DevilinaBluDress

We're booked for a 2021 holiday cruise and on my cruise planner the Premiere pass is 59.99 per day per passenger! 

39 minutes ago, MadisonMom said:

We loved the Zacapa Old Fashioned, too!

5 hours ago, markeb said:

Some suggestions…

 

Sounds like you’re into basics. Which is great. So let’s start with whisk(e)y and go from there. 
 

Celebrity has a very limited number of bourbons, but Makers and Woodford are both nice. Suggestion: Get a neat pour and a side of ice. And a glass of water. Try them neat, but there’s no crime In adding a small ice cube. If you order on the rocks, odds are it will be all ice. After the second pour, you want taste a difference for awhile…
 

Scotch. Better selection. Glenlivet and Glenfiddich are the entry drugs into Single Malt. Same recommendation as for bourbon. Most single malt drinkers will drink them neat. A full rocks pour will dilute fast, but if they seem too “hot” to you, add a bit of ice at your own pace. Macallan is sort of a step up from Glenlivet and Glenfiddich, so try it sometime on the cruise. Macallan is usually priced higher than the others, so it’s a good deal on the package. 
 

Tequila selection. Meh.
 

Rum: Flor Cana and Zacapa 23 are both excellent. Neat or a little ice. 
 

Cocktails:  Does Apex have a World Class Bar?  One of my favorite drinks onboard is the Zacapa Old Fashion, made with rum instead of bourbon or rye. 
 

The premium package gives you some excellent gins. Try a good dry martini with Hendricks or Tanqueray 10. Have a Negroni from a good gin. 
 

I’ve usually found at least one bar on the ship with an old school bartender. .if you find them when they’re not swamped, they’ll take care of you. 

We loved the Zacapa Old Fashioned, too!

Just read this informative The Points Guy article about internet speeds on board: https://thepointsguy.com/guide/celebrity-cruises-xcelerate-internet-speed/

The author mentions that in the all-inclusive bookings, the included speed is the slower "Surf" speed. 

I wonder if it is the Surf or Stream speed if you booked a 4-perks package which pre-dates the all-inclusive deals?

One of the perks that I especially liked in AQ was access to the forward waiting room for the spa. My traveling companion is my son who sleeps in much later than I do, so I would hang out in there, often alone, watching as we came into port. On the same note, I'd also pop up to the spa ladies room to shower and get ready in the morning. It was very handy because of the forward spiral staircase on S ships which was close to our cabin.

If the current pricing is less for the new cruise than the old one, it might make more sense to cancel and rebook rather than "lift and shift."  

Perhaps it's because I use ear plugs at night because my husband snores like a saw mill, but in the two times I've cruised AQ (1518 & 1601), I've never been bothered by noise.

18 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

You will have to ask the agencies.  TA's are not allowed to be mentioned on Cruise Critic per the rules.

No wonder I couldn't find it through search!  Thanks everyone.

I know the big box travel agency I have used in the past doesn't participate in the moveup program, but who does?  Do you need to book directly with Celebrity?

We canceled our March 14th cruise on the Summit. I'm sad about it but even though we are low risk plus DH and I already work from home and there would be little difference if we were quarantined, my DS who was also going with us in our first suite is on the Autism Spectrum. His anxiety is sky high right now between mid-term exams and coronovirus. Last year we almost were denied boarding because his anxiety caused GI issues and he told them his stomach ached as we checked in. 

We jumped at the chance to cancel and get FCC especially since Delta was kind enough to refund the miles used for our flights.

I hope that we will find another suite deal that fits our schedules later this year or next. 

Molly

5 hours ago, edgekid said:

We booked our March, 2020 Caribbean cruise thru an online agent. We want to cancel utilizing Celebrity's new Cruise with Confidence program where we'll get a future cruise credit. Can we cancel thru Celebrity directly or do we have to go through our T.A.?

I know the hold times on the phone are incredibly long at this time, and I'd rather spare my T.A. from doing this, if possible. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

You need to cancel through your TA. They can cancel without calling Celebrity according to the online TA I spoke with yesterday. 

If you book Aqua class, you also have unlimited access to the relaxation room at the front of the ship on deck 11 on the Equinox. I found it to be a great space for watching as the ship arrived in ports in the morning. Quiet, peaceful and usually empty. 
 

Molly

Thanks to all who replied to my questions about having three in a sky suite on Summit. I was able to swap DH and DS so that DH has the perks. Talked with DS about the Retreat Lounge and just ordering his drinks a la carte from elsewhere around the ship. He's cool with it. It was a great suggestion - thanks again. 

Molly

5 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

The butler service is a suite amenity.  It has nothing to do with what drink package you do or do not have.

 

Also, I don't think you need to have a drink package to get a drink on the Retreat Sundeck (assuming you are able to get up there).  Can't you just purchase the drinks?  They will be charged to your account.  

Yes, DS could just buy drinks and we would probably save money over a package. We aren't Zenith or elite so just trying to figure out how best to balance cost, convenience, and suite benefits.

Molly 

1 hour ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

If you list DH a the 2nd cruiser and DS as the third then DH should get the perks.

You do not need a beverage package to get drinks in the Retreat Lounge but they did ask for our sea pass to get drinks at the Retreat Sundeck on Equinox. We haven't sailed without a beverage package for years so not sure about getting lattes from the Butler in your suite.

Is it possible to change the listing after final payment?

Our upcoming Spring break cruise there will be three of us (DH, DS, and me) in a Sky Suite (6145) on the Summit. It will be the first time in a suite plus the first time my DH is joining my DS and I on a Celebrity cruise. The first two passengers (DS and I) have all four perks and DH currently has none. 

1. Can we change who has the perks? Swap DH with DS?

2. Trying to decide if we really need to get a drink package for the 3rd person. Do you need to have a drink package to order drinks in the Retreat lounge or sun deck? Will the butler bring latte to the cabin without a drink package?

3. DS will be sleeping on the couch. Have you slept on one since the Revolution? Was it comfortable? Is it twin sized on top of the couch or a pullout sleeper sofa? Any pictures of a sofa sleeper post revolution made up to sleep in? 

Molly

On 12/9/2019 at 2:41 PM, C-Dragons said:

According to the Summit deck plans there is a sleeper sofa, so the suite should accommodate 3.

How comfortable it might be is another question. 😉

We decided to roll the dice - we will be three in this cabin. We'll let everyone know how the sofa is for my adult son when we sail in March.

-Molly

6 hours ago, RichYak said:

Here you go, Molly. 

 

 

Thanks so much! We are still debating whether we will be 2 or 3 going on this cruise which means my adult son may be sleeping on it. 

Molly

Thanks for the current pictures! We will be in 6145 for Spring break in March. Would you share a picture of the sofa? 

Molly

On 3/22/2019 at 10:29 AM, Jim_Iain said:

Summit and Equinox met at sea

 

 

  

From the Equinox Persian Garden on Thursday. Our next cruise is Spring break 2020 in a SS on the Summit. It WA fun to see next year's ship on this year's ship.

Molly

2 hours ago, hcat said:

Glad you had a good time..very upbeat review. Thanks for posting it

 

Wow about the Miami rental cars!

Guess it is the end of Spring Break..

Spring break plus lots of people coming and going at the same time. The Avis lines looked even longer. Lots of upset people, but I refuse to let a little extra wait ruin our vacation! One poor woman was crying and talking trash nonstop right behind the clerks. She seemed particularly upset about someone who had reserved and paid for a convertible getting his car relatively quickly. From what I could decern, they were just honoring his reserved and prepaid reservation and, unlike most of us, he had not reserved a standard car or van which were in demand and none to be had. I just sympathized with the clerk that this must be particularly stressful and that I had only 1 passenger and a couple of carry-on bags, so I'd be happy with anything else that could accommodate us. As I mentioned before, we ended up with a fast blue convertible Mustang. Not bad for remaining calm and putting positive intentions out there.  

Molly

1 hour ago, Landmarkers said:

Thanks for the link, pd7277, but I was referring to just a wine package with a couple of bottles of wine (usually around $100 - $150 for 3 depending on the wines) not the "Beverage Packages" as your video noted.  Appreciate the effort, though 🙂

 

Safe travels in your mustang, MadisonMom!

When we ate in Murano, it was the first time I asked for a wine list. On the wine list, I think I remember seeing a bottle package but not the details. Hopefully, someone else will have that intel for you.

Yeah, the Mustang is fun!

Molly

In the Mustang!

In the Mustang!

Friday-Nassau and Saturday (so far) report:

Apparently they are out of rental cars in Miami this morning, so I have plenty of time to report on yesterday and this morning while we wait for people to return cars and the 75-100 other renters in front of me get their cars.  Our flight doesn't leave until 7 pm tonight so we should still have plenty of time to explore. 

Yesterday was a port day in Nassau. We were concerned about the upgraded safety warning, so we didn't plan any excursions. However, the Pokémon Go nerd in me needed more gear and none of the Port pokes tops were reachable from the ship, so we took a quick turn around the Port shopping area. Leaving the ship, there was a little glitch as Will had his seapass scanned and he needed to get scanned at a different terminal. In the shopping area, it felt like running the gauntlet. Lots of high pressure from taxi and tour operators. After spinning a few stops, we reboarded and it was my turn for the glitch. Leaving the ship, my seapass was scanned but apparently wasn't registered that I was off the ship. A little moment of confusion and we were back on board. 

We went straight to Café al Bacio for a snack and Chai lattes. It was nice and quiet.

The Equinox was the first of 5 ships in Nassau. The last one to arrive was the Carnival Liberty which pulled in between the Equinox and the Port around 11 am. Wow! Their PA system and music are very loud and lively compared to the Equinox. Will went up to the Mast Grill for lunch while I opted for room service salmon and veggies. It was very good! 

It was then time for our massages. There was a port special offer for a Canyon Ranch Massage for $113 instead of $150. One of the things we do at home to help Will self regulate is a massage every other week. A close friend is a masseuse who is exceptionally good, so it's not fair to compare. Will liked his- he had an additional "enhancement" for additional time focused on his scalp. My masseuse tried to upsell me before and recommended some products to buy that I politely declined. Overall, it was fine.

Now it was time for our afternoon snack, of course! As Celebrity Classic members, we were able to get 1 scoop each of gelato. Will is a huge gelato fan, so I gave him mine, too. He reports that both the mint chocolate and the hazelnut flavors were quite excellent.

At 5pm, we went to the World class bar. By now, they see me coming and start on my syrup-less old fashioned. Will got one, too. En Vogue started playing which inspired Will to dance. He is so joyful!

Off to dinner at Blu. It was the filet mignon night. Will and I had the same/ blue cheese soufflés and filet mignons. The soufflé was interesting, but probably won't get it in the future. Filets were like butter! We did our dessert challenge and both the tutti fruiti and the chocolate torte didn't impress. 

We went back to the World Class bar- another old fashioned for me and a strawberry drink for Will. We got a couple of desserts from Café al Bacio for another dessert challenge. Both the Raspberry Chiffon Cake and the dulche de lache cheesecake were hits. It was a tie.  

Back to the cabin to pack for the luggage valet service and get ready for bed.

Today, we woke up at 6:30. Showered and finished packing. Headed to Blu for breakfast one last time. It was nice and relaxing. Still plenty of smoked salmon for breakfast. Will had an omelet that he said was delicious. Around 8 am, they started calling numbers for disembark info. Because we had luggage valet, we could leave anytime. We waited around in Cafe al Bacio and disembarked with no line at 5 forward. Fast through customs and caught the Budget shuttle. They had us packed like sardines. I sat on a crate. Fast forward 2 hours... We have a car. Upgraded to a blue Mustang convertible! And we are off to the races to do a little sightseeing.

Molly