cl.klink

There is no limit on the number of drinks you consume, only the price of the drink. :) Also, you can only order 1 drink at a time. :(

So, what marks the end of "a time"? After I order on drink, when can I order the next one? I don't have to finish the previous one, right? Do they just take my previous drink, and then allow me to order the next?

Sounds like worthwhile on a Princess, but on Celebrity, I'll give it a miss.

I have only been on two cruises, but loved both. I was apprehensive before my first one because of all the concerns and criticisms I read in places like CC, which otherwise contains many helpful and praiseworthy posts, too. Once onboard, within a few minutes, I "got" it.

Here's the deal. A cruise ship is generally a great thing, and a cruise is generally a great thing. The question to ask yourself is this: Do the staff, facilities, experiences provide me with the opportunities with which I can make a good time for myself? My friends, it is really hard not to be able to answer "yes" to this question almost every time. Can I find something to fault? Sure. But that is not the question. Can I have a good time? Yes.

Relax and have a good time. This is really really possible to do on a cruise ship. Any cruise ship.

IMHO.

- Joel

I've made a few notations on the list of amenities below. This is my opinion only and you can make up your mind on the value of these and the value of the upgrade. Generally, we always took the CC cabins, even at a much larger expense, on M class ships due to the location and larger size of the CC cabins. But on S class the cabins, other than the minor amenities, are the same so we've not booked a CC cabin other than our first S class sailing and one where the only cabin near some friends was a CC cabin. Other than that we've always found a decent location on a non-cc veranda cabin and would only consider CC if it was the only location that we liked. On the other hand we have booked AQ cabins once and will again for our next cruise - we like these as they have access to Blu in addition to the other amenities.

 

 

Services

• Priority check-in Pointless and little or no value This is just a separate line and may or may not move faster than the other lines
  
• Express luggage delivery No discernible difference in our experience
  
• Personalized Concierge service Never used nor knew anyone who used this
  
• Priority disembarkation based on your travel needs Little or no difference
  
• Complimentary shoeshine service Never used this - possible low value
  
• Access to the exclusive Concierge Class Pre-departure Lounge Little or no value as in all my cruises I've never even seen this let alone used it. I don't even know if it exists at many ports.
  

Dining

• Main and specialty restaurant seating time preferences I've never head of this actually making a difference to anyone
  
• Expanded room service menu Not much of a difference - see this thread but also read post #29 on it: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1752753
  

Amenities

• Welcome Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine with a commemorative label featuring exclusive art work from the ArtCenter/South Florida artists This is usually on the wine menu at a price around $25 to $30
  
• Pillow menu to suit your sleeping preferences - You often have to ask for the pillow menu and often the room steward won't know what you're talking about - you can always ask for a feather pillow or body pillow anyways
  
• Daily delivery of Afternoon Savories Some people enjoy these but we don't like what they pass out and prefer other snacks, like a cheese plate, from room service or the afternoon snack selection in the buffet or coffee bar
  
• Plush Frette® bathrobes Every cabin does get a bathrobe but these are in fact a nice thick terrycloth compared to the thin waffle fabric bathrobes provided in a standard cabin
  
• Fresh fruit This is nice if you want it. It is a fruit bowl refreshed daily, but fruit is also available in the buffet
  
• Fresh flowers Nice, but small arraingement
  
• Custom-blended bath amenities Same as standard cabins but I think you get shower gel as well as the shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soap provided to all lower category cabins
  
• Personalized stationery - around 3 or 4 sheets of paper with your name and cabin number at the top
  
• Use of binoculars and golf umbrella All cabins get small folding umbrellas and these are larger. Binoculars are cheap toy like items and don't provide much of a function
  
• Oversized 100% cotton bath towels These are nicer than the towels in the standard cabins but not worth a lot extra. The standard towels are fine but not quite as big or thick
  
• Extra handheld hair dryer It is what it is - my wife brings her own anyways
  
• Celebrity tote bag This is slightly nicer zip up tote (beach bag) compared to the bag provided in standard cabins. It is handy but not worth more than about $10
  

Stateroom Features

• Hansgrohe® massaging showerhead I don't think this applies to the S class ships as I recall a fixed shower head (no hose) on s class CC that was the same as standard cabins.
  

Not included in the list above is the small footstools provided on S class CC cabin verandas which ate nice to have.

Thanks fore the comments.

I think once I reach elite I'll stop doing CC. Still want to do AQ but DW not on board yet.

Man that was a tour de force. Took me a week to read through.

Thanks, Gambee.

Lush products (www dot lushusa dot com) makes wonderful solid shampoos that come in a tin container and are great for travel. Many of their other products help avoid the "liquid" issue in carryon luggage.

 

Also, we too take our old underwear and throw them away each day during our vacations. Gives more room in the luggage, then get to buy nice new undies after returning home. :p

Great ideas!

Maybe cl.klick can answer this, but I was planning on bringing travel sizes along to get me through the first day or two. Paris is our first stop and I will pick up full size bottles there.

 

By the way, thanks so much cl.klick for all the packing advise. I am really excited about the one bag idea.

And you SHOULD be excited! Practice, test out your plans, study the one bag.com web page, and off you go. There are a host of people who get very in to this light travel thing on line. Another web site I like is OBOW.com.

http://www.minimus.biz is a web page that sells all kinds of travel sized stuff, too.

- Joel

One bag seems like a great idea but how do you get by airport security with the amount of liquids like shampoo etc. needed for a long trip?

Answer is ... you don't! This area is some of the advanced planning you need to do. For example, I use tooth powder rather than tooth paste. You sprinkle it on the toothbrush, add water. Works just fine, and it's light weight, and not a liquid. For men, rather than an electric razor (too big, heavy) you might bring a disposable blade razor or two (light), and instead of shaving cream (bulky, heavy), a tiny bottle of shaving oil (comes in 2 oz I think, a drop or two is all you need). Instead of bringing shampoo, buy at destination or use whatever's provided in destination bathrooms. If there's a brand you MUST have and bring, pour into small 3 oz tubes.

As a last resort, one can fall back on realizing that you are not usually going to Siberia. Wherever you are traveling to, some things could be bought there, rather than bringing with you.

That said, best is to find a happy and workable way to do without a lot of liquids in your carry on. This type of problem is all covered in the onebag.com web page. With some trial and error at home, or on a practice small trip or two, you'll figure out what you can get away with.

- Joel

Hi Gumboroux

 

I am really just starting to investigate this. We will be traveling with 2 teens so they can manage their own bags. I am thinking if we all had one of these:

 

http://www.redoxx.com/air-boss/91018/product

 

My husband could also have this for his computer if needed:

 

http://www.redoxx.com/Briefcases-and-Garment-Bags/Metro-Briefcase/91095/130/Product

 

I can use this for ipads, phones, passports, tickets and cameras:

 

http://www.redoxx.com/Backpacks-Daypacks/Chica/91005/160/Product

 

Or this bigger one:

 

http://www.redoxx.com/Briefcases-and-Garment-Bags/Gator-Carry-On-Bag/91002/130/Product

 

We will have 4 nights in Paris and 4 nights in London followed by a 12 day cruise. If I do laundry, we could swing it. Now what do I do about souvenirs? Maybe all have the airboss and pack one rolling back to check and share it?

 

I'm really not sure how much to pack yet. Maybe one set of jeans, 2 capris, 2 tshirts, 3 nice tops, 2 pjs, light jacket with hood, sweater and a pair of sandals. Actually, wear the jeans and jacket on the plane. Always wear your bulky items, right? Bring travel size toiletries and shop for full size when you get there. The ship does have nice enough shampoo/conditioner.

 

Any thoughts?

If you follow the advice on onebag.com, your family could totally do this. An Air Boss for each person is plenty. Very excellent durable bags that will last a life time. Each person can get all they need into such a bag.

Let's face it. Most people over pack a ton more that they need, but have stuff "just in case." Or, they pack with choices that are redundant and bulky and inefficient and could be accomplished with a smaller amount of more wisely chosen items that reduce bulk and weight. If you prepare - and prepare properly - you can travel with one bag, a carry on, and go anywhere, for any length of time. That frees you up to actually travel, worry less about all kinds of logistics, and have what you want with you at all times to boot!

I talked my wife and two teenagers into this on a 2 week trip from US to the middle east and Italy and back home. Worked just fine, everyone happy. No checked bags, ever. Easy to go from hotel to hotel (we must have had 8 separate hotels that trip). So easy to pack and unpack. Everyone had all they needed. I realize we here are all talking about cruises, so the pack and repack thing is not a problem. But ... Still ....

Thanks! I am reading onebag.com. I love the Red Oxx Air Boss Carry on bag. I am thinking of getting one for each of us for our British Isles cruise with land stays in Paris and London. It would make all the train travel easy! Plus we are staying in apartments so it would be able to do laundry.

Yep. You've. Nailed it! I had a Red Oxx Air Boss on my first cruise. It was my only bag. I still think I over packed! I lost that bag - and everything else I owned - in a house fire in August (no one hurt). I replaced the bag with a Tom Bihn Aeronaut. Either bag works great. I also sometimes use the slightly smaller Tom Bihn Tristar bag.

It takes some planning, but once you take this plunge, and really commit to. It, you'll be hooked. One bag is the way to go.

It is truly liberating (just as the website says) to commit to one bag travel. No problems if flight bumped/delayed/missed. No waiting for bags to be delivered to stateroom. No placing bags out on night before disembarkation. You've always got all your "stuff" with you.

I've become very committed to light travel. I read through onebag.com after I heard Doug Dyment being interviewed 6 years ago, and became hooked. I always travel with one - and only one - bag. A single carry on. Nothing else. Several weeks overseas, many countries? No problem. Long cruise? done. Requires thinking it through, planning, having a small number of multi-use reusable items that ate small and light. Read onebag.com. It CAN be done. Promise.

Enjoying living vicariously through your review. Cheaper than booking a cruise!

I'm curious about Cellar Masters. Can you describe it?

- Joel

That's HOT spot, not hit spot.

Blush,

- Joel

Ok, so I have an Overdrive, a mobile hotspot from spring that wirelessly gets on the. Internet using cellphone 3G or (where it's available) 4G, and 5 people can use it via wi-fi interface. Very nice for traveling. Never buy Internet access anywhere. But, on Mille (sail tomorrow) I guess I'd have to pay roaming rates. This device us inert when turned off - none of that magical downloading of data and stuff from the internet. So, I'd only pay for the time I use it. Having a hard time getting word from Sprint what that costs. Will it just be cheaper to jee the onboard intent access? Anyone else done this with a device like mine, or just plain cell phone tethering?

- Joel

Joel, please post what you checked....zone and how many stars?

Oh..resort and what zone?

Zone 8, resort.

- Joel

Just got priceline bid accepted for resort level for San Juan area, for Feb 3-4, 2011. I bid $111 and I got Marriott San Juan Resort And Stellaris Casino. I previously failed at $90, $95, $105.

- Joel