Mrs_Tiki

Also, on recent cruises on Apex and Edge, disposable headphones were available in the gym.

8 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Did you mean terminal 29?  All the way at the end? 

 

 Terminal 25 is the Terminal that was built for the Edge Class of ships and is amazing. Boarding and debarking there is a pleasure.

 

Terminal 29 is one of the older terminals and I agree with you assessment.  We boarded, did a turn around, and departed out of terminal 29 on Reflection last year.  Upon embarkation we went the suite line for security screening and were taken to a small curtained off area which had metal chairs and a few drinks/snacks set up.  We were not there very long but it was better than where they had us located for the B2B turn around.  Thankfully we did not spend much time in either location.  Our paperwork was checked and we were asked to wait a couple of minutes. I saw a few employee's checking their clipboards which had pictures of the guest sailing in the higher suites.  After about 3 - 5 minutes we were told we could proceed on the ship and off we went.  

 

Yes, you are right! It must have been 29.

2 hours ago, hcat said:

For the "new" terminal in port Ev  and oribably others, the old rules are no longer in effect

 

There was previously a clearly defined  boarding order.  Suites..Zenith..now have their own entry  so they are out of the gen boarding mix...

Used to be them first, then then E +  and AQ Class, then Elite and Concierge...

No longer followed.  Wheel chairs get some preference...Concierge sometimes gets on early for the lunch...

 

Everyone  else lines up  allegedly by time..it is a miserable waiting area with  uncomfortable metal benches..like a bus terminal..Everyone wants to be first...rude chaos!

  GRIN AND BEAR IT.

 

We recently sailed in a suite...much better experience  with go right in  rules.

We thought the waiting area  would be much nicer.. It had  more comfy seats...not nearly enough.  Open Bar but no snacks whatsoever...just a less crowded free for all  .  GRIN AND BEAR IT!

,

hcat, I know that you post often, enjoy readying your posts, and value your contributions, but I have a bit of a different take on this one. Our Retreat boarding experience was awesome in Terminal 25 at Port Everglades but terrible in Terminal 19, so I think that the terminal makes a big difference!

In November 2021, we embarked Apex from Terminal 25. The only hiccup was totally my fault. This was back in the days of extremely low passenger counts, so I breezed right in the main terminal door, not seeing the special entrance for Retreat guests. The port employee at the top of the escalator had limited English and no idea that there was a separate suite area. But once we found the “magic door,” all was awesome. The lounge was beautiful, and I have some recollection of beverages and light bites, but we were checked in and whisked aboard so fast that we never partook.

Totally different experience on our Edge sailing in March 2022. Another ship had some mechanical issue that required it to dock earlier at Terminal 25, so we were notified via text as we made our way the the port that Edge would be using Terminal 19. Especially when compared to 25, it seems like a drafty, dingy, old warehouse. As we made our way to the Retreat line, the computers went down, and we stood at least 30 minutes before it began to move and we could enter the building.
 

Once inside, suite passengers were crammed into the small waiting area with airport gate-like rows of seats as port employees did their best to get people checked in using some alternate system. (The handheld devices did not work, so they had to take our passports and paperwork to the few agents with laptops.) 

The kicker for us was that we were in a Royal Suite, and once checked in, they instructed us to remain in the terminal until someone could come to escort us to our suite. After 15 more minutes, no one came, so I politely asked someone from the ship if we could walk on ourselves. I know that they were trying to provide us with extra attention, but it kind of backfired!

(

4 hours ago, the penguins said:

I wonder what caused the 10.30 to 11.00 to run late? To many passengers turning up outside of their alloted times? You said you arrived at 11.05 and had to join a queue for your slot so unless clearly some of your group had arrived early. 

Sorry I forgot to mention it was Port Everglades. There were lines marked with signage for every other boarding time (no idea why not for each time - that added to the confusion), and people were getting in line as soon as they arrived at port.  
 

So yes, there were hordes of people arriving to the port in advance of their times.Many were indignant that they were not allowed to enter the terminal and verbally abusive to port employees and other passengers. I think that part of the reason that boarding was slow was that many of us were unable to complete the health questionnaire through the app, and it had to be done by agents once we entered the terminal. Hopefully, that is not an ongoing issue.
 

The funny part was that my husband had gone to park the car, so I got in our line by myself initially. (At the direction of the port employee - she said that he could join me when he got back, just to let others go ahead if he wasn’t back by the time it started moving.) 

He jogged up just as the line began to move, and we barely stopped as we completed check-in and waited just a few minutes to board. His comment was, “that wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be.” Ha, he missed all the drama and stress!

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

Didn't know Elite had any priority on departure. Yes we have a separate lounge (Tuscan on S class which is actually a pain due to its location. We prefer to wait in the Al Bacio) but not anything else. What is the benefit? Thanks in advance 

No priority disembarkation for Elites on November 12 Apex cruise, just the lounge in Tuscan. Our assigned time was 8:50, and we were called right in time.

As for embarkation, they were strongly enforcing times.  We had 11:00-11:30, arrived at 11:05, had to queue and wait for earlier group to clear before our line started to enter terminal 25 around 11:30, then another wait inside.

I don’t mind waiting in an orderly line, but I was put off by the fact that it took a Port employee with a bullhorn to try to keep order among the crowd. It was very stressful and reinforced the value of The Retreat for future cruises.

Thank you! How did I miss that?!

On 11/25/2022 at 6:10 PM, paceyswife said:

I just booked for the first time with the concierge this morning for February 23 sailing. My other MSC cruises I either called directly or booked online. I filled out form last night for a call today between 9am and 10am. It was a great experience. I felt she was experienced and answered all my questions without hesitation. This is first time I booked with less than a 6-12 month window and  had a few concerns. We had an awful experience with MSC service our last sailing and decided to give them one more go (though they did make up for the bungled reservation with add’l discount and OBC). 
What is the most appealing aspect of using the concierge service is that I have a direct contact number for her. Should any issues/questions arise, I can reach out directly to her. She is available Mon-Friday 9-5. 

I would like to contact a concierge to assist with my booking, but I don't see the form that you mention above. Where can I find this?

Eden Cafe is only open on sea days (no charge), Le Bistro is open for lunch everyday ($30 charge).

On 11/22/2022 at 8:38 AM, carolina_yankee said:

Thank you for your kindness, too. We didn't show up at any of the gatherings that we heard about but did keep our eyes out. I hope you had a great cruise.  Just test this morning, and five days out - still negative and no symptoms so I think we survived!

Your review is wonderful and is a great way to relive a great week! We did have a nice cruise, although work encroached for me a bit. Others might be interested that Premium Internet Package performed very well for sending/receiving emails EXCEPT for the last sea day, when it was almost inoperable. The first sea day was a Sunday, so I wasn't trying to work then, but my experience was that the best time for internet usage for me - pre-Starlink - was in the mornings when the ship was in port.

Sadly, I was not as fortunate as you with avoiding COVID. I started feeling a bit "off" yesterday and took a test today as a precaution before traveling to see family. I was disappointed to get a positive result that has derailed Thanksgiving plans, but grateful that I feel OK so far.

19 minutes ago, Ejuric said:

Good news! My mom reached out via cell this morning. She’s been having phone issues on ship. Thank you for your help- it really comforted me reading that you saw my parents. Have a wonderful rest of your cruise!

 

best,

Emily 

We are on this sailing and have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Carolina Yankee. If we don't cross paths, I wanted to say that this interaction is an example of the kindness of strangers that seems to have gone missing from our culture. Warms my heart!

Ship:  Apex
Length of Cruise: 7 days   
Cruise Sail Date: November 12, 2022
Date email offer received: no email - used link in "Manage Reservation" in early September
Captain’s Club Tier [“PREVIEW” = first Celebrity Cruise]: Elite
Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA
Current Cabin: AQ  

Bid?  Yes/No: yes  
If YES -  Bidding Details:

Min/Max Bids:

Edge Villa: $5,000-8,750

Royal Suite: $2,500-6,250

Celebrity Suite: $2,000-5,000

Sky Suite: $500-1,250

Cabin Category: Sky Suite
Bid Offer: initial bid = $750, subsequently raised to $900 3 days pre-cruise, indicated "Strong" bid
Notification Date: November 10, 2022  
Accepted / Rejected: Rejected

General Comments: when I made my initial bid, there were over a dozen suites available, and there were still 2 Sky Suites available 2 days pre-cruise when it was rejected - someone must have out-bid me

Just to circle back with a data point for others - just received an email that our bid was not accepted. And there are still two SS showing available for our cruise. Go figure!

Good news is that we are looking forward to dining in Blu and experiencing our first cruise with an infinite balcony.

What a perfect outfit for a Gatsby party! Have so much fun!

2 minutes ago, someguyfl said:

Most likely you will have the upgrade clear in the next 24 hours. When my MoveUp became frozen as yours did, I looked at the sky suites that were available. There were two remaining - one on deck 9 (S2) and one on deck 10 (S1). I got upgraded to the one that was on Deck 9, and both rooms were no longer available.

Just as a heads up - SS does not include Thermal Suite access, so if that was important to you, you will want to inquire about a thermal se pass on your first day of the cruise (or before the cruise) ... Those tend to sell out.

Thank you, someguyfl, for your positive and helpful reply. We were not as excited about the Thermal Suite as dining in Blu.  We actually prefer Blu to Luminae and debated about making a MoveUp offer if it would mean giving it up. (I know that suite guests can dine there on an as available basis, but it appears that AQ is fully booked as well.)

Whether we score the SS or not, we will be happy to be onboard in a few days! 

Now I am in the same boat, so to speak! I placed a MoveUp offer (from AQ to SS) in early September for our Apex sailing this Saturday (November 12). It was categorized as a "Strong" bid, and I felt good about my chances, as there were about a dozen Sky Suites available. 

As of last week, all the SSs were booked, but yesterday two popped up as available. This, combined with the Nicole-related cancellation of a planned pre-cruise stay at the Ritz on Amelia Island, inspired me to up my bid a bit today.

We are just under 72 hours out from the cruise, and my bid is still showing Pending, but can't be modified or cancelled. Should I feel optimistic since it isn't showing Expired?

BTW, if we end up in one of the cabins showing available as of yesterday, Tiki_Man is going to owe me a drink in the Retreat Lounge. He has been making fun of my admittedly obsessive tracking of available cabins and MoveUp-related threads here on CC!

Tiki_Man and I will be on the Apex with Carolina Yankee on Saturday, but our travel has already taken a turn. I had a work conference on Amelia Island that was to have started right about now. We live in the north Georgia mountains and set out early this morning for Amelia. Got within 20 miles and received the notification that  there is to be a mandatory evacuation, the Ritz was closing at 2:00, and the meeting was cancelled.

We knew that we were taking a calculated risk setting out this morning, but I am still glad that we won’t be driving as the storm heads north into Georgia. So instead of the Ritz, we will be spending the next few days at a Hampton Inn in central Florida! (Now I really am hoping to win my bid for a suite!)

Safe travels to all!

2 minutes ago, Panzano said:

If your ship is docking at 19, you shouldn't have any problem dropping off your luggage at the terminal, parking in the palm garage and the walking back to the terminal.   

https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/porteverglades/FINAL_REVISED_July_27_2021_Facilities_Guide_Map_PEG799_Port_Facilties_MAP_11x17_02_8d630dbd-4022-4da1-ad1a-cb5ceef4f230.pdf

Ha, great minds think alike!

Here’s a link to a map of the port. I believe that the Palm deck is between Terminal 19 and 21, so it looks like it may be closer to 19 than 25.

https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/porteverglades/FINAL_REVISED_July_27_2021_Facilities_Guide_Map_PEG799_Port_Facilties_MAP_11x17_02_8d630dbd-4022-4da1-ad1a-cb5ceef4f230.pdf

Agree that Aqua is the better deal!

Thank you. In years gone by, I think I remembered seeing Rotary/Lions/Kiwanis meetings posted on the daily bulletin along with Friends f Bill W. And Friends of Dorothy. But we have been away for a bit since the pandemic.

Can anyone who has been on Apex lately advise if there are service club meetings on board, specifically Rotary?

12 hours ago, Cruise Gopher said:

 

Travel agent needs to generate a code in a special amex website for travel agents then they call the cruise line to give them a code that was generated by the amex site and then the cruise line adds the OBC to the booking. 

Strange, I always use my Amex for payment, but my TA has never mentioned this to me. I will ask him about it!

How do you get Amex benefit applied if you don’t book through Amex Travel?

Hooray,  my TA requested an updated booking confirmation, and it now shows “booked.” And is showing all the perks. She had no idea why it was being weird before!

33 minutes ago, danceswithphones said:

The document I received shows:  Status: BOOKED

Thank you for sharing. I have asked my TA why ours is different.