ChucktownSteve

Our last cruise immediately followed an "adult" charter.

 

Despite some concern on this forum, in no way was the ambience of that particular cruise affected. In fact, we felt no desire to loosen our personal moral bearings concerning the 7 deadly sins.

You mean that the "adult" cruise morals are not contagious? Phew! :cool:

I do not know how we can contact each other without telling the world our emails or phone numbers.

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You can always create a throwaway email at gmail for this purpose. Then throw it away if you don't need it anymore.

I would like to add that Captain Alex who alternates with Captain Kate on the Summit was very visible and personable. He joined the water volleyball game in addition to being at all functions .we attended. I have sailed with both of them and would be hard pressed to pick a favorite.

We sailed the Summit in 14 nights to NE/CA September 2015 where Capt Leo was Master the first 7 days and Capt Kate was the Master the second 7. I would suggest that Capts Leo, Alex and Kate are are all up there then!

You might check out Cru Cafe. From their web site, "off the beaten path in a classic 18th century Charleston single-style home. Cru Café and its award-winning Cru Catering division are consistently ranked as top eateries by locals and tourists alike." Check out their rating on TripAdvisor.

Pearlz is also very popular. I'm not familiar with the Oyster House. I don't think it's that old.

Another interesting restaurant is Poogan's Porch on Queen Street. They claim it's haunted. Poogan was the dog that lived on the porch. That restaurant has been in business since 1976 and is an old staple.

Two more questions for you Charleston Folks:

 

The Oyster House or Pearlz Oyster Bar?

 

Where do the locals go to eat good Southern Style Food in the Historical District?

What's your dinner budget?

It is really hard to believe there are people in the world who would say "I only drink Coke and would never go anywhere they don't serve Coke".

Or "I only eat hamburgers, etc., or I only drink Bacardi Rum.

 

This is like saying "I like to cruise to Cozumel so I will never go on a cruise that doesn't go there".

Yeah I don't understand it either. I don't like Mexican ports so I will never go on a cruise again that does go there. :p

All those sugary, fizzy drinks are very fattening and bad for your teeth. Drink water.

Do you know what Fish do in that water????? Drink liquor instead. It will kill a lot of germs. :cool: Or at least make you not care enough if you drink enough.

I would agree that those are "exceptional"...

 

We haven't experienced anything like those listed.

 

We do get invited to the art auction...Would that would be considered "exceptional"!;)

NOT even the free bubbly is considered "exceptional!"

Thanks, for the information. DH served on the MidWay during the 50's. He very familiar with the layout so I'll ask him what he thinks. Stairs are not a real problem but the ladders might be.

The metal lips you mention in the doorways I had forgotten about. Seems like on my first couple of cruises we had that all over the ship.

 

Thanks again for giving me things to think about. The use of his cane has slowed him down so we will have to plan excursions with that in mind.

They've removed the coaming and the watertight doors or chained the doors open on the tour routes. The ship was made visitor friendlier. I believe your husband will enjoy the Yorktown.

Depends on who I was sitting with at the time.. ;)

The OP's wife. :p

Kapt Kate also likes to hang out at Cafe al Bacio. I was on her first cruise as Master in 2015. I took a picture of her jogging on deck 11. So I can understand your feeling of seeing her in public.

At least you didn't get a picture of her masticating. :eek:

Our last 3 Celebrity cruises have been in Nov from Miami, and 2 from Port Everglades in Ft Lauderdale. We have upgraded all 3 sailings, and never paid any tax. Sounds like you got snookered! :D

You upgraded while in port on the ship docked in Ft Lauderdale? I can't speak for Miami.

When I observed the charge on my account on the TV it was $112.05 not $106.20. The $5.85 extra charge was added to the upgraded amount which was above the $11.80 per day for nine days. I didn't see the placard until after I upgraded. I saw it while I was drinking but didn't think it applied to the upgrade. It apparently did on that sailing.

Next time upgrade while still docked and tell me they didn't charge you. I'm sailing again out of Ft Lauderdale in about a month. I'll see if it was a one off or if the placards are on the bar again.

That kind of ship has ledges/lips? You have to step over between rooms and walkways etc too. J

Those are called Knee-Knockers by many. That's really the coaming of a watertight door. They rise about about 18-24" off the deck that tend to wreak havoc on the shins of those who forget they exist. :eek:

We were on the Quest TA and were told to take our Passports ashore with us at EVERY port, but we were never asked to produce them, cruise cards were all that was needed to get back on to the ship.

I just wonder why it is necessary to take passports ashore with us!

One good reason might be that if you miss the ship, you can still travel internationally with the original Passport in hand. They don't accept photocopies.

I found a local TV story about the Yorktown's B-25 bomber (Furtile Myrtle) being lowered from the Hangar Bay III ceiling to be displayed on the Hangar Bay deck. Now you can actually touch it. http://abcnews4.com/news/local/furtle-turtle-b-25-bomber-at-patriots-point-to-get-a-face-lift

If your hubby uses a cane, not sure if Patriots Point would be a good idea. Not only is there walking down the pier once you are there, you go up and down ship ladders and stairs. That kind of ship has ledges/lips ? You have to step over betwen rooms and walkways etc too. Just wanted to throw that out if you haven't thought about it. Aquarium might be a better idea.

I can understand you thinking that. However Patriots Point has an 11 passenger van to transport people up and down the pier. They also use public safety golf carts for the same purpose. The cart can also be called to the ticket booth near where the water taxi docks.

There is a fairly level aluminum ramp from the pier to the Yorktown. Just inside the Yorktown there are free to use manual wheel chairs. You can roll down the passageway to the elevator which can take you to the main deck which has the three hangar bays, snack bar, Medal of Honor museum and a replica of the Apollo 8 capsule along with a dozen aircraft including a

They can also use an elevator to access the Flight deck where there are another dozen aircraft with a beautiful view of downtown Charleston, Cooper River Bridge and the harbor. The view is unparalleled.

Obviously there are some areas that won't be accessible without using the ladders but there is definitely a lot to see even if mobility is limited.

Thanks, didn't know you could also load at the barn.

Welcome.

Here's something else many people are not aware of...when you approach the carriages lined up along the Market, you're not required to get on the first carriage. If a company carriage you want to go on is third in line, you can get on that one. The only thing is you have to wait until the two in front of you fill and depart. However if your carriage fills, I believe they can jump the line for their route selection.

The city tourism commission has strict rules about hawking passengers if your carriage is not the first in line, however you can walk up to them since it's your choice.

If you load at the barn, once they determine they want to send out their carriage whether totally full or not, they depart for the route bingo machine.

The Old South Carriage barn is on Anson Street. The Palmetto Carriage red barn is at 8 Guignard Street which runs between Anson and East Bay Street alongside Old South's barn.

Hi Jode, I just got off same cruise and have to say I was not overly impressed at all, quite disappointed in several areas unfortunately.....2nd time on Summit in a few months and don't think I will be going back on her......

Not giving up on Celebrity as had Excellent experience on Silhouette earlier this year.... going to stick with newer ships for a while.... 👍

I agree after my second Summit cruise this past August. Did they ever fix the mid-ship elevators? They were also malfunctioning in September 2015 and apparently weren't fixed during their refurb.

If you are sailing from Barcelona on an itinerary that does not leave the EU, you will be charged VAT. What is your itinerary?

Monte Carlo qualifies as a non EU for tax purposes. If you include a non EU port, you'll only be charged Spanish tax while you are in their waters. Otherwise I would pre-purchase the drinks and restaurant packages before embarkation.

Ft Lauderdale? That's the first time I've heard that. I've heard that was true in Barcelona. I've never sailed from Spain. But I've never had to pay additional at any port in Florida, and when I prepaid my upgrade for my December cruise from Port Everglades, there was no additional tax. This must be new.

You don't pay the tax if you prepay the upgrade before the cruise. We were on the Connie in February when it happened in Ft. Lauderdale. I upgraded at the sunset bar before we left the dock. I didn't see the little plastic holders about 6" high that pointed out the local tax. Next time you embark there, see if the bars don't have them.

Is there one carriage ride company better then another?

The two premiere carriage companies are Palmetto Carriage and Old South Carriage. They've been considered the two best out of four. My wife and I usually recommend Palmetto to our visitors. They're also the carriage company that Charleston Place hotel uses exclusively. Palmetto also has a red barn with some petting animals if you have kids that like that.

I would look for a Palmetto carriage company coupon on the Traveler Magazine website. There are other tourist coupons there too. Sometimes you can just walk up to a carriage and say I want a discount and the driver will give you one.

Not all tour guides are the same. While they all have to pass the test, some play loose with the facts. The two I mentioned have more reliable guides in my opinion. Oh BTW if you're passing Hyman's Seafood and the driver tells you it's the best seafood, understand that they get free food for giving you a coupon for a free appetizer. Their food is mediocre at best. The line is also falsely formed even with empty tables inside so that people will think it's a great place.

There are four tour routes regulated by the city tourism commission to disperse the carriages throughout the city so there's not an abundance in any one area at the same time. It's kinda like a bingo machine and one of the four routes pops up. That's the one the carriage must take.

You can either load on the carriage on Market/Anson street or you can load at the companies' barn. But both places must pull up to the bingo machine before embarking.

However here's a little known fact, if you don't like the route, ask the driver if you can get off. Then take the next carriage. Maybe you'll get the tour you want. There really aren't any bad routes but if you've been on the same one several times, you may want to diversify.

Here's a tip if you're in concierge, aqua class or higher when you embark. Since you board before the other classes, as you pass the specialty restaurant table near the buffet, they'll offer you 30% off the first night. When we did Summit in August, they offered that.

I told the staff person that on our previous cruise they offered me 50% off because I was in aqua. He immediately said, I can do that.

Try it. What do you have to lose? We did Tuscon. It was worth half price but we agreed we wouldn't do it at full cover.

Here's another consideration when upgrading on the ship. Depending upon your embarkation port, some require the ship to charge local sales tax. Any purchases made before you get to international waters will be charged that tax which goes to the local port's municipality. Ask the bartender or look for table tents that point out the tax. In Ft Lauderdale earlier this year, it cost me an extra $5.85 cents sales tax.

So wait until you're underway to upgrade if you're going to do it the first night without sales tax. Keep in mind that if you do upgrade the first night, you're paying the full price for only a few hours. If the premium call is worth it to you then the previous won't matter. :D

Anyone just off Equinox and was wondering of any notible bar staff in Martini Bar and Sunset Bar? Just curious?

We had some great Flair Bartenders in Martini Bar when we sailed on Constellation in February.

We also had excellent bartenders at the Sunset Bar on Connie in February. They certainly out shined the Summit ones in August. I'll be on Equinox in December. I hope they're notable too. :)

My Connie bartenders got extra cash tips. My Summit ones did not.

It seems to me that $30/day for the drinks package is very reasonable if you wish to drink outside of dinner/lunch service or have a cocktail instead of beer/wine. That's less than 4 drinks/day.