Godello

We were booked in Cabin 100 on a recent Atlantic cruise. The downside: it's the foreward-most cabin and you get all the sea action in rough weather, plus lots of noise when docking early in the morning. We had a couple of rough nights and my wife got pretty sick. I did not, so it all depends on your susceptibility to motion sickness.

The pluses exceed the minuses in my opinion. The cabin is configured differently than the rest. Inside the outermost door is a closet on each side, with the safe in one of them. Then you transit an inner door into the living room. The living room runs the width of the cabin with a large couch, two stuffed chairs, coffee table, cabinets (one with glassware), and lots of storage. The bathroom is large and contains a tub/shower. Perpendicular to the living room (to the right) is the bedroom and you can stretch a collapsing curtain from wall-to-wall between it and the living room. On one side of the bedroom is a desk that runs the length of the wall--very nice. We just really liked the arrangement of this cabin. We met a couple one evening that had been on something like 75 cruises with Windstar. Their favorite cabin on board was 100 and they tried to get it, but we already had it. Hope that helps.

We purchased the ultimate dining package on our last cruise because we like the smaller venues and the food, not because we wish to brag and I think that this statement is an insult just because you do not think it is worth paying extra for does not mean others that do are wrong in doing so. We did not mention once to any other cruisers where we ate, if you feel that strongly that this is all cruise lines are doing now, why cruise? We have also been to many restaurants on land that are better but if we wish to purchase dining packages on top that is our choice if you do not that is your choice. It is the freedom of choice that we like. We never go an all inclusive holidays, we like to go out to restaurants, the cruise gives us the opportunity to visit several different places, in comfort and we can also now choose which restaurant we eat in.

Vadell, I'm not into word wars. I was not attacking you nor anyone else personally, so your response seemed a bit strong. The point I was trying to make is that what you now pay extra for you used to get as part of your cruise package. As with airlines, where you are now charged extra for a seat you used to get as part of your fare, you now get jammed into sardine seats if you won't pay more. The business model is to charge extra for everything you can and Celebrity and the cruise lines in general are excellent at that. The other point I was trying to make is that if folks avoided these extra pay restaurants they would disappear and maybe the quality would return to the MDR. (I know that's not gonna happen!!!) I cruise because I love cruising. I lament that the middle class cruise lines have become venues for constant sales pitches. Food, pictures, casino, spa treatments--it's unending. It won't keep me from cruising. But cruising was more fun before the corporate managers went to the present model. And if you think I'm wrong about some people on here (and on board ship) one-upping with their restaurant stories, then obviously you and I read different board entries and hear from different people. Nothing wrong with people have different opinions. Hope you're having a great day!

Been on multiple Celebrity cruises since 2005. At that time the MDR had 5 course meals. Then it became 4 course. Now it's down to 3 course. I know that one can order various dishes at each course, but the point is that the number of selections has been reduced. As for eating in the extra pay restaurants we never do. I'm fortunate to live in an area with good restaurants. I don't go on a cruise (which is supposed to include meals) to then pay more money for food that I can easily find at a better quality level for the same or lower price at home! When the cruise lines started going this they really put one over on their clientele. They bet that customers would want to one-up each other with "I've eaten at fu-fu-fa-fa, have you." And they were right! I've watched these posts over the years and certain folks love to talk about the pay restaurants they've patronized. I've always wondered what kind of restaurants they have at home. As long as they do it food quality and choice will continue to deteriorate in the "free" dining areas.

I've also watched the MDR and cafeteria locations spaces be invaded by increasing numbers of pay places. I suspect that eventually the only "free" place will be the cafeteria and everything else will be extra money. The constant grab for more money and the fact that the daily programs featured activities are almost always things that require extra fees has really become a turnoff on Celebrity. (And, of course, they're not the only cruise line with that approach.) Nuf said!

I've sailed a lot on Celebrity. I recently finished my second Princess cruise--the Diamond Princess from Singapore to Yokohama. Based on this voyage I'll be staying with Celebrity. The negatives I'll mention are specific to the Diamond; I don't know how general they are for other Princess ships. Specifically:

1. No daily newspaper summary on Princess (on Celebrity they appear in several languages and are good company for morning coffee).

2. No local maps available at Excursions or Customer Service Desks to just pick up on Princess. You have to wait in line (often a long one!) and if you ask for one they have to leave the desk, go in the back and retrieve one. They have them, they just aren’t keen about making them available.

3. No omelet station on Princess, but there is a sign that you can place an omelet order. You just have to wait until someone appears to take the order.

4. No pasta station on Princess.

5. “Orange juice” was clearly Tang on first two days of voyage, coffee was colored water. Then both reached typical cruise ship level of tremendously mediocre.

6. Most ships I’ve been on the upper deck has a large lounge area forward with lots of glass for grand viewing. On Princess that area is called “The Sanctuary” and they actually have the gall to charge you to use it. They call it a “nominal charge.” It’s $20!! Incredible! It’s free on any other ship I’ve been on, not just Celebrity.

7. Princess pours its “wines by the glass” in small glasses so one receives about a four ounce pour; Celebrity pours into “real” wine glasses and more like a six ounce pour. Celebrity always brings the wine bottle to the table (as does any restaurant) to make the pour; you never see the wine bottle on Princess—an absolute taboo in wine pouring.

8. Princess has nothing close to a dining room sommelier as does Celebrity. (I should add, the Diamond has four smaller dining rooms which is where I dined. The large dining room may have a sommelier--I don't know.)

Many would consider each of the above a small thing (though I consider "The Sanctuary" deal a BIG thing and ridiculous), but they add up.

I would add, that on this cruise we missed a port because of a non-working turbine. They knew about it before we left Singapore and had missed the same port on the previous cruise! So when the night before we are scheduled to arrive at the port the captain (Todd McBlaine) announces we would miss the port some people got pretty upset. Princess offered a $50/person credit but that seemed pretty minimal. The next day, at the end of his daily "announcement," Captain McBlaine became very stern and said that some passengers had exhibited inappropriate behavior with staff. He said this kind of thing was not tolerated, that he knew who these people were, and that if they continued in that fashion at any time during the rest of the voyage they would be put off the ship at the next port.

Holy cow! I know there are too many passengers who treat staff rudely and I'm confident it happened in this case. Some of them deserve to be disembarked. But in my opinion you deal with those passengers directly. You do not make a threatening shipwide announcement to the entire lot of passengers. Other folks I talked to found it incredible. Never witnessed anything close to it on any other ship I've been on.

So, based on this cruise, as I said, I'd stick with Celebrity!

I've checked old threads without every finding a dollar/pound number. Anyone know what Azamara charges for their transfers from Heathrow to Southampton?