Barwick Cruiser

Am so loving this review and will be very sorry for you to go home 😉 Love the pics of the penguins…please tell me those were taken with your iPhone? You really do have a special knack for travel reporting! And I loved your list of the pros of solo sailing…would love to do that as well however my DH would catch on too quickly and I’d end up finding him in the seat beside me in the plane…

I’ll be following as well, very interested in your impressions of the various ports. We have family in NZ and are planning a visit next Feb to see more of your stunning country and adding an itinerary like this would be perfect! Thanks for doing this live review, hope the wifi cooperates 🤞🥂🚢

Nicely done Celebrity, and glad you were persistent with them, def paid off. I didn’t act quickly enough and now the difference between the classic and Premium doesn’t make sense for us. There’s not worrying about signing slips and then there’s just paying a ridiculous amount for that comfort lol, especially when our dollar is so weak we’re almost paying 140%…we’ll stick to paying the difference on the drinks that are over classic in February.

Thanks Charla! Your generosity in sharing your precious holiday time is appreciated greatly! 😇

Can you elaborate on how Celebrity made you happy? Did you get the upgrade at the old price?

Charla, I’ll def be following along as we board Silhouette next month for the 10 night sailing, however only in lowly verandas so expecting a much different experience than what you’re sure to enjoy. I imagine you won’t even see the effect of the recent cutbacks. Looking forward to your assessment of the MSC cruise as well and as others have suggested hope you include a link to it from here so we can follow along. Love your reviews and your upbeat musings and writings. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time! Enjoy and cheers! 🥂 Cathy

Following here now lol, too bad the OP isn’t able to edit their own thread 🤔.

That was then, this is now!

Unless I see personal belongings on a chair I assume they’ve left and were too lazy to take their towels to the used bin. Glad you had a great holiday and I hope AC gets all your luggage back home! Safe travels!

We checked in asap since we wanted to snag one of the earliest boarding time slots. We are staying in a hotel one night precruise and want to head to the ship after we check out. If you’re in a Suite, or have Zenith level loyalty then there’s no rush to do the checkin since you can board anytime.

Google Lawrence of Antigua. Please come back and report if you do go with his company. We are booked in Feb.

And I think that’s where the confusion lies…the planner says one thing but the website says something else 🤷‍♀️ And the newest info seems to be that you only get the non alcohol beverages with the Premium package, not the classic. The smoothies from Aqua Spa have a lot more in them than just fruit, including lots of antioxidant ingredients. A few I can’t stomach but a couple were actually quite tasty.

I’m seeing that now too…looks like the Classic alcohol package does not include non alcohol items such as coffees teas, waters etc…you need to upgrade to premium alcohol package to have those included or just go with the zero proof package.

Ok, I’m very confused now, I have the Classic alcohol package but what I’m reading is that it no longer includes coffee, teas, water, pop(soda). To have those included I have to upgrade to the Premium Package? We sail in Feb..

I’ll def be following as well. This itinerary is on my bucket list for sure so any details you provide will be most helpful! I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time and because you’re sailing solo I imagine you’ll meet so many future friends! Have fun!

At home I never use a fresh towel each time I shower however my towel is dry before I need it again which doesn’t happen on the ship, the ventilation in the bathrooms just isn’t enough. I don’t like using a damp towel to try to dry off with so I def would like fresh towels everyday. And while I do like returning to the cabin and it’s been turned down I suppose I could do without so long as there’s still the daily and the chocolate…it’s the small details that keep us returning to Celebity.

I did this on the Eclipse to Alaska in Sept. I purchased the package for one precruise and once onboard you go to the Hot Glass studio and the crew are there to set you up with a date and time of your choosing, it does fill up so go the first day to get a time that works with your schedule. They have 20 minute slots whenever they’re open. The cost of the session is for one of the basic items or you can choose to pay more at the time of the class to do something more intricate or large. I really wanted to make a sea turtle so paid extra and it also took more than 20 minutes but they’re very flexible. Was a great experience and I’d def do it again

Thank you for posting your recommendation. We’re booked with Lawrence in Feb. Was this the island tour that you did? Did you spend time at a beach afterwards and if so, which one? Was there an opportunity to stop for lunch/snacks during the tour? Thanks and glad you enjoyed yourself! My DH is retired K9…says it was the best job ever, partner never talked back 🤣

We (2 couples) are flying into FLL on Feb 12, leaving on a cruise on the 13th out of POM staying the night precruise in Miami. What the best way, and most economical, to get from Ft Lauderdale airport to our Miami hotel? Seems like there’s lots of shuttle services to get back from POM to FLL the day we disembark but I’m having difficulty finding options for the trip to the hotel other than Uber or Lyft, and hesitant to rely on them due to their surge pricing frequency as well as needing a large van for all of us and our luggage. Thanks for any advice!

Try the main dining room, open for seated and served breakfast everyday. We’ve always had good luck with the eggs arriving as ordered and appreciate not having to run around filling our plates from the various stations in the buffet and then searching for a table.

Question re your port times. We are on the same itinerary in Feb and I realize there will be some time changes but are the times in your pre cruise itinerary the same as when you were onboard? We are in St. Maarten from 7-4 according to our itinerary but I’m wondering whether that will actually be 8-5 local time. Trying to arrange a non Celebrity tour. Hope we have some of the production shows, always enjoy them. Did you do any tours/excursions? Thanks for your review, quite helpful

I purchased the class pre cruise in the cruise planner and then just paid the extra for my piece at the time of my appointment. Should be available under “onboard activities” but check all the different categories if you don’t see it there. Be sure you’re on one of the three ships that has the hot glass…Eclipse, Equinox or Solstice.

Thank you! About six inches.

I made a sea turtle on Eclipse in September. Wasn’t one of the ones on display but another poster had shown hers from a precious cruise and then I knew what I wanted to make on mine. I asked the instructor if I could make a sea turtle and he said sure! I actually was able to do quite a bit of it and paid with obc so really cost nothing! Every time I look at it now I have fond memories of the experience…best souvenir I’ve ever brought back.

Great info, thanks for sharing. Also, you’re correct about the larger planes…just a note to others they generally arrive mid to late afternoon since they’re mostly from overseas ie Europe. Should be the last stop on any tour with enough time to avoid the inevitable traffic on the way back to the ship. We had a large 747 fly overhead to land on a previous visit and I felt like I could reach up and touch the wheels! Also saw the crazies hanging onto the fence when same sized jet took off and they all got sandblasted. Another note, don’t set up your towels and belonging in a direct line with the runway….everything blows into the water when the larger planes take off! So much fun to watch tho!