chilled out for the rest of the day. George delivered some snacks later in the afternoon (cheese, cookies, small sandwiches). As has been mentioned on this board, he advised us when meeting him that tea service with the snacks is now served in Michael's Club but we had the option of having the snacks delivered to our room if we wanted. We asked him to just make that an automatic afternoon thing.

 

For dinner we went our separate ways tonight. Mike, Carol and I ate again in Luminae, Tina and Barbara did the early seating in the MDR and Cindy and John did select dining in the MDR. We had Floyd again as our waiter. Menus are attached below. Shown are a salmon mousse accompaniment, Maine Lobster Salad, Roasted Squab, Cote de Boeuf, sorbet palate cleanser and Chocolate Palet dessert.

 

After dinner we headed to the casino for a couple hours but no wins unfortunately like earlier today.

Thanks so much for all the wonderful details! Definitely enjoying your post as we will be on the Eclipse at the beginning of April.

If possible - it would be wonderful to have pics of the daily MDR dinner menus. I know they are posted outside the dining room each day - or perhaps your traveling companions could snap a pic or two when they are partaking of their evening meal there? If not - I totally understand - but just thought I'd ask in case it wad possible.

Thanks so much!