MEcruzr

12 minutes ago, chowderbsk said:

If you like good tequila, try Tequila Fortaleza....it’s owned by my partners brother, the añejo is especially nice.  And if you ever get the chance, a visit to the town of Tequila is a real treat.  My partners family has had a tequila company for many generations and there is an awesome history to the production and culture there.  And the agave fields are really beautiful.  His brother uses a tahona to crush the roasted agave piña the old fashioned way, which makes his tequila rather special....anyway, thought I’d give his booze a plug! 😀

It will mean a road trip for me in order to find it... closest distributor is in Massachusetts. 120 miles. 

It's not on the list, but you MAY find an Anejo if you look for it. You'll have to ask them to check because they will say no. I did find one on Equinox in October.

2 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Not sure I put much stock in the "based on availability" claim.  All you have to do is read the thread about Suite passengers in Blu to know that Celebrity isn't too reliable when it comes to enforcing their own policies.

The biggest difference here is that it's the shoreside people who make the decision, not the M'D with a guest standing in front of him getting demanding and a possible promotion on the line.

We were originally booked in a CS and it was not an option for us. Once we upgraded to a RS it was offered. We were told it was "VERY limited" and if wanted to participate we needed to do it ASAP... and this was 5 months out.

Last October I was sitting at the bar in the Retreat Lounge talking to a woman who was by herself. I asked her if she was traveling solo and she said no... she was with her daughter. She was about my age. I said I was traveling with my mother. We got talking about how nice it was to have the Lounge and Luminae and she said especially nice since she was in an inside cabin. ??? Turns out her daughter was a "high roller" in Vegas and they had suite benefits. The mom didn't gamble. I had no idea. LOL

Yes, this is a real thing. I was told, however, that's it only extended to PH and RS guests who have "linked" reservations and that it's very limited. The shoreside concierge will only offer this (according the person at X my TA talked with) to upper level suite guests IF they are linked to another reservation. So to "do the math" as an example... Summit has 2 PH suites and 8 RS suites for a total of 10. How many of those on any one cruise would have a linked reservation? If the limit is ten then half of the potential suites offered this could actually take advantage of the program. I bet there are more Zeniths and casino "high rollers" in the Retreat and Luminae than you'll ever see from this program. 

It's fun to try others when you have a bev package, though!

Last October on the Summit I hunted down an añejo. I can't remember the brand. Check all of the bars... sometimes one will carry something that another one won't. My preferred vodka is Stoli Elit. The only bar I found it in was the Ocean View Cafe!! So go on a tequila hunt.... happy hunting!!!

We have never booked an accessible cabin on purpose but we WERE assigned one once. We didn't know it until we walked into the cabin.

I have also been told by my TA that she couldn't book a certain cabin (we needed adjoining cabins) because one was accessible. She said X would release it close to our sail date if it wasn't booked and we could switch then, if we wanted. We didn't end up going on that cruise so I don't know how the cabin was eventually booked. I didn't think you could book one without providing something to prove you needed it.

I don't always use the laundry, I've used the one category cabin upgrade once, the specialty dining discount once, never used the wine discount (on a bottle)... I DO use the coffee/tea (when I don't have a BP) and I look forward to the scoop of gelato. So what? None of these things do I pay for. They are gifts or rewards. No one is "paying thousands" for them. 

7 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

Just a final comment to check you are aware about the issue with the bathtub. If you are of a reasonable height and fully mobile it is fine but the step in/out is very high and there is little to hold onto...I do wish X would highlight this as we have met up with elderly couples who have booked the CS as a ‘treat’ and then really struggled.

I agree. My 88 yo mom and I booked a CS on Summit for this May. When I realized that this was the cabin with the awful tub/shower I talked to her and we upgraded to a RS. There's no way she can get into that shower! The RS has a separate tub and shower. Who actually uses a tub on a cruise, anyway? 

Once the ship leaves the harbor/port and starts to pick up speed guests are asked to leave the helipad. On an especially beautiful calm evening leaving Bermuda a small group lingered longer than usual. Someone finally came over to us and said the Captain kindly asks that you leave the helipad now. We all looked up, waved and hurried off. It's certainly not a "party"... if you hear anything it will be the guests coming and going through the hallways before and after.

I've used the one in the women's changing room on Summit. It's very small... 4 people is ok, 6 would be very tight.

I travel with my 88 yo mom... that time of days she likes a little siesta and it's my "break" when I go to the gym. 

These windows??

I cut out my friend... 

I typically go between 2 and 4PM and have never had to wait for any equipment.

I'm usually up walking from 6 to 7 and there are a few others (regulars by the end of the cruise)... by 7 a couple more have joined us. Mostly it's the crew setting up the pool area for the day and, of course, the chair hogs breeze through claiming their string of lounges front row to the pool. 😠 You won't have any problem walking at your preferred pace. I just keep an ear out for any joggers coming up behind me because the "path" is quite narrow, especially when two are walking side by side.

It's a benefit... one that I always enjoy. I'm glad it's only one because otherwise I'd be there every day. LOL Not sure why it matters what you paid for your cruise because if you want what you paid for you can get the ice cream in the cafe or get it for dessert at any venue. The gelato I get as a C Club benefit is just that... I didn't pay extra for it. 

This is 6106 taken today on the Summit. I have friends in this cabin.

23 minutes ago, Pushka said:

People who pay for Suites also pay to dine in Aqua according to availability. 

Exactly. 

I'm  not 100% sure on this, but I thought I remembered reading that in order to receive a move up bid offer from X you have to enable promotional emails from them. 

6 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

One would assume that to be the case, but if it works that way - why were the robes not there when we came aboard? 

 

I'll make it a point to ask next year when we are on the Millennium. 

You should have had robes in your cabin on embarkation day. It was an oversight and yes, if you had known you could have asked for them. The ones that showed up at the end of the cruise were actually for the next guests in that cabin.

I don't bring a  power strip... I bring a splitter. You need something that does NOT have a surge protector.

I agree.

15 minutes ago, jcpc said:

6133

Not the same one... but they would help you move!

On 2/17/2020 at 8:24 AM, sippican said:

 

Are you saying that you believe the suite guests were dining in the MDR?  Seems a bit farfetched since our expereince has always been that we could order off the MDR menu in Luminae.

As suite guests we hadn't eaten in Luminae since the first time we tried it when it first opened and have since chosen to eat in the MDR instead. On our cruise in October ('19) one of our roll call members convinced me that we needed to try it again. We did. On day 3 of the cruise we let the MDR know we would not be needing our table there after all. So yes, some suite guests DO prefer the MDR. For us, Luminae was too "stuffy"... too quiet... too formal. No one was laughing or seemed to be having fun. I'm glad we gave L another chance. We found it much improved. This was on the Equinox. We are booked on Summit in May and still have a table booked in the MDR at this time. We'll see how we like L and decide then.

5 minutes ago, az_tchr said:

Celebrity did offer free upgrades. They were rare. Offered only when they were unsold as of the day before sailing. Have only met one person who ever got a free upgrade.

The marketing plan for X eliminated those empty cabins in the past be reducing pricing.  Down on an upcoming TA as low as $389. Those final payments were due before Corona was so huge.

Now that people can cancell without penalty - understand UK and non refundable fares - Celebrity is getting lots of cancellations and new bookings are down by over 40%. Thus Moveup is out early.

Years ago we got upgraded at the pier from a regular balcony cabin to a Sky Suite. We found out when we were checking in... she punched in our cabin number, looked at my mom and me and said you don't look like a Dave and John. Scared us because we thought X had double booked our cabin. She said let me check on this and walked away... came back with a huge grin on her face and said I have your seapass cards... they were at the suite checkin table. 🙂 X was smart that day. We haven't booked anything but a suite since. LOL