Redtravel

Summer 2022. I saw people wearing everything in the MDR… shorts, jeans, sequins, flip flops, pajamas, bathing suits, hats, etc. there is no dress code! You can wear anything. That includes chic night. For Alaska, jeans are a good choice.

Not worth it. You already paid for dinner in MDR. Eat it. Save your money for a restaurant on land.

Prices are up on most things including cruising. Cruise lines that cut prices may also cut food and services. If a price is too good to be true, look for the reason. There are still some real deals. We got a cheap fare on Windstar cruise in September. It was a changed itinerary repo cruise. However, most fares are increasing. If Oceania cuts fares, expect cruise to be not as good as you expected. On our December Marina cruise, we noticed some changes. Didn’t get tote bag, no choice of scented toiletrie, and fewer beef dishes. Not enough to stop us from booking.

Stay in St. Malo. It’s a charming town with lots to see. I loved it. I was sad on a WS 2018 cruise that was scheduled to stop there, but didn’t. We had weather problems and went to Cherbourg instead. It was a nice town, but not as good as St. Malo. went to Mt. st. michel on a land tour. Mt. st. michel looks great from a distance. Up close it is very touristy with souvenir shops and expensive restaurants. The climb up to the cathedral isn’t worth it. Mt. st. michel was a big disappointment.

Did the hours change for the GDR and buffet? On my December cruise, the line at the GDR at 6 30 was very long. The Florida people complained that dinner was too late. After a few days of lines, there were none. The buffet was crowded.

Tipping is always a topic discussed. On some lines, all tips are pooled. We were told by a Celebrity waiter that they are required to turn in all tips. If anyone keeps a cash tip they could lose their jobs. If I want to give an extra tip to a specific person, I do it privately.

Take care of your kids. Don’t put them across the hall. Pick a cabin that can accommodate 4 people. Eat with your kids, not in Blu. If you want a cabin for yourself, bring a nanny to take care of your kids. If not, cruising isn’t appropriate for you.

Like both Azamara and Oceania. Nothing beats Azamara amazing evenings. Been to some fabulous venues. Owners suite on Azamara is beautiful. However, its location aft has lots of vibration. Food on Oceania is better than Azamara. Prefer Oceania Marina or Riviera over any R ship. We were on Marina in December. It was excellent. You will have a good time on either line.

I have sailed on Marina several times. Most recent was December 2022. Ship is still beautiful. It is well cared for. Our cabin on deck 10 was in good condition. Bed was very comfortable. The public venues look good. I would gladly sail on her again. I sailed on Sirena in 2020 after it was redone. It looked bright and fresh. However, the refit was done sloppily with several rough spots.

Thinking back to December Marina cruise. We ate well. There were lots of good choices. No sweet n low, only Splenda. Diet Coke was often unavailable. No Sprite Zero. They sometimes offered diet 7 up or Coke Zero. We were told that diet soda has to be preordered 6 weeks before your cruise. Never heard this on any previous O cruises. I prefer fish or poultry. The few times that I ordered beef, it was tough. Never saw any solid duck offered. I had a duck entre on Jacques that was shredded. It looked like dog food, but was tasty.

We were in Victoria on a cruise in September. I don’t recall any closures of bars. We stayed overnight. Strangely on the first day at 5 pm, we had to leave the dock and go out of port. Sat at anchor overnight close to shore. There were no tenders. Next morning, we docked again. The shuttle bus was free. We were on Windstar.

Don’t count on reduced capacity. If it happens, that’s good. If somebody wants to book a cabin, Celebrity will sell it. In June, we were told that our cruise was reduced capacity. It wasn’t reduced. It was crowded. Spouse got Covid. Not sure if we will ever book on Celebrity again.

Just read on another forum that the assurance policy ended. Is this true? Couple posted that they were in Tahiti getting ready to embark. Guest felt sick and tested positive for Covid. WS refused to let them embark. They were also told that they would not get refund or credit. If this is true, make sure that you have travel insurance that covers covid.

Love tea Forte. Celebrity is the only line that we have taken that regular serves it at their coffee bar. Oceania serves it in Red Ginger, specialty restaurant.

The listed changes and cutbacks were not in place when we sailed in June. It just seems that there has been a huge number of changes. When I read the posts, it just seems that the experience has changed too much. I hesitate to book another Celebrity cruise.

So many complaints. Has Celebrity really made that many cuts? We were on in June. We didn’t like the crowding. However, the cabins were nicely redesigned. The food in MDR was very good. We had roast beef twice and double lobster tails.. We had a dinner reservation at table for 2 that was kept. Our waiters were very good…prompt and polite. Our cabin steward was excellent. There were shortages in beverages. Overall, it was ok. It was our first pandemic cruise. We were cautious. Even though my spouse got Covid, we had enough confidence to travel again. Nothing is perfect.

Sorry that you are at that pier instead of old San Juan. Pan American pier is out of it. You will need a taxi to get there.

No free lunch. Just get over it. Going on any cruise is your choice. If you don’t like the room service charge, don’t use room service. If all these changes annoy you, stop complaining and don’t book X.

Reflection was so crowded, we always had problems finding seating….buffet, pool, theater,etc. Those 194 passengers probably had extra berths. If you look at the ships capacity , it only indicates 2 people in a cabin. If you add extra berths, the numbers increase. After that cruise in 2019, we swore off the Reflection. Next we went to smaller ships. We love Windstar, Azamara, Viking, and Oceania. In 2022, we sailed on Summit. It had been my favorite Celebrity ship. We were told that the capacity was reduced. At 2500, it was very crowded. That not pleasant.

OBC. From your travel agent can be used for anything or cashed in. However, OBC from Windstar is limited. It is non refundable. You cannot use it to pay for tips. There are regularly guests who are unaware of this policy. It can be used to buy excursions, spa services, beverages, transfers, laundry, wine tasting, and store purchases.

Reflection is more crowded. Compared to other S class ships, there is an extra deck of cabins. There is no extra pubic space. We sailed on Reflection once and done.

Crowded…very crowded. Celebrity has added cabins on most ships. That adds guests and cuts out open space. On M ships, the library became cabins, the acupuncture became cabins, spa space became cabins, deck space became cabins, specialty dining space became cabins, movie theatre became cabins, etc. The Retreat, Michaels club, and Luminae are space restricted for suite guests. Each time I sail on Celebrity there are more people crowded into less public areas. My last Celebrity cruise was so crowded, it was often impossible to avoid getting close to people. For me, it was my first pandemic cruise. I was uncomfortable. Spouse got Covid. It took lots of convincing to get me on another cruise. Opted to sail on other lines that have better space ratio. If you go for smaller ships or more upscale luxury lines, you can avoid crowds. Most recent cruise was on Oceania. It was full, but didn’t feel crowded. There was lots of space.

It happens. Just had it happen on a plane fare. First class was only $20 more than coach. I did a double take and booked it.

Book a Concierge cabins ? It depends on the value of added items. On M class, the bigger cabin is a plus. The embarkation lunch is good. Location can be important. Aside from that, I don’t see any value to me in paying for a concierge cabin. Strangely, on my first cruise on Millenium, there wasn’t concierge class. We booked a cabin midship on deck 8. A standard veranda cabin. Nice location. Next time we booked on a M class ship, that same cabin was concierge C2 and much more expensive. The only thing different was we paid $$$. Got us a bad bottle of wine. Creating concierge class is a great marketing ploy that makes money. Over the years, the changes on Celebrity show creative marketing concepts to separate guests by classing them. It’s nothing like the Celebrity cruise was before Royal bought it. when do I book concierge class? Only when pushed. Last cruise we booked late and there weren’t any regular veranda cabins. We booked midship deck 8. That same cabin was now reclassified as a C1. It’s the same cabin. It didn’t move. The classification changed pushing its price up. Celebrity is a marvel at marketing.

I wouldn't waste my time on the ship to do any survey. Any survey that expires is worthless. Often after most cruises I get a survey that expires in a week. They are also worthless. If you value guest opinions, give them time to think about the cruise experience. If not, it shows that you don't care.