Swann5

Hello, We bought an iPad onboard our recent B2B2B cruises, but selection was limited to the two they had in stock one day and the only one left the next day. We cruised New Zealand and Australia. The staff person wasn't sure when they'd be getting more in stock as things were very difficult to get with ship being based down under/so far from their supplier. There were only two lap tops in stock and a few watches. The iPad we bought was a 9th generation and reasonable price compared to home. If you want to use your your onboard credit as we did, we went to the iLounge immediately upon boarding the cruise and had them put one on hold until they were actually able to sell it once the ship was far enough out to sea. Dianne

We are just back from our B2B2B, New Zealand, Australia Gold Coast and Tasmania cruises. We flew into Auckland, had to disembark twice in Sydney and reembark same day, as part of the B2Bs. We did our final disembark in Sydney. We were never asked any questions regarding any Prescription or Over the Counter medications we had with us, so all the extra space we used, and the time we spent re-packaging medications into as small as possible containers, was a complete waste of time, for us. I'm not sure about other cruiser's experiences, but just thought I'd share our experience and perhaps save someone else the time and trouble. We had a fantastic time; so good we booked another cruise while onboard.

Oh, I should have posted it there, never post in a hurry! Perhaps the administrator can move it.

Reposting / Please remove if not allowed: For anyone who just got off from Celebrity Edge from the 12-night New Zealand cruise that started in Sidney on January 13, Reddit user HangOnImTrynaThink found your iPhone washed up at Mount Maunganui, New Zealand on Sunday.

My husband booked us through the cruise line quite awhile ago as there were such limited options. Keep checking with Celebrity as they may release more or have cancellations. On board the ship you can get placed on a waitlist. Dianne

Shore Excursions.

I stand corrected, the 3rd party does pick up at the pier, not the ship. More research will be needed to figure out something to do in this port.

We are looking at a 3rd party excursion provider that says they pick up at the ship as we know the tendering process can be a very long process. Just wondering if anyone has experience doing the Airlie Beach excursion through a 3rd party provider that also picked up at the ship. The cost the ship excursion is double what the 3rd party is charging with very solid guarantees if the the ship doesn't make the anchorage, or they fail to return you to the ship on time. Is it too good to be true? Downfall is they want to charge you for the full capacity and leave it up to you to find others to fill to capacity and split costs; not a fan of that system, but the cruise line price for the same excursion is hard to swallow.

We are back from our cruise on Eclipse and re-adjusting to life shoreside. We did not spend much time in the casino as we don't gamble, but looked around on a few occasions while waiting for bar service and did not witness any vaping or signage. When my husband inquired if vaping was allowed, a crew member replied that it was, but only on the port side of the casino. As I had sent two emails of concern to three different email addresses pre-cruise, my husband did receive a phone call from Guest Relations mid-way through the cruise to inquire as to how his cruise experience with vaping was going. Following his report of no issues on board, we received a flower arrangement from Guest Services. My husband did witness a vape cloud appear above the head of a passenger in the Ocean View Cafe over the lunch hour; when he found a manager to confirm that vaping was not allowed in the OVC the manager took the issue very seriously, but by then the individual had already left. So, we did not have any issues with vaping and 2nd hand emissions on this trip and Celebrity is taking our concerns very seriously. As to where this leads in the future, only time will tell.

As this is a tendered port, we are trying to find an excursion that fits the bill without a huge cost. We are not divers or huge snorkelling fans, but definitely want to take in the beauty, the once in a lifetime opportunity and do some snorkelling. We're looking at independent excursions but having a hard time finding any reviews. has anyone done this excursion? Thoughts? Advice? It's our first time down under. Thanks in advance. Dianne

We are boarding Eclipse in a few hours. We are very concerned about the exposure to 2nd vape emissions due to my husband's very serious, previous allergic reaction to emissions in an outdoor setting. We have sent 6 emails, 2 each to Laura, executive offices and shareholder benefits and received two phone calls from Aurora in the executive office. We are nervous about any reaction my husband my have especially as vaping allowed indoors and not contained to an area with improved ventilation and easy to avoid. Fingers crossed 🤞

Perhaps you missed this information in the article "However, scientists from universities in Virginia and North Carolina reported that when e-cigarette users puffed in their cars for less than just 10 minutes, the air around them became laden with possibly poisonous particulate matter known specifically as PM2.5 (denoting a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller). PM2.5 can be generated from natural and human-engineered sources such as the burning of fossil fuels." and "The authors of the new study reported: ‘This study demonstrated that a single person using an ECIG [electronic cigarette] in a vehicle with the windows closed can cause a measurable increase in [particulate matter] concentration. ‘Together, these data suggest that bystanders are likely exposed to secondhand ECIG aerosol when in a vehicle with someone who is actively using an ECIG.’" I'm not looking for a lengthy debate as there as been so much already. I wanted to share recent information and my intention was to encourage anyone else who might be concerned to email to the addresses previously provided in this thread.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12311423/Now-doctors-warn-health-impacts-second-hand-VAPING-Study-finds-e-cigs-spew-22x-safe-level-toxins.html also https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12307539/American-Heart-Association-says-vaping-just-bad-heart-smoking-cigarettes.html

I just read an on-line, UK Daily newspaper article reporting that scientists from universities in Virginia and North Carolina conducted a study and warn of health impacts of second-hand vaping. The study finds e-cigarettes spew out 22-TIMES the safe level of microscopic toxins which when inhaled, the matter penetrates the lungs and irritates the entire respiratory system, possibly causing or worsening asthma, bronchitis, and heavy wheezing. Additionally the matter is small enough that it could enter the bloodstream, which can lead to system-wide inflammation that raises the risk to cardiovascular health. I will forward the newspaper link to the Executive offices, Laura Hodges and Shareholder Benefits email addresses that I have previously emailed our grave concerns to as well as the details of my husband’s very serious allergic reaction to second hand vape emissions in an outdoor setting. We had a lengthy follow-up phone call with Aurora, from Celebrity executive offices. We set sail on the Eclipse on Aug. 6th while the trials are still scheduled to be taking place. We are very concerned how severe his next reaction will be, but now in an indoor setting and harder to avoid as the emissions will waft everywhere! Very scary, frustrating and disappointed that these trials are still on-going despite all the negative feedback Celebrity has been receiving and that vapers can't just vape in the already well established smoking areas, which we have no issue with. Potential life threatening reactions and negative long term health impacts are not the cruise experience we are looking for.

I remove the text, then used Google Lens to locate the photo,. It took me to the photo being used on a website: thisislandlife.com and an article about Coachella Caribbean, a cruise ship heading to Bahamas and Jamaica. However, it does not state where the photo is taken. A link to S.S. Coachella on the book of faces shows photos on board Silhouette. They could have gotten the photo anywhere or Celebrity. Google Lens did not offer any other matches. Looks beautiful wherever it is. I hope you find out where it was taken. Good luck.

I emailed both executiveoffice@celebrity.com and lhodges@rccl.com on Monday and just received a phone call from Aurora on behalf of Laura Hodges. Aurora said that both Laura and her had read my email informing them of my husband's previous history of having a significant allergic reaction to second hand vape emissions exposure in an outdoor setting and our shock and dismay that Celebrity is conducting these trials. Aurora stated several times that Celebrity and the Royal Caribbean executive group are listening to all feedback from all sources, in person on ships, emails, and social media. As we spoke Aurora was typing my comments which she said she would share back to Laura and the executive team that make the decisions. So, please voice your concerns to the email addresses above and if you are a shareholder to ShareholderBenefit@rccl.com. Your opinion matters, to your health and mine, speak up to the decision makers. Dianne I have no idea how they are prioritizing their responses, we are Elite and while we have sailed in Concierge and Verandas, all of our recent cruises have been oceanview or inside cabins. We all pay for what we get. Second hand vape emissions, no extra charge, lol

As both you and your son suffer medical concerns when exposed to vaping, please email Celebrity to convey your previous experiences and voice your concerns at the following email address. Just because at the current moment of the trial, with limited vapes being used as word had not gotten out, and Celebrity has not heard of any negative impact, yet, please be proactive and perhaps if enough of us speak up, the pilot programs will end before we board. My husband had a serious allergic reaction to second at vape emissions in an outdoor setting, so we are very concerned what might happen in an indoor setting. We have emailed and waiting for a response. ExecutiveOffice@celebrity.com

Wow, very disappointed in Celebrity. My husband had a very significant allergic reaction to inhaling, unbeknownst to him, second hand vape emissions, at a considerable distance in an outdoor setting. Sure don't want to find out what kind of reaction he might have in an in-door setting. Two emails sent to the email addresses posted. Dianne

I don't believe this is a coincidence at all. The market looks for indications that a company is doing a good job to increase revenue and decrease expenses which is exactly what RCI appears to be doing. I've been watching my RCI stock increase significantly over the past few weeks while my holdings in Carnival have only marginally increased. We cruise on Silhouette next week. I'm disappointed to hear about all the recent changes on board but at least RCI stock is heading upwards.

Very sad to hear as Rooibos is my go to tea. Can anyone confirm that Tea Forte Teas (African Solstice or others) are still being offered at Cafe al' Bacio? With a premium beverage package, I sure don't expect to have to bring my own tea. All these cutbacks are taking away my 'Premium' cruise line experience with a 'Premium' increased cost. 😞 Dianne

Thanks for your quick and judgement free answer! Happy sailing to you! 🙂

Do most Celebrity gyms have handweights less than 5 pounds. I'm doing daily physiotherapy exercises for an injury, so am working my way up to 5 pounds. Thanks. If not I may have to improvise with plates full of food or bottles of wine, lol Dianne

Do have a look at Celebrity, their sales and on board credits may equalize the cost. If you are a crown and anchor member, Celebrity and RC are sister companies have reciprocal benefits with some minor differences between each level. We have sailed both and prefer Celebrity. For port intensive European itineraries we often go for inside or Oceanview rooms to help keep costs down as we have long days in port. Dianne

Post your question in the Roll Call for your specific sail date; you will be able to if if there is a priest who also joins the Roll Call. Keep in mind, that not all passengers sailing on the ship know of Cruise Critic, so the Roll Call will only include a fraction of the passengers. Once on board, most ships we’ve been on, have a community board for passengers to post notices on, looking for like minded passengers, Bridge players for example or in your case, anyone able to lead a mass. You may have to ask at Guest Relations where the board is located, usually not too far away. Happy cruising to you. Dianne

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and the photo which is very helpful. Looking down is not a big deal breaker as the lifeboats are often blocking the view straight down on the older ships, even from the higher decks. Funny though that they didn't extend the balcony dividers to provide more privacy and security. We have enjoyed the extra balcony space on other ships, but on Jewel it maybe not such a 'sweet' location after all. Thanks again for your insights.