markeb

If you've never been to Europe, and always wanted to go to Italy, then I'd agree with the previous recommendations. Extend the land time as much as possible, but pick a couple of places in Tuscany you really want to visit before spending time in Rome. Most of Italy isn't near a cruise port... In some ways, the Greek Islands may be the best cruise destinations, at least for day visits. We've cruised Northern Europe twice, and that's generally also a good cruise destination. In both cases there's a lot to do near the cruise ports. Florence, Paris, London, Berlin, etc., really need longer visits and are quite a ways from the cruises ports.

Quick Google search: Georgia, Massachusetts, Nebraska. Plenty of others. Pretty much always allowed for religious observances. Otherwise ordinarily a parent, guardian, or maybe a grandparent in a private home. Not your kid’s fifty best friends. Edit: Virginia apparently allows you to provide it in your home if THEIR parent is with them. Taxed by VABC, of course!

It was a long time ago, and we really didn't know where we were going (pre-internet). At the time, you entered Ephesus through some sort of gate into a set of non descript ruins. Then you went around a curve, and THIS!. I believe that's the "library", which was a fascinating story unto itself... To the OP, we're all different, but I can't imagine traveling around the world to one of the most ancient sites on earth, amazingly cared for and preserved, and NOT going to Ephesus. And the "weaving arts" and "carpet presentation" is a sales pitch. Think timeshare. The "presentations" are pushing sales. And I'm sure the winery will explain their delivery program to your ship, or there will be a nice cargo bay under the bus to fit cases of wine...

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Post it as a reply. There's no private message feature on CC. You can tag them in your reply and they'll be notified you mentioned them (type "@" and their screen name).

It's a driver's license that also serves as proof of citizenship for US citizens. They're only issued (currently) by 5 states along the Canadian border. Michigan Minnesota New York Vermont Washington

That's what people don't get when they want to use the USB outlets, or bring on a powerstrip with a 1A USB outlet, etc. Hotels, and now cruise ships, invested in USB charging so long ago that the outlets are all but obsolete. And USB A/C/PD bricks are SOOOO inexpensive today!

My old eyes are having a hard time reading your meter! When I enlarge it to read, it gets blurry. What were the readings?

Absolutely! No way on earth I'm waiting on my devices to charge from a USB-A outlet!

There are parts of this thread I find incredibly fascinating... From the supplier's (Celebrity) standpoint, the Captain's Club isn't a rewards program. It's a customer retention program. Provide a goal and make the perceived cost of switching high enough, and your customers will return to achieve the goal. It's generally cheaper to retain customers than to acquire new ones. But you want to retain customers with the greatest lifetime value. I hate to break it to you, but the folks at the higher tiers who don't stay in suites, don't buy drink packages, count on drinks at the Elite events, don't pay for ship's excursions, don't pay for Wi-Fi, don't buy photo packages, etc., are not high margin customers. They extracted the value from you on your way to Elite. And yes, we're Elite (thanks to the much maligned relationship with the Captain's Club), but we've largely paid for Aqua or Retreat with drinks and Wi-Fi and do sometimes go on ship's excursions (we've outgrown the photos like everyone else). And there are higher tier members on this board who do the same. I'm sure they have the data to know all of that. About members collectively. And each of us as an individual. And no elite drinks on the first night is spelled out in the terms and conditions. Along with the option to change the program at any time.

I'd argue there's no real difference between the two in reality. If DH regularly wears a jacket because he enjoys it, he'll be fine, and he'll see others wearing jackets. If he doesn't normally wear a jacket and feels he has to, he won't see anyone else wearing one. Has nothing to do with how many men are actually wearing jackets. It's a basic concept of confirmation bias and goes a long ways to explaining why people on this board on the same ship at the same time remember totally different dress patterns. You observe and give more weight to information that confirms your expectations. Part of being human. Tell DH to do him and be comfortable.

Thanks, Jim. I think we'll switch to 6. That overhang, especially for Alaska, is a little scary... And most of the Sky Suites are on 6, with Luminae and the Retreat Lounge on 4. The deck plan is apparently wrong for that sailing; Celebrity is offering me 6115 as an S1 and the plan says it's an S2. I'll check with the TA. Any experience with that bank of cabins?

@Jim_IainWould you do it again? Or would you look on the sixth deck? TA came back with this one today, and we're in it for now. I kind of like higher decks in general just don't know the M class. Thanks!

$13 for Blanton's isn't bad. $15 for Whistlepig is interesting. I know they're distilling and aging at least some of their own rye, but they were pretty notorious for using MGP. Not unique to them, but...

Price for a neat pour? 😃 It's kind of weird. In theory, unless there's something unique in Florida, land-based Disney would get its whisk(e)y from a Florida distributor and Disney Cruises would be able to buy from the distiller as an exporter. If Disney also buys export for its offshore properties, that would give them a leg up. X didn't have those even without supply chain issues. THAT I absolutely agree is on X (and probably RCG). Not switching to Disney just for the booze selection, but that's a nice selection...

Definitely believe you! Just trying to remember the flow at check in. You go into the Retreat reception, have a seat, check in, then put your bags through the screener before going to the ship. At least that's more or less what I remember. Or do they screen your bags on your way into the reception area? Either way, odds are the person screening the bags was screening some other cruise line yesterday. And I don't think they work for Celebrity, so it would have to be a Celebrity (RCG; pretty sure they just change polos between ships...) to say it's OK. Although I'd hope the screening folks would be briefed that 2 per person is OK for this ship!

I searched the cabin thread and this one doesn't show up. It's an S1 just forward of the elevators for a SB Alaska cruise in 2024. Curious if anyone has stayed in this cabin and your thoughts. It's right below the pool deck, but it also looks larger than a lot of other S1's. Thanks!

Same in August on Equinox.

Buy a glass of wine over the limit and add an extra tip. Problem solved. If it's the same bartender (I assume) and you have cash, just drop a 20 for the week. Don't worry about whether they keep it or not. It's either going to be pooled (cash or room charge) by Celebrity or they'll tip out their helpers. Bartenders may split tips with each other if they're all working the bar at the same time (sharing customers). They'll share in the pool if it exists (and it clearly does) on some formula. And they'll tip out the bussers and helpers if there's no pool. The bartender who pockets a fiver and doesn't remember the guy washing his glasses doesn't get clean glasses. And I can't imagine any circumstance where the cruise line would keep 93% of the tip! Or that the bartender's share of the pool would only be 7%. I'm not saying the bartender didn't say that, and if it's true, the same would largely be true of cash tips. The only thing that's unclear is whether the tip pool for extra tips is all bar staff on the ship or just that bar. But it's the tip pool they agreed to when they accepted employment.

Unless I'm mistaken, the screeners work for Port Everglades, not Celebrity. (Actually, they're probably contracted.) Tomorrow they could be screening for a different cruise line with different rules. I'm not surprised they apply the wrong rules to Celebrity cruisers under those circumstances.

Smart casual.

What's dress like? Do I need (or feel more appropriate in) a sport coat? We may do drinks at House Without a Key one night and dinner at Michel's. Looks like we can still get reservations!

Thanks! Looking at the pictures, I'm pretty sure I've eaten at Orchids for a group dinner for some meeting/event I was at! We just need to pick a night (and check sunset times...). We're there for a week, so I may still look at Senia. When you're talking about the setting for Orchids and Michel's you're talking about the beachfront location? That is a beautiful setting! We've got some work to do to figure out what we want to do while we're there! From reading through the thread, some things are more complicated than they used to be, so we need to figure out if we're doing anything that we should reserve early. We've been to the Arizona more than once, same for the Missouri (I'd actually looked at having a promotion ceremony on the surrender deck, but my number came up a month too late!). We're thinking rent a car one day and head out of Waikiki and around at least part of the island. This is really supposed to be a relaxing week, not a go-go-go trip!

DW and I will be in Honolulu in about a month for a non-cruise vacation. We're staying in Waikiki (Marriott's Laylow on points). We've been to Hawaii a number of times, but it's been 20 years for her, and my last trip was a layover coming home from the Philippines in 2014. Typically we mostly just look for something to eat, but we enjoy a nicer meal when we can. I'm retired Army, so in the past we've stayed at the Hale Koa and eaten there a number of times (they at least had some decent and affordable places to eat). And we'll wander by while we're there (their beachside bar makes a killer mai tai with a view of the sunset in December). I'm looking for ideas for a couple of "nicer" meals while we're there. We're not currently planning to pack anything for a fancy meal, but I've been in Hawaii in December and there will be long pants and jackets in the bag! I saw a recommendation in another thread for House Without a Key at the Halekulani, which looks interesting. Also interested in Senia over by Chinatown (largely from Somebody Feed Phil, but it looks nice and has good reviews). She'd like to find a good Thai place. Waikiki or an easy Uber. I doubt I could get her into a poke place... Love some suggestions. Game for most things. She's not a big sushi/octopus/squid person. I like good sushi. Korean/Korean fusion is also interesting. Definitely no mainland chains (other than for a quick bite while out and about). We almost certainly need to try to get reservations now for that week! Fortunately we've gladly had Marriott burgers on Christmas day in the past! Thanks!

I guess I've just not had a meal on a cruise ship so great that I'd deal with carrying one of my really good wines. Certainly not a truly special Bordeaux or Barbaresco or California Cab/Bordeaux blend. I'd be worried about bottle shocking it on the trip, or the sommelier mishandling it. Since generally speaking they aren't... But that's me. He says planning to finally have a 2007 Gaja on my birthday this week. It's still arguably young, but I only have one bottle!